Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Detection and Serotyping of Infectious Bronchitis Virus from FTA® Filter Paper

Abstract We investigated the feasibility of using Flinders Technology Associates (FTA®) filter cards for the storage of allantoic fluid containing an infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), such as Arkansas-DPI, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, and for their identification by reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and characterization by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) or nucleotide sequencing. FTA® paper is a cotton-based cellulose membrane containing lyophilized chemicals that lyses many types of bacteria and viruses. IBV was inactivated upon contact with the FTA®, as shown by the inability of the virus to be propagated in embryonating chicken eggs. RT-PCR of the S1 gene showed that viral RNA in allantoic fluid remained stable after storage on FTA® filter cards and that the stability was time and temperature sensitive for the large (1700 base pair [bp]) but not the small (383 bp) PCR products. Analysis of the amplified products showed that molecular characterization is feasible in allantoic fluid stored on FTA® under nonfavorable environmental conditions (41 C) for at least 15 days. The use of FTA® cards for the collection, transport, and storage of IBV–containing samples is safe, inexpensive, and adequate for molecular diagnosis. We propose that specimens coming from overseas on FTA® cards would be first analyzed by RT-PCR with primers yielding a 1700-bp product followed by RFLP of the positive cases. Negative cases would be analyzed with primers yielding a 383-bp product (to exclude detrimental effect of the storage conditions) followed by nucleotide sequencing of the positive cases.
Measuring Readiness of Women Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies: Scale Validation and Contextualization

Abstract In existing body of literature on entrepreneurship, suggests lack of a scientific measurement tool, which can be used to study the readiness for women entrepreneurship particularly in Indian context. The key intention of this research was to develop a specific measurement tool to assess the entrepreneur readiness especially among women. This research paper is based on the variables linked with entrepreneurial readiness activity extracted from the existing literature of the subject. The questionnaire was developed using four constructs identified as attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and entrepreneurial readiness, in line with the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The operationalization of factors was done with the help of existing insightful and validated scales. In order to validate the women entrepreneurship readiness scale, a researcher controlled sampling method was employed to collect data from the female students (N=294) of the university of Kashmir. The research used Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) technique for dimensionality of scale, was further subjected to construct validity using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), technique factorized the entrepreneurship readiness instrument to 04 factor structures. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) results also showed adequate construct validity (CR, CV and DV) for the entrepreneurship readiness construct. In conclusion, this research work used scientific approach to develop a valid instrument for the measuring entrepreneur readiness and put forward significant implications for the future research course of action.
The Protective Role of Catalase against Cerebral Ischemia in Vitro and in Vivo

The present study aims to assess the protective role of the antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT) with relation to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) degradation in oxygen plus water on electrophysiological and fluorescence changes induced by in vitro ischemia and on brain damage produced by transient in vivo ischemia. Neuroprotective effects of CAT were determined by means of electrophysiological recordings and confocal fluorescence microscopy in the hippocampal slice preparation. Ischemia was simulated in vitro by oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD). In vivo ischemia was produced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). A protection of the rat CA1 field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) loss caused by a prolonged OGD (40 min) was observed after exogenous CAT (500 U/mL) bath-applied before a combined exposure to OGD and H2O2 (3 mM). Of note, neither H2O2 nor exogenous CAT alone had a protective action when OGD lasted for 40 min. The CAT-induced neuroprotection was confirmed in a transgenic mouse model over-expressing human CAT [Tg(CAT)]. In the presence of H2O2, the hippocampus of Tg(CAT) showed an increased resistance against OGD compared to that of wild-type (WT) animals. Moreover, CAT treatment reduced for about 50 min fEPSP depression evoked by repeated applications of H2O2 in normoxia. A lower sensitivity to H2O2-induced depression of fEPSPs was also indicated by the rightward shift of concentration-response curve in Tg(CAT) compared to WT mice. Noteworthy, Tg(CAT) mice had a reduced infarct size after MCAo. Our data suggest new strategies to reduce neuronal damage produced by transient brain ischemia through the manipulation of CAT enzyme.
Frequency-Doubling Perimetry in Patients Following Penetrating Keratoplasty

