Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aquatic Environment and Differentiation of Vibrissae: Comparison of Sinus Hair Systems of Ringed Seal, Otter and Pole Cat

This study investigated the structure and innervation of the vibrissal systems of the pole cat (Mustela putorius), European otter (Lutra lutra) and ringed seal (Phoca hispida) in order to find adaptations to aquatic environment. The number of myelinated nerve fibers of deep vibrissal nerve (DVN) of the entire vibrissal system was considerably greater in the ringed seal (10×, aquatic mammal) and in the otter (4×, semi-aquatic mustelid) compared to the pole cat which is a terrestrial mustelid. Similarly, the number of neural end organs in the vibrissae of ringed seals was about ten times more numerous than in pole cats. The number of the vibrissae in the heads of otters was almost two times more than in pole cats, and all vibrissa groups had similar structures and innervation. The asymmetrically developed carpal vibrissae of otters were, however, more poorly innervated than the vibrissae of the head and had only smooth musculature. In the ringed seal the orientation of lanceolate end organs differed in different vibrissae, indicating the specialization of these vibrissae for different kinds of sensory functions. Ringed seal vibrissae contain structures which obviously are developed as adaptations to an aquatic environment. These include the modified mitochondria of Merkel cells, with Merkel cell-neurite complexes very often associated ciliated cells, liquid filled vesicles or intercellular spaces below the basal cell layer of the outer root sheath at the ring sinus level, a long upper cavernous sinus and a flattened beaded structure of the vibrissa hairs. As the vibrissae of aquatic mammals have analogous functions to the lateral line organ of fishes, we suggest using the term ‘vibrissal sense’ for the vibrissa system of aquatic mammals.
Metabolic and Morphometric Changes in Small and Large Intestine in Rats Fed High-Fiber Diets

Structural modifications of the intestine following fiber intake may play an important role in the physiological effects induced by dietary fiber. The aim of this study was to examine possible mechanisms for the hypocholesterolemic effects of dietary fibers by evaluating both biochemical and morphometric parameters. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups and fed either a fiber-free, 15% fiber high methoxy pectin, or 15% cellulose diet for a 4-wk period. Plasma cholesterol levels, hepatic enzyme activity, and fecal bile acid excretion were determined, and changes in the intestinal structure were evaluated. Daily fecal bile acid excretion was significantly higher in rats fed the pectin diet accompanied by elevated HMG-CoA reductase activity. Pectin feeding led to significant elongation of both the small and large intestine whereas cellulose only affected colon length. Computerized image analysis of intestinal cross-sections showed enlarged muscle area in the ileum and midcolon of pectin-fed rats and greater mucosal area in the colon. Circular muscle cell hypertrophy was also observed in the colon. In contrast, the effects of cellulose feeding were limited to elongation of the colon accompanied by muscle cell hypertrophy, and little effect on ileal morphology was documented. These data indicate that the hypocholestrolemic effects of pectin may be due to increased bile acid secretion accompanied by significant morphological changes in the ileum and colon.
Historical Perspective and State of the Art in Robot Force Control

This paper combines histarical lineage, assessment of the state of the art, and discussion of unsolved problems in robot force control. The difference between continuous and logic branching strategies is described. The development of various impedance strategies and hybrid methods is traced and com pared. The problem of stability is discussed, and remedies are related to higher strategy issues.
Lowering of Cholesterol Absorption and Blood Levels by Ileal Exclusion: Experimental Basis and Preliminary Clinical Report

