Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tissue expression and immunolocalization of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in postinfarction dysfunctional myocardium.

BACKGROUND Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is markedly elevated in advanced heart failure. It is not known whether tissue TNF-alpha is elevated in the common setting of myocardial infarction leading to heart failure and what the source of TNF-alpha is. To determine this, we studied the expression and protein localization of TNF-alpha and its 2 main receptors (TNF-R1/R2) in a rat model of large infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS Male rats were randomized to proximal left anterior descending ligation. The animals were killed on days 1, 3, 10, and 35 after ligation to examine gene expression and protein production of TNF-alpha and TNF-R1/R2 from the infarct, peri-infarct, and contralateral zones of infarcted heart. There was increased TNF-alpha mRNA production throughout the myocardium at day 1, and detectable expression persisted to day 35 after myocardial infarction. The expression of this cytokine is not confined strictly to the infarct or peri-infarct zones but is expressed by cardiac myocytes within the myocardium in the contralateral normal zone. Changes in gene expression are mirrored initially by augmented protein production within the myocytes. Levels of TNF-alpha protein in the infarct and peri-infarct zones rose early to 8- to 10-fold above normal levels and rose to 4- to 5-fold in the contralateral zone. Finally, expression of the TNF-R1 mRNA transcripts was upregulated at days 3 and 10 after ligation in the infarct and peri-infarct zones, suggesting that the signal transduction pathways necessary for TNF-alpha in the heart remain intact as TNF-alpha biosynthesis increases. CONCLUSIONS TNF-alpha is present early in a model of large myocardial infarction and is sustained into the later stage within the myocardium. Expression of this cytokine is not only confined strictly to the infarct or peri-infarct zone but is expressed by cardiac myocytes within the myocardium contralateral to the infarct. Therefore TNF-alpha production forms a part of an important intrinsic myocardial stress response system to injury.
Adaptive position control of fluidic soft-robots working with unknown loads

The compliance of robot structure is essential to provide safety if robots are working in the direct contact with humans. Soft-actuators possess natural inherent compliance but they are characterized with highly non-linear dynamics making accurate control a challenging task. This paper presents the robust and adaptive position control of soft-robots based on pneumatic actuators with rotary elastic chambers (REC-actuators). Previous work shows that accurate control of soft-robots is possible if load parameters are known and taken into account in quasi-static model of soft-robots, that is used as feed-forward signal. This paper demonstrates that adaptation of the robot model provides flexibility and robustness when soft-robots deal with unknown loads. It is shown that due to adaptation the load parameters are not needed to be changed in the quasi-static robot model. The performance of the adaptive controller is proven in simulation and in experiments using firstly a simple 1 degree of freedom (DoF) and then a complex 6 DoF robot structure.
Money as mumeraire: doctrinal aspects and contemporary relevance

At the beginning of the twentieth century, most economists took it for granted that the primary function of money is its role as a medium of exchange and that moneyshould consist of, or be backed by, gold, or silver, or both. This paper discusses three writers--Alexander Del Mar, Georg Knapp, and John Maynard Keynes--who took a different tack. By endeavouring to explain what money is, they focused on the capacity of money to have value. In so doing, they gave primacy to the unit-of-account function of money and originated the theory of chartalism. We show that the primacy placed on the numeraire by those writers provides insights into present-day analyses of general equilibrium, neutral money, business cycles, and currency-area formation.
Effectiveness of vendor managed inventory systems in retail supermarkets in Kenya

Every business exists to make profit. In the 21st century, these profits are realized in a myriad of ways including cost savings, improvement of working capital and reduction of risk. This paper sought to find out the contribution of adoption of Vendor Managed Inventories, also known as Consignment Stock Management, as a strategy that shrewd business executives in the retail supermarket chains could use to gain competitive advantage by leveraging on inventory supplier reliability, lower administrative costs, and strong buyer/supplier relationships to grow revenues and reduce risk. Data from procurement managers in 24 retail supermarkets with a branch network of more than three in Nairobi was analyzed. The findings suggest that VMI has been effective in retail supermarkets by improving stock management, cash flows and risk management. VMI seeks to accomplish a deeper integration and collaboration between the members of the supply chains in order to cope with the ever decreasing time window for product and service fulfillment and the requirements for the improvement of operational efficiency.
The Effect of Fatigue on Kicking Velocity in Soccer Players