Purpose: Perimetry using a frequency-doubling technique (FDT perimetry) is becoming established as a new diagnostic tool to detect early visual field losses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of an FDT perimetry protocol (C-20-5) in patients after penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and to assess whether this method is influenced by postoperative corneal topographic changes. Methods: Thirty-six patients (age 40 ± 13, median 41 years) following PK and 68 age-matched controls were included in this study. The postoperative interval was 21 ± 19, median 14 months. Patients with preexisting glaucoma or any postoperative intraocular pressure elevation were excluded. The indications for PK were keratoconus in 82%, Fuchs dystrophy in 15%, and secondary bullous keratopathy in 3%. In 19 patients keratoplasty was performed in 1 eye. FDT perimetry was evaluated in both eyes to judge intraindividual variability. FDT perimetry was done using the screening strategy, which begins testing at the normal 5% probability level. If a stimulus is not detected, further targets are presented. FDT viewfinder and statistics software were used for case-wise recalculation of all missed localized probability levels. Results: Neither mean overall FDT score (0.8 ± 1.9, median 0.0 versus 0.9 ±1.0, median 0.0) nor total test time (44 ± 4.7, median 44 versus 44 ± 4.2, median 42 seconds) showed significant differences between patients after PK and controls (P = 0.5). There was also no significant difference of mean FDT score between eyes after keratoplasty (0.8 ± 1.9, median 0.00) and nonoperated contralateral eyes (0.9 ± 2.0, median 0.00, P = 0.8) in the same patient. No significant correlation between FDT score and visual acuity as well as corneal keratometric astigmatism could be found in patients after PK and in normals (r < 0.2, P = 0.3). In patients after PK, FDT score and examination time were statistically independent of keratometric astigmatism (P = 0.7), topographic astigmatism (P = 0.4), spherical equivalent (P = 0.5), central corneal thickness (P = 0.7), and interval of postoperative follow-up (P = 0.6). Conclusions: Perimetry using the FDT protocol (C-20-5) seems to be feasible in patients after PK and does not depend on postoperative topographic changes of the cornea. This method allows valid information on visual field abnormality in patients after PK The results indicate that this method may be helpful as a supplement to detect early glaucomatous damage in patients after PK.
Determinants and Implications of Cyclicality: Contrasting Evidence Across Developed and Developing Countries

ABSTRACT Using data for a sample of advanced and developing countries, the paper studies variation in the effects of aggregate demand shocks on the macro-economy and distinguish between the effects of expansionary and contractionary shocks. The aim is to study the determinants and implications of cyclicality across representative countries in each group. The composite evidence points to high degree of cyclicality in many countries. The risk of cyclicality is higher in developing countries as high trend inflation limits the scope to mobilize growth and increases downward rigidity of prices. Policy priorities in developing countries should be focused on fighting inflation and improving the investment environment towards maximizing the return on investment and sustaining growth and capacity building. Policy priorities in advanced countries should be focused on mobilizing resources to ease capacity constraints and finance larger investment, with limited crowding out, to maximize the potential of real growth and combat inflationary pressures.
Fiscal Decentralization and Local Potentials Improvement in Madura Region

Fiscal decentralization has the goal of providing opportunities for regions to explore the potential funding sources as well as they have. In this discussion, we will review how fiscal decentralization implemented in the region of Madura. The discussion will be more in-depth about the impact and the influence of fiscal decentralization on efforts to increase the local potential in Madura region. This study used a combined research method between qualitative research methods and literature study. The result of this study indicates that Madura region is had some of the potentials that can be developed, but the potential is yet to be optimized because there are still some constraints especially for oil and gas mines potential where the regulation used has not been able to benefit the local government. Therefore, it is necessary to review some fiscal policies that related to the management of local potential in the Madura region, so that some of the potentials can be
Opportunistic relay selection for wireless network coding

Owing to its potential of enhancing the network performance and to the large number of applications it can be suited for, wireless network coding is attracting a lot of interest from both the academic and the industrial communities. A common assumption in most of the literature is the presence of a single intermediate relay node where the network coding operation takes place. However, in an actual wireless system, a multitude of relaying nodes would exist, thus potentially further improving the performance; but with this the issue of relay selection arises. In this paper we study the performance of network coding in presence of opportunistic relay selection. We conjecture that relay selection schemes should be aware of, and account for, the network coding operation in case of its presence. Based on system level simulation results, it is demonstrated that such an awareness provides considerable capacity gains as compared to its traditional opportunistic counterparts, in addition to increased fairness among the encoded sources.
Feeding tuna oil to the sow at different times during pregnancy has different effects on piglet long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid composition at birth and subsequent growth.

