Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vascular Protective Effects of Dihydropyridine Calcium Antagonists

Dihydropyridine calcium antagonists play an important role in the treatment of hypertension and angina pectoris. They lower blood pressure by a well-characterized mechanism of blocking L-type calcium channels in smooth muscle cells. Additionally, there is growing evidence that dihydropyridines also modulate endothelial functions by other mechanisms, since macrovascular endothelial cells do not express L-type calcium channels. A number of studies have demonstrated that dihydropyridine calcium antagonists enhance bioavailability of endothelial nitric oxide (NO). Endothelium-derived NO plays a pivotal role in the regulation of vasorelaxation, leukocyte adhesion and platelet aggregation and an impaired NO release is associated with the genesis and progression of atherosclerotic diseases. This review summarizes results from experimental findings that dihydropyridine calcium antagonists increase endothelial NO formation as well as studies which demonstrate these effects in vivo both in animals and humans. Moreover, the influence of dihydropyridine calcium antagonists on the progression of atherosclerosis is discussed. These pleiotropic effects of dihydropyridine calcium antagonists may underlie or contribute to antiatherosclerotic effects of this substance class.
Predictability of the Consistency of Porridges Using Mixtures of Different Flours

The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictability of the consistency of blended porridges based on the volume fractions of separate porridges made from orange-fleshed sweet potato, cowpea, dehulled soybean, dehulled sorghum and maize flour (dehulled, commercial and germinated). Accurate predictions could be made for 13 of the 21 blends investigated. The consistency of porridge consisting of mixtures of cowpea with orange-fleshed sweet potato, and cowpea with dehulled soybean was lower than expected, and was attributed to the different size distributions of the swollen flour particles. Blends containing germinated maize showed significantly lower consistency than expected in both porridges with starchy continuous phase and porridges with proteinaceous continuous phase. It was thus concluded that both amylolytic and proteolytic activity are of importance in the ameliorating effects of germinated maize.
Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD) signaling defects and cell death susceptibility cannot be uncoupled in X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP)-driven inflammatory disease

The X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) protein has been identified as a key genetic driver of two distinct inflammatory disorders, X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome 2 (XLP-2) and very-early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD). Molecularly, the role of XIAP mutations in the pathogenesis of these disorders is unclear. Recent work has consistently shown XIAP to be critical for signaling downstream of the Crohn's disease susceptibility protein nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing 2 (NOD2); however, the reported effects of XLP-2 and VEO-IBD XIAP mutations on cell death have been inconsistent. In this manuscript, we describe a CRISPR-mediated genetic system for cells of the myeloid lineage in which XIAP alleles can be replaced with disease-associated XIAP variants expressed at endogenous levels to simultaneously study inflammation-related cell death and NOD2 signaling. We show that, consistent with previous studies, NOD2 signaling is critically dependent on the BIR2 domain of XIAP. We further used this system to reconcile the aforementioned inconsistent XIAP cell death data to show that XLP-2 and VEO-IBD XIAP mutations that exhibit a loss-of-function NOD2 phenotype also lower the threshold for inflammatory cell death. Last, we identified and studied three novel patient XIAP mutations and used this system to characterize NOD2 and cell death phenotypes driven by XIAP. The results of this work support the role of XIAP in mediating NOD2 signaling while reconciling the role of XLP-2 and VEO-IBD XIAP mutations in inflammatory cell death and provide a set of tools and framework to rapidly test newly discovered XIAP variants.
Modeling Conditional Skewness in Stock Returns 1

In this paper we propose a new GARCH-in-Mean (GARCH-M) model allowing for conditional skewness. The model is based on the so-called z distribution capable of modeling moderate skewness and kurtosis typically encountered in stock return series. The need to allow for skewness can also be readily tested. Our empirical results indicate the presence of conditional skewness in the postwar U.S. stock returns. Small positive news is also found to have a smaller impact on conditional variance than no news at all. Moreover, the symmetric GARCH-M model not allowing for conditional skewness is found to systematically overpredict conditional variance and average excess returns. JEL Classification: C16, C22, G12
Atherosclerosis-Susceptible and Atherosclerosis-Resistant Pigeon Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells Express Different Genes and Proteins in vitro

This review describes theories of human atherogenesis and experimental results evaluating gene or protein expression in the pigeon model for spontaneous atherosclerosis. The spontane‐ ous disease in the pigeon differentiates from other animal models that require manipulation (genetic, nutritional, environmental) to induce the disease state. Both susceptible and resistant pigeons have been studied with susceptibility being inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. The aims are to present the pigeon data in comparison to current theories of the human disease.
Sex differences in plasma corticosterone in desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizii, during the reproductive cycle.

