Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surfactant Treatment of Respiratory Failure Induced by Hydrochloric Acid Aspiration in Rats

Background:The surfactant system seems to be involved in the pathophyslology of respiratory failure caused by hydrochloric acid (HC1) aspiration. This study was an investigation of the effect of different treatment strategies using an exogenous surfactant preparation on lung function of rats suffering from respiratory failure after intratracheal HC1 instillation. Methods:In rats anesthetized with halothane, nitrous oxide, and oxygen, tracheotomy was performed and the lungs were mechanically ventilated. Respiratory failure was induced by intratracheal instillation of HC1 (0.1 N, 3 ml/kg). After the Pao2 decreased to <200 mmHg, the animals were randomly divided into five groups. Group I received no treatment; group II received a natural surfactant preparation intratracheally (200 mg/kg); group III underwent bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) with saline, followed by surfactant treatment (200 mg/kg); and groups IV and V underwent BAL with saline and a diluted surfactant suspension (3.3 mg/ml in 30 ml/kg), respectively. Groups IV and V received a second and third BAL 60 and 120 min after the first lavage. Blood gas analysis and protein measurements in BAL fluids were performed. Results:Gas exchange improved in Groups III and V only. Protein concentrations were high in all BAL fluids. In the rats receiving BAL three times (groups IV and V), a decrease in protein concentration was observed. Conclusions:From these results, it was concluded that plasma-derived proteins (which are known to inhibit surfactant function) are washed out of the alveoli by BAL, resulting in improved efficacy of surfactant treatment.
GENE EFFECTS ON A QUANTITATIVE TRAIT: TWO‐LOCUS EPISTATIC EFFECTS MEASURED AT MICROSATELLITE MARKERS AND AT ESTIMATED QTL

Most evolutionarily and agriculturally important traits are affected by many genes (quantitative trait loci, or QTL) of relatively small effect. Usually the genetics of these traits are examined by indirect statistical analysis of the covariance among relatives, rather than by direct analyses. We use new analytical and molecular techniques to examine nonadditive interactions of microsatellite markers and estimated QTL that influence adult body weight in mice. Offspring of a cross between a large inbred mouse strain (LG/J) and a small inbred strain (SM/J) were intercrossed to form a segregating F2 generation. Using 76 microsatellite markers and 19 estimated QTL, we estimate gene‐level epistasis and population‐level epistasis for body weight at 10 weeks for 534 F2 mice. Significant epistasis was found for large numbers of the two locus comparisons using both markers and previously detected QTL. There are many genes segregating for adult body weight in this cross and many of these genes appear to interact epistatically. The discovery of potentially extensive epistasis has important implications for evolutionary models.
Observations of Kuroshio flow variations in the East China Sea

[1] Kuroshio velocity structure and transport in the East China Sea (ECS) were investigated as part of a 23-month study using inverted echo sounders and acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) along the regularly sampled PN-line. Flow toward the northeast is concentrated near the continental shelf with the mean surface velocity maximum located 30 km offshore from the shelf break (taken as the 170 m isobath). There are two regions of southwestward flow: a deep countercurrent over the continental slope beneath the Kuroshio axis and a recirculation offshore which extends throughout the whole water column. There is a bimodal distribution to the depth of maximum velocity with occurrence peaks at the surface and 210 dbar. When the maximum velocity is located within the top 80 m of the water column, it ranges between 0.36 m/s and 2.02 m/s; when the maximum velocity is deeper than 80 m, it ranges between 0.31 m/s and 1.11 m/s. The 13-month mean net absolute transport of the Kuroshio in the ECS is 18.5 ± 0.8 Sv (standard deviation, σ = 4.0 Sv). The mean positive and negative portions of this net flow are 24.0 ± 0.9 Sv and −5.4 ± 0.3 Sv, respectively.
Empowerment Beliefs and Intention to Uptake Cervical Cancer Screening: Three Psychosocial Mediating Mechanisms

