Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autonomic Regulation of the Pulmonary Circulation

Responses to vagal stimulation, acetylcho-line, catecholamines, and sympathetic nerve stimulation were investigated in the feline pulmonary vascular bed under conditions of controlled pulmonary blood flow and constant left atrial pressure. Results of these studies suggest that, in the cat, the vagus is composed of efferent fibers from both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The data also suggest that the feline pulmonary vascular bed is functionally innervated by cholinergic nerves, and that vagal stimulation dilates the pulmonary vascular bed by releasing acetylcholine, which acts on muscarinic receptors in pulmonary vessels, α and ß2-adrenoceptors appear to be present in the feline pulmonary vascular bed, and both types of adrenergic receptors are innervated by the sympathetic nervous system. Selective α1- and α2-receptor agonists produce pulmonary vasoconstrictor responses, suggesting the presence of both α1- and α2-receptor subtypes in the feline pulmonary vascular bed. The pulmonary vascular response to nor-epinephrine, dopamine, and dobutamine is the algebraic summation of activation of α- and ß-adrenoceptors. Dopamine possesses greater α-(vasoconstrictor) activity when compared to dobutamine, whereas dobutamine has greater ß-(vasodilator) activity.
A Comparative Study of Zinc and Copper Values in Serum, Erythrocytes and Urine in Sickle Cell Homozygotes and Heterozygotes

Chronic zinc deficiency is an important disorder (1-2) in sickle cell disease (SCD). The depletion of the body zinc stores may be explained by excessive urinary zinc loss as well as zinc-deficient food supply. Chronic zinc deficiency in a growing child may lead to growth failure and hypogonadism, etc. (1); because zinc plays an important role in many cellular enzymatic reactions especially in protein synthesis and erythrocyte survival (3). Copper is also an essential element for many enzymatic reactions basic in erythropoiesis and also in iron absorption. In cases of copper deficiency refractory anemia and neutropenia may be developed (1).
Do neutralizing antibody responses generated by human papillomavirus infections favor a better outcome of low‐grade cervical lesions?

To determine the role of neutralizing antibody generated by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, baseline levels of serum neutralizing antibodies directed against HPV 16 and cervical HPV DNA were determined in 242 unvaccinated women with low‐grade cervical abnormalities, who were then monitored by cytology and colposcopy every 4 months. In women infected with HPV 16 (n = 42), abnormal cytology persisted longer in those positive for HPV 16‐specific neutralizing antibodies at baseline (median time to cytological regression: 23.8 vs. 7.2 months). Progression to cervical precancer (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3) within 5 years occurred only among women carrying HPV 16‐specific neutralizing antibodies (P = 0.03, log‐rank test). In women infected with types other than HPV 16 (n = 200), detection of HPV 16‐specific neutralizing antibodies was not correlated with disease outcome. In conclusion, development of specific neutralizing antibodies following natural HPV 16 infection did not favor a better outcome of low‐grade cervical lesions induced by HPV 16 or by other types; rather, detection of neutralizing antibodies generated by current infection may reflect viral persistence and thus help identify those who are at high risk of disease progression. J. Med. Virol. 84: 1128–1134, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Earnings Management and State Ownership: A Literature Review

Purpose: State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) have a growing importance in the economic and social life of both developed and developing countries, being present in their key sectors such as telecommunication, electricity, transportation. The purpose of this paper is to offer a comprehensive review of the up to date literature on the relation between State Ownership and Earnings management.Design/methodology/approach: An examination of the literature was undertaken to review the quantitative studies that analyze the existence or the non-existence of a relation between State Ownership and Earnings management, comparing population and data set used, methodology applied and result achieved. To find studies relevant to the issue, we utilized Google Scholar and delimited the research to 20 top Scholarly Journals, over the interval 1996-2016.Findings: The available literature seems to offer contrasting viewpoints regarding the relationship between public ownership and earnings management, even though studies generally show a slight prevalence towards a negative relationship. This means that the quality of the earnings published in the budgets of public owned enterprises must be slightly higher than the earnings published by private companies.Research limitations/implications: Almost all studies reviewed present limitations that hinder the assumption of general rules regarding the obtained results. At the same time, the different studies do not always use the same system to measure earnings management activities.Practical implications: The paper might offer interesting implications for central and local governments, in order to influence the decisions on their intervention in the market.Originality/value: To our knowledge, this is the first study trying to attempt this emerging goal.
From Confrontation to Collaboration: Collegial Accountability and the Expanding Role of Pharmacists in the Management of Chronic Pain

