Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of electro-acupuncture on substance P, its receptor and corticotropin-releasing hormone in rats with irritable bowel syndrome.

AIM To investigate the effect and mechanism of electro-acupuncture (EA) at ST25 and ST37 on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) of rats. METHODS A total of 21 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group and EA group. A rat model of IBS was established by constraining the limbs and distending the colorectum of rats. Rats in EA group received bilateral EA at ST25 and ST37 with a sparse and intense waveform at a frequency of 2/50 Hz for 15 min, once a day for 7 d as a course. Rats in normal and model groups were stimulated by distending colorectum (CR). An abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) scoring system was used to evaluate improvements in visceral hypersensitivity. Toluidine blue-improved method, immunohistochemistry and radioimmunoassay were used to observe mucosal mast cells (MC), changes of substance P (SP) and substance P receptor (SPR) in colon and change of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in hypothalamus. RESULTS The threshold of visceral sense was significantly lower in model group than in normal group, and significantly higher in EA group than in model group. The number of mucosal MC was greater in model group than in normal group and significantly smaller in EA group than in model group. The CRH level in hypothalamus of rats was significantly higher in model group than in normal group, which was remarkably decreased after electro-acupuncture treatment. The SP and SPR expression in colon of rats in model group was decreased after electro-acupuncture treatment. CONCLUSION EA at ST25 and ST37 can decrease the number of mucosal MC and down-regulate the expression of CRH in hypothalamus, and the expression of SP and SPR in colon of rats with IBS.
Consideration the Relationship Between Information Communications Technology and Economic Growth in Top 10 Economic

In this paper, we examine the relationship between information and communications technology (ICT) development and economic growth in top 10 economic, using panel cointegration, and panel-based error correction models from annual data covering the period of 1980 to 2010. The empirical results support of a short-run cointegration relationship after allowing for the heterogeneous country effect. The long-run relationship is estimated using a full-modified OLS. The evidence shows that short run causalities run from ICT to GDP and vice versa. This means that an increase in ICT directly affects economic growth and that economic growth also stimulates further ICT. The direction of causation between ICT and economic growth has significant policy implications.
Research on probabilistic reactive power optimization considering the randomness of distribution network

With the rapid development of intelligent distribution network, the uncertainty of the load and the randomness of distributed generation have brought new challenges to distribution network control operation especial in reactive power optimization. This paper uses probabilistic power flow algorithm based on three-point estimate method to solve the uncertainty caused by power flow calculation in the stochastic models of load and wind power so as to propose a method of information entropy principle to measure the voltage fluctuation. On the basis of this method, a model of probabilistic reactive power optimization considering minimum network loss and voltage fluctuation is built. Taking the IEEE 33 nodes system which contains wind power generation as an example and we draw a conclusion that if we add the minimum voltage entropy to multi-objective reactive power optimization objective function, the probability distribution of node voltage is more centralized than that of single objective reactive power optimization. Thus, to optimize reactive power by means of this model could improve the voltage stability of the system and make the voltage distribution near a certain value that within the scope of control in large probability. The proposed multi-objective probabilistic reactive power optimization model is suitable for the actual distribution network reactive voltage control with random properties.
Analytical Model and Fringing-Field Parasitics of Carrier-Depletion Silicon-on-Insulator Optical Modulation Diodes

We derive an analytical model for the depletion capacitance of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) optical modulation diodes. This model accurately describes the parasitic fringe capacitances due to a lateral pn junction and can be extended to other geometries, such as vertical and interdigitated junctions. The model is used to identify the waveguide slab to rib height ratio as a key geometric scaling parameter for the modulation efficiency and bandwidth for lateral diodes. The fringe capacitance is a parasitic effect that leads to a decrease of about 20% in the modulation bandwidth of typical SOI diodes without a corresponding increase in the modulation efficiency. From the scaling relations, the most effective way to increase the modulation bandwidth is to reduce the series resistance of the diode.
Efficacy of extracorporeal ultrasound-guided high intensity focused ultrasound: An evaluation based on controlled trials in China

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal ultrasound-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) based upon data in controlled clinical trials in China. Materials and methods: Data in 75 controlled trials involving in 833 cases of benign and 4559 cases of malignant diseases were re-evaluated. Results: In uterine fibroid, ectopic pregnancy and chyluria, the efficacy of HIFU was similar to that of surgery or drugs. The survival rate of HIFU plus radiotherapy was less than that of radical surgery in operable liver cancer. In inoperable liver cancer, the survival benefit of HIFU was similar to that of radio frequency, transarterial chemoembolization or γ-knife. In pancreatic cancer, HIFU and chemotherapy produced similar survival rates, and HIFU did not improve the effect of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. HIFU did not enhance hormone therapy in prostate cancer. Preoperative HIFU increased rates of complete removal and of survival in retroperitoneal sarcoma, and increased the response rate in breast cancer. The response rate agreed with the survival benefit (κ = 0.71, p = 0.0002). Conclusions: HIFU should be curtailed in resectable cases and be an alternative in inoperable cases; a combination regimen should not be recommended. The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors can be applied to HIFU.
Reflections on T. Berry Brazelton, MD's influence on pediatric nursing.

PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to provide examples of Dr. Brazelton's important influence on pediatric nursing, and by extension, the work of child psychiatric mental health nurses, the care of children and families, and ultimately, the healthcare delivery system. SOURCES Dr. Brazelton's professional colleagues, research, professional journals, and books. CONCLUSION Over the past 40 years, T. Berry Brazelton has had a major impact on the development of pediatric nursing, infant mental health, and the nurse practitioner movement. He has influenced the growth and development of nursing organizations, nursing education, nursing research, nursing practice, and health policy affecting nurses.
In situ oxygen consumption rates of cells in V‐79 multicellular spheroids during growth

The rate of consumption of oxygen by V‐79 cells in multicellular spheroids was measured as a function of the spheroid diameter. In situ consumption was equal to that of exponentially growing cells for spheroids less than 200 μm in diameter. The rate of oxygen consumption decreased for cells in spheroids between 200 and 400 μm diameter to a value one‐fourth the initial, then remained constant with further spheroid growth. Comparison of consumption rates for spheroid‐derived cells before and after dissociation from the spheroid structure indicated that the spheroid microenvironment accounted for only 20% of the change in oxygen consumption rate. Cell‐cell contact, cell packing, and cell volume were not critical parameters. Plateau‐phase cells had a fivefold lower rate of oxygen consumption than exponential cells, and it is postulated that the spheroid quiescent cell population accounts for a large part of the intrinsic alteration in oxygen consumption of cells in spheroids. Some other mechanism must be involved in the regulation of cellular oxygen consumption in V‐79 spheroids to account for the remainder of the reduction observed in this system.
Virtual Performance-Enhancing Reality (ViPER) for robot-assisted gait training

Robotic rehabilitation devices become increasingly popular in research and clinical use. One drawback of these devices is the reduced physical interaction between the therapist and the patient compared to manual training. Because of this lack, the device has to assess the patient's movements and display this assessment to the patient to give biofeedback, deliver instructions and increase motivation. This paper describes the design and implementation of an immersive virtual environment for robot-assisted gait training that delivers feedback and increases motivation. The subject can navigate through exchangeable virtual rooms and locations by modulating his or her performance of the left and right leg. Preliminary tests show usability with control subjects. Clinical tests are still required to show applicability in the clinical routine and to test for therapeutic efficacy
Regulating Self-Regulation? The Politics and Effects of Mandatory CSR Disclosure in Comparison

The literature on new forms of governance suggests important trade-offs regarding the role of government in relation to corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Theories associate state regulation with clear minimum standards and high compliance, but also suggest advantages of self-regulatory approaches that allow greater flexibility and support best-practices. Given these potential trade-offs, France, Denmark, and the UK were pioneers of a hybrid approach: mandatory non-financial disclosure (NFD). This article shows that despite the different motivations for mandatory NFD in these countries, the disclosure requirements are “soft” and flexible – acknowledging demands from business “that one size regulation doesn’t fit all. ” The article further examines the effects of these regulations on CSR activities in 24 OECD countries using the Asset4 ESG database. Our analysis shows that firms in countries with mandatory non-financial disclosure adopt significantly more CSR activities. However, our analysis also highlights that mandatory disclosure decreases the variance between firm activities, contrary to arguments about flexibility. Furthermore, it does not lead to a decline in corporate irresponsibility. These results have implications for our understanding of regulatory trade-offs and how to promote more effective forms of CSR.
Epigenetic dysregulation of GATA1 is involved in myelodysplastic syndromes dyserythropoiesis

