Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Effects of Pantoprazole Enantiomers on Gastric Mucosal Lesions and Gastric Epithelial Cells in Rats

(±)-Pantoprazole sodium, ((±)-PANNa), is a proton pump inhibitor that is administered as a racemate. The protective effects of (-)-PANNa, (+)-PANNa and (±)-PANNa on various experimental ulcers in animals were compared. (-)-PANNa inhibited gastric lesions induced by water-immersion stress, aspirin, ethanol, and reserpine in a dose-dependent manner. The dose that inhibited 50% of lesions (ID50) were 2.72 ± 1.03, 1.60 ± 0.64, 4.12 ± 2.18, and 2.77 ± 0.86 mg/kg, respectively. The ID50 values of (+)-PANNa and (±)-PANNa were 1.7, 2.6, 1.8, 2.7 and 1.5, 1.7, 1.6, 1.9 times higher, respectively, than that of (-)-PANNa. Primary culture of rat gastric epithelial cells was investigated as an in vitro model for comparing the cell protective effects among the three agents. Exposed to the three drugs at the concentrations of 2.5 × 10 -1 -2.5 × 10 -5 mg/ml, cultured cells were treated with either pH 3.5 me- dium or 3.5 mM indomethacin. Cytoprotection was evaluated by MTT. (-)-PANNa, (+)-PANNa and (±)-PANNa provided significant cytoprotective effects when the cells were pretreated with the drugs prior to exposure to 3.5 mM indomethacin, whereas, when they were treated concurrently, no significant cytoprotective effects were found. In pH 3.5 medium-induced damage, the three drugs had marked protective effects on gastric cells, however, when the concentration of drugs was high (0.25 mg/ml), only (+)-PANNa had significant cytoprotection. We concluded that the cytoprotective mechanisms of (-)-PANNa and (+)-PANNa are different. The results of in vitro experiments were not in complete accordance with the in vivo results, suggesting that the effects of the three drugs on ulcer inhibition are mainly due to the effects of acid inhibition rather than cytoprotection.
Congenial Multiple Imputation and Matched Pairs Models for Square Tables: An Example of patients’ self-management

Experimental studies often measure an individual’s quality of life before and after an intervention, with the data organized into a square table and analyzed using matched pair modeling. However, it is not unusual to find missing data in either round (i.e., before and/or after) of such studies and the use of multiple imputations with matched-pair modeling remains relatively unreported in the applied statistics literature. In this paper we introduce an approach which maintains dependency of responses over time and makes a match between the imputer and the analyst. We use ‘before’ and ‘after’ quality-of-life data from a randomized controlled trial to demonstrate how multiple imputation and matched-pair modeling can be congenially combined, avoiding a possible mismatch of imputation and analyses, and to derive a properly consolidated analysis of the quality-of-life data. We illustrate this strategy with a real-life example of one item from a quality-of-life study that evaluates the effectiveness of patients’ self-management of anticoagulation versus standard care as part of a randomized controlled trial.
Effects of a solar wind dynamic pressure increase in the magnetosphere and in the ionosphere

