Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural studies, localization in tissue and clinical aspects of human endometrial proteins.

Two human endometrial proteins, PP12 and PP14, are abundant in human amniotic fluid which is an excellent source for purification. In SDS-PAGE, purified PP12 migrates as several immunoreactive bands from 17,000 to 34,000, all having the same N-terminal amino acid sequence of Ala-Pro-Trp-Gln-Cys-Ala-, and all of them binding IFG-I. PP14 migrates at 28,000, and its N-terminal sequence is Met-Asp-Ile-Pro-Gln-Thr-Lys-Gln-Asp-Leu-Gln-Leu-Pro-Lys-Leu-Ala-Gly-Thr- Trp-His-Ser-Met-. There is a 59% identity between this sequence and that of horse beta-lactoglobulin, and also between PP14 and beta-lactoglobulins of various other species. PP14 and human retinol-binding protein show a 23% sequence identity, and the amino acid residues -Gly-Thr-Trp- at positions 17-19 of PP14 are identical with the corresponding residues of human retinol-binding protein. This site is assumed to play a part in the binding of retinol. An additional sequence identity (32%) is reported here for PP14 and protein BG, a 182 amino acid protein deduced from a 700-base pair cDNA clone isolated from the olfactory neuroepithelium of the frog. Sequence homology is also reported here between PP14 and insecticyanin, a camouflage-associated biliprotein in insects. The sequence of PP14 is therefore homologous to members of a family of proteins that bind and transport biologically active small molecules. Clinical studies have indicated an increase of PP12/IGF-bp and PP14 in the endometrium with advancing secretory changes. PP12/IGF-bp is also found in preovulatory follicular fluid. In hyperstimulated cycles of infertile women undergoing in-vitro fertilization, the serum PP12/IGF-bp concentration rises as multiple follicles mature, and luteinized granulosa cells contain this protein. In non-pregnant women, elevated values have been found in patients with advanced ovarian cancer and primary liver cancer. During pregnancy the serum PP12/IGF-bp concentration rises above the level in non-pregnant women around Week 8 of gestation. Abnormally high levels are seen in patients with pre-eclampsia and, in the third trimester, there is an inverse correlation between the maternal serum PP12/IGF-bp level and fetal weight. From these studies it is likely that a relationship exists between PP12/IGF-bp, the metabolism of IGFs and fetal growth. In non-pregnant women, serum PP14 concentrations appear to reflect endometrial secretory function. This is indicated by cyclic changes in the PP14 concentration in endometrial tissue and by the rising PP14 values in the late luteal phase. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Positioning Stakeholder Theory within the Debate on Corporate Social Responsibility

Companies engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) mainly because they can reap some kind of benefits from such engagement. It is thus necessary to have a CSR notion which is able to address this important feature. The differing views regarding the role of business in society are often presented as being placed within the stakeholdershareholder debate. This article tries to show that a useful notion of CSR should be based on a stakeholder view and should be capable of addressing both its normative and instrumental aspects. Companies are seen as having an obligation to consider society’s long-run needs and wants, which implies that they engage in activities that promote benefits for society and minimize the negative effects of their actions, so long as the company is not prejudiced by engaging in such activities.
Alberta physical activity and breast cancer prevention trial: sex hormone changes in a year-long exercise intervention among postmenopausal women.

PURPOSE We examined how an aerobic exercise intervention influenced circulating estradiol, estrone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), androstenedione, and testosterone levels, which may be involved in the association between physical activity and breast cancer risk. METHODS A two-center, two-arm randomized controlled trial of exercise was conducted in 320 postmenopausal, sedentary women age 50 to 74 years. Participants were randomly assigned to a 1-year aerobic exercise intervention of 225 min/wk (n = 160) or to a control group who maintained their usual level of activity (n = 160). Baseline, 6-month, and 12-month assessments of estrone, estradiol, androstenedione, and testosterone were quantified by radioimmunoassay after extraction, and SHBG was quantified by an immunometric assay. Intent-to-treat analyses were performed using linear mixed models. RESULTS Blood data were available on 309 women (96.6%) at 12 months. Women in the intervention group exercised an average of 3.6 d/wk for 178 min/wk. At 12 months, statistically significant reductions in estradiol (treatment effect ratio [TER] = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88 to 0.98) and free estradiol (TER = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87 to 0.96) and increases in SHBG (TER = 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.07) were observed in the exercise group compared with the control group. No significant differences in estrone, androstenedione, and testosterone levels were observed between exercisers and controls at 12 months. CONCLUSION This trial found that previously sedentary postmenopausal women can adhere to a moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise program that results in changes in estradiol and SHBG concentrations that are consistent with a lower risk for postmenopausal breast cancer.
PHYLOGENY OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE. STUDIES ON SOME PHYSICAL CHEMICAL AND SEROLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTIBODY PRODUCED IN THE TURTLE.

