Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Type 2 Diabetes: Endothelial dysfunction and Exercise

[Purpose] Vascular endothelial dysfunction is an early marker of atherosclerosis characterized by decreased nitric oxide bioavailability in the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells. Recently, some animal models and in vitro trials demonstrated that excessive superoxide production from mitochondria within vascular endothelial cells played a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes. This review provides a systematic assessment of the effectiveness of exercise to identify effective approaches to recognize diabetes risk and prevent progression to heart disease. [Methods] A systematic literature search was conducted to retrieve articles from 1979 to 2013 using the following databases: the MEDLINE, PubMed. Articles had to describe an intervention that physical activity and exercise to identify effective approaches to heart and vascular endothelium. [Results] Currently, physical activity and exercise guidelines aimed to improve cardiovascular health in patients with type 2 diabetes are nonspecific. Benefit of aerobic exercise training on vascular endothelial function in type 2 diabetic patients is still controversial. [Conclusion] it is necessary to demonstrate the mechanism of endothelial dysfunction from live human tissues so that we can provide more specific exercise training regimens to enhance cardiovascular health in type 2 diabetic patients.
Proof of Freshness : How to efficiently use an online single secure clock to secure shared untrusted memory

We address the problem of using an untrusted server with a small trusted module to provide trusted storage for a large number of clients, where each client may own and use several different devices that may be offline at different times and may not be able to communicate with each other except through the untrusted server. We introduce a new cryptographic primitive: freshness schemes. We show and prove how the primitive can be used to implement tamper-evident trusted storage for a large number of users using a single constant-sized trusted secure clock and constant communication cost per operation, regardless of the number of clients and devices per client.
Effects of early‐life exposure to THIP on brainstem neuronal excitability in the Mecp2‐null mouse model of Rett syndrome before and after drug withdrawal

Rett syndrome (RTT) is mostly caused by mutations of the X‐linked MECP2 gene. Although the causal neuronal mechanisms are still unclear, accumulating experimental evidence obtained from Mecp2−/Y mice suggests that imbalanced excitation/inhibition in central neurons plays a major role. Several approaches may help to rebalance the excitation/inhibition, including agonists of GABAA receptors (GABAAR). Indeed, our previous studies have shown that early‐life exposure of Mecp2‐null mice to the extrasynaptic GABAAR agonist THIP alleviates several RTT‐like symptoms including breathing disorders, motor dysfunction, social behaviors, and lifespan. However, how the chronic THIP affects the Mecp2−/Y mice at the cellular level remains elusive. Here, we show that the THIP exposure in early lives markedly alleviated hyperexcitability of two types of brainstem neurons in Mecp2−/Y mice. In neurons of the locus coeruleus (LC), known to be involved in breathing regulation, the hyperexcitability showed clear age‐dependence, which was associated with age‐dependent deterioration of the RTT‐like breathing irregularities. Both the neuronal hyperexcitability and the breathing disorders were relieved with early THIP treatment. In neurons of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (Me5), both the neuronal hyperexcitability and the changes in intrinsic membrane properties were alleviated with the THIP treatment in Mecp2‐null mice. The effects of THIP on both LC and Me5 neuronal excitability remained 1 week after withdrawal. Persistent alleviation of breathing abnormalities in Mecp2−/Y mice was also observed a week after THIP withdrawal. These results suggest that early‐life exposure to THIP, a potential therapeutic medicine, appears capable of controlling neuronal hyperexcitability in Mecp2−/Y mice, which occurs in the absence of THIP in the recording solution, lasts at least 1 week after withdrawal, and may contribute to the RTT‐like symptom mitigation.
Relationship of Delayed Parenteral Nutrition Protocol with the Clinical Outcomes in a Medical Intensive Care Unit

