Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of a multi-node system for crack monitoring based on zero-power wireless harmonic transponders on paper

This effort presents an analysis of a system intended for wireless crack sensing and based on zero-power harmonic transponders. The sensors, which are fabricated by using a paper substrate, are suitable for both structural health and supply-chain monitoring. In the text, different techniques to recover information from the proposed tags are firstly explored, with a particular focus on the potentialities and trade-offs of each approach. Then, the impact of the presence of multiple-nodes on the performance of the system is considered and, finally, some proposals for crack localization in presence of multiple tags are explored and experimentally evaluated.
C5A Protects Macaques from Vaginal Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Challenge

ABSTRACT A safe and effective vaginal microbicide could decrease human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission in women. Here, we evaluated the safety and microbicidal efficacy of a short amphipathic peptide, C5A, in a rhesus macaque model. We found that a vaginal application of C5A protects 89% of the macaques from a simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV-162P3) challenge. We observed no signs of lesions or inflammation in animals vaginally treated with repeated C5A applications. With its noncellular cytotoxic activity and rare mechanism of action, C5A represents an attractive microbicidal candidate.
Parent Perspectives of Diabetes Management in Schools

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate parent reports of the diabetes care support their children receive in school, their concerns about diabetes management in school, and their knowledge of federal laws that protect children with diabetes. In addition, the study explores ethnic and socioeconomic status differences in diabetes management in school. Methods An ethnically heterogeneous sample of 309 parents of children with diabetes was recruited from a community-based and a university-based diabetes outpatient clinic. Parents completed a survey assessing supports their child's school provides for diabetes care, worries about diabetes care in school, and awareness of federal laws that pertain to children with diabetes. Results Many children did not have a written care plan or a nurse at school, but significantly more white children had these supports than Hispanic or black children. Most children were not allowed to check blood glucose levels or administer insulin in class. Most parents were worried about hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in school, and most were not at all or only a little confident in the school's ability to care for diabetes. Most parents were not aware of federal laws, but high-income and white parents were more likely to be aware. Conclusions According to parents in the current study, children receive inadequate diabetes management support in schools. Minority children are less likely to receive supports than white children. Parents are worried about diabetes management in school, but most do not have the knowledge of federal laws necessary to protect their children.
MRI Study of Minor Physical Anomaly in Childhood Autism Implicates Aberrant Neurodevelopment in Infancy

Background MPAs (minor physical anomalies) frequently occur in neurodevelopmental disorders because both face and brain are derived from neuroectoderm in the first trimester. Conventionally, MPAs are measured by evaluation of external appearance. Using MRI can help overcome inherent observer bias, facilitate multi-centre data acquisition, and explore how MPAs relate to brain dysmorphology in the same individual. Optical MPAs exhibit a tightly synchronized trajectory through fetal, postnatal and adult life. As head size enlarges with age, inter-orbital distance increases, and is mostly completed before age 3 years. We hypothesized that optical MPAs might afford a retrospective ‘window’ to early neurodevelopment; specifically, inter-orbital distance increase may represent a biomarker for early brain dysmaturation in autism. Methods We recruited 91 children aged 7–16; 36 with an autism spectrum disorder and 55 age- and gender-matched typically developing controls. All children had normal IQ. Inter-orbital distance was measured on T1-weighted MRI scans. This value was entered into a voxel-by-voxel linear regression analysis with grey matter segmented from a bimodal MRI data-set. Age and total brain tissue volume were entered as covariates. Results Intra-class coefficient for measurement of the inter-orbital distance was 0.95. Inter-orbital distance was significantly increased in the autism group (p = 0.03, 2-tailed). The autism group showed a significant relationship between inter-orbital distance grey matter volume of bilateral amygdalae extending to the unci and inferior temporal poles. Conclusions Greater inter-orbital distance in the autism group compared with healthy controls is consistent with infant head size expansion in autism. Inter-orbital distance positively correlated with volume of medial temporal lobe structures, suggesting a link to “social brain” dysmorphology in the autism group. We suggest these data support the role of optical MPAs as a “fossil record” of early aberrant neurodevelopment, and potential biomarker for brain dysmaturation in autism.
Genetic diversity of human respiratory syncytial virus circulating among children in Ibadan, Nigeria

