Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Aminophylline on Diaphragmatic Contractility in the Piglet

ABSTRACT: Minute ventilation, arterial blood gases, arterial pH, cardiac output, and transdiaphragmatic force generation, both during spontaneous ventilation and in response to phrenic nerve stimulation during airway occlusion at end expiration, were measured in nine anesthetized, tracheostomized piglets before and 30 min after parenteral infusion of 20 mg/kg aminophylline. Serum theophylline levels averaged 109 ± 21 μmol/L (19.7 ± 3.7 μg/mL) at 30 min postinfusion. No significant changes were noted in pH, blood gases, blood pressure, or ventilatory measures after aminophylline. Aminophylline infusion also had no effect on transdiaphragmatic force generation at any frequency of phrenic nerve stimulation studied. It is concluded that aminophylline has no effect on diaphragmatic contractility in the quietly breathing, nonfatigued piglet.
Assessment of Dietzia subsp. C79793-74 for treatment of cattle with evidence of paratuberculosis

The objective of the present investigation was to determine whether the bacterium Dietzia subsp. C79793-74, previously shown to inhibit growth of Mycobacterium subsp. paratuberculosis under in vitro culture conditions, has therapeutic value as a probiotic for adult cattle with paratuberculosis. Animals were obtained from several herds with evidence of disease based on seropositivity and/or fecal shedding. Sixty-eight cows with initial evidence of Stage II or III paratuberculosis and 2 with an initial Stage IV disease were evaluated longitudinally. Animals were either treated daily with variable, disease-dependent doses of Dietzia (n = 48) or left untreated (n = 22). Clinical aspects of disease (diarrhea, emaciated, cachectic and appetite) were recorded until the animal recovered or required euthanasia due to advanced clinical paratuberculosis or other severe conditions. Paratuberculosis parameters-antibody serology (ELISA, AGID) and fecal culture-were longitudinally monitored over the lifetime of each animal. The results indicated that daily treatment with Dietzia was therapeutic for paratuberculosis cows based on: (a) longitudinal decline in ELISA values only occurred in animals that were treated; (b) prolonged survival was dependant upon treatment--the length being directly associated with low initial ELISA values; and (c) treated animals were the only ones cured of disease. Further investigations are envisaged to determine optimal, long-term dosages that may result in even better therapeutic outcomes as well as to evaluate potential application for therapy of the Johne's disease, human-counterpart, Crohn's disease.
Chronic alcohol exposure reduces hippocampal neurogenesis and dendritic growth of newborn neurons

Hippocampal neurogenesis is known as the formation of new neurons from the proliferating neural progenitor cells (NPC) at the dentate gyrus. Cell proliferation, survival, differentiation and maturation are critical stages leading to the generation of healthy neurons. As all of these stages can be influenced by alcohol exposure, we studied the effects of chronic alcohol on each process by immunocytochemistry for stage‐specific antigens and prelabelling newborn cells with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Rats were administered alcohol liquid diet or control diet for one, two or four weeks. We found that cell proliferation was inhibited as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression was reduced by approximately 50% in alcohol‐treated animals at all time points. Doublecortin (DCX), a microtubule protein expressed early in differentiating neurons, was progressively decreased over the duration of exposure and significantly reduced after two and four weeks of drinking. Morphological analyses of DCX‐positive cells revealed that four weeks of alcohol treatment reduced the size of the dendritic tree including the total length of apical dendrites, number of nodes and endings. Furthermore, BrdU labelling demonstrated a dramatic decrease in cell survival after four weeks of drinking, while cell death was increased by such treatment. Confocal analysis indicated that over 80% of BrdU+ cells colabelled with NeuN suggesting that alcohol reduced neurogenesis. In conclusion, chronic alcohol exposure disrupts neurogenesis by decreasing NPC proliferation, inhibiting cell survival and altering morphological maturation of newborn neurons. These data implicate impaired hippocampal neurogenesis with the cognitive and affective dysfunction associated with chronic alcoholism.
Effects of macro- and microcirculatory functions on ceftriaxone concentrations in tissues of patients with stage IV peripheral arterial occlusive disease

