Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ischemia-induced association of the stress protein alpha B-crystallin with I-band portion of cardiac titin.

During ischemia the cardiac stress protein, alpha B-crystallin, was shown by immunoelectron microscopy to translocate to the N(2)-line area of myofibrillar I-bands of rat cardiomyocytes where alpha B-crystallin resisted extraction with 1 m NaSCN and 2 m urea as did titin. Actin became completely extracted under these conditions, indicating association of alpha B-crystallin with titin the only remaining non-actin cytoskeletal component of I-bands outside Z-disks. Titin, extracted from ischemic pig myocardium, was shown to copurify with alpha B-crystallin. Further evidence for binding of alpha B-crystallin to titin was obtained by dot-blot assays in which biotinylated alpha B-crystallin was demonstrated to bind to the titin-enriched fraction immobilized on nitrocellulose. Binding of alpha B-crystallin to titin during cardiac ischemia could serve to stabilize titin against denaturation and might provide an endogenous mechanism to delay ischemic damage of this important elastic component of myofibrils.
Energy intake variability in free-living young children

It has been suggested that young children regulate their daily energy intake very closely with highly stable day-to-day total energy intake. This hypothesis was developed on the basis of an experimental study of 15 children aged 26 to 62 months, which reported a within-subject coefficient of variation (CV) in daily energy intake of 10.4%. We tested the hypothesis that free-living energy intakes were highly stable on a day-to-day basis in a sample of free-living young children from Glasgow, Scotland. In 101 children (47 boys) aged 2.6–6.8 years, energy intake was measured using multiple-pass 24-h recalls. Within-subject CV was 19.2%, which was significantly higher than the 10.4% reported by previously Birch and colleagues (p<0.0001). In addition, we identified four other studies on free-living children with within-subject CVs ranging from 16.1–28.7%. This evidence indicates that young children show a wide intra-individual variation in day-to-day regulation of energy intake in a free-living environment.
Despeckling and Information Extraction From SLC SAR Images

This paper presents an information extraction and image enhancement technique using single-look complex (SLC) synthetic aperture radar data. The novelty of this method is the proposed complex-domain despeckling stage. Tikhonov-like optimization is used for minimizing the cost function, which consists of a Gauss-Markov random field (GMRF) prior. The GMRF model is used for texture modeling. The texture parameters of the GMRF are estimated using the evidence maximization framework. The experimental results showed that despeckled SLC images have well-preserved textural features, structures, and point scatterers. The phase of the reconstructed image is well preserved and provides good-quality interferograms of high-resolution spotlight images.
Augmentation of functional prostaglandin E levels on the respiratory epithelial surface by aerosol administration of prostaglandin E.

Prostaglandin E (PGE), a cyclooxygenase metabolite normally present in high concentrations in respiratory epithelial lining fluid (ELF), is capable of suppressing mesenchymal cell proliferation mediated by polypeptide-derived growth factors. Although PGE is normally abundant in respiratory ELF, PGE levels in ELF of individuals with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a fibrotic lung disorder characterized by intraalveolar mesenchymal cell accumulation and fibrosis, were found to be 50% lower than normal (p less than 0.01): that is, a relative PGE "deficiency" in ELF may enhance intraalveolar mesenchymal cell proliferation in IPF. With this background, it is rational to consider augmenting PGE levels in ELF as a future therapy for IPF. Since systemic administration of PGE is associated with significant adverse effects, in vitro and experimental animal studies were carried out to evaluate whether aerosol PGE administration could augment ELF PGE levels. Greater than 50% of a solution of PGE1 could be placed in droplets less than 3 microns mass median aerodynamic diameter without loss of function. Aerosolization of PGE1 to sheep (n = 14) resulted in a marked augmentation of ELF PGE1 levels (preaerosol 20 +/- 7 nM, 30 min postaerosol 1,150 +/- 210 nM; p less than 0.0 to 0.1). ELF PGE1 levels remained elevated for up to 2 h (p less than 0.05 compared with baseline) and returned to baseline by 3 h (p greater than 0.2). Lung interstitial fluid (lymph) PGE1 levels increased slightly, but to levels far less than ELF levels (preaerosol 7 +/- 1 nM, 30 min postaerosol 13 +/- 2 nM; p less than 0.01), and plasma PGE1 levels did not change (p greater than 0.1). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Playful learning in academic software engineering education

