Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Body mass index, but not vitamin D status, is associated with brain volume change in MS

Objective To determine whether body mass index (BMI) or vitamin D status is associated with MRI measures of neurodegeneration in a cohort of individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). Methods Expression, Proteomics, Imaging, Clinical (EPIC) is a longitudinal multiple sclerosis (MS) cohort study at the University of California, San Francisco. Participants had clinical evaluations, brain MRI, and blood draws annually. We evaluated patients with CIS or RRMS at baseline. In multivariate repeated-measures analyses adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, smoking status, and use of MS treatments, annual 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and BMI were evaluated for their association with subsequent brain volumes (normalized gray matter [nGMV], brain parenchymal [nBPV], and white matter volumes, as determined by Structural Image Evaluation using Normalization of Atrophy-X). Results Among 469 participants, each 1-kg/m2 higher BMI was independently associated with reduced nGMV in multivariate models (−1.1 mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.8 to −0.5, p = 0.001). BMI was likewise independently associated with nBPV (nBPV per 1-kg/m2 greater BMI: −1.1 mL, 95% CI −2.1 to −0.05, p = 0.039). Vitamin D levels did not appear to be meaningfully associated with brain volumes. Conclusions Higher BMI appears to be associated with greater reductions in nGMV and nBPV, which is relevant because, in particular, nGMV loss portends greater longer-term disability. Because obesity is modifiable, further studies should explore these relationships in detail, and evaluating the effect of reducing BMI on imaging and clinical outcomes in MS may be warranted.
Potential Runaway Motion Volume in Task Space for Estimating The Probability of Occurrence of A Human-Robot Collision

The paper deals with a critical safety issue on a human-robot coexistence system which is highly expected to be introduced in such fields of manufacturing as cell production lines. We discuss a method for quantitatively estimating the probability of occurrence of a collision between a human and a fixed-type robot when it falls into a runaway state. We apply the concept of dynamic manipulability ellipsoid to compute the potential runaway space of a robot. Then, we conduct a psychological experiment in which each subject avoids abrupt approaching motion of the end effector of the robot and determine the collision simulation parameters. Further, we show an estimation procedure of protective separation distance taking into account the avoidance action on the participants' side. The study contributes to obtaining the protective separation distance required for a robot to be separated from a worker. We finally confirm that the experimental results validate the separation distance to converge.
High‐speed quantitative 3D imaging by dual‐illumination holographic microscopy

A new blood flow imaging (BFI) technique using digital holography with double illumination of the sample is proposed. We imaged the moving red blood cells (RBCs) using a two microscope objective lenses setup. The setup consists in a larger angle of separation (90 °) between the two illumination beams, allowing a wider angular rotation at good z resolution. Moreover, the setup geometry allows an easier displacement of the sample in all directions. Results show that this technique is able to perform phase‐shifting reconstruction for the two beams at the same time which is more suitable for the future implementation of live 3D holography. Experimental results are carried out for the verification of the effectiveness of the proposed technique on a zebrafish larvae sample.
Detection Of Induction Motor Bearing Damage With Starting Current Analysis Using Wavelet Discrete Transform And Artificial Neural Network

Bearing damage in induction motor is one of the most common fault. The type of bearing damage itself consists of damage to the inner-race, outer-race and ball bearing. The occurrence of this bearing damage may cause increased vibration, temperature rise and may cause damage to the shafts, rotor and stator. To speed up the repair process, bearing damage detection should be classified according to the type of damage occurring. In this study, bearing damage will be detected by transient current analysis using discrete wavelet transform method. To determine the occurrence of damage, processing of transient current signals using discrete wavelet transforms performed by comparing the signal sub-band frequency at normal bearings and during fault. Furthermore, artificial neural networks are used to provide information on classification of types of fault. Analysis of result show that the presentage of successness classification as 100% for inner-race damage, 98% for outter-race damage and 100% for ball bearing damage. With the classification of damage to this bearing, it is expected to simplify and speed up the repair process.
Lidocaine inhibits melanoma cell proliferation by regulating ERK phosphorylation