The objective of the study was to determine the ceftriaxone levels achievable within lesions (toe or forefoot area) in patients with septic gangrene and to investigate the relationship between macro- and microcirculatory parameters and antibiotic concentration. Fifteen patients with severe chronic peripheral occlusive disease received an intravenous injection of 2 g of ceftriaxone. Antibiotic levels in venous and capillary blood and in an exudative part of the lesion were measured. Macrocirculatory functions were assessed by Doppler sonography, plethysmography, and angiography; microcirculatory functions were assessed by quantitative capillaroscopy and fluorescence video microscopy. The mean antibiotic concentrations measured between 4 and 8 h after injection were 92 +/- 26 micrograms/ml in venous blood and 84 +/- 46 micrograms/ml in capillary blood. The concentration in tissue reached its maximum 4 h after injection; the average concentration at between 2 and 8 h was 95 +/- 55 micrograms/ml. Only dynamic capillary parameters showed significant (P < 0.01) correlations to antibiotic levels in tissue. Significantly (P < 0.01) higher levels in tissue were observed in patients with adequate microcirculatory functions (138 +/- 48 micrograms/ml) than in patients with poor microcirculatory function (51 +/- 26 micrograms/ml). Microcirculatory dysfunction appears to be the limiting factor for tissue antibiotic levels. However, even those patients with poor microcirculatory function showed tissue antibiotic levels that were above the MICs for the pathogens most frequently isolated from gangrenous lesions. Therefore, intravenous application was found to be adequate and additional measures such as intra-arterial therapy or Bier's occlusion are basically unnecessary. Our finding that microcirculatory function is the limiting factor for the tissue antibiotic concentration is corroborated by computations based on a three-compartment model.
The Effect of FDI on Economic Growth in MENA Region

This paper investigates the causal relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and GDP for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region countries by using panel unit root tests and panel cointegration analysis for the period 1970-2010. The results show a strong causality from economic growth to FDI in these countries. Yet, FDI does not have any significant effects on GDP in short- and long-run with no growth benefit for the recipient country. It means that it is the GDP that drives FDI in mentioned countries, not vice versa. According to the results, decision makings should be employed to exploit FDI more efficiently and achieve a higher growth rate through improving financial systems, financial market regulations, infrastructures, skills, macroeconomic stability and sound institutions.
The emergence of environmental stewardship as a primary institution of global international society

This article develops an English School framework for analysing the emergence of new primary institutions in global international society, and applies this to the case of environmental stewardship. The article traces the impact that global environmentalism has had on the normative order of global international society, examines the creation of secondary institutions around this norm and identifies the ways in which these developments have become embedded in the constitution and behaviour of states. It assesses the ways in which environmental stewardship has interacted with the other primary institutions that compose global international society, changing some of the understandings and practices associated with them. The conclusions argue that environmental stewardship is likely to be a durable institution of global international society, and that it might be a harbinger of a more functional turn in its priorities.
Sparse Supernodal Solver Using Block Low-Rank Compression

This paper presents two approaches using a Block Low-Rank (BLR) compression technique to reduce the memory footprint and/or the time-to-solution of the sparse supernodal solver PASTIX. This flat, non-hierarchical, compression method allows to take advantage of the low-rank property of the blocks appearing during the factorization of sparse linear systems, which come from the discretization of partial differential equations. The first approach, called Minimal Memory, illustrates the maximum memory gain that can be obtained with the BLR compression method, while the second approach, called Just-In-Time, mainly focuses on reducing the computational complexity and thus the time-to-solution. Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Rank-Revealing QR (RRQR), as compression kernels, are both compared in terms of factorization time, memory consumption, as well as numerical properties. Experiments on a single node with 24 threads and 128 GB of memory are presented on a set of matrices from real-life problems. We demonstrate a memory footprint reduction of up to 4:4 times using the Minimal Memory strategy and a computational time speedup of up to 3:3 times with the Just-In-Time strategy.
Optimal Linear Filters for Discrete-Time Systems With Randomly Delayed and Lost Measurements With/Without Time Stamps

