Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Change in Expression of Pulmonary ET-1 and eNOS in Rats After Chronic Left Ventricular Pressure Overload

Pressure overload in the left ventricle of the heart follows a chronic and progressive course, resulting in eventual left heart failure and pulmonary hypertension (PH). The purpose of this research was to determine whether a differential pulmonary gene change of endothelin (ET)-1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) occurred in adult rats with left ventricular overload. Eight groups of eight rats each were used (four rats with banding and four rats with sham operations). The rats underwent ascending aortic banding for 1 day, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks before sacrifice. Significant medial hypertrophy of the pulmonary arterioles developed in two groups (4 and 12 weeks). Increased pulmonary arterial pressures were noted in three groups (1 day, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks). The aortic banding led to significant increases in pulmonary preproET-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) at 1 day and 12 weeks, and in pulmonary eNOS mRNA at 1 day and 12 weeks. In addition, there was increased pulmonary eNOS content at 1 day and 12 weeks in the banded rats, and increased lung cGMP levels were observed at 1 day. Increased lung ET-1 levels were also noted at 1 day (banded, 310 ± 12 ng/g protein; sham, 201 ± 12 ng/g protein; P < 0.01), 4 weeks (banded, 232 ± 12 ng/g protein; sham, 201 ± 12 ng/g protein; P < 0.01) and 12 weeks (banded, 242 ± 12 ng/g protein; sham, 202 ± 12 ng/g protein; P < 0.01). This indicates that the upregulated expression of ET-1 developed at least 4 weeks before eNOS expression in the course of PH, and, thus, medication against ET-1 could play a crucial role in treating PH with cardiac dysfunction secondary to aortic banding.
Management of prelabour rupture of the membranes in term primigravidae: report of a randomized prospective trial.

OBJECTIVE To compare a conservative and an active policy (immediate oxytocin infusion) of management of prelabour rupture of the membranes in term primigravidae. DESIGN Randomized trial involving 444 women. SETTING District maternity hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Caesarean section rate in each group; also the rate of forceps deliveries, spontaneous deliveries, length of labour, number of vaginal examinations, type of analgesia, pyrexia in labour or the puerperium and antibiotic use in the mother and the infant in each group. The caesarean section rate for the whole trial where the latent period was greater than 12 h was compared to that where the latent period was less than or equal to 12 h. RESULTS There were fewer caesarean sections in the conservative group (odds ratio (OR) 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35 to 1.02; P = 0.06). There was a similar number of forceps deliveries (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.52 to 1.19; P = 0.26) but more spontaneous deliveries (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.08 to 2.29; P = 0.02) in the conservative group. More women managed conservatively required inhalational analgesia only for pain relief in labour (OR 2.88; 95% CI 1.46 to 5.68; P = 0.003), a similar number required pethidine (OR 1.29; 95% CI 0.85 to 1.94; P = 0.23), and fewer required epidural analgesia (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.39 to 0.84; P = 0.005). The number of vaginal examinations was less in the conservative group (difference between mean 0.53; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.80; P less than 0.001). Fewer women managed conservatively experienced four or more vaginal examinations in labour (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.39 to 0.86; P = 0.007). There were no differences in the lengths of labour, the proportions of women who developed pyrexia in labour or the puerperium or who required antibiotics or in the proportions of infants who required antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS These results argue in favour of a conservative policy in managing primigravidae at term with prelabour rupture of the membranes.
Hippocampal volume and first major depressive episode after cancer diagnosis in breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE Patients experiencing their first major depressive episode after receiving a diagnosis of cancer are frequently seen in clinical oncology settings; however, little is known about the neurobiological basis of the first episode. In previous studies, a smaller hippocampus than in healthy comparison subjects has been observed in patients with a history of recurrent and prolonged major depressive episodes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether there is an association between hippocampal volume and a first major depressive episode after cancer diagnosis in cancer survivors. METHOD The subjects were 68 female cancer survivors who had undergone breast cancer surgery 3 or more years earlier (mean interval=4.3 years, SD=0.9). The hippocampal volume and delayed recall function of the 17 cancer survivors who had their first major depressive episode after receiving their cancer diagnosis and the 51 with no history of major depressive episode at any time during their lives were measured by magnetic resonance imaging and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, respectively. RESULTS The mean duration of the major depressive episode after cancer diagnosis was 11.9 weeks (SD=14.2). There were no significant differences in left or right hippocampal volume or in delayed recall function between the cancer survivors with and without a major depressive episode after cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS First major depressive episodes after cancer diagnosis in female cancer survivors do not appear to be associated with hippocampal volume. However, a longitudinal study with healthy comparison subjects is needed to draw a definite conclusion.
The teachers' impact on policy making for the improvement of the school performance (the case of Kosovo)