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the most common viral cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants and young children however, without an effective vaccine licensed for human use till date. Information on the circulating genotypes of HRSV from regions with high-burden of infection is vital in the global efforts towards the development of protective vaccine. We report here the genotypes of HRSV circulating among children in Ibadan, the first of such from Nigeria.Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs collected from 231 children presenting with respiratory infections in some health facilities for care as well as those attending immunization centers for routine vaccination in Ibadan, Nigeria were used for the study. The 2nd hypervariable (HVR2) region of the glycoprotein (G) gene of HRSV was amplified and sequenced using HRSV group specific primers. HRSV was detected in 41 out of the 231 samples. Thirty-three of the isolates were successfully subtyped(22 subtype A and 11 subtype B). Fourteen of the subtype A and all the subtype B were successfully sequenced and genotyped. Phylogenetic analysis showed that genotype ON1 with 72 nucleotide (nt) duplication was the major subgroup A virus (11 of 14) detected together with genotype NA2. All the HRSV subtype B detected belong to the BA genotype with characteristic 60nt duplication. The ON1 genotypes vary considerably from the prototype strain due to amino acid substitutions including T292I which has not been reported elsewhere. The NA2 genotypes have mutations on four antigenic sites within the HVR2relative to the prototype A2. In conclusion, three genotypes of HRSV were found circulating in Ibadan, Nigeria. Additional study that will include isolates from other parts of the country will be done to determine the extent of genotype diversity of HRSV circulating in Nigeria.
Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Signaling in Neurodegenerative Disorders: From Pathogenesis to a Promising Therapeutic Target

As a consequence of an increasingly aging population, the number of people affected by neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, is rapidly increasing. Although the etiology of these diseases has not been completely defined, common molecular mechanisms including neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction have been confirmed and can be targeted therapeutically. Moreover, recent studies have shown that endogenous cannabinoid signaling plays a number of modulatory roles throughout the central nervous system (CNS), including the neuroinflammation and neurogenesis. In particular, the up-regulation of type-2 cannabinoid (CB2) receptors has been found in a number of neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, the modulation of CB2 receptor signaling may represent a promising therapeutic target with minimal psychotropic effects that can be used to modulate endocannabinoid-based therapeutic approaches and to reduce neuronal degeneration. For these reasons this review will focus on the CB2 receptor as a promising pharmacological target in a number of neurodegenerative diseases.
Development of an orange juice beverage formulated with oat beta-glucan and whey protein isolate.

BACKGROUND A beverage was developed using beta-glucan and whey protein isolate (WPI). The sensory attributes and changes of the physiochemical properties (pH value, total acidity, total soluble solids, sugar-acid ratio, color, viscosity, turbidity, and browning index) of the beverage during 48-h storage were evaluated by comparison with the commercial product and a blank sample. RESULTS The sweetness, smoothness, and overall acceptance of the developed beverage were similar to the commercial and blank samples. The suspension stability of the developed beverage was significantly better than that of the commercial products. The total acidity of the beverage decreased considerably after 36-h storage. Regarding color changes, the three samples showed a significant increase in L and b values after 6 h of storage. The viscosity of the developed beverage rose significantly after 24 h of storage. The increase in the concentration of beta-glucan in the mixed hydrocolloid caused a significant elevation in the levels of viscosity. CONCLUSION The sensory and physicochemical analysis results obtained by the panelists revealed that the developed beverage was acceptable and possessed stable physicochemical attributes. Our present findings indicate that the developed beverage has excellent potential for commercialization. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
Divergent Evolution of the repFII Replicon of IncF Plasmids Carrying Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor cnf2, Cytolethal Distending Toxin cdtIII, and f17Ae Fimbrial Variant Genes in Type 2 Necrotoxigenic Escherichia coli Isolates from Calves

ABSTRACT Among the pathovars of Escherichia coli in cattle, necrotoxigenic E. coli (NTEC) is defined by the production of cytotoxic necrotizing factors (CNFs). In particular, type 2 NTEC (NTEC2) strains are frequent in diarrheic and septicemic calves and usually coproduce CNF type 2 (CNF2), cytolethal distending toxin type III (CDTIII), and fimbrial adhesins of the F17 family, whose genetic determinants have frequently been reported on the same Vir-like plasmid. In this study, we investigated the genetic environment of the cnf2, f17Ae, and cdtIII genes in a collection of fecal E. coli isolates recovered from 484 French and 58 Iranian calves. In particular, we highlighted the spread of cnf2, f17Ae, and cdtIII on similar 150-kb IncF plasmids harboring the newly assigned repFII replicon allele F74 in NTEC2 isolates. Interestingly, this 150-kb IncF plasmid differed from the 140-kb IncF plasmid harboring the newly assigned repFII replicon allele F75 and carrying cnf2 alone. These results suggest two divergent lineages of cnf2-carrying IncF plasmids depending on the presence of the f17Ae and cdtIII genes. This partition was observed in E. coli strains of unrelated backgrounds, suggesting two different evolutionary paths of cnf2-carrying IncF plasmids rather than divergent evolutions of NTEC2 clones. The driving forces for such divergent evolutions are not known, and further studies are required to clarify the selection of plasmid subtypes spreading virulence determinants in E. coli, in particular, plasmids of the IncF family.
Risk Factors for Heart Failure in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: The CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) Study

