Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coronary nitric oxide production in response to exercise and endothelium-dependent agonists.

BACKGROUND Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) contributes to epicardial coronary artery vasodilation during exercise. However, blockade of NO production does not impair the increase in coronary blood flow (CBF) during exercise, suggesting that NO is not obligatory for exercise-induced coronary resistance vessel dilation. In contrast, the increases in CBF produced by endothelium-dependent agonists are decreased after NO blockade. Consequently, this study was performed to determine whether the increase in coronary NO production in response to agonists is greater than that which occurs during exercise. METHODS AND RESULTS We measured the oxidation products of NO (nitrate+nitrite=NO(x)) in aortic and coronary sinus plasma using chemiluminescence to assess NO(x) production across the coronary circulation in chronically instrumented dogs during a 3-stage treadmill exercise protocol and in response to intracoronary administration of the endothelium-dependent agonists acetylcholine (37.5 microg/min) and bradykinin (3.0 microg/min). No coronary NO(x) production could be detected at rest or during the first 2 stages of exercise; only at the highest level of exercise was a small increase in coronary NO(x) production measured. In contrast, coronary production of NO(x) was significantly increased in response to endothelium-dependent agonists. CONCLUSIONS Coronary NO production in response to endothelium-dependent agonists is greater than in response to the increase in shear stress associated with exercise. These findings support previous studies suggesting that NO is not required for the coronary vasodilation that occurs in the normal heart during exercise.
Balloonfish: Utilizing morphable resistive memory in mobile virtualization

Virtualization offers significant benefits such as better isolation and security for mobile systems. However, the limited amount of memory and virtualization's memory-demanding nature makes it challenging to virtualize mobile systems efficiently. In this paper, we utilize morphable resistive memories to design a high-performance mobile system with extensible memory space. With morphable resistive memory, we convert the memory cell state between multi-level and single-level to achieve a balance between performance and memory space. Our evaluation based on the Samsung Exynos 5250 SoC with real Android applications shows that our system achieve 27% performance improvement compared with the baseline scheme.
X-Ray, UV, and Optical Observations of Supernova 2006bp with Swift: Detection of Early X-Ray Emission

We present results on the X-ray and optical/UV emission from the Type II-P supernova (SN) 2006bp and the interaction of the SN shock with its environment, obtained with the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT) on board Swift. SN 2006bp is detected in X-rays at a 4.5 σ level of significance in the merged XRT data from days 1 to 12 after the explosion. If the 0.2-10 keV band X-ray luminosity of L0.2-10 = (1.8 ± 0.4) × 1039 ergs s-1 is caused by interaction of the SN shock with circumstellar material (CSM) deposited by a stellar wind from the progenitor's companion star, a mass-loss rate of Ṁ ≈ (1 × 10-5 M☉ yr-1)(vw/10 km s-1) is inferred. The mass-loss rate is consistent with the nondetection in the radio with the VLA on days 2, 9, and 11 after the explosion and is characteristic of a red supergiant progenitor with a mass of ≈12-15 M☉ prior to the explosion. The Swift data further show a fading of the X-ray emission starting around day 12 after the explosion. In combination with a follow-up XMM-Newton observation obtained on day 21 after the explosion, an X-ray rate of decline of LX ∝ t-n with index n = 1.2 ± 0.6 is inferred. Since no other SN has been detected in X-rays prior to the optical peak, and since Type II-P SNe have an extended "plateau" phase in the optical, we discuss the scenario that the X-rays might be due to inverse Compton scattering of photospheric optical photons off relativistic electrons produced in circumstellar shocks. However, due to the high required value of the Lorentz factor (≈10-100), which is inconsistent with the ejecta velocity inferred from optical line widths, we conclude that inverse Compton scattering is an unlikely explanation for the observed X-ray emission.
Routine monitoring systems for integrated community case management programs: Lessons from 18 countries in sub–Saharan Africa

Integrated community case management (iCCM) programs are expanding rapidly in many low– and middle–income countries, particularly in sub–Saharan Africa. Conclusions from the recent review of iCCM programs in Africa emphasized the critical importance of using routine data to assess program performance and to inform impact evaluations [1]. Yet monitoring systems often fail to deliver quality data (defined as relevant, complete, timely and accurate [2]) and program managers do not have the capacity or are not empowered to use data for decision–making and corrective action [3]. Monitoring systems for iCCM suffer from many of the same shortcomings of the broader routine health information systems (HIS), but extending these systems to the community level at scale presents unique challenges and constraints. While the literature highlighting results of iCCM programs has expanded, little has been published that explores the monitoring systems necessary to support successful implementation. This paper aims to synthesize lessons learned from recent experience developing and implementing systems for routine monitoring of large scale iCCM programs. These lessons were compiled from the primary partners supporting iCCM implementation across 18 countries in sub–Saharan Africa through interviews with monitoring focal persons and review of relevant documents and tools and informed by literature on strengthening routine health information systems more broadly [3–5]. We first outline the rationale for routine data and the challenges iCCM programs face to establish functional monitoring systems to generate such data. We then characterize the current state of routine monitoring systems for iCCM, summarize lessons learned and conclude with a way forward.
Epidemiology of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections in Japan and Therapeutic Strategies for Macrolide-Resistant M. pneumoniae

Pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae pneumonia) is a major cause of community-acquired pneumonia worldwide. The surveillance of M. pneumoniae pneumonia is important for etiological and epidemiological studies of acute respiratory infections. In Japan, nation-wide surveillance of M. pneumoniae pneumonia has been conducted as a part of the National Epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Diseases (NESID) program. This surveillance started in 1981, and significant increases in the numbers of M. pneumoniae pneumonia patients were noted in 1984, 1988, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015. The epidemics in 2011 and 2012 were particularly widespread and motivated researchers to conduct detailed epidemiological studies, including genotyping and drug resistance analyses of M. pneumoniae isolates. The genotyping studies based on the p1 gene sequence suggested that the p1 gene type 1 lineage has been dominant in Japan since 2003, including the epidemic period during 2011–2012. However, more detailed p1 typing analysis is required to determine whether the type 2 lineages become more relevant after the dominance of the type 1 lineage. There has been extensive research interest in implications of the p1 gene types on the epidemiology of M. pneumoniae infections. Serological characterizations of sera from patients have provided a glimpse into these associations, showing the presence of type specific antibody in the patient sera. Another important epidemiological issue of M. pneumoniae pneumonia is the emergence of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae (MRMP). MRMPs were noted among clinical isolates in Japan after 2000. At present, the isolation rate of MRMPs from pediatric patients is estimated at 50–90% in Japan, depending on the specific location. In view of the situation, Japanese societies have issued guiding principles for treating M. pneumoniae pneumonia. In these guiding principles, macrolides are still recommended as the first-line drug, however, if the fever does not subside in 48–72 h from first-line drug administration, a change of antibiotics to second-line drugs is recommended.
THE EFFECT OF AUDITORY SPATIAL LAYOUT IN A DIVIDED ATTENTION TASK

The effect of spatial separation on the ability of listeners to report keywords from two simultaneous talkers was examined. The talkers were presented with equal intensity at a clearly audible level, and were designed to have little spectral overlap in order to reduce energetic interference. The two talkers were presented in a virtual auditory environment with various angular separations around references of -45o, 0o, or 45o azimuth. In Experiment 1, the virtual space was created using head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) which contained natural energy variations as a function of location. In Experiment 2, these energy variations were removed and the virtual space was created using only interaural time differences (ITDs). Overall, performance did not vary dramatically but depended on spatial separation, reference direction, and type of simulation. Around the 0o reference azimuth, performance in the HRTF condition tended to first increase and then decrease with increasing separation. This effect was greatly reduced in the ITD condition and thus appears to be related primarily to energy variations at the two ears. For sources around the ± 45o reference azimuths, there was an advantage to separating the two sources in both HRTF and ITD conditions, suggesting that perceived spatial separation is advantageous in a divided attention task, at least for lateral sources.
Effect of Regular Aerobic Exercises on Behavioral, Cognitive and Psychological Response in Patients with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder

Background and purpose: Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common behavioral disorder started in childhood and is characterized by one or a combination of three behaviors, named hyperactivity, inattentiveness and impulsiveness. The aim of this study was to find out the value of aerobic exercises on improvement symptoms of ADHD. Patients, Materials and Methods: This study included 84 students diagnosed as having ADHD. Their age ranged from eleven to sixteen years. The students were randomly divided into two equal groups. The exercise group received ten weeks aerobic exercises program included upper limb, lower limb, trunk and neck exercises as well as running three sessions per week( In the first four weeks the session lasted for about 40 minutes and in the last six weeks the session extended to be 50 minutes). Behavior Rating scale was used to assess the students behavior before starting and after the end of ten weeks of the exercise program. Results: Results of the exercise group revealed a significant improvement in three of the five items involved in the scale(attention, motor skills and academic and classroom behavior) with p 0.05). Conclusion: It could be concluded that regular aerobic exercises program has a positive effect in improving symptoms of ADHD. (Gehan M. Ahmed and Samiha Mohamed. Effect of Regular Aerobic Exercises on Behavioral, Cognitive and Psychological Response in Patients with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Life Science Journal. 2011;8(2):366-371) (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com .
SRp20 is a proto-oncogene critical for cell proliferation and tumor induction and maintenance

