Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Subcutaneous Administration of Angiotensin-(1-7) Improves Recovery after Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice.

Angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated activation of its type I receptor (AT1R) in the central nervous system promotes glial proliferation, local inflammation, and a decrease of cerebral blood flow. Angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7))-an Ang II derivative peptide-signals through the Mas receptor (MasR) in opposition to Ang II/AT1R, promoting anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, and neuroprotective effects. As our laboratory has previously demonstrated beneficial effects of AT1R inhibition following controlled cortical impact (CCI) in mice, we asked whether activation of Ang-(1-7)/MasR signaling would also be beneficial in this model. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were injured by CCI. Ang-(1-7) or vehicle was administered subcutaneously (S.Q.) at 1 mg/kg/day at 1 or 6 h post-injury, until animals were sacrificed at 3 or 29 days post-injury (dpi). Ang-(1-7) attenuated motor deficits at 3 dpi and improved performance in the Morris Water Maze at 28 dpi. Brain histology or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated that Ang-(1-7)-treated mice had smaller lesion volumes at 3, 10, 24, and 29 dpi. Pre-treatment with A779, a MasR antagonist, prevented Ang-(1-7) from reducing lesion volume at 3 dpi, suggesting that the benefits of Ang-(1-7) were MasR-dependent. Immunohistochemistry revealed that Ang-(1-7) reduced microgliosis at 3 and 29 dpi, and astrogliosis at 29 dpi. Ang-(1-7) decreased neuronal and capillary loss at 29 dpi. In summary, S.Q. administration of Ang-(1-7) after injury had anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and cerebrovascular-protective actions leading to improved functional and pathological recovery in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). These data show for the first time that Ang-(1-7) has potential therapeutic use for TBI.
Bat Species Comparisons Based on External Morphology: A Test of Traditional versus Geometric Morphometric Approaches

External morphology is commonly used to identify bats as well as to investigate flight and foraging behavior, typically relying on simple length and area measures or ratios. However, geometric morphometrics is increasingly used in the biological sciences to analyse variation in shape and discriminate among species and populations. Here we compare the ability of traditional versus geometric morphometric methods in discriminating between closely related bat species – in this case European horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae, Chiroptera) – based on morphology of the wing, body and tail. In addition to comparing morphometric methods, we used geometric morphometrics to detect interspecies differences as shape changes. Geometric morphometrics yielded improved species discrimination relative to traditional methods. The predicted shape for the variation along the between group principal components revealed that the largest differences between species lay in the extent to which the wing reaches in the direction of the head. This strong trend in interspecific shape variation is associated with size, which we interpret as an evolutionary allometry pattern.
Decoding Perceptual States from Local Field Potentials in Visual Cortex during Generalized Flash Suppression

Generalized flash suppression (GFS) (Wilke et al., 2003) in which a salient visual stimulus can be rendered invisible despite continuous retinal input has provided a powerful means to study neural processes directly related to perception. However, the mechanisms underlying such perceptual suppression remain poorly understood. Here we ask how reliably the population responses can determine the perceptual states and what the roles of different areas play in visual cortex during suppression. Three monkeys were trained to perform the GFS task in which multi-channel neural activities in visual cortical areas V1, V2 and V4 were simultaneously recorded. Linear regression analysis on the time-frequency distributions of local field potentials (LFP) recordings showed that significant power difference between the two perceptual states (visible vs. invisible) was mainly focused on the beta frequency band of 10-30 Hz. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was performed to decipher perceptual states. The results showed that LFP recordings always provide significantly better prediction than the chance level and the beta band provides better prediction than the broad band in all the three visual areas. In addition, multi-channel recordings are more informative than single electrode recordings in V1, V2 and V4, while in V1 and V4 the benefit of decoding population activity is significant. Furthermore, we found that the channel-wise correlations limit the benefit of population activity. These results suggest that considerable information is retained in the beta band of the local field potentials and that population activity is more informative than that of single channel in isolation.
Incorporating Agent Technology for Enhancing the Effectiveness of E-learning System

The advancement in internet and multimedia technologies with years of constant progress in developing software tools to support education have reshaped the way knowledge is delivered allowing E-learning to emerge as a solution to conventional learning methods. It has turned out that the learning process can significantly be improved if the learning content is specifically adapted to individual learners’ preferences, learning progress and needs. The complexity of evaluating highly interactive e-learning environment has become an issue that is being addressed by educational developers. The main objective of our paper is to incorporate agent technology to enhance the effectiveness of elearning system. Software agents have a great potential for supporting learning processes that target and deliver learning materials to learners. A possible way is to use software agents to extract and organize data in intelligent ways. This paper provides conceptualization of the agent based effective e-learning strategies. An agent based feedback oriented e-learning system accompanied by agent based testing for estimation of student’s grade; dynamic generation of contents and expert query management system is also proposed. The use of agent
Risk Factors for Functional Decline and Impaired Quality of Life after Pediatric Respiratory Failure.

