Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Moringa oleifera Lam.: Protease activity against blood coagulation cascade

Background: The present study evaluated the protease activity of aqueous extracts of Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae) leaf (MOL) and root (MOR). Materials and Methods: Protease activity was assayed using casein, human plasma clot and human fibrinogen as substrates. Results: Caseinolytic activity of MOL was significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) than that of MOR. Similar observations were found in case of human plasma clot hydrolyzing activity, wherein MOL caused significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) plasma clot hydrolysis than MOR. Zymographic techniques were used to detect proteolytic enzymes following electrophoretic separation in gels. Further, both the extracts exhibited significant procoagulant activity as reflected by a significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in recalcification time, accompanied by fibrinogenolytic and fibrinolytic activities; clotting time was decreased from 180 ± 10 sec to 119 ± 8 sec and 143 ± 10 sec by MOL and MOR, respectively, at a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL. Fibrinogenolytic (human fibrinogen) and fibrinolytic activity (human plasma clot) was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), plate method and colorimetric method. Zymographic profile indicated that both the extracts exerted their procoagulant activity by selectively hydrolyzing Aα and Bβ subunits of fibrinogen to form fibrin clot, thereby exhibiting fibrinogenolytic activity. However, prolonged incubation resulted in degradation of the formed fibrin clot, suggesting fibrinolytic like activity. Conclusions: These findings support the traditional usage of M. oleifera extracts for wound healing.
Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy: A Controlled Study of Bipolar Inline Radiofrequency Ablation Device in Swine

Background: Bipolar inline radiofrequency ablation (ILRFA) is an effective way to control bleeding during parenchymal organ transection. This was investigated in a study of laparoscopic hand-assisted partial nephrectomy in swine. Methods: Nine Landrace pigs were divided between 2 groups; diathermy was employed in the control group for parenchymal transaction and ILRFA was applied in the experimental group through a hand-port and deployed into the resection plane. After complete coagulation, resection was performed using scissors. Results: The mean intraoperative blood loss was 32 ± 15 mL in the ILRFA group and 187 ± 69 mL in the control group: a 82.9% reduction ( P = .015). The mean blood loss per resection area was 2.53 ± 0.92 mL/cm2 in the ILRFA group compared with 17.31 ± 9.05 mL/cm 2 in controls; the reduction was 85.4% (P = .005). Conclusions: ILRFA is effective in achieving reducing blood loss and provides a drier operative field for precise dissection.
Experimental models of multifactorial epilepsies: the EL mouse and mice susceptible to audiogenic seizures.

This chapter reviews two well-characterized mouse epilepsy models with a multifactorial etiology, the epileptic EL mouse and mice susceptible to audiogenic seizures (AGS). Multifactorial disorders are quantitative traits where the action of more than one gene together with environmental factors contributes to the disease phenotype. The EL (epilepsy) mouse has been studied extensively as a genetic model for idiopathic complex partial seizures in humans. EL seizures are associated with an intense hippocampal gliosis in the absence of obvious neuronal loss and an elevated calcium-dependent release of aspartate that is present both before and after seizure onset. The inheritance of epilepsy is complex and several seizure frequency quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been mapped. Much of this genetic complexity may arise from the influence of environmental factors, including the seizure testing procedure, seizure history, and age. AGS, which are violent sound-induced convulsions, are considered a genetic model for generalized brainstem or reflex epilepsies. AGS susceptibility can arise as an inherited trait in some mouse strains or can be induced in genetically resistant strains from environmental factors (e.g., prior acoustic stimulation). AGS susceptibility and long-term potentiation (LTP) may also share common mechanisms. Several Asp genes have been mapped that influence AGS susceptibility. The expression of one of these can be modified by genomic imprinting and another has been identified as the X-linked 5-HT2e serotonin receptor. The genetic dissection of convulsive behavior in EL and AGS susceptible mice could help identify candidate genes for human multifactorial epilepsies.
Similarity in Adaptations to High-Resistance Circuit vs. Traditional Strength Training in Resistance-Trained Men

