Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mathematical and experimental insights into the development of the enteric nervous system and Hirschsprung's Disease

The vertebrate enteric nervous system is formed by a rostro‐caudally directed invasion of the embryonic gastrointestinal mesenchyme by neural crest cells. Failure to complete this invasion results in the distal intestine lacking intrinsic neurons. This potentially fatal condition is called Hirschsprung's Disease. A mathematical model of cell invasion incorporating cell motility and proliferation of neural crest cells to a carrying capacity predicted invasion outcomes to imagined manipulations, and these manipulations were tested experimentally. Mathematical and experimental results agreed. The results show that the directional invasion is chiefly driven by neural crest cell proliferation. Moreover, this proliferation occurs in a small region at the wavefront of the invading population. These results provide an understanding of why many genes implicated in Hirschsprung's Disease influence neural crest population size. In addition, during in vivo development the underlying gut tissues are growing simultaneously as the neural crest cell invasion proceeds. The interactions between proliferation, motility and gut growth dictate whether or not complete colonization is successful. Mathematical modeling provides insights into the conditions required for complete colonization or a Hirschsprung's‐like deficiency. Experimental evidence supports the hypotheses suggested by the modeling.
SOLVING THE STUDENTS� PROBLEMS IN WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY THROUGH COLLABORATIVE WRITING STRATEGY

This research is based on the students� problems in writing argumentative essay, especially in developing and organizing ideas, using good grammar and diction, and applying correct writing mechanics, such as the use of capital letter, spelling, and punctuation. The purpose of this research is to solve the students� problems in writing argumentative essay through collaborative writing strategy. The design employed in this research was classroom action research. The participants involved in this research were 23 students of English Education Department, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Lancang Kuning Pekanbaru, Indonesia. The instruments used in this research were writing test, field note, observation checklist, and interview. Based on the result of the test, the students� score had reached the criteria of success set, and it was significantly improved from the result before the research conducted. The mean score of the mid-term test was 54.9, and the mean score of the cycle test was 74.3. In addition, based on the data gained from the field note, observation checklist, and interview, it was found that the students were active, creative, and enjoy the learning process. In conclusion, the use of collaborative writing strategy can solve the students� problems in writing argumentative essay as well.Keywords: writing skill; writing aspects; argumentative essay; collaborative writing strategy; �classroom action research.
Modification of the Orthodromic Temporalis Tendon Transfer Technique for Reanimation of the Paralyzed Face

Objective. To report a modification of the temporalis tendon transfer technique used in facial paralysis where dynamic adjacent muscle transfer is determined to be the best treatment option. Study design. Case series with chart review. Setting. Tertiary care teaching hospital. Subjects and Methods. Review of 10 consecutive patients who underwent orthodromic transfer of the temporalis tendon and the attached coronoid process for the treatment of long-standing facial paralysis. Outcomes measured included patient satisfaction, measurements of oral commissure elevation with smiling, and grading of preoperative and postoperative patient photographs by objective physician observers. Reporting of complications. Results. Patient satisfaction was high, with a mean score of 7.0 (possible score of 10). Four patients were graded by the observer as excellent to superb. The other 6 patients were rated as having fair to good postoperative results. Movement was identified in every patient and ranged from 2.1 to 9.3 mm, with mean movement of the oral commissure of 5.12 mm. One patient developed a seroma at the site of harvest of the fascia that was drained without further complication. Conclusions. This facial reanimation procedure is a novel modification of the temporalis tendon transfer technique in which the coronoid process is transferred in conjunction with the tendon. This technique is minimally invasive and may result in less variability of the postoperative aesthetic result. The procedure allows orthodromic action of the temporalis muscle, is relatively easy to perform, and eliminates the facial asymmetry typically produced by transfer of the origin of the temporalis muscle.
Institutions, Human Capital and Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO): Implications for Growth Strategy

