Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antithrombin III Activity in Women With Hypertension During Pregnancy

Antithrombin III activity was measured prospectively in 127 pregnant women within four weeks of delivery, and the results were tabulated with respect to the clinical diagnosis of their hypertensive disorder. Plasma antithrombin III activity was significantly lower than controls in women with preeclampsia and in women with chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia (P<.001). In contrast, women with chronic hypertension alone had antithrombin III activities similar to controls. Based on discriminant analysis, an antithrombin III activity of less than 70% was selected as indicative of the preeclampsia-eclampsia syndrome. The sensitivity and specificity of plasma antithrombin III for preeclampsia was 76 and 91%, respectively. Importantly, an antithrombin III activity in excess of 70% accurately predicted the absence of preeclampsia in 89% of study patients. Although gestational ages at delivery were similar in preeclamptic women with antithrombin III activity above and below 70%, women with antithrombin III activity above 70% delivered larger infants and experienced less fetal distress during labor. These findings suggest antithrombin III measurement may be useful in the management of hypertensive pregnant patients who are unresponsive to bedrest. (Obstet Gynecol 65:301, 1985)
The effect of biomass burning on respiratory symptoms and lung function in rural Mexican women.

BACKGROUND The use of biomass as a cooking fuel is commonplace in developing countries and has been associated with chronic bronchitis and obstructive airway disease. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was done in the village of Solis, close to Mexico City. Lifelong nonsmoking women 38 yr of age or older (n=841) completed a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and illnesses and on cooking fuel use, and performed spirometry in their homes. Particulate matter concentration was measured with a nephelometer in the kitchen for 1 h, while the subject was cooking. RESULTS The peak indoor concentration of particulate matter (PM10, particles with a diameter of 10 microm or less) often exceeded 2 mg/m3. Compared with those cooking with gas, current use of a stove burning biomass fuel was associated with increased reporting of phlegm (27 vs. 9%) and reduced FEV1/FVC (79.9 vs. 82.8%). Levels of FEV1 were 81 ml lower and cough was more common (odds ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.8) in women from homes with higher PM10 concentrations. All women found with moderate airflow obstruction (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage II and above) were cooking with biomass stoves. CONCLUSION Women cooking with biomass fuels have increased respiratory symptoms and a slight average reduction in lung function compared with those cooking with gas.
The efficacy of Hartley's “structured format” in the teaching and assessment of abstract writing

The abstract is the quintessential technical writing genre, because abstract writing involves judiciously selecting content and conveying such content in lean, focused writing. This study tested the efficacy of the structured abstract content framework, proposed by Hartley, in the teaching of abstract writing in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). Subject-matter experts and a technical editor independently assessed anonymised abstracts written by four (4) sophomore cohorts based on two (2) source texts. Findings demonstrate that instruction on the structured abstract content framework, as opposed to general abstract instruction, impacts neither content coverage nor writing clarity. However, the study has enabled the authors' to articulate the requirements for the ECE discourse community in a generic, text-blind assessment rubric for abstracts and has provided students with a formal schema for reading technical papers.
Time-dependent effects of focal retinal ischemia on axonal cytoskeleton proteins.

PURPOSE To examine the time-dependent effects of focal axonal ischemia on the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) cytoskeleton. METHODS Eight pigs were used. Small retinal arteriolar branches were occluded by argon laser to induce focal ischemic insults that were maintained for a period of 6 hours or 1 hour. Treated and untreated retinal segments were dissected from the eye after euthanatization. Each retinal segment followed the longitudinal projection of RGC axons from peripheral retina to the optic disc. Antibodies to phosphorylated neurofilament heavy, phosphorylation-independent neurofilament heavy (NFH), neurofilament light, neurofilament medium, microtubule, and microtubule-associated proteins were used to study the axonal cytoskeleton. Glial fibrillary acidic protein and TUNEL staining were also used to examine astrocyte and apoptotic changes, respectively. Comparisons were made between treated and untreated retinal segments. RESULTS Cytoskeleton protein changes occurred within ischemic regions and also within retinal tissue on the disc side and peripheral side of the ischemic regions. NFH and microtubule proteins were the earliest cytoskeleton subunits that underwent change. Changes to all cytoskeleton proteins, apart from NFH, occurred in a time-dependent manner within regions of ischemia. In the time points studied, cytoskeleton changes occurred in the absence of detectable astrocyte changes and RGC apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS An ischemic insult induces RGC cytoskeleton protein change, implying that the local environment plays an important role in modulating axonal structure and function. Cytoskeleton proteins are likely to be important pathogenic mediators of neuronal dysfunction in diseases such as glaucoma and retinal vascular disease.
Distribution of the sibling species of Anopheles farauti in the Cape York Peninsula, northern Queensland, Australia.