Abstract. On 17 July 2005, an earthward bound north-south oriented magnetic cloud and its sheath were observed by the ACE, SoHO, and Wind solar wind monitors. A steplike increase of the solar wind dynamic pressure during northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions was related to the leading edge of the sheath. A timing analysis between the three spacecraft revealed that this front was not aligned with the GSE y-axis, but had a normal (−0.58,0.82,0). Hence, the first contact with the magnetosphere occurred on the dawnside rather than at the subsolar point. Fortunately, Cluster, Double Star 1, and Geotail happened to be distributed close to the magnetopause in this region, which made it possible to closely monitor the motion of the magnetopause. After the pressure front had impacted the magnetosphere, the magnetopause was perceived first to move inward and then immediately to correct the overshoot by slightly expanding again such that it ended up between the Cluster constellation with Double Star 1 inside the magnetosphere and Geotail in the magnetosheath. Coinciding with the inward and subsequent outward motion, the ground-based magnetic field at low latitudes was observed to first strengthen and then weaken. As the magnetopause position stabilised, so did the ground-based magnetic field intensity, settling at a level slightly higher than before the pressure increase. Altogether the magnetopause was moving for about 15 min after its first contact with the front. The high latitude ionospheric signature consisted of two parts: a shorter (few minutes) and less intense preliminary part comprised a decrease of AL and a negative variation of PC. A longer (about ten minutes) and more intense main part of the signature comprised an increase of AU and a positive variation of PC. Measurements from several ground-based magnetometer networks (210 MM CPMN, CANMOS, CARISMA, GIMA, IMAGE, MACCS, SuperMAG, THEMIS, TGO) were used to obtain information on the ionospheric E×B drift. Before the pressure increase, a configuration typical for the prevailing northward IMF conditions was observed at high latitudes. The preliminary signature coincided with a pair of reverse convection vortices, whereas during the main signature, mainly westward convection was observed at all local time sectors. Afterwards, the configuration preceding the pressure increase was recovered, but with slightly enhanced convection. Based on the timing analysis, the existence of the preliminary signature coincided with the passage of the oblique pressure front, whereas during the main signature the front was already well past Earth. The main signature existed during the time the magnetopause was observed to move. As the position stabilised, also the signature disappeared.
The detection of cloud-free snow-covered areas using AATSR measurements

Abstract. A new method to detect cloud-free snow-covered areas has been developed using the measurements by the Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) on board the ENVISAT satellite in order to discriminate clear snow fields for the retrieval of aerosol optical thickness or snow properties. The algorithm uses seven AATSR channels from visible (VIS) to thermal infrared (TIR) and analyses the spectral behaviour of each pixel in order to recognize the spectral signature of snow. The algorithm includes a set of relative thresholds and combines all seven channels into one flexible criterion, which allows us to filter out all the pixels with spectral behaviour similar to that of snow. The algorithm does not use any kind of morphological criteria and does not require the studied surface to have any special structure. The snow spectral shape criterion was determined by a comprehensive theoretical study, which included radiative transfer simulations for various atmospheric conditions as well as studying existing models and measurements of optical and physical properties of snow in different spectral bands. The method has been optimized to detect cloud-free snow-covered areas, and does not produce cloud/land/ocean/snow mask. However, the algorithm can be extended and able to discriminate various kinds of surfaces. The presented method has been validated against Micro Pulse Lidar data and compared to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud mask over snow-covered areas, showing quite good correspondence to each other. Comparison of both MODIS cloud mask and presented snow mask to AATSR operational cloud mask showed that in some cases of snow surface the accuracy of AATSR operational cloud mask is questionable.
Addition of $C^*$-algebra extensions.

Two extensions of a C*-algebra A by a C* -algebra B can be added, by the method of Brown, Douglas, and Fillmore, whenever the quotient multiplier algebra M(A)/A contains two isometries with orthogonal ranges. If A is stable (i.e., if A = A ® Jf) then such isometries can be found already in M(A), but if A has a tracial state then this is not possible. (Hence in the case that A is a separable AF algebra, this is possible only if A is stable.) Here it is shown that, in the case that A is a separable AF algebra (assumed to have no nonzero unital quotient), there exist two isometries in M(A)/A with orthogonal ranges if, and only if, the space T(A) of tracial states of A is compact.
Studies on the sediments of Vembanad Lake, Kerala State: Part 1 - Distribution of organic matter

Sediment samples collected from ditlerent parts of the lake between Cochin and Alleppey have been studied for their organic matter content in relation to the distribution pattern of the sediments and the hydrographical features of the lake. The organic matter content varies from 0·1 to 6·0% (av. 2·55%). It follows broadly the distribution pattern of the sediments in that the fine-grained sediments (silty clays and clayey silts) have higher organic matter content than the sands and silty sands. While this is broadly so, the fine-grained sediments in the estuarine region have relatively higher organic matter content than their counterparts in the other parts of the lake. This has been traced to the ditlerences in the hydrographical features and the organic production of the waters.
Morphological and physiological characteristics of two species of Epiperipatus from Costa Rica (Onychophora:Peripatidae)

