Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Renal denervation decreases blood pressure and renal tyrosine hydroxylase but does not augment the effect of hypotensive drugs

ABSTRACT The effect of renal denervation on the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs has not yet been elucidated. Twenty-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats were treated with metoprolol, losartan, indapamide, or saline (controls) and assigned to renal denervation or a sham procedure. Acute hemodynamic measurements were performed ten days later. Series showing a significant interaction between renal denervation and the drugs were repeated with chronic telemetry measurements. In the saline series, denervated rats showed a significantly lower mean arterial blood pressure (blood pressure) than the sham-operated rats. In contrast, in the metoprolol series denervated rats showed a significantly higher blood pressure than sham rats. There were no differences in blood pressure between denervated and sham rats in the losartan and indapamide series. In chronic studies, a 4-week treatment with metoprolol caused a decrease in blood pressure. Renal denervation and sham denervation performed 10 days after the onset of metoprolol treatment did not affect blood pressure. Denervated rats showed markedly reduced renal nerve tyrosine hydroxylase levels. In conclusion, renal denervation decreases blood pressure in hypertensive rats. The hypotensive action of metoprolol, indapamide, and losartan is not augmented by renal denervation, suggesting the absence of synergy between renal denervation and the drugs investigated in this study.
The future of telephone surveys in Hong Kong: A comparison of fixed line surveys with cellular phone surveys

Purpose This paper aims to compare residential fixed-line telephone surveys with cell phone surveys for assessing the extent of the potential undercoverage issue evaluating the necessity and feasibility of conducting cell phone surveys or dual-frame telephone surveys in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The research team simultaneously carried out a conventional fixed-line telephone survey and a cell phone survey in 2015 with similar features on survey design, sampling and data collection procedures. Two samples with sample size of 801 and 1,203 were achieved separately. Data collected were analysed to see to what extent survey findings will be biased if the sampling frame of telephone surveys is solely based on residential fixed-line numbers in Hong Kong, and if such a bias does exist, whether a survey conducted through cell phones or by adding a cell phone-only (CO) group would be an ideal solution for it. Findings The findings show that the cooperation rates for the cell phone survey were much lower than those of the fixed-line telephone survey. The respondents from two surveys were fairly different. However, estimates of most commonly used socio-demographic characteristics from the latter group had the least bias compared with population statistics. Supplanting the traditional fixed-line survey with a cell phone survey or supplementing it with a CO group will not make the resulting sample a better representative of the population but it will amplify the sample bias on the major social socio-demographic characteristics. Originality/value This paper empirically compares the two types of telephone surveys in a well-designed scientific study.
Modeling of the buccal and lingual bone walls of fresh extraction sites following implant installation.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the reduction of the alveolar ridge that occurs following tooth extraction and implant placement is influenced by the size of the hard tissue walls of the socket. MATERIAL AND METHODS Six beagle dogs were used. The third premolar and first molar in both quadrants of the mandible were used. Mucoperiostal flaps were elevated and the distal roots were removed. Implants were installed in the fresh extraction socket in one side of the mandible. The flaps were replaced to allow a semi-submerged healing. The procedure was repeated in the contra later side of the mandible after 2 months. The animals were sacrificed 1 month after the final implant installation. The mandibles were dissected, and each implant site was removed and processed for ground sectioning. RESULTS Marked hard tissue alterations occurred during healing following tooth extraction and implant installation in the socket. The marginal gap that was present between the implant and the walls of the socket at implantation disappeared as a result of bone fill and resorption of the bone crest. The modeling in the marginal defect region was accompanied by marked attenuation of the dimensions of both the delicate buccal and the wider lingual bone wall. Bone loss at molar sites was more pronounced than at the premolar locations. CONCLUSION Implant placement failed to preserve the hard tissue dimension of the ridge following tooth extraction. The buccal as well as the lingual bone walls were resorbed. At the buccal aspect, this resulted in some marginal loss of osseointegration.
Productivity and efficiency in high-potential areas

