Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synergistic effects of ACE inhibition and Ang II antagonism on blood pressure, cardiac weight, and renin in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

BACKGROUND Blockade of type 1 angiotensin (Ang) II receptors combined with ACE inhibition may amplify the efficacy of the renin-angiotensin system blockade because ACE inhibitors do not completely and permanently suppress Ang II production. METHODS AND RESULTS Enalapril or losartan (1, 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg) or their combination was administered for 2 to 4 weeks to spontaneously hypertensive rats. The combination of low doses of each agent induced greater reductions in blood pressure (BP) and left ventricular weight/body weight (LVW/ BW) ratio than monotherapy with the same or higher doses. When approximately equipotent regimens of enalapril, losartan, and their combination, as judged by BP fall, were compared, there were similar increases in plasma and renal renin and in plasma Ang-(1-7) and Ang I and similar reductions in plasma angiotensinogen. Enalapril alone reduced plasma Ang II levels, and losartan alone increased Ang II levels. The combination of enalapril with losartan prevented or reduced the increase in Ang II levels observed with losartan alone. CONCLUSIONS These findings show that the synergistic interaction between the effects of low doses of enalapril and losartan on BP and LVW/BW ratio is due to more effective inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system by their combination than by either agent alone. When both drugs are given together, the ACE inhibitor-induced fall in plasma Ang II results in modulation of the Ang II antagonist-induced reactive rise in Ang II, thereby lowering the plasma Ang II concentration, which competes with the antagonist for the Ang II receptors.
Declining Dynamism at the Establishment Level

Recent papers have documented a decline in indicators of business dynamism (e.g., job reallocation) over time in the U.S. along with declining entrepreneurship. This decline in both dynamism and entrepreneurship has accelerated in the post 2000 period. In addition to the decline in the startup rate for new firms, there has been a substantial decline in the dispersion of firm and establishment growth rates over time for existing firms/establishments. Decker et. al (2016) undertake an empirical decomposition that concludes that the decline is dynamism is not due to a reduction in the dispersion of idiosyncratic productivity shocks. They find empirically that the decline is not a result of businesses facing a reduced dispersion of idiosyncratic shocks, but rather the businesses are not responding to those shocks as much as before. This paper aims to develop a model that can account for the observed changes in dynamism among existing establishments. The paper builds upon the framework in Cooper and Haltiwanger (2006) in which frictions associated with adjustment costs of labor interact with idiosyncratic productivity shocks and have strong implications for the empirical moments documented above. Using the lens of the structural model, implied changed in adjustment costs parameters can be estimated in order to evaluate the productivity losses from changes in frictions.
"Learning to become a family caregiver" efficacy of an intervention program for caregivers following diagnosis of dementia in a relative.

PURPOSE The purpose of this experimental study was to test the efficacy of a psychoeducational individual program conceived to facilitate transition to the caregiver role following diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in a relative. DESIGN AND METHODS Caregivers were recruited in memory clinics and randomized to an experimental group (n = 62) or a control group (n = 49) receiving usual care. Eligible participants-primary caregivers of a relative diagnosed with Alzheimer in the past 9 months-were assessed blindly before randomization, at the end of the program (post-test), and 3 months later (follow-up) on different outcomes associated with healthy role transition. RESULTS The analyses indicated that at post-test and follow-up, caregivers in the experimental group were more confident in dealing with caregiving situations, perceived themselves to be better prepared to provide care and more efficacious in their caregiver role, were better able to plan for the future care needs of their relative, had better knowledge of available services, and made more frequent use of the coping strategies of problem solving and reframing. The program had no significant effect on use of stress-management strategies, perceived informal support and family conflicts. IMPLICATIONS This program underscores that a proactive intervention approach from the onset of the care trajectory is key to fostering caregiver adaptation to the new challenges they must meet.
Evaluation of a Shared Decision-Making Intervention on the Utilization of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy in a VA Outpatient PTSD Clinic

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has continued to emphasize the availability, access, and utilization of high quality mental health care particularly in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While dissemination and availability of evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) have only increased, treatment engagement and utilization have continued to be oft-noted challenges. Administrators, researchers, and individual clinicians have continued to develop and explore novel systemic and individualized interventions to address these issues. Pilot studies utilizing shared decision-making models to aid in veteran treatment selection have demonstrated the impact this approach may have on selection of and engagement in EBPs for PTSD. Based on these promising studies, a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient PTSD clinic began to implement a shared-decision making intervention as part of a clinic redesign. In seeking to evaluate the impact of this intervention, archival clinical data from 1,056 veterans were reviewed by the authors for rates of treatment selection, EBP initiation, session attendance, and EBP completion. Time elapsed from consult until EBP initiation was also computed by the authors. These variables were then compared on the basis of whether the veteran received the shared-decision making intervention. Veterans who received the intervention were more likely to select and thus initiate an EBP for PTSD sooner than veterans who did not receive this intervention. Veterans, whether receiving the intervention or not, did not differ in therapy session attendance and completion. Implications of these findings and directions for future study are further discussed.
Modular sum codes in building testable discrete systems