Teachers' contribution in the process of improving the contemporary school performance is manifold and permanent. This study elaborates the contribution of the Kosovan teachers towards the improvement of the quality of work in primary and lower secondary school. Data were collected from 1080 teachers working in schools located in different areas in Kosovo. The data processing was done through the descriptive statistics method with the aim of extracting the characteristics of the data (average standard deviation) and the inferential statistics method in the function of the validity scale of assumptions that result from the data. The research results indicate that today, the Kosovan teachers enjoy more opportunities to influence the policies for the functionalisation and improvement of the work at school, whereas teachers with a higher level of education are more sceptical concerning the issues of influencing the policies of functionalisation and improvement of the work at school.
OBSERVANCE OF WHO TEN STEPS TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL BREASTFEEDING; A SURVEY FROM POSTPARTUM MOTHERS.

BACKGROUND Breastfeeding is a physiological phenomenon; nonetheless, this act is a learned behaviour that requires continuous active support to make it successful. This study determines the frequency of mothers practicing successful breastfeeding according to the WHO ten steps at tertiary care hospital. METHODS A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in the Obstetrics department of Military Hospital, Rawalpindi over six month duration from July to December 2014. Booked mothers aged 15-49 years, having given birth to healthy, singleton baby were included in the study. Questions were asked after taking written informed consent from the mothers after delivery. Data was entered and analysed on SPSS version 20. RESULTS Out of 148 mothers, 35 (23.7%) mothers were following successful breastfeeding, i.e., knew 7 or more steps. A total of 100 (67.6%) mothers received support for breastfeeding by healthcare staff during their stay in hospital while 19 (12.8%) mothers started breastfeeding within one hour. About 71% had started formula milk along with breastfeeding. About 127 (85.8%) reported that they fed their children on demand and 144 (97.3%) did not use dummies. Statistically significant difference was observed as housewife mothers gave no top feed (p = 0.005) and multiparous mothers started breastfeeding within one hour of delivery (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION The steps to achieve successful breastfeeding are followed to a small extent among mothers. Delayed initiation of breastfeeding and increasing trend towards use of formula feed was observed. Employed, primiparous mothers are the most sensitive group to be focused during antenatal period.
Premenstrual Syndrome in Thai Nurses

Objective. To investigate prevalence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and its associated factors among Thai nurses. Methods. The study was conducted in 423 nurses in a university hospital during October 2005 to March 2006. Prevalence of PMS was determined using a validated Thai version of Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST). Factors associated with PMS were analyzed using Student t-test and Chi-square test. Results. The prevalence of PMS in Thai nurses was 25.1%. Nurses with younger age, nulligravida, lower income, more coffee consumption, dysmenorrhea, and negative attitude toward menstruation had higher prevalence of PMS. After multiple logistic regression analysis, the significant factors associated with PMS were coffee consumption >1 cups/day and negative attitude toward menstruation; odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 2.322 (1.257 to 4.288) and 5.768 (2.096 to 15.872), respectively. Conclusion. According to the Thai PSST, 25.1% of Thai nurses are suffering from PMS. The significant associated factors were more coffee consumption and negative attitude toward menstruation.
The viscous, viscoelastic and elastic characteristics of resting fast and slow mammalian (rat) muscle fibres.

