Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diabetes-induced Coronary Vascular Dysfunction Involves Increased Arginase Activity

Increases in arginase activity have been reported in a variety of disease conditions characterized by vascular dysfunction. Arginase competes with NO synthase for their common substrate arginine, suggesting a cause and effect relationship. We tested this concept by experiments with streptozotocin diabetic rats and high glucose (HG)-treated bovine coronary endothelial cells (BCECs). Our studies showed that diabetes-induced impairment of vasorelaxation to acetylcholine was correlated with increases in reactive oxygen species and arginase activity and arginase I expression in aorta and liver. Treatment of diabetic rats with simvastatin (5 mg/kg per day, subcutaneously) or l-citrulline (50 mg/kg per day, orally) blunted these effects. Acute treatment of diabetic coronary arteries with arginase inhibitors also reversed the impaired vasodilation to acetylcholine. Treatment of BCECs with HG (25 mmol/L, 24 hours) also increased arginase activity. This effect was blocked by treatment with simvastatin (0.1 &mgr;mol/L), the Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 (10 &mgr;mol/L), or l-citrulline (1 mmol/L). Superoxide and active RhoA levels also were elevated in HG-treated BCECs. Furthermore, HG significantly diminished NO production in BCECs. Transfection of BCECs with arginase I small interfering RNA prevented the rise in arginase activity in HG-treated cells and normalized NO production, suggesting a role for arginase I in reduced NO production with HG. These results indicate that increased arginase activity in diabetes contributes to vascular endothelial dysfunction by decreasing l-arginine availability to NO synthase.
Rab GTPases associate with isolated lipid droplets (LDs) and show altered content after ethanol administration: potential role in alcohol-impaired LD metabolism.

BACKGROUND Alcoholic liver disease is manifested by the presence of fatty liver, primarily due to accumulation of hepatocellular lipid droplets (LDs). The presence of membrane-trafficking proteins (e.g., Rab GTPases) with LDs indicates that LDs may be involved in trafficking pathways known to be altered in ethanol (EtOH) damaged hepatocytes. As these Rab GTPases are crucial regulators of protein trafficking, we examined the effect EtOH administration has on hepatic Rab protein content and association with LDs. METHODS Male Wistar rats were pair-fed Lieber-DeCarli diets for 5 to 8 weeks. Whole liver and isolated LD fractions were analyzed. Identification of LDs and associated Rab proteins was performed in frozen liver or paraffin-embedded sections followed by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS Lipid accumulation was characterized by larger LD vacuoles and increased total triglyceride content in EtOH-fed rats. Rabs 1, 2, 3d, 5, 7, and 18 were analyzed in postnuclear supernatant (PNS) as well as LDs. All of the Rabs were found in the PNS, and Rabs 1, 2, 5, and 7 did not show alcohol-altered content, while Rab 3d content was reduced by over 80%, and Rab 18 also showed EtOH-induced reduction in content. Rab 3d was not found to associate with LDs, while all other Rabs were found in the LD fractions, and several showed an EtOH-related decrease (Rabs 2, 5, 7, 18). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed the enhanced content of a LD-associated protein, perilipin 2 (PLIN2) that was paralleled with an associated decrease of Rab 18 in EtOH-fed rat sections. CONCLUSIONS Chronic EtOH feeding was associated with increased PLIN2 and altered Rab GTPase content in enriched LD fractions. Although mechanisms driving these changes are not established, further studies on intracellular protein trafficking and LD biology after alcohol administration will likely contribute to our understanding of fatty liver disease.
A scheduling policy based on different users' requirements in base station cooperation systems

The study of the scheduling is one of the key issues in the downlink of the base station cooperation communication. Traditional scheduling policies for users focus on the edge transmission rate and the average transmission rate of cells unilaterally, which leads to irrational allocation of resources. This paper proposes a scheduling policy based on different QoS (Quality of Service) Requirement of users aiming at maximizing the capacity (namely the number of users who are served by a system) of the system, which can allocate resources reasonably according to the users' required rate and allowed delay while taking the enhancement of the throughput of cells into account. Simulation results show that compared with traditional users scheduling policies, the new policy can improve the capacity of cells greatly at the cost of a small reduction of throughput.
Verifying the Mondex Case Study The KeY Approach

