Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carvedilol, a new beta adrenoreceptor blocker and free radical scavenger, attenuates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

Oxygen-derived free radicals play a critical role in atherogenesis and reperfusion injury. The present experiment evaluated the effects of carvedilol, a new beta adrenoreceptor blocker with potent free radical-scavenging activity, on myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury in a hypercholesterolemic rabbit model. New Zealand rabbits were fed a normal diet, a high-cholesterol diet, or a high-cholesterol diet supplemented with 1200 ppm carvedilol or propranolol. Eight weeks later, the rabbits were subjected to 60 min of myocardial ischemia followed by 60 min of reperfusion. The nontreated cholesterol-fed animals experienced greater cardiac damage after ischemia and reperfusion than rabbits fed a normal diet (necrosis 51% +/- 4% vs. 28% +/- 3% in the normal-diet group, P < .01). In addition, nontreated cholesterol-fed rabbits showed a significantly decreased vasorelaxant response to ACh in U-46619-precontracted aortic rings (56% +/- 5% vs 90% +/- 3% in the control group, P < .001). Treatment with propranolol neither preserved endothelial function after cholesterol feeding nor reduced neutrophil accumulation in ischemic-reperfused myocardial tissue. Propranolol treatment did significantly decrease HR, pressure-rate index and infarct size (necrosis 33% +/- 4%). Despite their having essentially identical effects on HR and pressure-rate index, carvedilol exerted more profound cardiac protective effects than propranolol (necrosis 19% +/- 3%). Moreover, carvedilol treatment significantly preserved aortic endothelial function and markedly reduced neutrophil accumulation in ischemic-reperfused myocardial tissue. These results indicate that in addition to its beta blocking activity, the antioxidant and endothelial protective activities of carvedilol contributed significantly to its cardiac protective effects after ischemia and reperfusion.
The Dynamics of Educational Attainment for Black, Hispanic, and White Males

This paper estimates a dynamic model of schooling attainment to investigate the sources of racial and ethnic disparity in college attendance. Parental income in the child’s adolescent years is a strong predictor of this disparity. This is widely interpreted to mean that credit constraints facing families during the college‐going years are important. Using NLSY data, we find that it is the long‐run factors associated with parental background and family environment, and not credit constraints facing prospective students in the college‐going years, that account for most of the racial‐ethnic college‐going differential. Policies aimed at improving these long‐term family and environmental factors are more likely to be successful in eliminating college attendance differentials than short‐term tuition reduction and family income supplement policies aimed at families with college age children.
Endoscopic-Assisted Correction of Metopic Synostosis

AbstractOur 6-year experience with correction of metopic synostosis using a minimally invasive endoscopic-assisted technique followed by postoperative cranial vault helmet molding is presented. In addition, a simple, objective method for quantification of the frontal vault contour is described.A total of 16 patients, 13 males and 3 females, with nonsyndromic, single-suture synostosis were included in the study. Patient age at operation averaged 2.9 months and the mean weight was 6 kg. The mean operative time was 79 minutes. The estimated blood loss during the procedure was 82.8 mL. Three patients required blood transfusions (18.7%). There were no significant postoperative complications. The mean hospitalization was 1.6 days. The average surgical cost, including the helmets, was $12,400, in contrast to $33,000 charged for the equivalent open procedure.Very good esthetic results, judged by physical examination and photograph comparison, were obtained in all patients. No relapses were noted. Objectively, the outcome of the operative repair was evaluated using laser scanning. For quantification of the distortion and the postoperative level of correction, the metopic angle was defined and used. This angle changed from preoperative value of 104.9 degrees to 111.3 degrees at 3 months (P = 1.59E−06) and to 114.9 degrees at 1 year postoperatively (P = 2.51E−09). Due to its promising attributes, minimally invasive strip craniectomy emerges as an ideal modality for correction of metopic synostosis. Furthermore, the metopic angle should provide clinicians with an objective measure of the frontal cranial vault deformity and its correction.
Superstrong Ultralong Carbon Nanotubes for Mechanical Energy Storage

