Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mathematical Modeling and Parameter Optimization of Fine Particle Sensors Based on Laser Light Scattering

Fine particles have promoted air quality monitoring need of humankind after their harmful effects on human health are pathologically verified. To monitor fine particle concentrations at a low cost, laser light scattering technique is favored by many researchers. While several cheap and interesting sensors are developed, little attention is paid to the measurement model, which in turn bound the sensor precision. In order to alleviate this situation, a simplified model is proposed, which can describe the nonlinear relationship between particle volume and single particle angular light flux by considering the effect of Rayleigh scattering and Fraunhofer diffraction simultaneously. The model can be employed in the signal processing of commercial low-cost particle sensors based on laser light scattering. A data-driven approach is adopted to find the optimum parameters of this model by considering different kinds of fine particles. Based on Trust-Region and Levenberg-Marquardt methods combining with robust methods, the optimum parameters of this model are obtained. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, comparative experiments are conducted on: a particle sensor with and without parameter optimization, a DustTrak II 8530 monitor and a reference TEOM PM2.5 monitor. The results indicated that the optimal model improves the measurement accuracy of the fine particle mass concentration by 10%.
Modulation of paraquat toxicity by β-carotene at low oxygen partial pressure in chicken embryo fibroblasts

The efficiency with which β-carotene protects against oxidative stress in chicken embryo fibrobiasts (CEF) at low O2 partial pressures was assessed. Primary cultures of CEF were grown at low O2 partial pressures and oxidatively stressed by exposure to paraquat (PQ). Activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1; SOD), catalase (EC 1.11.1.6; CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9; GSH-Px) were measured as indices of oxidative stress. CEF incubated with 0·25–1·0 mM—PQ for 18 h exhibited increased SOD and CAT activities compared with non-PQ-treated control cells (P < 0·001). No cytotoxicity as indicated by lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27; LDH) release was observed at PQ concentrations below 2·0 mM. Incorporation of added β-carotene into 0·25 mM-PQ-treated cells prevented the PQ-induced increases in SOD and CAT, and activities were similar to those seen in non-PQ-treated control cells. GSH-Px activity decreased relative to its control value on exposure to 0·25 mM-PQ and β-carotene prevented this decrease in a dose-dependent manner. The proportion of LDH released from the CEF treated with β-carotene remained below the control value of 2·5% at all times.
Heart rate recovery after the 6 min walk test rather than distance ambulated is a powerful prognostic indicator in heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction: a comparison with cardiopulmonary exercise testing

Heart rate recovery (HRR) appears to be a robust prognostic marker in heart failure (HF). When using the 6 min walk test (6MWT) in HF, distance ambulated is generally the reference prognostic variable. We hypothesized that HRR after the 6MWT would be a better prognostic measure than distance ambulated.
Image Segmentation and Categorization

This report reviews the task for class based pixel-wise segmentation and categorization using the single-histogram class model, and random forests. Histogram of visual words, textons, has been successfully used as the feature, for image segmentation and categorization task, to various supervised learning algorithm, such as k-nearest neighbor, or decisions trees. For this project, we investigate and implement the single-histogram class models, and random forest algorithm. These two methods are evaluated on the Microsoft research Cambridge object recognition image database [1]. We have achieved a reasonable performance on the task considering the limited running time and computing power we had.
Colonic Expression of MUC2, MUC5AC, and TFF1 in Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Children

