Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of phosphodiesterase type 5 expression and functional activity in the human male lower urinary tract.

INTRODUCTION Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors ameliorate low urinary tract (LUT) symptoms in men with ED and symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). PDE5 is highly expressed in rat and human bladder, where it regulates cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) degradation, muscle tone, and proliferation. AIM To investigate PDE5 tissue distribution and activity in human LUT tissues (urethra, prostate, and bladder). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES PDE5 expression and activity were analyzed and compared within the same BPH patient in LUT tissues and in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) cultured from urethra, prostate, and bladder. METHODS In LUT tissues, PDE5 was localized by immunohistochemistry and mRNA expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Proliferation assay was used as readout of PDE5 activity, evaluated as ability of vardenafil to increase the antiproliferative effect of different nitric oxide (NO)/cGMP pathway activators [the PDE5-resistant cGMP analog Sp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS, the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator BAY 41-8543]. RESULTS In all the LUT tissues, PDE5 was immunolocalized in blood vessels and in muscular fibres, but not in epithelium. PDE5 mRNA expression was higher in urethra and bladder than in prostate SMC. The antiproliferative effect of Sp-8-Br-PET-cGMPS was similar in all LUT SMC. In prostatic SMC, SNP and BAY 41-8543 show a dose-dependent antiproliferative effect that resulted marginally enhanced by vardenafil. Conversely, in urethra and bladder SMC the antiproliferative effect of SNP and BAY 41-8543 was lower than in prostatic SMC, but it was significantly enhanced by vardenafil. In urethral and bladder cells vardenafil half-maximal response inhibiting concentration was in the subnanomolar range, whereas in prostate cells it resulted significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS The highest expression and biological activity of PDE5 was found in bladder. However, a consistent PDE5 expression and activity was also found in prostatic urethra. In contrast, the prostate gland showed the lowest PDE5 abundance and cultures derived from this tissue were less sensitive to vardenafil.
An ERP Study of Responses to Emotional Facial Expressions: Morphing Effects on Early-Latency Valence Processing

Early-latency theories of emotional processing state that at least coarse monitoring of the emotional valence (a pleasure-displeasure continuum) of facial expressions should be both rapid and highly automated (LeDoux, 1995; Russell, 1980). Research has largely substantiated early-latency differential processing of emotional versus non-emotional facial expressions; however, the effect of valence on early-latency processing of emotional facial expression remains unclear. In an effort to delineate the effects of valence on early-latency emotional facial expression processing, the current investigation compared ERP responses to positive (happy and surprise), neutral, and negative (afraid and sad) basic facial expression photographs as well as to positive (happy-surprise), neutral (afraidsurprise, happy-afraid, happy-sad, sad-surprise), and negative (sad-afraid) morph facial expression photographs during a valence-rating task. Morphing manipulations have been shown to decrease the familiarity of facial patterns and thus preclude any overlearned responses to specific facial codes. Accordingly, it was proposed that morph stimuli would disrupt more detailed emotional identification to reveal a valence response independent of a specific identifiable emotion (Balconi & Lucchiari, 2005; Schweinberger, Burton & Kelly, 1999). ERP results revealed early-latency differentiation between positive, neutral, and negative morph facial expressions approximately 108 milliseconds post-stimulus (P1) within the right electrode cluster; negative morph facial expressions continued to elicit significantly smaller ERP amplitudes than other valence categories approximately 164 milliseconds post-stimulus (N170). Consistent with previous imaging research on emotional facial expression processing, source localization revealed substantial dipole activation within regions of the mesolimbic dopamine system. Thus, these findings confirm rapid valence processing of facial expressions and suggest that negative valence processing may continue to modulate subsequent structural facial processing.
Polymorphisms in X-Ray Repair Cross-Complementing Group 1 Gene: Haplotypes, Breast Cancer Risk and Individual Radiosensitivity

