Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Injury and Acute Kidney Allograft Rejection Strongly Attenuates Ischemia Reperfusion (uPA) Receptor but not uPA Deficiency Renal Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

Central mechanisms leading to ischemia induced allograft rejection are apoptosis and inﬂammation, processes highly regulated by the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its speciﬁc receptor (uPAR). Recently, up-regulation of uPA and uPAR has been shown to correlate with allograft rejection in human biopsies. However, the causal connection of uPA/uPAR in mediating transplant rejection and underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the role of uPA/uPAR in a mice model for kidney ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury and for acute kidney allograft rejection. uPAR but not uPA deﬁciency protected from IR injury. In the allogenic kidney transplant model, uPAR but not uPA deﬁciency of the allograft caused superior recipient survival and strongly attenuated loss of renal function. uPAR-deﬁcient allografts showed reduced generation of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis. Moreover, neutrophil and monocyte/macrophage inﬁltration was strongly attenuated and up-regulation of the adhesion molecule ICAM-1 was completely abrogated in uPAR-deﬁcient allografts. Inadequate ICAM-1 up-regulation in uPAR (cid:1) / (cid:1) primary aortic endothelial cells after C5a and TNF- (cid:2) stimulation was conﬁrmed by in vitro experiments. Our results demonstrate that the local renal uPAR plays an important role in the apoptotic and inﬂammatory responses mediating IR-injury and transplant rejection. The Journal of Immunology, 2008, 181: 1179–1189.
Why do starless cores appear more flattened than protostellar cores

We evaluate the intrinsic three-dimensional shapes of molecular cores, by analysing their projected shapes. We use the recent catalogue of molecular line observations of Jijina et al. and model the data by the method originally devised for elliptical galaxies. Our analysis broadly supports the conclusion of Jones et al. that molecular cores are better represented by triaxial intrinsic shapes (ellipsoids) than biaxial intrinsic shapes (spheroids). However, we find that the best fit to all of the data is obtained with more extreme axial ratios (1:0.8:0.4) than those derived by Jones et al. More surprisingly, we find that starless cores have more extreme axial ratios than protostellar cores — starless cores appear more ‘flattened’. This is the opposite of what would be expected from modelling the freefall collapse of triaxial ellipsoids. The collapse of starless cores would be expected to proceed most swiftly along the shortest axis — as has been predicted by every modeller since Zel'dovich — which should produce more flattened cores around protostars, the opposite of what is seen.
Control and Cybernetics the Maximum Principle of Optimal Control: a History of Ingenious Ideas and Missed Opportunities *

On the occasion of (more than) 50 years of optimal control theory, this paper deals with the development of the maximum principle of optimal control during the early times of the Cold War, when mathematicians in the US and the USSR made every endeavor to solve minimum time interception problems, which later on became prototypes of the first optimal control problems. The paper is a short survey on the history of optimal control, a sequence of ingenious ideas and regrets of missed opportunities. The conclusions of the paper are extracted from the second author's monograph on the development of optimal control theory from its commencements until it became an independent discipline in mathematics. The present paper also includes secondary literature published thereafter. 1. The Maximum Principle, a creation of the Cold War and the germ of a new mathematical discipline After 50 years of optimal control, it is time to look back on the early days of optimal control. Immediately after World War II, with the beginning of the Cold War, the two superpowers, US and USSR, increased their efforts in making use of mathematicians and their mathematical theories in defense analyses, since mathematics had been recognized as useful during World War II. Therefore it is not astonishing that mathematicians in East and West almost simultaneously began to develop solution methods for problems which later became known as problems of optimal control such as, for example, minimum time interception problems for fighter aircraft.
On Delay Tomography: Fast Algorithms and Spatially Dependent Models

As an active branch of network tomography, delay tomography has received considerable attentions in recent years. However, most methods in the literature assume that the delays of different links are independent of each other, and pursuit sub-optimal estimate instead of the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) due to computational challenges. In this paper, we propose a novel method to implement the EM algorithm widely used in delay tomography analysis for multicast networks. The proposed method makes use of a “delay pattern database” to avoid all redundant computations in the E-step, and is much faster than the traditional implementation. With the help of this new implementation, finding MLE for large networks, which was considered impractical previously, becomes an easy task. Taking advantage of this computational breakthrough, we further consider models for potential spatial dependence of links, and propose a novel adaptive spatially dependent model (ASDM) for delay tomography. In ASDM, Markov dependence among nearby links is allowed, and spatially dependent links (SDLs) can be automatically recognized via model selection. The superiority of the new methods is confirmed by simulation studies.
Global Policy Spillovers and Peru's Monetary Policy: Inflation Targeting, Foreign Exchange Intervention and Reserve Requirements