Within this thesis, we present our suggestions why playful learning in software engineering education is useful to mediate generic competences in academic teaching. Therefor we identified competences which are addressed by playful learning and mapped them to demanded generic competences in software engineering. Due to the well compliance, we analyzed current implementations of playful learning and their design regarding the mediation of required soft skills. Based on the lack of effective implementation, we close our paper with an exemplary design for playful learning.
Real-time ECG for objective stress level measurement

Today’s endeavor of performance and accomplishment might bring more efficiency in many ways, but it has a price. Stress related diseases have increased in numbers the last decades and the field of stress is an exceptionally live issue. Linkura is a company which partly works towards identifying and decreasing stress. To be able to monitor and detect stress in people’s daily life, an ECGdevice is used. This thesis is divided into two parts. The first part consisted of analyzing and comparing four different ECG based stress measures. These stress measures were RMSSD, Heart Rate, high frequency (HF) band and ratio between low and high frequency bands (LF/HF), last two based in frequency domain. These were taken from healthy test subjects for periods of relaxation where the stress level presumably would decrease. What could be seen for all measures was that they all showed a statistical significant decrease in stress level (p<0.05) during the relaxation period. LF/HF ratio was the one performing best and showed clearest decrease in stress. Biofeedback is a growing treatment, or rather, health monitoring, which purpose is to gain awareness of physiological functions to manipulate them at will. The second part of the thesis compared two ECG-related respiratory components, to find out which one would be most suited for biofeedback purpose to lower stress in the form of breathing exercises. The two respiratory components investigated were beat to beat heart rate and R-peak amplitude. For this part, a real-time application in the form of a mobile application was created and connected to the ECG-device. This enabled real-time measurement, which was crucial for the second part. Different time and frequency based algorithms were made to compare the two respiratory components. What could be seen was that the beat to beat heart rate signal was the respiratory component following breathing pattern the most.
Open source cloud computing management platforms: Introduction, comparison, and recommendations for implementation

An increase in the development and use of Open Source (OS) has been observed in recent years, in particular in the fields of programming, operating systems, and application software. According to studies carried out by Gartner and Forrester however, OS is not yet used intensively for structuring and managing cloud computing platforms. This is all the more remarkable in that it is in this field in particular that it would be possible to structure cloud management platforms efficiently and cost-effectively using the OS systems available today. They are available as alternatives to commercial suppliers and enable private, hybrid and community cloud solutions to be implemented. However, many commercial enterprises, public administrations and other institutions do not take advantage of them, partly due to uncertainty and a lack of information about such possibilities. This article therefore examines this subject, compares existing Open Source cloud computing management platforms and provides specific recommendations for use.
A New Report on Acaricidal Activities of Wikstroemia chamedaphne Extracts against Tetranychus viennensis (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Few studies mentioned acaricidal activity of Wikstroemia chamedaphne against Tetranychus viennensis. Here, we reported that W. chamedaphne had strongly acaricidal activity against T. viennensis. A method for purification of miticidal components from W. chamedaphne was developed as follows: Step 1, methanol immersion at room temperature; Step 2, liquid-liquid partition using petroleum ether; Step 3, conventional column chromatography and thin layer chromatography. The efficiency of various extraction techniques was also compared using extraction rate and mortality rate as its index of evaluation. Two fractions, named WCME-7 and WCME-11, were got from W. chamedaphne. WCME-7 had a LC50 value of 0.14 mg/mL for female adults T. viennensis, and 0.09 mg/mL for WCME-11. Furthermore, the effects of various extracts of W. chamedaphne on female adults, eggs and nymphae in every stage of mites were further studied. Nymphae were most sensitive to W. chamedaphne extracts, female adults were in the second place, and eggs were the least. Briefly, W. chamedaphne is a potential source of botanic acaricide against T. viennensis.
Joint Semi-supervised RSS Dimensionality Reduction and Fingerprint Based Algorithm for Indoor Localization

