Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discordant Orthostatic Reflex Renin–Angiotensin and Sympathoneural Responses in Premenopausal Exercising-Hypoestrogenic Women

Our prior observations in normotensive postmenopausal women stimulated the hypotheses that compared with eumenorrheic women, active hypoestrogenic premenopausal women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea would demonstrate attenuated reflex renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system responses to an orthostatic challenge, whereas to defend blood pressure reflex increases in muscle, sympathetic nerve activity would be augmented. To test these hypotheses, we assessed, in recreationally active women, 12 with amenorrhea (ExFHA; aged 25±1 years; body mass index 20.7±0.7 kg/m2; mean±SEM) and 17 with eumenorrhea (ExOv; 24±1 years; 20.9±0.5 kg/m2), blood pressure, heart rate, plasma renin, angiotensin II, aldosterone, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity at supine rest and during graded lower body negative pressure (−10, −20, and −40 mm Hg). At baseline, heart rate and systolic blood pressure were lower (P<0.05) in ExFHA (47±2 beats/min and 94±2 mm Hg) compared with ExOv (56±2 beats/min and 105±2 mm Hg), but muscle sympathetic nerve activity and renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system constituents were similar (P>0.05). In response to graded lower body negative pressure, heart rate increased (P<0.05) and systolic blood pressure decreased (P<0.05) in both groups, but these remained consistently lower in ExFHA (P<0.05). Lower body negative pressure elicited increases (P<0.05) in renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone in ExOv, but not in ExFHA (P>0.05). Muscle sympathetic nerve activity burst incidence increased reflexively in both groups, but more so in ExFHA (P<0.05). Otherwise, healthy hypoestrogenic ExFHA women demonstrate low blood pressure and disruption of the normal circulatory response to an orthostatic challenge: plasma renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone fail to increase and blood pressure is defended by an augmented sympathetic vasoconstrictor response.
ACCURATE UNIVERSAL MODELS FOR THE MASS ACCRETION HISTORIES AND CONCENTRATIONS OF DARK MATTER HALOS

A large amount of observations have constrained cosmological parameters and the initial density fluctuation spectrum to a very high accuracy. However, cosmological parameters change with time and the power index of the power spectrum dramatically varies with mass scale in the so-called concordance ΛCDM cosmology. Thus, any successful model for its structural evolution should work well simultaneously for various cosmological models and different power spectra. We use a large set of high-resolution N-body simulations of a variety of structure formation models (scale-free, standard CDM, open CDM, and ΛCDM) to study the mass accretion histories, the mass and redshift dependence of concentrations, and the concentration evolution histories of dark matter halos. We find that there is significant disagreement between the much-used empirical models in the literature and our simulations. Based on our simulation results, we find that the mass accretion rate of a halo is tightly correlated with a simple function of its mass, the redshift, parameters of the cosmology, and of the initial density fluctuation spectrum, which correctly disentangles the effects of all these factors and halo environments. We also find that the concentration of a halo is strongly correlated with the universe age when its progenitor on the mass accretion history first reaches 4% of its current mass. According to these correlations, we develop new empirical models for both the mass accretion histories and the concentration evolution histories of dark matter halos, and the latter can also be used to predict the mass and redshift dependence of halo concentrations. These models are accurate and universal: the same set of model parameters works well for different cosmological models and for halos of different masses at different redshifts, and in the ΛCDM case the model predictions match the simulation results very well even though halo mass is traced to about 0.0005 times the final mass, when cosmological parameters and the power index of the initial density fluctuation spectrum have changed dramatically. Our model predictions also match the PINOCCHIO mass accretion histories very well, which are much independent of our numerical simulations and our definitions of halo merger trees. These models are also simple and easy to implement, making them very useful in modeling the growth and structure of dark matter halos. We provide appendices describing the step-by-step implementation of our models. A calculator which allows one to interactively generate data for any given cosmological model is provided on the Web, together with a user-friendly code to make the relevant calculations and some tables listing the expected concentration as a function of halo mass and redshift in several popular cosmological models. We explain why ΛCDM and open CDM halos on nearly all mass scales show two distinct phases in their mass growth histories. We discuss implications of the universal relations we find in connection to the formation of dark matter halos in the cosmic density field.
Sulfatide Recognition by Colonization Factor Antigen CS6 from Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

