Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
2-20-2012 iPLA 2 β Overexpression in Smooth Muscle Exacerbates Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension and Vascular Remodeling

Objectives: Calcium independent group VIA phospholipase A2 (iPLA2b) is up-regulated in vascular smooth muscle cells in some diseases, but whether the up-regulated iPLA2b affects vascular morphology and blood pressure is unknown. The current study addresses this question by evaluating the basaland angiotensin II infusion-induced vascular remodeling and hypertension in smooth muscle specific iPLA2b transgenic (iPLA2b -Tg) mice. Method and Results: Blood pressure was monitored by radiotelemetry and vascular remodeling was assessed by morphologic analysis. We found that the angiotensin II-induced increase in diastolic pressure was significantly higher in iPLA2b-Tg than iPLA2b-Wt mice, whereas, the basal blood pressure was not significantly different. The media thickness and media:lumen ratio of the mesenteric arteries were significantly increased in angiotensin II-infused iPLA2b-Tg mice. Analysis revealed no difference in vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. In contrast, adenovirus-mediated iPLA2b overexpression in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells promoted angiotensin II-induced [H]-leucine incorporation, indicating enhanced hypertrophy. Moreover, angiotensin II infusion-induced c-Jun phosphorylation in vascular smooth muscle cells overexpressing iPLA2b to higher levels, which was abolished by inhibition of 12/15 lipoxygenase. In addition, we found that angiotensin II up-regulated the endogenous iPLA2b protein in-vitro and in-vivo. Conclusion: The present study reports that iPLA2b up-regulation exacerbates angiotensin II-induced vascular smooth muscle cell hypertrophy, vascular remodeling and hypertension via the 12/15 lipoxygenase and c-Jun pathways. Citation: Calderon LE, Liu S, Su W, Xie Z, Guo Z, et al. (2012) iPLA2b Overexpression in Smooth Muscle Exacerbates Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension and Vascular Remodeling. PLoS ONE 7(2): e31850. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0031850 Editor: Gangjian Qin, Northwestern University, United States of America Received October 19, 2011; Accepted January 13, 2012; Published February 20, 2012 Copyright: 2012 Calderon et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This work was supported by National Institute of Health (NIH) grants HL-082791 to M.C. G. and HL-088389 to Z.G. L.E. C. was supported by an American Heart Association (AHA) Fellowship-09PRE2300152 and a National Institute of Health (NIH) T32-HL072743. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: mcgong2@uky.edu
The intersection of sex and social class in the course of linguistic change

ABSTRACT Two general principles of sexual differentiation emerge from previous sociolinguistic studies: that men use a higher frequency of nonstandard forms than women in stable situations, and that women are generally the innovators in linguistic change. It is not clear whether these two tendencies can be unified, or how differences between the sexes can account for the observed patterns of linguistic change. The extensive interaction between sex and other social factors raises the issue as to whether the curvilinear social class pattern associated with linguistic change is the product of a rejection of female-dominated changes by lower-class males. Multivariate analysis of data from the Philadelphia Project on Linguistic Change and Variation indicates that sexual differentiation is independent of social class at the beginning of a change, but that interaction develops gradually as social awareness of the change increases. It is proposed that sexual differentiation of language is generated by two distinct processes: (1) for all social classes, the asymmetric context of language learning leads to an initial acceleration of female-dominated changes and retardation of male-dominated changes; (2) women lead men in the rejection of linguistic changes as they are recognized by the speech community, a differentiation that is maximal for the second highest status group.
High Security Image Steganography with Modified Arnold cat map

Information security is concerned with maintaining the secrecy, reliability and accessibility of data. The main objective of information security is to protect information and information system from unauthorized access, revelation, disruption, alteration, annihilation and use. This paper uses spatial domain LSB substitution method for information embedding and Arnold’s transform is applied twice in two different phases to ensure security. The system is tested and validated against a series of standard images and the results show that the method is highly secure and provides high data hiding capacity. General Terms Digital Image Processing, Steganography, Security
Perverse Market Outcomes from Biodiversity Conservation Interventions