Although parenteral nutrition (PN) is an important treatment for patients who are unable to tolerate enteral nutrition (EN), recent international guidelines recommended that PN should be reserved and initiated only after 7 days in well-nourished patients. This retrospective study was conducted to analyze the effect on clinical outcomes of a PN protocol with PN starting 4 days after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Eighty-one patients who were admitted from January to March of 2012 were included in the pre-protocol group, and 74 patients who were admitted from April to June of 2012 were included in the post-protocol group. There were no significant differences between the two groups when the age, gender, and admission Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores were compared. Significantly fewer patients in the post-protocol group were provided PN (58.1% vs. 81.3%, p = 0.002), which was initiated significantly later than in the pre-protocol group (2.7 ± 2.2 days vs. 1.9 ± 2.0 days, p = 0.046). Five patients (6.2%) in the pre-protocol group acquired central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLA-BSI) in the ICU, yet none of the patients in the post-protocol group developed CLA-BSI (p = 0.03). The duration of antibiotic therapy and ICU stay were significantly shorter in the post-protocol group than in the pre-protocol group. By delaying initiation of PN, short-term clinical outcomes including incidence of CLA-BSI, antibiotic use, and ICU stay might be improved. Further research should be conducted to investigate the long-term effects of the decreased nutrient intake resulting from delayed PN.
Tectonics of the West Antarctic Rift System : New Light on the History and Dynamics of Distributed Intracontinental Extension C .

s (part 1), 32nd International Geological Congress, Florence, Italy, 2004, Abstract 86-9, p. 423. Scott, J. M. , and A. F. Cooper. 2006. Early Cretaceous extensional exhumation of the lower crust of a magmatic arc: Evidence from the Mount Irene Shear Zone, Fiordland, New Zealand. Tectonics 25, doi.10. 1029/2005TC001890. Siddoway, C. S. , S. Baldwin, G. Fitzgerald, C. M. Fanning, and B. P. Luyendyk. 2004a. Ross Sea mylonites and the timing of intracontinental extension within the West Antarctic rift system. Geology 32:57-60. Siddoway, C. S. , S. M. Richard, C. M. Fanning, and B. P. Luyendyk. 2004b. Origin and emplacement of a middle Cretaceous gneiss dome, Fosdick Mountains, West Antarctica. In Gneiss Domes in Orogeny, eds. D. L. Whitney, C. Teyssier, and C. S. Siddoway, Geological Society of America Special Paper 380:267-294. Siddoway, C. S. , L. C. Sass III, and R. Esser. 2005. Kinematic history of Marie Byrd Land terrane, West Antarctica: Direct evidence from Cretaceous mafic dykes. In Terrane Processes at the Margin of Gondwana, eds. A. Vaughan, P. Leat and R. J. Pankhurst, Geological Society of London Special Publication 246:417-438. Siddoway, C. S. , C. M. Fanning, S. C. Kruckenberg, and S. C. Fadrhonc. 2006. U-Pb SHRIMP investigation of the timing and duration of melt production and migration in a Pacific margin gneiss dome, Fosdick Mountains, Antarctica. Eos Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting Supplement 87, Abstract V23D-0661. Sieminski, A. , E. Debayle, and J. J. Leveque. 2003. Seismic evidence for deep low-velocity anomalies in the transition zone beneath West Antarctica. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 216:645-661. Smith, C. H. 1992. Metapelitic migmatites at the granulite facies transition, Fosdick Mountains, Antarctica. In Recent Progress in Antarctic Earth Science, eds. Y. Yoshida, K. Kaminuma, and K. Shiraishi, pp. 295-301. Tokyo: Terra Publications. Smith, C. H. 1996. Migmatites of the Alexandra Mountains, West Antarctica: Pressure-temperature conditions of formation and regional context. Geologisches Jahrbuch B 52:169-178. Smith, C. H. 1997. Mid-crustal processes during Cretaceous rifting, Fosdick Mountains, Marie Byrd Land. In The Antarctic Region: Geological Evolution and Processes, ed. C. A. Ricci, pp. 313-320. Siena: Terra Antartica Publication.
ING4 suppresses tumor angiogenesis and functions as a prognostic marker in human colorectal cancer

