Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in bladder afferent pathways following chronic bladder irritation

Immunocytochemical techniques were used to examine alterations in the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in bladder pathways following acute and chronic irritation of the urinary tract of the rat. Chemical cystitis was induced by cyclophosphamide (CYP) which is metabolized to acrolein, an irritant eliminated in the urine. Injection of CYP (n = 10, 75 mg/kg, i.p.) 2 hours prior to perfusion (acute treatment) of the animals increased Fos‐immunoreactivity (IR) in neurons in the dorsal commissure, dorsal horn, and autonomic regions of spinal segments (L1‐L2 and L6‐S1) which receive afferent inputs from the bladder, urethra, and ureter. Fos‐IR in the spinal cord was not changed in rats receiving chronic CYP treatment (n = 15, 75 mg/kg, i.p., every 3rd day for 2 weeks). In control animals and in animals treated acutely with CYP, only small numbers of NOS‐IR cells (0.5–0.7 cell profiles/sections) were detected in the L6‐S1 dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Chronic CYP administration significantly (P ≤ .002) increased bladder weight by 60% and increased (7‐ to 11‐fold) the numbers of NOS‐immunoreactive (IR) afferent neurons in the L6‐S1 DRG. A small increase (1.5‐fold) also occurred in the L1 DRG, but no change was detected in the L2 and L5 DRG. Bladder afferent cells in the L6‐S1 DRG labeled by Fluorogold (40 μl) injected into the bladder wall did not exhibit NOS‐IR in control animals; however, following chronic CYP administration, a significant percentage of bladder afferent neurons were NOS‐IR: L6 (19.8 ± 4.6%) and S1 (25.3 ± 2.9%). These results indicate that neuronal gene expression in visceral sensory pathways can be upregulated by chemical irritation of afferent receptors in the urinary tract and/or that pathological changes in the urinary tract can initiate chemical signals that alter the chemical properties of visceral afferent neurons. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
State-Mandated Site-Based Management: Exploring the Level of Implementation in Texas High Schools.

The purpose of this study w as to explore how Texas high schools responded to a state law which: (a) established that schools m ust im plem ent site based management (SBM), and (b) outlined specific param eters under which the SBM program was to be constructed. This study was conducted using a four phase methodology that included both quantitative and qualitative techniques w ith a sam ple of 19 ru ral, suburban, and urban high schools. Phase One involved exam ining district level support and individualization of the SBM program . Phase Two explored school level SBM program structure to determ ine the consistency between m andated SBM elem ents and the school level program . Phase Three examined teachers' perceptions of school and personal responsibility for decision making and teachers' perceptions regarding the implementation of m andatory SBM elements. Phase Four utilized teacher interviews, school observations, and data collected in the previous three phases of the study, to construct narrative case studies profiling tw o schools from each community type. Principals in rural schools reported little alignment w ith required SBM structure, preferring more inform al m ethods; however, teachers in rural schools reported high levels of school and personal decision m aking responsibility. Although lacking compliance w ith mandated program
Anatomical studies on the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis in the pigmented rat. II. Subcortical afferents demonstrated by the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase

The subcortical nuclear groups projecting to the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (NRTP) were studied in pigmented rats with the aid of the retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique. Small iontophoretic injections of HRP were placed in the medial regions of the NRTP, an area that has been shown in several species to be involved in eye movements. Other large injections in the NRTP or small injections placed just outside the nucleus were used to clarify the projections to the NRTP. Results indicate that the NRTP receives afferents from (1) visual relay nuclei, including the nucleus of optic tract, the superior colliculus, and the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus; (2) oculomotor‐associated structures including the zona incerta, the H1 and H2 fields of Forel, the nucleus subparafasciculus, the interstitial nucleus of Cajal, the visual tegmental relay zone of the ventral tegmental area of Tsai, the mesencephalic, pontine, and medullary reticular formations, the nucleus of the posterior commissure, and a portion of the periaqueductal gray termed the supra‐oculomotor periaqueductal gray; (3) cerebellar and pontomedullary nuclei, including the superior, lateral, and medial vestibular nuclei, the deep cerebellar nuclei, and NRTP interneurons, and (4) nuclei related to limbic functions including the lateral habenula, the mammillary nuclei, the hypothalamic nuclei, the preoptic nuclei, and the nucleus of diagonal band of Broca.
Long-Term Discount Rates Do Not Vary Across Firms

