Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continuous Angiotensin II Blockade throughout the Acute Phase of One‐Kidney Hypertension in the Dog

SUMMARY The importance of the renin-angiotensin system in the development and maintenance of one-kidney renal hypertension in the dog was assessed by chronically inhibiting angiotensin by continuous infusion of [Sar+--,AlaB]angiotensin II or a converting enzyme inhibitor (SQ 20881). Angiotensin blockade was begun 1-2 days before renal artery constriction and continued for 6-7 days throughout the high rerun phase of hypertension. Chronic hypertension was produced despite continuous angiotensin inhibition with [Sar+-,Ala8]angiotensin II or SQ 20881. Mean arterial pressure rose to hypertensive levels during the |Sar1,Ala']angiotensin II infusion, but the increase occurred more slowly than when the renin-angiotensin system was intact. Although chronic infusion of the angiotensin II analogue itself produced no measurable vasopressor agonism, the analogue appeared to be mildy agonistic for the kidney and adrenal cortex. Chronic SQ 20881 infusion consistently lowered mean arterial pressure by about 10 mm Hg in unilaterally nephrectomized normotensive dogs and potentiated the vasodepressor action of bradykinin. Renal artery constriction during the SQ 20881 infusion for 6 days produced a gradual increase in mean arterial pressure (18 mm Hg above the control level); discontinuation of SQ 20881 was followed by a further elevation in arterial pressure. The present observations demonstrate that chronic hypertension developed and was sustained in spite of minimal or no activation of the renin-angiotensin system during the acute high renin phase of one-kidney hypertension.
The Chemical Composition of α Cen A: Strong Lines and the ABO Theory of Collisional Line Broadening

Abstract The mean abundances of Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, and Fe based on both strong and weak lines of α Cen A are determined by matching the observed line profiles with those synthesised from stellar atmospheric models and comparing these results with a similar analysis for the Sun. There is good agreement between the abundances from strong and weak lines. Strong lines should generally be an excellent indicator of abundance and far easier to measure than the weak lines normally used. Until the development of the Anstee, Barklem, and O'Mara (ABO) theory for collisional line broadening, the uncertainty in the value of the damping constant prevented strong lines being used for abundance determinations other than in close differential analyses. We found that α Cen A has a mean overabundance of 0.12 ± 0.06 dex compared to solar mean abundances. This result agrees remarkably well with previous studies that did not use strong lines or the ABO theory for collisional line broadening. Our result supports the conclusion that reliable abundances can be derived from strong lines provided this new theory for line broadening is used to calculate the van der Waals damping.
Herschel observations of B1-bS and B1-bN: two first hydrostatic core candidates in the Perseus star-forming cloud

We report far-infrared Herschel observations obtained between 70 μm and 500 μm of two star-forming dusty condensations, [HKM99] B1-bS and [HKM99] B1-bN, in the B1 region of the Perseus star-forming cloud. In the western part of the Perseus cloud, B1-bS is the only source detected in all six PACS and SPIRE photometric bands, but it is not visible in the Spitzer map at 24 μm. B1-bN is clearly detected between 100 μm and 250 μm. We have fitted the spectral energy distributions of these sources to derive their physical properties, and find that a simple greybody model fails to reproduce the observed spectral energy distributions. At least a two-component model is required, consisting of a central source surrounded by a dusty envelope. The properties derived from the fit, however, suggest that the central source is not a Class 0 object. We then conclude that while B1-bS and B1-bN appear to be more evolved than a pre-stellar core, the best-fit models suggest that their central objects are younger than a Class 0 source. Hence, they may be good candidates to be examples of the first hydrostatic core phase. The projected distance between B1-bS and B1-bN is a few Jeans lengths. If their physical separation is close to this value, this pair would allow studying the mutual interactions between two forming stars at a very early stage of their evolution.
Type B hepatitis: a review of current prospects for a safe and effective vaccine.