In an attempt to prevent decreases in piglet 20 : 4n-6 status at birth while increasing 22 : 6n-3 status, multiparous sows (eight per treatment) were allocated to one of three different treatments: a basal diet fed from day 63 of pregnancy to term; basal diet supplemented with tuna oil (17.5 g/kg) from day 63 to day 91 and then basal diet alone from day 92 to term; basal diet alone from day 63 to day 91 and then basal diet supplemented with tuna oil from day 92 to term. Tuna oil supplementation increased mainly 22 : 6n-3 intake. Supplementation with tuna oil between day 92 and term increased 22 : 6n-3 to a greater extent in all piglet tissues (brain, liver, retina and the remaining carcass) at birth than supplementation with tuna oil between days 63 and 91. However, while piglet 20 : 4n-6 decreased to a greater extent in liver and carcass when diets were supplemented with tuna oil between days 92 and term than between days 63 and 91, in the brain and retina, the reverse was true; 20 : 4n-6 was decreased to a greater extent between days 63 and 91 than between 92 and term. The effect of pregnancy nutrition on the growth of piglets until 7 d postweaning (35 d of age) was assessed after removing any residual effects of pregnancy treatment by cross-fostering some piglets at birth. Piglets, the diets of whose dams had been supplemented with tuna oil during pregnancy, grew faster during the first 35 d of life than the progeny of sows fed only the basal diet. Feeding tuna oil to sows at different times during pregnancy therefore did not prevent decreases in piglet 20 : 4n-6 status at birth, but did suggest that changes in piglet brain 20 : 4n-6 status between days 63 and 91 of pregnancy were not reversible by later nutrition. Supplementing the diet of the pregnant sow with tuna oil had beneficial effects on postnatal piglet growth.
Leaf Development

Leaves are the most important organs for plants. Without leaves, plants cannot capture light energy or synthesize organic compounds via photosynthesis. Without leaves, plants would be unable perceive diverse environmental conditions, particularly those relating to light quality/quantity. Without leaves, plants would not be able to flower because all floral organs are modified leaves. Arabidopsis thaliana is a good model system for analyzing mechanisms of eudicotyledonous, simple-leaf development. The first section of this review provides a brief history of studies on development in Arabidopsis leaves. This history largely coincides with a general history of advancement in understanding of the genetic mechanisms operating during simple-leaf development in angiosperms. In the second section, I outline events in Arabidopsis leaf development, with emphasis on genetic controls. Current knowledge of six important components in these developmental events is summarized in detail, followed by concluding remarks and perspectives.
Steroid and anti-CD18 treatment have no effect on after-cataract formation following surgery in rabbits.

PURPOSE It is debated whether the inflammatory reaction that follows cataract surgery is important in the development of after-cataract. The aim of the present investigation was to study if reduction of the early inflammatory process had any effect on the development of after-cataract in the rabbit. METHODS Rabbits were divided into 3 groups: 1) no treatment (control), 2) steroids, and 3) IB4 (murine anti-CD18 mab). Aqueous humor (AqH) was aspirated from all rabbits just prior to, and 1 and 56 days after cataract surgery. On day 56 the weight of the after-cataracts was determined. The effect of the AqH on rabbit lens epithelial cell (LEC) proliferation in vitro was investigated. The AqH concentrations of protein, leukocytes, prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and active transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) were determined. RESULTS In AqH collected on day 1 postoperatively from the control group, the concentration of leukocytes, protein and PGE(2) were 152.1/microl, 20.6 mg/ml, and 441.5 pg/0.1 ml, respectively. The corresponding levels in the steroid group were significantly lower (55.8/microl, 12.1 mg/ml, and 140.2 pg/0.1 ml). In the IB4 group, the concentrations of leukocytes and protein were significantly lower, 17.9/microl and 11.1 mg/ml, respectively. However, the proliferative effect of AqH on rabbit LEC, the concentrations of bFGF and active TGF-beta on day 1, and the weight of after-cataract on day 56 were not reduced by the anti-inflammatory treatments. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that reduction of the early inflammatory response after cataract surgery is not important in the development of after-cataract.
Preoperative plasma levels of transforming growth factor beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) strongly predict progression in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE Elevated local and circulating levels of transforming growth factor beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) have been associated with prostate cancer invasion and metastasis. We tested the hypothesis that preoperative plasma TGF-beta(1) levels would independently predict cancer stage and prognosis in patients who undergo radical prostatectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study group consisted of 120 consecutive patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer (median follow-up, 53.8 months). Preoperative plasma levels of TGF-beta(1) were measured and correlated with pathologic parameters and clinical outcomes. TGF-beta(1) levels also were measured in 44 healthy men without cancer, in 19 men with prostate cancer metastatic to regional lymph nodes, and in 10 men with prostate cancer metastatic to bone. RESULTS Plasma TGF-beta(1) levels in patients with lymph node metastases (14.2 +/- 2.6 ng/mL) and bone metastases (15.5 +/- 2.4 ng/mL) were higher than those in radical prostatectomy patients (5.2 +/- 1.3 ng/mL) and healthy subjects (4.5 +/- 1.2 ng/mL) (P <.001). In a preoperative analysis, preoperative plasma TGF-beta(1) level and biopsy Gleason sum both were predictors of organ-confined disease (P =.006 and P =.006, respectively) and PSA progression (P <.001 and P =.021, respectively). In a postoperative multivariate analysis, preoperative plasma TGF-beta(1) level, pathologic Gleason sum, and surgical margin status were predictors of PSA progression (P =.020,P =.020, and P =.022, respectively). In patients who progressed, preoperative plasma TGF-beta(1) levels were higher in those with presumed distant compared with local-only failure (P =.019). CONCLUSION Plasma TGF-beta(1) levels are markedly elevated in men with prostate cancer metastatic to regional lymph nodes and bone. In men without clinical or pathologic evidence of metastases, the preoperative plasma TGF-beta(1) level is a strong predictor of biochemical progression after surgery, presumably because of an association with occult metastatic disease present at the time of radical prostatectomy.
Transfer Effect of Strength and Power Training to the Sprinting Kinematics of International Rugby Players

