Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of substance P in rat periodontal alveolar bone after denervation

The aim of this study is to investigate substance P (SP) expression in rat periodontal alveolar bone after inferior alveolar nerve transection. 60 male Wistar rats were divided into six groups randomly. Mandibular alveolar bones were removed from the denervated rats according to sacrifice time points (0, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after operation). Immunohistochemical staining was applied to trace the expression of SP. The mRNA and protein levels of SP in periodontal alveolar bone were quantified by real-time PCR and Western blot techniques. Positive expressions of SP were located in sensory nerve fibres and blood vessels that distributed in periodontal ligaments and alveolar bone. SP-immunopositive expressions changed at different time points as a result of denervation. Expressions of SP decreased in periodontal alveolar bone at day 3, and the lowest expression level was measured at day 7 after operation. In the late stages of the study, SP expressions increased since 14 days and then gradually got back to normal levels at 28 days. To conclude, inferior alveolar nerve transection leads to the down-regulation of SP mRNA and protein in alveolar bone. SP may also play an important role in the compensation or recovery of innervation.
Mindfulness and the aging brain: a proposed paradigm shift

There has been a proliferation of cognitive training studies investigating the efficacy of various cognitive training paradigms as well as strategies for improving cognitive control in the elderly. While some have found support for the transfer of training, the majority of training studies show modest to no transfer effects. When transfer effects have been observed, the mechanisms contributing to enhanced functioning have been difficult to dissociate. In this review, we provide a theoretical rationale for the study of mindfulness in older adults as a particular type of training program designed to improve cognitive control by capitalizing on older adults’ acquired behavioral orientation toward higher socioemotional goals. Given the synergistic relationship between emotional and cognitive control processes, the paradoxical divergence in older adults’ functional trajectory in these respective domains, and the harmonious interplay of cognitive and emotional control embedded in the practice of mindfulness, we propose mindfulness training as an opportunistic approach to cultivating cognitive benefits in older adults. The study of mindfulness within aging, we argue, capitalizes on a fundamental finding of the socioemotional aging literature, namely the preferential change in motivational goals of older adults from ones involving future-oriented wants and desires to present-focused emotion regulation and gratification.
Individual Spawning Duration of Captive Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) Revealed by Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of Eggs

This study presents the first results on Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) individual spawning duration and its short-term temporal behavior. The study was based on direct measurements resulting from mtDNA analysis of the offspring of spawners held in transport cages during the 2013 spawning monitoring survey in Balearic waters. The number of females consisted of approximately 259 individuals with an average weight of 186 kg. The survey began on May 22 and ended on July 3. Spawning started on May 30 and was observed every night afterwards. The sampling of eggs for genetic monitoring was conducted for 9 days interspersed from the beginning of spawning to the end of the survey. A total of 946 eggs were analyzed and revealed 129 different haplotypes; 77 of these were not previously detected in the Mediterranean. A total of 69 haplotypes were observed in more than one spawning event and those with higher frequency lasted their maximum possible duration. The haplotypes present at the beginning of spawning were also identified at the end of the sampling, indicating a minimum spawning duration of 34 days, and individual annual fecundity was estimated at around 1290 eggs gr-1. These results differed from those generally presumed until now and are indicative of a much higher fecundity. Females exhibited a regular spawning schedule but with the capacity to shift the spawning hour during the spawning season. These results were observed for the eastern population of Atlantic bluefin tuna and before extrapolating to the western population, their validity should be proved.
Online Supplementary ADP Learning Controller Design and Application to Power System Frequency Control With Large-Scale Wind Energy Integration