Several subunit vaccines against hepatitis B virus (HBV) have been developed and either are being evaluated or soon will be evaluated for their ability to prevent HBV infection in humans. Most of these preparations consist of highly purified, 22-nm spherical particles of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) that have been extracted from the plasma of chronic carriers of HBV and inactivated with formalin. Extensive testing in humans and chimpanzees showed these vaccines to be free of residual HBV or other harmful agents and to be capable of stimulating the production of protective antibodies to HBsAg in the majority of recipients. Successful immunization of those at highest risk, e.g., babies of HBV-infected mothers, can be expected to have a major impact on the enormous, worldwide problem of hepatitis B infection and its sequelae.
Deconstructing Insight: EEG Correlates of Insightful Problem Solving

Background Cognitive insight phenomenon lies at the core of numerous discoveries. Behavioral research indicates four salient features of insightful problem solving: (i) mental impasse, followed by (ii) restructuring of the problem representation, which leads to (iii) a deeper understanding of the problem, and finally culminates in (iv) an “Aha! ” feeling of suddenness and obviousness of the solution. However, until now no efforts have been made to investigate the neural mechanisms of these constituent features of insight in a unified framework. Methodology/Principal Findings In an electroencephalographic study using verbal remote associate problems, we identified neural correlates of these four features of insightful problem solving. Hints were provided for unsolved problems or after mental impasse. Subjective ratings of the restructuring process and the feeling of suddenness were obtained on trial-by-trial basis. A negative correlation was found between these two ratings indicating that sudden insightful solutions, where restructuring is a key feature, involve automatic, subconscious recombination of information. Electroencephalogram signals were analyzed in the space×time×frequency domain with a nonparametric cluster randomization test. First, we found strong gamma band responses at parieto-occipital regions which we interpreted as (i) an adjustment of selective attention (leading to a mental impasse or to a correct solution depending on the gamma band power level) and (ii) encoding and retrieval processes for the emergence of spontaneous new solutions. Secondly, we observed an increased upper alpha band response in right temporal regions (suggesting active suppression of weakly activated solution relevant information) for initially unsuccessful trials that after hint presentation led to a correct solution. Finally, for trials with high restructuring, decreased alpha power (suggesting greater cortical excitation) was observed in right prefrontal area. Conclusions/Significance Our results provide a first account of cognitive insight by dissociating its constituent components and potential neural correlates.
Long-term efficacy and safety of exemestane in the treatment of breast cancer

Exemestane, a steroidal aromatase inhibitor, is licensed for postmenopausal patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer as second-line therapy in metastatic disease following antiestrogen failure and as part of sequential adjuvant therapy following initial tamoxifen. This study is a systematic literature review, evaluating exemestane in different clinical settings. The Ovid Medline (1948–2012), Embase (1980–2012), and Web of Science (1899–2012) databases were searched. Forty-two relevant articles covering randomized controlled trials were reviewed for efficacy and safety, and three for adherence. With regard to efficacy in metastatic disease, exemestane is superior to megestrol acetate after progression on tamoxifen. There is evidence for noninferiority to fulvestrant (following a prior aromatase inhibitor) and to nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors in the first-line setting. Combined use with everolimus is shown to be more efficacious than exemestane alone following previous aromatase inhibitor use. In the adjuvant setting, a switch to exemestane after 2–3 years of tamoxifen is superior to 5 years of tamoxifen. Exemestane is noninferior to 5 years of tamoxifen as upfront therapy, and may have a role as an extended adjuvant therapy. Used as neoadjuvant therapy, increased breast conservation is achievable. As chemoprevention, exemestane significantly reduces the incidence of breast cancer in “at-risk” postmenopausal women. Exemestane is associated with myalgias and arthralgias, as well as reduced bone mineral density and increased risk of fracture, which do not appear to persist at follow-up, with subsequent return to pretreatment values. Compared with tamoxifen, there is a reduced incidence of endometrial changes, thromboembolic events, and hot flashes. Limited evidence shows nonadherence in 23%–32% of patients. Evidence is growing in support of exemestane in all clinical settings. It is generally more efficacious and has a better safety profile than tamoxifen. How it compares with the nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors remains to be established. Further studies are required on adherence to ensure that maximum benefit is obtained.
Note tassonomiche ed ecologiche su Micromaldane Ornithochaeta (Polichaeta, Maldanidae), rinvenuta lungo le coste italiane meridionali