Abstract Long-term expected returns do not appear to vary in the cross section of stocks. We show that even negligible persistent differences in expected returns, if they existed, would be easy to detect. Markers of such differences, however, are absent from actual stock returns. Our results are consistent with behavioral models and production-based asset pricing models in which firms’ risks change over time. Consistent with the lack of long-term differences in expected returns, persistent differences in firm characteristics do not predict the cross section of stock returns. Our results imply that stock market anomalies have only a limited effect on firm valuations.
Flipped Programs: Traditional Agricultural Education in Non-Traditional Programs

In this collective case study, we described three agricultural education programs that challenge stereotypes of agricultural education in urban settings. We observed and interviewed teachers in different environments and, in many cases, while working with students. Observations were made in classrooms and laboratories at secondary schools, in livestock barns, greenhouses, and vineyards on school farms. We explored the reciprocal relationship between personal, behavioral, and environmental determinants of social cognitive theory within and among components of the total agricultural education program model. In each program, all three components of the total agricultural education program model were being implemented using a combination of activities and curriculum that would often be considered traditional content. According to teachers, agriculture was a novel, captivating topic for students. Students’ lack of familiarity with production agriculture provided opportunities for students to experience something new.
Asparagine Hydroxylation of the HIF Transactivation Domain: A Hypoxic Switch

The hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) 1α and 2α are key mammalian transcription factors that exhibit dramatic increases in both protein stability and intrinsic transcriptional potency during low-oxygen stress. This increased stability is due to the absence of proline hydroxylation, which in normoxia promotes binding of HIF to the von Hippel–Lindau (VHL tumor suppressor) ubiquitin ligase. We now show that hypoxic induction of the COOH-terminal transactivation domain (CAD) of HIF occurs through abrogation of hydroxylation of a conserved asparagine in the CAD. Inhibitors of Fe(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate–dependent dioxygenases prevented hydroxylation of the Asn, thus allowing the CAD to interact with the p300 transcription coactivator. Replacement of the conserved Asn by Ala resulted in constitutive p300 interaction and strong transcriptional activity. Full induction of HIF-1α and -2α, therefore, relies on the abrogation of both Pro and Asn hydroxylation, which during normoxia occur at the degradation and COOH-terminal transactivation domains, respectively.
Formation-containment control for unmanned aerial vehicle swarm system

Formation-containment control problems for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm systems with directed interaction topologies are addressed. UAVs in the swarm system are classified into leaders and followers, where leaders and followers are designed to achieve time-varying formation and containment respectively. Based on state transformation and state space decomposition, formation-containment problems of UAV swarm systems are converted into the asymptotic stability problems. Sufficient conditions for UAV swarm systems to achieve formation-containment are proposed, where the formation for leaders can be time-varying. Theoretical results are demonstrated by outdoor formation-containment experiments with five quadrotors.
Doppler echocardiographic reference values for healthy rhesus monkeys under ketamine hydrochloride sedation

Cardiac ultrasound is a noninvasive technique that is commonly used to serially evaluate cardiac structure and function. Recent advances in Doppler‐Echocardiography enable the ultrasonographer to perform a sophisticated noninvasive assessment of cardiovascular physiology. The Rhesus monkey is a frequently used non‐human primate animal model of human cardiovascular disease because this species closely models human anatomy and physiology. However, while this species is frequently used in cardiovascular research, standardized echocardiographic values generated from large numbers of normal Rhesus are not available. In the present study, we performed cardiac ultrasound imaging on 28 healthy Rhesus monkeys to obtain normal reference values of cardiovascular structure and function in this species. Nomograms were generated from these data by plotting parameters of cardiovascular geometry and function with body weight. These normal reference data were compared to previously reported values obtained from prior studies that used noninvasive, invasive, and morphometric techniques.
Expression of β-Amyloid Precursor Protein-CD3γ Chimeras to Demonstrate the Selective Generation of Amyloid β1–40and Amyloid β1–42 Peptides within Secretory and Endocytic Compartments*