Three studies tested if the associations between women's empowerment beliefs and intentions to attend cervical cancer screening could be explained by mediating psychological mechanisms: control-related beliefs, well being-related beliefs, and beliefs and evaluations referring to social functioning. Data were collected from January to March 2011 in the rural and urban areas across regions of Poland. Study 1 (N = 386) indicated that women with strong empowerment harbored stronger self-efficacy and beliefs that screening participation would make them feel in control of their own health and body. These two types of cognitions were, in turn, associated with stronger cervical cancer screening intentions. Results of Study 2 (N = 527) confirmed three significant well being-related mediators in the relationship between empowerment beliefs and cervical cancer screening: perceived benefits of screening related to well being, appearance satisfaction, discomfort- and shame-related barriers for screening. Finally, Study 3 (N = 424) showed that empowerment enabled receiving higher social support for cervical cancer screening, promoted perceiving fewer barriers for cervical cancer screening-related communication and more social benefits of engaging in cervical cancer screening. Support for cervical cancer screening, social barriers, and benefits were, in turn, related to screening intentions. Across the studies similar shares of intention variance were explained, and thus the hypothesized mediating mechanisms may have similar explanatory power.
Geometric Approach to Strapdown Magnetometer Calibration in Sensor Frame

In this work a new algorithm is derived for the onboard calibration of three-axis strapdown magnetometers. The proposed calibration method is written in the sensor frame, and compensates for the combined effect of all linear time-invariant distortions, namely soft iron, hard iron, sensor nonorthogonality, and bias, among others. A maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) is formulated to iteratively find the optimal calibration parameters that best fit to the onboard sensor readings, without requiring external attitude references. It is shown that the proposed calibration technique is equivalent to the estimation of a rotation, scaling and translation transformation, and that the sensor alignment matrix is given by the solution of the orthogonal Procrustes problem. Good initial conditions for the iterative algorithm are obtained by a suboptimal batch least squares computation. Simulation and experimental results with low-cost sensors data are presented and discussed, supporting the application of the algorithm to autonomous vehicles and other robotic platforms.
REPLICATION OF MANAGEMENT OBJECTS IN A DISTRIBUTED MIB

The management information base is the conceptual scheme describing the management information associated with managed resources. Replicating managed objects associated with that database may improve the performance of the management system and increase the availability of the managed objects. However, duplicating managed objects introduces an extra problem associated with the consistency of the related copies. This paper investigates and proposes a handling algorithm that improves the availability of managed objects insuring at the same time consistency among replicated objects. Our algorithm tries to exploit the difference between read rate and write rate in order to increase the total availability of a managed object.
The Emotional Settings of some Attacks of Urticaria*

&NA; A young woman with intense longings for love was unable to satisfy these desires by a normal sexual relationship with a man because of her fears and inhibitions. She developed urticaria at times when her longings were especially stimulated and frustrated. Twelve attacks were observed during analysis and their emotional settings are described. Eight of them occurred in connection with dreams. These dreams invariably ended on the verge of frustration in an “almost but not quite” situation. Other types of dreams out of a total of 94 were never followed by urticaria and vice versa, with the exception of a repetitive dream of reaching for an object or person who slipped from the patient's grasp. This dream was followed by weeping, when not by urticaria. The urticaria appeared when weeping was repressed and often terminated when the patient wept. Some of the observations are somewhat suggestive concerning the choice of sites for the urticaria. The findings were confirmed by a second analyzed case and by a few observations on five cases seen in interview. In connection with other observations, particularly on asthma, they led to the supposition of a possible relationship between certain states of allergic sensitivity and states of intense frustrated longing.
ABSINTH: A new continuum solvation model for simulations of polypeptides in aqueous solutions