A novel model is developed to describe possible random delays and losses of measurements transmitted from a sensor to a filter by a group of Bernoulli distributed random variables. Based on the new developed model, an optimal linear filter dependent on the probabilities is presented in the linear minimum variance sense by the innovation analysis approach when packets are not time-stamped. The solution to the optimal linear filter is given in terms of a Riccati difference equation and a Lyapunov difference equation. A sufficient condition for the existence of the steady-state filter is given. At last, the optimal filter is given by Kalman filter when packets are time-stamped.
In-Season Internal Load and Wellness Variations in Professional Women Soccer Players: Comparisons between Playing Positions and Status

The internal intensity monitoring in soccer has been used more in recent years in men’s football; however, in women’s soccer, the existing literature is still scarce. The aims of this study were threefold: (a) to describe the weekly variations of training monotony, training strain and acute: chronic workload ratio through session Rated Perceived Exertion (s-RPE); (b) to describe weekly variations of Hooper Index [stress, fatigue, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and sleep]; and (c) to compare those variations between playing positions and player status. Nineteen players (24.1 ± 2.7 years) from a Portuguese BPI League professional team participated in this study. All variables were collected in a 10-week in-season period with three training sessions and one match per week during the 2019/20 season. Considering the overall team, the results showed that there were some associations between Hooper Index categories and s-RPE like stress or fatigue (0.693, p < 0.01), stress or DOMS (0.593, p < 0.01), stress or s-RPE (−0.516, p < 0.05) and fatigue or DOMS (0.688, p < 0.01). There were no differences between all parameters in playing positions or player status. In conclusion, the study revealed that higher levels of fatigue and DOMS occur concurrently with better nights of sleep. Moreover, any in-season variations concerning internal load and perceived wellness seems independent of position or status in outfield players. The data also showed that the higher the players’ reported stress, the lower the observed s-RPE, thus possibly indicating a mutual interference of experienced stress levels on the assimilation of training intensity by elite women soccer players.
Globalization, Transformation and the Diffusion of Management Innovations

This paper suggests a shift from the discourse on transfer and transition with regard to CEE societies towards one focusing on transformation processes that come with globalization. Since globalization can be interpreted as the spread of ideas, informations, practices, goods and techniques, the perspective of the diffusion of management innovations is introduced and enlarged by including power relations, the interests of actors and cultural aspects of change. The argument of culture as barrier for the adoption of innovation is challenged in favor of one that sees it as a chance for contributing to innovation and globalization.
Spatial Health Econometrics

The objective of this chapter is to introduce the reader to Spatial Health Econometrics (SHE). In both micro and macro health economics there are phenomena that are characterised by a strong spatial dimension, from hospitals engaging in local competitions in the delivery of health care services, to the regional concentration of health risk factors and needs. SHE allows health economists to incorporate these spatial effects using simple econometric models that take into account these spillover effects. This improves our understanding of issues such as hospital quality, efficiency and productivity and the sustainability of health expenditure of regional and national health care systems, to mention a few.
An annotated checklist of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles .

An annotated list of 83 scale insect species (Hemiptera: Sterorrhyncha: Coccoidea) recorded from Saint Lucia is presented, based on data gathered from UK quarantine interceptions, samples collected in an urban coastal habitat in the North West of the Island in 2013, and published records. Thirty-three species (40%) are recorded for the first time for the country, including Dysmicoccus joannesiae (Costa Lima), a South American mealybug, and Poliaspoides formosana (Takahashi), an Asian armoured scale insect pest of bamboo, which are new for the Caribbean region. The economic, environmental and social impacts caused by introduced exotic species of scale insect are discussed. Two predatory midges Diadiplosis ? coccidivora (Felt) and Diadiplosis multifila (Felt) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) are recorded for the first time from Saint Lucia. The latter species was observed causing 90% mortality of a large infestation of passion vine mealybug Planococcus minor (Maskell) on soursop fruit.
Biomarkers of exposure to passive smoking of school children: frequency and determinants.

UNLABELLED This study aims to assess the extent of children' exposure to ETS and quantify potential determinants. A total of 2767 children aged 5-14 years participated in an environmental survey in East Germany in 1998-1999 (participation rate 75.9%). A subgroup of 979 children between the ages of 11 and 14 years with complete data on nicotine and cotinine in urine were selected for this analysis. This study population consisted of 73 self-reported smokers (7.5%), 793 non-smokers (81%) and 113 children with missing data on smoking status (11.5%). Nicotine and cotinine concentrations in spontaneous urine sample were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography methods with ultraviolet-detection and corrected for creatinine. Approximately 40% of self-reported non-smokers were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home. Non-smoking children exposed to parental tobacco smoke at home compared with not exposed showed in average higher nicotine and cotinine concentration (geometric mean 4.7 microg/l vs. 1.4 microg/l and 8.1 microg/l vs. 2.7 microg/l) and the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for detectable biomarkers ranged between 17 and 22. There were increased rates of detectable biomarkers in urine with increasing numbers of smoked cigarettes in the household (adjusted OR increased from 8 to 54). Maternal smoking showed a stronger effect than paternal smoking. Furthermore, low parental education, cold season, height of dwelling (<or=2.40), urine collected on Monday were statistically significant associated with high nicotine and cotinine excretion levels. Children exposed to parental smoke showed much higher biomarker levels than the non-smoking spouse of an adult smoker. Therefore, children need specifically protection from ETS at home. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS As children showed a higher internal exposure compared with adults the health hazards association with passive smoking might have a more serious effect in children. Children are unable to complain and unable to remove themselves from tobacco smoke exposure. Thus, parents should make sure that their children live in a smoke free environment. Each country should take all necessary legislative and regulatory measures which forbids smoking in public places and the home environment even if it requires sacrifices by the parents.
Identification of a novel beta-catenin-interacting protein.

Cadherin is a well-known cell-cell adhesion molecule, and it binds to beta-catenin, which in turn binds to alpha-catenin. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism underlying the cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion. Here we purified two novel beta-catenin-interacting proteins with molecular masses of 180 kDa (p180) and 150 kDa (p150) from bovine brain cytosol by using glutathione S-transferase (GST)-beta-catenin affinity column chromatography. Mass spectral analysis revealed p180 to be identical to KIAA0313 which has a putative Rap1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) domain and p150 to be the same as KIAA0705 which has a high degree of sequence similarity to the synaptic scaffolding molecule (S-SCAM), which binds beta-catenin and KIAA0313 in the yeast two-hybrid system and overlay assay, respectively (Ide et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 256, 456-461, 1999; Ohtsuka et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 265, 38-44, 1999). beta-Catenin was coimmunoprecipitated with KIAA0313 in Madin-Darby canine kidney II (MDCKII) cells, bovine brain cytosol, and EL cells. KIAA0313 and beta-catenin were partly colocalized at sites of cell-cell contact in MDCKII cells. Taken together, our data suggest that KIAA0313 associates with beta-catenin through KIAA0705 in vivo at sites of cell-cell contact.
Who watches the watchmen? Regulation of the expression and activity of sirtuins

