Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of chlordiazepoxide, nicotine and d‐amphetamine in the rat potentiated startle model of anxiety

The effects of acute administration of chlordiazepoxide (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, i.p.), nicotine (0.05,0.1 and 0.4 mg/kg, s.c.) and d-amphetamine (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) on rat potentiated startle were investigated. Chlordiazepoxide, 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, attenuated potentiation of startle, indicating an anxiolytic profile, although the effect of the higher dose was less marked and was accompanied by a reduction in overall startle response, probably reflecting drug-induced sedation. Nicotine at doses of 0.05 and 0.4 mg/kg had no significant effects in this test. However, 0.1 mg/kg nicotine eliminated potentiation of startle (in two separate experiments), an action comparable to that of 2.5 mg/kg chlordiazepoxide. d-Amphetamine at doses of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg did not significantly influence potentiation of startle. The results suggest that nicotine has an anxiolytic profile in the potentiated startle paradigm which is not due to its psychostimalant properties.
Why no wage solidarity writ large?: Swedish trade unionism under conditions of European crisis

Hopes that the global financial crisis would call time on the neoliberal era and prepare the ground for an alternative socio-economic paradigm have come to naught. This is not least the case in Europe, where the euro-zone crisis has engendered, in the words of former Commission President Manuel Barroso, a ‘silent revolution’ of further market deepening through policies of privatisation and austerity (Ryner 2015). The reasons for this are not primarily intellectual in a narrow sense. Credible analyses and critiques abound of the fallacies and costs of neoliberal euro-zone crisis management and alternatives have been articulated. These have been based on rationales and prescriptions close to those traditionally associated with European trade unions, within the framework of which functional and individual income equality and aggregate demand expansion would reinforce one another, with a significant role for the public sector and solidaristic wage policy. Such a policy-package is now supposed to work on a continental scale, in a vision in which the idea of a progressive ‘social Europe’ is realised (for example, Lavoie and Stockhammer 2013; Stockhammer, Durand and List 2016). The problems reside rather in the difficulties of mobilising coherent overarching European agency, in a terrain – as charted in this book – of variegated industrial relations systems, embedded in national and regional economies in which the impacts of the crisis have been uneven and asymmetrical (Jäger and Springler 2015).
What is the role of tests of lung function in the management of infants with lung disease?

This review considers whether there is a role for lung function tests in the clinical management of infants with lung disease. The purpose of testing lung function in older subjects, the tests available for infants, and the practical problems of testing lung function in infants are considered. After reviewing all the facts, we suggest that there are four situations in which lung function testing should be recommended for infants, as follows: 1) the infant who presents with unexplained tachypnea, hypoxia, cough, or respiratory distress in whom a definitive diagnosis is not apparent from physical examination and other, less difficult investigations; 2) the infant with severe, continuous, chronic obstructive lung disease who does not respond to an adequate clinical trial of combined corticosteroid and bronchodilator therapy; 3) the infant with known respiratory disease of uncertain severity in whom there is need to justify management decisions; and 4) research and development. A review of 62 recent publications to determine how lung function tests are being used at the present time showed that they are being used overwhelmingly for research. The role of lung function testing in the clinical management of infants has not been established, and research is needed to clarify this situation. We suggest that such studies should explore the role of lung function tests in infants with specific symptoms, signs, or diagnoses, taking into account information from other types of investigation and the cost/benefit/risk ratios. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2003; 36:1–9. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fluorescence bimolecular complementation enables facile detection of ribosome assembly defects in Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Assembly factors promote the otherwise non-spontaneous maturation of ribosome under physiological conditions inside the cell. Systematic identification and characterization of candidate assembly factors are fraught with bottlenecks due to lack of facile assay system to capture assembly defects. Here, we show that bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) allows detection of assembly defects that are induced by the loss of assembly factors. The fusion of N and C-terminal fragments of Venus fluorescent protein to the ribosomal proteins uS13 and uL5, respectively, in Escherichia coli facilitated the incorporation of the tagged uS13 and uL5 onto the respective ribosomal subunits. When the ribosomal subunits associated to form the 70S particle, the complementary fragments of Venus were brought into proximity and rendered the Venus fluorescent. Assembly defects that inhibit the subunits association were provoked by either the loss of the known assembly factors such as RsgA and SrmB or the presence of small molecule inhibitors of ribosome maturation such as Lamotrigine and several ribosome-targeting antibiotics and these showed abrogation of the fluorescence complementation. This suggests that BiFC can be employed as a surrogate measure to detect ribosome assembly defects proficiently by circumventing the otherwise cumbersome procedures. BiFC thus offers a facile platform not only for systematic screening to validate potential assembly factors but also to discover novel small molecule inhibitors of ribosome assembly toward mapping the complex assembly landscape of ribosome.
Attitudes and Sensory Perceptions of Food Consumers towards Technological Innovation in Mexico: A Case-Study on Rice-Based Dessert

