Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitral annular calcification and the risk of stroke in an elderly cohort.

BACKGROUND Previous clinical studies have suggested that there is an association between mitral annular calcification and the risk of stroke, but it is unclear whether this association is independent of the traditional risk factors for stroke. We examined the relation between mitral annular calcification and the incidence of stroke in a population-based study. METHODS Subjects in the Framingham Study receiving a routine examination underwent M-mode echocardiography to determine the presence and severity (thickness in millimeters) of mitral annular calcification. The incidence of stroke during eight years of follow-up was analyzed with a proportional-hazards model adjusting for the calcification, age, sex, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, atrial fibrillation, and coronary heart disease or congestive heart failure. RESULTS Among 1159 subjects whose echocardiograms could be assessed for mitral annular calcification and who had no history or current evidence of stroke at the index examination (51 percent of all subjects), the prevalence of mitral annular calcification was 10.3 percent in the men and 15.8 percent in the women. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the presence of mitral annular calcification was associated with a relative risk of stroke of 2.10 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.24 to 3.57; P = 0.006). There was a continuous relation between the incidence of stroke and the severity of mitral annular calcification; each millimeter of thickening as shown on the echocardiogram represented a relative risk of stroke of 1.24 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.37; P less than 0.001). Furthermore, even when subjects with coronary heart disease or congestive heart failure were excluded from the analysis, subjects with mitral annular calcification still had twice the risk of stroke. CONCLUSIONS In an elderly, longitudinally followed population-based cohort, mitral annular calcification was associated with a doubled risk of stroke, independently of traditional risk factors for stroke. Whether such calcification contributes causally to the risk of stroke or is merely a marker of increased risk because of its association with other precursors of stroke remains unknown.
The association of Pityrosporum pachydermatis with the normal external ear canal of dogs and cats.

The frequency of Pityrosporum pachydermatis within the non-otitic external ear canals of dogs and cats has been investigated and an assessment of the abundance of the yeast made by microscopic and cultural techniques. It was present in varying amounts in 49% of clean dog ears and 23% of clean cat ears. Microscopically, 14% of the ears were found to contain the yeast in large numbers. A further 3 % of ears examined showed excessive cerumen production and all these contained the yeast. The prevalence of P. pachydermatis in non-otitic ears of both dogs and cats was similar to that previously reported in otitic ears.
Tourism as a Tool for Poverty Alleviation: A Critical Analysis of ‘Pro-Poor Tourism’ and Implications for Sustainability

Forecasts of high tourism growth in developing nations, where widespread poverty exists, has led to considerable interest in tourism as a tool for poverty alleviation. Powerful bureaucratic and business alliances have been forged to expand this programme. International development agencies are also turning to tourism as a way of alleviating poverty. This is sometimes termed ‘pro-poor tourism’ (PPT). Distinguished from other forms of ‘alternative tourisms’ such as ecotourism and community-based tourism, the stakeholders involved in this enterprise are no less divided. Ideological divisions manifest themselves in the political struggle over how tourism in developing countries should unfold. This paper identifies the different sustainability positions of prominent pro-poor tourism stakeholders and considers the implications for meeting pro-poor and sustainability objectives. Generally, tourism is too often regarded a panacea without an attendant recognition that, like any other industrial activity, tourism is highly political. As a global industry, tourism operates within a neo-liberal market economy which presents severe challenges to meeting pro-poor and sustainable development objectives. This paper therefore recommends a fundamental re-evaluation of tourism's pro-poor potential in the absence of significant commitment to directly address structural inequities which exacerbate poverty and constrain pro-poor attempts.
Assessing the effect of energy technology labels on preferences

