Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An In Vitro Evaluation of the Potential Neuroprotective Effects of Intranasal Lipid Nanoparticles Containing Astaxanthin Obtained from Different Sources: Comparative Studies

The intranasal route has been suggested as a promising alternative to improve the direct transport of molecules to the brain, avoiding the need to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). In this area, the use of lipid nanoparticles, namely solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), has been highlighted as a promising strategy to improve the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In this work, formulations containing SLN and NLC that were loaded with astaxanthin that was obtained from different sources (astaxanthin extract (AE) from the algae Haematococcus pluvialis and pure astaxanthin (PA) from the fungi Blakeslea trispora) were prepared for nose-to-brain administration, and comparative in vitro experiments were performed to evaluate the biocompatibility of the formulations with nasal (RPMI 2650) and neuronal (SH-SY5Y) cells. Afterwards, the antioxidant activity of the formulations was evaluated for its potential neuroprotective effects, using different chemical aggressors. Finally, the cellular uptake of the astaxanthin was evaluated for the formulations that showed the greatest neuroprotection of the neuronal cells against chemical-induced damage. On the production day, all the formulations showed a particle size, a high encapsulation efficiency (EE), the presence of nanoparticles with a typical spherical shape, and a polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential (ZP) that are suitable for nose-to-brain administration. After three months of storage at room temperature, no significant changes were observed in the characterization parameters, predicting a good long-term stability. Furthermore, these formulations were shown to be safe with concentrations of up to 100 µg/mL in differentiated SH-SY5Y and RPMI 2650 cells. Regarding neuroprotection studies, the PA-loaded SLN and NLC formulations showed an ability to counteract some mechanisms of neurodegeneration, including oxidative stress. Moreover, when compared with the PA-loaded SLN, the PA-loaded NLC showed greater neuroprotective effects against the cytotoxicity induced by aggressors. In contrast, the AE-loaded SLN and NLC formulations showed no significant neuroprotective effects. Although further studies are needed to confirm these neuroprotective effects, the results of this study suggest that the intranasal administration of PA-loaded NLC may be a promising alternative to improve the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
22 views of the global albedo—comparison between 20 GCMs and two satellites

A comprehensive comparison of characteristics of the planetary albedo (α) in data from two satellite measurement campaigns (ERBE and CERES) and output from 20 GCMs, simulating the 20th-century climate, is performed. Discrepancies between different data sets and models exist; thus, it is clear that conclusions about absolute magnitude and accuracy of albedo should be drawn with caution. Yet, given the present calibrations, a bias is found between different estimates of α, with modelled global albedos being systematically higher than the observed. The difference between models and observations is larger for the more recent CERES measurements than the older ERBE measurements. Through the study of seasonal anomalies and space and time distribution of correaltions between models and observations, specific regions with large discrepancies can be identified. It is hereby found that models appear to over-estimate the albedo during boreal summer and under-estimate it during austral summer. Furthermore, the seasonal variations of albedo in subtropical areas dominated by low stratiform clouds, as well as in dry desert regions in the subtropics, seem to be poorly simulated by the models.
An Integrated Reconfigurable Spin Control System on 180 nm CMOS for Diamond NV Centers

Solid-state electron spins are key building blocks for emerging applications in quantum information science, including quantum computers, quantum communication links, and quantum sensors. These solid-state spins are mainly controlled using complex microwave pulse sequences, which are typically generated using benchtop electrical instruments. Integration of the required electronics will enable realization of a scalable low-power and compact optically addressable quantum system. Here, we report an integrated reconfigurable quantum control system, which is used to find electron-spin resonance (ESR) frequency and perform Rabi, Ramsey, and Hahn-echo measurements for a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center spin qubit in diamond. The chip can be programmed to synthesize an RF signal tunable from 1.6 to 2.6 GHz, which is modulated with a sequence of up to 4098 reconfigurable pulses with a pulse width and pulse-to-pulse delay adjustable from 10 ns to 42 ms and 18 ns to 42 ms, respectively, at a resolution of 2.5 ns. The 180-nm CMOS chip is fabricated within a footprint of 3.02 mm2 and has a power consumption of 80 mW.
Investigation of Pre-Stall Behavior in an Axial Compressor Rotor—Part I: Unsteadiness of Tip Clearance Flow

