Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of electrical stimulation on gastric electrical activity, motility and emptying

Abstract The aim was to measure the effect of gastric electrical stimulation on the frequency of canine antral pacesetter potentials (PPs), the strength of antral contractions, and the rate of gastric emptying while fasting, after feeding and with pentagastrin stimulation. Four conscious dogs with a stimulating electrode placed 10 cm proximal to the pylorus and recording electrodes and strain gauges placed 7, 5 and 3 cm proximal to the pylorus underwent myoelectric and strain gauge recordings while fasting, after feeding (250 ml 5% dextrose labelled with polyethylene glycol), and during pentagastrin infusion (0.5 μg kg−1 min−1) on four separate days. On each day, electrical stimulation was done using one of four stimulation frequencies (0, 6, 30 and 1200 stimuli per minute ***[s.p.m.]). Stimulation at 6 and 30 s.p.m. increased the fasting and fed PP frequency, whereas 1200 s.p.m. stimulation did not. Feeding decreased the maximum driven frequency, and pentagastrin increased it. Neither the motility index nor the gastric emptying rate were consistently changed by stimulation at any frequency. In conclusion, canine proximal antral stimulation at 6 and 30 s.p.m. sped PP frequency during fasting and after feeding, but stimulation over a wide range of frequencies had little effect on gastric contractions and emptying.
Frequent overexpression of ErbB – receptor family members in brain metastases of non‐small cell lung cancer patients

The ErbB receptor family has been implicated in brain metastases (BM) formation in various cancer types and specific targeted therapies are available. We investigated the overexpression of EGFR, HER2 and HER3 in BM of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to get a better insight on pathobiology of BM and potential drugable targets. We performed immunohistochemical analysis of EGFR, HER2 and HER3 on tissue microarrays of 131 NSCLC‐BM. Fifty‐one of 131 (38.9%) specimens were considered as positive for EGFR overexpression, 12/131 (9.2%) for HER2 and 27/131 (20.6%) for HER3 respectively. Sixty‐nine of 131 (52.7%) of the cases showed overexpression of at least one marker. Four of 131 (3.1%) were positive for all three markers. Strong correlation was observed between HER2 and HER3 overexpression (p = 0.009; Chi‐square test after Bonferroni‐Holmes correction). No statistically significant correlation of EGFR, HER2 or HER3 overexpression with clinico‐pathological parameters including overall survival times was observed. We observed overexpression of ErbB receptor family members, which represent established therapeutic targets in various primary tumours, in approximately half of NSCLC‐BM. Further studies should investigate the role of the ErbB pathway in development of and as a therapeutic target in BM of NSCLC patients.
C‐reactive protein: associations with haematological variables, cardiovascular risk factors and prevalent cardiovascular disease

Summary. C‐reactive protein (CRP) has been proposed as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, this association is confounded by mutual relationships with both classical and haematological cardiovascular risk factors. We, therefore, measured CRP with a high‐sensitivity assay in stored plasma samples from 414 men and 515 women in the north Glasgow MONICA (MONItoring trends in CArdiovascular diseases) survey, to study its correlation with haematological variables, classical risk factors and prevalent cardiovascular disease. CRP correlated with age, oral contraceptive use, menopause and most classical cardiovascular risk factors (except blood pressure). CRP also correlated with plasma levels of the pro‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6, and haematocrit, viscosity, red cell aggregation, white cell count, and coagulation factors [fibrinogen, factor (F) VII in women, FVIII, FIX] and inhibitors (antithrombin and protein C in women; protein S) but not coagulation activation markers. CRP was significantly associated with prevalent cardiovascular disease in both men (P = 0·03) and women (P = 0·009), however, the association became non‐significant after adjustment for firstly classical risk factors, then fibrinogen. We conclude that correlations with classical and haematological risk factors account for a substantial component of the association of CRP with prevalent cardiovascular disease, but there is evidence of a residual, independent effect among women.
The effects of early exposure of cellulitis-associated Escherichia coli in 1-day-old broiler chickens

Two experiments were performed to test the effect of various field strains of Escherichia coli of cellulitis origin. In the first experiment, 1-day-old broiler chicks were challenged with one of two E. coli field strains using inoculation routes including oral gavage, swabbing of the navel and subcutaneous injection. No cellulitis lesions were produced, although the birds experienced high levels of septicemia/toxemia, characteristic of colibacillosis. The birds that received the E. coli by subcutaneous injection experienced the highest rate of mortality, while those that were challenged by gavage and those that had their navels swabbed experienced lesser rates of mortality. Birds in the second experiment were challenged at 1 day of age with one of three field strains of cellulitis-origin E. coli administered alone or in combination (1:1), which were serially diluted prior to subcutaneous injection. No significant differences in body weight, mortality or cellulitis rates were associated with specific isolates given; however, significant differences were seen with mortality and cellulitis rates according to the dilution of bacteria given. A linear effect was also noted with body weight at 3 weeks, again correlating to the dilution of bacteria that the chicks received.
Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli from retail chicken meat and humans: comparison of strains, plasmids, resistance genes, and virulence factors.

