Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Controlled Synthesis of Pt doped Nanotitania as Visible Light Responsive

Nanotitania with three different morphologies viz., cubes, spheres and rods were synthesized by microwave irradiation. Nano-sized platinum particles were doped on nanotitania by metal sol method under controlled conditions. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue over bare and platinum doped titania was conducted under sunlight to investigate the effect of Pt on the dye degradation property of nanotitania Assynthesized TiO2 and Pt-TiO2 nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, BET surface area, Photoluminescence (PL), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with EDX, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. The dye degradation capabilities of nano-sized Pt-TiO2 catalysts were found superior to bare TiO2 nanostructures. The higher photoactivity of Pt-TiO2 can be ascribed to the effect of platinum deposits acting as electron traps on the Pt-TiO2 surface. Optical characterization by UV-visible spectrophotometer showed a shift in absorption wavelength to the visible region due to the incorporation of platinum nanoparticles into nanotitania.
Implementation and verification of the Information Bottleneck interpretation of deep neural networks

Although deep neural networks (DNNs) have made remarkable achievements in various fields, there is still not a matching practical theory that is able to explain DNNs’ performances. Tishby (2015) proposed a new insight to analyze DNN via the Information bottleneck (IB) method. By visualizing how much relevant information each layer contains in input and output, he claimed that the DNNs training is composed of fitting phase and compression phase. The fitting phase is when DNNs learn information both in input and output, and the prediction accuracy goes high during this process. Afterwards, it is the compression phase when information in output is preserved while unrelated information in input is thrown away in hidden layers. This is a tradeoff between the network complexity (complicated DNNs lose less information in input) and prediction accuracy, which is the same goal with the IB method. In this thesis, we verify this IB interpretation first by reimplementing Tishby’s work, where the hidden layer distribution is approximated by the histogram (binning). Additionally, we introduce various mutual information estimation methods like kernel density estimators. Based upon simulation results, we conclude that there exists an optimal bound on the mutual information between hidden layers with input and output. But the compression mainly occurs when the activation function is “double saturated”, like hyperbolic tangent function. Furthermore, we extend the work to the simulated wireless model where the data set is generated by a wireless system simulator. The results reveal that the IB interpretation is true, but the binning is not a correct tool to approximate hidden layer distributions. The findings of this thesis reflect the information variations in each layer during the training, which might contribute to selecting transmission parameter configurations in each frame in wireless communication systems.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Stable Production of the Antimalarial Drug Artemisinin in the Moss Physcomitrella patens

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Financing Innovation in the Yangtze River Economic Belt: Rationale and Impact on Firm Growth and Foreign Trade

Résumé:Le rôle de plus en plus important que jouent les intermédiaires dans la promotion de l'innovation et de l'internationalisation des entreprises donne lieu à un nombre croissant d'études. La Chine a subi des pressions croissantes pour s'intéresser de plus près aux finances des entreprises et favoriser l'innovation. On sait toutefois peu de choses sur les activités des financiers entrepreneuriaux et leurs performances en Chine. En se basant sur les activités de ces financiers dans la zone économique du delta du Yangzi, les auteurs de cet article examinent comment ces derniers choisissent leurs projets et évaluent le succès qu'ils obtiennent. Les résultats montrent que des financiers agissent à l'intérieur du système financier pour favoriser l'innovation dans les entreprises; ils ont tendance à se concentrer sur les technologies, et les plus importants ne sont pas les mémes aux différents stades de développement technologique. Avec le soutien des financiers, les entreprises où des investissements sont faits maintiennent généralement un solide rythme de croissance, mais le commerce international dans les secteurs étudiés n'a pas beaucoup augmenté et a parfois méme baissé. Les auteurs concluent en faisant des propositions en matière de développement industriel et international.Abstract:The increasingly large role of financial intermediaries in promoting firms' innovation and internationalization has led to great research interest. China has faced mounting pressure to take entrepreneurial finance and innovation seriously. Little is known about entrepreneurial financiers' activities and performance. Focusing on entrepreneurial financiers' activities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, this study investigates how they select projects and how well they perform in China. Evidence shows that various financiers serve in the financial system to nurture innovative entrepreneurial activities; they tend to focus on technology, and the major financiers vary with stage of industrial technological development. With the support of entrepreneurial finance, the invested firms in general maintain a sound growth momentum, but the foreign trade of relevant industries has not significantly increased and has even declined. The implication for industrial and international development policy is discussed.
Functional Connectivity Signatures of Parkinson’s Disease