Amyloid β-protein (Aβ) is the main constituent of amyloid fibrils found in senile plaques and cerebral vessels in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is derived by proteolysis from the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP). We have analyzed the amyloidogenic processing of APP using chimeric proteins stably transfected in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The extracellular and transmembrane domains of APP were fused to the cytoplasmic region derived from the CD3 γ chain of the T cell antigen receptor (CD3γ). CD3γ contains an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention motif (RKK), in the absence of which the protein is targeted to lysosomes without going through the cell surface (Letourneur, F., and Klausner, R.D. (1992)Cell 69, 1143–1157). We used the wild-type sequence of CD3γ to create an APP chimera predicted to remain in the ER (γAPPER). Deletion of the RKK motif at the C terminus directed the protein directly to the lysosomes (γAPPLYS). A third chimera was created by removing both lysosomal targeting signals in addition to RKK (γAPPΔΔ). This last construct does not contain known targeting signals and consequently accumulates at the cell surface. We show by immunofluorescence and by biochemical methods that all three APP chimeras localize to the predicted compartments within the cell, thus providing a useful model to study the processing of APP. We found that Aβ1–40 is generated in the early secretory and endocytic pathways, whereas Aβ1–42 is made mainly in the secretory pathway. More importantly, we provide evidence that, unlike in neuronal models, both ER/intermediate compartment- and endocytic-derived Aβ forms can enter the secretable pool. Finally, we directly demonstrate that lysosomal processing is not involved in the generation or secretion of either Aβ1–40 or Aβ1–42.
The relationship of insulin insensitivity to menstrual pattern in women with hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovaries

OBJECTIVE Insulin insensitivity is a recognized feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) but previous studies have suggested that circulating insulin concentrations are normal in hyperandrogenaemic women with regular cycles. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between insulin sensitivity and menstrual pattern in women with PCO.
Efficacy of Synthetic Peptide-Containing Surfactant in the Treatment of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Preterm Infant Rhesus Monkeys

Studies were conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of a synthetic peptide-containing surfactant in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm (approximately 80% of normal gestation) infant rhesus monkeys. Surfactant was prepared consisting of the phospholipids dipalmitoylphosphatidyl choline and palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidyl glycerol and a synthetic peptide modeled after surfactant protein B (SP-B),“KL4-Surfactant” contained a peptide having the sequence KLLLLKLLLLKLLLLKLLLLK, where “K” is lysine and “L” is leucine. The peptide was selected because it mimics the repeating stretches of hydrophobic residues with intermittent basic hydrophilic residues seen in SP-B. KL4-Surfactant was shown to have biophysical activity assessed as the ability to lower surface tension at an air-liquid interface in a pulsating bubble surfactometer. Thirty premature rhesus monkeys were treated shortly after birth with one dose of KL4-Surfactant. The arterial to alveolar oxygen partial pressure ratio (a/A) was found to rise from a pretreatment level of 0.11 ± 0.01 (mean ± SEM), indicative of severe RDS, to 0.40 ± 0.02 at 12-13 h post-treatment. The improvement in oxygenation persisted throughout the study period, with a mean a/A at 22-23 h of 0.45± 0.07. Chest radiographs and gross and microscopic examination of the lungs all confirmed the reversal of the atelectasis seen before treatment. Animals treated with a dose of 200 mg/kg showed a faster, more consistent, and greater response than did a group treated with an average dose of 127 mg/kg. There was no evidence of toxicity after treatment with the higher dose as demonstrated by physiologic, hematologic, biochemical, and pathologic data. The importance of the peptide in the synthetic surfactant was apparent from the results obtained with a control group of nine premature monkeys treated with a non-peptide-containing surfactant; the a/A of this group was 0.15± 0.03 at nine hours of age as compared with a value of 0.38 ± 0.02 for 30 comparable animals receiving KL4-Surfactant.
Modes of Popular Mobilizations against Authoritarian Rulers: A Comparison of 1989, the Color Revolutions, and the MENA Uprisings