Conservation interventions are being implemented at various spatial scales to reduce the impacts of rising global population and affluence on biodiversity and ecosystems. While the direct impacts of these conservation efforts are considered, the unintended consequences brought about by market feedback effects are often overlooked. Perverse market outcomes could result in reduced or even reversed net impacts of conservation efforts. We develop an economic framework to describe how the intended impacts of conservation interventions could be compromised due to unanticipated reactions to regulations in the market: policies aimed at restricting supply could potentially result in leakage effects through external or unregulated markets. Using this framework, we review how various intervention methods could result in negative feedback impacts on biodiversity, including legal restrictions like protected areas, market‐based approaches, and agricultural intensification. Finally, we discuss how conservation management and planning can be designed to ensure the risks of perverse market outcomes are detected, if not overcome, and we address some knowledge gaps that affect our understanding of how market feedbacks vary across spatial and temporal scales, especially with teleconnectedness and increased international trade.
A reactive motion planner architecture for generic mobile robots based on multilayered cellular automata

The aim of this paper is to describe the architecture of a Path Planner for Mobile Robots based on the paradigm of Cellular Automata. The environment representation is distributed, as the robot shape; both and the robot kinematics are parameters for the planner. Hence, it results to be very flexible, handling robots with quite different kinematics (omnidirectional, car-like, asymmetrical, etc.), with generic shapes (even with concavities and holes) and with generic cinematic center positions. Because of these characteristics, it is applicable for the assembly planning in the manufacturing industry, as in the Piano Mover’s problems, or in vehicles trajectories generation. It can be applied to flat (Euclidean) Work Space and to natural variable terrains. Considering robots moving with smoothed trajectories, the underlying algorithm is based on a Potential Fields Method, using an anisotropic propagation of potentials on a non-Euclidean manifold. The collision-free trajectories are found following the minimum valley of the potential hypersurface embedded in a 4D space. Thanks to the Multilayered Cellular Automata architecture, it turns out to be very fast, complete and optimal, allowing to react to the wold dynamics (reactive planning), generating new optimal solutions every time the obstacles
Building a Tiered Approach to In Vitro Predictive Toxicity Screening: A Focus on Assays with In Vivo Relevance

One of the greatest challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry today is the failure of promising new drug candidates due to unanticipated adverse effects discovered during preclinical animal safety studies and clinical trials. Late stage attrition increases the time required to bring a new drug to market, inflates development costs, and represents a major source of inefficiency in the drug discovery/development process. It is generally recognized that early evaluation of new drug candidates is necessary to improve the process. Building in vitro data sets that can accurately predict adverse effects in vivo would allow compounds with high risk profiles to be deprioritized, while those that possess the requisite drug attributes and a lower risk profile are brought forward. In vitro cytotoxicity assays have been used for decades as a tool to understand hypotheses driven questions regarding mechanisms of toxicity. However, when used in a prospective manner, they have not been highly predictive of in vivo toxicity. Therefore, the issue may not be how to collect in vitro toxicity data, but rather how to translate in vitro toxicity data into meaningful in vivo effects. This review will focus on the development of an in vitro toxicity screening strategy that is based on a tiered approach to data collection combined with data interpretation.
Advanced glycation end products, measured in skin, vs. HbA1c in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are considered major contributors to microvascular and macrovascular complications in adult patients with diabetes mellitus. AGEs can be measured non‐invasively with skin autofluorescence (sAF). The primary aim was to determine sAF values in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and to study correlations between sAF values and HbA1c and mean HbA1c over the year prior to measurement
Some applications of adaptation-level theory to aversive behavior.

Adaptation-level (AL) theory qualitatively accounts for several phenomena in the area of aversive behavior: (a) adaptation and contrast effects, (6) the attenuation of an aversive event's effectiveness found when its intensity is gradually increased, and (c) the correspondence of performance to the average reinforcement intensity when the reinforcers vary in intensity. Perceptual effects are sometimes overshadowed by conditioning processes, especially in studies where shock is given before a learning task. It is concluded that AL theory is useful in understanding aversive behavior, although parametric investigations and subsequent quantitative applications of the model are needed.
Assessing the SEU resistance of CMOS latches using alpha-particle sensitive test circuits

The importance of Cosmic Rays on the performance of integrated circuits (IC's) in a space environment is evident in the upset rate of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) launched in Apr. 1983. This satellite experiences a single-event-upset (SEU) per day which must be corrected from the ground. Such experience caused a redesign of the Galileo spacecraft with SEU resistant IC's. The solution to the SEU problem continues to be important as the complexity of spacecraft grows, the feature size of IC's decreases, and as space systems are designed with circuits fabricated at non-radiation hardened foundries. This paper describes an approach for verifying the susceptibility of CMOS latches to heavy-ion induced state changes. The approach utilizes alpha particles to induce the upsets in test circuits. These test circuits are standard cells that have offset voltages which sensitize the circuits to upsets. These results are then used to calculate the upsetability at operating voltages. In this study results are presented for the alpha particle upset of a six-transistor static random access memory (SRAM) cell. Then a methodology is described for the analysis of a standard-cell inverter latch.
The evolution of hominoid cranial diversity: A quantitative genetic approach