The immune response of turtles to giant keyhole limpet hemocyanin was studied by means of the precipitation of I*-hemocyanin by antiserum. The pertinent findings were: 1. 1. The 18 S protein constitutes 13 to 26% of the total normal serum protein in the turtle. 2. 2. In an antibody response rapidly sedimenting antibody predominates for the first month and is gradually replaced by slowly sedimenting antibody. 3. 3. The slowly sedimenting antibody activity as well as that of the rapidly sedimenting antibody activity is almost entirely destroyed by 2-mercaptoethanol treatment. 4. 4. No anamnestic response occurred. 5. 5. The precipitin reaction between turtle antibody and antigen remains, throughout the course of immunization, similar to a mammalian primary response in that it is greatly effected by dilution of the test system.
Gamma-atrial natriuretic polypeptide (gamma ANP)-derived peptides in human plasma: cosecretion of N-terminal gamma ANP fragment and alpha ANP.

Using RIAs for the N- and C-terminal fragments of the human atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) precursor gamma ANP, that is gamma ANP-(1-25), and alpha ANP [gamma ANP-(99-126)], we studied the secretion of gamma ANP-derived peptides from the heart in normal subjects and patients with heart disease, chronic renal failure, and cirrhosis. We detected gamma ANP-(1-25)-like immunoreactivity (-LI) in plasma from normal subjects (n = 17) in considerable amounts [mean, 510 +/- 62 (+/- SE) pg/mL (174 +/- 21 pmol/L)]; the mean plasma alpha ANP-LI level at the same time in these subjects was 32.8 +/- 4.4 pg/mL (10.7 +/- 1.4 pmol/L). Gel permeation chromatographic analysis of plasma samples from normal subjects and patients with heart disease and chronic renal failure revealed two major components; one was alpha ANP, and the other was the 10K N-terminal gamma ANP fragment (N-peptide) resulting from the removal of alpha ANP (3K) from gamma ANP (13K). In addition, gamma ANP (13K), which possessed both gamma ANP-(1-25)-LI and alpha ANP-LI, and beta ANP, an antiparallel dimer of alpha ANP, were detected in some patients as minor components. A significant positive correlation between plasma levels of the N-terminal gamma ANP fragment and alpha ANP (P less than 0.01) and almost equal step-ups in the coronary sinus plasma levels of the N-terminal gamma ANP fragment and alpha ANP suggest that they are cosecreted in equimolar amounts. The high molar ratio of plasma gamma ANP-(1-25)-LI to alpha ANP-LI (17.4 +/- 1.4) in normal subjects and the significantly higher ratio in patients with chronic renal failure (36.9 +/- 7.1; P less than 0.01) suggest the slower clearance of the N-terminal gamma ANP fragment than alpha ANP and a role for the kidney in its degradation. Since the molar ratio of plasma gamma ANP-(1-25)-LI to alpha ANP-LI in patients with cirrhosis (20.7 +/- 2.7) was similar to that in normal subjects, it is unlikely that the N-terminal gamma ANP fragment is metabolized by the liver. In patients with heart disease, plasma gamma ANP-(1-25)-LI and alpha ANP-LI levels were higher in those with cardiac decompensation and were positively correlated with right atrial pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, indicating cosecretion of the N-terminal gamma ANP fragment and alpha ANP in response to atrial stretch. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Aspect-oriented specification architectures for distributed real-time systems

When specifying distributed real-time systems, decomposition and composition are the primary methods for coping with complexity. Typically, decomposition can be done in two orthogonal dimensions. First, the system is decomposed in the vertical dimension by partitioning the distributed system into loosely-coupled subsystems with well-defined interfaces. Each subsystem is then decomposed further in the horizontal dimension usually in a top-down fashion. However with this approach it is easy to introduce unnecessary complexity due to two facts. Firstly the interfaces between subsystems are defined before capturing their collective behaviour. Secondly, application-specific parts, that cross-cut the two dimensions, are scattered around in different components of the subsystems. Furthermore, they are tangled with other parts. In recent years the recognition of problems related with scattering and tangling in object-oriented software systems has led to an introduction of an aspect-oriented design methodology enabling different, possibly overlapping, design concerns to be decomposed separately before composing them together In this paper specification architectures for distributed real-time systems are addressed which support capturing of collective behaviour in diverse dimensions of concerns at a high level of abstraction.
Foreign Direct Investment and Exchange Rate Regimes

The paper uses a comprehensive data set with bilateral direct investment flows and establishes the influence of the de-facto exchange rate regime for FDI flows. We find a strong and significant effect from fixed rates on bilateral FDI flows in developed economies, but no significant effect for developing countries. There is thus no general and uniform impact of stable exchange rates on FDI. We provide several possible explanations for this difference.
Learning to Read Graphics: Some Evidence that 'Seeing' an Information Display is an Acquired Skill

