Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resveratrol Treatment of Mice With Pressure-Overload–Induced Heart Failure Improves Diastolic Function and Cardiac Energy Metabolism

Background—Although resveratrol has multiple beneficial cardiovascular effects, whether resveratrol can be used for the treatment and management of heart failure (HF) remains unclear. In the current study, we determined whether resveratrol treatment of mice with established HF could lessen the detrimental phenotype associated with pressure-overload–induced HF and identified physiological and molecular mechanisms contributing to this. Methods and Results—C57Bl/6 mice were subjected to either sham or transverse aortic constriction surgery to induce HF. Three weeks post surgery, a cohort of mice with established HF (% ejection fraction <45) was administered resveratrol (≈320 mg/kg per day). Despite a lack of improvement in ejection fraction, resveratrol treatment significantly increased median survival of mice with HF, lessened cardiac fibrosis, reduced gene expression of several disease markers for hypertrophy and extracellular matrix remodeling that were upregulated in HF, promoted beneficial remodeling, and improved diastolic function. Resveratrol treatment of mice with established HF also restored the levels of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complexes, restored cardiac AMP-activated protein kinase activation, and improved myocardial insulin sensitivity to promote glucose metabolism and significantly improved myocardial energetic status. Finally, noncardiac symptoms of HF, such as peripheral insulin sensitivity, vascular function, and physical activity, were improved with resveratrol treatment. Conclusions—Resveratrol treatment of mice with established HF lessens the severity of the HF phenotype by lessening cardiac fibrosis, improving molecular and structural remodeling of the heart, and enhancing diastolic function, vascular function, and energy metabolism.
Investigating the Relationships between Teaching Strategies and Learning Styles in Higher Education.

Within this paper, we are focusing on the relationships between teaching strategies, learning styles, and the students' academic achievement in higher education. The main objective of this study is to compare three groups of pre-service teachers having different majors (i.e., Educational Sciences, Economic Sciences, and Foreign Languages) in order to identify the potential differences in their academic achievement. More precisely, we attempt to highlight the categories of teaching strategies that lead to the best academic achievement for students having the same learning style, and different fields of study. A sample of 269 pre-service teachers from three faculties belonging to Transilvania University of Brasov participated in the study. The data was collected through a survey method and the one-way analysis of variance was used to determine the differences among the groups. Significant differences among the three categories of students with different majors occurred in relation with the most effective teaching strategies corresponding to each learning style category.
Representations Parameterized by a Pair of Characters

Let $U$ and $A$ be algebras over a field $k$. We study algebra structures $H$ on the underlying tensor product $U{\otimes}A$ of vector spaces which satisfy $(u{\otimes}a)(u'{\otimes}a') = uu'{\otimes}aa'$ if $a = 1$ or $u' = 1$. For a pair of characters $\rho \in \Alg(U, k)$ and $\chi \in \Alg(A, k)$ we define a left $H$-module $L(\rho, \chi)$. Under reasonable hypotheses the correspondence $(\rho, \chi) \mapsto L(\rho, \chi)$ determines a bijection between character pairs and the isomorphism classes of objects in a certain category ${}_H\underline{\mathcal M}$ of left $H$-modules. In many cases the finite-dimensional objects of ${}_H\underline{\mathcal M}$ are the finite-dimensional irreducible left $H$-modules. In math.QA/0603269 we apply the results of this paper and show that the finite-dimensional irreducible representations of a wide class of pointed Hopf algebras are parameterized by pairs of characters.
β‐Lactam Therapy for Methicillin‐Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Comparative Review of Cefazolin versus Antistaphylococcal Penicillins