In this article the study of characteristics of modular sum codes for error detection in concurrent error detection (CED) systems is presented. The article provides the classification of sum codes with arbitrary modulus values. It also gives the definition of common patterns in detection ability of all modular sum codes. Determined characteristics of modular sum codes are supported by the results of tests with benchmarks of LGSynth, 89 system.
How Does Capital Control Spur Economic Growth?

This paper provides a conceptual and empirical framework for evaluating the effect of capital controls on long‐term economic growth. In a small open economy which relies on successful investment projects to provide capital goods, taking out short‐term loans has two contradictory impacts: (i) it reduces the interest costs of financing investment projects; and (ii) it also leads to larger asset losses in the scenario of short‐term debt run. In this work, we hypothesise that private financing decisions made by domestic investors are distorted towards excessive risk‐taking, leading to ineffective capital formation. Thus, capital control policies, particularly regulations on short‐term loans, can be socially beneficial as they alter the debt composition, promote capital formation and achieve a higher output level. Using a panel data set covering 77 countries from 1995 to 2009, we employ a system generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator to sequentially test three hypotheses and find strong empirical evidence that supports our theory.
Bayesian predictive power: choice of prior and some recommendations for its use as probability of success in drug development

Bayesian predictive power, the expectation of the power function with respect to a prior distribution for the true underlying effect size, is routinely used in drug development to quantify the probability of success of a clinical trial. Choosing the prior is crucial for the properties and interpretability of Bayesian predictive power. We review recommendations on the choice of prior for Bayesian predictive power and explore its features as a function of the prior. The density of power values induced by a given prior is derived analytically and its shape characterized. We find that for a typical clinical trial scenario, this density has a u‐shape very similar, but not equal, to a β‐distribution. Alternative priors are discussed, and practical recommendations to assess the sensitivity of Bayesian predictive power to its input parameters are provided. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transient photoconductivity and femtosecond nonlinear optical properties of a conjugated polymer–graphene oxide composite

A water soluble conjugated thiophene polymer, sodium salt of poly[2-(3-thienyl)ethoxy-4-butylsulfonate] (TPP), and graphene oxide (GO) composite film (GO–TPP) device was prepared. Transient photoconductivity measurements were carried out on the GO–TPP composite film using 150 ns laser pulses of 527 nm wavelength. Highly efficient photocurrent generation was observed from the GO–TPP film. The relationships of the film photoconductivity, photocurrent decay time and electron decay times with the incident light intensity were investigated. The photoconductive gain of the film was determined to be greater than 40% and to be independent of the light intensity. Furthermore, the femtosecond nonlinear optical properties of the GO–TPP film were measured using 800 nm femtosecond laser pulses and the composite film exhibited high nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction coefficients.
Placental steroid hormone biosynthesis in primate pregnancy.

Substantial advances in our understanding of placental function have resulted from recent establishment of in vitro approaches, such as cell culture, and application of molecular methods to study placental steroidogenesis. Insight into the processes of placental cell differentiation and hormonal function has been gained from culture of relatively pure preparations of cytotrophoblast. Various factors, e.g. cAMP and peptide growth factors, have been shown to have striking effects on progesterone and estrogen formation by placental tissue under in vitro conditions. Using advanced molecular approaches, the genes governing specific enzymes critical to placental steroidogenesis have been identified. Regulation of the mRNAs encoding specific enzyme peptides and thus expression of the genes by factors, such as cAMP, have been elucidated by Northern analysis and other techniques. It is critical that these contemporary approaches continue to be implemented aggressively to further elucidate placental function. However, it is clear from a survey of the literature, particularly of the past decade, that the vast majority of investigation in the area has been conducted in vitro. It is essential to determine whether the factors that have been observed to regulate placental endocrine function in vitro are operable in vivo. It is only with in vivo study that the dynamics of steroidogenesis and the complex functional relationships between placenta, fetus, and mother will be uncovered and understood. It is increasingly evident that the regulation of placental steroidogenesis involves autocrine and/or paracrine mechanisms, similar to those integral to hormone biosynthesis within other reproductive organs, e.g. ovary and testis. For example, as discussed above, estrogen regulates LDL uptake and P-450scc, and thus apparently is involved in generating substrate for progesterone production within the placenta. Conversely, progesterone has effects on 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase and thus the metabolism of estradiol, while androgens exert marked inhibitory effects on placental progesterone formation, at least in vitro. Not surprisingly, the regulation of placental progesterone and estrogen formation also is multifactorial. Thus, aromatase activity is stimulated synergistically by cAMP and phorbol esters, an effect that is suppressed by peptide growth factors. Therefore, the autocrine/paracrine and multifactorial regulation of hormone biosynthesis that has been relatively well documented in other tissues should be recognized as important in the primate placenta. Finally, the basic mechanisms underlying regulation of steroidogenesis within the fetoplacental unit during primate pregnancy appear similar, in important ways, to those of widely used laboratory animals, such as the rat and rabbit. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Principal Leadership Style and School Performance: Mediating Roles of Risk Management Culture and Management Control Systems Use in Australian Schools