BACKGROUND The worldwide prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae is increasing rapidly both in hospitals and in the community. A connection between ESBL-producing bacteria in food animals, retail meat, and humans has been suggested. We previously reported on the genetic composition of a collection of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) from chicken meat and humans from a restricted geographic area. Now, we have extended the analysis with plasmid replicons, virulence factors, and highly discriminatory genomic profiling methods. METHODS One hundred forty-five ESBL-EC isolates from retail chicken meat, human rectal carriers, and blood cultures were analyzed using multilocus sequence typing, phylotyping, ESBL genes, plasmid replicons, virulence genes, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS Three source groups overlapped substantially when their genetic composition was compared. A combined analysis using all variables yielded the highest resolution (Wilks lambda [Λ]: 0.08). Still, a prediction model based on the combined data classified 40% of the human isolates as chicken meat isolates. AFLP and PFGE showed that the isolates from humans and chicken meat could not be segregated and identified 1 perfect match between humans and chicken meat. CONCLUSIONS We found significant genetic similarities among ESBL-EC isolates from chicken meat and humans according to mobile resistance elements, virulence genes, and genomic backbone. Therefore, chicken meat is a likely contributor to the recent emergence of ESBL-EC in human infections in the study region. This raises serious food safety questions regarding the abundant presence of ESBL-EC in chicken meat.
In vivo responses of the primate corpus luteum to luteinizing hormone and chorionic gonadotropin.

Although it is well established that the secretory activity of the corpus luteum absolutely depends on the presence of pituitary-derived luteinizing hormone (LH), it is unknown why the life span of the corpus luteum is extended during early pregnancy by the placental production of chorionic gonadotropin (CG) but regresses in the presence of LH despite the fact that CG and LH have similar actions on the corpus luteum. To compare the responses of the corpus luteum to LH and human CG (hCG), cynomolgus monkeys whose endogenous gonadotropin secretion was blocked during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist were i.v. infused with either LH or CG. Infusion of LH at a constant rate overcame the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist-mediated premature luteal regression but failed to prolong the functional life span of the corpus luteum. Continuous infusions of hCG did not effect a pregnancy-like pattern of gonadotropin secretion, but the functional life span of the corpus luteun was extended in two of three animals. Infusion of either LH or hCG in an exponentially increasing manner prolonged the functional life span of the corpus luteum beyond its normal duration. These results indicate that luteal regression at the termination of nonfertile menstrual cycles is caused by a large reduction in the responsiveness of the aging corpus luteum to LH, which can be overcome by elevated concentrations of either LH or CG.
Consequences of Consumer Engagement in Service Marketing: An Empirical Exploration

ABSTRACT Companies are increasingly seeking consumer engagement with their services or products. The current study investigates the interrelationships among consumer engagement and higher order marketing constructs including trust, satisfaction, commitment and customer loyalty within hospitality industry. The perceptions from hotel customers were used to examine the interrelationships among the constructs. The data set was analyzed using descriptive analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Empirical results reveal that consumer engagement has the most influential impact on satisfaction, followed by commitment, loyalty and trust. Likewise, trust contributes more towards loyalty followed by satisfaction and commitment. Commitment, satisfaction and trust mediate the relationship between consumer engagement and loyalty. Hence, results suggest that consumer engagement increases satisfaction, commitment, trust, and loyalty. Based on social exchange theory and relationship marketing theory, this study analyzes from a theoretical and empirical perspective the influence of the consumer engagement on satisfaction, commitment, trust, and loyalty.
Tobin's Q and Inequality

Since the early 1980s, equity Tobin's Q has experienced a secular increase in the US, as equity wealth and corporate physical capital have followed divergent trajectories. During the same period, labor productivity and wages have significantly decoupled, leading to a decline in the U.S. corporate labor share. We build an incomplete markets model (in the Bewley-Hugget-Aiyagari tradition) with financial assets and monopoly power to explain the connection between these phenomena. Our model is consistent with several stylized facts of the U.S. economy since 1980. The evolution of capital taxation and the rise of monopoly markups explain the decrease in investment flows and the rise in the market value of existing capital. Wage-productivity decoupling is the natural response not only to the rise of markups, but also to investment sluggishness when capital and labor are complements. We therefore reconcile a simultaneous decrease in the labor share and an increase in the market value of capital with an elasticity of substitution below one. Our model also explains the historical upsurge of equity returns. By explicitly modelling the interaction between monopoly profits and different capital taxes, our framework sheds light on the current debate on capital taxation in the U.S. and elsewhere. We conclude that the secular increase in the relative value of financial wealth is not only a nominal phenomenon, but has had real effects in general equilibrium, rendering a more unequal pre-distributive allocation of income. These secular trends in taxes and market structure have reduced welfare, since the increase of financial wealth, which is mostly experienced by the richest households, occurs at the expense of corporate investment and labor earnings, which are the main source of income for a large portion of the population.
Dependence on delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol: studies on precipitated and abrupt withdrawal.