Methicillin‐susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteremia is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Traditionally, antistaphylococcal penicillins (ASPs) have been considered the agents of choice for the treatment of MSSA bacteremia. Vancomycin has been demonstrated to have poorer outcomes in several studies and is only recommended for patients with severe penicillin allergies. Although cefazolin is considered as an alternative to the ASPs for patients with nonsevere penicillin allergies, cefazolin offers several pharmacologic advantages over ASPs, such as more convenient dosing regimens, and antimicrobial stewardship programs are increasingly using cefazolin as the preferential agent for MSSA infections as part of cost‐saving initiatives. Concerns about susceptibility to hydrolysis by type A β‐lactamases, particularly at high inocula seen in deep‐seated infections such as endocarditis; selective pressures from unnecessary gram‐negative coverage; and lack of comparative clinical data have precluded recommending cefazolin as a first‐line therapy for MSSA bacteremia. Recent clinical studies, however, have suggested similar clinical efficacy but better tolerability, with lower rates of discontinuation due to adverse drug reactions, of cefazolin compared with ASPs. Other variables, such as adequate source control (e.g., intravascular catheter removal, debridement, or drainage) and enhanced pharmacodynamics through aggressive cefazolin dosing, may mitigate the role of cefazolin inoculum effect and factor into determining improved clinical outcomes. In this review, we highlight the utility of cefazolin versus ASPs in the treatment of MSSA bacteremia with a focus on clinical efficacy and safety.
Enhancement In Electrochemical Performance Of Advanced Battery Electrodes Using Carbon- Nanomaterial Composites

ENHANCEMENT IN ELECTROCHEMICAL PERFORMANCE OF LiFePO4-CARBON NANO COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERIES by KULWINDER S. DHINDSA May 2015 Advisor: Dr. Zhixian Zhou Co Advisors: Dr. Ratna Naik and Dr. Gholam-Abbas Nazri Major: Physics (Condensed Matter) Degree: Doctor of Philosophy LiFePO4 has attracted great interest as a cathode material for lithium ion batteries due to its reasonably high theoretical capacity (170mAh/g), thermal stability, high Li ion reversibility and low cost. However, prohibitively low electronic conductivity (~10 S/cm) of LiFePO4 leads to high impedance, low capacity and low rate capability. To overcome this bottleneck, we have developed multiple approaches to improve the conductivity of LiFePO4. Motivated by the outstanding electronic and mechanical properties as well as high surface area of graphene, we prepared LiFePO4/graphene nano-composites by a sol-gel method. The phase purity of the nano LiFePO4/Graphene composite was confirmed by X-Ray diffraction. Addition of graphene improved the electronic conductivity of LiFePO4 by six orders of magnitude. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope images show LiFePO4 particles being covered uniformly by graphene sheets throughout the material forming a three-dimensional conducting network. At low currents and charging rate of C/3, the capacity of the composite cathode reaches 160 mAh/g, which is very close to the theoretical limit. More significantly, the LiFePO4graphene composite shows a dramatically improved rate capability up to 27C and excellent
Systemic Interleukin-4 Administration after Spinal Cord Injury Modulates Inflammation and Promotes Neuroprotection

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes dramatic disability and dysfunction in the motor, sensory and autonomic systems. The severe inflammatory reaction that occurs after SCI is strongly associated with further tissue damage. As such, immunomodulatory strategies have been developed, aimed at reducing inflammation, but also at shaping the immune response in order to protect, repair and promote regeneration of spared neural tissue. One of those promising strategies is the intraspinal administration of the cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) that was shown to promote a phenotype on specific immune cells associated with neuroprotection and repair. In this work, we evaluated if a systemic delivery of IL-4 for a 7-days period was also capable of promoting neuroprotection after SCI by analyzing different neural cells populations and motor recovery. IL-4 treatment promoted an elevation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the serum both at 24 h and 7 days after injury. Locally, treatment with IL-4 led to a reduction on cells expressing markers associated with inflammation, CD11b/c and iNOS. Importantly, IL-4 treatment increased the neuronal markers βIII-tubulin and NeuN, and the oligodendrocyte marker O4, suggesting a neuroprotective effect. Moreover, 100% of the animals treated with IL-4 were able to recover weight support against only 33% of saline treated animals. Overall, these results show that systemic administration of IL-4 positively impacts different aspects of spinal cord injury, creating a more favorable environment for recovery to take place.
Binding Modes of Three Inhibitors 8CA, F8A and I4A to A-FABP Studied Based on Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Adipocyte fatty-acid binding protein (A-FABP) is an important target of drug designs treating some diseases related to lipid-mediated biology. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations coupled with solvated interaction energy method (SIE) were carried out to study the binding modes of three inhibitors 8CA, F8A and I4A to A-FABP. The rank of our predicted binding affinities is in accordance with experimental data. The results show that the substitution in the position 5 of N-benzyl and the seven-membered ring of N-benzyl-indole carboxylic acids strengthen the I4A binding, while the substitution in the position 2 of N-benzyl weakens the F8A binding. Computational alanine scanning and dynamics analyses were performed and the results suggest that the polar interactions of the positively charged residue R126 with the three inhibitors provide a significant contribution to inhibitor bindings. This polar interaction induces the disappearance of the correlated motion of the C terminus of A-FABP relative to the N terminus and favors the stability of the binding complex. This study is helpful for the rational design of potent inhibitors within the fields of metabolic disease, inflammation and atherosclerosis.
Purification and characterization of alpha-L-fucosidase from human primary hepatocarcinoma tissue.

