Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of the Effects of Acidosis and Hypokalemia on Renal Ammonia Metabolism

Renal ammonia metabolism is the predominant component of net acid excretion and new bicarbonate generation. Renal ammonia metabolism is regulated by acid-base balance. Both acute and chronic acid loads enhance ammonia production in the proximal tubule and secretion into the urine. In contrast, alkalosis reduces ammoniagenesis. Hypokalemia is a common electrolyte disorder that significantly increases renal ammonia production and excretion, despite causing metabolic alkalosis. Although the net effects of hypokalemia are similar to metabolic acidosis, molecular mechanisms of renal ammonia production and transport have not been well understood. This mini review summarizes recent findings regarding renal ammonia metabolism in response to chronic hypokalemia.
Dynamic interaction and valuation of quality yen Eurobonds in a multivariate EGARCH framework

This study applies a multivariate EGARCH model, developed from the closed-form valuation model of Longstaff and Schwartz (1995), to explain the time-varying volatility of credit spreads on AAA and AA rated yen Eurobonds with different maturities. While the results support the theoretical proposition that relative credit spreads returns are negatively related to both changes in Japanese Government Bond (JGB) yields and changes in the Nikkei 225 Index, the key innovation of this study is that there is also evidence of a high level of volatility interaction and persistence between yen Eurobonds. However the volatility transmission mechanism is asymmetric in that negative innovations tend to increase the volatility in other bonds more than positive innovations.
Achieving Flexibility through Insecurity: A Comparison of Work Environments in Fixed-term and Permanent Jobs in Finland and Canada

In this comparative study of Finland and Canada, we use representative data to examine work environments in fixed-term and permanent jobs. Results are similar for all workers regardless of whether they are employed on fixed-term or permanent contracts. All workers feel their working hours are inflexible, but feel they have control over the tasks they perform and they have low risk of accident. The only difference is in the feelings of job insecurity: fixed-term workers, in both Finland and Canada, feel more insecure than those in permanent jobs. Our findings indicate that the global trends in flexibility and insecurity permeate all workers.
Performance Measurement in R&D: Exploring the Interplay between Measurement Objectives, Dimensions of Performance and Contextual Factors

Measuring research and development (R&D) performance has become a fundamental concern for R&D managers and executives in the last decades. As a result, the issue has been extensively debated in innovation and R&D management literature. The paper contributes to this growing body of knowledge, adopting a systemic and contextual perspective to look into the problem of measuring R&D performance. In particular, it explores the interplay between measurement objectives, performance dimensions and contextual factors in the design of a performance measurement system (PMS) for R&D activities. The paper relies on a multiple case study analysis that involved 15 Italian technology-intensive firms. The results indicate that firms measure R&D performance with different purposes, i.e. motivate researchers and engineers, monitor the progress of activities, evaluate the profitability of R&D projects, favour coordination and communication and stimulate organisational learning. These objectives are pursued in clusters, and the importance firms attach to each cluster is influenced by the context (type of R&D, industry belonging, size) in which measurement takes place. Furthermore, a firm's choice to measure R&D performance along a particular perspective (i.e. financial, customer, business processes or innovation and learning) is influenced by the classes of objectives (diagnostic, motivational or interactive) that are given higher priority. The implications of these results for R&D managers and scholars are discussed in the paper.
Apical plug technique using mineral trioxide aggregate: results from a case series.

AIM To examine the clinical and radiographic appearance of teeth that suffered premature interruption of root development and were treated by an mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) apical plug technique. SUMMARY Eleven teeth with immature root apices in 11 patients were treated nonsurgically by the manual application of MTA in the apical portion of the root canal under microscopic vision. Follow-up evaluations were performed at 1-2 years after treatment. KEY LEARNING POINTS Mineral trioxide aggregate appears to be a valid material to obtain periradicular healing in teeth with open apices and necrotic pulps. Ten out of 11 cases were associated with periradicular health at follow-up evaluation.
Nutrient-Dependent Reduced Growth and Survival of Larval Culex restuans (Diptera: Culicidae): Laboratory and Field Experiments in Michigan

Abstract Culex restuans Theobold, a putative vector of West Nile virus among birds in northern North America, also may serve as a bridge vector to mammals. Despite its potential public health importance, little is known about what regulates populations of this species. Mosquitoes generally are subject to both density-dependent reductions in survival and growth and to density-independent limitations on their population abundances. The mechanisms by which density dependence may occur in this species were examined in both field and laboratory studies. Nutrient-dependent reductions in growth were found in field studies. Under laboratory conditions, nutrient levels in larval habitats and total water volume per container contributed to survival and growth of larvae. We related these findings to density-independent changes in available habitat for larval development observed in other studies. These results may suggest a mechanism for patterns of mosquito abundance.
Technical efficiency of Spanish manufacturing firms: a panel data approach