To investigate the pre-stall behavior of an axial flow compressor rotor, which was experimentally observed with spike-type stall inception, systematic experimental and whole-passage simulations were laid out to analyze the internal flow fields in the test rotor. In this part, emphases were put on the analyses of experimental results and the predicted results from steady simulations and unsteady simulations, which converged to equilibrium solutions with nearly periodic fluctuations of efficiency. The objective was to uncover the unsteady behavior of tip clearance flow and its associated flow mechanism at near-stall conditions. To validate the steady simulation results, the predicted total characteristics and spanwise distributions of aerodynamic parameters were first compared with the measured steady data, and a good agreement was achieved. Then, the numerically obtained unsteady flow fields during one period of efficiency fluctuations were analyzed in detail. The instantaneous flow structure near casing showed that tip secondary vortex (TSV), which appeared in the previous unsteady single-passage simulations, did exist in tip flow fields of whole-passage simulations. The cyclical motion of this vortex was the main source of the nearly periodic variation of efficiency. The simulated active period of TSV increased when the mass flow rate decreased. The simulated frequency of TSV at flow condition very close to the measured stall point equaled the frequency of the characteristic hump identified from the instantaneous casing pressure measurements. This coincidence implied that the occurrence of this hump was most probably a result of the movement of TSV. Further flow field analyses indicated that the interaction of the low-energy leakage fluid from adjacent passages with the broken-down tip leakage vortex (TLV) was the flow mechanism for the formation of TSV. Once TSV appeared in tip flow fields, its rearward movement would lead to a periodic variation in near-tip blade loading, which in turn altered the strength of TLV and TSV, accordingly, the low-energy regions associated with the breakdown of TLV and the motion of TSV, thus establishing a self-sustained unsteady flow oscillation in tip flow fields.
On arrays that maintain superior CP and constant scan impedance for large scan angles

This paper demonstrates how to maintain superior circular polarization (CP) over scan angles /spl plusmn/70/spl deg/. Further, the variation of the scan impedance is below a VSWR of 1.3 when using dipoles located in a stratified dielectric media backed by a groundplane. It is shown that simultaneous scan independence requirements on the CP and scan impedance coexist naturally in the present design. The dielectric layers exterior to the array in this design serve as a radome.
Evolutionary dynamics of Usutu virus: Worldwide dispersal patterns and transmission dynamics in Europe

Background Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging mosquito-borne Flavivirus, with birds as the main zoonotic reservoir. Humans are accidental hosts and mostly develop mild or even asymptomatic infections, although severe complications such as encephalitis can also arise. Detailed characterization of the pathogen's phylogenetics may offer valuable insights into the prediction and prevention of potential epidemics; however, lack of uniformity and the number of available USUV sequences worldwide hamper comprehensive investigation. Aim The study aimed to investigate USUV spatio-temporal dispersal inter- and intracontinentally and to estimate the dynamics of viral spread within Europe. Methods Phylogeographic and phylodynamic analyses were done using advanced phylogenetic methods implemented in Beast 1.10. 4 and Beast 2.6. 4 software packages. Results Herein, we report on a new USUV isolate from Culex pipiens collected in 2019 from Serbia. The results of this research revealed two newly described intercontinental migration events of USUV from Africa to Germany in the 1970s and from Africa to the Middle East (Israel) in the late 90s. Finally, phylodynamic analysis substantiated the ongoing active expansion of USUV in Europe. Conclusion The data would imply a high potential for further USUV expansion in Europe. Detailed phylogenetic characterization of the pathogen may offer valuable insights into prediction and prevention of potential epidemics; however, lack of uniformity and number of available USUV sequences worldwide hampers comprehensive investigation. This study draws attention to the need for upscaling USUV surveillance.
Patterns of inflammation, microstructural alterations, and sodium accumulation define multiple sclerosis subtypes after 15 years from onset

Introduction Conventional MRI is routinely used for the characterization of pathological changes in multiple sclerosis (MS), but due to its lack of specificity is unable to provide accurate prognoses, explain disease heterogeneity and reconcile the gap between observed clinical symptoms and radiological evidence. Quantitative MRI provides measures of physiological abnormalities, otherwise invisible to conventional MRI, that correlate with MS severity. Analyzing quantitative MRI measures through machine learning techniques has been shown to improve the understanding of the underlying disease by better delineating its alteration patterns. Methods In this retrospective study, a cohort of healthy controls (HC) and MS patients with different subtypes, followed up 15 years from clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), was analyzed to produce a multi-modal set of quantitative MRI features encompassing relaxometry, microstructure, sodium ion concentration, and tissue volumetry. Random forest classifiers were used to train a model able to discriminate between HC, CIS, relapsing remitting (RR) and secondary progressive (SP) MS patients based on these features and, for each classification task, to identify the relative contribution of each MRI-derived tissue property to the classification task itself. Results and discussion Average classification accuracy scores of 99 and 95% were obtained when discriminating HC and CIS vs. SP, respectively; 82 and 83% for HC and CIS vs. RR; 76% for RR vs. SP, and 79% for HC vs. CIS. Different patterns of alterations were observed for each classification task, offering key insights in the understanding of MS phenotypes pathophysiology: atrophy and relaxometry emerged particularly in the classification of HC and CIS vs. MS, relaxometry within lesions in RR vs. SP, sodium ion concentration in HC vs. CIS, and microstructural alterations were involved across all tasks.
Naturally occurring canine sarcomas: Bridging the gap from mouse models to human patients through cross-disciplinary research partnerships

