Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro testing of tensides employing monolayer cultures: a comparison with results of patch tests on human volunteers

Evaluation of the irritant potential of new products or ingredients prior to human testing is generally performed in vivo on animals. However, according to the 6th amendment and following updates of the European Community directive on cosmetic products (93/35/EEC), animal testing will be banned when suitable substitutes will be available. To know whether in vitro tests for assessment of skin irritancy provide results approaching human conditions, comparisons have to be made between data deriving from in vitro tests and skin response in humans. The aim of our study was to assess the validity of the monolayer culture system of normal human keratinocytes as a model for the evaluation of the irritant effects of detergents, by comparing in vitro cell culture data to in vivo acute skin irritancy effects of cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB), an amphoteric compound, Tween 20 (TW20) (polysorbate 20) and Tween 80 (TW80) (polysorbate 80), representing nonionic compounds, applied to the skin of 24 healthy volunteers at a concentration similar to that employed in commercial products. As parameters for cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, cell membrane integrity and cell metabolism were assessed by cell counts, thymidine incorporation, MTT conversion, and Neutral Red uptake. In order to increase the sensitivity of the in vivo evaluation, bioengineering methods for assessment of the effects of test products on the skin were employed. Whereas all 4 in vitro methods ranked the tensides according to their toxicity in the following order: CAPB>SLS>TW20>TW80, both in vivo methods agreed in identifying SLS as the most irritating substance. Moreover, as compared with the irritation potential on human skin, all 4 in vitro tests overestimated the toxicity of CAPB. This suggests that the keratinocyte monolayer cell culture technique cannot directly replace in vivo methods, and that data obtained by this method should be interpreted cautiously.
Synergistic Binding of Nucleotides and Inhibitors to cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Examined by Acrylodan Fluorescence Spectroscopy*

We have engineered an acrylodan-modified derivative of the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (cAPK) whose fluorescence emission signal has allowed the synergistic binding between nucleotides and physiological inhibitors of cAPK to be examined (Whitehouse, S., and Walsh, D. A. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 3682-3692). In the presence of the regulatory subunit, RI, the affinity of cAPK for adenosine, ADP, AMPPNP (adenosine 5′-(β,γ-imino)triphosphate), or ATP was 5-, 50-, 120-, and 15,000-fold enhanced, while in the presence of the heat-stable inhibitor protein of cAPK (PKI), there was a 3-, 20-, 33-, and 2000-fold enhancement in the binding of these nucleotides, respectively. A short inhibitor peptide, PKI-(14-22), enhanced the binding of ADP to the same degree as did full-length PKI (20-fold) but, in contrast, did not significantly enhance the binding of ATP or AMPPNP. The full binding synergism between PKI and either ATP (2000-fold) or AMPPNP (33-fold) to cAPK could, however, be mimicked by a longer peptide, PKI-(5-24), suggesting that the PKI NH2 terminus (residues 5-13) is most likely critical. Since this region is remote from the ATP γ-phosphate, the binding synergism must arise through an extended network communication mechanism between the PKI NH2 terminus and the ATP binding site.
The correlation between semen parameters in processed and unprocessed semen with pregnancy rate in intrauterine insemination in the treatment of male factor infertility.

PURPOSE Our aims were to determine the relation of semen parameters in processed and unprocessed semen samples with pregnancy rate in intrauterine insemination (IUI) in the treatment of male factor infertility. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a quasi experimental study, 412 couples with male factor infertility were studied. To treat male factor infertility, 561 IUI cycles were done. RESULTS Total pregnancy rate was 7.84% (44 in 561) per cycle. There was an inverse relationship between pregnancy rate and duration of infertility. Total sperm count after processing was higher in pregnant cycles than in non-pregnant ones (P <0.05). The mean total motile sperms after processing for pregnant and non-pregnant cycles was 72.2 +/- 78.8 and 53.2 +/- 54.3, respectively (P <0.05). CONCLUSION IUI is a valuable method for the treatment of male factor infertility. The higher number of sperms, total motile sperms and IUI sessions, and lower duration of infertility, all have a positive relationship with pregnancy rate.
Sexual dysfunction after rectal surgery: a retrospective study of men without disease recurrence.