Se estudio en el laboratorio dos especies costarricenses de onicoforo, Epiperipatus biolleyi y Epiperipatus isthmicola. El analisis morfometrico de E. biolleyi muestra que (1) animales mas grandes tienen mas patas y (2) las hembras tienen &% mas pares de patas y son 24% mas largas y 50% mas pesadas que los machos. Una estimacion de cuanto disminuye l a longitud corporal por l a preservacion e n alcohol indica que las hembras se encogen menos. Las conclusiones fisiologicas sobre E. isthmicola fueron que (1) en una sesion estos animales pueden perder una media del 7.4% de su peso corporal (pe) al lanzar la sustancia adhesiva tipica del filo, (2) la disminucion de peso por perdida de agua fue en promedio 2% del P C/min a una humedad relativa del 66% y (3) los animales grandes pierden y ganan agua-mfIs lentamente (recuperacion media 1.2% imio en una atmosfer a saturada) . Un parto de E. isthmicola siguio el patron tipico de la familia.
Bank Mergers, Competition and Liquidity

We model the impact of bank mergers on loan competition, reserve holdings, and aggregate liquidity. A merger changes the distribution of liquidity shocks and creates an internal money market, leading to financial cost efficiencies and more precise estimates of liquidity needs. The merged banks may increase their reserve holdings through an internalization effect or decrease them because of a diversification effect. The merger also affects loan market competition, which in turn modifies the distribution of bank sizes and aggregate liquidity needs. Mergers among large banks tend to increase aggregate liquidity needs and thus the public provision of liquidity through monetary operations of the central bank. Copyright 2007 The Ohio State University.
Super Edge Antimagic Total Labeling On Disjoint Union Of Cycle With Chord

A graph with order and size is called -edge antimagic total ( -EAT) if there exist integers , and a bijection such that , where . An -EAT labeling of graph is super if . In this paper we describe how to construct a super -EAT labeling on some classes of disjoint union from non isomorphic graphs, namely disjoint union of cycle with cycle with chord . Keywords : -edge- antimagic total labeling, super -edge antimagic total la- belling, cycle with chord,
Solid Waste Management in Africa: A Review

As a result of globalization, the quantity and generation rate of solid waste in Africa have increased tremendously and this calls for the need to salvage the situation before it gets out of hand. This article presents the review of solid waste trends in Africa from the pre-colonial era till the present day. It also discusses the composition of solid wastes, collection, transportation and disposal in different African countries. Different types of waste have been generated over the years but the management strategies implemented are inadequate. Waste management in African is faced with numerous challenges and recommendations for improved and efficient solid waste management have been proposed.
Two-component model for the interstellar scattering in direction to the Vela pulsar

This paper discusses a rigorous treatment of the refractive scintillation of pulsar PSR B0833-45 caused by a two-component interstellar scattering medium. It is assumed that the interstellar scattering medium is composed of a thin screen ISM and an extended interstellar medium. We consider that the scattering of the thin screen concentrates in a thin layer presented by a delta function distribution and that the scattering density of the extended irregular medium satisfies the Gaussian distribution. We investigate and develop equations for the flux density structure function corresponding to this two-component ISM geometry in the scattering density distribution and compare our result with that of the Vela pulsar observations. We conclude that the refractive scintillation caused by this two-component ISM scattering gives a more satisfactory explanation for the observed flux density variation of the Vela pulsar than does the single extended medium model. The level of refractive scintillation is strongly sensitive to the distribution of scattering material along the line of sight. The logarithmic slope of the structure function is sensitive to thin screen location and is relatively insensitive to the scattering strength of the thin screen medium. Therefore, the proposed model can be applied to interpret the structure function of flux density observed in pulsar PSR B0833-45. The result suggests that the medium consists of a discontinuous distribution of plasma turbulence embedded in the Vela supernova remnant. Thus our work provides some insight into the distribution of the scattering along the line of sight to the Vela pulsar.
Exploration of the Healthy Behaviors Against Enterovirus and Its Related Factors in the Caregivers of Preschool-age Children