The melanoma is responsible for the majority of all skin cancer–related deaths worldwide. Evidence suggests that local anesthetics provide some benefit in the treatment of cancer via inhibition of cellular proliferation, invasion and migration. However, the potential antiproliferative effects of local anesthetics in the treatment of melanoma remain to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative effects and underlying mechanism of the commonly used local anesthetic (lidocaine) on melanoma cells. A375 melanoma cells were treated by lidocaine or vemurafenib. Cell Counting Kit‐8, histological staining, flow cytometric analysis, immunohistochemical staining, and Western blot analyses were carried out to test the effects of lidocaine and vemurafenib on A375 cells. BALB/C‐nu/nu mice intraperitoneally injected with A375 cells were treated by lidocaine, and then tumor volume and weight were calculated. Lidocaine exhibited vemurafenib‐like effects totally. Lidocaine inhibited A375 melanoma cell proliferation in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner and colony formation also showed a dose‐dependent inhibition. Lidocaine treatment resulted in the arrest of cell‐cycle progression in the G1 phase and inhibited Ki‐67 expression in a dose‐dependent manner. This effect was associated with inhibited extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation. In vivo experiments revealed that intravenous injections of lidocaine suppressed tumor volume and weight. Lidocaine inhibits melanoma cell proliferation in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner via a mechanism that may involve inhibition of the ERK signaling pathway. Thus, lidocaine may provide some benefit for the treatment of melanoma.
Power Consumption Modeling in Integrated Optical-Wireless Access Network

Access segment of both optical and wireless networks are well known for their domination over total network power consumption. Therefore, the study on energy consumption particularly in the integrated optical-wireless access network is crucial as the energy consumption issue is increasingly vital nowadays. In this paper, the total power consumption and energy efficiency of integrated Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) and two different wireless technologies namely, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is evaluated. A semi-analytical power consumption model is employed and applied in the simulation model for the energy performance assessment. Also, various parameters that may affect the energy performance such as split ratio, femtocell base station (FBS) range, broadcast factor and modulation scheme are analyzed. It was found that, GPON-LTE has the worst energy efficiency performance compared to GPON-WiMAX even though it offers the highest data rates.
Development and characterization of a new cell line derived from European eel Anguilla anguilla kidney

ABSTRACT A new cell line derived from the kidney of European eel, Anguilla anguilla, has been established and characterized. This cell line, designated as EK (eel kidney), has been maintained in Leibovitz's L-15 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum for over 24 months, and subcultured more than 60 times. This cell line consists predominantly of fibroblast-like cells, and can grow at 15–37°C under an optimum temperature of 26°C. The origin of this cell line was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and 18s recombinant (r)RNA sequencing. The chromosome analysis of EK cells at passage 58 revealed an ananeuploid karyotype. The EK cells were successfully transfected with the Pegfp-N1 plasmid, suggesting its potential in genetic studies. The susceptibility test showed a significant cytopathic effect (CPE) in EK cells for Rana grylio virus, and the viral replication was evidenced with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay. After poly (I:C) stimulation, the expression of the immune-related molecules including interferon regulatory factor-3 (irf3), interferon regulatory factor-7 (irf7) and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) were significantly upregulated in EK cells, while the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF-β) was downregulated. These results suggested the potential of EK cell line as a model in gene engineering, virus identification and environmental toxicology. Summary: The first visceral cell line of an endangered species, Anguilla anguilla has been established; this aneuploid cell line is fibroblast-like, and suitable for gene expression and virus isolation.
Drying and Rainfall Shape the Structure and Functioning of Nitrifying Microbial Communities in Riverbed Sediments

Non-flow periods in fluvial ecosystems are a global phenomenon. Streambed drying and rewetting by sporadic rainfalls could drive considerable changes in the microbial communities that govern stream nitrogen (N) availability at different temporal and spatial scales. We performed a microcosm-based experiment to investigate how dry period duration (DPD) (0, 3, 6, and 9 weeks) and magnitude of sporadic rewetting by rainfall (0, 4, and 21 mm applied at end of dry period) affected stocks of N in riverbed sediments, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) and rates of ammonia oxidation (AO), and emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere. While ammonium (NH4+) pool size decreased, nitrate (NO3−) pool size increased in sediments with progressive drying. Concomitantly, the relative and absolute abundance of AOB and, especially, AOA (assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR of ammonia monooxygenase genes) increased, despite an apparent decrease of AO rates with drying. An increase of N2O emissions occurred at early drying before substantially dropping until the end of the experiment. Strong rainfall of 21 mm increased AO rates and NH4+ in sediments, whereas modest rainfall of 4 mm triggered a notable increase of N2O fluxes. Interestingly, such responses were detected only after 6 and 9 weeks of drying. Our results demonstrate that progressive drying drives considerable changes in in-stream N cycling and the associated nitrifying microbial communities, and that sporadic rainfall can modulate these effects. Our findings are particularly relevant for N processing and transport in rivers with alternating dry and wet phases – a hydrological scenario expected to become more important in the future.
Safety and immunogenicity of VAQTA® in children 12-to-23 months of age with and without administration of other US pediatric vaccines

