Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Basigin Mediates Pulmonary Hypertension by Promoting Inflammation and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation

Rationale: Cyclophilin A (CyPA) is secreted from vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by oxidative stress and promotes VSMC proliferation. However, the role of extracellular CyPA and its receptor Basigin (Bsg, encoded by Bsg) in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) remains to be elucidated. Objective: To determine the role of CyPA/Bsg signaling in the development of PH. Methods and Results: In the pulmonary arteries of patients with PH, immunostaining revealed strong expression of CyPA and Bsg. The pulmonary arteries of CyPA+/– and Bsg+/– mice exposed to normoxia did not differ in morphology compared with their littermate controls. In contrast, CyPA+/– and Bsg+/– mice exposed to hypoxia for 4 weeks revealed significantly reduced right ventricular systolic pressure, pulmonary artery remodeling, and right ventricular hypertrophy compared with their littermate controls. These features were unaltered by bone marrow reconstitution. To further evaluate the role of vascular Bsg, we harvested pulmonary VSMCs from Bsg+/+ and Bsg+/– mice. Proliferation was significantly reduced in Bsg+/– compared with Bsg+/+ VSMCs. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that Bsg+/– VSMCs revealed reduced extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 activation and less secretion of cytokines/chemokines and growth factors (eg, platelet-derived growth factor-BB). Finally, in the clinical study, plasma CyPA levels in patients with PH were increased in accordance with the severity of pulmonary vascular resistance. Furthermore, event-free curve revealed that high plasma CyPA levels predicted poor outcome in patients with PH. Conclusions: These results indicate the crucial role of extracellular CyPA and vascular Bsg in the pathogenesis of PH.
Real-time routing and retry strategies for low-latency 802.15.4 control networks

In many applications of wireless control networks, the latency of message delivery is an important consideration. In a lighting control network where a light switch sends a wireless message to a lamp, a worst case end-to-end latency of 200 ms or better is desired, so that the working of the switch feels 'immediate' to the end user. This paper studies the probability that latency deadlines of a few hundred ms are exceeded. We use a 802.15. 4 test network, located in a real-life office environment, to evaluate and compare the effects of several re-try and re-routing strategies and different MAC parameter settings. Testing under realistic conditions, in an office environment when people are present, is important to accurately determine worst case latency performance as experienced by end users. At night, without any people in the building, performance is much better than during the day. In order to accurately observe the effect of different strategies, test runs lasting at least a week are needed. We find that retrying message delivery via a single delivery route is sub-optimal. Keeping a set of two or more candidate routes for subsequent retries greatly improves worst-case latency. We show that the use of time slotting and energy saving strategies is not necessarily incompatible with the goal of optimizing for human-observable latency.
Showing Objects: Holding and Manipulating Artefacts in Video-mediated Collaborative Settings

In this paper we report on a pervasive practice in video-mediated communication: where participants show one another one or more objects. This is a distinct activity from others considered by researchers of video-mediated technologies that focus on a face-to-face orientation, or just on the support necessary to help people to refer to objects. We first present examples of this pervasive phenomenon in naturally occurring Skype conversations, revealing how this conduct is configured and organized within the interaction between participants. We reveal how the subtle adjustment of the position of the body, the head and gaze with respect to the handheld objects offers crucial resources for participants to achieve joint seeing. Then we report on a quite different setting, a naturalistic experiment where participants collaborate on a collective task with remote colleagues through maneuverable, orientable devices (Kubis). Again, in these experiments participants frequently show objects, and at times the devices provide additional resources to support these activities. But at other times they also involve some difficulties. We conclude by suggesting possible technological developments, some quite simple, others more radical, that might support participants to show objects, whether they are in domestic settings or undertaking work activities.
Public Participation under the EU Water Framework Directive – processes and possible outcomes: A preparatory paper for the NOLIMP workshop on public participation and costeffectiveness analysis

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), which went into effect in 2000, places public participation (PP) at the center stage of water management as part of its integrated approach to water management. It calls for PP in order to ensure protection and a sustainable use of the European river basins (Huitema et al., 2004). Although the Directive provides strong stimulus for PP, the exact form of the implementation is left to the Member States. Member States, however, often have limited experience and reserves regarding PP in policy making as many decision makers still have little understanding of the advantages it holds. The NOLIMP-WFD (North Sea regional and Local IMPlementation of the Water Framework Directive) is a collaborative project involving regions in six countries of the North Sea: Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (Scotland). All these countries face similar problems with regards to the implementation of the Directive. Thus, the project's aim is to gain experience with the implementation of the Directive on local and regional levels by applying its concepts and procedures in pilot projects. One of the topics that were applies in the pilot projects, is PP. The NOLIMP partners' experience with PP may be of value to other EU Member States as they all need to implement the Directive and may face similar difficulties. Based on the NOLIMP experience with PP, an attempt will be made to draw conclusions with regards to the benefits of PP. This paper is a general introduction to the topic of PP under the WFD and its goal is to present this topic as a background to the NOLIMP experience with PP. It discusses the issue from the water managers' point of view, and mainly answers the question why should these decision makers deal with PP. The discussion revolves around the two forms of meaningful PP, as prescribed in the WFD: consultation and active involvement
cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase I Mediates the Negative Inotropic Effect of cGMP in the Murine Myocardium

