Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Grief Resulting from Euthanasia and Natural Death of Companion Animals

Pet death, like other losses, requires that the bereaved adjust to the often severe consequences of that loss. Previous research suggests there may be specific owner characteristics and situational variables that can affect how individuals adjust to the loss of their pet (Thomas, 1982). The present study investigated the influence of a number of variables on how one adjusts to companion-animal death including: Cause-of-Death (euthanasia versus natural death); Attachment; Gender; Age; Time-Since-Loss; Type-of-Pet; Replacement-of-Pet; and Household-Make-up. Voluntary participants (N=103) completed the Grief Experience Inventory (Sanders, Mauger,&Strong, 1985), the Companion Animal Loss Scale (Stallones, Johnson, Garrity,&Marx, 1989), and a General Information Questionnaire. Major findings indicated that: 1) owners whose pets died naturally experienced significantly more total grief, social isolation, and loss of control compared to owners who had their pets euthanized; 2) female owners experienced significantly greater depersonalization, death anxiety, and rumination compared to males; 3) younger owners experienced significantly greater anger/hostility and despair than elderly owners; and 4) owners who lived alone experienced significantly greater somatization than owners who lived with others. Results of the present study suggest reasons why some owners may be “at risk” for excessive grief reactions due to the loss of their companion animal. The importance of providing bereaved owners with a source of mental health counseling is discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.
Comparative evaluation of Green Tea- Aloe Vera mouthwash and chlorhexidine 0.2 on gingival indices (A randomized clinical trial)

Introduction: Nowadays in the field of dentistry, there is a trend to encourage the use of herbal and natural products. The high level of clinical research in terms of considering green tea and aloe vera, with various functionality for individual use is a typical example. The purpose of this randomized, controlled, and double-blind study was to evaluate comparative evaluation of green tea-aloe vera mouthwash and chlorhexidine 0.2% on gingival indices. Methods: A total of 60 patients (26 women and 34 men) with periodontal disease were randomly allocated into one of the three double blind groups, 20 in each, to receive the following treatments :(1) 0.2% chlorhexidine, (2) green tea-aloe vera and (3) distilled water. Plaque and gingival indices were evaluated on the day of the beginning of the experiment and 14 days postoperative. Subjects were asked to rinse their mouth with the mouth rinse, twice a day, during a 14-day period. Paired t-test was used to test the mean difference on 0 and 14 days, respectively. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean difference between the groups while Tukey test was used for multiple comparisons. Results: Chlorhexidine 0.2%, green tea - aloe vera and placebo reduced the plaque index by 0.17±0.14, 0.10±0/08 and 0.02±0.18, respectively, with a statistical significance of p=0.008. This difference was related to Chlorhexidine 0.2% and green tea - aloe vera with Placebo. There exist a significant difference of p=0.001 in the bleeding index between the three groups, and this difference was related to Chlorhexidine 0.2% and green tea - aloe vera with placebo. Conclusion: Green tea –aloe vera mouthwash improves periodontal health status. Therefore, it can be used to improve oral and dental health status.
A case of veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for severe respiratory failure in a superobese patient

After risk assessment, veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been achieved in a superobese adult patient as a bridge to recovery of respiratory failure, despite the weight‐related difficulties. Early v‐v ECMO implantation could be considered to support and to conduct weaning both from sedation and from invasive mechanical ventilation, with the goal to perform physiokinesitherapy during awake ECMO.
Whistleblowers, the Public Interest, and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998

Corporate crime and organisational deviance raise complex legal issues. An initial problem lies simply in identifying when such wrongdoing has occurred. Here, whistleblowers can perform a valuable service. However, publicized cases suggest that they often pay dearly for their candour, encountering unfair sanctions at work. In Britain, the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 seeks to protect “good-faith” whistleblowers from employer reprisals. In the wake of this legislation, the authors examine whistleblowing from a socio-legal perspective, asking what motivates whistleblowers, how do institutions respond to them, can legislation adequately protect them, and what effects will PIDA have on whistleblowing, employment practices, the culture of the workplace and, ultimately, society.
Complement binding by two developmental stages of Leishmania major promastigotes varying in expression of a surface lipophosphoglycan

The binding of complement by two developmentally distinct stages of Leishmania major has been studied. Noninfective log phase growth (LOG) promastigotes (serum sensitive) activate complement with deposition of covalently bound C3b onto the surface of the parasite. Infective, peanut agglutinin (PNA-) metacyclic stage promastigotes (serum resistant) also bear mainly C3b after incubation in serum, but a major portion of deposited C3 is present as a 110 X 10(3) mol wt C3 fragment. Whereas deposition of C3b on LOG promastigotes is mediated through the alternative pathway. PNA- parasites are unable to activate the alternative pathway in nonimmune serum. C3 is released from the parasite surface by proteolytic cleavage, at a rate which is nearly threefold greater for LOG than for PNA- promastigotes. Immunoprecipitation experiments show that the developmentally regulated lipophosphoglycan is a major C3 acceptor on both LOG and PNA- parasites. These experiments, which are the first to compare the form and processing of complement on infective and noninfective promastigotes of Leishmania, provide a framework for further definition of the differential C3 receptor-dependent uptake and survival of these parasites within mononuclear phagocytes.
Tracking multiple speakers using random sets