Energy storage in a proper form is essential for a good grid strategy. The systems developed so far mostly use batteries or capacitors in which energy is stored electrochemically or electrostatically. Mechanical energy storage is also one of the most important ways for energy conversion. In fact, water reservoirs on high mountains store mechanical energy using the gravitational potential on the earth, and the surplus energy can be mechanically stored in water pumped to a higher elevation using pumped storage methods. Other systems for mechanical energy storage were realized, such as flstoring mechanical energies by the use of a rapidly rotating mass and steel springs storing mechanical energies by their elasticity. However, such mechanical energy storage usually is operated on a macroscopic scale, and the energy density is not very high. With the fast development of nano- and micro-electromechanical systems (N/MEMS) and actuators, nanoscale mechanical energy storage is highly required. Developing a robust nonmaterial with good mechanical performance and stable supply is the fi rst step. Ultralong carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with the properties of 1‐2 TPa modulus and 100‐200 GPa strength, [ 1‐4 ] the strongest material ever known, have shown promising potential for the storage of mechanical energy, either by their deformation in the composite materials, [ 5‐7 ] or by their elastic deformation produced by stretching or compressing the pristine tubes or tube arrays. [ 8 ] Theoretical calculation suggested that the energy storage capacity, in the latter case, can be at least three orders higher than that of steel spring and several times that of the fl ywheels and lithium ion batteries. [ 9 , 10 ] The mechanical energy storage capacity of CNTs depends on their mechanical properties, while which directly depend on their molecular structures. Besides, CNTs that simultaneously have theoretically high strength (100‐200 GPa), high tensile modulus (1‐2 TPa) and high breaking strain ( > 15%) are not yet experimentally available on the macroscale. [ 2 , 11‐20 ] This is mainly due to the existence of defects in the fabricated CNTs. Even for CNTs with little defects, the highest reported breaking strain is 13.7% ± 0.3%, [ 21 ] which is still lower than the theoretical value. [ 22 , 23 ] Here we experimentally demonstrate that the as-grown defect-free CNTs with length over 10 cm, have breaking strain up to 17.5%, tensile strength up to 200 GPa and Young’s modulus up to 1.34 TPa. They could endure a continuously repeated mechanical strain-release test for over 1.8 × 10 8 times. The extraordinary mechanical performance qualifi es them with high capacity for the storage of mechanical energy. The CNTs can store mechanical energy with a density as high as 1125 Wh kg − 1 and a power density as high as 144 MW kg − 1 , indicating the CNTs can be a promising medium for the storage of mechanical energy.
Glycoproteins of measles virus under reducing and nonreducing conditions

Measles virus has two glycoproteins. The larger glycoprotein (HA) is composed of 76,000-dalton subunits that are bound by disulfide bonds. The smaller glycoprotein (F) appears to contain a glucosamine-rich portion that is linked to an unglycosylated protein by disulfide bonds.
Gender Effects on Reaction Time Variability and Trial-to-Trial Performance: Reply to Deary and Der (2005)

ABSTRACT Deary and Der (2005) reported significant gender effects on intraindividual variability in choice reaction time (CRT), and suggested several potential causes. In their procedure it was not possible to examine RTs on a trial-to-trial basis. We therefore investigate an additional possible cause: that men and women differ in their rate of performance improvement across trials, creating an apparent difference in variability. Using data from a large online CRT study, we replicate the finding that women are more variable in RT than men. However, we also demonstrate an interaction between gender and trial number for RT: women were initially slower than men, but became faster than men across a block. When the first two trials of the block are excluded, the gender effects on RT variability disappear.
Mosquito larvicidal and ovicidal activity of Cardiospermum halicacabum Linn. (family: Sapindaceae) leaf extract against Culex quinquefasciatus (Say.) and Aedes aegypti (Linn.) (Diptera: Culicidae).