This paper estimates the levels of technical efficiency reached by Spanish manufacturing firms, through an econometric estimation of frontier production functions for fifteen sectors of activity, and also, obtains other relevant technological measurements of these productive processes such as the scale and the technical progress parameters. The methodology used is the panel data methods (Schmidt and Sickles, 1984). The statistical source is provided by the Survey on Business Strategies (Encuesta Sobre Estrategias Empresariales), a panel of data covering 855 Spanish manufacturing firms observed over the period 1990-1994. Our econometric results confirm the great heterogeneity in the firms' efficiency, the predominance of constant returns to scale and the great rate of technological progress.
Carrier‐Mediated Release, Transport Rates, and Charge Transfer Induced by Amphetamine, Tyramine, and Dopamine in Mammalian Cells Transfected with the Human Dopamine Transporter

Abstract: Amphetamine and related substances induce dopamine release. According to a traditional explanation, this dopamine release occurs in exchange for amphetamine by means of the dopamine transporter (DAT). We tested this hypothesis in human embryonic kidney 293 cells stably transfected with the human DAT by measuring the uptake of dopamine, tyramine, and d‐ and l‐amphetamine as well as substrate‐induced release of preloaded N‐methyl‐4‐[3H]phenylpyridinium ([3H]MPP+). The uptake of substrates was sodium‐dependent and was inhibited by ouabain and cocaine, which also prevented substrate‐induced release of MPP+. Patch‐clamp recordings revealed that all four substrates elicited voltage‐dependent inward currents (on top of constitutive leak currents) that were prevented by cocaine. Whereas individual substrates had similar affinities in release, uptake, and patch‐clamp experiments, maximal effects displayed remarkable differences. Hence, maximal effects in release and current induction were ∼25% higher for d‐amphetamine as compared with the other substrates. By contrast, dopamine was the most efficacious substrate in uptake experiments, with its maximal initial uptake rate exceeding those of amphetamine and tyramine by factors of 20 and 4, respectively. Our experiments indicate a poor correlation between substrate‐induced release and the transport of substrates, whereas the ability of substrates to induce currents correlates well with their releasing action.
A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of cognitive control and neurosensory deficits in mild traumatic brain injury

Mild traumatic brain injury patients (mTBI) frequently report symptoms of increased distractability and sensory disturbances during mutisensory stimulation. These common post‐concussive symptoms could putatively result from dysfunction within the cognitive control network (CCN; top‐down) or from unisensory cortex (bottom‐up) itself. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and high‐resolution structural data were therefore prospectively collected during a multisensory (audio‐visual) cognitive control task from 46 mTBI patients within 3 weeks of injury and 46 matched healthy controls (HC), with a subset of participants returning at 4 months. Multisensory stimuli were presented at two frequencies to manipulate cognitive and perceptual load. Patients self‐reported more cognitive, emotional, somatic, vestibular and visual symptoms relative to HC, which improved, but did not entirely resolve, over the 4 month follow‐up period. There were no group differences in behavior or functional activation during cognitive control (incongruent – congruent trials). In contrast, patients exhibited abnormal activation within different regions of visual cortex that depended on whether attention was focused on auditory or visual information streams. Patients also exhibited increased activation within bilateral inferior parietal lobules during higher cognitive/perceptual loads, suggesting a compensatory mechanism to achieve similar levels of behavioral performance. Functional abnormalities within the visual cortex and inferior parietal lobules were only partially resolved at 4 months post‐injury, suggesting that neural abnormalities may take longer to resolve than behavioral measures used in most clinical settings. In summary, current results indicate that abnormalities within unisensory cortex (particularly visual areas) following mTBI, which likely contribute to deficits commonly reported during multisensory stimulation. Hum Brain Mapp 36:4394–4406, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Why Do Cattle Ranchers Participate in Conservation Easement Agreements? Key Motivators in Decision Making

