Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Governing Cambodia's Forests: The International Politics of Policy Reform

The destruction of Cambodia's forests gathered pace from the 1990s, receiving much international publicity at the time from environmental NGOs but far less scholarly treatment. That deficiency is now addressed by this detailed and sophisticated case study of the process by which aid donors and Cambodia's elites worked to designate much of the country's forests as suitable for industrial timber production, resulting in the marginalization and impoverishment of forest dwellers and ultimately the transformation of forests into enclosed plantations. The study highlights the way in which externally sponsored reform agendas are manipulated by domestic elites. As such it offers a powerful critique of the literature on 'ownership' as well as a clear and persuasive argument as to why forestry protection programmes so often fail within the modern international system. The book will appeal to a broad readership interested in political change in contemporary SE Asia, the politics of foreign aid, and those concerned with the conservation of the world's remaining tropical forests.
Resveratrol treatment protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by alleviating oxidative damage

The possible protective effects of resveratrol (RVT) against cardiotoxicity were investigated in Wistar albino rats treated with saline, saline+doxorubicin (DOX; 20 mg/kg) or RVT (10 mg/kg)+DOX. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded on the 1st week and on the 7th week, while cardiomyopathy was assessed using transthoracic echocardiography before the rats were decapitated. DOX-induced cardiotoxicity resulted in decreased blood pressure and heart rate, but lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase and 8-OHdG levels were increased in plasma. Moreover, DOX caused a significant decrease in plasma total antioxidant capacity along with a reduction in cardiac superoxide dismutase, catalase and Na+,K+-ATPase activities and glutathione contents, while malondialdehyde, myelopreoxidase activity and the generation of reactive oxygen species were increased in the cardiac tissue. On the other hand, RVT markedly ameliorated the severity of cardiac dysfunction, while all oxidant responses were prevented; implicating that RVT may be of therapeutic use in preventing oxidative stress due to DOX toxicity.
A model for the estimate of local image velocity by cells in the visual cortex

Some computational theories of motion perception assume that the first stage en route to this perception is the local estimate of image velocity. However, this assumption is not supported by data from the primary visual cortex. Its motion sensitive cells are not selective to velocity, but rather are directionally selective and tuned to spatio-temporal frequencies. Accordingly, physiologically based theories start with filters selective to oriented spatio-temporal frequencies. This paper shows that computational and physiological theories do not necessarily conflict, because such filters may, as a population, compute velocity locally. To prove this point, we show how to combine the outputs of a class of frequency tuned filters to detect local image velocity. Furthermore, we show that the combination of filters may simulate ‘Pattern’ cells in the middle temporal area (MT), whereas each filter simulates primary visual cortex cells. These simulations include three properties of the primary cortex. First, the spatio-temporal frequency tuning curves of the individual filters display approximate space-time separability. Secondly, their direction-of-motion tuning curves depend on the distribution of orientations of the components of the Fourier decomposition and speed of the stimulus. Thirdly, the filters show facilitation and suppression for responses to apparent motions in the preferred and null directions, respectively. It is suggested that the MT’s role is not to solve the aperture problem, but to estimate velocities from primary cortex information. The spatial integration that accounts for motion coherence may be postponed to a later cortical stage.
Penalized Partial Likelihood Regression for Right‐Censored Data with Bootstrap Selection of the Penalty Parameter

Summary. The Cox proportional hazards model is often used for estimating the association between covariates and a potentially censored failure time, and the corresponding partial likelihood estimators are used for the estimation and prediction of relative risk of failure. However, partial likelihood estimators are unstable and have large variance when collinearity exists among the explanatory variables or when the number of failures is not much greater than the number of covariates of interest. A penalized (log) partial likelihood is proposed to give more accurate relative risk estimators. We show that asymptotically there always exists a penalty parameter for the penalized partial likelihood that reduces mean squared estimation error for log relative risk, and we propose a resampling method to choose the penalty parameter. Simulations and an example show that the bootstrap‐selected penalized partial likelihood estimators can, in some instances, have smaller bias than the partial likelihood estimators and have smaller mean squared estimation and prediction errors of log relative risk. These methods are illustrated with a data set in multiple myeloma from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.
Biostimulatory windows in low-intensity laser activation: lasers, scanners, and NASA's light-emitting diode array system.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess and to formulate physically an irreducible set of irradiation parameters that could be relevant in the achieving reproducible light-induced effects in biological systems, both in vitro and in vivo. BACKGROUND DATA Light-tissue interaction studies focusing on the evaluation of irradiation thresholds are basic for the extensively growing applications for medical lasers and related light-emitting systems. These thresholds are of central interest in the rejuvenation of collagens, photorefractive keratectomy, and wound healing. METHODS There is ample evidence that the action of light in biological systems depends at least on two threshold parameters: the energy density and the intensity. Depending on the particular light delivery system coupled to an irradiation source, the mean energy density and the local intensity have to be determined separately using adequate experimental methods. RESULTS From the observations of different research groups and our own observations, we conclude that the threshold parameters energy density and intensity are biologically independent from each other. CONCLUSIONS This independence is of practical importance, at least for the medical application of photobiological effects achieved at low-energy density levels, accounting for the success and the failure in most of the cold laser uses since Mester's pioneering work.
Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinases Are Required for Autophagic Membrane Trafficking*

