Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Arteriovenous Oxygen Difference After Physical Training in Coronary Heart Disease

A preliminary study of 12 male patients (mean age, 47.8 years) with coronary heart disease (six with angina pectoris and six with prior myocardial infarction but without angina) was conducted according to a common protocol in Seattle, Washington, and Louvain, Belgium. Maximal oxygen intake (Vo2 max) and hemodynamic studies at rest and at two or three levels of submaximal exercise in the upright position were obtained before and after a 3-month physical training program that involved three sessions of 45 min/week. “Vo2 max’ increased 22.5% (P < 0.0001) with physical training. Changes in maximal heart rate occurred in the patients with angina (+8.4%) but not in those without angina (+0.8%). At rest and at each submaximal exercise, heart rate, mean blood pressure, and cardiac output decreased after training, whereas stroke volume was unchanged and arterio-mixed venous oxygen (A-Vo2) difference increased. The pressure-rate product and the left ventricular work decreased after training. The classic posttraining bradycardia was compensated not by a higher stroke volume but by an increased A-Vo2 difference which resulted from both a higher arterial oxygen content and an increased peripheral oxygen extraction. The latter was more apparent when exercises of the same relative intensity were compared.Thus, benefits with physical training in coronary patients result at submaximal exercise level from enhanced arterial oxygen content and peripheral extraction and secondarily from lower hemodynamic stress on ischemic myocardium. Increased maximal A-Vo2 difference probably explains most of the increase in “Vo2 max’ with physical training in coronary patients not limited by angina pectoris.
Asymptotically Short Term Behavior of Solutions to One Dimensional Diffusion Processes

Consider the problem of solving the diffusion equation ­ u s p x u , 0 x p , t ) 0, Ž . Ž . t x ­ x u 0, t s u p , t s 0, t ) 0, Ž . Ž . 1 Ž . u x , 0 s u x , Ž . Ž . 0 Ž . w x 1ŽŽ . where p x is a smooth, positive function on 0, p and u g L 0, p , R . 0 If we define the operator A: D A a L 0, p , R Ž . Ž . Ž . via d A w s p x w Ž . Ž . Ž . x dx for all w g D A s W 2, 1 0, p , R l W 1, 1 0, p , R , Ž . Ž . Ž . Ž . Ž . 0
Autophosphorylation of alpha isoform of calcium/calmodulin‐dependent kinase II regulates alcohol addiction‐related behaviors

The development of addiction is associated with a dysregulation of glutamatergic transmission in the brain reward circuit. α isoform of calcium/calmodulin‐dependent kinase II (αCaMKII) is one of the key proteins that regulates structural and functional plasticity of glutamatergic synapses. αCaMKII activity can be controlled by the autophosphorylation of threonine 286. The role of this autophosphorylation in the regulation of addiction‐related behaviors has been proposed but is still poorly understood. Here, using αCaMKII autophosphorylation‐deficient mutant mice (T286A), we show that, in comparison with wild‐type animals, they are less resistant to high doses of alcohol and do not show psychostimulant response neither to alcohol injections nor during voluntary alcohol drinking. T286A mutants are also less prone to develop alcohol addiction‐related behaviors including an increased motivation for alcohol, persistent alcohol seeking during withdrawal and alcohol consumption on relapse. Finally, we demonstrate that αCaMKII autophosphorylation regulates also alcohol‐induced remodeling of glutamatergic synapses in the hippocampus and amygdala. In conclusion, our data suggest that αCaMKII autophosphorylation‐dependent remodeling of glutamatergic synapses is a plausible mechanism for the regulation of the alcohol addiction‐related behaviors.
GASB mandatory disclosure rules and municipal bond yield spreads

