Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Subacute inhalation exposure to ozone induces systemic inflammation but not insulin resistance in a diabetic mouse model

Abstract Epidemiological studies suggest that diabetics may be more susceptible to the adverse health effects from exposure to high ambient concentrations of ozone, the primary oxidant gas in photochemical smog. While increased morbidity and mortality from ozone inhalation has been linked to disruption of normal cardiovascular and airway functions, potential effects on glucose and insulin homeostasis are not understood. We tested the hypothesis that ozone exposure would worsen metabolic homeostasis in KKAy mice, a genetic diabetic animal model. Male KKAy mice were exposed to 0.5 ppm ozone for 13 consecutive weekdays, and then assessed for airway, adipose and systemic inflammation, glucose homeostasis, and insulin signaling. Ozone exposure increased plasma TNFα, as well as expression of VCAM-1, iNOS and IL-6 in both pulmonary and adipose tissues. Pro-inflammatory CD11b+Gr-1lo7/4hi macrophages were increased by 200% in adipose tissue, but unchanged in blood. Interestingly, glucose levels were not significantly different in the insulin tolerance test between air- and ozone-exposed mice, whereas fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR in ozone-exposed animals were significantly reduced. These changes were accompanied by increased insulin signaling in skeletal muscle and liver, but not adipose tissues. Ozone also caused decrease in body weight and plasma leptin. Our results show that in addition to marked local and systemic inflammation, ozone increases insulin sensitivity that may be related to weight loss/leptin sensitization-dependent mechanisms in KKAy mice, warranting further study on the role of hyperglycemia in mediating cardiometabolic effects of ozone inhalation.
Morphologic Changes in Mouse Spermatozoa after Exposure to Inhalational Anesthetics during Early Spermatogenesis

The authors studied anesthetic mutagenesis following exposurein vivo by use of an adaptation of the mouse spermatozoa morphology assay of Wyrobek and Bruce. The epididymal spermatozoa of (C57B1/C3H)F1 mice were examined for morphologic abnormalities following exposure to near-0.1 MAC and greater concentrations of general anesthetics. Twenty exposure hours (4 hr/day × 5 days) were conducted for nitrous oxide, diethyl ether, chloroform, trichloroethylene, halothane, methoxyflurane, enflurane, and isoflurane, each at two concentrations. Twenty-eight days after exposure, epididymal spermatozoa were examined. Statistically significant increases in the percentages of abnormal spermatozoa were found for chloroform, trichloroethylene, and enflurane, compared with controls. These data suggest that direct examination of reproductive cells following exposure to general anestheticsin vivo may be useful in the investigation of the genetic toxicities of these compounds.
Adaptive Range-Based Nonlinear Filters for Wireless Indoor Positioning System Using Dynamic Gaussian Model

It is hard to obtain a general error model for the range-based wireless indoor positioning system due to the complicated hybrid line-of-sight/non-line-of-sight (LOS/NLOS) environment. The performance of the conventional Gaussian-based nonlinear filters is degraded in the indoor scenario. In this paper, we employ a dynamic Gaussian model (DGM) to describe the indoor ranging error. A general Gaussian approximated model is constructed first to fit the potential distribution. The instantaneous LOS or NLOS error at a typical time is considered as the drift from this general distribution dynamically. The relationship between the instantaneous error of the DGM and the estimation accuracy of nonlinear filters is analyzed. Based on our analysis, we propose a measurement adaptation method to further reduce the error according to the DGM. Then, the nonlinear filters based on the Gaussian model, which are simple and accurate, can be applied. A biased extended Kalman filter (EKF) and an adaptive Gaussian particle filter (PF) integrated with the measurement adaptation method are designed. The real indoor experiment demonstrates that the estimation accuracy of our algorithms is greatly improved without imposing complexity and that our algorithms are suitable for the dynamic indoor environment.
Determinants of branded prescription medicine prices in OECD countries

