Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exercise Training Attenuates Placental Ischemia-Induced Hypertension and Angiogenic Imbalance in the Rat

An imbalance between proangiogenic (vascular endothelial growth factor) and antiangiogenic (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1) factors plays an important role in hypertension associated with reduced uteroplacental perfusion (RUPP). Exercise has been shown to stimulate proangiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor, in both the pregnant and nonpregnant state; thus, we hypothesized that exercise training would attenuate both angiogenic imbalance and hypertension attributed to RUPP. Four groups of animals were studied, RUPP and normal pregnant controls and normal pregnant and RUPP+exercise training. Exercise training attenuated RUPP-induced hypertension (P<0.05), decreased soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (P<0.05), increased VEGF (P<0.05), and elevated the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1:vascular endothelial growth factor ratio. The positive effects of exercise on angiogenic balance in the RUPP rats were confirmed by restoration (P<0.05) of the RUPP-induced decrease in endothelial tube formation in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells treated with serum from each of the experimental groups. Placental prolyl hydroxylase 1 was increased (P<0.05) in RUPP+exercise training rats. Decreased trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity in the placenta, amniotic fluid, and kidney of the RUPP rats was reversed by exercise. RUPP-induced increase in renal thiobarbituric acid reactive species was attenuated by exercise. The present data show that exercise training before and during pregnancy attenuates placental ischemia-induced hypertension, angiogenic imbalance, and oxidative stress in the RUPP rat and reveals that increased prolyl hydroxylase 1 is associated with decreased soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1, thus revealing several potential pathways for exercise training to mitigate the effects of placental ischemia-induced hypertension. Lastly, the present study demonstrates that exercise training may be a useful approach to attenuate the development of placental ischemia-induced hypertension during pregnancy.
Facing Existential Realities: Exploring Barriers and Challenges to Spiritual Nursing Care

Although nurses of the past and present recognize the importance of spiritual care to health and healing, in practice and education, spiritual care dwells on the periphery of the profession. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the reasons behind this contradiction. Using the phenomenological approach, open-ended interviews were conducted with 29 individuals, including oncology nurses, patients and their families, chaplains, and hospital administrators. Their accounts reveal examples of how attitudes, beliefs, and practices of the larger organizational culture can shape the everyday lived experience of bedside nursing. Specifically, these influences tend to create a lived space that is uncaring, and a lived time that is “too tight. ” Moreover, lived body is experienced as an object for technical intervention, and lived other is experienced from a distance rather than “up close and personal. ” It was argued that, together, these existential experiences of lived time, space, body, and other create formidable barriers to spiritual nursing care.
Clopidogrel for Atherothrombotic Event Management in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease (COOPER) Study: Safety and Efficacy of Clopidogrel versus Ticlopidine in Japanese Patients.

BACKGROUND Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has been recognized as an independent risk factor for vascular events and contributes to an adverse prognosis. Long-term administration of clopidogrel is recommended to prevent atherothrombotic events for patients with established PAD. We investigated the benefits of clopidogrel treatment in Japanese patients with PAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS COOPER (Clopidogrel for atherOthrombOtic event management in patients with PERipheral arterial disease) was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of clopidogrel (75 mg/day) compared to ticlopidine (200 mg/day) in Japanese patients with PAD. The primary endpoint was the cumulative incidence of "safety events of interest" comprising clinically significant bleeding, blood disorders, hepatic dysfunction and other serious adverse events up to 12 weeks. The other safety events and vascular events were also assessed. Patients were followed up to 52 weeks. RESULTS A total of 431 patients with PAD were randomly assigned to receive either clopidogrel or ticlopidine. The cumulative incidences of "safety events of interest" at 12 weeks were 2.4% and 13.6% of patients who received clopidogrel and ticlopidine, respectively (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.161; 95% confidence interval, 0.062 to 0.416; p <0.0001). Bleeding and vascular events were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION Clopidogrel demonstrated a favorable benefit/risk profile than ticlopidine in Japanese patients with PAD. ( TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT00862420).
A Survey of Parallel A

A* is a best-first search algorithm for finding optimal-cost paths in graphs. A* benefits significantly from parallelism because in many applications, A* is limited by memory usage, so distributed memory implementations of A* that use all of the aggregate memory on the cluster enable problems that can not be solved by serial, single-machine implementations to be solved. We survey approaches to parallel A*, focusing on decentralized approaches to A* which partition the state space among processors. We also survey approaches to parallel, limited-memory variants of A* such as parallel IDA*.
Reduced intra-individual reaction time variability during a Go-NoGo task in detoxified alcohol-dependent patients after one right-sided dorsolateral prefrontal HF-rTMS session.