INTRODUCTION Sexual dysfunction is a frequent complication of visceral surgery after rectal resections as a result of carcinoma of the rectum. AIM The purpose of our study is to assess the incidence and form of sexual dysfunction in our own population of patients. METHODS The study comprised all patients who had undergone surgery for carcinoma of the rectum at the Erlangen Surgery University Hospital, Germany, in the period 2000-04. All male patients were retrospectively surveyed and asked to complete standardized (International Index of Erectile Function 15) questionnaires regarding their pre- and postsurgical sexual function. One hundred and forty-five questionnaires could be analyzed. The statistical evaluation was conducted with aid of the SPSS statistics program. The univariate analysis was carried out with the chi-square test and the U-test (Mann-Whitney Test). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Erectile dysfunction, libido, and ability to have and sustain ejaculation and orgasm (both before and after surgery in each case) were among the dependent variables when compiling the data. The impact various surgical procedures and radiochemotherapy had on the severity of the sexual dysfunctions was analyzed. The scope of the postoperative urological care given was also assessed. RESULTS Erectile dysfunction was confirmed in N=112 patients (77.3%) after surgery (P-value<0.001). Other parameters such as orgasm capacity (4.1% vs. 16.5%), ejaculation ability (1.4% vs. 12.4%) and libido (3.4% vs. 22%) also showed a marked deterioration postoperatively. Postoperative erectile dysfunction was present in 77% of the patients with a colostomy and in 88.5% of the patients who had received neoadjuvant radiation. CONCLUSIONS Male erectile dysfunction is a frequent complication after rectal resection as a result of carcinoma of the rectum. The high incidence of sexual dysfunctions results from the radical nature of the procedure and from additional radiation or colostomy therapy. These patients need accompanying urological care for treatment of their sexual dysfunction.
Impact of drought tolerant maize adoption on maize productivity, sales and consumption in rural Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT Increased frequency of droughts (especially mid-season dry spells), higher than normal temperatures and altered patterns of precipitation and intensity are some of the extreme weather events evident in southern Africa. These extreme weather events present a threat to livelihoods and sustainability of agricultural production in the region. However, several climate-smart agricultural technologies (including drought-tolerant maize) believed to offer adaptation to climate variability in maize-based farming systems have been widely adopted. Moreover, empirical work on these technologies is limited. This paper demonstrates how by adopting drought-tolerant maize, a climate-smart agricultural technology impacts on the quantities of maize produced, sold and consumed in Zimbabwe. Using primary data on smallholder farmers collected in 2011 in Zimbabwe’s four districts, we employed propensity score matching techniques to construct a suitable comparison group and calculate the average treatment effect on the treated sample. We find that, the adoption of drought-tolerant maize (DTM) in rural Zimbabwe significantly enhances overall maize productivity and consequently the quantities set aside for sale and personal household consumption. Our study therefore suggests that, systematic expansion of climate-smart agricultural technologies such as adoption of drought-tolerant maize can significantly improve maize yields, sales and consumption in rural Zimbabwe. Our empirical results, robust to sensitivity checks, strongly point to the overall importance of DTM adoption in Zimbabwe. The findings from this paper also have very important implications for overall efforts on the promotion of climate-smart agriculture technologies in Africa and other developing countries.
Taste loss in the elderly: Possible implications for dietary habits

ABSTRACT Aging may coincide with a declining gustatory function that can affect dietary intake and ultimately have negative health consequences. Taste loss is caused by physiological changes and worsened by events often associated with aging, such as polypharmacy and chronic disease. The most pronounced increase in elderly people's detection threshold has been observed for sour and bitter tastes, but their perception of salty, sweet, and umami tastes also seems to decline with age. It has often been suggested that elderly people who lose their sense of taste may eat less food or choose stronger flavors, but the literature has revealed a more complicated picture: taste loss does not appear to make elderly people prefer stronger flavors, but nutrition surveys have pointed to a greater consumption of sweet and salty foods. Real-life eating habits thus seem to be more influenced by other, social and psychological factors. Elderly gustatory function is worth investigating to identify dietary strategies that can prevent the consequences of unhealthy eating habits in the elderly. This paper discusses age-related changes in taste perception, focusing on their consequences on food preferences, and pointing to some strategies for preserving appropriate dietary habits in elderly people.
Direct participation of higher education institution employees in the organisational change process: study report

Changes in the organisation require its adjustment through the process of organisational change. For changes to bring expected, positive results, all employees should be involved. Employee direct participation is one of the most effective methods of winning them for change and leading them to positive reaction in form of cooperation, engagement and reduction of resistance. The objective of this study is to analyse the process of change of the organisational structure (number of departments) at a faculty of a Pomeranian university, in terms of direct participation of the research and teaching and the teaching staff in the process. The study involved direct polling. The study sample (the faculty and its employees) has been intentionally selected. The study revealed that the employees participate in the change cycle in a limited way, indifference and resistance being their main attitudes. The results suggest that causes of this state are the autocratic style of the change initiators, little time devoted to involve employees in the process, and the negative atmosphere caused by staff rotation (dominant internal factor).
Computation of K-Core Decomposition on Giraph

