Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharmacodynamic Action and Pharmacokinetics of Moxonidine After Single Oral Administration in Hypertensive Patients

Moxonidine is a new centrally acting alpha2‐adrenoceptor agonist that differs from others by a lower incidence of side effects in hypertensive patients. The effects of moxonidine and placebo on blood pressure, pulse rate, plasma catecholamines, plasma renin activity, sedation, and salivary flow were evaluated in eight hypertensive patients by an intraindividual comparison. Moxonidine induced a significant decrease in blood pressure that corresponded with its plasma concentrations. The maximum antihypertensive effect appears to be delayed when compared with the peak plasma level. Plasma norepinephrine, epinephrine, and plasma renin activity were significantly reduced by moxonidine, and blood pressure reduction corresponded with decrease of plasma norepinephrine. Heart rate, sedation, and salivary flow were not different using moxonidine compared with placebo. Only one patient mentioned dry mouth. No further relevant adverse effects were seen in the patients. This study demonstrates a significant decrease of blood pressure, plasma renin activity, norepinephrine, and epinephrine with a single dose of 0.25 mg moxonidine, but no significant effect on pulse rate, salivation, and sedation.
Part orientation with programmable vector fields: two stable equilibria for most parts

Part manipulation is an important but also time consuming operation in industrial automation. Recent work explores alternative solutions to the mechanical parts feeders which have been traditionally used to sort and orient parts for assembly. One of the proposed alternatives is the use of programmable vector fields. The fields are realized on a plane on which the part is placed. The forces exerted on the part's contact surface translate and rotate the part to an equilibrium orientation. It has already been demonstrated that certain vector fields can be implemented in the microscale with MEMS actuators arrays and in the macroscale with transversely vibrating plates. Although current technology is still limited, the dexterity that programmable vector fields offer has prompted researchers to further explore their capabilities. This paper presents a vector field that can simultaneously orient and pose most parts into two stable equilibrium configurations.
Two divalent metal ions in the active site of a new crystal form of human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease, Ape1: implications for the catalytic mechanism.

The major human abasic endonuclease, Ape1, is an essential DNA repair enzyme that initiates the removal of apurinic/apyrimidinic sites from DNA, excises 3' replication-blocking moieties, and modulates the DNA binding activity of several transcriptional regulators. We have determined the X-ray structure of the full-length human Ape1 enzyme in two new crystal forms, one at neutral and one at acidic pH. The new structures are generally similar to the previously determined structure of a truncated Ape1 protein, but differ in the conformation of several loop regions and in spans of residues with weak electron density. While only one active-site metal ion is present in the structure determined at low pH, the structure determined from a crystal grown at the pH optimum of Ape1 nuclease activity, pH 7.5, has two metal ions bound 5 A apart in the active site. Enzyme kinetic data indicate that at least two metal-binding sites are functionally important, since Ca(2+) exhibits complex stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the Mg(2+)-dependent catalysis of Ape1, even though Ca(2+) itself does not serve as a cofactor. In conjunction, the structural and kinetic data suggest that Ape1 catalyzes hydrolysis of the DNA backbone through a two metal ion-mediated mechanism.
HEMATOLOGY: ISSUES IN THE DIALYSIS PATIENT: Platelet Dysfunction and End‐Stage Renal Disease

Patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) develop hemostatic disorders mainly in the form of bleeding diatheses. Hemorrhage can occur at cutaneous, mucosal, or serosal sites. Retroperitoneal or intracranial hemorrhages also occur. Platelet dysfunction is the main factor responsible for hemorrhagic tendencies in advanced kidney disease. Anemia, dialysis, the accumulation of medications due to poor clearance, and anticoagulation used during dialysis have some role in causing impaired hemostasis in ESRD patients. Platelet dysfunction occurs both as a result of intrinsic platelet abnormalities and impaired platelet–vessel wall interaction. The normal platelet response to vessel wall injury with platelet activation, recruitment, adhesion, and aggregation is defective in advanced renal failure. Dialysis may partially correct these defects, but cannot totally eliminate them. The hemodialysis process itself may in fact contribute to bleeding. Hemodialysis is also associated with thrombosis as a result of chronic platelet activation due to contact with artificial surfaces during dialysis. Desmopressin acetate and conjugated estrogen are treatment modalities that can be used for uremic bleeding. Achieving a hematocrit of 30% improves bleeding time in ESRD patients.
The Ubiquitin Ligase HectH 9 Regulates Transcriptional Activation by Myc and Is Essential for Tumor Cell Proliferation

