Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in Whole Blood Gene Expression Associated with Infection Time-Course and Extent of Fetal Mortality in a Reproductive Model of Type 2 Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) Infection

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) infection of pregnant females causes fetal death and increased piglet mortality, but there is substantial variation in the extent of reproductive pathology between individual dams. This study used RNA-sequencing to characterize the whole blood transcriptional response to type 2 PRRSV in pregnant gilts during the first week of infection (at 0, 2, and 6 days post-inoculation), and attempted to identify gene expression signatures associated with a low or high level of fetal mortality rates (LFM and HFM; n = 8/group) at necropsy, 21 days post-inoculation. The initial response to infection measured at 2 days post-inoculation saw an upregulation of genes involved in innate immunity, such as interferon-stimulated antiviral genes and inflammatory markers, and apoptosis. A concomitant decrease in expression of protein synthesis and T lymphocyte markers was observed. By day 6 the pattern had reversed, with a drop in innate immune signaling and an increase in the expression of genes involved in cell division and T cell signaling. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with extremes of litter mortality rate were identified at all three time-points. Among the 15 DEGs upregulated in LFM gilts on all three days were several genes involved in platelet function, including integrins ITGA2B and ITGB3, and the chemokine PF4 (CXCL4). LFM gilts exhibited a higher baseline expression of interferon-stimulated and pro-inflammatory genes prior to infection, and of T cell markers two days post-infection, indicative of a more rapid progression of the immune response to PRRSV. This study has increased our knowledge of the early response to PRRSV in the blood of pregnant gilts, and could ultimately lead to the development of a biomarker panel that can be used to predict PRRSV-associated reproductive pathology.
Measurement properties of the Wheelchair Skills Test for scooters among experienced users

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the score distribution, reliability, and validity of the objective Wheelchair Skills Test (WST) for scooter users. Method: A study using a test–retest design was conducted with 20 people who had mobility limitations that prevented them from ambulating more than one city block without a mobility aid, and who had owned a scooter for ≥3 months. Objective scooter skills, confidence, and physical accessibility were measured at both time points, while anxiety, depression, visual attention and task switching, functional independence, and visual acuity were measured only at baseline. Results: The mean total WST scores at Time 1 and Time 2 were 86.3% and 87.5%. The WST ICC was 0.889. The WST had a SEM of 2.50 and a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.74. The total WST scores were significantly correlated with total subjective WST-Q scores (r = 0.547, p = 0.013), scooter confidence (r = 0.466, p = 0.038), and were affected by gender (p = 0.005). Conclusion: The WST for scooters has good test–retest reliability and generally varies as anticipated with other measures. Although further study is needed, the WST for scooters appears to have promise for use in research and clinical practice. Implications for Rehabilitation It is important to understand the measurement properties of the tools we use in rehabilitation so the results can be interpreted correctly. As scooter use increases, better measurement of skills is required.
Vision-based bin picking system for industrial robotics applications

The vision-based bin picking using object recognition has been considered as an innovative manufacturing process in industrial robotics applications. In bin picking system, pick and place tasks are performed by robot which has been processed by measuring object pose. But it has to address challenge problems such as object appearance distorted by overlapping parts, lighting variation or reflection, picking from randomly piled parts in a bin. This research is to investigate a vision-based bin-picking method, which provides a robust and efficient method to recognize object and to estimate pose with multiple vision sensors.
LIST-LUX: Disorder Identification from Clinical Texts

This paper describes our participation in task 14 of SemEval 2015. This task focuses on the analysis of clinical texts and includes: (i) the recognition of the span of a disorder mention and (ii) its normalization to a unique concept identifier in the UMLS/SNOMEDCT terminology. We propose a two-step approach which relies first on Conditional Random Fields to detect textual mentions of disorders using different lexical, syntactic, orthographic and semantic features such as ontologies and, second, on a similarity measure and SNOMED to determine the relevant CUI. We present and discuss the obtained results on the development corpus and the official test corpus.
308‐nm Excimer Laser Treatment of Mature Hypopigmented Striae