When communicating with farmers and ranchers, land conservation professionals would be better equipped if they understood key influences on their target audience's decisions to permanently preserve their land from development. This study predicted key factors influencing rancher engagement in a conservation easement (CE) agreement. Specifically, theory of planned behavior, trust, environmental identity, past behavior, perceptions of specific CE characteristics and selected participant demographics were used as predictors. A mixed-methods approach was applied involving interviews, a two-phase pilot study, and a statewide mail-administered questionnaire. Final interview domains guided the quantitative survey instrument, which was administered to 1,000 Florida cattle ranchers. A 60% response rate was received. Multiple linear regression demonstrated ranchers were more likely to enter into a CE agreement if they 1) had a positive attitude about the outcomes associated with CEs; 2) felt influential others would positively support CEs; 3) indicated higher trust in conservation organizations and agencies; 4) believed their land had significant conservation value; 5) supported sale or donation of certain property rights; and 6) were positively influenced by financial incentives, primarily estate tax deductions. These six variables explained over 50% of intent to engage in a CE agreement. Understanding these influences will aid land conservationists in their future communication efforts with farmers and ranchers.
Non‐steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism for the treatment of cardiovascular and renal disease

Pharmaceutical antagonism of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) can protect against organ damage caused by elevated aldosterone levels in patients experiencing heart failure (HF), chronic kidney disease (CKD), primary aldosteronism, and hypertension. While traditional steroid‐based MR antagonists effectively reduce mortality rates and extend patient survival, their broad application has been limited by significant side effects, most notably hyperkalaemia. Recently, finerenone (BAY 94‐8862) has emerged as a next‐generation non‐steroidal dihydropyridine‐based MR antagonist designed to minimize off‐target effects while maintaining potent efficacy. In this review, the outcomes of finerenone therapy in several diseases associated with MR activity are explored. The (pre‐) clinical efficacy of finerenone is compared with that of traditional steroid‐based MR antagonists. Finally, recent and ongoing clinical trials using finerenone to treat chronic HF, CKD, and diabetic nephropathy are discussed. Taken together, pre‐clinical and clinical evidence suggests that finerenone may achieve equivalent organ‐protective effects with reduced levels of electrolyte disturbance compared with traditional steroid‐based MR antagonists. This supports further clinical development of finerenone for the treatment of cardiovascular and renal disease.
Terrorism and Political Self-Placement in European Union Countries

Abstract Studies have shown that citizens’ risk-perceptions and risk-assessment are affected by large scale terrorist acts. Reported evidence shows that individuals are often willing to trade-off civil liberties for enhanced security particularly as a post-terrorist attack reaction as well as adopting more conservative views. Within this strand of the literature, this paper examines whether terrorism and in particular mass-casualty terrorist attacks affect citizens’ political self-placement on the left-right scale of the political spectrum. To this effect the Eurobarometer surveys for 12 European Union countries are utilized and ordered logit models are employed for the period 1985–2010 with over 230,000 observations used in the estimations. On balance, the findings reported herein seem to be pointing to a shift in respondents’ self-positioning towards the right of the political spectrum.
Multimodal Analog Front End for Wearable Bio-Sensors

Wearable sensors afford convenience in daily health monitoring, though many challenges in the development of such systems need to be overcome. Here, we present a low-power, multimodal analog front end (AFE) for wearable health monitoring sensors based on novel system architecture and very large scale integration circuit design methods. The AFE integrated circuit was designed with the standard 65-nm CMOS technology. Three sensor AFEs, bio-potential, photoplethysmography (PPG), and bioelectrical impedance analyser (BIA) were integrated on the same die with an area of 2.5 × 2.5 mm2. The power consumption for each AFE mode was <;0.4 mW and did not exceed 2 mW for all three modes with a 1.2 V power supply. Results from each individual AFE showed high-quality, motion-robust signals (electrocardiogram, PPG, and BIA) that correlated with those obtained from clinical grade gold-standard devices for similar applications. Such multi-functional, non-intrusive systems permit users to effortlessly self-monitor multiple clinically relevant physiological parameters.
Expression of Peptide Hormone Genes in Human Islet Cell Tumors

