Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of pharmacological PAI-1 inhibition on thrombus formation and neointima formation after arterial injury

Objective: Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 plays a role in neointimal formation after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the effect of overexpression or lack of PAI-1 is controversial. Murine arterial injury models develop neointimal hyperplasia similar to that observed in clinical coronary arterial restenosis after PCI. Methods and results: To clarify the role of PAI-1 in thrombus formation and neointimal formation after arterial injury, we used a specific PAI-1 inhibitor (IMD-1622) in a rat aorta–vein shunt model and a mouse arterial injury model. While the non-treated shunt model showed massive thrombus formation, IMD-1622 administration suppressed this. Injured arteries with vehicles showed significant neointimal formation with enhancement of adhesion molecules, fibrinogen accumulation and cell proliferation on day 28 after injury. However, intimal thickening and expression of these factors were suppressed in PAI-1 recipients. Conclusion: A specific PAI-1 inhibitor prevents thrombus formation and arterial neointimal formation after arterial injury. Thus, PAI-1 plays a critical role in arterial remodeling after mechanical injury. PAI-1 regulation may be useful to prevent thrombus and neointimal formation after PCI.
Gender Roles and Bargaining Behaviour : A Lab Experiment in Bangladesh

I examine how gender of players affects bargaining behaviour in a 2 person Ultimatum Game. I use a method of priming to make differences in gender roles salient. The results show that due to prime, both men and women responders ask for a lower minimum acceptable offer when they are partnered with a male proposer; after controlling for personality traits, intelligence and risk preferences. There is no difference in how the prime affects behaviour of men and women. Also, consistent with the literature, I find no significant difference in the proposer behaviour. The results suggest that expectations associated with specific gender roles drives behaviour, rather than gender
The effect of keeping an end-product on intrinsic motivation.

OBJECTIVE According to literature in occupational therapy and psychology, intrinsic motivation is thought to be enhanced if people can keep the end-product of an activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of keeping an end-product on intrinsic motivation. METHOD Fifty participants chose one of four activities (painting a ceramic vase, decorating cookies, stringing beads for a necklace, creating stationery) and performed two conditions (keep, no-keep) in counterbalanced order. Participants were timed in each condition and, after each condition, ranked their self-determination and competence, which are psychological needs underlying intrinsic motivation. Participants were interviewed at the end of the study to examine their experiences. RESULTS Participants worked significantly longer on a chosen activity when the end-product could be kept and rated themselves significantly more self-determined and competent after performing the keep condition. However, further analysis revealed that these results depended on the activity chosen. CONCLUSION The findings support that keeping an end-product can enhance performance of an activity. However, because results were not consistent across all activity choices, further research is needed to characterize the meaningfulness of particular activities.
[18F]Fludeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography Evidence for Cerebral Hypermetabolism in the Awake State in Narcolepsy and Idiopathic Hypersomnia

Background Changes in structural and functional central nervous system have been reported in narcolepsy, with large discrepancies between studies. No study has investigated yet spontaneous brain activity at wake in idiopathic hypersomnia (IH). We compared relative changes in regional brain metabolism in two central hypersomnia conditions with different clinical features, namely narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) and IH, and in healthy controls. Methods Sixteen patients [12 males, median age 30 years (17–78)] with NT1, nine patients [2 males, median age 27 years (20–60)] with IH and 19 healthy controls [16 males, median age 36 years (17–78)] were included. 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) was performed in all drug-free subjects under similar conditions and instructions to stay in a wake resting state. Results We found increased metabolism in the anterior and middle cingulate and the insula in the two pathological conditions as compared to healthy controls. The reverse contrast failed to evidence hypometabolism in patients vs. controls. Comparisons between patient groups were non-significant. At sub-statistical threshold, we found higher right superior occipital gyrus glucose metabolism in narcolepsy and higher middle orbital cortex and supplementary motor area metabolism in IH, findings that require further confirmation. Conclusion There is significant hypermetabolism in narcolepsy and IH in the wake resting state in a set of brain regions constitutive of the salience cortical network that may reflect a compensatory neurocircuitry activity secondary to sleepiness. Metabolic differences between the two disorders within the executive-control network may be a signature of abnormally functioning neural system leading to persistent drowsiness typical of IH.
Possible contribution of the non‐proteolytic activation of prorenin to the development of insulin resistance in fructose‐fed rats