Motivated by the long established postulation by Adam Smith and Joseph Schumpeter that human capital and institutions enable Schumpeterian entrepreneurship which, in turn, facilitates economic growth, we sought to establish a more robust empirical support for this relationship. Adopting EO (i.e., innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking; Mthanti and Ojah, 2017, Research Policy, 46:4, 724-739) as the measure of Schumpeterian entrepreneurship at the macro-level, and using a sample of 93 countries, over 1980-2008, we employ system-GMM to investigate institutions and human capital as possible determinants of Schumpeterian entrepreneurship (EO). We find that the human capital—EO nexus is robust across economic development levels. However, there is a cross-country variation in the institutions—EO nexus. In line with theoretical predictions, institutions indeed drive EO in middle-to-high income countries. However, in low income countries, building institutions in order to foster EO yields perverse outcomes, which, for us and especially based on deeper analysis, suggest that improving the quality of institutions may not be a necessary precondition for EO/growth policy in low income countries. Furthermore, we find that EO is a highly persistent series, with self-reinforcing network effects; i.e., lofty EO behaviour encourages more lofty EO behaviour. Overall, therefore, we argue that where Schumpeterian entrepreneurship is hampered by low private returns or poor institutional environment, a sensible growth strategy would be to: (1) invest in human capital and (2) subsidize EO directly to exploit its network effects.
The impact of government policies and neighborhood characteristics on teenage sexual activity and contraceptive use.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to examine the effects of government policies and neighborhood characteristics on adolescent female sexual behavior to better inform future public policy decisions. METHODS Using a bivariate probit model and National Survey of Family Growth data on women aged 15 through 19 years, we estimated the probabilities of their being sexually active and, if sexually active, of their using contraceptives. RESULTS Variables measuring the cost of obtaining an abortion are not good predictors of sexual activity or contraceptive use. However, the relationship between family planning availability and contraceptive use is statistically significant at conventional levels. CONCLUSIONS Policymakers seem to have little leverage with regard to influencing the decision to become sexually active, although increased access to family planning services may encourage responsible contraceptive behavior. Neighborhood context is an important determinant of adolescent female sexual behavior.
The Breathing Bear: An Intervention for Crying Babies and Their Mothers

ABSTRACT. The Breathing Bear, an optional source of rhythmic stimulation for infants, was investigated for its effects on full-term infants and their mothers. The Bear “breathes” like a normal infant at a rate matching the infant’s. Previous studies have indicated that premature infants prefer a Breathing Bear over a Non-Breathing Bear, and they show neurobehavioral benefits from the exposure. A Breathing Bear was provided for 35 full-term infants, and a Non-Breathing Bear was provided for 37 infants from 5 weeks to 6 months postnatal age, all of whom were considered by their mothers to be fussy. Mothers’ reports of infant crying, ratings of their infants’ temperament, and their own stress and depression were assessed during and after the intervention period. Reported crying did not differentiate the groups. After 6 months, the mothers in the Breathing Bear group rated their infant’s temperament less negatively and themselves less depressed and stressed than the mothers in the Non-Breathing Bear group. Thus, the Breathing Bear had measurable effects on the mothers and a possible impact on the mother-infant relationship.
Regulation performance of public–private partnerships in the Portuguese water sector

Starting from transaction costs (and new institutional economic approaches, this study sought to understand the influence of the regulatory structure and incentives on the performance of public–private partnerships in Portugal. The findings of this case study show that agency participation in the mediation process between parties is time consuming and improper from a technical perspective; in addition, the agency is captured by political interests, which does not favor users’ interests or the sustainability of water services. Thus, the regulatory structure and incentives cannot be dependent on political nominations, and existing contractual rules need to be reassigned.
Critical Role for Leukocyte Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α Expression in Post–Myocardial Infarction Left Ventricular Remodeling

Rationale: Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α is a transcription factor stabilized by hypoxia. It regulates cytokines involved in the inflammatory response after ischemia and affects white blood cell (WBCs) function. The effect of HIF-1α on WBC function and inflammation following myocardial infarction (MI) is unknown. Objective: We assessed peritoneal and myocardial inflammation in the setting of low WBC HIF-1α expression through bone marrow transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells transfected with scramble or HIF-1α small interfering (si)RNA. Methods and Results: Rosa hematopoietic stem cells (lin−, cKit+) were transfected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter lentivirus encoding a siRNA to HIF-1α or scramble. Irradiated 6- to 8-week-old C57/BL6J mice received 50 000 GFP+ HIF-1α or scramble siRNA–transfected hematopoietic stem cells. Peritonitis or myocardial infarction via left anterior descending coronary artery ligation was induced 6 weeks after bone marrow transplantation. In the peritonitis model, HIF-1α siRNA group exhibited a significant decrease in neutrophil and monocyte entry to the peritoneum compared to scramble mice. Similarly neutrophil infiltration into the infarct zone was decreased in the HIF-1α siRNA group. No difference of myocardial infarct size was observed between groups. Interestingly, the ejection fraction were similar in both groups at baseline and 3 days post-MI but increased significantly in the HIF-1α siRNA group compared to control beginning 7 days after MI. Gene array studies demonstrated that downregulation of WBC HIF-1α was associated with decreased WBC CCR1, -2, and -4 expression. Chemotaxis assay results confirmed that decreased monocyte migration induced by downregulation of HIF-1α was partially reversed by overexpression of CCR2. Conclusions: Downregulation of leukocyte HIF-1α expression resulted in decreased recruitment of WBC to the sites of inflammation and improvement in cardiac function following MI. Downregulation of HIF-1α suppressed WBC cytokine receptors CCR1, -2, and -4, which are necessary for WBC mobilization and recruitment to inflammatory cytokines following MI. The effects of downregulation of leukocyte HIF-1α on WBC migration are attributable, at least in part, to the decreased CCR2 expression. These results demonstrate that WBC infiltration into the newly injured myocardium plays a significant role in left ventricular remodeling, but not infarct size.
First molecular identification of Ascocotyle (Phagicola) longa in its first intermediate host the mud snail Heleobia australis

