Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute Effects of Different Atrial Pacing Sites in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Comparison of Single Site and Biatrial Pacing

Ogawa, M. , et al.: Acute Effects of Different Atrial Pacing Sites in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Comparison of Single site and Biabrial Pacing. It has been reported that atrial single site or biatrial pacing can suppress the occurrence of AF. However, its mechanism remains unclear. The study population included 32 patients with AF (n = 20: AF group), or without paroxysmal AF (n = 12: control group). The mechanism and efficacy of atrial pacing were investigated by electrophysiological studies to determine which was more effective for suppressing AF induction; single site pacing of the right atrial appendage (RAA) or distal coronary sinus (CS–d), or biatrial (simultaneous RAA and CS–d) pacing. In the AF group, AF inducibility was significantly higher with RAA extrastimulus during RAA (12/20; P < 0.0001) or biatrial paced drive (7/20; P < 0.01) than during CS–d paced drive (0/20). In the control group, AF was not induced at any site paced. In the AF group, the conduction delay and other parameters of atrial vulnerability significantly improved during CS–d paced drive. The atrial recovery time (ART) at RAA and CS–d was measured during each basic pacing mode. ART was defined as the sum of the activation time and refractory period, and the difference between ARTs at RAA and CS–d was calculated as the ART difference (ARTD). The ARTD was significantly longer during RAA pacing in the AF group than in control group (155.0 ± 32.8 vs 128.8 ± 32.9 ms, P < 0.05). In the AF group, ARTDs during biatrial (52.0 ± 24.2 ms) and CS–d pacing (51.7 ± 26.0 ms) were significantly shorter than ARTD during RAA pacing. The CS–d paced drive was more effective for suppressing AF induction than biatrial or RAA paced drive by alleviating conduction delay. CS–d and biatrial pacing significantly reduced ARTD compared with RAA pacing.
A survey of cache coherence schemes for multiprocessors

Schemes for cache coherence that exhibit various degrees of hardware complexity, ranging from protocols that maintain coherence in hardware, to software policies that prevent the existence of copies of shared, writable data, are surveyed. Some examples of the use of shared data are examined. These examples help point out a number of performance issues. Hardware protocols are considered. It is seen that consistency can be maintained efficiently, although in some cases with considerable hardware complexity, especially for multiprocessors with many processors. Software schemes are investigated as an alternative capable of reducing the hardware cost. <<ETX>>
Market Quality Surrounding a Tick Size Increase: Evidence from the Sydney Futures Exchange

Numerous studies have examined the relationship between tick size reductions and liquidity under different market structures. This study is the first to examine the impact of a tick size increase on market quality in a futures market setting. It uses the natural experiment provided by the tick size increase for 3-Year Commonwealth Treasury Bond Futures on the Sydney Futures Exchange in 2009. Results show an increase in bid-ask spreads following the change, in addition to a significant increase in quoted depth at the best quotes and throughout the limit order book. Bid-ask spreads per minimum tick declined, as quoting around the minimum tick is tighter. Execution costs are shown to be significantly higher after the change. We conclude that an increase in the tick size under a futures market setting has a negative impact on liquidity.
Public Perceptions of Work-Related Fatality Cases: Reaching the Outer Limits of 'Populist Punitiveness'?

A significant body of literature has examined the role of public attitudes in shaping the contemporary politics of law and order, and suggested that a state of 'populist punitiveness' now exists, whereby policy is made in response to harsh and punitive public attitudes towards crime issues. This paper will explore these issues within the context of regulatory and corporate offending. A qualitative investigation into public attitudes towards work-related fatality cases demonstrated that these cases are regarded as serious, but that attitudes regarding punishment in this context are only partially 'punitive'. Demands for significant penalties are underpinned by rationality rather than a desire for revenge, casting into doubt the applicability of populist punitive accounts of lawmaking in this area.
The orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 inhibits low shear stress-induced carotid artery remodeling in mice

