Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker can preserve endothelial function and attenuate brain ischemic damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Hypertension reduces endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and leads to endothelial dysfunction. However, few studies have demonstrated the influences of hypertension on eNOS function in the cerebral cortex. The present study investigates the influences of hypertension on endothelial function in the cerebral cortex and the protective effects of antihypertensive agents against brain ischemia through the preservation of endothelial function. Five‐ and ten‐week‐old male Wistar rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were used for experiments. Five‐week‐old SHR received olmesartan, hydralazine, or vehicle for 5 weeks in drinking water. eNOS activation in the cerebral cortex was evaluated by analyzing levels of total and Ser1177‐phosphorylated eNOS protein by Western blot. Blood pressure of 10‐week‐old SHR without treatment was clearly high, and the ratio of phospho‐eNOS/total eNOS protein was significantly low. Five‐week treatment with olmesartan or hydralazine suppressed the elevation of blood pressure and the reduction of phosphorylated eNOS‐Ser1177 in SHR, and olmesartan was more effective in maintaining phosphorylation of eNOS‐Ser1177 than hydralazine. To assess the contribution of eNOS to maintaining cerebral blood flow (CBF), we monitored CBF by laser‐Doppler flowmetry after L‐N5‐(1‐iminoethyl)ornithine (L‐NIO) infusion. CBF response to L‐NIO was preserved in olmesartan‐treated SHR but not in hydralazine‐treated SHR. Furthermore, infarct volume 48 hr after transient focal brain ischemia in olmesartan‐treated SHR was significantly reduced compared with vehicle‐treated SHR. These findings indicate that chronic prehypertensive treatment with olmesartan could attenuate brain ischemic injury through the maintenance of endothelial function in the cerebral cortex in SHR. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A model of pneumatic muscle actuated joint using linearized method

The modeling of pneumatic muscle actuator has been widely studied by many researchers. Many of the models are so complex and hard to apply in real time applications. In this paper, a simple model of pneumatic muscle is developed by using a linearized method. The stiffness and pressure-force coefficient of pneumatic muscle are used to represent the characteristics of the pneumatic muscle. A model of a joint actuated by pneumatic muscles is established and studied based on the model of the individual pneumatic muscle. The position and stiffness control model of the joint is obtained, and the dynamic model of the joint is developed and analyzed.
Relationship With the Five-Factor Model of Personality Developing and Evaluating the Social Axioms Survey in Eleven Countries: Its

Based on a deductive, culturally decentered approach, new items were generated to improve the reliability of the original Social Axioms Survey, which measures individuals’ general beliefs about the world. In Study 1, results from 11 countries support the original five-factor structure at UNIV OF MONTANA on June 4, 2013 jcc.sagepub. com Downloaded from 834 Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 43(5) and achieve higher reliability for the axiom dimensions as measured by the new scale. Moreover, moderate but meaningful associations between axiom and Big-Five personality dimensions were found. Temporal change of social axioms at the culture level was examined and found to be moderate. In Study 2, additional new items were generated for social complexity and fate control, then assessed in Hong Kong and the United States. Reliability was further improved for both dimensions. Additionally, two subfactors of fate control were identified: fate determinism and fate alterability. Fate determinism, but not fate alterability, related positively to neuroticism. Other relationships between axiom and personality dimensions were similar to those reported in Study 1. The short forms of the axiom dimensions were generally reliable and correlated highly with the long forms. This research thus provides a stronger foundation for applying the construct of social axioms around the world.
A latent state-trait analysis of interoceptive accuracy.

Interoceptive accuracy (IAc), that is, the ability to accurately perceive one's own bodily signals, is widely assumed to be a trait, although experimental manipulations such as stress may affect IAc. We used structural equation modeling to estimate the reliability of IAc, and the proportions of individual differences in IAc, explained by a trait and occasion-specific effects of situation and person-situation interactions. We assessed IAc in 59 healthy participants (40 women, MAge = 23.4 years) on three consecutive measurement occasions, approximately 1 week apart, in a rest and poststress condition, using a heartbeat counting and a heartbeat discrimination task. The results showed fair temporal stability (intraclass correlation coefficients ≥ 0.38) and good reliability (Mdn = .63; range .49-.83) for both methods. While around 40% of the variance of a single IAc measurement could be explained by a trait, approximately 27% was accounted for by occasion-specific effects of situation and person-situation interaction. These results suggest that IAc measures are relatively consistent and that situations and person-situation interactions impact IAc as measured at a certain point in time. An aggregation across at least two measurements is recommended when using IAc as a trait variable.
Export Tax Rebates and Resource Misallocation: Evidence from a Large Developing Countr

The export tax rebate (ETR) policy is one of the most frequently used policy instruments by Chinese policy makers. This paper therefore provides a vital analysis of its allocation effects. To motivate our empirical analysis for the allocation effects of the ETR policy, we first add a tax rebate to the Melitz and Ottaviano (2008) model and examine the impact of this policy on firms' markup size and resource allocation between eligible and non-eligible firms for the rebates. We use customs transactions, tax administration, and firm-level data to measure the effect of variation in export tax rebates, taking advantage of the large policy change in 2004. A difference-indifference approach allows us to compare the production and pricing decisions of eligible versus non-eligible firms and the distributional implications. We find that an increase in tax rebates shifts production to eligible firms and that tax rebates increase allocative efficiency.
Anemia in pregnancy at two levels of health care in Ibadan, south west Nigeria.

