Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endogenous nitric oxide on arterial hemodynamics: a comparison between normotensive and hypertensive rats.

Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in maintaining a vasodilator tone. In the present study, we compared the effects of NO blockade on the steady and pulsatile components of arterial hemodynamics between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto strain (WKY), 22-26 wk of age. In the first series of experiments, various doses (1-30 mg/kg i.v.) of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) were administered to block the NO release in anesthetized WKY and SHR. In both WKY and SHR, L-NAME caused a dose-dependent increase in arterial pressure (AP) with a decrease in heart rate (HR). The maximal effects of L-NAME on AP and HR occurred at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Both the AP increase and HR decrease were higher in SHR (AP, +38 +/- 4 mmHg; HR, -49 +/- 5 beats/min) than WKY (AP, +22 +/- 3 mmHg; HR, -33 +/- 5 beat/min). In other series, the technique of impedance spectral analysis was employed to investigate the effects of L-NAME (10 mg/kg i.v.) on the arterial hemodynamics. The aortic pressure and flow waves were recorded and subjected to Fourier transform for the analysis of impedance spectra. Both in WKY (n = 12) and in SHR (n = 12), L-NAME significantly increased AP and total peripheral resistance (TPR). The pulsatile and frequency-dependent hemodynamics including characteristic impedance, wave reflection, and ventricular work were only slightly altered. Despite higher resting values of AP and TPR in SHR (mean AP, 154 +/- 7 mmHg; mean TPR, 204 +/- 17 x 10(3) dyn x s x cm(-5)) than WKY (mean AP, 94 +/- 6 mmHg; mean TPR, 98 +/- 12 x 10(3) dyn x s x cm(-5)), the magnitudes of AP and TPR increments after NO blockade were significantly higher in SHR (AP, +37 +/- 3 mmHg; TPR, +124 +/- 16 x 10(3) dyn x s x cm(-5)) than in WKY (AP, +24 +/- 3 mmHg; TPR, +45 +/- 7 x 10(3) dyn x s x cm(-5)). The continuous formation of endogenous NO affects predominantly the AP and peripheral resistance in both WKY and SHR. The windkessel functions, such as impedance spectra, pulse-wave reflection, and ventricular work, are less affected after NO blockade. In addition, the effects of NO release on the AP and TPR appear to be enhanced in rats with established hypertension.
Investor Reaction to Celebrity Analysts: The Case of Earnings Forecast Revisions

We examine the effects of analysts' celebrity on investor reaction to earnings forecast revisions. We measure celebrity as the quantity of media coverage analysts receive in sources included in the Dow Jones Interactive database, and find that media coverage is positively related to investor reaction to forecast revisions. The effect of celebrity on the reaction to forecast revisions remains significant after controlling for forecast performance variables examined in prior studies (ex post forecast accuracy, ex ante accuracy, award status, and other variables shown to be related to forecast accuracy). While these results are consistent with the familiarity of the analyst's name affecting the market reaction, we cannot rule out that our measure of celebrity is correlated with error in the performance measures we examine and/or correlated with other unexamined dimensions of forecast performance. A content analysis of a random subsample of the media coverage of our sample analysts suggests that our findings likely are not due to the increased availability of forecast revisions. Finally, an investigation of the excess returns around the quarterly earnings announcement date suggests that market participants react too strongly to forecast revisions issued by analysts with high levels of media coverage. Taken together, these findings suggest that an analyst's level of media coverage can affect the initial market reaction to his forecast revisions.
Function-Based Discovery of Significant Transcriptional Temporal Patterns in Insulin Stimulated Muscle Cells

Background Insulin action on protein synthesis (translation of transcripts) and post-translational modifications, especially of those involving the reversible modifications such as phosphorylation of various signaling proteins, are extensively studied but insulin effect on transcription of genes, especially of transcriptional temporal patterns remains to be fully defined. Methodology/Principal Findings To identify significant transcriptional temporal patterns we utilized primary differentiated rat skeletal muscle myotubes which were treated with insulin and samples were collected every 20 min for 8 hours. Pooled samples at every hour were analyzed by gene array approach to measure transcript levels. The patterns of transcript levels were analyzed based on a novel method that integrates selection, clustering, and functional annotation to find the main temporal patterns associated to functional groups of differentially expressed genes. 326 genes were found to be differentially expressed in response to in vitro insulin administration in skeletal muscle myotubes. Approximately 20% of the genes that were differentially expressed were identified as belonging to the insulin signaling pathway. Characteristic transcriptional temporal patterns include: (a) a slow and gradual decrease in gene expression, (b) a gradual increase in gene expression reaching a peak at about 5 hours and then reaching a plateau or an initial decrease and other different variable pattern of increase in gene expression over time. Conclusion/Significance The new method allows identifying characteristic dynamic responses to insulin stimulus, common to a number of genes and associated to the same functional group. The results demonstrate that insulin treatment elicited different clusters of gene transcript profile supporting a temporal regulation of gene expression by insulin in skeletal muscle cells.
An onboard UAS visual privacy guard system