This paper investigates the effect of using labelled versus generic unlabelled alternatives in choice experiments (CEs) in the case of a multidimensional environmental good (power generation) that is often associated with strong prior beliefs and emotions. Specifically, it assesses the effect of naming selected low-carbon energy technologies on the underlying choices, the implicit prices for the technology attributes and the total economic values attached to their environmental benefits. Our findings are only mildly suggestive of a labelling effect where respondents employ different processing strategies when confronted with labels, focusing principally on the label and/or considering attributes differently. In the case of power generation, the use of labelled alternatives led to significantly different estimated attribute parameters; in contrast, most implicit prices remained undistinguishable and computed welfare measures were found to be statistically equivalent.
Merits, problems and paradoxes of regional innovation policies

Public investments in innovation and research assets have been recently perceived by policy makers as an effective tool for the development of less developed regions. This has been particularly true in the case of the European cohesion policies and the structural funds expenditures. However, the expectations have not always been matched by effective results. This article will examine the problem in three main sections. In the first we will review the debate about whether regional imbalances can be corrected by market forces and what is, eventually, the role that regional innovation strategies can play within cohesion programmes. In the second we will discuss the so called ‘regional innovation paradox’ and the problems of designing and implementing strategies within less developed regions. In the third we will identify 10 criteria that programme managers at EU, national and regional levels should consider as they try to solve those problems.
[Endogenous anticonvulsants: neuropeptide Y and delta sleep inducing peptide].

INTRODUCTION The same neuropeptides regulate both cicle sleep-wake and excitability of the brain. CONCLUSION Literature data together with our results support the idea that delta sleep--inducing peptide and neuropeptide Y could represent one of the factors of the endogenous stabilization of brain excitability and potent antiepileptic in generalized metaphit-induced audiogenic convulsive activity. The same holds true for DSIP analogues.
Selecting sourcing strategies for technological innovation: an empirical case study

This paper faces the problem of the decision maker who has to identify the most appropriate organisational mode for the external acquisition of a certain technology. Its objective is twofold: to explain the rationale behind the choice of a definite mode of collaboration, i.e. to understand which aspects of the specific technological collaboration are considered by companies when selecting the organisational form; and to describe the process through which the choice is actually made, i.e. to understand which is the logical path which leads to selection of a definite organisational form. A framework is proposed and then applied to a case study.
Co-release and functional interactions of neuropeptide Y and noradrenaline in peripheral sympathetic vascular control.

1. The immunohistochemical results suggest that NPY-LI co-exists with NA in sympathetic periarterial nerves of skeletal muscle. The corresponding veins are associated with few or no sympathetic nerves. 2. SNS evoked a detectable overflow of NPY-LI from the dog gracilis muscle in vivo during high-frequency but not low-frequency stimulation. After the administration of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists, the overflow of NPY-LI was enhanced, indicating prejunctional inhibition of release via a mechanism similar to that for NA. Reserpine pretreatment depleted both NA and NPY-LI from skeletal muscle. The reserpine-induced depletion of NPY-LI, but not of NA, was highly dependent on intact nerve activity, since it was prevented by decentralization. 3. Slowly developing and long-lasting vasoconstriction was evoked by exogenous NPY and by high-frequency SNS in the gracilis muscle in the presence of adrenoceptor antagonists that completely blocked the vasoconstrictor response to exogenous NA. After reserpine treatment, considerably larger vasoconstrictor responses to SNS were observed in the decentralized muscle than in the intact one, in parallel with the overflow of NPY-LI. These results suggest that the released NPY may be the mediator of the adrenoceptor antagonist- and reserpine-resistant functional responses to SNS in the gracilis muscle. ATP mechanisms seem to be of less importance for the sympathetic control of gracilis muscle vasculature. 4. The plasma levels of NPY-LI and NA in man increased during physical exercise, suggesting a co-release from sympathetic nerves. This release appears to be attenuated by activation of alpha-adrenoceptors since phentolamine and clonidine, respectively, enhanced and suppressed the exercise-induced increase in the plasma levels of both NPY-LI and NA. The plasma levels of NPY-LI were increased during control conditions, and altered by clonidine and phentolamine, mainly at high work loads, which may indicate preferential release of the peptide at high levels of sympathetic activity. 5. Local i.a. infusion of NPY in man reduced forearm blood flow with a threshold effect at a plasma concentration in the low nmolar range. The reduction in forearm blood flow induced by NPY was considerably more long-lasting than that evoked by NA, which may partly be related to the long metabolic half-life of NPY. 6. NPY induced contractile effects in vitro that varied between different arteries and veins. The most pronounced effects were evoked in small human skeletal muscle arteries, where NPY caused a maximal contraction similar to that of NA. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Fear of fatness and adolescent girls: Implications for obesity prevention

