Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frail older women's participation in a trial of hormone replacement therapy: perceived benefits and concerns *

Objective The aim of this study was to identify the reasons that were important to frail older women's decisions to participate or not participate in a clinical trial of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Design We conducted a cross-sectional study of a community-based sample of physically frail women ≥ 75 years old, who were recruited to participate in an intervention trial of HRT. Participants were randomized 2:1 to either HRT or placebo, respectively. Questionnaires measured participants' reasons for participation and nonparticipants' reasons for declining. Five-point scaled responses to questionnaire items ranged from least to most important or least to most concerned. Results Sixty-nine women participated (84% white, 16% African American) in the trial. Nonparticipants (n = 41) were older, on average, than participants (83.8 ± 4.2 vs. 82.2 ± 3.6 years;p = 0.04). Important reasons for participation were reducing risk for Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis, having more energy, improving self-care ability, and benefiting other women. Fear of cancer from postmenopausal estrogen was the predominant concern of 46% of nonparticipants and 78% of participants (p = 0.08). Recommendation against participation or use of estrogen by a woman's personal physician was the most prevalent additional reason given for nonparticipation. Conclusions Disease prevention and improving self-care abilities were most important to participants. Fear of cancer was not a greater concern for nonparticipants than for participants. The role of the physician in older women's decision-making about use of postmenopausal estrogen seems to be important.
Social Capital, Trust, and Firm Performance: The Value of Corporate Social Responsibility during the Financial Crisis

During the 2008-2009 financial crisis, firms with high social capital, measured as corporate social responsibility (CSR) intensity, had stock returns that were four to seven percentage points higher than firms with low social capital. High-CSR firms also experienced higher profitability, growth, and sales per employee relative to low-CSR firms, and they raised more debt. This evidence suggests that the trust between the firm and both its stakeholders and investors, built through investments in social capital, pays off when the overall level of trust in corporations and markets suffers a negative shock.
Rural children’s role in buffering household poverty through ganyu (piecework) in Zambia

In Zambia, the ways in which social change intersects with rural livelihoods to increase children’s workload and commodify their labour are poorly understood. In this article, changing patterns of rural children’s work are seen as necessitated by their evolving household roles and contributions in an increasingly rural cash-based economy. Drawing on child-focused qualitative research in rural Lundazi district in Zambia, it is explored how children use a traditional labour practice called ‘ganyu’ (piecework) to ameliorate poverty. The infiltration of the cash-based economy, amplified by the Economic Structural Adjustment Programmes, a predominantly adult-centred traditional informal socio-economic levelling mechanism of ganyu, and its evolution into more cash-oriented transactions increasingly involving children are discussed. Although ganyu has largely been seen as characterized by exploitative labour relations, the empirical findings from this research indicate the complex ways in which the practice is empowering children and their families. The resources accrued through ganyu are vital for both personal and household well-being. The findings of this study have important implications to rethink not only contentious issues of child labour but also dominant narratives of childhood that fail to take into account children’s lived experiences as situated in local, social, economic, and cultural contexts.
Ancestral functions of Delta/Notch signaling in the formation of body and leg segments in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

Delta/Notch signaling controls a wide spectrum of developmental processes, including body and leg segmentation in arthropods. The various functions of Delta/Notch signaling vary among species. For instance, in Cupiennius spiders, Delta/Notch signaling is essential for body and leg segmentation, whereas in Drosophila fruit flies it is involved in leg segmentation but not body segmentation. Therefore, to gain further insight into the functional evolution of Delta/Notch signaling in arthropod body and leg segmentation, we analyzed the function of the Delta (Gb′Delta) and Notch (Gb′Notch) genes in the hemimetabolous, intermediate-germ cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. We found that Gb′Delta and Gb′Notch were expressed in developing legs, and that RNAi silencing of Gb′Notch resulted in a marked reduction in leg length with a loss of joints. Our results suggest that the role of Notch signaling in leg segmentation is conserved in hemimetabolous insects. Furthermore, we found that Gb′Delta was expressed transiently in the posterior growth zone of the germband and in segmental stripes earlier than the appearance of wingless segmental stripes, whereas Gb′Notch was uniformly expressed in early germbands. RNAi knockdown of Gb′Delta or Gb′Notch expression resulted in malformation in body segments and a loss of posterior segments, the latter probably due to a defect in posterior growth. Therefore, in the cricket, Delta/Notch signaling might be required for proper morphogenesis of body segments and posterior elongation, but not for specification of segment boundaries.
A Role for Kit Receptor Signaling in Leydig Cell Steroidogenesis1