Background: The quantity and quality of mucins are affected in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) both because of a reduction in the number of goblet cells and a decrease in the number of sugar residues per oligosaccharide side chain. Alteration in the types of mucins and aberrant location may contribute to the underlying pathology by affecting the mucus barrier function or may instead be a response to inflammation. The authors used the periodic acid-Schiff/Alcian blue stain to distinguish neutral and acidic mucins, and used specific antibodies to the mature goblet cell mucin MUC2, MUC2 core antigen, foveolar cell mucin MUC5AC, and gastric trefoil factor (TFF1), to characterize their presence and distribution in colonic tissue sections from patients with IBD. Results: Both core and mature MUC2 were expressed in all colonic goblet cells from patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn disease and from healthy controls. MUC5AC and TFF1, which are not normally expressed by colonic tissue, also were expressed in scattered goblet cells, coexpressing with MUC2. In areas of goblet cell depletion, MUC2 was present in cytoplasmic granules of flattened, cuboidal, nongoblet-cell–like surface cells. The staining was more intense and homogenous with the MUC2 core antibody, suggesting expression of relatively immature mucin. Some of these cells also coexpressed MUC5AC but to a lesser extent. These findings are not unique to IBD but were also found in other types of intestinal inflammation. Conclusion: The study confirms earlier observations that MUC2 is the major colonic mucin in IBD. It appears in two forms: mature MUC2 in goblet cells and immature MUC2 especially in secretory granules of cells that are not phenotypically goblet cells. MUC5AC and TFF1 expression in goblet cells is common in IBD and other inflammatory conditions of the colon. These changes may represent a nonspecific repair function of the colon cells to compensate for damage to barrier function.
Human milk in the developing world: to bank or not to bank?

There appears to be evidence "in vitro" and "in vivo" both in experimental animals and in infants that breast milk has anti-infective properties. It is also well known that breastfed infants do suffer from infections suggesting a limit to this protection. Although breastfeeding and administration of expressed human milk needs to be encouraged it is necessary to ensure that it is done in as safe and clean a manner as possible and that health education to improve the personal hygiene of even mothers who are nursing normal infants is provided. In developing countries where there is actually a large number of high risk infants there have been until recently no reports or guidelines on the use of expressed human milk. At the same time the establishment of a conventional milk bank as is known in industrialized countries presents several problems. These include the following: 1) a significantly large number of mothers of high risk infants belong to the low socioeconomic group and are uneducated 2) the climate in the tropics is unfavorable and the milk requires immediate refrigeration 3) bacteriological monitoring of every sample of milk prior to administration is unlikely to be feasible in most centers and 4) holder pasteurization may not be practical in all units as very careful monitoring of the temperature is essential. The following are practical guidelines for the use of expressed human milk for high risk infants in a developing country: 1) in the neonatal special care units collection of milk should as far as possible be supervised and the mothers must be given clear instructions; 2) the mother should be instructed to wash her hands and breasts with soap and water each time and preferably wipe the breasts with boiled swabs; 3) milk samples should be retained in their individual bottles and not pooled by pouring into a common container; 4) the milk should be consumed as soon as possible after collection; 5) nursing mothers who themselves have infections or whose babies are infected should not donate milk for other infants; 6) in hospital situations random samples of milk should be sent for bacteriological analysis preferably daily; 7) expressed human milk is of particular importance in the home care of low birth weight and high risk infants until the latter are able to accept direct feeding; and 8) as in some women the milk flow tends to decrease as manual expression continues over a few days when there is no equipment additional stimuli can be obtained by allowing the infant to suck for short periods intermittently.
Final height in girls with central precocious puberty: comparison of two different luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone agonist treatments

In order to evaluate the effects of two long‐acting luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone agonists on growth, bone maturation and final height in girls with central precocious puberty, we analyzed growth data from 40 girls (15 treated with buserelin intranasal spray (group A), 15 treated with triptorelin depot im every 28 days (group B) and 10 untreated (group C)). Patients in group A started treatment when chronological age (CA) was 7.7 ± 0.9 years, bone age (BA) was 10.2 ± 1.1 years and height was 131.9 ± 5.0 cm. Patients in group B started therapy when CA was 7.6 ± 0.5 years, BA 9.8 ± 1.0 years and height 133.2 ± 7.6 m. The diagnosis of untreated patients (group C) was made when CA was 7.2 ± 0.9 years, BA 9.6 ± 2.2 years and height 130.2 ± 8.6cm. Both luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone agonists appeared to control precocious puberty. Final height in group B (160.6 ± 5.7 cm) was significantly higher than that of group A (153.2 ± 5.0 cm: p < 0.05) and group C (149.6 ± 6.3; p < 0.01), whereas the difference between groups A and C was not statistically significant. In group B a positive difference was observed between final height (160.6 ± 5.7 cm) and target height (157.6 ± 5.9 cm) (ns); on the contrary, in groups A and C, final height was lower than target height (155.5 ± 5.3 and 156.4 ± 1.3cm, respectively), but only in group C the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The best results regarding final height obtained by slow‐release depot im therapy may be associated with more stable agonist blood levels during treatment.
In-Use Emissions from Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles

This paper reviews in-use emissions from over-the-road heavy-duty (greater than 8500 lb gross vehicle weight) diesel vehicles. Emissions of particulate matter (PM), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrocarbon (HC) are considered. Emissions measurements have been made by chassis dynamometer, by remote sensing, and in tunnel studies. There is reasonable agreement between the different types of studies for emissions of NOx, but agreement for emissions of other pollutants is qualitative. Remote sensing studies indicate that emissions of NO are normally distributed, while emissions of CO and HC are skewed to a few high emitting vehicles. Chassis dynamometer results indicate that average emissions of PM, CO, and HC have been reduced during the past two decades, but average emissions of NOx have not changed. Thus, emissions regulations for PM have been somewhat effective, although the degree of PM reduction is less than expected based on changes in the standards. Emission regulations have app.
Cardioprotection by H2S Donors: Nitric Oxide-Dependent and ‑Independent Mechanisms

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a signaling molecule with protective effects in the cardiovascular system. To harness the therapeutic potential of H2S, a number of donors have been developed. The present study compares the cardioprotective actions of representative H2S donors from different classes and studies their mechanisms of action in myocardial injury in vitro and in vivo. Exposure of cardiomyocytes to H2O2 led to significant cytotoxicity, which was inhibited by sodium sulfide (Na2S), thiovaline (TV), GYY4137 [morpholin-4-ium 4 methoxyphenyl(morpholino) phosphinodithioate], and AP39 [(10-oxo-10-(4-(3-thioxo-3H-1,2-dithiol5yl)phenoxy)decyl) triphenylphospho-nium bromide]. Inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis prevented the cytoprotective effects of Na2S and TV, but not GYY4137 and AP39, against H2O2-induced cardiomyocyte injury. Mice subjected to left anterior descending coronary ligation were protected from ischemia-reperfusion injury by the H2S donors tested. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in vivo blocked only the beneficial effect of Na2S. Moreover, Na2S, but not AP39, administration enhanced the phosphorylation of endothelial NOS and vasodilator-associated phosphoprotein. Both Na2S and AP39 reduced infarct size in mice lacking cyclophilin-D (CypD), a modulator of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP). Nevertheless, only AP39 displayed a direct effect on mitochondria by increasing the mitochondrial Ca2+ retention capacity, which is evidence of decreased propensity to undergo permeability transition. We conclude that although all the H2S donors we tested limited infarct size, the pathways involved were not conserved. Na2S had no direct effects on PTP opening, and its action was nitric oxide dependent. In contrast, the cardioprotection exhibited by AP39 could result from a direct inhibitory effect on PTP acting at a site different than CypD.
Cloning and expression of mouse peroxiredoxin I in IEC-6 Cells.

AIM To clone and express mouse peroxiredoxin I in IEC-6 cells. METHODS Total RNAs were isolated from cultured IEC-6 cells, and the coding region of peroxiredoxin I was amplified by RT-PCR. After it was cloned into T-vector and sequenced, pSG5 was used to transiently express peroxiredoxin I in IEC-6 by liposome-mediated transfection, and the expression of peroxiredoxin I was evaluated by RT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS A DNA fragment about 750 bp was amplified from total RNAs of IEC-6 cells using specific primers of peroxiredoxin I. The sequencing confirmed the coding region was successfully cloned into T-vector, which was completely coincident with the sequence in GeneBank. After the EcoRI-BamHI fragment of T-vector containing peroxiredoxin I was inserted into pSG5, the recombinant plasmid was transferred to IEC-6 cells. RT-PCR assay showed that a DNA fragment of 930 bp could be amplified, which indicated the transcription of pSG5-Prx. Western blot confirmed the expression of peroxiredoxin I in IEC-6 cells. CONCLUSION Mouse peroxiredoxin I can be successfully expressed in IEC-6 cells.
Spinal cord compression in cattle after the use of an oily vaccine 1

