Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estradiol exerts neuroprotective effects when administered after ischemic insult.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 17beta-Estradiol (E2) has been reported to exert neuroprotective effects when administered before an ischemic insult. This study was designed to determine whether E2 treatment after ischemia exerts the same effects and, if so, how long this therapeutic window remains open, and whether the effects are related to changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF). METHODS Female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). In protocol 1, E2 was administered (100 microg/kg IV followed immediately by subcutaneous implantation of crystalline E2 in a silicone elastomer tube) to ovariectomized females (OVX+E2) at 0.5 (n=8), 1 (n=6), 2 (n=7), 3 (n=6), or 4 (n=9) hours after MCAO. Intact (INT; n=6) and ovariectomized females (OVX; n=12) were subjected to MCAO and received vehicle instead of E2. Two days after MCAO the animals were killed, and ischemic lesion volume was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. In protocol 2, CBF was monitored before and at 1, 24, and 48 hours in a group of animals receiving E2 or vehicle 0.5 hour after ischemia induction (INT, n=6; OVX, n=8; OVX+E2, n=6). RESULTS Lesion volume was 20.9+/-2.2% and 21.8+/-1.2% in the INT and OVX groups, respectively. E2 was found to decrease lesion volume significantly when administered within 3 hours after MCAO. The lesion volumes were 6.3+/-0.5%, 10.3+/-2.1%, 11.8+/-1.8%, 13.5+/-1.6%, and 17.9+/-2.8% when E2 was administered at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, or 4 hours after MCAO, respectively. CBF decreased to 43.1+/-2.2% and 25.4+/-1.0% in the INT and OVX animals, respectively, at 5 minutes after MCAO. In comparison to OVX rats, CBF was not different at 1 hour after E2 administration but was increased significantly in the OVX+E2 group 1 and 2 days after E2 administration. CONCLUSIONS E2 exerts neuroprotective effects when administered after ischemia, with a therapeutic window in a permanent focal cerebral ischemia model of approximately 3 hours. This effect of estradiol was associated with no immediate change in blood flow but with a delayed increase in CBF.
The RNA shapes studio

Motivation: Abstract shape analysis, first proposed in 2004, allows one to extract several relevant structures from the folding space of an RNA sequence, preferable to focusing in a single structure of minimal free energy. We report recent extensions to this approach. Results: We have rebuilt the original RNAshapes as a repository of components that allows us to integrate several established tools for RNA structure analysis: RNAshapes, RNAalishapes and pknotsRG, including its recent extension pKiss. As a spin-off, we obtain heretofore unavailable functionality: e. g. with pKiss, we can now perform abstract shape analysis for structures holding pseudoknots up to the complexity of kissing hairpin motifs. The new tool pAliKiss can predict kissing hairpin motifs from aligned sequences. Along with the integration, the functionality of the tools was also extended in manifold ways. Availability and implementation: As before, the tool is available on the Bielefeld Bioinformatics server at http://bibiserv.cebitec.uni-bielefeld.de/rnashapesstudio. Contact: bibi-help@cebitec.uni-bielefeld.de
Evaluation and assessment of photoaging

Abstract: The assessment of photoaging is a huge component not only in clinical practice, but also in human research studies geared towards anti-aging therapies, photoprotection or mechanistic studies to understand the effects of ultraviolet light on the skin. However, evaluation remains difficult to standardize. Photonumeric scales are superior to descriptive evaluations, and have been used with some validity and reproducibility. Newer techniques that employ more sophisticated imaging modalities may be necessary. In addition, consideration of skin color, ethnicity, gender, and specific anatomic regions of the face play a role in the evaluation. Zusammenfassung: Die Beurteilung des sogenannten Photoagings spielt eine große Rolle – nicht nur in der klinischen Praxis, sondern auch in mechanistischen sowie klinischen Studien zu Anti-Aging-Therapien und Lichtschutz, die darauf ausgerichtet sind, die Auswirkungen von UV-Licht auf die Haut zu verstehen. Allerdings ist eine standardisierte Auswertung nachwievor schwierig. Photonumerische Skalen sind der deskriptiven Evaluation überlegen und erwiesen sich vielfach als valide und reproduzierbar. Dennoch scheint der Einsatz neuerer Techniken, die komplexere Bildgebungsverfahren verwenden, notwendig. Darüber hinaus spielen die Berücksichtigung der Hautfarbe, der ethnischen Zugehörigkeit, des Geschlechts sowie bestimmter anatomischer Regionen des Gesichts eine Rolle bei der Bewertung.
Measurement of welding residual stresses of reactor vessel by inherent strain method: measurement of residual stresses of pipe–plate penetration joint

