Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Turning Dilatation to Constriction: Endothelial TRPV4 (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4) Matters.

See related article, pp 134–142 Healthy endothelial cells lining the luminal surface of blood vessels maintain local vascular homeostasis by means of liberating a spectrum of vasoactive diffusible molecules. These substances are categorized as either the beneficial endothelium-derived relaxing factors (EDRFs) such as nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin, and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor, or harmful endothelium-derived contracting factors (EDCFs), such as oxygen reactive species, prostanoids, and endothelin. However, endothelial dysfunction is intimately associated with hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. Endothelial dysfunction is commonly characterized by gradual loss of EDRF bioactivity and excessive gain of EDCFs. As a direct consequence, vascular inflammation is initiated, blood vessels narrow, and thus blood flow reduces. Under physiological conditions, EDRFs suffice to limit the production and activity of EDCFs. By contrast, in situations of cardiometabolic disorders, the harm of EDCFs overrides the benefit of EDRFs as manifested by decline of endothelium-dependent relaxation and appearance of endothelium-dependent contraction. Endothelium-dependent contraction is common in conduit arteries from animal models of hypertension1 and aging2 despite the chemical nature of EDCFs are not fully understood. The earlier studies suggested that vasoconstrictor prostanoids serve as EDCFs in endothelial cells when stimulated with agonists that raise intracellular calcium concentration1 as agonists-evoked endothelium-dependent contraction is attenuated by nonselective inhibitors of calcium entry and COX (cyclooxygenase). 2 The elevated endothelial calcium triggers endothelium-dependent contraction through activating phospholipase A2 that catalyzes membrane lipids to free arachidonic acid for COX-mediated synthesis of 5 prostanoids.1 On production in endothelial cells, these vasoconstrictive prostanoids diffuse toward and activate thromboxane prostanoid receptors in the adjacent vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to evoke contraction. Raised intracellular calcium concentration in endothelium is required for the development of endothelium-dependent contraction. …
Learning-Induced Survival of New Neurons Depends on the Cognitive Status of Aged Rats

Aging is accompanied by an alteration of spatial memory, which has been related to an alteration in hippocampal plasticity. Within the dentate gyrus, new neurons are generated throughout the entire life of an individual. This neurogenesis seems to play a role in hippocampal-mediated learning and learning-induced changes in neurogenesis have been proposed to be involved in memory. However, in aged rats, little is known on the influence of learning on the early development of the adult-born neurons and on the possible involvement of learning-induced changes in neurogenesis in age-related memory deficits. To address this issue, we took advantage of the existence of spontaneous individual differences for performances observed in aged subjects in the water maze. In this task, learning can be divided into two phases, an early phase during which performances quickly improve, and a late phase during which asymptotic levels of performances are reached. We show that the influence of spatial learning on the survival of the newly born cells depends on their birth date and the memory abilities of the aged rats. In aged rats with preserved spatial memory, learning increases the survival of cells generated before learning whereas it decreases survival of cells produced during the early phase of learning. These results highlight the importance of learning-induced changes in adult-born cell survival in memory. Furthermore, they provide new insights on the possible neural mechanisms of aging of cognitive functions and show that an alteration to the steps leading to neurogenesis may be involved in the determination of individual memory abilities.
Acquisition of social abilities through musical tangible user interface: children with autism spectrum condition and the reactable

This study assesses the potential of the Reactable, a musical tangible user interface, to help in the acquisition of social interaction abilities in children with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC). With this purpose, nine children with ASC participated in the research; the sample being its own control group, and a simple subject design was developed. The type of design was ABA (Basic Withdrawal). In addition to the statistical analysis, this study used qualitative methodological tools for analysis of outlier subjects and detection of atypical behavior for future research. The results show an increase in social interaction during the sessions, even for the non-verbal subjects.
A study of the effect of JPG compression on adversarial images

Neural network image classifiers are known to be vulnerable to adversarial images, i.e., natural images which have been modified by an adversarial perturbation specifically designed to be imperceptible to humans yet fool the classifier. Not only can adversarial images be generated easily, but these images will often be adversarial for networks trained on disjoint subsets of data or with different architectures. Adversarial images represent a potential security risk as well as a serious machine learning challenge---it is clear that vulnerable neural networks perceive images very differently from humans. Noting that virtually every image classification data set is composed of JPG images, we evaluate the effect of JPG compression on the classification of adversarial images. For Fast-Gradient-Sign perturbations of small magnitude, we found that JPG compression often reverses the drop in classification accuracy to a large extent, but not always. As the magnitude of the perturbations increases, JPG recompression alone is insufficient to reverse the effect.
Quantification of MUC5AC Protein in Human Tears