Fueled by support from the National Cancer Institute’s “Cancer Moonshot” program, the past few years have witnessed a renewed interest in the canine spontaneous cancer model as an invaluable resource in translational oncology research. Increasingly, there is awareness that pet dogs with cancer provide an accessible bridge to improving the efficiency of cancer drug discovery and clinical therapeutic development. Canine tumors share many biological, genetic, and histologic features with their human tumor counterparts, and most importantly, retain the complexities of naturally occurring drug resistance, metastasis, and tumor-host immune interactions, all of which are difficult to recapitulate in induced or genetically engineered murine tumor models. The utility of canine models has been particularly apparent in sarcoma research, where the increased incidence of sarcomas in dogs as compared to people has facilitated comparative research resulting in treatment advances benefitting both species. Although there is an increasing awareness of the advantages in using spontaneous canine sarcoma models for research, these models remain underutilized, in part due to a lack of more permanent institutional and cross-institutional infrastructure to support partnerships between veterinary and human clinician-scientists. In this review, we provide an updated overview of historical and current applications of spontaneously occurring canine tumor models in sarcoma research, with particular attention to knowledge gaps, limitations, and growth opportunities within these applications. Furthermore, we propose considerations for working within existing veterinary translational and comparative oncology research infrastructures to maximize the benefit of partnerships between veterinary and human biomedical researchers within and across institutions to improve the utility and application of spontaneous canine sarcomas in translational oncology research.
More than participatory? From ‘compensatory’ towards ‘expressive’ remote practices using digital technologies

Based on the shift from face-to-face participatory action research (PAR) with groups in situations of vulnerability to digital methods during COVID-19, we reflect on how we can go beyond compensating for the physical absence of the researcher from the field. We argue that instead of simply aiming to replace face-to-face research with a digital equivalent for maintaining ‘participatory’ and ‘inclusive’ research practices, remote practices have the potential of being more-than compensatory. We suggest that when producing multi-method digital approaches, we need to go beyond a concern with participant access to remote practices. By rethinking remote PAR in the light of expressive rather than participatory research practices, we critically reflect on the (sometimes experimental) process of trying out different digital research method(s) with Brazilian youth in situations of digital marginalisation, including the initial ‘failures’ and lessons learned in encouraging diverse forms of participant expression, and ownership using WhatsApp.
Making emergent technologies more tangible - Effects of presentation form on user perceptions in the context of automated mobility

One of the main challenges of investigating consumers’ perceptions and acceptance of emergent technologies is that respondents have not had any experience with them. This posits the question of how such technologies can be effectively presented to consumers both in the context of research and in measures to foster acceptance. Using automated driving as a case study, this paper presents results from a comparative study of three presentation forms (vignette, real-world video, computer-generated VR) of a ride in an automated vehicle in an empirical study with 103 participants. Results from quantitative analyses show that both real-world videos and the VR simulation outperform textual descriptions in terms of visualisation capability and user experience. Unexpectedly, the VR simulation does not perform significantly better at creating mental images of automated driving than a vignette. Recommendations are offered regarding the choice of a suitable presentation form in empirical research in relation to study objectives.
Host PTX3 Protein and Bacterial Capsule Coordinately Regulate the Inflammatory Response during Streptococcus suis Infection