Tracking multiple speakers in an acoustic environment involves jointly estimating the number of speakers and their states. This important problem in signal processing is challenging in theory as well as implementation. The paper presents a novel and fundamentally well-grounded framework for tracking multiple speakers using random finite sets. Simulations are also presented to demonstrate the performance in tracking a randomly varying number of speakers in a reverberant room.
A low power high CMRR CMOS instrumentation amplifier for Bio-impedance Spectroscopy

In this paper, a high Common-Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR) and low power CMOS Instrumentation Amplifier (IA) for use in Bio-impedance Spectroscopy (BIS) is presented. It consists of a complementary Differential Voltage - Current Conveyor (DVCC) that provides the common-mode signal rejection and high input impedance, a Folded - Cascode Operational Transconductance Amplifier (FC-OTA) that serves as a gain stage, and a high pass filter built using a PMOS pseudo-resistor. The IA was implemented using TSMC 0. 35μm 2P4M Polycide Technology and simulations were carried out using HSPICE. The designed IA features a CMRR of 120.2dB, a differential input impedance of 102. 3MΩ, and a common-mode input impedance of 41. 3MΩ both at 50kHz, while dissipating an average static power of 290μW.
Guanxi Revisited: An Exploratory Study of Familiar Ties in a Chinese Workplace

Do Chinese people restrict their complex transactions to a trusted inner circle composed of strong ties? Hwang's (1988) study points out that Chinese people often convert unfamiliar ties into familiar ties when the latter become trustworthy people. This conversion is instrumental in ensuring the fulfilment of promises in complex transactions because it contains an element of emotional attachment or moral obligation. This paper employs network data in a Chinese workplace to demonstrate the following points: first, there is indeed a type of guanxi in the Chinese workplace that can be described as ‘familiar ties’. Second, familiar ties contain as much trust as friendship ties and more than acquaintance ties. A Chinese person may search for his or her possible partners among strangers, then develop trust within this guanxi and gradually transform the relationship into familiar ties. It is through these ties that interpersonal trust can grow and enable complex transactions.
Construct and Criterion-Related Validity of Planning, Simultaneous, and Successive Cognitive Processing Tasks

This paper presents evidence for the construct and criterion-related validity of the Planning - Simultaneous - Successive model of information-integration presented by Das, Kirby, and Jarman (1975) and provides support for tasks designed to operationalize the model. A sample of 434 students in grades 2, 6, and 10 were administered cognitive processing and achievement tests. Significant developmental changes in scores across the three grades and significant correlations with achievement in reading and math provided support for the validity of these cognitive processing tasks. Simultaneous and planning appeared to be more related to math than successive processes at the younger ages, and reading correlated with coding at the lower ages and both coding and planning at tenth grade. Planning and coding correlated significantly with achievement (rs = .23, .45, .56 and .37, .33, .52 for grades 2, 6, and 10 for planning and coding, respectively). Planning was related increasingly to the total MAST, as well as separate reading and math scores, with age. Implications for the assessment of intellectual functioning are presented.
Mouse reproductive fitness is maintained up to an ambient temperature of 28℃ when housed in individually-ventilated cages

Production of genetically-modified mice is strongly dependent on environmental conditions. Mice are commonly housed at 22℃, which is significantly lower than their thermoneutral zone. But, when given a choice, mice often seem to prefer higher ambient temperatures. In the current study we investigated the effect of higher ambient temperature on the production of transgenic mice, with emphasis on embryo and sperm yield and quality. Mice (C57BL/6JOlaHsd) were housed under four different ambient temperatures (22, 25, 28 and 30℃). Female mice were superovulated, and mated with males. As indicators for reproductive fitness, the success of the mating was observed, including embryo yield and quality, as well as sperm count, motility and progressivity. Female mice were found to produce high amounts of high quality embryos from 22 to 28℃. Sperm count dropped continuously from 22 to 30℃, but sperm motility and progressivity remained high from 22 to 28℃. We conclude that mice can be housed at significantly higher temperatures than is commonly recommended without compromising embryo production and quality, or sperm quality. These results could lead to fundamental changes in how mouse facilities are built and operated – especially in warmer climates whereby energy consumption and therefore costs could be significantly reduced.
Developing the Reflective Sports Coach: A study exploring the processes of reflective practice within a higher education coaching programme