The sibling species of Anopheles farauti s.l. were collected in larval and adult surveys from 34 localities on Cape York Peninsula and were identified by isoenzyme electrophoresis. The most common species near the coast was An. farauti 1 which was often found breeding within 100 m of the sea in either brackish or freshwater habitats. Larvae of the other 2 species were not found in brackish water which accords with previous laboratory observations of their lower salinity tolerance. Anopheles farauti 2 appears to have the widest distribution of the 3 sibling species on Cape York Peninsula as it was common in both coastal and inland localities. Anopheles farauti 3 was rarely found near the coast. In one locality at Lockhart River near the east coast of the peninsula larvae of the 3 species were found together in a small muddy creek.
Internal migration of the elderly in Korea: A multilevel logit analysis of their migration decision

The present study explores the factors concerning the out-migration decision of the Korean elderly. It utilizes a multilevel model that explores the effects of the interaction between individual attributes and regional characteristics on elderly migration. The findings indicate that probable events in the later stages of the life cycle, such as retirement, loss of spouse, and physical disability, are positively associated with the migration decision. The migration propensity of the elderly varies with the characteristics of their current residence. As expected, the high cost of housing and change in a community may influence the elderly to migrate to other locations. In other words, location-specific attributes of their current residence are related to the migration decision of the elderly. The results indicate that housing prices, relevant welfare facilities, and change in community members play important roles in their out-migration decision.
The relationship of subcortical MRI hyperintensities and brain volume to cognitive function in vascular dementia

The relationship between MRI findings (i.e., subcortical hyperintensities; SH, whole brain volume) and the cognitive dysfunction of vascular dementia (VaD) was examined. Participants included 24 persons that met NINDS-AIREN criteria for VaD (MMSE = 19.9 ± 4.2) and underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and MRI brain imaging. The volume of subcortical hyperintensities (SH) was strongly associated with executive–psychomotor performance, but not with performance across other cognitive domains or global cognitive functional level. Conversely, WBV was strongly associated with global cognitive functioning and performance across most cognitive domains (memory, language, visual integration), but not with executive–psychomotor functioning. The failure of SH to account for either the global dementia evident in these VaD patients or impairments across most cognitive domains suggests that deep subcortical white matter disease may only indirectly contribute to the global cognitive dysfunction of VaD. That WBV emerged as a stronger correlate of dementia raises further questions regarding the cerebral mechanisms that contribute to the development of VaD. (JINS, 2002, 8, 743–752.)
Eating Problems and Calorie Intake Levels in Swiss Adolescent Athletes*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of eating disorders (ED), calorie intake levels and body fat measures in Swiss female athletes. Thirty athletic and 34 non-athletic adolescent Swiss females were assessed for tendencies toward eating disorders and weight preoccupation using the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI). Calorie intakes were calculated from 7-day intake records. Body compositions were determined using skin-fold measures. The athletes were divided into two groups: Those whose activities emphasize leanness (12 gymnasts, means age = 12.5 +/- 1.1 yrs), and those whose activities do not emphasize leanness (18 swimmers, mean age = 12.8 +/- 0.9 yrs). The non-athletic school-girls (mean age = 13.4 +/- 1.2 yrs) served as controls. ANOVA indicated that the gymnasts had lower body fat levels (p less than 0.01) and consumed fewer total calories (p less than 0.05) than swimmers or controls, but all groups consumed similar calories per kg/body weight. Chi square analysis indicated that similar numbers of swimmers (11%), gymnasts (1%) and controls (6%) were exceptionally preoccupied with weight (p greater than 0.05). However, more swimmers (38%) scored high on the body dissatisfaction subscale of the EDI than the gymnasts (1%) or control (9%) (p less than 0.01). In fact, more swimmers scored high on 3 subscales of the EDI compared to the other groups (p less than 0.05). It appears that disturbances in eating behaviors are not limited to sports that emphasize leanness.
Quantitative and Qualitative Changes of Bone in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Patients

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by periarticular bone loss and new bone formation. Current data regarding systemic bone loss and bone mineral density (BMD) in PsA are conflicting. The aim of this study was to evaluate bone microstructure and volumetric BMD (vBMD) in patients with PsA and psoriasis. We performed HR‐pQCT scans at the ultradistal and periarticular radius in 50 PsA patients, 30 psoriasis patients, and 70 healthy, age‐ and sex‐related controls assessing trabecular bone volume (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), inhomogeneity of the trabecular network, cortical thickness (Ct.Th), and cortical porosity (Ct.Po), as well as vBMD. Trabecular BMD (Tb.BMD, p = 0.021, 12.0%), BV/TV (p = 0.020, –11.9%), and Tb.N (p = 0.035, 7.1%) were significantly decreased at the ultradistal radius and the periarticular radius in PsA patients compared to controls. In contrast, bone architecture of the ultradistal radius and periarticular radius was similar in patients with psoriasis and healthy controls. Duration of skin disease was associated with low BV/TV and Tb.N in patients with PsA. These data suggest that trabecular BMD and bone microstructure are decreased in PsA patients. The observation that duration of skin disease determines bone loss in PsA supports the concept of subclinical musculoskeletal disease in psoriasis patients. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Reduced eye gaze explains "fear blindness" in childhood psychopathic traits.

