jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
The Price of Immune Responses and the Role of Vitamin D in the Inner Ear

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Objective: In this review the authors discuss evidence from the literature concerning vitamin D and temporal bone diseases (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo [BPPV], Menière's disease [MD], vestibular neuritis, idiopathic facial paralysis, idiopathic acute hearing loss). Common features shared by Menière's disease, glaucoma, and the possible influence by vitamin D are briefly discussed. Data Sources, Study Selection: Publications from 1970 until recent times have been reviewed according to a keyword search (see above) in PubMed. Conclusions: MD, BPPV, vestibular neuritis, idiopathic facial paralysis, idiopathic acute hearing loss may all have several etiological factors, but a common feature of the current theories is that an initial viral infection and a subsequent autoimmune/autoinflammatory reaction might be involved. Additionally, in some of these entities varying degrees of demyelination have been documented. Given the immunomodulatory effect of vitamin D, we postulate that it may play a role in suppressing an eventual postviral autoimmune reaction. This beneficial effect may be enhanced by the antioxidative activity of vitamin D and its potential in stabilizing endothelial cells. The association of vitamin D deficiency with demyelination has already been established in other entities such as multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalitis. Mice without vitamin D receptor show degenerative features in inner ear ganglia, hair cells, as well as otoconia. The authors suggest further studies concerning the role of vitamin D deficiency in diseases of the temporal bone. Additionally, the possible presence and degree of demyelination in these entities will have to be elucidated more systematically in the future.
Diagnosis and management of major vascular injuries: a review of 200 operative cases.

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

In a series of 250 civilian vascular injuries, 85 per cent were due to firearms and 50 per cent involved the torso, both of which represent an increased frequency of occurrence over other reports. There were 40 deaths, 31 of which occurred during operation or in the recovery room and were due to irreversible shock or coagulopathy. Of the nine late deaths, failure of the vascular repair was responsible for only three. In 124 extremity artery injuries, there were 12 leg amputations (10%) with shotgun wounds responsible for nine and popliteal artery injuries involved in seven. In gunshot wounds of the aorta and iliac arteries, there were five suture line disruptions in nine primary repairs and no disruptions in 11 patients repaired by grafts. The evidence indicates that an antibiotic soaked dacron graft is the method of choice to repair gunshot wounds of the aorta and iliac arteries at this time.
Responses after participating in Family Health Conversations in families with a family member who has suffered a stroke: A mixed methods research study

Field: Health Professions (Health Sciences)

Background:It has been proposed that support for families in which a family member has suffered a stroke should involve the whole family system. Aim:The aim was to evaluate the responses of Family Health Conversation (FamHC) in families with a member under the age of 65 who has been diagnosed with stroke. Methods:In this mixed methods research study, families were included in an intervention group and in a control group. For both groups pre- and post-intervention quantitative data was collected and for the intervention group, qualitative data was collected post-intervention. Underlying theoretical propositions and the two data sets were then integrated. Results: Family health measured as “the general atmosphere of the interaction of the family” had improved in the intervention group when compared to the control group. The intervention families, moreover, described how they had become more cooperative, their communication had improved, they had become more confident with their situation and also when planning for the future when comparing to before the FamHC. Conclusions: Based on the empirical results supporting the theoretical proposition underlying FamHC, we conclude that it works as intended, and the evidence for the theoretical proposition is thereby strengthened. This paper contributes to the scientific evidence concerning FamHC. With the available evidence, RNs are suggested to consider changing practice so as to work in amore family-centred way to support families living with ill-health. Implementing FamHC can be one way of undertaking such supportive work.
Emotional labor in service roles - conceptualization, theories and research