The aim of this paper is to analyse the role exerted by X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) genetic polymorphisms and haplotypes in increasing breast cancer risk and in modulating radiotherapy-induced adverse reactions. An Italian cohort of breast cancer patients and a matching group of healthy controls were genotyped for XRCC1-77T>C, Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln polymorphisms. Our data indicated that polymorphisms at codon 399 and at -77 position of the 5'-untraslated region both contribute to cancer risk. We also showed that the haplotype H3, containing the wild-type allele at codon 194 and the variant alleles at codon 399 and at -77 position is significantly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. We found no statistical association between XRCC1 SNPs and individual radiosensitivity.
A simple mechanism for controlling vortex breakdown in a closed flow

This work is focused to study the development and control of the laminar vortex breakdown of a flow enclosed in a cylinder. We show that vortex breakdown can be controlled by the introduction of a small fixed rod in the axis of the cylinder. Our method to control the onset of vortex breakdown is simpler than those previously proposed, since it does not require any auxiliary device system. The effect of the fixed rods may be understood using a simple model based on the failure of the quasi-cylindrical approximation. We report experimental results of the critical Reynolds number for the appearance of vortex breakdown for different radius of the fixed rods and different aspect ratios of the system. Good agreement is found between the theoretical and experimental results.
From preface to practice: A narrative study of women learning to teach mathematics

A NARRATIVE STUDY OF WOMEN LEARNING TO TEACH MATHEMATICS by Kathleen Jablon Stoehr __________________________ Copyright © Kathleen Jablon Stoehr 2014 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING, LEARNING AND SOCIOCULTURAL STUDIES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN TEACHING AND TEACHER EDUCATION In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Einsatz direkter oraler Antikoagulanzien bei alten Patienten

Zusammenfassung Auch für das höhere und hohe Lebensalter sind die gleiche bis teilweise überlegene Wirksamkeit und die gleiche bis höhere Sicherheit der direkten oralen Antikoagulanzien (DOAK) gegenüber den Vitamin K-Antagonisten (VKA) durch Studiendaten gut belegt. Gerade im Hinblick auf die oft bei geriatrischen Patienten bestehende Multimedikation bieten die DOAK Vorteile bezüglich Interaktionspotenzial, Dosierschemata sowie insbesondere intrakraniellen Blutungskomplikationen. Trotzdem sind noch weitere Studien für diese Patientengruppe speziell für das Blutungsrisiko erforderlich. Beim Einsatz der DOAK sind gerade beim geriatrischen Patienten besondere klinische Situationen zu beachten (z. B. Niereninsuffizienz, rasche Dehydrierung, Demenz, Visusminderung), um Blutungskomplikationen zu vermeiden. Regelhafte klinische und laborchemische Kontrollen sind im Sinne der Therapiesicherheit obligat. Auch in der Geriatrie wird es berechtigterweise zu einer Zunahme der Einstellungen auf DOAK kommen.
Optical parametric oscillator-based photoacoustic detection of hydrogen cyanide for biomedical applications

Abstract. A versatile, continuous wave, optical parametric oscillator is used in combination with photoacoustic spectroscopy for long-term trace gas experiments of volatile compounds emitted by biological samples. The optical parametric oscillator-based spectrometer (wavelength near 3 μm, 8-MHz linewidth, output power ∼1 W) is successfully tested for the detection of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) emission from clover leaves, and Pseudomonas bacteria; in addition, the presence of HCN in exhaled human breath is measured. For specific experiments, the spectrometer is operated continuously up to 10 days and has a detection limit of 0.4 parts-per-billion volume of HCN in air over 10 s, using the P8 rotational line in the ν3 vibrational band of HCN at 3287.25 cm−1. This results in an overall sensitivity of the system of 2.5×10−9 cm−1 Hz−1/2.
“Thinking about Not-Thinking”: Neural Correlates of Conceptual Processing during Zen Meditation