With the recent development in mobile computing devices and as the ubiquitous deployment of access points(APs) of Wireless Local Area Networks(WLANs), WLAN based indoor localization systems(WILSs) are of mounting concentration and are becoming more and more prevalent for they do not require additional infrastructure. As to the localization methods in WILSs, for the approaches used to localization in satellite based global position systems are difficult to achieve in indoor environments, fingerprint based localization algorithms(FLAs) are predominant in the RSS based schemes. However, the performance of FLAs has close relationship with the number of APs and the number of reference points(RPs) in WILSs, especially as the redundant deployment of APs and RPs in the system. There are two fatal problems, curse of dimensionality (CoD) and asymmetric matching(AM), caused by increasing number of APs and breaking down APs during online stage. In this paper, a semi-supervised RSS dimensionality reduction algorithm is proposed to solve these two dilemmas at the same time and there are numerous analyses about the theoretical realization of the proposed method. Another significant innovation of this paper is jointing the fingerprint based algorithm with CM-SDE algorithm to improve the localization accuracy of indoor localization.
Directed attention in normal and high-risk pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE To compare the ability to direct attention in women having a high-risk pregnancy with those having an uncomplicated pregnancy. DESIGN Descriptive comparative. SETTING A tertiary-care hospital. PARTICIPANTS Women in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy receiving care from perinatologists were recruited for this study and comprised the high-risk group (n = 67). Women in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy with uncomplicated pregnancies and enrolled in prenatal classes were the comparison group (n = 57). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Objective measures of directed attention included digit span forward, digit span backward, Trailmaking A, and Trailmaking B. Subjective measures included the Attentional Function Index and Mental Effort in Tasks. RESULTS Women having a complicated pregnancy had significantly more difficulty directing attention on all measures than women having normal pregnancies. When all covariates were considered, women having a high-risk pregnancy had significantly more difficulty directing attention as measured by Trailmaking A, Trailmaking B, and Mental Effort in Tasks. CONCLUSIONS Women having high-risk pregnancies may have more difficulty with activities that require directed attention than women having normal pregnancies. Learning new information and skills, problem solving, and planning may require additional effort for women having complicated pregnancies.
Implementation of three‐dimensional wavelet encoding spectroscopic imaging: In vivo application and method comparison

We have recently proposed a two‐dimensional Wavelet Encoding‐Spectroscopic Imaging (WE‐SI) technique as an alternative to Chemical Shift Imaging (CSI), to reduce acquisition time and crossvoxel contamination in magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). In this article we describe the extension of the WE‐SI technique to three dimensions and its implementation on a clinical 1.5 T General Electric (GE) scanner. Phantom and in vivo studies are carried out to demonstrate the usefulness of this technique for further acquisition time reduction with low voxel contamination. In wavelet encoding, a set of dilated and translated prototype functions called wavelets are used to span a localized space by dividing it into a set of subspaces with predetermined sizes and locations. In spectroscopic imaging, this process is achieved using radiofrequency (RF) pulses with profiles resembling the wavelet shapes. Slice selective excitation and refocusing RF pulses, with single‐band and dual‐band profiles similar to Haar wavelets, are used in a modified PRESS sequence to acquire 3D WE‐SI data. Wavelet dilation and translation are achieved by changing the strength of the localization gradients and frequency shift of the RF pulses, respectively. The desired spatial resolution in each direction sets the corresponding number of dilations (increases in the localization gradients), and consequently, the number of translations (frequency shift) of the Haar wavelets (RF pulses), which are used to collect magnetic resonance (MR) signals from the corresponding subspaces. Data acquisition time is reduced by using the minimum recovery time (TRmin), also called effective time, when successive MR signals from adjacent subspaces are collected. Inverse wavelet transform is performed on the acquired data to produce metabolite maps. The proposed WE‐SI method is compared in terms of acquisition time, pixel bleed, and signal‐to‐noise ratio to the CSI technique. The study outcome shows that 3D WE‐SI provides accurate results while reducing both acquisition time and voxel contamination. Magn Reson Med 61:6–15, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
THE EFFECTS OF CREATINE LOADING ON THERMOREGULATION AND INTERMITTENT SPRINT EXERCISE PERFORMANCE IN A HOT HUMID ENVIRONMENT

