Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Volume expansion during NOS substrate donation with L-arginine: regulatory offsetting of renal response?

The responses to infusion of nitric oxide synthase substrate (L-arginine 3 mg.kg(-1). min(-1)) and to slow volume expansion (saline 35 ml/kg for 90 min) alone and in combination were investigated in separate experiments. L-Arginine left blood pressure and plasma ANG II unaffected but decreased heart rate (6 +/- 2 beats/min) and urine osmolality, increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) transiently, and caused sustained increases in sodium excretion (fourfold) and urine flow (0.2 +/- 0.0 to 0.7 +/- 0.1 ml/min). Volume expansion increased arterial blood pressure (102 +/- 3 to 114 +/- 3 mmHg), elevated GFR persistently by 24%, and enhanced sodium excretion to a peak of 251 +/- 31 micromol/min, together with marked increases in urine flow, osmolar and free water clearances, whereas plasma ANG II decreased (8.1 +/- 1.7 to 1.6 +/- 0.3 pg/ml). Combined volume expansion and L-arginine infusion tended to increase arterial blood pressure and increased GFR by 31%, whereas peak sodium excretion was enhanced to 335 +/- 23 micromol/min at plasma ANG II levels of 3.0 +/- 1.1 pg/ml; urine flow and osmolar clearance were increased at constant free water clearance. In conclusion, L-arginine 1) increases sodium excretion, 2) decreases basal urine osmolality, 3) exaggerates the natriuretic response to volume expansion by an average of 50% without persistent changes in GFR, and 4) abolishes the increase in free water clearance normally occurring during volume expansion. Thus L-arginine is a natriuretic substance compatible with a role of nitric oxide in sodium homeostasis, possibly by offsetting/shifting the renal response to sodium excess.
Perception of Cues in Conflictual Dating Situations

To account for the disturbing prevalence of acquaintance rape, both researchers and lay people often use the Miscommunication Hypothesis—the assumption that most acquaintance rape and coercive sex follow from miscommunication between men and women. The present study was designed as a pilot to begin to empirically investigate the Miscommunication Hypothesis. Equal numbers of men and women wrote short essays in response to a scenario describing a dating interaction in which sexual conflict occurred. For the 40 participants, gender differences in the meanings of behavioral cues for sexual interest, nonconsent, and coercion, were not associated with their perceptions or descriptions of coercive sex. These findings call into question the validity of the Miscommunication Hypothesis, suggesting that relatively few men may engage in sexual coercion without realizing, or being able to realize, that that is what they are doing. The study therefore also raises questions about the efficacy of many rape prevention programs.
Human interleukin-6 facilitates hepatitis B virus infection in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Research on hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in vivo has been limited due to the absence of a suitable animal model. We have developed a human-mouse radiation chimera in which normal mice, preconditioned by lethal total body irradiation and radioprotected with SCID mouse bone marrow cells, are permissive for engraftment of human hematopoietic cells and solid tissues. This resulting human-mouse model, which comprises three genetically disparate sources of tissue, is therefore termed Trimera. This study was aimed at assessing the effect of human IL-6 on HBV infection in vivo in Trimera mice. METHODS Trimera mice were transplanted with human liver tissue fragments or with HepG2-derived cell lines, which had been previously infected ex vivo with HBV in the presence or absence of human interleukin-6 (hIL-6) and in the presence of anti-IL-6-neutralizing antibodies. RESULTS HBV sequences appeared in the sera of animals in which the liver tissue was incubated with both HBV and hIL-6 prior to transplantation. A similar result was obtained when a human hepatoblastoma cell line (HepG2), expressing the hIL-6 receptor, was infected ex vivo with HBV in the presence of hIL-6 prior to their injection into spleens of Trimera mice. However, when liver fragments were infected ex vivo and simultaneously treated with neutralizing antibodies against hIL-6 or were incubated with HBV prior to transplantation without hIL-6, the rate of mice positive for HBV DNA in their sera was lower. Human mononuclear cells are also permissive for HBV infection in vitro: in the presence of hIL-6 the infection of these cells is enhanced; and this infection is suppressed by the chimeric protein named Hyper-IL-6, generated by the fusion of hIL-6 to the soluble hIL-6 receptor (sIL-6Ralpha, gp80). CONCLUSION hIL-6 facilitates HBV infection in vitro and in vivo.
The Organization of Political Violence by Insurgencies