RATIONALE Poor outcomes of adults surviving critical illness are well-documented, but data in children are limited. OBJECTIVES To identify factors associated with worse post-discharge function and health-related quality of life (HRQL) after pediatric acute respiratory failure. METHODS We assessed functional status at baseline, discharge, and six months post-pediatric intensive care unit discharge and HRQL 6 months post-discharge in 2 week to 17 year olds mechanically ventilated for acute respiratory failure in the Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure trial. We assessed HRQL via Infant and Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire-97 (ITQOL; <2 years old) or Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL; ≥2 years old). We categorized patients with normal baseline function as having impaired HRQL if scores were >1 standard deviation below mean norms for ITQOL growth and development or PedsQL total score. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS One-fifth (n=192) of 949 patients declined in function from baseline to post-discharge; 20% (55/271) had impaired growth and development; 19% (64/343) had impaired HRQL. In multivariable analyses, decline in function was associated with baseline impaired function, prematurity, cancer, respiratory failure etiology, ventilation duration, and clonidine (odds ratio [OR] 2.14; 95% CI 1.22-3.76). Independent predictors of impaired growth and development included methadone (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.18-4.36) and inadequate pain management (OR 2.94; 95% CI 1.39-6.19). Impaired HRQL was associated with older age, non-white or Hispanic, cancer, and inadequate sedation management (OR 3.15; 95% CI 1.74-5.72). CONCLUSIONS Post-discharge morbidity after respiratory failure is common and associated with admission factors, exposure to critical care therapies, and pain and sedation management.
Interaction of BAG1 and Hsp70 Mediates Neuroprotectivity and Increases Chaperone Activity

ABSTRACT It was recently shown that Bcl-2-associated athanogene 1 (BAG1) is a potent neuroprotectant as well as a marker of neuronal differentiation. Since there appears to exist an equilibrium within the cell between BAG1 binding to heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and BAG1 binding to Raf-1 kinase, we hypothesized that changing BAG1 binding characteristics might significantly alter BAG1 function. To this end, we compared rat CSM14.1 cells and human SHSY-5Y cells stably overexpressing full-length BAG1 or a deletion mutant (BAGΔC) no longer capable of binding to Hsp70. Using a novel yellow fluorescent protein-based foldase biosensor, we demonstrated an upregulation of chaperone in situ activity in cells overexpressing full-length BAG1 but not in cells overexpressing BAGΔC compared to wild-type cells. Interestingly, in contrast to the nuclear and cytosolic localizations of full-length BAG1, BAGΔC was expressed exclusively in the cytosol. Furthermore, cells expressing BAGΔC were no longer protected against cell death. However, they still showed accelerated neuronal differentiation. Together, these results suggest that BAG1-induced activation of Hsp70 is important for neuroprotectivity, while BAG1-dependent modulation of neuronal differentiation in vitro is not.
Search Space Reduction Using Swamp Hierarchies

In various domains, such as computer games, robotics, and transportation networks, shortest paths may need to be found quickly. Search time can be significantly reduced if it is known which parts of the graph include ``swamps''---areas that cannot lie on the only available shortest path, and can thus safely be pruned during search. We introduce an algorithm for detecting hierarchies of swamps, and exploiting them. Experiments support our claims of improved efficiency, showing significant reduction in search time.
Morale among general practitioners: qualitative study exploring relations between partnership arrangements, personal style, and workload

Abstract Objectives: To explore general practitioners' experiences of wellbeing and distress at work, to identify their perceptions of the causes of and solutions to distress, and to draw out implications for improving morale in general practice. Design: Three stage qualitative study consisting of one to one unstructured interviews, one to one guided interviews, and focus groups. Setting: Fife, Lothian, and the Borders, South East Scotland. Participants: 63 general practitioner principals. Results: Morale of general practitioners was explained by the complex interrelations between factors. Three key factors were identified: workload, personal style, and practice arrangements. Workload was commonly identified as a cause of low morale, but partnership arrangements were also a key mediating variable between increasing workload and external changes in general practice on the one hand and individual responses to these changes on the other. Integrated interventions at personal, partnership, and practice levels were seen to make considerable contributions to improving morale. Effective partnerships helped individuals to manage workload, but increasing workload was also seen to take away time and opportunities for practices to manage change and to build supportive and effective working environments. Conclusions: Solutions to the problem of low morale need integrated initiatives at individual, partnership, practice, and policy levels. Improving partnership arrangements is a key intervention, and rigorous action research is needed to evaluate different approaches.
On the Uniform Generation of Modular Diagrams