BACKGROUND In Africa, anemia in pregnancy contributes to non-attainment of the MDG goals 4 and 5. This study examined the prevalence and some risk factors for anemia at two levels of health care in the Ibadan metropolis. METHODS This was a retrospective study of the booking records of pregnant women at the University College Hospital (UCH, a profit-making tertiary institution) and Adeoyo Maternity Hospital (AMH, a secondary level institution offering free services) in Ibadan, September 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Eligible women had singleton pregnancies and no known chronic illnesses. Anemia was defined as packed cell volume (PCV) < 30%, and degrees of anemia as mild (PCV 27-29%), moderate (PCV 19-26%), and severe (PCV below 19%). Statistical analysis was done by the Chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and t-test. A P value of < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Data from 2702 women (384 and 2318 from UCH and AMH, respectively) were available for analysis. About 30% of the women were anemic. The patients in UCH had higher mean PCV (33.03 ± 4.32 vs. 31. 04 ± 4.09, P = 0.00). A higher proportion of anemia was seen in patients presenting in Adeoyo (32.4% vs. 16.7%, P = 0.00). Factors associated with anemia included young age (P = 0.00), low parity (P = 0.00), and hospital type (P = 0.00). Parity and hospital type remained significant on logistic regression. CONCLUSION Lower prevalence of anemia at the tertiary hospital maybe attributed to the higher socioeconomic status of the clientele. Short-term early antenatal management of anemia and long-term economic/educational empowerment is advocated.
Time course of natural heat acclimatization in well‐trained cyclists during a 2‐week training camp in the heat

The aim of this study was to determine the time course of physiological adaptations and their relationship with performance improvements during 2 weeks of heat acclimatization. Nine trained cyclists completed 2 weeks of training in naturally hot environment (34 ± 3 °C; 18 ± 5% relative humidity). On days 1, 6, and 13, they performed standardized heat response tests (HRT‐1, 2, 3), and 43.4‐km time trials in the heat (TTH‐1, 2, 3) were completed on days 2, 7, and 14. Within the first 5–6 days, sweat sodium concentration decreased from 75 ± 22 mmol/L to 52 ± 24 mmol/L, sweat rate increased (+20 ± 15%), and resting hematocrit decreased (−5.6 ± 5.4%), with no further changes during the remaining period. In contrast, power output during TTHs gradually improved from TTH‐1 to TTH‐2 (+11 ± 8%), and from TTH‐2 to TTH‐3 (+5 ± 4%). Individual improvements in performance from TTH‐1 to TTH‐2 correlated with individual changes in hematocrit (assessed after the corresponding HRT; r = −0.79, P < 0.05), however, were not related to changes in performance from TTH‐2 to TTH‐3. In trained athletes, sudomotor and hematological adaptations occurred within 5–6 days of training, whereas the additional improvement in performance after the entire acclimatization period did not relate to changes in these parameters.
Pathology of salmonella colitis

Salmonella colitis was encountered in eight patients. In seven, the disorder simulated ulcerative colitis both clinically and radiologically. The salmonella infection in the eighth patient was superimposed upon hitherto unrecognized ulcerative colitis. In mild cases the histological appearances of rectal biopsies were nonspecific, consisting of edema of the mucosa with focal inflammatory cell infiltration. More severe cases were characterized by neutrophils infiltrating the walls of degenerating crypts, and in one case there were microthrombi in the mucosa. One patient who was thought to have fulminant ulcerative colitis had a hemicolectomy. The resected specimen exhibited marked hemorrhage and ulceration. There were crypt abscesses in unulcerated areas but there was also extensive necrosis of the mucosa, hemorrhage in the mucosa and submucosa, and microthrombi extending from small vessels in the mucosa into venules in the submucosa similar to the picture seen in acute ischemic colitis. In this case there was intense edema and inflammation in the submucosa as well as in the mucosa.
Distributed MAC for OFDM based powerline communication networks

We have studied the performance of a distributed medium access control (MAC) scheme in an OFDM based powerline communication (PLC) network. Most of the existing approaches for MAC in PLC networks consider a centralized means of allocating carriers to voice and data calls. We present a distributed approach for carrier allocation where the access units choose a carrier from the set of available carriers by carrier sensing.
A Framework for Obesity Control Using a Wireless Body Sensor Network