The present paper offers a brief discussion of two procedural frameworks, action research and reflective practice, drawing on literature from the practical domains of teaching and nursing. Practically, this is demonstrated through a 5-staged process, using qualitative methodologies, which explored perceptions of the 'reflective episode', a reflective skills development programme and associated psychological skills of reflection. (Stages 1-4). A final stage explores the researchers' perceptions of this research process. Study participants (N = 8) were sports coaches engaged on a 60-hour placement scheme within a higher education programme. Periodic assessment of the coaches' level of reflection (Goodman, 1984; Mezirow, 1981) demonstrates a shift in reflection between early (Stage 2) and post-placement (Stage 4). Reflective skills, placement characteristics and confidence related factors are discussed in relation to these stage changes.
Activation of the WNT/β-catenin pathway attenuates experimental emphysema.

RATIONALE Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a devastating disease, for which no causal therapy is available. OBJECTIVES To characterize WNT/β-catenin signaling in COPD in humans and elucidate its potential role as a preventive and therapeutic target in experimental emphysema in mice. METHODS The expression, localization, and activity of WNT/β-catenin signaling was assessed in 12 COPD and 12 transplant donor samples using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. The role of WNT/β-catenin signaling was assessed in elastase- and cigarette smoke-induced emphysema and therapeutic modulation thereof in elastase-induced emphysema in TOPGAL reporter and wild-type mice in vivo. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS No differences in the mRNA expression profile of the main WNT/β-catenin signaling components were observed comparing COPD and donor lung homogenates. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed reduced numbers of nuclear β-catenin-positive alveolar epithelial cells in COPD. Similarly, WNT/β-catenin signaling was down-regulated in both experimental emphysema models. Preventive and therapeutic, WNT/β-catenin activation by lithium chloride attenuated experimental emphysema, as assessed by decreased airspace enlargement, improved lung function, reduced collagen content, and elevated expression of alveolar epithelial cell markers. CONCLUSIONS Decreased WNT/β-catenin signaling is involved in parenchymal tissue destruction and impaired repair capacity in emphysema. These data indicate a crucial role of WNT/β-catenin signaling in lung repair mechanisms in vivo, and highlight WNT/β-catenin activation as a future therapeutic approach for emphysema.
P2Y2 Receptor-Gq/11 Signaling at Lipid Rafts Is Required for UTP-Induced Cell Migration in NG 108-15 Cells

Lipid rafts, formed by sphingolipids and cholesterol within the membrane bilayer, are believed to have a critical role in signal transduction. P2Y2 receptors are known to couple with Gq family G proteins, causing the activation of phospholipase C (PLC) and an increase in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) levels. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of lipid rafts in P2Y2 receptor-mediated signaling and cell migration in NG 108-15 cells. When NG 108-15 cell lysates were fractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, Gαq/11 and a part of P2Y2 receptors were distributed in a fraction where the lipid raft markers, cholesterol, flotillin-1, and ganglioside GM1 were abundant. Methyl-β-cyclodextrin (CD) disrupted not only lipid raft markers but also Gαq/11 and P2Y2 receptors in this fraction. In the presence of CD, P2Y2 receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis and [Ca2+]i elevation were inhibited. It is noteworthy that UTP-induced cell migration was inhibited by CD or the Gq/11-selective inhibitor YM254890 [(1R)-1-{(3S,6S,9S,12S,18R,21S,22R)-21-acetamido-18-benzyl-3-[(1R)-1-methoxyethyl]-4,9,10,12,16, 22-hexamethyl-15-methylene-2,5,8,11,14,17,–20-heptaoxo-1,19-dioxa-4,7,10,13,16-pentaazacyclodocosan-6-yl}-2-methylpropyl rel-(2S,3R)-2-acetamido-3-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoate]. Moreover CD and YM254890 completely inhibited Rho-A activation. Downstream of Rho-A signaling, stress fiber formation and phosphorylation of cofilin were also inhibited by CD or YM254890. However, UTP-induced phosphorylation of cofilin was not affected by the expression of p115–regulator of G protein signaling, which inhibits the G12/13 signaling pathway. This implies that UTP-induced Rho-A activation was relatively regulated by the Gq/11 signaling pathway. These results suggest that lipid rafts are critical for P2Y2 receptor-mediated Gq/11–PLC–Ca2+ signaling and this cascade is important for cell migration in NG 108-15 cells.
Differential Patterns of Female Labor-force Participation Surrounding the First Birth.