Background Heart failure is common in patients with chronic kidney disease. We studied risk factors for incident heart failure among 3557 participants in the CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) Study. Methods and Results Kidney function was assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using serum creatinine, cystatin C, or both, and 24‐hour urine albumin excretion. During an average of 6.3 years of follow‐up, 452 participants developed incident heart failure. After adjustment for age, sex, race, and clinical site, hazard ratio (95% CI) for heart failure associated with 1 SD lower creatinine‐based eGFR was 1.67 (1.49, 1.89), 1 SD lower cystatin C‐based‐eGFR was 2.43 (2.10, 2.80), and 1 SD higher log‐albuminuria was 1.65 (1.53, 1.78), all P<0.001. When all 3 kidney function measures were simultaneously included in the model, lower cystatin C‐based eGFR and higher log‐albuminuria remained significantly and directly associated with incidence of heart failure. After adjusting for eGFR, albuminuria, and other traditional cardiovascular risk factors, anemia (1.37, 95% CI 1.09, 1.72, P=0.006), insulin resistance (1.16, 95% CI 1.04, 1.28, P=0.006), hemoglobin A1c (1.27, 95% CI 1.14, 1.41, P<0.001), interleukin‐6 (1.15, 95% CI 1.05, 1.25, P=0.002), and tumor necrosis factor‐α (1.10, 95% CI 1.00, 1.21, P=0.05) were all significantly and directly associated with incidence of heart failure. Conclusions Our study indicates that cystatin C‐based eGFR and albuminuria are better predictors for risk of heart failure compared to creatinine‐based eGFR. Furthermore, anemia, insulin resistance, inflammation, and poor glycemic control are independent risk factors for the development of heart failure among patients with chronic kidney disease.
Meta-Analysis of the Immunogenicity and Tolerability of Pandemic Influenza A 2009 (H1N1) Vaccines

Background Although the 2009 (H1N1) influenza pandemic officially ended in August 2010, the virus will probably circulate in future years. Several types of H1N1 vaccines have been tested including various dosages and adjuvants, and meta-analysis is needed to identify the best formulation. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and nine clinical trial registries to April 2011, in any language for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on healthy children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. Primary outcome was the seroconversion rate according to hemagglutinination-inhibition (HI); secondary outcomes were adverse events. For the primary outcome, we used head-to-head meta-analysis and multiple-treatments meta-analysis. Results Eighteen RCTs could be included in all primary analyses, for a total of 76 arms (16,725 subjects). After 2 doses, all 2009 H1N1 split/subunit inactivated vaccines were highly immunogenic and overcome CPMP seroconversion criteria. After 1 dose only, all split/subunit vaccines induced a satisfactory immunogenicity (> = 70%) in adults and adolescents, while only some formulations showed acceptable results for children and elderly (non-adjuvanted at high-doses and oil-in-water adjuvanted vaccines). Vaccines with oil-in-water adjuvants were more immunogenic than both nonadjuvanted and aluminum-adjuvanted vaccines at equal doses and their immunogenicity at doses < = 6 µg (even with as little as 1.875 µg of hemagglutinin antigen) was not significantly lower than that achieved after higher doses. Finally, the rate of serious vaccine-related adverse events was low for all 2009 H1N1 vaccines (3 cases, resolved in 10 days, out of 22826 vaccinated subjects). However, mild to moderate adverse reactions were more (and very) frequent for oil-in-water adjuvanted vaccines. Conclusions Several one-dose formulations might be valid for future vaccines, but 2 doses may be needed for children, especially if a low-dose non-adjuvanted vaccine is used. Given that 15 RCTs were sponsored by vaccine manufacturers, future trials sponsored by non-industry agencies and comparing vaccines using different types of adjuvants are needed.
Structure-Aware Bayesian Compressive Sensing for Frequency-Hopping Spectrum Estimation With Missing Observations

In this paper, we address the problem of spectrum estimation of multiple frequency-hopping (FH) signals in the presence of random missing observations. The signals are analyzed within the bilinear time–frequency (TF) representation framework, where a TF kernel is designed by exploiting the inherent FH signal structures. The designed kernel permits effective suppression of cross-terms and artifacts due to missing observations while preserving the FH signal autoterms. The kerneled results are represented in the instantaneous autocorrelation function domain, which are then processed using a redesigned structure-aware Bayesian compressive sensing algorithm to accurately estimate the FH signal TF spectrum. The proposed method achieves high-resolution FH signal spectrum estimation even when a large portion of data observations is missing. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method and its superiority over existing techniques.
The impact of cognateness of word bases and suffixes on morpho-orthographic processing: A masked priming study with intermediate and high-proficiency Portuguese-English bilinguals

