Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of bottle feeding prohibition on exclusively breastfeeding.

OBJECTIVE To compare the time of colostrum expression and quantity of breast milk between early postpartum women who practiced exclusively breastfeeding and who had combined breast and bottle feeding. MATERIAL AND METHOD Seventy mothers who delivered term normal, singleton infants were voluntarily recruited during immediate postpartum period and allocated into two groups. Study group was 35 mothers who practiced exclusively breastfeeding and 35 mothers who practiced combined breast and bottle feeding were control group. Expression of colostrum at 12, 24, and 48 hours and quantity of breast milk at 48 hours after delivery were evaluated and compared between two groups. RESULTS At 12 and 24 hours after delivery, 65.7% and 88.6% of study group had colostrum compared to 37.1% and 68.6% in control group, respectively. The difference was significantly higher in study group. However, at 48 hours after delivery, there was no statistical difference in both groups. Quantity of breast milk at 48 hours after delivery was 5 mL (2, 10) in the study group compared to 2 mL (0, 8) in the control group, which was significantly different. CONCLUSION Exclusively breastfeeding since immediate postpartum significantly promote earlier expression of colostrum and higher quantity of breast milk.
Natural sex hormone cycles and gender differences in memory.

OBJECTIVE To analyze gender differences in memory and the influence of the natural sex hormone cycles on it. METHOD A total of 20 men and 19 women were assessed with memory tests two times coinciding with two hormonal phases of the diurnal cycle of testosterone in men or menstrual cycle in women. RESULTS It was observed that women perform better than men in delayed verbal memory as well as in immediate and delayed object recall, and men in digit span. It was also found that there was a significant effect of the hormonal cycles on verbal working memory, immediate object recall and on the spatial component of visuoconstructive memory. Finally, hormonal cycles determine the existence and direction of gender differences in verbal working memory, delayed object recall and in the spatial component of visuoconstructive memory. CONCLUSIONS Natural sex hormone cycles seem to influence gender differences in some measurements of memory.
A fully-integrated Vivaldi phased array for seeker applications

In missile seeker applications, it is desirable to have an antenna with sufficient gain and bandwidth whose main beam can be electronically steered during flight. Due to the limited space on board a missile, however, the antenna array and associated electronics are not allocated much space and must therefore be integrated if it is to be a viable solution. A class of tapered slot antenna having an exponential taper is generally referred to as a Vivaldi antenna. The design and results for a fully-integrated, 8-element phased array using Vivaldi radiating elements are presented. The Vivaldi antenna consists of a tapered slot in a single metallized layer on top of a dielectric substrate. Our work validates and demonstrates the performance of the Vivaldi array in a fully integrated phased-array design.
Performance Assessment of III–V Channel Ultra-Thin-Body Schottky-Barrier MOSFETs

The performance of III-V channel ultra-thin-body Schottky barrier (SB) MOSFETs is assessed by quantum mechanical simulations. All the Γ-, L-, and Δ-valleys are included in the calculations, with their effective masses adjusted by the sp3d5s* tight-binding method. Our results show that InSb and InAs channel devices are not adequate for SB devices due to high ambipolar currents. InSb, InAs, and GaAs channel devices suffer from the serious density-of-states (DOS) bottleneck problem. Their transconductances are only about 1/4 of that of Si channel devices. On the other hand, GaSb channel devices which are immune from the DOS bottleneck show excellent performance. The transconductance and ON-state current that are, respectively, 1.2 and 1.8 times as large as that of Si-based devices can be achievable.
[Effects of initial feeding on the growth, survival, and body biochemical composition of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) larvae].

Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) larvae were raised with Limnodrilus sp. , Artemia nauplii, Moina sp. , and artificial commercial diet for 30 days to investigate the effects of different initial feeding diets on the growth, survival, and body biochemical composition of the larvae. The results showed that A. nauplii was the best initial feeding diet, with the survival rate of A. baerii larvae being significant higher (96.67%) than the others. Feeding with Limnodrilus sp. gave the highest growth rate of A. baerii larvae, while feeding with artificial commercial diet gave the lowest efficiency on the growth rate and survival rate of the larvae. The larvae raised with different diets had significantly different body biochemical composition. After fed with artificial commercial diet, the larvae had the highest moisture content but the lowest crude protein and crude ash contents. Taking A. nauplii as the initial feeding diet and then feeding with Limnodrilus sp. could gave the ideal growth and survival rates of A. baerii larvae.
Pharmacodynamics of a fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent in a neutropenic rat model of Pseudomonas sepsis

We examined the impact of dose fractionation and altered MICs on survivorship in a neutropenic rat model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis employing the new fluoroquinolone antibiotic lomefloxacin. Once-daily administration of a drug dose which produced a high peak concentration/MIC (peak/MIC) ratio (ca. 20/1) produced significantly better survivorship compared with regimens employing the same daily dose but on a more fractionated schedule. The use of a smaller dose, producing lower (< 10/1) peak/MIC ratios, did not show this effect, as once-daily and twice-daily regimens produced equivalent results (the area under the concentration-time curve/MIC ratio was linked to survivorship). Challenge with resistant mutants selected for altered MICs of fluoroquinolones (two and four times the MIC for the parent strain, respectively) resulted in markedly diminished survivorship. Challenge with the parent strain and use of a drug dose which produced a peak/MIC ratio identical to that for animals challenged with the mutant for which the MIC was four times that for the parent strain and treated with the larger drug dose produced survivorship curves which were not different. For this animal model, peak/MIC ratio was linked to survivorship, particularly when high ratios (10/1 to 20/1) were obtained. At lower doses, producing peak/MIC ratios < 10/1, the area under the concentration-time curve relative to the MIC appeared to be most closely linked to outcome. The time that levels in plasma exceeded the MIC did not influence survivorship. The hypothesis most likely to explain these findings is that higher peak/MIC ratios can suppress the parent strain and mutant organisms (gyrA and transport mutants) for which the MIC is higher but limited (no more than eight times that for the parent strain).
Influence of dynamic vegetation on carbon-nitrogen cycle feedback in the Community Land Model (CLM4)

Land carbon sensitivity to atmospheric CO2 concentration (βL) and climate warming (γL) is a crucial part of carbon-climate feedbacks that affect the magnitude of future warming. Although these sensitivities can be estimated by earth system models, their dependence on model representation of land carbon dynamics and the inherent model assumptions has rarely been investigated. Using the widely used Community Land Model version 4 as an example, we examine how βL and γL vary with prescribed versus dynamic vegetation covers. Both sensitivities are found to be larger with dynamic compared to prescribed vegetation on decadal timescale in the late twentieth century, with a more robust difference in γL. The latter is a result of dynamic vegetation model deficiencies in representing the competitions between deciduous versus evergreen trees and tree versus grass over the tropics and subtropics. The biased vegetation cover changes the regional characteristics of carbon-nitrogen cycles such that plant productivity responds less strongly to the enhancement of nitrogen mineralization with warming, so more carbon is lost to the atmosphere with rising temperature. The result calls for systematic evaluations of land carbon sensitivities with varying assumptions for land cover representations to help prioritize development effort and constrain uncertainties in carbon-climate feedbacks.
Greening competitiveness for hotels and restaurants