OBJECTIVE Damage to the amygdala produces deficits in the ability to recognize fear due to attentional neglect of other people's eyes. Interestingly, children with high psychopathic traits also show problems recognizing fear; however, the reasons for this are not known. This study tested whether psychopathic traits are associated with reduced attention to the eye region of other people's faces. METHOD Adolescent males (N = 100; age mean 12.4 years, SD 2.2) were stratified by psychopathic traits and assessed using a Tobii eye tracker to measure primacy, number, and duration of fixations to the eye and mouth regions of emotional faces presented via the UNSW Facial Emotion Task. RESULTS High psychopathic traits predicted poor fear recognition (1.21 versus 1.35; p < .05) and lower number (1.85 versus 2.51; p < .001) and duration (375 versus 620 ms; p < .001) of eye fixations, and fewer first foci to the eye region (1.01 versus 2.01; p < .001). There were no differences in gaze indices to the mouth region. All indices of gaze to the eye region correlated positively with accurate recognition of fear for the high psychopathy group, especially the number of times that subjects looked at the eyes first (r = .50; p < .01). CONCLUSIONS Attention to other people's eyes is reduced in young people with high psychopathic traits, thus accounting for their problems with fear recognition, and is consistent with amygdala dysfunction failing to promote attention to emotional salience in the environment.
Reactive power market design and its impact on market power

As one of the recognized ancillary services, reactive power support and voltage control plays a vital role in power system operation. Due to its importance in maintaining system security, reactive power continues to be procured by most system operators with limited financial compensation mechanisms. In this paper, the market structure for a potential reactive power market is discussed; and an auction-based reactive power market is proposed wherein the system operator is the single buyer. Furthermore, the market power held by reactive power suppliers by virtue of their strategic location in the system, is measured. The impact of reactive power market design on market power is also analyzed.
Coexistence and population genetic structure of the whooper swan Cygnus cygnus and mute swan Cygnus olor in Lithuania and Latvia

Two closely related swan species, the mute swan Cygnus olor and the whooper swan Cygnus cygnus, were formerly allopatric throughout their breeding ranges, but during the last decades a sympatric distribution has become characteristic of these species in the Baltic Sea region. The whooper swan has gradually replaced the mute swan in many suitable habitats in Lithuania and Latvia. Marked differences in the genetic population structure of both species may partially explain the dominance of the whooper swan, as genetic population divergence can be a major factor affecting inter-specific competition. A homogenous genetic population structure was defined for mute swans breeding in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Belarus. Breeding mute swans in this region are mostly of naturalised origin. A diverse population genetic structure characterizes whooper swans breeding in Lithuania and Latvia.
Scoring of Social Interactions and Play in Mice During Adolescence

This unit provides a description of methods that have proven useful in characterizing amicable and playful interactions of developing mice. Such a procedure can be used to evaluate the effects of perinatal and/or ongoing treatments on the social performance of periadolescent subjects of either or both sexes. It can also be complemented by the use of specific acute drug challenges, which can throw light on possible alterations of the subserving neurochemical systems. Basically, it consists of video recording brief sessions of spontaneous pair interactions and their subsequent observation and scoring according to a detailed mouse ethogram. The protocol is quite sensitive to subtle behavioral effects, which could be undetectable by other means, and it is most useful when repeated over several days to draw an ontogenetic profile. Critical parameters that must be considered when planning, e.g., sample size and timing of observations, are discussed in detail, along with the key issue of controlling for litter effects.
Dynamic Panel Analysis of Influence of Quality of Human Capital on Total Factor Productivity in Old European Union Countries