ABSTRACT Safety and immunogenicity data from 5 clinical trials conducted in the US in children 12-to-23 months old where HAVi was administered alone or concomitantly with other pediatric vaccines (M-M-R®II, Varivax®, TRIPEDIA®, Prevnar®, ProQuad®, PedvaxHIB®, and INFANRIX®) were combined. Among 4,374 participants receiving ≥ 1 dose of HAVi, 4,222 (97%) had safety follow-up and the proportions reporting adverse events (AE) were comparable when administered alone (69.4%) or concomitantly with other pediatric vaccines (71.1%). The most common solicited injection-site AEs were pain/tenderness (Postdose 1: 25.8%; Postdose 2: 26.1%) and redness (Postdose 1: 13.6%; Postdose 2: 15.1%). The most common vaccine-related systemic AEs were fever (≥ 100.4ºF, 12.2%) and irritability (8.1%). Serious AEs (SAEs) were observed at a rate of 0.4%; 0.1% were considered vaccine-related. No deaths were reported within 14 days following a dose of HAVi. These integrated analyses also showed that protective antibody concentrations were elicited in 100% of toddlers after two doses and 92% after a single dose, regardless of whether HAVi was given concomitantly with other vaccines or alone. These results demonstrate that HAVi was well-tolerated whether given alone or concomitantly with other vaccines, with a low incidence of vaccine-related SAEs. HAVi was immunogenic in this age group regardless of whether administered with or without other pediatric vaccines and whether 1 or 2 doses were administered. HAVi did not impact the immune response to other vaccines. These data continue to support the routine use of HAVi with other pediatric vaccines in children ≥ 12 months of age.
Combining Satellite Imagery and GPS Data for Road Extraction

Road extraction is a fundamental problem in remote sensing and mapping. Recent advances in Convolution Neural Network (CNN) have contributed significant improvements in automatic road extraction from satellite imagery, albeit prediction gaps challenge post-processing. Some of the gaps are hard to bridge by satellite imagery alone due to dense vegetation, road construction, and building shadows. In this paper, we combine satellite imagery with GPS data to improve road extraction quality. Our dataset includes 100cm pixel resolution satellite imagery and 192-hour taxi GPS traces from the urban area of Beijing. Experimenting with various layers to combine GPS data, our CNN model outperforms the RGB-only model by nearly 13% on mean IoU.
Differential Regulation of Myosin Regulatory Light Chain Phosphorylation by Protein Kinase C Isozymes in Human Uterine Myocytes

Background: Preterm birth is the most common cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality and a common precedent to lifelong disability. Current treatment has minimal efficacy. Objective: We assessed the role of isozymes of the protein kinase C (PKC) family in regulating the phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chains (RLCs), which regulate uterine contractility. We also explored the mechanisms through which these isozymes function. Study Design: We used a previously characterized and validated quantitative in-cell Western (ICW) assay to measure site-specific phosphorylations on myosin RLC and CPI-17. Cultures of human uterine myocytes (hUM) were treated with the potent contractile stimulant oxytocin to induce uterine contractility or a pharmacological mimic of diacyl-glycerol to stimulate the conventional and novel isozymes of the PKC family. Combinations of isozyme-selective inhibitors were used to determine the effects of the conventional and novel classes of isozymes. Results: Stimulation of PKC using phospho-dibutyrate caused immediate, concentration-dependent inhibition of uterine activity ex vivo. Using the ICW assay with hUM, the oxytocin-stimulated increase in the pro-contractile phosphorylations of myosin RLCs at serine19 and threonine18 was completely inhibited by prior treatment with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, which stimulates both convention and novel classes of isozymes. Our results suggest that the conventional class of isozymes cause a reduction in phosphorylations at serine19 and threonine18 by reducing activity of myosin light chain kinase. The novel class of isozymes has 2 mechanisms of action: the first is activation of CPI-17 through phosphorylation at threonine38, which results in reduced activity of myosin light chain phosphatase and increased levels of activated myosin RLC; the second is increased phosphorylation of the N-terminal region of myosin RLC. Conclusions: Specific agonists for the conventional isozymes or inhibitors of the novel isozymes of the PKC family could be useful pharmacological agents for regulation of uterine activity.
High seroprevalence of anti‐Hepatitis E antibodies in Austrian patients with autoimmune hepatitis

