Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tendon and skeletal muscle matrix gene expression and functional responses to immobilisation and rehabilitation in young males: effect of growth hormone administration

• Loss of muscle and tendon function during periods of immobilisation and rehabilitation represents a challenge in clinical medicine. • It is not known to what extent growth hormone (GH) supplementation is able to counteract the absence of mechanical loading during immobilisation in musculo‐tendinous connective tissue. • This study examines the effect of GH in musculo‐tendinous connective tissue in humans during immobilisation and subsequent rehabilitation. • The main study findings were the observation that GH supplementation stimulates collagen expression in musculo‐tendinous tissue and abolishes the normal decline in tendon stiffness and lysyl oxidase during immobilisation. Furthermore, GH supplementation results in an increased tendon size and stiffness during rehabilitation. • GH supplementation has a matrix‐stabilising effect during periods of inactivity and rehabilitation in humans.
A gene for plant protection: expression of a bean polygalacturonase inhibitor in tobacco confers a strong resistance against Rhizoctonia solani and two oomycetes

We have tested whether a gene encoding a polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein (PGIP) protects tobacco against a fungal pathogen (Rhizoctonia solani) and two oomycetes (Phytophthora parasitica var. nicotianae and Peronospora hyoscyami f. sp. tabacina). The trials were performed in greenhouse conditions for R. solani and P. parasitica and in the field for P. hyoscyami. Our results show that expression of PGIP is a powerful way of engineering a broad-spectrum disease resistance.
A Controlled, Randomized, Double-blind Trial to Evaluate the Effect of Vegetables and Whole Grain Powder That Is Rich in Dietary Fibers on Bowel Functions and Defecation in Constipated Young Adults

Background: This study evaluated the effect of vege-powder (VP), mainly consisted of chicory, broccoli, and whole grains, on bowel habit improvement and constipation alleviation. Methods: Using the Roman standard II, 96 male and female subjects in their twenties with constipation symptoms were divided into a control group or VP group. Subjects in a control group were supplied with rice flakes-powder (RFP) and subjects in the VP group were provided with 30 g of VP twice daily for 4 weeks. Constipation relief effectiveness was surveyed on 5-point Likert scales depending on stool hardness, amount of stool, sensation of incomplete evacuation, and straining to defecate at day 0, 14, and 28 of RFP or VP intake. Results: Repeated measures analysis of variance analysis revealed that VP intake caused significant temporal changes in stool hardness, amount, sensation of incomplete evacuation, and straining to defecate. In addition, significant differences between control and VP groups were found in stool hardness, amount, sensation of incomplete evacuation, and straining to defecate at day 14 and 28 of experimental diet consumption. VP supplement for 2 weeks significantly increased the evacuation frequency (1.04 ± 0.71), compared to control group (0.41 ± 0.64) and this increase was maintained at 4 week of diet supplements. Conclusions: This result showed that constipated subjects who consumed VP, mainly consisting of chicory, broccoli, and whole grains, improved constipation symptoms at 2 and 4 weeks of consumption compared to those of control group who were provided with RFP.
Effect of Acetaminophen Ingestion on Thermoregulation of Normothermic, Non-febrile Humans