The emergence of smart grids has posed great challenges to traditional power system control given the multitude of new risk factors. This paper proposes an online supplementary learning controller (OSLC) design method to compensate the traditional power system controllers for coping with the dynamic power grid. The proposed OSLC is a supplementary controller based on approximate dynamic programming, which works alongside an existing power system controller. By introducing an action-dependent cost function as the optimization objective, the proposed OSLC is a nonidentifier-based method to provide an online optimal control adaptively as measurement data become available. The online learning of the OSLC enjoys the policy-search efficiency during policy iteration and the data efficiency of the least squares method. For the proposed OSLC, the stability of the controlled system during learning, the monotonic nature of the performance measure of the iterative supplementary controller, and the convergence of the iterative supplementary controller are proved. Furthermore, the efficacy of the proposed OSLC is demonstrated in a challenging power system frequency control problem in the presence of high penetration of wind generation.
TGF-b signaling in the control of hematopoietic stem cells

Blood cell production takes place in the bone marrow (BM) of adult individuals, where it originates from a rare pool of tissue-specific stem cells known as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSCs function to sustain and regenerate the entire blood system in an unbroken fashion throughout life, as they have the dual capacity to self-renew and differentiate to all blood cell lineages. Self-renewal pertains to the ability of a stem cell to duplicate itself without losing developmental potential. This capacity is crucial for maintenance of the stem cell pool and may occur in a symmetric or asymmetric fashion. Furthermore, quiescence, or withdrawal from the cell cycle, is a feature of HSCs that provides the blood system with a dormant HSC reservoir that retains the ability to self-renew and replenish all blood lineages. Hematopoiesis is hierarchically organized, with the most immature pool of HSCs at the top, giving rise to various progenitor cells that progressively lose selfrenewal capacity as they form differentiating progeny that proliferate extensively, finally generating functional blood cells at the bottom of the hierarchy (Figure 1). To rapidly tailor blood production to acute changes, such as bleeding and infection, HSC behavior is tightly regulated yet highly flexible. Signals that promote quiescence, and cues that stimulate proliferation and differentiation, provide a finebalanced system that safeguards against depletion and overproduction ofHSCs.Disruption of these regulatorymechanisms can result in blood disease, such as BM failure or leukemia. Transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) is the founding member of a large family of secreted polypeptide growth factors, consisting of over 30 members in humans, including activins, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and others. The TGF-b family constitutes a multifunctional set of cytokines that regulate a bewildering array of cellular processes during development and beyond. In the adult organism, TGF-b members regulate tissue homeostasis and regeneration. With respect to hematopoiesis, TGF-b plays an important role in regulating HSC behavior, particularly quiescence and self-renewal. Although many members of this family function to regulate hematopoiesis, we focus this review mainly on TGF-b. The basic elements of TGF-b signaling
Effect of hospital in the home treatment on physical and cognitive function: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Hospitalization for acute illness is associated with higher rates of mortality and morbidity, as well as functional decline, for older patients. We have previously shown that treatment in Hospital in the Home (HITH) results in less confusion and fewer bowel and bladder problems for these patients. However, it is not clear what impact HITH has on physical and cognitive function. METHODS One hundred patients (mean age 70) presenting to the emergency department and assessed by a senior doctor to require admission were randomized to be treated in hospital or at home. We measured the Barthel index, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) index, and Mental Status Questionnaire (MSQ) on admission and at discharge. RESULTS The HITH-treated group improved in the IADL and MSQ indices, whereas the hospital-treated group improved only in the MSQ. The improvement in IADL scores remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, living arrangements, development of confusion, and length of stay. CONCLUSIONS HITH offers a safe option for treatment of older patients with a functional advantage over in-hospital care.
Measuring Nurse Caring Behaviors in the Hospitalized Older Adult

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between nurse caring behavior scores and the use of the “Get to Know Me” poster in hospitalized older adults. BACKGROUND: Hospitalization can be an isolating experience for the patient and his/her family. Within the high-tech healthcare arena, the focus of the “patient/person” can be lost. The art of caring and basic communication between the nurse and person is essential to nursing. METHODS: This was a 2-group quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design using the intervention of the Get to Know Me poster and measurement of nurse caring behaviors with the Caring Assessment of Care Givers (CACG) instrument. RESULTS: Nurse caring behavior scores of the nurses in the experimental group who utilized the Get to Know Me poster were significantly higher on the total CACG scores as well on the subscale dimensions of maintaining belief, being with, and doing for than those of the nurses forming the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this research indicated that interventions that focus the attention on the person and emphasize patient-focused care can enhance nurse caring behaviors and strengthen the patient-nurse relationship.
A Multiple-Window Video Embedding Transcoder Based on H.264/AVC Standard