ING4, a potential tumor suppressor, is implicated in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, cell migration and angiogenesis. Here, we investigated the clinical value of ING4 and its impact on angiogenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we found that ING4 expression was significantly reduced in CRC tissues versus paired normal colon tissues. Moreover, low ING4 expression was significantly associated with increased lymph node metastasis, advanced TNM stage and poor overall survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that ING4 expression was an independent favourable prognostic factor for CRC (hazard ratio = 0.45, P = 0.001). In addition, we found that ING4 strongly inhibited CRC angiogenesis by suppressing Sp1 expression and transcriptional activity through ubiquitin degradation and down-regulating the expressions of Sp1 downstream pro-angiogenic genes, MMP-2 and COX-2. Moreover, ING4 might inhibit phosphorylation activity of cyclin/CDK2 complexes to trigger Sp1 degradation by inducing p21 expression in despite of p53 status. Our findings imply that reduced ING4 expression in CRC resulted in increased angiogenesis and contributed to CRC metastasis and poor prognosis. Restoration of ING4 may be a novel strategy for the treatment of metastatic CRC.
Closing the Gender Gap: The Case for Gender-Specific Alcoholism Research

As the number of women who use alcohol increases, so does the number of women who engage in alcohol abuse and develop alcohol dependence. The recent increased focus on women and gender differences in alcoholism research has largely come about following recognition that the face of alcoholism is changing, with alcoholism rates among men remaining stable and rising among women, particularly in younger women. As such, the need to understand gender differences in both acute and long-term effects of alcohol abuse has never been more critical. Gender differences in the long-term effects of chronic alcoholism on the brain and other systems are currently under debate, often with a focus on proclaiming whether men or women suffer the most impact. However, the story appears to be more complex than that. The issue of how alcoholism interacts with gender is complicated, as gender differences in many factors including alcohol metabolism, alcoholism progression, problematic drinking patterns, neurobiology, hormones, and psychiatric comorbidities will contribute to the differences in structural and functional outcomes observed experimentally across domains of inquiry. While women are now much more commonly included in studies of alcohol’s effects on the brain, there remains a need for more explicit examinations of gender effects.
International Conference on Modern Circuits and Systems Technologies ( MOCAST ) Dynamically Reconfigurable Power Efficient Security for Internet of Things Devices

Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly gaining ground as one of the most important technologies of our time with security being one of it’s biggest challenges. Two designs are proposed within this paper to tackle the IOT security problem. The first design is a power adaptive encryption solution that adapts to the available power budget by selecting one of four encryption algorithms: AES-256, AES-192, AES-128, or DES. This allows the data to be secured even under a strict power budget, which was not applicable using conventional designs. The second design implements NDES without using any more resources than those conventionally used by single DES. This provides an average decrease in resource utilization by 54% and a decrease of 63% in the power consumption in 3DES configuration. Both designs use Dynamic Partial Reconfiguration (DPR) technology to allow the switching between the configurations using minimal area and power consumption. The proposed designs were implemented on a ZedBoard development board after being synthesized using Xilinx Vivado 2015.2.
Adjustment in EMU : Is Convergence Assured ? – Preliminary version

Using a modified version of the model presented by Belke and Gros (2007), we analyze the stability of adjustment in a currency union. Using econometric estimates for parameter values we check the stability conditions for the 11 original EMU countries and Greece. We found significant instability in the model for a large number of countries. We then simulate the adjustment process for some empirically observed parameter values and find that even for countries with relatively smooth adjustment, the adjustment to a price shock in EMU might take several decades.
Association of a Functional Variant in the Wnt Co-Receptor LRP6 with Early Onset Ileal Crohn's Disease