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects creatine (Cr) loading may have on thermoregulatory responses during intermittent sprint exercise in a hot/humid environment. Ten physically active, heat-acclimatized men performed 2 familiarization sessions of an exercise test consisting of a 30-minute low-intensity warm- up followed by 6 X 10 second maximal sprints on a cycle ergometer in the heat (35°C, 60% relative humidity). Subjects then participated in 2 different weeks of supplementation. The first week, subjects ingested 5 g of a placebo (P, maltodextrin) in 4 flavored drinks (20 g total) per day for 6 days and were retested on day 7. The second week was similar to the first except a similar dose (4 X 5 g/day) of creatine monohydrate (Cr) replaced maltodextrin in the flavored drinks. Six days of Cr supplementation produced a significant increase in body weight (+1.30 ± 0.63 kg), whereas the P did not (+0.11 ± 0.52 kg). Compared to preexercise measures, the exercise test in the heat produced a significant increase in core temperature, a loss of body water determined by body weight change during exercise, and a relative change in plasma volume (%PVC); however, these were not significantly different between P and Cr. Sprint performance was enhanced by Cr loading. Peak power and mean power were significantly higher during the intermittent sprint exercise test following 6 days of Cr supplementation. It appears that ingestion of Cr for 6 days does not produce any different thermoregulatory responses to intermittent sprint exercise and may augment sprint exercise performance in the heat.
Surface Characterization of Three Titanium Dental Implants

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate topographically and compositionally the rough surface of 3 different commercial titanium dental implants. Materials:Bio Com Standard, Osseotite Implant, and Fixture MT Osseospeed were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Results:The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses showed that the rough surface of Bio Com Standard presents numerous impressions superimposed by sharp pits, of Osseotite Implant many discrete sharp pits, and of Fixture MT Osseospeed a mixed feature appearance. The energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis of the rough implant surfaces revealed a small trace of Si found on the surface of Osseotite Implant. Fixture MT Osseospeed showed a nonhomogeneous distribution of the detected elements. Conclusion:The examined implants had a different rough surface topography, which was directly dependent on the type of treatment used. The differences concerning the surface morphology were leading in a characteristic nanotopography, which might influence the biologic activities at the implant–tissue interface. Surface oxygen concentrations also indicated differences in the oxide layer width between the examined implants, being minimal in Osseotite Implant and maximal in Fixture MT Osseospeed.
Primary prevention of falls: effectiveness of a statewide program.

OBJECTIVES We examined a population-wide program, Pennsylvania's Healthy Steps for Older Adults (HSOA), designed to reduce the incidence of falls among older adults. Older adults completing HSOA are screened and educated regarding fall risk, and those identified as being at high risk are referred to primary care providers and home safety resources. METHODS From 2010 to 2011, older adults who completed HSOA at various senior center sites (n = 814) and a comparison group of older adults from the same sites who did not complete the program (n = 1019) were recruited and followed monthly. Although participants were not randomly allocated to study conditions, the 2 groups did not differ in fall risk at baseline or attrition. We used a telephone interactive voice response system to ascertain the number of falls that occurred each month. RESULTS In multivariate models, adjusted fall incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were lower in the HSOA group than in the comparison group for both total (IRR = 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.72, 0.96) and activity-adjusted (IRR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.70, 0.93) months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Use of existing aging services in primary prevention of falls is feasible, resulting in a 17% reduction in our sample in the rate of falls over the follow-up period.
Statins attenuate polymethylmethacrylate-mediated monocyte activation