This paper proposes a low-complexity multiple-window video embedding transcoder (MW-VET) based on H.264/AVC standard for various applications that require video embedding services including picture-in-picture (PIP), multichannel mosaic, screen-split, pay-per-view, channel browsing, commercials and logo insertion, and other visual information embedding services. The MW-VET embeds multiple foreground pictures at macroblock-aligned positions. It improves the transcoding speed with three block level adaptive techniques including slice group based transcoding (SGT), reduced frame memory transcoder (RFMT), and syntax level bypassing (SLB). The SGT utilizes prediction from the slice-aligned data partitions in the original bitstreams such that the transcoder simply merges the bitstreams by parsing. When the prediction comes from the newly covered area without slice-group data partitions, the pixels at the affected macroblocks are transcoded with the RFMT based on the concept of partial reencoding to minimize the number of refined blocks. The RFMT employs motion vector remapping (MVR) and intra mode switching (IMS) to handle intercoded blocks and intracoded blocks, respectively. The pixels outside the macroblocks that are affected by newly covered reference frame are transcoded by the SLB. Experimental results show that, as compared to the cascaded pixel domain transcoder (CPDT) with the highest complexity, our MW-VET can significantly reduce the processing complexity by 25 times and retain the rate-distortion performance close to the CPDT. At certain bit rates, the MW-VET can achieve up to 1.5 dB quality improvement in peak signal-to-noise-ratio (PSNR).
Strong and weak lensing united I: the combined strong and weak lensing cluster mass reconstruction method

Weak gravitational lensing is considered to be one of the most powerful tools to study the mass and the mass distribution of galaxy clusters. However, the mass-sheet degeneracy transformation has limited its success. We present a novel method for a cluster mass reconstruction which combines weak and strong lensing information on common scales and can, as a consequence, break the mass-sheet degeneracy. We extend the weak lensing formalism to the inner parts of the cluster and combine it with the constraints from multiple image systems. We demonstrate the feasibility of the method with simulations, finding an excellent agreement between the input and reconstructed mass also on scales within and beyond the Einstein radius. Using a single multiple image system and photometric redshift information of the background sources used for weak and strong lensing analysis, we find that we are effectively able to break the mass-sheet degeneracy, therefore removing one of the main limitations on cluster mass estimates. We conclude that with high resolution (e.g. HST) imaging data the method can more accurately reconstruct cluster masses and their profiles than currently existing lensing techniques.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Renal insufficiency Previous cardiac surgery Previous coronary artery bypass grafting Permanent cardiac pacing Previous percutaneous coronary intervention Previous percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty Previous vascular surgery