THE general association of high blood cholesterol levels with atherosclerosis has been almost universally accepted. Because of this association, doctors attempting to treat the disease have sought means to lower circulating cholesterol and thereby, possibly, to arrest or perhaps even to reverse the process of vascular deposition and narrowing. Numerous drugs employed to the present have achieved limited success at best, and have, at times, caused serious side effects. Dietary programs of low cholesterol and low saturated fat intake, with a relative increase in polyunsaturated fats, are harmless, but are not too successful. Cholesterol enters the intestinal tract by ingestion and by endogenous secretion via the bile and the intestinal mucosa.1 It is absorbed exclusively in the small intestine, and preferentially in the distal half.2 With the use of radioactively labeled cholesterol, it has been determined that there is a delay of 24 to 72 hours before the appearance of peak blood levels. '-' Three independent experiments have been carried out in the research laboratories of Dr. Ivan D. Frantz, Jr., to study the role of ileal bypass in cholesterol absorption and to determine the accompanying effect on blood cholesterol levels. The first experiment was carried out with matched groups of rabbits. The second was performed with eight pigs, used as their own controls; the omnivorous pig was chosen because his dietary habits resemble those of human subjects better than do those of the herbivorous rabbit or of the primarily carnivorous canine. The third experi-
Cardiac-induced localized thoracic motion detected by a fiber optic sensing scheme

Abstract. The cardiovascular health of the human population is a major concern for medical clinicians, with cardiovascular diseases responsible for 48% of all deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The development of new diagnostic tools that are practicable and economical to scrutinize the cardiovascular health of humans is a major driver for clinicians. We offer a new technique to obtain seismocardiographic signals up to 54 Hz covering both ballistocardiography (below 20 Hz) and audible heart sounds (20 Hz upward), using a system based on curvature sensors formed from fiber optic long period gratings. This system can visualize the real-time three-dimensional (3-D) mechanical motion of the heart by using the data from the sensing array in conjunction with a bespoke 3-D shape reconstruction algorithm. Visualization is demonstrated by adhering three to four sensors on the outside of the thorax and in close proximity to the apex of the heart; the sensing scheme revealed a complex motion of the heart wall next to the apex region of the heart. The detection scheme is low-cost, portable, easily operated and has the potential for ambulatory applications.
Role of angiotensin II in altered baroreflex function of conscious rabbits during late pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE Pregnancy alters baroreflex control of heart rate in conscious rabbits, but the mechanism for this action is unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that endogenous angiotensin II is the mediator. STUDY DESIGN To test this hypothesis the baroreflex relationship between arterial pressure and heart rate in conscious rabbits was determined before and after administration of the angiotensin II AT1 receptor antagonist losartan (n = 7) before pregnancy and at the end of gestation. RESULTS Pregnancy decreased mean arterial pressure, increased heart rate, and modified the reflex by shifting the mean arterial pressure-heart rate relationship to a lower pressure level, by increasing minimum heart rate, and by decreasing baroreflex gain (P < .05). Before pregnancy, losartan decreased baroreflex gain but had no other effect on reflex function. In contrast, during late gestation losartan further decreased mean arterial pressure, further decreased reflex gain, decreased maximum heart rate, and shifted the curve to a lower mean arterial pressure level (P < .05). CONCLUSION These results suggest that in conscious rabbits during pregnancy endogenous angiotensin II contributes to hypotension-induced tachycardia but does not decrease reflex gain or elevate minimum heart rate.
GENETIC DIVERSITY AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS FOR VICUNA POPULATIONS

J.C. Wheeler, M. Fernandez, R. Rosadio, D. Hoces, M. Kadwell, M.W. Buford CONOPA, Los Cerezos 106, Lima 3, Peru; email jwheeler@conopa.org; Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad San Marcos, Lima, Peru; Consejo Nacional de Camelidos Sudamericanos, CONACS, Lima, Peru; 4Conservation Genetics Group, Institute ofo Zoology, Regent's Park, London, U.K.; Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, U.K.
GH Responsiveness Before and After a 3-Week Multidisciplinary Body Weight Reduction Program Associated with an Incremental Respiratory Muscle Endurance Training in Obese Adolescents