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

The topic of emotions in the workplace is beginning to draw attention from researchers and theorists. In many work settings, employees are expected to exert effort in the management of emotions in order to conform to the norms of organizations. This is called emotional labor, a term coined by Hochschild (1983). Emotional labor is the display of expected emotions by service agents during service encounters. The article reviews and compares different ways of conceptualizing emotional labor. The authors have used a variety of definitions, reflecting differences in emphasis: for Ashforth and Humphrey (1993), emotional labor is an observable behavior; for Morris and Feldman (1996), it is a state of emotional dissonance; and for Hochschild (1983) and Grandey (2000), it is a process of emotion regulation (at deep and surface levels). Emotional labor has been widely studied and is of considerable interest in relation to outcomes such as perceived stress, burnout and sense of accomplishment. The article presents research findings concerning consequences of emotional labor for both employees and organizations. In conclusion, some problems and future research directions were put forward.
Using GIS to Generate Spatial Datasets for Public Management and Analysis

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

This chapter describes the Enterprise Zone (EZ) Fiscal Impact Project conducted in 2003 by the Of?ce of Fiscal and Management Analysis (OFMA), Indiana Legislative Services Agency (LSA). The focus of this project was to better inform policy analysts and policy-makers about the extent and nature of business activity within Indiana’s 29 EZs. The most important outcomes of the project were the generation of digitized maps of the EZs and the geocoding of data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (also referred to as ES-202 data) to the EZs. The geocoding process yielded a census of business establishments in the EZs, and a dataset reporting employment levels, wage levels, and industry classi?cation information for each business identi?ed in the EZs. The project failed to yield much-needed information on sales receipts, income, and investment expenditures by EZ businesses. Researchers conducted a survey of EZ businesses to obtain this information, but the survey failed to yield suf?cient samples to draw conclusions about EZ businesses. In addition, geocoding of tax return data was considered, but researchers determined the geocoded tax return data would not yield valid and reliable information about EZ businesses. This project has provided valuable descriptive information for EZ administrators and was utilized by OFMA staff to estimate ?scal impacts of proposed EZ tax incentives for the Indiana legislature. The case also demonstrates how analysts can utilize GIS and available data sources to create new demographic and socio-economic databases for localized and idiosyncratic geographic areas. Nevertheless, the case also suggests that widespread geocoding of existing databases containing geographic information may not lead to a GIS that validly re?ects phenomenon in such areas. Thus, researchers must exercise caution in geocoding and utilizing the resulting databases for research and analysis.
Rheology and Processing of Novatein Thermoplastic Protein

Field: Chemical Engineering (Physical Sciences)

Biopolymers have become suitable alternatives to petro-chemical polymers as they can biodegrade and are considered environmentally friendly. Novatein Thermoplastic Protein (NTP) is a newly developed plastic material using bovine bloodmeal. Knowledge of the rheology of NTP is required to assess processability and to optimise process design. The objective of this research was to use capillary rheometry and batch mixing to determine the rheology and processing behaviour of NTP. These were evaluated at constant plasticiser content, but using three different ratios of water to plasticiser (triethylene glycol, TEG). Each of these was evaluated at 115, 120 and 125 °C. It was shown that NTP is a non-Newtonian, shear thinning fluid with similar behaviour compared to linear low density polyethylene. It was found that viscosity is highly dependent on water content; decreasing with increasing water content. At a shear rate of 15 s-1, the apparent viscosity for the standard formulation (60 parts water per hundred parts bloodmeal) was 2000 Pa.s compared to 7000 Pa.s for the formulation containing 30 parts water [water (30) : TEG (30)], measured at 115 °C. Viscosity decreased slightly with increasing temperature and the degree of non-Newtonian behaviour was mostly unaffected by temperature. The flow behaviour index, n, was found to be in the range 0.11 to 0.17, with no discernable temperature dependence. In the standard formulation, the total amount of plasticiser and ratio water to TEG was higher, which resulted in different flow behaviour with respect to temperature. Batch mixing was used to determine the processing window (∆t) by monitoring torque changes over time during mixing. Processing window for standard NTP decreased from 260 to 220 seconds when the mixing speed was increased from 75 to 95 RPM. The processing window was shortened with reducing water content or an increase in temperature. At 125 °C and 95 RPM the processing window was only 67 seconds for the formulation with 30 parts water and 30 parts TEG. It was concluded that crosslinking was accelerated with an increase in shear and temperature or a reduction in moisture content. Thermal or mechanical energy activates crosslinking, while water plasticises the polymer which decreases the rate of crosslinking. Processing NTP required a delicate balance of supplying enough mechanical and thermal energy for chain rearrangement and consolidation, but preventing fast crosslinking. Crosslinking can be retarded using larger amounts of water, but excessive water may lead to problems after product moulding. Replacing water with TEG does not prevent crosslinking, but does lower the apparent viscosity during processing.
Elite Genotypes of Water Yam (Dioscorea alata) Yield Food Product Quality Comparable to White Yam (Dioscorea rotundata)

