Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assosiation of Epicardial and Pericardial Fat Thickness with Coronary Artery Disease

Introduction Visceral adipose tissue is a known important risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). While some studies have suggested relationship between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and CAD, there are no adequate studies for pericardial fat thickness (PFT). The aim of this study was to determine the association of EFT and PFT with CAD. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who were candidates for elective coronary artery angiography, referred to Emam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran during Jan 2014–2016. Demographic and laboratory data were collected. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed to determine average EFT and PFT at the standard parasternal long-axis view at end-systole for 3 cardiac cycles. SCA was performed on the same day. The patients were divided into two groups: CAD (n=59) and non-CAD (n=41) based on presence or absence of epicardial coronary artery stenosis of > 50%. Chi-square, independent T-test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used by SPSS Version 16 for data analysis. Results One hundred patients (44 women and 56 men) with an average age of 56.4 ± 9.9 years were studied. The two groups were not significantly different in demographic profile and cronary risk factors. While PFT was not significantly different between the two groups, EFT was significantly higher in CAD group (3.0 ± 3.69 vs. 1.2 ± 3.6, p <0.0001). Moreover, with the increase of the affected coronary arteries, EFT increased (p <0.0001). Gensini score had a strong correlation with amount of EFT (r = 0.765, p <0.0001). EFT with a cutoff value of 4.25 mm (sensitivity=79%, specificity=68%) was specified in predicting CAD. Conclusion EFT measured by echocardiography can be used as an independent marker to predict CAD. More studies are needed to determine the predictive role of PFT for CAD.
The impact of Multimedia Software Support on the Knowledge and Self-Care Behaviors of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction: Education is the most effective and economical part of diabetes treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a training program with multimedia software on the knowledge and self-care behaviors of patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial in which 60 patients referred to diabetes clinic at Arak city were divided randomly into experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. The instruments for collecting data were "Summary of Diabetes self-care activities questionnaire" and "knowledge of self-care in patients with diabetes". Data were collected before and 2 months after the intervention in the both groups. Educational program with equal content was applied for both experimental group (self-care program with multimedia software support) & control group (lecture and presentation with PowerPoint). Data analysis was done using SPSS Ver.13. Results: Implementation of the self-care program with multimedia software support resulted in improvements in patients’ self-care behaviors in the experimental group, whereas these behaviors had not significant changes in the control group after eight weeks. There was a significant difference in the mean score of knowledge in both the experiment and control groups before and after the intervention. Conclusion: Considering beneficial effects of training program with multimedia software support on the knowledge and self-care behaviors and the importance of this issue, suggested that the patients preferably provide terms of use of educational software for themselves.
Activation of Heat Shock Factor 1 DNA Binding Precedes Stress-induced Serine Phosphorylation

Exposure of mammalian cells in culture to the anti-inflammatory drugs sodium salicylate or indomethacin results in activation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) DNA binding activity. We have previously shown that the drug-induced HSF1 becomes associated with the heat shock elements of the hsp70 promoter, yet transcription of the hsp70 gene is not induced (Jurivich, D. A., Sistonen, L., Kroes, R. A., and Morimoto, R. I.(1992) Science 255, 1243-1245). In this study, we have examined the basis for uncoupling the heat shock transcriptional response. Comparison of heat shock and drug-induced forms of HSF1 has revealed that the transcriptionally inert drug-induced HSF1 is constitutively but not inducibly serine-phosphorylated, whereas heat shock-induced HSF1 is both constitutively and inducibly serine-phosphorylated. The transcriptionally inert intermediate represented by drug-induced HSF1 can be converted to the transcriptionally active state by a subsequent exposure to heat shock. The only detectable change in HSF1 is the acquisition of inducible serine phosphorylation. These data reveal that acquisition of the trimeric DNA binding state of HSF1 is independent of and precedes inducible phosphorylation and furthermore that inducible phosphorylation correlates with transcriptional activation.
Low-cost router microarchitecture for on-chip networks

On-chip networks are critical to the scaling of future multicore processors. The challenge for on-chip network is to reduce the cost including power consumption and area while providing high performance such as low latency and high bandwidth. Although much research in on-chip network have focused on improving the performance of on-chip networks, they have often relied on a router microarchitecture adopted from off-chip networks. As a result, the on-chip network architecture will not scale properly because of design complexity. In this paper, we propose a low-cost, on-chip network router microarchitecture which is different from the commonly assumed baseline router microarchitecture. We reduce the cost of on-chip networks by partitioning the crossbar, prioritizing packets in flight to simplify arbitration, and reducing the amount of buffers. We show that by introducing intermediate buffers to decouple the routing in the x and the y dimensions, high performance can be achieved with the proposed, low-cost router microarchitecture. By removing the complexity of a baseline router microarchitecture, the low-cost router microarchitecture can also approach the ideal latency in on-chip networks. However, the prioritized switch arbitration simplifies the router but creates starvation for some nodes. We show how delaying the rate credits are returned upstream can be used to implement a distributed, starvation avoidance mechanism to provide fairness. Our evaluations show that the proposed low-cost router can reduce the area by 37% and the power consumption by 45% compared with a baseline router microarchitecture that achieves a similar throughput.
On the performance of the LISP beta network

