Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term, non-nightly administration of zolpidem in the treatment of patients with primary insomnia.

INTRODUCTION While it is common practice that hypnotics are used on a non-nightly basis, few investigations have been undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of the intermittent dosing strategy. The present study was designed to further evaluate this issue within a large scale, double-blind, placebo-controlled, long-term trial. METHOD Patients who met DSM-IV criteria for primary insomnia participated in the study from January 2000 through October 2001. Patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups (zolpidem 10 mg or placebo) for a period of 12 weeks. Ten pills were provided in foil packs on an every-other-week basis, and patients were instructed to take no fewer than 3 and no more than 5 pills per week. Sleep was evaluated daily with sleep diaries. Pill use was recorded in the sleep diaries. RESULTS 199 patients (mean +/- SD age = 41.0 +/- 12.8 years; 71% female) were randomly assigned to treatment. On mean, patients receiving zolpidem exhibited (vs. baseline) a 42% decrease in sleep latency, a 52% reduction in number of awakenings, a 55% decrease in wake time after sleep onset, and a 27% increase in total sleep time. These positive clinical gains did not diminish with time and were not associated with dose escalation. There was also no evidence of rebound insomnia. CONCLUSIONS Over a period of 12 weeks of intermittent treatment with zolpidem, sleep continuity was significantly improved, the clinical gains were sustained, and there was no evidence of subjective rebound insomnia between doses or increases in the amount of medication used during the study interval.
Optimized bias estimation model for 3-D radar considering platform attitude errors

The optimized bias estimation model is presented herein to simultaneously estimate radar offset biases and platform attitude biases, the algorithm can estimate both offset radar biases and yaw bias well, but estimation results for roll and pitch biases are still poor. Due to the existence of coupling between attitude biases and radar measurements, the coupling influences are not constants and associated with the target location, which are contrary to the models we use in dynamic equations, so, the estimation results are poor. On the contrary, the models of radar offset biases used in Kalman filter coincide with the true situations, and the estimation performances for them are good. In view of this, in order to improve the estimation accuracy of roll and pitch biases, the non-linear Unsent Kalman Filter [16] may be a preferable method. In addition, if radar measurements are in an ENU coordinate system, the algorithm does not need to know the true course, pitch, and roll of the platform, which saves much bandwidth and decreases the coupling influences of attitude angles to a great extent. According to the results obtained herein, frequency dependent biases will be discussed in the future.
The Power of Physiology in Changing Landscapes: Considerations for the Continued Integration of Conservation and Physiology.

The growing field of conservation physiology applies a diversity of physiological traits (e.g., immunological, metabolic, endocrine, and nutritional traits) to understand and predict organismal, population, and ecosystem responses to environmental change and stressors. Although the discipline of conservation physiology is gaining momentum, there is still a pressing need to better translate knowledge from physiology into real-world tools. The goal of this symposium, ‘‘Physiology in Changing Landscapes: An Integrative Perspective for Conservation Biology’’, was to highlight that many current investigations in ecological, evolutionary, and comparative physiology are necessary for understanding the applicability of physiological measures for conservation goals, particularly in the context of monitoring and predicting the health, condition, persistence, and distribution of populations in the face of environmental change. Here, we outline five major investigations common to environmental and ecological physiology that can contribute directly to the progression of the field of conservation physiology: (1) combining multiple measures of physiology and behavior; (2) employing studies of dose–responses and gradients; (3) combining a within-individual and population-level approach; (4) taking into account the context-dependency of physiological traits; and (5) linking physiological variables with fitness metrics. Overall, integrative physiologists have detailed knowledge of the physiological systems that they study; however, communicating theoretical and empirical knowledge to conservation biologists and practitioners in an approachable and applicable way is paramount to the practical development of physiological tools that will have a tangible impact for conservation.
Stochastic models of exchange-rate dynamics and their implications for the pricing of foreign-currency options

The aim of this study is to find a suitable approach to model econometrically exchange-rate dynamics. In the first chapter, I examine the empirical properties of four exchange rates. The data used are daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly exchange rates of the German mark, the British pound, the Swiss franc, and the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar from July 1974 to December 1987.1 study the moment properties and time-series properties of these exchange rates and find in daily and weekly data leptokurtosis and heteroskedasticity. On the other hand, the hypotheses of no serial correlation, of a constant mean of zero, and of a symmetric distribution cannot be rejected. The fact that the daily and weekly data are not strictly equi-distant does not have a strong impact on these empirical regularities. In chapter 2, static distributional models (mixture of distributions, compound Poisson process, Student distribution, and stable Paretian distributions) are estimated. Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests reject these models. Direct inferential evidence against stable distributions is found by estimating the characteristic exponent by FFT and by estimating the exponent of regularly varying tails. In chapter 3, dynamic models of heteroskedasticity (ARCH and Markov-switching models) are introduced. Quite satisfactory results are obtained for the EGARCH model and the Markov-switching model whereas the ARCH, GARCH and GARCH-t models are in conflict with stationarity conditions for the variance. Chapter 4 compares the static and dynamic models with respect to goodness-of-fit and forecasting performance. With respect to goodness-of-fit criteria, the dynamic models appear to be superior to the static models. Furthermore, the dynamic models outperform a naive model of constant variance with respect to unbiasedness but not with respect to precision. Chapter 5 studies the option-price implications of the static and dynamic models. The spot-rate effects of static models are rather small and they disappear, as expected, under temporal aggregation. GARCH and EGARCH models, on the other hand, imply higher option prices compared to Black-Scholes option prices along the whole spectrum of moneyness. Only the Markov-switching model is compatible with observed smile effects.
Effects of family instability income and income instability on the risk of a premarital birth.