Abstract A range of theories have attempted to explain the variation in civilian abuse of warring parties. Most of these theories have been focused on the strategic environment in which these acts take place. Less attention is devoted to the perpetrators of these human right abuses themselves: the armed groups. This study tries to fill this niche by using the organizational process theory in which it is assumed that armed groups, like every organization, struggles for survival. The leader tries to ensure the maintenance of her armed group by increasing her control over her troops. The relationship between the level of control and the perpetrated civilian abuse is examined with a new dataset on the internal structure of more than 70 different armed groups around the world. With the help of a Bayesian Ordered Probit model, this new dataset on civilian abuse is analyzed. The results show that especially particular incentives play an important role.
Investigation of Fast and Efficient Adaptation Algorithms for Linear Transversal and Decision-Feedback Equalizers in High- Bitrate Optical

We investigate fast and efficient adaptation algorithms for linear transversal feed-forward (FFE) and decision feedback (DFE) equalizers in intensity modulated optical communication systems with direct detection (IM/DD). First, we employ the well-known minimum mean square error (MMSE) adaptation criterion and give a benchmark with respect to minimal bit error rate (BER). We further take the least-mean-square algorithm (LMS) as stochastic implementation of the MMSE scheme and derive some simplified versions which use coarsely quantized signals. Consequently, the complexity of a digitally implemented adaptation circuit is reduced and application to bitrates of 40-100 Gbit/s becomes more feasible. The performance of these simplified versions is assessed with respect to adaptation speed and accuracy in comparison to the MMSE equalizer. It is shown that sufficient fast and almost accurate adaptation of the equalizer can be achieved.
Verification of atomicity preservation in model-to-code transformations using generic Java code

A challenging aspect of model-to-code transformations is to ensure that the semantic behavior of the input model is preserved in the output code. When constructing concurrent systems, this is mainly difficult due to the non-deterministic potential interaction between threads. In this paper, we consider this issue for a framework that implements a transformation chain from models expressed in the state machine based domain specific language SLCO to Java. In particular, we provide a fine-grained generic solution to preserve atomicity of SLCO statements in the Java implementation. We give its generic specification based on separation logic and verify it using the verification tool VeriFast. The solution can be regarded as a reusable module to safely implement atomic operations in concurrent systems.
Preparation of wormlike polymeric nanoparticles coated with silica for delivery of methotrexate and evaluation of anticancer activity against MCF7 cells

Methotrexate is one of the most effective drugs that is commonly used in the treatment of cancer. However, its application is limited due to low solubility, high toxicity and rapid metabolism. Therefore, in the present study, worm-like polymeric nanoparticles as carrier of methotrexate were prepared using biodegradable copolymers (mPEG–PCL). The impact of nanoparticles’ geometry on the loading, delivery and drug’s anti-cancer activity was investigated. The di-block copolymer mPEG–PCL was being synthesized by a ring opening polymerization of ɛ-caprolactone in the presence of mPEG as the initiator and Sn(oct)2 as the catalyst. It was used for the preparation of worm-like micelles and coated with silica, so that their structures are stable after drying. The synthesized copolymers and nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, HNMR, GPC, XRD, TGA, DLS, and FE-SEM analyses. The efficiencies of drug loading and release of nanoparticles as in vitro, was studied by high performance liquid chromatography. The MTT method was used to estimate the toxicity on MCF-7 cell category. The obtained results showed that the nanoparticles were worm-like particles with less than 150 nm diameter and about 1 µm length. The loading and encapsulation efficiencies of drug by the worm-like nanoparticles were 3.5 ± 0.14% and 65.6 ± 0.12%, respectively, while they were obtained as 2.1 ± 0.08% and 26 ± 0.10%, respectively, for spherical nanoparticles. The methotrexate diffusional behavior of worm-like nanoparticles was compared with that of the spherical ones. On the other hand, the anti-cancer activity of MTX-loaded nanoparticles was more than the free drug. The results of the MTT assay showed strong and dose-dependent inhibition of cell (MCF-7 category) growth by the nanoparticles compared with MTX. The inhibitory concentrations (IC50 i.e. reduction viability of cell to 50%) obtained for worm-like, spherical nanoparticles and free drug (incubation times 72 h) were 8.25 ± 0.20, 9.15 ± 0.17, 12.28 ± 0.15 µg/mL, respectively. It can be concluded that application of non-spherical nanoparticles is a better and more effective strategy for controlled and slow release of methotrexate in the treatment of cancer.
Technological capability building through networking strategies within high-tech industries

Learning through networks has been considered as an important research topic for several years now. Technological learning is more and more based on a combination of internal and external learning and firms need to develop both technological and social capital for that purpose. This paper analyses the relationship between both types of capital and their impact on the technological performance of companies in high-tech industries. We claim and find empirical evidence for decreasing marginal returns on social capital. Technological capital and social capital mutually reinforce each other's effect on the rate of innovation for companies with small patent and alliance portfolios. However, when the patent portfolio and network of alliances are extensive, companies risk to over-invest since optimal levels of social capital become smaller at higher levels of technological capital and the marginal benefits of investing in technological capital decreases the higher the levels of social capital. Finally, we find empirical evidence that companies that explore novel and pioneering technologies have higher levels of innovation performance in subsequent years than companies that solely invest in incremental innovations.
Mapping Lifelong Learning Attributes in the Context of Higher Education Institutions

