Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Postnatal Lung Function after Prenatal Steroid Treatment in Sheep: Effect of Gender

The effect of fetal gender on postnatal lung function and response to prenatal steroid exposure were examined retrospectively in a group of 115 preterm lambs. Fetuses received a single intramuscular injection of 0.5 mg/kg betamethasone alone or in conjunction with l-thyroxine 48 h before delivery at 128-d gestational age. Control animals received an equivalent volume of saline. After delivery, respiratory mechanics and blood gas parameters were recorded for 40 min. Deflation pressure volume curves were constructed in excised lungs. Right upper lobes from a randomly selected subgroup of control animals were examined morphometrically. Control (saline-treated) females were able to be ventilated at lower ventilatory pressures with equivalent tidal volumes and more efficient gas exchange. There were no gender differences in compliance, conductance, or excised lung volumes for saline-treated animals. More efficient gas exchange in females could not be explained by thinner alveolar septa or greater alveolar surface area. After hormone treatment, both males and females exhibited significant improvements in respiratory mechanics, gas exchange, and an increase in alveolar surfactant concentration. However, females exhibited a significantly greater improvement than males for compliance, conductance, excised lung volume, and arterial oxygen partial pressure. These data provide a comprehensive description of gender differences in postnatal lung function and response to steroid treatment in preterm animals, and support clinical findings of sexual dimorphism.
Alpha-fetoprotein Structure and Function: Relevance to Isoforms, Epitopes, and Conformational Variants

Mammalian alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is classified as a member of the albuminoid gene superfamily consisting of albumin, AFP, vitamin D (Gc) protein, and alpha-albumin. Molecular variants of AFP have long been reported in the biomedical literature. Early studies identified isoelectric pH isoforms and lectin-binding variants of AFP, which differed in their physicochemical properties, but not in amino acid composition. Genetic variants of AFP, differing in mRNA kilobase length, were later extensively described in rodent models during fetal/perinatal stages, carcinogenesis, and organ regeneration. With the advent of monoclonal antibodies in the early 1980s, multiple antigenic epitopes on native AFP were detected and categorized, culminating in the identification of six to seven major epitopes. During this period, various AFP-binding proteins and receptors were reported to inhibit certain AFP immunoreactions. Concomittantly, human and rodent AFP were cloned and the amino acid sequences of the translated proteins were divulged. Once the amino acid composition of the AFP molecule was known, enzymatic fragments could be identified and synthetic peptide segments synthesized. Following discovery of the molten globule form in 1981, the existence of transitory, intermediate forms of AFP were acknowledged and their physiological significance was realized. In the present review, the various isoforms and variants of AFP are discussed in light of their potential biological relevance.
Role of intracardiac angiotensin II in cardiac dysfunction of rat during septic shock.

OBJECTIVE To observe changes in the content of myocardial angiotensin II and its role in cardiac dysfunction of rat during septic shock. METHODS Septic shock model was produced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) operation on rats. Experimental rats were given captopril 15 mg.kg-1/d per os for 3 days before CLP operation. Mean blood pressure and left ventricular pressure were recorded. Myocardial angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activities were determined by a fluorometric assay and myocardial angiotensin II content was measured by radioimmunoassay. Highly purified membrane of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was prepared from rat hearts. Assays were made of ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake by cardiac SR and (3H) ryanodine binding to SR. RESULTS Myocardial angiotensin II content increased by 51.5% (P < 0.01) at the 18th hour post CLP, meanwhile there was a decrease in left ventricular +/- dp/dtmax value and the impairment in Ca2+ uptake and (3H) ryanodine binding to cardiac SR. Preliminary administration of captopril reduced myocardial ACE activity and angiotensin II content, but increased left ventricular +/- dp/dtmax value. In comparison to shock group, the initial rate and the capacity of SR Ca2+ uptake were increased by 120% (P < 0.01) and 33.9% (P < 0.05), the Bmax value of (3H) ryanodine binding to SR was also elevated, while the Kd value remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS The elevated intracardiac angiotensin II, resulting from the activation of myocardial ACE during sepsis, probably serves as one of the important mediators participating in the pathogenesis of heart failure: the effects of angiotensin II may be associated with the disturbance of Ca2+ transport function of cardiac SR.
Hypoxia induces adipocyte differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells by triggering reactive oxygen species generation

Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) induces the proliferation and migration of adipose‐derived stem cells (ASCs). However, the functional role of mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) generation in ASCs is unknown. Therefore, we have investigated whether hypoxia induces the differentiation of ASCs via ROS generation. We also have tried to identify the cellular mechanisms of ROS generation underlying adipocyte differentiation. Hypoxia (2%) and ROS generators, such as antimycin and rotenone, induced adipocyte differentiation, which was attenuated by an ROS scavenger. Although Nox4 generates ROS and regulates proliferation of ASCs, Nox4 inhibition or Nox4 silencing did not inhibit adipocyte differentiation; indeed fluorescence intensity of mito‐SOX increased in hypoxia, and treatment with mito‐CP, a mtROS scavenger, significantly reduced hypoxia‐induced adipocyte differentiation. Phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR was induced by hypoxia, while inhibition of these molecules prevented adipocyte differentiation. Thus hypoxia induces adipocyte differentiation by mtROS generation, and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is involved.
Herpes simplex virus drug-resistance: new mutations and insights.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Acyclovir (ACV) is the first-line treatment for the management of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) diseases. Long-term administration of the drug for the treatment of chronic infections in the immunocompromised host can lead to the development of ACV-resistance. This review provides an update of the mutations linked to drug-resistance and issues to be considered in the management of HSV infections refractory to antiviral therapy. RECENT FINDINGS Recent data have shown that HSV drug-resistance should be taken into account not only in immunocompromised individuals but also in immunocompetent persons when HSV infections involve 'immune-privileged sites'. Thus, drug-resistance typing is recommended in cases of ACV unresponsive herpetic keratitis and herpes simplex encephalitis. Several issues regarding HSV drug-resistance were highlighted by recent studies. Phenotypic and genotypic antiviral resistance may vary not only from different compartments but also over time, highlighting the importance of characterizing longitudinal HSV isolates from all sites. Combination therapy should be considered when viruses with distinct phenotype/genotype are identified at one or at distinct body sites. SUMMARY Surveillance of HSV drug-resistance is highly recommended in immunocompromised patients and in immunocompetent individuals with infections implicating 'immune-privileged sites' to rationally adapt antiviral treatment.
Fundamental Studies of Adhesion of Dust to PV Module Surfaces: Chemical and Physical Relationships at the Microscale

Photovoltaic (PV) module soiling is a growing area of concern for performance and reliability. This paper provides evaluations of the fundamental interactions of dust/soiling particles with several PV module surfaces. The purpose is to investigate the basic mechanisms involving the chemistry, morphology, and resulting particle adhesion to the first photon-incident surface. The evaluation and mapping of the chemistry and composition of single dust particles collected from operating PV module surfaces are presented. The first correlated direct measurements of the adhesive force of individual grains from field-operating collectors on identical PV module glass are reported, including correlations with specific compositions. Special microscale atomic force microscopy techniques are adapted to determine the force between the particle and the module glass surface. Results are presented for samples under dry and moisture-exposed conditions, confirming the effects of cementation for surfaces having soluble mineral and/or organic concentrations. Additionally, the effects of hydrocarbon fuels on the enhanced bonding of soiling particles to surfaces are determined for samples from urban and highly trafficked regions. Comparisons between glass and dust-mitigating superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic coatings are presented. Potential limitations of this proximal probe technique are discussed in terms of results and initial proof-of-concept experiments.
Parent Management Training and Asperger Syndrome

This controlled trial of a parent management intervention aimed to increase parental competence in management of problem behaviours associated with Asperger syndrome. The intervention compared two formats, a 1 day workshop and six individual sessions. Measures were taken on three occasions: pre-intervention, at 4 weeks, and at 3 month follow-up. Variables of interest were number and intensity of problem behaviours, and parent evaluation of social interaction skills. Results showed parents reporting fewer and lower intensity of problem behaviours and increased social interactions at 4 weeks and 3 months. Results held across formats and suggest that parent management training can provide an effective intervention for parents of a child with Asperger syndrome. Group differences on outcome measures and in the use of strategies are discussed along with limitations of the study.
Immunohistochemical Study of Intestinal Eosinophils in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background Eosinophil accumulation and activation are characteristic features of inflammation in allergic diseases and in host defense against parasites. Goals To investigate the involvement of eosinophils in inflamed and noninflamed mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Study Specimens of inflamed colonic mucosa from 15 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and inflamed and noninflamed colonic mucosa from 15 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) were submitted to histologic and immunohistochemical studies. Twelve patients with irritable bowel syndrome were studied as controls. Sirius red was used to label eosinophils in tissue. EG1, EG2, and anti–hIL-5 were used as primary antibodies in an indirect alkaline phosphatase-labeled immunostaining protocol. Both positive and negative lamina propria cells were assessed by a quantitative grading system and the results expressed as cell numbers per mm2. Results Increased proportions of eosinophils stained with Sirius red, EG1, EG2, and anti–hIL-5+ cells were found in the colon of patients with UC and in inflamed and noninflamed colon of CD patients as compared with controls. Crohn's disease patients showed increased proportions of EG1+ and EG2+ cells as compared with those with UC. Increased proportions of IL-5+ cells were detected in UC patients as compared with those with CD. Conclusion Quantitative eosinophil alterations and IL-5+ cells may indicate enhanced cellular activation with degranulation, which is implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD. Increase in IL-5+ cells may reflect a predominant local Th2 response in UC as compared with CD.
Married Women's Economic Dependency, 194019801