Background: Autophagy is an essential physiological process involving dynamic membrane rearrangements. Results: Pik1 and Mss4 are PtdIns 4- and PtdIns4P 5-kinases that are needed for selective and/or nonselective autophagy. Conclusion: PtdIns4P is important in the mechanism of autophagy and affects Atg9 trafficking. Significance: We show that PtdIns4P, similar to PtdIns3P, regulates autophagy. Macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) is a degradative cellular pathway that protects eukaryotic cells from stress, starvation, and microbial infection. This process must be tightly controlled because too little or too much autophagy can be deleterious to cellular physiology. The phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 3-kinase Vps34 is a lipid kinase that regulates autophagy, but the role of other PtdIns kinases has not been examined. Here we demonstrate a role for PtdIns 4-kinases and PtdIns4P 5-kinases in selective and nonselective types of autophagy in yeast. The PtdIns 4-kinase Pik1 is involved in Atg9 trafficking through the Golgi and is involved in both nonselective and selective types of autophagy, whereas the PtdIns4P 5-kinase Mss4 is specifically involved in mitophagy but not nonselective autophagy. Our data indicate that phosphoinositide kinases have multiple roles in the regulation of autophagic pathways.
Functional specializations of the vascular bed of soleus

1. The venous outflow from the slow soleus muscle, at rest and during exercise, was compared with that of fast muscles. The blood flow through the soleus at rest was found to be, on average, 52 ml. /100 g.min, which is about 4 times that of fast muscles.
Effects of inhaled tiotropium on left ventricular diastolic function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients after pulmonary resection.

PURPOSE The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of inhaled tiotropium on pulmonary function and left ventricular diastolic function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients ≥ 1 year after pulmonary resection for lung cancer. METHODS This prospective single-arm analysis involved 21 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer at least one year earlier. Blood pressures, heart rate, spirometry, transthoracic echocardiography including tissue Doppler imaging, and quality of life were evaluated prior to and after 3 months of inhaled tiotropium treatment. B-type natriuretic peptide, white blood cell counts, and C-reactive protein levels before and after inhaled tiotropium treatment were also examined. RESULTS There were no significant differences between before and after treatment in forced vital capacity and left ventricular ejection fraction. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second and early transmitral velocity/tissue Doppler mitral annular early diastolic velocity values improved from 1.60 ± 0.5 L and 8.97 ± 1.6, respectively, before treatment, to 1.84 ± 0.5 L and 7.59 ± 1.4, respectively, 3 months after treatment (P <0.001). CONCLUSION Treatment with inhaled tiotropium may be effective in improving not only pulmonary function but also left ventricular diastolic function of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the chronic phase after pulmonary resection.
Evaluation of a novel method for grading heart murmur intensity.

OBJECTIVE To determine if heart murmur intensity grading performance can be improved using the heart sounds as an internal reference. METHODS Single-blind controlled trial of 100 medical students, residents, and pediatric attending physicians at a children's hospital. Groups of 1 to 3 participants were alternately assigned to intervention and control groups, reported their method of grading heart murmur intensity, and then graded the intensity of a random sample of 20 recorded murmurs on a 6-point scale. Before rating another random sample of 20 murmurs, the intervention group was taught a system that uses the heart sounds as an internal reference. Primary outcomes were change in accuracy (percentage correct), interrater agreement (kappa), and consistency (kappa). Subgroup analyses were performed by training level and heart murmur grade. RESULTS Grading accuracy improved more in the intervention group than the control group (Delta improvement, 5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.1%-10.0%]). This was most pronounced among attending physicians (Delta improvement, 11%; 95% CI, 0.4%-22%) and students (Delta improvement, 12%; 95% CI, 3%-20%) and for grade 2 murmurs (Delta improvement, 20%; 95% CI, 10%-31%). Relatively greater improvements in consistency were observed after the intervention for attending physicians (Delta improvement, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.01-0.32) and grades 2 (Delta improvement, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.09-0.36) and 3 murmurs (Delta improvement, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.05-0.28). CONCLUSIONS A system that uses the heart sounds as an internal reference for grading heart murmur intensity quickly improves accuracy and consistency for some providers and specific murmurs.
Intraoperative subcortical stimulation mapping for hemispherical perirolandic gliomas located within or adjacent to the descending motor pathways: evaluation of morbidity and assessment of functional outcome in 294 patients.