The future Internet has been a hot topic during the past decade and many approaches towards this future Internet, ranging from incremental evolution to complete clean slate ones, have been proposed. One of the proposition, LISP, advocates for the separation of the identifier and the locator roles of IP addresses to reduce BGP churn and BGP table size. Up to now, however, most studies concerning LISP have been theoretical and, in fact, little is known about the actual LISP deployment performance. In this paper, we fill this gap through measurement campaigns carried out on the LISP Beta Network. More precisely, we evaluate the performance of the two key components of the infrastructure: the control plane (i.e., the mapping system) and the interworking mechanism (i.e., communication between LISP and non-LISP sites). Our measurements highlight that performance offered by the LISP interworking infrastructure is strongly dependent on BGP routing policies. If we exclude misconfigured nodes, the mapping system typically provides reliable performance and relatively low median mapping resolution delays. Although the bias is not very important, control plane performance favors USA sites as a result of its larger LISP user base but also because European infrastructure appears to be less reliable.
GNSS/INS/Star Tracker Integrated Navigation System for Earth-Moon Transfer Orbit

Over the last few years, new Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) applications have emerged that go far beyond the original objectives of GNSS which was providing position, velocity and timing (PVT) services for land, maritime, and air applications. Indeed, today, GNSS is used in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for a wide range of applications such as real-time navigation, formation flying, precise time synchronization, orbit determination and atmospheric profiling. GNSS, in fact, can maximize the autonomy of a spacecraft and reduce the burden and costs of network operations. For this reason, there is a strong interest to also use GNSS for High Earth Orbit or Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) missions. However, the use of GNSS for HEO up to Moon altitudes is still new, and terrestrial GNSS receivers have not been designed to cope with the space environment which affects considerably the GNSS receiver performance and the GNSS solution (e.g. navigation solution). The goal of our research is therefore to develop a proof of concept of a spaceborne GNSS receiver for Earth-Moon transfer orbits, assisted by Inertial Navigation System (INS), a Star Tracker and an orbital forces model to increase the navigation accuracy and to achieve the required sensitivity.
The Impact of eLearning on higher education

The purpose of this study was to explore changes that are occurring in higher education as a result of the use of eLearning in Canada Using constructivist grounded theory techniques, open- ended interviews with 12 Western Canadian administrators of distance delivered Internet-based programs (or eLearning) at research-intensive universities were conducted A conclusion resulting from the findings is that the dominant assumption that eLearning can respond to accelerating global competition, deliver more effective learning experiences, and increase access for less money without corresponding losses needs to be questioned.
A comparison between the cardiorespiratory responses of motorized and non-motorized treadmill protocols

A concise and factual abstract is required. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, References should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself.
Implementation of a dynamic equation constraint based on the steady state momentum equations within the WRF hybrid ensemble‐3DVar data assimilation system and test with radar T‐TREC wind assimilation for tropical Cyclone Chanthu (2010)

Proper dynamic equation constraints in data assimilation (DA) systems can help improve balance of analyzed atmospheric state. The formulation of ensemble‐variational DA algorithms allows for easy incorporation of such constraints, but their impacts within such DA systems have been little studied. A dynamic constraint based on the steady momentum equations is incorporated into the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) hybrid ensemble‐three‐dimensional variational (3DVar) (En3DVar) DA system as a weak constraint. The constraint aims at improving the coupling and balance among wind and thermodynamic state variables, especially when few state variables are directly observed. The scheme is applied to the assimilation of radar T‐TREC (Typhoon‐Tracking Radar Echo by Correlation) winds at a convection‐allowing resolution, for landfalling typhoon, Chanthu (2010), when it was within the range of a coastal radar. Parallel experiments using the 3DVar and En3DVar with and without the dynamic constraint are run to examine the impact of the constraint. The flow‐dependent ensemble covariance used in En3DVar helps to update unobserved pressure and temperature fields in a dynamically more consistent way compared to the static covariance; the added dynamic constraint produces more accurate pressure within the typhoon. The pressure field improved by the dynamic constraint also leads to better temperature and moisture analyses within the variational minimization through flow‐dependent cross covariance. En3DVar analysis with the dynamic constraint produces the best intensity forecast for the typhoon, in terms of the minimum sea level pressure and maximum surface wind speed. Additional sensitivity experiments examine the impact of the weight of the dynamic constraint.
A Unilateral Commit Protocol for Mobile and Disconnected Computing