In this study I contrast hypotheses about the effects of family structure on premarital birth risks with three income hypotheses: (1) a low income hypothesis--that the risk of a premarital birth is higher for women from disadvantaged economic backgrounds because they possess fewer or less attractive economic opportunities; (2) a permanent income and transitory income hypothesis--that uncertainties generated by unexpected fluctuations in family income increase premarital birth risks net of absolute income levels; and (3) an income level and income change hypothesis--that downward trends in family income reflect worsening socioeconomic opportunities that increase premarital birth risks net of absolute income levels. I use prospective income and retrospective parental histories in the [U.S.] National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to determine if the effect of family instability.is an artifact of low unstable or declining income in the family of origin. (EXCERPT)
Adenylate cyclase and potassium channels are involved in forskolin- and 1,9-dideoxyforskolin-induced inhibition of pregnant rat uterus contractility.

OBJECTIVE We sought to study the contribution of potassium channels in the effect of forskolin and 1,9-dideoxyforskolin on uterine contractility in the pregnant rat. STUDY DESIGN Rings taken from the middle portions of uterine horns from rats at 16 days of gestation were positioned in organ chambers containing physiologic salt solution bubbled with 5% carbon dioxide in air (37 degrees C, pH approximately 7.4) for isometric tension recording under 2 g passive tension. The effects of cumulative concentrations of forskolin and 1,9-dideoxyforskolin in the absence or presence of an adenylate cyclase inhibitor (MDL-12,330A, 10(-5) mol/L), a nonselective potassium channel blocker (tetrabutylammonium, 10(-4) mol/L), or an adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channel blocker (glibenclamide 10(-5) mol/L) were studied. RESULTS Both forskolin and, to a lesser extent, 1,9-dideoxyforskolin inhibit uterine contractions. Tetrabutylammonium, glibenclamide, and MDL-12, 330A attenuated the effects of forskolin, whereas glibenclamide was less effective against 1,9-dideoxyforskolin. CONCLUSION Activation of adenylate cyclases, as well as adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channels and, to a greater extent, calcium-dependent potassium channels, is involved in the inhibitory effect of forskolin in uterine rings from rats at 16 days of gestation. Inhibition of uterine contractions by 1,9-dideoxyforskolin is less than that by forskolin and involves activation of adenylate cyclase and calcium-dependent potassium channels. Whether activation of guanylate cyclase is involved in the effect of the agents on calcium-dependent potassium channels needs further investigation. 1, 9-Dideoxyforskolin is not an inactive isomer of forskolin in rat uterine rings.
The Inefficiency of Private Constant Annuities

This article investigates why individuals save to finance consumption during retirement, and we focus this investigation on the inefficiency of constant annuities. To thoroughly examine this problem, we first derive the demand function for the annuities in the case where the capital market is imperfect and the annuities are constrained to be constant throughout the retirement period. With these constraints, we then show that the individual holds assets not only in the form of actuarial notes but also in the form of monetary wealth.
The Impact of Party Control on the Diffusion of Parental Involvement Laws in the U.S. States

The authors examine the impact of political party control of government on the restrictiveness of a U.S. state’s abortion policy, measured by the enactment of a parental involvement law. The empirical results show that (1) institutional control of a state’s legislative and executive branches of government by the Republican Party increases the likelihood a state will enact a parental involvement law, while Democratic Party control decreases this likelihood; (2) the more conservative state public opinion is on abortion rights, the more likely a state is to enact a parental involvement law; (3) public anti-abortion attitudes do not act as a moderating force on the link between political party control and the enactment of a parental involvement law; and (4) the impact of political party control on the enactment of a parental involvement law has grown larger over time.
Wine tourists’ use of sources of information when visiting a USA wine region