Female adolescence is the phase of growth and development bridging childhood and womanhood; a physical transition necessitating unique social and psychological adjustment. In physical terms, growth during adolescence includes the development of the sexual organs to full reproductive function, and contributes to the average female adult approximately 15 % of her height, 40 % of her weight (Hoey et al. 1986) and 40 % of her total bone mineral content (Matkovic, 1991). The start of adolescence is characterized by the pubertal growth spurt which in females is usually about 2 years earlier than in males, and represents one of the most rapid periods of growth experienced by women during their lifetime. Although the duration of the growth spurt is usually the same ( 3 4 years) the timing of its inception varies within each sex, usually occurring between the ages of 9 and 13 years in females. Consequently nutritional requirements during female adolescence correlate more closely with biological maturity than with chronological age. To support this growth and development adolescent girls require diets of high nutritional quality and, thus, represent a nutritionally vulnerable group. Any event which carries additional nutritional costs, such as pregnancy, lactation, illness or participation in competitive sports, greatly increases their risks of dietary inadequacy. Similarly any event interfering with their food intake, such as dietary restraint associated with a fear of fatness, can also lead to malnutrition. Crawley & Shergill-Bonner (1995) recently described how dieting 16-17-year-old British girls had significantly lower intakes of all micronutrients compared with girls who were not dieting. Apart from increased risks due to inadequate intakes of specific nutrients, for example of osteoporosis due to low Ca intakes (National Institutes of Health, 1994), it has been documented that such dietary restraint can lead to growth failure and delayed puberty (Pugliese et al. 1983). Although the long-term risks of growth failure during adolescence are largely unknown, it has been suggested that this may be linked with an increased mortality risk in girls (Nieto et al. 1992).
Reconstruction of hyperspectral reflectance for optically complex turbid inland lakes: test of a new scheme and implications for inversion algorithms.

A new scheme has been proposed by Lee et al. (2014) to reconstruct hyperspectral (400 - 700 nm, 5 nm resolution) remote sensing reflectance (R<sub>rs</sub>(λ), sr<sup>-1</sup>) of representative global waters using measurements at 15 spectral bands. This study tested its applicability to optically complex turbid inland waters in China, where R<sub>rs</sub>(λ) are typically much higher than those used in Lee et al. (2014). Strong interdependence of R<sub>rs</sub>(λ) between neighboring bands (≤ 10 nm interval) was confirmed, with Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) mostly above 0.98. The scheme of Lee et al. (2014) for R<sub>rs</sub>(λ) re-construction with its original global parameterization worked well with this data set, while new parameterization showed improvement in reducing uncertainties in the reconstructed R<sub>rs</sub>(λ). Mean absolute error (MAE<sub>Rrs</sub>(λ<sub>i</sub>)) in the reconstructed R<sub>rs</sub>(λ) was mostly < 0.0002 sr<sup>-1</sup> between 400 and 700nm, and mean relative error (MRE<sub>Rrs</sub>(λ<sub>i</sub>)) was < 1% when the comparison was made between reconstructed and measured R<sub>rs</sub>(λ) spectra. When R<sub>rs</sub>(λ) at the MODIS bands were used to reconstruct the hyperspectral R<sub>rs</sub>(λ), MAE<sub>Rrs</sub>(λ<sub>i</sub>) was < 0.001 sr<sup>-1</sup> and MRE<sub>Rrs</sub>(λ<sub>i</sub>) was < 3%. When R<sub>rs</sub>(λ) at the MERIS bands were used, MAE<sub>Rrs</sub>(λ<sub>i</sub>) in the reconstructed hyperspectral R<sub>rs</sub>(λ) was < 0.0004 sr<sup>-1</sup> and MRE<sub>Rrs</sub>(λ<sub>i</sub>) was < 1%. These results have significant implications for inversion algorithms to retrieve concentrations of phytoplankton pigments (e.g., chlorophyll-a or Chla, and phycocyanin or PC) and total suspended materials (TSM) as well as absorption coefficient of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), as some of the algorithms were developed from in situ R<sub>rs</sub>(λ) data using spectral bands that may not exist on satellite sensors.
Power System Growth and Use of New Technologies in Japan