Blood samples from 30 female and 20 male adult desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizii, were collected at monthly intervals during the annual reproductive cycle (April to October). Plasma corticosterone and the sex steroids in each of the samples were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. Mean corticosterone levels in males were significantly higher than in females (P < 0.001) in every month. Male tortoises showed a marked seasonal pattern in plasma corticosterone with a highly significant peak in July, August, September, and October that corresponded with a similar peak in plasma testosterone. Testosterone and corticosterone in the male showed a highly significant correlation (P < 0.0001). The pattern of corticosterone in the female was less marked, with a significant peak in May during the mating and nesting season, but no association with the peak in estradiol in late summer was apparent. The highest levels of corticosterone in the males were associated with the peak in spermatogenesis and intense male-male combat. These results support similar data from other reptiles that suggest increased glucocorticoid secretion during periods of increased activity and metabolism.
Observations on Pseudobryopsis and Trichosolen (chlorophyceae-bryopsidaceae) in America

Oltmanns (1904, p. 303) credits Berthold with the separation of Pseudobryopsis from Bryopsis on the basis of the presence of specialized gametangia and the segregation of the ramelli by a basal wall. The species from Naples which he knew, P. myura (J. Ag.) Berth. , only occasionally has the erect axes branched, has simple ramelli neither markedly curved nor particularly swollen
Fitness alteration of foot-and-mouth disease virus mutants: measurement of adaptability of viral quasispecies

We document the rapid alteration of fitness of two foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) mutants resistant to a neutralizing monoclonal antibody. Both mutants showed a selective disadvantage in BHK-21 cells when passaged in competition with their parental FMDV. Upon repeated replication of the mutants alone, they acquired a selective advantage over the parental FMDV and fixed additional genomic substitutions without reversion of the monoclonal antibody-resistant phenotype. Thus, variants that were previously kept at low frequency in the mutant spectrum of a viral quasispecies rapidly became the master sequence of a new genomic distribution and dominated the viral population.
Multicolor-FISH applied to resolve complex chromosomal changes in a case of T-ALL (FAB L2)

We report on a patient with a clinically diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with partial unrecorded complex translocation events especially involving chromosomes 5, 9 and 18. At the GTG-band level the karyotype was abnormal in 20% of the analyzed cells. The complex karyotype was studied in more detail by spectral karyotyping (SKY) and multicolor banding (MCB) to characterize it in more detail. Thus, the karyotype could be described very accurately and in summary three different clones were detected, reflecting a high rate of karyotypic evolution in this patient.
Clandestine induced abortion: prevalence, incidence and risk factors among women in a Latin American country

Background: Clandestine induced abortions are a public health problem in many developing countries where access to abortion services is legally restricted. We estimated the prevalence and incidence of, and risk factors for, clandestine induced abortions in a Latin American country. Methods: We conducted a large population-based survey of women aged 18–29 years in 20 cities in Peru. We asked questions about their history of spontaneous and induced abortions, using techniques to encourage disclosure. Results: Of 8242 eligible women, 7992 (97.0%) agreed to participate. The prevalence of reported induced abortions was 11.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.9%–12.4%) among the 7962 women who participated in the survey. It was 13.6% (95% CI 12.8%–14.5%) among the 6559 women who reported having been sexually active. The annual incidence of induced abortion was 3.1% (95% CI 2.9%–3.3%) among the women who had ever been sexually active. In the multivariable analysis, risk factors for induced abortion were higher age at the time of the survey (odds ratio [OR] 1.11, 95% CI 1.07–1.15), lower age at first sexual intercourse (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.84–0.91), geographic region (highlands: OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.23–1.97; jungle: OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.41–2.31 [v. coastal region]), having children (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.68–0.98), having more than 1 sexual partner in lifetime (2 partners: OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.23–2.09; ≥ 3 partners: OR 2.79, 95% CI 2.12–3.67), and having 1 or more sexual partners in the year before the survey (1 partner: OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.01–1.72; ≥ 2 partners: OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.14–2.02). Overall, 49.0% (95% CI 47.6%–50.3%) of the women who reported being currently sexually active were not using contraception. Interpretation: The incidence of clandestine, potentially unsafe induced abortion in Peru is as high as or higher than the rates in many countries where induced abortion is legal and safe. The provision of contraception and safer-sex education to those who require it needs to be greatly improved and could potentially reduce the rate of induced abortion.
Continuous propionate production from whey permeate using a novel fibrous bed bioreactor