Recent studies have shown that blocking non‐proteolytically activated prorenin with a decoy peptide for the handle region of the prorenin prosegment (HRP) inhibits the development of microvascular complications in diabetic animals. In the present study, we investigated whether non‐proteolytic activation of prorenin contributes to the development of fructose‐induced insulin resistance. Rats were fed a standard diet (n= 10), a 60% high fructose diet (n= 16), or a high fructose diet + HRP (0.1 mg kg−1 day−1, n= 16) for 10 weeks. Fructose‐fed rats showed higher systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol and insulin levels; which, except for SBP, were suppressed by HRP. The responses of plasma glucose and insulin levels to oral glucose loading were significantly greater in fructose‐fed rats than in standard diet‐fed rats. The HRP normalized the enhanced responses of plasma glucose and insulin levels that were observed in fructose‐fed rats. Moreover, HRP suppressed the enhanced prorenin activation and angiotensin II formation in the soleus muscle of fructose‐fed rats. These data suggest that local angiotensin II generation in skeletal muscle, induced by non‐proteolytic activation of prorenin, contributes to the development of insulin resistance induced by a high fructose diet.
Growth-Rate and Uncertainty Shocks in Consumption: Cross-Country Evidence

We provide new estimates of the importance of growth rate and uncertainty shocks for developed countries. The shocks we estimate are large and correspond to well-known macroeconomic episodes such as the Great Moderation and the productivity slowdown. We compare our results to earlier estimates of “long-run risks” and assess the implications for asset pricing. Our estimates yield greater return predictability and a more volatile price-dividend ratio. In addition, we can explain a substantial fraction of cross-country variation in the equity premium. An advantage of our approach, based on macroeconomic data alone, is that the parameter estimates cannot be viewed as backward engineered to fit asset pricing data. We provide intuition for our results using the recently developed framework of shock-exposure and shock-price elasticities.
Rehabilitation after myocardial infarction trial (RAMIT): multi-centre randomised controlled trial of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation in patients following acute myocardial infarction

Background It is widely believed that cardiac rehabilitation following acute myocardial infarction (MI) reduces mortality by approximately 20%. This belief is based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of mostly small trials undertaken many years ago. Clinical management has been transformed in the past 30–40 years and the findings of historical trials may have little relevance now. Objectives The principal objective was to determine the effect of cardiac rehabilitation, as currently provided, on mortality, morbidity and health-related quality of life in patients following MI. The secondary objectives included seeking programmes that may be more effective and characteristics of patients who may benefit more. Design, setting, patients, outcome measures A multi-centre randomised controlled trial in representative hospitals in England and Wales compared 1813 patients referred to comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programmes or discharged to ‘usual care’ (without referral to rehabilitation). The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 2 years. The secondary measures were morbidity, health service use, health-related quality of life, psychological general well-being and lifestyle cardiovascular risk factors at 1 year. Patient entry ran from 1997 to 2000, follow-up of secondary outcomes to 2001 and of vital status to 2006. A parallel study compared 331 patients in matched ‘elective’ rehabilitation and ‘elective’ usual care (without rehabilitation) hospitals. Results There were no significant differences between patients referred to rehabilitation and controls in mortality at 2 years (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.30) or after 7–9 years (0.99, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.15), cardiac events, seven of eight domains of the health-related quality of life scale (‘Short Form 36’, SF36) or the psychological general well-being scale. Rehabilitation patients reported slightly less physical activity. No differences between groups were reported in perceived overall quality of cardiac aftercare. Data from the ‘elective’ hospitals comparison concurred with these findings. Conclusion In this trial, comprehensive rehabilitation following MI had no important effect on mortality, cardiac or psychological morbidity, risk factors, health-related quality of life or activity. This finding is consistent with systematic reviews of all trials reported since 1983. The value of cardiac rehabilitation as practised in the UK is open to question.
Can calcimimetics inhibit parathyroid hyperplasia? Evidence from preclinical studies.

The cells of the parathyroid gland secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH), which plays a pivotal role in maintaining circulating levels of ionized calcium (Ca2þ) within a narrow physiological range. The main actions of PTH include (i) releasing calcium and phosphorus from bone, (ii) decreasing renal calcium excretion, (iii) increasing urinary phosphorus excretion and (iv) stimulating renal production of calcitriol (1,25dihydroxy vitamin D3), the active form of vitamin D. Vitamin D and its receptors (VDRs) also play key roles in calcium homeostasis: vitamin D acts on VDRs in the intestine to increase calcium absorption, and on VDRs in parathyroid cells to inhibit PTHmRNA synthesis [1]. Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) represents an adaptive response to the progressively impaired control of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D in chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is characterized by parathyroid hyperplasia and excessive synthesis and secretion of PTH, resulting in excessive bone resorption, soft-tissue and vascular calcification and significantly increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality [2,3]. Extracellular calcium is the primary physiological stimulus regulating secretion of PTH and there is an inverse, sigmoidal relationship between the levels of plasma PTH and calcium. A cell surface receptor located on parathyroid cells, the calcium-sensing receptor (CaR), has been recognized as the primary mechanism that mediates the effects of Ca2þ on PTH secretion [4,5]. The CaR also appears to play a key role in the excessive cell proliferation that occurs in parathyroid hyperplasia [5]. Drugs that mimic or potentiate the action of Ca2þ at this receptor, calcimimetics, have become available for treatment of dialysis patients (CKD stage 5) with insufficient control of PTH and calcium and/or phosphate levels on traditional therapies [6]. This article overviews the key pathophysiological mechanisms that drive parathyroid hyperplasia in SHPT and examines the potential of calcimimetics for attenuating this condition, based on emerging data from animal models.
[Human body volume measurement by sulfur hexafluorde-dilution method and its application to human body composition assessment].

