Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Access to Higher Education: An Instrument for Fair Societies?

Access to higher education (HE) has a long history. To offer a view on the current debates and worldwide issues regarding access to HE, this editorial depicts how the control of educational access has historically been used as an instrument of governance at the interface of two processes: social stratification and the territorialisation of politics. Access to HE has remained embedded in these large structural processes even though HE has expanded from a highly elitist institution into mass education systems with equity of educational opportunities having become a desirable goal across societies. Analysing these processes helps understand the complex mechanisms producing inequalities in HE today, which are brought together by the ten articles composing this special issue. Tacking stock of how inequalities in access are produced in different continents, countries, HE Institutions, applying to different social groups though evolving mechanisms, these articles document the importance of contrasting methodological and theoretical approaches to produce comprehensive knowledge on this sensitive issue for democratic societies.
Effects of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on human breast cancer growth and metastases in nude mice.

BACKGROUND Diets rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids stimulate the growth and metastases of transplantable mammary carcinomas in rodents, whereas fish oil-containing diets, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, suppress the growth of these mammary tumor cells. PURPOSE This study was performed to evaluate the effect of a diet rich in menhaden fish oil on the growth and metastases of MDA-MB-435 human breast cancer cells in a mouse model system. METHODS Ninety female athymic nude mice (Ncr-nu/nu) were fed a 23% (wt/wt) corn oil, omega-6 fatty acid-rich diet; after 7 days, 1 x 10(6) estrogen-independent MDA-MB-435 human breast cancer cells were injected into a thoracic mammary fat pad. The 23% corn oil diet was continued for a further 7 days, after which the mice were assigned randomly to one of three diets containing a total of 23% fat, but different proportions of corn oil and menhaden oil (diet Cm: 18% corn oil and 5% menhaden oil, diet CM: 11.5% corn oil and 11.5% menhaden oil, and diet cM: 5% corn oil and 18% menhaden oil). Animal body weights and the surface area of the mammary fat pad tumors were recorded weekly. The mice were killed after 12 weeks on the experimental diets. Primary tumor surface areas and body weights were compared by unpaired Student's t tests, the incidence of lung metastases by the chi-square test, and differences in the total volumes of lung metastases by the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS Tumor growth rates in the mice of the group fed diet Cm were significantly greater than for mice of either of the two groups fed diets containing higher levels of menhaden oil. Of the mice with primary tumors, the incidence of macroscopic lung metastases was greater in those fed diet Cm, compared with those fed diet cM (57.7% versus 22.2%; P < .01), but not significantly different from the mice fed diet CM. When metastases did occur, their extent was significantly greater in mice fed diet Cm, compared with those fed diet cM (P < .001). CONCLUSION These results indicate that a high-fat diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can suppress human breast cancer cell growth and metastases in this mouse model system. IMPLICATION Dietary intervention trials to reduce recurrence risk in the postsurgical breast cancer patient should take account not only of the level of fat consumed, but also its fatty acid composition.
Combining efficient textural features with CNN — Based classifiers to segment regions of interest in aerial images

In this paper, we develop an methodology and corresponding algorithms that segments regions of interest like vegetation and flood from aerial images. To this end different textural features are used, particularly second order type (extracted from co-occurrence matrix — Haralick features) and histogram of oriented gradients (HOG). These features are calculated from image patches and the obtained values are considered as input of a convolutional neural network for classification and segmentation. A logical OR operator is used between the decisions of the classifier based on Haralick' features and the classifier based on HOG descriptors. The algorithms are tested and validated on 100 images taken from a UAV mission. The percentage of the occupancy of ROIs in the images is also computed.
Progressive Depolarization: A Unified Hypothesis for Defibrillation and Fibrillation Induction by Shocks