The Mondex Case study is still the most substantial contribution to the Grand Challenge repository. It has been the target of a number of formal verification efforts. Those efforts concentrated on correctness proofs for refinement steps of the specification in various specification formalisms using different verification tools. Here, the results of full functional verification of a JavaCard implementation of the case study is reported. The functional behavior of the application as well as the security properties to be proven were formalized in JML and verified using the KeY tool, a verification tool for deductive verifying JavaCard code. The implementation developed followed, as closely as possible, the concrete layer of the case study’s original Z specification. The result demonstrates that, with an appropriate specification language and verification tool, it is possible to bridge the gap between specification and implementation ensuring a fully verified result. The complete material—source code, proofs and binaries of the verification system as well this report—is available at http://www.key-project.org/case studies/mondex.html. key words: Formal Methods, Specification, Program Verification, Deductive Verification, Design by Contract, JavaCard, JML, KeY Tool
Generalized Discrete Software Reliability Modeling With Effect of Program Size

Generalized methods for software reliability growth modeling have been proposed so far. But, most of them are on continuous-time software reliability growth modeling. Many discrete software reliability growth models (SRGM) have been proposed to describe a software reliability growth process depending on discrete testing time such as the number of days (or weeks); the number of executed test cases. In this paper, we discuss generalized discrete software reliability growth modeling in which the software failure-occurrence times follow a discrete probability distribution. Our generalized discrete SRGMs enable us to assess software reliability in consideration of the effect of the program size, which is one of the influential factors related to the software reliability growth process. Specifically, we develop discrete SRGMs in which the software failure-occurrence times follow geometric and discrete Rayleigh distributions, respectively. Moreover, we derive software reliability assessment measures based on a unified framework for discrete software reliability growth modeling. Additionally, we also discuss optimal software release problems based on our generalized discrete software reliability growth modeling. Finally, we show numerical examples of software reliability assessment by using actual fault-counting data
Degenerative Changes in Lumbar Region Always Lead to Bilateral Degenerative Changes in Knee-Joints and Vice-Versa: Sensation of Pain Cannot Only be The Parameter of Degeneration

The perception of pain through gait control theory was promulgated five decade ago. It involves a process of inhibitory pain modulator at the spinal cord level. The present paper aims with detailed observations, involving a large number of patients, that knee joint pain may not be felt when there are degenerative changes in the lumbar region due to disc compression. But disc compression at lumbar region always leads to degenerative changes in the knees, whether pain is felt or not. Similarly knee joint pain with degenerative tissue damage is always associated with disc compression at lumbar region, whether pain is felt or not. This phenomenon is obvious in large number of patients irrespective of sex, age, bodyweight, lifestyle and ethnic barriers, examined with either pain in knee joints or in lumbar region. This research is supported by anatomical measurements, radiological and biochemical reports. This present study revels for the first time a new method of anatomical measurements with supportive clinical observations.
Varieties of sums of powers Dedicated to the memory of Alf B

The variety of sums of powers of a homogeneous polynomial of degree d in n variables is defined and investigated in some examples, old and new. These varieties are studied via apolarity and syzygies. In the last case the variety of sums of 8 powers of a general cubic form is a Fano 5-fold of index 1 and degree 660.
Risikokalkulation bei häuslicher Gewalt Risk Assessment for Domestic Violence