Low-cost low-power consumption small wireless sensor devices have empowered the development of wireless body area networks (WBANs). In WBANs many sensors are attached to human body for sensing particular health related information to improve healthcare and quality of life. Obesity is one of the most common problems all over the world, which is amongst main causes of cardiovascular diseases. In this research, we explore hardware and software architecture of WBAN for obesity monitoring. The proposed framework consists of few sensor nodes that monitor body motion, calories calculator, and a personal server running on a personal smart phone or a personal computer. The focus of this research is to make obesity patients easier to get rid of this disease.
Developmental genetics of the mutant grandchildless of Drosophila subobscura

A study of the embryology of female-sterile mutants can provide information on the course of normal development, particularly when several mutants affect the same organ system. A favourable situation for an investigation of this kind arises with the formation and migration of the pole cells in Drosophila species. A number of genetic characters are known whose expression in the embryology of the offspring of affected mutant females involves the complete loss of pole cells or a change in their distribution after gastrulation. Thus the sex-linked female sterile mutant fs nasA (Counce & Ede, 1957), and the sex-linked lethals Lfll (Ede, 1956 a ), X2 (Ede, 1956 b ), X27 (Ede, 1956 c ) and X10 (Ede, 1956 d ) all show disturbances of the pole cell complement. This paper presents an account of the embryological effects of the mutant grandchildless (gs) of Drosophila subobscura (Spurway, 1948). The homozygous mutant female lays eggs which develop into adults with rudimentary gonads, which are otherwise phenotypically normal.
Abortive Herpes Simplex Virus Replication in Rous Sarcoma Virus Transformed Cells

Summary The XC cell line was developed from tumor cells induced in newborn Wistar rats by the Prague strain of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). Attempts to propagate herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in these cells proved futile. However, both virus types were able to replicate to high levels in control nontransformed Wistar rat embryo (WRE) cells. Examination of this abortive infection revealed that both HSV-1 and HSV-2 were able to attach to the XC cells but were unable to induce virus protein, DNA, or specific thymidine kinase. Furthermore, while cell DNA synthesis was severely depressed in receptive WRE cells, no such effect was observed in resistant XC cells. These studies suggest that an early event, prior to viral DNA synthesis, is blocked in the replicative cycle of HSV. This study was conducted in part under support funds from the U.S. Public Health Service Biomedical Grant No. 5 S05 R RO7082-07 and the Pennsylvania Agriculture Experiment Station Project No. 1992. Authorized for publication as paper No. 4439 in the journal series of the Pennsylvania Agriculture Experiment Station.
Vestibular Macular Mapping in Man

The normal histology and ultrastructure of the vestibular sensory regions are well known and have been previously described. In the mammalian vestibular maculae, a narrow strip, the striola, and large peripheral areas can be distinguished. 'v2 Each vestibular sensory cell is equipped with a hair bundle consisting of many stercocilia and one k in~ci l ium. ~ The orientation of the kinocilium determines the polarization of the hair b ~ n d l e . ~ Thc morphological polarization is the same over large areas, and its direction shifts along an imaginary line, which extends through the striola. In the macula utriculi the morphological polarization is directed from the periphery towards the s t r i ~ l a ; ' ~ ~ ~ ~ in the macula sacculi the opposite condition exists.lgG The bending of a hair bundle towards the kinocilium results in a depolarization of the hair ~ ~ 1 1 . ~ 9 ~ According to the pattern of the morphological polarization, a displacement of the whole statoconial membrane which covers the macula results in depolarization of some hair cells and hyperpolarization of others.
Long-term changes in thermospheric composition inferred from a spectral analysis of ionospheric F-region data

Abstract. A study of ionospheric data recorded at Slough/Chilton, UK, from 1935 to 2012, has revealed long-term changes in the relative strength of the annual and semi-annual variability in the ionospheric F2 layer critical frequencies. Comparing these results with data from the southern hemisphere station at Stanley in the Falkland Islands between 1945 and 2012 reveals a trend that appears to be anti-correlated with that at Chilton. The behaviour of foF2 is a function of thermospheric composition and so we argue that the observed long-term changes are driven by composition change. The ionospheric trends share some of their larger features with the trend in the variability of the aa geomagnetic index. Changes to the semi-annual/annual ratio in the Slough/Chilton and Stanley data may therefore be attributable to the variability in geomagnetic activity which controls the average latitudinal extent of the auroral ovals and subsequent thermospheric circulation patterns. Changes in ionospheric composition or thermospheric wind patterns are known to influence the height of the F2 layer at a given location. Long-term changes to the height of the F2 layer have been used to infer an ionospheric response to greenhouse warming. We suggest that our observations may influence such measurements and since the results appear to be dependent on geomagnetic longitude, this could explain why the long-term drifts observed in F2 layer height differ between locations.
LIPID STUDIES OF WHITE MATTER AND THALAMUS OF HUMAN BRAINS *

