Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence that nitric oxide is involved in autoregulation in optic nerve head of rabbits.

PURPOSE To determine the role played by nitric oxide (NO) in the autoregulation of circulation in the optic nerve head (ONH). METHODS The intraocular pressure (IOP) was increased and maintained at 50 mm Hg by the infusion of balanced saline solution (BSS) into the anterior chamber of albino rabbits. Experiments were performed with or without an intravenous injection of 10, 20, or 50 mg/kg N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor. The blood flow in the ONH was evaluated by the hydrogen clearance method, and NO metabolites (nitrite and nitrate) were measured in the ONH under the same experimental conditions in other rabbits. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded before the IOP elevation and every 15 minutes during the 60 minutes of elevation. The effect of elevated IOP on the VEPs and the hemodynamics and NO levels in the ONH were determined. The effect of pretreatment with a NOS inhibitor on the IOP-induced changes was also investigated. RESULTS The implicit time of the VEP was prolonged after L-NAME in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the implicit time in the control group (saline) was less affected. Blood flow in the ONH was not reduced by an elevation of the IOP (50 mm Hg) but was significantly reduced by L-NAME (20 mg/kg). The NO metabolites, which were elevated in the ONH during IOP elevation in the control, were also depressed by L-NAME pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that NO may play a role in the autoregulation of circulation in the ONH during elevated IOP. This would mean that NO provides some neuroprotection during an acute phase of ischemia in the ONH.
An investigation on the harmonic attenuation effect of modern compact fluorescent lamps

In recent years, awareness of energy conservation and environmental protection has promoted the use of energy efficient home appliances. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are expected to replace incandescent bulbs as they consume comparatively less energy and their useful life is longer. However, compact fluorescent lamps absorb extremely distorted current waveforms, resulting in high current harmonic injections on the electrical grid. Like other electronic devices based on single-phase rectification, CFLs are susceptible to the attenuation effect. If this effect is not taken into consideration, the cumulative harmonic current produced by the lamps can be significantly overestimated and the results obtained using the current-source model can be too conservative to be useful. This paper focuses on the harmonic characterization of modern compact fluorescent lamps. It presents experimental analysis investigation on the attenuation effect of CFLs, which is caused by the influence of distorted supply voltage on nonlinear load harmonic current injections.
Adenomyosis: Back to the future?

Adenomyosis is a benign invasion of endometrium into the myometrium. It produces a diffusely enlarged uterus and predominantly affects women in the late reproductive age. It has recently been associated with a negative impact on female fertility. Diagnosis is challenging because nonspecific symptoms can be present. However, it is asymptomatic in the majority of women. Medical treatment with GnRH agonist seems to be promising, particularly in subfertile women. A retrospective study was performed (182 patients) by examination of histopathological results with “adenomyosis” between January/2013 and September/2016. The patients ranged in age from 34 to 78 years and the majority (94.5%) were over 40 years old. Most (90.6%) were multiparous. All women underwent a sonographic evaluation. More than a half had a heterogeneous myometrium (75.7%) and concomitant presence of myoma (65.4%). The majority of women were asymptomatic, nevertheless, when symptoms were present, menorrhagia and metrorrhagia were the most important complaints. About one third of women had had prior uterine surgery, 67.6% had had previous caesarean section(s). Medical treatment with progestatives was used by 61.3% of women and 23% tried more than one type of hormone therapy. Endometrial cancer was present in 5.5% of cases, all of which were lowgrade endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Adenomyosis is an important challenge in gynaecology and often remains a post-operative diagnosis after hysterectomy. Clinicians should be on the watch for ultrasound features suggesting its presence to allow an early diagnosis. Future investments in the creation of diagnostic algorithms and alternative treatments are warranted.
Combining Reliability and Economic Incentives in Peer-to-Peer Grids

