Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
D2-dopamine receptor blockade impairs motion detection in goldfish

Under photopic illumination conditions, motion detection in goldfish is dominated by the long-wavelength-sensitive cone type (L-cone), and under scotopic conditions motion it is determined by rods (Schaerer & Neumeyer, 1996). The switch from rod-dominated to cone-dominated motion detection occurs during light adaptation. It has been suggested that dopamine acts as a neuronal light-adaptative signal. It is known that dopamine affects wavelength discrimination through D1-dopamine receptors (Mora-Ferrer & Neumeyer, 1996), and the dorsal light reflex through D1- and D2-dopamine receptors (Lin & Yazulla, 1994a). The purpose of this study was to determine whether dopamine influenced movement detection by goldfish, and if so, which dopamine receptor was involved. The D2-dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride reduced the animal's sensitivity to the moving stimulus, whereas SCH 23390, a D1-dopamine receptor antagonist, did not have any effect. The effect of sulpiride is discussed in relation to known sulpiride effects on retinal neurons and the retinal pigment epithelium.
Meta-Analysis of Measures of Sexual Activity and Prostate Cancer

We conducted a meta-analysis of the association between prostate cancer and aspects of sexual activity. The data suggest an elevated relative risk (RR) of prostate cancer among men with a history of sexually transmitted infections. This was observed with both random- and fixed-effects models (RR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.2–1.7; N = 17 studies; heterogeneity P = 0.14), especially for syphilis (RR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.3–3.9; N = 6; heterogeneity P = 0.47). Risk of prostate cancer is also associated with increasing frequency of sexual activity (RR = 1.2 for an increase of three times per week; 95% CI = 1.1–1.3; N = 12). However, these studies are heterogeneous (P < 0.001). Increasing number of sexual partners is also associated with prostate cancer (RR = 1.2 for an increase of 20 partners; 95% CI = 1.1–1.3; N = 16; heterogeneity P = 0.11). The data do not support associations with multiple marriages, age at first intercourse, or age at first marriage. These results indicate an association between prostate cancer and sexually transmitted infections, suggesting that infections may represent one mechanism through which prostate cancer develops. The mechanism through which frequency of sexual activity may be related to prostate cancer is unclear.
Le dépistage précoce des troubles psychotiques est-il justifié en termes de santé publique ?

Les programmes de depistage precoce des tronbles psychotiques suscitent un interet croissant dans la communaute psychiatrique. Cet enthousiasme est en adequation avec l'intuition clinique qu'un traitement est d'autant plus efficace qu'il est instaure precocemment. Or, de nombreuses questions restent en suspens concernant la faisabilite et l'utilite de tels programmes. En termes de sante publique, les risques et les benefices d'un programme de depistage doivent etre evalues au niveau de l'ensemble des sujets susceptibles de presenter un trouble psychotique debutant, et pas exclusivement au niveau de la population des sujets presentant la maladie. Du fait de l'absence de tests de depistage performant, les risques a traiter de maniere injustifiee des sujets identifies a tort comme souffrant d'un trouble psychotique debutant doivent etre particulierement pris en compte.
Union renewal: what can we learn from three decades of research?

Drawing on three decades of research on union renewal, this article asks what we can learn from these studies. It covers successively the modernisation of union strategy, the re-engineering of union structures and organising techniques, the renewal of collective action repertoires, and the search to bridge the gap between labour market insiders and outsiders. While the research on these four themes yields few easy answers, it does highlight a continuing search for trade union renewal from which real understanding emerges. The overarching argument is that this long process of democratic experimentalism in union purpose and practice needs to be understood in exactly those terms. It also highlights the critical role of strategic capabilities and the need to develop these capabilities in order to experiment with innovations likely to reveal new sources of vigour for worker organisations.
Role of Klebsiella pneumoniae LamB Porin in Antimicrobial Resistance

ABSTRACT To investigate the contribution of LamB in Klebsiella pneumoniae antimicrobial resistance, we determined the MICs of various antibiotics and the frequency of mutation to increased cefoxitin or meropenem resistance of the strains CSUB10S (expressing only OmpK36), CSUB10R (lacking OmpK35 and OmpK36), and their derived isogenic insertion-duplication mutants deficient in LamB. Expression of LamB was indispensable in order for CSUB10S to lose OmpK36 and become resistant to cefoxitin, while in CSUB10R, LamB deficiency promoted increased resistance to carbapenem.
SDI for public governance : implications for evaluation research

