Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Prostacyclin and Nitric Oxide in Regulation of Basal Microvascular Hydraulic Permeability in Cat Skeletal Muscle

The effects of prostacyclin, nitric oxide (NO) and β2-receptor stimulation on capillary filtration coefficient (CFC) and vascular tone were analyzed in an autoperfused cat skeletal muscle in vivo preparation, to evaluate if these substances are involved in regulation of basal microvascular hydraulic permeability. CFC was increased from control (100%) to 124% with the prostacyclin-synthase inhibitor tranylcypromine and restored by simultaneous infusion of prostacyclin at 0.1 ng·kg–1· min–1, with further reduction to 76% at 1 ng· kg–1·min–1. Prostacyclin at these doses did not influence vascular tone. NO inhibition by L-NAME increased CFC to 116% of control, with a vascular resistance increase of 45%. CFC was restored by simultaneous infusion of the NO precursor L-arginine. L-arginine given alone reduced CFC to 86% of control. Tranylcypromine and L-NAME given together increased CFC to 141% of control and CFC was reduced to 86% by prostacyclin at 1 ng·kg–1·min–1 with no significant further reduction by adding L-arginine. Adrenaline alone, in a vasodilating dose verifying β2 stimulation, or when followed by simultaneous β-blockade with propranolol, did not influence CFC. We conclude that NO and especially prostacyclin are involved in bi-directional regulation of basal microvascular hydraulic permeability and can account for up to 30–40% increase or decrease from a basal value. Physiological β2 stimulation has no effect on basal hydraulic permeability. The permeability-reducing effects of prostacyclin and NO are additive. NO, but not prostacyclin, is involved in regulation of basal vascular tone.
Exploring a modified conceptualization of imagery direction and golf putting performance

Abstract This study investigated a modified conceptualization of imagery direction and its subsequent effects on golf putting performance. A progression in the directional imagery literature was made by eliminating the need for participants to intentionally create persuasively harmful images as they rarely occur, if at all, in the sporting domain. Thus, we explored a more ecologically valid conceptualization of debilitative imagery and measured the effects on sports performance (golf putting). Seventy five participants were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: (a) facilitative imagery, (b) suppressive imagery (debilitative), or (c) no‐imagery control. After performing imagery, the facilitative imagery group successfully putted significantly more golf balls than the suppressive imagery group. This finding suggests that a non‐persuasive conceptualization of debilitative imagery can result in disparate effects on performance compared to facilitative imagery. In doing so, this adds ecological strength to the imagery direction literature by suggesting debilitative imagery need not be persuasive to influence motor skill performance.
Impact of optical fiber characteristics in SPR sensors for continuous glucose monitoring

Optical fibers are particularly suited for glucose continuous monitoring in patients with diabetes thanks to the possibility of realizing high sensitivity transducers, joined with fiber intrinsic properties such as minimal invasiveness and impossibility of electrocution. One of the most effective approaches to develop high performance fiber sensors exploits the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in a gold layer deposited on the fiber surface. The paper, using a model for the SPR in multimode fibers that has been experimentally validated, analyzes the impact of geometrical (e.g. fiber size) and optical parameters (e.g. numerical aperture) of some optical fibers to be used in the development of such glucose sensors, with the aim of identifying the most cost-effective solution. A body temperature compensation layout to overcome the SPR cross-sensitivity is then studied for the most promising configurations.
Equity Allocation and Portfolio Selection in Insurance: A simplified Portfolio Model

A quadratic discrete time probabilistic model, for optimal portfolio selection in (re-)insurance is studied. For positive values of underwriting levels, the expected value of the accumulated result is optimized, under constraints on its variance and on annual ROE's. Existence of a unique solution is proved and a Lagrangian formalism is given. An effective method for solving the Euler-Lagrange equations is developed. The approximate determination of the multipliers is discussed. This basic model is an important building block for more complete models.
Automatic Function Annotations for Hoare Logic

In systems verification we are often concerned with multiple, inter-dependent properties that a program must satisfy. To prove that a program satisfies a given property, the correctness of intermediate states of the program must be characterized. However, this intermediate reasoning is not always phrased such that it can be easily re-used in the proofs of subsequent properties. We introduce a function annotation logic that extends Hoare logic in two important ways: (1) when proving that a function satisfies a Hoare triple, intermediate reasoning is automatically stored as function annotations, and (2) these function annotations can be exploited in future Hoare logic proofs. This reduces duplication of reasoning between the proofs of different properties, whilst serving as a drop-in replacement for traditional Hoare logic to avoid the costly process of proof refactoring. We explain how this was implemented in Isabelle/HOL and applied to an experimental branch of the seL4 microkernel to significantly reduce the size and complexity of existing proofs.
A qualitative study of patients’ experience of living with inflammatory bowel disease: A preliminary focus on the notion of adaptation