Soccer is a game in which fatigue can negatively influence players’ performance. Few studies have examined the practical effects of fatigue on soccer performance skills. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of fatigue, acutely induced by means of a soccer specific circuit on ball velocity. Ten amateur soccer players (age 27.3 ± 5.25 yr; experience 16,8 ± 6.05 yr; level secondary division; body height 1,80 m ± 0,06; body mass 75,7 kg ± 5,78), participated in this study and performed maximal instep kicks before and after the implementation of an intensive, intermittent and repeated exercise protocol. Analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated a significant decrease (p<0.05) in ball velocity after just one round of the fatigue circuit. However, after the third circuit ball velocity increased and after the fifth circuit maximal ball velocity increased yet again (compared to the second circuit) and was not significantly different from before commencement of the fatigue protocol. The results partly confirmed the hypothesis of the negative influence of fatigue upon ball velocity in soccer kicking, demonstrating also some variability in the presented values of ball velocity perhaps theoretically accounted for by the general governor model.
Characterization of a Stable, Metronidazole-Resistant Clostridium difficile Clinical Isolate

Background Clostridium difficile are Gram-positive, spore forming anaerobic bacteria that are the leading cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea, usually associated with antibiotic usage. Metronidazole is currently the first-line treatment for mild to moderate C. difficile diarrhea however recurrence occurs at rates of 15–35%. There are few reports of C. difficile metronidazole resistance in the literature, and when observed, the phenotype has been transient and lost after storage or exposure of the bacteria to freeze/thaw cycles. Owing to the unstable nature of the resistance phenotype in the laboratory, clinical significance and understanding of the resistance mechanisms is lacking. Methodology/Principal Findings Genotypic and phenotypic characterization was performed on a metronidazole resistant clinical isolate of C. difficile. Whole-genome sequencing was used to identify potential genetic contributions to the phenotypic variation observed with molecular and bacteriological techniques. Phenotypic observations of the metronidazole resistant strain revealed aberrant growth in broth and elongated cell morphology relative to a metronidazole-susceptible, wild type NAP1 strain. Comparative genomic analysis revealed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) level variation within genes affecting core metabolic pathways such as electron transport, iron utilization and energy production. Conclusions/Significance This is the first characterization of stable, metronidazole resistance in a C. difficile isolate. The study provides an in-depth genomic and phenotypic analysis of this strain and provides a foundation for future studies to elucidate mechanisms conferring metronidazole resistance in C. difficile that have not been previously described.
Forecasting Inflation Using Labour Market Indicators

There are a large number of labour market indicators that could be used by monetary policy makers to assess the state of the labour market and the associated implications for inflationary pressure. This paper attempts to assess their relative merits by evaluating their past performance in forecasting movements in price and wage inflation. This is done by considering both their ex post performance in predicting inflation using conventional in-sample Granger causality tests and their performance ex ante using simulated out-of-sample forecasting tests over the period 1985-2000, based on both recursive and rolling-window estimation. These criteria lead to rather different conclusions. In sample, most labour market indicators appear to be statistically significant in an inflation-forecasting equation, but out of sample a much smaller number of labour market indicator models are better at forecasting inflation than a simple autoregression, with virtually none outperforming this benchmark over the period since 1995. The labour market indicator models that perform relatively well out of sample tend to be sensitive to the precise choice of inflation measure, sample period and estimation method, though there is some evidence that pooling across individual forecasts produces more reliable results. One apparently robust result, however, is that the unemployment rate gap, the most commonly used measure of labour market tightness, performs poorly in out-of-sample forecasts across a range of specifications.
04 06 4 v 2 8 F eb 2 00 7 Relational EPR

We study the EPR-type correlations from the perspective of the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics. We argue that these correlations do not entail any form of “non-locality”, when viewed in the context of this interpretation. The abandonment of strict Einstein realism implied by the relational stance permits to reconcile quantum mechanics, completeness, (operationally defined) separability, and locality.
Teasing apart tangrams: Testing hippocampal pattern separation with a collaborative referencing paradigm

The hippocampus and the medial temporal lobe cortex [medial temporal lobe cortices (MTLC)] both contribute to long‐term memory. Although their contributions are thought to be dissociable, the nature of the representations that each region supports remains unclear. The Complementary Learning Systems (CLS) modeling approach suggests that hippocampus represents overlapping information in a sparser and therefore more separated fashion than MTLC. We tested this prediction using a collaborative referencing paradigm whereby hippocampal amnesic patients and a partner work together to develop and use unique labels for a set of abstract visual stimuli (tangrams) across extended interactions. Previously, we reported that amnesic patients demonstrate intact learning when the tangrams are conceptually dissimilar. Here, we manipulated the degree of visual similarity; half of the stimuli were dissimilar to one another (e.g., camel and giraffe), and half were similar (e.g., birds). We hypothesized that while patients would have little difficulty with the dissimiliar tangrams (quickly arriving at unique and concise labels), they would be unable to rapidly form distinct representations of highly similar visual patterns. Consistent with this prediction, patients and both healthy and brain‐damaged comparison participants showed similar rates of learning for dissimilar tangrams, but the similar tangrams proved more difficult for hippocampal patients as reflected in the greater number of words they used to describe each similar card. This result supports the CLS model's central claim of hippocampal specialization for pattern separation and suggests that our collaborative referencing paradigm may be a useful tool for observing extended encoding of complex representations. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sticky Prices: A New Monetarist Approach