Recent neuroimaging studies have identified a set of brain regions that are metabolically active during wakeful rest and consistently deactivate in a variety the performance of demanding tasks. This “default network” has been functionally linked to the stream of thoughts occurring automatically in the absence of goal-directed activity and which constitutes an aspect of mental behavior specifically addressed by many meditative practices. Zen meditation, in particular, is traditionally associated with a mental state of full awareness but reduced conceptual content, to be attained via a disciplined regulation of attention and bodily posture. Using fMRI and a simplified meditative condition interspersed with a lexical decision task, we investigated the neural correlates of conceptual processing during meditation in regular Zen practitioners and matched control subjects. While behavioral performance did not differ between groups, Zen practitioners displayed a reduced duration of the neural response linked to conceptual processing in regions of the default network, suggesting that meditative training may foster the ability to control the automatic cascade of semantic associations triggered by a stimulus and, by extension, to voluntarily regulate the flow of spontaneous mentation.
How Judicial Quali fi cation Ratings May Disadvantage Minority and Female Candidates

This article uses two newly collected data sets to investigate the reliance by political actors on the external vetting of judicial candidates, in particular vetting conducted by the nation’s largest legal organization, the American Bar Association ðABAÞ. Using these data, I show that minority and female nominees are more likely than whites and males to receive lower ratings, even after controlling for education, experience, and partisanship via matching. These discrepancies are important for two reasons. First, as I show, receiving poor ABA ratings is correlated with confirmation failure. Second, I demonstrate that ABA ratings do not actually predict whether judges will be “better” in terms of reversal rates. Taken together, these findings complicate the ABA’s influential role in judicial nominations, both in terms of setting up possible barriers against minority and female candidates and also in terms of its actual utility in predicting judicial performance.
Comparison of cefprozil and cefaclor pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration

The pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration, as judged by skin blister fluid, of cefprozil and cefaclor were examined in 12 healthy male volunteers. Doses of 250 and 500 mg of each drug were given to fasting subjects in a crossover fashion. Serially obtained plasma, skin blister fluid, and urine samples were analyzed for cefprozil or cefaclor by validated high-pressure liquid chromatographic methods. After oral administration of 250 and 500 mg of cefprozil, mean concentrations in plasma rose to peak levels (Cmax) of 6.1 and 11.2 micrograms/ml, respectively, and those of cefaclor were 10.6 and 17.3 micrograms/ml, respectively. The elimination half-life of cefprozil (1.3 h) was significantly longer than that of cefaclor (0.6 h), and as a result, the area under the curve for cefprozil was about two times greater than that for cefaclor. Both cephalosporins were primarily excreted unchanged in urine. The mean skin blister Cmax values were 3.0 and 5.8 micrograms/ml for cefprozil and 3.6 and 6.5 micrograms/ml for cefaclor after the 250- and 500-mg oral doses, respectively. The mean Cmax values in skin blister fluid for both cephalosporins were comparable and were significantly lower than the corresponding Cmax values in plasma. However, the levels of cefprozil and cefaclor in skin blister fluid declined more slowly than they did in plasma. The skin blister fluid half-life estimates for cefprozil were significantly longer than they were for cefaclor. Parallel to the observation in plasma, the mean skin blister fluid areas under the curve for cefprozil were significantly higher than they were for cefaclor. The plasma and skin blister fluid pharmacokinetic analyses suggest that the exposure of humans to cefprozil is significantly greater than that to cefaclor at the same dose.
WILLIAM WELLS BROWN

Travel and travel writing imply freedom of mobility and agency. That a fugitive slave like William Wells Brown could become a tourist is significant because it destabilizes our understanding of tourism. In The American Fugitive in Europe: Sketches of Places and People Abroad (New York: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, 1855), Brown grounds his critique of his tour in the experiences of his early life as a slave and in his insistence on ethical responsibility. He interrogates the inequities of American society by revisiting European history from the perspective of the oppressed. Brown moves beyond touristic hedonism to anchor the tourist subject onto the larger canvas of historical and socio-political reality. This paper explores Brown's shifting identity through Urry (The Tourist Gaze: Leisure and Travel in Contemporary Societies, London, Sage, 1990) and MacCannell's (‘Tourist Agency’, Tourism Studies, vol. 1, pp. 23–38, 2001) reading of the tourist gaze.
Qualitative Research in Sport and Physical Activity

