Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vascular Dysfunction in Experimental Diabetes Is Improved by Pentaerithrityl Tetranitrate but Not Isosorbide-5-Mononitrate Therapy

OBJECTIVE Diabetes is associated with vascular oxidative stress, activation of NADPH oxidase, and uncoupling of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (endothelial NO synthase [eNOS]). Pentaerithrityl tetranitrate (PETN) is an organic nitrate with potent antioxidant properties via induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). We tested whether treatment with PETN improves vascular dysfunction in the setting of experimental diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS After induction of hyperglycemia by streptozotocin (STZ) injection (60 mg/kg i.v.), PETN (15 mg/kg/day p.o.) or isosorbide-5-mononitrate (ISMN; 75 mg/kg/day p.o.) was fed to Wistar rats for 7 weeks. Oxidative stress was assessed by optical methods and oxidative protein modifications, vascular function was determined by isometric tension recordings, protein expression was measured by Western blotting, RNA expression was assessed by quantitative RT-PCR, and HO-1 promoter activity in stable transfected cells was determined by luciferase assays. RESULTS PETN, but not ISMN, improved endothelial dysfunction. NADPH oxidase and serum xanthine oxidase activities were significantly reduced by PETN but not by ISMN. Both organic nitrates had minor effects on the expression of NADPH oxidase subunits, eNOS and dihydrofolate reductase (Western blotting). PETN, but not ISMN, normalized the expression of GTP cyclohydrolase-1, extracellular superoxide dismutase, and S-glutathionylation of eNOS, thereby preventing eNOS uncoupling. The expression of the antioxidant enzyme, HO-1, was increased by STZ treatment and further upregulated by PETN, but not ISMN, via activation of the transcription factor NRF2. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to ISMN, the organic nitrate, PETN, improves endothelial dysfunction in diabetes by preventing eNOS uncoupling and NADPH oxidase activation, thereby reducing oxidative stress. Thus, PETN therapy may be suited to treat patients with cardiovascular complications of diabetes.
A soft error robust and power aware memory design

A new RAM design, which is soft error robust and power aware, is proposed. The basic advantage of the proposed architecture is that it does achieve a considerable power saving potential, combined with potential for performance and reliability enhancements, while imposing an acceptable area overhead. Analytical models of the proposed architecture are presented and discussed.
Unrecognized Burden of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Carriage in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Routinely, children's hospitals use data from clinical cultures to estimate the burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) carriage. In our pediatric intensive care unit, a program of weekly surveillance cultures uncovered an unrecognized reservoir of MRSA and VRE carriers. This weekly surveillance enabled more accurate estimates of the incidence rates of MRSA and VRE carriage and led to an increased number of isolation-days for patients.
Lack of Diastolic Reserve in Patients With Heart Failure and Normal Ejection Fraction