Peer-to-peer grids emerge as the convergence of grid computing and peer-to-peer technologies. In p2p grids, unreliability and free-riding are two serious problems that must be effectively solved. Existing studies are concerned with either of the two problems, while we believe they are closely related for building a practical p2p grid system. Our goal is to ensure consumer tasks can be reliably executed while the economic revenue of service peers is maximized. In this work, we combine reliability and economic incentives to achieve such a goal. First, we design a scheme to determine the minimum reliability threshold based on the bidding price of a consumer. Second, we propose a group of scheduling heuristics to obtain the approximately maximum revenue of service providers in p2p grids. Finally, we perform extensive simulations to evaluate the effectiveness of our solution.
Effect of canagliflozin on serum uric acid in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Hyperuricaemia is associated with an increased risk of gout, kidney stones and cardiovascular disease. The present post hoc analysis of pooled data from four placebo‐controlled phase III studies assessed the effect of canagliflozin, a sodium‐glucose co‐transporter 2 inhibitor, on serum uric acid levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and in a subset of patients with hyperuricaemia [defined as baseline serum uric acid ≥475 µmol/l (∼8 mg/dl)]. At week 26, canagliflozin 100 and 300 mg were associated with a ∼13% reduction in serum uric acid compared with placebo. In the subset of patients with hyperuricaemia, placebo‐subtracted percent reductions in serum uric acid were similar to those in the overall cohort. More patients in the hyperuricaemic group achieved a serum uric acid level of <360 µmol/l (∼6 mg/dl) with both canagliflozin 100 mg (23.5%) and 300 mg (32.4%) compared with placebo (3.1%). Incidences of gout and kidney stones were low and similar across groups. In conclusion, canagliflozin treatment decreased serum uric acid in patients with T2DM, including those with baseline hyperuricaemia.
Proposed search for the detection of gravitational waves from eccentric binary black holes

Most compact binary systems are expected to circularize before the frequency of emitted gravitational waves (GWs) enters the sensitivity band of the ground based interferometric detectors. However, several mechanisms have been proposed for the formation of binary systems, which retain eccentricity throughout their lifetimes. Since no matched-filtering algorithm has been developed to extract continuous GW signals from compact binaries on orbits with low to moderate values of eccentricity, and available algorithms to detect binaries on quasicircular orbits are suboptimal to recover these events, in this paper we propose a search method for detection of gravitational waves produced from the coalescences of eccentric binary black holes (eBBH). We study the search sensitivity and the false alarm rates on a segment of data from the second joint science run of LIGO and Virgo detectors, and discuss the implications of the eccentric binary search for the advanced GW detectors.
Mayberry or Myth: An Ethnography of Family Violence in a Rural Arizona Community

Family violence is a tragedy in any community. The pastoral image of a quiet home in “Mayberry” is shattered by the reality of family violence. The literature reveals that family violence is a social health issue in rural communities, however it does not provide sufficient insight into the influential contextual factors. The goal of this research was to conduct an ethnography into relevant contextual factors in rural family violence to provide researchers with information on which to base decisions, develop effective programs and interventions, and influence policy. The purpose was to better understand this social health issue within the context of a rural community and to identify influential contextual factors useful in developing a praxis theory for addressing health issues in rural communities. Specific aims were: 1) to learn from rural residents how rural context affects family and community health; 2) to deepen understanding of family violence related to rurality; and 3) to propose a theoretical model of family violence for eventual practical use in informing, assessing, and intervening with a community. Methodology: Within a paradigm of social constructivism, interviews and focus groups provided data for this ethnographic study and a scholarly description of family violence in a rural community in southeastern Arizona. Findings: An iterative process of data analysis yielded five organizing themes and an emerging praxis theory. The organizing themes were substance abuse; lack of resources; lack of understanding and awareness of family violence; family and values; and strong sense of community. The emerging theory indicates it is necessary to consider
Controls on soil organic carbon and nitrogen in Inner Mongolia, China: A cross‐continental comparison of temperate grasslands