This study investigates the sources of information people (n = 334) use when deciding to embark on a wine tourism excursion by visiting a USA wine region environment. The study’s overall aim was to establish whether there are differences between first-time and repeat and between in-state- and out-of-state-based visitors in terms of sources of information they use to plan their visit to a wine region and how situational and sociodemographic variables relate to these. Specific differences exist in the information sources used by first-time and repeat wine tourists. Repeat visitors use informal sources such as exposure to a regional winery’s label, attending a tasting elsewhere and previous visits to the region significantly more than first-time visitors, who are more inclined to use formal sources such as brochures/pamphlets and the visitor information bureau. Word of mouth is used more than any other source by both in-state- and out-of-state-based visitors. Across the board, wine tourists did not differ much in their use of these sources by gender or age generation, with the exception of female millennials, in which case word of mouth and brochures/pamphlets were used significantly more.
Output Gap Uncertainty and Real-Time Monetary Policy

Output gap estimates are subject to a wide range of uncertainty owing to data revisions and the difficulty in distinguishing between cycle and trend in real time. This is important given the central role in monetary policy of assessments of economic activity relative to capacity. We show that country desks tend to overestimate economic slack, especially during recessions, and that uncertainty in initial output gap estimates persists several years. Only a small share of output gap revisions is predictable ex ante based on characteristics like output dynamics, data quality, and policy frameworks. We also show that for a group of Latin American inflation targeters the prescriptions from typical monetary policy rules are subject to large changes due to output gap revisions. These revisions explain a sizable proportion of the deviation of inflation from target, suggesting this information is not accounted for in real-time policy decisions.
Colonization-Resistant Antimicrobial-Coated Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters: Evaluation in a Newly Developed Rat Model of Persistent Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Peritonitis

Objective Development of a rat model of persistent peritonitis and evaluation of the ability of liposomal ciprofloxacin hydrogel-coated silicone to resist colonization. Design A newly developed model of persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa peritonitis to compare the ability of liposomal ciprofloxacin hydrogel (LCH)-coated silicone versus plain silicone for resistance to bacterial colonization. Animals Male Sprague–Dawley rats. Results Inoculating the peritoneum of rats with 1 mL 0.5% agar containing 106 colony-forming units (cfu)/mL P. aeruginosa in the presence of a plain silicone coupon resulted in persistent peritonitis for at least 7 days. Plain silicone coupons in all 40 rats were colonized (median 2.54 × 103 cfu/cm2; range 5.0 × 101 – 1.0 × 106 cfu/cm2) and peritoneal washings were consistently culture-positive. In contrast, the LCH coupons removed after 7 days from the 40 test rats were sterile, as were the peritoneal washings, and there was no evidence of peritonitis. Blood cultures were negative in both groups. Conclusions Liposomal ciprofloxacin hydrogel-coated silicone resists colonization in this rat model of persistent P. aeruginosa peritonitis.
IMP Dehydrogenase Type 1 Associates with Polyribosomes Translating Rhodopsin mRNA*

IMP dehydrogenase (IMPDH) catalyzes the pivotal step in guanine nucleotide biosynthesis. Here we show that both IMPDH type 1 (IMPDH1) and IMPDH type 2 are associated with polyribosomes, suggesting that these housekeeping proteins have an unanticipated role in translation regulation. This interaction is mediated by the subdomain, a region of disputed function that is the site of mutations that cause retinal degeneration. The retinal isoforms of IMPDH1 also associate with polyribosomes. The most common disease-causing mutation, D226N, disrupts the polyribosome association of at least one retinal IMPDH1 isoform. Finally, we find that IMPDH1 is associated with polyribosomes containing rhodopsin mRNA. Because any perturbation of rhodopsin expression can trigger apoptosis in photoreceptor cells, these observations suggest a likely pathological mechanism for IMPDH1-mediated hereditary blindness. We propose that IMPDH coordinates the translation of a set of mRNAs, perhaps by modulating localization or degradation.
Actigraphic Measurement of Motor Deficits in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: This study aimed to investigate the use of actigraphy (accelerometry) to measure disuse of the impaired arm in acute stroke patients. We correlated the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment arm section (FMA) findings with actigraphic data as a measure of validity. Methods: Thirty-nine acute ischemic stroke patients were included within 1 week after stroke onset. At inclusion, motor deficits were assessed by the NIHSS, FMA and 48-hour actigraphic recordings of both wrists were performed. Results: Moderate but highly significant correlations (Spearman’s rho) between actigraphic recordings and total NIHSS (ratio r = –0.59 and activity of impaired arm r = –0.75; p < 0.001) and FMA (ratio r = 0.54 and activity of impaired arm r = 0.69; p < 0.001) scores were found. Based on actigraphic motor activity scores, ROC curves were calculated following dichotomization of the population based on NIHSS = 7 and FMA = 45, showing good sensitivity and specificity, with negative predictive value of 100% and positive predictive value of 91% for the ratio variable. Conclusions: Moderate but highly significant correlations were found between actigraphy and the stroke scales NIHSS and FMA. Actigraphy was able to reliably discriminate less impaired from more impaired stroke patients with excellent sensitivity and specificity values. Actigraphy is a simple, valid, objective and reliable clinical research tool that can be used to determine motor impairment of the upper limb in stroke patients.
La Política de Dividendos (Dividend Policy)