What implications are there for SDI evaluation research when the focus is on ‘geoICT in use’ in public governance rather than on the potential of geoICT to provide solutions to general geoinformation processing problems? To explore this question, we first contrast the beliefs within the geographic community regarding the potential of geoICT to improve governance and the empirical evidence of actual geoICT use in governance. The cleavage between the two prompts us to explore the challenges perceived by the much broader public administration research community, who are concerned with implications of ICT implementation in the public sector. To this end, we find that research focused on geoICT use in public governance is tantamount to empirically and theoretically sound SDI evaluation, from a governance perspective. In order to give directions for SDI evaluation research, we articulate research questions pertinent to the actual use of geoICT in governance. We suggest that exploratory evaluation and an interpretive research approach may be more suitable to tackle the research questions that arise from a governance perspective in SDI evaluation rather than design oriented research originating from GI Science. Chapter 3. SDI for public governance ─ implications for evaluation research
Permanent magnet temperature distribution estimation in PMSMs using BEMF harmonics

PM temperature measurement/estimation in permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) is convenient both for torque control and monitoring purposes. Most of existing methods provide and averaged/punctual temperature. However, PM temperature distribution is not uniform, which can have unexpected adverse effects like reduced accuracy estimating the torque produced by the machine or local demagnetization e.g. due to hot spots. PM temperature distribution can be measured or estimated. Since the PMs are not visible, measuring the PM temperature distribution would require an array of temperature sensors attached to the PM. While this is technically feasible, it is unaffordable in commercial products due to cost and robustness issues. Alternatively, the PM temperature distribution can be estimated. The paper analyzes the use of BEMF harmonics to estimate the differential temperature in the PM, i.e. the temperature difference between the hottest and coldest parts of the magnets. Combined with average PM temperature estimation methods, this information can be used to estimate the PM temperature spatial distribution.
Substrate specificity in HIV‐1 protease by a biased sequence search method

Drug resistance in HIV‐1 protease can also occasionally confer a change in the substrate specificity. Through the use of computational techniques, a relationship can be determined between the substrate sequence and three‐dimensional structure of HIV‐1 protease, and be utilized to predict substrate specificity. In this study, we introduce a biased sequence search threading (BSST) methodology to analyze the preferences of substrate positions and correlations between them that might also identify which positions within known substrates can likely tolerate sequence variability and which cannot. The potential sequence space was efficiently explored using a low‐resolution knowledge‐based scoring function. The low‐energy substrate sequences generated by the biased search are correlated with the natural substrates. Octameric sequences were predicted using the probabilities of residue positions in the sequences generated by BSST in three ways: considering each position in the substrate independently, considering pairwise interdependency, and considering triplewise interdependency. The prediction of octameric sequences using the triplewise conditional probabilities produces the most accurate results, reproducing most of the sequences for five of the nine natural substrates and implying that there is a complex interdependence between the different substrate residue positions. This likely reflects that HIV‐1 protease recognizes the overall shape of the substrate more than its specific sequence. Proteins 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lamb wave dispersion ultrasound vibrometry (LDUV) method for quantifying mechanical properties of viscoelastic solids

Diastolic dysfunction is the inability of the left ventricle to supply sufficient stroke volumes under normal physiological conditions and is often accompanied by stiffening of the left-ventricular myocardium. A noninvasive technique capable of quantifying viscoelasticity of the myocardium would be beneficial in clinical settings. Our group has been investigating the use of shear wave dispersion ultrasound vibrometry (SDUV), a noninvasive ultrasound-based method for quantifying viscoelasticity of soft tissues. The primary motive of this study is the design and testing of viscoelastic materials suitable for validation of the Lamb wave dispersion ultrasound vibrometry (LDUV), an SDUV-based technique for measuring viscoelasticity of tissues with plate-like geometry. We report the results of quantifying viscoelasticity of urethane rubber and gelatin samples using LDUV and an embedded sphere method. The LDUV method was used to excite antisymmetric Lamb waves and measure the dispersion in urethane rubber and gelatin plates. An antisymmetric Lamb wave model was fitted to the wave speed dispersion data to estimate elasticity and viscosity of the materials. A finite element model of a viscoelastic plate submerged in water was used to study the appropriateness of the Lamb wave dispersion equations. An embedded sphere method was used as an independent measurement of the viscoelasticity of the urethane rubber and gelatin. The FEM dispersion data were in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions. Viscoelasticity of the urethane rubber and gelatin obtained using the LDUV and embedded sphere methods agreed within one standard deviation. LDUV studies on excised porcine myocardium sample were performed to investigate the feasibility of the approach in preparation for open-chest in vivo studies. The results suggest that the LDUV technique can be used to quantify the mechanical properties of soft tissues with a plate-like geometry.
Vitrectomy for epiretinal membranes with good visual acuity.