Hominoid cranial evolution is characterized by substantial phenotypic diversity, yet the cause of this variability has rarely been explored. Quantitative genetic techniques for investigating evolutionary processes underlying morphological divergence are dependent on the availability of good ancestral models, a problem in hominoids where the fossil record is fragmentary and poorly understood. Here, we use a maximum likelihood approach based on a Brownian motion model of evolutionary change to estimate nested hypothetical ancestral forms from 15 extant hominoid taxa. These ancestors were then used to calculate rates of evolution along each branch of a phylogenetic tree using Lande's generalized genetic distance. Our results show that hominoid cranial evolution is characterized by strong stabilizing selection. Only two instances of directional selection were detected; the divergence of Homo from its last common ancestor with Pan, and the divergence of the lesser apes from their last common ancestor with the great apes. In these two cases, selection gradients reconstructed to identify the specific traits undergoing selection indicated that selection on basicranial flexion, cranial vault expansion, and facial retraction characterizes the divergence of Homo, whereas the divergence of the lesser apes was defined by selection on neurocranial size reduction.
Experimental study on interfacial adhesive properties between twisted z-pin and laminates

Five types of twisted z-pins( the twist degree are 1,2,2. 5,3 and 4 n / cm respectively) were prepared by means of draw forming from small-cavity mold and twisting before resin curing. Appearances of various twisted z-pins were observed,and the tensile properties of various twisted z-pins were tested. The interfacial adhesive properties between z-pins and laminates were characterized through single z-pin pull-out tests. The results show that twisting makes the stems of the z-pins distorted,the more twist degree is,the more distortion is. Twisting makes the tensile strength and the elongation reduce by about 50%,and the tensile modulus decreases by 30%. However,twisting improves the interfacial adhesive properties between z-pins and laminates significantly.The more the twist degree is,the higher the interfacial sheer strength τd,the maximum frictional force Ff,and the pull-out energy Wpare. With the increase of twist degree,the debonding location shifts from the F-R meso-interface between its fiber and resin of z-pin to the R-R meso-interface between the outer resin of z-pin and the resin of laminates. For the z-pin with twist degree of 3 n /cm,the τdis improved by 61%,Ffand Wpare all tripled.
Self-Sampling for Human Papillomavirus Testing: Increased Cervical Cancer Screening Participation and Incorporation in International Screening Programs

In most industrialized countries, screening programs for cervical cancer have shifted from cytology (Pap smear or ThinPrep) alone on clinician-obtained samples to the addition of screening for human papillomavirus (HPV), its main causative agent. For HPV testing, self-sampling instead of clinician-sampling has proven to be equally accurate, in particular for assays that use nucleic acid amplification techniques. In addition, HPV testing of self-collected samples in combination with a follow-up Pap smear in case of a positive result is more effective in detecting precancerous lesions than a Pap smear alone. Self-sampling for HPV testing has already been adopted by some countries, while others have started trials to evaluate its incorporation into national cervical cancer screening programs. Self-sampling may result in more individuals willing to participate in cervical cancer screening, because it removes many of the barriers that prevent women, especially those in low socioeconomic and minority populations, from participating in regular screening programs. Several studies have shown that the majority of women who have been underscreened but who tested HPV-positive in a self-obtained sample will visit a clinic for follow-up diagnosis and management. In addition, a self-collected sample can also be used for vaginal microbiome analysis, which can provide additional information about HPV infection persistence as well as vaginal health in general.
Towards Verification of Operational Procedures using Auto-Generated Diagnostic Trees

The design, development, and operation of complex space, lunar and planetary exploration systems require the development of general procedures that describe a detailed set of instructions capturing how mission tasks are performed. For both crewed and uncrewed NASA systems, mission safety and the accomplishment of the scientific mission objectives are highly dependent on the correctness of procedures. In this paper, we describe how to use the auto-generated diagnostic trees from existing diagnostic models to improve the verification of standard operating procedures. Specifically, we introduce a systematic method, namely the Diagnostic Tree for Verification (DTV), developed with the goal of leveraging the information contained within auto-generated diagnostic trees in order to check the correctness of procedures, to streamline the procedures in terms of reducing the number of steps or use of resources in them, and to propose alternative procedural steps adaptive to changing operational conditions. The application of the DTV method to a spacecraft electrical power system shows the feasibility of the approach and its range of capabilities
Comparing the streaming of FGS encoded video at different aggregation levels: frame, GoP, and scene

