Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nitrite Generates an Oxidant Stress and Increases Nitric Oxide in EA.hy926 Endothelial Cells

Nitrite is a breakdown product of nitric oxide that in turn is oxidized to nitrate in cells. In this work, we investigated whether reactive oxidant species might be generated during nitrite metabolism in cultured EA.hy926 endothelial cells. Nitrite was taken up by the cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner and oxidized to nitrate, which accumulated in cells to concentrations almost 10-fold those of nitrite. Conversion of low millimolar concentrations of nitrite to nitrate was associated with increased oxidant stress in the cells. This manifested as increased oxidation of dihydrofluorescein in tandem with depletion of both GSH and ascorbate. Further, loading cells with ascorbate or treatment with desferrioxamine prevented nitrite-induced dihydrofluorescein oxidation. Nitrite within cells also increased the fluorescence of 4-amino-5-methylamino-2′,7′-difluorofluorescein and inhibited the activity of cellular glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, which are markers of intracellular nitrosation reactions. Intracellular ascorbate partially prevented both of these effects of nitrite. Although ascorbate can reduce nitrite to nitric oxide at low pH, in endothelial cells loaded with ascorbate, its predominant effect at high nitrite concentrations is to prevent potentially damaging nitrosation reactions.
Value function approximation via low-rank models

We propose a novel value function approximation technique for Markov decision processes. We consider the problem of compactly representing the state-action value function using a low-rank and sparse matrix model. The problem is to decompose a matrix that encodes the true value function into low-rank and sparse components, and we achieve this using Robust Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Under minimal assumptions, this Robust PCA problem can be solved exactly via the Principal Component Pursuit convex optimization problem. We experiment the procedure on several examples and demonstrate that our method yields approximations essentially identical to the true function.
New decision variables for GNSS acquisition in the presence of CW interference

This paper investigates the problem of Global Navigation Satellite System signal acquisition using a consumer-grade receiver in the presence of continuous wave interference. By examining in detail the impact of interference on the acquisition search space, a set decision variables are developed. These decision variables leverage the systematic properties of the interference observed in the search space, manipulating or differencing portions of it to achieve improved detection performance. Strategies based on these variables are examined under a selection of operating scenarios including acquisition in the presence of interference when the receiver has some, or has no, a priori information regarding the interference. It is shown that a receiver employing these new schemes can tolerate up to 10 dB more interference power than a traditional receiver.
Interaction between GSTM1/GSTT1 Polymorphism and Blood Mercury on Birth Weight

Background Mercury (Hg) is toxic to both the reproductive and nervous systems. In addition, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), which conjugate glutathione to a variety of electrophilic compounds, are involved in the detoxification of Hg. Objective In this study we examined the association between prenatal exposure to Hg and birth weight as well as the influence of GST polymorphisms. Methods The total Hg concentration in maternal and cord blood was measured from 417 Korean women and newborns in the Mothers and Children’s Environmental Health study from 2006 to 2008. Information on birth weight was collected from the patients’ medical records. The genotyping of glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) polymorphisms was carried out using polymerase chain reaction. Regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the blood Hg concentration and birth weight in mothers with GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms. Results The geometric mean levels of Hg in the maternal blood during late pregnancy and in cord blood were 3.30 μg/L and 5.53 μg/L, respectively. For mothers with the GSTT1 null genotype, elevated Hg levels in maternal blood during late pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of lower birth weight. For mothers with both GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotype, both maternal and cord blood Hg levels were associated with lower birth weight. Conclusions This study suggests that the interactions of Hg with GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms play a role in reducing birth weight.
A unified format for traces of peer-to-peer systems

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) systems have recently emerged as a scalable platform for which costs are shared between the system users. Today, P2P technology is serving millions of users world-wide, with applications such as file sharing, video streaming, grid computing, and massively multiplayer online games. Such diversity and scale pose important research and technical problems, which in turn require a much better understanding of the usage patterns and of the performance bottlenecks. However, the large amounts of P2P monitoring and measurement data that already exist have not been made public, for fear of lack of anonymity and in lack of a standard format. To address this problem, in this work we propose a unified format for workloads of P2P systems. Our format stores information coming from many types of P2P applications at several levels of detail, has a structure that balances generic and application-specific data, and protects the anonymity of the peers whose personal information was captured in monitoring and measurement data. Using two large traces taken from real P2P systems we show evidence of the usefulness of the proposed format, and substantiate the hope that our unified format has the potential to become a standard for sharing P2P traces.
Enhancement of Hippocampal Neurogenesis by Lithium

Abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that mood disorders are associated with a reduction in regional CNS volume and neuronal and glial cell atrophy or loss. Lithium, a mainstay in the treatment of mood disorders, has recently been demonstrated to robustly increase the levels of the cytoprotective B‐cell lymphoma protein‐2 (bcl‐2) in areas of rodent brain and in cultured cells. In view of bcl‐2's antiapoptotic and neurotrophic effects, the present study was undertaken to determine if lithium affects neurogenesis in the adult rodent hippocampus. Mice were chronically treated with lithium, and 5‐bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling of dividing cells was conducted over 12 days. Immunohistochemical analysis was undertaken 1 day after the last injection, and three‐dimensional stereological cell counting revealed that lithium produced a significant 25% increase in the BrdU‐labeled cells in the dentate gyrus. Double‐labeling immunofluorescence studies were undertaken to co‐localize BrdU‐positive cells with neuron‐specific nuclear protein and showed that ∼65% of the cells were double‐labeled. These results add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that mood stabilizers and antidepressants exert neurotrophic effects and may therefore be of use in the long‐term treatment of other neuropsychiatric disorders.
Contraction mode itself does not determine the level of mTORC1 activity in rat skeletal muscle

Resistance training with eccentric contraction has been shown to augment muscle hypertrophy more than other contraction modes do (i.e., concentric and isometric contraction). However, the molecular mechanisms involved remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of muscle contraction mode on mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling using a standardized force‐time integral (load (weight) × contraction time). Male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups: eccentric contraction, concentric contraction, and isometric contraction. The right gastrocnemius muscle was exercised via percutaneous electrical stimulation‐induced maximal contraction. In experiment 1, different modes of muscle contraction were exerted using the same number of reps in all groups, while in experiment 2, muscle contractions were exerted using a standardized force‐time integral. Muscle samples were obtained immediately and 3 h after exercise. Phosphorylation of molecules associated with mTORC1 activity was assessed using western blot analysis. In experiment 1, the force‐time integral was significantly different among contraction modes with a higher force‐time integral for eccentric contraction compared to that for other contraction modes (P < 0.05). In addition, the force‐time integral was higher for concentric contraction compared to that for isometric contraction (P < 0.05). Similarly, p70S6K phosphorylation level was higher for eccentric contraction than for other modes of contraction (P < 0.05), and concentric contraction was higher than isometric contraction (P < 0.05) 3 h after exercise. In experiment 2, under the same force‐time integral, p70S6K (Thr389) and 4E‐BP1 phosphorylation levels were similar among contraction modes 3 h after exercise. Our results suggest that mTORC1 activity is not determined by differences in muscle contraction mode itself. Instead, mTORC1 activity is determined by differences in the force‐time integral during muscle contraction.
Capital humano: uma visão desde a perspectiva da teoria crítica

This work is the result of human capital research as an economic growth factor, in which it is developed a critical reflection on human capital theory, it is addressed from the economic theory and the analysis has as a reference the approaches from the Frankfurt School, especially in what has to do with the use from perspective of rationality. From the methodological point of view it is a qualitative research, based on a process of interpretive and hermeneutic understanding of historical type, the method responds to an objective description, interpretation, argument for moving towards the understanding of the thematic studied in a dialectical process. As a result of the research process an analysis of the instrumentalization of education, training, work capacity and health status of man is made, and even of your own self, which are considered of the same nature as a machine and are reified to be converted into commercial goods sold in the market, which determines the possibility of placing a paid market productivity of a particular type of work, human action itself and the development of their superior capacities that should allow contribute to achieve a better society and a better life.
Glucocorticoid Regulation of Human and Ovine Parturition: The Relationship Between Fetal Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activation and Intrauterine Prostaglandin Production

Abstract Birth in many animal species and in humans is associated with activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function in the fetus and the increased influence of glucocorticoids on trophoblast cells of the placenta and fetal membranes. We suggest that in ovine pregnancy glucocorticoids directly increase fetal placental prostaglandin production, and indirectly increase prostaglandin production by maternal uterine tissues through the stimulation of placental estradiol synthesis. The events of ovine parturition are compared with those of human parturition. In the latter, we suggest similar direct effects of glucocorticoids on prostaglandin synthesis and metabolism in fetal membranes and similar indirect effects mediated by glucocorticoid-stimulated increases in intrauterine corticotropin-releasing hormone expression.
Interaction Between Strategic Commitment to Price and Downstream Innovation in Time Sensitive Markets