In this paper we present an algorithm that generates $k$-noncrossing, $\sigma$-modular diagrams with uniform probability. A diagram is a labeled graph of degree $\le 1$ over $n$ vertices drawn in a horizontal line with arcs $(i,j)$ in the upper half-plane. A $k$-crossing in a diagram is a set of $k$ distinct arcs $(i_1, j_1), (i_2, j_2),\ldots,(i_k, j_k)$ with the property $i_1
Combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Shows a Stronger Anti-Inflammatory Effect than Individual Strains in HT-29 Cells

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an emerging health problem associated with the dysregulation of the intestinal immune system and microbiome. Probiotics are able to reduce inflammatory responses in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). However, entire signaling pathways and the interaction between different probiotics have not been well-documented. This study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of single and combined probiotics. HT-29 cells were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, treated with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis or their combination and analyzed for inflammation-related molecules. Both L. acidophilus and B. animalis subsp. lactis reduced interleukin (IL)-8 secretion and the expressions of phosphorylated p65 nuclear factor-kappa B (p-p65 NF-κB), phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), while they increased toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) expression. L. acidophilus did not decrease intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) but enhanced the inhibitory efficacy of B. animalis subsp. lactis. Combined probiotics showed the best anti-inflammatory activity. These results suggest that L. acidophilus and B. animalis subsp. lactis may exert a potent anti-inflammatory effect through modulating TLR2-mediated NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways in inflammatory IECs. Both strains, especially their combination, may be novel adjuvants for IBD therapy.
Daily, seasonal, and annual relationships between air and subsurface temperatures

[1] Inversions of borehole temperature profiles that reconstruct past ground surface temperature (GST) changes have been used to estimate historical changes in surface air temperature (SAT). Paleoclimatic interpretations of GST reconstructions are based on the assumption that GST and SAT changes are closely coupled over decades, centuries, and longer. This assumption has been the subject of some debate because of known differences between GST and SAT at timescales of hours, days, seasons, and years. We investigate GST and SAT relationships on daily, seasonal, and annual timescales to identify and characterize the principal meteorological changes that lead to short-term differences between GST and SAT and consider the effects of those differences on coupling between the two temperatures over much longer time periods. We use observational SAT and subsurface data from Fargo, North Dakota; Prague, Czech Republic; Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware; and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina. These records comprise intradaily observations that span parts of one or two decades. We compare subsurface temperature observations to calculations from a conductive subsurface model driven with daily SAT as the surface boundary condition and show that daily differences exist between observed and modeled subsurface temperatures. We also analyze year-to-year spectral decompositions of daily SAT and subsurface temperature time series and show that dissimilarities between mean annual GST and SAT are attributable to differences in annual amplitudes of the two temperature signals. The seasonal partitioning of these amplitude differences varies from year to year and from site to site, responding to variable evapotranspiration and cryogenic effects. Variable year-to-year differences between mean annual GST and SAT are closely estimated using results from a multivariate regression model that associates the partial influences of seasonal meteorological conditions with the attenuation of annual GST amplitudes.
System Baselining - A Forensic Perspective

In the analysis of a compromised system, it is important to identify what has been compromised, recover as much useful state information as possible, and restore the system to a usable, but less vulnerable state. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of system baselining as a technique that supports these goals. From a forensic point of view, the ability to detect change correctly and consistently is a top priority. When computers are accessed in an unauthorized manner, the state of various file objects will change. This change can manifest itself in various ways ‐ slow system response, additional daemons in the process table, lost or damaged data, et cetera. Unfortunately, without the tools and techniques to detect and evaluate such change, systems could operate for quite some time, perhaps indefinitely, without exceeding operational limits generally considered to be abnormal. Using tools and techniques that are “court worthy” will get the job done without ruling out the possibility of pursuing legal remedies. FTimes ‐ a system baselining and evidence collection tool ‐ addresses these specific problems and goals and is well-suited to handle the types of applications and environments incident handler’s are likely to encounter.
Detection of Norwalk virus or Norwalk-like virus infections in Finnish infants and young children.