The application areas of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are vast. The ever-increasing deployment of UAS is pushed further by advancements and cost effectiveness. It is not uncommon to come across makeshift UAS composed of off-the-shelf components that can be purchased from electronics stores. These components/systems are so easy to obtain and assemble to make homemade UAS, which then can be used by anyone for any purpose seen fit. This paper introduces the first of a set of privacy preserving measures and techniques for UAS applications. The system conceptual design will have a few versions, which the authors will apply in different setting in the subsequent research activities. For the sake of presenting the UAS Visual Privacy Guard system, the authors will use news reporting as an application.
Priorities and student satisfaction as a function of student persistence for adult online learners

Models have classified dropout attributes in traditional environments, but minimal research has focused on the relationship between persistence and attributes present in the undergraduate online adult learner population. One of the many factors that influences a student’s likelihood to persist is student satisfaction. Previous researchers who studied the relationship between satisfaction and persistence have neglected to address the importance or priority of the experiences a student encountered. This study focused specifically on the correlation between levels of importance and satisfaction, and the resulting impact on persistence. The participants in the study were undergraduate adult students enrolled in an online program at a private, non-profit, regionally accredited institution of higher education in the American Midwest. Correlation testing was conducted to determine if there was a relationship between student persistence and the performance gap, determined by subtracting the satisfaction level from the importance level provided on the Priorities Survey for Online Learners (PSOL). Chi-square tests were conducted to identify if there were specific educational experiences evaluated as a part of the PSOL that had a more significant impact on persistence rates. The findings of this study indicate that adult online students require access to the same type of faculty interactions that are made available to those students enrolled in on-campus programs, timely feedback and responses to requests, and clearly outlined costs associated with enrollment that enable students to fully appreciate the financial commitment required prior to and while enrolled.
Single molecule linear analysis of DNA in nano-channel labeled with sequence specific fluorescent probes

An array of nano-channels was fabricated from silicon based semiconductor materials to stretch long, native dsDNA. Here we present a labeling scheme in which it is possible to identify the location of specific sequences along the stretched DNA molecules. The scheme proceeds by first using the strand displacement activity of the Vent (exo-) polymerase to generate single strand flaps on nicked dsDNA. These single strand flaps are hybridized with sequence specific fluorophore-labeled probes. Subsequent imaging of the DNA molecules inside a nano-channel array device allows for quantitative identification of the location of probes. The highly efficient DNA hybridization on the ss-DNA flaps is an excellent method to identify the sequence motifs of dsDNA as it gives us unique ability to control the length of the probe sequence and thus the frequency of hybridization sites on the DNA. We have also shown that this technique can be extended to a multi color labeling scheme by using different dye labeled probes or by combining with a DNA- polymerase-mediated incorporation of fluorophore-labeled nucleotides on nicking sites. Thus this labeling chemistry in conjunction with the nano-channel platform can be a powerful tool to solve complex structural variations in DNA which is of importance for both research and clinical diagnostics of genetic diseases.
Novel Morpheme Learning in Monolingual and Bilingual Children.

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to examine the utility of a novel morpheme learning task for indexing typical language abilities in children characterized by diverse language backgrounds. Method Three groups of 5- to 6-year-old children were tested: monolingual speakers of English, native speakers of Spanish who also spoke English (Spanish-L1 bilinguals), and native speakers of English who also spoke Spanish (English-L1 bilinguals). All children were taught a new derivational morpheme /ku/ marking part-whole distinction in conjunction with English nouns. Retention was measured via a receptive task, and sensitivity and reaction time (RT) data were collected. Results All three groups of children learned the novel morpheme successfully and were able to generalize its use to untaught nouns. Furthermore, language characteristics (degree of exposure and levels of performance on standardized measures) did not contribute to bilingual children's learning outcomes. Conclusion Together, the findings indicate that this particular version of the novel morpheme learning task may be resistant to influences associated with language background and suggest potential usefulness of the task to clinical practice.
Contrast-Enhanced Three-Dimensional Pulmonary Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Intraindividual Comparison of 1.0 M Gadobutrol and 0.5 M Gd-DTPA at Three Dose Levels