PART ONE: INTRODUCING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN SPORT Qualitative Research and Its Use in Sport and Physical Activity The Main Characteristics of Qualitative Research Qualitative Research in Sport and Physical Activity Ethical Considerations in Research Recruiting Participants Informed Consent Confidentiality and Anonymity Avoiding Harm Developing the Research Question and Writing the Proposal The topic and Research Question Writing the Proposal The Role of the Literature in Qualitative Research The Literature and the Proposal The Literature Overview The Inductive Approach The Ongoing Dialogue with the Literature Keeping Track of References Sampling Purposive Sampling Sampling Types Sampling Decisions Accessing the Sample Referring to the Sample PART TWO: COLLECTING QUALITATIVE DATA Interviews Types of Interview Variety of Interviews Asking Questions Interviewing Skills The Relationship Between Interviewer and Participants Practical Sspects of Interviewing Potential Problems in Interviewing Focus Groups The Origin and Purpose of Focus Groups Choosing the Sample: Size, Number and Composition Conducting Focus Group Interviews The Involvement of the Interviewer Analysing Focus Group Data Ethical Issues Advantages and Limitations of Focus Groups Participant Observation The research Setting Types of Observation Getting Started Keeping a Record Using Documentary Sources of Data Problematic Issues PART THREE: CHOOSING THE RESEARCH APPROACH Grounded Theory The Origins of Grounded Theory The Main Elements of Grounded Theory The Process of GT: Data Collection and Analysis The Developing Theory Problems in Grounded Theory Ethnography Fieldwork A Focus on Culture Ethnographic Methods Sample and Setting The Ethnographic Record Analysis and Interpretation Problems in Conducting Ethnographic Research Phenomenology Descriptive and Interpretive Phenomenology Eliciting Life-World Descriptions The Use of Bracketing and Sensitising The Findings of Phenomenological Research Sampling Phenomenological Interviews Analysis in Descriptive and Hermeneutic Phenomenology Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Limitations Narrative Research Stories and Their Structure Types of Story The Functions of People's Stories Collecting Data Narrative Analysis The Distinctive Nature of Narrative Research A Critique of Narrative Research Mixed Methods Research Adopting Mixed Methods Research Designing Mixed Methods Research The problems Inherent in Mixed Methods Research PART FOUR: ANALYSING AND REPORTING QUALITATIVE DATA Data Analysis Managing the Data Transcribing and Writing Memos Data Reduction and Conceptualisation: Codes, Categories and Themes Computer-aided Analysis of Qualitative Data Interpreting the Data The Quality of Qualitative Inquiry Validity and Reliability Alternative Criteria for Qualitative Research How to Ensure Trustworthiness Writing Up Qualitative Research Writing in the First Person The Format of the Report Checklist Before Submission Telling the Tale: Creativity and Originality Publishing and Presenting the Research Glossary References Index
Learning to identify animate references

Information about the animacy of nouns is important for a wide range of tasks in NLP. In this paper, we present a method for determining the animacy of English nouns using WordNet and machine learning techniques. Our method firstly categorises the senses from WordNet using an annotated corpus and then uses this information in order to classify nouns for which the sense is not known. Our evaluation results show that the accuracy of the classification of a noun is around 97% and that animate entities are more difficult to identify than inanimate ones.
Double‐stranded RNA‐mediated gene silencing of cysteine proteases (falcipain‐1 and ‐2) of Plasmodium falciparum