Purpose. MUC5AC has been identified as a major secretory mucin of conjunctival goblet cells and precorneal tear film. However, no method has been reported to quantify MUC5AC protein in human tears. The objective of this study was to establish a method to measure the amount of MUC5AC in human tears and to correlate the amount of MUC5AC with age, gender, and dry eye diseases. Methods. A goat antibody was raised to synthetic peptides corresponding to nonglycosylated epitopes of human MUC5AC mucin. This antibody and a horseradish peroxidase-coupled second antibody were used to develop a quantitative immunoassay to measure the MUC5AC concentration of tear samples collected on Schirmer strips. Porcine stomach mucin was used as a standard for the assay. The chemiluminescent MUC5AC signal was digitized and quantified. Tear samples from 19 healthy volunteers and 31 clinically diagnosed dry eye patients were analyzed. Results. MUC5AC concentration in human tears ranged from undetectable to more than 200 &mgr;g/mL porcine stomach mucin equivalent. In the healthy population, low, moderate, and high concentrations were found in the tear samples from younger and older persons and from both men and women. The mean MUC5AC content in tears was lower in the dry eye patients than in the age- and gender-matched healthy individuals. Conclusions. A method was established to quantify MUC5AC in human tear samples obtained on Schirmer strips. There was no correlation between the amount of MUC5AC and age or gender in the healthy population. Dry eye disease patients, however, typically showed reduced concentrations of soluble MUC5AC in the tear film.
Absorption, metabolism, and transport of carotenoids

Carotenoids are currently under intense scrutiny regarding their potential to modulate chronic disease risk and prevent vitamin A deficiency, and renewed emphasis has been placed on achieving a better understanding of the metabolic fate of these compounds in humans. The development of new animal models, and use of human metabolic studies and stable tracer methods have greatly improved our knowledge of how carotenoids are absorbed, metabolized, and transported to tissues; however, many important issues remain unresolved. For example, intestinal uptake of carotenoids occurs by passive diffusion, but the lumenal or intracellular factors limiting this process are obscure. The intestinal mucosa plays a key role in the metabolism of provitamin A carotenoids such as β‐carotene, thus greatly influencing their bioavail‐ ability. Most recent evidence supports a central oxidation mechanism of cleavage of β‐carotene to retinal in the intestinal mucosa, but the extent and site(s) of postabsorptive metabolism in the human is unknown. While the human and other species clearly absorb non‐provitamin A carotenoids, little is known of the extent and pathways of their metabolism and elimination. The metabolic fate of cis isomers of β‐carotene is a subject of recent interest, since 9‐cis retinoic acid can apparently be formed from 9‐cis β‐carotene in vitro and in vivo. Substantial cis‐trans isomerization of at least small oral doses of 9‐cis β‐carotene occurs in the human, although the site of isomerization is not yet known. Carotenoids are transported in plasma exclusively by lipoproteins, with the distribution among lipoprotein classes determined in large part by the physical properties of the carotenoid. The consequences of differential distribution in terms of tissue uptake and retention are not clear at present. Improved knowledge of the metabolic fate of carotenoids will assist in the development and testing of hypotheses regarding their potential to influence biological processes in the human. —Parker, R. S. Absorption, metabolism, and transport of carotenoids. FASEB J. 10, 542‐551 (1996)
Clustering-Based Predictive Process Monitoring

The enactment of business processes is generally supported by information systems that record data about each process execution (a.k.a. case). This data can be analyzed via a family of methods broadly known as process mining. Predictive process monitoring is a process mining technique concerned with predicting how running (uncompleted) cases will unfold up to their completion. In this paper, we propose a predictive process monitoring framework for estimating the probability that a given predicate will be fulfilled upon completion of a running case. The framework takes into account both the sequence of events observed in the current trace, as well as data attributes associated to these events. The prediction problem is approached in two phases. First, prefixes of previous (completed) cases are clustered according to control flow information. Second, a classifier is built for each cluster using event data attributes to discriminate between cases that lead to a fulfillment of the predicate under examination and cases that lead to a violation within the cluster. At runtime, a prediction is made on a running case by mapping it to a cluster and applying the corresponding classifier. The framework has been implemented in the ProM toolset and validated on a log pertaining to the treatment of cancer patients in a large hospital.
Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and the risk of heart attack.