OBJECT Intraoperative stimulation mapping of subcortical white matter tracts during the resection of gliomas has become a valuable surgical adjunct that is used to reduce morbidity associated with tumor removal. The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to assess the morbidity and functional outcome associated with this method, thus allowing the surgeon to predict the likelihood of causing a temporary or permanent motor deficit. METHODS In this study, the authors report their experience with intraoperative stimulation mapping to locate subcortical motor pathways in 294 patients who underwent surgery for hemispheric gliomas within or adjacent to the rolandic cortex. Data were collected regarding intraoperative cortical and subcortical stimulation mapping results, along with the patient's neurological status pre- and postoperatively. For patients in whom an additional motor deficit occurred postoperatively, its evolution was examined. Of 294 patients, an additional postoperative motor deficit occurred in 60 (20.4%). Of those 60, 23 (38%) recovered to their preoperative baseline status within the 1st postoperative week. Another 12 (20%) recovered from their postoperative motor deficit by the end of the 4th postoperative week, and 11 more recovered to their baseline status by the end of the 3rd postoperative month. Thus, 46 (76.7%) of 60 patients with postoperative motor deficits regained their baseline function within the first 90 days after surgery. The remaining 14 patients (4.8% of the entire study population of 294) had a persistent motor deficit after 3 months. Patients whose subcortical pathways were identified with stimulation mapping were more prone to develop an additional (temporary or permanent) motor deficit than those in whom subcortical pathways could not be identified (27.5% compared with 13.1%, p = 0.003). This was also true when additional (permanent) motor deficits lasted more than 3 months (7.4% when subcortical pathways were found, compared with 2.1% when they were not found; p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS In patients with gliomas that are located within or adjacent to the rolandic cortex and, thus, the descending motor tracts, stimulation mapping of subcortical pathways enables the surgeon to identify these descending motor pathways during tumor removal and to achieve an acceptable rate of permanent morbidity in these high-risk functional areas.
Enzymatic reduction-resistant nitroxyl spin probes with spirocyclohexyl rings

To suppress enzymatic reduction of nitroxyl group of spin probes, this study designed two new nitroxyl probes, 4-hydroxy and 4-oxopiperidine-N-oxyls having 4′-hydroxyspirocyclohexyl groups at the 2- and 6-positions of the piperidine ring (hydroxy-DICPO and oxo-DICPO, respectively). The decay of the EPR signal of these probes in mouse liver homogenates was significantly suppressed compared with that of 4-hydroxy- and 4-oxo-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (hydroxy-TEMPO and oxo-TEMPO, respectively), although hydroxy-DICPO and oxo-DICPO showed no difference in the reactivities with ascorbic acid. While both hydroxy- and oxo-DICPO reacted with hydroxyl radicals, only hydoxy-DICPO lost its EPR signal by the reaction with superoxide anion radical in the presence of cysteine. This feature is similar to that observed for hydroxy- and oxo-TEMPO. These results suggest that the introduction of spirocyclohexyl groups to nitroxyl spin probes is effective for protecting the nitroxyl group against enzymatic reduction without changing the characteristics of the reaction with oxygen radicals.
On the Hole Injection for III-Nitride Based Deep Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes

The hole injection is one of the bottlenecks that strongly hinder the quantum efficiency and the optical power for deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) with the emission wavelength smaller than 360 nm. The hole injection efficiency for DUV LEDs is co-affected by the p-type ohmic contact, the p-type hole injection layer, the p-type electron blocking layer and the multiple quantum wells. In this report, we review a large diversity of advances that are currently adopted to increase the hole injection efficiency for DUV LEDs. Moreover, by disclosing the underlying device physics, the design strategies that we can follow have also been suggested to improve the hole injection for DUV LEDs.
FlowCytomix analysis for Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women in central Taiwan