Federal and state laws create a tightly controlled system for distribution of those drugs that have recognized value in therapy, but also have the potential for abuse. The challenges pharmacists face in keeping controlled substances within the closed system are many and complex. Drug abusers and drug dealers have at times seen pharmacists as easy marks for access to abusable drugs. Unfortunately, pharmacists often find themselves in a game with criminals, who use both sophisticated and dangerous methods of inducing pharmacists to divert controlled substances. The effects of this problem on the health-care system have been judicially noted: The frequency of these crimes has terrorized the community of dispensing pharmacists. Some pharmacists have ceased to carry drugs that are highly desired on the black market, although this interferes with their patients’ ability to obtain necessary medicine. This has a serious potential to impede the delivery of health care in many communities around the nation.
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR): A neglected tropical disease in Maghreb region of North Africa and its threat to Europe

Background Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a contagious disease listed by the World Organisation for Animal health (OIE) as being a specific hazard. It affects sheep, goats, and wild ungulates, and is prevalent throughout the developing world particularly Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. PPR has been targeted for eradication by 2030 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the OIE, after the successful eradication of the related disease, rinderpest in cattle. PPR was first reported in 1942 in the Ivory Coast in Western Africa and has since extended its range in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa posing an immediate threat of incursion into Europe, South East Asia and South Africa. Although robust vaccines are available, the use of these vaccines in a systematic and rational manner is not widespread, resulting in this devastating disease becoming an important neglected tropical disease in the developing world. Methodology We isolated and characterized the PPR virus from an outbreak in Cheraga, northern Algeria, during October 2015 by analyzing the partial N-gene sequence in comparison with other viruses from the Maghreb region. As well as sequencing the full length viral genome and performing real-time RT-PCR on clinical samples. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian temporal and phylogeographic analyses were performed to assess the persistence and spread of PPRV circulation from Eastern Africa in the Maghreb region of North Africa. Conclusions Recent PPR outbreaks in Cheraga, in the northern part of Algiers (October 2015) and North-West Morocco (June, 2015) highlight that PPRV has spread to the northern border of North Africa and may pose a threat of introduction to Europe. Phylogeographic analysis suggests that lineage IV PPRV has spread from Eastern Africa, most likely from the Sudan 2000 outbreak, into Northern Africa resulting in the 2008 Moroccan outbreak. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian analysis shows that these North African viruses cluster closely together suggesting the existence of continual regional circulation. Considering the same virus is circulating in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, implementation of a common Maghreb PPR eradication strategy would be beneficial for the region.
Exploring Polymer Nanofiber Mechanics: A review of the methods for determining their properties.

Polymer nanofibers are increasingly being used in broad and diverse areas. In addition to the intrinsic chemical properties of the polymer, the physical and mechanical properties of the fiber are also important in determining its suitability for a given application. But measuring the mechanical properties and understanding their relationship to the structure and dimensions of the polymer nanofibers present some unique challenges. The atomic force microscope (AFM) has the force-sensing sensitivity and three-dimensional (3-D) spatial resolution necessary for this type of experiment. Several methods have been developed based on the AFM. The threepoint bending test approach is one of the most common, and several models have been developed for results interpretation.
Does Charitable Giving Substitute or Complement Firm Differentiation Strategy? Evidence from Chinese Private Smes

Using R&amp;D and advertising intensity to measure a firm's differentiation strategy, this study examines whether charitable giving substitutes or complements such a differentiation strategy. Evidence from a nationwide survey of private small&#8208; and medium&#8208;sized enterprises (SMEs) across China shows that corporate charitable giving generally complements rather than substitutes differentiation strategy. In particular, the combined spending in R&amp;D and advertising increases corporate charitable giving. In addition, the positive relationship between differentiation strategy and charitable giving is more prominent for firms located in service sector and in less developed markets. This study contributes important insights to our understanding of the relationship between corporate charitable giving and differentiation strategy.
Educational field and fertility in western Germany: an analysis of women born between 1955 and 1959

The existing research on education and fertility has been enriched by studies that take into account educational field in addition to educational level. The present paper adds western Germany, which has exceptionally high levels of childlessness, to the list of cases for which comparable research has been conducted. The association between educational attainment, childlessness, and ultimate fertility among women born between 1955 and 1959 is examined using data from the 2008 German Microcensus. Despite the strong association with the level of education, childlessness also varies by educational field in western Germany. Consistent with findings from other countries, the results show that women educated in teaching and health care have the lowest rates of childlessness at each educational level, while women educated in administration, economics or social sciences have the highest levels of childlessness. Educational field and level account equally for variation in ultimate fertility.
Antibacterial, Antioxidant Activity of Ethanolic Plant Extracts of Some Convolvulus Species and Their DART-ToF-MS Profiling

