Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum relaxin levels in benign hypermobility syndrome.

OBJECTIVE In this study, we investigated the activity of serum relaxin in female patients with benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS), locomotor system findings accompanying BJHS, and its relation to relaxin. METHODS Into the study, female patients with BJHS and healthy women as the control group were included. The patients were diagnosed by using the Brighton 1998 criteria. Examination of the locomotor system for study groups were performed. Serum relaxin levels of both patient and control group were measured. RESULTS There were 48 female patients with BJHS and 40 healthy women in the study. With respect to the control group, the level of serum relaxin was higher in the patients (47.1 ± 20.3, 34.4 ± 22.1; p> 0.05). Again compared with the control group, arthralgia (p= 0.00), myalgia (p= 0.01), shoulder impingement syndrome (p= 0.05), pes planus (p= 0.01), and hyperkyphosis (p= 0.000) were higher in the patients. The level of relaxin median was significantly higher in the patients with pesplanus and hyperkyphosis than those who did not have them (p= 0.05, p= 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Although serum relaxin level is not considered a causative factor for BJHS, the significant increases found in those patients with hyperkyphosis and pes planus suggest the hypothesis that relaxin has a limited and indefinite role in patients with BJHS.
Investigation on relationship between breakdown strength enhancement of composites and dielectric characteristics of nanoparticle

In this work, the relationship between dielectric characteristics of nanoparticle and its effects on dielectric breakdown strength of Epoxy was investigated. The dielectric characteristic was tailored through silica surface encapsulation on TiO2. It was found that in contrast to raw TiO2, addition of TiO2@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticle obviously improved the dielectric breakdown strength of epoxy resin. Meanwhile, peculiar increase of resistivity was also observed. Based on the results, a mechanism through "barrier effect" by electric double layer was proposed to explain this enhancement, which was regarded closely associated with the highly polarizable and surface insulating features of TiO2 after silica encapsulation. Experimental validation was also conducted with permittivity and space charge distribution measurement of composites. It was concluded that the high polarizability and surface insulativity firstly favored formation of the double layer, synergistically from which the resulted space charge in homo-pattern then suppressed excessive charge injection through Coulomb repulsive interaction, and improved electrical strength by retarding exorbitant localized field occurrence which had been found to be direct cause of breakdown when it exceed a critical value.
The relationship between posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients

Theories of posttraumatic growth suggest that some degree of distress is necessary to stimulate growth; yet, investigations of the relationship between stress and growth following trauma are mixed. This study aims to understand the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients.
Detection of Differential Gene Expression in Biofilm-Forming versus Planktonic Populations of Staphylococcus aureus Using Micro-Representational-Difference Analysis

ABSTRACT Microbial proliferation and biofilm formation on biologic or inert substrates are characteristics of invasive Staphylococcus aureus infections and is associated with phenotypic alterations such as reduced antimicrobial susceptibility. To identify genes which are typically expressed in biofilms, a micro-representational-difference analysis (micro-RDA) was adapted for gram-positive bacteria and used with cDNA derived from populations ofS. aureus DSM 20231 growing in a biofilm or plankonically. In comparison to previously described cDNA RDA protocols, micro-RDA has the advantages that only minimal quantities of total RNA are needed and, most importantly, that total RNA can be used since the large amount of rRNA in total RNA does not interfere with the micro-RDA procedure. Using a series of spiked controls with various amounts of MS2 RNA in a background of total RNA from S. aureus, the equivalent of five copies of MS2 per cell were detectable after three rounds of subtractive enrichment. Five genes were identified as being differentially expressed in biofilm versus planktonic cultures. These genes revealed homology to a threonyl-tRNA synthetase, a phosphoglycerate mutase, a triosephosphate isomerase, an alcohol dehydrogenase I, and a ClpC ATPase. Differential levels of expression were subsequently confirmed by standard Northern blotting. In conclusion, micro-RDA is a sensitive and specific method to detect transcripts differentially expressed as a function of differentS. aureus growth conditions.
High-Power DBR-Tapered Laser at 980 nm for Single-Path Second Harmonic Generation

We present experimental results about edge-emitting distributed-Bragg-reflector-tapered diode lasers emitting at 980 nm. The investigated lasers show an output power of up to 12 W with a conversion efficiency of about 45%. The lasers also exhibit a small vertical divergence <15deg full-width at half maximum (FWHM), a nearly diffraction-limited beam quality, and a narrow spectral linewidth with FWHM smaller than 12 pm. These properties allow efficient single-pass second harmonic generation with power levels of more than 1 W at 488 nm.
Cultivating Community Interactions in Citizen Science: Connecting People to Each Other and the Environment