This study aims to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants. The accidents involving leaks from the welded zones at the pipe penetration part of a reactor vessel or at a coolant pipe are reported at home and abroad. One of the main causes is the welding residual stress. So, it is important to know the welding residual stress for maintaining high safety of the plants, the estimation of plant's life cycle and the plan of maintenance. The welded joints of the nuclear power plants have complex shapes, and the welding residual stresses also have complex distributions three-dimensionally. In this study, the inherent strain method combined with finite element method is used to measure the welding residual stresses accurately. The mock-up is idealized for the welded joint at the pipe penetration part of the actual reactor vessel. The inherent strain method is applied to measure the residual stresses. In this method, the inherent strains are unknowns. When the residual stresses are distributed complexly in a three-dimensional stress-state, the number of unknowns becomes very large. So, the inherent strains are expressed with some functions to decrease the number largely. The theory, the experiment process and the analysed results are explained. The characteristics of the distributions of residual stresses and their production mechanisms are discussed. The inherent strain method gives the most probable values and the deviations of the residual stresses. The deviations are small enough for the most probable values. It assures the high reliability of the estimated results.
Cosleeping Versus Solitary Sleeping in Children With Bedtime Problems: Child Emotional Problems and Parental Distress

This study investigated sleep, behavioral and emotional problems, and parental relationships and psychological distress in a group of school-aged children with bedtime problems and persistent cosleeping, compared to solitary sleepers and controls. Participants were 148 school-aged children with bedtime problems (44 cosleepers, 104 solitary sleepers) and 228 healthy peers. Results suggested that cosleepers have a significantly later bedtime, shorter nighttime sleep duration, higher Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) bedtime resistance and sleep anxiety scores, and more behavioral and emotional problems compared to other groups. Parents of cosleepers have a significantly higher level of psychological and couple distress. A past history of sleep problems, couple and maternal distress, CSHQ bedtime resistance, sleep anxiety, and night wakings subscale scores, and nighttime fears were significantly predictive of cosleeping. Thus, when cosleeping is present, the child's emotional adjustment, family relationships, and parental psychological problems should be investigated.
Noncoordinate regulation of myelinogenic parameters in primary cultures of dissociated fetal rat brain

The developmental regulation of sulfogalactosylceramide (sulfatide) synthesis, 2′,3′‐cyclic nucleotide‐3′‐phosphohydrolase activity (CNP), and myelin basic protein (MBP) accumulation, three markers characteristic of myelinogenesis, were observed in dispersed cultures of fetal rat brain in spite of the absence of the formation of compact, multilamellar myelin. Sulfatide synthetic rate and CNP activity began to increase by 8 days in vitro (DIV) (approximately comparable to days post‐natal) and reached their maxima by 20 DIV. MBP began to accumulate after 14 DIV and reached a maximum by 38 DIV. Thus, the temporal regulation of the onset of expression of these parameters, which is coordinate in vivo, has been dissociated into two sequential periods in vitro. Similarly, the regulatory mechanisms controlling the subsequent decline of the net expression of these three parameters were dissociated. Whereas, the increase in the net CNP activity ceased on schedule, the decline of sulfatide synthetic rate was delayed 20 days, and the accumulation of MBP underwent a net loss. These data suggest that there are multiple parallel but separate mechanisms of temporal regulation controlling myelinogenic gene expression, and that, among them, those factors that control MBP accumulation are more sensitive to disruption by the rigors of dissociated culture.
Reducing the Sub-threshold and Gate-tunneling Leakage of SRAM Cells using Dual-Vt and Dual-Tox Assignment

Aggressive CMOS scaling results in low threshold voltage and thin oxide thickness for transistors manufactured in very deep submicron regime. As a result, reducing the subthreshold and gate-tunneling leakage currents has become one of the most important criteria in the design of VLSI circuits. This paper presents a method based on dual-V t and dual-Tox assignment to reduce the total leakage power dissipation of SRAMs while maintaining their performance. The proposed method is based on the observation that the read and write delays of a memory cell in an SRAM block depend on the physical distance of the cell from the sense amplifier and the decoder. Thus, the idea is to deploy different types of six-transistor SRAM cells corresponding to different threshold voltage and oxide thickness assignments for the transistors. Unlike other techniques for low-leakage SRAM design, the proposed technique incurs neither area nor delay overhead. In addition, it results in a minor change in the SRAM design flow. Simulation results with a 65 nm process demonstrate that this technique can reduce the total leakage power dissipation of a 64 Kb SRAM by more than 50%
Reliable resource allocation for optically interconnected distributed clouds

In this paper, we study the reliable resource allocation (RRA) problem of allocating virtual machines (VMs) from multiple optically interconnected data centers (DCs) with the objective of minimizing the total failure probability based on the information obtained from the optical network virtulization. We first describe the framework of resource allocation, formulate the RRA problem, and prove that RRA is NP-complete. We provide an algorithm, named Minimum Failure Cover (MFC), to obtain optimal solutions for small scale problems. We then provide a greedy algorithm, named VM-over-Reliability (VOR), to solve large scale problems. Numerical results show that VOR achieves results close to optimal solutions gained by MFC for small scale problems. Numerical results also show that VOR outperforms the resource allocation through random DC selection (RDS).
Ethyl 1-sec-butyl-2-phenyl-1H-benzimidazole-5-carboxylate

