Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pathogenesis of Brain Edema and Investigation into Anti-Edema Drugs

Brain edema is a potentially fatal pathological state that occurs after brain injuries such as stroke and head trauma. In the edematous brain, excess accumulation of extracellular fluid results in elevation of intracranial pressure, leading to impaired nerve function. Despite the seriousness of brain edema, only symptomatic treatments to remove edema fluid are currently available. Thus, the development of novel anti-edema drugs is required. The pathogenesis of brain edema is classified as vasogenic or cytotoxic edema. Vasogenic edema is defined as extracellular accumulation of fluid resulting from disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and extravasations of serum proteins, while cytotoxic edema is characterized by cell swelling caused by intracellular accumulation of fluid. Various experimental animal models are often used to investigate mechanisms underlying brain edema. Many soluble factors and functional molecules have been confirmed to induce BBB disruption or cell swelling and drugs targeted to these factors are expected to have anti-edema effects. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and involvement of factors that induce brain edema formation, and the possibility of anti-edema drugs targeting them.
Effects of an intensive depression-focused intervention for smoking cessation in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate a depression-focused treatment for smoking cessation in pregnant women versus a time and contact health education control. We hypothesized that the depression-focused treatment would lead to improved abstinence and reduced depressive symptoms among women with high levels of depressive symptomatology. No significant main effects of treatment were hypothesized. METHOD Pregnant smokers (N = 257) were randomly assigned to a 10-week, intensive, depression-focused intervention (cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy; CBASP) or to a time and contact control focused on health and wellness (HW); both included equivalent amounts of behavioral and motivational smoking cessation counseling. Of the sample, 54% were African American, and 37% met criteria for major depression. Mean age was 25 years (SD = 5.9), and women averaged 19.5 weeks (SD = 8.5) gestation at study entry. We measured symptoms of depression using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977). RESULTS At 6 months posttreatment, women with higher levels of baseline depressive symptoms treated with CBASP were abstinent significantly more often, F(1, 253) = 5.61, p = . 02, and had less depression, F(1, 2620) = 10.49, p = . 001, than those treated with HW; those with low baseline depression fared better in HW. Differences in abstinence were not retained at 6 months postpartum. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that pregnant women with high levels of depressive symptoms may benefit from a depression-focused treatment in terms of improved abstinence and depressive symptoms, both of which could have a combined positive effect on maternal and child health.
Inverse relationship between serum total bilirubin levels and severity of disease in patients with stable coronary artery disease

ObjectiveMany studies have shown that bilirubin may protect against atherosclerosis. In the present study, we assess the association between serum total bilirubin levels and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) assessed by angiography and the Syntax score. MethodsPatients from our center, who visited the center for a coronary angiography, from January 2008 to January 2011, were eligible for this analysis. Serum bilirubin levels and other blood parameters in at least 12-h fasting states were determined. The patients were divided into tertiles according to their Syntax score. ResultsA total of 299 patients were registered for the study. The total bilirubin levels in the low Syntax score group were significantly higher than those of the other groups. After multiple logistic regression analysis, serum bilirubin levels (odds ratio=0.155, 95% confidence interval, 0.039–0.62, P=0.008) were identified as independent correlates of a high Syntax score. ConclusionSerum bilirubin levels were independently and inversely associated with the severity of disease in patients with stable CAD. Serum total bilirubin level may be useful as a marker of the severity of CAD.
Using Population Genetics to Guide Malaria Vaccine Design

A broadly effective malaria vaccine is a missing component of the practical tools needed to control and eventually eliminate malaria. For more than 50 years malaria researchers have been searching for a strategy that provides long lasting protection against a broad range of parasite strains. Many different approaches have been tested including whole parasite and subunit vaccines composed of one or more parasite surface proteins that are naturally targeted by the host immune response.
Plasma thrombopoietin levels in thrombocytopenic states: implication for a regulatory role of bone marrow megakaryocytes