A cannabinoid antagonist, SR 141716A, dose dependently precipitated a behavioral withdrawal syndrome in rats continuously infused i.p. for only 4 days with relatively low-dose regimens of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol. The following dose regimens, expressed as mg/kg/24 hr, were used for days 1 through 4: high-12.5, 25, 50 and 100; medium-2.5, 5, 10 and 20; and low-0.5, 1, 2 and 4. The major withdrawal signs of the syndrome were scratching, rubbing face with paws, licking, wetdog shakes, arched back and ptosis (at least 50% closure of eyelids). At the highest dose regimen, other signs noted in fewer subjects were biting, tongue rolling, retropulsion, head shakes, extended limbs or high stepping, ataxia, myoclonic spasms and front paw treading. During abrupt withdrawal (delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol was discontinued and vehicle substituted) abstinence signs were also noted; however, except during a 48-hr observation period, withdrawal was not sufficiently robust to achieve statistical significance. The results of this study provide evidence that a modest course of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol can produce physical dependence. Hence, the risk and incidence of marijuana dependence in humans may be greater than previously projected.
Monolithically integrated InGaAs-AlGaAs master oscillator power amplifier with grating outcoupler

A monolithically integrated master oscillator power amplifier with a grating outcoupler, fabricated using a simple process without regrowth and emitting a collimated output beam, is proposed and demonstrated using an InGaAs-AlGaAs strained single-quantum-well gradient-index separate-confinement-heterostructure. Stable single-mode lasing up to 124-mW output power was obtained under continuous-wave operation. An increase of the output beam divergence, due to a wavefront distortion produced in the power amplifier, was observed with increasing power amplifier injection current. The wavefront distortion can be compensated by an appropriate design of the grating outcoupler.
Mergers, acquisitions and alliances in the cruise tourism industry

The present paper addresses the antecedents of cruise companies’ strategy implementation, focusing on mergers, acquisitions and alliances as potential alternative choices for managers. Specifically, a model for interpreting the drivers of such decisions is proposed, based on two dimensions: (1) the level of riskiness and complexity of the industry and (2) the importance of the acquired resources and capabilities for the competitive advantage of the acquiring firm. The theoretical model is then applied to the cruise industry, through a qualitative analysis on three case studies based on the major companies: Carnival, RCCL, and Star Cruise–Norwegian Cruise Line (Genting Group). Such industry represents an ideal set for studying the issues, as, in the last few years, the growing turbulent environment has increased the number of mergers and acquisitions and strategic alliances with other partners belonging to the same supply chain. The results show that in the cruise tourism industry, the two aforementioned dimensions seem to matter in firms’ choice between the different external growth strategies, highlighting the presence of homogeneous behavioral models among the cruise companies. This contribution presents some valuable research implications, useful for researchers and academics, but also professionals and policy makers may benefit from this knowledge.
Exploring the role of worker income and workplace characteristics on the journey to work