A fundamental assumption of stratification theory is that the family is the unit of stratification, with no inequality between husband and wife. The argument here is that the condition for this spousal equality is the economic dependency of married women and that an examination of dependency is essential for understanding women's societal position. This paper examines changes in the extent to which married women were economically dependent on their husbands from 1940 to 1980. The finding is that the situation in 1980 is greatly different from the situation in 1940, when the vast majority of married women were completely dependent on spouses for economic support. Today, completely dependent wives constitute a distinct minority. Minority women have been less dependent than white women throughout this period. Married women become less dependent as they grow older, owing in part to the Social Security benefits that accrue to them regardless of work-force participation. A multivariate analysis pinpoints the source of most marital dependency as being the labor supply of married women. It also shows that married women must work longer hours than their husbands to contribute equally to family income.
Achieving the sustainable development agenda: The governance – conflict nexus

In September 2015, the international community agreed on 17 new sustainable development goals (SDG) as part of the new sustainable development agenda. This current perspective article discusses development cooperation under the new SDG agenda with a special focus on Norway’s efforts. It provides background on the governance system for development cooperation and discusses particular issues and topics present policy focuses on, and strategies and policies for achieving the SDG agenda for Norway, both at home and abroad. The role of education as a core part of development cooperation is highlighted and discussed throughout. A recurring theme is the role of conflict, stability and fragility for Norwegian development cooperation in particular. As discussed, Norway has a long-standing tradition of involvement in peacebuilding across the globe. Both the explicit link made by the new SDG agenda between peace and justice, through SDG 16, and its other goals bring the UN’s priorities in line with what has been a guiding principle for Norwegian development cooperation for several decades already.
Molecular and cellular mechanisms in spermatogenesis.

Mammalian spermatogenesis shows a strict control of many specific molecular and cellular events. This control involves Sertoli cell-germ cell interaction, as well as a programmed performance of changes in chromatin structure and gene expression in the developing germ cells. In recent years, much knowledge about the functions of defined genes in spermatogenesis has been gained by making use of mouse transgenic and gene knockout models. Several of these models are discussed in this brief overview, with an emphasis on genes encoding proteins involved in the control of gene transcription, mRNA translation, DNA repair and protein ubiquitination. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular biology of spermatogenesis in the mouse may provide concepts that can improve our understanding of human male infertility and may also lead to the identification of novel targets for contraceptive intervention.
“EChO” Reconfigurable Power Management Unit for Energy Reduction in Sleep-Active Transitions

A novel reconfigurable switched-capacitor “EChO” Power Management Unit is introduced for ultra-low power duty-cycled integrated systems (e.g., sensor nodes for critical event monitoring). “EChO” reduces the energy cost associated with sleep-to-active and active-to sleep transitions by 64% with an area overhead less than 1% and no impact on active mode operation. Analysis shows that approximately the same energy reduction is achieved over a very wide range of operating conditions and design constraints (e.g., ratio between flying and decoupling capacitances, granularity of the capacitor array). Measurements show 25-30% system power saving for a 65-nm testchip implementation of the “EChO” PMU powering a 16-kgate processing unit and a 2-kbit SRAM at 0.55-V voltage in active mode, assuming a 1-s wakeup cycle, 6.25-12.5% activity and a processing task of 250 cycles. The technique can be synergistically employed with traditional reconfiguration techniques that focus on efficiency in active mode (ignoring active-sleep transitions) to sum up the benefits.
Rhinosinusitis in severe asthma.