Abstract This paper investigates the determinants of the prices of branded prescription medicines across different regulatory settings and health care systems, taking into account their launch date, patent status, market dynamics and the regulatory context in which they diffuse. By using volume-weighted price indices, this paper analyzes price levels for a basket of prescription medicines and their differences in 15 OECD countries, including the United States and key European countries, the impact of distribution margins and generic entry on public prices and to what extent innovation, by means of introducing newer classes of medicines, contributes to price formation across countries. In doing so, the paper seeks to understand the factors that contribute to the existing differences in prices across countries, whether at an ex-factory or a retail level. The evidence shows that retail prices for branded prescription medicines in the United States are higher than those in key European and other OECD countries, but not as high as widely thought. Large differences in prices are mainly observed at an ex-factory level, but these are not the prices that consumers and payers pay. Cross-country differences in retail prices are actually not as high as expected and, when controlling for exchange rates, these differences can be even smaller. Product age has a significant effect on prices in all settings after having controlled for other factors. Price convergence is observed across countries for newer prescription medicines compared with older medicines. There is no evidence that originator brand prices fall after generic entry in the United States, a phenomenon known as the ‘generics paradox’. Finally, distribution and taxes are important determinants of retail prices in several of the study countries. To the extent that remuneration of the distribution chain and taxation are directly and proportionately linked to product prices this is likely to persist over time.
Social Capital, Migration, and Social Integration

Objective –This paper focuses on exploring the ways in which social capital is utilised to promote the integration of Vietnamese women who married Taiwanese husbands into host families and the host. Methodology/Technique – Data was derived from a case study undertaken in 2014 on the Penghu Islands and in Taipei, Taiwan, with interviews and the observation of 31 people including Vietnamese women who married Taiwanese husbands, local people. Findings – Findings reveal the values and norms of responsibility of Vietnamese women in family that were educated themselves, have been practiced effectively by Vietnamese women married to Taiwanese husbands to integrate into their families. Research limitations/implications - The regulations and legal environment for immigrants have created favourable conditions for their integration into the host families. Traditional Vietnamese cooking skills are chosen by many Vietnamese women as a kind of social capital for their access to the Taiwanese job market. The social integration is reflected through social-economic, culture integration, and citizenship. Originality/value - It is hoped that study results will serve as the useful scientific basis for developing policies that promote the social integration of immigrants for the development of individuals and the social community.
Flow specific capital controls for emerging markets

This paper investigates the impact of capital controls on business cycle fluctuations and welfare. To perform this analysis, we deploy an asymmetric two country model that is subject to negative foreign interest rate shocks. The results show that both an inflow and outflow capital control are able to attenuate capital flow dynamics, but each control bears different implications for macroeconomic outcomes. Whilst the outflow capital control is associated with shock attenuation benefits, the inflow capital control is shown to amplify the impact of shocks. Easier capital control regimes enhance the attenuation and amplification properties associated with each capital control, whilst strict regimes do the opposite. Lastly, the analysis shows that the welfare effects of capital controls are agent dependent, and that society prefers the outflow capital control to the inflow capital control. Taken together, these results are indicative of the comparative desirability of capital controls imposed on the financial sector (outflows) as compared to the real sector (inflows).
A simple method for the accurate determination of free [Ca] in Ca-EGTA solutions.

A simple method for the accurate determination of free [Ca] in ethyleneglycol-bis(beta-aminoethylether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA)-buffered Ca solutions is described. This method is useful for calibration of Ca macro- and microelectrodes to low free [Ca] and should improve the reliability of calculated free [Ca] in more complex solutions. Briefly, free [Ca] in Ca-EGTA solutions is measured with a Ca electrode, bound Ca is calculated, and Scatchard and double-reciprocal plots are resolved for the total [EGTA] and the apparent Ca-EGTA association constant (K'Ca) in the solutions used. The free [Ca] is then recalculated using the determined parameters, giving a more accurate knowledge of the free [Ca] in these solutions and providing an accurate calibration curve for the Ca electrode. These solutions can then be used to calibrate other Ca electrodes (e.g., Ca microelectrodes) or the calibrated Ca electrode can be used to measure free [Ca] in solutions containing multiple metal ligands. This method allows determination of free [Ca], K'Ca, and total [EGTA] in the actual solutions used regardless of pH, temperature, or ionic strength. It does not require accurate knowledge of K'Ca or EGTA purity and circumvents many potential errors due to assumption of binding parameters. K'Ca was found to be 2.45 +/- 0.04 X 10(6) M-1 in 100 mM KCl, 10 mM N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid, and 1 mM EGTA at pH 7.00 and 23 degrees C. Total [EGTA] varied with supplier but was always less than quoted.
Folic acid deficiency inhibits neural rosette formation and neuronal differentiation from rhesus monkey embryonic stem cells