To study the role of cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGKI) for cardiac contractility, force of contraction (Fc) was studied in electrically driven heart muscle from wild-type (WT) mice and from conventional and conditional cGKI knockout mice. Both 8-Br-cGMP and 8-pCPT-cGMP reduced Fc in cardiac muscle from juvenile WT but not from juvenile cGKI-null mutants. Similarly, the cGMP analogues reduced Fc in forskolin-stimulated ventricular muscle from WT mice but not from cGKI-null mutants. In contrast, carbachol reduced Fc in both groups of animals. 8-Br-cGMP reduced Fc also in heart muscle from adult WT mice but not from adult cardiomyocyte-specific cGKI-knockout mice. These results demonstrate that cGKI mediates the negative inotropic effect of cGMP in the myocardium of juvenile and adult mice.
Cilia-associated bacteria in fatal Bordetella bronchiseptica pneumonia of dogs and cats

Bordetella bronchiseptica frequently causes nonfatal tracheobronchitis, but its role in fatal pneumonia is less recognized. Our study evaluated histologic identification of cilia-associated bacteria as a method for diagnosis of B. bronchiseptica pneumonia. Cases of fatal bronchopneumonia were studied retrospectively, excluding neonates and cases of aspiration pneumonia, minor lung lesions, or autolysis. The study population comprised 36 canine and 31 feline cases of bronchopneumonia. B. bronchiseptica was identified in 8 of 36 canine and 14 of 31 feline cases based on immunohistochemistry (IHC) using serum from a rabbit hyperimmunized with pertactin, PCR testing (Fla2/Fla12), and/or bacterial culture data when available. Of these, IHC was positive in 4 canine and 7 feline cases, PCR was positive in 8 canine and 14 feline cases, and B. bronchiseptica was isolated in 2 of 5 canine and 3 of 9 feline cases tested. Examination of histologic sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin revealed bronchial cilia-associated bacteria in 4 of 36 canine and 5 of 31 feline cases; these were all positive by IHC and PCR. The presence of cilia-associated bacteria had been noted in the pathology report for only 2 of these 9 cases. Thus, the presence of cilia-associated bacteria seems frequently overlooked by pathologists, but is a diagnostically significant feature of B. bronchiseptica pneumonia. A specific diagnosis of B. bronchiseptica pneumonia is important because it suggests primary or opportunistic bacterial pneumonia rather than aspiration pneumonia, and because of the risk of animal-to-animal transmission of B. bronchiseptica, the availability of vaccines for disease prevention, and the potential zoonotic risk to immunocompromised pet owners.
Internet Psycho-Education Programs Improve Outcomes in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of two Internet-based psycho-educational programs designed to improve outcomes for youth with type 1 diabetes transitioning to adolescence. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study was a multisite clinical trial of 320 youth (aged 11–14 years; 37% minority; 55% female) randomized to one of two Internet-based interventions: TeenCope or Managing Diabetes. Primary outcomes were HbA1c and quality of life (QOL). Secondary outcomes included coping, self-efficacy, social competence, self-management, and family conflict. Data were collected at baseline and after 3, 6, and 12 months online. Youth were invited to cross over to the other program after 12 months, and follow-up data were collected at 18 months. Analyses were based on mixed models using intent-to-treat and per-protocol procedures. RESULTS Youth in both groups had stable QOL and minimal increases in HbA1c levels over 12 months, but there were no significant differences between the groups in primary outcomes. After 18 months, youth who completed both programs had lower HbA1c (P = 0.04); higher QOL (P = 0.02), social acceptance (P = 0.01), and self-efficacy (P = 0.03) and lower perceived stress (P = 0.02) and diabetes family conflict (P = 0.02) compared with those who completed only one program. CONCLUSIONS Internet interventions for youth with type 1 diabetes transitioning to adolescence result in improved outcomes, but completion of both programs was better than only one, suggesting that these youth need both diabetes management education and behavioral interventions. Delivering these programs via the Internet represents an efficient way to reach youth and improve outcomes.
Water quality assessment of Nallacheruvu, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

The present study has been undertaken to assess the water quality of Nallacheruvu located in Uppal, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The lake water samples were collected seasonally and were analyzed for the parameters like Temperature, P, Dissolved Oxygen (DO),Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). Total Dissolved Solids, Total Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium, Chlorides, Phosphates, Nitrites and Nitrates. Some heavy metals like Copper, Iron, Zinc and Cadmium were also analyzed. The results reveal that nutrient load in the Nallacheruvu is very high and the water is not suitable for consumption and domestic purpose.
Correlates of body mass index in the 1990 Ontario Health Survey.