The first step in the pathogenesis of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infections is adhesion of the bacterium to the small intestinal epithelium. Adhesion of ETEC is mediated by a number of antigenically distinct colonization factors, and among these, one of the most commonly detected is the non-fimbrial adhesin coli surface antigen 6 (CS6). The potential carbohydrate recognition by CS6 was investigated by binding of recombinant CS6-expressing E. coli and purified CS6 protein to a large number of variant glycosphingolipids separated on thin-layer chromatograms. Thereby, a highly specific binding of the CS6-expressing E. coli, and the purified CS6 protein, to sulfatide (SO3-3Galβ1Cer) was obtained. The binding of the CS6 protein and CS6-expressing bacteria to sulfatide was inhibited by dextran sulfate, but not by dextran, heparin, galactose 4-sulfate or galactose 6-sulfate. When using recombinantly expressed and purified CssA and CssB subunits of the CS6 complex, sulfatide binding was obtained with the CssB subunit, demonstrating that the glycosphingolipid binding capacity of CS6 resides within this subunit. CS6-binding sulfatide was present in the small intestine of species susceptible to CS6-mediated infection, e.g. humans and rabbits, but lacking in species not affected by CS6 ETEC, e.g. mice. The ability of CS6-expressing ETEC to adhere to sulfatide in target small intestinal epithelium may thus contribute to virulence.
Fragment Length Distributions and Collision Probabilities for AFLP Markers

Summary AFLP is a DNA fingerprinting technique frequently used in plant and animal sciences. A drawback of the technique is the occurrence of multiple DNA fragments of the same length in a single AFLP lane, which we name a collision. In this article we quantify the problem. The well‐known birthday problem plays a role. Calculation of collision probabilities requires a fragment length distribution (fld). We discuss three ways to estimate the fld: based on theoretical considerations, on in‐silico determination using DNA sequence data from Arabidopsis thaliana, or on direct estimation from AFLP data. In the latter case we use a generalized linear model with monotone smoothing of the fragment length probabilities. Collision probabilities are calculated from two perspectives, assuming known fragment counts and assuming known band counts. We compare results for a number of fld's, ranging from uniform to highly skewed. The conclusion is that collisions occur often, with higher probabilities for higher numbers of bands, for more skewed distributions, and, to a lesser extent, for smaller scoring ranges. For a typical plant genome an AFLP with 19 bands is likely to contain the first collision. Practical implications of collisions are discussed. AFLP examples from lettuce and chicory are used for illustration.
Coping with ambient stress: factorial structure and stressor-specificity of a general scale / Afrontamiento del estrés ambiental: estructura factorial y especificidad de estresores en una escala general

Abstract The aim of this study was (a) to examine the factorial structure of coping with ambient stress and (b) to examine the stressor-specificity of coping strategies. A German questionnaire was compiled and tested in an online survey (N = 703). Most of the final 23 items referred to environmental burdens and pollution in general. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified three subscales with a common second-order factor: environmental concern/activism, optimism and self-protection (Cronbach’s α: .71 to .88). A paper-and-pencil study (N = 109) confirmed the three-factor structure. In addition, coping items were reformulated to relate to five specific ambient stressors. Results showed positive correlations between responses to stressor-specific items and general items, but their degree and significance varied between stressors and subscales. Thus, the general scale on coping with ambient stress may be applied in multiple-stressor research. For research on stressor-specificity of coping strategies, stressor-specific instruments should be used.
Stigma of addiction and mental illness in healthcare: The case of patients’ experiences in dental settings