Simple Summary Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is a noteworthy zoonotic pathogen that has been responsible for substantial economic losses to the swine industry and a great threat to human health. In this study, the role of Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) during SS2 infection is explored to verify its potential as a new and effective biological agent that could partially resolve the problems posed by SS2. The study’s results showed that PTX3 facilitated the phagocytosis of macrophage Ana-1 against SS2 strain HA9801, and contributed to inflammatory cell recruitment and cytokine IL-6 release in the mouse air pouch; thus, it was conductive to bacterial clearance during the SS2 infection. The presence of capsular polysaccharide of SS2 (CPS2) was identified as being required for PTX3 to trigger the inflammatory activation; this coordinating modulation of the host’s innate immune response during the SS2 infection further suggested that PTX3 is a potential biological agent for the prevention and treatment of streptococcosis caused by SS2. However, the recommended dose of PTX3 must be further evaluated to avoid an excessive inflammatory response. Abstract Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is a noteworthy zoonotic pathogen that has been responsible for large economic losses in pig production and a great threat to human health. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an essential regulator of the innate immune response to bacterial pathogens; however, its role during SS2 infection is not fully understood. In this study, we found that the SS2 strain HA9801 induced a significant inflammatory response in the mouse air pouch model; this response was amplified by the treatment of exogenous PTX3 simultaneously in terms of the results of inflammatory cell recruitment and proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 production. In addition, PTX3 facilitated the phagocytosis of macrophage Ana-1 against SS2 strain HA9801. The supplementation of exogenous PTX3 significantly reduced the bacterial loads in a dose-dependent manner in lungs, livers and bloods of SS2-infected mice compared to the samples with HA9801 infection alone; this finding indicated that PTX3 may facilitate the bacterial clearance through enhancing the host inflammatory response during SS2 infection. Both PTX3 and SS2 capsular polysaccharide (CPS2) were required for the robust inflammatory response, implying that the host PTX3 protein and SS2 surface CPS2 modulate the host innate immune response in concert. All of these results suggested that PTX3 is a potential novel biological agent for the SS2 infection; however, the recommended dose of PTX3 must be evaluated strictly to avoid inducing an excessive inflammatory response that can cause serious tissue injury and animal death.
Joint nonlinear-quadratic regularization in a wavelet based deconvolution scheme

We describe the improvement of an undecimated wavelet based deconvolution scheme. Both shrinking the wavelets coefficients of the blurred and of the estimated solutions at each resolution level allow a lower smoothing factor in the quadratic Miller-Tikhonov regularization. In addition, an iterative constrained resolution of the normal equations instead of force brute inversion of the stabilized operator contributes to regularization. As a result the excess of smoothness and ringing artifacts near edges and also the noise in flat regions of the image commonly observed in the quadratic regularization are significantly reduced by the proposed approach.
Weather Regimes, Low-Frequency Oscillations, and Principal Patterns of Variability: A Perspective of Extratropical Low-Frequency Variability

Abstract The dynamical basis of extratropical low-frequency variability (LFV) is investigated using a quasigeostrophic model on a sphere with realistic Northern Hemisphere topography. The model is driven by Newtonian relaxation to an axisymmetric radiative equilibrium temperature. Two versions of the model are used: one with two vertical levels and horizontal T15 resolution and the other with five levels and T21 resolution. In previous investigations, by the authors, the former model has been found to possess multiple attractors in a stable range of the model parameters and to wander irregularly among attractor ruins for unstable parameter sets. A similar behavior is found for the higher-resolution model as well. Three aspects of LFV are considered in this paper. The first two are intermittent appearances of quasi-stationary weather regimes and low-frequency oscillations. The third is the dominance of a few principal patterns of variability that show red noise–like temporal behavior. In the real atmospher.
A systolic VLSI architecture for complex SVD

A systolic algorithm for the SVD (singular value decomposition) of arbitrary complex matrices based on the cyclic Jacobi method with parallel ordering is presented. A novel two-step, two-sided unitary transformation scheme, tailored to the use of CORDIC (coordinate rotation digital computer) algorithms for high-speed arithmetic, is employed to diagonalize a complex 2*2 matrix. Architecturally, the complex SVD array is modeled on the Brent-Luk-VanLoan array for real SVD. An expandable array of O(n/sup 2/) complex 2*2 matrix processors computes the SVD of an n*n matrix in O(n log n) time. A CORDIC architecture for the complex 2*2 processor with an area complexity twice that of a real 2*2 processor is proposed. Computation time for the complex SVD array is less than three times that for a real SVD array with a similar CORDIC-based implementation. <<ETX>>
Infrared Images and Millimeter Data from Cold Southern IRAS Sources

We present near-infrared (H, K'), CO (2-1), CS (2-1), and 1.3 mm continuum data for 31 southern objects [δ(1950) ≤ 10°] known to have extremely red IRAS colors [Fν(100 μm) > Fν(60 μm) > Fν(25 μm) > 20 × Fν(12 μm)]. The data are meant to help reveal new, very young stellar objects. K'-band near-infrared counterparts to the IRAS point sources are detected in 22 of 25 good K' images. Most K' counterparts are multiples. Eighteen of 21 objects were detected in CS, implying the presence of dense gas. Completing the set of CS (2-1) spectra by including the data of Bronfman, Nyman, & Ray, we still find only three nondetections among all 31 objects; these three were also not detected in K'. Wings indicative of outflows are found in a large fraction (20/30) of CO spectra. Twenty-six of 31 observations in the millimeter continuum were detections and point to the presence of large amounts of circumstellar matter. Most of the objects have 103-105 times solar luminosity; we speculate that most contain at least one massive star capable of producing a compact/ultracompact H II region.