Graphs are an essential data structure that can represent the structure of social networks. Many online companies, in order to provide intelligent and personalized services for their users, aim to comprehensively analyze a significant amount of graph data with different features. One example is k-core decomposition which captures the degree of connectedness in social graphs. The main purpose of this report is to explore a distributed algorithm for k-core decomposition on Apache Giraph. Namely, we would like to determine whether a cluster-based, Giraph implementation of k-core decomposition that we provide is more efficient than a single-machine, disk-based implementation on GraphChi for large networks. In this report, we describe (a) the programming model of Giraph and GraphChi, (b) the specific implementation of k-core decomposition with Giraph, and (c) the result comparison between Giraph and GraphChi. By analyzing the results, we conclude that Giraph is faster than GraphChi when dealing with large data. However, since worker nodes need time to communicate with each other, Giraph is not very efficient for small data.
Exploring the potential for improving results of international knowledge exchange in the field of road transport

This research addresses the topic of knowledge exchange across borders in the field of road transport. Road transport administrations around the world learn from each other by taking part in various forms of knowledge exchanges. From my engagement and experiential learning in this area, I perceive a potential for attaining higher returns of such knowledge investments. The overall purpose of the project is to improve the results of international knowledge exchanges, while the aim is to explore the potential for making improvements in the knowledge exchange process. I have carried out the research mainly within my own organisation and explored the views and experience of participants in exchanges. The project draws on a review of theoretical and operational sources of knowledge and information. In the review, I deal with the research topic in three different contexts: theories and empirical studies, development cooperation, and the professional field. The methodological approach is qualitative and inductive within the paradigm of constructivism. The primary method for data collection is individual semi‐structured interviews with selected exchange participants. The interview data are analysed using thematic analysis. As a means of ensuring quality, the interview findings have been triangulated by focus groups and individual discussions. The validity and the reliability of the research are restricted, since it is context‐bound and small‐scale. However, discussions with professionals abroad indicate that the results apply more generally. The findings show that there are constraining factors throughout the knowledge exchange process that prevent the participants and the organisation from taking full advantage of the exchanges. I have used the findings to construct a holistic, life cycle model that can make knowledge exchanges more effective. My model is unique of its kind and differs from existing models for acquiring, creating, and managing knowledge in organisations in that it is determined by the characteristics of my organisation and by a multinational knowledge exchange environment. In order to prepare the ground for its application, I have promoted the model both in my organisation and in the professional community abroad. The real value of the model can, however, only be demonstrated when it has been used for some time.
Central Control of Fluid and Electrolyte Homeostasis Osmoregulatory thirst in mice lacking the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) and/or type 4 (TRPV4) receptor

SD. Osmoregulatory thirst in mice lacking the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) and/or type 4 (TRPV4) receptor. Am Physiol Physiol 2014. studies suggest the ability of the central nervous system to detect changes in osmolality is mediated by products of the genes encoding the transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) or vanilloid-4 (TRPV4) channel. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether deletion of TRPV1 and/or TRPV4 channels altered thirst responses to cellular dehydration in mice. Injection of 0.5 or 1.0 M NaCl produced dose-dependent increases in cumulative water intakes of wild-type (WT), TRPV1 (cid:2) / (cid:2) , TRPV4 (cid:2) / (cid:2) , and TRPV1 (cid:2) / (cid:2) V4 (cid:2) / (cid:2) mice. How-ever, there were no differences in cumulative water intakes between WT versus any other strain despite similar increases in plasma electrolytes and osmolality. Similar results were observed after injection of hypertonic mannitol. This was a consistent ﬁnding regardless of the injection route (intraperitoneal vs. subcutaneous) or timed access to water (delayed vs. immediate). There were also no differences in cumulative intakes across strains after injection of 0.15 M NaCl or during a time-controlled period (no injection). Chronic hypernatremia produced by sole access to 2% NaCl for 48 h also produced similar increases in water intake across strains. In a ﬁnal set of experiments, subcutaneous injection of 0.5 M NaCl produced similar increases in the number of Fos-positive nuclei within the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis and median preoptic nucleus across strains but signiﬁcantly smaller number in the subfornical organ of WT versus TRPV1 (cid:2) / (cid:2) V4 (cid:2) / (cid:2) mice. Collectively, these ﬁndings suggest that TRPV1 and/or TRPV4 channels are not the primary mechanism by which the central nervous system responds to cellular dehydration during hypernatremia or hyperosmolality to increase thirst.
Quality Information and Procurement Auction Outcomes: Evidence from a Payment for Ecosystem Services Laboratory Experiment