1. The tension and sarcomere length responses induced by ramp stretches (amplitude 1‐3% of initial fibre length (Lzero) and speeds of 0.01‐12 Lzero s‐1) were examined, at 10 degrees C and sarcomere lengths of approximately 2.7 microns, in resting intact muscle fibre bundles isolated from the soleus (a slow muscle) and extensor digitorum longus (a fast muscle) of the rat. 2. In both fibre types, the tension response to moderately fast ramp stretches consists of a viscous, a viscoelastic and an elastic component. At low stretch velocities, where the viscous component is very small, the tension response consists of only the viscoelastic and elastic components. 3. The viscosity coefficient (mean +/‐ S.E.M., 2 +/‐ 0.01 kN s m‐2, n = 12) and the relaxation time of the viscoelasticity (44 +/‐ 2 ms, n = 12) of the slow muscle fibres were significantly larger than those of the fast muscle fibres (0.8 +/‐ 0.1 kN s m‐2 and 11 +/‐ 1 ms, respectively, n = 20). 4. The relaxation time, in either fibre type, is too long for the viscoelasticity to be due to rapidly cycling, weakly attached cross‐bridges. Moreover, the tension components increased with sarcomere length and were insensitive to 5‐10 mM 2,3‐butanedione 2‐monoxime (BDM), which inhibited active contractions. 5. The possibility that the fast‐slow fibre differences may reflect differences in myoplasmic viscosity and connectin (titin) isoforms (in their gap filaments) is discussed.
Effects of Continuous and Interval Training on the Parameters of the Power-Endurance Time Relationship for High-Intensity Exercise

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of 6 weeks of low-intensity continuous exercise training (CE; 40 min at 50% VO2peak, 3 days/week) and high-intensity interval exercise training (IE: 10 x 2 min at VO2peak, 3 days/week) on the parameters of the power-endurance time relationship for cycle ergometry. The hyperbolic relationship between power and endurance time was linearized by expressing the power against the inverse of time, as described by Whipp et al. (22). This model consists of two parameters: theta f, a fatigue threshold reflecting the capability for sustained aerobic power, and W', a constant postulated to reflect a finite energy store (i.e., those factors comprising the O2 deficit: Phosphagen stores, anaerobic glycogenolysis, myoglobin O2 stores). Prior to training, test-retest reliability coefficients (r2) for theta f and W' were 0.92 and 0.62, respectively (P less than 0.01). Training resulted in significant (P less than 0.01) increases in theta f for both CE [27 +/- 3 W (13.4%) increase] and IE [33 +/- 5 W (15.0%) increase], with no difference between groups. Increases in theta f were not dependent upon improvements in VO2peak. W' was not changed significantly in either group after training. However, a significant negative correlation between the training-induced changes in theta f and W' (R = 0.76; P less than 0.01) was obtained. The minimum intensity threshold for exercise training necessary to elicit increases in theta f has yet to be identified, but is at least as low as 50% of VO2peak.
State Transparent Convolutional Codes and Their Novel Maximum-Likelihood Decoding Algorithm

Almost all the probabilistic decoding algorithms known for convolutional codes, perform decoding without prior knowledge of the error locations. Here, we introduce a novel maximum-likelihood decoding algorithm for a new class of convolutional codes named as the state transparent convolutional (STC) codes, which due to their properties error detection and error locating is possible prior to error correction. Hence, their decoding algorithm, termed here as the STC decoder, allows an error correcting algorithm to be applied only to the erroneous portions of the received sequence referred to here as the error spans (ESPs). We further prove that the proposed decoder, which locates the ESPs and applies the Viterbi algorithm (VA) only to these portions, always yields a decoded path in trellis identical to the one generated by the Viterbi decoder (VD). Due to the fact that the STC decoder applies the VA only to the ESPs, hence percentage of the single-stage (per codeword) trellis decoding performed by the STC decoder is considerably less than the VD, which is applied to the entire received sequence and this reduction is overwhelming for the fading channels, where the erroneous codewords are mostly clustered. Furthermore, through applying the VA only to the ESPs, the resulting algorithm can be viewed as a new formulation of the VD for the STC codes that analogous to the block decoding algorithms provides a predecoding error detection and error locating capabilities, while performing less single-stage trellis decoding.
Agroecological Pest Management in the City: Experiences from California and Chiapas