Innovation in the agro-food system has become a strategy increasingly used by companies as a means to increase their competitiveness and position themselves in the market. In this context, the objective of this work is to identify the attitudes and sensory perceptions of consumers towards food technology through two scales (food technology neophobia and domain specific innovativeness) and hedonic tastings. For this, a new product was selected in the market: powder to prepare rice with milk. Most consumers have attitudes toward low neophobia to products with food technology, but there is also some caution, a situation that is corroborated by the moderate predisposition towards innovations. Color and flavor attributes can make the difference in positive perceptions. It should not be forgotten that there is a segment of innovative consumers that represent a key market.
Determinants of Capital Adequacy Ratio in Banking Sector of Greece

This thesis analyses the determinants of capital adequacy ratio in the banking sector of Greece. The study is based on banks’ quarterly reports and data from Bankscope and ThomsonOne. The data is spanning fifteen years around the period 2001-2015 and includes the four largest systemic Greek banks, since their assets represent more than 90 percent of the Greek banking system. The results are from unbalanced panel data and a random-effect model is used. Findings suggest that there is a positive correlation between return on assets, asset structure, inflation and capital adequacy ratio, while net interest margin, nonperforming loans and unemployment have negative correlation with capital adequacy ratio. Return on assets, net interest margin, and inflation do not have an influence on how the capital adequacy ratio is determined. Non-performing loans, asset structure and unemployment seems to have a strong impact on capital adequacy ratio of Greek banks. Although this paper is focused on Greek economy, it may help identify the correlates of bank capital ratios in the surrounding regions of Balkan.
Survival After Pancreatoduodenectomy: 118 Consecutive Resections Without an Operative Mortality

Twenty-one years ago, Howard published a paper entitled "Forty-one Consecutive Whipple Resections Without an Operative Mortality. " That paper stimulated the present analysis of the last 118 consecutive pancreatoduodenectomies (107 Whipple and 11 total resections) performed at the Surgical University Clinic Mannheim from November 1985 to the present day with no deaths. Ninety-one resections were performed for neoplasms and 27 were for complicated chronic pancreatitis. The preoperative evaluation, operative technique, and postoperative care of these cases is discussed in detail and compared to the experience of Howard. While there was general agreement on operative technique, there were differences concerning preoperative evaluation (modern imaging methods) and postoperative care (simplification). In this series 21 postoperative complications required seven relaparotomies. Long-term survival after resection for carcinoma was analyzed for 133 consecutive patients who were shown to have true ductal adenocarcinoma. In 76 patients, who had radical (R0-) resections, the actuarial 5-year-survival rate was 36%. In 44 patients, whose R0-resections for pancreatic cancer occurred more than 5 years ago, the actual survival rate was 25%.
Institutional change in cities and regions: a path dependency approach

This article aims to make significant advances in the development of a path dependency approach to understanding institutional change at the subnational level in the context of economic development. This approach allows for a differentiated treatment of various types of institutions. Moreover, the approach can also take account of the structures and processes at various levels of scale, as well as the role of agency in bringing about change. These points are illustrated and developed by an examination and comparison of institutional change in the governance arrangements in the city-regions of Saarland (Germany) and Teesside (UK) since the 1970s.
Combination of Foley Bulb and Vaginal Misoprostol Compared With Vaginal Misoprostol Alone for Cervical Ripening and Labor Induction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that use of the Foley bulb plus vaginal misoprostol will result in shorter induction-to-delivery time compared with vaginal misoprostol alone. METHODS: We randomized 123 women undergoing induction of labor with singleton pregnancies at 24 weeks of gestation or greater with an unfavorable cervix (Bishop score 6 or lower) to Foley bulb plus vaginal misoprostol (n=56) or vaginal misoprostol alone (n=61). Women with fetal malpresentation, multifetal gestation, spontaneous labor, contraindication to prostaglandins, nonreassuring fetal heart rate tracing, intrauterine growth restriction, anomalous fetus, fetal demise, or previous cesarean delivery or other significant uterine surgery were excluded. The primary outcome measure was induction-to-delivery time. Secondary outcomes were mode of delivery, tachysystole with fetal decelerations, terbutaline use, postpartum hemorrhage, chorioamnionitis, neonatal Apgar scores, and neonatal intensive care unit admission. Analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: The mean induction-to-delivery time was shorter with the combination of the Foley bulb and vaginal misoprostol when compared with vaginal misoprostol alone (15.3±6.5 compared with 18.3±8.7 hours, difference −3.1 hours, 95% confidence interval [CI] −5.9 to −0.30). The combination also resulted in shorter induction to complete cervical dilation time (13.7±5.9 compared with 17.1±8.7 hours, difference −3.5 hours, 95% CI −6.7 to −0.4). There were no differences in labor complications or adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes. CONCLUSION: A combination of the Foley bulb and vaginal misoprostol resulted in a shorter induction-to-delivery time when compared with vaginal misoprostol alone without increasing labor complications. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials. gov, NCT01279343. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I
Vascular endothelial growth factor is more important than basic fibroblastic growth factor during ischemic wound healing.