Summary Malaria remains a public health problem of enormous magnitude, affecting over 500 million people every year. Lack of success in the past in the development of new drug/vaccines has mainly been attributed to poor understanding of the functions of different parasite proteins. Recently, RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a simple and incisive technique to study gene functions in a variety of organisms. In this study, we report the results of RNAi by double‐stranded RNA of cysteine protease genes (falcipain‐1 and ‐2) in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Using RNAi directed towards falcipain genes, we demonstrate that blocking the expression of these genes results in severe morphological abnormalities in parasites, inhibition of parasite growth in vitro and substantial accumulation of haemoglobin in the parasite. The inhibitory effects produced by falcipain double‐stranded (ds)RNAs are reminiscent of the effects observed upon administering E‐64, a cysteine protease inhibitor. The parasites treated with falcipain's dsRNAs also show marked reduction in the levels of corresponding endogenous falcipain mRNAs. We also demonstrate that dsRNAs of falcipains are broken into short interference RNAs ≈ 25 nucleotides in size, a characteristic of RNAi, which in turn activates sequence‐specific nuclease activity in the malaria parasites. These results thus provide more evidence for the existence of RNAi in P. falciparum and also suggest possibilities for using RNAi as an effective tool to determine the functions of the genes identified from the P. falciparum genome sequencing project.
1 Performance and Survival of Mutual Fund Mergers : Evidence from Frequent and Infrequent Acquirers

In this paper, we study the determinants of mutual fund mergers, and the performance and survival outcomes of the acquirers involved in these mergers. Across all estimations, we distinguish between frequent and infrequent acquirer categories. We first find that the fund’s performance, size, fees, flows and age guide the merger decision. Distinguishing between frequent and infrequent acquirers, we also show that, after the acquisition, the latter exhibit a larger decline in performance than the former. From deal to deal, frequent acquirers do not seem to target higher performing funds, and suffer from a worsening and persistently poor post-merger performance. We also find that the merger probability of the acquirer is negatively related to within-family acquisitions, mergers involving an infrequent acquirer, fund size and the performance of both the target and the acquirer. The target fund’s size and performance have a more important effect on the survival of infrequent acquirers than on the survival of frequent acquirers.
ThrombomodulinFibroblastic Reticular Cells Expressing Chemokine Secretion in Lymph Node Cutting Edge: JAM-C Controls Homeostatic

The development and maintenance of secondary lymphoid organs, such as lymph nodes, occur in a highly coordinated manner involving lymphoid chemokine production by stromal cells. Although developmental path-ways inducing lymphoid chemokine production during organogenesis are known, signals maintaining cytokine production in adults are still elusive. In this study, we show that thrombomodulin and platelet-derived growth factor receptor a identify a population of ﬁbroblastic reticular cells in which chemokine secretion is controlled by JAM-C. We demonstrate that Jam-C –deﬁcient mice and mice treated with Ab against JAM-C present sig-niﬁcant decreases in stromal cell-derived factor 1 a (CXCL12), CCL21, and CCL19 intranodal content. This effect is correlated with reduced naive T cell egress from lymph nodes of anti–JAM-C–treated mice. The Journal of Immunology , 2011, 187:
Dynamic load balancing of data parallel applications on a distributed network

Cluster-based computing, which exploits the aggregate power of networked collections of workstations, has drawn increasing attention from the parallel processing community. The main problem with this computing environment is the permanently changing workload of individual workstations which makes the execution time of parallel applications unpredictable. In this paper, we introduce a load balancing scheme which aims at dynamically balancing the workload of data parallel applications. Simulation and experiment al studies of our load balancing strategy are performed under various load situations and it is shown that it can effectively balance the workload among the workstations involved. Further, it was shown that a significant improvement in performance can be achieved when compared to the case where no load balancing is employed. The main limiting factor in our computing environment is the bandwidth of the net work. Thus, with emerging high speed networks, computing on networks of workstations can be an attractive alternative to traditional parallel computers.