PURPOSE To evaluate the visual results of vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane in eyes with a preoperative visual acuity of 20/50 or better. METHODS The visual results and complications were analyzed following vitrectomy for idiopathic epiretinal membranes and epiretinal membranes secondary to retinal tears. This study was a retrospective, consecutive case series of 40 eyes of 40 patients treated by a single surgeon. RESULTS The mean preoperative visual acuity was 20/50 +2 (range, 20/30 +1 to 20/50 -3). The mean visual acuity improved to 20/40 +2 (P = .02) by the final examination at a mean of 2.4 years following surgery. The status of the lens at the final examination was correlated with the visual results of surgery. Twenty-one eyes were phakic preoperatively, and 14 of these eyes had cataracts removed by the final examination. The mean preoperative visual acuity in seven eyes that were still phakic at the final examination was 20/50, and this decreased to 20/50 -2 (P = .82). The mean preoperative visual acuity was 20/50 +2 in 33 eyes that were pseudophakic by the final examination, and this improved to 20/32 -2 (P = .005). The visual acuity improved by 2 or more Snellen lines in only one in seven eyes (14%) that were still phakic on the final examination and in 14 of 33 eyes (42.4%) that were pseudophakic by the final examination. There were no serious surgical complications. CONCLUSIONS Vitrectomy for epiretinal membranes is beneficial in eyes with relatively good preoperative visual acuities, but cataract surgery is necessary in phakic eyes to achieve long-term visual acuity improvement.
The role of iron in the growth and hemolysin (Streptolysin S) production in Streptococcus pyogenes

Four strains of Streptococcus pyogenes were propagated at 37 °C in a reduced iron medium supplemented with Fe3+‐citrate to give concentrations of 1 through 11 micrograms per milliliter, in order to observe the effects of iron on growth and on the vitro production of Streptolysin S. Both growth and hemolysin production were observed to be influenced by medium iron concentration of which 1.2 μg per ml of iron was critical. Hemolysin was produced during the exponential phase of the growth cycle with maximum yield as the organism entered the stationary phase. Hemolytic activity (which was accepted as the ability of the hemolysin to lyse sheep erythrocytes) fell below detectable levels as the organisms entered fully into the stationary phase (9–10 hours post incubation). Serum (bovine, human, chicken) was observed to have a high stabilizing effect on the hemolysin.
Nitrifying Genera in Activated Sludge May Influence Nitrification Rates

Sequencing batch reactors were acclimated under aerobic and alternating anoxic/aerobic conditions. Greater nitrification rates in the alternating reactor were investigated by comparing environmental conditions. In the alternating reactor, pH, alkalinity, oxygen, and nitrite were higher at the onset of aerobic nitrification. Kinetic studies and batch tests, with biomass developed under aerobic and alternating conditions, revealed that these factors were insufficient to explain the divergent nitrification rates. Nitrifying genera vary in nitrification kinetics and sensitivity to environmental conditions. Nitrosospira and Nitrospira spp. could dominate in aerobic reactors, as they are adapted to low nitrite and oxygen conditions. Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter spp. are better competitors with abundant substrates and have higher nitrite tolerance, so they could excel under alternating conditions. This theoretical explanation is consistent with the kinetics and environmental conditions in these reactors and argues for using alternating treatment, because the harsh conditions select for populations with inherently faster nitrification rates.
A Socio - Pragmatic Study of Speeches Delivered on Marital Engagement Occasions in North Jordan = دراسة لغوية إجتماعية براجماتية للكلام المتبادل في مناسبات الخطوبة في شمال الأردن.

A Socio - Pragmatic Study of Speeches Delivered on Marital Engagement Occasions in North Jordan = دراسة لغوية إجتماعية براجماتية للكلام المتبادل في مناسبات الخطوبة في شمال الأردن. ، للحصول على النص الكامل يرجى زيارة مكتبة الحسين بن طلال في جامعة اليرموك او زيارة موقعها الالكتروني
The quantification of spermatozoa by real‐time quantitative PCR, spectrophotometry, and spermatophore cap size

Many animals, such as crustaceans, insects, and salamanders, package their sperm into spermatophores, and the number of spermatozoa contained in a spermatophore is relevant to studies of sexual selection and sperm competition. We used two molecular methods, real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and spectrophotometry, to estimate sperm numbers from spermatophores. First, we designed gene‐specific primers that produced a single amplicon in four species of ambystomatid salamanders. A standard curve generated from cloned amplicons revealed a strong positive relationship between template DNA quantity and cycle threshold, suggesting that RT‐qPCR could be used to quantify sperm in a given sample. We then extracted DNA from multiple Ambystoma maculatum spermatophores, performed RT‐qPCR on each sample, and estimated template copy numbers (i.e. sperm number) using the standard curve. Second, we used spectrophotometry to determine the number of sperm per spermatophore by measuring DNA concentration relative to the genome size. We documented a significant positive relationship between the estimates of sperm number based on RT‐qPCR and those based on spectrophotometry. When these molecular estimates were compared to spermatophore cap size, which in principle could predict the number of sperm contained in the spermatophore, we also found a significant positive relationship between sperm number and spermatophore cap size. This linear model allows estimates of sperm number strictly from cap size, an approach which could greatly simplify the estimation of sperm number in future studies. These methods may help explain variation in fertilization success where sperm competition is mediated by sperm quantity.
Maintaining Trunk and Head Upright Optimizes Visual Vertical Measurement After Stroke