OBJECTIVES To determine the average body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of overweight and obesity among people aged 20 to 64 years, to identify sociodemographic, lifestyle and health variables that correlate with overweight and obesity, and, through a comparison of the results with those from an earlier survey, to determine whether prevalence has changed over time. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. SETTING Ontario. PARTICIPANTS The 1990 Ontario Health Survey surveyed 61,239 people representative of the Ontario population. The authors' analyses were restricted to those aged 20 to 64 years, excluding pregnant women. In the multivariate analyses they included only people with no missing values for any of the variables in the models (n = 26,306). OUTCOME MEASURES BMI (weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared) was used to measure healthy weight (BMI between 20 and 25), overweight (BMI greater than 25) and obesity (BMI greater than 27). RESULTS The prevalence of obesity among men and women was 33.6% and 22.8% respectively (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63 to 1.95). There was a positive relation with age (adjusted OR 1.53 [95% CI 1.24 to 1.89] for age 25 to 29 years and 2.78 [95% CI 2.20 to 3.51] for age 50 to 54 years compared with age 20 to 24 years) and an inverse relation with education level (postsecondary education v. primary education: adjusted OR 0.65 [95% CI 0.54 to 0.79]). Analysis of birthplace showed that the prevalence of obesity was lowest among those born in Asia (compared with Canadian born: adjusted OR 0.36 [95% CI 0.27 to 0.47]). The prevalence was higher among former smokers than among those who had never smoked (adjusted OR 1.20 [95% CI 1.18 to 1.22]). People with more health problems and those who rated their health as fair or poor were more likely to be obese. The estimates of the prevalence of obesity were higher than those reported in the 1985 Health Promotion Survey for both sexes in all three age groups examined. CONCLUSIONS These self-reported data indicate that overweight and obesity remain important health problems in Ontario, and the prevalence appears to be increasing.
SLASH concept: A novel approach for simplified interdigitated back contact solar cells fabrication

In this study a novel high efficiency crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell concept is presented. It combines Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) structures with Silicon Heterojunction (Si-HJ) technology through the use of Laser assisted patterning steps. The SLASH (Structuring by Laser Ablation of Silicon Heterojunction) IBC cell shows a simplified geometry and a fabrication process compatible with mass production. SLASH IBC cells have been fabricated using optimized parameters for a-Si:H layers patterning and screen printed metallization. The c-Si surface morphology (polishing and texturation process) is shown to have a great impact on the cells parameters. Almost the same cell performances are obtained on alkaline and chemical-mechanical polished surfaces. An efficiency of 19.0% has been obtained on 5*5 cm2 devices proving the high efficiency potential of this simplified IBC structure.
Proprioception, laxity, muscle strength and activity limitations in early symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: results from the CHECK cohort.

OBJECTIVE To establish whether proprioception and varus-valgus laxity moderate the association between muscle strength and activity limitations in patients with early symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS A sample of 151 participants with early symptomatic knee osteoarthritis from the Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee study. METHODS Regression analyses were performed to establish the associations between muscle strength, proprioception (knee joint motion detection threshold in the anterior--posterior direction), varus-valgus laxity and activity limitations (self-reported and performance-based). Interaction terms were used to establish whether proprioception and laxity moderated the association between muscle strength and activity limitations. RESULTS Proprioception moderated the association between muscle strength and activity limitations: the negative association between muscle strength and activity limitations was stronger in participants with poor proprioception than in participants with accurate proprioception (performance-based activity limitations p = 0.02; self-reported activity limitations p = 0.08). The interaction between muscle strength and varus-valgus laxity was not significantly associated with activity limitations. CONCLUSION The results of the present study support the theory that in the absence of adequate proprioceptive input, lower muscle strength affects a patient's level of activities to a greater degree than in the presence of adequate proprioceptive input.
Quantum Recommendation Systems

A recommendation system uses the past purchases or ratings of $n$ products by a group of $m$ users, in order to provide personalized recommendations to individual users. The information is modeled as an $m \times n$ preference matrix which is assumed to have a good rank-$k$ approximation, for a small constant $k$. In this work, we present a quantum algorithm for recommendation systems that has running time $O(\text{poly}(k)\text{polylog}(mn))$. All known classical algorithms for recommendation systems that work through reconstructing an approximation of the preference matrix run in time polynomial in the matrix dimension. Our algorithm provides good recommendations by sampling efficiently from an approximation of the preference matrix, without reconstructing the entire matrix. For this, we design an efficient quantum procedure to project a given vector onto the row space of a given matrix. This is the first algorithm for recommendation systems that runs in time polylogarithmic in the dimensions of the matrix and provides an example of a quantum machine learning algorithm for a real world application.
How Smog Awareness Influences Public Acceptance of Congestion Charge Policies