Abstract Traditional trip distribution processes that rely heavily on gravity models fail to capture how the characteristics of individuals or the heterogeneity in the attributes of attraction zones may influence the accessibility to jobs and, therefore, journey-to-work patterns. Different approaches, such as destination choice models, are not generally applied because of limited data availability and calibration requirements. This paper proposes an alternative approach to overcome this challenge by combining a utility-based measure of accessibility and a maximum range of commuting distance to predict the journey-to-work patterns of individual worker-agents using an open-access database. A multinomial logit model is estimated and an agent-based model is developed using data from the Census Transportation Planning Products (CTPP) 5-year database. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a case study based on Tippecanoe County, Indiana, and the results are compared to a double-constrained gravity model. Results indicate that the utility functions derived from the CTPP database can replicate the aggregated journey-to-work patterns by income levels. Furthermore, it was found that the utility functions for low-, middle-, and high-household income groups could be different. Finally, while a calibrated gravity model could produce a trip-length distribution and average commuting distance more similar to observed data, the destination choice model provides more insights into the trip patterns across different household income groups, thereby providing a better basis for policy analysis.
Physicochemical and micro-tomographic characterization of inorganic deposits associated with aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND AND THE AIM OF THE STUDY A major feature of aortic stenosis is massive mineralization of the aortic valve, though the mechanism of the process remains unclear. The study aim was to characterize the chemical composition and morphology of inorganic deposits from surgically excised natural aortic valves and to seek similarities to minerals in bones and teeth. METHODS Mineral deposits from 30 surgically excised natural aortic valves were examined. The control group consisted of autopsy samples (aortic valves, vertebral bodies) and teeth obtained after extraction. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) was used to describe the morphology and density of the minerals. X-ray fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were applied to determine the chemical composition. RESULTS A poorly crystalline, B-type carbonate-containing hydroxyapatite (HAP) was found to constitute the mineral phase of the aortic valve leaflets. No other chemical compounds were identified. The elemental composition of the minerals in aortic valves and bone/tooth did not differ markedly, except that the Mg concentration was fourfold higher in valve material. The aortic valve deposits were irregular in shape and occupied ca. 40% of the leaflet volume. The volume of the deposits were spread over a broad range (0.001-0.3 mm3), while the density ranged from that of dentine to enamel (average value 2.2 g/cm3), slightly higher than that of compact bone. CONCLUSION The aortic valve deposits were identified as B-type carbonate-containing HAP, and were not identical to those found in bones and teeth, the main difference being a fourfold elevated Mg content. Mg may have been deposited as a separate compound, as micro-CT results suggested that the formation of mineral deposits in aortic valves was a multi-factorial process. The morphological parameters and densities of the valve deposits were spread over a broad range (factor approximately 300). An unequivocal identification of the mechanism responsible for the aortic valve pathological calcification was not possible, however.
Profitability Determinants of Financial Institutions: Evidence from Banks in Pakistan

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of bank-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic variables on the profitability of banks in Pakistan. This study applied the two-step generalized method of momentum (GMM) system estimator on an unbalanced dynamic panel of 28 banks over the latest period 2007–2016. The robust results reveal that the bank’s profitability in Pakistan is explained by size, higher solvency, financial structure, operating cost, labor productivity, market power, and economic growth. We also found an inverted U-shape relationship between banks size and profitability. Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) was applied to evaluate the impact of market power and found results in support of Structure Conduct Hypothesis. On the other hand, credit quality, operational efficiency, banking sector development, inflation, and industry concentration are found to be negatively and significantly related to the profitability of banks. Further, this study found lower profitability of banks during the government transition. The Mean comparison of profitability indicates that specialized banks (SB) in Pakistan are generating higher net interest margin (NIM) than all commercial banks (ACB). However, the empirical results of this study are robust and consistent with previous literature.
Entry kinetics and cell–cell transmission of surface‐bound retroviral vector particles

Transduction with recombinant HIV‐1 derived lentivirus vectors is a multi‐step process initiated by surface attachment and subsequent receptor‐directed uptake into the target cell. We previously reported the retention of vesicular stomatitis virus G protein pseudotyped particles on murine progenitor cells and their delayed cell–cell transfer.
Mosquitoes and Their Potential Predators In Rice Agroecosystems of the Mekong Delta, Southern Vietnam

Abstract Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. gelidus, and Cx. quinquefasciatus, known vectors of Japanese encephalitis (JE), are distributed in rice agroecosystems in Asian countries. Very few integrated studies on the breeding habitats of rice-field mosquitoes, including JE vectors, have been conducted in Vietnam. We investigated the mosquito fauna and potential predators in 8 rice growing areas in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam, during the wet and dry seasons of 2009. Mosquitoes and their predators were collected from a variety of aquatic habitats (rice fields, ponds, wetlands, shrimp ponds, ditches, canals, and rivers). We collected 936 Culex spp. (354 Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, 240 Cx. vishnui s.l., 189 Cx. fuscocephala, and 42 Cx. gelidus), 33 Uranotaenia, 25 Anopheles, and 9 Mimomyia (4 Mi. chamberlaini) in the dry season. During the rainy season, we collected 1,232 Culex spp. (132 Cx. vishnui s.l., 66 Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, 9 Cx. gelidus, 4 Cx. fuscocephala, and 2 Cx. bitaeniorhynchus), 236 Anopheles spp. (40 An. vagus and 1 An. sinensis), and 7 Uranotaenia (3 Ur. lateralis). Heteroptera such as Micronecta, Veliidae, and Pleidae were abundant and widely distributed in both seasons. Based on a stepwise generalized linear model, the abundance of mosquitoes and their predators in rice fields was high when the rice plant length was short and water depth was shallow. Therefore, the use of insecticides during the earlier stages of rice growth should be avoided in order to preserve the predator populations.
The benefit of appropriate empirical antibiotic treatment in patients with bloodstream infection

Abstract. Leibovici L, Shraga I, Drucker M, Konigsberger H, Samra Z, Pitlik SD (Rabin Medical Center, Petah‐Tiqva, and Tel‐Aviv University, Tel‐Aviv, Israel). The benefit of appropriate empirical antibiotic treatment in patients with bloodstream infection. J Intern Med 1998; 244: 379–86.