Convolvulus austroaegyptiacus Abdallah & Sa'ad (CA) and Convolvulus pilosellifolius Desr. (CP) are commonly used in the Saudi Arabia folk medicine. They are potent in treating the ulcers and skin diseases. The lack of information about their biological activities led us to investigate the possible biological activities by determination of antibacterial and antioxidant activities of total ethanolic extracts and various fractions. Total flavonoid contents of the plants were determined by colorimetric method while total phenols were determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu method. In vitro antibacterial activity was studied against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and B. subtilis, and the total antioxidant capacity was evaluated by radical scavenging method. IC50 were found to be 21.81, 17.62, and 3.31 μg/mL for CA, CP, and vitamin C, respectively, while the lowest MIC value of 0.25 mg/mL was recorded with CP extract against B. subtilis. Around 21 compounds are tentatively elucidated from both plants using rapid, simple, and high-resolution analytical technique for chemical profiling of natural compounds by direct analysis in real-time of flight-mass spectrometry, of which 17 were not isolated or reported previously.
Clinical Features and Prognostic Factors in Patients with Carcinomatous Meningitis Secondary to Breast Cancer

Abstract: Prognosis in patients with carcinomatous meningitis (CM) is poor, and numerous prognostic factors for response and survival have been described, but remain controversial. In general, series are small and involve a heterogeneous type of solid neoplasms. The purpose of this study was to describe a series of patients with breast cancer‐associated CM to determine the clinical features and prognostic factors associated with survival. We conducted a retrospective study on 49 patients diagnosed between January 2003 and December 2007 at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Mexico City. CSF cytopathology samples were re‐reviewed to confirm the diagnosis. Overall survival (OS) for patients with breast cancer with CM was 7 weeks. Factors independently associated with better OS included absence of encephalopathy at diagnosis (11 weeks versus 1 week; p = .036), low CSF protein content (15 versus 5 weeks; p = .022), and nontriple‐negative receptor status in the primary breast cancer tumor (13 versus 3 weeks; p = .015). According to multivariate analysis, patients were divided into favorable and poor prognostic groups, with OS of 14 weeks and 2 weeks, respectively (p < .001). These factors can identify a subgroup of patients who are candidates for an intensive management approach.
Do attentional capacities and processing speed mediate the effect of age on executive functioning?

ABSTRACT The executive processes are well known to decline with age, and similar data also exists for attentional capacities and processing speed. Therefore, we investigated whether these two last nonexecutive variables would mediate the effect of age on executive functions (inhibition, shifting, updating, and dual-task coordination). We administered a large battery of executive, attentional and processing speed tasks to 104 young and 71 older people, and we performed mediation analyses with variables showing a significant age effect. All executive and processing speed measures showed age-related effects while only the visual scanning task performance (selective attention) was explained by age when controlled for gender and educational level. Regarding mediation analyses, visual scanning partially mediated the age effect on updating while processing speed partially mediated the age effect on shifting, updating and dual-task coordination. In a more exploratory way, inhibition was also found to partially mediate the effect of age on the three other executive functions. Attention did not greatly influence executive functioning in aging while, in agreement with the literature, processing speed seems to be a major mediator of the age effect on these processes. Interestingly, the global pattern of results seems also to indicate an influence of inhibition but further studies are needed to confirm the role of that variable as a mediator and its relative importance by comparison with processing speed.
Comparing Loudness Normalization (IHAFF) with Speech Intelligibility Maximization (NAL-NL1) when Implemented in a Two-Channel Device

Objective At least two rationales are available for fitting wide dynamic range compression hearing aids. The goal of one rationale is to normalize loudness, and the goal of the second rationale is to maximize speech intelligibility. Neither rationale has been validated against other fitting rationales for the range of input levels common to the hearing aid user in the real world. The goal of the study was to compare the two rationales when implemented in a 2-channel compression hearing aid. Design Loudness normalization and speech intelligibility maximization were implemented using the Independent Hearing Aid Fitting Forum (IHAFF) and the National Acoustic Laboratories’ Nonlinear (NAL-NL1) prescriptive formulas. Twenty-four subjects (eight for each of three groups of mild flat, moderate/severe flat, and steeply sloping hearing loss) participated in the study. Each subject completed an initial laboratory test, field test, and final laboratory test. The laboratory test consisted of a paired-comparison judgment for each prescriptive formula using four stimuli under both quiet and noisy listening conditions and a sentence recognition test using Bamford-Kowal-Bench sentences. In the field test, subjects evaluated the two rationales in individually selected everyday listening conditions for 4 wk. A digital simulation of the fitting rationales implemented in two channels was used for laboratory testing and a digital 2-memory, 2-channel device was used for field testing. Subjects adjusted the overall gain of each response to their preferred listening level in both the laboratory and in the field. Results Data collected in the laboratory before and after the field test showed no indication of significant learning or acclimatization effects. For each stimulus presented in the paired-comparison test more subjects preferred NAL-NL1 than preferred IHAFF. For the sentence recognition test, subjects performed significantly better with NAL-NL1 than IHAFF in a low-frequency weighted background noise. Sixteen out of 22 subjects who completed the field test reported a preference for the NAL-NL1 response. The remaining six subjects preferred IHAFF. The paired-comparison test and field test revealed that while the achieved root-mean-square (rms) difference between fittings for an input level of 65 dB SPL was small, the preference for either rationale was small. As the rms difference between fittings increased, the score in favor of NAL-NL1 increased. The correlation between the differences in satisfaction score obtained in the field test and the rms differences between the responses fitted was statistically significant. Conclusions When the two fitting rationales prescribed substantially different responses for a 65 dB SPL input and these differences were achieved in the fitting, then the subjects preferred NAL-NL1. Even when the difference between fittings was small, the subjects preferred and performed better with NAL-NL1 when listening in a low-frequency weighted background noise.
Distributive Justice, Public Policies and the Comparison of Legal Rules: Quantify the “Price of Equity”