Most global ecosystem models assume that controls over soil organic matter are alike in climatically similar regions. In this study, we tested the generality of controls over soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil organic nitrogen (SON) in temperate grasslands. We measured organic matter pools in Inner Mongolia, China, along the Northeast China Transect, and analyzed the relationship of SOC and SON to climate, soil texture, and land use variables. We then compared our data to values simulated by a regression model developed in the U.S. Great Plains and also to Century model simulations. We found that, as in the U.S. Great Plains, climate and soil texture variables could explain a large proportion of variation in observed SOC and SON, but a regression model developed in the Great Plains overestimated SOC and underestimated SON in Inner Mongolia. Using Century, we found that simulated SOC and SON values were sensitive to both inclusion of altered land use and changes in N deposition and that the model that best fit our data included higher‐intensity grazing and N deposition values higher than that in the Great Plains. This model also produced aboveground net primary production (ANPP) values comparable with values observed in the literature for Inner Mongolian grasslands, but these values were higher than ANPP predicted by previously published regression models. These results suggest that different controls over SOC and SON cycling in Inner Mongolia may affect our ability to predict SOC and SON pool sizes using relationships in other regional models.
Consumer growth linked to diet and RNA—P stoichiometry: Response of Bosmina to variation in riverine food resources

Feeding experiments were performed with riverine Bosmina to investigate how their somatic growth rate responded to variation in food resources arising from changing hydrodynamic conditions. Experimental manipulations of food quality and quantity were achieved by diluting riverine suspended particulate matter (seston) to obtain a range of food concentrations and by amending natural seston with laboratory‐grown Scenedesmus acutus. Bosmina experienced food limitation during periods of elevated discharge when the P content of seston was low (C : P > 600). Growth rates covaried with body RNA and P contents (R2 = 0.96 and 0.86, respectively; content expressed as percent of dry mass), which is consistent with the hypothesis that high growth rates require increased allocation to P‐rich ribosomal RNA and that high seston C : P induces P limitation in riverine Bosmina. P limitation arises in riverine consumers of riverine seston when hydrologic conditions favor terrestrial inputs, sediment resuspension, and low algal productivity, thereby resulting in seston fractions dominated by P‐poor materials. During low discharge, riverine seston was P‐rich relative to Bosmina requirements and growth rates were decoupled from body P content. Bosmina RNA content was strongly and linearly related to growth over a broad range of resource conditions, suggesting that it may be a useful surrogate to assess dietary sufficiency of food resources in natural settings.
Randomized controlled trial of the application of topical b-FGF-impregnated gelatin microspheres to improve tissue survival in subzone II fingertip amputations

We undertook a randomized controlled trial of subzone II fingertip amputations, comparing standard treatment with topical application of gelatin microspheres prepared with basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) to provide a slow, sustained release of b-FGF with microsphere degradation. Forty-eight digits from 42 patients were randomized into the two study arms. The microspheres were applied as a paste on exposed tissue surfaces, whereas standard treatment was without any topical treatment. Patients were treated either with microsurgical revascularization or by simple composite graft, based on the surgeon’s clinical decision. Tissue survival of the replanted fingertips was measured by a blinded evaluator 3 weeks postoperatively. A modest improvement in survival was seen with b-FGF-microsphere application for both revascularized and composite grafted fingertips, though this did not achieve statistical significance. Whether the slow release of b-FGF through a bioresorbable carrier gives any improvement in outcome in patients with subzone II fingertip amputations is unproven.
Proton currents constrain structural models of voltage sensor activation

The Hv1 proton channel is evidently unique among voltage sensor domain proteins in mediating an intrinsic ‘aqueous’ H+ conductance (GAQ). Mutation of a highly conserved ‘gating charge’ residue in the S4 helix (R1H) confers a resting-state H+ ‘shuttle’ conductance (GSH) in VGCs and Ci VSP, and we now report that R1H is sufficient to reconstitute GSH in Hv1 without abrogating GAQ. Second-site mutations in S3 (D185A/H) and S4 (N4R) experimentally separate GSH and GAQ gating, which report thermodynamically distinct initial and final steps, respectively, in the Hv1 activation pathway. The effects of Hv1 mutations on GSH and GAQ are used to constrain the positions of key side chains in resting- and activated-state VS model structures, providing new insights into the structural basis of VS activation and H+ transfer mechanisms in Hv1. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.18017. 001
Duplication and maintenance of the Myb genes of vertebrate animals