Background—The genesis of symptoms in patients with heart failure (HF) and normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) is unclear. Most investigations of HFNEF have focused on cardiac function at rest although most of these patients are breathless only on exercise. Stress-induced impairment in systolic or diastolic function could result in these symptoms. Method and Result—Forty-one patients with HFNEF and 29 controls underwent dobutamine stress echocardiography with color tissue Doppler imaging. Wall motion score index and regional myocardial systolic velocity (Sm) were measured at and peak stress. Systolic (Sa), early diastolic (Ea), and late diastolic (Aa) mitral annular velocities were averaged over the 6 periannular sites. Mitral annular long-axis velocity was lower in the HFNEF than controls at rest. Global, regional, and long-axis systolic function did not worsen with stress in the HFNEF group. The Ea decreased and the E/Ea increased with stress in the HFNEF but not in controls. The 6-minute walk distance was shorter and negatively correlated to the E/EA ratio at rest and stress in the HFNEF group. Conclusion—Impaired diastolic reserve results in stress-induced increase in the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in patients with HFNEF giving rise to exercise intolerance.
Accuracy of Multislice Liver CT and MRI for Preoperative Assessment of Colorectal Liver Metastases after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Introduction: To determine the best imaging modality for preoperative detection, characterization and measurement of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Methods: A total of 79 lesions in 15 patients with CRLM were included. Following NAC, all patients received multislice liver CT (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that were scored by two observers for lesion number, type, diameter (mm) and segmental location. Intraoperative findings, histopathology and follow-up imaging were used as reference standard for surgically treated patients; non-surgical candidates underwent follow-up imaging. Results: Lesion detection rate was similar for MSCT and MRI (76 and 80%, respectively, p = 0.648). Lesion characterization was significantly superior (p = 0.021) at MRI (89%, ĸ 0.747, p = 0.001) compared to MSCT (77%, ĸ 0.235, p = 0.005). Interobserver variability for diameter measurement was not significant at MRI (p = 0.909 [95% CI –1.245 to 1.395]), but significant at MSCT (p = 0.028 [95% CI –3.349 to –2.007]). Differences in diameter measurement were independent of observer (p = 0.131), and no statistical effect from imaging modality on diameter measurement was observed (p = 0.095). Conclusion: MRI is superior to MSCT in preoperative characterization and measurement of CRLM after NAC. Lesion detection rates for both modalities are comparable.
OceanST: A Distributed Analytic System for Large-Scale Spatiotemporal Mobile Broadband Data

With the increasing prevalence of versatile mobile devices and the fast deployment of broadband mobile networks, a huge volume of Mobile Broadband (MBB) data has been generated over time. The MBB data naturally contain rich information of a large number of mobile users, covering a considerable fraction of whole population nowadays, including the mobile applications they are using at different locations and time; the MBB data may present the unprecedentedly large knowledge base of human behavior which has highly recognized commercial and social value. However, the storage, management and analysis of the huge and fast growing volume of MBB data post new and significant challenges to the industrial practitioners and research community. In this demonstration, we present a new, MBB data tailored, distributed analytic system named OceanST which has addressed a series of problems and weaknesses of the existing systems, originally designed for more general purpose and capable to handle MBB data to some extent. OceanST is featured by (i) efficiently loading of ever-growing MBB data, (ii) a bunch of spatiotemporal aggregate queries and basic analysis APIs frequently found in various MBB data application scenarios, and (iii) sampling-based approximate solution with provable accuracy bound to cope with huge volume of MBB data. The demonstration will show the advantage of OceanST in a cluster of 5 machines using 3TB data.
Therapist-Guided Tablet-Based Telerehabilitation for Patients With Aphasia: Proof-of-Concept and Usability Study

Background Aphasia is the loss or impairment of language functions and affects everyday social life. The disorder leads to the inability to understand and be understood in both written and verbal communication and affects the linguistic modalities of auditory comprehension, verbal expression, reading, and writing. Due to heterogeneity of the impairment, therapy must be adapted individually and dynamically to patient needs. An important factor for successful aphasia therapy is dose and intensity of therapy. Tablet computer–based apps are a promising treatment method that allows patients to train independently at home, is well accepted, and is known to be beneficial for patients. In addition, it has been shown to ease the burden of therapists. Objective The aim of this project was to develop an adaptive multimodal system that enables aphasic patients to train at home using language-related tasks autonomously, allows therapists to remotely assign individualized tasks in an easy and time-efficient manner, and tracks the patient’s progress as well as creation of new individual exercises. Methods The system consists of two main parts: (1) the patient’s interface, which allows the patient to exercise, and (2) the therapist’s interface, which allows the therapist to assign new exercises to the patient and supervise the patient’s progress. The pool of exercises is based on a hierarchical language structure. Using questionnaires, therapists and patients evaluated the system in terms of usability (ie, System Usability Scale) and motivation (ie, adapted Intrinsic Motivation Inventory). Results A total of 11 speech and language therapists (age: mean 28, SD 7 years) and 15 patients (age: mean 53, SD 10 years) diagnosed with aphasia participated in this study. Patients rated the Bern Aphasia App in terms of usability (scale 0-100) as excellent (score >70; Z=–1.90; P=.03) and therapists rated the app as good (score >85; Z=–1.75; P=.04). Furthermore, patients enjoyed (scale 0-6) solving the exercises (score>3; mean 3.5, SD 0.40; Z=–1.66; P=.049). Conclusions Based on the questionnaire scores, the system is well accepted and simple to use for patients and therapists. Furthermore, the new tablet computer–based app and the hierarchical language exercise structure allow patients with different types of aphasia to train with different doses and intensities independently at home. Thus, the novel system has potential for treatment of patients with aphasia as a supplement to face-to-face therapy.
Effect of chronic consumption of almonds on body weight in healthy humans