The implementation of the Government Accounting Standards Board’s Statement 45 mandates disclosure of “other post-employment benefits” (OPEB) in a standardized format. The mandate provides an opportunity to analyze noninformation impacts of mandatory disclosures, as key components of the information were already publicly available. We find that this mandate is associated with a significant 15 and 73 basis-point increase in yield spreads among tax-exempt and taxable bonds, respectively. This effect is particularly pronounced for riskier bonds—nonrated and longer maturity taxable bonds. However, states that do not follow the GASB 45 recommendation of prefunding the OPEB obligations face a greater increase in their yield spreads.
Maternal risk of ischaemic heart disease following elective and spontaneous pre-term delivery: retrospective cohort study of 750 350 singleton pregnancies.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated an overall association between pre-term delivery and maternal risk of subsequent ischaemic heart disease (IHD). The underlying mechanism is unknown. We explored whether the association was specific to spontaneous or elective pre-term delivery. METHODS We linked three Scottish routine data sources. The Scottish Morbidity Record 1 collects data on all acute hospital admissions, Scottish Morbidity Record 2 collects data on all pregnancies and Scotland's Registrar General collates data from all death certificates. Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore associations between pre-term delivery and subsequent IHD events (fatal and non-fatal) and IHD deaths. Analysis was restricted to women aged between 35 and 65 years at either the time of their first IHD event or at the end of follow-up. RESULTS The cohort comprised 750,350 women who delivered a live, singleton infant following their first pregnancy. We demonstrated independent associations between pre-term delivery and IHD death [hazards ratio (HR) 2.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.88-2.71] and total IHD events (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.47-1.71). Associations were greater for elective than spontaneous pre-term delivery (P = 0.005). There was a trend whereby the association between pre-term delivery and IHD increased with decreasing age at first event. CONCLUSIONS We observed a stronger association between elective pre-term delivery and IHD, than spontaneous pre-term delivery and IHD. Elective pre-term delivery is usually undertaken because of growth restriction or pre-eclampsia, resulting from placental dysfunction. The age trend observed suggests an underlying genetic predisposition to both placental dysfunction and IHD.
Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp120 Presentation to CD4 T Cells by Antibodies Specific for the CD4 Binding Domain of gp120

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific CD4 T-cell responses, particularly to the envelope glycoproteins of the virus, are weak or absent in most HIV-infected patients. Although these poor responses can be attributed simply to the destruction of the specific CD4 T cells by the virus, other factors also appear to contribute to the suppression of these virus-specific responses. We previously showed that human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for the CD4 binding domain of gp120 (gp120CD4BD), when complexed with gp120, inhibited the proliferative responses of gp120-specific CD4 T-cells. MAbs to other gp120 epitopes did not exhibit this activity. The present study investigated the inhibitory mechanisms of the anti-gp120CD4BD MAbs. The anti-gp120CD4BD MAbs complexed with gp120 suppressed gamma interferon production as well as proliferation of gp120-specific CD4 T cells. Notably, the T-cell responses to gp120 were inhibited only when the MAbs were added to antigen-presenting cells (APCs) during antigen pulse; the addition of the MAbs after pulsing caused no inhibition. However, the anti-gp120CD4BD MAbs by themselves, or as MAb/gp120 complexes, did not affect the presentation of gp120-derived peptides by the APCs to T cells. These MAb/gp120 complexes also did not inhibit the ability of APCs to process and present unrelated antigens. To test whether the suppressive effect of anti-gp120CD4BDantibodies is caused by the antibodies' ability to block gp120-CD4 interaction, APCs were treated during antigen pulse with anti-CD4 MAbs. These treated APCs remained capable of presenting gp120 to the T cells. These results suggest that anti-gp120CD4BD Abs inhibit gp120 presentation by altering the uptake and/or processing of gp120 by the APCs but their inhibitory activity is not due to blocking of gp120 attachment to CD4 on the surface of APCs.
Applying Scaled Vegetation Greenness Metrics to Constrain Simulated Transpiration Anomalies: A Study over Australia