Progressive Depolarization Defibrillation Hypothesis Experimental studies of defibrillation have burgeoned since the introduction of the upper limit of vulnerability (ULV) hypothesis for defibrillation. Much of this progress is due to the valuable work carried out in pursuit of this hypothesis. Tbe ULV hypothesis presented a unified electrophysiologic scheme for linking the processes of defibrillation and shock‐induced fibrillation. In addition to its scientific ramifications, this work also raised the possibility of simpler and safer means for clinical defibrillation threshold testing. Recent results from an optical mapping study of defibrillation suggest, however, tbat the experimental data supporting the ULV hypothesis could instead be interpreted in a manner consistent with traditional views of defibrillation such as the critical mass hypothesis. This review will describe the evidence calling for such a reinterpretation. In one regard the ULV hypothesis superseded the critical mass hypothesis by linking the defibrillation and shock‐induced fibrillation processes. Therefore, this review also will discuss the rationale for developing a new defibrillation hypothesis. This new hypothesis, progressive depolarization, uses traditional defibrillation concepts to cover the same ground as the ULV hypothesis in mechanistically unifying defibrillation and shock‐induced fibrillation. It does so in a manner consistent with experimental data supporting the ULV hypothesis but which also takes advantage of what has been learned from optical studies of defibrillation. This review will briefly deseribe how this new hypothesis relates to other contemporary viewpoints and related experimental results.
Burn injury stimulates multiple proteolytic pathways in skeletal muscle, including the ubiquitin-energy-dependent pathway.

BACKGROUND Burn injury is associated with increased muscle protein breakdown. However, the role of different intracellular proteolytic pathways in burn-induced muscle proteolysis is not known. STUDY DESIGN A 30 percent total body surface area burn injury was inflicted on rats. Total and myofibrillar proteolysis was determined in incubated extensor digitorum longus muscles as release of tyrosine and 3-methylhistidine, respectively. Lysosomal proteolysis was assessed by using the lysosomotropic agents leupeptin and methylamine. Calcium-dependent proteolysis was determined by incubating muscles in the absence or presence of calcium or by blocking the calcium-dependent proteases calpain I and II. Energy-dependent proteolysis was determined in muscles depleted of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by 2-deoxyglucose and 2,4-dinitrophenol. Muscle ubiquitin messenger RNA (mRNA) was determined by Northern blot analysis to assess ATP-ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. RESULTS Calcium-dependent total protein breakdown was stimulated in muscles from burned rats. However, the sensitivity to calcium in vitro was not increased after burn. The lysosomal and energy-dependent components of total protein breakdown were doubled in muscles from burned rats and the energy-dependent myofibrillar protein breakdown was increased almost seven-fold. Ubiquitin mRNA was increased in muscles from burned rats. CONCLUSIONS Burn injury stimulates multiple proteolytic pathways in skeletal muscle. The ubiquitin-energy-dependent pathway may be particularly important for the breakdown of myofibrillar proteins.
Nocturnal enuresis: What is happening?

Abstract: Primary nocturnal enuresis is common and has considerable psychological ramifications for children as they get older. It is a familial condition with complex inheritance patterns. The pathophysiology of the condition appears to be related to poor arousal from sleep, nocturia due to deficient vasopressin release in sleep and possibly a decrease in functional bladder capacity especially at night. The mainstay of treatment is the bed‐wetting alarm. In recent years, desmopressin nasal spray has found a clinical niche as a short‐term solution for children attending school camps or sleeping over at friends’ houses and as treatment in the medium term for those unresponsive to treatment with a bed‐wetting alarm. It may also be used as an adjunct to the use of the alarm. Treatment with imipramine is increasingly in disfavour because the relapse rate is unacceptably high and fatal overdose is a real possibility.
Glocalization of accounting standards: Observations on neo-institutionalism of IPSAS

ABSTRACT This paper defines and then observes processes of glocalization surrounding the adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) for public sector financial reporting. Glocalization can be best understood using sociological institutionalism, because this theory focuses on the retention of identity, and processes of legitimacy, during adaptation (diffusion) of standards. The paper discusses the history of standard-setting for the public sector in New Zealand to explain why this theory has value. IMPACT This paper defines and describes the utility of the concept of glocalization in analysing the implementation of IPSAS, with a New Zealand focus. The value of the paper is in its combination of a jurisdiction-specific experience with an understanding of the broader issues of ‘global versus local’ and processes of sociological institutionalism. Such studies of IPSAS adoption can offer distinctive perspectives on global processes of isomorphism within neo-institutional theory. This paper explains the advantages of flexible strategies to standard-setters.
Quel(s) rôle(s) peuvent jouer les artefacts dans l’amélioration de l’intercompréhension entre partenaires au sein des alliances asymétriques ?