Citizen science leverages a distributed user-base which participates in crowd-sourced scientific inquiry. Geotagger is a citizen science project that allows people to collaboratively investigate the natural world around them and share their findings. Citizens are rarely compensated for their work and individual contributors can feel isolated which leads to motivation problems. This thesis focuses on engaging citizen scientists and motivating their contributions via social interaction and engagement. As a part of this work, a number of social enhancements have been developed as extensions to the existing Geotagger project. These enhancements and their effect on social engagement were evaluated using in-field studies and design investigations with children. In the studies, children engaged effectively with each other using the social enhancements in Geotagger, and showed a preference for the application that included these social enhancements.
Structured Caregiver Feedback Enhances Engagement and Impact of Mobile Health Support : A Randomized Trial in a Lower-Middle-Income Country

Background: Patients’ engagement in mobile health (m-health) interventions using interactive voice response (IVR) calls is less in lowand middle-income countries (LMICs) than in industrialized ones. We conducted a study to determine whether automated telephone feedback to informal caregivers (‘‘CarePartners’’) increased engagement in m-health support among diabetes and hypertension patients in Bolivia. Materials and Methods: Patients with diabetes and/or hypertension were identified through ambulatory clinics affiliated with four hospitals. All patients enrolled with a CarePartner. Patients were randomized to weekly IVR calls including self-management questions and self-care education either alone (‘‘standard m-health’’) or with automated feedback about health and selfcare needs sent to their CarePartner after each IVR call (‘‘m-health+CP’’). Results: The 72 participants included 39 with diabetes and 53 with hypertension, of whom 19 had £6 years of education. After 1,225 patient-weeks of attempted IVR assessments, the call completion rate was higher among patients randomized to m-health+CP compared with standard mhealth (62.0% versus 44.9%; p < 0.047). CarePartner feedback more than tripled call completion rates among indigenous patients and patients with low literacy (p < 0.001 for both). Mhealth+CP patients were more likely to report excellent health via IVR (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07, 6.32) and less likely to report days in bed due to illness (AOR = 0.42; 95% CI, 0.19, 0.91). Conclusions: In this study we found that caregiver feedback increased engagement in m-health and may improve patients’ health status relative to standard approaches. M-health+CP represents a scalable strategy for increasing the reach of self-management support in LMICs.
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone release during the rat estrous cycle and after ovariectomy, as estimated with push-pull cannulae.

A push-pull perfusion (PPP) system was used to carry out the first examination of LHRH release from the mediobasal hypothalami (MBH) of conscious, freely moving rats during stages of the estrous (E) cycle and after ovariectomy (Ovx). Female rats received push-pull cannula (PPC) implants into the MBH and then were allowed to recover for 2–10 weeks before PPP experiments. During that time, E cycles were determined by daily inspection of vaginal smears. After exhibiting two consecutive E cycles, rats were fitted with indwelling jugular catheters between 0830–1030 h and subjected to PPP of the MBH and hourly bleeding for more than 6 h. LHRH and LH levels were determined by RIA in perfusates and plasma, respectively. PPP and bleeding sessions were performed on the afternoon of proestrus (Pro; n – 10), diestrous day I (DI; n – 5), diestrous day II (DII; n – 5), estrus (E; n – 5), or more than 28 days after Ovx (n – 5). LHRH output was detectable in at least some samples in all rats whose PPC tips resided within.
Analysis of the cell cycle in the budding yeast Candida albicans by positioning of chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with repetitive sequences

In the budding yeasts, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which individual chromosomes cannot be visualized by microscopy, the mitotic phases in the cell cycle have not been correlated with the chromosome behaviour. We used various repetitive sequences, namely, rDNA, telomeric sequences and RPSs, which are localized in limited regions in almost all chromosomes, as probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to analyse the cell cycle phases in a pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. The positioning of the FISH signals was analysed quantitatively in relation to the length of spindle microtubules in the nuclear domain.
‘Treasury Control’ and the British Environmental State: The Political Economy of Green Development Strategy in UK Central Government

ABSTRACT A growing literature uses the term ‘environmental state’ to refer to the new roles and institutional capacities that the modern capitalist state has acquired in relation to the environment and the unfolding ecological crisis. Green development strategies for the transformation of unsustainable accumulation models are an important qualitative and quantitative indicator of environmental statehood. Yet in Britain, the powers and policy priorities of H.M Treasury are proving a significant constraint on the articulation of such a strategy. I situate the Treasury's obstructive stance in the broader history of the internal politics of the British state, arguing that it reflects a long-standing tendency for the Treasury to assert a position of power vis-à-vis departmental rivals in ways that undermine their capacity to conduct interventionist industrial policies. I analyse the post-2008 context as a moment in which this regularity has re-asserted itself as the Treasury privileges a strategy of accumulation model repair over one of transformation. I illustrate the implications of this stance for the emerging British environmental state by examining two episodes: the containment and privatisation of the green investment bank, and recent incursions by the Treasury into energy policy. I conclude by considering the methodological and practical implications of the analysis.
The welfare impacts of market channel choice by smallholder farmers in Tanzania