Fine granularity scalability (FGS), a new coding technique that has recently been added to the MPEG‐4 video coding standard, allows for the flexible scaling of each individual video frame at very fine granularity. This flexibility makes FGS video very well suited for rate‐distortion optimized streaming mechanisms, which minimize the distortion (i.e. maximize the quality) of the streamed video by transmitting the optimal number of bits for each individual frame. The per‐frame optimization of the transmission schedule, however, puts a significant computational burden on video servers and intermediate streaming gateways. In this paper we investigate the rate‐distortion optimized streaming at different video frame aggregation levels. We find that compared to the optimization for each individual video frame, optimization at the level of video scenes reduces the computational effort dramatically, while reducing the video quality only very slightly. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Establishment of normal gut microbiota is

Background: Early gut colonization events are purported to have a major impact on the incidence of infectious, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases in later life. Hence, factors which influence this process may have important implications for both human and animal health. Previously, we demonstrated strong influences of early-life environment on gut microbiota composition in adult pigs. Here, we sought to further investigate the impact of limiting microbial exposure during early life on the development of the pig gut microbiota. Methodology/Principal Findings: Outdoorand indoor-reared animals, exposed to the microbiota in their natural rearing environment for the first two days of life, were transferred to an isolator facility and adult gut microbial diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. From a total of 2,196 high-quality 16S rRNA gene sequences, 440 phylotypes were identified in the outdoor group and 431 phylotypes in the indoor group. The majority of clones were assigned to the four phyla Firmicutes (67.5% of all sequences), Proteobacteria (17.7%), Bacteroidetes (13.5%) and to a lesser extent, Actinobacteria (0.1%). Although the initial maternal and environmental microbial inoculum of isolator-reared animals was identical to that of their naturally-reared littermates, the microbial succession and stabilization events reported previously in naturally-reared outdoor animals did not occur. In contrast, the gut microbiota of isolator-reared animals remained highly diverse containing a large number of distinct phylotypes. Conclusions/Significance: The results documented here indicate that establishment and development of the normal gut microbiota requires continuous microbial exposure during the early stages of life and this process is compromised under conditions of excessive hygiene. Citation: Schmidt B, Mulder IE, Musk CC, Aminov RI, Lewis M, et al. (2011) Establishment of Normal Gut Microbiota Is Compromised under Excessive Hygiene Conditions. PLoS ONE 6(12): e28284. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0028284 Editor: Markus M. Heimesaat, Charité, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Germany Received July 25, 2011; Accepted November 4, 2011; Published December 2, 2011 Copyright: 2011 Schmidt et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This work was supported by a joint grant from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) to BS and IEM (LS3658/CSA 6738), and the Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) to DK and RIA. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: D.Kelly@abdn.ac. uk
Electronic structure of a graphene/hexagonal-BN heterostructure grown on Ru(0001) by chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition: extrinsically doped graphene

A significant BN-to-graphene charge donation is evident in the electronic structure of a graphene/h-BN(0001) heterojunction grown by chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition directly on Ru(0001), consistent with density functional theory. This filling of the lowest unoccupied state near the Brillouin zone center has been characterized by combined photoemission/k vector resolved inverse photoemission spectroscopies, and Raman and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. The unoccupied σ*(Γ1 +) band dispersion yields an effective mass of 0.05 me for graphene in the graphene/h-BN(0001) heterostructure, in spite of strong perturbations to the graphene conduction band edge placement.
Cascade error projection with low bit weight quantization for high order correlation data

In this paper, we reinvestigate the solution for chaotic time series prediction problem using neural network approach. The nature of this problem is such that the data sequences are never repeated but they are rather in chaotic region. However, these data sequences are correlated between past present, and future data in high order. We use cascade error projection (CEP) learning algorithm to capture the high order correlation between past and present data to predict a future data using limited weight quantization constraints. This will help to predict a future information that will provide us better estimation in time for intelligent control system. In our earlier work, it has been shown that CEP can sufficiently learn 5-8 bit parity problem with 4- or more bits, and color segmentation problem with 7- or more bits of weight quantization. In this paper, we demonstrate that chaotic time series can be learned and generalized well with as low as 4-bit weight quantization using round-off and truncation techniques. The results show that generalization feature will suffer less as more bit weight quantization is available and error surfaces with the round-off technique are more symmetric around zero than error surfaces with the truncation technique. This study suggests that CEP is an implementable learning technique for hardware consideration.