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) studies have been extensively applied to analyze the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). In the present narrative review, we attempt to summarize the most recent RS-fMRI findings highlighting the role of brain networks re-organization and adaptation in the course of PD. We also discuss limitations and potential definition of early functional connectivity signatures to track and predict future PD progression. Understanding the neural correlates and potential predisposing factors of clinical progression and complication will be crucial to guide novel clinical trials and to foster preventive strategies.
article : the many potential roles of intestinal serotonin ( 5-hydroxytryptamine , 5-HT ) signalling in inflammatory bowel disease

Funding information The preparation of this work was supported in part by The Peter and Marsha Carlino Early Career Professorship (MDC), The Margo E. Walrath Career Professorship (MDC), Penn State Elliot S. Vesell Professorship endowment (KEV), and NIH grant DK 62267 (GMM). Summary Background: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is an important mediator of every major gut-related function. Recent investigations also suggest that 5-HT can influence the development and severity of inflammation within the gut, particularly in the setting of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aim: To review the roles that the intestinal serotonin signalling system plays in gut function, with a specific focus on IBD. Methods: We reviewed manuscripts from 1952 to 2017 that investigated and discussed roles for 5-HT signalling in gastrointestinal function and IBD, as well as the influence of inflammation on 5-HT signalling elements within the gut. Results: Inflammation appears to affect every major element of intestinal 5-HT signalling, including 5-HT synthesis, release, receptor expression and reuptake capacity. Importantly, many studies (most utilising animal models) also demonstrate that modulation of selective serotonergic receptors (via agonism of 5-HT4R and antagonism of 5-HT3R) or 5-HT signal termination (via serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can alter the likelihood and severity of intestinal inflammation and/or its complicating symptoms. However, there are few human studies that have studied these relationships in a targeted manner. Conclusions: Insights discussed in this review have strong potential to lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic tools to improve the management of IBD and other related disorders. Specifically, strategies that focus on modifying the activity of selective serotonin receptors and reuptake transporters in the gut could be effective for controlling disease activity and/or its associated symptoms. Further studies in humans are required, however, to more completely understand the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the roles of 5-HT in this setting.
Role of TLR4 (Toll-Like Receptor 4) in N1/N2 Neutrophil Programming After Stroke.

Background and Purpose- After stroke, the population of infiltrated neutrophils in the brain is heterogeneous, including a population of alternative neutrophils (N2) that express M2 phenotype markers. We explored the role of TLR4 (toll-like receptor 4) on neutrophil infiltration and polarization in this setting. Methods- Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery occlusion in TLR4-KO and WT (wild type) mice. Infarct size was measured by Nissl staining and magnetic resonance imaging. Leukocyte infiltration was quantified 48 hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. To elucidate mechanisms underlying TLR4-mediated N2 phenotype, a cDNA microarray analysis was performed in neutrophils isolated from blood 48 hours after stroke in WT and TLR4-KO mice. Results- As demonstrated previously, TLR4-deficient mice presented lesser infarct volumes than WT mice. TLR4-deficient mice showed higher density of infiltrated neutrophils 48 hours after stroke compared with WT mice, concomitantly to neuroprotection. Furthermore, cytometric and stereological analyses revealed an increased number of N2 neutrophils (YM1+ cells) into the ischemic core in TLR4-deficient mice, suggesting a protective effect of this neutrophil subset that was corroborated by depleting peripheral neutrophils or using mice with TLR4 genetically ablated in the myeloid lineage. Finally, cDNA microarray analysis in neutrophils, confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, showed that TLR4 modulates several pathways associated with ischemia-induced inflammation, migration of neutrophils into the parenchyma, and their functional priming, which might explain the opposite effect on outcome of the different neutrophil subsets. Conclusions- TLR4 deficiency increased the levels of alternative neutrophils (N2)-an effect associated with neuroprotection after stroke-supporting that modulation of neutrophil polarization is a major target of TLR4 and highlighting the crucial role of TLR4 at the peripheral level after stroke.
Screening the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Nonessential Gene Deletion Library Reveals Diverse Mechanisms of Action for Antifungal Plant Defensins