Summary Gene duplication is an important means of generating new genes. The major mechanisms by which duplicated genes are preserved in the face of purifying selection are thought to be neofunctionalization, subfunctionalization, and increased gene dosage. However, very few duplicated gene families in vertebrate species have been analyzed by functional tests in vivo. We have therefore examined the three vertebrate Myb genes (c-Myb, A-Myb, and B-Myb) by cytogenetic map analysis, by sequence analysis, and by ectopic expression in Drosophila. We provide evidence that the vertebrate Myb genes arose by two rounds of regional genomic duplication. We found that ubiquitous expression of c-Myb and A-Myb, but not of B-Myb or Drosophila Myb, was lethal in Drosophila. Expression of any of these genes during early larval eye development was well tolerated. However, expression of c-Myb and A-Myb, but not of B-Myb or Drosophila Myb, during late larval eye development caused drastic alterations in adult eye morphology. Mosaic analysis implied that this eye phenotype was cell-autonomous. Interestingly, some of the eye phenotypes caused by the retroviral v-Myb oncogene and the normal c-Myb proto-oncogene from which v-Myb arose were quite distinct. Finally, we found that post-translational modifications of c-Myb by the GSK-3 protein kinase and by the Ubc9 SUMO-conjugating enzyme that normally occur in vertebrate cells can modify the eye phenotype caused by c-Myb in Drosophila. These results support a model in which the three Myb genes of vertebrates arose by two sequential duplications. The first duplication was followed by a subfunctionalization of gene expression, then neofunctionalization of protein function to yield a c/A-Myb progenitor. The duplication of this progenitor was followed by subfunctionalization of gene expression to give rise to tissue-specific c-Myb and A-Myb genes.
Crime, Courtrooms and the Public Sphere in Britain, 1700-1850

Contents: Introduction: criminal courts, lawyers and the public sphere, David Lemmings Trials in print: narratives of rape trials in the proceedings of the Old Bailey, Esther Snell 'Useful and entertaining to the generality of readers: selecting the Select Trials, 1718-1764, Andrea McKenzie Representing the adversary criminal trial: lawyers in the Old Bailey Proceedings, 1770-1800, Robert Shoemaker Acts of public performance: barristers and actors in Georgian England, Simon Devereaux Negotiating justice in the new public sphere: crime, the courts and the press in early 18th-century Britain, David Lemmings Contemplating the evil within: examining attitudes to criminality in Scotland, 1700-1840, Anne-Marie Kilday Fiction or a "factiona (TM)? Literary representations of the early 19th-century criminal courtroom, Allyson N. May Publishing courtroom drama for the masses, 1820-1855, Rosalind Crone Index.
Coordinate Regulation of Cadherin and Integrin Function by the Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan Neurocan

N-cadherin and β1-integrins play decisive roles in morphogenesis and neurite extension and are often present on the same cell. Therefore, the function of these two types of adhesion systems must be coordinated in time and space to achieve the appropriate cell and tissue organization. We now show that interaction of the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan neurocan with its GalNAcPTase receptor coordinately inhibits both N-cadherin– and β1-integrin–mediated adhesion and neurite outgrowth. Furthermore, the inhibitory activity is localized to an NH2-terminal fragment of neurocan containing an Ig loop and an HA-binding domain. The effect of neurocan on β1-integrin function is dependent on a signal originating from the cadherin cytoplasmic domain, possibly mediated by the nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase Fer, indicating that cadherin and integrin engage in direct cross-talk. In the developing chick, neural retina neurocan is present in the inner plexiform layer from day 7 on, and the GalNAcPTase receptor becomes restricted to the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer (as well as the fiber layer), the two forming a sandwich. These data suggest that the coordinate inhibition of cadherin and integrin function on interaction of neurocan with its receptor may prevent cell and neurite migration across boundaries.
Energy Efficiency in the Phantom Cell enhanced Local Area architecture