In Taiwan, the Enterovirus (EV) seriously attacked every year. Many children had suffered with handfoot and mouth disease (HFMD). The environment is an important factor to transmit the EV in families and kindergartens. The random sampling was used with 675 children s caregivers. The study conducted in SiTwun district, Taichung. The purpose was to: survey children in kindergartens who suffered from the EV before; examine related factors of EV such as knowledge, awareness and healthy behavior of the caregivers. Thirty percent of the children suffered from the EV. Eighty-two percent of the caregivers answered the questions correctly. The mean score of the caregivers EV healthy behavior was 4.24 (a 5point scaled). The level of knowledge was positively correlated with healthy behavior toward EV. The factors influencing the caregiver s healthy behavior were: the child s health condition, their occupations, information seeking, gender, relationships between the child and their caregiver; level of knowledge of the caregivers; and history of having HFMD. The variance of healthy behavior was 11.3%. Further study for infections control of the EV and promotion of personal hygienic were is strongly recommended.
Molecular Characterization of Aureobasidium Species in Iran

Background and Aim: Members of this genus Aureobasidium are ubiquitous microorganisms which can be isolated from wide ranges of substrates such as plant materials (phyllosphere, plant debris, bark, roots, fruits and wood), soil, dead wood, air, and as rare etiologic agent of pheohypho mycosis, keratomycosis, septicemia, peritoneal sepsis, and dermatological i nfections in human. Very little is known on the identity, substrates and distributi on of Aureobasidium spp. in Iran. Methods: 14 Aureobasidium isolates were recovered from vascular tissues of pome and stone fruit trees displaying decline sympt oms in orchards of West and East Azarbaijan provinces, Iran. Pure cultures were established by using a single spore technique. The identity of the isolates were determined using sequence data from ITS-rDNA region. Phylogenetic relationship among isolates was inferred based on sequence data from ITS-rDNA. Results: A megablast search analysis of ITS sequence data a t NCBI revealed the identity of Aureobasidium isolates as A. pullulans . A phylogeny inferred using sequence data from ITS region placed our isolates t ogether with the other A. pullulans var. pullulans in GenBank. Morphological and cultural characteris tics were in agreement with the description for A. pullulans var. pullulans . Conclusion: Our results represent new report on the occurrence of A. pullulans var. pullulans in Iran. As A. pullulans is known as rare etiologic agent of pheohyphomycosis, keratomycosis, septicemia, peritoneal sepsis, and dermatological infections in human, possible occurr ence and involvement of A. pullulans in human infections should be taken into account.
Investigation of Precipitation Variations over Wet and Dry Areas from Observation and Model

Our observational study revealed that the precipitation increased over the wet area and decreased over the dry area during the past two decades. Here, we further investigate whether the current atmospheric models can quantitatively capture the characteristics of precipitation from the observation. The NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) model is used to examine the historic simulation of the precipitation, in which the historic greenhouse gases and aerosols are included in the radiative forcing. The consistency between the historic GISS simulation and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) precipitation suggests that the model can qualitatively capture the temporal trends of precipitation over the wet and dry areas. However, the precipitation trends are weaker in the model than in the observation. The observed trends of precipitation do not appear in the control simulation with the fixed concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols, which suggests that the global warming due to anthropogenic forcing can influence the temporal variations of precipitation over the wet and dry areas. Diagnostic studies of other variables from the model further suggest that enhanced rising air can increase the precipitation over the wet area.
What Drives China's Outward FDI? A Regional Analysis

Our study examines home drivers of China’s regional outward FDI. We propose a theoretical framework that incorporates an extended Investment Development Path (IDP) theory, home locational constraints, policy incentives and geographic factors. Empirically, we employ the Bayesian Averaging Maximum Likelihood Estimates method to address model uncertainty. All proposed theories (except for geographic aspects) are found to provide important perspectives explaining China’s regional outward FDI. Our results highlight the importance of government policies but do not support the original IDP hypothesis that outward investment is automatically generated as income grows. Our findings have implications for both regional and central-government policy.
Presence of PCR artifacts in Sanger sequencing in Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue – experience in a collective of 990 advanced NSCLC