BACKGROUND Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) increases the risk of heart disease in several epidemiological studies although the methods of assessing exposure have been incomplete. We determined the prevalence of ETS from various sources, and examined the association between ETS and the risk of myocardial infarction. METHODS A hospital-based case-control study of myocardial infarction was conducted from 1980 to 1990 by interviewing 114 case patients and 158 control subjects. RESULTS Among controls, the sources of ETS were the workplace (56%), childhood exposure (66%), home adult exposure (48%), car exposure (20%) and from trains or other surface transportation (4%). Compared to never smokers, the odds ratio (OR) for exposure to ETS during childhood was 0.97 (95% confidence intervals [Cl]: 0.53-1.46) for men and 0.92 (95% Cl: 0.5-1.86) for women. The adjusted OR associated with adult exposure was 1.5 (95% Cl: 0.9-2.6), although no trend was observed with the number of years of exposure. Women who were exposed to ETS in automobiles had an increased but non-significant risk (OR = 2.8, 95% Cl: 0.9-8.0). CONCLUSION Exposure to ETS comes from a variety of sources besides the spouse including parents, workplace employees and motorists. Exposure to ETS during childhood is not associated with an increased risk of heart disease. However, ETS exposure during adulthood increased the risk of myocardial infarction approximately 50% in this data although the findings were not statistically significant.
Motor Skill Development in Preschool Children with Mental and Developmental Disorders-The Difference after a One Year Comprehensive Education Program

The aim of this study was to reassess the motor skill performance of preschool children with mental and developmental disorders. The study follows the first part of the study which was completed in 2006 (Samoulidu, 2006). In 2006, significant deficits in motor skills performance were found to exist in these children. There were 5 participants in this study - 4 boys and 1 girl. One participant from the last year's assessment did not participate as he left the special kindergarten during the year. As of February 2007, the participants had completed a one year comprehensive program at the special kindergarten. This program was guided by recommendations made by MABC (Movement Assessment Battery for Children results, Henderson & Sudgen, 1992). Scores presented therein showed that considerable development had taken place in the various areas of motor skill development as assessed by the MABC. This can be attributed in part to the school program. As well as motor skill improvements, the social and behavior patterns of the children also improved which was noted primarily during the qualitative observations. Positive development has taken place as a result of this early intervention. Further guidelines were given in order that this development may continue into the future.
Apatite-coated Hyaluronan for Bone Regeneration

The materials for the repair of bone defects require bone-inductive and bioabsorbable properties. We developed an apatite-coated hyaluronan (ACH) as a bone-regeneration material. To examine the initial behavior of osteoblast-like cells on ACH and its bone-inductive activity, we evaluated the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast-like cells grown on ACH in vitro, and examined the effect of ACH on bone regeneration in vivo, comparing these with the effects of an atelocollagen sponge (AS). Hyaluronic acid, cross-linked by divinylsulfone, was freeze-dried and formed apatite in simulated body fluid. MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells were cultured on ACH and AS. Alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin mRNA expression increased more in cells grown on ACH than in those grown on AS. In vivo, round defects were created in rat crania and either filled with ACH or AS or left unfilled (sham group). After surgery, the ACH-treated group showed higher levels of bone formation than the other groups. These findings demonstrate that ACH is more effective than AS in promoting in vitro osteoblast-like cell differentiation and bone formation during the repair of bone defects in vivo, indicating that it may be of use in the treatment of various bone defects.
Children with Diabetes

In a multiple baseline design across behaviors with a control group component, insulin-dependent diabetic children were administered social skills training. Additionally, a metabolic measure of diabetic control was administered at baseline and follow-up assessments. When compared with control subjects, youngsters who received social skills training exhibited large improvements on a role-play test in their abilities to cope with stressful disease-related social situations. No changes were observed, however, on the metabolic measure of diabetic control. The implications of these findings are discussed.
More Than Hot Air ? Low Emission Zones , Air Pollution , and Infant Health

This paper investigates the effect of low emission zones on birth outcomes and air quality in Germany. The staggered introduction of the policy measure creates a credible natural experiment and a natural control group for births and air pollution measurements in cities that enact low emission zones. I show that the introduction of the most restrictive type of low emission zone decreases average levels of fine particulate matter by about 5 percent. However, these reductions are too small to translate into significant improvements in infant health. My results are not driven by changes in maternal or city specific characteristics, and are robust to variations in specification and to the choice of control group.
L2 acquisition of the progressive marker zai in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract Two studies on L2 acquisition of the progressive marker zai in Mandarin Chinese by native English speakers were conducted to investigate the interaction between L1 influence and the congruence of lexical aspect and tense-aspect morphology, as formulated in the aspect hypothesis. The two factors make opposite predictions with respect to the early stage and the acquisition process. The findings from a judgment task and a production task show that the observed pattern is neither predicted by the aspect hypothesis alone nor entirely conditioned by L1 influence. Rather, it is the result of both forces at work. At the early stage zai is associated with activities and accomplishments involving goal or distance. In the acquisition process, both widening and narrowing of predicate types are observed. The findings also show that the L1 effect does not disappear at the same time, but proceeds in stages. In the case of zai marking, the L1 effect weakening process is governed by the strength of event ending that is part of the meaning of the predicates.
Analysis of paralinguistic properties of speech for near-term suicidal risk assessment

