Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Event-Triggered Mean-Square Consensus Control for Time-Varying Stochastic Multi-Agent System With Sensor Saturations

In this technical note, the consensus control problem is investigated for a class of discrete time-varying stochastic multi-agent system subject to sensor saturations. An event-based mechanism is adopted where each agent updates the control input signal only when the pre-specified triggering condition is violated. To reflect the time-varying manner and characterize the transient consensus behavior, a new index for mean-square consensus is put forward to quantify the deviation level from individual agent to the average value of all agents’ states. For a fixed network topology, the aim of the proposed problem is to design time-varying output-feedback controllers such that, at each time step, the mean-square consensus index of the closed-loop multi-agent system satisfies the pre-specified upper bound constraints subject to certain triggering mechanism. Both the existence conditions and the explicit expression of the desired controllers are established by resorting to the solutions to a set of recursive matrix inequalities. An illustrative simulation example is utilized to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed algorithms.
FIRMNESS OF STRAWBERRIES AS MEASURED BY A PENETROMETER.

Strawberries are subjected to compression, bruising, and shearing effects during harvesting, packing, and shipping. The resistance of the fruit to mechanical injury is related to firmness; hence there is needed a suitable method for measuring firmness in order to evaluate varietal differences, stage of maturity, or degree of ripeness, effects of environmental conditions during fruit development on firmness, and effects of different shipping and storage conditions on changes in firmness. The improved types of pressure testers (6, 10) designed for pomaceous fruits are not sufficiently sensitive for evaluating differences in firmness of strawberries. No satisfactory pressure tester has been reported for use on strawberry fruit (6). Resistance of strawberries to wounding was measured by Hawkins and S ando (8) as the pressure required to puncture the epidermis with a needle 636 microns in diameter. Culpepper et al, (3) measured the resistance of the strawberry to penetration by a small needle (0.032 inch in diameter). The depth of penetration was not indicated, however ; the sudden penetration of the needle was used as the end point. This needle tester gave an index of maturity but did not measure varietal differences in firmness or resistance to crushing in shipping or handling. This device did not give a measure of the resistance of the first to deformation or flattening as does the pressure or squeeze tester developed by Haller et al. (7). This tester which measured the resistance to flattening of the fruit is a modification of the type described by Verner (14). A 2,000-gram scale was used and the plunger disc moved through a distance of i inch. Full ripe berries of approximately the same stage of maturity were used. A direct correlation was found to exist between the dry weight and firmness of the different varieties.
Evaluation of ultraviolet radiation to control microorganisms adhering to low-density polyethylene films

Efficiency of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in reducing the cell number of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Escherichia coli K-12 adhered to low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films was evaluated. The microorganisms were let to adhere to the surface of LPDE bags for 12h at 18oC, and then submitted to UV radiation at an intensity 196 µW. cm-2, 254nm, for 2 seconds. Staphylococcus aureus was less resistant to UV radiation than E. coli, and the efficiency increased with the increase of the concentration of microbial suspension. After 1500 hours of use the UV radiation intensity of the lamp was reduced from 288 to 78 µW. cm-2, and the higher decrease occurred in the first 100 hours of use. Also, the efficiency of the UV radiation decreased after 1500 hours of use. The number of mesophilic aerobes on the surface of LDPE films was reduced by 90% after irradiation with 137 µW. cm-2 for 2 seconds. Atomic force microscopy revealed cracks and crevices and protuberances on the LDPE surface, a topography that can protect the cells from UV radiation, reducing the efficiency of the process. The results showed that UV radiation can be a useful technique for reducing the microbiota adhered to LDPE films.
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies of nicotine after oral administration in mice: effects of methoxsalen, a CYP2A5/6 inhibitor.

INTRODUCTION The use of novel oral nicotine delivery devices and compositions for human consumption and for animal research studies has been increasing in the last several years. METHODS Studies were undertaken to examine whether the systemic administration of methoxsalen, an inhibitor of human CYP2A6 and mouse CYP2A5, would modulate nicotine pharmacokinetics and pharmacological effects (antinociception in the tail-flick, and hot-plate tests, and hypothermia) in male ICR mouse after acute oral nicotine administration. RESULTS Administration of intra peritoneal (ip) methoxsalen significantly increased nicotine's Cmax, prolonged the plasma half-life (fourfold decrease) of nicotine, and increased its area under the curve (AUC) compared with ip vehicle treatment. Methoxsalen pretreatment prolonged the duration of nicotine-induced antinociception and hypothermia (15mg/kg, po) for periods up to 6- and 24-hr postnicotine administration, respectively. Additionally, methoxsalen potentiated nicotine-induced antinociception and hypothermia as evidenced by leftward shifts in nicotine's dose-response curve. Furthermore, this prolongation of nicotine's effects after methoxsalen was associated with a parallel prolongation of nicotine plasma levels in mice. These data strongly suggest that variation in the rates of nicotine metabolic inactivation substantially alter pharmacological effects of nicotine given orally. CONCLUSION We have shown that the pharmacological effects of inhibiting nicotine's metabolism after oral administration in mice are profound. Our results suggest that inhibiting nicotine metabolism can be used to dramatically enhance nicotine's bioavailability and its resulting pharmacology, which further supports this inhibitory approach for clinical development of an oral nicotine replacement therapy.
m@ANGEL: autonomic management platform for seamless cognitive connectivity to the mobile internet