To evaluate the diagnostic value of thrombopoietin (TPO, c‐mpl ligand) measurements, and clarify the regulatory mechanisms of TPO in normal and in thrombocytopenic conditions, the plasma TPO concentration was determined in normal individuals (n = 20), umbilical cord blood (n = 40), chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP; n = 16), in severe aplastic anaemia (SAA; n = 3), chemotherapy‐induced bone marrow hypoplasia (n = 10), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS; n = 11), and sequentially during peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation (n = 7). A commercially available ELISA and EDTA‐plasma samples were used for the analysis. The plasma TPO concentration in the normals and umbilical cord blood were 52 ± 12 pg/ml and 66 ± 12 pg/ml, respectively. The corresponding values in patients with SAA and chemotherapy‐induced bone marrow hypoplasia were 1514 ± 336 pg/ml and 1950 ± 1684 pg/ml, respectively, and the TPO concentration, measured sequentially after myeloablative chemotherapy and peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation, was inversely related to the platelet count. In contrast, the plasma TPO recorded in patients with ITP (64 ± 20 pg/ml) and MDS (68 ± 23 pg/ml) were only slightly higher than normal levels. In conclusion, TPO levels were significantly elevated in patients in which bone marrow megakaryocytes and platelets in circulation were markedly reduced, whereas TPO levels were normal in ITP patients, and only slightly increased in the MDS patients. These latter patients displayed a preserved number of megakaryocytes in bone marrow biopsies. Our data support the suggestion that megakaryocyte mass affects the plasma TPO concentration. In thrombocytopenic patients a substantially increased plasma TPO implies deficient megakaryocyte numbers. However, TPO measurements do not distinguish between ITP and thrombocytopenia due to dysmegakaryopoiesis, as seen in MDS patients.
Desolvation of ions in subnanometer pores and its effect on capacitance and double-layer theory.

The study of charged solid–liquid interfaces, manifested as “double layers”, represents a problem of both practical and scientific importance. Double layers are present in all electrolyte solutions and have been traditionally studied using planar noble-metal electrodes and mercury drops. However, in the ionic channels in cells or the small-diameter pores of electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs),ions are in a very confined situation, which is different from that of a planar solid/electrolyte interface. By using nanoporous carbon with pores smaller than the size of an ion and a single associated solvent molecule, we show that the implicit assumption that double layers are governed only by ion/ electrode charge separation may be short-sighted. Other factor may play a more dominant role than previously thought, for example, increasing the confinement of the ions leads to an increase in the capacitance. Including the effect of partially desolvating ions in the current double-layer theory could lead to a better understanding of the behavior of ions in confined environments.
Towards a Quantitative Comparison of the Cost-Benefit Trade-offs of Location-Independent Network Architectures

This paper presents a quantitative methodology and results comparing different approaches for locationindependent communication. Our approach is empirical, making comparisons using realistic Internet topologies, routing tables from real routers, and a measured workload of content and device mobility across network addresses in today’s Internet. To this end, we make the following contributions. First, we conduct a measurement of the extent of network mobility (or changing network addresses) exhibited by mobile users with a home-brewn Android app deployed on hundreds of smartphones, as well as the extent of network mobility exhibited by popular content served by CDNs today. Second, we develop a quantitative methodology to investigate the different cost-benefit tradeoffs struck by different location-independent architectures with respect to forwarding table size, routing update cost, and path stretch. Third, we combine this methodology with the network mobility traces to quantify these tradeoffs for a hypothetical deployment of these architectures on top of existing networks in the current Internet. We find that with purely name-based routing approaches, each event involving the mobility of a device or popular content may result in an update to up to 8% of Internet routers; however, the fraction of impacted routers is much smaller for the long tail of unpopular content. These results suggest that recent proposals for information-centric networking may be suitable for content that does not move frequently but may need to be augmented with Mobile IP or DNS like approaches to handle device mobility. We also find that more than 20% of users make more than 10 IP address transitions a day, suggesting that mobility is the norm rather than the exception, so intrinsic and efficient network support for mobility is critical.
Beyond positivism: Understanding and addressing childhood obesity disparities through a Critical Theory perspective.

PURPOSE We apply Critical Theory to examine menu labeling with the aim of uncovering important implications for nursing practice, research, and policy. CONCLUSIONS Our critical analysis uncovers barriers to menu labeling's effectiveness, particularly for vulnerable populations. Nurses must work to minimize the impact of these barriers and optimize the effectiveness of menu labeling, in order to strengthen the fight against obesity. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS We suggest changes, guided by this critical analysis, which can be implemented by nurses working in clinical practice, research, and policy.
Protocol synthesis using basic Lotos and global variables

In Kant et al. (1992), a method of protocol synthesis, using basic LOTOS (BL) as a specification language, is proposed. In the present paper, we generalize this method. We propose an extended basic LOTOS (EBL) to specify the service and the protocol. With EBL, events are associated with enabling conditions and transformation functions that depend on global variables. Next, we propose a method to synthesize protocols using EBL as a specification language. This method is inspired by the concept of transactions.
On the Construction of LDPC Codes Free of Small Trapping Sets by Controlling Cycles

