Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Daily exercise attenuates the sympathetic component of the arterial baroreflex control of heart rate.

The influence of daily spontaneous running (DSR) on the sympathetic (SC) and parasympathetic components of the arterial baroreflex control of heart rate (HR) was examined in 16 female Long Evans rats [8 sedentary (SED) and 8 DSR]. After 8-9 wk of SED control or DSR, animals were chronically instrumented with arterial and venous catheters. DSR resulted in an increased heart weight-to-body weight ratio (2.71 +/- 0.11 vs. 3.09 +/- 0.09 g/kg) and a resting bradycardia (378 +/- 6 vs. 330 +/- 5 beats/min). Arterial baroreflex function was examined during ramp infusions of phenylephrine and sodium nitroprusside under the following three experimental conditions: 1) control, 2) after beta 1-adrenergic receptor blockade (beta 1-X), and 3) after muscarinic-cholinergic receptor blockade (M-X). Arterial baroreflex function parameters were compared between SED and DSR rats. In the control condition, DSR attenuated the range (182 +/- 15 vs. 124 +/- 18 beats/min), maximum HR (464 +/- 9 vs. 394 +/- 15 beats/min), and maximal gain (Gmax; 5.57 +/- 0.42 vs. 3.2 +/- 0.45 beats.min-1.mmHg-1). Similarly, after M-X, DSR attenuated the range (84 +/- 5 vs. 62 +/- 8 beats/min), maximum HR (449 +/- 11 vs. 412 +/- 11 beats/min), and Gmax (2.73 +/- 0.37 vs. 1.57 +/- 0.32 beats.min-1.mmHg-1). In contrast, after beta 1-X, DSR did not alter the range (61 +/- 13 vs. 70 +/- 7 beats/min), maximum HR (326 +/- 9 vs. 313 +/- 7 beats/min), or Gmax (3.04 +/- 0.54 vs. 3.75 +/- 0.52 beats.min-1.mmHg-1). Results demonstrate that DSR attenuated the arterial baroreflex control of HR by reducing the SC.
Oral health of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE s. To estimate dental disease indices and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS Indices were recorded for dental caries, bacterial dental plaque, gingival inflammation, and TMJ dysfunction in children with JIA and matched controls. RESULTS There was no significant difference in dental caries experience or the mean plaque score between children with JIA and controls. The mean gingivitis score for the permanent teeth only was significantly greater in the JIA children compared with the controls (p = 0.02). There was a significantly greater proportion of children with JIA with signs of both left and right TMJ dysfunction (p = 0.05, p = 0.02) and symptoms (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001) compared with controls. CONCLUSION The low caries rate was attributed to the fact that children with JIA had received preventive dental care from an early age combined with sugar free medication.
A Land Use Regression Model for Predicting Ambient Concentrations of Nitrogen Dioxide in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Abstract This paper reports on the development of a land use regression (LUR) model for predicting the intraurban variation of traffic-related air pollution in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, an industrial city at the western end of Lake Ontario. Although land use regression has been increasingly used to characterize exposure gradients within cities, research to date has yet to test whether this method can produce reliable estimates in an industrialized location. Ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2)were measured for a 2-week period in October 2002 at >100 locations across the city and subsequently at 30 of these locations in May 2004 to assess seasonal effects. Predictor variables were derived for land use types, transportation, demography, and physical geography using geographic information systems. The LUR model explained 76% of the variation in NO2. Traffic density, proximity to a highway, and industrial land use were all positively correlated with NO2 concentrations, whereas open land use and distance from the lake were negatively correlated with NO2. Locations downwind of a major highway resulted in higher NO2 levels. Cross-validation of the results confirmed model stability over different seasons. Our findings demonstrate that land use regression can effectively predict NO2 variation at the intra-urban scale in an industrial setting. Models predicting exposure within smaller areas may lead to improved detection of health effects in epidemiologic studies.
The mouse Jhy gene regulates ependymal cell differentiation and ciliogenesis