Recent studies have suggested that proficient bilinguals show morphological decomposition in the L2, but the question remains as to whether this process is modulated by the cognateness of the morphemic constituents of L2 words and by L2 proficiency. To answer this question was the main goal of the present research. For that purpose, a masked priming lexical decision task was conducted manipulating for the first time the degree of orthographic overlap of the L2 word as a whole, as well as of their morphemic constituents (bases and suffixes). Thirty-four European Portuguese-English bilinguals (16 intermediate and 18 high-proficient) and 16 English native-speaking controls performed the task in English. Results revealed that both groups of bilinguals decomposed words as the native control group. Importantly, results also showed that morphological priming effects were sensitive not only to cross-language similarities of words as a whole, but also to their morphemic constituents (especially, suffixes).
Viscoelastic properties of the bladder and design of a surgical instrument for the removal of bladder tumours

There are various problems with the treatments for bladder cancer. The studies in this thesis aimed to decrease these problems or conduct research that would aid future work and development in the area. The mechanical properties of normal and malignant bladder tissue were quantified using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). A uniaxial testing machine applied sinusoidally varying strains to specimens and the response stresses were measured; from this the elastic and viscous components of the soft tissues were calculated. \(Porcine\) bladder tissue was used as a model for normal bladder and exhibited a higher modulus than tumourous bladder tissue. Potentially these viscoelastic properties have many utilities, which include but are not limited to: diagnosis of bladder tumours, computational modelling of the bladder, comparison to current replacement materials, manufacture of more appropriate bladder replacement materials and manufacture of synthetic tumours for surgical trainers. One problem with the procedure for removing non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is tumour re-implantation. An add-on instrument was designed, manufactured and tested to attempt to stop the travel of tumourous cells which could then re-implant. A prototype of the device was manufactured using the shape memory metal nickel titanium in conjunction with latex. The device would open into a cone shape once inside the bladder to physically prevent the movement of tumour cells away from the tumour site. The prototype was successfully tested in replica surgical conditions with blue dyes. With development, it is hoped that this design can assist in reducing the high recurrence rate of NMIBC.
Noise reduction of SEM images using adaptive Wiener filter

In this paper, we propose an improved pixel-wise adaptive Wiener filter to suppress additive white Gaussian noise in scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. We employ an adaptive weight function (AWF), to estimate local spatial statistics of Wiener filter. In this AWF, the estimation of noise variance is required, so we use the linear regression (LR) method to estimate noise variance. Finally, the proposed filter is compared with original Wiener filter and another existence Wiener filter to denoise SEM images. For different noise variances, experimental results indicate that proposed filter has better performance in comparison with other mentioned filters.
Biocompatibility of two model elastin‐like recombinamer‐based hydrogels formed through physical or chemical cross‐linking for various applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Biocompatibility studies, especially innate immunity induction, in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity, and fibrosis, are often lacking for many novel biomaterials including recombinant protein‐based ones, such as elastin‐like recombinamers (ELRs), and has not been extensively explored in the scientific literature, in contrast to traditional biomaterials. Herein, we present the results from a set of experiments designed to elucidate the preliminary biocompatibility of 2 types of ELRs that are able to form extracellular matrix‐like hydrogels through either physical or chemical cross‐linking both of which are intended for different applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Initially, we present in vitro cytocompatibility results obtained upon culturing human umbilical vein endothelial cells on ELR substrates, showing optimal proliferation up to 9 days. Regarding in vivo cytocompatibility, luciferase‐expressing hMSCs were viable for at least 4 weeks in terms of bioluminescence emission when embedded in ELR hydrogels and injected subcutaneously into immunosuppressed mice. Furthermore, both types of ELR‐based hydrogels were injected subcutaneously in immunocompetent mice and serum TNFα, IL‐1β, IL‐4, IL‐6, and IL‐10 concentrations were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, confirming the lack of inflammatory response, as also observed upon macroscopic and histological evaluation. All these findings suggest that both types of ELRs possess broad biocompatibility, thus making them very promising for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine‐related applications.
Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome mimicking mitochondrial disease

Later‐onset congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (LO‐CCHS) does not present only breathing problems but can be present as episodic multiple organs involvement. Our unique case demonstrated LO‐CCHS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases and having nontypical polysomnography result.