BACKGROUND. The 308‐nm excimer laser has been shown to be effective in the treatment of disorders of hypopigmentation. OBJECTIVE. To evaluate the effectiveness of the 308‐nm excimer laser in the treatment of mature hypopigmented striae. RESULTS. Seventy‐five subjects were treated for a total of 615 treatments. All patients achieved a substantial increase in the darkening of their striae after an average of 8.4 treatments. Clinically evident improvement in cosmetic appearance of striae was noted by 80% of subjects. CONCLUSION. The 308‐nm excimer laser is effective for increasing pigmentation in mature hypopigmented striae. This pigmentation is cosmetically significant. Future studies are required to determine the duration of clinical improvement.
A Case Report and Genetic Characterization of a Massive Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Parotid with Delayed Distant Metastases

We describe the presentation, management, and clinical outcome of a massive acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid gland. The primary tumor and blood underwent exome sequencing which revealed deletions in CDKN2A as well as PPP1R13B, which induces p53. A damaging nonsynonymous mutation was noted in EP300, a histone acetylase which plays a role in cellular proliferation. This study provides the first insights into the genetic underpinnings of this cancer. Future large-scale efforts will be necessary to define the mutational landscape of salivary gland malignancies to identify therapeutic targets and biomarkers of treatment failure.
Demo Abstract-Ad Hoc Social Networking using MAND

MAND (Mobile Ad Hoc Network Directory) is a middleware infrastructure for the distribution, storage, and lookup of key/value pairs in ad hoc networks. The key insight in MAND is to piggyback tuples and requests on the messages that routing protocols exchange to build and maintain routes in the ad hoc network. MAND can be used with different routing protocols and does not require any modification to the routing protocols themselves. Using MAND we have built AdSocial, a social networking application that allows users to exchange messages, set up SIP-based VoIP calls, and communicate common interests with nearby buddies. This demo will show the functionality of AdSocial and how MAND performs in a network of 10-15 Nokia N810 Internet Tablets communicating using AODV or OLSR. Conference participants will be able to interact with AdSocial while moving around thus configuring a mobile and multihop ad hoc network.
DECENTRALIZED SELF -MANAGEMENT OF TRUST FOR MOBILE AD HOC SOCIAL NETWORKS

The construction of social networks over mobile devices in the events or at locations has emerged as a new network paradigm. These new mobile social networks enable people to communicate and share their experiences without the need to have Internet access and with minimum required infrastructure. However, the functionality and security of such networks would be potentially undermined without an effective trust management scheme. Although many trust management systems have been proposed, few of them can be applied to these new mobile social networks because of the unique network and communication characteristics. This paper presents a novel trust management system, termed MobileTrust, to establish decentralized, secure and reliable trust relationships between mobile ad hoc social network participants. Specifically, the construction of trust models encompasses both scenarios that users are experienced with the network and users are unacquainted with the environment. The trust models cover various important factors of trust relationships in social networks, including the similarity of user profile, reputation, and history of friendship. A set of simulations is conducted to evaluate our system deployed in a mobile social network in the presence of dishonest users.
Biogeography of woody encroachment: why is mesquite excluded from shallow soils?

While some studies aim to generalise the attributes of woody encroachers, examining their functional differences across biogeographic regions may also be instructive. Most of Texas is encroached by Prosopis glandulosa, but on the eastern Edwards Plateau, a limestone plateau with thin soils, P. glandulosa is rare and Juniperus ashei is dominant. We hypothesised that P. glandulosa is excluded from sites where bedrock at a depth of 1 m or less restricts the development of taproots, thus rendering this normally deep‐rooted species too vulnerable to drought. To test this idea, we monitored the physiological status of the two species on a site where both species were encroaching and the soil was 1·5–2·5 m deep, thus relatively deep for the Edwards Plateau region but not for regions where P. glandulosa dominates. Data were collected across three tree size classes from May to November 2006. Stem water potentials were similar across species and water potentials and photosynthetic rates decreased with tree size. Based on isotopic evidence, the effective rooting depth of P. glandulosa increased with tree size, but not in J. ashei. P. glandulosa had a higher rate of leaf gas exchange overall as expected for a drought‐avoider; except for large trees during a summer drought, when species differences in photosynthesis rates diminished and the stomatal conductance for J.ashei exceeded that of P. glandulosa. We speculate that restrictions of soil depth may limit the invasiveness of P. glandulosa in part through negative effects on large trees, which may lower fecundity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evolutionary Design of On-Chip Antenna for HF Label