In non-febrile mouse models, high dose acetaminophen administration causes profound hypothermia. However, this potentially hazardous side-effect has not been confirmed in non-febrile humans. Thus, we sought to ascertain whether an acute therapeutic dose (20 mg⋅kg lean body mass) of acetaminophen would reduce non-febrile human core temperature in a sub-neutral environment. Ten apparently healthy (normal core temperature, no musculoskeletal injury, no evidence of acute illness) Caucasian males participated in a preliminary study (Study 1) to determine plasma acetaminophen concentration following oral ingestion of 20 mg⋅kg lean body mass acetaminophen. Plasma samples (every 20 min up to 2-hours post ingestion) were analyzed via enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Thirteen (eight recruited from Study 1) apparently healthy Caucasian males participated in Study 2, and were passively exposed to 20°C, 40% r.h. for 120 min on two occasions in a randomized, repeated measures, crossover design. In a double blind manner, participants ingested acetaminophen (20 mg⋅kg lean body mass) or a placebo (dextrose) immediately prior to entering the environmental chamber. Rectal temperature, skin temperature, heart rate, and thermal sensation were monitored continuously and recorded every 10 min. In Study 1, the peak concentration of acetaminophen (14 ± 4 μg/ml) in plasma arose between 80 and 100 min following oral ingestion. In Study 2, acetaminophen ingestion reduced the core temperature of all participants, whereas there was no significant change in core temperature over time in the placebo trial. Mean core temperature was significantly lower in the acetaminophen trial compared with that of a placebo (p < 0.05). The peak reduction in core temperature in the acetaminophen trial was reached at 120 min in six of the thirteen participants, and ranged from 0.1 to 0.39°C (average peak reduction from baseline = 0.19 ± 0.09°C). There was no significant difference in skin temperature, heart rate, or thermal sensation between the acetaminophen and placebo trials (p > 0.05). The results indicate oral acetaminophen reduces core temperature of humans exposed to an environment beneath the thermal neutral zone. These results suggest that acetaminophen may inhibit the thermogenic mechanisms required to regulate core temperature during exposure to sub-neutral environments.
Cognitive uplink FSS and FS links coexistence in Ka-band: Propagation based interference analysis

Cognitive Radio (CR) is a promising technology for the flexible spectrum utilization in wireless communications. Very recently, there has been increasing interest in the applicability of CR techniques in satellite communication systems. This paper investigates the impact of the propagation phenomena in a co-existence scenario of satellite uplink Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and terrestrial Fixed Service (FS) systems operating in Ka-band. Specifically, we analytically derive the Signal-to-Interference Ratio (SIR) and the Signal-to-Noise plus Interference Ratio (SNIR) statistical distributions considering an accurate space-time dependent propagation channel model, which is appropriate for these frequencies and is also used for validation. Numerical results highlight the impact of the propagation phenomena and some useful conclusions for the cognitive satellite system design are drawn.
Speech recognition with dynamic grammars using finite-state transducers

Spoken language systems, ranging from interactive voice response (IVR) to mixed-initiative conversational systems, make use of a wide range of recognition grammars and vocabularies. The recognition grammars are either static (created at design time) or dynamic (dependent on database lookup at run time). This paper examines the compilation of recognition grammars with an emphasis on the dynamic (changing) properties of the grammar and how these relate to context-dependent speech recognizers. By casting the problem in the algebra of finite-state transducers (FSTs) we can use the composition operator for fast-and-efficient compilation and splicing of dynamic recognition grammars within the context of a larger precompiled static grammar.
PATRONES BIOGEOGRÁFICOS DE LA RIQUEZA DE ESPECIES Y EL ENDEMISMO DE LA AVIFAUNA EN EL OESTE DE MÉXICO

We analyzed patterns of species richness and endemicity in the avifauna of western Mexico from northern Sonora to southeastern Chiapas. The region was subdivided in 24 transects as study units, and analyses were performed using point data obtained from scientific collections and bibliography, helped by the use of a GIS. For the recognition of general biogeographic patterns and regionalization we used two analyses: Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE), and faunal congruence curves, along with an alternative species level taxonomy. A total of 783 landbird species was recorded, 157 of which are endemic. Results suggest an increase of species richness from north to south and higher concentration of endemism in the middle of the region. Faunal congruence and PAE analyses suggest the presence of three main avifaunal groupings: Oaxaca and Chiapas east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Sonora south to Jalisco, and central Jalisco south to Oaxaca west of the Isthmus, as well as
No Association between the CCR5Δ32 Polymorphism and Sporadic Esophageal Cancer in Punjab, North-West India.

