Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Scheduling protocol with load managementfor EV charging

In the next few years, as the number of EVs will become important, the smart grid will be solicited to satisfy high power demands. To deal with this problem, efficient power charge scheduling techniquesare required. In this paper, a scheduling protocol with a load management technique is introduced. The scheduling protocol is aimed first at minimizing peak loads due to multiple EVs charging at home while using pricing policies. Second, it aims at coordinating charging and discharging processes to achieve cost optimization and improve grid stability. An analytical formulation is given for the scheduling problem with a load management strategy. The simulation results showed the effectiveness of the proposed approach in minimizing peak loads, optimization cost and improving grid stability while satisfying the defined constraints.
A systematic review of school-based alcohol and other drug prevention programs facilitated by computers or the internet.

ISSUES The use of alcohol and drugs amongst young people is a serious concern and the need for effective prevention is clear. This paper identifies and describes current school-based alcohol and other drug prevention programs facilitated by computers or the Internet. APPROACH The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and PubMed databases were searched in March 2012. Additional materials were obtained from reference lists of papers. Studies were included if they described an Internet- or computer-based prevention program for alcohol or other drugs delivered in schools. KEY FINDINGS Twelve trials of 10 programs were identified. Seven trials evaluated Internet-based programs and five delivered an intervention via CD-ROM. The interventions targeted alcohol, cannabis and tobacco. Data to calculate effect size and odds ratios were unavailable for three programs. Of the seven programs with available data, six achieved reductions in alcohol, cannabis or tobacco use at post intervention and/or follow up. Two interventions were associated with decreased intentions to use tobacco, and two significantly increased alcohol and drug-related knowledge. CONCLUSION This is the first study to review the efficacy of school-based drug and alcohol prevention programs delivered online or via computers. Findings indicate that existing computer- and Internet-based prevention programs in schools have the potential to reduce alcohol and other drug use as well as intentions to use substances in the future. These findings, together with the implementation advantages and high fidelity associated with new technology, suggest that programs facilitated by computers and the Internet offer a promising delivery method for school-based prevention.
Levodopa in Parkinson's disease: effect on pulmonary function.

Twenty-three patients with Parkinson's disease underwent serial study of total lung capacity and its subdivisions, maximal-effort expiratory and inspiratory flow rates, and steady-state diffusing capacity when on no therapy, on a regimen of procyclidine hydrochloride, and on a regimen of levodopa. Indices of clinical improvement were scored and compared to physiologic respiratory data. Compared to values measured when on no therapy; results on a regimen of levodopa showed a significant increase in peak flow rate, maximal voluntary ventilation, forced expiratory volume, 0.75 sec × 40, vital capacity, total lung capacity, and expiratory reserve volume. Indices not requiring maximal coordinated effort did not vary from control values when on either a regimen of procyclidine or levodopa. Serial analysis of maximaleffort flow rates proved a valuable and objective method to assess drug therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Efficacy and safety of modafinil (Provigil®) for the treatment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis: a two centre phase 2 study