Abstract Several studies have demonstrated that the obesity-related hyposomatropism is usually reversible after a consistent weight loss induced by diet and/or bariatric surgery. Recently, a single bout of respiratory muscle endurance training (RMET) by means of a specific commercially available device (Spiro Tiger®) has been reported to induce a marked GH response in obese adults, its GH-releasing effect being significantly lower in obese adolescents. The GH response disappeared in both obese adults and adolescents when RMET was repeated at 2-h intervals in-between. The aim of the present study was to evaluate GH responses to repeated bouts of RMET administered before and after a 3-week in-hospital multidisciplinary body weight reduction program (entailing energy-restricted diet, 90 min/daily aerobic physical activity, psychological counseling, and nutritional education) combined with a progressively increasing RMET (15 daily sessions, 5 sessions per week) in 7 obese male adolescents [age: 12–17 years; body mass index (BMI): 38.5±3.1 kg/m2; percent fat mass (FM): 37.0±2.0%]. Blood samplings for GH determinations were collected during the 1st and 15th sessions, which were composed of 2 consecutive bouts of RMET (of identical intensity and duration) at 2-h interval in-between. At the beginning of the study, baseline GH levels significantly increased after the first bout of RMET in all subjects (p<0.05). The administration of the second bout of RMET resulted in a significantly lower (p<0.05) GH increase in comparison with the first one. Three weeks of the integrated intervention significantly reduced both body weight (from 115.3±9.2 kg to 111.5±8.7 kg, p<0.05) and FM (from 43.1±5.7 kg to 41.9±5.3 kg, p<0.05), these combined effects being, however, not sufficient to influence GH responsiveness to the 2 repeated bouts of RMET (GH peaks to the first bout: 4.8±1.6 ng/ml vs. 4.8±1.6 ng/ml; GH peaks to the second bout: 0.9±0.2 ng/ml vs. 1.1±0.1 ng/ml, before and after 3 weeks of the treatment, respectively, p=NS). In conclusion, a 3-week incremental RMET combined with a body weight reduction intervention does not seem useful to positively influence the reduced GH responsiveness to 2 repeated RMET bouts in obese adolescents. More intensive and/or long-term RMET protocols, associated with energy-restricted diets, determining more consistent changes in body composition, are likely needed to restore the impaired GH-IGF-1 function of obese adolescents.
Faunistic Study of Sand Flies in Northern Cyprus

A faunistic study of Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) sand flies was carried out in northern Cyprus. A total of 12,517 sand flies (3,285 males and 9,232 females) was collected from 20 different localities in July and September 2004. Nine species belonging to genus Phlebotomus and 3 species of genus Sergentomyia were identified. Of these, the presence of the species Phlebotomus neglectus Tonnoir was reported for the first time in Cyprus, while P. jacusieli Theodor, P. kyreniae Theodor and P. economidesi Léger, Depaquit & Ferté were reported from the island for only the second time. However, P. mascittii Grassi which was previously reported from southern Cyprus was not found in this study. The most abundant species for the overall northern Cyprus were P. galilaeus Theodor (60.88%), P. papatasi Scopoli (15.67%) and P. tobbi Adler & Theodor (12.47%). These three species account for 89.02% of all sand flies collected in this survey. Because of the previously reported parasitic diseases such as human and canine visceral leishmaniasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis and viral diseases such as sand fly fever, the distribution of the sand fly species belonging to genus Phlebotomus found in northern Cyprus and their vectorial status were discussed and the results were compared with previous reports.
Decomposition method for the constrained path planning of articulated systems

This paper describes a general approach to the optimal path planning of industrial robots. The proposed method is based on nonlinear programming, decomposition-coordination and feedback decoupling and linearization. The optimal path is obtained through the optimization of a time-energy criterion for the linearized model by static feedback. The proposed method does not suffer from curse of dimensionality. Decomposition of the original optimization problem at the joints levels makes possible parallel processing and reduces substantially the CPU time needed. The application of this control scheme to an n-link articulated system is developed in details. It is programmed on VAX-station and is used as a CACSD tool for controlling the PAMIR robot developed at the Control Laboratory of ESIEE. <<ETX>>
The Distribution of Functional Impairment across the Lateral Border of Acutely Ischemic Myocardium