A new implicit solvation model for use in Monte Carlo simulations of polypeptides is introduced. The model is termed ABSINTH for self‐Assembly of Biomolecules Studied by an Implicit, Novel, and Tunable Hamiltonian. It is designed primarily for simulating conformational equilibria and oligomerization reactions of intrinsically disordered proteins in aqueous solutions. The paradigm for ABSINTH is conceptually similar to the EEF1 model of Lazaridis and Karplus (Proteins 1999, 35, 133). In ABSINTH, the transfer of a polypeptide solute from the gas phase into a continuum solvent is the sum of a direct mean field interaction (DMFI), and a term to model the screening of polar interactions. Polypeptide solutes are decomposed into a set of distinct solvation groups. The DMFI is a sum of contributions from each of the solvation groups, which are analogs of model compounds. Continuum‐mediated screening of electrostatic interactions is achieved using a framework similar to the one used for the DMFI. Promising results are shown for a set of test cases. These include the calculation of NMR coupling constants for short peptides, the assessment of the thermal stability of two small proteins, reversible folding of both an α‐helix and a β‐hairpin forming peptide, and the polymeric properties of intrinsically disordered polyglutamine peptides of varying lengths. The tests reveal that the computational expense for simulations with the ABSINTH implicit solvation model increase by a factor that is in the range of 2.5–5.0 with respect to gas‐phase calculations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2009
Age‐associated changes in regenerative capabilities of mesenchymal stem cell: impact on chronic wounds repair

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent an ideal source of autologous cell‐based therapy for chronic wounds. Functional characteristics of MSCs may benefit wound healing by exerting their multi‐regenerative potential. However, cell ageing resulting from chronic degenerative diseases or donor age could cause inevitable effects on the regenerative abilities of MSCs. A variety of studies have shown the relationship between MSC ageing and age‐related dysfunction, but few associate these age‐related impacts on MSCs with their ability of repairing chronic wounds, which are common in the elderly population. Here, we discuss the age‐associated changes of MSCs and describe the potential impacts on MSC‐based therapy for chronic wounds. Furthermore, critical evaluation of the current literatures is necessary for understanding the underlying mechanisms of MSC ageing and raising the corresponding concerns on considering their possible use for chronic wound repair.
Student Engagement as a General Factor of Classroom Experience: Associations with Student Practices and Educational Outcomes in a University Gateway Course

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a model for considering general and specific elements of student experience in a gateway course in undergraduate Financial Accounting in a large university on the East Coast, USA. Specifically, the study evaluated a bifactor analytic strategy including a general factor of student classroom experience, conceptualized as student engagement as rooted in flow theory, as well as factors representing specific dimensions of experience. The study further evaluated the association between these general and specific factors and both student classroom practices and educational outcomes. The sample of students (N = 407) in two cohorts of the undergraduate financial accounting course participated in the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) measuring students' classroom practices, perceptions, engagement, and perceived learning throughout the one-semester course. Course grade information was also collected. Results showed that a two-level bifactor model fit the data better than two traditional (i.e., non-bifactor) models and also avoided significant multicollinearity of the traditional models. In addition to student engagement (general factor), specific dimensions of classroom experience in the bifactor model at the within-student level included intrinsic motivation, academic intensity, salience, and classroom self-esteem. At the between-student level, specific aspects included work orientation, learning orientation, classroom self-esteem, and disengagement. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM) demonstrated that sitting in the front of the classroom (compared to the sitting in the back), taking notes, active listening, and working on problems during class had a positive effect on within-student variation in student engagement and attention. Engagement, in turn, predicted perceived learning. With respect to between-student effects, the tendency to sit in front seats had a significant effect on student engagement, which in turn had a significant effect on perceived learning and course grades. A significant indirect relationship of seating and active learning strategies on learning and course grade as mediated by student engagement was found. Support for the general aspect of student classroom experience was interpreted with flow theory and suggested the need for additional research. Findings also suggested that active learning strategies are associated with positive learning outcomes even in educational environments where possibilities for action are relatively constrained.
Mesoscale eddies in the Subantarctic Front - Southwest Atlantic*