ABSTRACT This article analyses the impact of market channel choice on household welfare by maize and pigeon pea smallholder farmers in Tanzania, using a multinomial endogenous treatment approach. The study utilises farm household-level data collected from a randomly selected sample of 700 smallholder farmers. The results show that participation with traders in nearby markets and wholesalers in nearby towns have a positive effect on consumption expenditure per capita relative to brokers at the farmgate, for both maize and pigeon pea-farming households. The study suggests that interventions that aimed at inclusion of smallholder farmers in more profitable markets could improve household welfare and reduce poverty among rural households.
Public Leaders Are Gendered: Making Gender Visible in Public Affairs Leadership Education

Abstract For too long, public leadership scholarship has overlooked women as leaders in the United States as well as the gender dimension of leadership. This paper will argue that public affairs leadership education in the United States should become gender inclusive, which would entail teaching leadership scholarship by and about women, examining women’s and men’s concrete leadership experiences in the public sector, and making relational leadership more central to broader disciplinary discussions on public leadership. This paper begins by first gendering the concepts of leader and leadership, and then it describes briefly the debate over whether gender matters in leadership. It then examines the gender and leadership research within public affairs. A pivotal contribution of this research is the emergence of relational leadership, which is examined as a distinct approach to leading. The paper concludes by discussing how gender leadership literature can inform the teaching of public leadership and in particular the author’s own attempt to integrate this scholarly work into a graduate organization theory class.
Effect of defects on the small polaron formation and transport properties of hematite from first-principles calculations

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is a promising candidate as a photoanode material for solar-to-fuel conversion due to its favorable band gap for visible light absorption, its stability in an aqueous environment and its relatively low cost in comparison to other prospective materials. However, the small polaron transport nature in α-Fe2O3 results in low carrier mobility and conductivity, significantly lowering its efficiency from the theoretical limit. Experimentally, it has been found that the incorporation of oxygen vacancies and other dopants, such as Sn, into the material appreciably enhances its photo-to-current efficiency. Yet no quantitative explanation has been provided to understand the role of oxygen vacancy or Sn-doping in hematite. We employed density functional theory to probe the small polaron formation in oxygen deficient hematite, N-doped as well as Sn-doped hematite. We computed the charged defect formation energies, the small polaron formation energy and hopping activation energies to understand the effect of defects on carrier concentration and mobility. This work provides us with a fundamental understanding regarding the role of defects on small polaron formation and transport properties in hematite, offering key insights into the design of new dopants to further improve the efficiency of transition metal oxides for solar-to-fuel conversion.
Midazolam Administration Reverses Thermal Hyperalgesia and Prevents &ggr;-Aminobutyric Acid Transporter Loss in a Rodent Model of Neuropathic Pain

BACKGROUND: Loss of &ggr;-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibition in the spinal dorsal horn may contribute to neuropathic pain. Here we examined whether systemic administration of the benzodiazepine midazolam would alleviate thermal hyperalgesia due to chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. METHODS: Hyperalgesia was evaluated with the thermal paw withdrawal latency test before, and 3 and 7 days after CCI. Animals randomly received, via osmotic minipump infusion, midazolam (2.0 mg · kg−1 · h−1), flumazenil (0.004 mg · kg−1 · h−1), midazolam plus flumazenil at the same doses, or saline (0.01 mg · kg−1 · h−1). Four groups of sham-operated rats (surgery without nerve ligation) received matched treatments. Levels of the GABA transporter 1 (GAT-1) in the lumbar spinal dorsal horn were estimated using western immunoblots 7 days after surgery. RESULTS: Saline-treated CCI rats developed thermal hyperalgesia on Day 3 with a more pronounced effect on Day 7. Continuous midazolam infusion prevented thermal hyperalgesia on both days. The antihyperalgesic effect of midazolam was reversed by the coadministration of flumazenil. Infusion of flumazenil alone had no effect on the thermal hyperalgesia in CCI rats. Sham-operated rats treated with saline, midazolam, or midazolam plus flumazenil exhibited no thermal hyperalgesia. Unexpectedly, thermal paw withdrawal latency in sham animals treated with flumazenil alone was significantly decreased. Changes in GAT-1 levels paralleled the behavior. Midazolam prevented the CCI-associated decreases, and flumazenil reversed midazolam's effect. Flumazenil alone did not modify GAT-1 levels in CCI animals but in sham animals the transporter levels were significantly reduced. CONCLUSIONS: GABA inhibition plays an important role in neuropathic pain. Continuous systemic benzodiazepine administration may prove effective in alleviating neuropathic pain.
Non-adiabatic theory of the hydrogen bond. Quantum computation?