Background Periprosthetic osteolysis precipitates aseptic loosening of components, increases the risk of periprosthetic fracture and, through massive bone loss, complicates revision surgery and ultimately is the primary cause for failure of joint arthroplasty. The anti-inflammatory properties of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors belonging to the statin family are well recognized. We investigated a possible role for status in initiating the first stage of the osteolytic cycle, namely monocytic activation. Methods We used an in vitro model of the human monocyte/macrophage inflammatory response to poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles after pretreat-ing cells with cerivastatin, a potent member of the statin family. Cell activation based upon production of TNF-α and MCP-1 cytokines was analyzed and the intracellular Raf-MEK-ERK signal transduction pathway was evaluated using western blot analysis, to identify its role in cell activation and in any cerivastatin effects observed. Results We found that pretreatment with cerivastatin significantly abrogates the production of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and MCP-1 by human monocytes in response to polymethylmethacrylate particle activation. This inflammatory activation and attenuation appear to be mediated through the intracellular Raf-MEK-ERK pathway. Interpretation We propose that by intervening at the upstream activation stage, subsequent osteoclast activation and osteolysis can be suppressed. We believe that the anti-inflammatory properties of statins may potentially play a prophylactic role in the setting of aseptic loosening, and in so doing increase implant longevity.
Intellectual management systems for the RF State Program “Science and Technology Development” for years 2013–2020

The paper presents recommendations to improve the planning and management system for the RF State Program “Science and Technology Development”for years 2013-2020 (hereinafter the “Program”) in terms of accounting the projections for long run scientific and technological development of Russia. The Program management is to be based on the system targeted and information-cognitive approaches, linguistic and combinatorial modeling, system and structural synthesis and other inter-disciplinary scientific fields. The paper defines a multi-level information approach to assessing priority lines of research by applying the method of complex expert reviews, which allows carrying out flexible assessment of research projects according to their type and subject area.
Design of field-cycled magnetic resonance systems for small animal imaging

This paper presents a design study for a field-cycled magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system directed at small animal imaging applications. A field-cycled MRI system is different from a conventional MRI system in that it uses two separate and dynamically controllable magnetic fields. A strong magnetic field is used to polarize the object, and a relatively weak magnetic field is used during signal acquisition. The potential benefits of field-cycled MRI are described. The theoretical dependences of field-cycled MRI performance on system design are introduced and investigated. Electromagnetic, mechanical and thermal performances of the system were considered in this design study. A system design for imaging 10 cm diameter objects is presented as an example, capable of producing high-duty-cycle polarizing magnetic fields of 0.5 T and readout magnetic fields corresponding to a proton Larmor frequency of 5 MHz. The specifications of the final design are presented along with its expected electromagnetic and thermal performance.
Title A progressive translational mouse model of human valosin-containing protein disease : The VCP

Introduction—Mutations in the valosin containing protein (VCP) gene cause hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy (hIBM) associated with Paget disease of bone (PDB), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). More recently they have been linked to 2% of familial ALS cases. A knock-in mouse model offers the opportunity to study VCP-associated pathogenesis. Methods—The VCPR155H/+ knock-in mouse model was assessed for muscle strength, immunohistochemical, Western, apoptosis, autophagy and MicroPET/CT imaging analyses. Results—VCPR155H/+ mice developed significant progressive muscle weakness, and the quadriceps and brain developed progressive cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, ubiquitinpositive inclusion bodies and increased LC3-II staining. MicroCT analyses revealed Paget-like lesions at the ends of long bones. Spinal cord demonstrated neurodegenerative changes, ubiquitin, and TDP-43 pathology of motor neurons. Discussion—VCPR155H/+ knock-in mice represent an excellent pre-clinical model for understanding VCP-associated disease mechanisms and future treatments.