Small changes of diet may reduce CVD risk. One example is the inclusion of nuts. They are rich in fibre, unsaturated fatty acids and phytonutrients. However, their fat content and energy density raise concerns that chronic consumption will promote weight gain. Randomised intervention studies are required to evaluate whether this concern is well founded. This study's aim was to determine if the inclusion of a 1440 kJ serving of almonds in the daily diet results in positive energy balance, and body composition change. During a 23-week cross-over design study, participants were required to consume almonds for 10 weeks and were provided no advice on how to include them in their diet. For another 10 weeks (order counter-balanced), participants followed their customary diet and there was a 3-week washout between. The study group consisted of twenty women. Potential mechanisms of energy dissipation were measured. Ten weeks of daily almond consumption did not cause a change in body weight. This was predominantly due to compensation for the energy contained in the almonds through reduced food intake from other sources. Moreover, inefficiency in the absorption of energy from almonds was documented (P < 0·05). No changes in resting metabolic rate, thermic effect of food or total energy expenditure were noted. A daily 1440 kJ serving of almonds, sufficient to provide beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors, may be included in the diet with limited risk of weight gain. Whether this can be generalised to other high-fat energy dense foods warrants evaluation.
Direct Multisearch for Multiobjective Optimization

In practical applications of optimization it is common to have several conflicting objective functions to optimize. Frequently, these functions are subject to noise or can be of black-box type, preventing the use of derivative-based techniques. We propose a novel multiobjective derivative-free methodology, calling it direct multisearch (DMS), which does not aggregate any of the objective functions. Our framework is inspired by the search/poll paradigm of direct-search methods of directional type and uses the concept of Pareto dominance to maintain a list of nondominated points (from which the new iterates or poll centers are chosen). The aim of our method is to generate as many points in the Pareto front as possible from the polling procedure itself, while keeping the whole framework general enough to accommodate other disseminating strategies, in particular, when using the (here also) optional search step. DMS generalizes to multiobjective optimization (MOO) all direct-search methods of directional type.
Universal graphs at the successor of a singular cardinal

Abstract The paper is concerned with the existence of a universal graph at the successor of a strong limit singular μ of cofinality ℵ0. Starting from the assumption of the existence of a supercompact cardinal, a model is built in which for some such μ there are μ++ graphs on μ+ that taken jointly are universal for the graphs on μ+, while . The paper also addresses the general problem of obtaining a framework for consistency results at the successor of a singular strong limit starting from the assumption that a supercompact cardinal κ exists. The result on the existence of universal graphs is obtained as a specific application of a more general method.
Surveys in Mathematics and its Applications

In this paper we present different versions of the imprimitivity theorem hoping that this might become a support for the ones who are interested in the subject. We start with Mackey’s theorem [26] and its projective version [29]. Then we remind Mackey’s fundamental imprimitivity theorem in the bundle context [14]. Section 5 is dedicated to the imprimitivity theorem for systems of G-covariance [6]. In Section 6 and 7 we refer to the imprimitivity theorem in the context of C∗-algebras [39] and to the symmetric imprimitivity theorem [36], [42], [11]. Full text
Computational Statistics and Data Analysis Regularized Simultaneous Model Selection in Multiple Quantiles Regression