En A massive presence of the species Micromaldane ornithochaeta Mesnil, 1897 is reported along the South Italian coast (Mediterranean Sea) associated to the sponge Geodia cydonium (Jameson). Up to now the species was considered rare along the Italian coast. A re-description of the species was reported together with a discussion on its ecological characteristics.
Observations of Steady Longshore Currents in the Surf Zone

Abstract Steady surf-zone longshore currents and directional properties of the incident wave field were measured on a beach with nearly straight and parallel depth contours. Selected data were processed into 64 segments, each of 68.2 min. duration, irregularly spaced throughout an 18-day period. A wide variety of incident wave and longshore current conditions were observed. The radiation stress spectrum [Sxy(f)] was estimated from a slope array and two current meters located seaward of the surf zone. In many cases the total radiation stress [SxyT = ΣSxy(f)Δf] contains important contributions from a wide range of frequencies. In a few instances, sea and swell approach the beach from different directions quadrants resulting in a new zero SxyT. The strong shears and direction reversals of the longshore current that could conceivably occur in this circumstance were not observed. An EOF decomposition of the mean longshore current pattern shows that most (<90%) of the current spatial variation in the 64 runs is.
Performance evaluation of solar tunnel dryer for chilly drying

One unit of solar tunnel dryer of 18 m X 3.75 m size was commissioned at farmer’s field in Kotnekal village of Raichur district of northern Karnataka and evaluated its performance for chilly drying. A maximum temperature of 58.5 °C was recorded at 14:00 hours inside the solar tunnel dryer during drying process which was 41.02 per cent higher than the maximum ambient temperature (34.5 °C) at the same time. On an average, a total drying time of 50 drying hours (6 – 7 sunny days) were required for solar tunnel dryer to reduce the moisture content of chilly from initial value of 76 per cent (w.b.) to a final moisture content of 9 per cent (w.b.) while the open sun drying required on an average 105 drying hours (13 – 14 sunny days) to obtain same level of moisture content which resulted in a net saving in drying time of 52.38 per cent for solar tunnel dryer over open sun drying.
Study on Bearing Impedance Properties at Several Hundred Kilohertz for Different Electric Machine Operating Parameters

The possibility of bearing damage caused by inverter-induced bearing currents in modern variable-speed drive systems has been well recognized. However, the breakdown and current conduction mechanisms have still not been well understood today. We present results on the HF impedance properties of rolling element bearings at 300-kHz and 1.5-MHz signals-frequencies taken from the typical spectra of HF circulating bearing currents. Different motor speeds, bearing temperatures, voltages across the bearing, and two different motor sizes are investigated. Notably, we analyze the frequency of transitions between ohmic and capacitive behavior (or vice versa)-the “mode transitions”-as a function of these operating parameters: For some operating conditions, the bearing impedance alternates between capacitive and ohmic behavior without any modification of the macroscopic conditions it is subjected to.
Cost optimization of a hybrid energy storage system using GAMS

By using two different energy storage systems the technical merits of both of them are exploited mostly in terms of their specific power and energy densities differences. The energy density of a battery is high but its power density is less which is opposite in the case of supercapacitor (SC). Thus, combining battery and supercapacitor the battery lifespan is prolonged which makes the system more reliable and efficient. In this paper, the battery and supercapacitor hybrid energy storage system (HESS) model is presented. The optimization of the HESS by reducing the operation costs and investment costs is necessary so that the wind/solar energy are fully utilized. The objective of the optimization is the minimization of operation and capital costs in the complete lifespan considering the constraints. In this paper, nonlinear programming (NLP) is used in General Algebraic Modelling Software (GAMS) to solve the optimization problem. The GAMS which is an effective and simple platform for optimization computations consists of a number of solvers with different algorithms. The CONOPT solver is used for solving the optimization model in this paper. The results obtained henceforth are studied and then compared with the results obtained by optimizing the HESS system with particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique. The results obtained by solving with GAMS are optimized, better and showed lesser computation time.
Perceptual suppression of predicted natural images