This paper proposes a genetic algorithm based optimization technique for the design of on-chip antenna. Genetic algorithm can be used to find out the optimal parameters to enhance the loop quality factor, and meet the constraints at the same time. When process condition is fixed, the loop quality is 0.3723, which is 50% higher than the loop quality got with traditional condition. And if the process condition is not fixed, the loop quality can be 6.0928.
Linking resident satisfaction to staff perceptions of the work environment in assisted living: A multilevel analysis.

PURPOSE This study examines the relationship between resident satisfaction and staff perceptions of the work environment in assisted living. Staff perceptions were assessed at the facility level, using aggregate measures of staff job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and views of organizational culture. DESIGN AND METHODS The sample included 335 residents and 298 staff members in 43 assisted living facilities. Data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. Two-level hierarchical linear models were used to test the hypotheses. With resident age, gender, and education controlled for, the relationships between resident satisfaction (Level 1 variable) and staff perceptions of the work environment (Level 2 variables) were assessed. RESULTS Greater resident satisfaction in the facility was associated with higher staff job satisfaction and more positive staff views of organizational culture (e.g., greater teamwork and participation in the decision making). From resident characteristics, only education was significantly related to satisfaction. More educated residents were less satisfied with assisted living. IMPLICATIONS These findings suggest that a good quality of work environment for the staff contributes to a better quality of care for the residents. More research is needed to examine the causal nature of this relationship.
TNAP, TrAP, ecto‐purinergic signaling, and bone remodeling

Bone remodeling is a process of continuous resorption and formation/mineralization carried out by osteoclasts and osteoblasts, which, along with osteocytes, comprise the bone multicellular unit (BMU). A key component of the BMU is the bone remodeling compartment (BRC), isolated from the marrow by a canopy of osteoblast‐like lining cells. Although much progress has been made regarding the cytokine‐dependent and hormonal regulation of bone remodeling, less attention has been placed on the role of extracellular pH (pHe). Osteoclastic bone resorption occurs at acidic pHe. Furthermore, osteoclasts can be regarded as epithelial‐like cells, due to their polarized structure and ability to form a seal against bone, isolating the lacunar space. The major ecto‐phosphatases of osteoclasts and osteoblasts, acid and alkaline phosphatases, both have ATPase activity with pH optima several units different from neutrality. Furthermore, osteoclasts and osteoblasts express plasma membrane purinergic P2 receptors that, upon activation by ATP, accelerate bone osteoclast resorption and impair osteoblast mineralization. We hypothesize that these ecto‐phosphatases help regulate [ATP]e and localized pHe at the sites of bone resorption and mineralization by pH‐dependent ATP hydrolysis coupled with P2Y‐dependent regulation of osteoclast and osteoblast function. Furthermore, osteoclast cellular HCO 3− , formed as a product of lacunar V‐ATPase H+ secretion, is secreted into the BRC, which could elevate BRC pHe, in turn affecting osteoblast function. We will review the existing data addressing regulation of BRC pHe, present a hypothesis regarding its regulation, and discuss the hypothesis in the context of the function of proteins that regulate pHe. J. Cell. Biochem. 105: 655–662, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PSCAD Simulation Model of D-Statcom for Voltage Sag Improvement