Databases are hosted by a growing number of lightweight intelligent devices like palmtops, cellular phones, car computers and even smart cards. Mobility and disconnected computing are two major issues in such environment. This paper deals with the way databases can be exploited in this context while maintaining a strong transactional coherency. More precisely, we argue that 2PC, the most well known and well-established atomic commitment protocol, is far from being adapted to this environment. We propose a new atomic commitment protocol, called Unilateral Commit for Mobile (UCM), that exhibits the following properties : it supports off-line executions and disconnection during commitment, it decreases the cost of wireless communication by reducing the message complexity and it saves resources on lightweight servers. These properties are obtained at the price of some assumptions on the way servers manage transactions. Anyway, we show that these assumptions are not constraining in the considered environment.
Power or concerns: Contrasting perspectives on missionary conflict

Among the consequences of conflicts between missionaries are a reduction in ministry effectiveness and an increase in the likelihood of missionary attrition. In contrast to perspectives of conflict management in Christian contexts which tend to focus on power (condemning the other party as sinful, enforcing submission to the hierarchical superior, or separation of the conflicting parties), the dual concern model of conflict management views conflict as an opportunity to understand each party’s concerns so that the two parties may cooperate and find solutions that correspond to the interests of both parties (Phil. 2:4). The dual concern model also predicts conflict behaviors (i.e., forcing, submission, or avoidance) when the interests of both parties are not considered. A qualitative analysis of data collected from present and former missionaries describing power issues (N = 34) indicates that the dual concern model of conflict management can be used to predict conflict behaviors and outcomes, even when conflicts are initially framed in terms of power. Recommendations for increasing cooperation between missionaries include better training in conflict management, the creation of mediation systems, and the development of an organizational culture that promotes cooperation.
The Effects of Foreign Shocks When Interest Rates are at Zero

In a two-country DSGE model, the effects of foreign demand shocks on the home country are greatly amplified if the home economy is constrained by the zero lower bound for policy interest rates. This result applies even to countries that are relatively closed to trade such as the United States. Departing from many of the existing closed-economy models, the duration of the liquidity trap is determined endogenously. Adverse foreign shocks can extend the duration of the trap, implying more contractionary effects for the home country; conversely, large positive shocks can prompt an early exit, implying effects that are closer to those when the zero bound constraint is not binding.
Autonomous motivation for teaching: How self-determined teaching may lead to self-determined learning.

This study examined teachers' experience of autonomous motivation for teaching and its correlates in teachers and students. It was hypothesized that teachers would perceive various motivations posited by E. L. Deci and R. M. Ryan's (2000) self-determination theory as falling along a continuum of autonomous motivation for teaching. Autonomous motivation for teaching was predicted to be associated positively with teachers' sense of personal accomplishment and negatively with emotional exhaustion. Most important, teachers' self-reported autonomous motivation for teaching was expected to promote students' self-reported autonomous motivation for learning by enhancing teachers' autonomy-supportive behavior, as indicated by students' reports. Results from a sample of 132 Israeli teachers and their 1,255 students were consistent with the hypotheses. Discussion focuses on the importance of the experience of autonomous motivation for teaching for teachers and students.
An Analysis of Transformations

[Read at a RESEARCH METHODS MEETING of the SOCIETY, April 8th, 1964, Professor D. V. LINDLEY in the Chair] SUMMARY In the analysis of data it is often assumed that observations Yl, Y2, *-, Yn are independently normally distributed with constant variance and with expectations specified by a model linear in a set of parameters 0. In this paper we make the less restrictive assumption that such a normal, homoscedastic, linear model is appropriate after some suitable transformation has been applied to the y's. Inferences about the transformation and about the parameters of the linear model are made by computing the likelihood function and the relevant posterior distribution. The contributions of normality, homoscedasticity and additivity to the transformation are separated. The relation of the present methods to earlier procedures for finding transformations is discussed. The methods are illustrated with examples.
Rapid Vesicular Release, Quantal Variability, and Spillover Contribute to the Precision and Reliability of Transmission at a Glomerular Synapse

