Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fasudil hydrochloride hydrate, a Rho‐kinase inhibitor, suppresses high glucose‐induced proliferation and collagen synthesis in rat cardiac fibroblasts

1. Hyperglycaemia promotes the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and collagen synthesis in CFs. The objectives of the present study were to determine the effects of fasudil hydrochloride hydrate, a Rho‐kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, on high glucose (HG)‐induced proliferation of CFs and collagen production in rat CFs and to investigate the molecular mechanism of action of fasudil.
School Factors and Delinquency

Several theorists have indicated and numerous studies have confirmed that school factors are related to delinquency (Cloward & Ohlin, 1960; Cohen, 1955; Merton, 1938). For example, Elliot and Voss (1974) found that school-related variables are more important as contributing factors to delinquent behavior than the effects of either family or friends. Likewise, Braithwaite (1981) argued that school may be the most important indicator of delinquency in American society. In addition, the school setting has been the scene of a significant amount of violence. For example, a survey by the National Education Association found that 5% of teachers were physically attacked in school in 1981 (National Education Association, 1982). In addition, victimization surveys show that in 1989, about 9% of students were victims of school crime in a 6-month period: 2% reported one or more violent crimes and 7% reported at least one property crime (U.S. Department of Justice, 1991). Although many researchers have focused on the relationship between school and delinquency, very few have examined the relationship between school and delinquency of African American youths (Cernkovich & Giordano, 1992). The focus of this article is twofold: (a) to examine the relationship between school and the delinquency of African American youths, along with the influence of gender and type of school, and (b) to examine the policy implications of the findings of this study.
INVESTIGATION OF ELEVATION BIAS OF THE SRTM C- AND X-BAND DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELS

The paper presents results of a comparative study of the vegetation-caused elevation bias of the space shuttle topographic mission data product, both Cand X-band (SRTM.C/X). The SRTM.C/X bands data were compared against a high-resolution digital terrain model. Pixel-based differences in SRTM.X minus SRTM.C were correlated with land cover (‘agriculture’, ‘house’, ‘tree’, ‘water’). Findings of the investigations include that the SRTM.X does not represent a canopy top of vegetation and that the X-band penetrates deeper vegetation cover than the C-band. As a test site, an area of about 159 km on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, was selected. The area of interest is about 57% covered by vegetation varying from grassland and shrubs to forest. The study method allowed the development of a statistical model relating the elevation bias to the percentage of the vegetation cover of a given land parcel. This model, once verified on varieties of vegetation types, could be utilised to estimate and eliminate the elevation bias from the InSAR elevation model. This model could also be utilised for estimating biomass quantities and their variations. It is hoped that the results will also stimulate investigations towards developing a multi-frequency InSAR system for collecting both terrain elevation data and attributes of biomass.
Computing Iceberg Cubes by Top-Down and Bottom-Up Integration: The StarCubing Approach

Data cube computation is one of the most essential but expensive operations in data warehousing. Previous studies have developed two major approaches, top-down versus bottom-up. The former, represented by the multiway array cube (called the multiway) algorithm, aggregates simultaneously on multiple dimensions; however, it cannot take advantage of a priori pruning when computing iceberg cubes (cubes that contain only aggregate cells whose measure values satisfy a threshold, called the iceberg condition). The latter, represented by BUC, computes the iceberg cube bottom-up and facilitates a priori pruning. BUC explores fast sorting and partitioning techniques; however, it does not fully explore multidimensional simultaneous aggregation. In this paper, we present a new method, star-cubing, that integrates the strengths of the previous two algorithms and performs aggregations on multiple dimensions simultaneously. It utilizes a star-tree structure, extends the simultaneous aggregation methods, and enables the pruning of the group-bys that do not satisfy the iceberg condition. Our performance study shows that star-cubing is highly efficient and outperforms the previous methods
Monosynaptic retrograde tracing of neurons expressing the G‐protein coupled receptor Gpr151 in the mouse brain

GPR151 is a G‐protein coupled receptor for which the endogenous ligand remains unknown. In the nervous system of vertebrates, its expression is enriched in specific diencephalic structures, where the highest levels are observed in the habenular area. The habenula has been implicated in a range of different functions including behavioral flexibility, decision making, inhibitory control, and pain processing, which makes it a promising target for treating psychiatric and neurological disease. This study aimed to further characterize neurons expressing the Gpr151 gene, by tracing the afferent connectivity of this diencephalic cell population. Using pseudotyped rabies virus in a transgenic Gpr151‐Cre mouse line, monosynaptic afferents of habenular and thalamic Gpr151‐expressing neuronal populations could be visualized. The habenular and thalamic Gpr151 systems displayed both shared and distinct connectivity patterns. The habenular neurons primarily received input from basal forebrain structures, the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, the lateral preoptic area, the entopeduncular nucleus, and the lateral hypothalamic area. The Gpr151‐expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus was primarily contacted by medial hypothalamic areas as well as the zona incerta and projected to specific forebrain areas such as the prelimbic cortex and the accumbens nucleus. Gpr151 mRNA was also detected at low levels in the lateral posterior thalamic nucleus which received input from areas associated with visual processing, including the superior colliculus, zona incerta, and the visual and retrosplenial cortices. Knowledge about the connectivity of Gpr151‐expressing neurons will facilitate the interpretation of future functional studies of this receptor.
2,5‐Piperazinedione inhibits quorum sensing‐dependent factor production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