Perception is shaped not only by current sensory inputs but also by expectations generated from past sensory experience. Humans viewing ambiguous stimuli in a stable visual environment are generally more likely to see the perceptual interpretation that matches their expectations, but it is less clear how expectations affect perception when the environment is changing predictably. We used statistical learning to teach observers arbitrary sequences of natural images and employed binocular rivalry to measure perceptual selection as a function of predictive context. In contrast to previous demonstrations of preferential selection of predicted images for conscious awareness, we found that recently acquired sequence predictions biased perceptual selection toward unexpected natural images and image categories. These perceptual biases were not associated with explicit recall of the learned image sequences. Our results show that exposure to arbitrary sequential structure in the environment impacts subsequent visual perceptual selection and awareness. Specifically, for natural image sequences, the visual system prioritizes what is surprising, or statistically informative, over what is expected, or statistically likely.
Epidemiology of oral and pharyngeal cancers in Khon Kaen, Thailand: a high incidence in females.

BACKGROUND This study was aimed to describe incidence, trends, and survival of oral and pharyngeal cancers in Khon Kaen, the province situated in the northeast of Thai-land. METHODS Data on oral and pharyngeal cancer cases diagnosed during 1985 - 2001 were retrieved from the population-based cancer registry of Khon Kaen. The final status of the patients was verified by database linkage and follow-up using postcards. RESULTS Of 1,038 cases, 62.6% were female and 37.4% were male, with a mean age of 63 years. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) in females (6.2 per 100 000; 95%CI 5.7-6.7) was significantly higher than in males (3.9 per 100 000; 95%CI 3.5-4.4). Annual percent changes in ASR were 1.7 in females (p<0.05), but 1.2 in males. Lip and buccal cancers were the most common sites respectively; however, the incidence of tongue cancer was increasing in the last period. Eighty five percent of all cases were diagnosed in advanced stage (stage III and IV). The overall five-year relative survival was 43.1%. We found stage distribution and survival did not change during the study period. CONCLUSION The considerably high incidence in female suggests a need for research on specific risk factors. Moreover, attempts should be made to detect oral cancers earlier in order to improve the outcomes of cancer control.
Towards performance and reliability-efficient computing in the dark silicon era

This paper discusses the power density and temperature induced issues in modern on-chip systems due to the high integration density and roadblock on the voltage scaling. First, the emerging dark silicon problem is discussed, and the corresponding critical research challenges in future chips are enumerated. Afterwards, we present an overview of some key research efforts and concepts that leverage dark silicon for performance and reliability optimization of on-chip systems under power or temperature constraints. The summarized works account for heat transfer inside a chip, as well as the varying performance and power trade-offs of gray silicon, that is, the potential benefits of operating at lower-than-nominal voltage and frequency levels. Besides realizing reliability-heterogeneous architectures, reliability of an on-chip system is enhanced by exploiting dark silicon for aging deceleration and resilience-driven resource management to mitigate soft-errors. Several of the tools discussed in this paper are available for download at http://ces.itec. kit.edu/download.
Lower Bounds for Achieving Synchronous Consensus with Orderly Crash Failure

The time lower bounds for both uniform consensus and early stopping consensus have already been proved in synchronous distributed systems with crash failures, but both have not been proved with orderly crash failures and remain as open problems. This paper uses a bivalency argument proof to solve the two open problems. The first open problem is how to prove the lower bound, min (t + 1, f + 2) rounds, for early-stopping synchronous consensus with orderly crash failures, where t < n - 1 and 0 les f les t -1. The second problem is to prove that the lower bound for early deciding uniform consensus with orderly crash failures is (f + 2)-rounds where 0 les f les t -2, and (f + 1)-rounds when f = t and t - 1.
Positive Education for Young Children: Effects of a Positive Psychology Intervention for Preschool Children on Subjective Well Being and Learning Behaviors