Tumor cells display a different profile of gene expression than their normal counterparts. Perturbations in the levels of cellular splicing factors can alter gene expression, potentially leading to tumorigenesis. We found that splicing factor SRp20 (SFRS3) is highly expressed in cancers. SRp20 regulated the expression of Forkhead box transcription factor M1 (FoxM1) and two of its transcriptional targets, PLK1 and Cdc25B, and controlled cell cycle progression and proliferation. Cancer cells with RNAi-mediated reduction of SRp20 expression exhibited G2/M arrest, growth retardation, and apoptosis. Increased SRp20 expression in rodent fibroblasts promoted immortal cell growth and transformation. More importantly, we found that SRp20 promoted tumor induction and the maintenance of tumor growth in nude mice and rendered immortal rodent fibroblasts tumorigenic. Collectively, these results suggest that increased SRp20 expression in tumor cells is a critical step for tumor initiation, progression, and maintenance.
A Necessary and Sufficient Condition for Optimal Transmission Power in Wireless Packet Networks with ARQ Capability

In this paper, we investigate the energy minimization problem for wireless packet networks with automatic repeat request (ARQ) capability. We formulate the problem under constrained packet delay and reliability, and derive a necessary and sufficient condition for optimal transmission power that achieves optimality regardless of the delay and reliability constraints. Numerical examples reveal that a significant amount of energy is saved by adopting the optimal transmission power and the performance gain is strongly correlated with the decreasing property of the frame error rate.
Nerve Expansion Seen on Ultrasound Predicts Histologic But Not Functional Nerve Injury After Intraneural Injection in Pigs

Background and Objectives: Intraneural injection can be seen as nerve expansion during ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. The purpose of this animal study was to determine if nerve expansion seen on ultrasound during intraneural injection results in nerve injury. Methods: Ten pigs underwent general anesthesia for this randomized control study. After skin incision, the right and left median nerves for each animal were randomly assigned to the local anesthetic (LA) side or control side. For the LA side, a needle was placed intraneurally under direct vision. Nerve expansion seen on ultrasound was produced by injecting up to 20 mL lidocaine 2% with epinephrine intraneurally. For the control side, no needle puncture or injection was administered. The primary outcome was histologic evidence of nerve injury (axonal retraction balls) on the seventh postoperative day after intraneural injection seen as nerve expansion on ultrasound. Correlation coefficients were calculated between the maximum volume injected, maximum injection pressure, degree of nerve expansion, and histologic and functional nerve injury. Results: Six nerves from the LA side and none from the control side had histologic evidence of injury (P < 0.01). All 10 nerves from the LA side exhibited histologic evidence of inflammation compared with 3 from the control side (P < 0.005). No pigs exhibited functional nerve injury. We were unable to demonstrate any correlation between the maximum volume injected or pressure generated and the relative increase in nerve cross-sectional area or the graded presence of any histologic markers of inflammation or injury. Conclusions: This animal study suggests that nerve expansion seen on ultrasound during intraneural injection of clinically relevant volumes of LA results in histologic but not functional nerve injury.
Portfolio Concentration and Investment Manager Performance

This study examines the relationship between investment performance and concentration in active equity portfolios. Active management is dependent on the success of two important components in the investment process - stock selection skill and portfolio management. Our study documents a positive relationship between fund performance and portfolio concentration. The relationship is stronger for stocks in which active managers hold overweight positions, as well as for stocks outside the largest 50 stocks listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). We find more concentrated funds tend to be those implementing growth styles, having smaller aggregate assets under management, being institutions which are not affiliated with a bank or life-office entity, whose funds experience past period outflows, and who are benchmarked to narrower indexes than the S&P/ASX 300.
Correlational Analysis of neck/shoulder Pain and Low Back Pain with the Use of Digital Products, Physical Activity and Psychological Status among Adolescents in Shanghai

Purpose This study investigates the neck/shoulder pain (NSP) and low back pain (LBP) among current high school students in Shanghai and explores the relationship between these pains and their possible influences, including digital products, physical activity, and psychological status. Methods An anonymous self-assessment was administered to 3,600 students across 30 high schools in Shanghai. This questionnaire examined the prevalence of NSP and LBP and the level of physical activity as well as the use of mobile phones, personal computers (PC) and tablet computers (Tablet). The CES-D (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression) scale was also included in the survey. The survey data were analyzed using the chi-square test, univariate logistic analyses and a multivariate logistic regression model. Results Three thousand sixteen valid questionnaires were received including 1,460 (48.41%) from male respondents and 1,556 (51.59%) from female respondents. The high school students in this study showed NSP and LBP rates of 40.8% and 33.1%, respectively, and the prevalence of both influenced by the student’s grade, use of digital products, and mental status; these factors affected the rates of NSP and LBP to varying degrees. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Gender, grade, soreness after exercise, PC using habits, tablet use, sitting time after school and academic stress entered the final model of NSP, while the final model of LBP consisted of gender, grade, soreness after exercise, PC using habits, mobile phone use, sitting time after school, academic stress and CES-D score. Conclusions High school students in Shanghai showed high prevalence of NSP and LBP that were closely related to multiple factors. Appropriate interventions should be implemented to reduce the occurrences of NSP and LBP.
Optimizing the Predictive Value of