Abstract This paper suggests that experience influences what 'readers' of graphical representations look at and hence what they see, so that readership skills—both perceptual and interpretive—for graphical notations must be learned. It draws on results from two sets of empirical studies: observational studies of expert hardware designers using electronics schematics, and experiments comparing readability of textual and graphical programming notations. Less experienced users appear unable to exploit (or even notice) the graphical cues that might help them. The paper discusses 'secondary notion', 'the match-mismatch hypothesis' and a model of the programmer as an 'active reader', in order to shed some light on what distinguishes expert from novice behaviour. It observes that clarity in a representation may well rely on good use of features that are not formally part of the notation, and it concludes that the importance of training and experience with respect to the use of graphical notations has been underestimated.
Innovativeness and variety of Internet shopping

A survey of 208 US Midwestern Internet users reveals, first, that the nature of Internet dhopping (IS) is a function of consumers’ domain specific IS Innovativeness, not only in regard to product purchasing (as has been previously observed) but also to visiting sites for product information. Second, IS innovativeness is positively associated with the variety of product classes shopped online, and this association is stronger with popular than with unpopular product classes. Third, the impact of IS innovativeness is in addition to, and not simply a reflection of, the positive contribution to online shopping made by the prevalence of online shopping in one’s social setting. Fourth, when IS innovativeness is uncontrolled, apparent support is found for previous contentions that online shopping is greater among those with more extensive Internet experience. However, when IS innovativeness is considered, the predictive ability of Internet experience decreases, in some cases to nonsignificance.
Genetic structure of Neisseria meningitidis populations in relation to serogroup, serotype, and outer membrane protein pattern

The genetic structure of populations of Neisseria meningitidis was examined by an analysis of electrophoretically demonstrable allelic variation at 15 genes encoding enzymes in 650 isolates of eight serogroups (A, B, C, W135, X, Y, Z, and 29E) and 38 nonserogroupable isolates. A total of 331 distinctive multilocus genotypes (electrophoretic types, ETs) was identified, among which mean genetic diversity per locus (H = 0.547) was greater than in Escherichia coli and other bacterial species thus far studied. The intercontinental distribution of some ETs and the recovery of organisms of identical genotype over periods of many years strongly suggest that the genetic structure of N. meningitidis is basically clonal as a consequence of low rates of recombination of chromosomal genes. Variation among strains in serogroup, serotype, and the electrophoretic pattern of the major outer membrane proteins has little relationship to the complex structure of populations revealed by enzyme electrophoresis, which involves 14 major lineages of clones diverging from one another at genetic distances greater than 0.50. Genetic diversity among ETs of isolates of the same serogroup was, on average, 84% of that in the total sample. Clones of serogroup A were unusual in being genotypically less heterogeneous than those of other serogroups and in forming a single phylogenetic group. Isolates of the same serotype or outer membrane protein pattern were also highly heterogeneous; on average, 87 and 97%, respectively, of the total species diversity was represented by ETs of the same serotype or outer membrane protein.
Superovulation in cows synchronized with two different progesterone+oestradiol protocols

Abstract. A total of 26 Brown Swiss cows were used to compare the synchronization and superovulatory response of follicle stimulating hormone treated cows that were synchronized with progesterone+oestradiol valerate or benzoate. Control cows (n = 8) were superstimulated with follicle stimulating hormone using twice daily injections with decreasing doses from day 10–13 after determined reference oestrus. Cows in treatment groups were received either ear implant (n = 9) containing norgestomet+oestradiol valerate or progesterone releasing intravaginal device (n = 9) containing progesterone+oestradiol benzoate, at random stage of the oestrus cycle, for 9 days. Seven days after the implant and progesterone releasing intravaginal device insertion, follicle stimulating hormone was injected as described in the control group. There was no significant difference between the groups for superovulation responses. In conclusion, both protocols synchronized the oestrus cycle in follicle stimulating hormone treated cows and, any of the protocols evaluated in this study can be used as a pretreatment for superstimulation started on the seventh day of the implant or progesterone releasing intravaginal device insertion in Brown Swiss cows.
The who, when and where of early narratives

ABSTRACT To be well understood, narratives need to be embedded within appropriate contextual information. The early development of key orientation (participants, location and time) was traced with an 18-month longitudinal study of real-experience narratives produced by 10 children aged approximately 2–3; 6. Listener knowledge or inference was required to decode most named participants and many were not specified at all. There was no developmental improvement. Orientation to when was rare at first and involved formula words indiscriminately applied. There was steady developmental improvement in frequency as well as differentiation of time references. where information was more common at all ages, particularly when the narrated events occurred away from home. It also showed developmental improvement, but only for away-from-home locations. Overall, very young children can produce narratives in an unscaffolded context to adults unfamiliar with their experiences. The potential role of parental scaffolding in teaching orientation skills is discussed.
Attempts to Reproduce a Pianist’s Expressive Timing with Director Musices Performance Rules