Over the past four decades lifelong learning has been an important concept in educational policy, so much so that it has become one of the essential guiding principles in almost all of the educational reforms. Accompanying its popularity amongst policy makers, however, has been a perennial debate among academics concerning the viability of the concept as a researchable construct. Such debates have also focused on addressing the conceptual issues surrounding lifelong learning. In particular, there have been only limited numbers of studies aimed at understanding what really constitute the attributes of lifelong learners in the context of higher education. Despite much rhetoric about the significance of lifelong learning as a policy goal, there is a dearth of studies focusing on exploring the possible ways in which educational institutions can really achieve this goal of policy. This article aims at contributing to these debates, in an attempt to address issues associated with the challenges of developing a conceptual framework for understanding the indicators that provide quantifiable measures of lifelong learning. In particular, the article focuses on examining the individual, social and economic dimensions of lifelong learning that are fostered in higher education institutions. The article seeks to provide an understanding of possible ways in which higher learning institutions can concretise lifelong learning and move from rhetorical commitments to action.
Teacher Candidate Responses to Digital Games

Abstract Researchers conducted a mixed-methods study with 21 undergraduate university students majoring in education to determine their ability to recognize the motivational factors and 21st-century learning skills associated with digital games. Results suggest that students in the study were able to detect the learning skills embedded in games. The majority of participants stated that the element of motivation was important, but motivation alone was not a sufficient reason to influence them to use digital-game-based instruction in their future classrooms. However, peer modeling and the positive responses received from middle/high school students to whom candidates taught games appeared to be factors in teacher candidates’ decision to use digital games in the classroom.
Diagnostic Value of Serum miR-182, miR-183, miR-210, and miR-126 Levels in Patients with Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Blood-circulating miRNAs could be useful as a biomarker to detect lung cancer early. We investigated the serum levels of four different miRNAs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and assessed their diagnostic value for NSCLC. Serum samples from 112 NSCLC patients and 104 controls (20 current smokers without lung cancer, 23 pneumonia patients, 21 gastric cancer patients, and 40 healthy controls) were subjected to Taqman probe-based quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The data showed that the serum levels of miR-182, miR-183, and miR-210 were significantly upregulated and that the miR-126 level was significantly downregulated in NSCLC patients, compared with the healthy controls. Further receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that the serum miR-182, miR-183, miR-210, or miR-126 level could serve as a diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC early detection, with a high sensitivity and specificity. The combination of these four miRNAs with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) further increased the diagnostic value, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.965 (sensitivity, 81.3%; specificity, 100.0%; and accuracy, 90.8%) using logistic regression model analysis. In addition, the relative levels of serum miR-182, miR-183, miR-210, and miR-126 could distinguish NSCLC or early-stage NSCLC from current tobacco smokers without lung cancer and pneumonia or gastric cancer patients with a high sensitivity and specificity. Data from the current study validated that the four serum miRNAs could serve as a tumor biomarker for NSCLC early diagnosis.
Do as I Say, Not as You Perceive: Examining the Roles of Perceived Parental Knowledge and Perceived Parental Approval in College Students’ Alcohol-Related Approval and Behavior

SYNOPSIS Objective. This study examined college students’ accuracy in their perceptions of parental approval of engaging in various alcohol-related behaviors, evaluated the mediational role of student approval in the relation between perceived parental knowledge and drinking, and determined the extent to which perceived parental approval moderated the relation between perceived parental knowledge and student approval. Design. Participants were 264 college student–parent dyads who completed independent online surveys. Results. Students overestimated parental approval of the child drinking, and parents were more approving of a “typical student” drinking than they were of their own child drinking. Student approval mediated the relation between perceived parental knowledge and student drinking, controlling for other relevant predictors. Perceived parental approval moderated the relation between perceived parental knowledge and student approval, controlling for other notable predictors. Conclusion. Parents continue to influence their child's alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors, even while in college.
White matter lesions and the risk of incident hip fracture in older persons: results from the progetto veneto anziani study.