The hydrogen bond is usually described within the clamped nucleus approximation in which electronic and vibrational motions are considered separately. This approach leads to a double-well potential which facilitates proton tunnelling. In this work, the hydrogen bond is described by a formalism based on the non-adiabatic Hamiltonian in which electronic and vibrational motions are coupled. Quasi-degeneracy associated with the hydrogen bond supports this approach which is shown to afford an alternative picture of proton tunnelling.
Phase I study of bryostatin 1: assessment of interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha induction in vivo. The Cancer Research Campaign Phase I Committee.

BACKGROUND Many oncogenes have been shown to code for growth factor receptors that are involved in regulation of cell growth and proliferation and can activate transcription via protein kinase C. Bryostatin 1, a partial agonist of protein kinase C, has demonstrated potent antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo in human tumor xenografts. PURPOSE The aim of this phase I study was to determine the optimal dosage and toxicity profile of bryostatin 1 and its influence on cytokine release in vivo. METHODS Three successive cohorts consisting of 35 patients with various malignant tumors were treated with bryostatin 1 by intravenous infusion over 1 hour as follows: cohort A--35 micrograms/m2 (three patients) or 50 micrograms/m2 (eight patients) once every 2 weeks; cohort B--25 micrograms/m2 once a week (eight patients); and cohort C--25 micrograms/m2 once a week for 3 weeks, with no treatment during the 4th week (16 patients). Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were measured by immunoradiometric assay and by radioimmunoassay, respectively. RESULTS The dose-limiting toxicity was grade 3 or 4 myalgia in four of 11 patients in cohort A, in two of eight in cohort B, and in none of 16 in cohort C. Occurrence of myalgia was dose related. There was no significant myelosuppression, apart from a small and transient fall in platelet count. Six patients experienced acute but transient skin flushing, dyspnea, hypotension, and bradycardia, probably related to the bryostatin 1 vehicle. TNF-alpha and IL-6 were detected in plasma at 2 and 24 hours after treatment, respectively, and the levels were dose related (P = .02). Two patients with metastatic malignant melanoma had partial remission after three or four cycles of therapy; remission lasted 6 weeks and 10+ months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The dose-limiting toxicity of bryostatin 1 was myalgia. Plasma IL-6 and TNF-alpha concentrations were increased within 24 hours of therapy. Antitumor activity against malignant melanoma was observed early in the course of treatment. IMPLICATIONS The recommended dosage of bryostatin 1 for phase II studies is 25 micrograms/m2 by intravenous infusion for 1 hour once a week for 3 weeks, with no treatment in the 4th week. IL-6 and TNF-alpha plasma concentrations may be useful in monitoring biological activity of bryostatin 1. Future studies should explore use of this drug with other conventional immune modulators and conventional cytotoxic drugs.
Noninvasive evaluation of active pan-ulcerative colitis with multiple strictures using Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by waxing and waning inflammation that changes in severity and extent and may progress to neoplasia, especially in the presence of strictures. When patients have nonnegotiable strictures or severe inflammation with ulcers, colonoscopy is difficult and carries the risk of perforation. The authors present a patient with pan-UC with multiple strictures, in whom fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography was used to noninvasively evaluate the extent and severity of the disease.
Using Macroeconomic Models for Monetary Policy in Ukraine

An important precondition for successful implementation of inflation targeting is the ability of the central bank to forecast inflation given the fact that the inflation forecast has become an intermediate target. Certainly, this means there should be clear understanding of the monetary policy transmission mechanism functioning within the bank, because it is precisely through transmission channels that a central bank has to ensure convergence of its inflation forecast to the target. And it is almost impossible to pursue inflation targeting without a set of macroeconomic models that describes the monetary policy transmission mechanism and helps to analyse the current state of the economy as well as forecast (simulate) short- and medium-term macroeconomic scenarios. This article provides a review of the current state of macroeconomic modelling at central banks and describes the history of development and actual stance of the National Bank of Ukraine’s system of macroeconomic models. The existing system provides quite reliable support for the current monetary policy decision-making process, but it has to be improved by implementing a more sophisticated model (such as a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model) and enhancing the set of econometric models for shortterm forecast purposes in the future.