Objective: To assess factors influencing operative and long-term outcome in octogenarians undergoing aortic valve surgery (AVR). Methods: Records of 220 consecutive octogenarians having AVR between 1992 and 2004 were reviewed, and follow-up obtained (99% complete). Of the group (mean age: 82.8 years; 174 females), 142 patients (65%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III—IV, 22 (10%) had previous myocardial infarction, 11 (5%) had previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and 8 (4%) had percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty. There were 44 urgent procedures (20%), and additional CABG was performed in 58 patients (26%). Results: Operative mortality was 13% (9% for AVR, 24% for AVR + CABG). Among the 29 patients who died, 14 (48%) were operated on urgently (32% mortality for urgent procedures). Causes of hospital death were respiratory insufficiency or infection in 16 patients (16/29 = 55%), myocardial infarction in 8 (28%), stroke in 2 (7%), sepsis in 2 (7%), and renal failure in 1 (3%). Significant postoperative complications were atrial fibrillation in 48 patients (22%), respiratory insufficiency in 46 (21%), permanent atrio-ventricular bloc in 12 (5%), myocardial infarction in 10 (5%), hemodialysis in 4 (2%), and stroke in 4 (2%). Mean hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stays were 17.6 5.2 and 6.9 3.4 days, respectively. Multivariate predictors (p < 0.05) of hospital death were urgent procedure, associated CABG, NYHA class IV, and percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty. Age, associated CABG, and urgent procedure were predictors of prolonged ICU stay. Mean follow-up was 58.2 months and actuarial 5-year survival was 73.2 6.9%. Age, preoperative myocardial infarction, urgent procedure, and duration of ICU stay were independent predictors of late death. Among 130 patients alive at follow-up, 91% were angina free and 81% in class I—II. Conclusions: AVR in octogenarians can be performed with acceptable mortality, although significant morbidity. These results stress the importance of early operation on elderly patients with aortic valve disease, avoiding urgent procedures. Associated coronary artery disease is a harbinger of poor operative outcome. Long-term survival and functional recovery are excellent. # 2007 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Occurrence of False Positive Results for the Detection of Carbapenemases in Carbapenemase-Negative Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates

Adequate detection of the production of carbapenemase in Enterobacteriaceae isolates is crucial for infection control measures and the appropriate choice of antimicrobial therapy. In this study, we investigated the frequency of false positive results for the detection of carbapenemases in carbapenemase-negative Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates by the modified Hodge test (MHT). Three hundred and one E. coli and K. pneumoniae clinical isolates were investigated. All produced extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) but were susceptible to carbapenems. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the disk diffusion and agar dilution methods. The MHT was performed using the standard inoculum of test organisms recommended by the CLSI. Genes that encoded ESBLs and carbapenemases were identified by PCR and DNA sequencing. Among the 301 clinical isolates, none of the isolates conformed to the criteria for carbapenemase screening recommended by the CLSI. The susceptibility rates for imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem all were 100.0%, 100.0%, and 100.0%, respectively. Of the 301 E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates, none produced carbapenemase. The MHT gave a positive result for 3.3% (10/301) of the isolates. False positive results can occur when the MHT is used to detect carbapenemase in ESBL-producing isolates and clinical laboratories must be aware of this fact.
A hierarchical network organization helps to retain comparable oscillation patterns in rats and human-sized brains

Activity in coupled systems is often oscillatory, for example, the firing pattern of neuronal populations. Whereas these oscillations have been studied predominantly in local circuits, here we show how the topology of large-scale networks, leading to large feedback loops, influences oscillations in the resting state. We find that the hierarchical modular organization of neuronal networks supports distinct spectral patterns of neural rhythms similar to those observed experimentally in different species such as rat and human. For individual neurons, multiple peak frequencies with non-integer ratios between subsequent peaks occurred. These ratios occurred both for models with the spatial size of the rat as well as for the human brain. We argue that the potential influence of longer connections, and thus longer delays, are balanced by a reduced number of long-distance connections in larger brain networks. In conclusion, we show that a hierarchical neuronal network provides a scalable backbone for multiple brain rhythms. This structural backbone could complement well-studied regional and cellular mechanisms for the generation or prevention of rhythms.
Analysis of spherical lens antennas - comparison of two approaches

The paper presents a comparison of two approaches for analyzing spherical lens antennas - spectral-domain method and ray-tracing method. The spectral-domain method takes advantage of transforming the three- dimensional problem into a set of one-dimensional problems. The spherical lens antenna is rigorously taken into account by implementing the Green's functions for the multilayer spherical structures. Different types of feeding antennas can be easily included in the analysis method by calculating the vector-Legendre transformation of the equivalent or physical currents that represent the considered feed. The ray-tracing method is a general analysis method that can be applied to all kinds of lenses with general (non-symmetric) shape. The results of the analysis are compared with measured radiation pattern of a 12 layer Luneburg lens antenna.
Relationship between halo size and forward light scatter