A large majority of Ethiopians and those who are poor live in rural areas and derive their livelihood from agriculture. Moreover, the proportion residing in rural areas is predicted to stay high (still around 70 percent in 2040), when there is likely to be 40 percent more rural residents (UN 2014). Agriculture is dominated by smallholder households. During 2013/2014, 94 percent of the area nationwide was cultivated by smallholder farmers (Ethiopia, CSA 2005b–2014b). The average amount of land held by smallholders was about a hectare and has since declined. In addition, the number and size of households increased between 2004/2005 and 2013/2014 (Ethiopia, CSA 2005b–2014b). The facts that most Ethiopians are engaged in agriculture and the bulk of the poor reside in rural areas have provided the impetus for major policy initiatives from the government of Ethiopia that prioritize smallholder agriculture. Most notably, since the launch of the Agricultural Development Led Industrialization strategy in 1993 (Ethiopia, MoPED 1993), agriculture has become a focal point.
Cholesterol, APOE genotype, and Alzheimer disease

Objective: To examine the relationship between cholesterol and other lipids, APOE genotype, and risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) in a population-based study of elderly Yoruba living in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: Blood samples and clinical data were collected from Yoruba study participants aged 70 years and older (N = 1,075) as part of the Indianapolis-Ibadan Dementia Project, a longitudinal epidemiologic study of AD. Cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglyceride levels were measured in fasting blood samples. DNA was extracted and APOE was genotyped. Diagnoses of AD were made by consensus using National Institute of Neurologic Disorders/Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria. Results: Logistic regression models showed interaction after adjusting for age and gender between APOE-ε4 genotype and biomarkers in the risk of AD cholesterol*genotype (p = 0.022), LDL*genotype (p= 0.018), and triglyceride*genotype (p = 0.036). Increasing levels of cholesterol and LDL were associated with increased risk of AD in individuals without the APOE-ε4 allele, but not in those with APOE-ε4. There was no significant association between levels of triglycerides and AD risk in those without APOE-ε4. Conclusions: There was a significant interaction between cholesterol, APOE-ε4, and the risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) in the Yoruba, a population that has lower cholesterol levels and lower incidence rates of AD compared to African Americans. APOE status needs to be considered when assessing the relationship between lipid levels and AD risk in population studies.
Vascular Plant Diversity and General Ecological Characteristics of Ahi Mountain (Bilecik, Turkey)

In this study, plant diversity and ecological characteristics of Ahi Mountain (Bilecik, Turkey) and its environment were investigated. The study area lies in the A2 and B2 squares based on the Grid System of Davis. Altitudes of the area vary between 400 and 1000 m. During the study, 287 genera belonging to 75 families and 461 plant taxa were determined. Euro-Siberian elements were dominant (14.1%) in the study area and it was followed by Mediterranean (9.8%) and Irano-Turanian elements (5.0%). 5.4% of total plant diversity were endemic. Hemicryptophytes had the most number of plant taxa with 41.2% and vascular parasites had the less number of plant taxa with 0.4% in the research area. According to the IUCN Red List Categories, 24 threatened plant species were identified in the study area. Twenty two of them were in LC and 2 were in NT categories. Besides, plant associations belonging to Querco-Fagatea (Br.-Bl. Evlieger) Fuk & Fab. 1968 and Quercetea pubescentis Oberd. 1948 classis were dominant in the research area.
The Potential of FinFETs for Analog and RF Circuit Applications

