Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salt and obesity revisited.

A pproximately 75% of the hypertensive patients seen by general practitioners are overweight or obese [1]. In addition to causing or exacerbating arterial hypertension, obesity makes it more difficult to attain blood pressure control, an issue that has been recently highlighted in a joint statement of the European Society of Hypertension and the European Association for the Study of Obesity [2]. Indeed, the presence of obesity was the strongest predictor for lack of DBP control below 90mmHg and the second strongest predictor for lack of SBP control below 140 mmHg among participants of the Framingham Heart Study [3]. Finally, obesity adds cardiovascular risk to hypertension. For example, in the Framingham Heart Study, heart failure risk increased 5% in men and 7% in women with each 1 kg/m increment in BMI in such a way that heart failure risk was doubled in obese individuals [4]. Understanding the mechanisms driving the increase in blood pressure while raising heart failure risk may provide guidance for future research and eventually for preventive and therapeutic measures. Basic and clinical studies provided novel mechanisms on how obesity burdens the cardiovascular system. Among other mechanisms, obesity is associated with excessive release of inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin-1, and interleukin-6, which have been implicated in myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis, and apoptosis [5]. Adipose tissue derived molecules, such as fatty acid binding protein 4, may directly depress myocardial function [6,7]. Furthermore, obesity, particularly in the setting of impaired insulin sensitivity, may predispose to excessive myocardial fat storage [8,9]. In experimental studies, excessive myocardial fat fosters production of lipotoxic intermediates [10]. Thus, altered cardiac metabolism and diminished efficiency are already evident in otherwise healthy obese individuals [11]. Work by Bonfils et al. [12] in this issue of the Journal reminds us that, in addition to all these exciting new mechanisms and molecules, we should not forget about
Molecular nanomechanics of nascent bone: fibrillar toughening by mineralization

Mineralized collagen fibrils are highly conserved nanostructural building blocks of bone. By a combination of molecular dynamics simulation and theoretical analysis it is shown that the characteristic nanostructure of mineralized collagen fibrils is vital for its high strength and its ability to sustain large deformation, as is relevant to the physiological role of bone, creating a strong and tough material. An analysis of the molecular mechanisms of protein and mineral phases under large deformation of mineralized collagen fibrils reveals a fibrillar toughening mechanism that leads to a manifold increase of energy dissipation compared to fibrils without mineral phase. This fibrillar toughening mechanism increases the resistance to fracture by forming large local yield regions around crack-like defects, a mechanism that protects the integrity of the entire structure by allowing for localized failure. As a consequence, mineralized collagen fibrils are able to tolerate microcracks of the order of several hundred micrometres in size without causing any macroscopic failure of the tissue, which may be essential to enable bone remodelling. The analysis proves that adding nanoscopic small platelets to collagen fibrils increases their Young’s modulus and yield strength as well as their fracture strength. We find that mineralized collagen fibrils have a Young’s modulus of 6.23 GPa (versus 4.59 GPa for the collagen fibril), yield at a tensile strain of 6.7% (versus 5% for the collagen fibril) and feature a fracture stress of 0.6 GPa (versus 0.3 GPa for the collagen fibril).
Energy Conservation in Wireless Sensor Networks via Domatic Partitions ∗

Using a dominating set as a coordinator in wireless networks has been proposed in many papers as an energy conservation technique. Since the nodes in a dominating set have the extra burden of coordination, energy resources in such nodes will drain out more quickly than in other nodes. To maximize the lifetime of nodes in the network, it has been proposed that the role of coordinators be rotated among the nodes in the network. One abstraction that has been considered for the problem of picking a collection of coordinators and cycling through them, is the domatic partition problem. This is the problem of partitioning the set of the nodes of the network into dominating sets with the aim of maximizing the number of dominating sets. In this paper, we consider the k-domatic partition problem. A k-dominating set is a subset D of nodes such that every node in the network is at distance at most k from D. The k-domatic partition problem seeks to partition the network into maximum number of k-dominating sets. We point out that from the point of view of saving energy, it may be better to construct a k-domatic partition for k > 1. We present three deterministic, distributed algorithms for finding large k-domatic partitions. Each of our algorithms constructs a k-domatic partition of size at least a constant fraction of the largest possible (k − 1)-domatic partition. Our first algorithm runs in constant time on unit ball graphs (UBGs) in Euclidean space assuming that all nodes know their positions in a global coordinate system. Our second algorithm drops knowledge of global coordinates and instead assumes that pairwise distances between neighboring nodes are known. This algorithm runs in O(log∗ n) time on unit ball graphs in a metric space with constant doubling dimension. Our third algorithm drops all reliance on geometric information, using connectivity information only. This algorithm runs in O(log ∆ · log∗ n) time on growth-bounded graphs. Eulidean UBGs, UBGs in metric spaces with constant doubling dimension, and growth-bounded graphs are successively more general models of wireless networks and all three models include the well-known, but somewhat simplistic wireless network models such as unit disk graphs.
Control of swimming in the hydrozoan jellyfish Aequorea victoria: subumbrellar organization and local inhibition

