Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trichostatin A attenuates oxidative stress-mediated myocardial injury through the FoxO3a signaling pathway

Trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, is widely used as an anticancer drug. Recently, TSA has been shown to exert a protective effect on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Forkhead box O3a (FoxO3a), a unique FoxO family member, has been shown to attenuate myocardial injury by increasing resistance to oxidative stress in mice. The present study aimed to investigate whether TSA exerts its cardioprotective effects through the FoxO3a signaling pathway. For this purpose, healthy male Wistar rats were pre-treated with TSA for 5 days before they were subjected to ligation/relaxation of the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery and to 30 min of ischemia, followed by 24 h of reperfusion. The activities of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and superoxide diamutase (SOD), as well as the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were examined. The H9c2 rat myocardial cell line was cultured in 10% FBS-containing DMEM for 24 h. The cells were incubated with/without TSA (50 nmol/l) for 1 h and then incubated with/without H2O2 (400 µM) for 2 h. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) were measured by probe staining in the H9c2 cells. The expression of FoxO3a, mitochondrial SOD2 and catalase was quantified by western blot analysis. The levels of H3 and H4 acetylation of the FoxO3a promoter region were examined by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. TSA significantly reduced the myocardial infarct size and the activities of serum LDH, AST and CK in the rats. TSA also decreased the levels of MDA and increased the activities of SOD in the myocardial tissue of the rats. Consistent with the reduced injury to the TSA-treated rats, TSA significantly reduced the H2O2-induced levels of ROS and increased Δψm. In addition, TSA increased the expression of FoxO3a, SOD2 and catalase, which may be related to increasing the level of H4 acetylation of the FoxO3a promoter region. Our results thus revealed that TSA protected the myocardium from oxidative stress-mediated damage by increasing H4 acetylation of the FoxO3a promoter region, and the expression of FoxO3a, SOD2 and catalase.
Are quasars accreting at super-Eddington rates?

In a previous paper, Collin & Hur e (2001), using a sample of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) where the mass has been determined by reverberation studies (the Kaspi et al. 2000 sample), have shown that if the optical luminosity is emitted by a steady accretion disc, it implies that about half of the objects of the sample are accreting close to the Eddington rate or at super-Eddington rates. We discuss here this problem in more detail, evaluating dierent uncertainties, and we conclude that this result is unavoidable, unless the masses are strongly underestimated by reverberation studies. This can occur if the broad line region is a flat thin rotating structure with the same axis as the accretion disc, close to the line of sight. However the masses deduced from reverberation mapping in AGN follow the same correlation between the black hole mass and the bulge mass as normal galaxies (Laor 2001), suggesting that they are correct within a factor of a few. There are then three issues to the problem: 1. accretion proceeds at Eddington or super-Eddington rates in these objects through slim or thick discs; 2. the optical luminosity is not produced directly by the gravitational release of energy, but by another mechanism, so super-Eddington rates are not required; 3. accretion discs are completely \non standard". Presently neither the predictions of models nor the observed spectral distributions are sucient to help choose between these solutions. In particular, even for the super-Eddington model, the observed optical to bolometric luminosity ratio would be of the order of the observed one. In the super-Eddington solution, there is a strong anti-correlation between the observed velocity widths of the lines and the computed Eddington ratios (i.e. the accretion rate to the Eddington rate ratios), the largest ratios corresponding to the narrowest lines, actually to \Narrow Line Seyfert 1" nuclei. For the considered sample, the Eddington ratio decreases with an increasing black hole mass, while the opposite is found if the accretion rate is assumed to be proportional to the optical-UV luminosity, as is usually done. If these results are extrapolated to all quasars, it implies that the amount of mass locked in massive black holes should be larger than presently thought. If the Eddington ratio is assumed to be smaller than unity, the optical luminosity has to be produced by an additional non-gravitational mechanism. It has to be emitted by a dense and thick medium located at large distances from the center (10 3 to 10 4 gravitational radii). It can be due to reprocessing of the X-ray photons from the central source in a geometrically thin warped disc, or in dense \blobs" forming a geometrically thick system, which can be a part of the accretion flow or can constitute the basis of an outflow. The third possibility is not explored here, as it requires completely new models of accretion discs which are still to be developed.
Kinematic analysis in patients with Parkinson's disease and SWEDD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The differential diagnosis between mild Parkinson's disease (PD) and Scan Without Evidence of Dopaminergic Deficit(SWEDD) is challenging. Progressive reduction in amplitude and speed of finger tapping (sequence effect) has been considered as the most useful sign for discriminating PD from SWEDD. However, a video analysis reported that sequence effect is a major confounding factor for the misdiagnosis of PD. Our objective was to perform a kinematic analysis of finger tapping to explore parameters for distinguishing between patients with PD and SWEDD. METHODS We enrolled 14 patients with PD, 17 patients with SWEDD and 18 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Amplitude, speed and frequency of finger tapping were measured using gyroscopes, and the means, decrement and variability in kinematic parameters for specific tapping duration were calculated. RESULTS Compared to SWEDD group, PD group showed more decrement in amplitude and speed of the first 20 taps, more decrement in frequency after 20 taps and more variability in speed of 15 seconds of taps. However, none of parameters was a practically useful indicator distinguishing individual patients with PD from those with SWEDD. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of finger tapping, even using an apparatus, is not useful for distinguishing mild PD and SWEDD.
Pairwise and problem-specific distance metrics in the linkage tree genetic algorithm