Plant defensins are a large family of proteins, most of which have antifungal activity against a broad spectrum of fungi. However, little is known about how they exert their activity. The mechanisms of action of only a few members of the family have been investigated and, in most cases, there are still a number of unknowns. ABSTRACT Plant defensins are a large family of proteins, most of which have antifungal activity against a broad spectrum of fungi. However, little is known about how they exert their activity. The mechanisms of action of only a few members of the family have been investigated and, in most cases, there are still a number of unknowns. To gain a better understanding of the antifungal mechanisms of a set of four defensins, NaD1, DmAMP1, NbD6, and SBI6, we screened a pooled collection of the nonessential gene deletion set of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Strains with increased or decreased ability to survive defensin treatment were identified based on the relative abundance of the strain-specific barcode as determined by MiSeq next-generation sequencing. Analysis of the functions of genes that are deleted in strains with differential growth in the presence of defensin provides insight into the mechanism of action. The screen identified a novel role for the vacuole in the mechanisms of action for defensins NbD6 and SBI6. The effect of these defensins on vacuoles was further confirmed by using confocal microscopy in both S. cerevisiae and the cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. These results demonstrate the utility of this screening method to identify novel mechanisms of action for plant defensins.
New York Jewish Conversational Style

Of the many observations that could be made based on this interchange, I would like to focus on two: the general tendency to extrapolate personality from conversational style, and the specific attribution of aggressiveness to a speaker who uses fast pacing in conversation. In the discussion that follows, I will suggest that the stereotype of the 'pushy New York Jew' may result in part from discourse conventions practiced by some native New Yorkers of East European Jewish background. After examining some evidence for the
Spiroplasma eriocheiris Enters Drosophila Schneider 2 Cells and Relies on Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis and Macropinocytosis

Spiroplasma eriocheiris causes great economic losses in the crustacean aquaculture industry. However, the mechanism of S. eriocheiris infecting host cells has been poorly studied. We established a Spiroplasma-infected Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cell model and investigated its pathogenic mechanism. First, S. eriocheiris induced S2 cell apoptosis and necrosis, seriously decreased cell viability, and increased the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species. ABSTRACT Spiroplasma eriocheiris causes great economic losses in the crustacean aquaculture industry. However, the mechanism of S. eriocheiris infecting host cells has been poorly studied. We established a Spiroplasma-infected Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cell model and investigated its pathogenic mechanism. First, S. eriocheiris induced S2 cell apoptosis and necrosis, seriously decreased cell viability, and increased the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Further research showed that S. eriocheiris can invade S2 cells, and the number of copies of intracellular spiroplasmas is sharply increased by 12 h postinfection. In addition, S. eriocheiris can cause S2 cells to form typical inclusion bodies and exhibit large vacuoles. Second, S. eriocheiris is internalized into S2 cells and strongly inhibited through blocking clathrin-mediated endocytosis using chlorpromazine and dynasore. Inhibitors of macropinocytosis, protein kinase C and myosin II, cause a significant reduction in S. eriocheiris in S2 cells. In contrast, disruption of cellular cholesterol by methyl-β-cyclodextrin and nystatin has no effect on S. eriocheiris infection. These results suggest that the entry of S. eriocheiris into S2 cells relies on clathrin-dependent endocytosis and macropinocytosis, but not via the caveola-mediated endocytic pathway. In addition, the intracellular numbers of S. eriocheiris are dramatically reduced after S2 cells are treated with cytoskeleton-depolymerizing agents, including nocodazole and cytochalasin B. Thus, cellular infection by S. eriocheiris is related to microtubules and actin filaments. This research successfully shows for the first time that S. eriocheiris can invade Drosophila S2 cells and provides a process for S. eriocheiris infection.
The role of sensory processing difficulties, cognitive impairment, and disease severity in predicting functional behavior among patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract Purpose To compare sensory processing and functional behavior abilities between participants with multiple sclerosis (MS), with and without cognitive impairments, and healthy controls, and to examine the role disease severity, cognitive impairment, and sensory processing have in predicting the functional behavior of persons with MS. Methods Sixty-one participants with MS were enrolled in this study, 43 with cognitive impairments and 18 without (based on the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS composite z-score), and 36 healthy controls. Participants were between the ages 23 and 63 and asked to complete the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, Functional Behavior Profile, and MS Functional Composite. Results Both MS groups showed sensory processing difficulties with lower ability to register sensory input and greater sensory sensitivity and avoidance versus healthy controls. Among both MS groups, sensory processing difficulties correlated with greater disease severity and poor functional behavior in daily life. The significant predictors of functional behavior in daily life were a lower ability to register sensory input and greater sensory avoidance. Conclusions Persons with MS have sensory processing difficulties regardless of their cognitive abilities, which negatively affect their functional behavior. Research and practice should further explore the role of sensory processing as expressed in daily scenarios for persons with MS and consider the functional impacts of this study in order to optimize daily life experiences for patients. Implications for rehabilitation Sensory processing difficulties in multiple sclerosis (MS) are mainly expressed in poor ability to register and modulate sensory input from daily environment, regardless of patients’ cognitive status. Sensory processing difficulties in MS may affect patients’ ability to perform activities of daily living. Sensory processing difficulties in MS should be evaluated using objective measures (electrophysiology tools) as well as self-reports that reflect patients’ difficulties in real life context. Intervention programs in MS should refer to sensory processing difficulties, to their correlation with disease severity, cognitive status and to their impacts on people’s daily function.
Computed Tomography-Guided Transfissural Coil Localization of Lung Nodules

