Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of siRNA Against β-NGF on Nerve Fibers of a Rat Model With Endometriosis

Objective: This study examines whether silencing specific β-nerve growth factor small interfering RNA (β-NGF siRNA) can affect the growth of ectopic endometriotic implants, generalized hyperalgesia, and nerve fiber density in endometriosis. Methods: Four specific β-NGF siRNAs were detected by Western blot analysis, and the most efficient specific siRNA was transferred into rats with surgically induced endometriosis through gene transfer. The length × width × height of each ectopic transplant that survived from 2 groups were measured at pre-and postbombardment after 2 weeks. The transplants were collected 2 weeks after bombardment. Warm-water tail flick test was performed before the rats were sacrificed. The specimens were sectioned and stained immunohistochemically with antibodies against the types of nerve fibers to compare the presence of different nerve fibers in the treatment and control groups. The serums and supernatants of the peritoneal washings in the treatment and control groups were collected for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis. The extra rats were successfully induced with endometriosis and through gene transfer as described above. The spherical volumes of the transplants and tail flick latency post-bombardment after 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks were measured. Results: The spherical volumes in the treatment group were much smaller than those in the control group, and tail flick latency significantly increased in the treatment group postbombardment after 2 weeks. The ELISA analysis showed that the concentrations of β-NGF in the serums and supernatants of the peritoneal fluid decreased in the treatment group unlike in the control group. Less sympathetic and sensory innervation was observed in the treatment group postbombardment after 2 weeks. The outcomes of the spherical volumes of the transplants and tail flick latency postbombardment after 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks showed that the sizes of the transplants did not return to their previous size and that the treatment had some effects on generalized hyperalgesia. Conclusion: Specific siRNA-mediated silencing of the β-NGF gene expression after gene transfer suppressed the growth of ectopic endometriotic implants resulted in a significant improvement in generalized hyperalgesia as well as reduced sympathetic and sensory nerve fiber density in the treatment group.
Bias and Hierarchical Clustering

It is now well established that galaxies are biased tracers of the distribution of matter, although it is still not known what form this bias takes. In local bias models, the propensity for a galaxy to form at a point depends only on the overall density of matter at that point. Hierarchical scaling arguments allow one to build a fully specified model of the underlying distribution of matter and to explore the effects of local bias in the regime of strong clustering. Using a generating function method developed by Bernardeau & Schaeffer, we show that hierarchical models lead one directly to the conclusion that a local bias does not alter the shape of the galaxy correlation function relative to the matter correlation function on large scales. This provides an elegant extension of a result first obtained by Coles for Gaussian underlying fields and confirms the conclusions of Scherrer & Weinberg obtained using a different approach. We also argue that particularly dense regions in a hierarchical density field display a form of bias that is different from that obtained by selecting such peaks in Gaussian fields: they are themselves hierarchically distributed with scaling parameters Sp = p(p-2). This kind of bias is also factorizable, thus in principle furnishing a simple test of this class of models.
Ethylene-Induced Increase in Glutamine Synthetase Activity and mRNA Levels in Hevea brasiliensis Latex Cells

Ethylene, used as a stimulant of latex production in Hevea brasiliensis, significantly activates the regenerating metabolism within the laticiferous cells. In this context, attention was focused on glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2), a key enzyme in nitrogen metabolism. A specific and significant activation of the cytosolic glutamine synthetase (GScyt) in the laticiferous cells after ethylene treatment parallels the increase of latex yield. A marked accumulation of the corresponding mRNA was found, but in contrast, a slight and variable increase of the polypeptide level is at the limit of detection by western blotting. The GS response to ethylene might be mediated by ammonia that increases in latex cytosol following ethylene treatment. The physiological significance for such a regulation by ethylene of the GScyt is discussed in terms of the nitrogen requirement for protein synthesis associated with latex regeneration.
An ultrasonic local positioning system using four base stations

The purpose of tracking technology as it is currently used is to detect the position of a moving object. The leading position detection methods are classified as active type and passive type methods. Typical active type methods include radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags and ultrasonic waves, and passive type methods are global positioning systems (GPS) and cameras. RFID tags are being used indoors in many businesses. Though the ultrasonic wave method is advantageous because of the lower cost, there has been less research into this method than into the use of RFID tags. However, when the measurement environment changes such as the speed of sound, attenuation of the ultrasonic wave causes signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio decrease, pulse waveform is distorted by obstacles. Therefore, we propose a position detecting system using a time of arrival (ToA) method to improve the accuracy.
A new sensing‐throughput tradeoff scheme in cooperative multiband cognitive radio network