AIMS As alcohol dependency is characterized by severe executive function deficits, we examined the influence of high-frequency (HF) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on executive functioning in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients. METHODS In this randomized, single blind, sham (placebo)-controlled, crossover study, we included 50 detoxified alcohol-dependent patients. We examined the effect of a single right DLPFC HF-rTMS session on commission errors, mean reaction times (RTs) and intra-individual reaction time variability (IIRTV) during a Go-NoGo task (50% Go/50% NoGo condition) in 29 alcohol-dependent patients. Patients completed this cognitive task immediately before and immediately after the stimulation session. In order to avoid carry-over effects between stimulation sessions, a 1-week inter-session interval was respected. Because rTMS treatment has been shown to affect subjective craving, all patients were also assessed with the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS). RESULTS After both stimulation conditions, we observed a significant decrease of commission errors, without differences between active and sham HF-rTMS stimulation. No significant difference was observed between active and sham stimulation on mean RT. However, only active stimulation resulted in a significant decrease in IIRTV. No effects of stimulation were found for the craving measurements. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients, one right-sided HF-rTMS session stabilizes cognitive performance during executive control tasks, implying that active stimulation reduces patients' proneness to attentional lapses.
What Motivates Family Physicians to Participate in Training Programs in Shared Decision Making?

Introduction: Little is known about the factors that influence family physician (FP) participation in continuing professional development (CPD) programs in shared decision making (SDM). We sought to identify the factors that motivate FPs to participate in DECISION+, a CPD program in SDM. Methods: In 2007‐2008, we collected data from 39 FPs who participated in a pilot randomized trial of DECISION+. In 2010, we collected data again from 11 of those participants and from 12 new subjects. Based on the theory of planned behavior, our questionnaire assessed FPs' intentions to participate in a CPD program in SDM and evaluated FPs' attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. We also conducted 4 focus groups to explore FPs' salient beliefs. Results: In 2010, FPs' mean intention to participate in a CPD program in SDM was relatively strong (2.6 ± 0.5 on a scale from −3= “strongly disagree” to +3 = “strongly agree”). Affective attitude was the only factor significantly associated with intention (r = .51, p = .04). FPs identified the attractions of participating in a CPD program in SDM as (1) its interest, (2) the pleasure of learning, and (3) professional stimulation. Facilitators of their participation were (1) a relevant clinical topic, (2) an interactive program, (3) an accessible program, and (4) decision support tools. Discussion: To attract FPs to a CPD program in SDM, CPD developers should make the program interesting, enjoyable, and professionally stimulating. They should choose a clinically relevant topic, ensure that the program is interactive and accessible, and include decision support tools.
Philosophy of Science A–Z

An alphabetically arranged guide to the philosophy of science. While philosophy of science has always been an integral part of philosophy, since the beginning of the twentieth century it has developed its own structure and its fair share of technical vocabulary and problems. Philosophy of Science A-Z gives concise, accurate and illuminating accounts of key positions, concepts, arguments and figures in the philosophy of science. It aids understanding of current debates, explains their historical development and connects them with broader philosophical issues. It presupposes little prior knowledge of philosophy of science and is equally useful to the beginner, the more advanced student and the general reader. Readers will find in it illuminating explanations, careful analysis, relevant examples, open problems and, last but not least, precise arguments. Philosophy of science is a flourishing discipline and Philosophy of Science A to Z is a practical and imaginative way into and through it.
Genetic recombination variation in wild Robertsonian mice: on the role of chromosomal fusions and Prdm9 allelic background

Despite the existence of formal models to explain how chromosomal rearrangements can be fixed in a population in the presence of gene flow, few empirical data are available regarding the mechanisms by which genome shuffling contributes to speciation, especially in mammals. In order to shed light on this intriguing evolutionary process, here we present a detailed empirical study that shows how Robertsonian (Rb) fusions alter the chromosomal distribution of recombination events during the formation of the germline in a Rb system of the western house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus). Our results indicate that both the total number of meiotic crossovers and the chromosomal distribution of recombination events are reduced in mice with Rb fusions and that this can be related to alterations in epigenetic signatures for heterochromatinization. Furthermore, we detected novel house mouse Prdm9 allelic variants in the Rb system. Remarkably, mean recombination rates were positively correlated with a decrease in the number of ZnF domains in the Prdm9 gene. The suggestion that recombination can be modulated by both chromosomal reorganizations and genetic determinants that control the formation of double-stranded breaks during meiosis opens new avenues for understanding the role of recombination in chromosomal speciation.
Predator-prey encounter and capture rates in turbulent environments

