Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of nitric oxide on gastric ulceration induced by nicotine and cold-restraint stress.

AIM Stress induces gastric ulceration in human and experimental animals. People tend to smoke more cigarettes when under stress. Nitric oxide (NO) and nicotine have opposing effects on gastric integrity. The present study examined the possible therapeutic benefit of NO in nicotine-treated rats with stress-induced gastric ulceration. METHODS Rats drank a nicotine solution while control rats drank tap water for 20 days. The alkoloid was then replaced by water with or without supplementation of isosorbide dinitrate (NO donor) for an additional 10 days. Isosorbide dinitrate was given twice shortly before experiments (acute) or three times daily by oral gavages for 10 days after the rats stopped drinking nicotine solution. At the end of experiments, ulcer index, gastric adhesion mucus content and MPO activity were measured and analysed. RESULTS Nicotine treatment decreased gastric mucus content and intensified stress-induced gastric ulcer. A higher ulcer index persisted even after the rats stopped drinking nicotine solution for 10 days. Acute NO donor showed no benefit on both mucus and ulcer index in nicotine treatment or/and stress condition. Chronic NO donor treatment reversed the worsening action of nicotine in stomach. Stress increased gastric mucosal myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, which was antagonized by chronic NO treatment. However, nicotine was unlikely to change mucosal MPO activity. CONCLUSION The intensifying action of nicotine on stress-induced gastric ulceration persists for 10 days after cessation. Nicotine treatment significantly decreases gastric mucus content that can be restored by chronic NO donor treatment. The present study suggests that NO antagonizes the ulcerogenic action of nicotine through a cytoprotective way.
Public Transport Pricing Policy: Empirical Evidence of Regional Bus Card Systems in Finland

A research project is concerned with evaluating the effects of new integrated fare and ticket policies on bus use in Finland. The objective of the policy is to reduce energy consumption and the environmental effects of transport by encouraging a modal shift from cars to public transport. The scheme is based on introduction of a monthly regional bus card that offers a substantial discount on normal fares and that is valid from city center to smaller independent communities. The regional bus card is subsidized by local authorities and the state government. Estimates are presented of the fare elasticities of the demand for bus services in two regions in Finland—Oulu and Kuopio—where the regional bus card system has been introduced. The demand for bus cards and for travel with these cards is analyzed. The models used take into account different fare structures as well as the levels of fares, income, car-use costs, and service quality. The estimated elasticities indicate that in the medium-sized Finnish communities analyzed, the demand for both regional bus cards and trips when these cards are used are highly sensitive to price and income. The results are to be used in conjunction with other survey data for a preliminary assessment of the effect of the bus card system on bus patronage and car use.
Migration, remittances and socio-cultural dynamics: the case of Albanians from the Republic of Macedonia

This article examines the patterns of contemporary labour mobility and migrations in search of better living conditions and livelihoods amongst the Albanian population in the Republic of Macedonia. Effects of migration are studied in the context of the social and cultural practices and connections which individuals and groups carry and develop, and their reflections on the places of origin. Special attention is paid to the effects of financial and social remittances upon living conditions, infrastructure and architecture in home places; the changes in local social organization and family–kin relationships; and the ways connections and relationships between migrants and non-migrants affect individuals’ roles and social status.
Hematologic values in newborn beef calves.

Hematologic values were determined in 35 beef calves at birth, at 24 and 48 hours, and in 22 of these calves at 3 weeks after birth. Thirty calves did not have clinical signs of disease throughout the 3-week period. Variables that changed significantly over time in these healthy calves included hematocrit, RBC count, hemoglobin concentration, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, WBC count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and plasma total protein and serum immunoglobulin concentrations. Of the 35 calves, 5 had clinical signs of disease at 3 weeks. Comparison of hematologic values from these calves with values for healthy calves revealed significant differences at each sample collection time, although disease was not evident at the 3 early sample times. The band neutrophil count and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio differed between the 2 groups at birth. At 24 hours, the monocyte count was higher in the 5 ill calves. At 48 hours, total leukocyte, mature neutrophil, and monocyte counts, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio also were higher in the 5 calves. At 3 weeks when clinical signs of disease were detectable in the 5 calves, the total leukocyte, band neutrophil, and mature neutrophil counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and plasma total protein and fibrinogen concentrations were higher. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Epithelial propionyl‐ and butyrylcholine as novel regulators of colonic ion transport