This study examines the mediating role of organisational control features, namely performance-oriented risk management (RM) culture and the use of management control systems (MCS) in the relationship between school principal leadership styles and school performance within Australia. Based on survey responses from 106 Victorian secondary school principals, the study finds that performance-oriented RM culture and enabling use of MCS play important mediating roles in the leadership style and school performance link. The findings also indicate that private schools are more likely to adopt a performance-oriented RM culture than public schools. Our results extend organisational management and accounting literature linking leadership style, organisational controls and organisational performance in a school context. The findings also have implications for school governance policies.
Política de transferencia tecnológica del sector agropecuario colombiano con enfoque territorial

This paper analyzes the technology transfer policy of the agricultural sector in Colombia. For this purpose, we chose the following variables from the National Agricultural Census (2014): multidimensional index of poverty, illiteracy and the Direct Rural Technical Assistance Service (SATDR). Subsequently, we calculated the Moran index to identify any potential spatial dependence among the variables and conducted a descriptive analysis of these, verifying the normality assumptions. Finally, in order to measure the degree of association between the variables, we computed the Kendall coefficient. We found that the SATDR variables, multidimensional poverty index, and illiteracy exhibit spatial dependence, as well as low association levels between the SATDR and the other variables. We conclude that technology transfer policies in the agricultural sector are not articulated with their objectives and, since they have a spatial effect, these policies must be applied throughout the territory.
Biotechnology,
communication and the public: Keys to delve into the social perception
of science

The latest biotechnology applications allow for faster and cheaper gene editing than ever before. Many people are calling for a public debate on these issues, including the social, cultural and ethical implications of these applications. On the other hand, the information available to citizens is sometimes contradictory and communication that takes all these aspects into account is important and increasingly necessary. Therefore, understanding public attitudes towards biotechnology should be a priority for the work ahead.
Folded microstrip resonator

A compact concertina shaped microstrip ring resonator, referred to here as a 'folded ring' resonator is shown to behave analogously to a microstrip annular-ring resonator. The folded ring resonator resonates at identical resonant mode frequencies as the annular-ring resonator, which is designed to operate at the same fundamental mode frequency and when fabricated on an identical dielectric substrate. It is also demonstrated that the folded ring when cut in half, referred to here as a 'folded half-ring' resonator, also exhibits similar transmission characteristics to a conventional annular-ring resonator. This resonator structure is even more compact. In addition, an input/output-coupling scheme to the resonator is employed that significantly improves the insertion loss and return loss performance of the resonant structures.
The effects of cancer care pathways on waiting times

Purpose The Swedish health-care system currently implements cancer care pathways (CCPs) for better and more timely cancer diagnostics. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate and define “crowding out” effects associated with the CCP implementation. Design/methodology/approach A document study based on implementation reports and action plans from Swedish county councils (n = 21) and a case study in one county council were conducted. Qualitative data collection and analysis were used to acquire more knowledge about the “crowding out” effects associated with the CCP implementation. Findings Three effects discussed under “crowding out” were defined. The first effect, called the push-out effect, occurs when other patients have to wait for care longer in favour of CCP patients. Another effect is the inclusion effect, whereby “crowding out” is reduced for vulnerable patients due to the standardised procedures and criteria in the referral process. The final effect is the exclusion effect, where patients in need of cancer diagnostics are, for some reason, not referred to CCP. These patients are either not diagnosed at all or diagnosed outside CCP by a non-standard process, with the risk of longer waiting times. Originality/value “Crowding out” effects are an urgent topic related to CCP implementation. While these effects have been reported in international research studies, no shared definition has been established to describe them. The present paper creates a common base to measure the “crowding out” effects and support further development of CCPs to avoid the negative effects on waiting times.
Biomonitoring of arylamines and nitroarenes