Rationale and Objectives:To compare 1.0 M gadobutrol and 0.5 M Gd-DTPA for contrast-enhanced three-dimensional pulmonary perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (3D MRI). Materials and Methods:Ten healthy volunteers (3 females; 7 males; median age, 27 years; age range, 18–31 years) were examined with contrast-enhanced dynamic 3D MRI with parallel acquisition technique (FLASH 3D; reconstruction algorithm: generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions; acceleration factor: 2; TE/TR/&agr;: 0.8/1.9 milliseconds/40°; FOV: 500 × 375 mm; matrix: 256 × 86; slab thickness: 180 mm; 36 partitions; voxel size: 4.4 × 2 × 5 mm3; TA: 1.48 seconds). Twenty-five consecutive data sets were acquired after intravenous injection of 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mmol/kg body weight of gadobutrol and Gd-DTPA. Quantitative measurements of peak signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of both lungs were performed independently by 3 readers. Bolus transit times through the lungs were assessed from signal intensity time curves. Results:The peak SNR in the lungs was comparable between gadobutrol and Gd-DTPA at all dose levels (15.7 vs. 15.5 at 0.1 mmol/kg bw; 12.9 vs. 12.5 at 0.05 mmol/kg bw; 7.6 vs. 8.9 at 0.025 mmol/kg bw). A dose of 0.1 mmol/kg achieved the highest peak SNR compared with all other dose levels (P < 0.05). A higher peak SNR was observed in gravity dependent lung (P < 0.05). Despite different injection volumes, transit times of the contrast bolus did not differ between both agents. Conclusion:Higher concentrated gadolinium chelates offer no advantage over standard 0.5 M Gd-DTPA for contrast-enhanced 3D MRI of lung perfusion.
Parallel Discrete Event Simulation Using Space-Time Memory

An abstraction called space-time memory is discussed that allows parallel discrete event simulation programs using the Time Warp mechanism to be written using shared memory constructs. A few salient points concerning the implementation and use of space-time memory in parallel simulation are discussed. It is argued that this abstraction is useful from a programming standpoint for certain applications, and can yield good performance. Initial performance measurements of a prototype implementation of the abstraction on a shared-memory multiprocessor are described, and compared with a conventional, message-based implementation of Time Warp.
Reciproc vs. hand instrumentation in dental practice: a study in routine care

Background. Little is known about the clinical impact of new root canal preparation systems in general dental practice under routine care conditions. Therefore, we compared hand instrumentation (H) with Reciproc (R) (VDW, Munich, Germany) preparation. The outcomes were endodontic related pain and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL), evaluation of the procedures by the patients and the strain felt by the dentists during root canal therapy. Methods. Six dentists participated in the trial as practitioner–investigators. In the first phase of the trial they prepared root canals with H and in the second phase with R. The patients documented their pain felt with a visual analogue scale (VAS 100) and OHRQoL with the German short version of the oral health impact profile (OHIP-G-14) before treatment and before the completion of therapy and answered questions about how they experienced the treatment. The dentists documented their physical strain during treatment. Results. A total of 137 patients were included in the evaluation. 66 patients were treated with H, 71 with R. Pain reduction was 32.6 (SD 32.9) VAS (H) vs. 29.4 (SD 26.9) VAS (R) (p = 0.550), and the improvement of the OHIP-14 score was 5.5 (SD 9.2) (H) vs. 6.7 (SD 7.4) (R) (p = 0.383). There were no statistical differences in both groups. Significantly fewer patients felt stressed by the duration of treatment with R as with H (p = 0.018). Significantly more dentists reported that their general physical strain and the strain on their fingers were less severe with R than with H (p = 0.013 and p < 0.001). Discussion. H as well as R effectively reduced endodontic related pain and OHRQoL without statistical differences. R has advantages in terms of how patients experience the treatment and regarding the physical strain felt by the dentists.
Specific Recognition of p53 Tetramers by Peptides Derived from p53 Interacting Proteins