CMOS downscaling in the nanoscale era will necessitate drastic changes to the planar bulk CMOS transistor to keep pace with the required speed increase while at the same time maintaining acceptable performance in terms of leakage, variability and analog parameters such as gain, noise and linearity. For the gate electrode and the gate dielectric, which classically use polysilicon and with some amount of nitridation, new materials might be needed. Also, a new transistor architecture might be required that deviates from the planar structure. Thanks to their inherent suppression of short-channel effects, reduced drain-induced barrier lowering and good scalability, multi-gate devices such as fin-shaped field-effect transistors (FinFETs) are considered as possible candidates for device scaling at the end of International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. As such, they form a first step between a planar architecture and a silicon nanowire. In this paper, we demonstrate with functional prototypes of analog and RF circuits that the combination of a new gate stack with a FinFET transistor architecture outperforms comparable circuit realizations in planar bulk CMOS for low to moderate speed. Further, the FinFETs exhibit less leakage and show less intra-die variability than their planar bulk counterpart. In the microwave and millimeter-wave frequency region, planar bulk CMOS is still superior. The main challenge for FinFET performance in the coming years is the improvement of the maximum cutoff frequency, which is nowadays limited to 100 GHz.
The media equation - how people treat computers, television, and new media like real people and places

Part I. Introduction: 1. The media equation Part II. Media and Manners: 2. Politeness 3. Interpersonal distance 4. Flattery 5. Judging others and ourselves Part III. Media and Personality: 6. Personality of characters 7. Personality of interfaces 8. Imitating a personality Part IV. Media and emotion: 9. Good versus bad 10. Negativity 11. Arousal Part V. Media and Social Roles: 12. Specialists 13. Teammates 14. Gender 15. Voices 16. Source orientation Part VI. Media and Form: 17. Image size 18. Fidelity 19. Synchrony 20. Motion 21. Scene changes 22. Subliminal images Part VII. Final Words: 23. Conclusions about the media equation References.
Adaptive Symbiotic Collaboration for Targeted Complex Manipulation Tasks

This paper addresses the problem of human-robot collaboration in the context of manipulation tasks. In particular, we focus on tasks where a robot must perform some complex manipulation that is successfully completed only upon reaching some target pose provided by a human user. We propose an approach in which the robot explicitly reasons about its ability to complete the task and proactively requests the assistance of the human teammate when necessary. Our approach effectively trades-off the benefits arising from the human assistance with the cost of disturbing the user. We also propose an adaptation mechanism that enables the robot to adjust its behavior to the particular manner by which the human user responds to the requests made by the robot. We test our approach in a simple illustrative scenario and in two real interaction scenarios involving the Baxter robot.
Classification of Neisseria meningitidis Group B into Distinct Serotypes I. Serological Typing by a Microbactericidal Method

Neisseria meningitidis group B was subdivided into a number of different serotypes. A sensitive microbactericidal assay procedure was developed, and, with this method, over 10 different serotypes were provisionally established. The method by which distinct serotype designations were assigned is described. Almost half of the strains examined thus far contained a common serotype antigen which was distinct from the grouping antigen. Differentiation of group B meningococci into distinct types will aid in epidemiological studies and in the selection of appropriate strains for vaccines against group B meningococci.
Colonic fermentation from lactulose inhibits lipolysis in overweight subjects.

One of the strategies to prevent insulin resistance is to reduce circulating free fatty acids (FFA). The aim of this study is to assess the effect of an oral lactulose load on fatty acid metabolism in overweight subjects. Eight overweight subjects received a primed constant intravenous infusion of [1-(13)C]acetate and of [1,1,2,3,3-(2)H(5)]glycerol for 9 h. After 3 h of tracer infusion, patients ingested 30 g lactulose, or saline solution. Arterialized blood samples were collected every 20 min. Basal plasma concentrations of acetate were similar before and between oral treatments as well as glycerol and FFA concentrations. Plasma acetate turnover was 11.4 +/- 2.4 vs. 10.7 +/- 1.4 micromol.kg(-1). min(-1) [not significant (NS)], and plasma glycerol turnover was 3.8 +/- 0.4 vs. 4.8 +/- 1.9 micromol.kg(-1). min(-1) (NS). After lactulose ingestion, acetate concentration increased twofold and then decreased to baseline. Acetate turnover rate increased to 15.5 +/- 2.2 micromol.kg(-1). min(-1) after lactulose treatment, whereas it was unchanged after saline treatment (10.3 +/- 2.2 micromol.kg(-1). min(-1), P < or = 0.0001). In contrast, FFA concentrations decreased significantly after lactulose ingestion and then increased slowly. Glycerol turnover decreased after lactulose ingestion compared with saline, 2.8 +/- 0.4 vs. 3.5 +/- 0.3 micromol.kg(-1). min(-1) (P < or = 0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between glycerol and acetate turnover after lactulose treatments (r = -0.78, P < or = 0.02). These results showed in overweight subjects a short-term decrease in FFA level and glycerol turnover after lactulose ingestion related to a decrease of lipolysis in close relationship with an increase of acetate production.
Inhibitors of melanogenesis increase toxicity of cyclophosphamide and lymphocytes against melanoma cells