This study investigates the lived experience of inflammatory bowel disease with the aim of examining the process of adapting to life with inflammatory bowel disease. Adaptation is often referred to as the desirable outcome in chronic illnesses such as inflammatory bowel disease; yet little is known as to how this is achieved. A total of 10 Crohn’s and 12 ulcerative colitis patients recruited from online support networks participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. The study has identified the notion of a ‘new normal’ as central to adaptation, whereby patients seek to recover a sense of normality by finding an equilibrium between their lives before and after diagnosis.
Aging and the priming of newly learned associations

In each of two experiments, 32 young (18-25 years) and 32 elderly (63-79 years) adults studied 36 sentences of the form NOUNI-VERB-NOUN2. Then they made item-recognition judgments regarding whether single nouns had occurred in the sentences. After two or more presentations of each sentence, both young and elderly people showed equivalent priming between the nouns within the sentences; a noun was recognized faster when it was tested immediately after the other noun from the same sentence than when it was tested following a noun from a different sentence. After only one presentation of each sentence, young individuals showed priming but elderly did not. Under all study conditions, young people were superior to the elderly in cued recall of the same sentences. It is argued that priming provides a sensitive measure of what is stored in memory and so will be useful for studies of aging.
The interplay of positive and negative species interactions across an environmental gradient: insights from an individual-based simulation model

Positive interspecific interactions are commonplace, and in recent years ecologists have begun to realize how important they can be in determining community and ecosystem dynamics. It has been predicted that net positive interactions are likely to occur in environments characterized by high abiotic stress. Although empirical field studies have started to support these predictions, little theoretical work has been carried out on the dynamic nature of these effects and their consequences for community structure. We use a simple patch-occupancy model to simulate the dynamics of a pair of species living on an environmental gradient. Each of the species can exist as either a mutualist or a cheater. The results confirm the prediction: a band of mutualists tends to occur in environmental conditions beyond the limits of the cheaters. The region between mutualists and cheaters is interesting: population density here is low. Mutualists periodically occupy this area, but are displaced by cheaters, who themselves go extinct in the absence of the mutualists. Furthermore, the existence of mutualists extends the area occupied by the cheaters, essentially increasing their realized niche. Our approach has considerable potential for improving our understanding of the balance between positive and negative interspecific interactions and for predicting the probable impacts of habitat loss and climate change on communities dominated by positive interspecific interactions.
Localized Competition and Organizational Failure in the Manhattan Hotel Industry, 1898-1990

Joel A. C. Baum and Stephen J. Mezias New York University This study examines the impact of localized competition on rates of failure in the Manhattan hotel industry from 1898 to 1990. The study investigates whether the organizations in a population with more similar resource requirements compete more intensely. This approach builds on existing density-based models of interorganizational competition by including variation at the organizational level directly in both the model and measures of competition. A dynamic analysis shows that hotels located in densely populated regions of the distributions of organizational size, geographic location, and price experienced significantly higher failure rates. The findings show how an ecological approach to competition that incorporates intrapopulation variation can provide a more detailed understanding of the competitive dynamics and evolution of organizational populations. '
A population of SCP-containing neurons in the buccal ganglion of Aplysia are radula mechanoafferents and receive excitation of central origin

The rostral cluster of SCP-immunoreactive cells, originally identified in each buccal hemiganglion of juvenile Aplysia, was examined in mature specimens. Immunohistochemical and dye-fill experiments showed that each rostral cluster consists of approximately 40 cells. Although these neurons exhibit heterogeneity of size and shape, all cells project an axon into the radula nerve. Tracing of dye-filled cells showed that they project to the layer of tissue that lines the inner surface of the food-grasping portion of the chitinous radula. This tissue contains SCP- immunoreactive nerve fibers and varicosities in regions corresponding to the projections of dye-filled neurons. Several observations indicate that rostral cluster neurons transduce tactile stimuli applied to the radula surface: (1) each cell responds to touch of a circumscribed receptive field with a rapidly adapting burst of action potentials, (2) the evoked spikes arise abruptly from the resting potential without prepotentials, and (3) the responses persist when central and peripheral synaptic transmission is blocked in high Mg2+, low Ca2+ artificial seawater solutions. These cells, designated radula mechanoafferent (RM) neurons, do not respond to chemical stimuli including NaCl, glutamate, and seaweed extract. The highest density of receptive fields is found on the posterodorsal edges of the radula halves, areas most directly involved in grasping food. The RM neurons are electrically coupled cells, with coupling coefficients ranging from 0.006 to 0.22. They fire phasically during buccal motor programs, even in the absence of peripheral feedback from the radula or other portions of the buccal mass. In radiolabeling studies the RM cells were found to synthesize authentic SCPA and SCPB. Sensorin-A, a peptide that is localized to other Aplysia mechanoafferent neurons, was not detected immunohistochemically in these cells.
Leptin: A Correlated Peptide to Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma?