In the title molecule, C20H22N2O2, the benzimidazole ring system is essentially planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.024 (1) Å. The dihedral angle between the phenyl and benzimidazole ring system is 43.71 (5)°. The atoms of the butyl group are disordered over two sets of sites with occupancies of 0.900 (4) and 0.100 (4). In the crystal structure, molecules are connected by weak intermolecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains along the b axis. The crystal structure is further stabilized by C—H⋯π interactions.
Impact of different diagnostic criteria on the prevalence and prognostic significance of exertional oscillatory ventilation in patients with chronic heart failure

Introduction Exertional oscillatory ventilation (EOV) occurs in many patients with chronic heart failure. Two different definitions of EOV have been proposed by Corrá and Leite. We aimed to compare the prevalence of EOV and its prognostic significance in patients with chronic heart failure using the two diagnostic approaches. Methods Patients underwent a symptom-limited, treadmill-based exercise test with metabolic gas exchange measurements using the modified Bruce protocol. EOV was defined (i) as cyclic fluctuations in ventilation lasting for more than 60% of exercise duration, with an amplitude of greater than 15% of the average amplitude of cyclic fluctuations at rest (Corrá) and/or (ii) as three or more regular oscillations with regularity defined if the standard deviation of three consecutive cycle lengths was within 20% of the average coupled with a minimal average amplitude of ventilatory oscillation of 5I (Leite). Results Two hundred and forty patients (mean age 59 ± 13 years; 73% males; left ventricular ejection fraction 34 ± 6%; peak VO2 21.0 ± 4.6 ml/kg per min; VE/VCO2 slope 35 ± 9) were included in the study. The prevalence of EOV was 25% using the Corrá method and 31% using the Leite method. Fifty percent of patients diagnosed with EOV by the Corrá criteria and 58% diagnosed by the Leite criteria had died at 12-month follow-up. EOV (Corrá) was a predictor of mortality independent of peak VO2, VE/VCO2 slope, left ventricular ejection fraction, age, and 6-min walk test distance. A hazard ratio (HR) of 6.3 (P < 0.0001; 95% confidence interval = 1.6–25.2) was evident for the Corrá method, which was higher than for the Leite method (HR = 4.9; P < 0.0001; 95% confidence interval = 2.6–18.2). Conclusion The prevalence of EOV was between 25 and 31% depending on the criteria used to define it. The presence of EOV was a powerful predictor of adverse outcome, and diagnosed with the Corrá criteria was associated with a higher HR than the Leite criteria.
Population Genetic Structure Within and among Seasonal Site Types in the Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the Northern Long-Eared Bat (M. septentrionalis)

During late summer and early autumn, temperate bats migrate from their summering sites to swarming sites, where mating likely occurs. However, the extent to which individuals of a single summering site migrate to the same swarming site, and vice versa, is not known. We examined the migratory connectivity between summering and swarming sites in two temperate, North American, bat species, the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). Using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers, we examined population structuring within and among summering and swarming sites. Both species exhibited moderate degrees of mitochondrial DNA differentiation (little brown bat: FST(SWARMING)= 0.093, FST(SWARMING)= 0.052; northern long-eared bat: FST(SWARMING)= 0.117, FST(SWARMING)= 0.043) and little microsatellite DNA differentiation among summering and among swarming sites. Haplotype diversity was significantly higher at swarming sites than summering sites, supporting the idea that swarming sites are comprised of individuals from various summering sites. Further, pairwise analyses suggest that swarming sites are not necessarily comprised of only individuals from the most proximal summering colonies.
The Envelope Gene of Transmitted HIV-1 Resists a Late Interferon Gamma-Induced Block