During the first postnatal week of mouse development, radial glial cells lining the ventricles of the brain differentiate into ependymal cells, undergoing a morphological change from pseudostratified cuboidal cells to a flattened monolayer. Concomitant with this change, multiple motile cilia are generated and aligned on each nascent ependymal cell. Proper ependymal cell development is crucial to forming the brain tissue:CSF barrier, and to the establishment of ciliary CSF flow, but the mechanisms that regulate this differentiation event are poorly understood. The JhylacZ mouse line carries an insertional mutation in the Jhy gene (formerly 4931429I11Rik), and homozygous JhylacZ/lacZ mice develop a rapidly progressive juvenile hydrocephalus, with defects in ependymal cilia morphology and ultrastructure. Here we show that beyond just defective motile cilia, JhylacZ/lacZ mice display abnormal ependymal cell differentiation. Ventricular ependyma in JhylacZ/lacZ mice retain an unorganized and multi-layered morphology, representative of undifferentiated ependymal (radial glial) cells, and they show altered expression of differentiation markers. Most JhylacZ/lacZ ependymal cells do eventually acquire some differentiated ependymal characteristics, suggesting a delay, rather than a block, in the differentiation process, but ciliogenesis remains perturbed. JhylacZ/lacZ ependymal cells also manifest disruptions in adherens junction formation, with altered N-cadherin localization, and have defects in the polarized organization of the apical motile cilia that do form. Functional studies showed that cilia of JhylacZ/lacZ mice have severely reduced motility, a potential cause for the development of hydrocephalus. This work shows that JHY does not only control ciliogenesis, but is a crucial component of the ependymal differentiation process, with ciliary defects likely a consequence of altered ependymal differentiation.
Receiver with constant active termination

The communication link between chips becomes critical in integrated circuit technology. The full swing CMOS signaling is too slow and produces too much /spl Delta/I-noise and crosstalk to sensitive analog parts. Techniques using match-terminated transmission-lines are power consuming or require additional supply voltages. We present a new receiver circuit that allows to transmit digital data fast with extremely small swing and hence low power consumption.
Interpersonal Social Networks and Internationalization of Traditional SMEs

Abstract This study aims to understand the role of interpersonal social networks in the international strategies of “traditional SMEs,” namely small firms that are “born local” and that operate in low‐tech and non‐knowledge‐intensive industries. Specifically, building on the social capital approach and the international entrepreneurship literature, this study investigates how the structure and the content of interpersonal social networks affect both the activities of exploration/exploitation of opportunities abroad, as well as the path and the performance of the internationalization processes in the pre‐entry and post‐entry phases. Results show the dynamics of internationalization as a “social embedded” endeavor, by highlighting heuristics and path‐dependent phenomena connected to the features of the interpersonal social networks. Findings contribute to the literature as to the decision‐making processes, the role of trust, and the possible negative effects generated by the structure and the content of the interpersonal social networks, including the market withdrawals.
Left-Preconditioned Communication-Avoiding Conjugate Gradient Methods for Multiphase CFD Simulations on the K Computer

The left-preconditioned communication avoiding conjugate gradient (LP-CA-CG) method is applied to the pressure Poisson equation in the multiphase CFD code JUPITER. The arithmetic intensity of the LP-CA-CG method is analyzed, and is dramatically improved by loop splitting for inner product operations and for three term recurrence operations. Two LPCA-CG solvers with block Jacobi preconditioning and with underlap preconditioning are developed. The former is developed based on a hybrid CA approach, in which CA is applied only to global collective communications for inner product operations. The latter is a full CA approach, in which CA is applied also to local point-to-point communications in sparse matrix-vector (SpMV) operations and preconditioning. CA-SpMV requires additional computation for overlapping regions. CA-preconditiong is enabled by underlap preconditioning, which approximates preconditioning for overlapping regions by point Jacobi preconditioning. It is shown that on the K computer, the former is faster, because the performance of local point-to-point communications scales well, and the convergence property becomes worse with underlap preconditioning. The LP-CA-CG solver shows good strong scaling up to 30,000 nodes, where the LP-CA-CG solver achieved higher performance than the original CG solver by reducing the cost of global collective communications by 69 percent.
Tracking Viral Evolution during a Disease Outbreak: the Rapid and Complete Selective Sweep of a Circovirus in the Endangered Echo Parakeet