Increasing numbers of autochthonous hepatitis E virus infections have been reported in Europe. Chronic infections have been shown in immune‐compromised patients after solid organ transplantation. Hepatitis E virus might be a possible trigger for autoimmune hepatitis and might cause disease flares or relapses in the further course of disease. Aim of this study was to investigate the presence of hepatitis E virus antibodies and hepatitis E virus RNA, and to analyse their impact on immunosuppressive treatment in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.
Old and New Cross Sections

New cross section calculations are usually advertised as improvements over previous ones. Nevertheless these claims are not always supported by rigorous statistical tests. A set of electron impact ionization cross sections for inner shells, suitable for Monte Carlo particle transport, has been evaluated in a large scale validation test with respect to an extensive collection of experimental data retrieved from the literature. It includes the cross sections tabulated in EEDL (Evaluated Electron Data Library), recent calculations by Bote and Salvat, the BinaryEncounter-Bethe (BEB) model and the Deutsch-Mrk (DM) model. The cross sections were compared to experimental data by means of goodness-of-fit tests. The picture that emerges from the validation test does not fully support the expectations of improvement. The complete and final results of the validation process are reported in detail and critically discussed.
Dysfunction of Cerebrovascular Endothelial Cells: Prelude to Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease (AD), characterized by progressive cognitive impairment, memory loss, and thinking or speech problems. VaD is usually caused by cerebrovascular disease, during which, cerebrovascular endothelial cells (CECs) are vulnerable. CEC dysfunction occurs before the onset of VaD and can eventually lead to dysregulation of cerebral blood flow and blood–brain barrier damage, followed by the activation of glia and inflammatory environment in the brain. White matter, neuronal axons, and synapses are compromised in this process, leading to cognitive impairment. The present review summarizes the mechanisms underlying CEC impairment during hypoperfusion and pathological role of CECs in VaD. Through the comprehensive examination and summarization, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)/nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway, Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) signaling pathway, and CEC-derived caveolin-1 (CAV-1) are proposed to serve as targets of new drugs for the treatment of VaD.
When Machine Learning meets Security Issues: A survey

Machine learning is one of the most prevalent techniques in recent decades which has been widely applied in various fields. Among them, the applications that detect and defend potential adversarial attacks using machine learning method provide promising solutions in cybersecurity. At the same time, machine learning algorithms and systems are vulnerable to multiple security threats. In this paper, we revisit certain literatures and present a comprehensive survey from two respects, application of machine learning on cybersecurity and reliability and security of machine learning system. We then overview security issues of mobile AI devices and propose two notable focus, which are worthy in-depth studies in future. Researchers can regard this survey as a navigating reference in both machine learning and cybersecurity fields.
Serum Interleukin-6 Level in Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Introduction: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder in children, but its specific etiology and pathophysiology are still incompletely understood. Objectives: This case-control study aimed to measure the level of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a predictor of the immunologic status in children with ADHD, and to study its correlation with severity of symptoms. Subjects and Methods: 60 ADHD children who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, criteria for ADHD and 60 control children were subjected to complete history taking, clinical examination, and psychometric tests. Serum interleukin-6 of ADHD patients and control children was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The mean serum level of IL-6 was 22.35 (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.68-26.99) in ADHD patients, and it was 5.44 (95% CI, 4.81-6.06) in controls. A significantly higher level of IL-6 was reported in ADHD patients compared with controls (P = .001). No significant correlation was found between serum IL-6 level and either the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale score. Conclusion: Serum IL-6 values were significantly higher in ADHD patients compared to healthy control children. Increased production of IL-6 may play a role in the pathogenesis of ADHD.
The reporting of studies conducted using observational routinely collected health data statement for pharmacoepidemiology (RECORD-PE)

In pharmacoepidemiology, routinely collected data from electronic health records (including primary care databases, registries, and administrative healthcare claims) are a resource for research evaluating the real world effectiveness and safety of medicines. Currently available guidelines for the reporting of research using non-randomised, routinely collected data—specifically the REporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely collected health Data (RECORD) and the Strengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statements—do not capture the complexity of pharmacoepidemiological research. We have therefore extended the RECORD statement to include reporting guidelines specific to pharmacoepidemiological research (RECORD-PE). This article includes the RECORD-PE checklist (also available on www.record-statement.org) and explains each checklist item with examples of good reporting. We anticipate that increasing use of the RECORD-PE guidelines by researchers and endorsement and adherence by journal editors will improve the standards of reporting of pharmacoepidemiological research undertaken using routinely collected data. This improved transparency will benefit the research community, patient care, and ultimately improve public health.