BACKGROUND Chemokines and their receptors influence carcinogenesis and cysteine-cysteine chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) directs spread of cancer to other tissues. A 32 base pair deletion in the coding region of CCR5 that might alter the expression or function of the protein has been implicated in a variety of immune-mediated diseases. The action of antiviral drugs being proposed as adjuvant therapy in cancer is dependent on CCR5 wild type status. In the present study, distribution of CCR5Δ32 polymorphism was assessed in North Indian esophageal cancer patients to explore the potential of using chemokine receptors antagonists as adjuvant therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS DNA samples of 175 sporadic esophageal cancer patients (69 males and 106 females) and 175 unrelated healthy control individuals (69 males and 106 females) were screened for the CCR5Δ32 polymorphism by direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS The frequencies of wild type homozygous (CCR5/CCR5), heterozygous (CCR5/Δ32) and homozygous mutant (Δ32/Δ32) genotypes were 96.0 vs 97.72%, 4.0 vs 1.71% and 0 vs 0.57% in patients and controls respectively. There was no difference in the genotype and allele frequencies of CCR5Δ32 polymorphism in esophageal cancer patients and control group. CONCLUSIONS The CCR5Δ32 polymorphism is not associated with esophageal cancer in North Indians. As the majority of patients express the wild type allele, there is potential of using antiviral drug therapy as adjuvant therapy.
SOME ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE CLIENT'S RELATIONAL PREDISPOSITION : AN APPLICATION TO THE RETAIL BANKING INDUSTRY

This study was performed in Canada to develop a better understanding of the construct Client's Relational Predisposition (RP). It was attempted (1) to develop a measure which would distinguish "relational-type" clients (those predisposed to receive and appreciate a relational treatment) from those who are not so inclined, (2) to examine some antecedents of RP, and (3) to investigate the effect of the client's RP on his/her satisfaction process. This study was conducted in the retail banking sector. Results indicated that the client's RP is a four-dimension construct which may be measured with a 15-item scale. Antecedents like interpersonal style, level of involvement, age and level of education were found to have effect on the client's RP. As a consequence of RP, satisfaction was found to be well-founded on core service attributes and not on peripheral aspects of the service. In the past few decades, relationship marketing has generated a great deal of interest both at the academic and managerial levels. This is not surprising given this approach's potential impact on the improvement of productivity would be inappropriate to believe that the relational approach applies to all circumstances. Indeed, not all clients want or appreciate relational treatment (Copulsky and Wolf, 1990; Berry 1995). Some may prefer approaches that are based on the minimization of costs and interactions such as those offered by internet discount brokers. Moreover, given the significant resources and costs involved in relationship marketing (Brewer 1088; Adelman, Ahuvia and Goodwin 1994), more attention must be paid to the efficiency issue of such marketing. A customer-relationship-profitability analysis is a prerequisite for any relationship approach (Grönroos 1994). A relationship is more likely to be profitable when the client is predisposed to receive and appreciate relational treatment. Therefore, it would be interesting for companies to be able to provide differential treatment depending on the targeted market segment (Berry 1995). To this end, companies would benefit from a tool that can gauge a client's RP. This tool would make it possible to identify clients with whom establishing a relationship is desirable (i.e. the clients who are predisposed to receive and appreciate relational treatment). Such a tool would enable the company to act in a proactive rather than in a reactive manner when dealing with clients who expect relational treatment (Lazarus, Petras and Bradford 1992). Furthermore, this tool could prevent wasting relationship marketing efforts on clients who do not want such treatment. It would …
Concept analysis for product line requirements

Traditional methods characterize a software product line's requirements using either functional or quality criteria. This appears to be inadequate to assess modularity, detect interferences, and analyze trade-offs. We take advantage of both symmetric and asymmetric views of aspects, and perform formal concept analysis to examine the functional and quality requirements of an evolving product line. The resulting concept lattice provides a rich notion which allows remarkable insights into the modularity and interactions of requirements. We formulate a number of problems that aspect-oriented product line requirements engineering should address, and present our solutions according to the concept lattice. We describe a case study applying our approach to analyze a mobile game product line's requirements, and review lessons learned.
The effect of prolonged-release melatonin on sleep measures and psychomotor performance in elderly patients with insomnia

Objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of prolonged-release melatonin 2 mg (PRM) on sleep and subsequent daytime psychomotor performance in patients aged ≥55 years with primary insomnia, as defined by fourth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association. Patients (N = 40) were treated nightly single-blind with placebo (2 weeks), randomized double-blind to PRM or placebo (3 weeks) followed by withdrawal period (3 weeks). Sleep was assessed by polysomnography, all-night sleep electroencephalography spectral analysis and questionnaires. Psychomotor performance was assessed by the Leeds Psychomotor Test battery. By the end of the double-blind treatment, the PRM group had significantly shorter sleep onset latency (9 min; P = 0.02) compared with the placebo group and scored significantly better in the Critical Flicker Fusion Test (P = 0.008) without negatively affecting sleep structure and architecture. Half of the patients reported substantial improvement in sleep quality at home with PRM compared with 15% with placebo (P = 0.018). No rebound effects were observed during withdrawal. In conclusion, nightly treatment with PRM effectively induced sleep and improved perceived quality of sleep in patients with primary insomnia aged ≥55 years. Daytime psychomotor performance was not impaired and was consistently better with PRM compared with placebo. PRM was well tolerated with no evidence of rebound effects.
Apparent absolute oral bioavailability in excess of 100% for a vitronectin receptor antagonist (SB-265123) in rat. II. Studies implicating transporter-mediated intestinal secretion

Transporters have been increasingly identified as a factor in limiting the oral bioavailability of certain drugs. Previously, the present authors investigated a compound (SB-265123) with an apparent absolute oral bioavailability (Fapp) consistently >100%, and excluded likely artefactual causes for this observation, as well as standard considerations of non-stationary or non-linear pharmacokinetics. The data led the authors to believe that SB-265123 might be a transporter substrate in the rat, and it was hypothesized that transporter interactions might be responsible for the observed Fapp>100%. In the present study, a model was proposed incorporating rapid and complete absorption and elimination by a saturable intestinal secretory pathway. Intestinal secretion was demonstrated for SB-265123 using a rat single-pass intestinal perfusion technique. In addition, in a study employing both independent and simultaneous intravenous and oral administration of SB-265123, exposure to SB-265123 was greater than additive on joint intravenous and oral administration, lending further support to the hypothesis of a saturable transporter. Furthermore, in a study with co-administration of GF120918A, a transporter inhibitor, the observed Fapp for SB-265123 was only 84±17%, providing additional evidence for transporter involvement in the >100% Fapp phenomenon. Experience with SB-265123 illustrates a counterintuitive impact of transporters on oral bioavailability and highlights the importance of considering transporter interactions in the systemic disposition of xenobiotics, even those not demonstrating low oral bioavailability.
A Novel Finite Element Scheme of Nwogu Extended Boussinesq Equations to Predict Free Surface Elevation over Different Bathymetry of Beaches

ABSTRACT Reisinezhad, A. ; Mazaheri, S. ; Hejazi, K. , and Jabbari, M.H. , 2016. A novel finite element scheme of Nwogu extended Boussinesq equations to predict free surface elevation over different bathymetry of beaches. In this study, free surface elevation is predicted by using a new finite element scheme. This numerical method solves a Nwogu Boussinesq equation system to simulate wave propagation in the complicated bathymetry of coastal regions. The numerical approach is based on a Galerkin finite element approach for spatial discretization and Adam-Bashforth-Moulton predictor-corrector strategy for time integration. Governing equations are rewritten in lower-order forms by introducing a novel form of auxiliary variable in order to make the application of the linear finite element method possible. Then, the stability of the suggested finite element schemes is studied using a theoretical analysis. For the validation of the present numerical method, five test cases are considered to show the capability of the numerical model for simulating the free surface elevation of wave propagation over different beach profiles where the nonlinear and dispersive effects are so important. The simulated results agree well with experimental observations.
Asymmetrical Basal Delphinoid Skull from the Upper Lower Miocene Yamato Formation of Hokkaido, Northern Japan: Implications on Evolution Of Cranial Asymmetry and Symmetry in Odontoceti

