Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mecanismes implicats en la diferenciació de les cèl·lules progenitores endotelials durant el remodelat vascular pulmonar

Les cel·lules progenitores endotelials (EPC) derivades de la medul·la ossia tenen capacitat per diferenciar-se a cel·lula endotelial (EC), contribuint aixi a la reparacio endotelial, no obstant tambe poden diferenciar-se a altres tipus cel·lulars perpetuant lesions vasculars. En arteries pulmonars de pacients amb malaltia pulmonar obstructiva cronica (MPOC) s'ha relacionat un increment en el nombre de les EPC amb un engruiximent de la capa intima d'aquestes. L'engruiximent d'aquesta esta constituit principalment per cel·lules musculars llises (SMC), aixi, aquest treball s'ha centrat en investigar la capacitat de les EPC per diferenciar-se a SMC, i per tant en contribuir en el remodelat vascular i en els mecanismes moleculars que hi intervenen. El factor de creixement transformant beta 1 (TGFs1) modula la migracio i la diferenciacio de EC a un fenotip mesenquimal mitjancant un proces anomenat "endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition" (EnMT). Per tant, el primer objectiu de l'estudi va ser avaluar la plasticitat de les EPC per diferenciar-se a SMC o EC. I el segon, investigar els mecanismes moleculars, relacionats amb la via del TGFs1, que podrien intervenir en la diferenciacio i la migracio d'aquestes. Per avaluar la plasticitat de las EPC, es van realitzar co-cultius amb EC i SMC in vitro i per una altra banda es van injectar les cel·lules progenitores dins d'arteries pulmonars humanes aillades. El fenotip de les cel·lules es va caracteritzar morfologicament, per immunofluorescencia i mitjancant microscopia electronica. Per avaluar els mecanismes de diferenciacio de les EPC, els co-cultius d'aquestes amb EC o SMC es van tractar amb inhibidors de la via del TGFs1 i es van analitzar per citometria de flux i immunofluorescencia. Tambe es va avaluar l'expressio genica de marcadors endotelials i mesenquimals i l'expressio de factors de transcripcio relacionats amb el proces d'EnMT. La migracio de les EPC es va avaluar mitjancant assaigs en transweells en les mateixes condicions. Els resultats d'aquest treball mostren en primer lloc la capacitat de les EPC per diferenciar-se a EC, facilitant la reparacio de l'endoteli vascular, pero tambe per migrar a la capa intima de les arteries pulmonars i diferenciar-se a SMC, contribuint aixi al remodelat vascular d'aquestes. Per ultim, els resultats tambe demostren que les EPC es poden diferenciar a SMC i adquirir un fenotip migratori seguint un proces similar al de EnMT, que pot estar mediat pel factor TGFs1.
Smoothing a polyhedral convex function via cumulant transformation and homogenization

Given a polyhedral convex function g : R n → R ∪ {+∞}, it is always possible to construct a family {g t } t>0 which converges pointwise to g and such that each g t : R n → R is convex and infinitely often differentiable. The construction of such a family {g t } t>0 involves the concept of cumulant transformation and a standard homogenization procedure.
Differences in Cross-Cultural and Individual Perception of Security and Privacy

Paste the appropriate copyright statement here. ACM now supports three different copyright statements: • ACM copyright: ACM holds the copyright on the work. This is the historical approach. • License: The author(s) retain copyright, but ACM receives an exclusive publication license. • Open Access: The author(s) wish to pay for the work to be open access. The additional fee must be paid to ACM. This text field is large enough to hold the appropriate release statement assuming it is single spaced in a sans-serif 7 point font. Every submission will be assigned their own unique DOI string to be included here. Abstract In the current academic discourse, security and privacy seem like a monolithic and rigid construct centered around best protection from the most powerful adversaries. From our own daily lives, we know that this theoretical image rarely matches the kind of security and privacy measures we implement in our daily communication. In the field of Usable Security and Privacy, we as researchers aim to incorporate the needs of users into our work. However, this research rarely encompasses individual needs or contexts in which security and privacy tools are used.
How free is your linearizable concurrent data structure