Oligomerization plays a major role in regulating the activity of many proteins, and in modulating their interactions. p53 is a homotetrameric transcription factor that has a pivotal role in tumor suppression. Its tetramerization domain is contained within its C-terminal domain, which is a site for numerous protein-protein interactions. Those can either depend on or regulate p53 oligomerization. Here we screened an array of peptides derived from proteins known to bind the tetrameric p53 C-terminal domain (p53CTD) and identified ten binding peptides. We quantitatively characterized their binding to p53CTD using fluorescence anisotropy. The peptides bound tetrameric p53CTD with micromolar affinities. Despite the high charge of the binding peptides, electrostatics contributed only mildly to the interactions. NMR studies indicated that the peptides bound p53CTD at defined sites. The most significant chemical shift deviations were observed for the peptides WS100B(81–92), which bound directly to the p53 tetramerization domain, and PKCα(281–295), which stabilized p53CTD in circular dichroism thermal denaturation studies. Using analytical ultracentrifugation, we found that several of the peptides bound preferentially to p53 tetramers. Our results indicate that the protein-protein interactions of p53 are dependent on the oligomerization state of p53. We conclude that peptides may be used to regulate the oligomerization of p53.
PENGARUH KOMPETENSI DAN BUDAYA KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh temuan eksplanatif yang teruji tentang pengaruh (1) kompetensi dan budaya kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan, (2) kompetensi terhadap budaya kerja, (3) kompetensi terhadap kinerja karyawan, dan (4) budaya kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan pada PT Hotel Adirama. Desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah kuantitatif kausal. Subjek penelitian adalah seluruh karyawan Hotel Adirama dan objeknya adalah kompetensi, budaya kerja, dan kinerja karyawan. Populasi penelitian ini berjumlah 40 karyawan yang semuanya dijadikan unit pengamatan, sehingga penelitian ini termasuk penelitian populasi. Data dikumpulkan dengan teknik kuesioner, wawancara, dan pencatatan dokumen serta dianalisis menggunakan analisis jalur. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ada pengaruh positif dari (1) kompetensi dan budaya kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan, (2) kompetensi terhadap budaya kerja, (3) kompetensi terhadap kinerja karyawan, (4) budaya kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan Hotel Adirama. Kata Kunci : kompetensi, budaya kerja, dan kinerja karyawan This study aims at obtaining the explanative findings which are tested by the contribution of (1) competence and work culture about employee’s performance, (2) competence of the work culture, (3) competence of the employee’s performance, and (4) work culture of the employee’s performance at Hotel Adirama. Design of the research that use to this study is research designing causal quantitative. The subjects research were all of the employees in Hotel Adirama, and the objects were the competence, work culture, and employee’s performance. Total population of this research are 40 employees who all combine became observation unit, therefore this research including population research. Data were collected by using a questionnaire, recording documents, and interviews and analyzed using path analysis. The results showed a positive effect of (1) competence and work culture about employee’s performance, (2) competence of the work culture, (3) competence of the employee’s performance, and (4) work culture of the employee’s performance at Hotel Adirama. keyword : competence, work culture, and employee performance.
From Rebels to Rulers: The Challenges of Transition for Non-state Armed Groups in Mindanao and Myanmar

ABSTRACT This article presents a critical comparison of the ongoing peace processes in the southern Philippines and Myanmar (Burma). It does so by examining two key armed groups: the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Mindanao, and the Karen National Union (KNU) in Myanmar. We identify common elements that help to explain the relative – albeit incomplete – success of these two groups in navigating their respective peace processes. The MILF and KNU are ethnonationalist armed groups struggling for self-determination against states that are experienced by ethnic minority communities as culturally alien, and economically and politically dominant. Both conflict actors are characterized by complex combinations of “greed” and “grievance” factors but nevertheless enjoy significant (albeit contested) political legitimacy among the communities they seek to represent. We explore the complex relationships between armed ethnic groups, conflict-affected communities, and civil society actors. We argue that engagement with civil society is a key element of success in the Mindanao peace process, which could be replicated in Myanmar. We examine the roles and changing nature of the state in the Philippines and Myanmar, and contrast the degrees of international involvement, as key variables in these peace processes. We observe that negotiations of comprehensive peace settlements are threatened by “the tyranny of elections” in Myanmar (2015) and the Philippines (2016), and observe the importance of including national parliaments in peace processes in a timely manner. The peace process between Manila and the MILF represents a rare example of a Muslim minority pursuing its political objectives through structured dialogue. The article focuses on the challenges faced by armed groups moving from insurgency to reinvent themselves as credible political actors and governance authorities. Our analysis draws on peace-building literature, specifically the phenomenon of “rebel governance. ”
Recurrent Attention Network on Memory for Aspect Sentiment Analysis

We propose a novel framework based on neural networks to identify the sentiment of opinion targets in a comment/review. Our framework adopts multiple-attention mechanism to capture sentiment features separated by a long distance, so that it is more robust against irrelevant information. The results of multiple attentions are non-linearly combined with a recurrent neural network, which strengthens the expressive power of our model for handling more complications. The weighted-memory mechanism not only helps us avoid the labor-intensive feature engineering work, but also provides a tailor-made memory for different opinion targets of a sentence. We examine the merit of our model on four datasets: two are from SemEval2014, i.e. reviews of restaurants and laptops; a twitter dataset, for testing its performance on social media data; and a Chinese news comment dataset, for testing its language sensitivity. The experimental results show that our model consistently outperforms the state-of-the-art methods on different types of data.