In this paper we examine the interaction between strategic commitment to price and downstream innovation, and the relatively downstream innovation, pricing, and the optimal quoted delivery time for the channel operates in a make-to-order fashion. We use this analysis to show how the performances of the time-sensitive channel are affected by the interaction between full commitment and full flexibility.
A non-reference image area division based on deep learning

As the human eye on the image of different regions of the contrast sensitivity is different, it is particularly important to segment the image region more accurately in the image quality evaluation. Based on this, this paper presents a non-reference image region division method based on deep learning. Firstly, the Canny operator performs image edge detection at low threshold to obtain the strong edge (edge 1) and weak edge (texture) of the image. And then, using edge detection of sparse dictionary (EDOSD) model to get edge 2, which is used to match with the previous edge 1 to choose appropriate segmentation threshold to segment edge and texture more accurately. Finally, the gray image is checked to get flat region of the image. Compared with other algorithms, this method can accurately segment image regions without original image. It is a better strategy to meet the needs of people.
Bandwidth on demand for deployed-IP users

The increased expectation for instantaneous, global communications is at odds with the existence of areas that have little or no communications infrastructure. Telephones and their supporting ground-based systems are not as ubiquitous as first-world enterprises might believe. Cell phones require some minimal number of support systems, whether ground or satellite based. Even in areas that have a considerable communications infrastructure, consider what would happen if disaster struck, as it unfortunately did in Sumatra and Indonesia in late December 2004. Restoring communications might require a quickly deployable, temporary communications system. In these situations, commercial satellite communications (satcom) has some unique advantages. With the advent of IP services characterized by short messages such as Internet packets, satcom transmission technologies such as MF TDMA provide a very effective means of quickly deploying a communications infrastructure. The bandwidth-on-demand concept uses the dynamic and flexible allocation of bandwidth across a range of frequencies and a large pool of timeslots. This is the most advanced step toward the nirvana of transmissions at any time across any and all frequencies. Commercial satcom is already beginning to provide direct TV and IP capability into planes, trains, buses, ships, and automobiles. A move to ultra-small satcom terminals for the busy executive is on the horizon. This would be one suitcase-sized package with easy setup, permitting a user to quickly go on the air. In the future, commercial satcom might use other techniques-such as bandwidth reuse, spread spectrum, multifrequency, and echo cancellation - for greater efficiency.
Identifying players in broadcast sports videos using conditional random fields

We are interested in the problem of automatic tracking and identification of players in broadcast sport videos shot with a moving camera from a medium distance. While there are many good tracking systems, there are fewer methods that can identify the tracked players. Player identification is challenging in such videos due to blurry facial features (due to fast camera motion and low-resolution) and rarely visible jersey numbers (which, when visible, are deformed due to player movements). We introduce a new system consisting of three components: a robust tracking system, a robust person identification system, and a conditional random field (CRF) model that can perform joint probabilistic inference about the player identities. The resulting system is able to achieve a player recognition accuracy up to 85% on unlabeled NBA basketball clips.
Walking the balance BEAM: the art and science of becoming a successful clinical teacher.

(Fam Med 2002;34(7):498-9. ) Editor ’s Note: In this month’s column, Jamee Lucas, MD; Patricia Wilson-Witherspoon, MD; and Elizabeth Baxley, MD, present a unique mnemonic to assist us with approaches to clinical teaching. All the authors are faculty at the University of South Carolina Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. I welcome your comments about this feature, which is also published on the STFM Web site at www.stfm. org. I also encourage all predoctoral directors to make copies of this feature and distribute it to their preceptors (with the appropriate Family Medici ne citation). Send your submissions to Paul Paulman, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Department of Fami l y Medi ci ne, 983075 Nebraska M edi cal Center, Omaha, NE 68198-3075. 402-559-6818. Fax: 402-559-6501. ppaulman@unmc.edu. Submissions should be no longer than 3–4 double-spaced pages. References can be used but are not required. Count each table or figure as one page of text.
The experiences of staff in a specialist mental health service in relation to development of skills for the provision of person centred care for people with dementia