Continuous production of propionate from whey lactose by Propionibacterium acidipropionici immobilized in a novel fibrous bed bioreactor was studied. In conventional batch propionic acid fermentation, whey permeate without nutrient supplementation was unable to support cell growth and failed to give satisfactory fermentation results for over 7 days. However, with the fibrous bed bioreactor, a high fermentation rate and high conversion were obtained with plain whey permeate and de‐lactose whey permeate. About 2% (wt/vol) propionic acid was obtained from a 4.2% lactose feed at a retention time of 35 to 45 h. The propionic acid yield was ∼46% (wt/vol) from lactose. The optimal pH for fementation was 6.5, and lower fermentation rates and yields were obtained at lower pH values. The optimal temperature was 30°C, but the temperature effect was not dramatic in the range of 25 to 35°C. Addition of yeast extract and trypticase to whey permeate hastened reactor startup and increased the fermentation rate and product yields, but the addition was not required for long‐term reactor performance. The improved fermentation results with the immobilized cell bioreactor can be attributed to the high cell density, ∼50 g/L, attained in the bioreactor, Cells were immobilized by loose attachement to fiber surfaces and entrapment in the void spaces within the fibrous matrix, thus allowing constant renewal of cells. Consequently, this bioreactor was able to operate continuously for 6 months without encountering any clogging, degeneration, or contamination problems. Compared to conventional batch fermentors, the new bioreactor offers many advantages for industrial fermentation, including a more than 10‐fold increase in productivity, acceptance of low‐nutrient feedstocks such as whey permeate, and resistance to contamination. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Web-Based Educational Media: Issues and Empirical Test of Learning

This paper addresses issues and cost benefits of World Wide Web-based education systems. It presents the results of an effort to identify problems that arise when considering this media and suggests conceptual solutions to some of these problems. To evaluate these solutions, a prototype system was built and tested in an engineering classroom; the system was used to test the knowledge transfer and attitude of students as compared to the traditional classroom system. The primary conclusion was that the Web-based system resulted in significantly better learning as measured by an average of 10 more points on a 75-point quiz. Students working with the Web-based system spent more time studying the subject, which did affect their performance; however, a regression analysis showed that students using the traditional method improved their grade more per hours of study than did students using the Web method. Three figures illustrate the course assignment/team-communication page, course homepage, and course presentation
Quality of life of African American cancer survivors

African Americans are more likely to present with advanced stages of cancer at the time of diagnosis, and their survival rates continue to lag behind those of Caucasian survivors. Although the need to address the quality of life (QOL) of cancer survivors is well documented, little is known about the QOL of African American cancer survivors. A comprehensive literature search from 1990 to 2005 was conducted in 5 phases as outlined by Cooper. Inclusion criteria included the measurement of QOL as an outcome and the report and/or comparison of QOL for African Americans in the sample. The studies that met the criteria for inclusion focused on breast and prostate cancer. All were descriptive (quantitative or qualitative). Overall, the QOL of African American cancer survivors described in this research is poorer than for Caucasians, although in 1 study African American breast cancer survivors reported better emotional adjustment, sexual functioning, and lower symptom distress. Nonetheless, because of the limited and conflicting research as well as inconsistent measurements and methodologies, it is not possible to adequately describe the QOL of African American cancer survivors. Research is needed that uses consistent, culturally appropriate measures, theoretical frameworks, and definitions across studies. Cancer 2007. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
An Evaluation of the Effects of Hyper-Natural Components of Interaction Fidelity on Locomotion Performance in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) locomotion techniques that approximate real-world walking often have lower performance than fully natural real walking due to moderate interaction fidelity. Other techniques with moderate fidelity, however, are intentionally designed to enhance users' abilities beyond what is possible in the real world. We compared such hyper-natural techniques to their natural counterparts on a wide range of locomotion tasks for a variety of measures. The evaluation also considered two independent components of interaction fidelity: bio-mechanics and transfer function. The results show that hyper-natural transfer functions can improve locomotion speed and some aspects of user satisfaction, although this can come at the expense of accuracy for complicated path-following tasks. On the other hand, hyper-natural techniques designed to provide biomechanical assistance had lower performance and user acceptance than those based on natural walking movements. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of the effects of interaction fidelity and designer intent for VR interaction techniques.
The K-complex: Its slow (<1-Hz) rhythmicity and relation to delta waves