An approach to finding an optimal solution for an important diagnostic problem is described. Examples are taken from laboratory medicine, where the problem can be stated as finding the best combination of tests for making a diagnosis. These tests are typically numerical with unknown decision thresholds. Because of uncertainty in classification, the solution is described in terms of maximizing measures of decision rule performance on a data base of cases, for example maximizing positive predictive value, subject to a constraint of a minimum sensitivity. The resultant rules are quite similar to classification production rules, and the procedures described should be valid for many knowledge acquisition and refinement tasks. The solution is found by a heuristic search procedure, and empirical results for several data bases and published studies are described. ’
An Electromagnetic Sensor for the Autonomous Running of Visually Impaired and Blind Athletes (Part I: The Fixed Infrastructure)

Sport is one of the best ways to promote the social integration of people affected by physical disability, because it helps them to increase their self-esteem by facing difficulties and overcoming their disabilities. Nowadays, a large number of sports can be easily played by visually impaired and blind athletes without any special supports, but, there are some disciplines that require the presence of a sighted guide. In this work, the attention will be focused on marathons, during which athletes with visual disorders have to be linked to the sighted guide by means of a non-stretchable elbow tether, with an evident reduction of their performance and autonomy. In this context, this paper presents a fixed electromagnetic infrastructure to equip a standard running racetrack in order to help a blind athlete to safely run without the presence of a sighted guide. The athlete runs inside an invisible hallway, just wearing a light and a comfortable sensor unit. The patented system has been homemade, designed, realized and finally tested by a blind Paralympic marathon champion with encouraging results and interesting suggestions for technical improvements. In this paper (Part I), the transmitting unit, whose main task is to generate the two magnetic fields that delimit the safe hallway, is presented and discussed.
Towards a usable stereoscopic augmented reality interface for the manipulation of virtual cursors

The combination of augmented reality (AR) systems and stereoscopic display devices has created a powerful tool with which to "supplement" our view. One application for such systems is for the augmented teleoperation of unmanned vehicles, deployed in remote or hazardous environments. Research in this area has highlighted the need for accurate 3D measurement techniques - such as through the use of virtual cursors. This paper describes our work in the development of an AR interface designed to assist the accurate selection of position in 3D space. We describe some preliminary experimental work using virtual cursors before discussing how we believe depth cues can be utilized to allow a user to make a more informed judgment of depth in unprepared environments. It is expected that the guidelines outlined in this report will be used as a benchmark for the development of further 3D ARA cursors.
Does Unit Analysis Help Students Construct Equations?

Previous research has shown that students construct equations for word problems in which many of the terms have no referents. Experiment 1 attempted to eliminate some of these errors by providing instruction on canceling units. The failure of this method was attributed to the cognitive overload (Sweller, 2003) imposed by adding units to the equations and to the mechanical nature of the intervention (P. W. Thompson, 1994). Experiment 2 used contrasting pairs instruction (D. L. Schwartz & Bransford, 1998) that required students to determine which of 2 mathematical expressions referred to a real-world quantity. This brief practice at the beginning of the session significantly increased the number of correct equations relative to a control group that practiced constructing equations. The contrasting cases instruction can help prepare students for additional instruction, such as the iconic manipulations used in the Animation Tutor™ (Reed & Hoffman, 2006; see also Reed, 2005) modules.
Analytical outage performance of uplink distributed green antenna system

With exponential growth of high data rate applications, significant energy is consumed in cellular networks to guarantee better quality of service (QoS). Therefore, energy efficient wireless communication is being paid increasing attention under the background of limited energy resource and environmental-friendly transmission behaviors. Recently, distributed antenna system (DAS) has shown great potential for reducing transmission power and outage for next generation cellular networks. Previously, most of the researches have not considered the random locations of both the mobile stations (MSs) and the DAS. In this paper, we suggest stochastic geometry based distributed green antenna system (DGAS) model to analyze the performance of the cellular system. Moreover, uplink DGAS is considered where MSs' locations are distributed according to homogenous Poisson point process (HPPP) and each MS is associated to the closest distributed green antenna (DGA). Further, the expressions for outage probability and the area spectral efficiency are derived over path loss and Rayleigh fading channel. Analytical results for the interference limited system show that as the distance between MS and DGA of interest increases, outage probability of the system increases.