The linkage tree genetic algorithm (LTGA) identifies linkages between problem variables using an agglomerative hierarchical clustering algorithm and linkage trees. This enables LTGA to solve many decomposable problems that are difficult with more conventional genetic algorithms. The goal of this paper is two-fold: (1) Present a thorough empirical evaluation of LTGA on a large set of problem instances of additively decomposable problems and (2) speed up the clustering algorithm used to build the linkage trees in LTGA by using a pairwise and a problem-specific metric.
Delayed introduction of progressive enteral feeds to prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants.

BACKGROUND The introduction of progressive enteral feeds for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants is often delayed for several days or longer after birth due to concern that earlier introduction may not be tolerated and may increase the risk of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). However, delaying enteral feeding could diminish the functional adaptation of the gastrointestinal tract and prolong the need for parenteral nutrition with its attendant infectious and metabolic risks. OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of delayed introduction of progressive enteral feeds on the incidence of NEC, mortality and other morbidities in VLBW infants. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, 2010, Issue 4), MEDLINE (1966 to December 2010), EMBASE (1980 to December 2010), CINAHL (1982 to December 2010), conference proceedings, and previous reviews. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials that assessed the effect of delayed (more than four days' postnatal age) versus earlier introduction of progressive enteral feeds on the incidence of NEC, mortality and other morbidities in VLBW infants. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Data collection and analysis were performed in accordance with the standard methods of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group. MAIN RESULTS We identified five randomised controlled trials (RCT) in which a total of 600 infants participated. The trials defined delayed introduction as later than five to seven days after birth and early introduction as less than four days after birth. Two of the trials, in which a total of 488 infants participated, only recruited growth-restricted infants with Doppler ultrasound evidence of abnormal fetal circulatory distribution or flow. Meta-analyses did not detect statistically significant effects on the risk of NEC [typical relative risk 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58 to 1.37] or all cause mortality (typical relative risk 0.93, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.64). Infants who had delayed introduction of enteral feeds took significantly longer to establish full enteral feeding (reported median difference three days). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Current trial data do not provide evidence that delayed introduction of progressive enteral feeds reduces the risk of NEC in VLBW infants. Delaying the introducing of progressive enteral feeds results in several days delay in establishing full enteral feeds but the clinical importance of this effect is unclear. Further RCTs are needed to give more precise estimates of the effect of delaying the introduction of enteral feeds on clinical outcomes in VLBW infants.
Contouring 1- and 2-manifolds in arbitrary dimensions