Abstract Kit and its ligand, Kitl, function in hematopoiesis, melanogenesis, and gametogenesis. In the testis, Kitl is expressed by Sertoli cells and Kit is expressed by spermatogonia and Leydig cells. Kit functions are mediated by receptor autophosphorylation and subsequent association with signaling molecules, including phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase. We previously characterized the reproductive consequences of blocking Kit-mediated PI 3-kinase activation in KitY719F/KitY719F knockin mutant male mice. Only gametogenesis was affected in these mice, and males are sterile because of a block in spermatogenesis during the spermatogonial stages. In the present study, we investigated effects of the KitY719F mutation on Leydig cell development and steroidogenic function. Although the seminiferous tubules in testes of mutant animals are depleted of germ cells, the testes contain normal numbers of Leydig cells and the Leydig cells in these animals appear to have undergone normal differentiation. Evaluation of steroidogenesis in mutant animals indicates that testosterone levels are not significantly reduced in the periphery but that LH levels are increased 5-fold, implying an impairment of steroidogenesis in the mutant animals. Therefore, a role for Kit signaling in steroidogenesis in Leydig cells was sought in vitro. Purified Leydig cells from C57Bl6/J male mice were incubated with Kitl, and testosterone production was measured. Kitl-stimulated testosterone production was 2-fold higher than that in untreated controls. The Kitl-mediated testosterone biosynthesis in Leydig cells is PI 3-kinase dependent. In vitro, Leydig cells from mutant mice were steroidogenically more competent in response to LH than were normal Leydig cells. In contrast, Kitl-mediated testosterone production in these cells was comparable to that in normal cells. Because LH levels in mutant males are elevated and LH is known to stimulate testosterone biosynthesis, we proposed a model in which serum testosterone levels are controlled by elevated LH secretion. Leydig cells of mutant males, unable to respond effectively to Kitl stimulation, initially produce lower levels of testosterone, reducing testosterone negative feedback on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The consequent secretion of additional LH, under this hypothesis, causes a restoration of normal levels of serum testosterone. Kitl, acting via PI 3-kinase, is a paracrine regulator of Leydig cell steroidogenic function in vivo.
Effects of Hyperoxia on Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression, Nitric Oxide Activity, and Lung Injury in Rat Pups

Although hyperoxic exposure is an important contributor to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in the pulmonary response to oxygen, the role of NO in mediating chronic neonatal lung injury is unclear. Therefore, rat pups were exposed to normoxia or hyperoxia (>95% O2) from d 21 to 29. After the rats were killed, their lungs were removed for analysis of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression, NO activity as measured by 3′,5′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) assay, and lung pathology. Hyperoxia caused 5-fold and 2-fold increases in inducible (i) NOS and endothelial (e) NOS levels, respectively. NO activity was assessed by measuring cGMP levels after normoxic or hyperoxic exposure in the presence and absence of NOS blockade with either aminoguanidine (AG) or Nω-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA). cGMP levels were elevated in hyperoxic versus normoxic rats (287 ± 15 versus 106 ± 9 pmol/mg protein, respectively, p < 0.001), and this increase in cGMP was attenuated after NOS blockade with either AG or L-NNA. Hyperoxic exposure significantly increased lung/body weight ratios and induced histologic changes of interstitial and alveolar edema; however, these hyperoxia-induced histologic changes were not altered by NOS blockade with AG or L-NNA. We conclude that hyperoxic exposure of rat pups up-regulated both iNOS and eNOS and increased NO activity as measured by cGMP levels derived from both iNOS and eNOS. Blockade of NOS reduced cGMP levels in the hyperoxic rat pups; however, it did not seem to reverse the pathologic consequences of hyperoxic exposure.
Accessing Finance for Innovative EU SMEs Key Drivers and Challenges