AbstractThe feasibility of using vegetation greenness metrics as a proxy for transpiration variability over Australia is demonstrated. Several global evapotranspiration datasets, one of which provides transpiration data and is constructed independently of the vegetation greenness measurements, are compared to four satellite-based observations representative of the state of the vegetation over several regions in Australia. Further estimates of the transpiration are obtained by decomposing the evapotranspiration datasets using an ensemble of land surface model simulations. On monthly time scales, the greenness anomaly metrics show a near one-to-one relationship with the transpiration estimates when the time series are appropriately scaled by the mean. The authors demonstrate that anomalous vegetation greenness metrics, when properly scaled, provide a tool for evaluating transpiration variability simulated by land surface models and observation-based evapotranspiration datasets that include transpiration. Th.
Optical vs. infrared studies of dusty galaxies and AGN: (I) Nebular emission lines

Optical nebular emission lines are commonly used to estimate the star formation rate of galaxies and the black hole accretion rate of their central active nucleus. The accuracy of the conversion from line strengths to physical properties depends upon the accuracy to which the lines can be corrected for dust attenuation. For studies of single galaxies with normal amounts of dust, most dust corrections result in the same derived properties within the errors. However, for statistical studies of populations of galaxies, or for studies of galaxies with higher dust contents such as might be found in some classes of "transition" galaxies, significant uncertainty arises from the dust attenuation correction. We compare the strength of the predominantly unobscured mid-IR [NeII]15.5um + [NeIII]12.8um emission lines to the optical H alpha emission lines in four samples of galaxies: (i) ordinary star forming galaxies, (ii) optically selected dusty galaxies, (iii) ULIRGs, (iv) Seyfert 2 galaxies. We show that a single dust attenuation curve applied to all samples can correct H alpha emission for dust attenuation to a factor better than 2. Similarly, we compare mid-IR [OIV] and optical [OIII] luminosities to find that [OIII] can be corrected to a factor better than 3. This shows that the total dust attenuation suffered by the AGN narrow line region is not significantly different to that suffered by the starforming HII regions in the galaxy. We provide explicit dust attenuation corrections, together with errors, for [OII], [OIII] and H alpha. The best-fit average attenuation curve is slightly greyer than the Milky-Way extinction law, indicating either that external galaxies have slightly different typical dust properties to the Milky Way, or that there is a significant contribution from scattering. Finally, we uncover an intriguing correlation between Silicate absorption and Balmer decrement.
Interleukin‐6 serum levels in patients with gynecological tumors

Serum levels of IL‐6 were evaluated in a large group of patients with benign or malignant gynecological tumors. The results obtained were correlated with the patients' clinicopathological features and follow‐up data. Using a highly sensitive immunoenzymatic method for the evaluation of serum IL‐6 levels, we observed that > 5% of normal healthy women exhibited values within the range of 1.9‐6 pg/ml. Using a cut‐off of pg/ml, elevated levels of serum IL‐6 were found in 53% of 45 patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer and less frequently in patients with endometrial and cervical cancer (37% and 10% respectively). Elevated levels of IL‐6 were occasionally seen in patients with benign disease. IL‐6 serum levels appeared to be less sensitive than CA 125 in ovarian cancer diagnosis. In cancer patients, increased IL‐6 serum levels were related to the presence of the tumor since all post‐operative patients exhibited a marked decrease. In patients with advanced ovarian cancer post‐operative levels of IL‐6 correlated with residual disease. Very high levels of IL‐6 were observed in the ascitic fluid of9 ovarian cancer patients, but IL‐6 mRNA was not detected in tumor cells. This suggests that the increased production of IL‐6 observed in ovarian cancer is reactive. Higher levels of IL‐6 were found in patients unresponsive to chemotherapy, as compared with responsive ones. Univariate analysis of survival data suggests that increased IL‐6 serum levels correlate with negative prognosis. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Further evidence for a maternal genetic effect and a sex-influenced effect contributing to risk for human neural tube defects.