Sirtuins (SIRT1–7) are a family of nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)‐dependent enzymes that catalyze post‐translational modifications of proteins. Together, they regulate crucial cellular functions and are traditionally associated with aging and longevity. Dysregulation of sirtuins plays an important role in major diseases, including cancer andmetabolic, cardiac, andneurodegerativediseases. Theyare extensivelyregulatedinresponse to a wide range of stimuli, including nutritional and metabolic challenges, inflammatory signals or hypoxic and oxidative stress. Each sirtuin is regulated individually in a tissue‐ and cell‐specific manner. The control of sirtuin expression involves all themajor points of regulation, including transcriptional and post‐translationalmechanisms and microRNAs. Collectively, these mechanisms control the protein levels, localization, and enzymatic activity of sirtuins. In many cases, the regulators of sirtuin expression are also their substrates, which lead to formation of intricate regulatory networks and extensive feedback loops. In this review, we highlight themechanismsmediating thephysiologic andpathologic regulation of sirtuin expressionandactivity. We alsodiscuss the consequences of this regulation on sirtuin function and cellular physiology. —Buler, M. , Andersson, U. , Hakkola, J. Who watches the watchmen? Regulation of the expression and activity of sirtuins. FASEB J. 30, 3942–3960 (2016). www.fasebj. org
Cell biology of paget's disease

Paget's disease is characterized by markedly increased osteoclast formation and bone resorption followed by excessive new bone formation. Osteoclasts in Paget's disease are increased both in number and size, contain paramyxoviral‐like nuclear inclusions, and can have up to 100 nuclei per cell. Marrow culture studies have identified several abnormalities in osteoclast formation in Paget's disease. Osteoclast‐like multinucleated cells formed more rapidly in marrow cultures from patients with Paget's disease, produced increased levels of inter‐leukin‐6 (IL‐6), and expressed high levels of IL‐6 receptors compared to normals. IL‐6 levels were also increased in bone marrow and peripheral blood of patients with Paget's disease. In addition, osteoclast precursors from patients with Paget's disease are hyperresponsive to 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and calcitonin. The increased sensitivity of osteoclast precursors to 1,25(OH)2D3 is mediated through the vitamin D receptor (VDR), since 24‐hydroxylase activity is also up‐regulated at concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D3 that are one log less than that needed to induce 24‐hydroxylase activity in osteoclast precursors from normals. However, VDR numbers and affinity for 1,25(OH)2D3 do not differ in osteoclast precursors from Paget's patients compared to those from normals. Synergistic interactions between cytokines such as IL‐6 and 1,25(OH)2D3 also cannot explain the enhanced sensitivity of osteoclast precursors from patients with Paget's disease to 1,25(OH)2D3. Interestingly, coculture studies of osteoclast precursors and cells from the marrow microenvironment of patients with Paget's disease and normals have demonstrated that the marrow microenvironment is more osteoclastogenic than normal. Thus, studies of the cell biology of osteoclasts in Paget's disease have demonstrated an increased rate of osteoclast formation and abnormalities in both osteoclast precursors and the marrow microenvironment Enhanced IL‐6 production by osteoclasts in Paget's disease may further amplify the increased osteoclast formation already ongoing in the pagetic lesion, and may explain the increased bone turnover at uninvolved sites distant from the pagetic lesion.
Jihadi Competition and Political Preferences

While known and feared as the most dangerous global jihadi group, since 2014 al-Qaida has only been involved in one attack in the West. In the same period, al-Qaida’s renegade affiliate and current competitor, the Islamic State, has organised or taken responsibility for as many as 38 attacks, thus legitimately positioning itself as the primary threat against the West and pioneer of the global jihad movement. This article argues that the contestation and competition that emerged between the two groups as a result of their split in February 2014 is part of the explanation of the dramatic change in the enemy hierarchy, or political preferences, of the two most dominant Sunni jihadi groups. Furthermore, the article explains how the inter-group competition also prompted the definition of other jihadi actors, identified as the internal enemy, into the enemy hierarchy of al-Qaida and the Islamic State, although to a different extent.