ABSTRACT Circoviruses are among the smallest and simplest of all viruses, but they are relatively poorly characterized. Here, we intensively sampled two sympatric parrot populations from Mauritius over a period of 11 years and screened for the circovirus Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV). During the sampling period, a severe outbreak of psittacine beak and feather disease, which is caused by BFDV, occurred in Echo parakeets. Consequently, this data set presents an ideal system for studying the evolution of a pathogen in a natural population and to understand the adaptive changes that cause outbreaks. Unexpectedly, we discovered that the outbreak was most likely caused by changes in functionally important regions of the normally conserved replication-associated protein gene and not the immunogenic capsid. Moreover, these mutations were completely fixed in the Echo parakeet host population very shortly after the outbreak. Several capsid alleles were linked to the replication-associated protein outbreak allele, suggesting that whereas the key changes occurred in the latter, the scope of the outbreak and the selective sweep may have been influenced by positive selection in the capsid. We found evidence for viral transmission between the two host populations though evidence for the invasive species as the source of the outbreak was equivocal. Finally, the high evolutionary rate that we estimated shows how rapidly new variation can arise in BFDV and is consistent with recent results from other small single-stranded DNA viruses.
Innocuous warming enhances peripheral serotonergic itch signaling and evokes enhanced responses in serotonin-responsive dorsal horn neurons in the mouse.

Itch is often triggered by warming the skin in patients with itchy dermatitis, but the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. We presently investigated if warming the skin enhances histamine- or serotonin (5-HT)-evoked itch behavior or responses of sensory dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells, and if responses of superficial dorsal horn neurons to innocuous warming are enhanced by these pruritogens. In a temperature-controlled environmental chamber, mice exhibited greater scratching following intradermal injection of 5-HT, but not histamine, SLIGRL, or BAM8-22, when the skin surface temperature was above 36°C. Calcium imaging of DRG cells in a temperature-controlled bath revealed that responses to 5-HT, but not histamine, were significantly greater at a bath temperature of 35°C vs. lower temperatures. Single-unit recordings revealed a subpopulation of superficial dorsal horn neurons responsive to intradermal injection of 5-HT. Of these, 58% responded to innocuous skin warming (37°C) prior to intradermal injection of 5-HT, while 100% responded to warming following intradermal injection of 5-HT. Warming-evoked responses were superimposed on the 5-HT-evoked elevation in firing and were significantly larger compared with responses pre-5-HT, as long as 30 min after the intradermal injection of 5-HT. Five-HT-insensitive units, and units that either did or did not respond to intradermal histamine, did not exhibit any increase in the incidence of warmth sensitivity or in the mean response to warming following intradermal injection of the pruritogen. The results suggest that 5-HT-evoked responses of pruriceptors are enhanced during skin warming, leading to increased firing of 5-HT-sensitive dorsal horn neurons that signal nonhistaminergic itch. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Skin warming often exacerbates itch in patients with itchy dermatitis. We demonstrate that warming the skin enhanced serotonin-evoked, but not histamine-evoked, itch behavior and responses of sensory dorsal root ganglion cells. Moreover, serotonin, but not histamine, enhanced responses of superficial dorsal horn neurons to innocuous warming. The results suggest that skin warming selectively enhances the responses of serotonin-sensitive pruriceptors, leading to increased firing of serotonin-sensitive dorsal horn neurons that signal nonhistaminergic itch.
Effect of exercise intervention on thigh muscle volume and anatomical cross‐sectional areas—Quantitative assessment using MRI