BACKGROUND Neural tube defects (NTDs), including spina bifida and anencephaly, are the second most common birth defect with an incidence of 1/1000. Genetic factors are believed to contribute to NTD risk and family-based studies can be useful for identifying such risk factors. METHODS We ascertained 1066 NTD families (1467 affected patients), including 307 multiplex NTD families. We performed pedigree analysis to describe the inheritance patterns, pregnancy outcomes, and recurrence risks to relatives of various types. RESULTS Myelomeningocele or spina bifida (66.9%) and cranial defects (17.7%) were the most common NTD subtypes observed. The overall male:female ratio for affected individuals was 0.82, and there were even fewer males among individuals with an upper level NTD (0.62). Among twins, 2 of the 5 monozygotic twins and only 3 of 35 dizygotic twins were concordant, while 27% of the same sex twins were concordant, but none of the different sex twins. The estimated 6.3% recurrence risk to siblings (CI 0.04-0.08) is consistent with previous reports. Families with two or more affected individuals show a higher proportion of female transmitters (p = 0.0002). Additionally, the number of affected relatives in maternal compared to paternal lineages was more than double (p = 0.006). There were significantly more miscarriages, infant deaths, and stillborn pregnancies of the maternal aunts and uncles (p < 0.0001) and of first cousins (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Our data provide several lines of evidence consistent with a maternal effect, as well as a sex-influenced effect, in the etiology of NTDs.
Infant feeding practice and childhood cognitive performance in South India

Aim Several studies have suggested a beneficial effect of infant breastfeeding on childhood cognitive function. The main objective was to examine whether duration of breastfeeding and age at introduction of complementary foods are related to cognitive performance in 9- to 10-year-old school-aged children in South India. Methods The authors examined 514 children from the Mysore Parthenon birth cohort for whom breastfeeding duration (six categories from <3 to ≥18 months) and age at introduction of complementary foods (four categories from <4 to ≥6 months) were collected at the first-, second- and third-year annual follow-up visits. Their cognitive function was assessed at a mean age of 9.7 years using three core tests from the Kaufman Assessment Battery for children and additional tests measuring long-term retrieval/storage, attention and concentration, visuo-spatial and verbal abilities. Results All the children were initially breastfed. The mode for duration of breastfeeding was 12–17 months (45.7%) and for age at introduction of complementary foods 4 months (37.1%). There were no associations between longer duration of breastfeeding, or age of introduction of complementary foods, and cognitive function at 9–10 years, either unadjusted or after adjustment for age, sex, gestation, birth size, maternal age, parity, socio-economic status, parents' attained schooling and rural/urban residence. Conclusions Within this cohort, in which prolonged breastfeeding was the norm (90% breastfed ≥6 months and 65% breastfed for ≥12 months), there was no evidence suggesting a beneficial effect of longer duration of breastfeeding on later cognitive ability.
Sublethal effects in avocet and stilt hatchlings from selenium‐contaminated sites

Excess selenium (Se) in the aquatic food chain is embryotoxic and teratogenic to avocets, stilts, and other waterbirds. American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) and black‐necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) eggs were collected from three sites in the Tulare Lake Basin of California, USA, and hatched in the laboratory. These sites included the Tulare Lake Drainage District‐north (TLDD‐N, water 2.5 ppb Se), TLDD‐south (TLDD‐S, water 8.6 ppb Se), and Westfarmers (WF, water 190 ppb Se). Highest egg Se concentrations occurred at WF (geometric mean 31.4 ppm dry wt for avocets and 20.5 ppm dry wt for stilts). Mean egg Se concentrations were 6.7 ppm for avocets and 8.4 ppm for stilts at TLDD‐S, and 3.3 ppm for avocets and 2.3 ppm for stilts at TLDD‐N. Hatching success and incidence of malformations did not differ among sites, but yolk sac‐free hatching weights and bone lengths were less for avocets at the WF site, whereas liver weights and liver to body weight ratios were greater at that site. With increasing Se concentration, oxidative stress was most apparent in avocet hatchlings from WF: hepatic glutathione (GSH) peroxidase activity increased, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase activity decreased, and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) concentration as well as the ratio of GSSG to reduced GSH concentration increased. In stilts, hepatic GSH concentration was lower in WF hatchlings. In conclusion, our findings of Se‐impaired embryo growth and hepatotoxicity in avocet hatchlings suggest that oxidative stress observed in hatchlings may be related to these biological effects and may serve as a potential bioindicator of subsequent impaired functions.
Genus β human papillomaviruses and incidence of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of skin: population based case-control study