AIM To purify and characterize alpha-L-fucosidase from human liver cancer tissue and to detect the localization of alpha-L-fucosidase in tumor tissue. METHODS Cation exchange chromatography on CM-52 and ultrafiltration were used to separate alpha-L-fucosidase (AFU) from crude extract of liver cancer tissue. 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-L-fucopyranoside was used as a fluorescent substrate to quantify the purified AFU activity in each step. A polyclonal antibody (pAb) against the purified AFU was obtained by anion exchange chromatography on DEAE-52 after ammonium sulfate fractionation and ultrafiltration. Immuohistochemical staining was used to observe the expression of AFU in malignant and adjacent liver tissues. RESULTS Human alpha-L-fucosidase was purified 74-fold to apparent homogeneity with 15% yield. SDS-PAGE indicated the presence of one subunit of molecular weight of 55 Ku. The specific activity of AFU in pooled fraction by chromatography was 10085 IU/mg. Western blot analysis indicated that the pAb could recognize one protein band of molecular weight of 55 Ku. The expression of AFU was observed in cytoplasm membrane of liver cancer tissue but not in that of adjacent tissue. CONCLUSION The purified alpha-L-fucosidase from primary hepatocarcinoma (PHC) is different in its properties from alpha-L-fucosidase in human other organs. The polyclonal antibody prepared in this experiment can be applied to the diagnosis of PHC.
MELTING DIAGRAM OF THE SYSTEM CaO-Al$sub 2$O$sub 3$-ZrO$sub 2$

Coexistent phases in the system CaO-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-- ZrO/sub 2/ were determined. A new compound Ca/sub 7/Al/sub 6/ZrO/sub 18/ was found with the following properties: density 3.10 g/cm/sup 3/, melting point 1550 deg C, coefficient of thermal expansion 8.7 . 10/sup -6/; N = 1.710; N/sub m/ = 1.707; N/sub p/ = 1.705; 2V = 53.1 deg ; it is biaxial positive, formed from oxides in the solid phase with increase in volume approximately by 24 pC through binary compounds (CaZrO/sub 3/ and CaAl/sub 2/O/sub 4/); and it reacts with water. X- ray characteristics of the compound are given. The melting diagram of the system CaO-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/- ZrO/sub 2/ is established and the areas containing not more than 10 pC of the melt at 1600 deg C are found on its basis by calculation. This system is characterized by near location of the melting curve of 1600 deg C to CaZrO/sub 3/ and even to ZrO/sub 2/, which prevents the use of its ternary compounds in refractory technology. (auth)
Assessing the Applicability of Uncertainty Importance Measures for Power System Studies