The objective of this study was to evaluate the location‐specific magnitudes of an exercise intervention on thigh muscle volume and anatomical cross‐sectional area, using MRI. Forty one untrained women participated in strength, endurance, or autogenic training for 12 weeks. Axial MR images of the thigh were acquired before and after the intervention, using a T1‐weighted turbo‐spin‐echo sequence (10 mm sections, 0.78 mm in‐plane resolution). The extensor, flexor, adductor, and sartorius muscles were segmented between the femoral neck and the rectus femoris tendon. Muscle volumes were determined, and anatomical cross‐sectional areas were derived from 3D reconstructions at 10% (proximal‐to‐distal) intervals. With strength training, the volume of the extensors (+3.1%), flexors (+3.5%), and adductors (+3.9%) increased significantly (P < 0.05) between baseline and follow‐up, and with endurance training, the volume of the extensor (+3.7%) and sartorius (+5.1%) increased significantly (P < 0.05). No relevant or statistically significant change was observed with autogenic training. The greatest standardized response means were observed for the anatomical cross‐sectional area in the proximal aspect (10–30%) of the thigh and generally exceeded those for muscle volumes. The study shows that MRI can be used to monitor location‐specific effects of exercise intervention on muscle cross‐sectional areas, with the proximal aspect of the thigh muscles being most responsive. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Enhanced 10-Gb/s operation of bandwidth-limited R-SOAs without electronic equalization

By simply using a selected WDM demultiplexer, we obtain enhanced 10-Gb/s operation of a Reflective SOA having <;1 GHz bandwidth by using simple direct detection. The scheme is robust to wavelength drifts up to 10 GHz. Error free operation is experimentally achieved over 20 km fibre, with no need for electronic equalization or FEC.
CALIFORNIA ENCEPHALITIS GROUP VIRUSES ISOLATED FROM MOSQUITOES COLLECTED IN SOUTHERN AND ARCTIC NORWAY

Three virus strains serologically related to the California encephalitis group (Bunyaviridae) of arboviruses were isolated from 7331 mosquitoes collected in Norway in June‐August 1975. Two of the isolates (S 548 and S 618) seemed to be closely related and the third. S 568. more distantly related by serological techniques to Tahyna virus. Viruses were found in the mosquito species Aedes sticticus, A. diantaeus and A. hexodontus collected (in order) from Øyern (59° 50′ N, 11° 12′ E), Trandum (60° 08′ N, 11° 10′ E) and Masi (69° 26′ N, 23° 39′ E). The Masi isolate seems to be the northernmost arbovirus isolate in the world so far. Strain S 568 was from 16 ♂♀A. diantaeus, indicating transovarial transmission of the virus. An accidental infection demonstrated the potential human pathogenicity of one of the newly‐isolated strains (S 568), and the ability of CE viruses to persistently infect suckling mouse brains was indicated by in vivo findings. The biological characteristics of the new strains so far investigated are consistent with those of the California encephalitis group. During this work the Aerosil absorption method for production of haemagglutinating antigens proved useful for Tahyna virus and the newly‐isolated strains. Trypsinization of erythrocytes improved the haemagglutinating capacities of these viruses.
Chemotaxis in Bacteria

Motile Escherichia coli placed at one end of a capillary tube containing an energy source and oxygen migrate out into the tube in one or two bands, which are clearly visible to the naked eye and can also be demonstrated by photography, microscopy, and densitometry and by assaying for bacteria throughout the tube. The formation of two bands is not due to heterogeneity among the bacteria, since the bacteria in each band, when reused, will form two more bands. If an anaerobically utilizable energy source such as galactose is present in excess over the oxygen, the first band consumes all the oxygen and a part of the sugar and the second band uses the residual sugar anaerobically. On the other hand, if oxygen is present in excess over the sugar, the first band oxidizes all the sugar and leaves behind unused oxygen, and the second band uses up the residual oxygen to oxidize an endogenous energy source. The essence of the matter is that the bacteria create a gradient of oxygen or of an energy source, and then they move preferentially in the direction of the higher concentration of the chemical. As a consequence, bands of bacteria (or rings of bacteria in the case of agar plates) form and move out. These results show that E. coli is chemotactic toward oxygen and energy sources such as galactose, glucose, aspartic acid, threonine, or serine. The full repertoire of chemotactic responses by E. coli is no doubt greater than this, and a more complete list remains to be compiled. The studies reported here demonstrate that chemotaxis allows bacteria to find that environment which provides them with the greatest supply of energy. It is clearly an advantage for bacteria to be able to carry out chemotaxis, since by this means they can avoid unfavorable conditions and seek optimum surroundings. Finally, it is necessary to acknowledge the pioneering work of Englemann, Pfeffer, and the other late-19thcentury biologists who discovered chemotaxis in bacteria, and to point out that the studies reported here fully confirm the earlier reports of Beijerinck (4) and Sherris and his collaborators (5,6) on a band of bacteria chemotactic toward oxygen. By using a chemically defined medium instead of a complex broth, it has been possible to study this band more closely and to demonstrate in addition the occurrence of a second band of bacteria chemotactic toward an energy source. Beijerinck (4) did, in fact, sometimes observe a second band, but he did not offer an explanation for it.
Sleep problems in healthy preadolescents.

