Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sex Differences And Relationship Between Blood Pressure And Age Among The Ibos Of Nigeria

Studies have established relationship between age and blood pressure (BP). The present study was carried out to establish normal BP values for the various age categories of both sexes and also to examine sex differences in BP within the various age groups of the Ibos. A random sampling of 563 Ibos of Nigeria aged 20 to 89 years, mean age 33.61 ± 13.61 were used for this study. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) and the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured following standard protocol. The mean SBP and DBP of the study population was 119.63 ± 23.24 and 79.78 ± 12.80 respectively. When divided into seven age groups the analyses showed that both SBP and DBP increased with age. The lowest SBP was recorded in age 20 – 29 years in both sexes. The same was applicable for DBP. Generally men exhibited relatively high level of BP values, except for age groups 50 – 59 years and 60 – 69 years (SBP) where the mean BPs was slightly higher in the females. A significant difference was noted between DBP of males and females (p < 0.05) but none in the SBP. There was significant positive correlation (p < 0.01) of both SBP and DBP with age (r = 0.477 and 0.331 respectively). Our result is consistent with the findings that BP increases with age, with significant difference between males and females.
Stable Isotopes Confirm Community Patterns in Foraging Among Hawaiian Procellariiformes

Abstract. Stable-isotope analysis of whole blood was used to examine the feeding of adults and chicks of five seabirds (Wedge-tailed Puffinus pacificus and Christmas Shearwaters P. nativitatus, Bonin Pterodroma hypoleuca and Bulwer's Petrels Bulweria bulwerii and Tristram's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma tristrami) in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The goal was to compare community foraging patterns as determined by stable-isotope analysis with traditional studies conducted in the early 1980s. Furthermore, chick-rearing Procellariiformes have been hypothesized to practice a bimodal food-provisioning strategy, a behavior yet to be documented in any of the northwestern Hawaiian Islands species outside the albatrosses. Except for Christmas Shearwaters, adults and chicks had significantly different isotope ratios, suggesting differential self- and chick-provisioning by adults. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters foraged opportunistically for themselves, while providing prey of higher trophic position to their chicks. Bulwer's Petrel and Tristram's Storm-petrel adults likely brought prey of more uniform trophic position to their chicks, while relying on more permanent prey patches differing in composition for themselves during the breeding season. Results suggested little overlap in stable-isotope ratios among species and were likely a result of behavioral and morphological differences in feeding.
Late-onset schizophrenia: from Manfred Bleuler to the present

Methods: Non-systematic review of original articles and systematic reviews regarding late-onset schizophrenia aetiology, diagnosis and treatment indexed to Pubmed, ISI – Web of Knowledge, Scopus and EBSCO published between January 1980 and December 2017, using the MeSH query: schizophrenia AND late onset disorders. Altogether, 62 articles were deemed relevant by two independent reviewers and included in the final selection.
State of the art in enzymatic debridement

Surgical treatment of deep partial thickness to full thickness burn wounds by knife has been the undisputed standard of care and was one key point in surgical burn medicine for decades. Recently, it gets more and more challenged by Bromelain-based enzymatic burn wound debridement (ED) as technique for non-surgical, selective eschar removal. Although the literature on ED is increasing constantly it cannot comprise the rapid progress that is made in clinical application of ED. To outline the current state of art in ED, recent literature as well as clinical experience is summarized and the main steps in clinical application including indications, wound preparation, application of the enzyme, wound bed assessment and further treatment after ED are discussed. Initial indications and limitations in application of ED could be gradually extended to increase versatility of ED as tool in burn surgery. Several randomized controlled trials compared ED to standard of care (SOC). They could show significant shorter time to complete burn wound debridement and wound closure, reduced need for surgery, reduced blood loss, reduced area of burns that needed surgical excision and need for autograft as well as an improved scar quality. Further research is necessary to justify an extensive use of ED as tool for burn eschar removal. Especially a robust comparison to surgical burn wound excision by knife as SOC is required to facilitate evidence-based burn surgery.
The Practice of Mind

Theory of mind explanations of how we know other minds are limited in several ways. First, they construe intersubjective relations too narrowly in terms of the specialized cognitive abilities of explaining and predicting another person’s mental states and behaviours. Second, they sometimes draw conclusions about second-person interaction from experiments designed to test third-person observation of another’s behaviour. As a result, the larger claims that are sometimes made for theory of mind, namely that theory of mind is our primary and pervasive means for understanding other persons, go beyond both the phenomenological and the scientific evidence. I argue that the interpretation of ‘primary intersubjectivity’ as merely precursory to theory of mind is inadequate. Rather, primary intersubjectivity, understood as a set of embodied practices and capabilities, is not only primary in a developmental sense, but is the primary way we continue to understand others in second-person interactions.
IEW AND SYNTHES IS Game theory and plant ecology