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of modafinil for the treatment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Patients aged 18–65 years with a diagnosis of MS, a stable disability level ≤6 on the Kurtzke extended disability status scale (EDSS), and a mean score >4 on the fatigue severity scale (FSS) were eligible for the 9 week, single blind, phase 2, two centre study. Exclusion criteria included a diagnosis of narcolepsy, sleep apnoea, or clinically significant major systemic disease and recent use of medications affecting fatigue. All patients, who remained blinded for the treatment regimen, received placebo during weeks 1–2, 200 mg/day modafinil during weeks 3–4, 400 mg/day modafinil during weeks 5–6, and placebo during weeks 7–9. Safety was evaluated by unblinded investigators. Efficacy was evaluated by self rating scales, using the FSS, the modified fatigue impact scale (MFIS), a visual analogue scale for fatigue (VAS-F), and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). Adverse events were recorded. Results: Seventy two patients (MS type: 74% relapsing-remitting; 7% primary progressive; 19% secondary progressive) received treatment. After treatment with 200 mg/day modafinil for 2 weeks, a significant improvement in fatigue versus placebo run in was demonstrated. Mean scores after treatment with 200 mg/day modafinil were: FSS, 4.7 versus 5.5 for placebo (p<0.001); MFIS, 37.7 versus 44.7 (p<0.001); and VAS-F, 5.4 versus 4.5 (p=0.003). Fatigue scores for 400 mg/day modafinil were not significantly improved versus placebo run in. Mean ESS scores were significantly improved (p<0.001) with 200 mg/day modafinil (7.2) and 400 mg/day (7.0) versus the score at baseline (9.5). Serious adverse events were not found at either dose. The most common adverse events were headache, nausea, and aesthenia. Sixty five patients (90%) completed the study. Conclusions: These data suggest that 200 mg/day modafinil significantly improves fatigue and is well tolerated in patients with MS.
Video event recounting using mixture subclass discriminant analysis

In this paper, a new feature selection method is used, in combination with a semantic model vector video representation, in order to enumerate the key semantic evidences of an event in a video signal. In particular, a set of semantic concept detectors is firstly used for estimating a model vector for each video signal, where each element of the model vector denotes the degree of confidence that the respective concept is depicted in the video. Then, a novel feature selection method is learned for each event of interest. This method is based on exploiting the first two eigenvectors derived using the eigenvalue formulation of the mixture subclass discriminant analysis. Subsequently, given a video-event pair, the proposed method jointly evaluates the significance of each concept for the detection of the given event and the degree of confidence with which this concept is detected in the given video, in order to decide which concepts provide the strongest evidence in support of the provided video-event link. Experimental results using a video collection of TRECVID demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed video event recounting method.
Efficient parameter optimization for example-based design of nonseparable oversampled lapped transform

This paper proposes an efficient design method of nonseparable oversampled lapped transform (NSOLT). NSOLT is a multidimensional redundant transform which satisfies the nonseparable, symmetric, real-valued, overlapped, compact-supported and perfect-reconstruction property. A typical example-based design approach, which consists of sparse coding and parameter optimization, is applicable to NSOLT. In the previous implementation, however, the parameter optimization stage dominated the computation. The main reason is that the quasi-Newton method with numerical gradient of the objective function was adopted. To reduce the computational cost, the analytical gradient is derived and introduced. For further acceleration, the quasi-Newton method is replaced by stochastic gradient descent. Through some experiments, the significance of the proposed method is verified.
Intestinal tuft cell immune privilege enables norovirus persistence

The persistent murine norovirus strain MNVCR6 is a model for human norovirus and enteric viral persistence. MNVCR6 causes chronic infection by directly infecting intestinal tuft cells, rare chemosensory epithelial cells. Although MNVCR6 induces functional MNV-specific CD8+ T cells, these lymphocytes fail to clear infection. To examine how tuft cells promote immune escape, we interrogated tuft cell interactions with CD8+ T cells by adoptively transferring JEDI (just EGFP death inducing) CD8+ T cells into Gfi1b-GFP tuft cell reporter mice. Unexpectedly, some intestinal tuft cells partially resisted JEDI CD8+ T cell–mediated killing—unlike Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells and extraintestinal tuft cells—despite seemingly normal antigen presentation. When targeting intestinal tuft cells, JEDI CD8+ T cells predominantly adopted a T resident memory phenotype with decreased effector and cytotoxic capacity, enabling tuft cell survival. JEDI CD8+ T cells neither cleared nor prevented MNVCR6 infection in the colon, the site of viral persistence, despite targeting a virus-independent antigen. Ultimately, we show that intestinal tuft cells are relatively resistant to CD8+ T cells independent of norovirus infection, representing an immune-privileged niche that can be leveraged by enteric microbes. Colonic tuft cells can intrinsically resist cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, enabling chronic norovirus infection. Editor’s summary Norovirus is a major cause of acute foodborne illness that can also lead to persistent infections. Specialized chemosensory epithelial cells called tuft cells are the target cell for murine norovirus, but how chronic infections are established remains unclear. Using mice with CD8+ T cells bearing a fluorescent protein-specific T cell receptor, Strine et al. found that intestinal tuft cells are intrinsically resistant to CD8+ T cell–mediated killing compared with other gut epithelial cells. Tuft cell–mediated immune evasion from CD8+ T cells enabled norovirus persistence in the colon. These findings indicate that intestinal tuft cells represent an immune-privileged niche that is intrinsically resistant to T cell responses. —Claire Olingy
Decline of the relative risk of death associated with low employment grade at older age: the impact of age related differences in smoking, blood pressure and plasma cholesterol