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a survey-based study performed on Italian SMEs in the “hotel, restaurant, cafe” (HORECA) sector, aimed at investigating the relationship between pro-environmental strategies and competitiveness and how such strategies can be exploited to outperform competitors. Design/methodology/approach The survey involved 317 Italian SMEs. Regression models have been developed to analyze the causal relationship between three dimensions of competitiveness (competitive advantage over competitors, customer satisfaction and employees’ motivation), and environmental practices that can be adopted by HORECA SMEs. Findings Top management commitment emerges as a key driver of competitiveness, confirming the strategic relevance of a sound approach to sustainability also in SMEs operating in the tourism sector. Moreover, actions aimed at investing in green food products (e.g. organic food) and awareness campaigns emerge as strong predictors of good business performance. Finally, at managerial level, entrepreneurs and owners evaluate the implementation of internal sustainability monitoring systems as a relevant support to increase their competitive performance. Research limitations/implications Since the results are limited to Italian HORECA businesses, a cross-country comparison could represent a potential improvement of the research. Moreover, since the sector is characterized by the predominance of small and micro firms, specific attention should be devoted to the role played by entrepreneurs’ personal values in shaping business strategies. Originality/value The paper contributes to the ongoing debate on the relationship between SMEs in the tourism sector and the environmental dimension analyzing the link between the adoption of “green” practices and the competitive performance. The results suggest that customer involvement represents an essential pre-requisite to turn sustainability into an opportunity of market distinctiveness and stress the strategic role of the implementation of performance monitoring systems.
Central generation of swimming activity in the hydrozoan jellyfish Aequorea aequorea.

Swimming in Aequorea is controlled by a network of electrically coupled neurons (swim motorneurons) located in the inner nerve ring. The network is made up of the largest neurons in the ring, up to 22 microns in diameter. Intracellular recordings from swim motorneurons reveal slow membrane potential oscillations and a superimposed barrage of synaptic "noise. " The synaptic noise, but not the slow oscillations, is eliminated in seawater containing an elevated Mg++ concentration. The swim motorneurons produce a rapid burst of two to eight action potentials preceding each contraction of the subumbrella. Spontaneous bursting persists in high-Mg++ seawater. Injected ramp currents indicated a "bursty" character of the swim motorneurons as suprathreshold depolarizations produced repetitive bursting with an increasing burst frequency with increased depolarization. Hyperpolarizing currents locally blocked spiking in swim motorneurons. Intercellular coupling was demonstrated with Lucifer Yellow injection and dual electrode recordings. In dye fills, only the large neurons of the inner nerve ring were dye-coupled. Two pieces of evidence suggest that swim motorneurons activate the overlying epithelial cells via chemical synapses. First, direct synaptic connections have been noted in ultrastructural examination of the inner nerve ring region. Second, dual recordings from a swim motorneuron and an epithelial cell reveal a 1:1 correspondence between neuron spikes and epithelial synaptic potentials. The synaptic potentials occur with a latency as short as 3 ms which is constant in any one recording session. The results suggest that the swim motorneuron network of Aequorea not only performs a motorneuron function, but also serves as the pattern generator for swimming activity.
The activation of PhoB by acetylphosphate

PhoB is a response‐regulator protein from Escherichia coli that controls an adaptive response to limiting phosphate. It is activated by autophosphorylation of a conserved aspartate residue within its regulatory domain. Its primary phospho‐donor is its cognate histidine kinase PhoR; however, it also becomes phos‐phorylated when incubated with acetylphosphate. To further characterize its activation, PhoB was considered to be an acetylphosphatase whose enzymatic mechanism involves a phospho‐enzyme intermediate. The kinetic constants for autophosphorylation were determined using 32P‐ and fluorescence‐based assays and indicated that PhoB has a Km for acetylphosphate of between 7 and 8 mM. These constants are not consistent with an in vivo role for acetylphosphate in the normal control of the Pho regulon. In addition, when PhoB was phosphorylated by acetylphosphate it eluted from a high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) size‐exclusion column in two peaks. The larger form of PhoB eluted from the column in a similar manner to a chemically cross‐linked dimer of PhoB. The smaller form of PhoB is a monomer. Phosphorylated PhoB bound pho‐box DNA approximately 10 times tighter than PhoB. These observations show that PhoB forms a dimer when phosphorylated and suggest that the characteristics of activated PhoB result from its dimer ization.
An inverted repeat preceding the Bacillus subtilis glpD gene is a conditional terminator of transcription