Despite the flourishing in recent years in applications of positive psychology in the field of education, there is a paucity of research investigating positive psychology interventions for preschool children. The present study examined the effects of a positive psychology-based intervention conducted in Israel on children’s subjective well-being, mental health and learning behaviors. Twelve preschool classrooms of 3–6.5 year-olds were randomly assigned to a positive psychology intervention condition or a wait-list control condition. In the intervention condition, during one school year, 160 children experienced eight modules of basic concepts in positive psychology that were adapted to the developmental characteristics of young children and were compared to 155 children in demographically similar control classrooms. Children were administered a pre-test and post-test of subjective well-being measures. In addition, children’s mental health and emotional well-being were measured by parental questionnaires. Preschool teachers completed questionnaires concerning children’s learning behaviors. The findings showed significant increases in subjective well-being and positive learning behaviors among the intervention participants, with no significant changes in the control group. The results highlight the potential of positive psychology interventions for increasing subjective well-being and a positive approach to learning at young ages.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers in the North Atlantic redfish (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae, genus Sebastes)

Redfish {genus Sebastes) are marine, viviparous and commercially important fish of the North Atlantic. For the last 30 years, a considerable amount of effort has been invested to study the evolutionnary relationships and the population genetic structure of tliis species complex. The complex is composed of four currently recognized taxa: Sebastes fasciatus, S. mentella, S. mariniis and S. vivipams. However, genetic studies relying on proteins and/or mitochondrial DNA markers have generally revealed low levels of genetic variation within and between redfish taxa (McGlade et al. 1983; Nedreaas & Naevdal 1991a), and hampered the analysis of young stages (Nedreaas & Naevdai 1991b). Consequently, there was a need for genetic markers with a higher resolution that could detect differences at any level of genetic differentiation (species, stocks), and any developmental stages. We report here the isolation and characterization of eight microsatelHtes from the Atlantic redfish complex that may be useful for a wide range of applications throughout the Atlantic Ocean.
Drag reduction in turbulent muddy seawater flows and some sedimentary consequences

Turbulent saline flows which contain low concentrations of suspended clay (< 10 g 1−1) have previously been reported to possess dramatically different boundary layer characteristics from clearwater flows and to exhibit the phenomenon of drag reduction. Drag reduction causes significantly lower friction factors and higher erosion thresholds in muddy saline flows than predicted by experimental data gained from fresh-water flows using the law of the wall to estimate bed shear stress. Confirmation is given by experimental results on drag reduction using non-intrusive laser Doppler measurements in seawater flows with <2·2 g 1−1 maximum concentration of suspended clay. Increasing the concentration of clay caused progressively lower velocities near the wall due to a gradual thickening of the buffer region of the turbulent boundary layer. Several aspects of sediment transport, deposition and bedform development in natural marine environments are thus considered to be significantly affected by the drag reduction process.
Energy-Efficient Adaptation of Pilot Power, Data Power, and Transmission Rate for Downlink Multiuser MIMO Systems

This paper addresses energy-efficient link adaptation for downlink multiuser multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems. Different from the previous works on energy efficient MIMO techniques, we take into account finite pilot power and the corresponding effect of imperfect channel state information (CSI) at the users. We analyze the average throughput and define the energy efficiency (EE) of downlink multiuser MIMO systems. We show that the EE of the system is not jointly quasi-concave with respect to pilot power, data power, and transmission rate. For this reason, we propose an efficient algorithm that alternately updates pilot power, data power, and transmission rate to improve the EE of the system. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme significantly enhances the EE, and the resulting EE is comparable to the maximal EE obtained by the exhaustive search.