ABSTRACT Type I interferon (IFN) signaling engenders an antiviral state that likely plays an important role in constraining HIV-1 transmission and contributes to defining subsequent AIDS pathogenesis. Type II IFN (IFN-γ) also induces an antiviral state but is often primarily considered to be an immunomodulatory cytokine. We report that IFN-γ stimulation can induce an antiviral state that can be both distinct from that of type I interferon and can potently inhibit HIV-1 in primary CD4+ T cells and a number of human cell lines. Strikingly, we find that transmitted/founder (TF) HIV-1 viruses can resist a late block that is induced by type II IFN, and the use of chimeric IFN-γ-sensitive/resistant viruses indicates that interferon resistance maps to the env gene. Simultaneously, in vitro evolution also revealed that just a single amino acid substitution in the envelope can confer substantial resistance to IFN-mediated inhibition. Thus, the env gene of transmitted HIV-1 confers resistance to a late block that is phenotypically distinct from blocks previously described to be resisted by env and is therefore mediated by unknown IFN-γ-stimulated factor(s) in human CD4+ T cells and cell lines. This important unidentified block could play a key role in constraining HIV-1 transmission. IMPORTANCE The human immune system can hinder invading pathogens through interferon (IFN) signaling. One consequence of this signaling is that cells enter an antiviral state, increasing the levels of hundreds of defenses that can inhibit the replication and spread of viruses. The majority of HIV-1 infections result from a single virus particle (the transmitted/founder) that makes it past these defenses and colonizes the host. Thus, the founder virus is hypothesized to be a relatively interferon-resistant entity. Here, we show that certain HIV-1 envelope genes have the unanticipated ability to resist specific human defenses mediated by different types of interferons. Strikingly, the envelope gene from a founder HIV-1 virus is far better at evading these defenses than the corresponding gene from a common HIV-1 lab strain. Thus, these defenses could play a role in constraining the transmission of HIV-1 and may select for transmitted viruses that are resistant to this IFN-mediated inhibition.
Non-coherent and differentially coherent code acquisition in MIMO assisted DS-CDMA multi-path downlink scenarios

In this contribution we investigate both Differentially Coherent (DC) and Non-Coherent (NC) code acquisition schemes in the Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)-aided Direct Sequence-Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA) downlink, when communicating over uncorrelated Rayleigh channels. It is demonstrated that the employment of multiple transmit antennas has a detrimental impact on the achievable diversity gain at typical operational Signal-to-Interference plus Noise Ratios (SINR), as the number of transmit antennas is increased, regardless whether single-path or multi-path scenarios are considered. Our findings suggest that increasing the number of transmit antennas in a MIMO-aided CDMA system results in increasing the Mean Acquisition Time (MAT) by as much as an order of magnitude, when the SINR per chip value is relatively low. The main reasons for the performance trends are plausible, since we have to reduce each individual MIMO element's signal power for maintaining the same total power as in a single-antenna system and this will be further justified by information theoretic considerations in the NC MIMO-aided scenarios considered.
Belatacept prophylaxis against organ rejection in adult kidney-transplant recipients

ABSTRACT End-stage renal disease is a major health problem worldwide, with kidney transplantation being the treatment of choice. Calcineurin inhibitors are still the cornerstone of immunosuppressive therapy. However, they have well-known nephrotoxic affects and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. In contrast, belatacept is a biological immunosuppressive agent that inhibits the T-cell co-stimulation. It is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicine Agency for use in adult kidney-transplant recipients to prevent acute rejection. Developmental studies show that belatacept is as efficient as calcineurin inhibitors at preventing acute rejection. In addition, kidney function is better and cardiovascular risk factors are reduced in patients given belatacept. Herein, the authors review the published evidence concerning the efficacy and safety of belatacept and discuss its potential specific indications.
Decomposition and Causality in Partial-order Planning

We describe DPOCL, a partial-order causal link planner that includes action decomposition. DPOCL builds directly on the SNLP algorithm (McAllester & Rosenblitt 1991), and hence is clear and simple, and can readily be integrated with other SNLP extensions. In addition, DPOCL is specifically designed to handle partially specified action decompositions. Plan generation in DPOCL exploits the planner's ability to fill in the missing pieces of a partially specified subplan in a way that uses the existing context of the larger plan being constructed.
Climate change and probabilistic scenario of streamflow extremes in an alpine region

Future projections of streamflow extremes are of paramount significance in assessing the climate impacts on social and natural systems, particularly for the Himalayan alpine region in the Tibetan Plateau known as the Asian water tower. This study strives to quantify the uncertainties from different sources in simulating future extreme flows and seeks to construct reliable scenarios of future extreme flows for the headwater catchment of the Yellow River Basin in the 21st century. The results can be formulated as follows: (1) The revised snow model based on a daily active temperature method is superior to the commonly used degree‐day method in simulating snowmelt processes. (2) In general, hydrological models contribute more uncertainties than the downscaling methods in high flow and low flow over the cryospheric alpine regions characterized by the snow‐rainfall‐induced runoff processes under most scenarios. Meanwhile, impacts to uncertainty vary with time. (3) The ultimate probability of high flow exhibits a downward trend in future by using an unconditional method, whereas positive changes in the probability of low flow are projected. The method in the work includes a variety of influence from different contributing factors (e.g., downscaling models, hydrological models, model parameters, and their simulation skills) on streamflow projection, therefore can offer more information (i.e., different percentiles of flow and uncertainty ranges) for future water resource planning compared with the purely deterministic approaches. Hence, the results are beneficial to boost our current methodologies of climate impact research in the Himalayan alpine zone.