Summary The study was to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the sera of pregnant women in central Taiwan and to investigate the levels of cytokine in the sera of pregnant women with Toxoplasma gondii infection. The 220 blood samples were collected from pregnant women. The haematological parameters of peripheral blood were analysed by a haematology analyser. Serum samples of the pregnant women were analysed by a commercially available anti-T. gondii IgM/IgG antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit and FlowCytomix assays. Six (2.7%) of the sera samples had IgM anti-T. gondii antibodies, and twenty (9.1%) had T. gondii IgG seropositive. All six IgM seropositive samples had low IgG avidity, indicative of acute infection. Total white blood cells and eosinophils were statistically significantly increased (p<0.05) in pregnant women with T. gondii infection, as compared with healthy pregnant women. Th1 cytokines IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2 and IL-12 p70, and Th2 cytokines IL-10 in pregnant women with T. gondii IgM/IgG seropositive were significantly increased (p<0.05), as compared with healthy pregnant women. These results showed that both of Th1 and Th2 cytokines play an important role in the toxoplasmosis of pregnant women.
A Requirement for Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase in Pseudopod Extension*

Phagocytosis requires actin assembly and pseudopod extension, two cellular events that coincide spatially and temporally. The signal transduction events underlying both processes may be distinct. We tested whether phagocytic signaling resembles that of growth factor receptors, which induce actin polymerization via activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase). Fcγ receptor-mediated phagocytosis was accompanied by a rapid increase in the accumulation of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphatein vivo, and addition of wortmannin (WM) or LY294002, two inhibitors of PI 3-kinase(s), inhibited phagocytosis but not Fcγ receptor-directed actin polymerization. However, both compounds prevented maximal pseudopod extension, suggesting that PI 3-kinase inhibition produced a limitation in membrane required for pseudopod extension. Availability of plasma membrane was not limiting for phagocytosis, because blockade of ingestion in the presence of WM was not overcome by reducing the number of particles adhering to macrophages. However, decreasing bead size, and hence the magnitude of pseudopod extension required for particle engulfment, relieved the inhibition of phagocytosis in the presence of WM or LY294002 by up to 80%. The block in phagocytosis of large particles occurred before phagosomal closure, because both compounds inhibited spreading of macrophages on substrate-bound IgG. Macrophage spreading on IgG was accompanied by exocytic insertion of membrane from an intracellular source, as measured by the dye FM1-43. These results indicate that one or more isoforms of PI 3 kinase are required for maximal pseudopod extension but not phagocytosis per se. We suggest that PI 3-kinase is required for coordinating exocytic membrane insertion and pseudopod extension.
Hydration status of community-dwelling seniors.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Dehydration is the most common fluid or electrolyte disorder among older persons. This study was designed to examine the hydration status of community-dwelling seniors. METHODS Blood and urine samples were collected from 67 independently living volunteers (65-93 yrs) who had functional limitations but no condition that contraindicated 10 min of moderate exercise. Forty-six subjects who were not diabetic, had fasted for 12 hours, and had blood glucose levels < or = 115 mg/dL were thus included. Urine and serum samples were analyzed for osmolality (mosm/kg), Na+ (mmol/L) and K+ (mmol/L). Whole blood was analyzed for hemoglobin (Hb, g/dL) and hematocrit (Hct, %) and urine for specific gravity (USG). Means and standard deviations for the current data were compared with normal values. RESULTS All values were within normal ranges except urine osmolality. CONCLUSIONS While changes associated with aging may predispose an individual to dehydration, functionally limited, independently living older individuals demonstrate normal hydration status following a 12-hr fast. This suggests that dehydration is not solely a function of the aging process, but may be more related to concomitant medical conditions or dependent living.
REGIONALISATION PROCESSES AS CONVERSION OUTCOMES OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

In the context of globalisation, regionalisation could be seen as integration at regional level. Trade liberalization, being the first stage in the linear model of economic integration and the main measure of openness of an economy, is an important and complex issue, and regional trade liberalization is even more so. In this context integration is a process toward inter-state security. This paper examines the main aspects of integration phenomena, peculiarities and trends of regionalisation processes with regard to the regional integration and multilateral co-operation discussion, and finally applies the theoretical insights to the case of European integration facing challenges of the recently approximated neighbourhood.
Neural Plasticity after Human Spinal Cord Injury: Application of Locomotor Training to the Rehabilitation of Walking

Recovery of locomotion has been considered unattainable following a clinically complete or severe incomplete spinal cord injury even after conventional therapy. However, the locomotion of spinal animals can be improved by training that provides complex temporal patterns of sensory information related to stepping that is interpreted by the spinal cord. This review discusses the evidence that suggests human spinal networks can integrate and interpret complex sensory signals to produce functional efferent output and adapt to repetitive training. Locomotor training, a new rehabilitative approach, is based on principles that promote the movement of limbs and trunk to generate sensory information consistent with locomotion to improve the potential for the recovery of walking after neurologic injury.