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are characterized by dyserythropoiesis resulting in anemia. This pathological hallmark is incompletely understood. Notch signaling has been linked to impaired erythropoietic and megakaryopoietic development of CD34+ progenitor cells, but its role in MDS is unclear. We have analyzed the transcriptional activity of Notch pathway elements and its association with the key erythroid factor globin transcription factor 1 (GATA1) and the apoptosis regulatory gene B‐cell lymphoma‐xl (BCLxl) in MDS. The methylation of GATA1 erythroid promoter CpG dinucleotides flanking cis‐regulatory elements, including an N‐box suppressor binding site for HES1 and a GATA‐box binding site, was examined in normal and MDS erythropoiesis. We have generated a kinetic in vitro model of MDS erythropoiesis using CD34+ bone marrow cells from healthy donors (n = 7) and patients with MDS (low risk: RA/n = 6, RARS/n = 3; high risk: RAEB/n = 4, RAEB‐T/n = 2). RNA expression of GATA1, BCLxl, DLK1, Notch1, HES1, and HERP2 was measured by real‐time RT‐PCR (qPCR). DNA methylation at seven CpG dinucleotides of the GATA1 gene promoter was quantitatively analyzed by pyrosequencing of bisulfite‐treated genomic DNA at any specific time point. For the Notch pathway elements, no conclusive expression differences were found between MDS and normal erythropoiesis. But we found steadily up‐regulated RNA expression of GATA1 and of BCLxl during late normal erythropoietic differentiation. In contrast, during MDS, erythropoiesis a loss of typical up‐regulation of GATA1 and BCLxl was observed. Hypermethylation of CpG dinucleotides flanking the repressor HES1 binding site within the 5′ region of GATA1 was detected particularly during late MDS erythropoiesis. Interestingly, decremental GATA1 promotor methylation values were seen during normal erythropoiesis matching GATA1 RNA up‐regulation. Our data show that the critical erythropoietic transcription factor GATA1 as well as the antiapoptotic molecule BCLxl fails to be normally up‐regulated during MDS erythropoiesis. The higher residual 5′‐GATA1 methylation values in MDS erythropoiesis but decremental loss thereof in normal erythropoiesis suggest a gene dose effect for GATA1 during erythropoiesis being finely tuned by CpG methylation. Its dysregulation may contribute to the ineffective erythropoiesis observed in MDS.
Economic Migration in Central Siberia and Ethnic Conflict Risks (Based on Krasnoyarsk Krai Analysis)

Migration, be it free or forced, is an essential prerequisite of the dynamic development of many territories, Krasnoyarsk Krai inclusive. The territory of the region is irregularly and poorly populated: 84% of inhabitants are concentrated in the south of the region, in the territory comprising only 10% of the regional territory. Under the circumstances Krasnoyarsk Krai needs an increased flow of migrants for the participation in economic development of unpopulated areas of Krai. But on the other hand, economic need in migrants becomes the reason of the ethnic conflicts risks increase in Central Siberia through creation of various negative myths on migrants. The experts report an increase in social tension between migrants and host parties in the Siberian regions of the Russian Federation. The interrelations inside the social medium and cultural contacts are in many respects determinant for the economic development of the region because the main actors of the economics are people. Keywords: economic migration, tolerance index, Siberia, Krasnoyarsk Krai JEL Classifications: D8, R1, Z1
Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection: updated Swedish Guidelines 2016

Abstract In a recent expert meeting, Swedish recommendations for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were updated. An interferon-free combination of direct-acting antiviral agents is considered and indicated for all patients with chronic HCV infection, but the ability to treat all is limited primarily by high cost of medication. The group of patients prioritized for therapeutic intervention has been extended to also include fertile women desiring to become pregnant. A more thorough discussion of treatment for people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in order to diminish transmission is included, and the clinical significance of baseline NS5A resistance associated variants (RAVs), also known as resistance associated substitutions (RASs), for the treatment of HCV genotype 1a or 3 infection is discussed.
Phylogenetic relationships of seven palearctic members of the maculipennis complex inferred from ITS2 sequence analysis

The sequences of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were determined from seven palearctic mosquitoes species belonging to the Anopheles maculipennis species complex, namely An. atroparvus, An. labranchiae, An. maculipennis, An. messeae, An. melanoon, An. sacharovi and An. martinius. The length of the ITS2 ranged from 280 to 300 bp, with a GC content of 49.4–54.1%. With the exception of An. messeae, negligible levels of intraspecific polymorphism and no intrapopulation variation were observed. The phylogenetic relationships among the members of the maculipennis complex were inferred by maximum‐parsimony analysis of the paup program and the neighbour‐joining and maximun‐likelihood analysis of the phylip program. All of the trees obtained were almost identical in topology, although the relationships among three species, i.e. An. maculipennis, An. messeae and An. melanoon, remained unresolved. The phylogenies were in good agreement with the previous gene–enzyme and polytene chromosome banding pattern studies.
Stochastic Modeling and Forecasting of Load Demand for Electric Bus Battery-Swap Station

Electric-vehicle (EV) battery-swap stations (BSSs) have become important infrastructures for the development of EVs to extend their driving range. Due to the randomness of batteries' swapping and charging patterns, the load demand of the BSS has a stochastic nature. It is necessary to investigate the charging load characteristics of BSS to guide the coordinated battery charging for mitigating the impact of disorderly charging behaviors on the distribution network. Under the uncontrolled swapping and charging scenario, four variables are essential: 1) hourly number of EVs for battery swapping; 2) the charging start time; 3) the travel distance; and 4) the charging duration. Taking these factors into account, a novel model based on Monte Carlo simulation is presented to estimate uncontrolled energy consumption of the BSS. Then, a generic nonparametric method for the estimation of prediction uncertainty of charging load demand is introduced. Adopting an actual typical BSS as an example, the simulation results show that the proposed prediction methods of the BSS charging load and probabilistic interval are suitable for forecasting the horizon 24 h ahead.
Differences in business R&D intensity across OECD countries: the role of size-dependent regulation