*Correspondence: E-mail: mcnickle@uic.edu Abstract The fixed and plastic traits possessed by a plant, which may be collectively thought of as its strategy, are commonly modelled as density-independent adaptations to its environment. However, plant strategies may also represent densityor frequency-dependent adaptations to the strategies used by neighbours. Game theory provides the tools to characterise such densityand frequency-dependent interactions. Here, we review the contributions of game theory to plant ecology. After briefly reviewing game theory from the perspective of plant ecology, we divide our review into three sections. First, game theoretical models of allocation to shoots and roots often predict investment in those organs beyond what would be optimal in the absence of competition. Second, game theoretical models of enemy defence suggest that an individual’s investment in defence is not only a means of reducing its own tissue damage but also a means of deflecting enemies onto competitors. Finally, game theoretical models of trade with mutualistic partners suggest that the optimal trade may reflect competition for access to mutualistic partners among plants. In short, our review provides an accessible entrance to game theory that will help plant ecologists enrich their research with its worldview and existing predictions.
After-gate attack on a quantum cryptosystem

We present a method to control the detection events in quantum key distribution systems that use gated single-photon detectors. We employ bright pulses as faked states, timed to arrive at the avalanche photodiodes outside the activation time. The attack can remain unnoticed, since the faked states do not increase the error rate per se. This allows for an intercept–resend attack, where an eavesdropper transfers her detection events to the legitimate receiver without causing any errors. As a side effect, afterpulses, originating from accumulated charge carriers in the detectors, increase the error rate. We have experimentally tested detectors of the system id3110 (Clavis2) from ID Quantique. We identify the parameter regime in which the attack is feasible despite the side effect. Furthermore, we outline how simple modifications in the implementation can make the device immune to this attack.
Structure Evolution Of Spider Silk LiquidCrystalline Precursor Material

Spiders produce silk fibers with remarkable mechanical properties using an ultraoptimized spinning process. The fluid precursor material used to draw the silk threads is a lyotropic nematic liquid crystal. The mechanical properties of the silk fibers as well as their processability are strongly affected by the complex structural transitions undergone by the nematic liquid crystal precursor along the spinning line. Our work focuses on the particular structure adopted by the nematic precursor in the extrusion duct of the spinning apparatus. This structure is characterized by a succession of well defined point defects located on the axis of the cavity and interacting on each other through elastic mediated forces. The phenomenon described is both important in understanding the process-induced structuring of spider silk fibers and to defect physics.
Relationship Between IFN-t Production by Bovines Embryos Derived Ex Vivo and Completely Produced In Vitro

The logistic regression analysis of the relationship between the embryo quality and IFN-  production showed predicted probabilities from observed responses: Concordance: 60.3% and Discordance: 23.9%. well the IFN-  production of ex vivo and completely produced in vitro embryos in in vitro culture from day 7 to 12, in the present study only excellent and good quality the desirable characteristics of with natural This book contains under one cover 16 chapters of concise, up-to-date information on artificial insemination in buffalos, ewes, pigs, swine, sheep, goats, pigs and dogs. Cryopreservation effect on sperm quality and fertility, new method and diagnostic test in semen analysis, management factors affecting fertility after cervical insemination, factors of non-infectious nature affecting the fertility, fatty acids effects on reproductive performance of ruminants, particularities of bovine artificial insemination, sperm preparation techniques and reproductive endocrinology diseases are described. This book will explain the advantages and disadvantages of using AI, the various methodologies used in different species, and how AI can be used to improve reproductive efficiency in farm animals.
EngagedScholarship@CSU EngagedScholarship@CSU

Dr awing from research on retailing, online shopping behavior, and theories of cognitive psychology, we develop and test a framework that investigates purchase intentions in online stores of multi-channel retailers. The framework simultaneously examines the influence of transference of attitude and trust from the multi-channel retailer ’ s physical to online stores, image congruence between the multi-channel retailer ’ s physical and online stores, and image congruence between the multi-channel retailer ’ s online store and a prototypical online store. Further, recognizing that several retailers now operate as multi-channel retailers in different countries, we examine the influence of cultural differences in thought processes (i.e., holistic versus analytic thinking) on shoppers ’ evaluation of online stores of multi-channel retailers. Toward this end, we test the framework using data collected from respondents in the U.S. (analytic thinkers) and South Korea (holistic thinkers). We conclude with a discussion of the findings, suggestions for future research, and potential limitations.
Interactions between sea-level rise and wave exposure on reef island dynamics in the Solomon Islands