The colonic surface epithelium produces acetylcholine, released after the binding of propionate to GPCRs for this short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA). This epithelial acetylcholine then induces anion secretion via stimulation of acetylcholine receptors. The key enzyme responsible for acetylcholine synthesis, choline acetyltransferase, is known to be unselective as regards the fatty acid used for esterification of choline. As the colonic epithelium is permanently exposed to high concentrations of different SCFAs produced by bacterial fermentation, we investigated whether choline esters other than acetylcholine, propionylcholine and butyrylcholine, are produced by the colonic epithelium, too, and whether these ‘atypical’ esters are able to stimulate the acetylcholine receptors involved in the regulation of colonic ion transport.
Some Pungent Principles of Spices Cause the Adrenal Medulla to Secrete Catecholamine in Anesthetized Rats 1

Abstract We recently reported that capsaicin, a pungent principle of hot red pepper, evokes catecholamine secretion from the rat adrenal medulla. In this study, the effects of some pungent principles of spices on adrenal catecholamine secretion were investigated as compared with that of capsaicin. An increase in catecholamine, especially epinephrine, secretion was observed not only on capsaicin infusion but also on piperine (a pungent principle of pepper) and zingerone (ginger) infusion. Even on infusion of the same amount (650 nmol/kg, i.V.), the order of potency as to catecholamine secretion was capsaicin » piperine >^ zingerone. While, sulfur-containing and volatile pungent "principles, allylisothiocyanate (mustard, etc.) and diallyldisul-fide (garlic, etc.), did not even cause slight catecholamine secretion. Furthermore, these adrenergic secretagogues were readily transported via the gut into the body. These results indicate that some pungent principles of dietary spices can induce a warming action via adrenal catecholamine secretion.
The Distribution of Liquidity in a Monetary Union with Different Portfolio Rigidities

This paper analyses the monetary transmission mechanism in a monetary union with a segmented financial market. Differences in the households' information sets imply that a money supply shock yields permanently heterogeneous allocations across households. The distribution of liquidity is fundamental to this equilibrium. This distribution is also important to understand the response of the macroeconomic variables to a technology shock. In this case, a money supply rule yields heterogenous allocations between households, while an interest rate peg undoes the portfolio friction, yielding the same allocation across agents.
Kinetics Analysis of the Plasma Membrane Sucrose-H+ Symporter from Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Leaves

The kinetics behavior of the H+-sucrose (Suc) symporter was investigated in plasma membrane vesicles from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves by analyzing the effect of external and internal pH (pHo and pHi, respectively) on Suc uptake. The apparent Km for Suc uptake increased 18-fold as the pHo increased from 5.5 to 7.5. Over this same pHo range, the apparent Vmax for Suc uptake remained constant. The effects of pHi in the presence or absence of internal Suc were exclusively restricted to changes in Vmax. Thus, proton concentration on the inside of the membrane vesicles ([H+]i) behaved as a noncompetitive inhibitor of Suc uptake. The Km for the proton concentration on the outside of the membrane vesicles was estimated to be pH 6.3, which would indicate that at physiological apoplastic pH Suc transport might be sensitive to changes in pHo. On the other hand, the [H+]i for half-maximal inhibition of Suc uptake was approximately pH 5.4, making regulation of Suc transport through changes in [H+]i unlikely. These results were interpreted in the framework of the kinetics models for co-transport systems developed by D. Sanders, U. -P. Hansen, D. Gradmann, and C. L. Slayman (J Membr Biol [1984] 77: 123–152). Based on their analysis, the behavior of the Suc symporter with respect to the [H+]i is interpreted as an ordered binding mechanism by which the binding of Suc on the apoplastic side of the membrane and its release on the symplastic side precedes that of H+ (i.e. a first-on, first-off model).
Mortality rates for patients with acute lung injury/ARDS have decreased over time.

BACKGROUND Over the last decade, several studies have suggested that survival rates for patients with acute lung injury (ALI) or ARDS may have improved. We performed a systematic analysis of the ALI/ARDS literature to document possible trends in mortality between 1994 and 2006. METHODS We used the Medline database to select studies with the key words "acute lung injury," "ARDS," "acute respiratory failure," and "mechanical ventilation. " All studies that reported mortality rates for patients with ALI/ARDS defined according to the criteria of the American European Consensus Conference were selected. We excluded studies with < 30 patients and studies limited to specific subgroups of ARDS patients such as sepsis, trauma, burns, or transfusion-related ARDS. RESULTS Seventy-two studies were included in the analysis. There was a wide variation in mortality rates among the studies (15 to 72%). The overall pooled mortality rate for all studies was 43% (95% confidence interval, 40 to 46%). Metaregression analysis suggested a significant decrease in overall mortality rates of approximately 1.1%/yr over the period analyzed (1994 to 2006). The mortality reduction was also observed for hospital but not for ICU or 28-day mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS In this literature review, the data are consistent with a reduction in mortality rates in general populations of patients with ALI/ARDS over the last 10 years.
Technological and geographical proximity effects on knowledge spillovers: evidence from the US patent citations