Linearizability requires that the outcome of calls by competing threads to a concurrent data structure is the same as some sequential execution where each thread has exclusive access to the data structure. In an ordered data structure, such as a queue or a stack, linearizability is ensured by requiring threads commit in the order dictated by the sequential semantics of the data structure; e.g., in a concurrent queue implementation a dequeue can only remove the oldest element. In this paper, we investigate the impact of this strict ordering, by comparing what linearizability allows to what existing implementations do. We first give an operational definition for linearizability which allows us to build the most general linearizable implementation as a transition system for any given sequential specification. We then use this operational definition to categorize linearizable implementations based on whether they are bound or free. In a bound implementation, whenever all threads observe the same logical state, the updates to the logical state and the temporal order of commits coincide. All existing queue implementations we know of are bound. We then proceed to present, to the best of our knowledge, the first ever free queue implementation. Our experiments show that free implementations have the potential for better performance by suffering less from contention.
Optimization of bio gas production from slaughterhouse wastes

This study focuses on the production of biogas from slaughter house waste to generate optimal methane yield which has high calorific value under optimum temperature, pH and substrate proportion (blood, manure and undigested food material). In this study, two different kinds of experiment were done. The first experiment was carried out to determine the pH, total solid, volatile solid and ash content of each type of waste fermented independently at optimal temperature (35°C) and pH 7. The second experiment was done by mixing three types of wastes based on crossed D-optimal design expert software, a well-accepted statistical technique used to design and optimize the experimental process. It involves choosing the optimal experimental design and estimating the effect of the several variables which have 42 runs at different proportions of the substrates. After the experiment, the following parameters: methane content and volume of biogas, pH, temperature, total solid, volatile solids, and ash content of each type of waste were determined. From individual type of 0.351 sample waste (blood, manure and undigested content), maximum biogas production and methane composition obtained were 01, 71, 41 and 0%, 66% and 54%, respectively. From the 42 runs experimental result, the best optimal methane composition and biogas produced were 79.26% and 0.381 l/g, respectively. Optimal conditions included 20% blood, 20% manure, and 60% undigested content substrate at pH 7.88 and t 32.49°C temperature. Key words: Digester, biogas, methane, anaerobic digestion, abattoirs.
Synthesis of Biologically Active Benzothiazole Substituted Thiazolidinone Derivatives via Cyclization of Unsymmetrical Imines.

Novcl benzothiazole substituted thiazolidinone derivatives are synthesized through cyclisation of unsymmetrical imine with mercaptoacid in the presence of SnCl 2 . 2H 2 O and evaluated their inhibition ability against Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Chapter 3 Thermodynamics of Free Radical Reactions and the Redox Environment of a Cell

This contribution reports on the thermodynamics of free radical reactions and the maintenance of cell redox homeostasis. Attention is focused on the definition of the half-cell reduction potential and the reducing capacity of the antioxidant couples, the cellular defence system substantiated by the thioredoxin, NADP(H), ascorbic acid, and thiol-containing molecules including glutathione (GSH), cysteine and protein thiols. Triggering of the signalling processes in the cell require the action of the electrochemical potential gradients of the corresponding redox pairs. Experimental quantification of electrochemical potential gradients of the corresponding redox pairs is briefly discussed.
The relationship between teaching practices and students' achievement in mathematics in Lesotho

Abstract Research has found that teaching practices are a critical factor in promoting student achievement in mathematics and may therefore explain a substantial portion of the variance in student learning and achievement. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between student achievement in mathematics and teachers' teaching practices in the Maseru District in Lesotho, Southern Africa. A self-report instrument—Mathematics Teaching Opinionate Scale (MaTOS)—was used to collect data from 40 Form C (Grade 10) mathematics teachers about their teaching practices. This paper outlines correlations found between specific teaching practices (formal presentation, teacher-guided discussion, group work and homework) and student achievement in mathematics. Possible implications of these correlations are discussed and recommendations for further research are put forward.
Ideas on Customer-oriented Queuing in Service Incident Management