The absolutely accurate measurement of adiposity in a living organism is undoubtedly difficult. Although a number of methods have been developed, none has been proven to be both theoretically and empirically an unquestioned validating criterion method for the estimation of human body composition. In the present study, a new method was introduced that is rapid, safe, and relatively simple to administer and has the added advantage of not requiring a measurement of the underwater weight. The procedure involves the direct measurement of body volume by applying a sulfur hexafluoride (SH)-dilution method with the subject only standing in a 375-1 closed chamber (Shimazu BSF-100) that is filled with air and 0.26 liters of SH. Results indicate that body volume (r = 0.998) and body density (r = 0.819) measured by the SH method were highly correlated to those determined by underwater weighing. Reproducibility of body volume was found to be almost perfect (i.e., 0.995) with the regression coefficient of 1.03 and the intercept of -1.5. Variability (CV = 0.7%) in body volume of a 45-year-old reference man measured by SH method was very similar to variation (CV = 0.6%) in mass volume of the 60-1 prototype. The calculated percent body fat (r = 0.851) and fat-free mass (0.962) with some correction of body density were also highly correlated to those determined by underwater weighing. We suggest that SH method may be useful for assessment of human body composition.
When is it time to move to the next raspberry bush? Foraging rules in human visual search.

Animals, including humans, engage in many forms of foraging behavior in which resources are collected from the world. This paper examines human foraging in a visual search context. A real-world analog would be berry picking. The selection of individual berries is not the most interesting problem in such a task. Of more interest is when does a forager leave one patch or berry bush for the next one? Marginal Value Theorem (MVT; Charnov, 1976) predicts that observers will leave a patch when the instantaneous yield from that patch drops below the average yield from the entire "field. " Experiments 1, 2, 3, and 4 show that MVT gives a good description of human behavior for roughly uniform collections of patches. Experiments 5 and 6 show strong departures from MVT when patch quality varies and when visual information is degraded.
Examining General Deterrence Using Data from the National Football League

Title of dissertation: EXAMINING GENERAL DETERRENCE USING DATA FROM THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE Sarah J. Greenman, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014 Dissertation directed by: Professor Raymond Paternoster Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice To date, research studies have found only mild support for classic deterrence theory with the greatest support for increased certainty, little support for increased severity, and scant research on the effect of increased celerity. Much of this prior literature has used scenario-based data, relied heavily on student samples, and explored rule breaking behavior over relatively short time periods. Finally, the slow pace of punishment within the criminal justice system potentially reduces any existing deterrent effect of the certainty and severity of punishment. This dissertation seeks to address these limitations of prior deterrence studies by using 13 years of data (2000-2012) from the National Football League consisting of rule breakers who are punished with penalties and monetary fines almost immediately upon discovery of the infraction. The main question driving this research is whether there is evidence of general deterrence. Specifically, this dissertation seeks to determine whether prior punishment reduces current rule-breaking behavior. To address this question, this research explores the effect of on-field penalties and post-game fines on behavior within the National Football League at both the league and team levels. The dataset has several rare characteristics including: large variety and detail in the types of punishment administered, an opportunity to directly observe the effect of punishment, the near immediate imposition of punishment, and the transmission of almost perfect information about punishment. The primary finding is that there is no evidence of general deterrence in the National Football League, independent of control variables. Specifically, penalties and fines do not appear to prevent future rule breaking behavior. In general, when controlling for particular seasons, opponents, or the record of a team, the effects of penalties and fines loose significance and approach zero. The different controls for seasons, opponents, or record are fairly consistent in their statistical significance for all penalties and violent penalties, although it appears that violent penalties vary less according to these outside factors than all types of penalties. In sum, this dissertation finds no evidence that punishment affects future rule-breaking behavior at either the team or league level and thus, does not provide support for general deterrence. EXAMINING GENERAL DETERRENCE USING DATA FROM THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
A Uniform Approach to Underspecification and Parallelism