Abstract This paper proposes a quantitative approach to study two methodological problems arising when a costly redistribution of resources is implemented through public policies or legal rules: (a) aggregating individual into social preferences and (b) choosing the object of maximization. We consider a redistribution intervention that reduces inequality but diminishes total wealth and we specify a set of social welfare functions combining different preferences aggregation methods and maximands. For each social welfare function, we calculate its “price of equity”, defined as the maximum fraction of total wealth that a society is willing to sacrifice in order to implement the redistribution. Comparing the prices for equity across different social welfare function specifications, we identify systematic relationships and we rank them according to the efficiency-equity orientation. Results show that social welfare functions characterized by aggregation methods conventionally considered equity-oriented may reject redistribution interventions that are evaluated as welfare-improving by social welfare functions using efficiency-oriented aggregation methods. Similarly, social welfare functions considered equity-oriented because using utility as object of maximization may reject distributive policies that are evaluated as welfare-improving by social welfare functions using wealth as maximand. We argue that the quantitative approach proposed, by expounding the trade-off between equity and efficiency connected to different social welfare functions, may prove useful in areas of public law where policy-makers have to engage in the choice of a normative criterion for the evaluation of social welfare. Additionally, our results may inform rule-makers interested in comparing the distributive effects of alternative legal rules in special circumstances where private remedies can efficiently achieve redistribution goals.
Modern therapeutic approaches in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder of the brain and typically presents with a disorder of movement. The core pathological event underlying the condition is the loss of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway with the formation of α-synuclein-positive Lewy bodies. As a result, drugs that target the degenerating dopaminergic network within the brain work well, at least in the early stages of the disease. Unfortunately, with time, these therapies fail and produce their own unique side-effect profile and this, coupled with the more-diffuse pathological and clinical findings in advancing disease, has led to the search for more-effective therapies. In this review, we discuss the emerging new therapies in PD in terms of neuroprotective agents, drugs designed to control symptoms more effectively, and finally curative cell therapies.
RBC Adhesion to Vascular Endothelial Cells: More Potent than RBC Aggregation in Inducing Circulatory Disorders

Growing evidence has suggested that the adhesion of red blood cells (RBCs) to blood vessel wall endothelial cells (ECs) is a potent catalyst of microcirculatory disorders, but direct in vivo documentation has been lacking. In a recent study we have demonstrated the elevation of vascular resistance by RBCs with increased adhesion to ECs and normal deformability in the absence of aggregation. Unlike the previous chapter (i.e., the “point”), the findings and considerations discussed in this chapter (the “counterpoint) imply that RBC/EC adhesion is a more potent determinant of circulatory disorders than RBC aggregation.
Gardening on the Fringes: A Case Study at City Tech

Abstract Gardening offers college students a direct connection to the raw material they use in cooking classes. The added pleasure that comes with handling extremely fresh vegetables can enhance their cooking technique, point up the environmental advantages of local produce, and inform their menu development. Garden experience can also give entry-level culinary graduates a leg up in the farm-to-table restaurant market. This case study describes how a garden initiative developed to enhance culinary education became embedded within the subculture of college clubs and social activism. It builds on the large body of scholarship which has demonstrated the personal, educational, and social benefits that come with student gardening and nature connections in an urban setting. It demonstrates that when culinary gardening does not fit into the landscape of the college it can flourish on the fringes of the institution. For working-class students in a public urban college, the value of gardening is embedded in the personal, social, and gustatory pleasures that come from garden-related activities on campus. What happens in the garden does not stay in the garden; it informs school culture and the college experience.