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

Water yam (Dioscorea alata), also known as winged yam, is one of the most economically significant yam species, serving as a staple food crop in tropical and subtropical regions. Its widespread cultivation is due to its favorable agronomic characteristics, including high yield, improved tuber storability, and significant nutritional and health benefits. Despite these advantages, water yam often remains underutilized due to consumer biases towards its traditional food product quality, particularly for pounded yam preparations. In this study, we evaluated fifty-eight improved genotypes of water yams grown across three locations to assess their potential to produce superior food qualities comparable to the widely consumed white yams (D. rotundata). Seven white yams, including popular landraces, were used to set thresholds for desirable food quality. Through standardized analysis, yam samples were assessed for their biochemical composition and culinary and sensory texture attributes. The results revealed varying ranges of dry matter (DM), starch, sugar, protein, crude fiber (CF), fat, and amylose, spanning from 20.35 to 35.95 g/100 g, 42.81 to 83.31 g/100 g, 4.76 to 6.95 g/100 g, 4.33 to 6.62 g/100 g, 1.55 to 3.89 g/100 g, 0.32 to 0.53 g/100 g, and 29.27 to 38.52 g/100 g, respectively. The mean values (±SD) were found to be 29.85 ± 4.0 g/100 g (DM), 67.90 ± 44g/100 g (starch), 5.82 ± 0.64 g/100 g (sugar), 6.31 ± 1.31 g/100 g (protein), 2.14 ± 0.57 g/100 g (crude fiber), 0.44 ± 0.08 (fat), and 33 ± 16.43 g/100 g (amylose). Significant effects (p < 0.001) of the planting environments and genotypes on the biochemical composition of the yam samples were observed, except for the sugar content. Furthermore, specific water yam genotypes, such as TDa 0900354, TDa 9801174, TDa 1401619, TDa 1400301, TDa 140091, TDa 0100029, TDa 1100793, TDa 1401249, TDa 1100242, and TDa 1401276, exhibited biochemical properties and culinary and sensory textural attributes akin to the improved white yam genotypes and their landrace counterparts. These findings underscore the potential for promoting selected water yam genotypes to diversify food options and reduce reliance on a limited array of crops, particularly in traditional food-insecure regions of tropical Africa.
sj-docx-2-asn-10.1177_17590914221146365 - Supplemental material for Neuroprotection by Preconditioning in Mice is Dependent on MyD88-Mediated CXCL10 Expression in Endothelial Cells

Field: Neuroscience (Life Sciences)

Supplemental material, sj-docx-2-asn-10.1177_17590914221146365 for Neuroprotection by Preconditioning in Mice is Dependent on MyD88-Mediated CXCL10 Expression in Endothelial Cells by Zhihong Chen, Weiwei Hu, Mynor J. Mendez, Zachary C. Gossman, Anthony Chomyk, Brendan T. Boylan, Grahame J. Kidd, Timothy W. Phares, Cornelia C. Bergmann and Bruce D. Trapp in ASN Neuro
Short-term Exercise Effects on the Arterial Stiffness of Overweight Postmenopausal Women