Why do some sellers set nominal prices that apparently do not respond to changes in the aggregate price level? In many models, prices are sticky by assumption; here it is a result. We use search theory, with two consequences: prices are set in dollars, since money is the medium of exchange; and equilibrium implies a nondegenerate price distribution. When the money supply increases, some sellers may keep prices constant, earning less per unit but making it up on volume, so profit stays constant. The calibrated model matches price-change data well. But, in contrast with other sticky-price models, money is neutral.
Association of Tropical Cirrus in the 10–15-km Layer with Deep Convective Sources: An Observational Study Combining Millimeter Radar Data and Satellite-Derived Trajectories

Abstract In this paper, millimeter cloud radar (MMCR) and Geosynchronous Meteorological Satellite (GMS) data are combined to study the properties of tropical cirrus that are common in the 10–15-km layer of the tropical troposphere in the western Pacific. Millimeter cloud radar observations collected by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program on the islands of Manus and Nauru in the western and central equatorial Pacific during a 12-month period spanning 1999 and 2000 show differences in cirrus properties: over Manus, where clouds above 7 km are observed 48% of the time, the cirrus are thicker and warmer on average and the radar reflectivity and Doppler velocity are larger; over Nauru clouds above 7 km are observed 23% of time. To explain the differences in cloud properties, the relationship between tropical cirrus and deep convection is examined by combining the radar observations with GMS satellite-derived back trajectories. Using a data record of 1 yr, it is found that 47% of the cirrus observed o.
Ants-in-Mesh routing protocol for Wireless Mesh Network

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have recently gained a lot of popularity due to their rapid deployment and instant communication capabilities. However, as a key technology for next-generation wireless networking, WMNs lack suitable routing metrics and protocol for new features. Currently, AODV is the routing protocol used in WMNs. This paper proposes an ants-in-mesh (AIM) routing protocol for wireless mesh networks, which is based on ideas from the nature-inspired ant colony optimization (ACO) framework. AIM agent distributes forward ants on demand to search for the routes to the destination and then activates corresponding backward ants to confirm the routes and update the pheromone. AIM enables only the destination to choose k multiple paths based on ants pheromone, which is based on several link-relevant quality of service (QoS) metrics. AIM agent maintains status of local links by exchanging hello messages periodically. Simulation results show that AIM outperforms AODV in terms of packet delivery ratio and total end-to-end delay.
Can human populations be stabilized?

Historical examples of demographic change, in China, Italy, Nigeria, Utah, Easter Island, and elsewhere, together with simple mathematics and biological principles, show that stabilizing world population before it is limited by food supply will be more difficult than is generally appreciated. United Nations population projections are wrong because they assume, in spite of the absence of necessary feedbacks, that all nations will converge rapidly to replacement‐level fertility and thereafter remain at that level. Education of women and provision of contraceptives have caused dramatic reductions in fertility, but many groups, including some that are well‐educated, maintain high fertility. Small groups with persistent high fertility can grow to supplant low‐fertility groups, resulting in continued growth of the total population. The global average fertility rate could rise even if each country's fertility rate is falling. In some low‐fertility European countries where deaths exceed births, the population continues to grow because of immigration. Producing more than two offspring is normal for all animal species with stable populations because their populations are limited by resources or predation rather than birth control. It may therefore be appropriate to view the growth of human population as the result not of excess fertility but rather of excess food.
Micro-simulation study of vehicular interactions on upgrades of intercity roads under heterogeneous traffic conditions in India

Purpose: Study of the basic traffic flow characteristics and clear understanding of vehicular interactions are the pre-requisites for highway capacity analysis and to formulate effective traffic management and control measures. The road traffic in India is highly heterogeneous comprising vehicles of wide ranging physical dimensions, weight, power and dynamic characteristics. The problem of measuring volume of such heterogeneous traffic has been addressed by converting the different types of vehicles into equivalent passenger cars and expressing the volume as Passenger Car Unit per hour (PCU/h). Methods: Computer simulation has emerged as an effective technique for modeling traffic flow due to its capability to account for the randomness related to traffic. This paper is concerned with application of a simulation model of heterogeneous traffic flow, named HETEROSIM, to quantify the vehicular interaction, in terms of PCU, for the different categories of vehicles, by considering the traffic flow of representative composition, on upgrades of different magnitudes on intercity roads in India. Results and Conclusions: The PCU estimates, made through microscopic simulation, for the different types of vehicles of heterogeneous traffic, for a wide range of grades and traffic volume, indicate that the PCU value of a vehicle significantly changes with change in traffic volume, magnitude of upgrade and its length. It is found that, the change in PCU value of vehicles is not significant beyond a length of 1600 m on grades. Also, it has been found that the PCU estimates are accurate at 5% level of significance.
When Does the In-Group Like the Out-Group? Bias Among Children as a Function of Group Norms