The provision of services hinges considerably on the contribution of the provider and the customer and - if present - on their involved networks. In this working paper we focus on incident management. By understanding the influence of a customer`s contribution to a service, the provider should be able to improve the interaction quality in general. Furthermore the provider should be able to determine and control his effort based on the expected customer`s contribution.
STUDYING THE ELECTRONIC CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT AND ITS EFFECT ON BANK QUALITY OUTCOMES

In this article, the researcher attempts to study theelectronic customerrelationship management and its effect on bank quality outcomes. Statistical population of thus research is all staff working at Refah Bank of Arak City. The research objective is applied and the method is survey-descriptive. The researcher has used questionnaire to collect the data in addition to library references. Sampling size is 122 based on Cochran's formula that was returned after distributing of 80 samples. Hypotheses of research have been analyzed using spss software and Spearman correlation test. The results prove all hypotheses of research.
ietary iron effects on broiler breeder performance and egg iron ontents

Sixty Cobb 500 broiler breeder hens, 22 wks of age, were individually placed in galvanized cages and fed diets without iron (Fe) supplementation for 12 weeks. Birds were then randomly allocated to six dietary treatments with the same nutrient profile, except for Fe, in a factorial of two diets (all vegetable and meat and bone meal MBM) and three Fe sources (control, inorganic and complexed). The all-vegetable diet was formulated with maize, soybean meal and wheat bran whereas the MBM containing diet included 25 g MBM/kg. The control diets were not supplemented with Fe, whereas inorganic and complexed diets had 60 mg Fe/kg as supplement from Fe2+ sulfate or Fe-amino acid (Fe-AA), respectively. Diets were provided for three periods of four weeks each and eggs were collected daily. Hen day egg production and Fe content of yolk and albumen were analyzed using a two-way anova with repeated measures. Egg production was lowest (P<0.05) for birds fed diets without Fe supplementation but no difference (P>0.05) was detected between the inorganic and complexed Fe sources.
Nutrition and eating habits in adolescent television programs: a content analysis of food and beverage consumption on popular teen television

Media research often argues that viewing certain media can increase the likelihood someone will develop an eating disorder or become obese. This study uses social cognitive and drama theory to discuss how adolescents may learn nutrition information and eating habits by watching television programs. Since adolescence is when people form eating habits, this exploratory study analyzes nutrition content in three top teen television shows. This quantitative content analysis found that the characters in teen television primarily have a healthy body size but consume unhealthy items. This may be sending a message to adolescents that unhealthy nutrition maintains a healthy body size. Although teen television addresses eating disorders, it ignores obesity. Entertainment education (EE) case studies show the effectiveness of incorporating health content into television programs. The results of this study urge health organizations to collaborate with the producers of television shows targeting adolescents to increase the prevalence of sensible eating on television.
Numerical Simulation of Swirling Flows - Heat Transfer Enhancement

In this paper, the influence of swirl number on mixing of two confined coaxial jets is analysed. The swirl generator is a set of fixed vanes located in the annular nozzle. Different trailing edge angles result in swirl numbers ranging from 0.14 to 0.95. Numerical model is validated using non reactive benchmarks. Low, intermediate and large swirling injectors are simulated to contrast the flow pattern. The presence of Inner Recirculation Zone associated to intermediate and high swirl numbers plays an important role in the heat and mass transfer since promote high gradients with minimum head loss. Low swirl injectors show large mixing regions in absence of the central vortex structure.
Reproductive Ecology of Two Faviid Corals (Coelenterata: Scleractinia)