This is the first study that used species-specific DNA primers to confirm the presence of the heterophyid Ascocotyle (Phagicola) longa Ransom, 1920 in its first intermediate host. The larval stages (rediae and cercariae) of this parasite were morphologically and genetically identified in the gonad of the intertidal mud snail Heleobia australis (d’Orbigny, 1835) (Cochliopidae) in the Bahía Blanca estuary, Argentina. In addition, we asked whether the prevalence in H. australis varied between seasons. Mullets - the second intermediate host of this heterophyid - migrate in estuaries during the warmer seasons and it is expected that piscivorous birds and mammals - the definitive hosts - prey more intensively on this species at those times. Thus, the number of parasite eggs released into the tidal flat within their feces should be higher, thereby increasing the ingestion of the parasite by H. australis. We therefore expected a higher prevalence of A. (P.) longa in H. australis in the Bahía Blanca estuary during spring and summer than autumn and winter. We found that 16 out of 2,744 specimens of H. australis had been infected with A. (P.) longa (total prevalence of 0.58%). Nonetheless, the prevalence showed no significant variation between seasons. Hence, we discuss an alternative scenario where the lack of seasonal changes might be mostly related to the permanent residence of definitive hosts in the estuary and not to the seasonal recruitment of mullets. Finally, we highlight the need for more experimental and comparative approaches in order to understand the diagnosis and geographical distribution of this worldwide heterophyid.
The Political Economy of Exchange Rate Stability During the Gold Standard. Spain 1874—1914

This article contributes to the literature on central bank independence and monetary stability during the classical gold standard era. On the eve of the First World War, European periphery had not achieved stable adherence to gold despite the protection of central banks against political pressures to monetize debt. In the 19th century, most issuing institutions were private banks whose main objective was profit maximization. As a result, monetary stability depended on negotiations between monetary and fiscal authorities and not directly on central bank independence as is the case nowadays. Strong governments were needed to impose the objective of monetary stability on central banks in negotiation practices. To test our argument, we have constructed indicators of government strength and central bank independence to measure bargaining power for the case of Spain. Results confirm that a highly independent private central bank avoided the responsibility of defending gold adherence when negotiating with weak government, even in a stable macroeconomic environment. Our research suggests that the success of central bank independence in generating monetary stability during the gold standard period depended on sound political institutions.
Changes in Microbial Community Composition and Geochemistry during Uranium and Technetium Bioimmobilization

ABSTRACT In a previous column study, we investigated the long-term impact of ethanol additions on U and Tc mobility in groundwater (M. M. Michalsen et al., Environ. Sci. Technol. 40:7048-7053, 2006). Ethanol additions stimulated iron- and sulfate-reducing conditions and significantly enhanced U and Tc removal from groundwater compared to an identical column that received no ethanol additions (control). Here we present the results of a combined signature lipid and nucleic acid-based microbial community characterization in sediments collected from along the ethanol-stimulated and control column flow paths. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis showed both an increase in microbial biomass (∼2 orders of magnitude) and decreased ratios of cyclopropane to monoenoic precursor fatty acids in the stimulated column compared to the control, which is consistent with electron donor limitation in the control. Spatial shifts in microbial community composition were identified by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis as well as by quantitative PCR, which showed that Geobacteraceae increased significantly near the stimulated-column outlet, where soluble electron acceptors were largely depleted. Clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes from selected flow path locations in the stimulated column showed that Proteobacteria were dominant near the inlet (46 to 52%), while members of candidate division OP11 were dominant near the outlet (67%). Redundancy analysis revealed a highly significant difference (P = 0.0003) between microbial community compositions within stimulated and control sediments, with geochemical variables explaining 68% of the variance in community composition on the first two canonical axes.
Health, Illness, and Aging in Carceral Spaces