We propose an algorithm for contouring k-manifolds (k = 1,2) embedded in an arbitrary n-dimensional space. We assume (n -k) geometric constraints are represented as polynomial equations in n variables. The common zero-set of these (n-k) equations is computed as an 1-or 2-manifold, respectively, for k = 1 or k = 2. In the case of 1-manifolds, this framework is a generalization of techniques for contouring regular intersection curves between two implicitly-defined surfaces of the form F(x,y,z) = G(x,y,z) = 0. Moreover, in the case of 2-manifolds, the algorithm is similar to techniques for contouring iso-surfaces of the form F(x, y, z) = 0, where n = 3 and only one (=3 -2) constraint is provided. By extending the Dual Contouring technique to higher dimensions, we approximate the simultaneous zero-set as a piecewise linear 1or 2-manifold. There are numerous applications for this technique in data visualization and modeling, including the processing of various geometric constraints for freeform objects, and the computation of convex hulls, bisectors, blendings and sweeps.
A Field Platform for Continuous Measurement of Canopy Fluorescence

This paper presents a field platform for continuous measurement of fluorescence at the canopy level. It consists of a 21-m-high crane equipped for fluorescence measurements. The crane is installed in the middle of the fields dedicated to agricultural research. Thanks to a jib of 24 m and a railway of 100 m distance, fluorescence measurements can be performed at nadir viewing over various field crops. The platform is dedicated to the development and test of future passive or active airborne and space-borne vegetation sensors. A new fully automatic instrument, called TriFLEX, has been installed at the end of the jib. TriFLEX is designed for passive measurement of fluorescence in the oxygen A and B absorption bands. It is based on three spectrometers and allows for continuous measurements with a repetition rate of about 1 Hz. The data products are the radiances of the target, the fluorescence flux at 687 and 760 nm, and several vegetation indexes, including the photochemical reflectance index and the normalized difference vegetation index. A new algorithm for fluorescence retrieval from spectral bands measurement is described. It improves upon the well-known Fraunhofer line discriminator method applied to passive fluorescence measurement by taking into account the spectral shape of fluorescence and the reflectance of vegetation. A measurement campaign of 38 days has been carried out in summer 2008 over a sorghum field. The evolution of the signals showed that the crop was suffering from stress due to lack of water. After several rainy days, a reversion of the water stress was observed.
Association between perioperative blood transfusion and early postoperative cognitive dysfunction in aged patients following total hip replacement surgery

Abstract Introduction. Accumulating evidence suggests that enhanced inflammatory responses contribute to the pathogenesis of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Blood transfusion can trigger an enhancement of acute inflammatory responses. Therefore, we hypothesized that perioperative blood transfusion is associated with a higher risk of POCD in aged patients following total hip replacement surgery. Material and methods. Patients older than 65 years undergoing elective total hip replacement surgery were enrolled from October 2011 to December 2012. Neurocognitive tests were evaluated at baseline and at 7 d after surgery by a Mini-Mental State Test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine risk factors associated with POCD. Results. Fifty-six patients (27.3%) developed POCD 7 d postoperatively. Patients who developed POCD were older, had a lower education level and preoperative hemoglobin concentration, had more blood loss, and had a lower body weight (p < 0.05). Patients with POCD were more likely to receive red blood cells (RBCs) transfusion (51.8% versus 31.5%; p < 0.05). A multivariable logistic regression model identified older age, lower education level, and perioperative blood transfusion of more than 3 units as independent risk factors for POCD 7 d postoperatively. Conclusion. Our data suggested that perioperative blood transfusion of more than 3 units of RBCs is an independent risk factor for POCD in aged patients following total hip replacement surgery.
CWD After “the Fire”: Six Reasons Why Hunters Resisted Wisconsin's Eradication Effort