Predator-prey encounter and capture rates are key drivers of population dynamics of planktonic organisms. Turbulent mixing gives rise to enhanced encounter rates, but high turbulence levels may reduce capture rates. We present an estimate for the optimum turbulence level for a predator that is characterized by a number of parameters, such as its range of interception. A limit at small spatial scales is recovered where classical diffusion competes with turbulent motions. Particular attention is given to the question of turbulence-induced noise signals, which a predator can misinterpret as indicators of prey. Analytical expressions are obtained for the occurrence of these "error signals" in terms of the basic parameters of the problem. The basic hypothesis rests on the assumption that if several such error signals are received within a time needed for the predator to capture prey, then its capacity for cap- turing prey is reduced or even made impossible. The aim of the study is to present closed general analytical expressions for the capture rate in turbulent environments, where the results contain free parameters that can be used for modeling selected species. Statistical descriptions of the velocity fluctuations on spatial scales in the viscous subrange of turbulence are determined and placed in the context of predator-prey encounter and capture rates. The relevant probability densities are obtained by direct numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equation for turbulent conditions. The analysis is given a compact formulation in terms of scaled dimensionless variables.
Breeding programs to reduce foot and leg problems

The incidence of foot and leg problems and their direct and indirect consequences can be reduced by selection. The most promising approach is to select on an index that includes at least linear scores for foot angle or diagonal, rear legs rear view, and a locomotion score. Desirable are high foot angles, shorter diagonals, straighter rear legs from the rear with little to no closeness at the hocks, and locomotion scores that reflect easier walking. In some populations legs straighter than average at the hocks as observed from the side may have value. Low frequencies of direct observation of actual foot and leg problems limit their usefulness in selection decisions, but they might improve estimates of Breeding Value if used when they are available. Because the heritabilities of the foot and leg traits are low when based on the phenotype of individual animals, selection will be many times more effective when based on animal model estimates of progeny average breeding values. Antagonistic genetic correlations apparently exist between yields of protein, milk, and fat of first lactations and incidence of foot and leg problems. These indicate that the index used for feet and legs be a subindex or only part of the overall index used for selection of parents of future generations of dairy cattle.
Intolerance over time : macro and micro level questions on attitudes towards euthanasia, homosexuality and ethnic minorities

The Netherlands, as many other Western countries, has experienced large shifts in intolerance in only a few decades. Aggregate opinions on euthanasia and homosexuality have become more accommodating over time, whereas the general opinion on the presence of ethnic minorities has become much more critical. This book describes observed trends and seeks explanations for the rapid socio-cultural changes in the Netherlands. Transformations in the composition of Dutch society, specific historical circumstances and personal contact experiences with homosexual men and women and with ethnic minorities are all evaluated as possible causes of changed intolerance levels. Furthermore, a validity study at the heart of this book investigates the use of retrospective attitude measurements in survey designs. This book addresses the changes observed in the Netherlands over time and within individuals over their life courses. Large-scale cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets are employed. Multi-level models are used to analyse cross-sectional changes, and growth curve models to analyse individual changes over time.
Genomic comparison of closely related Giant Viruses supports an accordion-like model of evolution

Genome gigantism occurs so far in Phycodnaviridae and Mimiviridae (order Megavirales). Origin and evolution of these Giant Viruses (GVs) remain open questions. Interestingly, availability of a collection of closely related GV genomes enabling genomic comparisons offer the opportunity to better understand the different evolutionary forces acting on these genomes. Whole genome alignment for five groups of viruses belonging to the Mimiviridae and Phycodnaviridae families show that there is no trend of genome expansion or general tendency of genome contraction. Instead, GV genomes accumulated genomic mutations over the time with gene gains compensating the different losses. In addition, each lineage displays specific patterns of genome evolution. Mimiviridae (megaviruses and mimiviruses) and Chlorella Phycodnaviruses evolved mainly by duplications and losses of genes belonging to large paralogous families (including movements of diverse mobiles genetic elements), whereas Micromonas and Ostreococcus Phycodnaviruses derive most of their genetic novelties thought lateral gene transfers. Taken together, these data support an accordion-like model of evolution in which GV genomes have undergone successive steps of gene gain and gene loss, accrediting the hypothesis that genome gigantism appears early, before the diversification of the different GV lineages.
SAR evaluations of mobile phone close to a pacemaker implanted in human body