STUDY OBJECTIVE To explore whether the observed age related decline in the relative risk of death associated with low employment grade can be explained by the profiles of smoking, blood pressure and plasma cholesterol changing differently with age between the employment grades. DESIGN Prospective cohort study with 25 years of mortality follow up. SETTING Whitehall study. PARTICIPANTS There were 16 984 men aged 40 to 69 years at baseline with complete information on smoking, blood pressure and plasma cholesterol. MAIN RESULTS The relative risk of death associated with low employment grade decreased from 2.1 at 55–59 years of age to 1.3 at 85–89 years of age. Adjustment for smoking status and blood pressure, attenuated the age related decline of the relative risk by 18% and 3% respectively; adjustment for plasma cholesterol increased the decline by 3%. Taken together, these risk factors explain 20% of the observed age related decline. CONCLUSIONS A small part of the observed age related decline in the relative risk of death associated with low employment grade can be explained by differential changes in the profiles of smoking, blood pressure and plasma cholesterol with age between the employment grades.
Mechanical ventilators optimized for pediatric use decrease work of breathing and oxygen consumption during pressure‐support ventilation

Objectives: a) To investigate whether the patient work of breathing needed to trigger inspiration is affected by the type of ventilator delivering pressure‐support ventilation for mechanically ventilated pediatric patients. b) To determine whether changes in oxygen consumption (&OV0312;o2) trend with changes in work of breathing and would thus be helpful in tracking work of breathing. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Pediatric intensive care unit at a university hospital. Patients: Nine mechanically ventilated patients (2 to 75 months of age). Interventions: While maintaining a constant pressure‐support ventilation level, patients were alternately supported with the Siemens Servo 900C, the Bird VIP, and the Newport Wave E200 ventilators in random order. Measurements and Main Results: Work of breathing, defined as the integral of the pressure‐volume curve corresponding to negative pressure, was calculated with a pulmonary monitoring system. &OV0312;o2 was measured with a metabolic cart. Patient distress levels were assessed using the COMFORT scale, a behavioral scoring system. Mean values (20 breaths/patient) for measured variables with each ventilator were compared using analysis of variance and Scheffé tests, with p < . 05 indicating statistical significance. The lowest &OV0312;o2 (103 ± 35 mL/min/m2) and work of breathing (24 ± 15 g.cm/m2) were achieved with the Bird VIP ventilator and were significantly ( p < .05) lower than those values obtained with either the Siemens Servo 900C (&OV0312;o2 147 ± 33 mL/min/m2; work of breathing 49 ± 18 g.cm/m2) or the Newport Wave E200 (&OV0312;o2 122 ± 33 mL/min/m2; work of breathing 35 ± 15 g.cm/ m2). Also, the values of work of breathing and &OV0312;o2 obtained using the Newport Wave E200 were significantly ( p < .05) lower than those values obtained using the Servo 900C. No change in behavioral distress occurred when the ventilators were changed. In all patients, there was a clear similarity in the trends of &OV0312;o2 and work of breathing. Conclusions: We conclude that &OV0312;o2 and work of breathing may be reduced significantly using the latest generation of mechanical ventilators optimized for infant and pediatric use. Because work of breathing is less with the Bird VIP than the other two ventilators tested, leading to a corresponding decrease in &OV0312;o2, we suggest that the Bird VIP better adapts the patient to the ventilator and may facilitate weaning from ventilatory support. We also suggest that changes in &OV0312;o2 might be helpful in tracking changes in work of breathing. (Crit Care Med 1994; 22:1942–1948)
Atmospheric Waves and Their Possible Effect on the Thermal Structure of Saturn's Thermosphere