Sovana Adhikary,1,6,7 Federica Marinoni,2,6 Andreas Hock,1,6 Esther Hulleman,2,6 Nikita Popov,1 Rudi Beier,1 Sandra Bernard,1 Micaela Quarto,3 Maria Capra,3 Stephan Goettig,1 Ulrike Kogel,5 Martin Scheffner,5 Kristian Helin,2,4,* and Martin Eilers1,* 1Institute for Molecular Biology and Tumor Research University of Marburg Emil-Mannkopff-Str.2 35033 Marburg Germany 2European Institute of Oncology Via Ripamonti 435 20141 Milan Italy 3The FIRC Institute for Molecular Oncology Via Adamello 16 20135 Milan Italy 4Biotech Research & Innovation Centre Fruebjergvej 3 2100 Copenhagen Denmark 5Department of Biology University of Konstanz 78457 Konstanz Germany
Online Chinese discussions about the 2014 World Cup

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore online discussions about the 2014 World Cup on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo. Because China did not qualify for the World Cup, the study focusses on the role of online discussions surrounding a worldwide international event from an outsider perspective. Doing so will uncover not only the depth of dialogue surrounding issues of nation and sport, but – perhaps more importantly – also aid in uncovering the utility of online platforms in creating online communities even among presumed outsiders. Design/methodology/approach A content analysis of the discussions on Sina Weibo is used to identify differences between fanship comments and non-fanship comments in terms of the focus of the content and the degree of valence. Findings Overall, fans were more likely than non-fans to use positive valence in their comments to enhance the value of the World Cup. Moreover, fans were also more likely to discuss topics closely related to the event itself, such as teams, athletes, and factual information/news about the World Cup, establishing identification with in-group participants. Moreover, the findings also imply important insight regarding electronic commerce opportunities. Originality/value This paper is among the first to investigate the online discussions about World Cup in China. Theoretically, this paper provides a comprehensive framework to examine the online discussions of mega-sporting events in China based on theories of social identity theory and nationalism. Practically, it provides baseline data for the sports industry and public relation practitioners to promote a sports event when the direct nationalistic interests are absent. Moreover, it also aids in uncovering the substantial changes in sports-related communication, experiences, and mediated participation.
Plasma Antioxidants Are Associated with Impaired Lung Function and COPD Exacerbations in Smokers

Low molecule weight antioxidants such as uric acid (UA), glutathione (GSH), and ascorbate (ASC) counter the effects of oxidants produced by cigarette smoke. Although dietary intake of foods rich in antioxidants has been associated with a reduced risk of smokers developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the association between plasma antioxidants and COPD is less clear. In this cross-sectional study we investigated the relationship among plasma antioxidants and COPD phenotypes (severity of airflow obstruction on spirometry and history of exacerbations) in 136 smokers with normal lung function and 367 smokers with COPD. In the multivariate analysis, a lower plasma UA was associated with more severe COPD (P < 0.002) and a lower GSH was associated with a history of COPD exacerbations (P = 0.03); ASC was not associated with any COPD phenotypes. This suggests that antioxidant balance is impaired in smokers with obstruction on spirometry or a history of COPD exacerbations.
A configural effect in visual short-term memory for features from different parts of an object

Previous studies have shown that change detection performance is improved when the visual display holds features (e.g., a colour and an orientation) that are grouped into different parts of the same object compared to when they are all spatially separated (Xu, 2002a, 2002b). These findings indicate that visual short-term memory (VSTM) encoding can be “object based”. Recently, however, it has been demonstrated that changing the orientation of an item could affect the spatial configuration of the display (Jiang, Chun, & Olson, 2004), which may have an important influence on change detection. The perceptual grouping of features into an object obviously reduces the amount of distinct spatial relations in a display and hence the complexity of the spatial configuration. In the present study, we ask whether the object-based encoding benefit observed in previous studies may reflect the use of configural coding rather than the outcome of a true object-based effect. The results show that when configural cues are removed, the object-based encoding benefit remains for features (i.e., colour and orientation) from different parts of an object, but is significantly reduced. These findings support the view that memory for features from different parts of an object can benefit from object-based encoding, but the use of configural coding significantly helps enlarge this effect.
Procaryotic expression of phosphorylated tegument protein pp65 of human cytomegalovirus and application of recombinant peptides for immunoblot analyses

The tegument of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) contains a phosphorylated protein of 65 kilodaltons, termed pp65, which was reported to carry significant epitopes for the stimulation of the humoral immune response during natural infection. A monoclonal antibody directed against this protein was used to screen a lambda gt11 cDNA library for recombinant polypeptides. Two DNA fragments from purified lambda clones and one fragment from genomic DNA were used for cloning in a bacterial high-level expression vector. The resulting fusion proteins were tested for their reactivity with a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed against pp65 and with polyspecific anti-HCMV rabbit antisera. The binding site for all the monoclonal antibodies tested was found to be contained in one of the recombinant proteins with a viral portion of 26 amino acids. Immunoblot analyses with HCMV-positive human sera revealed that pp65 alone is not a reliable antigen for serodiagnosis but may be very useful in combination with other HCMV proteins.
Clinical review 88: hypoglycemia unawareness in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