Satellite and ship observations in the southern southwest Atlantic (SSWA) reveal an intense eddy field and highlight the potential for using continuous real-time satellite altimetry to detect and monitor mesoscale phenomena with a view to understanding the regional circulation. The examples presented suggest that mesoscale eddies are a dominant feature of the circulation and play a fundamental role in the transport of properties along and across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). The main ocean current in the SSWA, the Falkland-Malvinas Current (FMC), exhibits numerous embedded eddies south of 50°S which may contribute to the patchiness, transport and mixing of passive scalars by this strong, turbulent current. Large eddies associated with meanders are observed in the ACC fronts, some of them remaining stationary for long periods. Two particular cases are examined using a satellite altimeter in combination with in situ observations, suggesting that cross-frontal eddy transport and strong meandering occur where the ACC flow intensifies along the sub-Antarctic Front (SAF) and the Southern ACC Front (SACCF).
UWB Path Arrival Times in Body Area Networks

A first-order, nonhomogeneous Markov model for predicting the path arrival times in ultrawideband (UWB)-body area network (BAN) scenarios is presented. New parameters of this model, that describe this specific propagation environment and the human body effects, have been extracted. The path arrival probabilities suggest a very close fitting to the experimental data. The cumulative path density functions are modeled according to the Delta-K model with enhancement over the pure Poisson model. The presented methodology can be used for UWB-BAN channel simulations and for evaluating multipath-combining receiver structures
Judging the attractiveness of product design: The effect of visual attributes and

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to explore aesthetic aspects of product design. Judgments of the attractiveness of men's tailored clothing were analyzed, focusing on the effects of visual attributes and consumer characteristics. An individual-subject analysis of variance, based on a conjoint model with interactions, showed that consumers' judgments were affected by visual attributes and configurations of visual attributes. Consistent with aesthetic theory, the most important main effect was one dimension of silhouetteCjacket length. The most important interaction effect was between jacket width and jacket pattern. Judgments of attractiveness differed by age, with older consumers evaluating visual attributes differently from younger consumers.
A deep neural network approach for sentence boundary detection in broadcast news

This paper presents a deep neural network (DNN) approach to sentence boundary detection in broadcast news. We extract prosodic and lexical features at each inter-word position in the transcripts and learn a sequential classifier to label these positions as either boundary or non-boundary. This work is realized by a hybrid DNN-CRF (conditional random field) architecture. The DNN accepts prosodic feature inputs and non-linearly maps them into boundary/non-boundary posterior probability outputs. Subsequently, the posterior probabilities are combined with lexical features and the integrated features are modeled by a linear-chain CRF. The CRF finally labels the inter-word positions as boundary or non-boundary by Viterbi decoding. Experiments show that, as compared with the state-of-the-art DTCRF approach [1], the proposed DNN-CRF approach achieves 16.7% and 4.1% reduction in NIST boundary detection error in reference and speech recognition transcripts, respectively.
Regulated clustering of variant CD44 proteins increases their hyaluronate binding capacity

Cell contact with the extracellular matrix component hyaluronic acid (HA) plays an important role in many developmental, physiological, and pathological processes, although the regulation of this contact is poorly understood. CD44 proteins carry an amino acid motif that mediates affinity to HA. Artificial clustering of the smallest 85-kD isoform of CD44 (CD44s) has previously been shown to promote binding of the protein to soluble HA (Lesley, J., R. Hyman, and P.W. Kincade. 1993. Adv. Immunol. 54:271-335; Persche, A., J. Lesley, N. English, I. Trowbridge, and R. Hyman. 1995. Eur. J. Immunol. 25:495-501). Here we show that in rat pancreatic carcinoma cells, splice variants of CD44 (CD44v), but not CD44s, form molecular aggregates in the plasma membrane. We demonstrate that reduction-sensitive dimerization of CD44v occurs, and also that larger aggregations of the protein can be stabilized by chemical cross-linking. Different CD44v proteins present on the same cell exclusively form homoaggregates. Molecular clustering does not require an intact cytoplasmic domain of the protein. The ability of cells to bind to soluble HA is upregulated more than one magnitude by the ectopic expression of CD44v4-v7, but only when the CD44v4-v7 protein forms intermolecular aggregates. Tunicamycin treatment inhibits HA binding by CD44v and at the same time destroys oligomerization. We propose that the regulation of clustering of CD44, mediated by factors including the presence of variant exons and glycosylation, allows cells in turn to regulate their HA binding properties.
Effect of Word of Mouth on Consumer Buying Behavior

