Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impaired Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor–AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Activation and Ischemic Recovery in the Senescent Heart

Background— Elderly patients are more sensitive than younger patients to myocardial ischemia, which results in higher mortality. We investigated how aging affects the cardioprotective AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. Methods and Results— Ischemic AMPK activation was impaired in aged compared with young murine hearts. The expression and secretion of the AMPK upstream regulator, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), were lower in aged compared with young adult hearts. Additionally, the levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1&agr;, a known transcriptional activator of MIF, were reduced in aged compared with young hearts. Ischemia-induced AMPK activation in MIF knockout mice was blunted, leading to greater contractile dysfunction in MIF-deficient than in wild-type hearts. Furthermore, intramyocardial injection of adenovirus encoding MIF in aged mice increased MIF expression and ischemic AMPK activation and reduced infarct size. Conclusions— An impaired MIF-AMPK activation response in senescence thus may be attributed to an aging-associated defect in hypoxia-inducible factor 1&agr;, the transcription factor for MIF. In the clinical setting, impaired cardiac hypoxia-inducible factor 1&agr; activation and consequent reduced MIF expression may play an important role in the increased susceptibility to myocardial ischemia observed in older cardiac patients.
Non-sex hormone-binding globulin-bound testosterone as a marker for hyperandrogenism.

Recent evidence suggests that the biologically active testosterone includes both the free and albumin-bound fractions, while the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)-bound steroid dissociates less readily. To examine the significance of the non-SHBG-bound testosterone (i.e. free plus albumin bound) in hyperandrogenism, we obtained single blood samples from 17 normal women, 20 regularly menstruating but hirsute women, and 20 oligoamenorrheic hirsute women. Each serum sample was analyzed for total testosterone by RIA, SHBG-binding capacity was determined by protein precipitation with 50% saturated (NH4)2SO4, and albumin was measured by colorimetry. Non-SHBG-bound and free testosterone and the testosterone to SHBG molar ratio were then calculated. Non-SHBG-bound testosterone was also assayed using differential protein precipitation. There were significant differences among the groups in the mean values of all variables (all P less than 0.05) except albumin. Measurement and calculation of serum non-SHBG-bound testosterone produced similar results, suggesting that the binding equation is valid. There was considerable overlap between normal (control mean +/- 2 SD) and abnormal subjects in all variables except non-SHBG-bound testosterone, for which only 3 regularly menstruating and 2 oligoamenorrheic hirsute subjects were in the normal range. As total testosterone levels increased, there was a significant increase in the ratio of non-SHBG-bound testosterone to free testosterone. These data suggest that albumin becomes increasingly more important in testosterone binding as the total serum testosterone level increases and that non-SHBG-bound testosterone may be the optimal marker to identify hyperandrogenism in hirsute women.
Active contour-based segmentation and removal of optic disk from retinal images

A retinal fundus photograph is widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of various eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Computer-aided analysis of fundus images provides an immediate detection and characterization of retinal features prior to inspection by a specialist. Segmentation of structures in such a retinal image can be used to detect and calculate the geometric shape and size of the optic disc and anterior segment with abnormal growth of any region in the eye. In this paper, we propose an algorithm based on active contours, often referred to as snakes, to remove the optic disk from retinal images. The proposed method consists of two main steps. In the first step, the optic disk boundary is approximated by means of edge detection, morphological operations and circular Hough transformation. In the second step, the exact boundary of the optic disk boundary is detected using an active contour model. The proposed algorithm was tested using 130 colored fundus images. Among those images, 20 were normal and 110 contained signs of the diabetic retinopathy. Results indicate a 90% accuracy in detecting the optic disc by the proposed technique.
Ventilatory support in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

Copyright © 2005 by AAN Enterprises, Inc. References 1. Singer OC, Sitzer M, Du Mesnil de Rochemont R, Neumann-Haefelin T. Practical limitations of acute stroke MRI due to patient-related problems. Neurology 2004;62:1848–1849. 2. Buckley B, Wainwright A, Meagher T, Briley B. Audit of a policy of magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion weighted imaging as first line neuroimaging for in-patients with clinically suspected acute stroke. Clin Radiol 2003;58:234–237.
The DiDi Corpus of South Tyrolean CMC Data: A multilingual corpus of Facebook texts

This paper presents the DiDi Corpus, a corpus of South Tyrolean Data of Computermediated Communication (CMC). The corpus comprises around 650,000 tokens from Facebook wall posts, comments on wall posts and private messages, as well as socio-demographic data of participants. All data was automatically annotated with language information (de, it, en and others), and manually normalised and anonymised. Furthermore, semi-automatic token level annotations include part-of-speech and CMC phenomena (e.g. emoticons, emojis, and iteration of graphemes and punctuation). The anonymised corpus without the private messages is freely available for researchers; the complete and anonymised corpus is available after signing a nondisclosure agreement.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Human-Robotic Cooperation in Mars Exploration