Alcaraz, PE, Perez-Gomez, J, Chavarrias, M, and Blazevich, AJ. Similarity in adaptations to high-resistance circuit vs. traditional strength training in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res 25(9): 2519-2527, 2011—To compare the effects of 8 weeks of high-resistance circuit (HRC) training (3-6 sets of 6 exercises, 6 repetition maximum [RM], ∼35-second interset recovery) and traditional strength (TS) training (3-6 sets of 6 exercises, 6RM, 3-minute interset recovery) on physical performance parameters and body composition, 33 healthy men were randomly assigned to HRC, TS, or a control group. Training consisted of weight lifting 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Before and after the training, 1RM strength on bench press and half squat exercises, bench press peak power output, and body composition (dual x-ray absorptiometry ) were determined. Shuttle run and 30-second Wingate tests were also completed. Upper limb (UL) and lower limb 1RM increased equally after both TS and HRC training. The UL peak power at various loads was significantly higher at posttraining for both groups (p ≤ 0.01). Shuttle-run performance was significantly better after both HRC and TS training, however peak cycling power increased only in TS training (p ≤ 0.05). Significant decreases were found in % body fat in the HRC group only; HRC and TS training both resulted in an increased lean but not bone mass. The HRC training was as effective as TS for improving weight lifting 1RM and peak power, shuttle-run performance and lean mass. Thus, HRC training promoted a similar strength-mass adaptation as traditional training while using a shorter training session duration.
Subscales within the dependency factor of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire.

Recent theoretical formulations differentiate two types of depressive experiences: one focused on interpersonal issues, such as loss, abandonment, and loneliness; the other focused on issues of self-esteem, such as failure, guilt, and lack of self-worth and autonomy. The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976, 1979) assesses these two types of depression. Symptom-based measures of depression (i.e., the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979) have highly significant correlations with the DEQ Self-Criticism factor but only marginally significant correlations with the DEQ Dependency (or interpersonal) factor. Through the use of facet theory and Smallest Space Analysis (Guttman, 1982a), two facets were identified within the DEQ Dependency factor that appear to assess two different levels of interpersonal relatedness. One facet, labelled dependence, includes items expressing feelings of helplessness; fears and apprehensions about separation and rejection; and intense, broad-ranging concerns about possible loss unrelated to a particular relationship. The second facet, labelled relatedness, includes items that consider feelings of loss and loneliness in reaction to disruption of a relationship with a particular person. The dependence facet had significantly higher correlations with measures of depression, whereas the relatedness facet had significantly higher correlations with measures of psychological well-being, especially in women. Thus, the DEQ Dependency factor appears to contain two facets that assess interpersonal relatedness at different developmental levels and correlate differentially with measures of depression and of psychological well-being.
The hypothesis of reproductive compensation and its assumptions about mate preferences and offspring viability

The Compensation Hypothesis says that parents and prospective parents attempt to make up for lowered offspring viability by increasing reproductive effort to produce healthy, competitive offspring and by increasing investment in less viable, but still-living progeny (parental effects). The hypothesis assumes that offspring viability is lower when individuals are constrained (often through sexual conflict) to breed with individuals they do not prefer. We review results of experimental tests of the offspring-viability assumption in Tanzanian cockroaches, fruit flies, pipefish, wild mallards, and feral house mice. Experimental constraints on mating preferences lowered offspring viability in each of the studies. Females breeding under constraints laid more eggs or gave birth to more young than females breeding without or with fewer constraints on their mating preferences, and males mating under constraints on their mate preferences ejaculated more sperm than males mating without constraints. The number of eggs laid or offspring born was higher when female choosers were experimentally constrained to reproduce with males they did not prefer. Constrained females may increase fecundity to enhance the probability that they produce adult offspring with rarer phenotypes with survival benefits against offspring generation pathogens. Similarly, ejaculation of more sperm when males are paired with females they do not prefer may be a mechanism that provides more variable sperm haplotypes for prospective mothers or that may provide nutritional benefits to mothers and zygotes.
Governance and Trust in Zakat Institution