High mortality rate for metastatic melanoma is related to its resistant to the current methods of therapy. Melanogenesis is a metabolic pathway characteristic for normal and malignant melanocytes that can affect the behavior of melanoma cells or its surrounding environment. Human melanoma cells in which production of melanin pigment is dependent on tyrosine levels in medium were used for experiments. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were derived from the buffy coats purchased from Lifeblood Biological Services. Cell pigmentation was evaluated macroscopically, and tyrosinase activity was measured spectrophotometrically. Cell proliferation and viability were measured using lactate dehydrogenase release MTT, [3H]‐thymidine incorporation and DNA content analyses, and gene expression was measured by real time RT‐PCR. Pigmented melanoma cells were significantly less sensitive to cyclophosphamide and to killing action of IL‐2‐activated peripheral blood lymphocytes. The inhibition of melanogenesis by either blocking tyrosinase catalytic site or chelating copper ions sensitized melanoma cells towards cytotoxic action of cyclophosphamide, and amplified immunotoxic activities of IL‐2 activated lymphocytes. Exogenous L‐DOPA inhibited lymphocyte proliferation producing the cell cycle arrest in G1/0 and dramatically inhibited the production of IL‐1beta, TNF‐alpha, IL‐6 and IL‐10. Thus, the active melanogenesis could not only impair the cytotoxic action of cyclophosphamid but also has potent immunosuppressive properties. This resistance to a chemotherapeutic agent or immunotoxic activity of lymphocytes could be reverted by the action of tyrosinase inhibitors. Thus, the inhibition of melanogenesis might represent a valid therapeutic target for the management of advanced melanotic melanomas. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bell inequalities and entanglement

We discuss general Bell inequalities for bipartite and multipartite systems, emphasizing the connection with convex geometry on the mathematical side, and the communication aspects on the physical side. Known results on families of generalized Bell inequalities are summarized. We investigate maximal violations of Bell inequalities as well as states not violating (certain) Bell inequalities. Finally, we discuss the relation between Bell inequality violations and entanglement properties currently discussed in quantum information theory.
Heterogeneity and dynamics of lateral line afferent innervation during development in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The lateral line system of larval zebrafish is emerging as a model to study a range of topics in neurobiology, from hair cell regeneration to sensory processing. However, despite numerous studies detailing the patterning and development of lateral line neuromasts, little is known about the organization of their connections to afferent neurons and targets in the hindbrain. We found that as fish grow and neuromasts proliferate over the body surface, the number of afferent neurons increases linearly. The number of afferents innervating certain neuromasts increases over time, while it decreases for other neuromasts. The ratio of afferent neurons to neuromasts differs between the anterior and posterior lateral line system, suggesting potential differences in sensitivity threshold or spatial resolution. A single afferent neuron routinely contacts a group of neuromasts, suggesting that different afferent neurons can convey information about receptive fields along the body. When afferent projections are traced into the hindbrain, where a distinct somatotopy has been previously described, we find that this general organization is absent at the Mauthner cell. We speculate that directional input from the lateral line is less important at an early age, whereas the speed of the escape response is paramount, and that directional responses arise later in development. By quantifying morphological connections in the lateral line system, this study provides a detailed foundation to understand how hydrodynamic information is processed and ultimately translated into appropriate motor behaviors. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:1376–1386, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The great escape