BACKGROUND Chronic rhinosinusitis is a common comorbidity of asthma. However, sinonasal involvement in severe steroid-dependent asthma is still undefined. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to evaluate chronic rhinosinusitis in 35 patients with severe steroid-dependent asthma by using a clinical score and coronal computed tomography (CT) scanning. METHODS Thirty-five subjects (16 female subjects) with severe asthma requiring daily doses of oral corticosteroids were compared with 34 patients (19 female patients) with mild-to-moderate asthma. Sinonasal involvement was studied by using clinical and CT scores. Airflow obstruction, therapy requirement, and asthma triggering factors were carefully assessed. RESULTS The proportion of patients with symptoms of rhinosinusitis was similar in both groups of asthmatic subjects (74% in patients with severe steroid-dependent asthma and 70% in patients with mild-to-moderate asthma). All subjects with steroid-dependent asthma versus 88% of subjects with mild-to-moderate asthma had abnormal CT scan results. The clinical (P <.05) and CT scan (P <.0005) severity scores were higher in the subjects with severe steroid-dependent asthma. In both groups the CT scan scores were correlated to the clinical scores (P <.0001 and P <.006), but only in the mild-to-moderate group were both scores correlated with high significance (P <.002 and P <.0005) to the absolute number of blood eosinophils. CONCLUSION Frequency of rhinosinusitis in patients with mild-to-moderate or severe steroid-dependent asthma is similar; however, sinonasal involvement, as evaluated by clinical symptoms and CT scan imaging, is significantly greater in the patients with severe steroid-dependent asthma than in those with mild-to-moderate asthma.
Presidential Debates in the Age of Partisan Media: A Field Experiment

To investigate media effects in political campaigns, we administered a field experiment around the first general election presidential debate of 2016. In this three-wave study, subjects were randomly incentivized to watch the debate and post-debate television coverage on Fox News or MSNBC. We find that post-debate coverage has strong effects on performance evaluations, with subjects' perceptions moving in the direction of the partisan slant of the channel they were assigned to watch on. Though these effects evolve over time, with subjects coming to express beliefs more in line with the media consensus, they do not disappear altogether. Moderate partisans were still affected by the post-debate coverage a week later. The effects we observe are limited to debate evaluations; at no point do we observe partisan media affecting vote choice. Our results offer evidence that media effects can persist over time, but are confined to candidate evaluations.
Strategies for Organizational Sustainability in Higher Education

The defunding of higher education at the state and national level following the 2008 recession created the need for administrators of public higher education institutions to develop and implement funding strategies to maintain organizational sustainability. State government administrators reduced spending approximately 26% per student across the nation, leaving higher education administrators challenged with adjusting organizational budgets to compensate for the reduction in state monetary support. A multiple case study design was used to explore funding strategies that community college business leaders used to support budget decisions that maintain organizational sustainability. Four leaders from 3 community colleges in Central Texas participated in semistructured interviews. Interviews were triangulated with reviews of historical school board documents. Data analysis included documents review, member checking, coding data by participant, and electronic data analysis software to determine the most frequent responses. The theory of organizational change was used as the conceptual framework for exploring strategies community college business leaders use for sustainable futures. Two themes that emerged from the analysis were business-focused planning and student success identifying that community college business leaders need to focus on offering affordable education that meets stakeholders’ needs while implementing funding strategies to support budget decisions for organizational sustainability. The findings may impact social change when budget decisions are made with a focus on affordable and quality education that improves the lives of individuals, meets local workforce needs, and promotes economic development within communities. Strategies for Organizational Sustainability in Higher Education by Angela Reese MBA, Texas A&M Central Texas, 2009 BBA, University of North Texas, 2001 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration
Gröbner bases and generalized sylvester matrices

In his PhD thesis [1], Buchberger introduced the notion of Gröbner bases and gave the first algorithm for computing them. Since then, extensive research has been done in order to reduce the complexity of the computation. But nevertheless, even for small examples the computation sometimes does not terminate in reasonable time. There are basically two approaches for computing a Gröbner basis. The first is the one pursued by the Buchberger algorithm: We start from the initial set F , execute certain reduction steps (consisting of multiplication of polynomials by terms — called shifts — and subtraction of polynomials) and due to Buchberger’s theorem, which says that the computation is finished if all the s-polynomials reduce to zero, we know that after finitely many iterations of this procedure we obtain a Gröbner basis of the ideal generated by F . The second approach is to start from F , execute certain shifts of the initial polynomials in F , arrange them as rows in a matrix, triangularize this matrix and from the resulting matrix extract a Gröbner basis. In project DK1 of the Doctoral Program, which was proposed by Buchberger, we pursue the second approach and seek to improve the theory in order to speed up the Gröbner bases computation. This approach has been studied a couple of times in the past, but never thoroughly. The immediate question is: Does there exist a finite set of shifts such that a triangularization of the matrix built by these shifts yields a Gröbner basis and, if so, how can we construct these shifts? We give first results in answering this question. In the following, let K be a field. In the univariate case, Gröbner bases computation specializes to gcd computation. In [3] (see also [4] for a good overview on this topic), Habicht establishes a connection between the computation of polynomial remainder sequences and linear algebra. More specifically, the problem of finding a gcd of two polynomials f, g ∈ K[x] with degrees m and n, respectively, where m ≥ n, can be solved by triangularizing the matrix M = mat(xn−1f, xn−2f, . . . , f, xm−1g, xm−2g, . . . , g),