Shear stress, particularly low and oscillatory shear stress, plays a critical pathophysiological role in vascular remodeling-related cardiovascular diseases. Growing evidence suggests that the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 [also known as TR3 or nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 1 (NR4A1)] is expressed in diseased human vascular tissue and plays an important role in vascular physiology and pathology. In the present study, we used a mouse model of flow-dependent remodeling by partial ligation of the left common carotid artery (LCCA) to define the exact role of Nur77 in vascular remodeling induced by low shear stress. Following vascular remodeling, Nur77 was highly expressed in neointimal vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the ligated carotid arteries. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were elevated in the remodeled arteries in vivo and in primary rat VSMCs in vitro following stimulation with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Further in vitro experiments revealed that Nur77 expression was rapidly increased in the VSMCs following stimulation with PDGF and H2O2, whereas treatment with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC, a ROS scavenger) reversed the increase in the protein level of Nur77 induced by H2O2. Moreover, Nur77 overexpression markedly inhibited the proliferation and migration of VSMCs, induced by PDGF. Finally, to determine the in vivo role of Nur77 in low shear stress-induced vascular remodeling, wild-type (WT) and Nur77-deficient mice were subjected to partial ligation of the LCCA. Four weeks following surgery, in the LCCAs of the Nur77-deficient mice, a significant increase in the intima-media area and carotid intima-media thickness was noted, as well as more severe elastin disruption and collagen deposition compared to the WT mice. Immunofluorescence staining revealed an increase in VSMC proliferation [determined by the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)] and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) production in the Nur77-deficient mice. There was no difference in the number of intimal apoptotic cells between the groups. Taken together, our results indicate that Nur77 may be a sensor of oxidative stress and an inhibitor of vascular remodeling induced by low shear stress. Nur77, as well as its downstream cell signals, may thus be a potential therapeutic target for the suppression of vascular remodeling.
Seasonal changes in size, female fecundity and male potency in Culicoides melleus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae).

Seasonal changes in size, female fecundity and male potency in CULICOIDES MELLEUS from a natural population were investigated by obtaining adults from pupae collected in the field. Female fecundity was estimated from the number of eggs matured autogenously, male potency from the number of sperm ejaculated at the male's first copulation (with a virgin female). There was substantial seasonal fluctuation in both male and female size, with the larger insects emerging during cooler months. Coincident with size changes, most eggs were produced by females in the cool period, accompanied by parallel changes in the quantity of male ejaculate. However, the sperm/egg ratio did not remain constant, but showed marked seasonal change. Proportionately more sperm were ejaculated by males in the warmer months. It is suggested that the shift in sperm/egg ratio reflects an adaptation to longer reproductive life in a greater proportion of summer as compared to winter females.
Examining the Construct of Reading among Dysfluent Urban Children: A Factor Analysis Approach

This study reports on an examination of the factor structure underlying reading performance in a sample of urban, dysfluent children. Participants were 140 second and third graders identified as exhibiting reading difficulties stemming from inefficient word and/or nonword reading. Consistent with a more complex view of reading, the results of structural equation modeling identify four distinct but
Periods in the Adult Development of Men: Ages 18 to 45

This is a preliminary statement of a theory of psychosocial periods in the development of men from the end of adolescence to the middle 40s. The theory has emerged from a study of 40 men currently in the mid-life decade (age 35-45). The method was biographical: through a series of interviews we constructed the adult life course of each man and looked for a sequential order underlying the highly diverse, unique individual biographies. (a) The first period, Leaving the Family, is a bridge between adolescent life and full entry into the adult world. (b) Getting Into the Adult World extends from the early 20s until 27-29, its major developmental tasks are to build an initial life structure, to form an occupation, and to work on the ego stage of Intimacy vs. Aloneness. (c) This is followed by the Age Thirty Transition which lasts for some four to six years and provides an opportunity to modify or drastically change the provisional first structure. (d) Settling Down extends from the early 30s until age 39-41 Its tasks are to build a second and more stable early adult life structure and, in the late 30s, to "Become One's Own Man. " (e) The Mid-Life Transition involves the termination of early adulthood and the initiation of middle adulthood, and is part of both Its tasks are to reappraise and modify the late 30s' life structure, to rediscover important but neglected parts of the self and. toward the end, to make choices that provide the basis for a new life structure. (f) The Mid-Life Transition ordinarily gives way in the mid-40s to a period of building and living within a first provisional life structure for middle adulthood. Though our study ends at this point, we assume that there is a further evolution, involving periods of transition and of relative stability, throughout the life cycle.
The Effect of Supply Chain Power on the Extent, Nature, and Valuation Consequences of Real Earnings Management