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pattern of knowledge flows as indicated by the patent citations in three areas: USA, Japan and Europe. In each economic area, we use information from United States Patent and Trademarks Office data to assess empirically the impact of the technological and geographical proximities for 530 international firms. In particular, the contribution to the existing literature is twofold: first, we use an international sample in such a way that we may compare the empirical results among different economic markets; second, we extend the analysis of the determinants of knowledge spillovers, taking into account the time dimension of the effects of the proximities. In order to compute the technological proximity, we follow the methodology developed by A.B. Jaffe (1986. Technological opportunity and spillovers of R&D: Evidence from firms’ patents, profits and market value. American Economic Review 76, no. 5: 984–1001), where a technological vector is based on the distribution of patents of each firm across technology classes. As far as the geographic proximity is concerned, we use the latitude and the longitude coordinates of the city in which each firm is situated to obtain the distance, in miles, between the firms. The empirical results, in line with results from previous studies, indicate that there is a statistically significant relationship between the knowledge flows, proxied by the patent citations, and the proximities, but the effects are rather differentiated according to the proximity type.
A prospective study on the effect of photoselective vaporization of prostate by 120-W high-performance system laser on sexual function.

INTRODUCTION Photoselective vaporization of prostate (PVP) by 120W HPS laser emerged as an efficient, bloodless, and durable first line alternative to transurethral resection of prostate for treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). In this study, we assessed effects of PVP by HPS laser on erectile function. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between January 2012 and February 2014, 143 consecutive patients presenting with LUTS secondary to BPE, who underwent PVP by 120W HPS laser, were prospectively enrolled in the study. Patient's (Group A: International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) ≥19; Group B: IIEF <19) preoperative, perioperative and follow-up data were recorded. IIEF-5 was used to assess preoperative and postoperative erectile function at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Recorded data was analyzed statistically. RESULTS Preoperative and perioperative data of the two groups were comparable. Significant improvement in IPSS, Qmax, QoL, and post void residual urine at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months were observed in both groups with no significant difference between them. Although IIEF-5 scores declined in both groups postoperatively (Group A: 21.06±1.21 to 19.84±1.55, P=0.43; Group B: 14.67±2.05 to 12.79±1.42, P=0.53), it was not statistically significant in either group. No significant difference was noted in IIEF-5 score between patients with or without indwelling catheter in either of the two groups. CONCLUSIONS In patients undergoing PVP by 120W HPS laser for LUTS secondary to BPE, no significant effect was observed in sexual function at 1 year follow-up.
Promotions, Turnover, and Performance Evaluation: Evidence from the Careers of Division Managers

ABSTRACT: We study turnover and promotions of division managers in multidivisional firms. Turnover is negatively related to divisional accounting performance, positively related to industry performance, but not significantly related to firm performance or the performance of other divisions. Consistent with tournament theory, promotions are significantly related to whether one division is performing better than others, but are not significantly related to the magnitude of any performance difference. A simple performance metric, divisional ROA, appears more closely related to job allocation decisions than several alternatives. Our evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that accounting information is used by firms when evaluating managerial personnel.
Trade Performance and Potential of the Philippines: An Application of Stochastic Frontier Gravity Model

This study was conducted to investigate the issue of what Philippine merchandise trade flows would be if countries operated at the frontier of the gravity model. The study sought to estimate the coefficients of the gravity model. The estimated coefficients were used to estimate merchandise export potentials and technical efficiency of each country in the sample and these were also aggregated to measure impact of country groups, RTAs and inter-regional trading agreements. Result of the study shows that technical efficiency for all sample countries is relatively large with standard deviation from the mean of 35.02% suggesting that the frontier is not so distant. The most efficient countries in the sample which recorded more than 90% efficiency were Canada, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Singapore, Denmark, Hongkong, Sweden and UK. In terms of country groups, RTA and Inter-regional trading agreements, APEC recorded as the most efficient trade agreement of the Philippines. The Philippines was also able to established strong link among countries in East Asia, members of AFTA. ASEAN and EU posed export potential. In a country level, China and members of the ASEAN such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia posed the highest export potential for merchandise exports. The significant determinants of these potentials are the expanding market of developing economies and lower trade cost. Then dominance of APEC countries in trade efficiency was verified by the result of the trade inefficiency effect model. Factors reducing technical inefficiencies were membership to APEC, reduction of corruption, and freer business environment. Membership to ASEAN and WTO turns out insignificant in reducing trade inefficiencies of the Philippine exports to member countries.
The genitals and gluteal skin are represented lateral to the foot in anterior parietal somatosensory cortex of macaques