B3G wireless access infrastructures can be realized through the concept of cognitive networks. In a B3G context, a network operator will rely on various alternate wireless access technologies, for realizing the appropriate business goals, such as capacity and QoS levels. Cognitive wireless access networks dynamically change their configuration, and in this respect the radio access technologies and spectrum used at the physical and MAC layers, in order to adapt to environment conditions. A cognitive infrastructure consists of reconfigurable elements and intelligent management functionality. This article focuses on the management part. We present a platform, called m@ANGEL, which adheres to autonomic computing principles, and aims at the provision of seamless cognitive connectivity to the mobile Internet. Our work starts from a business level view of cognitive wireless access networks. Technical requirements for m@ANGEL are identified, and the architecture of the platform is described. Moreover, the article describes the functionality and engineering challenges of the m@ANGEL components, which provide the means for monitoring, discovery, context acquisition, description of profiles/goals/agreements, resource and service brokerage, configuration negotiation, selection, and implementation. Finally, concluding remarks are drawn, and issues for the next phases of our work are identified
Space and location of cerebral microbleeds, cognitive decline, and dementia in the community

Objective: To assess the association of the number and anatomic location of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), visible indicators of microvascular damage on MRI, with incident cognitive disease in the general population of older people. Methods: In the longitudinal population-based Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES)–Reykjavik Study, 2,602 participants 66 to 93 years of age and free of prevalent dementia underwent brain MRI and cognitive testing of verbal memory, processing speed, and executive function at baseline and a mean of 5.2 years later. Adjudicated incident dementia cases were diagnosed according to international guidelines. Results: In the multiple linear regression models adjusted for demographic, genetic, cardiovascular risk, and other cerebrovascular MRI markers, the presence of CMBs located in deep or mixed (deep and lobar) areas was associated with a greater decline in all 3 cognitive domains. Mixed CMBs were the strongest correlate for decline in memory and speed. Compared to those with no CMBs, participants with ≥3 CMBs had a steeper decline in a composite measure of global cognitive function, memory, and speed. Among those with ≥3 deep or mixed CMBs, associations were strongest for memory; the association with speed was strongest in those having ≥3 strictly lobar CMBs. People with ≥3 CMBs, regardless of their locations, had a higher incidence of all-cause dementia and vascular dementia. Conclusions: Mixed or a higher load of CMBs, with some specificity for location, is associated with accelerated cognitive decline in older people. These findings suggest a role for hypertensive vasculopathy and the combined effect of hypertensive and cerebral amyloid angiopathy in the pathogenesis of cognitive deterioration.
MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS IN WILDLIFE IN FRANCE

In early 2001, tuberculosis-like lesions were detected in three hunter-killed red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the Brotonne Forest (Normandy, France), and Mycobacterium bovis was isolated. In subsequent hunting seasons, two surveys were conducted in the area. In the first survey (2001–02 hunting season), nine (13%) of 72 red deer sampled were positive for M. bovis. In the 2005–06 hunting season, the prevalence of M. bovis infection increased to 24% (χ2=3.85, df=1, P=0.05; 33 positive among 138 sampled). The prevalence remained stable in juveniles, but it increased significantly in adults: from 13% in 2001–02 to 32% in 2005–06 (χ2=5.13, df=1, P=0.02). Wild boar (Sus scrofa) were heavily infected in both surveys. One roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and one red fox (Vulpes vulpes) also tested positive in the second survey. Mycobacterium bovis was not isolated from Eurasian badgers (Meles meles). Spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeat analysis demonstrated that all M. bovis strains isolated from wildlife were of the same genotype. Thus, the wildlife outbreak involved only a single strain, and this strain was the same as that circulating in nearby cattle herds since 1995. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the presence of macroscopic lesions as a diagnostic criterion were evaluated from the data obtained from red deer. Necropsy seems to be satisfactory as a routine tool to monitor the disease in wild red deer populations in which bovine tuberculosis has become established.
Can tuberculosis case finding among health-care seeking adults be improved? Observations from Bissau.