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in economic development, they offer the most economical use of capital in relation to job creation and provide the strongest channel for development and innovation. Innovation is recognized as an essential component of the economic growth process, broadly defined as development, deployment and economic utilization of new products, processes and services. SMEs are crucial for helping economies to restructure quickly in response to changing economic, social and market conditions, under the impact of international financial crisis. However, SMEs can fulfill this potential if they obtain the finance necessary to start and develop their businesses. Access to finance is a key determinant for business start-up, development and growth for SMEs, including the innovative ones, and they have different needs and face different challenges. The limited market power, lack of management skills, absence of adequate accounting records and insufficient assets, transaction costs and lack of collateral, all tend to increase the risk profile of SMEs. Moreover, uncertainty and informational asymmetries that characterize SMEs are amplified for innovative SMEs making it more difficult for them to access finance through traditional means. The current economic environment has brought SME needs into particular focus given the significantly tightened credit supply conditions arising from the reduced ability and willingness of banks to provide financing. In order to improve the access to finance for SMEs, the efforts should be focused at the European and national levels on solving the problems regarding working capital, improving entrepreneurship and financial environment in the long term, attracting new financial resources, facilitating dialogue and consultation between governments, SMEs and financial institutions.
Prognostic indicators in patients with primary intraventricular haemorrhage.

OBJECTIVES Primary intraventricular haemorrhage (PIVH) is a rare clinical entity. We sought to evaluate risk factors, clinical and radiological features, and outcome of patients with PIVH. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cases of PIVH were identified from cohort of patients with non traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) by reviewing the radiological data. Their charts were reviewed and demographic, clinical, radiological and laboratory data was recorded and analyzed. Chi square and t test were used to determine predictors of poor outcome. RESULTS Fifteen of 677 (2%) patients with ICH had PIVH. Nine (60%) were men. Median age was 56 years. Predisposing factors included hypertension in twelve (80%), coagulopathy in five (33%) and vascular malformations in two (13%) patients. Eleven (73%) patients developed hydrocephalus. Two patients died. Univariate analysis identified diabetes mellitus, blood in all ventricles and coagulopathy as predictors of death during initial hospital stay and hydrocephalus as predictor of poor outcome (death and disability combined) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Hypertension is most common associated risk factor for primary intraventricular haemorrhage followed by coagulopathy. Hydrocephalus is a common complication, associated with poor outcome. Diabetes mellitus, coagulopathy and panventricular blood predict early mortality.
Quality of Life of Myopic Subjects With Different Methods of Visual Correction Using the NEI RQL-42 Questionnaire

Purpose To evaluate different aspects of the visual-related quality of life using the National Eye Institute Refractive Error Quality of Life (NEI RQL)-42 questionnaire in low and moderate myopic subjects corrected with different refractive treatments including laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), orthokeratology (OK), soft contact lenses (SCLs), and spectacles. Methods The NEI RQL-42 questionnaire was administered to 217 subjects at one single clinic. All the questions consisted of 13 different subscales that were analyzed separately. The results from subjects with −1.00 to −3.00 diopter myopia corrected with LASIK (n=41), OK (n=37), SCLs (n=44), or spectacles (n=45) were compared with each other and with emmetropic subjects (n=50). Results Statistically significant differences among all groups were found in all subscales, except for satisfaction with correction (P=0.135). The average decrease in quality of life compared with emmetropes were −7.1% (P=0.021) for LASIK, −13.0% (P<0.001) for OK, −15.8% (P<0.001) for spectacles, and −17.3% (P<0.001) for SCLs. Conclusions Although all patients in each group were considered to be successfully visually corrected, quality of life related to vision was markedly different in certain NEI RQL-42 categories. LASIK showed the lowest average decrease in quality of vision compared with emmetropes. OK was comparable with LASIK in independence of visual correction, and SCL wear was superior to LASIK and OK lens wear in glare. Except for glare and diurnal fluctuations, contact lenses (SCL and OK) were comparable with or superior to spectacle correction.
HCELL Expression on Murine MSC Licenses Pancreatotropism and Confers Durable Reversal of Autoimmune Diabetes in NOD Mice