In den USA und in Kanada wurden in den vergangenen Jahren verschiedene spezifische RiskAssessment-Instrumente (Prognoseinstrumente) entwickelt, um die Wiederauftretenswahrscheinlichkeit von häuslicher Gewalt zu schätzen. Das Ziel der Übersichtsarbeit ist es, einen systematischen Überblick über diese Risk-AssessmentInstrumente zu geben und im Hinblick auf ihre Validität und praktische Anwendbarkeit zu diskutieren. Als Grundlage der Aufarbeitung der Literatur diente eine systematische Literaturrecherche in den Datenbanken PubMed, PsycINFO und PSYNDEX im Februar 2010: Die verwendeten und zum Teil miteinander kombinierten Schlagwörter waren „domestic violence“, „interpersonal violence“ (einschließlich der Abkürzung „IPV“), „lethality“, „wife battery“, „Risk-Assessment“ und „Prognoseinstrument(e)“. Dies führte im PubMed zu 237, im PsycINFO zu 215 und in der deutschsprachigen Literaturdatenbank PSYNDEX zu 127 Treffern. Eine Durchsicht der Arbeiten auf Grundlage der Abstracts zeigte, dass in den identifizierten Arbeiten insgesamt 20 verschiedene Risk-Assessment-Instrumente für den Anwendungsbereich der häuslichen Gewalt vorgestellt wurden. Für alle Risk-Assessment-Instrumente wurde nachfolgend geprüft, ob sie empirisch validiert wurden. Konkret wurden folgende Einschlusskriterien für eine Erwähnung in vorliegender Arbeit aufgestellt: 1. Das Instrument wurde in einer wissenschaftlichen Zeitschrift mit Peer-Review-Verfahren näher beschrieben und für den Einsatz bei häuslicher Gewalt empfohlen. 2. Das Instrument erfüllt die vier methodischen Mindestanforderungen an Risk-AssessmentInstrumente, die von der Arbeitsgruppe um Boetticher et al. [1] für Prognosegutachten in Deutschland formuliert wurden, d.h. es ist Zusammenfassung !
Building The Human Capital In The ‘Malakah’ Concept Of Ibn Khaldun : A Historical Study Based On His ‘Muqaddimah’

The objective of this paper is a very modest one, namely to examine the thoughts of Ibn Khaldun on the important concept of ‘malakah’ or ‘habitus’ or ‘habit’. This will be done by concentrating on his ‘al-Muqaddimah’, letting his views shine through his actual statements from the work. This is to see how he understands the nature of this habitus, its attributes, significance and importance ,some of the factors leading to its enhancement, and factors which may hamper it. Finally its significance and relevance in relation to contemporary efforts in personality development and the enhancement of what is called ‘the human capital’, in the Islamic context, will be summarily discussed
Interference networks with caches at both ends

A Kt χ Kr cache-aided wireless interference network, in which both the transmitters and the receivers are equipped with cache memories is studied. Each user requests one file from a library of N popular files. The goal is to design the cache contents without the knowledge of the particular user demands, such that all possible demand combinations can be satisfied reliably over the interference channel. The achievable sum degrees-of-freedom (sDoF) and the normalized delivery time (NDT) are studied for centralized and decentralized network architectures, respectively. First, using a combination of interference alignment (IA), zero-forcing (ZF) and interference cancellation (IC) techniques, a novel caching and transmission scheme for centralized networks is introduced, and it is shown to improve the sDoF upon the state-of-the-art. Then, the NDT is studied when the content placement at the receiver caches is carried out in a decentralized manner. Our results indicate that, for this particular network architecture, caches located at the receiver side are more effective than those at the transmitter side in order to reduce the NDT.
Small RNA and degradome profiling reveals important roles for microRNAs and their targets in tea plant response to drought stress.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is a popular beverage worldwide. Drought stress (DS) is a major constraint on the growth, yield and quality of tea plants. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in plant responses to DS. We constructed eight small RNA libraries from the drought-tolerant 'Ningzhou 2' (NZ2) and drought-susceptible 'Zhuyeqi' (ZYQ) cultivars during four stages [control (CK), the fourth day of DS, the eighth day of DS and after recovery (RC)]. A total of 268 conserved and 62 novel miRNAs were identified using small RNA sequencing. In total, 139 (52.9%) and 96 (36.0%) conserved miRNAs were differentially expressed during the four stages (P ≤ 0.05) in NZ2 and ZYQ, respectively. A total of 814 predicted target genes were identified as differentially regulated by 199 miRNAs through degradome sequencing. Among them, 201 and 218 genes were specific to the NZ2 and ZYQ cultivars, respectively, and 395 were common to both cultivars. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses revealed the biological roles of these targets and showed that some of the targets responded to DS in a stress- and cultivar-dependent manner. Correlated expression patterns between miRNA and their targets showed that specific miRNAs target the miRNA effector Argonaute 1 (AGO1), drought signaling-related receptors and enzymes, transcription factors, and other structural and functional proteins. The predicted regulatory networks provide insights into a potential miRNA-mediated regulatory mechanism. These results will contribute to the breeding of drought-tolerant tea plants and to elucidating miRNA regulation in response to drought.
Exploring Animal Social Networks