SETTING The Bandim Health Project study area in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. OBJECTIVE To assess the potential usefulness of predictors (elsewhere applied) and clinical scores (TBscore and TBscore II) based on signs and symptoms typical of tuberculosis (TB) in case finding. DESIGN Observational prospective cohort study of patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of pulmonary TB (PTB) from 2010 to 2012. RESULTS We included 1089 PTB suspects with a mean age of 34 years (95%CI 33-35); human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence was 15.1%. PTB was diagnosed in 107 suspects (76.4% sputum smear-positive, 25.2% HIV-infected). Cough > 2 weeks had the highest diagnostic ability (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] 0.66, 95%CI 0.62-0.71), while TBscore < 3 best excluded PTB (negative likelihood ratio [LR-] 0.3) when HIV status was not known. TBscore II ≥ 3 had the highest diagnostic ability in HIV-infected PTB suspects (AUC 0.62, 95%CI 0.53-0.72), while the absence of self-reported weight loss best excluded PTB (LR- 0.2). Cough > 2 weeks as a trigger for smear microscopy missed 32.1% of smear-positive PTB cases. CONCLUSION Case finding could be improved by screening symptomatic adults for cough and/or weight loss using TBscore II as the trigger for smear microscopy. To suspect PTB only in patients with cough > 2 weeks (non-HIV-infected) or with current cough, fever, weight loss or night sweats (HIV-infected) was not effective in patients whose HIV status was unknown at first visit.
Phenotypic consequences of LYS4 gene disruption in Candida albicans

A BLAST search of the Candida Genome Database with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae LYS4 sequence known to encode homoaconitase (HA) revealed ORFs 19.3846 and 19.11327. Both alleles of the LYS4 gene were sequentially disrupted in Candida albicans BWP17 cells using PCR‐based methodology. The null lys4Δ mutant exhibited lysine auxotrophy in minimal medium but was able to grow in the presence of l‐Lys and α‐aminoadipate, an intermediate of the α‐aminoadipate pathway, at millimolar concentrations. The presence of d‐Lys and pipecolic acid did not trigger lys4Δ growth. The C. albicans lys4Δ mutant cells demonstrated diminished germination ability. However, their virulence in vivo in a murine model of disseminated neonatal candidiasis appeared identical to that of the wild‐type strain. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference in fungal burden of infected tissues between the strains. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Progesterone inhibition of mouse uterine epithelial proliferation.

Oestradiol stimulates uterine luminal epithelial cells of ovariectomized mice to pass through two rounds of cell division in quick succession (Das, 1972; Martin, Finn & Trinder, 1973). Progesterone injected with the oestrogen blocks entry of some cells into the first round of proliferation without affecting G1, S or G2 in the remainder, but blocks entry of these cells into the second round. This suggested that cells were only sensitive to progesterone in early G1 (Martin, Das & Finn, 1973). In the present experiment we attempted to delineate the sensitive period in greater detail. Randomly bred albino mice were ovariectomized and primed as described previously (Das, 1972). Five days after priming they were separated into ten groups of three. All were given 50 ng oestradiol subcutaneously in 0\m=. \1ml arachis oil at 0 h and 25 \g=m\Ci[3H]thymidine ([3H]Thd; sp. act. 5 Ci/mm, Amersham) intraperitoneally in 0\m=. \1ml 0\m=. \9%NaCl solution at 15 h. Group 1 also received 1 mg progesterone sub¬ cutaneously in arachis oil at 0 h, groups 2-9 received single injections of 1 mg pro¬ gesterone at the times indicated in Fig. 1, and group 10, vehicle only at 0 h. All mice
Comparison of intraoperative procedures for isolation of clinical grade stromal vascular fraction for regenerative purposes: a systematic review

Intraoperative application of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of adipose tissue requires a fast and efficient isolation procedure of adipose tissue. This review was performed to systematically assess and compare procedures currently used for the intraoperative isolation of cellular SVF (cSVF) and tissue SVF (tSVF) that still contain the extracellular matrix. Pubmed, EMBASE and the Cochrane central register of controlled trials databases were searched for studies that compare procedures for intraoperative isolation of SVF (searched 28 September 2016). Outcomes of interest were cell yield, viability of cells, composition of SVF, duration, cost and procedure characteristics. Procedures were subdivided into procedures resulting in a cSVF or tSVF. Thirteen out of 3038 studies, evaluating 18 intraoperative isolation procedures, were considered eligible. In general, cSVF and tSVF intraoperative isolation procedures had similar cell yield, cell viability and SVF composition compared to a nonintraoperative (i.e. culture laboratory‐based collagenase protocol) control group within the same studies. The majority of intraoperative isolation procedures are less time consuming than nonintraoperative control groups, however. Intraoperative isolation procedures are less time‐consuming than nonintraoperative control groups with similar cell yield, viability of cells and composition of SVF, and therefore more suitable for use in the clinic. Nevertheless, none of the intraoperative isolation procedures could be designated as the preferred procedure to isolate SVF. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Catch up Growth in Preterm Infants

