Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of the Kidneys in the Regulation of Intra-and Extra-Renal Blood Pressure

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases of human, affecting more than one billion people worldwide. When it becomes chronic, hypertension leaves behind cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. Treatments that effectively reduce blood pressure can prevent these complications. Abnormalities in the production of urine by the kidneys have been implicated in increased vascular resistance, leading to high blood pressure and increased cardiac mass. By matching urinary excretion of salt and water with dietary intake, balance is usually attained, thereby maintaining a constant extracellular fl uid volume and blood pressure. Based on the capacity for the kidney to excrete sodium, this blood pressure-altering mechanism should have suffi cient advantage to limit intravascular volume and consequently lower blood pressure in response to a range of stimuli from elevated heart rate to increase peripheral vascular resistance. A major determinant of the level of intraand extrarenal blood pressure is therefore sodium handling, and it is controlled by complex physiological mechanism by hormones, infl ammatory mediators, and the sympathetic nervous system. Homoeostasis and favourable infl uence sodium balance are a basic mechanism of effi cacy for diuretics and dietary sodium restriction in hypertension. Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) inhibitors, vasodilators, and β-blockers work to facilitate pressure-natriuresis. Also, WNK signaling pathways, soluble infl ammatory mediators, and pathways regulating extra-renal sodium disposition may be the focus towards elimination of sodium and reducing blood pressure in hypertension. Review Article Role of the Kidneys in the Regulation of Intra-and Extra-Renal Blood Pressure Seriki A Samuel *, Adebayo O Francis1 and Odetola O Anthony2 1Department of Human Physiology, College of Medicine, Bingham University, Karu, Nigeria 2Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria *Address for Correspondence: Seriki A. Samuel, Department of Human Physiology, College of Medicine, Bingham University, Karu, Nigeria, Tel: +2348036041121; Email: seriki.adinoyi@gmail.com Submitted: 05 July 2018 Approved: 16 July 2018 Published: 17 July 2018 Copyright: 2018 Samuel SA , et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Pavel, Florin and Vacareanu, Radu and Douglas, John and Radulian, Mircea and Cioflan, Carmen and Barbat, Alex (2016) An updated probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for Romania and comparison with the approach and outcomes of the SHARE

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Short gamma-ray bursts in old populations: magnetars from white dwarf-white dwarf mergers

Recent progress on the nature of short-duration gamma-ray bursts has shown that a fraction of them originate in the local Universe. These systems may well be the result of giant flares from soft gamma-repeaters (highly magnetized neutron stars commonly known as magnetars). However, if these neutron stars are formed via the core collapse of massive stars then it would be expected that the bursts should originate from predominantly young stellar populations, while correlating the positions of BATSE short bursts with structure in the local Universe reveals a correlation with all galaxy types, including those with little or no ongoing star formation. This is a natural outcome if, in addition to magnetars formed via the core collapse of massive stars, they also form via accretion-induced collapse following the merger of two white dwarfs, one of which is magnetic. We investigate this possibility and find that the rate of magnetar production via white dwarf‐white dwarf (WD‐WD) mergers in the Milky Way is comparable to the rate of production via core collapse. However, while the rate of production of magnetars by core collapse is proportional to the star formation rate, the rate of production via WD‐WD mergers (which have long lifetimes) is proportional to the stellar mass density, which is concentrated in early-type systems. Therefore magnetars produced via WD‐WD mergers may produce soft gamma-repeater giant flares which can be identified with early-type galaxies. We also comment on the possibility that this mechanism could produce a fraction of the observed short-duration burst population at higher redshift.
Effects of cover crops in the dynamics of organic matter and potassium in the soil and performance of common bean in the Brazilian Cerrado of Gois State

The effects of several cover crops on common bean cv. Pérola productivity cropped at Goiano – Ceres Campus (Brazil) and changes in soil organic matter and potassium were evaluated for one season. The experiment was based on a randomized complete blocks design encompassing four treatments (spontaneous vegetation, Crotalaria spectabilis L., Mucuna aterrima L. and Pennisetum glaucum) and four replications. Soil cover by cover crops was assessed 40 days after sowing (DAS). Manure was applied at 25 DAS at a rate of 250 kg ha -1 with a NPK formulation 20-00-20.Cover crops increased soil cover by approximately 170% when compared with the natural vegetation. Plant residues and manure also led to changes in the soil organic matter and potassium during the common bean growth cycle. Apparently, the Mucuna aterrima L. favored mostly the bean productivity and increased the organic matter and potassium in the soil.
Molecular and Pharmacological Characterization of Native Cortical γ-Aminobutyric AcidA Receptors Containing Both α1 and α3 Subunits*