Simultaneously estimating multiple conditional quantiles is often regarded as a more appropriate regression tool than the usual conditional mean regression for exploring the stochastic relationship between the response and covariates. When multiple quantile regressions are considered, it is of great importance to share strength among them. In this paper, we propose a novel regularization method that explores the similarity among multiple quantile regressions by selecting a common subset of covariates to model multiple conditional quantiles simultaneously. The penalty we employ is a matrix norm that encourages sparsity in a column-wise fashion. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method using both simulations and an application of gene expression data analysis.
Planting date effects on the incidence of mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV) and cultivars performance under rainfed environments

Optimum planting date is an important factor for achieving improved mungbean production in different agro-ecological zones of the world. To determine the effects of different planting dates on the performance of mungbean cultivars under rainfed conditions, a split plot experiment consisting of eight planting dates (May 26th, June 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th and July 7th, 14th) and two cultivars (AZRI.M-2006 & NM-2006) was conducted during May-October 2011 and 2012 at Gram Breeding Research Substation, Kallurkot, Bhakkar, Pakistan. Results revealed a productivity difference of 1766 kg/ha between the best (June 2nd) and worst (July 14th) planting date. Maximum plant height, pods per plant, pod length, seeds per pod, 1000 grain weight, seed yield and fewer incidence of MYMV belonged to June 2nd planting followed by May 26th while beyond this, there was a gradual decrease in yield and relevant components and increase in MYMV incidence, being the highest on July 14th planted crop. Highest mean seed yield (1990 kg/ha) and lowest MYMV incidence were recorded from June 2nd sown experiments while lowest mean seed yield (224 kg/ha) and highest MYMV incidence were observed from July 14th sown trials. Mungbean sowing experiments conducted on June 2nd perhaps completed physiological phase's i.e. vegetative and reproductive at proper time which accounted for its higher yield than later or earlier sown trials. Lesser incidence of MYMV and shorter plant height of AZRI-M.2006 with greater pods per plant, pod length, 1000 grain weight contributed to its more seed yield than NM-2006. Further, correlation studies revealed positive and significant relationship of seed yield with plant height, pods per plant, pod length and seeds per pod while negative and significant with MYMV.
16 HOURS PHOTOPERIOD IN HOLSTEIN HEIFERS IN THE SUBTROPICS: EFFECTS IN DEVELOPMENT AND AGE TO FIRST ESTRUS