Arylamines and nitroarenes are very important intermediates in the industrial manufacture of dyes, pesticides and plastics, and are significant environmental pollutants. The metabolic steps of N-oxidation and nitroreduction to yield N-hydroxyarylamines are crucial for the toxic properties of arylamines and nitroarenes. Nitroarenes are reduced by microorganisms in the gut or by nitroreductases and aldehyde dehydrogenase in hepatocytes to nitrosoarenes and N-hydroxyarylamines. N-Hydroxyarylamines can be further metabolized to N-sulphonyloxyarylamines, N-acetoxyarylamines or N-hydroxyarylamine N-glucuronide. These highly reactive intermediates are responsible for the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of this class of compounds. N-Hydroxyarylamines can form adducts with DNA, tissue proteins, and the blood proteins albumin and haemoglobin in a dose-dependent manner. DNA and protein adducts have been used to biomonitor humans exposed to such compounds. All these steps are dependent on enzymes, which are present in polymorphic forms. This article reviews the metabolism of arylamines and nitroarenes and the biomonitoring studies performed in animals and humans exposed to these substances.
Rent-seeking and firm value: Chinese evidence

We examine whether engagement in rent-seeking improves firm value in China. Rent-seeking is defined as a firm's use of resources to establish a relationship with the government to obtain government-controlled resources. We incorporate political rents and associated costs into an analytical framework to examine the relationship between rent-seeking and firm value. Using a sample of non-state-owned firms listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2013, we find evidence of the presence of political rents in the form of government subsidies and evidence of associated costs in the forms of corporate philanthropy and excess management remuneration, which largely explains the insignificant relationship found between rent-seeking and firm value. Our further analysis shows that rent-seeking behavior of firms reduces production efficiency, providing additional evidence to support our thesis that engagement in rent-seeking does not enhance firm value in the Chinese context. In an economy with weak institutions, in particular with weak protection for shareholders, managers and politicians can become rent-seekers and take a considerable share of the economic benefits derived from rent-seeking.
Pancreatic β‐cell mass in European subjects with type 2 diabetes

Decreases in both β‐cell function and number can contribute to insulin deficiency in type 2 diabetes. Here, we quantified the β‐cell mass in pancreas obtained at autopsy of 57 type 2 diabetic (T2D) and 52 non‐diabetic subjects of European origin. Sections from the body and tail were immunostained for insulin. The β‐cell mass was calculated from the volume density of β‐cells (measured by point‐counting methods) and the weight of the pancreas. The pancreatic insulin concentration was measured in some of the subjects. β‐cell mass increased only slightly with body mass index (BMI). After matching for BMI, the β‐cell mass was 41% (BMI < 25) and 38% (BMI 26–40) lower in T2D compared with non‐diabetic subjects, and neither gender nor type of treatment influenced these differences. β‐cell mass did not correlate with age at diagnosis but decreased with duration of clinical diabetes (24 and 54% lower than controls in subjects with <5 and >15 years of overt diabetes respectively). Pancreatic insulin concentration was 30% lower in patients. In conclusion, the average β‐cell mass is about 39% lower in T2D subjects compared with matched controls. Its decrease with duration of the disease could be a consequence of diabetes that, with further impairment of insulin secretion, contributes to the progressive deterioration of glucose homeostasis. We do not believe that the small difference in β‐cell mass observed within 5 years of onset could cause diabetes in the absence of β‐cell dysfunction.
Family dynamics of international migrants and their descendants

This dissertation explores the relationship between two demographic phenomena—migration and fertility—by focussing on several aspects of the link between the two across the different empirical chapters. The thesis consists of three independent research papers that are all tied together by the same theoretical framework that has been proposed in the literature to explain the link between migration and fertility (selection, disruption, interrelation of events, socialization and adaptation). Chapter 2 and 3 analyse the fertility behaviour of Senegalese migrants in Europe. While Chapter 2 takes a descriptive approach to family trajectories of male and female migrants and how they evolve in the time prior and following migration, Chapter 3 compares the fertility behaviour of migrant and non-migrant couples. Finally, Chapter 4 focuses on adolescent Latin American child migrants in Spain and their fertility preferences compared to native Spanish youth. The findings of the dissertation contribute to our understanding of the interplay between migration and fertility, and provide theoretical and methodological implications for the study of migrant fertility.