Preface vii Chapter 1: Introduction to Social Networks 1 Chapter 2: Data Collection 19 Chapter 3: Visual Exploration 42 Chapter 4: Node-Based Measures 64 Chapter 5: Statistical Tests of Node-Based Measures 88 Chapter 6: Searching for Substructures 117 Chapter 7: Comparing Networks 141 Chapter 8: Conclusions 163 Glossary of Frequently Used Terms 173 References 175 Index 187
An examination of parental awareness and mediation of media consumed by fifth grade students

This dissertation investigated parental roles in mediating television, music, and the Internet for their children--specifically their fifth graders. Seventy two parents, representing forty seven fifth graders took part in the study. The Television Mediation Scale (Valkenburg, Kremar, Peeters, & Marseille, 1991) provided a framework for the instrument used. Parents were asked a series of questions dealing with television, music, and the Internet. Responses were given on a four point Likert scale. Additionally, participants were asked to estimate the amount of time spent with each medium, discuss the rules in place, the concerns they have with the media, and what principles guide their decisions about how their child uses each type of media. Regarding television, results indicated that parents utilized the restrictive mediation style in which parents set rules for viewing television programs or even prohibit certain shows from being seen. Although parents report using restrictive mediation, more than likely co-viewing is being used most frequently (Weaver & Barbour, 1992). This is plausible when applied to this study considering how close the Mean values are between restrictive mediation (3.36) and coviewing (3.28). Statistically, no significant findings were reported in regards to music and Internet mediation. However, from a qualitative viewpoint, a wealth of data was gathered regarding the guiding principles and rules that are in place in each home regarding the media. Overall, parents report being knowledgeable of the media that their child uses and are comfortable with the rules in place and the principles that guide their decisions. The results of the study indicate that parents are aware of how their child/children interact with the media but an element of education for parents and even educators in the schools may be missing. Parents must stay abreast of new technologies and continually monitor ways in which their child/children use that technology. If parents believe that they are helpless against the power the media has over their children they are conceding a loss to the media's influence. However, if parents stay involved in their child's life and stay up-to-date on the newest technologies and what children gain from using this technology, then there is no reason to believe that we are powerless against the media. AN EXAMINATION OF PARENTAL AWARENESS AND MEDIATION OF MEDIA CONSUMED BY FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS
Extended international (IOTF) body mass index cut‐offs for thinness, overweight and obesity

The international (International Obesity Task Force; IOTF) body mass index (BMI) cut‐offs are widely used to assess the prevalence of child overweight, obesity and thinness. Based on data from six countries fitted by the LMS method, they link BMI values at 18 years (16, 17, 18.5, 25 and 30 kg m−2) to child centiles, which are averaged across the countries. Unlike other BMI references, e.g. the World Health Organization (WHO) standard, these cut‐offs cannot be expressed as centiles (e.g. 85th).
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER

Özet Özofagus kanseri dünyada önemli bir sağlık problemidir. Son 30 yılda özofagus kanserinin demografik özellikleri değişmiştir. Bu değişiklikler 2 temel histolojik tip olan yassı hücreli karsinoma ve adenokarsinomada ve bunun yanında coğrafık yerleşim, ırk, cinsiyet ve sosyoekonomik statüde gözlenmiştir. Bu değişikliklerin araştırılması özofagus kanserinin oluşumunun anlaşılmasına, önlenmesine, erken tanı ve tedaviye olumlu katkı sağlayabilir. Anahtar kelimeler: Özofagus kanseri, epidemiyoloji Abstract Esophageal cancer remains an important public health problem worldwide. The demographics of esophageal cancer have been changing over the past 30 years. These changes differ across the 2 principal histologic types of esophageal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma as well as across geographic location, race, gender and socioeconomic status. Investigation of these changes may contribute to understanding-preventing the occurrence, early diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer.
The C-H Peripheral Stalk Base: A Novel Component in V1-ATPase Assembly