This paper deals with the modeling and simulation of Distribution Static Compensator (D-STATCOM) for voltage sag mitigation. The D-STATCOM simulation model consists of 12-pulse inverter, which is connected in shunt with the system. A generalized sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) technique was developed in the proposed controller for fast control action of the D-STATCOM. Simulations of the D-STATCOM were carried out by using Power System Computer Aided Design (PSCAD) software. Simulation results prove that the D-STATCOM is capable of mitigating voltage sag as well as improving power quality of a distribution system.
Towards a language-independent approach for reverse-engineering of software product lines

Common industrial practices lead to the development of similar software products. These products are usually managed in an ad-hoc way which gradually results in a low product quality. To overcome this problem, it is essential to migrate these products into a Software Product Line (SPL). Towards this direction, this paper proposes a language-independent approach capable of reverse-engineering an SPL from the source code of product variants. A prototype tool and a case study show the feasibility and the practicality of the proposed approach.
Infant-feeding practices and infant survival by familial wealth in London, 1752–1812

ABSTRACT Anecdotal evidence indicates that high-status women in England generally did not breastfeed their children in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Metropolitan families of varied social status also often sent their children out of London for wet-nursing. However, anecdotal sources and rural burial registers also suggest that these practices declined rapidly from the mid-eighteenth century, and were replaced by a culture of maternal breastfeeding in all social classes. These changes in infant-feeding practices have been argued to explain much of the dramatic improvement in infant mortality rates in London in this period. Here we used quantitative evidence from a partial family reconstitution of the London parish of St. Martin in the Fields to test these claims. Using birth interval analysis to infer breastfeeding patterns in families by four categories of wealth, we found that birth intervals were close to the national average in pauper and poor families, but much shorter in wealthier families, in the period 1752–74. We also found evidence that many infants especially in wealthier families were missing from observation, consistent with high levels of rural wet-nursing. Both these phenomena declined between 1775 and 1812, suggesting a convergence in breastfeeding practices to the national norm. We used event history analysis, with corrections to aggregate rates for missing infants, to compare mortality rates over time and by wealth category. We found that infant mortality was initially higher in wealthier families, but declined in all groups over the period 1752–1812. We conclude that increases in maternal breastfeeding were probably important in improving survival of infants from wealthier families, however changes in breastfeeding patterns were insufficient to account for the ubiquitous improvements in mortality of urban-born infants in this period.
Academic Pathways: an Account and Analysis of Post Secondary Destinations

Although researchers have shown that their data indicate a higher percentage of African-American students aspired to obtain college degrees than their white peers in students surveyed (Hauser & Anderson, 1991; Ogbu, 1974; Ogbu & Simons, 1998), the number of African-American students who enrolled in and graduated from college was much lower than their white peers. This disparity of students who desire college degrees and attain them results in students unable to reap the economic and social benefits associated with obtaining a college degree. This study examined the role of influences such as parents, peers, school guidance counselors, and high school staff that exist within students' homes, school, and community and how these influences affected low-income African-American students as they charted and implemented their academic trajectories. I followed African-American students who attended a lowincome urban high school as they charted their academic trajectory from junior year of high school until one-year post graduation. Insight gained by identifying and understanding how factors, persons, and events in their environment hindered or assisted students in reaching their goals will assist students, parents, and school staff in mitigating identified obstacles. Utilizing qualitative methodology, I gave student participants a voice to relate their feelings and thoughts about how they prepared for college and made college-going decisions. All student participants (n=37) were interviewed in their junior year (2008), and several (n=8) students participated in two more rounds of interviews in their senior year (2009) and (n=9) in their flrst year post-graduation (2010). The 9 students who participated over multiple years of the study were then able to reflect on prior experiences
Breast cancer in patients with germline TP53 pathogenic variants have typical tumour characteristics: the Cohort study of TP53 carrier early onset breast cancer (COPE study)