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Exercise has been shown to reduce the arterial stiffness of premenopausal women. The effect of 8 weeks of interval sprinting exercise (ISE) on the arterial stiffness of overweight postmenopausal women, however, has not been determined. PURPOSE: Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the arterial stiffness of overweight sedentary postmenopausal women following 8 weeks of ISE. METHODS: Overweight postmenopausal females (N=20), aged 53±1.1 years, with a BMI of 28.8±0.9 kg·m2, and body mass of 76.4±3.1 kg underwent assessment of arterial stiffness using applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor). Augmentation index (AIx), a measure of reflection wave, and carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVcf) were assessed at pre and post 8 weeks of ISE. Maximal oxygen uptake was also assessed using a metabolic cart. Postmenopausal women were randomly assigned into either ISE (n=10) or control (n=10) groups. The ISE group was required to exercise on a cycle ergometer for 20 minutes per session (8 s sprint, 12 s recovery), three times per week for 8 weeks, whereas controls performed no structured exercise for 8 weeks. The control group was also asked to maintain their normal daily activity. Both groups’ dietary intake was monitored through food diaries. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in PWVcf between groups at post intervention, however, the exercise group significantly reduced their AIx by 2.9%, whereas controls increased their AIx by 4.5%, p<0.05. Aerobic power was significantly (p<0.05) increased in the exercise group by 21% whereas no change occurred in the control group. CONCLUSION: Eight weeks of ISE significantly reduced arterial stiffness and improved aerobic power of sedentary, overweight postmenopausal women.
Electron Beam Evaporated Aluminum Oxide Gate Silicon Transistors.

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

Aluminum oxide films prepared by the electron beam evaporation of Al2O3 tablets were studied in metal-insulator-semiconductor devices. The structure of Al2O3 films is amorphous with a density of 2.25 gm/cc. The film conductivity is smaller than 5 x 10 to the 14th power (ohm-cm) and the breakdown strength is higher than 1,300,000 V/cm. The average relative dielectric constant is about 7. The interface surface states of the MIS sample are small in the middle of the forbidden band, gradually increasing toward the band edges. The MIS devices have interface surface state densities larger than 3.4 x 10 to the 10th power states/sq cm. Both n- and p-channel MOSFETs with electron beam evaporated Al2O3 as the gate insulator were fabricated successfully. The n-channel MOSFET has an average threshold voltage of -2.3 volts and an average channel mobility of 207 sq cm/V-sec. The p-channel MOSFET has an average threshold voltage of -1.5 volts and an average channel mobility of 103.5 sq cm/V-sec. The radiation resistance of the fabricated n- and p-channel MOSFETs was tested with neutrons, gamma rays, and electrons. (Modified author abstract)
Musical pleasure mediates dopaminergic learning: an fMRI study

Field: Neuroscience (Life Sciences)

Music has been important to every culture in recorded history, and is widely considered among the most pleasurable things in the world. This relationship seems to have its root in the brain's reward system, where enjoying music corresponds to dopamine release. Yet according to reinforcement learning theory, this system is primarily involved in orienting towards biologically advantageous rewards, such as food and sex, to optimize behaviors for survival and reproduction. Its prominent role in musical pleasure, thus, has exciting implications. Can music influence goal-directed reward processing? Can it do so beneficially, to faci litate learning and other reward-related functions? This thesis explores this potential with a musical manipulation of reinforcement learning. Participants chose pleasurable and neutral music from an experimenter-compiled database and then listened to this music during functional magnetic resonance imaging of a probabilistic selection task known to rely on striatal dopamine transmission. To distinguish the effects of musical pleasure on the learning and generalization of probabilistic stimulus-outcome relationships, 17 subjects listened to pleasurable music during a training phase and neutral music during a test, while 18 subjects listened to neutral music during training and pleasurable music during testing. Pleasurable music significantly enhanced reinforcement learning, as in a previous investigation, and activity in the left superior temporal gyrus, left orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortices, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right insula was able to predict both musical pleasure and reinforcement learning task performance. There were also interactions between musical pleasure and neural responses consistent with a congruency effect, with pleasurable music enhancing attention for rewarding stimuli as reflected in the left occipital lobe, left middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, and right anterior cingulate cortex, although not in behavioral measures. Together, these findings support a role of dopamine in musical pleasure and suggest that this relationship can be exploited to aid both neural and behavioral functions of the reward system, with implications for education, decision making, and motivation.
Use of the shipley institute of living scale for neuropsychological screening of the elderly: Is it an appropriate measure for this population?