Prior research suggests that the party with greater power in an exchange relationship can dictate the terms of exchange. In this study, we examine whether supply chain power influences the extent and valuation consequences of real earnings management (REM), a form of earnings manipulation which necessarily involves transactions with one or more parties external to the firm. We examine the association between suspect earnings (zero or barely positive earnings or earnings changes) and the deployment of three REM tools: sales manipulation, overproduction, and reduction of discretionary expenditures. Test results indicate that use of these REM tools is increasing in the extent of firms‟ supply chain power – that is, we find that the association between suspect earnings and the deployment of REM is stronger for firms with greater supply chain power. Despite this evidence of more pervasive REM among firms with greater supply chain power, we also find that the negative valuation impact of REM is decreasing in the extent of firms‟ supply chain power. We conclude that firms with greater supply chain power are more capable of dictating exchange terms and executing less-value-reducing REM to meet short-term earnings goals. Thus, in contrast to generalizations in prior research regarding the valuedestroying nature of REM, we conclude that REM is executed by two classes of firms: 1) firms lacking significant supply chain power, in which case current-year REM is executed at the expense of firm value, and 2) firms possessing significant supply chain power, in which case current-year REM is executed in a more seamless manner and with little or no adverse effect on firm value.
Health-Related Fitness and Physical Education Teachers’ Content Knowledge

This study examined what teachers know about health-related fitness (HRF) and how confident they are in their knowledge. Seventy-three middle school physical education teachers completed a 3-part cognitive HRF test and a self-efficacy questionnaire that required responses to statements about how confident they were in passing a HRF knowledge test. Results indicated that teachers were very confident in their knowledge of HRF; however, their actual HRF test scores did not meet the standard of achievement expected of a ninth-grade student as assessed by the South Carolina Physical Education Assessment Program. Further investigation of the influence of teacher characteristics related to HRF knowledge revealed that age and years of teaching experience significantly related to self-efficacy but not to HRF knowledge. This study implies that targeted teacher development is a necessary part of attaining and maintaining HRF knowledge required to teach to state and national standards.
Impact on the individual: what do patients and carers gain, lose and expect from being involved in research?

Abstract Background: Study feasibility and deliverability can benefit from involving patients and carers in the research process, known as patient and public involvement (PPI). There is less evidence on the experiences of patients and carers themselves and we require more information across a range of studies, health conditions and research stages. Aims: This study explored how patients and carers in eight diagnostic research specialties have been involved in research, their motivations and the impact involvement had on them. Method: 143 patients and carers across the Clinical Research Network (CRN) responded to an online semi-structured questionnaire (developed using participatory methodology). Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed. Results: A range of benefits were reported, including providing a life focus and an improved relationship with illness. Less positive experiences regarding time and money and lack of acknowledgement were also reported, along with suggestions for improvement. Conclusions: PPI confers many benefits on patients and carers which could increase PPI recruitment if made explicit. More involvement in study recruitment and dissemination would increase the effectiveness of PPI input. Involving a more varied socioeconomic demographic and at an earlier stage is vital. Financial support for lower earners and greater feedback following involvement should also be explored.
The Use of Offensive Language by Men and Women in Prime Time Television Entertainment

A content analysis examined prime-time television entertainment programs aired on 7 broadcast networks during the 2001 season. Profanity use within inter-sex and intra-sex interactions was explored. Swearing occurred most often in man-to-man interactions, followed by women-to-men. Men and women tended to use mild curse words more when talking to the opposite sex. Unmarried women more often directed expletives at both men and women; unmarried men cursed more at other men. Offensive language was most often met by a neutral response; men and women were equally likely to respond positively and negatively to cursing. Men in feature roles, as compared to minor roles, used more profanity when speaking to men and women.
Whatever happened to the ‘European’ in European social psychology? A study of the ambitions in founding the European Association of Experimental Social Psychology

This article studies the ambitions involved in founding the European Association of Experimental Social Psychology (EAESP) in the context of a differentiation between social psychology practised in Europe on the one hand and the United States on the other. To this end 8 key actors have been interviewed: 4 members of the very first Executive Committee (or Planning Committee as it was called then) as well as 4 key players of a second generation. Also the EAESP’s archives have been consulted. Moreover, data regarding the developments of EAESP’s membership and EAESP’s house journal, the European Journal of Social Psychology (EJSP), were used to assess to what extent the ambitions in developing a European social psychology have been realized. The conclusion is that, despite various successes, it remains questionable whether the founders’ aims have been fulfilled.
The effect of treating reflux oesophagitis with omeprazole on quality of life