Objective To explore the ways in which stigma is experienced in healthcare and dental settings by patients with a history of addiction and mental illness. Methods Audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews with a purposefully selected convenience sample of residents from two community treatment centres in Vancouver, Canada were conducted. The interview guide contained questions about experiences while seeking health and dental care and was based on an existing framework of labeling, stereotyping, exclusion, discrimination, and power imbalance. Interviews were transcribed verbatim for coding and thematic analysis. Results Twenty-five participants between 23 and 67 years of age were interviewed; 17 were males. Most had a self-reported history of depression combined with use of alcohol and crack-cocaine; most of them only sought dental care for emergency purposes. Textual analysis of more than 300 pages of transcribed interviews revealed that participants perceived stigma when they were negatively stereotyped as ‘unworthy’, labeled as ‘different’, excluded from the decision-making process, discriminated against, ‘treated unfairly’, and felt powerless when interacting in the heath and dental care systems. Conversely, positive experiences were characterized by empathy, reassurance and good communication, which were empowering for patients. Conclusions When associated with stigma, mental illness and addictions have negative implications for accessing health and dental care. From our participants’ perspectives, it seems that the lack of understanding about their life conditions by the healthcare professionals was the origin of stigma. We suggest that an increased social awareness of these health issues be enhanced among current and future health and dental care professionals to help improve care experiences for this marginalized population.
Mechanisms responsible for dynamic ON-resistance in GaN high-voltage HEMTs

We have developed a new methodology to study the dynamic ON-resistance (RON) of high-voltage GaN High-Electron-Mobility Transistors (HEMTs). With this technique, we have investigated dynamic RON transients over a time span of 11 decades. In OFF to ON time transients, we observe a fast release of trapped electrons through a temperature-independent tunneling process. We attribute this to border traps at the AlGaN barrier/AlN spacer interface. Over a longer time scale, we observe conventional thermally activated electron detrapping from traps at the surface of the device or inside the AlGaN barrier. These findings provide a path for power switching device engineering with minimum dynamic RON.
Interleukin‐22 and CD160 play additive roles in the host mucosal response to Clostridium difficile infection in mice

Our previous work has shown the significant up‐regulation of Il22 and increased phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) as part of the mucosal inflammatory response to Clostridium difficile infection in mice. Others have shown that phosphorylation of STAT3 at mucosal surfaces includes interleukin‐22 (IL‐22) and CD160‐mediated components. The current study sought to determine the potential role(s) of IL‐22 and/or CD160 in the mucosal response to C. difficile infection. Clostridium difficile‐infected mice treated with anti‐IL‐22, anti‐CD160 or a combination of the two showed significantly reduced STAT3 phosphorylation in comparison to C. difficile‐infected mice that had not received either antibody. In addition, C. difficile‐infected mice treated with anti‐IL‐22/CD160 induced a smaller set of genes, and at significantly lower levels than the untreated C. difficile‐infected mice. The affected genes included pro‐inflammatory chemokines and cytokines, and anti‐microbial peptides. Furthermore, histopathological and flow cytometric assessments both showed a significantly reduced influx of neutrophils in C. difficile‐infected mice treated with anti‐IL‐22/CD160. These data demonstrate that IL‐22 and CD160 are together responsible for a significant fraction of the colonic STAT3 phosphorylation in C. difficile infection. They also underscore the additive effects of IL‐22 and CD160 in mediating both the pro‐inflammatory and pro‐survival aspects of the host mucosal response in this infection.
Targeted Regional Injection of Biocomposite Microspheres Alters Post–Myocardial Infarction Remodeling and Matrix Proteolytic Pathways