Low-lying reef islands in the Solomon Islands provide a valuable window into the future impacts of global sea-level rise. Sea-level rise has been predicted to cause widespread erosion and inundation of low-lying atolls in the central Pacific. However, the limited research on reef islands in the western Pacific indicates the majority of shoreline changes and inundation to date result from extreme events, seawalls and inappropriate development rather than sea-level rise alone. Here, we present the first analysis of coastal dynamics from a sea-level rise hotspot in the Solomon Islands. Using time series aerial and satellite imagery from 1947 to 2014 of 33 islands, along with historical insight from local knowledge, we have identified five vegetated reef islands that have vanished over this time period and a further six islands experiencing severe shoreline recession. Shoreline recession at two sites has destroyed villages that have existed since at least 1935, leading to community relocations. Rates of shoreline recession are substantially higher in areas exposed to high wave energy, indicating a synergistic interaction between sea-level rise and waves. Understanding these local factors that increase the susceptibility of islands to coastal erosion is critical to guide adaptation responses for these remote Pacific communities.
New trends in biological aids to recovery after exercise: Immunomodulators

The professional sport increases the physical and biochemical demands of muscle that is accompanied by important metabolic changes, such as the accumulation of toxic compounds, increased consumption of nutrients, and alterations in the physical, thermal and mechanical conditions of the cells. Neuroendocrine adaptations to the demands of elite athletic activity also modify local and systemic immune function, which contributes to the development and continuation of the inflammatory response. During intensive training and competition days, the recovery needs are also impressive. In such circumstances, athletes need to ingest often supplements as protein, micronutrients, minerals or substances to improve the muscular recovery In our experience, many specific products as the immunomodulators are directly linked to benefits, such as improved performance and concentration, reduced fatigue, better recovery and improved health or resistance against minor infections, which seem to occur more often when athletes are undergoing very intensive training. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on published research focusing primarily on the efficacy of immunomodulation substances in the recovery of athletes with respect to physical performance.
Assessing the Relation between Equity Risk Premia and Macroeconomic Volatilities

In this paper, we used modified multivariate EGARCH-M models to assess the relation between the equity risk premium, macroeconomic risk, and inflationary expectations. To rationalise this link between equity risk premia and macroeconomic volatilities, we built our empirical study on the stochastic discount factor (SDF) model. As an innovative feature of our empirical model, we used long-term government bond yields in order to explain this risk-return relation. Our research suggests that stock market investors should use long-term government bond yield for the UK and term spread for the US in order to instrument their assessment of stock market investment opportunities and riskiness. We also document that the relevance of the short-term interest rates has decreased over the last decade, whereas the relevance of the long-term government bond yields, by contrast, has increased. With regard to the risk-return relation, we found the UK investors tend to significantly price in inflation risk premia. Estimation results strongly suggest that the decline in macroeconomic volatilities might have played an increasingly important role in reducing risk premia in the US and, to some extent, in the UK
Long‐term community change: bryophytes are more responsive than vascular plants to nitrogen deposition and warming

Aims Many studies of vegetation change over multiple decades have focused on vascular plants, but very few on bryophytes, despite the importance of bryophytes for overall plant biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Using a repeated survey of vascular plants and bryophytes in a forest ecosystem, we tested predictions of the hypotheses that (i) vegetation change has been driven by nitrogen deposition and climate warming, and (ii) bryophytes are more responsive to environmental change than vascular plants. Location A lowland temperate forest of northwestern France. Methods In forest plots initially surveyed in 1976, we re-surveyed both vascular plants and bryophytes in 2009 and 2012 respectively. We analysed changes in alpha diversity, beta diversity, and species composition, and we used community-weighted mean (CWM) values of species affinities for temperature, light, pH, soil moisture and nitrogen to assess the temporal responses potentially caused by warming, nitrogen deposition, or possibly a changing light regime. Results We observed significantly increased species richness of bryophytes and decreased richness of vascular plants. Community affinities to nitrogen, pH and temperature increased significantly for bryophytes, but not for vascular plants, although the change over time in nitrogen affinities for vascular plants was qualitatively in the predicted direction. Bryophytes showed a greater magnitude of temporal community change than vascular plants both in terms of overall species composition and environmental affinities indicating a higher responsiveness of bryophytes to environmental change. Conclusion Overall, the result of more marked temporal community change for bryophytes suggests that the many studies of changes in vascular plant communities over time might underestimate the sensitivity of the broader plant community (including cryptogams) to environmental change. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A Fast FPGA Implementation for Triple DES Encryption Scheme