The effects of 2,5‐piperazinedione in reducing the production of quorum sensing (QS)‐dependent factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 were assessed both in vitro and in vivo. 2,5‐Piperazinedione exhibited a 69% reduction in the azocasein‐degrading proteolytic activity and a 48% reduction in the elastolytic activity of PAO1. Further, it showed 85% and 96% reduction in the production of pyocyanin and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of PAO1, respectively. In the swimming inhibition assay, 2,5‐piperazinedione‐treated PAO1 cells exhibited poor swimming motility in swim agar medium. In the in vivo analysis, an enhanced survival of PAO1‐preinfected Caenorhabditis elegans was observed after treatment with 2,5‐piperazinedione. Regarding the mode of action, in the molecular docking analysis, 2,5‐piperazinedione interacts with the amino acid residue of the LasR receptor protein required for binding the natural ligand N ‐3‐oxododecanoyl‐l‐homoserine lactone (3‐oxo‐C12‐HSL). This demonstrates the probability of 2,5‐piperazinedione to interfere with the binding process of 3‐oxo‐C12‐HSL to its receptor protein. Thus, the findings of the present study reveal the potential of 2,5‐piperazinedione in reducing the QS‐dependent phenotypic features of PAO1. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Potential productivity of the Miscanthus energy crop in the Loess Plateau of China under climate change

With a vast area of marginal land, the Loess Plateau of China is a promising region for large-scale production of second-generation energy crops. However, it remains unknown whether such production is sustainable in the long run, especially under climate change. Using a regional climate change model, PRECIS, we analyzed the impact of climate change on Miscanthus production in the Loess Plateau. Under three emission scenarios, A2, B2, and A1B, both the average yield and total area capable of supporting Miscanthus production would increase continuously in the future period (2011–2099). As a result, the total yield potential in the region would increase by about 20% in this future period from the baseline period (1961–1990). This was explained primarily by predicted increases in temperature and precipitation across the Loess Plateau, which improved the yield of the perennial C4 plants relying exclusively on rainfed production. The areas that are currently too dry or too cold to support Miscanthus production could be turned into energy crop fields, especially along the arid–semiarid transition zone. Thus the Loess Plateau would become increasingly desirable for growing second-generation energy crops in this century, which could in turn contribute to soil improvement and ecological restoration of the region.
Complementary distributions of vinculin and dystrophin define two distinct sarcolemma domains in smooth muscle

The sarcolemma of the smooth muscle cell displays two alternating structural domains in the electron microscope: densely-staining plaques that correspond to the adherens junctions and intervening uncoated regions which are rich in membrane invaginations, or caveolae. The adherens junctions serve as membrane anchorage sites for the actin cytoskeleton and are typically marked by antibodies to vinculin. We show here by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy that dystrophin is specifically localized in the caveolae-rich domains of the smooth muscle sarcolemma, together with the caveolae-associated molecule caveolin. Additional labeling experiments revealed that beta 1 integrin and fibronectin are confined to the adherens junctions, as indicated by their codistribution with vinculin and tensin. Laminin, on the other hand, is distributed around the entire cell perimeter. The sarcolemma of the smooth muscle cell is thus divided into two distinct domains, featuring different and mutually exclusive components. This simple bipartite domain organization contrasts with the more complex organization of the skeletal muscle sarcolemma: smooth muscle thus offers itself as a useful system for localizing, among other components, potential interacting partners of dystrophin.
Agenda-Setting Effects among the Media, the Public, and Congress, 1946–2004

This paper examines the longitudinal evolution of correspondences among the issue agendas of the mass media, Congress, and the public from 1946 to 2004. The time unit is one year. Data are derived from the New York Times coverage, Gallup's Most Important Problem series, and Congressional hearings. The evolutions of, as well as the causal relationship among, the three agendas and their agenda-setting effects are analyzed and discussed.
A COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK FOR ONLINE STORE FUNCTIONALITIES