SUMMARY The subumbrella of the hydrozoan jellyfish Aequorea victoria (previously classified as Aequorea aequorea) is divided by numerous radial canals and attached gonads, so the subumbrellar musculature is partitioned into subumbrellar segments. The ectoderm of each segment includes two types of muscle: smooth muscle with a radial orientation, used for local (feeding and righting) and widespread (protective) radial responses, and striated muscle with a circular orientation which produces swim contractions. Two subumbrellar nerve nets were found, one of which stained with a commercial antibody produced against the bioactive peptide FMRFamide. Circular muscle cells produce a single, long-duration action potential with each swim, triggered by a single junctional potential. In addition, the circular cells are electrically coupled so full contractions require both electrotonic depolarization from adjacent cells and synaptic input from a subumbrellar nerve net. The radial cells, which form a layer superficial to the circular cells, are also activated by a subumbrellar nerve net, and produce short-duration action potentials. The radial muscle cells are electrically coupled to one another. No coupling exists between the two muscle layers. Spread of excitation between adjacent segments is decremental, and nerve net-activated junctional potentials disappear during local inhibition of swimming (such as with a radial response). Variable swim contractions are controlled by a combination of synaptic input from the motor network of the inner nerve ring, synaptic input from a subumbrellar nerve net, and electrotonic depolarization from adjacent, active muscle cells.
Uplink Linear Receivers for Multi-Cell Multiuser MIMO With Pilot Contamination: Large System Analysis

Base stations with a large number of transmit antennas can potentially serve a large number of users at high rates. However, the receiver processing in the uplink relies on channel estimates, which are known to suffer from pilot interference. In this paper, making use of the similarity of the uplink received signal in CDMA with that of a multi-cell multi-antenna system, we perform a large system analysis when the receiver employs an MMSE filter with a pilot contaminated estimate. We assume a Rayleigh fading channel with different received powers from users. We find the asymptotic signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) as the number of antennas and number of users per base station grow larger while maintaining a fixed ratio. Through the SINR expression we explore the scenario where the number of users being served are comparable to the number of antennas at the base station. The SINR explicitly captures the effect of pilot contamination and is found to be the same as that employing a matched filter with a pilot contaminated estimate. We also find the exact expression for the interference suppression obtained using an MMSE filter, which is an important factor when there are a significant number of users in the system as compared to the number of antennas. In a typical set up, in terms of the five percentile SINR, the MMSE filter is shown to provide significant gains over matched filtering and is within 5 dB of MMSE filter with perfect channel estimate. Simulation results for achievable rates are close to large system limits for even a 10-antenna base station with 3 or more users per cell.
Free oxygen radicals regulate plasma membrane Ca2+- and K+-permeable channels in plant root cells

Free oxygen radicals are an irrefutable component of life, underlying important biochemical and physiological phenomena in animals. Here it is shown that free oxygen radicals activate plasma membrane Ca2+- and K+-permeable conductances in Arabidopsis root cell protoplasts, mediating Ca2+ influx and K+ efflux, respectively. Free oxygen radicals generate increases in cytosolic Ca2+ mediated by a novel population of nonselective cation channels that differ in selectivity and pharmacology from those involved in toxic Na+ influx. Analysis of the free oxygen radical-activated K+ conductance showed its similarity to the Arabidopsis root K+ outward rectifier. Significantly larger channel activation was found in cells responsible for perceiving environmental signals and undergoing elongation. Quenching root free oxygen radicals inhibited root elongation, confirming the role of radical-activated Ca2+ influx in cell growth. Net free oxygen radical-stimulated Ca2+ influx and K+ efflux were observed in root cells of monocots, dicots, C3 and C4 plants, suggesting conserved mechanisms and functions. In conclusion, two functions for free oxygen radical cation channel activation are proposed: initialization/amplification of stress signals and control of cell elongation in root growth.
Adherence to guidelines for antiretroviral therapy and for preventing opportunistic infections in HIV-infected adults and adolescents in Ryan White-funded facilities in the United States.