T HE PHENOMENON of hypoglycemia unawareness in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) has in recent years been subject to intensive research (1, 2). This has partly been stimulated by the findings of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, showing that intensive insulin therapy leads to decreased and delayed development of the long term complications of diabetes, but, on the other hand, also to a 3-fold increase in the incidence of severe hypoglycemia (3). Presently, the incidence and the major risk factors for the development of hypoglycemia unawareness have been delineated (4). The major risk factors are duration of the disease and improved metabolic control.
Mycoplasma infections in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The relationship of mycoplasma infection to acute and chronic respiratory illness was studied in 100 adults with various degrees of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) over a four-year period. Infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae was detected serologically in six patients, and in three this was associated with serious illness of the lower respiratory tract. Antibody to M. pneumoniae was more prevalent in the sera of patients with severe COPD (28%) than in normal subjects or in those with mild COPD (5%). Mycoplasma salivarium was isolated from 46% and Mycoplasma orale 1 was isolated from 7% of 729 sputum cultures. No relation was seen between the isolation of M. salivarium or M. orale 1 and the occurrence of acute respiratory illness, nor could colonization with these mycoplasmas be related to severity of COPD. These studies suggest that patients with moderate to severe COPD may be more susceptible to infection with M. pneumoniae than normal adults or patients with mild COPD. In contrast, the other human mycoplasmas did not appear to be pathogenic for these patients.
Effect of concurrent infection with Muellerius capillaris on the development of redial generations of Fasciola hepatica in Lymnaea truncatula

ABSTRACT The rediae of Fasciola hepatica were counted according to generation in adult and juvenile Lymnaea truncatula following single infection with Fasciola hepatica, double infection with F. hepatica and then Muellerius capillaris, or double infection with M. capillaris and F. hepatica. The rediae found in double infections were essentially first generation and an early cohort from the second generation. The following differences were observed in adult snails which underwent double infection when compared to corresponding single infections: i) dependent rediae were almost completely absent; ii) degenerating independent rediae were found in identical or decreased numbers; iii) living independent rediae of the first generation were decreased in number, while those of the second generation had variable decreased numbers. The results were similar in juvenile snails with double infections, except that the numbers of degenerating independent rediae were higher than those found in corresponding single infections and the numbers of rediae of the second generation were increased. The order of exposure in double infections had no influence on the number and maturation of fasciolid rediae.
Postremission predictors of relapse in women with eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE The authors sought to evaluate patterns and predictors of relapse among women with eating disorders. METHOD Interviews were conducted biannually to annually to assess symptoms of eating disorders, axis I disorders, treatment, and psychosocial function on a weekly basis for women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (N=136) or bulimia nervosa (N=110) and prospectively followed for 9 years. At the last follow-up, 229 (93%) of the subjects had been retained in the study group. RESULTS Relapse occurred in 36% of the women with anorexia nervosa and 35% of the women with bulimia nervosa. Women with intake diagnoses of anorexia nervosa, restricting subtype, tended to develop bulimic symptoms during relapse, whereas women with intake diagnoses of anorexia nervosa, binge-purge subtype, or bulimia nervosa tended to return to bulimic patterns during relapse. Greater body image disturbance contributed to a risk of relapse in both eating disorders, and worse psychosocial function increased the risk of relapse in bulimia nervosa. CONCLUSIONS These results may explain the long-term efficacy of interpersonal therapy for bulimia nervosa and suggest that focused body image work during relapse prevention may enhance long-term recovery from eating disorders.
Chaotic pulse position modulation to improve the efficiency of sonar sensors

Ultrasonic devices are widely used in robotics as exteroceptive sensors for ranging measurements. Robotic applications often involve a large number of sonars operating concurrently, giving rise to the phenomenon of crosstalk. In this work, the problem of improving performance of ultrasonic devices in the presence of crosstalk and noise is addressed. In order for each device to discriminate its own echo, chaos is exploited to create unique firing sequences. In particular, the firing scheme described in this work is inspired to a modulation scheme used in chaotic communications, called chaotic pulse position modulation (CPPM). The evaluation of the time of flight is performed by a detection filter. The experimental setup consists of a Polaroid 600 electrostatic transducer driven by a continuous CPPM modulator. Experimental results confirm the suitability of the approach.
A three-dimensional model of myxobacterial fruiting-body formation