This paper provides an overview of the monetary policy actions undertaken by the Central Reserve Bank of Peru, combining its main inflation targeting framework with sterilised FX interventions and reserve requirement measures in order to overcome the spillover effects of global policies to counter the recessionary implications of the global financial crisis. We provide a rationale for the use of these instruments, as well as empirical evidence on their effectiveness. In general, the results show that sterilised FX interventions and reserve requirement changes have the desired effects in limiting spillover effects and smoothing out the interest rate and credit dynamics in a dual monetary economy such as Peru.Full publication: The Transmission of Unconventional Monetary Policy to the Emerging Markets
The Comparative Effect of Teaching Collocations through Literary vs. Non-Literary Content on EFL Learners

This study investigates the comparative effect of teaching collocations through practicing them in literary and non-literary contents. The participants were composed of 30 EFL students selected from a cohort of 52 intermediate students in an English language institute in Sanandaj City, Iran. They were selected based on their scores on the Preliminary English Test (PET) and a collocation test, developed and piloted in advance. The selected participants were randomly divided into two experimental groups. Collocations were taught through literary content in one group; the others were instructed via non-literary content. At the end of the period of treatment with both groups, a collocation test was administered to both groups as a posttest. The analysis of collected data, using One-way ANCOVA and Descriptive Statistics, reveals that teaching the new collocations through literary contents proved significantly more effective than teaching them through non-literary contents.
Constraints on decaying Dark Matter from XMM-Newton observations of M31

We derive constraints on the parameters of the radiatively decaying dark matter (DM) particle, using the XMM-Newton EPIC spectra of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). Using the observations of the outer (5-13 arcmin) parts of M31, we improve the existing constraints. For the case of sterile neutrino DM, combining our constraints with the latest computation of abundances of sterile neutrinos in the Dodelson-Widrow (DW) scenario, we obtain the lower mass limit m(s) 5.6 keV), we argue that the scenario in which all the DM is produced via the DW mechanism is ruled out. We discuss, however, other production mechanisms and note that the sterile neutrino remains a viable candidate for DM, either warm or cold.
Hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic computations inside a rotating sphere

Numerical solutions of the incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations are reported for the interior of a rotating, perfectly-conducting, rigid spherical shell that is insulator-coated on the inside. A previously-reported spectral method is used which relies on a Galerkin expansion in Chandrasekhar–Kendall vector eigenfunctions of the curl. The new ingredient in this set of computations is the rigid rotation of the sphere. After a few purely hydrodynamic examples are sampled (spin down, Ekman pumping, inertial waves), attention is focused on selective decay and the MHD dynamo problem. In dynamo runs, prescribed mechanical forcing excites a persistent velocity field, usually turbulent at modest Reynolds numbers, which in turn amplifies a small seed magnetic field that is introduced. A wide variety of dynamo activity is observed, all at unit magnetic Prandtl number. The code lacks the resolution to probe high Reynolds numbers, but nevertheless interesting dynamo regimes turn out to be plentiful in those parts of parameter space in which the code is accurate. The key control parameters seem to be mechanical and magnetic Reynolds numbers, the Rossby and Ekman numbers (which in our computations are varied mostly by varying the rate of rotation of the sphere) and the amount of mechanical helicity injected. Magnetic energy levels and magnetic dipole behaviour are exhibited which fluctuate strongly on a timescale of a few eddy turnover times. These seem to stabilize as the rotation rate is increased until the limit of the code resolution is reached.
Null result for violation of the equivalence principle with free-fall rotating gyroscopes

The differential acceleration between a rotating mechanical gyroscope and a nonrotating one is directly measured by using a double free-fall interferometer, and no apparent differential acceleration has been observed at the relative level of 2 x 10(-6). It means that the equivalence principle is still valid for rotating extended bodies, i.e., the spin-gravity interaction between the extended bodies has not been observed at this level. Also, to the limit of our experimental sensitivity, there is no observed asymmetrical effect or antigravity of the rotating gyroscopes as reported by Hayasaka et al.
Development and initial validation of Sport Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ)

Abstract To understand sport participation, multiple scales exist to examine why people participate. However, no questionnaires have been devised to assess what sport experiences people declare most pleasurable. This study aimed to develop and provide initial validation of a scale measuring adolescent athletes’ retrospective reports of pleasure in three modern sports experiences: competition, progress, and risk taking. The first study examined the validity of a pool of 25 items. The second study examined the factor structure and reliability of a 14-item questionnaire among a sample of adolescent athletes, the measurement invariance across sexes and context of participation, and the differential item functioning and possible latent mean differences as a function of age. Results showed initial evidence regarding the reliability and validity of the scale. They showed invariance of the model across sexes and context of participation. This questionnaire could be used by sports federations and could help the development of sport promotion programs.
USA and Asia Hospitality & Tourism Students' Perceptions and Satisfaction with Online Learning versus Traditional Face-to-Face Instruction.