This paper critically evaluates a number of uncertainty importance measures for use in power system stability studies. Sensitivity analysis of uncertain system parameters is vital as new technologies proliferate and the total level of system uncertainty grows. Accurate assessment of the importance of different uncertainties can guide power system operators towards parameters which will require the greatest levels of mitigation or increased monitoring in order to reduce the uncertainty and its subsequent impact. Local and global sensitivity analysis techniques are described and evaluated within this paper, including nonparametric methods, variance-based approaches, and distribution-based techniques. The techniques are illustrated using a large 295-bus realistic network model of a generic distribution system. Numerical experiments on dynamic models are used in order to assess the impact of uncertainties on the mitigation of system frequency excursions using single-site and distributed energy storage devices.
Strategic knowledge transfer and its implications for competitive advantage: an integrative conceptual framework

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to analyze the implications for competitive advantage deriving from strategic knowledge and knowledge transfer process.Design/methodology/approach – One major issue in a knowledge‐based (KBV) view consists of delimiting the source of competitive advantage, that is, knowledge versus knowledge management processes (acquisition, transfer, generation). Based on the KBV and knowledge management literature, the current paper considers the importance of both elements. Specifically, the paper focuses on strategic knowledge and knowledge transfer process.Findings – The contributions of this paper are the proposal of strategic knowledge characteristics and the suggestion of a theoretical framework to study the internal transfer of strategic knowledge. The main conclusion is that the characteristics of knowledge that generate competitive advantage also create barriers for internal transfer. The research question addressed here is what firms must do to transfer strategic knowl.
Selective requirement for Mediator MED23 in Ras-active lung cancer

K-RAS–activating mutations occur frequently in non-small cell lung cancer, leading to aberrant activation of the Ras–MAPK signaling pathway that contributes to the malignant phenotype. However, the development of Ras-targeted therapeutics remains challenging. Here, we show that MED23, a component of the multisubunit Mediator complex that is known to integrate signaling and gene activities, is selectively important for Ras-active lung cancer. By screening a large panel of human lung cancer cell lines with or without a Ras mutation, we found that Med23 RNAi specifically inhibits the proliferation and tumorigenicity of lung cancer cells with hyperactive Ras activity. Med23 deficiency in fibroblasts selectively inhibited the oncogenic transformation induced by Ras but not by c-Myc. The transcription factor ELK1, which is phosphorylated by MAPK for relaying Ras signaling to MED23, also was required for the Ras-driven oncogenesis. Transcriptome analysis revealed that MED23 and ELK1 co-regulate a common set of target genes enriched in regulating cell-cycle and -proliferation functions to support the Ras dependency. Furthermore, MED23 was up-regulated by Ras transformation in correlation with the strength of Ras signaling as indicated by the ELK1 phosphorylation level and was found to be overexpressed in both Ras-mutated lung cancer cell lines and primary tumor samples. Remarkably, lower Med23 expression predicted better survival in Ras-active lung cancer patients and xenograft mice. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a critical role for MED23 in enabling the “Ras-addiction” of lung carcinogenesis, thus providing a vulnerable target for the treatment of Ras-active lung cancer.
Reticulate speciation and adaptive introgression in the Anopheles gambiae species complex

Anopheles gambiae, the primary vector of human malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, exists as a series of ecologically specialized subgroups that are phylogenetically nested within the Anopheles gambiae species complex. These species and subgroups exhibit varying degrees of reproductive isolation, sometimes recognized as distinct subspecies. We have sequenced 32 complete genomes from field-captured individuals of Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles gambiae M form (recently named A. coluzzii), sister species A. arabiensis, and the recently discovered “GOUNDRY” subgroup of A. gambiae that is highly susceptible to Plasmodium. Amidst a backdrop of strong reproductive isolation and adaptive differentiation, we find evidence for introgression of autosomal chromosomal regions among species and subgroups, some of which have facilitated adaptation. The X chromosome, however, is strongly differentiated among all species and subgroups, pointing to a disproportionately large effect of X chromosome genes in driving speciation among anophelines. Strikingly, we find that autosomal introgression has occurred from contemporary hybridization among A. gambiae and A. arabiensis despite strong divergence (∽5× higher than autosomal divergence) and isolation on the X chromosome. We find a large region of the X chromosome that has swept to fixation in the GOUNDRY subgroup within the last 100 years, which may be an inversion that serves as a partial barrier to contemporary gene flow. We show that speciation with gene flow results in genomic mosaicism of divergence and introgression. Such a reticulate gene pool connecting vector species and subgroups across the speciation continuum has important implications for malaria control efforts. Author Summary Subdivision of species into ecological specialized subgroups allows organisms to access a wider variety of environments and sometimes leads to the formation of species complexes. Adaptation to distinct environments tends to result in differentiation among closely related subgroups, although hybridization can facilitate sharing of globally adaptive alleles. Here, we show that differentiation and hybridization have acted in parallel in a species complex of Anopheles mosquitoes that vector human malaria. In particular, we show that extensive adaptive differentiation and partial reproductive isolation has led to genomic differentiation among mosquito species and subgroups, especially on the X chromosome. However, we also find evidence for exchange of genes on the autosomes that has provided the raw material for recent rapid adaptation. For example, we show that A. arabiensis has shared a mutation conferring insecticide resistance with two subgroups of A. gambiae within the last 60 years, illustrating the fluid nature of species boundaries among even more advanced species pairs. Our results underscore the expected challenges in deploying vector-based disease control strategies since many of the world’s most devastating human pathogens are transmitted by arthropod species complexes.
Weighted Fair Multicast Multigroup Beamforming Under Per-antenna Power Constraints