Background/Aims Despite the commonplace nature of heartburn and reflux oesophagitis, little is known of their impact on patients' quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess quality of life in oesophagitis patients before and after medical therapy and compare the results with a sample of the general population. Methods Consecutive attenders with frequent heartburn and grade II-III oesophagitis on endoscopy were recruited from one of two centres and treated with omeprazole 20 mg BD for 8–14 weeks. A symptomatic questionnaire, including the Short Form-36 (SF-36) quality of life questionnaire, was completed before and at the end of treatment Actual quality of life scores were compared with 'expected' scores derived from a sample (n = 3015) of the Northern Ireland population. Results Seventy two (83%) of the 87 patients recruited were healed after 14 weeks therapy and 77 completed the SF-36 before and after therapy. Three quality of life parameters (bodily pain, vitality and social function) were significantly lower before treatment than the 'expected' scores. Seven of the quality of life parameters measured by the SF-36 showed a significant improvement after treatment and the eighth (mental health) just failed to achieve a significant improvement (P = 0.06). Comparison of the improvements in SF-36 scores for those who were healed with scores for those who were not healed showed no significant difference. Conclusions Patients with grade II-III oesophagitis and frequent heartburn have lower quality of life scores for some parameters than would be expected in the general population. Treatment of the oesophagitis with omeprazole 20 mg BD causes a significant improvement not just in reflux symptoms but in several physical and mental aspects of quality of life regardless of whether or not the oesophagitis is healed.
Therapists' perspectives of couple problems and treatment issues in couple therapy

Randomly selected samples of practicing couple therapists who were members of the American Psychological Association's Division 43 or the Association for Marriage and Family Therapy completed a survey of couple problem areas and therapeutic issues encountered in couple therapy. Therapists rated problem areas in terms of occurrence, treatment difficulty, and damaging impact. A composite of these 3 dimensions suggested that the most important problems were lack of loving feelings, power struggles, communication, extramarital affairs, and unrealistic expectations. Comparison of the findings with therapist ratings obtained by S. K. Geiss and K. D. O'Leary (1981) suggests considerable stability in presenting problems in couple therapy over the past 15 years. Therapist-generated characteristics associated with negative outcome were also identified, the most common being partners' inability or unwillingness to change and lack of commitment.
Out-of-School Activities and Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Self-Beliefs

The ways students spend their out-of-school hours can affect their achievement. We present a theoretical analysis of this process. We describe out-of-school activities along two primary dimensions: (a) the extent to which they are related to academic material, and (b) the extent to which they promote identification with school. We discuss both theory and empirical evidence suggesting that academic relatedness has both direct and indirect influences on achievement, whereas identification with school has an indirect influence on achievement. The indirect influence of academic relatedness and identification operate in part though student self-beliefs. We then discuss theory and research linking these two dimensions to student self-beliefs and self-beliefs to academic motivation and achievement.
Perceived organizational support: a review of the literature.

The authors reviewed more than 70 studies concerning employees' general belief that their work organization values their contribution and cares about their well-being (perceived organizational support; POS). A meta-analysis indicated that 3 major categories of beneficial treatment received by employees (i.e., fairness, supervisor support, and organizational rewards and favorable job conditions) were associated with POS. POS, in turn, was related to outcomes favorable to employees (e.g., job satisfaction, positive mood) and the organization (e.g., affective commitment, performance, and lessened withdrawal behavior). These relationships depended on processes assumed by organizational support theory: employees' belief that the organization's actions were discretionary, feeling of obligation to aid the organization, fulfillment of socioemotional needs, and performance-reward expectancies.
C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) deficiency ameliorates renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstructive kidney disease

Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis is an important pathogenic feature in chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease, regardless of the initiating insults. A recent study has shown that CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP) is involved in acute ischemia/reperfusion-related acute kidney injury through oxidative stress induction. However, the influence of CHOP on chronic kidney disease-correlated renal fibrosis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of CHOP in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced experimental chronic tubulointerstital fibrosis. The CHOP knockout and wild type mice with or without UUO were used. The results showed that the increased expressions of renal fibrosis markers collagen I, fibronectin, α-smooth muscle actin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in the kidneys of UUO-treated wild type mice were dramatically attenuated in the kidneys of UUO-treated CHOP knockout mice. CHOP deficiency could also ameliorate lipid peroxidation and endogenous antioxidant enzymes depletion, tubular apoptosis, and inflammatory cells infiltration in the UUO kidneys. These results suggest that CHOP deficiency not only attenuates apoptotic death and oxidative stress in experimental renal fibrosis, but also reduces local inflammation, leading to diminish UUO-induced renal fibrosis. Our findings support that CHOP may be an important signaling molecule in the progression of chronic kidney disease.