Abstract Procuring agencies in conservation auctions typically have more information about the ecosystem service (ES) quality of conservation actions than landowners and can affect auction outcomes by controlling participants' access to this information. Our induced‐value laboratory auction experiment explores the impact of sellers' access to ES‐quality information on auction efficiency when the conservation action choice is endogenous to offer formation. We find that providing ES‐quality information allows sellers to identify and submit higher‐quality conservation actions, an effect that counteracts previously identified efficiency losses from information rents.
The Unengaged Mind

Our central goal is to provide a definition of boredom in terms of the underlying mental processes that occur during an instance of boredom. Through the synthesis of psychodynamic, existential, arousal, and cognitive theories of boredom, we argue that boredom is universally conceptualized as “the aversive experience of wanting, but being unable, to engage in satisfying activity. ” We propose to map this conceptualization onto underlying mental processes. Specifically, we propose that boredom be defined in terms of attention. That is, boredom is the aversive state that occurs when we (a) are not able to successfully engage attention with internal (e.g., thoughts or feelings) or external (e.g., environmental stimuli) information required for participating in satisfying activity, (b) are focused on the fact that we are not able to engage attention and participate in satisfying activity, and (c) attribute the cause of our aversive state to the environment. We believe that our definition of boredom fully accounts for the phenomenal experience of boredom, brings existing theories of boredom into dialogue with one another, and suggests specific directions for future research on boredom and attention.
Protease-active extracellular protein preparations from Porphyromonas gingivalis W83 induce N-cadherin proteolysis, loss of cell adhesion, and apoptosis in human epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND The protease-induced cytotoxicity of P. gingivalis may partly result from alteration of the extracellular matrix and/or surface receptors that mediate interaction between the host cells and their matrix. While P. gingivalis-induced degradation of E-cadherin has been documented, there is no information on the effects of P. gingivalis proteases on other members of this family of cell adhesion proteins. METHODS Human epithelial KB cells were exposed to protease-active extracellular protein preparations from isogenic mutants of P. gingivalis. Quantification of apoptosis was performed by visualization of nuclei stained with 4,6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole. Alteration of cell adhesion proteins was examined by immunoblotting of cell lysates using monoclonal antibodies to those proteins. RESULTS Treated cells exhibited loss of cell adhesion properties with apoptotic cell death subsequently observed. These effects correlated with the different levels of cysteine-dependent proteolytic activities of the isogenic mutants tested. Cleavage of N-cadherin was observed in immunoblots of lysates from detached cells. There was a direct correlation between the kinetics of N-cadherin cleavage and loss of cell adhesion properties. Loss of cell adhesion, as well as N-cadherin cleavage, could be inhibited by preincubation of P. gingivalis protease active extracellular protein preparations with the cysteine protease inhibitor TLCK. In control experiments, the cleavage of N-cadherin was detected after treatment of KB cells with trypsin but not after cell dissociation by a non-enzymatic method. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that extracellular proteases from P. gingivalis can induce degradation of N-cadherin, which could have implications for the pathogenicity of this bacterium.
Awareness and Attitude of Faculty Members towards Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education

Over the last two decades, a notable transformation has occurred in Indian higher education landscape. Higher education institutions have been taking steps to ensure equal access to people from diverse economic and social backgrounds. Higher education for students with disabilities has long been an extreme reason of concern in India. A person with a disability faces many difficulties in navigating through the course of the Indian instructional system. Problems exist in many areas of curriculum, teaching and learning process, facilities, resources, as well as the educational and examination process. Emerging age of Technology has given various devices and software for people with disability to access and excel in education or even otherwise in coping up with day-to-day chores. In spite all these efforts, still, a lacuna exists in the enrollment and retention of students with disabilities in higher education. The present study focuses on uncovering the barriers that hinder inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education from the perspectives of teachers. A focus group discussion meet gave an overview of the teachers’ level of awareness about disabilities and knowledge about accommodations and instructional adaptations to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities. A sample of 67 teachers working in educational institutions in Tiruchirappalli was selected through random sampling method. The findings of the study revealed the pressing need for creating awareness and conduct of training programmes on disabilities, accessible instructional designs, and use of assistive devices for promoting effective inclusive higher education. EN-IN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Informal Roman"'>