A conventional cognitive radio network (CRN) uses the spectrum of the licensed primary network (PN) on the premise of detecting the absence of the PN by the spectrum sensing of the sensor node (SN). In this paper, a cooperative multiband CRN is considered, wherein the SNs are allowed to use some time of the transmission slot to relay PN data by cooperative communication, while using the remaining time of the transmission slot to forward its own data, over multiple sub‐bands during each frame, if the presence of PN is detected by cooperative spectrum sensing of the SNs in the sensing slot. A new sensing–throughput tradeoff scheme is formulated as a multi‐variable optimization problem, which maximizes the average aggregate throughput of the CRN over all the sub‐bands by jointly optimizing spectrum sensing time and sub‐band transmission power, subject to the constraints on the average aggregate throughput of the PN, the maximal aggregate power of each SN, and the false alarm and detection probabilities of each sub‐band. The bi‐level optimization method is adopted to obtain the optimal solution by dividing the multi‐variable optimization problem into two convex single‐variable sub‐optimization problems. The simulations show that there exists the optimal sensing time and sub‐band transmission power that maximize the average aggregate throughput of the CRN and, compared with the conventional scheme, the throughput obtained by the proposed scheme is outstanding. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recombinant rat fibroblast growth factor-16: structure and biological activity.

Fibroblast growth factor-16 (FGF-16) is the most recent member of the FGF family to be cloned. Since the biologic activity of rat FGF-16 (rFGF-16) was unknown, and this protein has no apparent signal sequence, we transformed its entire cDNA into Escherichia coli for high-level expression and further characterization of this novel protein. An attempt was made to purify the expressed protein from the supernatant of mechanically lysed cells using sequential cation-exchange chromatography. This resulted in a gradual loss of the protein as precipitate throughout the purification process. In addition to precipitation during purification, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the partially purified materials showed a cluster of protein bands around 20k to 29k. Sequence analysis of the major bands indicated that two N-terminal truncations had occurred, during E. coli fermentation, purification, or both. The largest truncation resulted in the removal of the 34 N-terminal amino acids, including the initiation codon methionine. We cloned d34 rFGF-16, expressed the gene in E. coli, and developed a purification process for this form. Even with this truncated form, precipitation was a problem. We were largely able to overcome this problem, however, by including EDTA throughout the purification process. We have characterized the structure of purified d34 rFGF-16 extensively using circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and sedimentation velocity analysis. These studies revealed that the protein has a distinct tertiary structure, consists primarily of beta-strands, has a weak tendency to self-associate, and is fairly extended. We then performed biologic assays which showed that d34 rFGF-16 induces oligodendrocyte proliferation in vitro, and induces hepatocellular proliferation and increased liver weight in vivo. In summary, FGF-16, a novel FGF family member, has both unique structural and biological properties.
Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms of the Annexin A1 Protein and Its Mimetic Peptide Ac2-26 in Models of Ocular Inflammation In Vivo and In Vitro

Annexin A1 (AnxA1) is a protein that displays potent anti-inflammatory properties, but its expression in eye tissue and its role in ocular inflammatory diseases have not been well studied. We investigated the mechanism of action and potential uses of AnxA1 and its mimetic peptide (Ac2-26) in the endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) rodent model and in human ARPE-19 cells activated by LPS. In rats, analysis of untreated EIU after 24 and 48 h or EIU treated with topical applications or with a single s.c. injection of Ac2-26 revealed the anti-inflammatory actions of Ac2-26 on leukocyte infiltration and on the release of inflammatory mediators; the systemic administration of Boc2, a formylated peptide receptor (fpr) antagonist, abrogated the peptide’s protective effects. Moreover, AnxA1−/− mice exhibited exacerbated EIU compared with wild-type animals. Immunohistochemical studies of ocular tissue showed a specific AnxA1 posttranslational modification in EIU and indicated that the fpr2 receptor mediated the anti-inflammatory actions of AnxA1. In vitro studies confirmed the roles of AnxA1 and fpr2 and the protective effects of Ac2-26 on the release of chemical mediators in ARPE-19 cells. Molecular analysis of NF-κB translocation and IL-6, IL-8, and cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression indicated that the protective effects of AnxA1 occur independently of the NF-κB signaling pathway and possibly in a posttranscriptional manner. Together, our data highlight the role of AnxA1 in ocular inflammation, especially uveitis, and suggest the use of AnxA1 or its mimetic peptide Ac2-26 as a therapeutic approach.
Broad spectrum of cytokine abnormalities in panic disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder

Background: Proinflammatory cytokines have been reported to be elevated in individuals experiencing chronic stress as well as in those with major depressive disorder. Much less is known about cytokines in anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and panic disorder (PD). We hypothesized that PD and PTSD would be associated with a generalized proinflammatory cytokine signature. Method: We utilized Luminex technology to examine 20 cytokines and chemokines in serum from 48 well‐characterized individuals with a primary DSM‐IV PD or PTSD diagnosis, and 48 age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls. We conservatively employed a Bonferroni correction for multiple testing (α=.05/20=.0025). Results: Individuals with primary PTSD or PD had significantly elevated median peripheral cytokine levels for 18 of 20 different cytokines compared to age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls (all P<.0025). To assess for the presence of a generalized proinflammatory state, we also examined the proportion of subjects with detectable levels of at least six of nine common proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines (IL‐6, IL‐1α, IL‐1β, IL‐8, MCP‐1, MIP‐1α, Eotaxin, GM‐CSF, and IFN‐α). For men and women, 87% of anxiety patients had six or more detectable levels of these proinflammatory cytokines, compared with only 25% of controls (Fisher's Exact Test (FET) P=. 000). Confirmatory analysis of the subset of individuals without current psychiatric medication use or comorbid depression was of comparable significance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a generalized inflammatory state may be present in individuals with PD or PTSD. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Zero Overhead Device Tracking in 60 GHz Wireless Networks using Multi-Lobe Beam Patterns

Millimeter-wave devices must use highly directional antennas to achieve GBit/s data rates over reasonable distances due to the high path loss. As a consequence, it is important to precisely align the antenna beams between sender and receiver. Even minor movement or rotation of a device can result in beam misalignment and thus a strong performance degradation. Existing work as well as standards such as IEEE 802.11ad tackle this issue by means of antenna sector probing. This comes at the expense of a significant overhead, which may significantly reduce the performance of millimeter-wave communication, particularly in mobile scenarios. In this paper, we present a mechanism that can track both movement and rotation of 60 GHz mobile devices with zero overhead. To this end, we transmit part of the preamble of each packet using a multi-lobe beampattern. Our approach does not require any additional control messages and is backward compatible with 802.11ad. We implement our scheme on a 60 GHz testbed using phased antenna arrays, and show that we reduce the angle error to less than 5° in most cases. We also perform simulations to validate our approach in a wide range of scenarios, achieving up to 2x throughput gain.
Financial Development and Economic Fluctuations

This paper provides empirical evidence on the link between financial system development and business cycles volatility. Previous studies have shown that economic fluctuations become less pronounced as the financial system of a country develops. This paper reveals that this result is not apparent when dealing with shorter horizons and when considering the behavior of other components of output, such as private investment and consumption. Using a dynamic Generalized Method of Moments technique on a cross-country panel data set, this paper shows that financial development may actually contribute to increased consumption volatility.
Awareness of and Responsiveness to Environmental Issues: Views From Secondary School Students in Trinidad and Tobago

In a study in Trinidad and Tobago involving 176 secondary school students aged 15-17 years, it was found that 90 percent of the group had a good working knowledge about environmental issues. More students from rural schools were found to be personally aware of specific environmental issues in their communities, while more urban students indicated that they had done something tangible about one or more environmental issues. The students were surveyed by way of a 2-sectioned attitudinal-based opinionnaire, which gauged general knowledge and awareness in the first section and students' responsiveness in the second section. The results showed that while both urban and rural students were highly aware of environmental issues, rural students were slightly more responsive to these issues. A small percentage of students in this work were found to have a weak knowledge base about environmental issues, were generally indifferent to environmental issues within their communities, and had never been involved in any initiative on environmental matters.
Effects of acoustic feedback training in elite-standard Para-Rowing

Abstract Assessment and feedback devices have been regularly used in technique training in high-performance sports. Biomechanical analysis is mainly visually based and so can exclude athletes with visual impairments. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of auditory feedback on mean boat speed during on-water training of visually impaired athletes. The German National Para-Rowing team (six athletes, mean ± s, age 34.8 ± 10.6 years, body mass 76.5 ± 13.5 kg, stature 179.3 ± 8.6 cm) participated in the study. Kinematics included boat acceleration and distance travelled, collected with Sofirow at two intensities of training. The boat acceleration-time traces were converted online into acoustic feedback and presented via speakers during rowing (sections with and without alternately). Repeated-measures within-participant factorial ANOVA showed greater boat speed with acoustic feedback than baseline (0.08 ± 0.01 m·s−1). The time structure of rowing cycles was improved (extended time of positive acceleration). Questioning of athletes showed acoustic feedback to be a supportive training aid as it provided important functional information about the boat motion independent of vision. It gave access for visually impaired athletes to biomechanical analysis via auditory information. The concept for adaptive athletes has been successfully integrated into the preparation for the Para-Rowing World Championships and Paralympics.
Treatment of Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures with Polymethyl Methacrylate Vertebroplasty and Short-segment Pedicle Screw Fixation