The K-complex is a major graphoelement of sleep EEG. This report demonstrates that K-complexes emerge from a cortically generated slow(≤1-Hz) oscillation. Human EEG as well as cat cellular and field potential recordings converge into demonstrating that the K-complex results from a synchronized cortical network that imposes periodic excitatory and inhibitory actions on cortical neurons. We additionally show the correspondence between neuronal activities and the shape of the K-complex. Spectral analysis confirms the periodic recurrence of human K-complexes, with main peaks at 0.5 to 0.7 Hz. It is also shown that the spectral content in the delta band (1 to 4 Hz) is partially due to the shape and duration of the K-complex.
Epidemiology of Player—Player Contact Injuries Among US High School Athletes, 2005-2009

Objective: To investigate the epidemiology of player—player contact injuries in a nationally representative sample of US high school student-athletes. Methods: Data from the National High School Sports—Related Injury Surveillance Study were analyzed to calculate rates, describe patterns, and evaluate potential risk factors for player—player contact injuries. Results: Player—player contact injuries represented 46.4% of all high school sports injuries and occurred at a rate of 11.6 per 10 000 athlete exposures (AEs). Player—player contact injury rates (per 10 000 AEs) were highest in football (26.0), wrestling (10.8), and girls’ soccer (9.8). Body sites most commonly injured were the ankle/foot (21.9%), head/face (18.9%), and knee (16.9%). Most common diagnoses were ligament sprains (32.5%). Conclusions: Player—player contact is the most common mechanism of injury among high school athletes. The epidemiology of such injuries varies by gender and sport. Developing effective preventive measures depends on increasing our knowledge of player—player contact injury rates, patterns, and risk factors.
Transactional relations between caregiving stress, executive functioning, and problem behavior from early childhood to early adolescence

Abstract Developmental psychopathologists face the difficult task of identifying the environmental conditions that may contribute to early childhood behavior problems. Highly stressed caregivers can exacerbate behavior problems, while children with behavior problems may make parenting more difficult and increase caregiver stress. Unknown is: (a) how these transactions originate, (b) whether they persist over time to contribute to the development of problem behavior and (c) what role resilience factors, such as child executive functioning, may play in mitigating the development of problem behavior. In the present study, transactional relations between caregiving stress, executive functioning, and behavior problems were examined in a sample of 1,388 children with prenatal drug exposures at three developmental time points: early childhood (birth to age 5), middle childhood (ages 6 to 9), and early adolescence (ages 10 to 13). Transactional relations differed between caregiving stress and internalizing versus externalizing behavior. Targeting executive functioning in evidence-based interventions for children with prenatal substance exposure who present with internalizing problems and treating caregiving psychopathology, depression, and parenting stress in early childhood may be particularly important for children presenting with internalizing behavior.
Rat hippocampal neurons in culture: properties of GABA-activated Cl- ion conductance.

The actions of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the membrane properties of rat hippocampal neurons maintained in dissociated cell culture were studied using intracellular recording techniques. All the neurons tested were responsive to GABA applied by pressure from micropipettes containing 10-20 microM GABA. The response consisted of a marked increase in conductance associated with a potential change. The inversion potential was sensitive to the Cl- ion gradient across the cells. It was about -60 mV when measured during recordings utilizing K acetate-filled microelectrodes, about -15 mV when measured during recordings with KCl-filled microelectrodes, and about +15 mV when measured with KCl electrodes in a medium containing low [Cl-]o. These results indicate that the membrane conductance evoked by GABA primarily involves Cl- ions. There were no apparent differences between the inversion potential of responses elicited at the level of the cell body and those evoked on processes. The two-electrode voltage-clamp technique was used to study the membrane mechanisms underlying these responses. GABA generated current responses that were associated with an increase in both conductance and membrane current variance. At a given potential both the conductance change and increase in variance were directly proportional to the amplitude of the current response. Spectral analysis of the membrane current variance evoked by GABA revealed that many of the computed spectra could be fitted by a single Lorentzian equation, suggesting that GABA activates two-state (open-closed) Cl- ion channels whose durations are exponentially distributed. The mean duration of these channel openings was estimated to be 22.9 +/- 2.1 ms, while the average conductance was estimated to be 19.8 +/- 2.7 pS in 13 cells. Large-amplitude GABA responses evoked at -70 mV frequently faded in amplitude, often by as much as 50%, with little or no change in the associated conductance. Since the membrane current variance decreased in direct relation to the fading current response, while estimates of channel lifetime did not change, the results suggest that the fading is due to a shift in the Cl- gradient. Responses to constant amounts of GABA evoked at different membrane potentials showed that the macroscopic conductance activated by GABA varied with membrane potential. Often 4-5 times more conductance was generated at depolarized (0 to +10 mV) relative to hyperpolarized potentials (-60 to -70 mV). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)