Field: Psychology (Social Sciences)

This investigation examined the performance of 61 healthy 60- to 85-year-olds on the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS). This highly functioning group (as indicated by performance on WAIS Block Design and Digit Span subtests) obtained a mean Conceptual Quotient (CQ) that fell within the range commonly considered indicative of cognitive impairment, with only 5% who performed within the "normal" range. Analysis of the frequency distribution for the number of Abstraction items correct shows a clustering at the low end of the scale. This suggests potential problems of reliability of the Abstraction and CQ measures with this population and appears to limit potential discriminative power of CQ to measure organic changes in cognitive functioning. Provision of age-based norms is thus unlikely to make the SILS an efficient screening device for organic cognitive changes in the elderly.
[Clinical significance of lymphadenopathy in the upper abdomen; ultrasound demonstration].

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Little attention has been paid to the ultrasound differentiation of benign abdominal lymphadenopathy from the malignant type. We reviewed 133 ultrasound examinations of 116 patients with lymphadenopathy seen over the upper abdomen and high retroperitoneum to clarify the differences in ultrasound findings of enlarged lymph nodes caused by benign and malignant abdominal diseases. The location, number, internal texture, size, length/thickness ratio of the lymph nodes, and relation with hepatitis virus infection were evaluated. Among 75 patients with benign diseases, 63 patients showed liver dysfunction and 42/65 (65%) showed positive hepatitis C virus antibody (HCV-Ab). Enlarged lymph nodes were seen over the common hepatic artery or hepatoduodenal ligament in 84%. Most patients had fewer than 4 enlarged nodes, and 46 patients had a single enlarged node. The length/thickness ratio of nodules was more than 2.5 in 63%. In 41 patients with malignant diseases, enlarged lymph nodes tended to be more widespread in location, larger in number, and smaller in length/thickness ratio than those of benign diseases. Lymphadenopathy over the common hepatic artery or hepatoduodenal ligament may suggest the presence of chronic active hepatitis, especially relating to HCV infection, even though hepatic sonotexture is normal on ultrasound examination.
Characterization of UV-Sensitive Marker Constituents of Polygala Root for TLC: Applications in Quality Control of Single Crude Drug Extract Preparations

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (Life Sciences)

Polygala Root (the root of Polygala tenuifolia WILLDENOW; Japanese name "Onji"), a well-known crude drug, traditionally used as an expectorant and sedative, has been attracting increased interest in recent years owing to its newly found pharmacological effect related to neuroprotection. However, there is no specific method for identifying and estimating the quality of this crude drug in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, 17th edition. Therefore, in order to develop a TLC-based simple and convenient identification method using characteristic chemical marker(s) for the drug and its extract products, UV-sensitive constituents of Polygala Root were first investigated. A total of 23 aromatic compounds were isolated and characterized. Two new compounds, namely, polygalaonjisides A (1) and B (2), were characterized as syringic acid 4-O-(2'-O-β-D-apiosyl)-β-D-glucoside and 2-O-(β-D-glucosyl)-3'-O-benzoylsucrose, respectively. Based on these phytochemical results, a TLC method focusing on three marker spots with Rf value of approximately 0.4-0.5 due to tenuifolisides A and B and 3,6'-di-O-sinapoylsucrose was proposed as a simple and convenient test to identify Polygala Root or its single-extract products on the market. The data presented in this paper could be useful in stipulating a confirmation test to identify Polygala Root.