OBJECTIVE To investigate the larvicidal and ovicidal efficacy of different extracts of Cardiospermum halicacabum L. against Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae). MATERIALS AND METHODS Larvicidal efficacy of the crude leaf extracts of Cardiospermum halicacabum with five different solvents like benzene, hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and chloroform was tested against the early third instar larvae of Culex (C.) quinquefasciatus and Aedes (A.) aegypti. The ovicidal activity was determined against two mosquito species to various concentrations ranging from 100-600 ppm under the laboratory conditions. RESULTS The benzene, hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and chloroform leaf extract of Cardiospermum halicacabum was found to be more effective against C. quinquefasciatus than A. aegypti. The LC50 values were 174.24, 193.31, 183.36, 150.44, 154.95 ppm and 182.51, 200.02, 192.31, 156.80, 164.54 ppm respectively. Among five solvent tested the methanol and benzene crude extract was found to be most effective for ovicidal activity against two mosquito species. The extract of methanol and benzene exerted 100% mortality at 300 ppm against C quinquefasciatus. A. aegypti attained the complete ovicidal activity at 400 ppm for the extract of methanol only. CONCLUSIONS From the results it can be concluded the crude extract of Cardiospermum halicacabum was a potential for controlling C. quinquefasciatus and A. aegypti mosquitoes.
The Role of Antibodies and Von Willebrand Factor in Discordant Pulmonary Xenotransplantation

Pulmonary xenotransplantation is one potential solution to the paucity of donors but is currently limited by rapid failure of the graft. Unlike cardiac and renal xenotransplants, pulmonary xenografts release large quantities of swine von Willebrand factor (vWF). Swine vWF binds xenoreactive antibodies and is capable of activating primate platelets. The contribution of swine vWF to lung xenograft dysfunction is not entirely clear. To probe the role vWF plays in xenograft dysfunction, we traced the fate of xenoantibodies in vWF+ and von Willebrand factor‐deficient (vWFD) swine lungs. These studies showed that the vast majority of xenoantibodies bind the vWF released from the vWF+ swine lung, and thus do not remain bound on lung endothelium. The vWF complexed to xenoantibody remained capable of aggregating primate platelets. With this information, we performed swine‐to‐baboon lung transplants using vWF+ and vWFD donors. Without vWF present to complex xenoantibodies, a picture of hyperacute rejection more typical of heart and kidney xenografts, with antibody deposition along the graft endothelium, interstitial hemorrhage, and edema occurred. These findings suggest that porcine vWF plays a major role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary xenograft dysfunction, and suggests promising strategies to treat lung xenograft dysfunction.
National publication output in medical research.

OBJECTIVE Both the total number of publications and the number of publications in high-ranking journals determine a country's reputation in scientific research. A predominance of national authors in a country's international high-ranking journals has occasionally been presumed. We therefore analysed the publication output of various countries and the proportion of national authors in international high-ranking journals. METHODS The database EMBASE (Excerpta Medica) by means of the online service Dialog was used to analyse the national publication output of various countries during the years 1986 to 1990 and 1991 to 1995 and the proportion of national authors in The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM.). RESULTS American and British publications played the leading roles in the total number of medical publications from 1986 to 1990 (35.6% and 8.8%, respectively) and also from 1991 to 1995 (34.3% and 9.1%, respectively). A more detailed analysis revealed an unexpectedly high national publication output (publications per million inhabitants) of smaller countries, which exceeded that of larger nations during both periods studied (national publication output 1986-90 vs. 1991-95: Israel: (3386 vs. 3447), Sweden: (3303 vs. 3620), Switzerland: (2930 vs. 3722), Denmark: (2884 vs. 3167), UK: (2186 vs. 2825), USA: (2042 vs. 2388)). Furthermore, the proportion of national authors during both periods (1986-90 vs. 1991-95) studied was 41.8% vs. 34.1% in the case of The Lancet and 77.9% vs. 69.5% in the case of The New England Journal of Medicine. CONCLUSIONS The present study found an unexpectedly high national publication output of smaller countries as well as a clearly disproportionate number of published articles from national authors in The Lancet and the NEJM during the years 1986 to 1990 and 1991 to 1995.
Is There a Right-Sided Shift for Colorectal Cancer in Women Compared with Men?