The purpose of the study is to compare undergraduates’ preference for, and academic performance on, class material and assessment presented online vs. in traditional classrooms. This study examined these issues in the context of hospitality and tourism majors at Midwestern USA universities as compared to similar students attending universities in Asia. Data for this study was the undergraduate student survey responses from these programs. The sample consisted of 356 students with about 66% from USA (n=234) and 34% from Asia (n=122). Analysis of the means using the Kruskal-Wallis test and standard deviations were conducted to evaluate if there were any differences in USA vs. Asian student learning perceptions and level of satisfaction with online learning compared with traditional instruction. One-way ANOVA was used to compare means between the two regions. Differences between online and face-to-face learning environments in the two regions were tested with a series of two-factor ANOVAs with region as between-subjects factor and mode of learning as a withinsubjects factor. The results revealed that there were no statistically significant difference in learning preference and both USA and Asian students were very satisfied with both modes of instruction. Based on the results of this study, and given the trends in online courses, there are implications for faculty; the results should give some faculty members a reason to move some of their courses taught to an online platform and reflect on the teaching methods used when teaching online.
Graph Size Estimation

Many online networks are not fully known and are often studied via sampling. Random Walk (RW) based techniques are the current state-of-the-art for estimating nodal attributes and local graph properties, but estimating global properties remains a challenge. In this paper, we are interested in a fundamental property of this type - the graph size N, i.e., the number of its nodes. Existing methods for estimating N are (i) inefficient and (ii) cannot be easily used with RW sampling due to dependence between successive samples. In this paper, we address both problems. First, we propose IE (Induced Edges), an efficient technique for estimating N from an independence sample of graph's nodes. IE exploits the edges induced on the sampled nodes. Second, we introduce SafetyMargin, a method that corrects estimators for dependence in RW samples. Finally, we combine these two stand-alone techniques to obtain a RW-based graph size estimator. We evaluate our approach in simulations on a wide range of real-life topologies, and on several samples of Facebook. IE with SafetyMargin typically requires at least 10 times fewer samples than the state-of-the-art techniques (over 100 times in the case of Facebook) for the same estimation error.
Ischaemia after exercise does not reduce responses of human motoneurones to cortical or corticospinal tract stimulation

1 Motor unit firing rates and voluntary activation of muscle decline during sustained isometric contractions. After exercise, the responses to motor cortical and corticospinal stimulation are reduced. These changes may reflect motoneuronal inhibition mediated by group III and IV muscle afferents. To determine whether the post‐contraction depression of the responses to corticospinal or motor cortical stimulation could be maintained by continued firing of ischaemically sensitive group III and IV muscle afferents, we examined responses in muscles that were held ischaemic after exercise. 2 Following a sustained maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the elbow flexors lasting 2 min, the response to stimulation of the corticospinal tract was reduced but the usual recovery (over ∼2 min) was not delayed when the muscles were maintained ischaemic for 2 min after the contraction. 3 Following a sustained MVC, the time course of the reduction in the response to motor cortical stimulation (a gradual decrease over ∼2 min, maintained for > 10 min) was also not altered if the muscle was held ischaemic. 4 Mean arterial blood pressure rose to 155 ± 12 mmHg during the 2 min MVC, declined to 125 ± 9 mmHg immediately after it, but remained at this level without returning to pre‐exercise levels (102 ± 10 mmHg) until circulation to the arm was restored. This confirms that the sustained MVC activated a reflex dependent on group III and IV muscle afferents. 5 This study shows that ischaemically sensitive group III and IV muscle afferents do not mediate depression of responses to motor cortical or corticospinal stimulation after fatiguing exercise. It also suggests that firing of such afferents does not directly inhibit motoneurones or motor cortical output cells.
Cancer and Aging: Challenges and Opportunities across the Cancer Control Continuum

Age differences in affective/experiential and deliberative processes have important theoretical implications for cancer decision making, as cancer is often a disease of older adulthood. The authors examined evidence for adult age differences in affective and deliberative information processes, reviewed the sparse evidence about age differences in decision making, and introduced how dual process theories and their findings might be applied to cancer decision making. Age-related declines in the efficiency of deliberative processes predict poorer-quality decisions as we age, particularly when decisions are unfamiliar and the information is numeric. However, age-related adaptive processes, including an increased focus on emotional goals and greater experience, can influence decision making and potentially offset age-related declines. A better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie cancer decision processes in our aging population should ultimately allow us to help older adults to better help themselves. Cancer 2008;113(12 suppl):3556–67. (cid:1) 2008 American Cancer Society.
Prediction of lower limb joint angle using sEMG based on GA-GRNN