BACKGROUND White matter lesions (WMLs) are associated with hypertension, an increased risk of falling, and impaired physical and cognitive performance that may affect the mechanical effect of falls. METHODS We hypothesized that WMLs are a risk factor for hip fracture (HF). We studied a sample of 820 community-dwelling Italian persons 65 years and older from the cohort of the Progetto Veneto Anziani Study who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging at baseline. Subjects were classified as having no lesions, focal lesions, or diffuse WMLs. RESULTS Compared with those with no lesions, participants with diffuse WMLs were older, reported more falls, and had worse physical and cognitive performance, all factors implicated in the causal pathway to HF. During 9 years of follow-up, 51 HFs occurred. Hip fracture risk associated with diffuse WMLs markedly differed between participants younger than 80 years vs those 80 years and older. After adjustment among participants younger than 80 years, diffuse WMLs compared with no lesions were associated with a 2.7-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.1-7.1) increase in the risk of HF. Focal lesions were not statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of HF in the same age group (hazard ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 0.6-7.6). No associations between diffuse WMLs, focal lesions, and HF were evident among participants 80 years and older, possibly because of the limited sample size. CONCLUSIONS White matter lesions represent an independent risk factor for HF in persons younger than 80 years. Older persons with diffuse WMLs should be considered candidates for multifactorial interventions aimed at reducing the risk of falling and fractures.
Bidirectional Modelling for Short Duration Language Identification

Language identification (LID) systems typically employ ivectors as fixed length representations of utterances. However, it may not be possible to reliably estimate i-vectors from short utterances, which in turn could lead to reduced language identification accuracy. Recently, Long Short Term Memory networks (LSTMs) have been shown to better model short utterances in the context of language identification. This paper explores the use of bidirectional LSTMs for language identification with the aim of modelling temporal dependencies between past and future frame based features in short utterances. Specifically, an end-to-end system for short duration language identification employing bidirectional LSTM models of utterances is proposed. Evaluations on both NIST 2007 and 2015 LRE show state-of-the-art performance.
Electrochemical Methods for the In Vitro Assessment of Drug Metabolism

The development of new chemical compounds with promising pharmacological activities is a very time-consuming and costly process because it requires many studies and evaluations prior to obtaining final approval for use in humans. Thus, for the safe use of any new drug, it is necessary to first know its physical, chemical and biological properties, as well as its efficacy, stability, pharmacokinetic properties (i.e., absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) and toxicity.
What Is Academic Momentum? And Does It Matter?

The academic momentum perspective suggests that the speed with which undergraduates initially progress in college significantly affects their likelihood of completing a degree, an effect separate from those of high school academic preparation and family socioeconomic status. Growth curve modeling of undergraduate transcript data reveals that the number of credits attempted in the first semester of college sets a trajectory that influences later chances of degree completion. Several techniques addressing selection bias indicate that delay between high school and starting college, and also attempting a low course load in the first semester (part-time attendance), are associated with lower degree completion, while attending summer school after freshman year is associated with significantly better graduation chances. In sum, the central claims of momentum theory are supported.
A Framework for Data and Mined Knowledge Interoperability in Clinical Decision Support Systems

Due to reliance on human knowledge, the practice of medicine is subject to errors that endanger patients' health and cause substantial financial loss to healthcare institutions. Computer-based decision support systems assist healthcare personnel to improve quality of clinical practice. Currently, most clinical guideline modeling languages represent decision-making knowledge in terms of basic logical expressions. In this paper, we focus on encoding, sharing, and using results of data mining analyses to influence decision making within Clinical Decision Support Systems. A knowledge management framework is proposed that addresses the issues of data and knowledge interoperability by adopting healthcare and data mining modeling standards. In a further step, data mining results are incorporated into a guideline-based decision support system. A prototype tool has been developed to provide an environment for clinical guideline authoring and execution. Also, three real world case studies have been presented, one of which is used as a running example throughout the paper.
Minding the Gap: Ethnic, gender and social class differences in attainment at 16, 1988‐95

This article presents analyses of attainment variations for five cohorts of school leavers between 1988 and 1995. Social class, ethnicity and gender variations in educational attainment at 16 are examined using data from over 80,000 young people in England and Wales. This is the only representative data set that allows analyses of educational variations in England and Wales across social class, ethnic and gender groups simultaneously. The preliminary analyses showed an underrepresentation of some ethnic and lower social class groups in the independent education sector. The attainment analyses thereafter are for state school pupils only. Between 1988 and 1995, attainment differences relating to social class, ethnicity and gender are all seen to increase. In terms of the percentages leaving compulsory schooling with five or more high grade passes (grade A*‐C at General Certificate of Secondary Education), the social class gap of 50 percentage points widened to 56 percentage points, the ethnicity gap from 14 to 20 percentage points and the gender gap from 5 to 10 percentage points. The uneven improvement in educational attainment across ethnic, social class and gender groups is a cause for concern. For certain subgroups there appears to be little or no improvement over the 8 years. These findings relate to a period of considerable political intervention within the British compulsory education system. They suggest that policies focused on raising educational standards may be at variance with the aim of reducing educational inequality.