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an immune‐mediated disease resulting in destruction of insulin‐producing pancreatic beta cells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess potent immunomodulatory properties, garnering increasing attention as cellular therapy for T1D and other immunologic diseases. However, MSCs generally lack homing molecules, hindering their colonization at inflammatory sites following intravenous (IV) administration. Here, we analyzed whether enforced E‐selectin ligand expression on murine MSCs could impact their effect in reversing hyperglycemia in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. Although murine MSCs natively do not express the E‐selectin‐binding determinant sialyl Lewisx (sLex), we found that fucosyltransferase‐mediated α(1,3)‐exofucosylation of murine MSCs resulted in sLex display uniquely on cell surface CD44 thereby creating hematopoietic cell E‐/L‐selectin ligand (HCELL), the E‐selectin‐binding glycoform of CD44. Following IV infusion into diabetic NOD mice, allogeneic HCELL+ MSCs showed threefold greater peri‐islet infiltrates compared to buffer‐treated (i.e., HCELL−) MSCs, with distribution in proximity to E‐selectin‐expressing microvessels. Exofucosylation had no effect on MSC immunosuppressive capacity in in vitro assays; however, although engraftment was temporary for both HCELL+ and HCELL− MSCs, administration of HCELL+ MSCs resulted in durable reversal of hyperglycemia, whereas only transient reversal was observed following administration of HCELL− MSCs. Notably, exofucosylation of MSCs generated from CD44−/− mice induced prominent membrane expression of sLex, but IV administration of these MSCs into hyperglycemic NOD mice showed no enhanced pancreatotropism or reversal of hyperglycemia. These findings provide evidence that glycan engineering to enforce HCELL expression boosts trafficking of infused MSCs to pancreatic islets of NOD mice and substantially improves their efficacy in reversing autoimmune diabetes. Stem Cells 2013;33:1523–1531
Anti‐smoking Programme for Diabetic Patients: The Agony and the Ecstasy

It is generally accepted that people with diabetes should be encouraged to abstain from smoking but there are few data on the best strategy to implement this. In a preliminary survey of our diabetic patients, knowledge of the general and specific health effects of smoking was poor. In a prospective study of 70 diabetic smokers, only 50% agreed to participate in an anti‐smoking programme, and the drop‐out rate was high irrespective of whether the content of the programme was general or specific for diabetes. The enrolment rate was best 2 months after the diagnosis of diabetes and the drop‐out rate was highest in patients recruited immediately following diagnosis. According to self‐reported data, cigarette consumption fell after the first session of the anti‐smoking programme but this could not be verified by the measurement of plasma cotinine. It is concluded that an anti‐smoking counselling programme based on provision of information, within the context of a specialized diabetes centre, is not cost‐effective.
The Sterol Methyltransferases SMT 1 , SMT 2 , and SMT 3 Influence Arabidopsis Development through Nonbrassinosteroid Products 1 [ W ] [ OA ]

Plant sterols are structural components of cell membranes that provide rigidity, permeability, and regional identity to membranes. Sterols are also the precursors to the brassinosteroid signaling molecules. Evidence is accumulating that specific sterols have roles in pattern formation during development. COTYLEDON VASCULAR PATTERNING1 (CVP1) encodes C-24 STEROL METHYLTRANSFERASE2 (SMT2), one of three SMTs in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). SMT2 and SMT3, which also encodes a C-24 SMT, catalyze the reaction that distinguishes the synthesis of structural sterols from signaling brassinosteroid derivatives and are highly regulated. The deficiency of SMT2 in the cvp1 mutant results in moderate developmental defects, including aberrant cotyledon vein patterning, serrated floral organs, and reduced stature, but plants are viable, suggesting that SMT3 activity can substitute for the loss of SMT2. To test the distinct developmental roles of SMT2 and SMT3, we identified a transcript null smt3 mutant. Although smt3 single mutants appear wild type, cvp1 smt3 double mutants show enhanced defects relative to cvp1 mutants, such as discontinuous cotyledon vein pattern, and produce novel phenotypes, including defective root growth, loss of apical dominance, sterility, and homeotic floral transformations. These phenotypes are correlated with major alterations in the profiles of specific sterols but without significant alterations to brassinosteroid profiles. The alterations to sterol profiles in cvp1 mutants affect auxin response, demonstrated by weak auxin insensitivity, enhanced axr1 auxin resistance, ectopically expressed DR5:b-glucuronidase in developing embryos, and defective response to auxin-inhibited PIN2-green fluorescent protein endocytosis. We discuss the developmental roles of sterols implied by these results.
Event-triggered-based control synthesis of Takagi-Sugeno nonlinear systems