Online retailing today is considered as the most prevalent business model of electronic commerce applications. Research related to online stores is plentiful, but there appears to be a lack of broad and flexible frameworks that can be used to capture the functionalities of online stores in a systematic and modular manner. This paper presents such a comprehensive functionality framework in the form of a two-dimension grid, with one dimension distinguished between store functional architecture and another distinguished between store system goals. This framework provides a crucial guidance for the analysis, design, and development of online stores.
Reducing Problems of Sociability in Online Communities: Integrating Online Communication With Offline Interaction

Social network researchers have claimed that relations offline affect relations online; however, it is unclear which characteristics of online interaction are affected by the existence of offline relations. This article examines whether a mixture of virtual and real-life interaction—in contrast to purely virtual interaction—among some members of knowledge-sharing online communities reduces the prevalence of problems that the whole community faces. Typical problems of sociability that increase risk of failure in knowledge sharing include a lack of trust between members, free rider behavior, and a lack of stable membership. This analysis uses survey data from 26 online communities that are part of a virtual organization that hosts communities for teachers. The findings provide evidence for the existence of more trust and less free riding in mixed communities but not for greater membership stability. Results contribute to knowledge of how offline networks influence online relations; namely, offline networks reduce problems of sociability, thereby facilitating online knowledge sharing. Moreover, the results modify earlier claims about the integration of online communication with offline interaction by showing that complete integration is unnecessary.
Comparative genomics based on massive parallel transcriptome sequencing reveals patterns of substitution and selection across 10 bird species

Next‐generation sequencing technology provides an attractive means to obtain large‐scale sequence data necessary for comparative genomic analysis. To analyse the patterns of mutation rate variation and selection intensity across the avian genome, we performed brain transcriptome sequencing using Roche 454 technology of 10 different non‐model avian species. Contigs from de novo assemblies were aligned to the two available avian reference genomes, chicken and zebra finch. In total, we identified 6499 different genes across all 10 species, with ∼1000 genes found in each full run per species. We found evidence for a higher mutation rate of the Z chromosome than of autosomes (male‐biased mutation) and a negative correlation between the neutral substitution rate (dS) and chromosome size. Analyses of the mean dN/dS ratio (ω) of genes across chromosomes supported the Hill–Robertson effect (the effect of selection at linked loci) and point at stochastic problems with ω as an independent measure of selection. Overall, this study demonstrates the usefulness of next‐generation sequencing for obtaining genomic resources for comparative genomic analysis of non‐model organisms.
Cost-Effectiveness of a Diabetes Pay-For-Performance Program in Diabetes Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions

Pay for performance (P4P) has been used as a strategy to improve quality for patients with chronic illness. Little was known whether care provided to individuals with multiple chronic conditions in a P4P program were cost-effective. This study investigated cost effectiveness of a diabetes P4P program for caring patients with diabetes alone (DM alone) and diabetes with comorbid hypertension and hyperlipidemia (DMHH) from a single payer perspective in Taiwan. Analyzing data using population-based longitudinal databases, we compared costs and effectiveness between P4P and non-P4P diabetes patient groups in two cohorts. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match comparable control groups for intervention groups. Outcomes included life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), program intervention costs, cost-savings and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). QALYs for P4P patients and non-P4P patients were 2.80 and 2.71 for the DM alone cohort and 2.74 and 2.66 for the DMHH patient cohort. The average incremental intervention costs per QALYs was TWD$167,251 in the DM alone cohort and TWD$145,474 in the DMHH cohort. The average incremental all-cause medical costs saved by the P4P program per QALYs were TWD$434,815 in DM alone cohort and TWD$506,199 in the DMHH cohort. The findings indicated that the P4P program for both cohorts were cost-effective and the resulting return on investment (ROI) was 2.60:1 in the DM alone cohort and 3.48:1 in the DMHH cohort. We conclude that the diabetes P4P program in both cohorts enabled the long-term cost-effective use of resources and cost-savings, especially for patients with multiple comorbid conditions.
Area characteristics and admission rates of people with schizophrenia and affective disorders in a German rural catchment area

Background. Studies in urban areas identified environmental risk factors for mental illness, but little research on this topic has been performed in rural areas. Methods. Hospital admission rates were computed for 174 rural municipalities in the catchment area of the state psychiatric hospital in Günzburg in years 2006 to 2009 and combined with structural and socio-economic data. Relationships of overall and diagnosis-specific admission rates with municipality characteristics were analysed by means of negative binomial regression models. Results. Admission rates of patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and affective disorder combined decrease with increasing population growth, population density, average income and green areas, while admission rates are positively correlated with commuter balance, income inequality, unemployment rates and traffic areas. Admission rates for schizophrenia are negatively related to population growth, average income and agricultural areas, but positively related to mobility index, income inequality and unemployment rate. Admission rates for affective disorders are negatively related to population growth, population density, average income and green areas, while higher admission rates are correlated with commuter balance, high income inequality, unemployment rate and traffic-related areas. Conclusions. Effects of wealth, economic inequality, population density and structural area characteristics influence psychiatric admission rates also in rural areas.
Trajectory Tracking Control of a Quadrotor Unmanned Mini-Helicopter