Author(s): Morales, H; Ferguson, BG; Marin, LE; Gutierrez, DN; Bichier, P; Philpott, SM | Abstract: © 2018 by the authors. Urban gardens are a prominent part of agricultural systems, providing food security and access within cities; however, we still lack sufficient knowledge and general principles about how to manage pests in urban agroecosystems in distinct regions. We surveyed natural enemies (ladybeetles and parasitoids) and conducted sentinel pest removal experiments to explore local management factors and landscape characteristics that influence the provisioning of pest control services in California, USA, and Chiapas, Mexico. We worked in 29 gardens across the two locations. In each location, we collected data on garden vegetation, floral availability, ground cover management, and the percentage of natural, urban, and agricultural land cover in the surrounding landscape. We sampled ladybeetles, Chalcidoidea, and Ichneumonoidea parasitoids with sticky traps, and monitored the removal of three different pest species. Ladybeetle abundance did not differ between locations; abundance decreased with garden size and with tree cover and increased with herbaceous richness, floral abundance, and barren land cover. Chalcicoidea and Ichneumonoidea parasitoids were more abundant in Chiapas. Chalcicoidea abundance decreased with herbaceous richness and with urban cover. Ichneumonoidea abundance increased with mulch and bare ground cover, garden size, garden age, and with agriculture land cover but decreased with tree richness and urban cover. Predators removed between 15-100% of sentinel prey within 24 h but prey removal was greater in California. Generally, prey removal increased with vegetation diversity, floral abundance, mulch cover, and urban land cover, but declined with vegetation cover and bare ground. Although some factors had consistent effects on natural enemies and pest control in the two locations, many did not; thus, we still need more comparative work to further develop our understanding of general principles governing conservation biological control in urban settings.
Sex differences in depressiogenic risk factors and coping strategies in a socially homogeneous group

We examined for sex differences in possible risk factors for depression, manifestations of depression and associated help‐seeking and coping styles in a socially homogeneous cohort without any sex difference in lifetime rates of depression. The sexes did not differ on measures of depression, dysfunctional attitudes, perception of important interpersonal relationships, experience or perceived impact of life events. Women scored more highly on measures of neuroticism, were more dependent and were more likely to engage in self‐consoling behaviours and coping styles. Recklessness as a coping style was the only item endorsed more frequently by men, posing the question of whether current measures take into consideration the male experience of depression. The findings suggest that many putative depressiogenic risk factors over‐represented in women do not, by themselves, create depression but require a triggering factor or certain social conditions for their expression.
Risk of HIV acquisition among circumcised and uncircumcised young men with penile human papillomavirus infection

Objectives:There are very few data from men on the risk of HIV acquisition associated with penile human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and no data on the potential modifying effect of male circumcision. Therefore, this study evaluated whether HPV is independently associated with risk of HIV. Design:A cohort study of HPV natural history nested within a randomized control trial of male circumcision to reduce HIV incidence in Kisumu, Kenya. Methods:Prospective data from 2519 men were analyzed using 6-month discrete-time Cox models to determine if HIV acquisition was higher among circumcised or uncircumcised men with HPV compared to HPV-uninfected men. Results:Risk of HIV acquisition was nonsignificantly increased among men with any HPV [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94–3.15] and high-risk HPV (aHR 1.92; 95% CI 0.96–3.87) compared to HPV-uninfected men, and estimates did not differ by circumcision status. Risk of HIV increased 27% with each additional HPV genotype infection (aHR 1.27; 95% CI 1.09–1.48). Men with persistent (aHR 3.27; 95% CI 1.59–6.72) or recently cleared (aHR 3.05; 95% CI 1.34–6.97) HPV had a higher risk of HIV acquisition than HPV-uninfected men. Conclusions:Consistent with the findings in women, HPV infection, clearance, and persistence were associated with an increased risk of HIV acquisition in men. Given the high prevalence of HPV in populations at risk of HIV, consideration of HPV in future HIV-prevention studies and investigation into mechanisms through which HPV might facilitate HIV acquisition are needed.
Association of smoking and smoking cessation with major causes of mortality in the Asia Pacific Region: the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration

Background: Although the dangers of smoking, and the benefits of quitting, are well established and understood in the West, smoking remains popular among Asian men. We investigated the associations between smoking (including ex-smoking) and major causes of mortality in Asian men and women, and compared with Australians and New Zealanders (ANZ). Methods: An overview of 34 cohort studies in the Asia Pacific region involving 512 676 individuals (81 from Asia), followed up for a median of 6.7 years (20 804 deaths). Results: Mortality rates for cause-specific and all causes of mortality were systematically higher for current compared with never smokers. Hazard ratios (HR) for overall and cause-specific mortality comparing current-smokers with never smokers, ex- smokers with current-smokers and comparing numbers of cigarettes smoked per day, were higher for ANZ than Asia (p<0.001). For overall mortality, the HR (95 CI) comparing current-smoking with not was 1.37 (1.23 to 1.53) and 1.33 (1.26 to 1.40) in Asian men and women respectively. The corresponding figures in ANZ were 1.95 (1.81 to 2.09) and 1.85 (1.69 to 2.02). The HR for quitting in ANZ was 0.67 (0.63 to 0.71) and 0.66 (0.58 to 0.74) in men and women respectively. Quitting smoking had a significant benefit among Asian men, the HR was 0.88 (0.81 to 0.97) after ignoring the first 3 years of follow-up. There was no evidence of benefit for Asian women, for whom ex-smoking is rare. Conclusions: Allowing for the recent uptake of smoking in Asia, its effects are comparable to those observed in ANZ. Stringent tobacco control measures and smoking cessation strategies are urgently required in Asia.
Multi-step non- and semi-parametric predictive regressions for short and long horizon stock return prediction

In this paper, we propose three new predictive models: the multi-step nonparametric predictive regression model and the multi-step additive predictive regression model, in which the predictive variables are locally stationary time series; and the multi-step time-varying coefficient predictive regression model, in which the predictive variables are stochastically nonstationary. We also establish the estimation theory and asymptotic properties for these models in the short horizon and long horizon case. To evaluate the effectiveness of these models, we investigate their capability of stock return prediction. The empirical results show that all of these models can substantially outperform the traditional linear predictive regression model in terms of both in-sample and out-of-sample performance. In addition, we find that these models can always beat the historical mean model in terms of in-sample fitting, and also for some cases in terms of the out-of-sample forecasting.
Rethinking fiscal policy lessons from the European Monetary Union (EMU)

This paper gives an assessment of the current state of the debate on fiscal policy effectiveness. I begin with an account of the theory of fiscal policy, and how it has evolved from the pre-Keynesians to the emergence of a “New Consensus” that dominated theory (and policy-making) until the crisis of 2008. Fiscal policy, a critical underpinning behind the full employment policies of the Post-WWII period, was removed from the policy-makers’ toolbox by the New Consensus, and preference given to rules over discretion in government interventions. The paper then highlights how the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (EMU) is an incarnation of the New Consensus, and argues that this had a rather negative impact on the growth performance of the Eurozone. The Stability and Growth Pact, the EMU fiscal rule, is then dissected to conclude that it is far from optimal even if it was never really applied. The paper then shows how the crisis has shaken the Consensus, and is leading to a reassessment of the utility of fiscal policy