Ileal Crohn's Disease (CD), a chronic small intestinal inflammatory disorder, is characterized by reduced levels of the antimicrobial peptides DEFA5 (HD-5) and DEFA6 (HD-6). Both of these α-defensins are exclusively produced in Paneth cells (PCs) at small intestinal crypt bases. Different ileal CD–associated genes including NOD2, ATG16L1, and recently the β-catenin–dependant Wnt transcription factor TCF7L2 have been linked to impaired PC antimicrobial function. The Wnt pathway influences gut mucosal homeostasis and PC maturation, besides directly controlling HD-5/6 gene expression. The herein reported candidate gene study focuses on another crucial Wnt factor, the co-receptor low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6). We analysed exonic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a large cohort (Oxford: n = 1,893) and prospectively tested 2 additional European sample sets (Leuven: n = 688, Vienna: n = 1,628). We revealed an association of a non-synonymous SNP (rs2302685; Ile1062Val) with early onset ileal CD (OR 1.8; p = 0.00034; for homozygous carriers: OR 4.1; p = 0.00004) and additionally with penetrating ileal CD behaviour (OR 1.3; p = 0.00917). In contrast, it was not linked to adult onset ileal CD, colonic CD, or ulcerative colitis. Since the rare variant is known to impair LRP6 activity, we investigated its role in patient mucosa. Overall, LRP6 mRNA was diminished in patients independently from the genotype. Analysing the mRNA levels of PC product in biopsies from genotyped individuals (15 controls, 32 ileal, and 12 exclusively colonic CD), we found particularly low defensin levels in ileal CD patients who were carrying the variant. In addition, we confirmed a direct relationship between LRP6 activity and the transcriptional expression of HD-5 using transient transfection. Taken together, we identified LRP6 as a new candidate gene in ileal CD. Impairments in Wnt signalling and Paneth cell biology seem to represent pathophysiological hallmarks in small intestinal inflammation and should therefore be considered as interesting targets for new therapeutic approaches.
An experimental study of exploiting multipath fading for robot communications

A simple approach for mobile robots to exploit multipath fading in order to improve received radio signal strength (RSS), is presented. The strategy is to sample the RSS at discrete points, without deviating too far from the desired position. We first solve the problem of how many samples are needed for given communications performance and how they should be spaced. Second, we propose a circular and a grid trajectory for sampling and give lower bounds on how many samples they will yield. Third, we estimate the parameters of our strategy from measurements. Finally we demonstrate the validity of our analysis through experiments.
Linear and Non-Linear Models for Purchase Prediction

In this paper, we present our approach for the task of product purchase prediction. In the task, there are a collection of sequences of click events: click sessions. For some of the sessions, there are also buying events. The target of this task is to predict whether a user is going to buy something or not in a session, and if the user is buying, which products (items) the user is going to buy. In our approach, we treat the task as a classification problem and use linear and non-linear models to make the predictions, and then build an ensemble system based on the output of the individual systems. The evaluation results show that our final system is effective on the test data.
Quality Classifications in Competition: Price Formation in the German Wine Market

How do judgment devices influence price formation? We investigate this question through a study of the German wine market. The German wine market is characterized by the simultaneous existence of two classification systems: the official classification system referring to the quality in the glass, and the concept of terroir, introduced by a private association of quality winemakers, the Verband deutscher Pradikatsweinguter. We used a data set comprising 1,890 wines from 248 different wineries in the German wine-growing regions of Rheingau and Rheinhessen. Our results show that the two classification systems function as mutually exclusive strategic options for winemakers. We also show that the non-official classification of terroir is much more powerful in explaining price formation within the market.
Investigating ChaMPlane X-Ray Sources in the Galactic Bulge with Magellan LDSS2 Spectra

We have carried out optical and X-ray spectral analyses on a sample of 136 candidate optical counterparts of X-ray sources found in five Galactic bulge fields included in our Chandra Multiwavelength Plane Survey. We use a combination of optical spectral fitting and quantile X-ray analysis to obtain the hydrogen column density toward each object, and a three-dimensional dust model of the Galaxy to estimate the most probable distance in each case. We present the discovery of a population of stellar coronal emission sources, likely consisting of pre-main-sequence, young main-sequence, and main-sequence stars, as well as a component of active binaries of RS CVn or BY Dra type. We identify one candidate quiescent low-mass X-ray binary with a subgiant companion; we note that this object may also be an RS CVn system. We report the discovery of three new X-ray-detected cataclysmic variables (CVs) in the direction of the Galactic center (at distances ≲2 kpc). This number is in excess of predictions made with a simple CV model based on a local CV space density of ≲10−5 pc−3, and a scale height ~200 pc. We discuss several possible reasons for this observed excess.
A time series 3D hierarchy for real-time dynamic point cloud interaction