Abstract. We describe an asymmetrical basal delphinoid skull from the upper lower Miocene Yamato Formation of Hokkaido, northern Japan. The skull shows clear cranial asymmetry: the nasal process of the left premaxilla is longer than that of the right one; the mesethmoid and frontals are left skewed 2.9°; and the right nasal is larger than the left one. Evaluation of the deformation of the fossil based on the carbonate content of the matrix indicates that the concretion in which the skull was found formed in an early stage of diagenesis and that the present specimen was not affected by compaction during diagenesis. A cladistic analysis including the new specimen shows cranial asymmetry among Delphinoidea extends back to the late early Miocene in the fossil record, and supports the hypothesis that cranial asymmetry in basal delphinoids is more common than previously thought. On the other hand, trait analyses suggest that the common ancestor of Delphinoidea had a symmetrical skull. We hypothesize that some extinct odontocetes that had symmetrical crania were able to produce narrow-band high-frequency clicks to avoid predation, as in extant symmetrical cranial species.
Heterogeneity within compulsive buyers: a Q-sort study.

OBJECTIVES This study investigated how compulsive buyers make sense of their excessive shopping behaviour to explore possible sources of heterogeneity between compulsive buyers. METHOD Twenty female participants met 'caseness' for compulsive buying (CB) on the CB Scale (CBS), prior to completing a Q-sort specifically related to their experiences of shopping. Participants provided details of occupation, income, and debt levels and completed two psychometric scales: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-Shopping Version (YBOCS-SV). RESULTS Principle component analysis (PCA) identified two groups within the compulsive buyers (labelled positive reinforcement and emotional distress) that explained 44% of the study variance. Ten women defined the positive reinforcement factor and tended to identify with pleasurable aspects of buying. Six women characterized the emotional distress factor and endorsed varied financial, emotional, and interpersonal difficulties associated with their CB. The emotional distress group carried significantly greater current debt levels and had significantly more severe CB. CONCLUSIONS The study illustrates that compulsive buyers can relate to their 'symptoms' in dissimilar ways. The clinical implications of such heterogeneity are discussed, methodological shortcomings identified, and areas for future research indicated.
Using different characteristics of machine learners to identify different defect families

Background: Software defect prediction has been an active area of research for the last few decades. Many models have been developed with aim to find locations in code likely to contain defects. As of yet, these prediction models are of limited use and rarely used in the software industry. Problem: Current modelling techniques are too coarse grained and fail in finding some defects. Most of the prediction models do not look for targeted defect characteristics, but rather treat them as a black box and homogeneous. No study has investigated in greater detail how well certain defect characteristics work with different prediction modelling techniques. Methodology: This PhD will address three major tasks. First, the relation among software defects, prediction models and static code metrics will be analysed. Second, the possibility of a mapping function between prediction models and defect characteristics shall be investigated. Third, an optimised ensemble model that searches for targeted defects will be developed. Contribution: A few contributions will yield from this work. Characteristics of defects will be identified, allowing other researchers to build on this work to produce more efficient prediction models in future. New modelling techniques that better suit state-of-the-art knowledge in defect prediction shall be designed. Such prediction models should be transformed in a tool that can be used by our industrial collaborator in the real industry environment.
The Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS): A sensor for operational meterological remote sensing

The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) is one of the key instruments under development for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program. CrIS is an interferometric sounding sensor which measures upwelling earth radiation at very high spectral resolution and uses this data combined with data from passive microwave instrumentation to construct vertical profiles of atmospheric temperature and moisture. This purpose of this paper is to focus on the instrument development status of the CrIS for a flight of opportunity on the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) in early 2006.