We have investigated the existence, molecular composition, and benzodiazepine binding properties of native cortical α1-α3 γ-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptors using subunit-specific antibodies. The co-existence of α1 and α3 subunits in native GABAA receptors was demonstrated by immunoblot analysis of the anti-α1- or anti-α3-immunopurified receptors and by immunoprecipitation experiments of the [3H]zolpidem binding activity. Furthermore, immunodepletion experiments indicated that the α1-α3 GABAA receptors represented 54.7 ± 5.0 and 23.6 ± 3.3% of the α3 and α1 populations, respectively. Therefore, α1 and α3 subunits are associated in the same native GABAA receptor complex, but, on the other hand, these α1-α3 GABAA receptors from the cortex constitute a large proportion of the total α3 population and a relatively minor component of the α1 population. The pharmacological analysis of the α1- or α3-immunopurified receptors demonstrated the presence of two different benzodiazepine binding sites in each receptor population with high (type I binding sites) and low (type II binding sites) affinities for zolpidem and Cl 218,872. These results indicate the existence of native GABAA receptors possessing both α1 and α3 subunits, with α1 and α3 subunits expressing their characteristic benzodiazepine pharmacology. The molecular characterization of the anti-α1-anti-α3 double-immunopurified receptors demonstrated the presence of stoichiometric amounts of α1 and α3 subunits, associated with β2/3, and γ2 subunits. The pharmacological analysis of α1-α3 GABAA receptors demonstrated that, despite the fact that each α subunit retained its benzodiazepine binding properties, the relative proportion between type I and II binding sites or between 51- and 59-61-kDa [3H]Ro15-4513-photolabeled peptides was 70:30. Therefore, the α1 subunit is pharmacologically predominant over the α3 subunit. These results indicate the existence of active and nonactive α subunits in the native α1-α3 GABAA receptors from rat cortex.
Evaluation of the performance of DIAS ionospheric forecasting models

Nowcasting and forecasting ionospheric products and services for the European region are regularly provided since August 2006 through the European Digital upper Atmosphere Server (DIAS, http://dias.space.noa.gr). Currently, DIAS ionospheric forecasts are based on the online implementation of two models: (i) the solar wind driven autoregression model for ionospheric short-term forecast (SWIF), which combines historical and real-time ionospheric observations with solar-wind parameters obtained in real time at the L1 point from NASA ACE spacecraft, and (ii) the geomagnetically correlated autoregression model (GCAM), which is a time series forecasting method driven by a synthetic geomagnetic index. In this paper we investigate the operational ability and the accuracy of both DIAS models carrying out a metrics-based evaluation of their performance under all possible conditions. The analysis was established on the systematic comparison between models’ predictions with actual observations obtained over almost one solar cycle (1998–2007) at four European ionospheric locations (Athens, Chilton, Juliusruh and Rome) and on the comparison of the models’ performance against two simple prediction strategies, the median- and the persistence-based predictions during storm conditions. The results verify operational validity for both models and quantify their prediction accuracy under all possible conditions in support of operational applications but also of comparative studies in assessing or expanding the current ionospheric forecasting capabilities.
The Effects of Student and School Factors on Mathematics Achievement in TIMSS 2011 TIMSS 2011'de Öğrenci ve Okul Faktörlerinin Matematik Başarisina Etkisi

The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast the multilevel effects of student and school factors on the mathematics achievement of eighth-grade students in Turkey, Singapore, the USA and Finland through multilevel modelling using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 eighth-grade data. The results showed that the TIMSS 2011 mathematics scores of eighth-grade students were positively affected by self-confidence in mathematics and home educational resources at student level, and school composition by students’ economic background at school level in all countries in the study.
Manager relations, psychological need satisfaction and intention to leave in the agricultural sector

Orientation: If South African organisations are to retain talented and skilled staff, they need to consider the psychological needs of employees and their predictors. Research purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between manager relations, the satisfaction of the psychological needs of employees and their intentions to leave. Motivation for the study: The effective retention of skilled employees is necessary in organisations in South Africa. However, studies on the psychological processes (and specifically the satisfaction of psychological needs), through which manager relations could promote the retention of staff, are necessary. Research design, approach and method: The authors used a cross-sectional survey design. They drew convenience samples of managers in agricultural organisations ( N = 507) in South Africa. They administered the Manager Relations Scale, the Work-related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale and the Turnover Intention Scale. Main findings: The results confirmed a model in which manager relations affected the satisfaction of psychological needs and intentions to leave. Autonomy satisfaction mediated the relationship between manager relations and the intentions of employees to leave. Practical/managerial implications: Managers should participate in training on applying self determination theory to support the autonomy and the relatedness satisfaction of employees. Contribution/value add: This study contributes to the literature by exploring the processes through which manager relations influence the intentions of employees to leave.
A LOGISTICAL REGRESSION MODEL OF SOUTHERN HARDWOOD LUMBER EXPORT PARTICIPATION