Abstract:Since 1989, regime transitions from authoritarian to more (and sometimes fully) democratic rule have taken place through four processes: popular protests, roundtables between the regime and the opposition, elections, and, finally, elections followed by popular protests that ensure that the victorious opposition is allowed to take power. We argue that these contrasting modes of regime change depend on whether the authoritarian regime is competitive (allowing competition for power at the national level) or non-competitive and whether the regime is more or less repressive. These factors affect the strength of the opposition and the mechanisms available to them to win power. Popular protests take place in repressive, non-competitive regimes; roundtables in less repressive, non-competitive regimes; electoral transitions in less repressive, competitive regimes; and transitions involving elections combined with protests in more repressive, competitive authoritarian regimes.
Optimization of Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Mobilization

Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) are increasingly utilized in lieu of marrow for hematopoietic support due to the ease of collection and the rapid kinetics of recovery relative to bone marrow (BM). Neutrophil and platelet recovery times after PBSC transplantation average less than 8‐12 days after infusion in contrast to the usual two to four weeks experienced after BM transplantation. This has simplified autologous transplantation and made it safer because patients require fewer days of antibiotic and blood component support and are discharged earlier from the hospital. The administration of hematopoietic growth factors during recovery from high‐dose chemotherapy increases the number of circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells to levels as much as 1,000‐fold greater than levels normally found in blood and 10‐50 times greater than with chemotherapy alone. More recently, it has been shown that adequate numbers of PBSC can be collected using growth factors alone without prior chemotherapy. Although not yet universally accepted, the CD34+ cell content of PBSC appears to be the single most powerful predictor of recovery kinetics in patients receiving myeloablative therapy and PBSC infusion. Infusion of >5 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg is associated with a rapid engraftment of neutrophils and platelets, although successful engraftment has also been reported with the infusion of 2.5‐5 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg. By measuring the CD34 or colony forming units‐granulocyte‐macrophage (CFU‐GM) content of PBSC collections, mobilization chemotherapy and cytokine regimens, age, marrow disease, prior radiation and prior chemotherapy treatment have been found to be important factors influencing the numbers of stem cells collected. The current challenge for clinical investigators is to improve methods of identifying patients who will fail to mobilize sufficient numbers of PBSC prior to collection and to utilize new strategies for stem cell mobilization. The relative ease of collection and the rapid engraftment after myeloablative therapy suggest that PBSC will likely supplant marrow for both allogeneic and autologous transplantation in the next five years.
Coordination quality index: a metric for measuring the quality of coordination efforts in humanitarian supply chain

The effectiveness of the coordination practice has a direct consequence on the performance of humanitarian supply chain operations and it becomes imperative for the managers to quantify the effectiveness of the coordination activities. This study aims to provide humanitarian agencies with a tool to measure effectiveness of its coordination strategies. Coordination quality index (CQI) is introduced as an aggregate measure of the degree of implementation of various coordination practices carried out. Furthermore, the application of the proposed methodology is demonstrated in the setting of Chennai flood relief activities. The results indicate that the overall quality score obtained for coordination during the Chennai floods was moderate to low. The major reason for the poor coordination was due to poor information sharing, large diversity of actors and lack of streamlined organisational mandates. It also found that, though there were efforts to improve coordination, the expected benefits of these activities were not achieved.
Needs, reads and possibilities in a suburban library in a multicultural setting