As one of the five basic pillars in Islam, zakat is an obligatory upon every adult, mentally stable,and financially-able moslem. As a result, millions of moslems donate their zakat through zakat institusions. In the management of zakat funds, it is very to obtain the trust from the zakat payers (muzakki). This paper seeks to explore the zakat payers perception of governance and and its effect to the trust in a zakat institution. Perception of accountability, transparency and sharia compliance represents the governance of Badan Amil Zakat Nasional (Baznas), as a zakat management institution. The survey method was applied in this research and with quantitative approach. The paper examines relation among accountability, transparency, sharia compliance and 100 zakat payers’ trust in Baznas. The result of this research showed that the accountability, transparency and sharia compliance influenced a muzakki’s trust in Baznas. Sharia compliance performs the strongest influence on trust among the studied variables. The paper relies heavily depend on a muzakki perception of Governance and Trust. Selection of limited indicators for this research may affect the results of the study. This paper highlights the need of an increasing trust through relevant disclosure of accountability, transparency and shariah compliance information to build a muzakki perception based on the annual report of
Recurrence rates after treatment of breast cancer with standard radiotherapy with or without additional radiation.

BACKGROUND Radiotherapy prevents local recurrence of breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery. We evaluated the effect of a supplementary dose of radiation to the tumor bed on the rates of local recurrence among patients who received radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery for early breast cancer. METHODS After lumpectomy and axillary dissection, patients with stage I or II breast cancer received 50 Gy of radiation to the whole breast in 2-Gy fractions over a five-week period. Patients with a microscopically complete excision were randomly assigned to receive either no further local treatment (2657 patients) or an additional localized dose of 16 Gy, usually given in eight fractions by means of an external electron beam (2661 patients). RESULTS During a median follow-up period of 5.1 years, local recurrences were observed in 182 of the 2657 patients in the standard-treatment group and 109 of the 2661 patients in the additional-radiation group. The five-year actuarial rates of local recurrence were 7.3 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 6.8 to 7.6 percent) and 4.3 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 3.8 to 4.7 percent), respectively (P<0.001), yielding a hazard ratio for local recurrence of 0.59 (99 percent confidence interval, 0.43 to 0.81) associated with an additional dose. Patients 40 years old or younger benefited most; at five years, their rate of local recurrence was 19.5 percent with standard treatment and 10.2 percent with additional radiation (hazard ratio, 0.46 [99 percent confidence interval, 0.23 to 0.89]; P=0.002). At five years in the age group 41 to 50 years old, no differences were found in rates of metastasis or overall survival (which were 87 and 91 percent, respectively). CONCLUSIONS In patients with early breast cancer who undergo breast-conserving surgery and receive 50 Gy of radiation to the whole breast, an additional dose of 16 Gy of radiation to the tumor bed reduces the risk of local recurrence, especially in patients younger than 50 years of age.
Underload and overload in working life: outline of a multidisciplinary approach.

A research project is outlined in which concepts and methods from social psychology and psychophysiology are integrated in the study of human adaptation to underload and overload related to technically advanced work processes. Attempts are made to identify aversive factors in the work process by studying acute stress reactions, e.g., catecholamine excretion, in the course of work and relating these to long term, negative effects on well-being, job satisfaction and health. Data from a pilot study of sawmill workers support the view that machine-paced work characterized by a short work cycle and lack of control over the work process constitutes a threat to health and well being.
Polyamine Localization and Biosynthesis in Chemically Fractionated Rat Retina