THE INVESTIGATIONS to be reported represent a continued search for the chemical alterations which precede and are associated with demyelination. Reports of WEIL (1948) and BRANTE (1949) on phospholipid depletion in multiple sclerosis plaques have been supplemented recently by demonstration of a deficiency of phospholipids (CUMINGS, 1953), plasmalogens (GERSTL et a/., 1961) and, tentatively (GERSTL et a/., 1962), of even-numbered fatty acids in the myelinated areas of multiple sclerosis7 (MS) brains. Corroboration of these findings and evidence for their specificity were essential for establishing their significance. Diabetes mellitus is associated with a disturbance of the fatty acid synthesizing system both in the human patient (HENNES and REDDING, 1961) and the experimental animal (BRADY and GURIN, 1950). It has been suggested earlier (GERSTL et a/., 1961) that extracranial tumours may be implicated in lipid alterations of the CNS. The neurological and pathological anatomic sequelae of severe anoxia are well known. Therefore, analysis of brains from cases of these types might reveal alterations of lipids not associated with primary demyelinating lesions and, thereby, serve as controls for the specificity of the chemical lesions in the visually intact areas of the MS brain. Nutritional status of many chronically ill patients often approaches emaciation. In view of the experimental evidence that nutrition may affect lipid content and myelination (TOMASCH, 1961; NAKA, 1961). the status of nutrition was noted in all cases. In addition to estimation of lipids reported in previous series (see ROSSITER, 1962) carboxyl esters and total titratable fatty acids were determined. The latter procedure was essential to arrive at correlation of chemical and clinico-pathological observations on the basis of quantitative rather than distribution data. To ascertain whether specific fatty acids are implicated in the early lesions of MS or in the disorders mentioned, a comprehensive study of fatty acids was undertaken. With the exception of JOHNSTON and KUMMEROW'S (1960) report based on lipids of two whole brains. quantitative data were not available a t the inception of this investigation.
Racial differences in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer.

BACKGROUND If discovered at an early stage, non-small-cell lung cancer is potentially curable by surgical resection. However, two disparities have been noted between black patients and white patients with this disease. Blacks are less likely to receive surgical treatment than whites, and they are likely to die sooner than whites. We undertook a population-based study to estimate the disparity in the rates of surgical treatment and to evaluate the extent to which this disparity is associated with differences in overall survival. METHODS We studied all black patients and white patients 65 years of age or older who were given a diagnosis of resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (stage I or II) between 1985 and 1993 and who resided in 1 of the 10 study areas of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program (10,984 patients). Data on the diagnosis, stage of disease, treatment, and demographic characteristics of the patients were obtained from the SEER data base. Information on coexisting illnesses, type of Medicare coverage, and survival was obtained from linked Medicare inpatient-discharge records. RESULTS The rate of surgery was 12.7 percentage points lower for black patients than for white patients (64.0 percent vs. 76.7 percent, P<0.001), and the five-year survival rate was also lower for blacks (26.4 percent vs. 34.1 percent, P<0.001). However, among the patients undergoing surgery, survival was similar for the two racial groups, as it was among those who did not undergo surgery. Furthermore, analyses in which adjustments were made for factors that are predictive of either candidacy for surgery or survival did not alter the influence of race on these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Our analyses suggest that the lower survival rate among black patients with early-stage, non-small-cell lung cancer, as compared with white patients, is largely explained by the lower rate of surgical treatment among blacks. Efforts to increase the rate of surgical treatment for black patients appear to be a promising way of improving survival in this group.
USE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE CAPTURE‐RECAPTURE METHOD IN DISEASE MONITORING WITH TWO DEPENDENT SOURCES

Capture-recapture techniques are employed increasingly to correct for underascertainment of cases in epidemiologic surveillance. A key assumption of the basic two-source capture-recapture method is the independence of sources, which is often violated in practice. This paper provides a quantitative comparison of the performance of the capture-recapture method and the traditional registration approach in disease monitoring with two dependent sources. If sources are negatively dependent, underascertainment of cases by the traditional registration approach is transformed into overestimation of case numbers with the capture-recapture method. This over-estimation can be extreme under certain conditions. Application of the capture-recapture method is therefore discouraged if negative source dependence is of concern. In other situations, the capture-recapture method can be a valuable tool to correct for underascertainment of cases. Although the correction remains imperfect if notifications from both sources are positively dependent, underestimation of case numbers is typically much less severe than with the traditional registration approach. I illustrate the findings for a broad range of registration scenarios and provide empirical examples from population-based cancer registration. I also discuss strategies that may minimize the degree of source dependence in the design and analysis of capture-recapture studies.