L’objectif de ce papier est d’analyser le rôle des artefacts dans la réduction des problèmes d’intercompréhension au sein des alliances asymétriques. En nous appuyant sur une étude qualitative fondée sur l’analyse de six cas d’alliances entre des PME tunisiennes et des multinationales européennes, nous mettons en évidence que des frontières d’ordre culturel, terminologique, linguistique, managérial, et géographique nuisent à la compréhension mutuelle entre les partenaires. Nos résultats font ressortir que la mise en place d’artefacts manuels et numériques au sein de ces alliances génère un double effet. D’une part, ces artefacts permettent aux partenaires des alliances asymétriques de prévenir d’éventuelles situations conflictuelles pouvant générer des problèmes. D’autre part, lorsqu’ils sont associés aux mécanismes de gestion des alliances stratégiques, ces outils contribuent à réduire significativement les difficultés d’intercompréhension et à résoudre les éventuels conflits rencontrés entre partenaires, permettant par là même de pérenniser leur relation.
Comparison of the Serum Tumor Markers S100 and Melanoma-inhibitory Activity (MIA) in the Monitoring of Patients with Metastatic Melanoma Receiving Vaccination Immunotherapy with Dendritic Cells.

BACKGROUND In patients with melanoma, early dissemination via lymphatic and hematogenous routes is frequently seen. Thus, besides clinical follow-up examination and imaging, reliable melanoma-specific serological tumor markers are needed. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively compared two serum markers for melanoma, S100 and melanoma-inhibitory activity (MIA), for monitoring of patients with metastatic melanoma under either adjuvant or therapeutic vaccination immunotherapy with dendritic cells (DC). Serum was obtained from a total of 100 patients (28 patients in stage III and 72 patients in stage IV, according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer 2002) at regular intervals during therapy, accompanied by follow-up imaging. RESULTS When relapse was detected, both markers often remained within normal range. In contrast, in patients with metastatic measurable disease receiving therapeutic and not adjuvant DC vaccination, an increase of both markers was a strong indicator for disease progression. When comparing both markers in the whole study population, MIA showed a superior sensitivity to detect disease progression. CONCLUSION S100 and MIA are highly sensitive tumor markers for monitoring of patients with melanoma with current metastases, but less sensitive for monitoring of tumor-free patients. In the current study, MIA had a slightly superior sensitivity to detect progressive disease compared to S100 and seems to be more useful in monitoring of patients with metastatic melanoma receiving immunotherapy.
A universal building block for advanced modular design of microwave filters

A universal building block for modular design of microwave filters is introduced. The second order block contains two resonators which are not coupled to each other. By adjusting the strengths and signs of its coupling coefficients, the block can be used to design bandpass, bandstop and linear-phase filters. For bandpass filters, Chebychev as well as symmetric and asymmetric pseudo-elliptic responses with one or two finite transmission zeros can be designed. For linear-phase filters, two finite transmission zeros can placed practically anywhere in the complex plane as long as the realizability condition is met. Bandstop filters with no finite reflection zeros as well as symmetric and asymmetric pseudo-elliptic responses with one or two finite reflection zeros can be achieved by the same building block. The block is so flexible it can even generate bandstop responses with complex finite reflection zeros for group delay control. Higher order filters are designed modularly by cascading the appropriate number of building blocks. Coupling matrices of a number of cases are presented to demonstrate the flexibility and the universality of the building block.
Structure, function and evolution of the signal recognition particle