Gait analysis is an important research direction of the exoskeleton robot design. The ability to quickly and accurately calculate each joint angle of the lower extremities during level walking directly affects the accuracy of on-line control performance of the exoskeleton robot. As a direct biological signal from the brain, Surface Electromyography (sEMG) can reflect the motion intention of the human body ahead of muscle action. This paper presents a General Regression Neural Network tuned by Genetic Algorithm (GA-GRNN) based knee joint angle prediction model using sEMG signals. The proposed scheme can not only reduce errors due to manual parameter selection, but retains advantages of GRNN, e.g. excellent abilities of local approximation, nonlinear mapping, which greatly improves the prediction accuracy of the knee joint angle. To validate the algorithm, 5 subjects were selected to complete the level walking experiments to acquire sEMG and kinematics of lower limbs. After filtering and normalization, the signal was input into GA-GRNN model, the weight parameters were tuned by GA. The optimized model then can predict knee joint angle using sEMG signals. To improve the prediction accuracy, five-point smoothed cubic smoothing algorithm was used. The results show that the proposed GA-GRNN can achieve high estimation accuracy with less training time. It has great potential in lower limb exoskeleton robot field.
Efficient FPGA hardware implementation of secure hash function SHA-256/Blake-256

Since the beginning of study of the Secure Hash function (SHA), it has been thoroughly studied by designers with the goal of reducing the area, frequency, and throughput of the hardware implementation of this cryptosystem. The Secure Hash function algorithm has become the default choice for security services in numerous applications. In this paper, we proposed a new design for the SHA-256 and Blake-256 functions. Moreover, the proposed design has been implemented on Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA. Its area, frequency and throughput have been compared and it is shown that the proposed design achieve good performance in term of area, frequency and throughput.
Identification of deregulation of apoptosis and cell cycle in neuroendocrine tumors of the lung via NanoString nCounter expression analysis

Background Neuroendocrine tumors of the lung comprise typical (TC) and atypical carcinoids (AC), large-cell neuroendocrine cancer (LCNEC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Cell cycle and apoptosis are key pathways of multicellular homeostasis and deregulation of these pathways is associated with cancerogenesis. Materials and Methods Sixty representative FFPE-specimens (16 TC, 13 AC, 16 LCNEC and 15 SCLC) were used for mRNA expression analysis using the NanoString technique. Eight genes related to apoptosis and ten genes regulating key points of cell cycle were investigated. Results ASCL1, BCL2, CASP8, CCNE1, CDK1, CDK2, CDKN1A and CDKN2A showed lower expression in carcinoids compared to carcinomas. In contrast, CCNE1 and CDK6 showed elevated expression in carcinoids compared to carcinomas. The calculated BCL2/BAX ratio showed increasing values from TC to SCLC. Between SCLC and LCNEC CDK2, CDKN1B, CDKN2A and PNN expression was significantly different with higher expression in SCLC. Conclusion Carcinoids have increased CDK4/6 and CCND1 expression controlling RB1 phosphorylation via this signaling cascade. CDK2 and CCNE1 were increased in carcinomas showing that these use the opposite way to control RB1. BAX and BCL2 are antagonists in regulating apoptosis. BCL2 expression increased over BAX expression with increasing malignancy of the tumor from TC to SCLC.
The Feeling of Action Tendencies: On the Emotional Regulation of Goal-Directed Behavior

In this article, we review the nature of the functional and causal relationship between neurophysiologically/psychologically generated states of emotional feeling and action tendencies and extrapolate a novel perspective. Emotion theory, over the past century and beyond, has tended to regard feeling and action tendency as independent phenomena: attempts to outline the functional and causal relationship that exists between them have been framed therein. Classically, such relationships have been viewed as unidirectional, but an argument for bidirectionality rooted in a dynamic systems perspective has gained strength in recent years whereby the feeling–action tendency relationship is viewed as a composite whole. On the basis of our review of somatic–visceral theories of feelings, we argue that feelings are grounded upon neural-dynamic representations (elevated and stable activation patterns) of action tendency. Such representations amount to predictions updated by cognitive and bodily feedback. Specifically, we view emotional feelings as minimalist predictions of the action tendency (what the agent is physiologically and cognitively primed to do) in a given situation. The essence of this point is captured by our exposition of action tendency prediction–feedback loops which we consider, above all, in the context of emotion regulation, and in particular, of emotional regulation of goal-directed behavior. The perspective outlined may be of use to emotion theorists, computational modelers, and roboticists.