In common with other Faviidae, Favites abdita and Leptoria phrygia on Heron Island reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, are simultaneous hermaphrodites with ovary and testis in the same mesentery. During the annual gametogenic cycle oogenesis precedes spermiogenesis by several months. Both species exhibit synchronous spawning; gonads are released intermingled in positively buoyant compact spheres. Because of this it is believed that external selfand cross-fertilization occur in these species. Both species are present, but not abundant, in shallow and deeper water on the reef. Their mode and timing of spawning may largely confine propagule dispersal to the home reef, but not to any specific habitat within the reef. It is suggested that the release of eggs and sperm may be the commonest method of sexual reproduction in Scleractinia.
Almost Global Consensus on the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$</tex-math></inline-formula> -Sphere

This paper establishes novel results regarding the global convergence properties of a large class of consensus protocols for multiagent systems that evolve in continuous time on the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$</tex-math></inline-formula>-dimensional unit sphere or <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$</tex-math></inline-formula>-sphere. For any connected, undirected graph and all <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n\in \mathbb{N} \backslash \lbrace 1\rbrace$</tex-math></inline-formula>, each protocol in said class is shown to yield almost global consensus. The feedback laws are negative gradients of Lyapunov functions and one instance generates the canonical intrinsic gradient descent protocol. This convergence result sheds new light on the general problem of consensus on Riemannian manifolds; the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$</tex-math></inline-formula>-sphere for <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n\in \mathbb{N}\backslash \lbrace 1\rbrace$</tex-math></inline-formula> differs from the circle and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathsf {SO}(3)$</tex-math></inline-formula>, where the corresponding protocols fail to generate almost global consensus. Moreover, we derive a novel consensus protocol on <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathsf {SO}(3)$</tex-math></inline-formula> by combining two almost globally convergent protocols on the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$</tex-math></inline-formula>-sphere for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n\in \lbrace 1,2\rbrace$</tex-math></inline-formula>. Theoretical and simulation results suggest that the combined protocol yields almost global consensus on <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $\mathsf {SO}(3)$</tex-math></inline-formula>.
Financial Profitability of Small Scale Shrimp Farming in a Coastal Area of Bangladesh

Aquaculture especially shrimp farming has significant contribution to the economy of Bangladesh. The southwest coastal area is more prominent for commercial shrimp farming due to its auspicious environment, higher economic returns, nutrition value and for employment opportunity. The present study estimates the socioeconomic status and financial profitability of small-scale shrimp farming in selected areas of Khulna district. One hundred (100) shrimp farmers were selected and data were collected through direct interview method. Financial profitability was analyzed from the different point of view. The study revealed that about 35% farmers lie in prime working age group. Most of the farmers completed primary level of education while a few of them were illiterate. Family size of 65 % farmer’s was medium and 40% farmer’s main occupation was shrimp farming. Study also revealed that gross profit margin was high i.e. 59% indicating that farmers did well in managing their farm and farmers has more to cover for operating, financing and other cost. Break-even price for the small scale shrimp worked out Tk. 311 per kg while break-even production was found 155 kg per acre. Benefit cost ratio and net profit margin were found more than one and positive respectively, indicated that small scale shrimp farming was commercially profitable. The research concludes that there is ample scope and possibility for sustaining and developing the small scale shrimp farming in the coastal area of Bangladesh. J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 104-110, April 2018
Non Tradable Goods and the Real Exchange Rate

How important are nontradable goods and distribution costs to explain real exchange rate dynamics? We answer this question by estimating a general equilibrium model with intermediate and final tradable and nontradable goods. We find that the estimated model can match characteristics of the data that are relevant in international macroeconomics, such as real exchange rate persistence and volatility, and the correlation between the real exchange rate and other variables. The distinction between tradable and nontradable goods is key to understand real exchange rate fluctuations, but the introduction of distribution costs is not. Nontradable sector technology shocks explain about one third of real exchange rate volatility. We also show that, in order to explain the low correlation between the ratio of relative consumption and the real exchange rates across countries, demand shocks are necessary. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Sources, nature and influence on climate of marine airborne particles