To the Editors: Cancer of the left and right colon shows different prevalence at varying ages, in high- and low-incidence nations, and in men and in women. Colorectal carcinomas that arise proximal (right) or distal (left) to the splenic flexure exhibit different epidemiologic and clinicopathologic
Building permanent memory codes: codification and repetition effects in word identification.

The studies presented in this article investigate the memory processes that underlie two phenomena in threshold identification: word superiority over pseudowords and the repetition effect (a prior presentation of an item facilitates later identification of that item). Codification (i.e., the development of a single memory code that can be triggered even by fragmented input information) explains the faster and more accurate identification of words than pseudowords. Our studies trace the development and retention of such codes for repeated pseudowords and examine the growth and loss of the repetition effect for both pseudowords and words. After approximately five prior occurrences, words and pseudowords are identified equally accurately in two types of threshold identification tasks, suggesting codification has been completed for pseudowords. Although the initial word advantage disappears, the accuracy of identification still increases with repetitions. The facilitation caused by repetition is not affected much by spacing within a session, but drops from one day to the next, and after a delay of one year has disappeared (new and old words were identified equally well). These results suggest an episodic basis for the repetition effect. Most important, after one year, performance is equal for old pseudowords and new and old words: all these levels are superior to that for new pseudowords, suggesting that the learned codes for pseudowords are as strong and permanent as the codes for words. A model of identification is presented in which feedback from codes and episodic images in memory facilitates letter processing. An instantiation of the model accounts for the major features of the data.
Distributions of Lesser Mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in Litter of a Compacted Earth Floor Broiler House in Subtropical Queensland, Australia

Abstract Distributions of lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), in litter of a compacted earth floor broiler house in southeastern Queensland, Australia, were studied over two flocks. Larvae were the predominant stage recorded. Significantly low densities occurred in open locations and under drinker cups where chickens had complete access, whereas high densities were found under feed pans and along house edges where chicken access was restricted. For each flock, lesser mealworm numbers increased at all locations over the first 14 d, especially under feed pans and along house edges, peaking at ≈26 d and then declining over the final 28 d. A life stage profile per flock was devised that consisted of the following: beetles emerge from the earth floor at the beginning of each flock, and females lay eggs, producing larvae that peak in numbers at ≈3 wk; after a further 3 to 4 wk, larvae leave litter to pupate in the earth floor, and beetles then emerge by the end of the flock time. Removing old litter from the brooder section at the end of a flock did not greatly reduce mealworm numbers over the subsequent flock, but it seemed to prevent numbers increasing, while an increase in numbers in the grow-out section was recorded after reusing litter. Areas under feed pans and along house edges accounted for 5% of the total house area, but approximately half the estimated total number of lesser mealworms in the broiler house occurred in these locations. The results of this study will be used to determine optimal deployment of site-specific treatments for lesser mealworm control.
A prospective longitudinal study of methacholine airway responsiveness as a predictor of pulmonary-function decline: the Normative Aging Study.

It has been hypothesized that nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness is a risk factor for accelerated pulmonary-function decline during aging and the development of chronic airflow obstruction. We tested this hypothesis in a prospective, longitudinal study of 912 middle-aged and older men (median age, 60 yr; range, 41 to 86 yr) participating in the Normative Aging Study (NAS). Subjects underwent methacholine challenge testing and spirometry at the time of a regularly scheduled NAS examination, and follow-up spirometry was performed after a median interval of 3.3 yr. Allergy skin testing with a panel of four aeroallergens (mixed grasses, mixed trees, ragweed, and house dust) was also performed at the initial examination. Methacholine responsiveness was expressed as the dose-response slope (DRS) (i.e., the slope of a line connecting the origin with the last point of the methacholine dose-response plot) in units of percent decline FEV1/mumol methacholine. The relationship of the methacholine DRS to the subsequent rate of annual decline in lung function (FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC) was examined using multiple linear-regression models with the rates of pulmonary-function decline as the outcome variables. After adjusting for age, height, smoking status, and initial level of lung function, the log10 DRS was a significant predictor of the rate of decline of FEV1 (regression coefficient beta = 12.8, p = 0.03) and FEV1/FVC x 100 (beta = 0.506, p = 0.0001), and a borderline significant predictor of FVC (beta = 15.3, p = 0.05). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of AZD0914 against Human Mycoplasmas and Ureaplasmas