Inter-harmonics are defined as the spectrum components that have frequencies between two harmonics. This letter points out that these fractional-harmonic components are not always the result of actual inter-harmonic sources. The signal sampling window size and position for Fourier analysis, as well as the time-varying characteristic of the signals, can all be factors leading to the so-called inter-harmonic components. Case studies illustrate that the inter-harmonic definition can be misleading and needs to be improved.
Effect of dietary methionine on plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations in rats and expression of hepatic genes involved in cholesterol metabolism

Methionine has been shown to increase plasma cholesterol in animals. In the present study, mechanisms were investigated by which methionine could alter cholesterol metabolism. In the first experiment, forty growing rats were fed four casein-based diets differing in methionine content (2·6, 3·5, 4·5 or 6·0 g/kg) for 14 d. In the second experiment, isolated rat hepatocytes were incubated in media supplemented with 50, 100 or 200 μmol/l methionine. Dietary methionine tended to increase plasma homocysteine concentrations in the rats (P=0·058). A weak positive correlation between circulating homocysteine and plasma cholesterol was observed (R2 0·27, P<0·01). Rats fed 3·5 g/kg or more of methionine had higher concentrations of cholesterol in their plasma, in lipoprotein fractions of density (ρ kg/l) 1·006 < ρ<, 1·063 and ρ>. 1·063, and in liver than rats fed 2·6 g/kg methionine. Rats fed 6 g/kg methionine had a higher hepatic expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase than rats fed less methionine. The phosphatidylcholine:phosphatidylethanolamine ratio in rat liver increased with rising dietary methionine concentration; the relative mRNA concentrations of phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase and cystathionine β-synthase remained unaffected. Hepatocytes incubated in media supplemented with 100 or 200 μmol/l methionine had a higher cholesterol synthesis than hepatocytes incubated in a medium supplemented with 50μmol/l methionine; the LDL uptake in hepatocytes was independent of the methionine concentration of the medium. In conclusion, the present study suggests that dietary methionine induces hypercholesterolaemia at least in part via an enhanced hepatic cholesterol synthesis.
Some Design Considerations for Masters Degree Curricula in Elementary and Secondary Education

Abstract Masters degree curricula for elementary and secondary teacher education programs have been infrequent topics of educational researchers and writers. In this article the adoption of a definition of education is suggested that might be useful in guiding future M.A. curriculum research and development. Several broad areas of teacher education study are proposed from which components of degree curricula might be drawn. The teaching experience of potential M.A. program students is suggested as a degree admissions factor that might be used to differentiate M.A. curricula for different categories of students. A number of proposals are outlined that could guide the organization and sequencing of curricular events for a two year, cohort-based, experiential oriented M.A. curriculum. The focus of the proposed curriculum is on improving the ability of the degree candidate to function as a teacher within the classroom and as an empowered leader within the school.
Archaeal CCA-adding Enzymes