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical effectiveness of preoperative computed tomography (CT)-guided transfissural coil localization (TFCL) of subfissural lung nodules. Methods Five patients with lung nodules who underwent CT-guided TFCL before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery between November 2015 and December 2018 were included. Technical success rates of TFCL and wedge resection were assessed, as well complications and pathological results. Results The technical success rate of TFCL was 100%. Two patients experienced parenchymal hemorrhage around the needle path, and two patients experienced asymptomatic pneumothorax after TFCL. The technical success rate of the wedge resection of lung nodules was also 100%. The pathological diagnoses of the five nodules were minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (n = 3), adenocarcinoma in situ (n = 1), and inflammatory nodule (n = 1). Conclusion CT-guided TFCL is a safe and effective method for the preoperative localization of subfissural lung nodules.
Mothers' views of health problems in the twelve months after childbirth: A concept mapping study.

AIMS To identify the health problems that women feel require help and subsequent help-seeking behaviour during the twelve months period after childbirth. BACKGROUND Many women experience physical and mental health problems after childbirth, but there is a gap in understanding how they perceive their health after childbirth. Studies suggested they are inhibited in expressing their needs and so seek informal rather than professional help for their health problems. DESIGN Mixed-method study. METHOD Australian women were recruited by an online platform and purposive sampling (N=81) in 2017-2018, based on an established concept mapping methodology. A first group created 83 brainstorm statements and a second group sorted and rated the statements on women's perception of the prevalence of the issues and their help-seeking advice to others. Bradshaw's Taxonomy of Needs theoretically underpins the explanation of the results of women's felt need after childbirth. RESULTS Multidimensional scaling resulted in six clusters which categorised into three domains: 'health issues and care', 'support' and 'fitness'. Despite being directly asked, about two-thirds of the women did not report experiencing any health problems. CONCLUSION Concept maps uniquely depict women's views on seeking help. This study suggests a need to reconsider the approach to care for women in the twelve months after childbirth. IMPACT Among our participants who declared health problems most of them had professional help to resolve it. Family and friends were a key source of help-seeking. Post-childbirth routine care was focused on infant care and limited to the first six weeks after childbirth. The content of current post-childbirth care must be reviewed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Evolution of turbulent heat flux across a shock wave

Turbulent heat flux vector ujT ′ is an unclosed term in the Reynolds Averaged energy conservation equation. Accurate modeling of this term in shock-dominated flows is important for accurate prediction of wall heat transfer rate. We study the generation of turbulent heat flux vector u′T ′ in a canonical interaction of homogeneous isotropic turbulence with a normal shock wave. The upstream turbulence considered is purely vortical in nature. The total enthalpy conservation equation across the unsteady shock wave is written in a linearized form and is used to develop a transport equation for u′T ′. A budget for the source terms integrated across the time-averaged shock wave is calculated using Linear Interaction Analysis, both for 2D component waves and a 3D isotropic spectrum. We thus identify the dominant mechanisms responsible for the generation of ujT ′ across the shock. The validity of Morkovin’s hypothesis is also discussed.
Microsyntenic Clusters Reveal Conservation of lncRNAs in Chordates Despite Absence of Sequence Conservation

Homologous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are elusive to identify by sequence similarity due to their fast-evolutionary rate. Here we develop LincOFinder, a pipeline that finds conserved intergenic lncRNAs (lincRNAs) between distant related species by means of microsynteny analyses. Using this tool, we have identified 16 bona fide homologous lincRNAs between the amphioxus and human genomes. We characterized and compared in amphioxus and Xenopus the expression domain of one of them, Hotairm1, located in the anterior part of the Hox cluster. In addition, we analyzed the function of this lincRNA in Xenopus, showing that its disruption produces a severe headless phenotype, most probably by interfering with the regulation of the Hox cluster. Our results strongly suggest that this lincRNA has probably been regulating the Hox cluster since the early origin of chordates. Our work pioneers the use of syntenic searches to identify non-coding genes over long evolutionary distances and helps to further understand lncRNA evolution.