The Bacillus subtilis glpD gene, encoding glycerol‐3‐phosphate (G3P) dehydrogenase, is preceded by a promoter and an inverted repeat which is located between the promoter and the glpD coding region. The Inverted repeat acts as a transcriptional terminator in vitro. Expression of glpD is induced by G3P in the presence of the glpD gene product. Full‐length glpD transcripts can be detected only in glycerol‐induced cells. The major glpD transcript is initiated from the glpD promoter but minor amounts of larger transcripts, possibly initiated at upstream glp promoters, can also be found. In uninduced cells short transcripts are present, corresponding to initiation at the glpD promoter and termination at the inverted repeat. Upon induction, these short transcripts disappear and are replaced by full‐length glpD transcripts. The 3′‐ends of full‐length glpD transcripts were mapped to an Inverted repeat located immediately downstream of glpD. These results show that glpD of B. subtilis is regulated by termination/antitermination of transcription.
Exocrine Pancreatic Function Testing in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis and Pancreatic Sufficiency: A Correlation Study

Objectives:Most patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) have pancreatic insufficiency; however, 15% of the patients are pancreatic sufficient (PS). Several laboratory tests have been developed to distinguish between pancreatic insufficiency and PS. The gold standard to determine pancreatic function apart from direct pancreatic stimulation test is the 72-hour fecal fat excretion, expressed as coefficient of fat absorption (CFA). The aim was to test the correlation between 2 other tests, fecal elastase-1 and serum immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT), as compared with fecal fat excretion. Patients and Methods:21 patients with CF-PS performed the 3 tests of fecal fat excretion, fecal elastase-1, and IRT. Correlation between the tests was evaluated by the κ statistics test, sensitivity and specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Results:CFA was abnormal in 5 patients, elastase was <200 μg/g in 4 patients, and IRT was <20 ng/mL in 2 patients. The correlation between CFA and IRT was negative (κ = −0.154), and between CFA and fecal elastase-1 was poor (κ = 0.213). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of IRT versus CFA were 0%, 88%, 0%, and 78%, and for fecal elastase-1 were 40%, 81%, 40%, and 81%, respectively. Conclusions:In CF-PS, poor correlation was found between IRT, fecal elastase-1, and CFA, therefore neither fecal elastase-1 in the stool nor IRT in the serum reaches the sensitivity or the specificity of the fecal fat excretion. Thus, fecal fat excretion is required in patients with CF for evaluation of pancreatic function.
Using Theory to Design an Intervention for HIV/AIDS Prevention in Farm Workers in Rural Zimbabwe

A variety of primary prevention strategies are used in HIV prevention programs in Africa. However, these are often developed through intuition and the theoretical basis for many interventions is limited to the knowledge/attitude model. This article illustrates how research findings from a base-line survey are combined with Paulo Freire's social change theory and the Ecological Model for Health Promotion to develop a participatory intervention for HIV/AIDS prevention in farm workers in Zimbabwe. The article addresses the need to focus attention on the process of change at the interpersonal level, organizational and policy levels of the community. Dialogue is central to the range of strategies proposed for the intervention. The effect will be measured through process and outcome evaluation.
Resolution improvement by 3D particle averaging in localization microscopy

Inspired by recent developments in localization microscopy that applied averaging of identical particles in 2D for increasing the resolution even further, we discuss considerations for alignment (registration) methods for particles in general and for 3D in particular. We detail that traditional techniques for particle registration from cryo electron microscopy based on cross-correlation are not suitable, as the underlying image formation process is fundamentally different. We argue that only localizations, i.e. a set of coordinates with associated uncertainties, are recorded and not a continuous intensity distribution. We present a method that owes to this fact and that is inspired by the field of statistical pattern recognition. In particular we suggest to use an adapted version of the Bhattacharyya distance as a merit function for registration. We evaluate the method in simulations and demonstrate it on 3D super-resolution data of Alexa 647 labelled to the Nup133 protein in the nuclear pore complex of Hela cells. From the simulations we find suggestions that for successful registration the localization uncertainty must be smaller than the distance between labeling sites on a particle. These suggestions are supported by theoretical considerations concerning the attainable resolution in localization microscopy and its scaling behavior as a function of labeling density and localization precision.
Resistin Serum Levels Are Associated with Insulin Resistance, Disease Severity, Clinical Complications, and Prognosis in Patients with Chronic Liver Diseases