Ubiali D.G. , Cruz R.A. S. , Lana M.V. C. , Meireles Y.S. , Néspoli P.B. , Souza M.A., Colodel E.M. & Pescador C.A. 2011. Spinal cord compression in cattle after the use an oily vaccine. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 31(11):997-999. Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa 2367, Boa Esperança, Cuiabá, MT 78069-900, Brazil. E-mail: capescador@ufmt.br An outbreak of compressive myelopathy in cattle associated with the improper use of an oil vaccine is described. Neurological signs were observed in 25 out of 3,000 cattle after 60 days of being vaccinated against foot and mouth disease. The clinical picture was characterized by progressive paralysis of the hind limbs, difficulty in standing up, and sternal recumbency during the course of 2-5 months. A filling defect between the L1 and L3 vertebrae was seen through myelography performed in one of the affected animals. A yellow-gray, granular and irregular mass was observed in four necropsied animals involving the spinal nerve roots and epidural space of the lumbar (L1-L4) spinal cord; the mass was associated with a whitish oily fluid. This fluid was also found in association with necrosis of the longissimus dorsi muscle. Microscopic changes in the epidural space, nerve roots, and spinal musculature were similar and consisted of granulomas or pyogranulomas around circular unstained spaces (vacuoles). These spaces were located between areas of severe diffuse hyaline necrosis of muscle fibers and resembled the drops of oil present in the vaccine.
Time Course of Bacterial Infection of the Pancreas and Its Relation to Disease Severity in a Rodent Model of Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis

BackgroundBacterial infection of pancreatic necrosis is thought to be a major determinant of outcome in acute necrotizing pancreatitis. The determinants and possibilities for prophylaxis are unknown and difficult to study in humans. ObjectiveThe time course of bacterial infection of the pancreas in a rodent model of acute necrotizing pancreatitis was characterized. The authors ascertained if there is a correlation with the degree of necrosis. MethodsAcute pancreatitis (AP) of graded severity was induced under sterile conditions by an intravenous infusion of cerulein (5 μg/kg/hr) for 6 hours (mild AP), or a combination of intravenous cerulein with an intraductal infusion of 10-mM glycodeoxycholic acid (0.2 mL for 2 min for moderate AP, 0.5 mL for 10 min for severe AP). Sham-operated animals (intravenous and intraductal NaCl 0.9%) served as controls. Ninety-six hours after induction, animals were killed for quantitative bacterial examination and histologic scoring of necrosis. In addition, groups of animals with severe AP were investigated at 12, 24, 48, 96, and 144 hours. ResultsNo significant pancreatic necrosis was found in control animals (0.3 ± 0.1) or animals with mild AP (0.6 ± 0.1) killed at 96 hours. Necrosis scores were 1.1 ± 0.2 for animals with moderate AP and 1.9 ± 0.2 for animals with severe AP. Control animals did not develop significant bacterial infection of the pancreas (≥ 103 CFU/g). At 96 hours, the prevalence of infection was 37.5% in animals with mild AP and 50% in animals with moderate AP. In animals with severe AP, infection of the pancreas increased from 33% in the first 24 hours to 75% between 48 and 96 hours (p < 0.05). The bacterial counts and the number of different species increased with time and was maximal (> 1011 CFU/g) at 96 hours. ConclusionBacterial infection of the pancreas in rodent AP increases during the first several days, and its likelihood correlates with the severity of the disease. This model, which closely mimics the
Visual Acuity in Contact Lens Wearers