Introduction. Leptin as an adipose-tissue-related peptide hormone contributes to the control of food intake, energy expenditure, and other activities such as cell proliferation. Therefore, association of leptin level with thyroid cancer has been suggested recently. Considering that thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine cancer, the aim of this study was evaluation of leptin levels in thyroid cancer. Materials and Methods. 83 patients with papillary thyroid cancer (35 males and 48 females) with 90 healthy persons as control group (40 male and 50 females) were selected. serum thyroxine, thyrotropin, and leptin levels were determined in both groups. As a body fat tissue affects leptin level, so height and weight were measured and body mass index was calculated too. Results. There was no statistically significant difference in age, serum Thyroxine, and Thyrotropin levels. BMI in women was more than in men in both groups. Serum leptin levels in thyroid cancer group were significantly higher than control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The results of this study showed an acceptable association between the hormone Leptin levels with papillary thyroid cancer, so it may be considerad as a correlated peptide which may help in the diagnosis or confirmation of thyroid cancer beside in other specific tumor markers.
The finding that training with abstract exemplars may improve generative naming abilities in persons with anomic aphasia is rendered inconclusive because of methodological limitations

Abstracted from: Kiran, S. , Sandberg, C. , & Abbott, K. (2009). Treatment for lexical retrieval using abstract and concrete words in persons with aphasia: Effect of complexity. Aphasiology, 23, 835–853. Source of funding: No source of funding reported.
Second Language Learner Knowledge of Verb–Argument Constructions: Effects of Language Transfer and Typology

This article examines second language (L2) learner knowledge of English verb-argument constructions (VACs), for example, the 'V against n' construction. It investigates to what extent constructions underpin L2 learners' linguistic competence, how VAC mental representations in native speakers and learners differ, and whether there are observable effects of the learners' first language. Native speakers of English and advanced learners of 3 different first language backgrounds (Czech, German, Spanish) were asked to generate the first verb that came to mind to fill the gap in 20 sparse VAC frames like 'she ____ against the. ' The comparison of learner and native speaker verb responses highlights crosslinguistic transfer effects as well as effects of language typology that impact verb semantics (cf. Talmy, 1985). Our findings suggest that learners whose L1 is, like English, satellite-framed (here Czech and German) produce more target-like verbs than learners whose L1 is verb-framed (here Spanish). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Successful treatment of rotavirus diarrhea in children with immunoglobulin from immunized bovine colostrum.

BACKGROUND Oral ingestion of immunoglobulins in humans has been shown to be effective as prophylaxis against enteric infections. However, its therapeutic effect in children with infectious diarrhea has hitherto not been proven. We treated children with rotavirus diarrhea with immunoglobulins extracted from immunized bovine colostrum (IIBC) containing high titers of antibodies against four rotavirus serotypes. METHODS In this double blind placebo-controlled trial, 80 children with rotavirus diarrhea were randomly assigned to receive orally either 10 g of IIBC (containing 3.6 g of antirotavirus antibodies) daily for 4 days or the same amount of a placebo preparation. The daily stool output (grams/kg/day), intake of oral rehydration solution (ml/kg/day), stool frequency (number of stools/day) and presence of rotavirus in stool were monitored for the 4 days during treatment. RESULTS Children who received IIBC had significantly less daily and total stool output and stool frequency and required a smaller amount of oral rehydration solution than did children who received placebo (P < 0.05). Clearance of rotavirus from the stool was also earlier in the IIBC group compared with the placebo group (mean day, 1.5 vs. 2.9, P < 0.001). No adverse reactions from the colostrum treatment were observed. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with antirotavirus immunoglobulin of bovine colostral origin is effective in the management of children with acute rotavirus diarrhea.
A critique of the descriptive power of the private interest model of professional accounting ethics: An examination over time in the Irish context

The primary aim of this study is to examine the descriptive power of the private interest model of professional accounting ethics developed by Parker in 1994. This examination is undertaken over an extended time period in the Irish context. It develops prior research which concluded that the operation of the professional ethics machinery of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (CAI) facilitated private interest motives on the part of the ICAI. The paper draws on evidence regarding three critical events occurring outside the disciplinary process of the ICAI but impacting directly on its operation as well as on perceptions from within the process. The discourse surrounding the disciplinary process from 1994 to 2001 is examined using media coverage and ICAI pronouncements. This is augmented with in‐depth interviews held with members of the ICAI disciplinary committees. The analysis provides evidence of pockets of support for the descriptive power of Parker’s model but also illustrates how the rigid and static nature of the separate roles depicted within the model can often fail to capture the complexity of the various changes occurring over the period examined. The study presents evidence which challenges the proposed interrelationships between the various private interest roles depicted in the model and makes some suggestions for the modification of the model, particularly the interrelationships depicted therein.
Microfluidic devices for high‐throughput proteome analyses