Epigenetic mechanisms precisely regulate sex chromosome inactivation as well as genes that escape the silencing process. In male germ cells, DNA damage response factor RNF8 establishes active epigenetic modifications on the silent sex chromosomes during meiosis, and activates escape genes during a state of sex chromosome-wide silencing in postmeiotic spermatids. During the course of evolution, the gene content of escape genes in postmeiotic spermatids recently diverged on the sex chromosomes. This evolutionary feature mirrors the epigenetic processes of sex chromosomes in germ cells. In this article, we describe how epigenetic processes have helped to shape the evolution of sex chromosome-linked genes. Furthermore, we compare features of escape genes on sex chromosomes in male germ cells to escape genes located on the single X chromosome silenced during X-inactivation in females, clarifying the distinct evolutionary implications between male and female escape genes.
Improving coherence by reordering the output of extractive summarization using Centering Theory through genetic algorithm

Extractive summarization is a widely studied and fairly easy to implement technique. It works by choosing the most important parts of a document(s) as a summary. However, this can lead to a lack of coherence in the summary itself. In this study, the principle of continuity in Centering Theory is used to maintain the entity coherence between subsequent sentences obtained from extractive news summarizer. Simultaneously, the relative order of sentences belonging to the same source document is maintained. These two considerations are implemented as fitness functions for a genetic algorithm that is used to obtain the optimal ordering of sentences in the summary. Based on the results of our study involving human judgment, a weighted fitness function combining 75% continuity and 25% relative order yields the most acceptable sentence ordering.
Development in Urban Adolescents The Effects of Privileging Moral or Performance Character

This study compared the effects of emphasizing moral character development or performance character development at three high-performing, highpoverty urban middle schools. Performance character consists of the qualities that allow individuals to regulate their thoughts and actions in ways that support achievement in a particular endeavor. Moral character consists of the qualities relevant to striving for ethical behavior in one’s relationships with other individuals and communities. Using a quasi-experimental research design, the authors found that early adolescents attending a school emphasizing moral character development through ethical philosophy programming demonstrated significantly higher levels of integrity over the course of the 2010 to 2011 academic year than their peers at two matched comparison schools (N = 544). However, the early adolescents attending the comparison schools—which emphasized performance character development through advisory programming—demonstrated significantly higher levels of perseverance and community connectedness over the course of the academic year. These divergent outcomes across the three schools offer useful implications to educators, researchers, and policymakers about the different effects of privileging a particular dimension of character education.
Lung function in children and adolescents with tetralogy of Fallot after intracardiac repair

We studied lung function in 41 patients, aged 6–27 years, 1–5 years after intracardiac surgical repair (ICR) of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and about 5 years after the establishment of the Pediatric Cardiac Center in Prague. The measurements included vital capacity (VC). total lung capacity (TLC), functional residual capacity (FRC), residual volume (RV), forced expiratory flows (FEF), specific airway conductance (SGaw), lung recoil pressure (Pst), and specific static lung compliance (S1st). Single or mutiple abnormal lung function parameters were found in 83% of patients. Lung function was not related to shunting operations prior to ICR, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit, and had no specific pattern. Pst at 100% TLC and 90% TLC declined with increasing age at ICR and at lung function testing, while SC, rose, as did the ratio FRC/TLC. Fifteen patients were studied before and after surgery. Single or multiple lung function tests were abnormal in 93% before and in 84% after ICR. After ICR the ratios FRC/TLC and also RV/TLC, FEF at 25% VC, and FEF at 60% TLC were less frequently abnormal, while Pst at 100% TLC and at 90% TLC, as well as SGaw and TLC, were more frequently abnormal after ICR. The results indicated a regression of smaller airway obstruction and lung hyperinflation after ICR. The evolution of abnormally compliant (emphysematous) lungs with growth of the patients might be a sign of permanent sequelae of early lung damage from abnormal pulmonary hemodynamics. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1993; 16:23–30. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.