Research indicates that in-group favoritism is prevalent among both adults and children. Although research has documented that individuals do not consistently display an in-group bias, the conditions under which out-group preference exists are not well understood. In this study, participants (N = 462) aged 9 to 16 years judged in-group deviant acts that were either in line with or counter to a generic norm shared by both groups. The findings demonstrated, for the first time, that children preferred out-group over in-group deviance only when the in-group peer’s deviance was in line with the generic norm and a threat to their group’s identity. Participants justified their disapproval of these deviants by focusing on the need for group cohesion and loyalty, while they signified their approval by spotlighting the need for autonomy. Our findings suggest that children’s intergroup attitudes are influenced by how the behavior of their peers matches different levels of group norms.
SBS 0335–052, A Probable Nearby Young Dwarf Galaxy: Evidence Pro and Con

The results of Multiple Mirror Telescope spectrophotometry of the extremely low metallicity blue compact galaxy (BCG) SBS 0335-052 (SBS—the Second Byurakan Survey) are presented. The oxygen abundance in the central, brightest part of the galaxy is found to be 12 + log (O/H) = 7.33 ± 0.01, only slightly greater than the oxygen abundance in the most metal-deficient BCG, I Zw 18. We show that the N/O, Ne/O, S/O, and Ar/O abundance ratios in SBS 0335-052 are close to those derived for other BCGs, suggesting that heavy-element enrichment in the H II region is due to massive-star evolution. However, we find an O/Fe abundance ratio close to that in the Sun, at variance with values derived for other BCGs. The helium abundance derived from the He I 4471, 5876, and 6678 Å emission lines, taking into account collisional and fluorescent enhancement, is Y = 0.245 ± 0.006, close to the value of the primordial helium abundance, Yp = 0.243 ± 0.003, derived by Izotov, Thuan, & Lipovetsky. We detect auroral [O III] λ4363 emission in the inner part of the H II region with a diameter of 14'', or 3.6 kpc, and find that the H II region inside this diameter is hot, Te ~ 20,000 K. The oxygen abundance in this region is nearly constant [12 + log (O/H) = 7.1-7.3], with a gradual decrease to the outer part of H II region, implying effective mixing of ionized gas on short timescales. We study the distribution of the nebular He II λ4686 emission line and find that it is not produced by main-sequence O stars or Wolf-Rayet stars. Possible excitation mechanisms for this line, such as massive X-ray binaries and shocks, are discussed. We also discuss the origin of blue, underlying, extended low-intensity emission detected in SBS 0335-052 in V, R, and I images. The blue V - I and R - I color distributions suggest that a significant contribution to the extended low-intensity envelope is due to ionized gas emission. This is evidence that SBS 0335-052 is a young galaxy experiencing its very first burst of star formation. However, we find that the observed equivalent width of Hβ emission in the extended envelope is 2-3 times lower than the value expected in the case of pure gaseous emission. Furthermore, we find that the widths of Hγ and Hβ are narrower than the instrumental profiles; this could be explained by the presence of underlying stellar absorption from A stars. These findings suggest that, along with the young ( ~107 yr) blue stellar clusters in the center of the galaxy, an older stellar population of age ~108 yr may be present in the extended envelope of SBS 0335-052 having a total mass of ~107 M☉, 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the neutral gas mass but comparable with the total mass of stars in blue young stellar clusters observed in the center of the galaxy. We conclude that SBS 0335-052 is a young nearby dwarf galaxy with age ~108 yr.
A saturated linear dynamical network for approximating maximum clique

We use a saturated linear gradient dynamical network for finding an approximate solution to the maximum clique problem. We show that for almost all initial conditions, any solution of the network defined on a closed hypercube reaches one of the vertices of the hypercube, and any such vertex corresponds to a maximal clique. We examine the performance of the method on a set of random graphs and compare the results with those of some existing methods. The proposed model presents a simple continuous, yet powerful, solution in approximating maximum clique, which may outperform many relatively complex methods, e.g., Hopfield-type neural network based methods and conventional heuristics.