Abstract For elucidation of polyamine localization and biosynthesis in various cell types of rat retina, the putres‐cine, spermidine, and spermine contents as well as the or‐nithine decarboxylase and S‐adenosylmethionine decar‐boxylase activities have been measured in retinal cell layers obtained by the selective cytotoxic action of iodoacetate on photoreceptor cells and of monosodium glutamate on higher‐order retinal neurons. A notable depletion only in spermine content was associated with loss of the visual cell layer. Total ornithine decarboxylase and S‐adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activities per retina were significantly lower in all chemically fractionated tissue, but loss of the photoreceptor layer produced the greatest decrease. The specific activities of these enzymes did not show marked changes in rat retinas deprived of inner neurons. The data support the suggestions that polyamine synthesis, storage, and catabo‐lism have different distributions in the retinal layers and that the spermine levels and the high value of the spermine/ spermidine molar ratio might depend essentially on the proportion of rods to cones.
Insights into Behavioral Vulnerability to Differential Sleep Pressure and Circadian Phase from a Functional ADA Polymorphism

Sleep loss affects human behavior in a nonuniform manner, depending on the cognitive domain and also the circadian phase. Besides, evidence exists about stable interindividual variations in sleep loss–related performance impairments. Despite this evidence, only a few studies have considered both circadian phase and neurobehavioral domain when investigating trait-like vulnerability to sleep manipulation. By applying a randomized, crossover design with 2 sleep pressure conditions (40 h sleep deprivation vs. 40 h multiple naps), we investigated the influence of a human adenosine deaminase (ADA) polymorphism (rs73598374) on several behavioral measures throughout nearly 2 circadian cycles. Confirming earlier studies, we observed that under sleep deprivation the previously reported vulnerable G/A-allele carriers felt overall sleepier than G/G-allele carriers. As expected, this difference was no longer present when sleep pressure was reduced by the application of multiple naps. Concomitantly, well-being was worse in the G/A genotype under sleep loss when compared to the nap protocol, and n-back working memory performance appeared to be specifically susceptible to sleep-wake manipulation in this genotype. When considering psychomotor vigilance performance, however, a higher sensitivity to sleep-wake manipulation was detected in homozygous participants, but specifically at the end of the night and only for optimal task performance. Although these data are based on a small sample size and hence require replication (12 G/A- and 12 G/G-allele carriers), they confirm the assumption that interindividual differences regarding the effect of sleep manipulation highly depend on the cognitive task and circadian phase, and thus emphasize the necessity of a multimethodological approach. Moreover, they indicate that napping might be suitable to counteract endogenously heightened sleep pressure depending on the neurobehavioral domain.
A target-derived chemoattractant controls the development of the corticopontine projection by a novel mechanism of axon targeting.

Here, we review our studies in rats of target recognition by developing cortical axons focusing on their innervation of the basilar pons, a major hindbrain target. The corticopontine projection develops by a 'delayed interstitial budding' of collaterals from layer 5 corticospinal axons, rather than by a direct ingrowth of primary axons or by bifurcation of the growth cone. Branches form de novo from the axon cylinder in the pathway overlying the basilar pons and extend directly into it. Co-cultures of cortex and basilar pons in 3-dimensional collagen matrices show that a diffusible chemotropic signal released by the basilar pons directs the growth of collateral branches from layer 5 axons in a target and neuron specific manner. 'Delayed' co-cultures suggest that a diffusible, pontine-derived signal also initiates the selective branching of layer 5 axons. In vivo experiments support this chemotropic mechanism. First, corticospinal axons form collateral branches at novel locations directly over ectopic aggregations of basilar pontine neurons induced by X-irradiation; no branches form at positions that would normally overlie the appropriate region of basilar pons which is absent because of the X-irradiation. Thus, the basilar pons, rather than local cues in the axon pathway, appears to control the location of corticospinal axon branching. Second, in a series of experiments in which different subsets of corticospinal axons are prevented from innervating the basilar pons, remaining corticospinal axons extend collaterals in a directed manner to regions of the basilar pons deprived of cortical input, a behavior consistent with a response to a diffusible chemoattractant emanating from these regions. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Yearly Changes in the Anthropometric Dimensions of Female High School Gymnasts