Abstract Barr, MJ, Sheppard, JM, Agar-Newman, DJ, and Newton, RU. Transfer effect of strength and power training to the sprinting kinematics of international rugby players. J Strength Cond Res 28(9): 2585–2596, 2014—Increasing lower-body strength is often considered to be important for improving the sprinting speed of rugby players. This concept was examined in a group (n = 40) of international rugby players in a 2-part study. The players were tested for body mass (BM), 1 repetition maximum power clean (PC), and front squat, as well as triple broad jump and broad jump. In addition, speed over 40 m was tested, with timing gates recording the 0- to 10-m and 30- to 40-m sections to assess acceleration and maximal velocity. Two video cameras recorded the 2 splits for later analysis of sprinting kinematics. The players were divided into a fast group (n = 20) and a slow group (n = 20) for both acceleration and maximal velocity. In the second part of the study, a group (n = 15) of players were tracked over a 1-year period to determine how changes in strength corresponded with changes in sprinting kinematics. The fast groups for both acceleration and maximal velocity showed greater levels of strength (d = 0.5–1.8), lower ground contact times (d = 0.8–2.1), and longer stride lengths (d = 0.5–1.3). There was a moderate improvement over 1 year in PC/BM (0.08 kg·kg−1, p = 0.008, d = 0.6), and this had a strong relationship with the change in maximal velocity stride length (r = 0.70). Acceleration stride length also had a large improvement over 1 year (0.09 m, p = 0.003, d = 0.81). Although increasing lower-body strength is likely important for increasing sprinting speed of players with low training backgrounds, it may not have the same effect with highly trained players.
Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Untreated Achalasia

Background/Aims Patients with untreated achalasia frequently complain of heartburn and regurgitation. The diagnosis of achalasia might be delayed because these symptoms are misinterpreted as gastroesophageal reflux. We aim to evaluate the clinical, radiologic, and manometric findings in patient with untreated achalasia. Methods The records of patients diagnosed with primary achalasia between July 2004 and January 2012 at Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea were evaluated. We reviewed their clinical history and the findings of barium esophagogram, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and esophageal transit scintigraphy. We also compared the clinical, radiologic, and manometric findings of patients according to heartburn symptoms and proton pump inhibitor use. Results Our study included a total of 64 patients with a median age of 44.5 (interquartile range, 31.5–54.0). The median duration of symptoms was 23.5 (interquartile range, 5.3–57.0) months. Sixty-four patients (100%) had dysphagia, 49 (76.6%) had regurgitation, 35 (54.7%) had chest pain, and 38 (59.4%) had heartburn. Typical clinical features of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) such as regurgitation, heartburn, and chest pain were observed in more than 50% of achalasia patients. Proton pump inhibitors were prescribed for 16 patients (25%) on the assumption that they had GERD. Patients with heartburn were more likely to experience weight loss (P = 0.009), regurgitation (P = 0.001), or chest pain (P = 0.019). Conclusions Heartburn, regurgitation, and chest pain were commonly observed in patients with untreated achalasia. Therefore, these findings suggest that achalasia should be suspected in patients with refractory GERD.
The typological classification of tourist destinations: The region of Valencia, a case study

This study establishes a classification of the tourist destinations of the Region of Valencia in Spain. A cluster analysis has been conducted on a wide range of indicators related to the tourism activity of the destinations, which has then been applied a set of 60 coastal destinations and 482 inland municipalities in the region. Spatial reference frameworks are essential for applying and developing tourism planning and promotion policies. The results obtained reveal their sensitivity to the configurations generated by these data analysis techniques, the variables used in the analysis and the group of destinations taken as a reference for the classification. They also confirm the exceptionality of the case of Benidorm and the existence of tourism dynamics and processes that are manifested unequally across the territory. The latest advances within this technique are applied which will improve the robustness of the results.