Eight years after undertaking an unprecedented attempt to eradicate chronic wasting disease (CWD) from its free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population, Wisconsin wildlife managers are rethinking their strategies in the face of public opposition to their efforts. This article draws on a dozen surveys of hunters and landowners to identify six psychological bases that created deer hunter opposition to the Wisconsin plan. These include opposition to the population goal, conflicts with traditions, conflicts with consumption norms, the uncertainty of the plan's efficacy, and perceived lack of credibility in the agency. We argue that these six clusters of attitudinal beliefs made it unlikely that hunter support could have been cultivated regardless of the scope or pace of the CWD eradication effort. Our findings call into question the use of recreational hunting as a viable tool for bringing about severe deer population reductions for disease management.
Human myocardial histologic characteristics in congestive heart failure.

The purpose of this study was to identify the histologic characteristics of human myocardium in congestive heart failure (CHF) by cellular hypertrophy, nuclear area, endocardial thickness, and percentage of fibrosis and to correlate histologic findings to cause, severity, and duration of disease. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsies from 109 patients were quantitatively analyzed. Ten patients with normal cardiac history, physical examination results, and cardiac function served as the control group. The remaining patients were divided into the following groups: those treated with doxorubicin (n = 18), and those with chest pain with normal coronary arteries (n = 8), familial CHF (n = 3), CHF associated with myotonic dystrophy (n = 3), peripartal CHF (n = 2), valvular CHF (n = 9), alcohol-induced CHF (n = 13), postviral CHF (n = 6), or idiopathic CHF (n = 36). Linear regression analyses showed a strong correlation between cell diameter and nuclear area (r = .70, p less than .001) and weaker correlations between amount of fibrosis and cell diameter (r = .30, p less than .005) and fibrosis and nuclear area (r = .29, p less than .005). Results of function studies and histologic measurements (e.g., echocardiographically measured change in the minor-axis dimension of the left ventricle with systole and cell diameter) correlated poorly (r = -.33, p less than .005). Duration of dyspnea did not correlate with any histologic factor. Within the normal group there was a direct correlation of cell diameter with age (r = .67, p less than .05). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hydrodynamics of steady state phloem transport with radial leakage of solute

Long-distance phloem transport occurs under a pressure gradient generated by the osmotic exchange of water associated with solute exchange in source and sink regions. But these exchanges also occur along the pathway, and yet their physiological role has almost been ignored in mathematical models of phloem transport. Here we present a steady state model for transport phloem which allows solute leakage, based on the Navier-Stokes and convection-diffusion equations which describe fluid motion rigorously. Sieve tube membrane permeability Ps for passive solute exchange (and correspondingly, membrane reflection coefficient) influenced model results strongly, and had to lie in the bottom range of the values reported for plant cells for the results to be realistic. This smaller permeability reflects the efficient specialization of sieve tube elements, minimizing any diffusive solute loss favored by the large concentration difference across the sieve tube membrane. We also found there can be a specific reflection coefficient for which pressure profiles and sap velocities can both be similar to those predicted by the Hagen-Poiseuille equation for a completely impermeable tube.
EMOTIONAL COGNITIVE STEPS TOWARDS CONSCIOUSNESS

The academic journey to a widely acknowledged Machine Consciousness is anticipated to be an emotional one. Both in terms of the active debate provoked by the subject and a hypothesized need to encapsulate an analogue of emotions in an artificial system in order to progress towards machine consciousness. This paper considers the inspiration that the concepts related to emotion may contribute to cognitive systems when approaching conscious-like behavior. Specifically, emotions can set goals including balancing explore versus exploit, facilitate action in unknown domains and modify existing behaviors, which are explored in cognitive robotics experiments.
Rhizospheric Bacterial Community of Endemic Rhododendron arboreum Sm. Ssp. delavayi along Eastern Himalayan Slope in Tawang