Evidence from epidemiological studies has proved that periconceptional use of folic acid (FA) can significantly reduce the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). However, it is hard to explore when and how FA plays roles in neurogenesis and brain development in vivo, especially in human or other nonhuman primate systems. Primate embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines are ideal models for studying cell differentiation and organogenesis in vitro. In the present study, the roles of FA in neural differentiation were assessed in a rhesus monkey ESC system in vitro. The results showed no significant difference in the expression of neural precursor markers, such as nestin, Sox‐1, or Pax‐6, among neural progenitors obtained from different FA concentrations or with the FA antagonist methotrexate (MTX). However, FA depletion decreased cell proliferation and affected embryoid body (EB) and neural rosette formation, as well as neuronal but not neuroglia differentiation. Our data imply that the ESC system is a suitable model for further exploring the mechanism of how FA works in prevention of NTDs in primates. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Future Time Perspective Moderates Consumer Responses to Nostalgic Advertising

Humans remember their past and consider their future. Nostalgic advertising, focused on the personal past, increases positive consumer response to products. This research examines how future time perspective (FTP) moderates that effect. Based on socioemotional selectivity theory, the products studied represent goals individuals have when time feels limited (i.e., camera: familiar, socially focused, emotionally meaningful) or open-ended (i.e., VR-One: novel, information-focused, entertaining). As expected, ad-evoked nostalgia heightens positive consumer response to the camera, increasingly so when FTP feels limited (Study 1; N = 288). For the VR-One, ad-evoked nostalgia again increases positive response but less so when time feels limited (Study 2; N = 283). Thinking about how the past and the future interact to influence consumer preferences in adulthood is discussed.
c-Jun NH2-terminal Kinase Activation Leads to a FADD-dependent but Fas Ligand-independent Cell Death in Jurkat T Cells*

Persistent c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activation induces cell death. Different mechanisms are ascribed to JNK-induced cell death. Most of the JNK-apoptosis studies employ stress stimuli known to activate kinases other than JNK. Here we used overexpression of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7) to activate selectively JNK in T lymphoma Jurkat cells. Similar to that reported previously, Fas ligand (FasL) expression was up-regulated by JNK activation. Dominant negative-FADD and caspase-8 inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Ile-Glu-Thr-Asp effectively inhibited MKK7-induced cell death, supporting a major involvement of FADD cascade. However, MKK7-induced cell death was not prevented by antagonist antibody ZB4 and Fas-Fc, indicating that Fas-FasL interaction is minimally involved. Confocal microscopy revealed that persistent JNK activation led to clustering of Fas. Our results suggest that, in contrast to that reported previously, JNK alone-induced death in Jurkat cells is FADD-dependent but is not triggered by Fas-FasL interaction.
Exogenous ergosterol protects Saccharomyces cerevisiae from d‐limonene stress

Enhancement of the tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to monoterpenes has the potential to improve the de novo biosynthesis of these chemicals as well as the efficient utilization of monoterpene‐containing citrus waste. The aims of the current work are to demonstrate the mechanisms by which ergosterol, an important component of cell membranes, protects S. cerevisiae from d‐limonene stress and to provide some useful information for further metabolic engineering of the yeast.
Play, Performance, and Participation: Boundary Negotiation and Critical Role

Critical Role is a livestreamed spectacle of play, in which eight professional voice actors come together once a week for a session of the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons. This show first launched in 2015, and, after one hundred and fifteen episodes spanning nearly four hundred and fifty hours of content, reached the conclusion of its first major narrative arc in October 2017. In this time, the show has attracted a dedicated fanbase of thousands. These fans, known as “Critters”, not only produce creative fanworks, but also undertake massive projects of archiving, timekeeping, transcribing and curating Critical Role. The main project of this thesis is to argue that Critical Role facilitates an ecosystem of ideas, where ideas change hands quickly and fluidly – and, in doing so, it has caused familiar boundaries between author and audience to blur or even collapse. In some cases, this blurring allows for incredible collaborations between fans and performers; at its most challenging, the collapse of familiar author-audience dynamics creates unfamiliar conflicts with no obvious solution. Using Erving Goffman’s model of interactional frame analysis, this thesis will isolate different areas of challenge, collapse, and change. First, it will demonstrate how the dynamics of traditional tabletop roleplaying transform when the roleplayers are put before an audience. The Critical Role cast must negotiate double identities as both players and performers. This thesis will then transition to the behaviour of the audience. The act of watching Critical Role requires a keen understanding of the different frames at work inside the show, and fans have done a considerable amount of work to help each other understand these frames. Finally, this thesis will establish the concept of the fan frame. Both Critters and cast members consider themselves fans in some way. While familiarity with fan culture helps these two groups understand each other, it also creates conflict when the values of fans do not line up with the demands of online content production.
A Palliative Approach to Existential Issues and Death in End-Stage Dementia Care