Detailed electrophysiological maps of the representations of trunk and adjacent body parts in area 3b and area 1 of somatosensory cortex were obtained in three macaque monkeys ( Macaca mulatta and Macaca radiata ) of either sex. A total of 211 microelectrode penetrations 250-300 w m apart resulted in 1,190 recording sites. During penetrations deep into the posterior bank of the central sulcus, recordings were made every 300 w m to depths of 6-7 mm until sites unresponsive to somatic stimuli were reached. Cortex was later cut parasagittally and sections were stained for cytochrome oxidase (CO) or Nissl substance. Contrary to expectations from earlier reports, the genitalia were represented lateral to the representations of the foot in cortex along the area 3b/1 border. The gluteal skin including the gluteal pads and the base of the tail were also represented in this section of cortex. Only a small region of cortex was devoted to the genitalia, and neurons in this cortex had receptive fields that were large and typically included skin of the inner thigh and belly. The lower, middle and upper trunk were represented more laterally, followed by the neck, upper head and arm. The receptive fields on the trunk were roughly the same size as those for the middle and lower trunk and slightly smaller on the upper trunk.
Nonthermal GSM microwaves affect chromatin conformation in human lymphocytes similar to heat shock

Here we investigated whether microwaves (MWs) of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) induce changes in chromatin conformation in human lymphocytes. Effects of MWs were studied at different frequencies in the range of 895-915 MHz in experiments with lymphocytes from seven healthy persons. Exposure was performed in transverse electromagnetic transmission line cell (TEM-cell) using a GSM test-mobile phone. All standard modulations included 2 W output power in the pulses, specific absorbed rate (SAR) being 5.4 mW/kg. Changes in chromatin conformation, which are indicative of stress response and genotoxic effects, were measured by the method of anomalous viscosity time dependencies (AVTD). Heat shock and treatment with the genotoxic agent camptothecin, were used as positive controls. 30-min exposure to MWs at 900 and 905 MHz resulted in statistically significant condensation of chromatin in lymphocytes from 1 of 3 tested donors. This condensation was similar to effects of heat shock within the temperature window of 40/spl deg/C-44/spl deg/C. Analysis of pooled data from all donors showed statistically significant effect of 30-min exposure to MWs. Stronger effects of MWs was found following 1-h exposure. In replicated experiments, cells from four out of five donors responded to 905 MHz. Responses to 915 MHz were observed in cells from 1 out of 5 donors, p<0.002. Dependent on donor, condensation, 3 donors, or decondensation, 1 donor, of chromatin was found in response to 1-h exposure. Analysis of pooled data from all donors showed statistically significant effect of 1-h exposure to MWs. In cells from one donor, this effect was frequency-dependent (p<0.01). Effects of MWs correlated statistically significantly with effects of heat shock and initial state of chromatin before exposure. MWs at 895 and 915 MHz affected chromatin conformation in transformed lymphocytes. The conclusion-GSM microwaves under specific conditions of exposure affected human lymphocytes similar to stress response. The data suggested that the MW effects differ at various GSM frequencies and vary between donors.
Transfer Benefits from Public-Works Employment: Evidence for Rural India

Current knowledge provides little guidance on one of the key questions in evaluating public employment schemes aimed at directly reducing poverty: What are the net income gains to participating workers? This paper offers an answer for rural public employment in two villages in the state of Maharashtra in India. A model of intrahousehold time allocation is proposed and estimates are made using household data over six years. The empirical implementation indicates that the projects induce significant behavioral responses. Transfer benefits are large and are greatly underestimated using prevailing market wage rates for similar work to estimate forgone incomes. Copyright 1994 by Royal Economic Society.
Welfare use of migrants in The Netherlands

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine interethnic differences in the degree of participation in social assistance, disability, and unemployment benefits during the working-age period. Design/methodology/approach - Using individual register data of the entire immigrant population for 2005 from Statistics Netherlands, the paper employs standard probit models to estimate differences in welfare use between immigrant groups that are divided into the first and second generations. Findings - The analysis shows that migrants from non-western countries, both first and second generation, have a higher probability of participation in social assistance and disability-benefit programs and to a lesser extent in unemployment-benefit programs. A large part of migrants’ welfare dependence can be explained by their background characteristics and immigration history, but a significant unexplained residual is still left. Strikingly, the degree of dependence of second-generation non-western migrants on social assistance is similar to their parents’. Practical implications - A higher welfare dependency of non-western immigrants is probably related to the admittance policy. Most immigrants from developing countries are allowed to enter The Netherlands on humanitarian grounds, as family or asylum migrants. Originality/value - This study is the first scholarly investigation of welfare use by immigrants and their descendants in The Netherlands. An additional novel feature is that the study covers three major social-welfare benefits for those aged between 19 and 64 years.