Atmospheric waves have been discovered for the first time in Saturn's neutral upper atmosphere (thermosphere). Waves may be generated from instabilities, convective storms or other atmospheric phenomena. The inferred wave amplitudes change little with height within the sampled region, raising the possibility of the waves being damped, which in turn may enhance the eddy friction within the thermosphere. Using our Saturn Thermosphere Ionosphere General Circulation Model, we explore the parameter space of how an enhanced Rayleigh drag in different latitude regimes would affect the global circulation pattern within the thermosphere and, in turn, its global thermal structure. We find that Rayleigh drag of sufficient magnitude at midlatitudes may reduce the otherwise dominant Coriolis forces and enhance equatorward winds to transport energy from poles toward the equator, raising the temperatures there to observed values. Without this Rayleigh drag, energy supplied into the polar upper atmosphere by magnetosphere‐atmosphere coupling processes remains trapped at high latitudes and causes low‐latitude thermosphere temperatures to remain well below the observed levels. Our simulations thus suggest that giant planet upper atmosphere global circulation models need to include additional Rayleigh drag in order to capture the effects of physical processes otherwise not resolved by the codes.
A molecularly engineered lectin destroys EGFR and inhibits the growth of non-small cell lung cancer

Survival rates for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain low despite the advent of novel therapeutics. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in NSCLC have significantly improved mortality but are plagued with challenges--they can only be used in the small fraction of patients who have susceptible driver mutations, and resistance inevitably develops. Aberrant glycosylation on the surface of cancer cells is an attractive therapeutic target as these abnormal glycosylation patterns are typically specific to cancer cells and are not present on healthy cells. H84T BanLec (H84T), a lectin previously engineered by our group to separate its antiviral activity from its mitogenicity, exhibits precision binding of high mannose, an abnormal glycan present on the surface of many cancer cells, including NSCLC. Here, we show that H84T binds to and inhibits the growth of diverse NSCLC cell lines by inducing lysosomal degradation of EGFR and leading to cancer cell death through autophagy. This is a mechanism distinct from EGFR TKIs and is independent of EGFR mutation status; H84T inhibited proliferation of both cell lines expressing wild type EGFR and those expressing mutant EGFR that is resistant to all TKIs. Further, H84T binds strongly to multiple and diverse clinical samples of both pulmonary adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. H84T is thus a promising potential therapeutic in NSCLC, with the ability to circumvent the challenges currently faced by EGFR TKIs.
Atomistic Characterization of Beta-2-Glycoprotein I Domain V Interaction with Anionic Membranes