Purpose To determine the relationship between the size of a halo induced by a glare source and forward scatter or visual acuity (VA) in healthy eyes. Method Measurements were made in the right eyes of 51 healthy individuals of mean age 29.3±7.5 years. Halo radius was measured using the Vision Monitor and low luminance (1 cd/m2) optotypes presented at a distance of 2.5 m. The visual angle subtended by the radius of the halo was calculated in minutes of arc (arc min). Forward scatter or, straylight, was measured using the compensation comparison technique. Best-corrected distance VA was measured using high contrast (HC) (96%) and low contrast (LC) (10%) Bailey-Lovie logMAR letter charts under photopic (85 cd/m2) and mesopic (0.15 cd/m2) luminance conditions. Results Mean halo radius was 202±43 arc min (3.4±0.7°) and mean retinal straylight was 0.95±0.12 log units. Mean photopic distance HC-VA and LC-VA were −0.02±0.06 and 0.12±0.09 logMAR, respectively. Mean mesopic distance HC-VA and LC-VA were 0.35±0.11 and 0.74±0.11 logMAR, respectively. Forward stepwise regression analysis revealed that halo radius was significantly correlated with straylight (r=0.45) and mesopic LC-VA (r=0.48), but not with photopic HC-VA and/or LC-VA and mesopic HC-VA. Conclusions In healthy eyes, the larger the halo size induced by a given glare source, the greater the forward-scatter (straylight) and worse the mesopic LC-VA. Halo size seems to be independent of photopic HC-VA or LC-VA and mesopic HC-VA.
On the Control of an Interacting Particle Estimation of Schrödinger Ground States

We consider a general Schrodinger operator $L+V$ on a domain $E\subset {\mathbb R}^{d}$ and its associated positive ground state h solution to the maximal eigenvalue problem $L(h) +Vh=\lambda h$. In this work, an interacting particle model approximating the pair $(h,\lambda)$ is studied. When $V \leq 0$, a basic version of this particle system consists of N walkers evolving independently according to the Markov generator L, each walker dying at a rate given by the value of the potential $|V|$ at the walker’s current location; when a walker dies, any other one splits in two. The long time distribution of the particle system is then an estimator of h. Under some reasonable assumptions (with examples for $E={\mathbb R}^{d}$), we get a nonasymptotic control of the $\mathbb{L}^{p}$ deviations (resp., the bias) of this estimator with the genuine rate of convergence in $1/\sqrt{N}$ (resp., $1/\sqrt{N}$). We also compute explicitly the asymptotic standard deviation of the estimation of λ, which remains bounded in.
CH Cygni II: Optical Flickering from an Unstable Disk

CH Cygni began producing rapid, stochastic optical variations with the onset of symbiotic activity in 1963. We use changes in this flickering between 1997 and 2000 to diagnose the state of the accretion disk during this time. In the 1998 high state, the luminosity of the B-band flickering component was typically more than 20 times higher than in the 1997 and 2000 low states. Therefore, the physical process or region that produces the flickering was also primarily responsible for the large optical flux increase in the 1998 high state. Assuming that the rapid, stochastic optical variations in CH Cygni come from the accretion disk, as in cataclysmic variable stars, a change in the accretion rate through the disk led to the 1998 bright state. All flickering disappeared in 1999, when the accreting WD was eclipsed by the red giant orbiting with a period of approximately 14 yr, according to the ephemeris of Hinkle et al. and the interpretation of Eyres et al. We did not find any evidence for periodic or quasi-periodic oscillations in the optical emission from CH Cygni in either the high or low state, and we discuss the implications for magnetic propeller models of this system. As one alternative to propeller models, we propose that the activity in CH Cygni is driven by accretion through a disk with a thermal-viscous instability, similar to the instabilities believed to exist in dwarf novae and suggested for FU Ori pre-main-sequence stars and soft X-ray transients.