Recently, electromagnetic interference (EMI) of an implanted pacemaker with a mobile phone was largely investigated. As for the pacemaker, the Japan National Authorities have recommended to keep the mobile phone in safe distance from the cardiac pacemaker. Meanwhile, evaluation of the interaction between the electromagnetic (EM) wave and human body was in progress. Therefore, the absorption of EM energy to the human body especially around the pacemaker, where the mobile phone was in a chest pocket of the pacemaker holder, was thoroughly evaluated. We provided the calculation of specific absorption rate (SAR) distributions around the pacemaker model that implanted into a rectangular parallelepiped torso model, when a mobile phone model is placed in the vicinity. In addition, the SAR was also experimentally performed to validate the such numerical calculations. We confirmed that SAR distributions could be estimated from the presence or absence of pacemaker model. Moreover, the measurement results of the SAR distribution suited to the calculation, thus its validation was achieved.
Applicability of an in-House Saponin-Based Extraction Method in Bruker Biotyper Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry System for Identification of Bacterial and Fungal Species in Positively Flagged Blood Cultures

We used an in-house saponin-based extraction method to evaluate the performance of the Bruker Biotyper matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) system for the identification of bacteria and fungi in 405 positively flagged blood culture bottles. Results obtained from MALDI-TOF/MS were compared with those obtained using conventional phenotypic identification methods. Of the 405 positively flagged blood culture bottles, 365 showed monomicrobal growth and were correctly identified to the species (72.1%) or genus (89.6%) level using the Bruker Biotyper system. The remaining 40 positively flagged blood culture bottles showed polymicrobial growth. Of them, 82.5% (n = 33) of the isolates were correctly identified to the species level and 92.5% (n = 37) to the genus level using the Bruker Biotyper system. The overall accuracy of identification to the genus level in flagged blood cultures was 89.5% for Gram-positive organisms, 93.5% for Gram-negative pathogens and 71.9% for fungi. Confidence scores were ≥1.500 for 307 (75.8%) bottles, ≥1.700 for 249 (61.5%) bottles and ≥2.000 for 142 (35.1%) bottles. None of the yeast cultures yielded scores ≥1.700. Using an identification-score cutoff of ≥1.500, the MALDI Biotyper correctly identified 99.2% of Gram-positive bacteria, 97.6% of Gram-negative bacteria and 100% of yeast isolates to the genus level and 77.6% of Gram-positive bacteria, 87.1% of Gram-negative bacteria and 100.0% of yeast isolates to the species level. The overall rate of identification using our protocol was 89.9% (364/405) for genus level identification and 73.1% (296/405) for species level identification. Yeast isolates yielded the lowest confidence scores, which compromised the accuracy of identification. Further optimization of the protein extraction procedure in positive blood cultures is needed to improve the rate of identification.
Community-Based Control of the Brown Dog Tick in a Region with High Rates of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, 2012–2013

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) transmitted by the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) has emerged as a significant public health risk on American Indian reservations in eastern Arizona. During 2003–2012, more than 250 RMSF cases and 19 deaths were documented among Arizona's American Indian population. The high case fatality rate makes community-level interventions aimed at rapid and sustained reduction of ticks urgent. Beginning in 2012, a two year pilot integrated tick prevention campaign called the RMSF Rodeo was launched in a ∼600-home tribal community with high rates of RMSF. During year one, long-acting tick collars were placed on all dogs in the community, environmental acaricides were applied to yards monthly, and animal care practices such as spay and neuter and proper tethering procedures were encouraged. Tick levels, indicated by visible inspection of dogs, tick traps and homeowner reports were used to monitor tick presence and evaluate the efficacy of interventions throughout the project. By the end of year one, <1% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community had visible tick infestations five months after the project was started, compared to 64% of dogs in Non-Rodeo communities, and environmental tick levels were reduced below detectable levels. The second year of the project focused on use of the long-acting collar alone and achieved sustained tick control with fewer than 3% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community with visible tick infestations by the end of the second year. Homeowner reports of tick activity in the domestic and peridomestic setting showed similar decreases in tick activity compared to the non-project communities. Expansion of this successful project to other areas with Rhipicephalus-transmitted RMSF has the potential to reduce brown dog tick infestations and save human lives.