The embryogenesis of the pancreas suggests the existence of a common stem cell progenitor of the four islet cell types (insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide). We investigated whether neoplastic islet tumors express multiple hormonespecific cellular phenotypes of the islets. By analyses of RNA transcripts and immunoreactive peptides in four human insulinomas and one glucagonoma, we found that the insulin, somatostatin, and glucagon genes were coexpressed in all tumors. The expression of the three hormone genes in a lymph node metastasis of a glucagonoma reduced the possibility that contamination of tumor tissue by normal islets occurred. These observations lend further support to the hypothesis of the multipotentiality of neoplastic islet cells for the expression of genes encoding several different islet hormones.
Clinical outcomes of pelvic exenteration for locally advanced primary or recurrent non-colorectal pelvic malignancies.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients who underwent extensive pelvic surgery for locally advanced primary or recurrent non-colorectal pelvic malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of 19 patients with non-colorectal pelvic malignancies who underwent extensive surgery at our institution between January 2005 and May 2013. Overall survival and progression-free survival were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the logrank test. RESULTS With regard to tumor histology, 6 patients (31.6%) had gynecological tumors, 8( 42.1%) had urological tumors, 2( 10.5%) had sarcomas, and 3( 15.8%) had other malignancies. Total pelvic exenteration was performed in 13 patients (68.4%), and other procedures were performed in 6 patients( 31.6%). For all patients, the median operation time and blood loss were 699 min and 2,930 mL, respectively. Complete tumor resection( R0) was achieved in 13 patients( 68.4%), and 16 patients had complications( 84.2%). The median overall survival was 18.5 months for patients who underwent R0 resection, compared with 7.3 months for those who underwent R1/R2 surgery (p=0.113), and the median progression-free survival was 7.3 months for cases of R0 resection, compared with 2.0 months for cases of R1/R2 surgery (p=0.035). CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that extensive pelvic surgery may be an optimal treatment for some patients with locally advanced primary or recurrent non-colorectal pelvic malignancies. Careful patient selection according to oncological, anatomical, and patient-related factors may improve the outcomes of patients undergoing this extensive, aggressive pelvic surgical procedure.
BLEACHED PALM OIL AS SUBSTITUTE FOR XYLENE IN HISTOLOGY

Objectives: These is to determine whether tissues cleared and dewaxed with bleached palm oil at 60 O Care same with the xylene-produced counterparts in respect of transparency, production of serial sections and quality of histological staining as well as determine whether bleached palm oil is a cheaper and health and environmental safer substitute for xylene. Materials and Methods: Fifteen sets of tissues removed from a bird were divided into 2 experimental groups (n=15) labeled A and B. Group A tissues were processed with xylene as clearing agent and dewaxing agent in routine paraffin wax method while Group B tissues were processed with bleached palm oil at 60oC as clearing and dewaxing agent. Sections in both groups were stained using Cole Haematoxylin and Eosin Staining Method. Results: The results showed minor differences between the tissues cleared and dewaxed in bleached palm oil at 60 O C and the xylene counterparts in terms of transparency, production of serial sections and quality of histological staining. The differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Thus, bleached palm oil-processed tissues were as good as the xylene-processed tissues and can conveniently be a safe, economical, and locally produced substitute for xylene.
Matching Models of Equilibrium Unemployment: An Overview

This book aims to provide an overview of the labour market's benchmark macroeconomic models. The matching models of equilibrium unemployment are, in fact, the primary and most popular theoretical tools used by economists to evaluate various labour market policies and to study one of the key macroeconomic variables: the unemployment rate. It has been recognised that unemployment has also a structural nature which persists over the business cycle. The matching models, i.e. the models a la Mortensen-Pissarides, explain the co-existence in equilibrium of unemployment and vacancies through frictions in matching workers and firms. Furthermore, these models generate predictions that have the right direction: unemployment goes up in recession and down in boom, while job vacancies shift in the opposite direction. The central role of these models in imperfect labour markets has recently been confirmed by the 2010 Nobel Prize for economy awarded to the founders of this approach: Peter Diamond, Dale Mortensen and Christopher Pissarides.
ASPeCT: Unambiguous sine-BOC(n,n) acquisition/tracking technique for navigation applications

This article presents a new tracking technique for sine-BOC(n,n) (or Manchester encoded) ranging signals, which is most likely to be a part of the new European Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Galileo, signal plan. When traditional sine-BOC(n,n) tracking is considered, although offering excellent performance compared with current signals, it has the main drawback of potentially giving biased measurements. The new method presented herein allows the removal of this threat while maintaining the same level of performance. An adapted version of this technique can also be used for acquisition purposes
High-yield preparation of blue-emitting colloidal Si nanocrystals by selective laser ablation of porous silicon in liquid

We demonstrate the higher-yield (one order of magnitude) preparation of blue-emitting colloidal Si nanocrystals with a diameter range of 1–3 nm by selective laser ablation of porous Si powder in an organic solution, compared with the ablation of bulk Si powder. This increase in yield is the result of the lower thermal conductivity and the larger surface area of porous Si. The prepared colloidal Si nanocrystal exhibits size-dependent, higher-lying bandgap energies and large radiative decay rates as a result of the quantum confinement effect. Reversible luminescence color change from blue to yellow and vice versa in the colloidal Si nanocrystal film is also observed, and this is attributed to the non-radiative inter-crystal energy transfer.