Public libraries in multicultural suburbs face immense challenges. The library should provide equal access to all kinds and forms of information in our modern multicultural and multilingual society. It should be a universal, public, social, neutral and welcoming space for every patron, and a unique resource for self-development, promoting personal careers as well as human relations. But how do you realise all this in your everyday library work? With our paper we would like to share our experience, describe methods and put forward ideas about the role and possibilities of a suburban library, taking Biskopsgarden Library in Goteborg, Sweden, as our starting point. We will also include some of the knowledge gained from our editorial work on the book “Det mangsprakiga biblioteket – en nodvandig utopi” (BTJ Forlag, 2012) (“The multilingual library – a necessary utopia”) Biskopsgarden is a multicultural city district that has been targeted by Swedish media and public debate because of severe social problems which have lead to gang conflicts and many shootings. The public library in Biskopsgarden is a natural partner in a lot of the positive initiatives taking place aiming to change the city district as well as the public image of it. Our paper will highlight successful methods like language cafes, computer courses, cultural events, study assistance and homework support. We will especially highlight the library as a democratic arena, the importance of openness and network activism and the amazing possibilities that an involved and creative friendship association may present. The aim of the paper is to highlight the original educational task of the public library – to offer access to knowledge and participation in social progress for all, irrespectively of their ethnic or educational background. A hundred years ago it was about the domestic working class population with a low education, whereas today it is also about the newly arrived migrants and refugees who need to acquire a new language and other tools to be able to take active part in society.
MICROCIRCULATORY FAILURE DETERMINES LETHAL HEPATOCYTE INJURY IN ISCHEMIC/REPERFUSED RAT LIVERS

The contribution of microcirclatory failure to ischemia/reperfusion injury in isolated perfused rat livers was investigated using intravital epifluorescence videomicroscopy. The degree of microvascular shut-down during reperfusion was modulated by the reperfusion conditions: flow-controlled (10 ml/min), in which microcirculatory failure is minimized by maintenance of constant flow through the liver, and pressure-controlled, in which microvascular shut-down is allowed to occur. Livers underwent 60 min of ischemia, 90 min of ischemia, or no ischemia (control). Perfused sinusoids and dead hepatocytes were quantified in 10 standardized microscopic fields (9000 μ2) per liver during off-line video playback. With flow-controlled reperfusion, microvascular (sinusoid) shut-down was largely avoided; a maximum of 21% of the sinusoids failed to conduct flow. Pressure-controlled reperfusion, however, resulted in early and severe shut-down. A sinificant decrease of approximately 20–30% was found after 60 min of ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion, while, after 90-min ischemia and 90-min reperfusion, 90% of the sinusoids failed to conduct flow. The appearance of dead hepatocytes correlated well with the number of perfused sinusoids (r = −0.78 for flow controlled, r = −0.97 for pressure-controlled). Only an occasional dead hepatocyte was observed with control perfusion, while up to 50% stained with propidium iodide following 90-min ischemia and 90-min reperfusion under pressure-controlled conditions. These results indicate that loss of sinusoidal flow can be ameliorated by flow-controlled reperfusion; moreover, hepatocyte necrosis during reperfusion is highly dependent upon the integrity of the microcirculation.
The Fallacy of Selfish Mining in Bitcoin: A Mathematical Critique

The Bitcoin cryptocurrency records transactions in a public log called the blockchain. Its security critically depends on the distributed protocol that maintains the blockchain, run by participants called miners. An attack was proposed that suggested the mining protocol is not incentive-compatible and secure against colluding minority groups. We show that the Bitcoin mining protocol is in fact incentive-compatible and that the proposed attack with which colluding miners obtain a revenue larger than their fair share is flawed. We prove that not only is the proposed selfish mining attack economically infeasible for any group size of colluding miners but also that no such attack can be formulated. The proposed modifications to the Bitcoin protocol not only fail to protect Bitcoin in the general case but also make the protocol less resilient. The mathematics presented in this paper demonstrate that no “gambling scheme” or system can be constructed to increase the odds of calculating a block.