The recent past has seen robots develop into autonomous artificial agents capable of executing complex tasks. In the near future, robots will likely develop the ability to adapt and learn from their surroundings. Robots have self-reliance, accuracy, and can operate in hostile environments - all attributes well suited for space exploration. Robots also reduce mission costs, increase design flexibility, and maximize data production. On the other hand, when faced with new scenarios and unexpected events, robots pale in comparison with their intuitive and creative human counterparts. The future of space exploration will have to intelligently balance the flexibility and ingenuity of humans with robust and sophisticated robotic systems. The Cooperation of Humans And Robots for Mars (CHARM) team at the 2011 Space Studies Program of the International Space University integrated international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary perspectives to investigate Mars exploration objectives, robotic capabilities, and the interaction between humans and robots. Based on the goals of various space agencies, this paper selects an exploration objective for the time frame between 2015 and 2035, and drafts different scenarios to accomplish this objective. Each scenario uses different degrees of human-robot interaction. A theoretical model is then developed based on discrete requirements to help create an effective combination of human and robots to achieve the mission objective. This model is used to select the most appropriate of the proposed mission scenarios. The CHARM model uses an interdisciplinary approach, including technical, societal, political, financial, and scientific perspectives. The CHARM team believes that this decision-making model can be used to select missions more efficiently and rationally, thus enabling greater feasibility to space missions.
Li-ion battery cell equalization by modules with chain structure switched capacitors

In electric vehicles (EVs), Li-ion battery has been applied as the main power source. To give enough power and energy to the system, single Li-ion battery cells will be connected in series and parallel to make a battery pack. Thus, cell equalization for battery pack has been an important topic in battery management system (BMS). Recently, researches have proposed different topologies and control strategies to achieve cell equalization. In this paper, a modularization strategy is proposed based on the chain structure switched capacitor method. Simulation results in Matlab/Simulink have shown good cell equalization performance for the proposed method.
Model-based test instantiation for applications with user interfaces

Scripts for automated system tests often contain technical knowledge about the user interface (UI). This makes test scripts brittle and hard to maintain which leads to high maintenance costs. As a consequence, automation of system tests is often abandoned. In this paper, we present the goals of our research project and discuss a model-driven approach to ease instantiation of tests on the system level. Tests are defined on an abstract, functional level, abstracting away UI usage. During test execution, abstract tests are enriched with UI information and executed against the system.
Walking through the Forest: Fast EUF Proof-Checking Algorithms

The quantier-free logic of Equality with Uninterpreted Function symbols (EUF) is at the core of Satisability Modulo Theory (SMT) solvers. There exist several competing proof formats for EUF proofs. We propose original proof formats obtained from proof forests that are the artifacts proposed by Nieuwenhuis and Oliveras to extract eciently EUF unsatisable cores. Our proof formats can be generated by SMT solvers for almost free. Moreover, our preliminary experiments show that our novel veriers outperform other existing EUF veriers and that our proof formats appear to be more concise than existing EUF proofs.
Parameters extraction in SiGe/Si pMOSFETs using split CV technique

A new parameter extraction technique based on split CV is proposed for bulk MOSFETs. To this end, Poisson-Schrodinger simulations are compared to the measured split CV, confirming the validity of the extraction methods. The new methods have been successfully applied to Si and Si0.7Ge0. 3/Si pMOS enabling the investigation of the Ge incorporation impact.
Differential impact of serotonin transporter activity on temperament and behavior in persons with a family history of alcoholism in the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns Project.

BACKGROUND Central serotonergic (5-HT) function is implicated in pathways to alcohol dependence, including dysphoria manifested by symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, little is known about genetic variation in central 5-HT function and its potential impact on temperament and behavior in persons with a family history of alcoholism (FH+). METHODS We tested 314 healthy young adults (23.5 years of age, 57% female; 193 FH- and 121 FH+) enrolled in the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns project, a study of alcoholism risk in relation to temperament and behavioral dyscontrol. Dysphoria was assessed using the Eysenck neuroticism and Beck depression scales, and Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. Risk taking was assessed with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Balloon Analogue Response Task (BART). All subjects were genotyped for a functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4). RESULTS FH+ subjects with the gain-of-function 5-HTTLPR genotype scored higher in neuroticism, harm avoidance, and symptoms of depression (p-values ≤ 0.03). No effect of 5-HTTLPR genotype was seen in FH-. FH+ carriers of the gain-of-function 5-HTTLPR genotype played to minimize their frequency of losses in the IGT, whereas FH- carriers played a balanced strategy (p < 0.003). No 5-HTTLPR effects were seen in the BART. Results were unaffected by sex, education, drug use, and antisocial characteristics. CONCLUSIONS The functional 5-HTTLPR polymorphism predicted significant variation in negative moods and poorer affect regulation in FH+ persons, with possible consequences for behavior, as seen in a simulated gambling task. This pattern may contribute to a drinking pattern that is compensatory for such affective tendencies.
A Methodology for UML Models V&V