Background Interaction of beta-2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) with anionic membranes is crucial in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), implicating the role of it’s membrane bind-ing domain, Domain V (DV). The mechanism of DV binding to anionic lipids is not fully understood. Objectives This study aims to elucidate the mechanism by which DV of β2GPI binds to anionic membranes. Methods We utilized molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the struc-tural basis of anionic lipid recognition by DV. To corroborate the membrane-binding mode identified in the HMMM simulations, we conducted additional simulations using a full mem-brane model. Results The study identified critical regions in DV, namely the lysine-rich loop and the hydrophobic loop, essential for membrane association via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, respectively. A novel lysine pair contributing to membrane binding was also discovered, providing new insights into β2GPI’s membrane interaction. Simulations revealed two distinct binding modes of DV to the membrane, with mode 1 characterized by the insertion of the hydrophobic loop into the lipid bilayer, suggesting a dominant mechanism for membrane association. This interaction is pivotal for the pathogenesis of APS, as it facilitates the recognition of β2GPI by antiphospholipid antibodies. Conclusion The study advances our understanding of the molecular interactions be-tween β2GPI’s DV and anionic membranes, crucial for APS pathogenesis. It highlights the importance of specific regions in DV for membrane binding and reveals a predominant bind-ing mode. These findings have significant implications for APS diagnostics and therapeutics, offering a deeper insight into the molecular basis of the syndrome.
Peptide-Pulsed Dendritic Cells Have Superior Ability to Induce Immune-Mediated Tissue Destruction Compared to Peptide with Adjuvant

Vaccines for cancer immunotherapy are of interest but in general have not yet achieved the desired therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials. We present here a novel model to evaluate vaccine strategies by following tissue destruction in a transgenic model, where a defined antigen is expressed on pancreatic islets. We found that the transfer of syngeneic antigen-pulsed dendritic cells (DCs) resulted in autoimmune cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activation that was not observed following vaccinations that were based on peptides and adjuvants. Importantly, the induction of diabetes by DC transfer is dependent upon the maturation of DCs prior to transfer. Furthermore, diabetes induction only occurred if DCs were pulsed with the immunodominant epitope in addition to at least one other peptide, suggesting greater cytolytic activity upon engagement of multiple T-cell specificities. While the tumor environment undoubtedly will be more complex than healthy tissue, the insights gained through this model provide useful information on variables that can affect CD8-mediated tissue cytolysis in vivo.
The Reactor: A Sample-Efficient Actor-Critic Architecture

In this work we present a new reinforcement learning agent, called Reactor (for Retrace-actor), based on an off-policy multi-step return actor-critic architecture. The agent uses a deep recurrent neural network for function approximation. The network outputs a target policy {\pi} (the actor), an action-value Q-function (the critic) evaluating the current policy {\pi}, and an estimated behavioral policy {\hat \mu} which we use for off-policy correction. The agent maintains a memory buffer filled with past experiences. The critic is trained by the multi-step off-policy Retrace algorithm and the actor is trained by a novel {\beta}-leave-one-out policy gradient estimate (which uses both the off-policy corrected return and the estimated Q-function). The Reactor is sample-efficient thanks to the use of memory replay, and numerical efficient since it uses multi-step returns. Also both acting and learning can be parallelized. We evaluated our algorithm on 57 Atari 2600 games and demonstrate that it achieves state-of-the-art performance.
Inferring ECA-based rules for ambient intelligence using evolutionary feature extraction

One of the goals in Ambient Intelligence is to enable Intelligent Environments to take decisions based on the perceived context. In our previous work, we successfully explored how the inhabitants can communicate their own preferences with the environment using Event-Condition-Action ECA rules. The easiness of the communication language combined with an appropriate explanation mechanism gives trust to the Intelligent Environment actions. However, defining every preference, and maintaining them up-to-date can be cumbersome. Therefore, a complementary mechanism is required to learn from user behavior and adapt to small changes without being explicitly requested for. Inferring behaviors effectively from data collected from sensors in an Intelligent Environment is a challenging problem. The main issues include primitive representation of data, the necessity of a high number of sensors, and dealing with few training data collected in a short time. We present MFE3/GADR, an evolutionary constructive induction method to ease inferring inhabitants' preferences from data collected from simple sensors. We show that this method detects successfully relevant sensors and constructs highly informative features that abstract relations among them. The constructed features, in addition to improving significantly the learning accuracy, break down and encapsulate the performance of inhabitants into decision trees that can easily be converted to ECA rules for further use in the Intelligent Environment. Comparing the empirical results show that our method can reduce a large set of complex ECA rules that represent the preferences to a smaller set of simple ECA rules.