Improving productivity is the main determinant of long term develop-ment. In the EU in Europe 2020 strategy special attention was given to the role of quality of human capital (QHC) as an important determinant of productivity growth. In this context the aim of the article is to assess the impact of the QHC on total factor productivity (TFP) in “old” EU countries. The research is conducted at macroeconomic level. EU economies must build their competitiveness in reality of knowledge-based economy. Thus, the QHC was analysed from the point of view of global knowledge economy. This factor was treated as a multidimensional phenom-enon. As a result, it was measured with application of TOPSIS method, which al-lowed to obtained time series for dynamic panel analysis of determinants of TFP. In order to evaluate TFP parameters of the Cobb-Douglas production function for de-veloped EU countries were estimated. Then, the relationship between the QHC and the level of TFP was assessed with application of dynamic panel model. The re-search was based on Eurostat data for the years 2000-2010. It confirmed a signifi-cant influence of the QHC on the level of TFP in the analysed economies.
Transradial approach for diagnostic selective cerebral angiography: results of a consecutive series of 166 cases.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Diagnostic selective cerebral angiography is commonly performed via transfemoral and transbrachial approaches. With these approaches, however, patients occasionally suffer serious complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a transradial approach as an alternative to the transfemoral and transbrachial approaches. METHODS Between October 1998 and September 1999, transradial cerebral angiography was performed in 166 consecutive patients in a single center as a diagnostic procedure. Before the procedure, we confirmed the collateral blood supply to the hand from the ulnar artery using a modified Allen test. Regular catheterization techniques were practiced using our newly designed 120-cm-long 4F catheter. In 42 patients, anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet therapy was given perioperatively. RESULTS Twelve of the 166 patients proved to be poor candidates for the transradial approach, owing to restlessness (n = 9), lack of collateral blood supply via the ulnar artery (n = 2), and brachial artery stenosis (n = 1). The radial artery was successfully punctured and cannulated in the remaining 154 patients. Selective catheterization of the intended vessels was obtained in all carotid and vertebral angiographic procedures with no major vascular complications. CONCLUSION Compared with transfemoral and transbrachial approaches, the transradial approach is a less invasive and safer technique for selective cerebral angiography and may warrant consideration as a standard procedure. Anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy need not be discontinued for this method.
Reconstitution of RPA-covered single-stranded DNA-activated ATR-Chk1 signaling

ATR kinase is a critical upstream regulator of the checkpoint response to various forms of DNA damage. Previous studies have shown that ATR is recruited via its binding partner ATR-interacting protein (ATRIP) to replication protein A (RPA)-covered single-stranded DNA (RPA-ssDNA) generated at sites of DNA damage where ATR is then activated by TopBP1 to phosphorylate downstream targets including the Chk1 signal transducing kinase. However, this critical feature of the human ATR-initiated DNA damage checkpoint signaling has not been demonstrated in a defined system. Here we describe an in vitro checkpoint system in which RPA-ssDNA and TopBP1 are essential for phosphorylation of Chk1 by the purified ATR-ATRIP complex. Checkpoint defective RPA mutants fail to activate ATR kinase in this system, supporting the conclusion that this system is a faithful representation of the in vivo reaction. Interestingly, we find that an alternative form of RPA (aRPA), which does not support DNA replication, can substitute for the checkpoint function of RPA in vitro, thus revealing a potential role for aRPA in the activation of ATR kinase. We also find that TopBP1 is recruited to RPA-ssDNA in a manner dependent on ATRIP and that the N terminus of TopBP1 is required for efficient recruitment and activation of ATR kinase.
Morphometric Study of Diabetes Related Alterations in Human Parotid Gland and Comparison with Submandibular Gland

Type 2 diabetes mellitus represents one of the principal diseases that afflict the world population and is often associated with malfunction of salivary glands and consequent oral diseases. We recently described significant ultrastructural alterations in the human submandibular gland in diabetic patients without evident oral pathologies. Herein, an analogs morphometrical investigation was focused on the parotid gland in order to evaluate if one of the two glands is more affected by diabetes. Parotid fragments from diabetic and nondiabetic patients were fixed, dehydrated, and processed for light and electron microscopy. Serous cells were randomly photographed and the density and size of several structures involved in the secretory process were examined by morphometry. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed significant changes in the number of apically docked granules and vesicles, suggesting that the last steps in exocytosis are somehow altered in diabetic cells. Other variables analyzed by light and transmission electron microscopy such as the size of acini and secretory granules did not show significant changes, but comparison with previous data obtained with submandibular gland cells demonstrated that the two glands are affected differently. Anat Rec, 298:1911–1918, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bubbles, Froth and Facts: Another Look at the Masters Hypothesis in Commodity Futures Markets

The Masters Hypothesis suggests that long-only index funds were the main cause of a massive increase in commodity prices in 2007–2008 and 2011–2012. Central to the Masters Hypothesis are three basic tenets: (i) long-only commodity index funds were directly responsible for driving futures prices higher; (ii) the deviations from fundamental value were economically very large; (iii) the impact was pervasive across commodity futures markets. There has been a great deal of empirical research on the Masters Hypothesis and commodity market bubbles. However, surprisingly few studies have found evidence that directly support the main tenets of the Masters Hypothesis. Some have attributed the lack of supporting evidence to the low-power of time-series tests, market efficiency issues and a lack of conditioning variables within models. In this paper, we address each of these issues using updated data and new empirical approaches. Still, price behaviour consistent with the Masters Hypothesis is surprisingly difficult to find in the data. This is an important finding given the on-going policy debate and regulations proposed or being implemented to limit speculative positions in these markets.