Point-based scanning is commonly used for 3D data acquisition. Applications can simply adopt a point cloud representation avoiding the computational complexity of connectivity construction. Despite many state-of-the-art algorithms discussing point cloud representation and rendering, research on dynamic point cloud visualization and interaction still lacks sufficient attention. We propose a time series hierarchy for interactive rendering of dynamic point-based 3D models. The synchronization of spatio-temporal attributes in the hierarchy makes this structure novel. A balanced hierarchy together with a compact quantization encoding scheme, results in higher precision, efficient memory usage and responsive user interaction. This representation provides smooth visualization of dense dynamic point-based models, in long sequences of 3D frames, at interactive frame rates and quality rendering, which can be displayed on regular desktops or mobile devices in either single-view or multi-view mode. A prototype system is implemented to validate the feasibility of our approach.
Influence of organic manures and weed control methods on weed control efficiency in winter irrigated cotton

Field experiment was conducted during winter irrigated season at Department of Farm Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to find out the effect of organic manures and weed management practices on weed control efficiency in cotton. The experiment was laid out in a strip plot design. Treatments viz., farmyard manure, vermicompost, goat manure and composted poultry manure were assigned to main plot; while hand weeding, twin wheel hoe weeding, power weeding and weedy check were assigned to sub plot and replicated thrice. Weeding operations were done at 20 and 40 DAS. Results indicated that among the organic manures, composted poultry manure recorded significantly lower weed density (78.93 No. m-2) and dry weight (25.08 g m-2) which was comparable with goat manure. Among the weed management practices, hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAS recorded lower total weed density (55.24 No. m-2), dry weight (26.57 g m-2) and higher weed control efficiency (83.53%) followed by power weeding at 20 and 40 DAS. Based on the results, it can be concluded that application of composted poultry manure along with hand weeding or power weeding can be recommended as an effective weed management practice for better weed control in organic cotton cultivation system.
The illness perception questionnaire: A new method for assessing the cognitive representation of illness

Abstract The Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) is a new method for assessing cognitive representations of illness. The IPQ is a theoretically derived measure comprising five scales that provides information about the five components that have been found to underlie the cognitive representation of illness. The five scales assess identity - the symptoms the patient associates with the illness, cause - personal ideas about aetiology, time-line - the perceived duration of the illness, consequences - expected effects and outcome and cure control - how one controls or recovers from the illness. The IPQ has a specific number of core items but allows the user to add items for particular patient groups or health threats. Data is presented supporting the reliability and validity of the IPQ scales in different chronic illness populations.
Predictor development for controlling real-time applications over the Internet

Predictor Development for Controlling Real-Time Applications over the Internet. (December 2005) Mallik Kommaraju, B.Tech., Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Alexander Parlos Over the past decade there has been a growing demand for interactive multimedia applications deployed over public IP networks. To achieve acceptable Quality of Service (QoS) without significantly modifying the existing infrastructure, the end-to-end applications need to optimize their behavior and adapt according to network characteristics. Most existing application optimization techniques are based on reactive strategies, i.e. reacting to occurrences of congestion. We propose the use of predictive control to address the problem in an anticipatory manner. This research deals with developing models to predict end-to-end single flow characteristics of Wide Area Networks (WANs). A novel signal, in the form of single flow packet accumulation, is proposed for feedback purposes. This thesis presents a variety of effective predictors for the above signal using Auto-Regressive (AR) models, Radial Basis Functions (RBF) and Sparse Basis Functions (SBF). The study consists of three sections. We first develop timeseries models to predict the accumulation signal. Since encoder bit-rate is the most logical and generic control input, a statistical analysis is conducted to analyze the effect of input bit-rate on end-to-end delay and the accumulation signal. Finally, models are developed using this bit-rate as an input to predict the resulting accumulation signal. The predictors are evaluated based on Noise-to-Signal Ratio (NSR) along with their accuracy with increasing accumulation levels. In time-series models,