En esta monografia se estudia la politica de dividendos en la empresa: El valor de mercado de las acciones de la empresa, la irrelevancia de la politica de dividendos, la relevancia de la politica de dividendos, el efecto de los impuestos, otras teorias sobre la politica de dividendos, estudios empiricos sobre la politica de dividendos, la politica de dividendos en la practica, la recompra de las acciones.This monograph studies the firm dividend policy including: the share market value, the irrelevance of the dividend policy, its relevance, the effect of the taxes, other theories about dividend policy, empirical studies about dividend policy, dividend policy in practice, and the equity buybacks.
Truncation of the carboxy-terminal 28 amino acids of glycoprotein B specified by herpes simplex virus type 1 mutant amb1511-7 causes extensive cell fusion

Three amber mutations were introduced proximal to the syn3 locus of the herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein B (gB) gene specifying gB derivatives lacking the carboxy-terminal 28, 49, or 64 amino acids. A complementation system that utilized gBs expressed in COS cells to complement gB-null virus K delta T was established. The 49- or 64-amino-acid-truncated gBs failed to complement gB-null virus K delta T, while the 28-amino-acid-truncated gB complemented K delta T efficiently. Mutant herpes simplex virus type 1 KOS (amb1511-7) specifying the 28-amino-acid-truncated gB fused Vero cells extensively.
Toll-Like Receptor 3 Contributes to Wallerian Degeneration after Peripheral Nerve Injury

Objective: It is well known that Schwann cells play an important role in Wallerian degeneration after peripheral nerve injury. Previously, we reported that toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) is expressed on Schwann cells, implicating its role in Schwann cell activation during Wallerian degeneration. In this study, we tested this possibility using TLR3 knock-out mice. Methods: Sciatic nerve-crush injury was induced in wild-type and TLR3 knock-out mice. Histological sections of the sciatic nerve were analyzed for Wallerian degeneration on days 3 and 7 after injury. The level of macrophage infiltration was measured by real-time RT-PCR, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. The macrophage-recruiting chemokine gene expressions in the injured nerve were determined by real-time RT-PCR. Results: In TLR3 knock-out mice, the nerve injury-induced axonal degeneration and subsequent axonal debris clearance were reduced compared to in wild-type mice. In addition, nerve injury-induced macrophage infiltration into injury sites was attenuated in TLR3 knock-out mice and was accompanied by reduced expression of macrophage-recruiting chemokines such as CC-chemokine ligands (CCL)2/MCP-1, CCL4/MIP-1β and CCL5/RANTES. These macrophage-recruiting chemokines were induced in primary Schwann cells upon TLR3 stimulation. Finally, intraneural injection of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, a synthetic TLR3 agonist, induced macrophage infiltration into the sciatic nerve in vivo. Conclusion: These data show that TLR3 signaling contributes to Wallerian degeneration after peripheral nerve injury by affecting Schwann cell activation and macrophage recruitment to injured nerves.
Reverse Disposition Effect of Foreign Investors

The paper analyses the tendency of investors to realize gains too early and the reluctance to liquidate losing positions. Analysis is based on the complete transaction data of the Estonian stock market. The Cox proportional hazard model along with ratio analysis is used to measure the disposition effect. I find presence of the disposition effect on the market, but contrary to other investor groups, foreign investors seem to exhibit a “reverse disposition effect” that can be caused by different behavioral characteristics compared to local investors, especially risk aversion. Foreign investors are more driven by momentum strategies whereas local investors pursue the contrarian approach. Experience and investor sophistication seem to decrease the disposition effect.
Phoning while driving II: a review of driving conditions influence

The first paper examined how the variables related to driving performance were impacted by the management of holding a phone conversation. However, the conditions under which this dual task is carried out are dependent upon a set of factors that may particularly influence the risk of crash. These conditions are defined by several independent variables, classified into five main categories: i) legislation; ii) phone type (hands-free or hand-held); iii) drivers' features regarding age, gender, personal individual profile and driving experience; iv) conversation content (casual or professional) and its context (held with passengers or with a cell (mobile) phone); v) driving conditions (actual or simulated driving, road type, traffic density and weather). These independent variables determine the general conditions. The way in which these factors are combined and interact one with another thus determines the risk that drivers undergo when a cell phone is used while driving. Finally, this review defined the general conditions of driving for which managing a phone conversation is likely to elicit a high risk of car crash or, conversely, may provide a situation of lower risk, with sufficient acceptance to ensure safety.