To determine adherence by health care providers to guidelines for antiretroviral therapy and for prevention of opportunistic infections (OIs) in adults with HIV infection in federally funded facilities in the United States, we reviewed records of HIV-infected adults (>13 years) in 11 Ryan White Title III facilities in four states for information on eight standard-of-care recommendations during November 1996 through September 1997. Eligibility required a visit to the facility within 6 months before record abstraction and a lowest CD4+ lymphocyte count <500 cells/microl. Reviews were completed for 148 patients in Maryland, 355 in New York, 370 in Georgia, and 538 in Illinois. Adherence to prevention measures by health care providers was >85% for HIV plasma RNA testing, prescription of antiretroviral therapy, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) prophylaxis, anti-Toxoplasma antibody testing, and obtaining Papanicolaou (Pap) smears but lower (69%-80%) for Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) prophylaxis, tuberculin skin testing (TST), and pneumococcal vaccination. Adherence was similar by patient age, gender, racial/ethnic group, urban versus rural, and hospital versus clinic setting but was generally lower for injecting drug users (IDUs) than for patients with other HIV exposures (p < .05 by multivariate analysis for TST, anti-Toxoplasma antibody testing, Pap smear, and measurement of HIV plasma RNA). Adherence by health care providers to guidelines for preventing OIs in these federally funded facilities is generally high but could be improved for some prevention measures, for instance, MAC prophylaxis, TST, and pneumococcal vaccination, especially for IDUs.
Improving CAMs broadcasting in VANETs through full-duplex radios

Reliable and timely exchange of periodic beacons, a.k. a. cooperative awareness messages (CAMs), in the one-hop neighborhood is essential in vehicular networks to support cooperative driving applications. The problem is that broadcasted CAMs are neither acknowledged nor retransmitted in case of failure, e.g., due to channel errors or collisions, and this makes data transmission unreliable and without any delivery guarantee. In this paper, we propose in-band full-duplex communications to improve the reliability of vehicle-to-vehicle beacon exchanges. The FD capability to simultaneously transmit and receive on the same channel can be beneficially exploited by a vehicle to detect a collision while transmitting, and to promptly retransmit to recover from the packet failure. Achieved simulation results show that the proposed solution provides several improvements in terms of reliability and timeliness in CAMs delivery when compared against a naïve half-duplex broadcasting and a simple CAM repetition technique.
Two-Sided Matching Based Cooperative Spectrum Sharing

Dynamic spectrum access (DSA) can effectively improve the spectrum efficiency and alleviate the spectrum scarcity, by allowing unlicensed secondary users (SUs) to access the licensed spectrum of primary users (PUs) opportunistically. Cooperative spectrum sharing is a new promising paradigm to provide necessary <italic>incentives</italic> for both PUs and SUs in dynamic spectrum access. The key idea is that SUs relay the traffic of PUs in exchange for the access time on the PUs’ licensed spectrum. In this paper, we formulate the cooperative spectrum sharing between multiple PUs and multiple SUs as a <italic>two-sided market</italic>, and study the market equilibrium under both complete and incomplete information. First, we characterize the sufficient and necessary conditions for the market equilibrium. We analytically show that there may exist multiple market equilibria, among which there is always a unique <italic> Pareto-optimal</italic> equilibrium for PUs (called <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $\sf{PU\hbox{-}Optimal\hbox{-}EQ}$</tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="huang-ieq1-2557794.gif"/> </alternatives></inline-formula>), in which <italic>every</italic> PU achieves a utility no worse than in any other equilibrium. Then, we show that under complete information, the unique Pareto-optimal equilibrium <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sf{PU\hbox{-}Optimal\hbox{-}EQ}$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="huang-ieq2-2557794.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> can always be achieved despite the competition among PUs; whereas, under incomplete information, the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $\sf{PU\hbox{-}Optimal\hbox{-}EQ}$</tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="huang-ieq3-2557794.gif"/> </alternatives></inline-formula> may not be achieved due to the mis-representations of SUs (in reporting their private information). Regarding this, we further study the worse-case equilibrium for PUs, and characterize a <italic>Robust </italic> equilibrium for PUs (called <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sf{PU\hbox{-}Robust\hbox{-}EQ}$ </tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="huang-ieq4-2557794.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula>), which provides <italic>every</italic> PU a guaranteed utility under all possible mis-representation behaviors of SUs. Numerical results show that in a typical network where the number of PUs and SUs are different, the performance gap between <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sf{PU\hbox{-}Optimal\hbox{-}EQ}$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="huang-ieq5-2557794.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sf{PU\hbox{-}Robust\hbox{-}EQ}$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="huang-ieq6-2557794.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> is quite small (e.g., less than 10 percent in the simulations).
Effect of time of sowing and nitrogen levels on yield attributes, yield and quality parameters of Rabi forage maize (Zea mays L.)

An experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Instructional Farm, C. P. College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar during rabi season of 2014-15 to find out the optimum time of sowing and nitrogen levels for rabi forage maize crop. Green and dry weight per plant were significantly higher by sowing the rabi forage maize crop on 1st week of October and it was followed by 3rd week of October sowing at 30 and 60 DAS. Green and dry forage yield did not differ significantly by different sowing times. Significantly higher green forage productivity per day was recorded by the 1st week of October sowing. Crude protein content, crude fibre content, nitrogen content and nitrogen uptake by rabi forage maize crop did not differ significantly due to different time of sowing. Green weight per plant, dry weight per plant, green forage yield, dry forage yield and green forage productivity per day were significantly higher by the application of 120 kg nitrogen per hectare and it was followed by the application of 100 kg nitrogen per hectare at 30 and 60 DAS and also at harvesting time. Maximum net realization and benefit: cost ratio was recorded by 1st week of October sowing fertilizing with the 120 kg nitrogen per hectare and was followed by 100 kg nitrogen per hectare.
"Obesity paradox" in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND The "obesity paradox" is defined as an inverse association of good health, survival and obesity. Usually in healthy persons the more obese you are the more metabolic complications you have; however, thin patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have more cardiovascular complications and a higher mortality rate. OBJECTIVES To explore whether atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease (PAD) contribute to the higher morbidity and mortality of patients with COPD. METHODS This prospective study included 87 patients with chronic COPD who were treated in the pulmonary outpatient clinic; all signed a consent form before enrollment. We documented their lung function (FEV1%), body mass index (BMI) and ankle brachial index (ABI). The primary endpoints were to find an association between atherosclerosis and BMI in patients with COPD, and between atherosclerosis and severity of lung disease. RESULTS Average ABI was 1.01 +/- 0.20, BMI was 29.33 +/- 7.48 kg/m2, and the abdominal circumference was 107.34 +/- 18.87 cm. A positive correlation was found between BMI and ABI (P=0.001) and between abdominal circumference and ABI (P=0.000). Patients with peripheral artery disease were older (73.6 +/- 11.5 vs. 68.1 +/- 11.6 years old, P= 0.04), were thinner (average BMI 25.5 +/- 6.2 vs. 31.06 +/- 7.3, P= 0.001), and had a lower abdominal circumference (97.7 +/- 18.3 vs. 111.7 +/- 17.5 cm, P=0.001). No such difference was observed for years of smoking. Male PAD patients with COPD had a lower BMI (25.2 +/- 5.6 vs. 29.9 +/- 7.4, P = 0.016), and their abdominal circumference was smaller (96.1 +/- 18.0 vs. 110.2 +/- 16.5 cm, P=0.004). Female PAD patients with COPD had a lower BMI (26.3 +/- 8.2 vs. 33.1 +/- 7.0, P=0.045), but their abdominal circumference was not different from females without PAD (102.0 +/- 19.7 vs. 114.0 +/- 19.4 cm, P=0.162). Patients with PAD had a worse lung disease (FEV1% 34 +/- 8% vs. 45 +/- 16%, P=0.01). During the 1 year of follow-up five patients died: two PAD patients due to acute myocardial infarction and three non-PAD patients died from pulmonary insufficiency (two patients) and pulmonary emboli (one patient). DISCUSSION We found that COPD patients with PAD were older and thinner and had a lower abdominal circumference and a more progressive lung disease. Extensive atherosclerosis in patients with COPD may partly explain the "obesity paradox" observed in patients with COPD.
Paediatric male circumcision and penile hygiene: a Japanese mothers’ view

This paper analyses the views of 20 Japanese mothers concerning paediatric male circumcision and penile hygiene. In Japan, routine male circumcision has never been implemented for newborns and children, and adult males are mostly circumcised at aesthetic clinics. However, media reports indicate a trend of Japanese mothers willing to have their sons circumcised. In discussing penile hygiene and male circumcision, the construct of a ‘sexual script’ becomes relevant to understanding how linguistic and gender barriers made references to male genitalia and penile hygiene largely appear as ‘vulgar’ and ‘unfeminine’ in daily life conversations. Peers were often identified as the main source of information and only mothers who have struggled with their children's penile infections have learnt about male genital hygiene, a domain of knowledge largely transmitted by men. Male circumcision becomes a double-edged sword that could help prevent penile infections but also an embarrassing conversational topic that could elicit discrimination because most Japanese children are uncircumcised.
The gender congruency effect and the selection of freestanding and bound morphemes: evidence from croatian.

The authors report 3 picture-word interference experiments in which they explore some properties of the agreement process in speech production. In Experiment 1, Croatian speakers were asked to produce utterances in which the noun's gender value had an impact on the selection of gender-marked freestanding morphemes (pronouns) while ignoring the presentation of same- or different-gender distractor words. In Experiments 2 and 3, Croatian speakers were asked to name the same pictures using noun phrases in which the noun's gender value surfaced as an inflectional suffix. Different-gender distractors interfered more than same-gender distractors (the gender congruency effect) in Experiment 1, but not in Experiments 2 and 3. These contrasting results show that the cause of the gender congruency effect is not at the level where lexical-grammatical information is selected but at the level of selection of freestanding morphemes.