OBJECTIVESWe aimed to evaluate the efficacy of reinforcing short-segment pedicle screw fixation with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) vertebroplasty in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures. METHODSWe enrolled 70 patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures for treatment with short-segment pedicle screw fixation. Fractures in Group A (n = 20) were reinforced with PMMA vertebroplasty during surgery. Group B patients (n = 50) were not treated with PMMA vertebroplasty. Kyphotic deformity, anterior vertebral height, instrument failure rates, and neurological function outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTSKyphosis correction was achieved in Group A (PMMA vertebroplasty) and Group B (Group A, 6.4 degrees; Group B, 5.4 degrees). At the end of the follow-up period, kyphosis correction was maintained in Group A but lost in Group B (Group A, 0.33-degree loss; Group B, 6.20-degree loss) (P = 0.0001). After surgery, greater anterior vertebral height was achieved in Group A than in Group B (Group A, 12.9%; Group B, 2.3%) (P < 0.001). During follow-up, anterior vertebral height was maintained only in Group A (Group A, 0.13 ± 4.06%; Group B, −6.17 ± 1.21%) (P < 0.001). Patients in both Groups A and B demonstrated good postoperative Denis Pain Scale grades (P1 and P2), but Group A had better results than Group B in terms of the control of severe and constant pain (P4 and P5) (P < 0.001). The Frankel Performance Scale scores increased by nearly 1 in both Groups A and B. Group B was subdivided into Group B1 and B2. Group B1 consisted of patients who experienced instrument failure, including screw pullout, breakage, disconnection, and dislodgement (n = 11). Group B2 comprised patients from Group B who did not experience instrument failure (n = 39). There were no instrument failures among patients in Group A. Preoperative kyphotic deformity was greater in Group B1 (23.5 ± 7.9 degrees) than in Group B2 (16.8 ± 8.40 degrees), P < 0.05. Severe and constant pain (P4 and P5) was noted in 36% of Group B1 patients (P < 0.001), and three of these patients required removal of their implants. CONCLUSIONReinforcement of short-segment pedicle fixation with PMMA vertebroplasty for the treatment of patients with thoracolumbar burst fracture may achieve and maintain kyphosis correction, and it may also increase and maintain anterior vertebral height. Good Denis Pain Scale grades and improvement in Frankel Performance Scale scores were found in patients without instrument failure (Groups A and B2). Patients with greater preoperative kyphotic deformity had a higher risk of instrument failure if they did not undergo reinforcement with vertebroplasty. PMMA vertebroplasty offers immediate spinal stability in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures, decreases the instrument failure rate, and provides better postoperative pain control than without vertebroplasty.
Rebuilding multi-ethnic communities in post-conflict nations: returnee assessment of municipal services in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Local administrative units are crucial to the reconstruction of a sustainable multi-ethnic social consensus in fragile states. Using the delivery of public goods and social services in Bosnia and Herzegovina as our case study, we ask whether the level of heterogeneity in community composition has any effect on resident opinion of public services at the municipal level. We find that post-war residency status is not the only factor defining community-level heterogeneity and that evaluations of public services at the local level are not neutral to community composition.
A new optical technique for investigations of low-Voltage circuit breakers

The technique of broad-band optical absorption spectroscopy has been successfully used for investigations of transient media in low-voltage circuit breakers, thanks to an intense radiation source developed at our laboratory. It enabled the determination of the concentration of copper atoms and C/sub 2/ molecules in hot gas behind a moving arc. The temperature of this gas was estimated using the molecular absorption spectrum of C/sub 2/ Swan bands. Thanks to the high-spectral intensity of the auxiliary source, measurements were also performed in an electrical arc. The measurements allowed the determination of the population of excited levels for several metallic atoms in the arc. Assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium, the electron temperature of the arc and the total concentration of these metallic atoms, coming from contacts and splitters, were deduced. This temperature is in good agreement with the one deduced from optical emission spectroscopy.
TRANSPERSONAL DIALOGUE: A NEW DIRECTION

Paradigm debates over the last decade have paved the way for a new, more constructive stage of transpersonal dialogue. These debates, in clarifying differences among primary perspectives in the field, have made it possible to begin mapping the proper range and applications of these perspectives and thus to begin bringing differing views into productive collaboration. In this paper I take a step in this direction by proposing some ways a fruitful division of labor might be achieved between Ken Wilber's structural- hierarchical perspective and the spiral-dynamic perspective of theorists whose roots are in depth psychology.
Normative data for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in a population-based sample

# {#article-title-2} Rossetti et al.1 reported a population-based study of scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in Texas. Compared to our study2 in Montreal, the Caucasian group of normal controls in the Rossetti et al. study was considerably younger (52.9 vs 72.8 years) and had slightly lower mean MoCA scores (25.6 vs 26.9). In the other ethnic groups, they found substantial effects of age and education on their MoCA scores. Subjects in our study were excluded if they had subjective complaints …