The amplitude and shape of EPSC waveforms are thought to be important determinants of information processing and storage in the brain, yet relatively little is known about the origins of EPSC variability or how it affects synaptic signaling. We investigated the stochastic determinants of AMPA receptor-mediated EPSC variability at cerebellar mossy fiber–granule cell (MF-GC) connections by combining multiple-probability fluctuation analysis (MPFA) and deconvolution methods. The properties of MF connections with a single release site and the effects of the rapidly equilibrating competitive antagonist kynurenic acid on EPSCs suggest that receptors are not saturated by glutamate during a quantal event and that quanta sum linearly over a wide range of release probabilities. MPFA revealed an average of five vesicular release sites per MF-GC connection. Our results show that the time course of vesicular release is rapid (decay, τ = 75 μs) and independent of release probability, introducing little jitter in the shape or timing of the quantal component of the EPSC at physiological temperature. Moreover, the peak vesicular release rate per release site after an action potential (AP) (∼3 ms–1) is substantially higher than previously reported for central synapses. Interaction of amplitude fluctuations arising from quantal release and quantal size with the slower, low variability spillover-mediated current produce substantial variability in EPSC shape. Our simulations of MF-GC transmission suggest that quantal variability and transmitter spillover extend the voltage from which AP threshold can be crossed, improving reliability, and that fast vesicular release allows precise signaling across MF connections with heterogeneous weights.
Force–velocity relationships in actin–myosin interactions causing cytoplasmic streaming in algal cells

SUMMARY Cytoplasmic streaming in giant internodal cells of green algae is caused by ATP-dependent sliding between actin cables fixed on chloroplast rows and cytoplasmic myosin molecules attached to cytoplasmic organelles. Its velocity (≥50 μm s-1) is many times larger than the maximum velocity of actin–myosin sliding in muscle. We studied kinetic properties of actin–myosin sliding causing cytoplasmic streaming in internodal cell preparations of Chara corallina, into which polystyrene beads, coated with cytoplasmic myosin molecules, were introduced. Constant centrifugal forces directed opposite to the bead movement were applied as external loads. The steady-state force–velocity (P–V) curves obtained were nearly straight, irrespective of the maximum isometric force generated by cytoplasmic myosin molecules, indicating a large duty ratio of cytoplasmic myosin head. The large velocity of cytoplasmic streaming can be accounted for, at least qualitatively, by assuming a mechanically coupled interaction between cytoplasmic myosin heads as well as a large distance of unitary actin–myosin sliding.
Cutting the brakes on hematopoietic regeneration by blocking TGFβ to limit chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression

Hematopoietic stressors such as infection, bleeding, or toxic injury trigger a hematopoietic adaptation that sacrifices hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) quiescence to meet an urgent need for new blood cell production. Once the hematopoietic demands are adequately met, homeostasis must be restored. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling is a central mediator mandating the return of HSPCs to quiescence after stress. Blockade of TGFβ signaling after hematopoietic stress delays the return of cycling HSPCs to quiescence and in so doing promotes hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and accelerates hematopoietic reconstitution. These findings open the door to new therapeutics that modulate the hematopoietic adaptation to stress. In this review, we will discuss the complex context-dependent activities of TGFβ in hematopoiesis and the potential benefits and limitations of using TGFβ pathway inhibitors to promote multilineage hematopoietic reconstitution after myelosuppressive chemotherapy.
Neural crest patterning: autoregulatory and crest-specific elements co-operate for Krox20 transcriptional control

Neural crest patterning constitutes an important element in the control of the morphogenesis of craniofacial structures. Krox20, a transcription factor gene that plays a critical role in the development of the segmented hindbrain, is expressed in rhombomeres (r) 3 and 5 and in a stream of neural crest cells migrating from r5 toward the third branchial arch. We have investigated the basis of the specific neural crest expression of Krox20 and identified a cis-acting enhancer element (NCE) located 26 kb upstream of the gene that is conserved between mouse, man and chick and can recapitulate the Krox20 neural crest pattern in transgenic mice. Functional dissection of the enhancer revealed the presence of two conserved Krox20 binding sites mediating direct Krox20 autoregulation in the neural crest. In addition, the enhancer included another essential element containing conserved binding sites for high mobility group (HMG) box proteins and which responded to factors expressed throughout the neural crest. Consistent with this the NCE was strongly activated in vitro by Sox10, a crest-specific HMG box protein, in synergism with Krox20, and the inactivation of Sox10 prevented the maintenance of Krox20 expression in the migrating neural crest. These results suggest that the dependency of the enhancer on both crest- (Sox10) and r5- (Krox20) specific factors limits its activity to the r5-derived neural crest. This organisation also suggests a mechanism for the transfer and maintenance of rhombomere-specific gene expression from the hindbrain neuroepithelium to the emerging neural crest and may be of more general significance for neural crest patterning.