The signal recognition particle (SRP) is a ribonucleoprotein particle essential for the targeting of signal peptide‐bearing proteins to the prokaryotic plasma membrane or the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum membrane for secretion or membrane insertion. SRP binds to the signal peptide emerging from the exit site of the ribosome and forms a ribosome nascent chain (RNC)–SRP complex. The RNC–SRP complex then docks in a GTP‐dependent manner with a membrane‐anchored SRP receptor and the protein is translocated across or integrated into the membrane through a channel called the translocon. Recently considerable progress has been made in understanding the architecture and function of SRP.
Selective modulation of membrane currents by hypoxia in intact airway chemoreceptors from neonatal rabbit

1 We previously described voltage‐dependent ionic currents and hypoxia chemosensitivity in cultured pulmonary neuroepithelial body (NEB) cells isolated from fetal rabbit. Here we use fresh neonatal rabbit lung slices (200–400 μm thick) to characterize the electrophysiological properties of ‘intact’ NEBs with patch‐clamp, whole‐cell recording. 2 Under voltage clamp, outward currents were partially inhibited by TEA (20 mm), 4‐amino pyridine (4‐AP; 2 mm) and cadmium (Cd2+; 100 μm), suggesting the presence of both Ca2+‐dependent (IK(Ca)) and Ca2+‐independent (IK(V)) components. 3 Inward currents, carried by voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channels and also, in occasional cells (∼11%), by TTX‐sensitive Na+ channels, were also detected in intact NEB cells. 4 Hypoxia (P O 2 = 15–20 mmHg) reduced the outward K+ current by ∼34% during voltage steps from −60 to +30 mV, while inward Ca2+ or Na+ currents were not affected by hypoxia. Hypoxia suppressed roughly equally both IK(Ca) and IK(V) components of outward current, and no further inhibition of K+ currents was seen with either TEA and 4‐AP + hypoxia. 5 Diphenylene iodonium (DPI; 1 μm) suppressed outward K+ current by ∼42%, and DPI + hypoxia had no additional effect on the K+ current. 6 Direct application of H2O2 augmented outward K+ current; for a voltage step from −60 mV to +30 mV, 0.25 mm H2O2 increased K+ current by ∼37%. 7 These results indicate that intact neonatal NEB cells express hypoxic chemosensitivity and introduce the rabbit lung slice preparation as an new model for investigating the role of airway O2 chemoreceptors.
Deconvolution of the glottal pulse using a finite-difference solution of the acoustical Klein-Gordon equation

Deconvolution of the glottal-pulse waveform from the speech signal remains an active field of research although dating back over half a century. In the main, existing approaches use classical inverse filtering frequency-domain methods to estimate both the vocal-tract and glottal-pulse waveforms. In this paper, we adopt a new approach which takes advantage of two relatively recent developments: firstly, the physical modeling of the speech process by means of the Klein-Gordon wave equation of relativistic quantum mechanics and, secondly, a finite-difference calculation of this equation to find the impulse response of the vocal tract. This approach allows accurate parameterisation of the impulse response which simplifies the blind deconvolution. Results show considerable improvement compared with existing algorithms when applied to synthetic speech where the ground truth is known.
The incidence and level of Listeria monocytogenes contamination of food sources at primary production and initial processing.

Listeria monocytogenes was isolated in low numbers from a variety of environmental samples associated with the primary production of food, including vegetation, faeces and meat. The organism was rarely detected on growing grass and vegetables prior to processing. The excretion of L. monocytogenes by farm animals was linked to their diet, with animals fed entirely on hay or manufactured diets not excreting detectable levels of Listeria (i.e. absence in 25 g). However, animals fed on silage, which is frequently contaminated with L. monocytogenes, commonly excreted the organism. Transport of live animals over long distances (> 100 km) significantly increased the level of excretion of Listeria, but the contamination of carcasses of sheep and cattle was not high. Pigs and poultry faeces were free of Listeria prior to slaughter and pig carcasses were not found to have Listeria present. Frozen and chilled chicken did show detectable levels reflecting the greater potential for contamination during poultry processing. Samples of minced beef were tested and 21 of 23 samples were positive for L. monocytogenes, demonstrating that processing significantly increases the level of contamination compared to whole carcasses. Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis of a representative selection of the isolates showed that there was a wide range of electrophoretic types present in the primary production environment, relatively few of which have been linked to cases of human listeriosis. However, these types do arise on farms and occasional contamination of food raw material by potentially virulent strains may be sufficient to allow adaptable strains to become established in the processing environment and thus be responsible for more widespread contamination of the food available to the consumer.
Potential Role of Leptin, Adiponectin and Three Novel Adipokines—Visfatin, Chemerin and Vaspin—in Chronic Hepatitis