Information on rhizosphere microbiome of endemic plants from high mountain ecosystems against those of cultivated plantations is inadequate. Comparative bacterial profiles of endemic medicinal plant Rhododendron arboreum Sm. subsp. delavayi rhizosphere pertaining to four altitudinal zonation Pankang Thang (PTSO), Nagula, Y-junction and Bum La (Indo-China border; in triplicates each) along cold adapted Eastern slope of Himalayan Tawang region, India is described here. Significant differences in DGGE profile between below ground bulk vs. rhizospheric community profile associated with the plant was identified. Tagged 16S amplicon sequencing from PTSO (3912 m) to Bum La (4509 m), revealed that soil pH, total nitrogen (TN), organic matter (OM) significantly influenced the underlying bacterial community structure at different altitudes. The relative abundance of Acidobacteria was inversely related to pH, as opposed to TN which was positively correlated to Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria abundance. TN was also the significant predictor for less abundant taxonomic groups Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, and Nitrospirae. Bum La soil harbored less bacterial diversity compared to other sites at lower altitudes. The most abundant phyla at 3% genetic difference were Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria amongst others. Analysis of similarity indicated greater similarity within lower altitudinal than higher altitudinal group (ANOSIM, R = 0.287, p = 0.02). Constraining the ordination with the edaphic factor explained 83.13% of variation. Unique phylotypes of Bradyrhizobium and uncultured Rhizobiales were found in significant proportions at the four regions. With over 1% relative abundance Actinobacteria (42.6%), Acidobacteria (24.02%), Proteobacteria (16.00%), AD3 (9.23%), WPS-2 (5.1%), and Chloroflexi (1.48%) dominated the core microbiome.
Performance Evaluation of Joint Network-Channel Coding under a Real Network Topology Model

Adaptive network coded cooperation (ANCC) has been proposed as an effective scheme to combine network and channel coding for cooperative wireless networks by matching network-on-graph to code-on-graph. Since the real network consists of randomly faded channels, the link failure and topology change are unavoidable. In this paper, we investigate the performance of ANCC in a real wireless sensor network (WSN). Different network codes are constructed to match these instantaneous network topologies. By designing a proper network code through optimizing source node degrees, a significant performance improvement is achieved. In addition, we consider the noisy channel between the source and relay, and propose a soft information relaying based ANCC scheme. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme considerably improves the system performance compared to the hard-decision relaying ANCC scheme.
Managerial Technology and Netted Networks. `Competitiveness' in Action: The Work of Translating Performance in a High-Tech Firm

Organizational practices weave in and out of different networks. In this paper, we argue and illustrate that the existence and importance of networks in organizations vary according to particular management concerns. Some networks are typically dormant and are called forth only in situations of `crisis'; they may be invisible to organizational participants in conditions of normality. Via organizational concerns, such as hierarchy and control, productivity and profitability, in some episodes some networks (which we call managerial technologies) are made important to condition other networks that operate in continuous time (we call them business technologies). The paper's empirical domain is a small high-tech producer in Denmark. The paper discusses the linkages between actor networks, attempts to discuss how each makes claims to `competitiveness' and assesses how they mobilize each other in situations where one network is impacting on other networks to condition and change them. This reflects the intricate effects of different networks all having a spokesperson and a materiality that claim privileged access to `competitiveness' and its translation into organizational decision-making.
From Weakest Link to Security Hero: Transforming Staff Security Behavior

Abstract Practitioners, researchers and policy-makers involved with cyber security often talk about “security hygiene:” ways to encourage users of computer technology to use safe and secure behavior online. But how do we persuade workers to follow simple, fundamental processes to protect themselves and others? These issues are raised by behavioral scientists, to encourage worker, passenger and patient compliance. In this paper, we explore and summarize findings in social psychology about moral values and habit formation, and then integrate them into suggestions for transforming staff security behavior online.