We propose a unified framework in which to treat semantic underspecification and parallelism phenomena in discourse. The framework employs a constraint language that can express equality and subtree relations between finite trees. In addition, our constraint language can express the equality up-to relation over trees which captures parallelism between them. The constraints are solved by context unification. We demonstrate the use of our framework at the examples of quantifier scope, ellipsis, and their interaction.
HIV-Positive Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Have a Lower Body Mass Index and Are More Physically Active Than HIV-Negative Patients

Objective:To determine whether the clinical and metabolic features associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are similar between HIV-positive and HIV-negative male subjects. Methods:Twenty-six HIV-positive and 25 HIV-negative subjects with liver biopsy-proven NAFLD were compared for liver histology (extent of steatosis, steatosis grading, and fibrosis staging), blood biochemistry (glucose, insulin, C-peptide, hemoglobin A1c, and lipid profile), insulin resistance (IR) using a homeostasis model assessment, anthropometry (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, and arm muscle area), dietary intake, and physical activity. Results:The 2 groups were similar for age, liver histology, and IR. HIV-positive patients had a lower BMI (26.3 ± 0.5 vs. 30.2 ± 1.0 kg/m2; P = 0.001) and lower percentage of fat mass (19.4 ± 0.9 vs. 22.7 ± 1.2; P = 0.026) when compared with HIV-negative patients. Although caloric intake was similar between groups, HIV-positive patients had a higher physical activity level (8.3 ± 1.6 vs. 4.1 ± 0.8 units of exercise per day; P = 0.029). Blood triglycerides were significantly higher (3.14 ± 0.39 vs. 1.86 ± 0.20 mmol/L; P = 0.006) in HIV-positive patients. Conclusion:Although NAFLD was similar between the 2 groups, HIV-positive patients had a lower BMI and were more physically active compared with HIV-negative patients. This may suggest that in HIV, NAFLD is associated with factors other than those related to body fatness, such as HIV infection and treatment.
The Post-Deployment Reintegration Scale: Associations with Organizational Commitment, Job-Related Affect, and Career Intentions

Abstract : For military personnel, the process of post-deployment reintegration can lead to intra- and/or interpersonal changes that may influence the quality of their relationships with family, friends, and coworkers, as well as their attitudes concerning their military career. The current study is part of a program of research investigating the nature and impact of post-deployment reintegration attitudes of Canadian Forces (CF) personnel. More specifically, it first seeks to support the previously established psychometric properties of a post-deployment reintegration measure in a separate sample of CF personnel. Second, this research explores the postdeployment reintegration attitudes of these personnel in three key areas: personal, family, and work reintegration, as well as the relationship of people's reintegration attitudes to their commitment to the military, job-related affect, and career intentions. In the study, 519 CF personnel completed the 36-item Post-Deployment Reintegration Scale (PDRS). Results provided further support for the validity of the measure. More specifically, higher levels of positive reintegration attitudes among these CF members, especially in the work domain, were associated with higher levels of attachment and other positive feelings toward work and the military. Conversely, higher levels of members' negative reintegration attitudes were related to greater feelings of obligation (as opposed to desire) to remain in the military (in the family area only), higher levels of negative job-related affect (particularly in the work domain), and greater intentions to leave the military (in the work domain only). These results are discussed in terms of their implications for important personal and organizational level outcomes, as well as the importance of recognizing the permeable boundaries of work-family life in a military context.
Temporary Work: The Gendered Rise of a Precarious Employment Relationship

The first in-depth analysis of temporary work in Canada, Leah F. Vosko's important new book examines a number of important trends, including the commodification of labour power; the decline of the full-time, full-year job as a norm; and the gendered character of prevailing employment relationships. Spanning the period from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century, Temporary Work traces the evolution of the temporary employment relationship in Canada and places it in an international context. It explores how, and to what extent, 'temporary work' is becoming a norm for a diverse group of workers in the labour market, taking gender as a central lens of analysis. Recent scholarship emphasizes that the nature of work is changing, citing the spread of non-standard forms of employment and the rise in women's participation in the labour force. Vosko confirms that important changes are indeed taking place in the labour market, but argues that these changes are best understood in historical, economic and political contexts. This book will be invaluable to academics in a variety of disciplines as well as to policy analysts and practitioners.
The Epstein–Barr virus and post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease: interplay of immunosuppression, EBV, and the immune system in disease pathogenesis

Abstract: Transplant patients are at particular risk for developing post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) following administration of immunosuppressive therapy. In many cases the PTLD lesions express Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) latent and lytic genes as well as elevated levels of host cytokines. An outline of the potential contributions of EBV, host cytokines and T cells, and the immunosuppressives cyclosporine A, tacrolimus, and anti‐CD3 antibody in the mechanism and pathogenesis of this disease is presented and discussed.