A survey of nine hundred hardwood lumber manufacturers in seven southern states gathered information on mill production capabilities, marketing practices, equipment, and products. Models utilizing logistical regression were developed to assess mill characteristics and how they influence participation in export markets. Mill yearly rated production, lumber production of oak species, covered storage capacity, sales manager's education level, and public ownership all were found to have a positive influence on a mill's export participation. Sales to finished products manufacturers, production of grade three lumber, production of pallets or pallet parts, and private ownership were significant in inhibiting export participation. Expansion plans, number of species sawn, age of sales manager, and importance of sales calls to marketing effort were all found not to be significant predictors of hardwood lumber mills' export participation, or lack thereof.
Public and private saving and the long shadow of macroeconomic shocks

The global crisis of 2008-9 and the ongoing Euro crisis raise many questions regarding the long-term response to crises. We know that households that lost access to credit, for example, were forced to adjust and increase saving. But, will households remain bigger savers than they would have been had the global financial crisis not occurred? And for how long will this increased saving persist? We also ask similar questions about the public sectorâ€™s saving decisions. We study the degree to which past income crises increase the saving rates of affected households and the public sector. We find evidence consistent with history-dependent dynamics: more experience of past crises tends to increase savings among households, but lead to decreased public sector saving. This decrease in public saving, however, is about 1/3 in magnitude than the corresponding increase in private/household saving. We follow up on these findings with an investigation of the importance of historical exposure for current account dynamics, but find no strong indication that our measure of past exposure is important to the current accountâ€™s determination. We conclude by examining the likely impact of the 2008-9 GFC on future saving.
Factors influencing consumer acceptance of internet of things technology

The aim of this research is to examine factors influencing consumer acceptance of Internet of Things Technology (IoT) guiding by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This quantitative research involves 204 respondents approached via convenience sampling at a public higher learning institution. Data was analyzed using multiple regression and results revealed that the dimension of perceived usefulness is the most influencing factor on the consumers' acceptance of IoT technology and consumers' behavioural intention to use. In the Malaysian context, this research provides additional information in narrowing the research gap with regard to understanding behavioural intention to use the IoT technology. Next, the framework will be used for future exploration to address the issue of peoplNVBGBHJe who have never utilized an IoT innovation react.
Response Surface Methodology Guided Release of Two Acetate Volatiles From an Oil-in-Water Emulsion

Optimization of the volatile release of two commonly used flavor compounds (isoamyl acetate and furfuryl acetate) from a food emulsion model system was evaluated using response surface methodology (RSM). Twenty-seven random order settings were established using a central composite face-centered (CCF) experimental design. The main and combined effects of four independent variables—concentration of isoamyl acetate (50–90 ppm), furfuryl acetate (20–30 ppm), salt (NaCl; 0.1–2%), and pH (5–7)—on the responses were examined. The main objective of the present study was to determine the optimal concentration level of the four variables leading to optimal release of the volatile compounds. Quantitative measurements were conducted using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Salt concentration and isoamyl acetate concentration were found to have significant positive effects (p ≤ 0.001) on the release of isoamyl acetate. The optimization procedure indicated that the optimal conditions leading to the desirable volatile release were isoamyl acetate 90 ppm, furfuryl acetate 30 ppm, salt 2% w/v, and pH 6.0176. The findings of this study can enable chefs and food manufacturers to optimize conditions for maximum flavor release from food emulsion products.
esign of patterned leaf spring for sensor-probe with stable reflectivity nd high sensitivity

In sensors, integrated reflection mechanisms of the illuminating light to the reflection material on the proof mass require a strict single degree of motion because the accuracy almost entirely depends on the motion of the proof mass. Therefore, this paper describes the optimum design of a mass–spring structure that features high sensitivity and long linear elastic motion range of the leaf spring without rotation and lateral motion of the proof mass. Accordingly, finite element analyses were conducted to determine an
Online Initial Teacher Education Students' Perceptions of Using Web Conferences to Support Professional Conversations