OBJECTIVES To test the influence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on normal and ischemic wounds in a noncontractive dermal ulcer standardized model in the rabbit ear and to assay the levels of both VEGF and basic fibroblastic growth factor messenger RNA levels in normal and ischemic wounds at different intervals during the healing process. DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS Dermal ulcers were created in the normal and ischemic ears of 20 anesthetized young female New Zealand white rabbits. Either VEGF 121, VEGF 165 (30 microg per wound), or buffered saline solution alone was applied to each wound and covered. Wounds were harvested at day 7 or 10 and evaluated histologically. Twenty-four similar rabbits were wounded in the same manner and their untreated wounds were harvested at 1, 3, 7, and 10 days after wounding. The wounds were analyzed with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Histologic specimens were measured for amount of new epithelium and granulation tissue. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to determine basic fibroblastic growth factor and VEGF messenger RNA expression. RESULTS Both isoforms of VEGF improved granulation tissue formation in both normal and ischemic wounds with a magnitude similar to other vulnerary agents tested in the past. Vascular endothelial growth factor application had no effect on new epithelium formation. In contrast to basic fibroblastic growth factor, VEGF messenger RNA levels were induced 4 fold by ischemia alone and 6 fold by wounding in both ischemic and normal wounds. CONCLUSION Vascular endothelial growth factor seems to be more important than basic fibroblastic growth factor during ischemic wound healing. Treatment of ischemic wounds with VEGF improves the deficit in wound healing produced by ischemia.
Orally Tolerized T Cells Can Form Conjugates with APCs but Are Defective in Immunological Synapse Formation1

Oral tolerance is systemic immune hyporesponsiveness induced by the oral administration of soluble Ags. Hyporesponsiveness of Ag-specific CD4 T cells is responsible for this phenomenon. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the hyporesponsive state of these T cells are not fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the ability of orally tolerized T cells to form conjugates with Ag-bearing APCs and to translocate TCR, protein kinase C-θ (PKC-θ), and lipid rafts into the interface between T cells and APCs. Orally tolerized T cells were prepared from the spleens of OVA-fed DO11.10 mice. Interestingly, the orally tolerized T cells did not show any impairment in the formation of conjugates with APCs. The conjugates were formed in a LFA-1-dependent manner. Upon antigenic stimulation, the tolerized T cells could indeed activate Rap1, which is critical for LFA-1 activation and thus cell adhesion. However, orally tolerized T cells showed defects in the translocation of TCR, PKC-θ, and lipid rafts into the interface between T cells and APCs. Translocation of TCR and PKC-θ to lipid raft fractions upon antigenic stimulation was also impaired in the tolerized T cells. Ag-induced activation of Vav, Rac1, and cdc42, which are essential for immunological synapse and raft aggregation, were down-regulated in orally tolerized T cells. These results demonstrate that orally tolerized T cells can respond to specific Ags in terms of conjugate formation but not with appropriate immunological synapse formation. This may account for the hyporesponsive state of orally tolerized T cells.
Carbonic anhydrase in the rat salivary glands: distribution and ultrastructural localization

Rat salivary glands were studied by Hanson's method to specify the ultrastructural localization of carbonic anhydrase (CA). Two different procedures were used: 1) The embedding of the tissues in water‐soluble resins, followed by the incubation of the resin sections on the medium. 2) The embedding in epon‐araldite of previously incubated frozen sections. Light and electron microscopy were used to observe the distribution and the ultrastructural localization of the cobalt precipitate. In parotid and mandibular glands, CA was localized in the secretion granules and the hyaloplasma of the secretory endpieces. The enzyme was also detected on the basal and lateral membranes of the striated duct cells in the three glands. In the convoluted granular duct cells of the mandibular gland CA was found in the hyaloplasma only. In the sublingual gland, CA was localized in the hyaloplasma of the serous crescents and no activity was detected in the mucous tubules. As regards the localization of the enzyme in the granules of the secretory endpieces of parotid and mandibular glands, it appears that CA has to be considered as a secretory product of these cells; this localization is consistent with the presence of the enzyme in rat saliva.
Selecting decision-relevant ethical product attributes for grocery shopping