OBJECTIVES:Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are present in nearly all patients with liver cirrhosis. Resistin, a mainly adipose-derived peptide hormone, reduces insulin sensitivity in adipocytes, skeletal muscles, and hepatocytes. In experimental cirrhosis models, resistin expression is upregulated. We aimed to evaluate the potential clinical value of resistin in chronic liver diseases (CLD). METHODS:Serum resistin was measured in 82 non-diabetic CLD patients during evaluation for potential liver transplantation and 76 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Patients were followed for 6 yr.RESULTS:Resistin serum levels were significantly elevated in patients with liver cirrhosis compared with healthy controls (p < 0.001). Resistin increased with stage of liver cirrhosis as defined by Child-Pugh or model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score. Serum resistin correlated with insulin secretion (C-peptide, p < 0.001) and inversely with insulin sensitivity (HOMA-index, p = 0.008) in CLD patients. Resistin also correlated inversely with markers of hepatic biosynthetic capacity and positively with markers of inflammation such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) or C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as with clinical complications, e.g., portal hypertension. Patients with elevated resistin had increased mortality in 6-yr-survival (p = 0.005, Cox regression model). CONCLUSION:Resistin offers novel application potential as a clinical biomarker in the assessment of liver cirrhosis. Elevated resistin may contribute to insulin resistance in advanced liver dysfunction.
Is social upgrading occurring in South Asia’s apparel industry?

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between economic upgrading (implementing higher value-added activities) and social upgrading (improvements in workers’ rights and employment) of supplier firms in global value chains (GVCs) governed by multinational enterprises (MNEs). This paper answers Buckley and Ghauri’s (2004) and Buckley and Strange (2015) calls to incorporate other theoretical approaches within the international business (IB) literature. Furthermore, the paper also responds to Lee and Gereffi (2015) argument, published in Critical perspectives on international business, of the need to incorporate the social impact of upgrading in the IB literature. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with representatives from five supplier firms each in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as with industry representatives. Findings Governance patterns within GVCs can create the conditions for economic upgrading leading to social upgrading achievements. Institutional factors also affect the conditions for social upgrading. Although moving to higher value-added activities is critical for supplier firms, this does not necessarily lead to social upgrading. This paper’s research findings suggest that the combination of economic and social upgrading is positively associated with suppliers manufacturing high value-added products and operating in relational networks. In contrast, economic upgrading, by itself, was limited to those firms manufacturing low value-added products, typically those in captive networks. Originality value This research is among an emerging body of literature seeking to integrate the GVC literature with the IB field. Importantly, it also contributes to the GVC literature by providing insight into an under-theorized aspect – the relationship between social and economic upgrading.
Sister chromatid cohesion: the cohesin cleavage model does not ring true

Sister chromatid cohesion is important for high fidelity chromosome segregation during anaphase. Gene products that provide structural components (cohesin complex or cohesin) and regulatory components responsible for cohesion are conserved through eukaryotes. A simple model where cohesion establishment occurs by replication through static cohesin rings and cohesion dissolution occurs by Esp1p/separase mediated cleavage of the cohesin rings (Mcd1p/Rad21p/Scc1p sub‐unit cleavage) has become widespread. A growing body of evidence is inconsistent with this ring cleavage model. This review will summarize the evidence showing that cohesin complex is not static but is regulated at multiple cell cycle stages before anaphase in a separase independent manner. Separase is indeed required at anaphase for complete chromosome segregation. However, multiple mechanisms for cohesion dissolution appear to act concurrently during anaphase. Separase is only one such mechanism and its importance varies from organism to organism. The idea that cohesin is a dynamic complex subjected to regulation at various cell cycle stages by multiple mechanisms makes sense in light of the myriad functions in which it has been implicated, such as DNA damage repair, gene silencing and chromosome condensation.