This paper draws on the work of Helen Timperley (2015) who suggests there are six clear enablers that support educators to have professional conversations: processes, resources, culture, knowledge, relationships, as well as context. This purpose of this paper is two-fold: first, it describes how weekly web conferences that were offered for online initial teacher education students (ITES) were designed with due consideration for Timperley’s enablers for professional conversations; and second, it reports on student experiences of the ways in which the web conferences served to support professional conversations. In order to understand the complex and multifaceted ways that web conferences served to facilitate ITES engagement in professional conversations, data is drawn from thirty-two online ITES enrolled in a capstone unit in their final semester of study in a teacher education course. Using a descriptive mixed-methods case study approach, the ITES completed questionnaires, participated in follow-up interviews and completed their assessment tasks to shed insight into the impact of the web conferences. The findings reveal the powerful ways that the web conferences allowed the students to participate in meaningful professional conversations and helped develop the professional attributes expected of graduates. Importantly, the study revealed that ITES perceived that the web conferences prompted a deeper level of engagement, satisfaction and sense of achievement than alternative activities, including face-to-face tutorials.
Motivation Factors Toward Knowledge Sharing Intentions and Attitudes

Employees’ knowledge is a fundamental and valuable resource for the organization, and if it is used and shared properly among employees, the organization will gain a competitive edge. However, knowledge sharing does not occur definitely; instead, it is an individual choice that cannot be compulsory. This research tackles a critical issue, which is motivating employees toward knowledge sharing. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of the antecedents of motivation, which consists of (organizational commitment, environmental dynamism, reward, and job-related factors), to determine and explain the knowledge sharing intentions and attitudes. This will be along with examining organizational climate effect on the intentions of knowledge sharing. A total of 283 questionnaires were submitted to Arab Open University employees, and 221 valid questionnaires were considered in this study. The findings revealed that organizational commitment and intrinsic reward have a significant influence on intrinsic motivation. Moreover, it was found that extrinsic reward has a positive impact on extrinsic motivation. In addition, the findings revealed that extrinsic motivation has a positive influence on knowledge sharing intentions and attitudes, however, intrinsic motivation has a positive impact only on attitudes toward knowledge sharing. Also, attitudes toward knowledge sharing positively and highly influence knowledge sharing intentions.
Relevant Factors to Explain Cross-Section of Expected Returns of the Firms Listed in the Dhaka Stock Exchange

Using the well-known Fama-MacBeth methodology, this paper investigates the factors that may influence the cross-section of stock returns in the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). Various combinations of factors such as dividend yield, size, price-earnings ratio, market return, spread between large and small firms, lagged values of factors, illiquidity of stocks, and cross-sectional volatility of the market are considered. However, results show that these factors hardly explain the cross-section of stock returns. Only market returns weakly explain stock returns. Interestingly, the relationship between market returns and stock returns has been consistently found to be negative, which contradicts the established notion of positive risk-return relationship. Even after considering for the effects of size, liquidity, and sub-periods, results do not change much.
Revisiting the Unit Root Hypothesis and Structural Break: Asia and Emerging Economies Foreign Exchange Markets

This study examines the stationary of ten Asian and for emerging Foreign Exchange (FX) rates during the 1990s. The paper employs the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test to the following FX rates: Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) Japanese Yen (JPY), South Korean won (KRW) new Taiwan dollar (TWN), Chinese Renminbl (CHR), Indonesia Rupiah (IDR), Malaysian Ringgit (MYR), Singapore Dollar (SGD), Thai Bhat (THB), Philippines Peso (PHP), Argentine Peso (AGP), the Brazilian Real (BRR), Mexican Peso (MXP) and Russian Rouble (RUR). Structural break is taken into account for series found to be non-stationary using the[1] test. The results show that exchange rate series were found to be non-stationary except for the Chinese Renminbi, Mexican and Argentina pesos. Furthermore, the robustness test indicates that the ADF test is robust across different data frequencies for most series we examined finally; we find the choice of structural break data is crucial in testing that stationary for most series examined.
Having an Older Brother Is Good or Bad for Your Education And Health? Evidence from Vietnam

This study examines the sex of the first-born children on education and health outcome of later born children. We do not find a significant effect of the sex of the first-born children on health utilization of later born children. However, we find some small effects of education. Once controlled for the number of sibling, having a firstborn brother reduces the probability of school enrolment and the probability of having good academic performance. Although the education outcomes of girls are higher than boys, this evidence still indicates gender bias in education investment of parents in their children in Vietnam.