Purpose. The difference between high- and low-contrast visual acuity provides a sensitive indicator of vision loss in ocular disease; however, the effect of refractive error correction on this difference is still debated. Methods. High- and low-contrast visual acuity was measured in 116 rigid gas permeable contact lens wearers, 51 spectacle wearers, and 50 soft contact lens wearers with habitual and best correction. Twenty-nine of the soft contact lens wearers reported that they wore disposable contact lenses (discarded on a monthly or more frequent basis), whereas the other 21 soft contact lens wearers wore traditional soft contact lenses. Results. Rigid gas permeable contact lens wearers had statistically worse high-contrast habitual visual acuity than spectacle wearers (Tukey-Kramer, p = 0.0075). Traditional soft contact lens wearers had significantly worse low-contrast visual acuity compared with all other groups (Tukey-Kramer, p < 0.02 for each comparison). Traditional soft contact lens wearers had a significantly larger difference between high- and low-contrast visual acuity with best correction compared with rigid gas permeable wearers (Tukey-Kramer, p = 0.0099). Conclusions. Rigid gas permeable contact lens wearers had statistically worse habitual high-contrast visual acuity compared with spectacle wearers, but no difference was present under best-corrected conditions. We hypothesize that rigid gas permeable contact lens wearers were not wearing their optimal correction habitually. Traditional soft contact lens wearers had significantly worse low-contrast visual acuity. They also had a larger difference between their best-corrected high- and low-contrast visual acuity scores compared with rigid gas permeable contact lens wearers.
Distributed clustering algorithms over a cloud computing platform. (Algorithmes de classification répartis sur le cloud)

He subjects addressed in this thesis are inspired from research problems faced by the Lokad company. These problems are related to the challenge of designing efﬁcient parallelization techniques of clustering algorithms on a Cloud Computing platform. Chapter 2 provides an introduction to the Cloud Computing technologies, especially the ones devoted to intensivecomputations. Chapter 3 details more speciﬁcally Microsoft Cloud Computing offer : Windows Azure. The following chapter details technical aspects of cloud application development and provides some cloud design patterns. Chapter 5 is dedicated to the parallelization of a well-known clustering algorithm: the Batch K-Means. It provides insights on the challenges of a cloud implementation of distributed Batch K-Means, especially the impact of communication costs on the implementation efﬁciency. Chapters 6 and 7 are devoted to the parallelization of another clustering algorithm, the Vector Quantization (VQ). Chapter 6 provides an analysis of different parallelization schemes of VQ and presents the various speedups to convergence provided by them. Chapter 7 provides a cloud implementation of these schemes. It highlights that it is the online nature of the VQ technique that enables an asynchronous cloud implementation, which drastically reducesthe communication costs introduced in Chapter 5.
Best practice in the use of natalizumab in multiple sclerosis

Natalizumab is approved for the treatment of patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis who have failed first-line treatment with traditional disease-modifying therapies or who have highly active disease. The drug has proved highly effective, both in a clinical trial setting and in clinical practice, with marked reductions in the rate of clinical relapses and slowed disease progression. These clinical outcomes are mirrored by a marked reduction in disease activity as evidenced by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. However, natalizumab treatment has been associated with a risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a potentially fatal condition caused by JC virus (JCV) activation. When this condition was detected in a clinical trial shortly after approval, the drug was immediately and voluntarily withdrawn from the market. As a condition of its reinstatement, stringent pharmacovigilance measures and a risk management plan were enforced. The recent availability of a two-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for the presence of anti-JCV antibodies (free testing is available in a central laboratory for registered centers), along with an ever-improving understanding of other risk factors such as prior immunosuppressant use and duration of treatment, allow an increasingly refined stratification of the risk of PML. This improved stratification of risk can help guide decisions about treatment. This review will also deal with other topics of relevance to clinical practice such as the development of antinatalizumab antibodies and their negative implications in terms of hypersensitivity reactions and loss of efficacy, withdrawal of treatment, and compassionate pediatric use.