Purpose Despite the existence of various approaches for promoting ethical consumption, it remains a challenge to determine which ethical product features are actually decision relevant for consumers. Based on the assumption that values influence behavior across a range of situations, the purpose of this paper is to explore consumers preferences for product information items that address underlying motivators (i.e. concerns about the environment, animal welfare, other humans, price). Information preferences are also determined for different consumer segments separately, enabling one to target consumer groups with specific decision-relevant information. Design/methodology/approach A German online survey was conducted with mainly young consumers. The survey used a choice-based conjoint analysis (CBCA) with the relevant product information items chosen based on an analysis of the attributes of dairy products and the guidelines for eco- and fair trade labels. The identified items were assigned to the ethical criteria of animal welfare, environmental protection, and labor and human rights. These criteria, along with price and country of origin, represent the attributes of the CBCA. Findings The results indicate that information about animal welfare increases consumer choice the most, followed by information about labor and human rights, and environmental protection. Three identified segments differ with respect to their decision-relevant product information: ethically motivated consumers (53.8 percent), price oriented consumers (12 percent), and price-quality oriented consumers (34.2 percent). Originality/value This study contributes to a better understanding of how ethical product information can most effectively be communicated to consumers, particularly for dairy products. The results highlight the need to carefully select ethical product information based on the target consumer segment in order to promote ethical consumption.
The efficacy of the ultraviolet C pathogen inactivation system in the reduction of Babesia divergens in pooled buffy coat platelets

Babesia spp. is an intraerythrocytic parasite that causes human babesiosis and its transmission by transfusion has been extensively demonstrated. The aim of this study was to ascertain the efficacy of an ultraviolet C (UVC)‐based pathogen inactivation system in the reduction of Babesia divergens–infected platelet (PLT) concentrates and to determine the parasite's ability to survive in PLT concentrates stored under blood bank conditions.
The Presentation of Gender Identity on Female Travel Blogs

Blogs as a growing online platform came to be seen as a â€˜newly idealâ€™ space for social interaction, identity construction and negotiation. Bloggers became a social actor who showcase and perform their roles and identities online. This paper would attempt to analyse the presentation of gender identities on travel blogs managed and written by female travellers. The research questions raised were â€œhow online technology (travel blogs) become a space for women to perform gender identity online? In performing their identity, how these women may challenge the conception of male domination in â€œtravel worldâ€ as presented through their narratives in a travel blog? â€ Adopting West and Zimmermanâ€™s (1987) concept of doing gender, gender identities would be viewed as something individuals achieve or accomplish through ongoing social interactions (p. 129). The study found that travel blogs have become a space for female travellers to express and extend their identities online. Female identity presented in travel blogs substantially informs the traditionally exclusion of women in travel world. As has also been elaborated, travelling itself can be understood as a gendered phenomenon. Since traveling is gendered, perception of being on the road and the roles played by male and female traveller is different.
Comparison of Plasmid Vaccine Immunization Schedules Using Intradermal In Vivo Electroporation

ABSTRACT In vivo electroporation (EP) has proven to significantly increase plasmid transfection efficiency and to augment immune responses after immunization with plasmids. In this study, we attempted to establish an immunization protocol using intradermal (i.d.) EP. BALB/c mice were immunized with a plasmid encoding HIV-1 p37Gag, either i.d. with the Derma Vax EP device, intramuscularly (i.m.) without EP, or with combinations of both. A novel FluoroSpot assay was used to evaluate the vaccine-specific cellular immune responses. The study showed that i.d. EP immunizations induced stronger immune responses than i.m. immunizations using a larger amount of DNA and that repeated i.d. EP immunizations induced stronger immune responses than i.m. priming followed by i.d. EP boosting. Two and three i.d. EP immunizations induced immune responses of similar magnitude, and a short interval between immunizations was superior to a longer interval in terms of the magnitude of cellular immune responses. The FluoroSpot assay allowed for the quantification of vaccine-specific cells secreting either gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), or both, and the sensitivity of the assay was confirmed with IFN-γ and IL-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) assays. The data obtained in this study can aid in the design of vaccine protocols using i.d. EP, and the results emphasize the advantages of the FluoroSpot assay over traditional ELISpot assay and intracellular staining for the detection and quantification of bifunctional vaccine-specific immune responses.