The Director Musices generative grammar of music performance is a system of context dependent rules that automatically introduces expressive deviation in performances of input score files. A number of these rule concern timing. In this investigation the ability of such rules to reproduce a professional pianist’s timing deviations from nominal note inter-onset-intervals is examined. Rules affecting tone inter-onset-intervals were first tested one by one for the various sections of the excerpt, and then in combinations. Results were evaluated in terms of the correlation between the deviations made by the pianist and by the rule system. It is found that rules reflecting the phrase structure produced high correlations in some sections. On the other hand, some rules failed to produce significant correlation with the pianist’s deviations, and thus seemed irrelevant to the particular performance analysed. It is concluded that phrasing was a prominent principle in this performance and that rule combinations have to change between sections in order to match this pianist’s deviations.
Vasopressin effects on plasma renin activity in male and female rats.

1. The influence of gonadal and pituitary factors on the plasma renin response to exogenous vasopressin was examined in anaesthetized rats. 2. Plasma renin activity (PRA) was measured in Brattleboro rats (with and without hypothalamic diabetes insipidus) and Long-Evans male and female rats, before and after single intravenous injection of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or saline. 3. Control saline injections did not change PRA. ADH reduced PRA in male, but increased PRA in female rats. Rats with diabetes insipidus displayed the greatest changes and were used in subsequent experiments. Extrarenal renin activity (nephrectomized rats) gave qualitatively similar responses to ADH. Plasma renin concentration, which was also measured with PRA in intact and nephrectomized male and female rats with diabetes insipidus, increased in the females and decreased in the males after ADH. 4. Castration, 24 h before study, abolished the ADH-induced fall in PRA, and testosterone implanted before castration did not restore the response. Cyproterone acetate reversed the ADH effect in males, so that PRA then rose after ADH. Hypophysectomized male rats, with depressed basal plasma renin activities, also showed a reduced PRA after ADH. 5. Ovariectomy had little effect on the ADH-induced renin release and the response was similar at oestrus, metoestrus and dioestrus. In hypophysectomized female rats ADH reduced PRA; a male pattern of response was seen in hypophysectomized female rats. 6. In both sexes PRA responses to ADH were blunted but not abolished by β-adrenergic blockade (propranolol). α-Adrenergic blockade (phenoxybenzamine) had little influence on the male response but in females the typical increase disappeared so that ADH reduced PRA. 7. It is concluded that pituitary hormones, including gonadotrophins and gonadal factors as well as adrenal sex steroids, appear to affect significantly the interplay between antidiuretic hormone and the renin—angiotensin system.
Improvements in Dynamic Balance Using an Adaptive Snowboard with the Nintendo Wii.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this case report is to see if a novel balance board could improve balance and gait of a subject with dynamic balance impairments and enjoyment of virtual rehabilitation training. MATERIALS AND METHODS A novel Adaptive Snowboard™ (developed by two of the authors, B.S. and J.D.) was used in conjunction with the Nintendo(®) (Redmond, WA) Wii™ snowboarding and wakeboarding games with a participant in a physical therapy outpatient clinic. Baseline measurements were taken for gait velocity and stride length, Four Square Step Test, Star Balance Excursion Test, Sensory Organization Test, and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. Two 60-90-minute sessions per week for 5 weeks included seven to nine trials of Wii snowboarding or wakeboarding games. RESULTS Improvements were seen in every outcome measure. CONCLUSIONS This study had comparable results to studies performed using a wobble board in that improvements in balance were made. Use of virtual snowboard simulation improved the subject's balance, gait speed, and stride length, as well as being an enjoyable activity.
Formulation and characterization of sunscreen creams with synergistic efficacy on SPF by combination of UV filters

The objective of this study was to develop sunscreen cream formulations with high sun protection factor (SPF) and satisfied characteristics. The actives were anisotriazine (an organic UV filter) and titanium dioxide (an inorganic UV filter). Two optimal cream bases selected from several preliminary formulations were prepared and incorporated with both actives in the legislated concentrations via emulsification process. The samples were determined for in vitro SPF, physical appearance, pH, and viscosity. Moreover, the sunscreen creams were compared for SPF with those of their counterparts containing either anisotriazine or titanium dioxide at the identical concentrations. The stability was studied under freeze-thaw condition. The results indicated that synergistic efficacy on SPF of sunscreen combination was confirmed. The intrinsic properties of cream bases, especially viscosity, affected the SPF of the final products.