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes exhibit excellent error correcting capability. However, small trapping sets in the Tanner graph are harmful to the iterative decoding algorithm. In this letter, we present a method of constructing <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(3, n) $ </tex-math></inline-formula> girth-eight quasi-cyclic LDPC codes with low error floor by removing the small trapping sets from the Tanner graph. To address this issue, we analyze the relationship between eight-cycles and small trapping sets of Tanner graphs based on fully connected base graphs without parallel edges. We find that if some eight-cycles are not found in the Tanner graphs, any elementary trapping set in the range of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$a \leq 8$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$b \leq 3$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is removed naturally. We also derive a lower bound on the permutation size for the construction of such codes. The experimental simulation shows a favorable error rate performance with lower error floor over additive white Gaussian noise channels.
A new direction-of-arrival estimation method using automotive radar sensor arrays

This article presents a new signal processing method of estimation of direction of arrival using the phase difference between sensors. The new method is essentially a narrow-band technique for automotive radar. A delay of the reception time is caused by the physical gap between sensors in the incident signals to the sensor arrays, and it results in a phase difference between input signals. The new method predicts the ideal phase value and the phase value of the input signal. The point that minimizes the phase error for every sensor is estimated as direction of arrival. The simulation result shows that the new method offers significantly improved estimation resolution and direction-of-arrival estimation compared to conventional methods.
Cellular stress triggers TEL nuclear export via two genetically separable pathways

TEL (translocation ets leukemia, also known as ETV6) is a repressor of transcription that is disrupted by the t(12;21), which is the most frequent chromosomal translocation in pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia. TEL is modified by SUMOylation, and the lysine (Lys 99) that is conjugated to SUMO is required for TEL nuclear export. In addition, TEL is phosphorylated by p38 kinase, which is activated by cellular stress. Induction of cellular stress reduced the ability of TEL to repress transcription in vitro, but the mechanistic basis of this phenomenon was unclear. In this study, we show that osmotic stress causes re‐localization of TEL to the cytoplasm and that p38‐mediated phosphorylation of TEL is sufficient for this re‐localization. However, impairment of both SUMOylation of Lys 99 and p38‐dependent phosphorylation of Ser 257 of TEL were required to impair the re‐localization of TEL in response to cellular stress induced by high salt, identifying two separate nuclear export pathways. Thus, alteration of the cellular localization of TEL may be a part of the cellular stress response and re‐localization of TEL to the cytoplasm is an important step in the regulation of TEL. J. Cell. Biochem. 104: 488–498, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A comparison of the physiological profiles of elite Gaelic footballers, hurlers, and soccer players

Background: Gaelic football, soccer, and hurling are prominent field games in Ireland and involve participants undertaking a variety of playing tasks and skills which place various physiological demands on the participants. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the mid-season physiological profiles of elite players. Methods: Physiological assessment was carried out on 29 inter-county Gaelic footballers, 30 inter-county hurlers, and 21 League of Ireland soccer players. Results: Significant differences were reported for % body fat (p<0.05), aerobic capacity (p<0.05), flexibility (p<0.05), upper body strength (p<0.05), upper body strength endurance (p<0.05), abdominal endurance (p<0.05), and speed endurance (p<0.05), while there were no differences recorded for height, weight, or speed levels. A relatively heterogeneous body size is evident for all three sports. Soccer players had lower body fat levels, greater aerobic capacity, greater strength endurance, and greater flexibility compared to both Gaelic footballers and hurlers, possibly due to specific training and conditioning programmes or physical adaptation to match play The greater strength of both Gaelic footballers and hurlers and the superior speed endurance levels of Gaelic footballers also reflect the physical nature of the sports. Similar speed levels amongst all three sports reflect the importance of speed for performance. Conclusions: The various physiological attributes for Gaelic football, soccer, and hurling reflect the physical requirements for success and participation in each of these field games.
AGENTIVE AND CONTEXTUAL FACTORS AFFECTING METAPHORICAL COGNITION

According to contemporary theories of cognition, the process of metaphorical interpretation is conceived of as a 'mapping' from a source domain to a target domain. The author of this paper believes, in contrast, that this process of mapping does not take place in a vacuum, but rather is influenced by both agentive and contextual factors. By the agentive factors of metaphorical cognition, she refers mainly to an interpreter's familiarity with a metaphor, and his/her background knowledge, while by the contextual factors, she refers chiefly to the textual context, the situational context and the cultural context of a metaphor. These factors cannot be neglected, inasmuch as they are aspects of the interpreter's process of metaphorical cognition.
Robot assisted activity for elderly people and nurses at a day service center

We have been developing mental commit robots that provide psychological, physiological, and social effects to human beings through physical interaction. The appearances of these robots look like real animals such as cats and seals. We have applied mental commit robots to assisting the activity of elderly people at a day service center. In order to investigate the effect of mental commit robots on the elderly people, we evaluated elderly people's mood by face scales and questionnaires. In addition, the stress of nursing staff was investigated. We evaluated their mental poverty by a "burnout scale. " Mental commit robots were provided in the day service center for five weeks. Results showed that feelings of elderly people were improved by interaction with the robots. Moreover, the nursing staff's mental poverty decreased because the elderly people spent their time by themselves with the robots. Consequently, mental commit robots are useful at elderly institutions like the day service center.
Verification of wind power forecasts provided in real-time to the Irish Transmission System Operator