Objective To investigate the association between genus β human papillomaviruses and the incidence of non-melanocytic skin cancer in the general population. Design Population based case-control study. Setting New Hampshire, USA. Participants 2366 skin cancer cases and controls from the general population aged 25 to 74 years (663 squamous cell carcinoma, 898 basal cell carcinoma, 805 controls), with plasma samples tested for L1 antibodies to 16 genus β human papillomaviruses by multiplex serology. Main outcome measures Odds ratios for squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma associated with seropositivity to β human papillomaviruses. Results Squamous cell carcinoma, but not basal cell carcinoma, cases had a higher prevalence of each of the individual β human papillomaviruses assayed compared with controls. The odds ratios for squamous cell carcinoma increased with the number of β types positive (odds ratio for one type positive 0.99 (95% confidence interval 0.74 to 1.33); two to three types positive 1.44 (1.03 to 2.01); four to eight types positive 1.51 (1.03 to 2.20); more than eight types positive 1.71 (1.12 to 2.62); P for trend (categorical)<0.001; P for trend (continuous)=0.003). With limited statistical power, the association was stronger among long term users of systemic glucocorticoids (odds ratio 3.21, 1.22 to 8.44) than among non-users (1.23, 0.97 to 1.55). Conclusions These findings support a relation between genus β human papillomavirus infection and the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin in the general population, as well as potential enhancement of risk by immunosuppression.
Redesign of hybrid adaptive/robust motion control of rigid-link electrically-driven robot manipulators

In a recent work of the authors (1995), a hybrid adaptive controller for rigid-link electrically-driven robot manipulators was proposed. Semi-global asymptotic stability of the controller was established in the Lyapunov sense. However, there are two limitations in it. One is that the controller requires the joint velocity measurements, that with the required accuracy can be difficult to realize in practical applications. The other one assumes the boundedness of estimated inertia parameters of the manipulator in order to reduce the computational complexity. In this paper, we propose a modification of the hybrid adaptive controller, which eliminate the above mentioned limitations. Hence the range of applicability of the method given previously can be greatly broadened. The capabilities of the proposed control strategies are illustrated through computer simulation.
Decentralized control for mobile robotic sensor network self-deployment: barrier and sweep coverage problems

SUMMARY This paper addresses the problems of barrier coverage and sweep coverage in a corridor environment with a network of self-deployed mobile autonomous robotic sensors. Using the ideas of nearest neighbor rules and information consensus, we propose a decentralized control law for the robotic sensors to solve the coverage problems. Numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The results in this paper demonstrate that such simple motion coordination rules can play a significant role in addressing the issue of coverage in a mobile robotic sensor network.
Every graduate a linguist: building strategic language capability through IWLP

The case study described in this report has been carried out for the Born Global language policy research project. The overall aim of Born Global is to understand in more detail the deficit and the demand in language capability in the UK, both with regard to the wider economy and more narrowly in relation to academic research. A more comprehensive understanding, it is hoped, can “inform government language policy development” as well as “future developments in Higher Education language curricula and assessment” (British Academy 2014). Our research has to be seen in this wider context and focuses on the supply side of language skills in HE language courses which are part of so-called Institution Wide Language Provision or Programmes (IWLP). In the first section some overview numerical data is presented to give a very brief outline of IWLP in the UK higher education sector, before describing and analysing the results of a case study conducted at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). 1 The case study focused on student motivation for language learning, their plurilingual competencies, sense of attainment and progress and their overall evaluation and understanding of language learning processes.