The respiratory, phonatory and articulatory processes that are involved in speech production are the result of the coordination of the muscular activity in the respiratory organs, the intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal muscles, and a large number of articulators. The neuromuscular control of these movements must be very finely tuned to ensure the smoothness of the vocal fold vibrations and the dynamic adjustments from one articulatory setting to the next. Nonlinguistic properties of speech have previously been reported to be highly sensitive towards the physiological irregularities caused by psychomotor disturbances during states of psychological arousal, which produces changes in the speech production mechanism by affecting the respiratory, phonatory, and articulatory processes that in turn are encoded in the speech signal. Vocal cues that represent the disruptions in the smoothness of the coordination and the tenseness of the muscles involved in the speech production process during states of psychological arousal have been identified as unique and defining symptoms of affective disorders. In this dissertation we investigated the validity of using the vocal properties of speech as a diagnostic tool for the assessment of near-term suicidal risk, which can provide a valuable quantitative supplement to clinical judgment. Statistical analyses were performed on both source (excitation) and filter (vocal tract) domain speech features to determine if the acoustical properties of speech change with high-risk, near-term suicidality. Source domain analysis explored the significance of two excitation-based speech features; vocal jitter (a measure of the variations found within successive periods of the laryngeal vibratory pattern) and slope of the glottal flow spectrum (glottal spectral slope). Filter domain analysis explored the significance of first four mel-cepstral filter bank coefficients, which parameterize the spectral envelope shape. Results of the statistical analyses on thirty patients indicate that physiological irregularities caused during high-risk, near-term suicidal states are reflected on the extracted speech features. Maximum Likelihood classification analyses based on the integrated source and excitation domain features yielded 88.3% correct classification performance among three diagnostic classes (i.e., near-term suicidal, major depresses and non-depressed control).
A Bayesian nonparametric meta‐analysis model

In a meta‐analysis, it is important to specify a model that adequately describes the effect‐size distribution of the underlying population of studies. The conventional normal fixed‐effect and normal random‐effects models assume a normal effect‐size population distribution, conditionally on parameters and covariates. For estimating the mean overall effect size, such models may be adequate, but for prediction, they surely are not if the effect‐size distribution exhibits non‐normal behavior. To address this issue, we propose a Bayesian nonparametric meta‐analysis model, which can describe a wider range of effect‐size distributions, including unimodal symmetric distributions, as well as skewed and more multimodal distributions. We demonstrate our model through the analysis of real meta‐analytic data arising from behavioral‐genetic research. We compare the predictive performance of the Bayesian nonparametric model against various conventional and more modern normal fixed‐effects and random‐effects models. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Association Between Anomalous Experiences and Artistic Creativity and Spirituality

Responses on the two-page Life Experiences Questionnaire were collected from a convenience sample of 98 people and, using a modified form of the questionnaire, from another convenience sample of 114 people. Both samples confirmed the previously found positive correlation between psychic or paranormal experiences and rating artistic creativity as an important purpose of life. Likewise, both samples confirmed that spiritual interests, overall meaning in life, and reports of psychic experiences were all correlated with reports of transcendent/spiritual experiences. The data also confirmed that over 90% of the respondents with transcendent experiences considered them valuable. The majority of respondents reporting psychic experiences also rated them valuable. Very few respondents rated either type of experience as detrimental. The previously reported negative relationship between anomalous experiences and interest in obtaining wealth was not found in these data.
A statistical approach to central monitoring of data quality in clinical trials

Background Classical monitoring approaches rely on extensive on-site visits and source data verification. These activities are associated with high cost and a limited contribution to data quality. Central statistical monitoring is of particular interest to address these shortcomings. Purpose This article outlines the principles of central statistical monitoring and the challenges of implementing it in actual trials. Methods A statistical approach to central monitoring is based on a large number of statistical tests performed on all variables collected in the database, in order to identify centers that differ from the others. The tests generate a high-dimensional matrix of p-values, which can be analyzed by statistical methods and bioinformatic tools to identify extreme centers. Results Results from actual trials are provided to illustrate typical findings that can be expected from a central statistical monitoring approach, which detects abnormal patterns that were not (or could not have been) detected by on-site monitoring. Limitations Central statistical monitoring can only address problems present in the data. Important aspects of trial conduct such as a lack of informed consent documentation, for instance, require other approaches. The results provided here are empirical examples from a limited number of studies. Conclusion Central statistical monitoring can both optimize on-site monitoring and improve data quality and as such provides a cost-effective way of meeting regulatory requirements for clinical trials.