The objective of this study is to examine the negative and positive affect of word of mouth marketing on consumer buying behaviour. The study is based on primary data collected from one hundred households and university students from the area of Rawalpindi and Islamabad cities of Pakistan. The data is analyzed using the techniques of frequency distribution and ranking. The result reveals that consumers tend to rely on word of mouth for the purchase of everyday items as well as long-term goods. The people that seem to have an influence on the decision of the consumers the most are closed family, friends and acquaintances. Results further show that a bitter experience of a product/place can create problems for the company as it is a major factor of negative word of mouth. Viral Marketing is gaining rapid popularity among consumers as it's depicts in the results. Finally, a negative word of mouth travels faster than positive comments.
Interaction of the Epstein-Barr Virus mRNA Export Factor EB2 with Human Spen Proteins SHARP, OTT1, and a Novel Member of the Family, OTT3, Links Spen Proteins with Splicing Regulation and mRNA Export*

The Epstein-Barr virus early protein EB2 (also called BMLF1, Mta, or SM), a protein absolutely required for the production of infectious virions, shares properties with mRNA export factors. By using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we have identified the human protein OTT3 as an EB2-interacting factor. OTT3 is a new member of the Spen (split end) family of proteins (huSHARP, huOTT1, DmSpen, and muMINT), which are characterized by several N-terminal RNA recognition motifs and a highly conserved C-terminal SPOC (Spen Paralog and Ortholog C-terminal) domain that, in the case of SHARP, has been shown to interact with SMRT/NCoR corepressors. OTT3 is ubiquitously expressed as a 120-kDa protein. Transfected OTT3 is a nonshuttling nuclear protein that co-localizes with co-transfected EB2. We also showed that EB2 interacts with the SPOC domains of both OTT1 and SHARP proteins. Although the OTT3 interaction domain maps within the 40 N-terminal amino acids of EB2, OTT1 and SHARP interact within the C-terminal half of the protein. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the capacity of the OTT3 and OTT1 SPOC domains to interact with SMRT and repress transcription is far weaker than that of SHARP. Thus there is no evidence for a role of OTT3 in transcriptional regulation. Most interestingly, however, we have found that OTT3 has a role in splicing regulation; OTT3 represses accumulation of the alternatively spliced β-thalassemia mRNAs, but it has no effect on the β-globin constitutively spliced mRNA. Thus our results suggested a new function for Spen proteins related to mRNA export and splicing.
National identity and securitization in Israel

This article seeks to demonstrate how discriminatory laws, passed in Israel since the eruption of the second intifada, are part of an ongoing securitization process of the Palestinian minority in Israel. These discriminatory laws serve as part of a security practice, employed by political elites that seek to represent threats to the hegemony of the Jewish identity as existential to national security. In doing so, the Israeli authorities advance a national security policy that perpetuates the perceived threat posed to the state by the Palestinian minority. The analysis focuses on discriminatory legislation passed between 2000 and 2012 by the Israeli Knesset and the political attitudes of the Israeli public before and after the second intifada to uncover the ways in which political actors and audiences negotiate the meaning of security in Israel. Securitization theory helps explain why desecuritization of the minority is highly unlikely even in the event that the Israeli–Palestinian conflict will be resolved.