It is estimated that 820,000 people in the UK have dementia. Dementia costs the UK 17 billion a year and in the next 30 years this will treble to over £50 billion a year. There is a need to raise competence of staff delivering care to people living with dementia across health, social and voluntary sector provision. Effective education and training will build capacity and improve staff knowledge. However, at present not enough is known about the experiences of staff involved in gaining the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to support provision of high quality care for people with dementia. This study was conducted within a large National Health Service Trust in the UK serving an urban, ethnically mixed population, in collaboration with a local university. The trust responded to government policy by seeking to identify staff training needs. The aim was to explore the experiences of staff working within a specialist mental health service in relation to development of skills for the provision of person-centred care for people with dementia. To achieve this, staff roles, experiences of dementia training and the ways in which staff feel they learn were explored through focus group interviews. Relatives’ views of staff competencies necessary for effective care provision were also explored to supplement the data from staff. A total of 70 staff and 16 family carers participated and data were subjected to inductive thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: competency-based skills, beliefs, enablers and barriers and ways of learning. Findings suggested participants felt that skills for person-centred care were innate and could not be taught, while effective ways of learning were identified as learning by doing, learning from each other and learning from experience.
Integrative data analysis indicates an intrinsic disordered domain character of Argonaute-binding motifs

MOTIVATION Argonaute-interacting WG/GW proteins are characterized by the presence of repeated sequence motifs containing glycine (G) and tryptophan (W). The motifs seem to be remarkably adaptive to amino acid substitutions and their sequences show non-contiguity. Our previous approach to the detection of GW domains, based on scoring their gross amino acid composition, allowed annotation of several novel proteins involved in gene silencing. The accumulation of new experimental data and more advanced applications revealed some deficiency of the algorithm in prediction selectivity. Additionally, W-motifs, though critical in gene regulation, have not yet been annotated in any available online resources. RESULTS We present an improved set of computational tools allowing efficient management and annotation of W-based motifs involved in gene silencing. The new prediction algorithms provide novel functionalities by annotation of the W-containing domains at the local sequence motif level rather than by overall compositional properties. This approach represents a significant improvement over the previous method in terms of prediction sensitivity and selectivity. Application of the algorithm allowed annotation of a comprehensive list of putative Argonaute-interacting proteins across eukaryotes. An in-depth characterization of the domains' properties indicates its intrinsic disordered character. In addition, we created a knowledge-based portal (whub) that provides access to tools and information on RNAi-related tryptophan-containing motifs. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The web portal and tools are freely available at http://www.comgen. pl/whub. CONTACT wmk@amu.edu. pl SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Stress och minnesfunktion

Kognitiva funktioner har visats kunna paverkas av stress och det ar valkant att strukturer i hjarnan involverade i minnesfunktion kan direkt paverkas av stresshormoner. Det finns ett antal studier som visar att patienter som lider av stressrelaterad psykisk ohalsa uppvisar en forsamrad kognitiv formaga, bland annat forsamrad minnesfunktion. Klinisk erfarenhet bekraftar att patienter med utmattningssyndrom ofta upplever att kognitiva nedsattningar ar bland det mest besvarande symtomen. Det ar angelaget att mer forskning gors inom detta omrade sa att storre hansyn till kognitiv funktion kan tas nar det galler utredning, behandling och rehabilitering av patienter med stressrelaterad psykisk ohalsa. Increased psychosocial stress, observed during the last years is mainly reflected in increased mental illness. Cognitive function has been shown to be affected by psycosocial stress and it is well known that brain structures involved in memory processes are vulnerable to long-term stress.
Squaring the circle: how framing influences user behavior around a seamless cylindrical display

Recent research has presented large public displays in novel non-flat shapes such as spheres, curved planes and cylinders, and looked at the influence of the form factor on user behavior. Yet, the basic shape cannot be considered in isolation when interpreting the behavior of passers-by around such displays. In this paper we investigate two further display factors, framedness and seamlessness, that have to be considered in conjunction with the form factor to understand user behavior in front of large non-flat displays. We present the findings from a field study with an interactive column display and take a closer look at how these factors influence actor and bystander behavior. Our results show that rectangular frames act as a sort of funnel for user position and can easily override effects of the non-flat shape on user position and interaction, even though the users didn't recall the presence of these frames.