The introduction of UML models in the software life cycle poses new issues and challenges that are not adequately supported by current state-of-the-art development tools, especially concerning V&V activities. Indeed, every tool usually focuses on a small set of specialized activities, failing to provide a satisfactory (general purpose) V&V framework. In this paper we propose a methodology which allows a seamless integration of V&V into a UML-based development environment. The methodology exploits a set of supporting tools designed to be integrated in a unified framework. We believe that such proactive collaboration between tools can reduce significantly both effort and time required to tackle consistency, correctness, quality and long-term maintainability of UML models, increasing the development productivity and the overall quality of the delivered system.
Progress toward robotic surgery of the lateral skull base: Integration of a dexterous continuum manipulator and flexible ring curette

Lesions of the lateral skull base in the petrous apex present unique surgical challenges because of the proximity of critical structures, including the inner ear, carotid artery, jugular bulb, facial nerve, lower cranial nerves, dura and brain. Currently, there are few appropriate surgical devices that can reach and remove these lesions, each with their own disadvantages. Here we investigate the feasibility of a dexterous continuum manipulator (DCM) capable of C-& S-shaped bends enabling dissection with remote center of motion (RCM) deep to the intact inner ear. A dedicated borescope channel provides the necessary visualization, while a flexible ring curette pre-shaped with a nitinol strip is designed to work through the instrument lumen for curettage of a cystic lesion. The kinematics of the DCM with the ring curette subject to an RCM constraint are investigated to explore the boundaries of a typical cyst cavity. Experiments in the planar phantom are carried out to validate feasibility, and results show that the proposed solution is practicable, accomplishing 80% and 83% removal of cysts for two kinds of boundaries.
Asymptotically optimal strategy-proof mechanisms for two-facility games

We consider the problem of locating facilities in a metric space to serve a set of selfish agents. The cost of an agent is the distance between her own location and the nearest facility. The social cost is the total cost of the agents. We are interested in designing strategy-proof mechanisms without payment that have a small approximation ratio for social cost. A mechanism is a (possibly randomized) algorithm which maps the locations reported by the agents to the locations of the facilities. A mechanism is strategy-proof if no agent can benefit from misreporting her location in any configuration. This setting was first studied by Procaccia and Tennenholtz [21]. They focused on the facility game where agents and facilities are located on the real line. Alon et al. studied the mechanisms for the facility games in a general metric space [1]. However, they focused on the games with only one facility. In this paper, we study the two-facility game in a general metric space, which extends both previous models. We first prove an Ω(n) lower bound of the social cost approximation ratio for deterministic strategy-proof mechanisms. Our lower bound even holds for the line metric space. This significantly improves the previous constant lower bounds [21, 17]. Notice that there is a matching linear upper bound in the line metric space [21]. Next, we provide the first randomized strategy-proof mechanism with a constant approximation ratio of 4. Our mechanism works in general metric spaces. For randomized strategy-proof mechanisms, the previous best upper bound is O(n) which works only in the line metric space.
GSK3β affects apical–basal polarity and cell–cell adhesion by regulating aPKC levels

The dynamic rearrangement of cell–cell contacts is required for the establishment of functional epithelial cell sheets. However, the signaling pathways and cellular mechanisms that initiate and maintain this polarity are not well understood. We show that loss of the Wnt signaling component GSK3β results in increased levels of aPKC and leads to defects in apical–basal polarity. We find that GSK3β directly phosphorylates aPKC, which likely promotes its ubiquitin‐mediated proteosomal degradation. aPKC increases the levels of Armadillo and stabilizes adherens junctions. These results suggest that the Wnt pathway component GSK3β regulates the polarity determinant aPKC, which in turn affects cell–cell contacts during the development of polarized tissues. Developmental Dynamics 239:115–125, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Microfluidically Reconfigurable Rectangular Waveguide Filter Using Liquid Metal Posts

In this letter, the integration of microfluidically controlled liquid metal with WR42 rectangular waveguide to implement reconfigurable band-reject/band-pass filter is introduced. Here, microfluidic channels carrying liquid metal are used to realize off-centered adjustable partial/full-height circular posts at the dominant T E10 mode. First, a liquid metal post is partially inserted into the waveguide to create a tunable transmission zero over a 2.9 GHz rejection tuning range (18.20 GHz to 21.10 GHz). Next, the band-reject element (partial-height post) is used in conjunction with another microfluidic metal post to design a reconfigurable 1-pole band-pass filter with a transmission zero in the stop-band. The filter is configured for two states. The measured insertion loss of the filter at J0 is 2.3 dB and 2.8 dB while the return loss is better than 20 dB and 30 dB for State 1 and State 2 respectively.
Ethnic and sex differences in the prevalence, treatment, and control of dyslipidemia among hypertensive adults in the GENOA study.