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) are molecular machines responsible for creating electrochemical gradients and preserving pH-dependent cellular compartments by way of proton translocation across the membrane. V-ATPases employ a dynamic rotary mechanism that is driven by ATP hydrolysis and the central rotor stalk. Regulation of this rotational catalysis is the result of a reversible V1Vo-domain dissociation that is required to preserve ATP during instances of cellular starvation. Recently the method by which the free V1-ATPase abrogates the hydrolytic breakdown of ATP upon dissociating from the membrane has become increasingly clear. In this instance the central stalk subunit F adopts an extended conformation to engage in a bridging interaction tethering the rotor and stator components together. However, the architecture by which this mechanism is stabilized has remained ambiguous despite previous work. In an effort to elucidate the method by which the rotational catalysis is maintained, the architecture of the peripheral stalks and their respective binding interactions was investigated using cryo-electron microscopy. In addition to confirming the bridging interaction exuded by subunit F for the first time in a eukaryotic V-ATPase, subunits C and H are seen interacting with one another in a tight interaction that provides a base for the three EG peripheral stalks. The formation of a CE3G3H sub-assembly appears to be unique to the dissociated V-ATPase and highlights the stator architecture in addition to revealing a possible intermediate in the assembly mechanism of the free V1-ATPase.
Immunity to viruses in B cell‐deficient mice: Influence of antibodies on virus persistence and on T cell memory

Mice rendered B cell deficient by targeted disruption of the immunoglobulin μ chain gene (IgM−/− mice) were used to analyze the role of antibodies and B cells in viral infections; homozygous IgM−/− mice were bred in a way to avoid transmission of maternal antibodies. After infection with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), IgM−/− mice developed paralytic disease and subsequently died, whereas C57BL/6 control mice or IgM−/− mice passively protected with VSV‐neutralizing antibodies survived. Furthermore, IgM−/− mice showed increased natural killer (NK) activity upon exposure to either lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) or to poly(I) · poly(C), while NK activity in untreated IgM−/− mice was within normal ranges. Cytotoxic T cell responses were comparable in IgM−/− and control mice infected either with VSV or with vaccinia virus or with low doses of LCMV (102 infectious focus‐forming units [ifu]). After intracerebral infection with LCMV‐Armstrong, CD8+ T cell‐mediated lethal lymphocytic choriomeningitis developed independently of the presence of B cells and antibodies. After infection with high doses (2 × 106 − 5 × 106 ifu) of LCMV‐WE or LCMV‐Docile, IgM−/− mice exhibited a reduced capacity to control these primary infections and had elevated virus liters for prolonged times (>60 days). Nevertheless, the cytotoxic T cell response against LCMV in the early phase of infection was comparable in IgM−/− and control mice, but disappeared in those IgM−/− mice which had a persistent viral infection. Cytotoxic T cell memory was apparently unimpaired in low‐dose‐primed IgM−/−mice, which were able to control the primary virus infection; both IgM−/− and control mice cleared a high intravenous dose of virus within 2 days after challenge infection. This indicates that an efficient T cell memory against LCMV was established in the absence of B cells.
Buck derived converters based on gallium nitride devices for envelope tracking applications

Envelope Tracking (ET) is a technique designed to enhance the efficiency of Radio Frequency Power Amplifiers (RF PA). It is based on providing the voltage to the RF PA with variations that mimic the shape of the envelope of the communications signal that the RF PA is processing. As the bandwidth of these signals can be around several MHz, the switching frequency of the switching mode power supply designed for ET applications has to be very high. The good switching characteristics of Gallium Nitride devices makes them suitable for this applications.
Removing shadows from images using color and near-infrared

Shadows often introduce errors in the performance of computer vision algorithms, such as object detection and tracking. This paper proposes a method to remove shadows from real images based on a probability shadow map. The probability shadow map identifies how much light is impinging on a surface. The lightness of shadowed regions in an image is increased and then the color of that part of the surface is corrected so that it matches the lit part of the surface. The result is compared with two other shadow removal frameworks. The advantage of our method is that after removal, the texture and all the details in the shadowed regions remain intact.