A multiantenna transmitter that conveys independent sets of common data to distinct groups of users is considered. This model is known as physical layer multicasting to multiple cochannel groups. In this context, the practical constraint of a maximum permitted power level radiated by each antenna is addressed. The per-antenna power constrained system is optimized in a maximum fairness sense with respect to predetermined quality of service weights. In other words, the worst scaled user is boosted by maximizing its weighted signal-to-interference plus noise ratio. A detailed solution to tackle the weighted max-min fair multigroup multicast problem under per-antenna power constraints is therefore derived. The implications of the novel constraints are investigated via prominent applications and paradigms. What is more, robust per-antenna constrained multigroup multicast beamforming solutions are proposed. Finally, an extensive performance evaluation quantifies the gains of the proposed algorithm over existing solutions and exhibits its accuracy over per-antenna power constrained systems.
Involvement of the sensor kinase EnvZ in the in vivo activation of the response‐regulator PhoB by acetyl phosphate

Three signalling pathways lead to activation of the phosphate (Pho) regulon by phosphorylation of the response‐regulator PhoB in Escherichia coil One pathway responds to the extracellular inorganic phosphate (Pi) level and leads to activation by the Pi sensor kinase, PhoR. The other two pathways are Pi independent and are apparent in the absence of PhoR. One Pi‐independent pathway responds to the level of an unknown catabolite and leads to activation by the catabolite regulatory sensor kinase, CreC (originally called PhoM); the other Pi‐independent pathway responds to acetyl phosphate and leads to activation by a process requiring acetyl phosphate. Here we show that activation of PhoB by acetyl phosphate can require the sensor kinase EnvZ. Accordingly, we propose that the in vivo activation of PhoB by acetyl phosphate (and perhaps other two‐component response‐regulators as well) probably always requires a certain kinase that can vary depending upon the growth conditions.
The hydrogen perturbation in molecular connectivity computations

A new algorithm for the δv number, the basic parameter of molecular connectivity indices, is proposed. The new algorithm, which is centered on graph concepts like complete graphs and general graphs, encodes the information of the bonded hydrogen on different atoms through a perturbation parameter that makes use of no new graph concepts. The model quality of the new algorithm is tested with 13 properties of seven different classes of compounds, as well as with composite classes of compounds with the same property and with composite properties of the same class of compounds. Chosen properties and classes of compounds display different percentage of bonded hydrogen atoms, which allow a checking of the importance of this parameter. A comparison is drawn with previous results with zero contribution for the hydrogen perturbation as well as among results obtained by changing the number of compounds of a property but keeping constant the percentage of hydrogen atoms. Results underline the importance of the property as well as the importance of the number of compounds in determining the level of the hydrogen perturbation. Molecular connectivity terms are in some cases more critical than the combination of indices in detecting the perturbation introduced by the hydrogen atoms. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 27: 868–882, 2006