Background— Although localized delivery of biocomposite materials, such as calcium hydroxyapatite (CHAM), have been demonstrated to potentially attenuate adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI), the underlying biological mechanisms for this effect remain unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that targeted CHAM injections would alter proteolytic pathways (matrix metalloproteinases [MMPs] and tissue inhibitors of MMPs [TIMPs]) and would be associated with parameters of post-MI LV remodeling. Methods and Results— MI was induced in adult sheep followed by 20 targeted injections of a total volume of 1.3 mL (n=6) or 2.6 mL of CHAM (n=5) or saline (n=13) and LV end-diastolic volume (EDV) and MMP/TIMP profiles in the MI region were measured at 8 weeks after MI. LV EDV decreased with 2.6 mL CHAM versus MI only (105.4±7.5 versus 80.6±4.2 respectively, P<0.05) but not with 1.3 mL CHAM (94.5±5.0, P=0.32). However, MI thickness increased by 2-fold in both CHAM groups compared with MI only (P<0.05). MMP-13 increased 40-fold in the MI only group (P<0.05) but fell by >6-fold in both CHAM groups (P<0.05). MMP-7 increased approximately 1.5-fold in the MI only group (P<0.05) but decreased to referent control values in both CHAM groups in the MI region (P<0.05). Collagen content was reduced by approximately 30% in the CHAM groups compared with MI only (P<0.05). Conclusions— Differential effects on LV remodeling and MMP/TIMP profiles occurred with CHAM. Thus, targeted injection of a biocomposite material can favorably affect the post-MI remodeling process and therefore holds promise as a treatment strategy in and of itself, or as a matrix with potentially synergistic effects with localized pharmacological or cellular therapies.
A comparative study of nucleation parameterizations: 2. Three‐dimensional model application and evaluation

[1] Following the examination and evaluation of 12 nucleation parameterizations presented in part 1, 11 of them representing binary, ternary, kinetic, and cluster-activated nucleation theories are evaluated in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system version 4.4. The 12–28 June 1999 Southern Oxidants Study episode is selected as a testbed to evaluate simulated particulate matter (PM) number and size predictions of CMAQ with different nucleation parameterizations. The evaluation shows that simulated domain-wide maximum PM2.5 number concentrations with different nucleation parameterizations can vary by 3 orders of magnitude. All parameterizations overpredict (by a factor of 1.4 to 1.7) the total number concentrations of accumulation-mode PM and significantly underpredict (by factors of 1.3 to 65.7) those of Aitken-mode PM, resulting in a net underprediction (by factors of 1.3 to 13.7) of the total number concentrations of PM2.5 under a polluted urban environment at a downtown station in Atlanta. The predicted number concentrations for Aitken-mode PM at this site can vary by up to 3 orders of magnitude, and those for accumulation-mode PM can vary by up to a factor of 3.2, with the best predictions by the power law of Sihto et al. (2006) (NMB of −31.7%) and the worst predictions by the ternary nucleation parameterization of Merikanto et al. (2007) (NMB of −93.1%). The ternary nucleation parameterization of Napari et al. (2002) gives relatively good agreement with observations but for a wrong reason. The power law of Kuang et al. (2008) and the binary nucleation parameterization of Harrington and Kreidenweis (1998) give better agreement than the remaining parameterizations. All the parameterizations fail to reproduce the observed temporal variations of PM number, volume, and surface area concentrations. The significant variation in the performance of these parameterizations is caused by their different theoretical bases, formulations, and dependence on temperature, relative humidity, and the ambient levels of H2SO4 and NH3. The controlling processes are different for PM number, mass, and surface areas. At urban/rural locations, some PM processes (e.g., homogeneous nucleation) and/or vertical transport may dominate the production of PM2.5 number, and emissions, or PM processes, or vertical transport or their combinations may dominate the production of PM2.5 mass and surface area. Dry deposition or some PM processes such as coagulation may dominate PM2.5 number loss, and horizontal and vertical transport, and cloud processes (e.g., cloud scavenging and wet deposition) may dominate the loss of PM2.5 mass and surface area concentrations. Sensitivity simulations show that the PM number and size distribution predictions are most sensitive to prescribed emission fractions of Aitken and accumulation-mode PM and the assumed initial PM size distribution, in addition to different nucleation parameterizations.
LIGHT ENVIRONMENTS IN TEMPERATE NEW ZEALAND PODOCARP RAINFORESTS