Few data currently exist concerning the sleep problems of preadolescents. A parent report questionnaire concerning sleep habits and problems was developed. The questionnaires were completed by the parents of 1000 unscreened elementary school children attending the third, fourth, and fifth grades. The schools were randomly selected from an urban area. Of the 1000 questionnaires, 972 were completed and could be used for statistical analysis. Among the parents, 24% reported sleeping poorly and 12% regularly relied on sedatives to induce sleep. Sleep difficulties lasting more than 6 months were present in 43% of the children. In 14% (132 of 972), sleep latency was longer than 30 minutes, and more than one complete arousal occurred during the night at least two nights per week. The following variables were seen among the poor sleepers: lower parental educational and professional status, parents who were more likely to be divorced or separated, and more noise or light in the rooms were they slept. They also presented a higher incidence of somnambulism, somniloquia, and night fears (nightmares and night terrors) than the children who slept well. Boys who slept poorly were significantly more likely to have insomniac fathers (P less than .010). Regular use of sedatives was described in 4% (5 of 132) of the children who slept poorly. Among the "poor sleepers," 21% (33 of 132) had failed 1 or more years at school. School achievement difficulties were encountered significantly more often among the poor sleepers than among the children without sleep problems (P = .001). Of the families with children suffering from sleep problems, 28% expressed a desire for counseling. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Nanoimprinted two-dimensional photonic crystal for detection of fibrinogen using antigen-antibody reaction

In this study, for medical diagnostics, the polymer-based two-dimensional photonic crystal (2D-PhC) was fabricated using nanoimprint lithography (NIL)-based nanooptical device fabrication technology that called as "printable photonics". In addition, polymer-based 2D-PhC was applied for detection of fibrinogen which is a biomarker to diagnose the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using antigen-antibody reaction. Based on printable photonics technology, the polymer-based nanooptical device which act in visible region could be fabricated cost effectively and easily. Furthermore, by using our polymer-based 2D-PhC, fibrinogen could detect sensitively and rapidly.
Interaction between carbon composites and bone after intrabone implantation.

Candidate carbon fiber reinforced carbon (CFRC) porous implant materials were evaluated for tissue compatibility in a rat model. Six different CFRCs of constant pore size (about 30 microm) were fabricated that had 9, 12, and 17% porosity with 2-nm3 matrix crystallites and 6, 12, and 20% at 25 nm3. They were implanted as femoral transverse diaphyseal pins that were 1.5 mm in diameter. At 5 and 45 weeks, implant and bone histologic specimens were evaluated histologically and by a scanning electron microscope and an electron microprobe. Also, regional lymph nodes and spleens were examined. By 45 weeks, direct implant-bone contact was observed over most of the interface in most specimens. At the implant surface, there was partial replacement of CFRC with host tissue. However, the microprobe showed that the implant-bone interface was chemically abrupt with no cross-diffusion of ionic species. Besides the surface effects, there was partial filling of the implant pores with tissue, including bone organized de novo deep within. This was observed histologically and confirmed by microprobe. Lymph nodes and spleens were histologically normal, and no carbon particles were found. None of the results were influenced by porosity or matrix crystallite size over the ranges studied. In summary, these porous CFRCs are partially degraded when in contact with bone and appear substantially tissue compatible. They may be useful as scaffolds for regrowth of bone.