Germline TP53 pathogenic variants are rare but associated with a high risk of cancer; they are often identified in the context of clinically diagnosed Li–Fraumeni syndrome predisposing to a range of young onset cancers including sarcomas and breast cancer. The study aim was to conduct a detailed morphological review and immuno‐phenotyping of breast cancer arising in carriers of a germline TP53 pathogenic variant. We compared breast cancers from five defined groups: (1) TP53 carriers with breast cancer (n = 59), (2) early onset HER2‐amplified breast cancer, no germline pathogenic variant in BRCA1/2 or TP53 (n = 55), (3) BRCA1 pathogenic variant carriers (n = 60); (4) BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers (n = 61) and (5) young onset breast cancer with no known germline pathogenic variant (n = 98). Pathologists assessed a pre‐agreed set of morphological characteristics using light microscopy. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for HER2, ER, PR, p53, integrin alpha v beta 6 (αvβ6) integrin, α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) and pSMAD2/3 was performed on tissue microarrays of invasive carcinoma. We confirmed a previously reported high prevalence of HER2‐amplified, ductal no special type invasive breast carcinoma amongst known TP53 germline pathogenic variant carriers 20 of 36 (56%). Furthermore we observed a high frequency of densely sclerotic tumour stroma in cancers from TP53 carriers (29/36, 80.6%) when compared with non‐carriers, 50.9% (28/55), 34.7% (50/144), 41.4% (65/157), 43.8% (95/217) in groups 2–5 respectively. The majority of germline TP53 gene carrier breast tumours had a high intensity of integrin αvβ6, α‐SMA and pSMAD2/3 expression in the majority of cancer cells. In conclusion, aggressive HER2 positive breast cancers with densely sclerotic stroma are common in germline TP53 carriers. High levels of αvβ6 integrin, α‐SMA and pSMAD2/3 expression suggest that the dense stromal phenotype may be driven by upregulated transforming growth factor beta signalling.
Sitagliptin Augments Sympathetic Enhancement of the Renovascular Effects of Angiotensin II in Genetic Hypertension

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV converts neuropeptide Y1-36 (Y1-receptor agonist released from renal sympathetic nerves) to neuropeptide Y3-36 (selective Y2-receptor agonist). Previous studies suggest that Y1, but not Y2, receptors enhance renovascular responses to angiotensin II in kidneys from genetically-susceptible animals. Therefore, we hypothesized that inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase IV with sitagliptin (antidiabetic drug) would augment the ability of exogenous and endogenous neuropeptide Y1-36 to enhance renal vascular responses to angiotensin II in kidneys from spontaneously hypertensive rats. This hypothesis was tested using 3 protocols in isolated perfused kidneys. Results from Protocol 1: Exogenous neuropeptide Y1-36 enhanced renovascular responses to angiotensin II. This effect of neuropeptide Y1-36 was blocked by BIBP3226 (selective Y1 receptor antagonist); Exogenous neuropeptide Y3-36 did not enhance renovascular responses to angiotensin II. Results from Protocol 2: Sitagliptin augmented the ability of exogenous neuropeptide Y1-36 to enhance renovascular responses to angiotensin II. This effect of sitagliptin was blocked by BIBP3226. Results from Protocol 3: Renal sympathetic nerve stimulation enhanced renovascular responses to angiotensin II; this enhancement was augmented by sitagliptin and abolished by BIBP3226. Neuropeptide Y1-36 via Y1 receptors enhances renovascular responses to angiotensin II in kidneys from genetically hypertensive animals. Sitagliptin, by blocking dipeptidyl peptidase IV, prevents metabolism of neuropeptide Y1-36 and thereby increases the effects of neuropeptide Y1-36 released from renal sympathetic nerves on Y1 receptors leading to augmentation of neuropeptide Y1-36–induced enhancement of the renovascular effects of angiotensin II. The renal effects of dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors in hypertensive diabetic patients merit a closer examination.
A perceptive multirobot system for monitoring electro-magnetic fields

Sensor networks are distributed systems that detect phenomena to produce detailed environmental assessments. The use of multirobot systems for carrying sensors around the environment represents a solution that has recently received considerable attention. In this paper we present an architecture for a multirobot system that performs tasks related to environmental perception; in particular, it is devoted to monitoring electro-magnetic fields.