5 years of panel data from a national sample of women aged 14 to 24 are used to examine patterns of female labor force participation surrounding the birth of the 1st child. It is argued that declines in labor force participation prior to the 1st birth and increases in participation following the birth will vary by education economic well being and prebirth work experience. In each case the differential patterns of participation surrounding the 1st birth conform to the hypotheses. A case is then made for the importance of recognizing the conditional nature of this dynamic relationship. (authors)
Sequence Variation in the Outer Membrane Protein-Encoding Gene cmeC, Conferring Multidrug Resistance among Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli Strains Isolated from Different Hosts

ABSTRACT A novel PCR primer pair was used to detect the presence of cmeC in 131 Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli strains isolated from various hosts (cattle, turkeys, humans, and pigs). DNA sequence analysis revealed a high degree of genetic variation between the two species, while extremely limited genetic variation among isolates of the same species was detected.
Virtualized Network Service Topology Exploration Using Nepal

Modern communication networks are large, dynamic, and complex. To deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot such networks, it is essential to understand how network elements such as servers, switches, virtual machines, and virtual network functions are connected to one another, and to be able to discover communication paths between them. For network maintenance applications such as troubleshooting and service quality management it is also essential to understand how connections change over time, and be able to pose time-travel queries to retrieve information about past network states. With the industry-wide move to SDNs and virtualized network functions [13], maintaining these inventory databases becomes a critical issue. We represent a communication network inventory as a graph where the nodes are network entities and edges represent relationships between them, e.g. hosted-on, communicates-with, and so on. We have found that querying such a graph for e.g., troubleshooting, using a typical graph query language is too cumbersome for network analysts. In this demonstration we present Nepal -- a network path query language which is designed to effectively retrieve desired paths from a network graph. Nepal treats paths as first-class citizens of the language, which achieves closure under composition while maintaining simplicity. The Nepal schema system allows the complexities of items in the inventory database to be abstracted away when desired, and yet provide strongly-typed access. We demonstrate how Nepal path queries can simplify the extraction of information from a dynamic inventory of a multi-layer network and can be used for troubleshooting.
The mouse Gtl2 gene is differentially expressed during embryonic development, encodes multiple alternatively spliced transcripts, and may act as an RNA

We have isolated a novel mouse gene (Gtl2) from the site of a gene trap integration (Gtl2lacZ) that gave rise to developmentally regulated lacZ expression, and a dominant parental‐origin–dependent phenotype. Heterozygous Gtl2lacZ mice that inherited the transgene from the father showed a proportionate dwarfism phenotype, whereas the penetrance and expressivity of the phenotype was strongly reduced in Gtl2lacZ mice that inherited the transgene from the mother. Gtl2 expression is highly similar to the β‐galactosidase staining pattern, and is down‐regulated but not abolished in mice carrying the Gtl2lacZ insertion. In early postimplantation embryos, Gtl2 is expressed in the visceral yolk sac and embryonic ectoderm. During subsequent development and organogenesis, Gtl2 transcripts are abundant in the paraxial mesoderm closely correlated with myogenic differentiation, in parts of the central nervous system, and in the epithelial ducts of developing excretory organs. The Gtl2 gene gives rise to various differentially spliced transcripts, which contain multiple small open reading frames (ORF). However, none of the ATG codons of these ORFs is in the context of a strong Kozak consensus sequence for initiation of translation, suggesting that Gtl2 might function as an RNA. Nuclear Gtl2 RNA was detected in a temporally and spatially regulated manner, and partially processed Gtl2 transcripts were readily detected in Northern blot hybridizations of polyadenylated RNA, suggesting that primary Gtl2 transcripts are differently processed in various cell types during development. Gtl2 transcript levels are present in parthenogenic embryos but may be reduced, consistent with the pattern of inheritance of the Gtl2lacZ phenotype. Dev. Dyn. 1998;212:214–228. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pathophysiological mechanisms in somatization

Somatization symptoms are usually considered to be psychological rather than physical in origin. It is argued that whilst, by definition, somatization symptoms do not result from physical disease, they do have a physiological basis. The evidence for this contention is reviewed in relation to the common somatization symptoms. The acknowledgement of the role of pathophysiology in the aetiology of somatization symptoms has implications for both treatment and research.
Hand detection for virtual touchpad

There are many different kinds of pointing devices for interaction between human and computer. One of the most used and developed pointing devices is the mouse. However, traditional mouse has a limited degree of controls. Another device is the touchpad, the counterpart of the mouse that is usually embedded on laptops. Touchpad basically has the same control as the mouse, but it can have additional controls because it has a different interaction method compared to the mouse. In this paper we discuss about virtual touchpad, a touchpad built using a webcam and some existing computer vision techniques, mostly hand detection. It uses a piece of rectangular object as the pad and works just like a touchpad with a few additional controls. The virtual touchpad built supports clicking (i.e. left click, right click and middle click) and gestures recognition by using manipulation of hand and finger position. The gestures recognized by this touchpad are simple gestures e.g. making a vertical line, horizontal line, V shape, and so on. Although the virtual touchpad is still a prototype, most of the user who tested this device finds it interesting and said that it would be useful if developed further.