Seventy‐one surviving infants were followed up from birth to 24 weeks of postnatal age. Their mean gestational age was 32 weeks with a range of 26–36 weeks and a standard deviation of 2.1 weeks. Their mean birth weight was 1.805 kg with a range of 0.675–2.5 kg and a standard deviation of 0.408 kg. Their weights, lengths and head circumferences were measured at birth, 6, 12 and 24 weeks. Curves for the mean weight, length and head circumference were produced and superimposed on the available intrauterine and extra‐uterine growth charts. The growth curves of the preterm infants did not show the flattening noted in the intrauterine curves towards term. The curve of the mean weight of the preterm infants started at the 50th centile for Gairdner & Pearson (1971) at birth to drop below that shortly after birth. At 40 weeks of postconceptional age the mean weight curve of preterm infants crossed the 50th centile and continued above it to reach the 90th centile at 60 weeks. The curves of mean length and head circumference started below the 50th centile at birth and crossed it at 40 weeks and continued above it to approach the 90th centile at 60 weeks. Growth velocity was calculated as a relative gradient using the straight line equation (y=a+bx), where y is the weight, length or head circumference, and x is the independent variable and here it is the group mean of the parameter at the corresponding ages. Catch up growth is taken as a relative gradient significantly greater than one. The first 24 weeks of postnatal life are defined as a period of catch up growth with the first 8 weeks as an interval of maximum head velocity.
EEG Evidence of Posterior Cortical Disconnection in PD and Related Dementias

ABSTRACT Electroencephalogram (EEG) reactivity to eyes opening and 12-Hz photic stimulation was investigated in 14 healthy elderly subjects, 21 parkinsonian patients (PD), 7 demented parkinsonian patients (PDD), and 10 patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD) using global field synchronization (GFS). During eyes closed Theta GFS was increased in Parkinson's disease and patients and alpha1 GFS was decreased in LBD subjects. During 12-Hz intermittent photic stimulation (IPS), reactivity of posterior electrodes was decreased in PD and LBD patients. No reactivity was observed in PDD. Results are consistent with a graded posterior cortical disconnection in parkinsonian syndromes and with a model of dopamine-modulated thalamocortical interplay in visual processing.
School-based interventions for depression and anxiety in children and adolescents

By the age of 18 up to 20% of children will have suffered with an emotional disorder of anxiety or depression.1 Anxiety and depressive disorders frequently co-occur, are persistent and adversely impact on everyday functioning, academic achievement, peer and family relationships.2 They are associated with significant morbidity both during childhood and early adulthood and are leading causes of health-related burden.1 ,3 Empirically supported psychological treatments for anxiety and depression have been developed although the availability of these within clinical services is limited. Of those who receive evidence-based treatments the effects are often modest. Approximately half show a clinically meaningful improvement with relapse, particularly for depression, being common.4 ,5 However, comparatively few children with emotional disorders are ever identified and referred for treatment with the majority having no contact with mental health services.6 The limited availability, reach and effectiveness of psychological treatments have led to interest in preventive and early intervention approaches. These approaches aim to develop emotional resilience and are typically conceptualised as universal, selective or indicated reflecting the population upon which they are targeted.7 Universal programmes are provided to all members of a target population regardless of risk status (eg, children aged 11) whereas selective interventions are targeted upon groups with an increased risk of developing a disorder (eg, children of depressed parents). While universal and selective programmes may improve current psychological functioning their primary aim is to reduce the onset of new disorders developing. Indicated programmes are targeted upon those already showing increased signs of emotional problems (ie, subdiagnostic threshold) with the aim of preventing symptoms from escalating into disorders. Universal approaches offer the potential for good population coverage, are less stigmatising, can easily be provided and reach large numbers of children. However they typically result in smaller treatment effects …
Regulatory T-cells in Periapical Lesions

CD4+CD25hiFoxp3+ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are of crucial importance in regulating the immune response, including the control of any defense against infection. Their presence in periapical lesions has not been demonstrated, as yet. We hypothesized that Tregs infiltrate periapical lesions, where they inhibit T-cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to characterize Tregs in periapical lesions by confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and functional assays. We showed that CD4+CD25hiFoxp3+ cells in periapical lesions expressed IL-10 and TGF-β. Their frequency was significantly higher than in peripheral blood and correlated with the levels of TGF-β and IL-10 in culture supernatants of periapical lesion mononuclear cells. Tregs inhibited the proliferation of responder T-cells in vitro, at least in part, by stimulating the production of IL-10. These findings suggest that CD4+CD25hiFoxp3+ cells in periapical lesions may play regulatory roles in controlling local immune/inflammatory processes.