ABSTRACT In this study, susceptibilities were determined for AZD0914, a spiropyrimidinetrione DNA gyrase inhibitor, azithromycin, doxycycline, and levofloxacin against Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma species. The activity of AZD0914 was comparable to that of levofloxacin and doxycycline against Mycoplasma genitalium and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The AZD0914 MIC90 against Mycoplasma hominis was 8-fold greater than that for levofloxacin. The AZD0914 MIC90 against Ureaplasma species was 4-fold less than that for azithromycin and 8-fold less than that for levofloxacin and doxycycline.
Developmental response to hypoxia

Molecular mechanisms underlying fetal growth restriction due to placental insufficiency and in utero hypoxia are not well understood. In the current study, time‐dependent (3 h–11 days) changes in fetal tissue gene expression in a rat model of in utero hypoxia compared with normoxic controls were investigated as an initial approach to understand molecular events underlying fetal development in response to hypoxia. Under hypoxic conditions, litter size was reduced and IGFBP‐1 was up‐regulated in maternal serum and in fetal liver and heart. Tissue‐specific, distinct regulatory patterns of gene expression were observed under acute vs. chronic hypoxic conditions. Induction of glycolytic enzymes was an early event in response to hypoxia during organ development;consis‐tently, tissue‐specific induction of calcium homeostasis‐related genes and suppression of growth‐related genes were observed, suggesting mechanisms underlying hypoxia‐related fetal growth restriction. Furthermore, induction of inflammation‐related genes in placentas exposed to long‐term hypoxia (11 days) suggests a mechanism for placental dysfunction and impaired pregnancy outcome accompanying in utero hypoxia. — Huang, S. ‐T. J., Vo, K. C. T. , Lyell, D. J., Faessen, G. H. , Tulac, S. , Tibshirani, R. , Giaccia, A. J., Giudice, L. C. Developmental response to hypoxia. FASEB J. 18, 1348–1365 (2004)
Retroviral retargeting by envelopes expressing an N-terminal binding domain

We have engineered ecotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus-derived envelopes targeted to cell surface molecules expressed on human cells by the N-terminal insertion of polypeptides able to bind either Ram-1 phosphate transporter (the first 208 amino acids of amphotropic murine leukemia virus surface protein) or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (the 53 amino acids of EGF). Both envelopes were correctly processed and incorporated into viral particles. Virions carrying these envelopes could specifically bind the new cell surface receptors. Virions targeted to Ram-1 could infect human cells, although the efficiency was reduced compared with that of virions carrying wild-type amphotropic murine leukemia virus envelopes. The infectivity of virions targeted to EGFR was blocked at a postbinding step, and our results suggest that EGFR-bound virions were rapidly trafficked to lysosomes. These data suggest that retroviruses require specific properties of cell surface molecules to allow the release of viral cores into the correct cell compartment.
Identification of in-field defect development in digital image sensors

Although solid-state image sensors are known to develop defects in the field, little information is available about the nature, quantity or development rate of these defects. We report on and algorithm and calibration tests, which confirmed the existence of significant quantities of in-field defects in 4 out of 5 high-end digital cameras. Standard hot pixels were identified in all 4 cameras. Stuck hot pixels, which have not been described previously, were identified in 2 cameras. Previously, hot-pixels were thought to have no impact at short exposure durations, but the large offset of stuck hot pixels will degrade almost any image and cannot be ignored. Fully-stuck and abnormal sensitivity defects were not found. Spatial investigation found no clustering. We tracked hot pixel growth over the lifetime of one camera, using only normal photographs. We show that defects develop continually over the lifetime of the sensor, starting within several months of first use, and do not heal over time. Our success in tracing the history of each defect confirms the feasibility of using automatic defect identification to analyze defect response and growth characteristics in a multitude of cameras already in the field, without performing additional experiments or requiring physical access to the cameras.