‡In this paper, the relationship between attitude and linear acceleration of the quadrotor unmanned mini-helicopter is built and two trajectory tracking control design methodologies based on the relationship are proposed: classical inner/outer-loop control design approach and a new command filtered backstepping design strategy. Various numerical simulations demonstrate the validity of the control design. Finally, we discuss the two design methods and arrive at a conclusion via comparison.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Keyword Search

The prevalence of free text search in web search engines has inspired recent interest in keyword search on relational databases. Whereas relational queries formally specify matching tuples, keyword queries are imprecise expressions of the user’s information need. The correctness of search results depends on the user’s subjective assessment. As a result, the empirical evaluation of a keyword retrieval system’s effectiveness is essential. In this paper, we examine the evolving practices and resources for effectiveness evaluation of keyword searches on relational databases. We compare practices with the longer-standing full-text evaluation methodologies in information retrieval. In the light of this comparison, we make some suggestions for the future development of the art in evaluating keyword search effectiveness.
An Artificial Immune System-based Many-Objective Optimization Algorithm with Network Activation Scheme

In the research of multi-objective optimization algorithm, evolutionary algorithms have considered to be very successful tools. Artificial Immune System (AIS)-based algorithms as one of the viable alternative have also be widely developed in this domain. Over the years, researchers of evolutionary algorithms have extended their interest to many-objective situations; however works in AIS-based algorithms is rather scattered. This paper extends an AIS-based optimization algorithm to solve such many-objective optimization problems. The idea of -dominance and the holistic model of the immune network theory have been adopted to enhance the exploitation ability aiming for a quick convergence.
Explaining Thermodynamic-Like Behavior in Terms of Epsilon-Ergodicity*

Why do gases reach equilibrium when left to themselves? The canonical answer, originally proffered by Boltzmann, is that the systems have to be ergodic. This answer is now widely regarded as flawed. We argue that some of the main objections in particular arguments based on the Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser theorem and the Markus-Meyer theorem are beside the point. We then argue that something close to Boltzmann’s proposal is true: gases behave thermodynamic-like if they are epsilon-ergodic, that is, ergodic on the phase space except for a small region of measure epsilon. This answer is promising because there is evidence that relevant systems are epsilon-ergodic.
African American Family Structure: A Review of the Literature

Research on African American families is reviewed to address the past use of a deficit model on research and intervention, family structure, and a typology of family functioning. Considerations for family counselors working with African American families are addressed. Implications for practice and further research are explored to address the issue of working with African American families from a deficit perspective.
Motion lenses: cinematography-based viewpoint selection for motion data

Camera control plays an important role in computer graphics for producing expressive images or animations. An appropriate viewing setting usually enhances the richness and quality of the generated results. In this paper, we propose an automatic method to determine the viewing parameters (e.g., camera position, camera distance) of motions based on the cinematography, artistic composition, and film editing rules. Our method addresses four main issues embedded in this problem: camera placement, shot determination, view selection of shot, and view refinement. For the first issue, based on cinematographic rules, we argue that character's vision and orientation as features, which are used to determine the number of cameras and their positions. For the second issue, we propose a motion segmentation method to convert a sequence into motion cuts, which represent the shots of the motion. For the third issue, a view selection algorithm based on visibility measure is devised to select an appropriate camera (view). For the fourth issue, we finalize the camera parameters by considering type of shot, common visual axis, and artistic composition. Comparing to fixed-view shots, our results convey more information by providing viewers with better visual appeal and scene understanding.
Modeling Ambiguity in Decisions Under Uncertainty

We present a model for predicting consumers' choices under conditions of uncertainty and ambiguity. We use the term ambiguity to distinguish the class of risky decisions for which the odds of an uncertain event are not precisely known. We show that our model predicts different decisions for individuals who are ambiguity averse, ambiguity seeking, or ambiguity indifferent, thus relaxing the constraint imposed on preferences by subjected expected utility theory.
Information Technology, Adaptation and Innovation in Nonprofit Human Service Organizations

This report examines how two measures of performance—adaptation and innovation—can be predicted by the use of digital communication. It suggests that information technology in nonprofits offers strong leverage for adaptation but not for innovation. This suggests that (a) the two measures are dissimilar in both their nature and their relevance to organizational performance in nonprofit settings, (b) that service organizations are more likely to use information technology for adapting to change, and (c) it is probable that large and well-founded organizations will use IT for establishing innovations.