Although various studies have investigated public acceptance of congestion charge policies, most of them have focused on behavioral and policy-related factors, and did not consider the moderating influence that individual concern about smog and perceived smog risk may have on public acceptance. This paper takes the congestion charge policy in China, targeted at smog and traffic control, and checks how smog awareness—including smog concerns and perceived smog risks, besides behavioral and policy-related factors—might influence public acceptance of the policy. In this paper, we found both a direct and moderating causal relationship between smog awareness and public acceptance. Based on a sample of 574 valid questionnaires in Beijing and Shanghai in 2016, an ordered logistic regression modeling approach was used to delineate the causality between smog awareness and public acceptance. We found that both smog concerns, such as perceived smog risk, and willingness to pay (WTP) were both directly and indirectly positively correlated with public acceptance. These findings imply that policymakers should increase policy fairness with environmental-oriented policy design and should express potential policy effectiveness of the smog controlling policy to citizens to increase their acceptance level.
Minimal enteral nutrient requirements for intestinal growth in neonatal piglets: how much is enough?

BACKGROUND Parenterally nourished preterm infants commonly receive minimal enteral feedings, the aim being to enhance intestinal function. Whether this regimen increases intestinal growth has not been established. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine the minimal enteral nutrient intakes necessary to stimulate and to normalize neonatal intestinal growth. METHODS Intestinal growth and cell proliferation were quantified in neonatal pigs given equal amounts of an elemental nutrient solution for 7 d. Different groups (n = 5-7 per group) received 0%, 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, or 100% of total nutrient intake enterally, with the remainder given parenterally. RESULTS In the jejunum, wet weight, protein mass, and villus height were significantly greater at enteral intakes >40%. Stimulation of ileal protein mass required a higher enteral intake (60%). In both segments, abrupt increases in DNA mass, crypt depth, ornithine decarboxylase activity, and crypt cells in S-phase occurred between enteral intakes of 40% and 60%. Circulating concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-2 and peptide YY, but not gastrin, increased significantly between enteral intakes of 40% and 60% and closely paralleled indexes of cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS The minimal enteral nutrient intake necessary to increase mucosal mass was 40% of total nutrient intake, whereas 60% enteral nutrition was necessary to sustain normal mucosal proliferation and growth. Our results imply that providing <40% of the total nutrient intake enterally does not have significant intestinal trophic effects.
Fault Diagnosis in Discrete-Event Systems with Incomplete Models: Learnability and Diagnosability

Most model-based approaches to fault diagnosis of discrete-event systems require a complete and accurate model of the system to be diagnosed. However, the discrete-event model may have arisen from abstraction and simplification of a continuous time system, or through model building from input-output data. As such, it may not capture the dynamic behavior of the system completely. In a previous paper, we addressed the problem of diagnosing faults given an incomplete model of the discrete-event system. We presented the learning diagnoser which not only diagnoses faults, but also attempts to learn missing model information through parsimonious hypothesis generation. In this paper, we study the properties of learnability and diagnosability. Learnability deals with the issue of whether the missing model information can be learned, while diagnosability corresponds to the ability to detect and isolate a fault after it has occurred. We provide conditions under which the learning diagnoser can learn missing model information. We define the notions of weak and strong diagnosability and also give conditions under which they hold.
Approach and avoidance learning in obsessive–compulsive disorder

Background: Current neurobiological models of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) propose a dysfunction of cortico‐striato‐thalamo‐cortical circuits that leads to enhanced activity in frontal and striatal brain regions. In accordance with that, OCD patients show alterations in learning and flexible adaptation to changing task requirements. The purpose of this study was to examine feedback‐based learning and to investigate whether learning from positive and negative feedback is differentially altered in OCD. Methods: In this study, 18 OCD patients and 18 healthy comparison subjects conducted a probabilistic selection task. The task consisted of an acquisition and a test phase and allowed disentangling the extent of learning based on positive and negative feedback. Results: Groups did not differ during probabilistic feedback learning in the acquisition phase. In the test phase, OCD patients showed a negative learning bias in contrast to comparison subjects who showed a positive learning bias. Patients were better at avoiding stimuli that were initially associated with negative outcomes than at approaching stimuli that were associated with positive feedbacks. This interaction was also found for reaction times in that patients were faster in avoiding negative and slower in approaching positive stimuli. Conclusion: Enhanced avoidance learning was found in OCD patients that points to exaggerated anticipation and avoidance of aversive outcomes. Further studies are required to investigate whether neurobiological mechanisms, such as dopaminergic signaling or outcome processing, in the orbitofrontal cortex relate to enhanced negative learning in OCD. Depression and Anxiety, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.