To evaluate the degree and lateral extent of dysfunction in nonischemic myocardium adjacent to ischemic muscle, we measured systolic wall thickening with sonomicrometers during circumflex coronary occlusion in 12 anesthetized, open-chest dogs. The locations of the wall thickness measurements relative to the perfusion boundary were determined with myocardial blood flow (microspheres) maps constructed from multiple, small tissue samples. Five minutes after circumflex occlusion, systolic wall thickening in the central ischemic zone decreased from 3.00 ± 0.61 (mean ± SD) mm to −0.61 ± 0.36 mm (P < 0.01). In nonischemic myocardium greater than 10 mm from the perfusion boundary, systolic wall thickening increased from 2.56 ± 0.57 to 3.24 ± 0.72 mm (P < 0.01). In nonischemic myocardium within 10 mm of the perfusion boundary, systolic wall thickening was slightly but significantly reduced compared with control (2.72 ± 0.80 to 2.44 ± 0.79 mm, P < 0.05), supporting the concept of regional dysfunction in nonischemic myocardium at the lateral borders of an ischemic area. Sigmoid curves were fitted to the data to model changes in wall thickening as a continuous function of distance from the perfusion boundary. This allowed estimation of the extent of dysfunction into nonischemic myocardium which averaged less than 8 mm (approximately 30 degrees of endocardial circumference) at one border. The level of functional impairment in this zone was relatively modest, and systolic wall thickening in the immediate border area was reduced more than 50% from control only in tissue characterized by a blood supply of mixed ischemic and nonischemic origin. We conclude that a functional border zone exists lateral to an acutely ischemic area, but measurement of regional function produces relatively small exaggeration of the size of the acutely ischemic zone if severe reduction in mechanical performance is used to define the extent of the ischemic area.
Afrikas jüngster Aufschwung: Ressourcenboom oder Basis für langfristige Investitionen?

Afrika hat sich seit der Jahrtausendwende zu einer der am schnellsten wachsenden Regionen der Welt entwickelt. Vieles deutet darauf hin, dass Afrikas Aufschwung nicht allein durch Ressourcenreichtum und steigende Rohstoffpreise getrieben wurde, sondern auch mit einem erheblichen Strukturwandel zugunsten produktiver Bereiche auserhalb des Primarsektors einhergegangen ist. Fur auslandische Unternehmen und den deutschen Mittelstand bietet Afrika daher vielfaltige Moglichkeiten. Die Bedingungen fur ein Engagement deutscher Unternehmen sind allerdings nicht einfach. Erstens wird die weitere Entwicklung in Afrika stark von kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen gepragt sein, bei denen Unsicherheiten hinsichtlich der Geltung staatlicher Regulierungen zu erwarten sind, weil sie zu einem grosen Teil im informellen Sektor operieren. Zweitens sind trotz mancher Reformanstrengungen die institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen in den meisten Landern der Region im internationalen Vergleich immer noch ungunstig. Schlieslich werden der weitverbreitete Mangel an Facharbeitern und die haufig unzureichende Infrastruktur die nachhaltige Ausschopfung des Wirtschaftspotenzials in Afrika erschweren. Die deutsche Entwicklungszusammenarbeit sollte sich entsprechend darauf konzentrieren, die afrikanischen Lander bei der Schaffung entwicklungsfordernder staatlicher Strukturen, der Qualifizierung der Arbeitskrafte und der Verbesserung der Infrastruktur zu unterstutzen.
Planar Hall Effect Sensors With Subnanotesla Resolution

We report the fabrication of elliptical planar Hall effect sensors made of Permalloy with response determined by shape-induced uniaxial anisotropy. By using ac excitation and by optimizing the sensor thickness and the amplitude of the excitation current, we have obtained a magnetic field resolution which is better than 600 pT/ √Hz at 1 Hz and close to 1 nT/ √Hz at 0.1 Hz. We discuss possible routes for further improvement of the obtained resolution.
Rough Electrode Creates Excess Capacitance in Thin-Film Capacitors