Background: Despite the rapid development of new molecular techniques such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Sanger sequencing has been thus far the gold standard for mutation analysis. It is constantly used for daily routine diagnostics because it represents a quick and comprehensive available method for mutation analyses. Although Sanger sequencing is a good validated method, PCR artifacts may occur in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) material. This constitutes a serious source of error. Aims: To assess the prevalence of typical and atypical EGFR mutations in exon 19 and 21 in a collective of 990 advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, focusing especially on methodological issues and challenges concerning mutation analysis, particularly PCR artifacts. Material and Methods: We examined 990 NSCLC (FFPE material) by Sanger sequencing for exon 19 and 21 of the EGFR gene. Four cases dropped out because of insufficient DNA quality (n =986). Results: Beside 101 typical exon 19 and 21 mutations (99 cases, two double mutations) we found 45 additional cases with distinct peaks at atypical positions in exon 19 and 21 in our first analysis. This would have implied a mutation rate of 14.6 %. Only six of these putative atypical mutations (all exon 21 and none of the exon 19 mutations) could be validated by repeated mutation analysis. All other peaks were not reproducible, therefore considered as PCR artifacts and consequently as wild type. Altogether we found 105 cases (107 mutations, 10.6 % of cases) with typical/atypical mutations in exon 19 and 21 of the EGFR gene. Conclusion: In our opinion it is in general important to detect and report all mutations even at atypical sites to discover their possible clinical relevance. However, one must always be aware of the possibility, reasons and prevention of PCR artifacts in FFPE tissue. Therefore, prior to reporting mutations at uncommon sites these must be validated by repeated analyses.
Geographic variation in ventral fluke pigmentation of humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae populations worldwide

Ventral fluke patterns of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae were assessed to determine if pigmentation shows geographical variation across different breeding areas. Fluke photographs (n = 3854) were collected from 7 major breeding grounds worldwide and were ranked into categories 1 (white) through 5 (black) based on the proportion of white and black pigment on the ventral surface. Average coloration varied primarily between oceanic populations, with the Southern Ocean stocks (Area IV, western Australia, and Area V, eastern Australia) characterized by significantly more light-colored flukes, while the North Pacific subpopulations consisted of individuals with significantly more dark-colored flukes. Results of statistical analyses revealed that all populahons differed significantly from one another in the distribution of pigmentation classes, with the exceptions of Hawaii vs Japan, Mexico vs Japan, Mexico vs Hawaii, eastern Australia vs western Australia, and West Indies vs Colombia. Results of pigmentation analyses reveal historic and current interactions among oceanic subpopulations of humpback whales and reflect population sub-division in this species.
Productivity Shocks and Optimal Monetary Policy in a Unionized Labor Market Economy

In this paper we analyze a general equilibrium dynamic stochastic New Keynesian model characterized by labor indivisibilities, unemployment and a unionized labor market. The presence of monopoly unions introduces real wage rigidities in the model. We show that as in Blanchard Gali (2005) the so called "divine coincidence" does not hold and a trade-off between inflation stabilization and the output stabilization arises. In particular, a productivity shock has a negative effect on inflation, while a reservation-wage shock has an effect of the same size but with the opposite sign. We derive a welfare-based objective function for the Central Bank as a second order Taylor approximation of the expected utility of the economy's representative household, and we analyze optimal monetary policy under discretion and under commitment. Under discretion a negative productivity shock and a positive exogenous wage shock will require an increase in the nominal interest rate. An operational instrument rule, in this case, will satisfy the Taylor principle, but will also require that the nominal interest rate does not necessarily respond one to one to an increase in the interest rate that supports the efficient equilibrium. The results of the model are consistent with a well known empirical regularity in macroeconomics, i.e. that employment volatility is relatively larger than real wage volatility.