In Canada, the number of adults over the age of 50 incarcerated in federal penitentiaries has doubled over the past ten years, now comprising nearly 25 percent of the federal prison population (Martin, 2017). As this population continues to grow, so too will the demands placed on prison health services. To address this issue, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners suggest creating more accessible bedspace within existing institutions, cordoning off agesegregated prison units, building specialized geriatric prisons, and/or increasing the use of compassionate release. These solutions implicate institutional and community-based corrections, which produce ‘carceral’ and ‘transcarceral’ spaces respectively. These spaces are characterized by the application of social control within, across, and outside of custodial settings, which can have enormous implications for accessing health and healthcare. This research project explores how the health of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated older adults unfolds in the spaces to which they are confined. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff (n=4) and older residents (n=5) at halfway houses in Ottawa, Ontario. Drawing upon French Marxist philosopher Henri Lefebvre’s theorization of space, including three ‘moments’ of spatial production, and complementary criminological literature on carceral space, a thematic analysis of interview data revealed several important findings. Ultimately, the present study highlights tensions with respect to how the aging body is negotiated in carceral space, how the everyday practices that shape the lives of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated older adults contribute to the production of space, and what this reveals about the nature of these spaces.
Trading timing and the returns to trend-following

ABSTRACT We document a negative impact of realistic trading timing on trend-following profits, across an international sample of equity indexes and stocks. The discount effect is substantial but reduces as trend signals become less accurate. The size of this trading timing bias is largely driven by the volatility of buy-and-hold returns and that of trend signals.
The influence of serum screening on the amniocentesis rate in women of advanced maternal age

We investigated the effect of maternal serum screening on the amniocentesis (AC) rate in women of advanced maternal age. The AC rate after maternal serum screening was compared in two groups of women with a singleton pregnancy, 855 women of 30–35 years and 98 of 36 years and older. In our population, 34·1 per cent of the women of 36 years or older were ‘screen‐positive’ for Down syndrome. Only 41·2 per cent of these women chose to undergo AC as opposed to 88·2 per cent in the younger age group. Within the older age group, the tendency to avoid AC increased with increasing age. Maternal serum screening led to a significant decrease in the AC rate in the older women. In this group, a comparison between the ‘a priori’ and the calculated risk might have had more influence on the decision to undergo AC than being screen‐positive or screen‐negative as such. We conclude that maternal serum screening had a major effect on the AC rate in women of advanced maternal age. This is of importance in a society in which the average maternal age is steadily increasing.
Informed consent -- why are its goals imperfectly realized?

We explored reasons for the failure of patients to recall major portions of the information on consent forms and in oral explanations about consent. Within one day of signing consent forms for chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery, 200 cancer patients completed a test of their recall of the material in the consent explanation and filled out a questionnaire regarding their opinions of its purpose, content, and implications. Only 60 per cent understood the purpose and nature of the procedure, and only 55 per cent correctly listed even one major risk or complication. We found that three factors were related to inadequate recall: education, medical status, and the care with which patients thought they had read their consent forms before signing. Only 40 per cent of the patients had read the form "carefully. " Most believed that consent forms were meant to "protect the physician's rights. " Although most thought that consent forms were necessary and comprehensible and that they contained worthwhile information, the legalistic connotations of the forms appeared to lead to cursory reading and inadequate recall.
Short‐term dietary restriction and fasting precondition against ischemia reperfusion injury in mice

Dietary restriction (DR) extends lifespan and increases resistance to multiple forms of stress, including ischemia reperfusion injury to the brain and heart in rodents. While maximal effects on lifespan require long‐term restriction, the kinetics of onset of benefits against acute stress is not known. Here, we show that 2–4 weeks of 30% DR improved survival and kidney function following renal ischemia reperfusion injury in mice. Brief periods of water‐only fasting were similarly effective at protecting against ischemic damage. Significant protection occurred within 1 day, persisted for several days beyond the fasting period and extended to another organ, the liver. Protection by both short‐term DR and fasting correlated with improved insulin sensitivity, increased expression of markers of antioxidant defense and reduced expression of markers of inflammation and insulin/insulin‐like growth factor‐1 signaling. Unbiased transcriptional profiling of kidneys from mice subject to short‐term DR or fasting revealed a significant enrichment of signature genes of long‐term DR. These data demonstrate that brief periods of reduced food intake, including short‐term daily restriction and fasting, can increase resistance to ischemia reperfusion injury in rodents and suggest a rapid onset of benefits of DR in mammals.