The parallel-plate capacitor equation is widely used in contemporary material research for nanoscale applications and nanoelectronics. To apply this equation, flat and smooth electrodes are assumed for a capacitor. This essential assumption is often violated for thin-film capacitors because the formation of nanoscale roughness at the electrode interface is very probable for thin films grown via common deposition methods. In this work, we experimentally and theoretically show that the electrical capacitance of thin-film capacitors with realistic interface roughness is significantly larger than the value predicted by the parallel-plate capacitor equation. The degree of the deviation depends on the strength of the roughness, which is described by three roughness parameters for a self-affine fractal surface. By applying an extended parallel-plate capacitor equation that includes the roughness parameters of the electrode, we are able to calculate the excess capacitance of the electrode with weak roughness. Moreover, we introduce the roughness parameter limits for which the simple parallel-plate capacitor equation is sufficiently accurate for capacitors with one rough electrode. Our results imply that the interface roughness beyond the proposed limits cannot be dismissed unless the independence of the capacitance from the interface roughness is experimentally demonstrated. The practical protocols suggested in our work for the reliable use of the parallel-plate capacitor equation can be applied as general guidelines in various fields of interest.
The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for Chinese people: A meta-analysis

Objective: Over the past decade, cognitive behavioral therapy has been applied to an increasingly wider range of disorders and problems in Chinese societies. However, no meta-analysis has been conducted to synthesize the studies on cognitive behavioral therapy for Chinese clients. The purpose of this meta-analytic study was to examine the overall efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for Chinese people. Method: A literature search was conducted using electronic databases, including Web of Science, PsycINFO and PubMed. Pooled mean effect sizes were calculated using the random-effects model. Results: The literature search identified 55 studies with 6763 Chinese participants. The overall short-term effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on the primary outcome was medium in size. Effect sizes were medium for anxiety, depression/well-being and caregiving stress and small for psychotic symptoms and addictive behaviors. The effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on process variables, dysfunctional thoughts and coping, were in the small range. The overall longer-term effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on the primary outcome was medium in size. Moderator analyses showed that the short-term effect was stronger for culturally adapted cognitive behavioral therapy than for unadapted cognitive behavioral therapy. Type of primary outcome, type of control group, recruitment method, study design, the format of delivery and region were found to moderate the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide evidence for the overall efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for Chinese people and the benefit of cultural adaptation of cognitive behavioral therapy to Chinese culture.
Farmakologie nespavosti a související lékové interakce v klinické praxi

Prevalence insomnii i dalsich poruch spanku v poslednich letech prudce narůsta (1). Farmakologie poruch spanku vyžaduje dobrou orientaci v sirokem spektru použivaných farmak, jejich žadoucich i nežadoucich ucinků a interakci. Někdy býva opomijeno negativni ovlivněni spanku a bděni nejrůznějsimi farmaky, použivanými pro jine indikace než poruchy spanku. Jednoducha klasifikace leků, ovlivňujicich nespavost nebo nadměrnou spavost na hypnotika/sedativa/stimulancia v kontextu soudobých poznatků o neurofyziologii a chronobiologii spankoveho procesu je v soucasne době již obsolentni.
Independent component analysis of pulse oximetry signals

This work describes the application of independent component analysis (ICA) to signals from a pulse oximeter, an instrument that measures arterial blood oxygen content. ICA uses estimates of the second- and higher-order joint statistics of the input signals to separate the signal and interference. For time-derivative pulse oximetry signals, the skew of the arterial pulse component is generally much greater than that of the interference, and this can be used to aid the separation. This paper shows an example of ICA used on pulse oximetry signals and then presents simulations to demonstrate that, for pulse oximetry signals, ICA based on third-order statistics of the derivative is indeed superior to fourth-order ICA.