The key technical problem is studied through digging deeper implied information in the given system fuzzy control system while its stability is ensured with less conservative criteria. The decision of which control mode is executed at any given time is triggered and the real-time scheduler is formed by periodically considering their joint distribution of multiple time normalized fuzzy weighting functions at each sampling time. From the suggested event-triggered benefit scheduling strategy, appropriate control mode of the current time is duly updated, so that if the joint distribution is changed to adapt the basic type of time-varying state, and therefore before the implementation of control tasks with constant control in this study can be further broadened mode. Finally, an experiment is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed result.
Trimeric Autotransporter DsrA Is a Major Mediator of Fibrinogen Binding in Haemophilus ducreyi

ABSTRACT Haemophilus ducreyi is the etiologic agent of the sexually transmitted genital ulcer disease chancroid. In both natural and experimental chancroid, H. ducreyi colocalizes with fibrin at the base of the ulcer. Fibrin is obtained by cleavage of the serum glycoprotein fibrinogen (Fg) by thrombin to initiate formation of the blood clot. Fg binding proteins are critical virulence factors in medically important Gram-positive bacteria. H. ducreyi has previously been shown to bind Fg in an agglutination assay, and the H. ducreyi Fg binding protein FgbA was identified in ligand blotting with denatured proteins. To better characterize the interaction of H. ducreyi with Fg, we examined Fg binding to intact, viable H. ducreyi bacteria and identified a novel Fg binding protein. H. ducreyi bound unlabeled Fg in a dose-dependent manner, as measured by two different methods. In ligand blotting with total denatured cellular proteins, digoxigenin (DIG)-Fg bound only two H. ducreyi proteins, the trimeric autotransporter DsrA and the lectin DltA; however, only the isogenic dsrA mutant had significantly less cell-associated Fg than parental strains in Fg binding assays with intact bacteria. Furthermore, expression of DsrA, but not DltA or an empty vector, rendered the non-Fg-binding H. influenzae strain Rd capable of binding Fg. A 13-amino-acid sequence in the C-terminal section of the passenger domain of DsrA appears to be involved in Fg binding by H. ducreyi. Taken together, these data suggest that the trimeric autotransporter DsrA is a major determinant of Fg binding at the surface of H. ducreyi.
A minimum 5.0 ml of sputum improves the sensitivity of acid-fast smear for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Detection of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) by sputum smear supports treatment decisions with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), but smear sensitivity for Mycobacterium tuberculosis is only approximately 45 to 75%. In an effort to increase sensitivity, smears were prepared using a minimum sputum volume of 5.0 ml. Sensitivity of smears during a 39-mo period (n = 1,849) using >/= 5.0 ml of sputum was 92. 0%, significantly greater (p < 0.001) than a sensitivity of 72.5% in a previous 24-mo period (n = 3,486) when all specimens were processed regardless of volume. All new cases of TB (n = 18) were smear-positive with >/= 5.0 ml of sputum before treatment, and all were receiving antituberculosis drugs at hospital discharge. In contrast, significantly fewer new cases of TB (14 of 26, p = 0.002) were positive before treatment when smears were prepared using sputum of any volume, and significantly fewer of these new TB cases (18 of 26, p = 0.03) were receiving treatment at hospital discharge. The eight cases without treatment were smear-negative. These results indicate that acid-fast smear using >/= 5.0 ml of sputum increases sensitivity for M. tuberculosis and accelerates treatment of TB.