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is generally a slowly progressive disease, but some factors associated with rapid progression have been identified. Steatosis, independently of its metabolic or viral origin, leads to liver injury and fibrosis. It is suggested that hepatitis C virus may contribute to a wide spectrum of metabolic disturbances—namely, steatosis, insulin resistance, increased prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus and lipid metabolism abnormalities. Adipokines, which are produced mainly by adipose tissue, may influence the inflammatory response and insulin sensitivity and contribute to the development of metabolic abnormalities in CHC and also regulate fibrogenesis and angiogenesis. Visfatin was described as an adipokine with immunomodulating and proinflammatory properties that promotes B-cell maturation and enhances activation of leukocytes, synthesis of adhesion molecules and production of proinflammatory cytokines. Visfatin exerts insulin-mimetic effects, decreases plasma glucose levels and regulates cell energy balance. Chemerin stimulates chemotaxis of dendritic cells, macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells toward the site of inflammation. On the other hand, it inhibits synthesis of proinflammatory mediators and enhances adiponectin production, influences adipocyte differentiation and maturation and regulates glucose uptake in adipocytes. Vaspin expression in human adipose tissue seems to be a compensatory mechanism associated with obesity and insulin resistance. Vaspin suppresses leptin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and resistin expression. Leptin protects against liver steatosis but accelerates fibrosis progression and exacerbates the inflammatory process. In contrast, adiponectin exerts a hepatoprotective effect. In this report, data indicating a possible role of these adipokines in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis are summarized.
Highly Prolific Booroola Sheep Have a Mutation in the Intracellular Kinase Domain of Bone Morphogenetic Protein IB Receptor (ALK-6) That Is Expressed in Both Oocytes and Granulosa Cells1

Abstract The Booroola fecundity gene (FecB) increases ovulation rate and litter size in sheep and is inherited as a single autosomal locus. The effect of FecB is additive for ovulation rate (increasing by about 1.6 corpora lutea per cycle for each copy) and has been mapped to sheep chromosome 6q23–31, which is syntenic to human chromosome 4q21–25. Bone morphogenetic protein IB (BMP-IB) receptor (also known as ALK-6), which binds members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily, is located in the region containing the FecB locus. Booroola sheep have a mutation (Q249R) in the highly conserved intracellular kinase signaling domain of the BMP-IB receptor. The mutation segregated with the FecB phenotype in the Booroola backcross and half-sib flocks of sheep with no recombinants. The mutation was not found in individuals from a number of sheep breeds not derived from the Booroola strain. BMPR-IB was expressed in the ovary and in situ hybridization revealed its specific location to the oocyte and the granulosa cell. Expression of mRNA encoding the BMP type II receptor was widespread throughout the ovary. The mutation in BMPR-IB found in Booroola sheep is the second reported defect in a gene from the TGF-β pathway affecting fertility in sheep following the recent discovery of mutations in the growth factor, GDF9b/BMP15.
Current medical students' understanding of Surgical Education and Training

Background: The current Surgical Education and Training (SET) programme in Australia and New Zealand has been implemented to streamline surgical training. As applications to the SET programme can occur as early as the 2nd post‐graduate year, early preparation is vital to ensure a successful outcome in gaining a SET position. We wish to demonstrate to what degree medical students are aware of the SET structure and application requirements to determine if further assistance to future SET candidates is required.