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is presently standardizing Enhanced Local Area (eLA) small-cell heterogeneous architectures for inclusion in Long Term Evolution (LTE) Release 12 as a solution offering high data rate to user terminals (UEs) along with high system capacity through spatial reuse of spectrum. At the same time, Energy Efficiency (EE) is becoming an important metric in evaluating the next generation of small cell networks. In this paper, we focus on a particular eLA architecture proposed by DOCOMO, called the Phantom Cell architecture. We use results from stochastic geometry to compare the EE of the phantom cell architecture versus the baseline small cell network, defined as a conventional frequency division duplex (FDD) LTE pico-cell deployment that uses the same spectrum as the underlying macrocellular network.
Rules for reasoning

Contents: R.E. Nisbett, Reasoning, Abstraction, and the Prejudices of 20th Century Psychology. Part I:Establishing the Existence of Rules for Reasoning. R.E. Nisbett, D.H. Krantz, D. Jepson, Z. Kunda, The Use of Statistical Heuristics in Everyday Reasoning. P. Thagard, R.E. Nisbett, Variability and Confirmation. D. Jepson, D.H. Krantz, R.E. Nisbett, Inductive Reasoning: Competence or Skill? Part II:Teaching Statistical Rules. G.T. Fong, D.H. Krantz, R.E. Nisbett, The Effects of Statistical Training on Thinking About Everyday Problems. G.T. Fong, R.E. Nisbett, Immediate and Delayed Transfer of Training Effects in Statistical Reasoning. Part III:Rules for Conditional Reasoning. P. Cheng, K.J. Holyoak, R.E. Nisbett, L. Oliver, Pragmatic Versus Syntactic Approaches to Training Deductive Reasoning. Part IV:Rules for Causal Reasoning. P. Cheng, R.E. Nisbett, Pragmatic Constraints on Causal Deduction. M.W. Morris, R.E. Nisbett, Tools of the Trade: Deductive Schemas Taught in Psychology and Philosophy. Part V:Rules for Choice. R.P. Larrick, J.N. Morgan, R.E. Nisbett, Teaching the Use of Cost-Benefit Reasoning in Everyday Life. R.P. Larrick, R.E. Nisbett, J.N. Morgan, Who Uses the Normative Rules of Choice? Part VI:Implications for Education. R.E. Nisbett, G.T. Fong, D.R. Lehman, P. Cheng, Teaching Reasoning. D.R. Lehman, R.O. Lempert, R.E. Nisbett, The Effects of Graduate Training on Reasoning: Formal Discipline and Thinking About Everyday Life Events. D.R. Lehman, R.E. Nisbett, A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Undergraduate Education on Reasoning. Part VII:Implications for Cognitive Science. E.E. Smith, C. Langston, R.E. Nisbett, The Case for Rules in Reasoning.
Cauda Equina Syndrome Following Decompression for Spinal Stenosis

Cauda equina syndrome following decompression for spinal stenosis appears to occur more commonly than the literature suggests. A large series of spinal stenosis decompressions was reviewed. Based on these findings, a theory is put forth as to the cause of this complication. One hundred seventy-five cases of decompression for spinal stenosis done over a 2.5-year period were reviewed. Follow-up was 1year to 2 years and 4 months. There were 14 cases of postoperative urinary retention, for an incidence of 8%. Of those, five were ultimately diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome, for an incidence of 2.8%. Of the nine cases that were not diagnosed as cauda equina syndrome, five resolved spontaneously over 2 to 6 weeks. The remaining four were diagnosed as having mechanical urinary problems (e.g., prostate or prolapsed bladder) that required surgical treatment. Anal sphincter monitoring at the time of surgery was not predictive in those patients who developed cauda equina syndrome. All patients who developed cauda equina syndrome improved over 3 to 9 months, but none completely resolved. Three cases underwent further decompression with no apparent improvement. Cauda equina syndrome occurs in 2.8% of decompressions for spinal stenosis.