Zuniga, J, Housh, TJ, Camic, CL, Mielke, M, Hendrix, CR, Johnson, GO, Housh, DJ, and Schmidt, RJ. Yearly changes in the anthropometric dimensions of female high school gymnasts. J Strength Cond Res 25(1): 124-128, 2011-The purpose of the present study was to compare the age-related patterns of anthropometric dimensions of female high school gymnasts to those of a national representative sample of teenage girls. One hundred and one female high school gymnasts (&OV0398; ± SD age = 15.8 ± 1.1 year; height [HT] = 162.2 ± 5.7 cm; body weight [BW] = 54.1 ± 6.5 kg) volunteered as subjects in the present study. The sample was divided into 4 independent age groups: age group 14 (AG14) = 14.00 to 14.99 years (n = 26); AG15 = 15.00 to 15.99 years (n = 27); AG16 = 16.00 to 16.99 years (n = 29); and AG17 = 17.00 to 17.99 years (n = 19). Nine variables including BW; HT; body mass index (BMI); subscapular and triceps skinfolds; and waist, mid-arm, maximal calf, and mid-thigh circumferences were assessed on each subject. Independent t-tests indicated that for all age groups, the female high school gymnasts exhibited lower BW, BMI, circumferences (waist, mid-arm, maximal calf, and mid-thigh) and skinfolds (subscapular and triceps) than the national sample, except AG 17 for BW and maximal calf and mid-thigh circumferences. There were no significant differences in HT between samples for any of the age groups. Furthermore, there were no differences between the high school gymnasts and the national sample for the slope coefficients for the anthropometric dimensions vs. age relationships. These findings indicated that in females, participation in high school gymnastics does not adversely affect yearly changes in anthropometric dimensions.
L‐glutamine and palmitate catabolism in pancreatic islets from rats depleted in long‐chain polyunsaturated ω3 fatty acids

The catabolism of D‐glucose was recently found to be impaired in pancreatic islets from rats depleted in long‐chain polyunsaturated ω3 fatty acids. The specificity of this alteration was now investigated by characterizing the oxidative fate of endogenous nutrients in islets preincubated with either L‐[U‐14C]glutamine or [U‐14C]palmitate and then incubated variously in the absence of D‐glucose, presence of the hexose or presence of metabolic poisons. Relative to their radioactive content after preincubation, the production of 14CO2 by islets prelabelled with [U‐14C]glutamine was higher in ω3‐depleted rats than control animals. The enhancing action of D‐glucose upon such production was impaired, however, in the ω3‐depleted rats. The net uptake of 14C‐palmitate and absolute value for 14CO2 output were both increased in ω3‐depleted rats, whilst the ratio between 14CO2 output and islet radioactive content was decreased in the same animals. The inhibition of 14CO2 production by metabolic poisons was comparable in all cases. These results are consistent with recent findings on such items as the availability of endogenous amino acids and uptake of unesterified fatty acids in extrapancreatic sites of the ω3‐depleted rats. They also support the view that the alteration of D‐glucose metabolism in the islets of the latter animals may be attributable, in part at least, to alteration of glucokinase kinetics by high intracellular acyl‐CoA levels. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
1 DIAGNOSING THE ITALIAN DISEASE

We try to explain why Italy’s labor productivity stopped growing in the mid-1990s. We find no evidence that this slowdown is due to trade dynamics, Italy’s inefficient governmental apparatus, or excessively protective labor regulations. By contrast, the data suggest that Italy’s slowdown was more likely caused by the failure of its firms to take full advantage of the ICT revolution. While many institutional features can account for this failure, a prominent one is the lack of meritocracy in the selection and rewarding of managers. Familyism and cronyism are the ultimate causes of the Italian disease. Bruno Pellegrino gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Price Center for Entrepreneurship at UCLA Anderson. Luigi Zingales gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Stigler Center at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. We thank Carlo Altomonte and Tommaso Aquilante for providing us with additional data from the EFIGE dataset and useful discussions. We are grateful to Andrei Shleifer, Raffaella Sadun, Romain Wacziarg, and seminar participants at Chicago Booth, UCLA Anderson, Harvard Business School, Berkeley Haas, and Purdue for their helpful comments and feedback.