In cryptography, the Triple DES (3DES, TDES or officially TDEA) is a symmetric-key block cipher which applies the Data Encryption Standard (DES) cipher algorithm three times to each data block. Electronic payment systems are known to use the TDES scheme for the encryption/decryption of data, and hence faster implementations are of great significance. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) offer a new solution for optimizing the performance of applications meanwhile the Triple Data Encryption Standard (TDES) offers a mean to secure information. In this paper we present a pipelined implementation in VHDL, in Electronic Code Book (EBC) mode, of this commonly used cryptography scheme with aim to improve performance. We achieve a 48-stage pipeline depth by implementing a TDES key buffer and right rotations in the DES decryption key scheduler. Using the Altera Cyclone II FPGA as our platform, we design and verify the implementation with the EDA tools provided by Altera. We gather cost and throughput information from the synthesis and timing results and compare the performance of our design to common implementations presented in other literatures. Our design achieves a throughput of 3.2 Gbps with a 50 MHz clock; a performance increase of up to 16 times.
Effects of leader‐member exchange on subordinates’ upward influence attempts

This research examined the extent to which subordinates’ perceptions of supervisory relationship quality affected how frequently they use different types of tactics in their self‐reported upward influence attempts. Based on their responses to the Leader‐Member Exchange Scale (1982), three hundred and thirty‐seven respondents from five different organizations were classified into an in‐group or out‐group supervisory relationship. As a part of a larger study, a typology of upward influence messages was created based on the extent to which: (1) the means employed to attempt influence are open or closed, and (2) the desired outcomes are openly expressed or left undisclosed. The resulting dependent variable consisted of three types of tactics: open persuasion, strategic persuasion and manipulation. MANOVA results indicated that in‐group subordinates used significantly more open persuasion and strategic persuasion, and significantly less manipulation in their upward influence attempts than did out‐group subordi.
Cryo-SiN – An Alternative Substrate to Visualize Active Viral Assemblies

Silicon nitride (SiN) membranes that are merely nanometers-thick have been introduced as new support films for electron microscopy (EM) applications. The use of these thin membranes for high-resolution imaging is widely attractive due to their consistent manufacture, flatness, and durability. Here, we utilized SiN support films to actively monitor key steps in rotavirus RNA synthesis at the nanoscale. Rotaviruses are gastrointestinal pathogens that infect pediatric populations and pose a major health problem in developing countries. We demonstrate, for the first time, that cryo-EM specimens of these viral assemblies may be prepared using SiN membranes, that we have termed “cryo-SiN”. Cryo-SiN microchips containing inactive and actively transcribing rotavirus complexes were vitrified using gentleblot conditions to yield reproducibly thin ice-embedded specimens. EM imaging results indicate that cryo-SiN samples exhibited greater visual contrast than specimens prepared on conventional support films under the same conditions. The improved contrast of the cryo-SiN samples permitted us to calculate 3D structures of rotavirus complexes using a fraction of the images required for conventionally prepared specimens. We anticipate the use of cryo-SiN microchip will enable us to better investigate critical viral life-cycle processes at the molecular level under near-native conditions.
Risk Management in the Post-SOX Era : Do Audit Firms Effectively Retain Clients

I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Carl Hollingsworth entitled “Risk Management in the Post-SOX Era: Do Audit Firms Effectively Retain Clients? ” I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Business Administration.
DETERMINANTS OF EUROPEAN WAGE DIFFERENTIALS : A MICROECONOMIC ANALYSIS

In this paper we further investigate the determinants of wage differences in Europe, by decomposing countries’ wage differences across the wage distribution. Unlike previous studies, we analyse the contribution of covariates to the wage decomposition components (wage structure and wage composition) by employing a recent methodology proposed by Firpo et al (2009) and Fortin et al. (2011). We use data from the EU-SILC data base for male workers from 9 European countries. We conclude that both wage structure and wage composition effects contribute to explaining wage differentials, but that wage structure is more important. Differences in the estimated constant seem to be the most significant factor explaining the importance of the wage structure effect. The differences in the composition effect, in turn, are explained by differences in education, in occupational structure, in the percentage of workers with supervisory responsibilities and to a lesser extent by differences in the industrial structure and in workers’ level of experience.
Two inequalities between cardinal invariants

We prove two $\mathrm{ZFC}$ inequalities between cardinal invariants. The first inequality involves cardinal invariants associated with an analytic P-ideal, in particular the ideal of subsets of $\omega$ of asymptotic density $0$. We obtain an upper bound on the $\ast$-covering number, sometimes also called the weak covering number, of this ideal by proving in Section \ref{sec:covz0} that ${\mathord{\mathrm{cov}}}^{\ast}({\mathcal{Z}}_{0}) \leq \mathfrak{d}$. In Section \ref{sec:skbk} we investigate the relationship between the bounding and splitting numbers at regular uncountable cardinals. We prove in sharp contrast to the case when $\kappa = \omega$, that if $\kappa$ is any regular uncountable cardinal, then ${\mathfrak{s}}_{\kappa} \leq {\mathfrak{b}}_{\kappa}$.