ABSTRACT We analyse the impact of size-dependent regulation in the labour market on business R&D intensity for 20 OECD countries spanning the periods 2002–2011. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that stricter size-dependent regulation leads firms with more than 50 employees to significantly reduce their R&D intensity. This finding implies that size-dependent regulation induces a distortion in the reallocation of R&D-related resources.
Pixel color feature enhancement for road signs detection

Road signs play an important role in our daily life which used to guide drivers to notice variety of road conditions and cautions. They provide important visual information that can help drivers operating their vehicles in a manner for enhancing traffic safety. The occurrence of some accidents can be reduced by using automatic road signs recognition system which can alert the drivers. This research attempts to develop a warning system to alert the drivers to notice the important road signs early enough to refrain road accidents from happening. For solving this, a non-linear weighted color enhancement method by pixels is presented. Due to the advantage of proposed method, different road signs can be detected from videos effectively. With suitably coefficients and operations, the experimental results have proved that the proposed method is robust, accurate and powerful in road signs detection.
Proteome Map of the Chloroplast Lumen of Arabidopsis thaliana *

The thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast is the center of oxygenic photosynthesis. To better understand the function of the luminal compartment within the thylakoid network, we have carried out a systematic characterization of the luminal thylakoid proteins from the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. Our data show that the thylakoid lumen has its own specific proteome, of which 36 proteins were identified. Besides a large group of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases and proteases, a family of novel PsbP domain proteins was found. An analysis of the luminal signal peptides showed that 19 of 36 luminal precursors were marked by a twin-arginine motif for import via the Tat pathway. To compare the model organismArabidopsis with another typical higher plant, we investigated the proteome from the thylakoid lumen of spinach and found that the luminal proteins from both plants corresponded well. As a complement to our experimental investigation, we made a theoretical prediction of the luminal proteins from the whole Arabidopsisgenome and estimated that the thylakoid lumen of the chloroplast contains ∼80 proteins.
Parallel Optical Data Storage Based on Polarization Addressed Amplitude Modulation in Dye-Doped Liquid Crystals

A technique of parallel storage in dye-doped liquid crystals (DDLCs) is presented in this study. Parallel recording is implemented by imaging a 2-D pattern on the DDLC film. An s -polarized laser beam with wavelength of 532 nm was used as the recording beam and the same laser beam with p-polarization was used as the erasing beam. Recording and erasing mechanism is based on the polarization induced amplitude modulation. Pixels numbers of each recorded page image signal on the DDLC is 1024 × 768 pixels with 2 μm pixel spacing.
Accumulation and summarization of human daily action data in one-room-type sensing system

Since human behavior patterns vary from person to person, computers have to understand someone's personal behavior in order to supply him with a robotic support system for his daily life. It is necessary to know his behavior over the long term. The ideal intelligent support system can measure the data about human actions in the daily life, accumulate them, understand the behavior and the patterns thereof, and adapt thereto. An accumulation and summarization system of human daily action data based on sensing in 1 room, "Robotic Room II", is designed and the accumulation system integrating with the measurement parts is implemented. It is confirmed that accumulation over the long term is possible by experiments for accumulation of human action data in ordinary life. Moreover, as the first step of an analysis of the accumulated data, a summarization algorithm based on the changes of the room states is proposed. It is confirmed that the summarized data enables us to catch the most of the changes of the room states. Finally, a possibility of application for life monitoring by means of summarization is also illustrated.
Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Exophiala polymorpha sp. nov. Isolated from Sporotrichoid Lymphocutaneous Lesions in a Patient with Myasthenia Gravis

ABSTRACT Exophiala species are capable of causing cutaneous and subcutaneous infections in immunocompromised patients. An Exophiala isolate was cultured from a biopsy specimen of a lesion on the forearm of a patient with myasthenia gravis. The patient also had lesions on the palm and distal aspects of the hand, which were successfully treated with a long-term course of itraconazole. A detailed morphological and molecular characterization of the isolate was undertaken. Phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region and portions of the β-tubulin and translation elongation factor 1-alpha genes indicated that the isolate was a novel species closely related to but genetically distinct from species within the Exophiala spinifera clade; the name Exophiala polymorpha sp. nov. is proposed. Morphologically, E. polymorpha most closely resembles E. xenobiotica but it differs in possessing phialides bearing prominent, wide collarettes, and it does not produce chlamydospores.