Wind power forecasts for 21 representative wind farms provided in real-time to the Transmission System Operator in Ireland have for the first time been verified against actual wind generation data. Forecast data were generated using an ensemble prediction system. For forecast lengths up to 23 hours, the mean absolute error for individual wind farms was typically about 13% (normalised to installed capacity). The error increases to ∼ 14% for day-ahead forecasts (24 – 48 hours), and to ∼ 17% for 2 – 3 day forecasts. The error growth for the aggregated total of the wind farms was substantially lower, increasing from 8% (day-ahead) to 10% (2 – 3 days). Forecasting for the aggregate of 51 wind farms only reduced these errors by 1%. Using 21 representative wind farms is therefore a reasonable balance between up-scaling from a smaller number of wind farms, and the lower errors that result from monitoring and forecasting a much larger number.
Hip Pain in Dancers

Dancers require extreme ranges of motion in their hips. They require this for many styles and performances. Hip pain and hip injury in dancers can lead to lost work and performance time. There are many potential causes for hip pain in the dancer, including dysplasia, hyperlaxity, both intra- and extra-articular impingement, and soft tissue injuries. This article will review the current literature on these topics in dancers and how they can be applied to the dancer patient.
Intercat aggression – general considerations, prevention and treatment

Summary Although cats are a social species and capable of living together in groups of several cats, intercat aggression is a common behavioral problem. Intercat aggression can be classified as status-related, fearrelated, play-related, redirected and can also be due to the addition of a new cat to an existing group. Socialization of kittens, choice of the right cat for a multicat household, and the gradual introduction of a new cat to the household can help to prevent intercat aggression. Treatment of intercat aggression should combine behavior modification, management and – if necessary – medication.
Epigenetic regulation in neural stem cell differentiation

The central nervous system (CNS) is composed of three major cell types – neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes – which differentiate from common multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs). This differentiation process is regulated spatiotemporally during the course of mammalian development. It is becoming apparent that epigenetic regulation is an important cell‐intrinsic program, which can interact with transcription factors and environmental cues to modulate the differentiation of NSCs. This knowledge is important given the potential of NSCs to produce specific CNS cell types that will be beneficial for clinical applications. Here we review recent findings that address molecular mechanisms of epigenetic and transcription factor‐mediated regulation that specify NSC fate during CNS development, with a particular focus on the developing mammalian forebrain.
Wayfinding with simulated prosthetic vision: Performance comparison with regular and structure-enhanced renderings

In this study, we used a simulation of upcoming low-resolution visual neuroprostheses to evaluate the benefit of embedded computer vision techniques in a wayfinding task. We showed that augmenting the classical phosphene rendering with the basic structure of the environment - displaying the ground plane with a different level of brightness - increased both wayfinding performance and cognitive mapping. In spite of the low resolution of current and upcoming visual implants, the improvement of these cognitive functions may already be possible with embedded artificial vision algorithms.
A low complexity 0.13 /spl mu/ SiGe BiCMOS technology for wireless and mixed signal applications

We present IBM's next-generation, cost-performance-optimized BiCMOS technology (BiCMOS 8WL) which combines a state-of-the-art suite of SiGe NPNs, foundry compatible 0.13 μm CMOS, and a rich set of modular passive devices. Intended for a wide variety of supply voltages, the technology, features three different performance NPNs and standard, dual oxide, zero V t , and junction isolated FETs. Optimized for wireless and mixed signal applications, BiCMOS 8WL will enable system on a chip integration for 3G cellular applications.
3.8 A fully integrated highly reconfigurable discrete-time superheterodyne receiver

Since the invention of radio, superheterodyne has been the architecture of choice for receivers (RX). Thanks to its high intermediate-frequency (IF), the problems related to flicker noise, time-varying dc offsets, in-band LO leakage and sensitivity to 2nd-order intermodulation are simply avoided. Unfortunately, the high IF requires high-quality-factor (Q) band-pass filters for image rejection, which cannot be easily integrated in CMOS. This forced the CMOS receivers to migrate to zero (or low) IF and suffer from the abovementioned problems. Recently, there have been attempts to revisit the high IF operation by exploiting N-path filtering [1] and a combination of a discrete-time (DT) band-pass charge-sharing filtering with feedback filtering [2]. Here, we propose a superheterodyne RX architecture with full DT operation using only gm stages, switches and capacitors. The transfer function is accurate and controlled by the clock frequency and precise capacitor ratios.