Norwalk virus (NV) and Norwalk-like viruses are important causes of epidemic nonbacterial gastroenteritis in older children and adults. Serologic responses to NV of 154 Finnish infants and young children participating in a rotavirus vaccine study were examined by ELISA with a recently available baculovirus-expressed recombinant NV capsid protein. In 4 serially collected sera (at the median ages of 3, 4, 14, and 23 months), 49% of children had at least one NV infection over the approximately 2-year study period. Children with low NV-specific IgG titers (< 1:50) at the median age of 4 or 14 months were significantly more likely to acquire an NV infection by the median age of 14 or 23 months, respectively, than children who had higher NV IgG titers (> 1:50) (P < .05). Thus, NV or Norwalk-like virus infections are more common in infants and young children than previously believed, and antibody to NV may be protective against such infections.
The epistemological importance of trust in science

I argue that trust is epistemically important because it is the foundation of social practices that confer significant epistemic benefits on scientific communities. I begin by showing the limitations of the dominant rational choice account of trust, which maintains that trust is rational when the truster has good reason to believe that it is in the trusted's self-interest to act trustworthily. These limitations motivate my alternative account of trust, which recognizes non-self-interested motivations for acting trustworthily, such as having a sense of duty. The first part of the account captures the cognitive aspect of trust. When we trust, we take a particular cognitive attitude towards the claim that the trusted will do what we expect her to do; I argue that this cognitive attitude can be either belief or acceptance, in the sense outlined by Michael Bratman. The second part of my account captures the emotional and moral aspects of trust by providing a framework to understand the connection between trust and betrayal—the feeling that usually results from being let down by a person one trusts. I provide an account of betrayal as a reactive emotion that connects it to beliefs about relational obligations. Thus when we trust, we depend on the trusted because we believe that our relationship with the trusted morally obliges her to act as expected. Using this account of trust, I argue that scientific communities can garner significant epistemic benefits when scientists are trustworthy and when they trust each other. Applying a framework adapted from Alvin Goldman's work on social epistemology, I argue that trust fosters epistemically beneficial sharing between scientists. These arguments are supported by a case study of the role that trust played in the achievements made by the community of early 20th Century Drosophilists. Finally, using recent examples of scientific fraud in cloning research and public policy responses to much-publicized 'crises in trust', I argue that the epistemic success of science results, in part, from science's ability to balance competition and cooperation, trust and distrust, self-interest and other-interest.
A practical in-home illumination consideration to reduce data rate fluctuation in visible light communication

Visible light communication based on LED has attracted more and more attention. As the primary function of LED luminaries is optimized for lighting and illumination, it challenges the communication properties of VLC. An investigation based on different in-home illumination conditions using commercially available whitelight LED luminaries to optimize both illumination and communication is highly desirable. In this work, we investigate joint illumination and communication systems to provide an in-home lighting and VLC system. We first focus on the performance constraints set by illumination properties and discuss lighting conditions using different kinds of commercially available luminaries, beam angles, and LED lamp arrangements, and consider reflections off different wall materials. Then we propose and experimentally demonstrate a white-light phosphor-based LED adaptive data rate VLC system. Finally, the achievable data rates of a joint illumination and VLC system are discussed based on the experimental results, and an environment with reduced VLC data rate fluctuation can be achieved.
Safety and Performance of a System Specifically Designed for Selective Site Pacing

Introduction: In the right ventricle, selective site pacing (SSP) has been shown to avoid detrimental hemodynamic effects induced by right ventricular apical pacing and, in the right atrium, to prevent the onset of atrial fibrillation and to slow down disease progression. The purpose of our multicenter observational study was to describe the use of a transvenous 4‐French catheter‐delivered lead for SSP in the clinical practice of a large number of centers.
The Social Capital of Switzerland: An Overview of Attempts to Define, Operationalise and Measure Social Capital

According to the literature, this asset is under threat in view of the trend towards individual lifestyles in the “Erlebnisgesellschaft ” (Schulze 1993) [English: "experience society"] as well as in the “Single-Gesellschaft” (Hradil 1995) [English: "singles society"]. It is claimed that social milieus where a sense of community used to be learned are becoming less important and solidarity is no longer required. According to the initial thesis, these bonds and a commitment towards the welfare of the community ensure the cohesion of a community. For this reason their existence can be termed “social capital” and steps should be taken to ensure that they are not eroded. Robert D. Putman (2000) demonstrated that, in the case of the USA, some of the social and cultural prerequisites for a functioning democracy have been undermined over the past few decades by the fact that American citizens have been gradually abandoning their commitment to the community.