The CCA-adding enzyme (tRNA nucleotidyltransferase) builds and repairs the 3′ end of tRNA. A single active site adds both CTP and ATP, but the enzyme has no nucleic acid template, and tRNA does not translocate or rotate during C75 and A76 addition. We modeled the structure of the class I archaeal Sulfolobus shibatae CCA-adding enzyme on eukaryotic poly(A) polymerase and mutated residues in the vicinity of the active site. We found mutations that specifically affected C74, C75, or A76 addition, as well as mutations that progressively impaired addition of CCA. Many of these mutations clustered in an evolutionarily versatile β-turn located between strands 3 and 4 of the nucleotidyltransferase domain. Our mutational analysis confirms and extends recent crystallographic studies of the highly homologous Archaeoglobus fulgidus enzyme. We suggest that the unusual phenotypes of the β-turn mutants reflect the consecutive conformations assumed by the β-turn as it presents the discriminator base N73, then C74, and finally C75 to the active site without translocation or rotation of the tRNA acceptor stem. We also suggest that β-turn mutants can affect nucleotide selection because the growing 3′ end of tRNA must be properly positioned to serve as part of the ribonucleoprotein template that selects the incoming nucleotide.
The Impact of Malaria Eradication on Fertility

The malaria eradication campaign that started in Sri Lanka in the late 1940s virtually eliminated malaria transmission on the island. I use the preeradication differences in malaria endemicity within Sri Lanka to identify the effect of malaria eradication on fertility and child survival. Malaria eradication increased the number of live births through increasing age-specific fertility and causing an earlier first birth. The effect of malaria on the transition time to higher-order births is inconclusive. Malaria could directly or indirectly affect survival probabilities of live births. I exploit the particular epidemiology of malaria that causes more severe sequelae during an initial pregnancy. I find differential changes in survival probabilities by birth order that are most likely due to the direct in utero effects of malaria. The increase in population growth after malaria eradication reconciles the contradictory findings in the macroeconomic and microeconomic literatures: the increased productivity and education from malaria eradication will only appear in aggregate measures like GDP per capita after a delay because of the initial increase in the population size.
Dual Long Memory in Inflation Dynamics across Countries of the Euro Area and the Link between Inflation Uncertainty and Macroeconomic Performance

This paper analyzes the inflation dynamics of several countries belonging to the European Monetary Union and of the UK. We estimate the two main parameters driving the degree of persistence in inflation and its uncertainty using a dual long memory process. We also investigate the possible existence of heterogeneity in inflation dynamics across Euro area countries and examine the link between nominal uncertainty and macroeconomic performance measured by the inflation and output growth rates. Strong evidence is provided for the hypothesis that increased inflation raises nominal uncertainty in all countries. However, we find that uncertainty surrounding future inflation has a mixed impact on output growth. This result brings out an important asymmetry in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy in Europe in addition to the difference in the economic sizes of the countries. We also investigate whether one can find a correlation between central bank independence and inflation policy. Our conclusion is that the most independent central banks are in countries where inflation falls in response to increased uncertainty.
Specific In Situ Visualization of the Pathogenic Endophytic Fungus Aciculosporium take, the Cause of Witches’ Broom in Bamboo

ABSTRACT The endophytic fungus Aciculosporium take (Ascomycota; Clavicipitaceae) causes continuous shoot growth in bamboo. The colonized shoot eventually results in witches’ broom formation but maintains normal leaf arrangement and branching pattern. To analyze the mechanism of well-regulated symptom development, the location of the fungal endophytic hyphae in host tissues was visualized. A colorimetric in situ hybridization technique using a species-specific oligonucleotide probe targeting the 18S rRNA of A. take was used. In situ hybridization was performed on tissue sections of diseased shoots with or without external signs of fungal colonization. Specific signals were detected in intercellular spaces of the bamboo tissues. Most signals were detected in the shoot apical meristem and the leaf primordia. In addition, fewer signals were detected in the lateral buds, juvenile leaves, and stems. These results indicate that A. take grows endophytically, particularly in the shoot apical meristem of the host. The location of A. take hyphae suggests that the mechanism of symptom development can be explained by the action of exogenous fungal auxin, which continuously induces primordium initiation within the host.