espanolEn vaquillas el fotoperiodo largo estimula el crecimiento y la produccion lactea, pero esto no se ha probado en areas subtropicales. Para evaluar el efecto de 16 h luz (L16) durante la lactancia (PW) y/o la etapa prepuberal (PP) en un area subtropical, 325 becerras (36 ± 0.4 kg) fueron distribuidas a: L16 o fotoperiodo natural (LNAT). A los siete meses de edad, 198 de esas becerras (195 ± 2 kg) se asignaron aleatoriamente a L16 y LNAT. Al inicio y final de PW y PP se determino: peso (PC, kg), altura (AC, cm), grosor de grasa dorsal (GG, cm) y del musculo Longissimus dorsi (LD, cm); area pelvica (AP, cm²), condicion corporal (CC), edad al primer estro, profundidad (PGM, cm) y anchura (AGM, cm) de la glandula mamaria. El analisis estadistico fue por ANDEVA para arreglos factoriales 2X2. Al final de PW, GG fue menor y LD fue mayor en L16. Al nal de PP, las vaquillas L16 tuvieron mas PC (260 ± 3 vs 250 ± 3), AP (166 ± 1.2 vs 153 ± 1.2), LD (3.18 ± 0.04 vs 2.90 ± 0.04) y AGM (2.41 ± 0.02 vs 2.21 ± 0.02), pero menos GG (0.114 ± 0.003 vs 0.139 ± 0.003) que las de LNAT. Mas vaquillas L16 (67 %) presentaron estro que LNAT (38 %) y la edad al primer estro fue menor en L16 (278 ± 2 vs 288 ± 2 d). Consecuentemente, la exposicion a L16 durante PW promueve crecimiento magro y durante PP induce crecimiento magro, mayor pelvis y glandula mamaria. Se concluye que vaquillas PP expuestas a L16 tienen mayor potencial productivo y menor riesgo de distocia que las LNAT. EnglishBoth growth and milk production in heifer calves are stimulated by a long photoperiod, though this has not been proven yet in subtropical areas. To evaluate the effect of 16 hr of light (L16) on calves suckling (LAC) and/or pre-pubertal stages (PP) in a subtropical area, 325 calves (36 ± 0.4 kg) were randomized into two groups: L16 or natural photoperiod (LNAT). At seven months of age, 198 of these calves (195 ± 2 kg) were randomly assigned to L16 or LNAT. The following were determined at the beginning and end of LAC and PP stages: Weight (PC, kg), height (AC, cm), thickness of back-fat (GG, cm) and of Longissimus dorsi (LD, cm); pelvic area (AP, cm²), body condition (CC), age at first estrus, mammary gland depth (PGM, cm) and width (AGM, cm). The statistical analysis was made using ANOVA for a 2 X 2 factorial arrangement. At the end of LAC, GG was lower and LD greater in L16 animals, while, at the end of PP, L16 heifer calves had a greater PC (260 ± 3 vs 250 ± 3), AP (166 ± 1.2 vs 153 ± 1.2), LD (3.18 ± 0.04 vs 2.90 ± 0.04), and AGM (2.41 ± 0.02 vs 2.21 ± 0.02), but a lower GG (0.114 ± 0.003 vs 0.139 ± 0.003) as compared to LNAT heifer calves. More L16 animals (67 %) presented estrus versus LNAT (38 %) and the age of the rst estrus was lower in L1 (278 ± 2 vs 288 ± 2 d). Consequently, exposure to L16 during LAC promotes lean growth while lean growth and a bigger pelvis and mammary gland are prompted during PP. Hence, it may be concluded that PP heifer calves exposed to L16 have a higher production potential and lower risk of dystocia than LNAT animals.
AEGIS: architecture for tamper-evident and tamper-resistant processing

We describe the architecture for a single-chip aegis processor which can be used to build computing systems secure against both physical and software attacks. Our architecture assumes that all components external to the processor, such as memory, are untrusted. We show two different implementations. In the first case, the core functionality of the operating system is trusted and implemented in a security kernel. We also describe a variant implementation assuming an untrusted operating system.aegis provides users with tamper-evident, authenticated environments in which any physical or software tampering by an adversary is guaranteed to be detected, and private and authenticated tamper-resistant environments where additionally the adversary is unable to obtain any information about software or data by tampering with, or otherwise observing, system operation. aegis enables many applications, such as commercial grid computing, secure mobile agents, software licensing, and digital rights management.Preliminary simulation results indicate that the overhead of security mechanisms in aegis is reasonable.
Spatial and temporal patterns, trends and teleconnection of cumulative rainfall deficits across Central America

Central America is a region vulnerable to hydrometeorological threats. Recently, the impacts of droughts caused higher economic losses in comparison to, for example, floods and landslides. This study focuses on the spatio‐temporal behaviour of cumulative rainfall deficits across Central America attempting to provide an historical context to the most recent drought episodes. We developed a long‐term (1950–2014), monthly rainfall data set that merged large‐scale interpolated products with a station observation network to spatially and temporally evaluate the 12‐month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI12) across the region. We found that El Niño cannot always be associated with drier conditions and that severe droughts are likely to spatially develop from localized phenomena to cover the entire region beyond the Central American drought corridor (CADC). Furthermore, there is not always a clear separation into the Pacific and Caribbean domain in terms of drought behaviour, but generally El Niño episodes can be associated with drier conditions on the Pacific slope and wetter conditions in the Caribbean. We could also show that trends in the SPI series are spatially variable and that more localized significant positive and negative trends exist throughout Central America. For example, central pacific Nicaragua was identified as a hot spot for significant drying conditions related to El Niño. We aim at developing this effort into a near‐real time and publicly available drought monitor in the near future to increase resilience and adaption efforts in the region.