Background. Visual vertical (VV) measurement provides information about spatial cognition and is now part of postural disorders assessment. Guidelines for clinical VV measurement after stroke remain to be established, especially regarding the orientation settings for patients who do not sit upright. Objectives. We analyzed the need to control body orientation while patients estimate the VV. Methods. VV orientation and variability were assessed in 20 controls and 36 subacute patients undergoing rehabilitation after a first hemisphere stroke, in 3 settings: body not maintained (trunk and head free), partially maintained (trunk maintained, head free), or maintained (trunk and head). VV was analyzed as a function of trunk and head tilt, also quantified. Results. Trunk and head orientations were independent. The ability to sit independently was affected by a tilted trunk. The setting had a strong effect on VV orientation and variability in patients with contralesional trunk tilt (n = 11; trunk orientation −18.4 ± 11.7°). The contralesional VV bias was severe and consistent under partially maintained (−8.4 ± 5.2°) and maintained (−7.8 ± 3.5°) settings, whereas various individual behaviors reduced the mean bias under the nonmaintained setting (−3.6 ± 9.3°, P < .05). VV variability was lower under the maintained (1.5 ± 0.2°) than nonmaintained (3.7 ± 0.4°, P < .001) and partially maintained (3.6 ± 0.2°, P < .001) settings. In contrast, setting had no effect in patients with satisfactory postural control in sitting. Conclusion. Subject setting improves VV measurement in stroke patients with postural disorders. Maintaining the trunk upright enhances the validity of VV orientation, and maintaining the head upright enhances the validity of within-subject variability. Measuring VV without any body maintaining is valid in patients with satisfactory balance abilities.
Prognostic indicators in node‐negative advanced gastric cancer patients

Despite carrying better overall prognoses, some node‐negative gastric cancer patients die from recurrent malignancies. Identifying factors associated with disease‐specific survival in adequately staged node‐negative gastric cancer is important, as these patients are presumably free of microscopic regional metastases and may derive significant benefit from existing or future adjuvant strategies.
Butyric acid stimulates rumen mucosa development in the calf mainly by a reduction of apoptosis

In ruminants the Stimulation of papillar growth by butyric acid is well described but effects on mitosis and apoptosis are not known. To clarify the effect of short chain fatty acids three groups of three calves received a basic ration of 100 g hay per day for 6 weeks and additionally milk replacer. From these, two groups were fed with increasing amounts of the salts of either propionic acid (53 to 390 g) or butyric acid up to (54 to 326 g). The control group instead received an additional isocaloric amount of milk replacer. Mitosis was characterized by Ki67 immunoreactivity, apoptosis by a modified TUNEL assay and by electron microscopy. The feeding regimes led to significant differences of papillar length, increasing from 1.0mm (controls) to 2.2 mm (propionic acid) and 4 mm (butyric acid). This enlargement was partly explained by an increased mitotic rate for the two fatty acid groups. The difference between the fatty acid groups was mainly explained by different apoptotic rates which were only one third for butyric acid compared to propionic acid (P < 0.001). In conclusion, butyric acid is a specific inhibitor of ruminal apoptosis in vivo.
Gene Expression Biomarkers Provide Sensitive Indicators of in Planta Nitrogen Status in Maize[W][OA]

Over the last several decades, increased agricultural production has been driven by improved agronomic practices and a dramatic increase in the use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers to maximize the yield potential of crops. To reduce input costs and to minimize the potential environmental impacts of nitrogen fertilizer that has been used to optimize yield, an increased understanding of the molecular responses to nitrogen under field conditions is critical for our ability to further improve agricultural sustainability. Using maize (Zea mays) as a model, we have characterized the transcriptional response of plants grown under limiting and sufficient nitrogen conditions and during the recovery of nitrogen-starved plants. We show that a large percentage (approximately 7%) of the maize transcriptome is nitrogen responsive, similar to previous observations in other plant species. Furthermore, we have used statistical approaches to identify a small set of genes whose expression profiles can quantitatively assess the response of plants to varying nitrogen conditions. Using a composite gene expression scoring system, this single set of biomarker genes can accurately assess nitrogen responses independently of genotype, developmental stage, tissue type, or environment, including in plants grown under controlled environments or in the field. Importantly, the biomarker composite expression response is much more rapid and quantitative than phenotypic observations. Consequently, we have successfully used these biomarkers to monitor nitrogen status in real-time assays of field-grown maize plants under typical production conditions. Our results suggest that biomarkers have the potential to be used as agronomic tools to monitor and optimize nitrogen fertilizer usage to help achieve maximal crop yields.