BACKGROUND Two ethnically different, community-based samples of hypertensive adults were evaluated to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and how often dyslipidemia is drug-treated and controlled by such treatment. METHODS We studied 1286 non-Hispanic black hypertensive subjects from Jackson and 1070 non-Hispanic white hypertensive subjects from Rochester who participated in the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy study. Subjects were categorized according to presence of coronary heart disease and risk factors for coronary heart disease. RESULTS Prevalence of dyslipidemia was significantly greater among whites than blacks (women, 64.7% vs 49.5%; and men, 78.4% vs 56.7%; P<.001 for both) and among men than women (P</=.02 in each ethnic group). Among dyslipidemic subjects, treatment with lipid-regulating drugs was significantly more common among whites than blacks (women, 25.4% vs 16.4%, P =.001; and men, 32.6% vs 12.8%; P<.001), and among whites, treatment was significantly more common among men than women (P =.03). With drug treatment, control of dyslipidemia varied from 33.9% (white men) to 51.9% (black men), but the differences among ethnic-sex groups were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Dyslipidemia is highly prevalent in hypertensive adults. Fewer than one third of these adults are drug-treated, and fewer than half of those treated achieve recommended goals. Our findings suggest that an alarming 9 of 10 dyslipidemic hypertensive adults have untreated or undertreated dyslipidemia.
Mental Stress Testing Using Classiﬁcation and Regression Tree

The Classification and Regression Tree has been used for decision taking process and diagnostics of the hemodynamic response to mental stress testing. Using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring signal, Data Mining algorithm determined the five types of hemodynamic reactions, including hyperactivity, hypertensive and atypical reaction, accompanied by a significant decrease in pulse pressure has been offered. The proposed classification of the hemodynamics can be used to detect abnormalities of hemodynamics and cardiovascular system, as well as increased risk of arterial hypertension.
Learning in International Practice Placement Education: A Grounded Theory Study

Objective: There is a growing trend towards international practice placement education in occupational therapy, yet little research documents the learning that individuals who participate in such experiences report. The purpose of this study was to examine the process of learning that arises through engagement with occupational therapy practice placement education in an international context. Method: A constructivist grounded theory methodology was employed. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight individuals who had completed an international practice placement during their tenure as an occupational therapy student. Findings: The core category of learning identified by participants was personal and professional development. The subcategories included thinking outside the box, adaptability/flexibility, cultural sensitivity, recognition of the value of interpersonal relationships, and gaining confidence through moving beyond one's comfort zone and through increasing autonomy. The comments from participants also invoke critical reflection on the appropriateness of the transfer of North American occupational therapy practice into resource-poor countries. Conclusion: This research documents the process of learning described by a group of individuals who participated in international practice placement education as part of their occupational therapy education. The research contributes to knowledge about international practice placement education in occupational therapy.
The Cpx Envelope Stress Response Regulates and Is Regulated by Small Noncoding RNAs

ABSTRACT The Escherichia coli genome encodes approximately 30 two-component systems that are required for sensing and responding to a variety of environmental and physiological cues. Recent studies have revealed numerous regulatory connections between two-component systems and small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs), which posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression by base pairing with target mRNAs. In this study, we investigated the role of sRNAs in the CpxAR two-component system, which detects and mediates an adaptive response to potentially lethal protein misfolding in the Gram-negative bacterial envelope. Here, we showed for the first time that sRNAs are members of the Cpx regulon. We found that CpxR binds to the promoter regions and regulates expression of two sRNA genes, cyaR and rprA. We also investigated the roles that these sRNAs play in the Cpx response. Cpx repression of cyaR expression creates a feed-forward loop, in which CpxAR increases expression of the inner membrane protein YqaE both directly at the transcriptional level and indirectly at the translational level. Moreover, we found that RprA exerts negative feedback on the Cpx response, reducing Cpx activity in a manner that is dependent on the response regulator CpxR but independent of all of RprA's previously described targets. sRNAs therefore permit the fine-tuning of Cpx pathway activity and its regulation of target genes, which could assist bacterial survival in the face of envelope stress.