Myxobacterial cells are social; they swarm by gliding on surfaces as they feed cooperatively. When they sense starvation, tens of thousands of cells change their movement pattern from outward spreading to inward concentration and form aggregates that become fruiting bodies. Cells inside fruiting bodies differentiate into round, nonmotile, environmentally resistant spores. Traditionally, cell aggregation has been considered to imply chemotaxis, a long-range cell interaction that shares many features of chemical reaction–diffusion dynamics. The biological evidence, however, suggests that Myxococcus xanthus aggregation is the consequence of direct cell-contact interactions that are different from chemotaxis. To test whether local interactions suffice to explain the formation of fruiting bodies and the differentiation of spores within them, we have simulated the process. In this article, we present a unified 3D model that reproduces in one continuous simulation all the stages of fruiting-body formation that have been experimentally observed: nonsymmetric initial aggregates (traffic jams), streams, formation of toroidal aggregates, hemispherical 3D mounds, and finally sporulation within the fruiting body.
Temporal recovery and predictors of upper limb dexterity in the first year of stroke: a prospective study of patients admitted to a rehabilitation centre.

OBJECTIVE To document temporal recovery of upper extremity dexterity and establish predictors of limb dexterity in a cohort of stroke patients in the first year after stroke. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SUBJECTS One hundred patients with a first-ever ischemic stroke admitted to a rehabilitation centre. METHODS Assessment of upper extremity dexterity, motor power and selfcare function using the Motor Assessment Scale (MAS), Upper Extremity Motor Index (UEMI) and Modified Barthel Index (MBI) respectively. RESULTS Eighteen percent, 25.5% and 31.6% of patients recovered limb dexterity at 3, 6 and 12 months after stroke respectively. Patients who recovered dexterity late (≥6 months after stroke) were significantly younger with lower rehabilitation admission UEMI scores than those who recovered dexterity early. The UEMI score was the most significant correlate of limb dexterity at all follow up periods. Recovery of limb dexterity at 12 months was predicted by UEMI (OR1.54, 95% CI 1.13-2.10) and MBI (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.07) scores on admission to rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS In this study, 31.6% of patients recovered upper extremity dexterity at 12 months after stroke. Although late recovery of dexterity occurs only in a small proportion of patients, this finding is still pertinent given the significant impact of dexterity on upper limb and selfcare function.
Immunity in shigellosis. II. Protection induced by oral live vaccine or primary infection.

Two attenuated strains of Shigella flexneri 2a, a Shigella-E. coli hybrid, and a streptomycin-dependent mutant, were safely given to adult male volunteers. When vaccinated individuals ingested virulent S. flexneri 2a, clinical disease and fecal excretion of virulent organisms occurred with less frequency than in unvaccinated volunteers. The level of immunity resembled that seen after recovery from active infection. These studies have given some indication that bacillary dysentery may be controlled by an oral live vaccine, and field trials designed to quantitate induced immunity are planned for the near future.
Improving scope sensitivity in contingent valuation: Joint and separate evaluation of health states

We present data of a contingent valuation survey, testing the effect of evaluation mode on the monetary valuation of preventing road accidents. Half of the interviewees was asked to state their willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce the risk of having only 1 type of injury (separate evaluation, SE), and the other half of the sample was asked to state their WTP for 4 types of injuries evaluated simultaneously (joint evaluation, JE). In the SE group, we observed lack of sensitivity to scope while in the JE group WTP increased with the severity of the injury prevented. However, WTP values in this group were subject to context effects. Our results suggest that the traditional explanation of the disparity between SE and JE, namely, the so-called "evaluability," does not apply here. The paper presents new explanations based on the role of preference imprecision.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SELECTION OF PAYMENT SYSTEMS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Construction contracts are fundamental to any project, and the selection of an appropriate payment system is vital given that the ultimate success of any construction project depends on the suitability of the selected payment system to the project’s characteristics and client’s requirements. In this paper we have defined the payment system in terms of four layers as Payment mechanism, Pricing mechanism, Payment chain (who pays who), and Other Cash-flow factors. In order to develop a tool that will help the project team to select an appropriate payment system, a list of factors that influence the selection process was created. The most influential factors were identified using a U.K based nation-wide postal survey. In this questionnaire the opinions of different types of organizations- consultants, contractors and clients were collected and assessed. The results showed that different factors were perceived to influence the selection of each layer linking the payment system. According to the results a total of seventeen factors were found to influence the selection process. This paper presents the work, which is part of an ongoing PhD study.
Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Policy in OECD Countries

Refugees and asylum seekers are only a small proportion of the 60 million forcibly displaced persons. But those seeking asylum in the developed world have received much of the attention as western governments have struggled to develop a policy response. An analysis of asylum applications by origin and destination indicates that these flows are largely driven by political terror and human rights abuses. Poor economic conditions in origin countries and tough asylum policies in destination countries matter too. In the light of the findings I suggest that greater coordination among OECD countries could improve the lot of those fleeing from persecution but even this would make only modest inroads into the sum of human misery that displaced people exemplify.