Environmental context. Climate models are of considerable interest to scientists and the general public given the increasing awareness of global climate change. A large uncertainty in climate models is the influence of airborne particles on the amount of sunlight that clouds reflect back to space. Since oceans comprise 70% of the Earth’s surface, it is important that we gain an understanding of the factors that control the sources and nature of marine airborne particles. This work describes previously unexplored features of the marine aerosol at a clean site exposed to the Southern Ocean and its environmental importance, which will be of benefit to future climate models. Abstract. Airborne particles (aerosol) collected at Cape Grim, Tasmania, in February 2006 in baseline conditions were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Particles recognised as marine exopolymer gels, and aggregates of insoluble organic particles that have diameters of ~40 nm, formed 9% of the particles larger than 200 nm. Once water-soluble compounds were removed by dialysis, the proportion rose to 30%. The gels and exopolymers were mainly of marine algal and bacterial origin. Their highly surface-active properties make them potentially environmentally important in the aerosol because of their ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei. The chemical constitution of particles in the 80–200-nm diameter size range is controversial, and widely varying estimates of the proportion of sea salt they contain have been published. Possible reasons for this are discussed. The present work supports the lowest estimate.
Are children with Autism Spectrum Disorder sensitive to the different emotions underlying posed and genuine smiles

Facial expressions are a useful source of information about the emotional state of others. However, facial expressions do not always correspond with an underlying emotional state. It is advantageous for perceivers to be able to differentiate between those expressions that are associated with a corresponding emotional state (genuine expressions) and those which are not associated with underlying emotions (posed expressions). The present study investigated the sensitivity of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and age and sex-matched control children to the different emotions underlying posed and genuine smiles. The first task required participants to listen to 12 emotion eliciting stories and select, from a grid of 4 facial expressions (a genuine smile, a posed smile, a neutral expression and a sad expression) that which matched how the target in the story would feel. Children with ASD correctly matched facial expressions and stories than did participants without ASD. The second task required children to look at a series of faces, each displaying either a posed smile, a genuine smile or a neutral expression and indicate whether each target was or was not happy. Participants with ASD were less sensitive both to the underlying emotional state of the targets and to the difference between posed and genuine smiles than were the control participants. Results are discussed in terms of the social deficits symptomatic of ASD.
Oxidative stress status in patients with cardiac syndrome X

Cardiac syndrome X (CSX) is characterized by chest pain, typical angina pectoris, abnormal exercise test result and normal coronary arteries. Microvascular dysfunction and enhanced oxidative stress are the mechanisms suspected to play an important role in the pathogenesis of CSX. Thus we aimed to evaluate the oxidative stress status of 28 patients with CSX (14 male/14 female, mean age 49.5 9.3 years) and 24 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (10 male/14 female, mean age 45.6 5.7 years). Blood samples were drawn for measurement of malodialdehyde (MDA), as a marker of lipid peroxidation, glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, as antioxidant markers and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), as a marker of total antioxidant capacity. There was significant increase in the levels of MDA in CSX patients comparing to controls (3.8 0.12 vs 3.3 0.14 mM, respectively; p = 0.006). But the levels of FRAP in CSX patients were significantly lower than those controls (504 19 vs 568 26 µM, respectively; p = 0.046). Also, GSH levels and SOD activity in patients were significantly lower than those of the controls (GSH: 133.6 5.4 vs 152.5 7.8 mmol/g Hb, p = 0.048; SOD: 386 34 vs 578 38 U/g Hb, p = 0.0001). It may be concluded that there is systemic oxidative stress in CSX patients. Considerable changes of antioxidant concentrations, indicating a compensatory mechanism to cope with increased oxidative stress in CSX patients and the body's antioxidant defence mechanisms try to minimize oxidative stress damage.