Over the last decades, microfabricated bioanalytical platforms have gained enormous interest due to their potential to revolutionize biological analytics. Their popularity is based on several key properties, such as high flexibility of design, low sample consumption, rapid analysis time, and minimization of manual handling steps, which are of interest for proteomics analyses. An ideal totally integrated chip‐based microfluidic device could allow rapid automated workflows starting from cell cultivation and ending with MS‐based proteome analysis. By reducing or eliminating sample handling and transfer steps and increasing the throughput of analyses these workflows would dramatically improve the reliability, reproducibility, and throughput of proteomic investigations. While these complete devices do not exist for routine use yet, many improvements have been made in the translation of proteomic sample handling and separation steps into microfluidic formats. In this review, we will focus on recent developments and strategies to enable and integrate proteomic workflows into microfluidic devices.
Fungal diversity in grape must and wine fermentation assessed by massive sequencing, quantitative PCR and DGGE

The diversity of fungi in grape must and during wine fermentation was investigated in this study by culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques. Carignan and Grenache grapes were harvested from three vineyards in the Priorat region (Spain) in 2012, and nine samples were selected from the grape must after crushing and during wine fermentation. From culture-dependent techniques, 362 isolates were randomly selected and identified by 5.8S-ITS-RFLP and 26S-D1/D2 sequencing. Meanwhile, genomic DNA was extracted directly from the nine samples and analyzed by qPCR, DGGE and massive sequencing. The results indicated that grape must after crushing harbored a high species richness of fungi with Aspergillus tubingensis, Aureobasidium pullulans, or Starmerella bacillaris as the dominant species. As fermentation proceeded, the species richness decreased, and yeasts such as Hanseniaspora uvarum, Starmerella bacillaris and Saccharomyces cerevisiae successively occupied the must samples. The “terroir” characteristics of the fungus population are more related to the location of the vineyard than to grape variety. Sulfur dioxide treatment caused a low effect on yeast diversity by similarity analysis. Because of the existence of large population of fungi on grape berries, massive sequencing was more appropriate to understand the fungal community in grape must after crushing than the other techniques used in this study. Suitable target sequences and databases were necessary for accurate evaluation of the community and the identification of species by the 454 pyrosequencing of amplicons.
The Web Services-BusinessActivity-Initiator (WS-BA-I) Protocol: an Extension to the Web Services-BusinessActivity Specification

The Web services transaction protocol family includes the WS-atomic transaction and the WS-business activity specifications in order to carry out distributed transactions in a Web services (WS) environment. The WS-atomic transaction specification defines all necessary interfaces to carry out transactional work. In contrary, the WS-business activity specification for long-running transactions intentionally left the interface between initiator and coordinator undefined. This allows vendors to integrate WS-business activity coordinators into their business process engines. However, it requires proprietary protocols between initiator and coordinator. We propose an extension protocol to the WS-business activity specification that explicitly defines this interface between initiator and coordinator. This extension allows coordinators and initiators from different vendors to interoperate transparently. Accordingly, participants no longer need to trust an initiator-selected and likely initiator-run coordination service, but may use commonly trusted, third-party coordination services.
Desmoid Tumor Associated With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis: Evaluation With 64-Detector CT Enterography

Desmoid tumors (DTs) are benign tumors which are not seen very often, and most of the radiologists and clinicians do not know the characteristics of them very well. Correct and early diagnosis of DTs is important for decreasing mortality and morbidity. Computed tomography enterography (CTE) is a new modality for small bowel imaging which combines the improved spatial and temporal resolution of multidetector computed tomography (CT) with large volumes of ingested enteric contrast material to permit evaluation of the small bowel wall and lumen and also the entire abdomen. We report a familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patient with localized mesentery and abdominal wall DTs. We showed the exact location of the DTs and their relation with the small bowel by CTE. In conclusion, CTE is a useful technique for DT localization, the degree of extension and invasion to local structures, presence of partial and complete small bowel obstruction, and the relationship of the tumors with vasculature and whether ischemia has occurred as a result or not.
A Research on How Work Experience Influencing Mental Quality of Entrepreneurs

In order to explore and test how experience effecting mental quality, this paper constructs the evaluation index system of work experience in the perspective of post experience and organizational experience, and this paper constructs the evaluation index system of mental quality in the perspective of personality factor, decision factor and health factor. Based on this, testing the relationship between experience and mental quality according to the data of questionnaire investigation is researched. The results demonstrate that organization experience has positive effects on personality factors, decision factors and health factors, job experience does not has effects on mental quality. At last, based on the problems-finding, it gives some thinking.