Summary: Light environments in two lowland New Zealand podocarp rainforests are described using data from quantum sensors. Mean daily total photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) in the forest understorey varies from 2.6-5.2% incident PPFD in summer and 1.0-2.5% in autumn, and in gaps from 5.0-16.6% in summer and 6.3-8.3% in autumn. Pronounced differences in understorey PPFD occur between clear and overcast days. Overcast days tend to have a lower proportion of 2-minute periods with very low mean PPFD than clear days. In summer, 37.791. 7% of PPFD occurs as sunflecks, but these only occur for 4.0-27.9% of the time. Most sunflecks are short duration (42.2-72.7% less than 4 minutes in summer) but some are very long (>32 minutes). Overall, light environments are similar to those found in other forests, both in New Zealand and elsewhere. However, canopy structure has a pronounced influence on spatial distribution of light environments within a forest, and differences in the size and frequency of canopy disturbances are a contributing factor to the floristic differences between the two forests studied.
A prospective randomized controlled study comparing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion techniques for degenerative spondylolisthesis: unilateral pedicle screw and 1 cage versus bilateral pedicle screws and 2 cages.

OBJECT Many surgeons currently prefer to use transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), placing 1 unilateral pedicle screw (PS) and 1 cage. However, no study has examined whether unilateral fixation improves surgical outcome. The authors conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial with a minimum 2-year follow-up to analyze TLIF outcomes for 2 techniques: placement of a unilateral PS and a cage compared with placement of bilateral PSs and 2 cages. METHODS Fifty patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis undergoing single-level TLIF were randomly assigned to receive either unilateral or bilateral fixation. Parameters compared between the groups were surgical invasiveness, severity of intermittent claudication, pre- and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) scores (from 0 to 10 for back pain, lower-extremity pain, and lower-extremity numbness), postoperative disability scores for lumbar spinal disorders (Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire [JOABPEQ]), and fusion rates. RESULTS The mean operative time for TLIF was significantly (p = 0.05) shorter and mean estimated blood loss was significantly lower in the unilateral than in the bilateral group. Intermittent claudication improved in response to each technique, but there was no significant intergroup difference. The unilateral group had a nonsignificant tendency toward less improvement in VAS score for back pain (1.5 vs 3.7 for the bilateral group) and exhibited significantly less improvement in VAS score for lower-extremity pain (2.1 vs 5.1, respectively) and numbness (1.7 vs 4.4). There were no significant differences between the groups in postsurgical scores for all 5 items of the JOABPEQ. The fusion rates were 87.5% (21 of 24 patients) in the unilateral group and 95.7% (22 of 23) in the bilateral group. CONCLUSIONS Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion involving unilateral PS fixation and a single-cage technique is less invasive than a 2-cage technique and bilateral fixation, and it improved patients' symptoms. However, it resulted in less improvement in back pain, lower-extremity pain, and lower-extremity numbness. When considering unilateral PS fixation and a single cage, the surgeon should be aware of the potential limitations of this technique. Clinical trial registration no.: UMIN000007833 (UMIN).
Influence of Heart Rate in Non-linear HRV Indices as a Sampling Rate Effect Evaluated on Supine and Standing

The purpose of this study is to characterize and attenuate the influence of mean heart rate (HR) on nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) indices (correlation dimension, sample, and approximate entropy) as a consequence of being the HR the intrinsic sampling rate of HRV signal. This influence can notably alter nonlinear HRV indices and lead to biased information regarding autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation. First, a simulation study was carried out to characterize the dependence of nonlinear HRV indices on HR assuming similar ANS modulation. Second, two HR-correction approaches were proposed: one based on regression formulas and another one based on interpolating RR time series. Finally, standard and HR-corrected HRV indices were studied in a body position change database. The simulation study showed the HR-dependence of non-linear indices as a sampling rate effect, as well as the ability of the proposed HR-corrections to attenuate mean HR influence. Analysis in a body position changes database shows that correlation dimension was reduced around 21% in median values in standing with respect to supine position (p < 0.05), concomitant with a 28% increase in mean HR (p < 0.05). After HR-correction, correlation dimension decreased around 18% in standing with respect to supine position, being the decrease still significant. Sample and approximate entropy showed similar trends. HR-corrected nonlinear HRV indices could represent an improvement in their applicability as markers of ANS modulation when mean HR changes.