The aim of this study was to investigate how, in relation to the palliative philosophy of care, municipal staff caring for patients with dementia deal with existential issues, the dying process, and bereavement follow up with next of kin. Methods: Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were performed and analyzed using a modified phenomenographic method. Results: Those interviewed experienced existential issues as difficult to handle, and they felt lost. Three patterns of answers emerged: 1) attempting to minimize or ignore the issue, 2) pleading, in relation to the patient, that no one has control over issues concerning life and death, and 3) showing affection for the patient. When faced with dying patients, they made things easier for the family, and their goal was that the patient should not be left alone. No systematic bereavement follow up of next of kin occurred. Discussion: Suggestions are made for improving municipal care, and applying palliative care principles for patients dying of dementia.
Trunk muscle composition as a predictor of reduced functional capacity in the health, aging and body composition study: the moderating role of back pain.

BACKGROUND Cross-sectionally, lower trunk muscle attenuation (higher fat infiltration) has been associated with poorer physical function in older adults. We hypothesize that lower trunk muscle attenuation will be associated with lower functional capacity 3 years later and that back pain status will moderate this relationship. METHODS The study sample consisted of a biracial cohort of well functioning men (739) and women (788) aged 70-79 years from the Pittsburgh site of the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) study. Computed tomography was used to measure trunk muscle area and attenuation of the lumbar paraspinal, lateral abdominal, and rectus abdominus muscles at baseline. The Health ABC Physical Performance Battery (usual and narrow walk, chair stands, and standing balance) was used to measure functional capacity at the first and fourth annual clinic visits. RESULTS Regardless of back pain status, average trunk muscle attenuation (but not muscle area) was positively associated with overall physical performance, particularly balance (p <.01), in a fully adjusted model. The association between trunk attenuation and functional capacity was significantly stronger in participants with at least moderate back pain in the year prior to baseline (p <.05 for interaction; attenuation x back pain). Participants with moderate to extreme back pain had a greater decline in function over time (p <.05). CONCLUSIONS Older adults with poorer trunk muscle composition (higher fat infiltration) exhibit reduced functional capacity, especially balance, 3 years later. Improving trunk muscle composition may be an important yet overlooked approach to maintain function and potentially reduce balance impairments, particularly in persons with a history of back pain.
Perceptions of Abuse in Nursing Home Care Relationships in Uruguay

Purpose: To describe the care relationships between caregivers and elderly people in Uruguayan nursing homes. Design: A qualitative study with an ethnographic approach conducted at nine nursing homes for elderly people located in four Uruguayan departments. Twenty-three purposively and theoretically selected participants were interviewed and observed between January 2011 and January 2012. Results: Study of relationships among caregivers, managers, and residents revealed a number of issues: perception and experience of elder abuse, suffering when faced with death, and existential pain. Conclusion: A cultural context of discrimination against the elderly and other factors converge to perpetuate elder abuse and suffering in care homes: the lack of adequate regulations covering safety and quality of care, lack of a care model and regular inspections, absence of minimum training requirements for caregivers, and lack of support in situations that have psychic and spiritual repercussions. The inclusion of nurses could promote the development of educational interventions to modify abusive conduct. Nursing home managers need knowledge, skills, and communication strategies to identify and manage inappropriate behavior. An urgent review of nursing home regulations is required to protect elderly people’s rights.
Use of Prescription Medications in an Elderly Rural Population: The Movies Project

Objective To determine the pharmacoepidemiology of prescription drug use in a rural elderly community sample, specifically the numbers and categories of medications taken and the factors associated with them. Design Cross-sectional community survey. Setting The mid-Monongahela Valley of southwestern Pennsylvania. Participants An age-stratified random sample of 1360 community-dwelling individuals, aged 65 years and older. Measures Self-reported use of prescription drugs, demographic characteristics, and use of health services. Results Nine hundred sixty-seven participants (71%) reported regularly taking at least one prescription medication and 157 (10%) reported taking five or more medications (median 2.0, range 0–13). Women took significantly more medications than men (median 2.0, range 0–13 and median 1.0, range 0–9, respectively; p = 0.01). The use of a greater number of medications was independently and statistically significantly associated with older age, hospitalization within the previous 6 months, home health care in previous year, visit to a physician within the previous year, and insurance coverage for prescription medication. Individuals older than 85 years were significantly more likely to be taking cardiovascular agents, anticoagulants, vasodilating agents, diuretics, and potassium supplements. Significantly more women than men were taking nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, antidepressants, potassium supplements, and thyroid replacement medications. Conclusions Both the number and the types of prescription medications vary with age and gender. The demographic and health service use variables associated with greater medication use in the community may help define high-risk groups for polypharmacy and adverse drug reactions. Longitudinal studies are needed.