Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leukoaraiosis is associated with arterial wall thickness: A quantitative analysis

Leukoaraiosis refers to an age‐related, abnormal appearance of the brain white matter on neuroimaging. The association between leukoaraiosis and cerebrovascular disease suggests that ischemia may be an important contributing factor; however, the pathogenesis of the condition remains controversial. We hypothesized that physical abnormalities of blood vessels might be culpable and compared the external and internal measurements of blood vessel walls between brains that demonstrated leukoaraiosis on imaging and normal control brains. Fourteen brains of individuals who had been diagnosed as having severe leukoaraiosis and five non‐leukoaraiosis control brains were studied. Arterial cross‐sections were evaluated by length measurements with an image analysis device. Arterial wall thickness and the ratio of the outer and inner diameters of the vessel were measured. We measured a total of 108 vessels in the leukoaraiosis group and 95 vessels in the control group. The vessel walls of the leukoaraiosis patients were an average of 5.5 µm thicker than the walls of control vessels of the same inside diameter (P = 0.0000, 95% CI 3.01–8.08) and an average of 2.3 µm thicker than walls of control vessels of the same outside diameter (P = 0.016, 95% CI 0.48–4.17). Our data provide evidence that leukoaraiosis is associated with vessel wall thickening in an additive fashion and indicate that structural vascular abnormalities are associated with leukoaraiosis.
Analysis of Compensation Effects in Aluminum-Implanted 4H-SiC Devices

In this work, we analyze compensating defects which are formed after implantation of aluminum (Al) into n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layers and subsequent thermal annealing. These defects reduce the expected free charge carrier density by 84% for a low doped layer with [Al]impl ≈ 9·1016 cm-3 and by 27 % for a high doped layer with [Al]impl ≈ 2·1019 cm-3. Furthermore, an electrical activation ratio of implanted aluminum ions of 100 % is calculated. The ionization energy of implanted aluminum as measured by Hall effect and admittance spectroscopy ranges from 101 meV to 305 meV depending on the doping concentration.
Elimination of transformer inrush currents by controlled switching. I. Theoretical considerations

Transformer inrush currents are high-magnitude, harmonic-rich currents generated when transformer cores are driven into saturation during energization. These currents have undesirable effects, including potential damage or loss-of-life to the transformer, protective relay misoperation, and reduced power quality on the system. Controlled transformer switching can potentially eliminate these transients if residual core and core flux transients are taken into account in the closing algorithm. This paper explores the theoretical considerations of core flux transients, Based on these studies algorithms were developed which allow controlled energization of most transformers without inrush current.
Towards a Development Methodology for Augmented Reality User Interfaces

In this paper we describe why we believe that the development of Augmented Reality user interfaces requires special attention and cannot be efficiently handled with neither existing tools nor traditional development processes. A new methodology comprising both a new process and better tools might be the best action to take. A requirement analysis on issues regarding the process, the user groups involved, and the supportive tools for Augmented Reality user interface development is presented. This opens up a number of research challenges covering the tools, the process and the methodology as a whole. A new development process which is a first attempt to meet the newly found challenges is briefly outlined. This process relies on high parallelism and extends previously learned insights with usability evaluation matters. Following, our complementary proposed tool set gets introduced in detail. This set again profited mostly from new tools fitting in the usability engineering realm, which so far has been mostly ignored in the field of Augmented Reality. First steps towards a development methodology for the creation of Augmented Reality user interfaces, tackling the found requirements, are thereby made. Finally, our planed future steps are shown, meant to bring the development methodology further along, by solving important, but achievable, remaining challenges.
Local Polynomial Modeling of Time-Varying Autoregressive Models With Application to Time–Frequency Analysis of Event-Related EEG

This paper proposes a new local polynomial modeling (LPM) method for identification of time-varying autoregressive (TVAR) models and applies it to time-frequency analysis (TFA) of event-related electroencephalogram (ER-EEG). The LPM method models the TVAR coefficients locally by polynomials and estimates the polynomial coefficients using weighted least-squares with a window having a certain bandwidth. A data-driven variable bandwidth selection method is developed to determine the optimal bandwidth that minimizes the mean squared error. The resultant time-varying power spectral density estimation of the signal is capable of achieving both high time resolution and high frequency resolution in the time-frequency domain, making it a powerful TFA technique for nonstationary biomedical signals like ER-EEG. Experimental results on synthesized signals and real EEG data show that the LPM method can achieve a more accurate and complete time-frequency representation of the signal.
Isolated Character Forms from Dated Syriac Manuscripts

This paper describes a set of hand-isolated character samples selected from securely dated manuscripts written in Syriac between 300 and 1300 C.E. , which are being made available for research purposes. The collection can be used for a number of applications, including ground truth for character segmentation and form analysis for paleographical dating. Several applications based upon convolutional neural networks demonstrate the possibilities of the data set.
The Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Regulatory Protein ICP27 Is Required for the Prevention of Apoptosis in Infected Human Cells

ABSTRACT The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ICP27 protein is an immediate-early or α protein which is essential for the optimal expression of late genes as well as the synthesis of viral DNA in cultures of Vero cells. Our specific goal was to characterize the replication of a virus incapable of synthesizing ICP27 in cultured human cells. We found that infection with an HSV-1 ICP27 deletion virus of at least three separate strains of human cells did not produce immediate-early or late proteins at the levels observed following wild-type virus infections. Cell morphology, chromatin condensation, and genomic DNA fragmentation measurements demonstrated that the human cells died by apoptosis after infection with the ICP27 deletion virus. These features of the apoptosis were identical to those which occur during wild-type infections of human cells when total protein synthesis has been inhibited. Vero cells infected with the ICP27 deletion virus did not exhibit any of the features of apoptosis. Based on these results, we conclude that while HSV-1 infection likely induced apoptosis in all cells, viral evasion of the response differed among the cells tested in this study.
A simple analysis of average queueing delay in tree networks

We develop an approach to the analysis of average queueing delay in a tree network of discrete-time queues with constant service time. The analysis of such systems is pertinent to packet-switched data networks with fixed-length packets. Our solution is based on considering an equivalent network, in which at each node packets in transit are given priority over exogenous arrivals. The solution to the equivalent model is easily computed, and, hence, the solution to the original model can be obtained.
Seeking Life's Bare (Genetic) Necessities

Cold Spring Harbor, New York—At the recent genome meeting here, researchers homed in on a fundamental question: What's the minimum number of genes needed for a simple organism to survive? Two presentations used contrasting approaches and came up with only slightly different estimates. One group found that 250 genes is the minimum for a modern organism, while another team estimated that 800 genes is enough to do the job.
Rat embryonic hippocampus and induced pluripotent stem cell derived cultured neurons recover from laser-induced subaxotomy

Abstract. Axonal injury and stress have long been thought to play a pathogenic role in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. However, a model for studying single-cell axonal injury in mammalian cells and the processes of repair has not been established. The purpose of this study was to examine the response of neuronal growth cones to laser-induced axonal damage in cultures of embryonic rat hippocampal neurons and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived human neurons. A 532-nm pulsed Nd:YVO4 picosecond laser was focused to a diffraction limited spot at a precise location on an axon using a laser energy/power that did not rupture the cell membrane (subaxotomy). Subsequent time series images were taken to follow axonal recovery and growth cone dynamics. After laser subaxotomy, axons thinned at the damage site and initiated a dynamic cytoskeletal remodeling process to restore axonal thickness. The growth cone was observed to play a role in the repair process in both hippocampal and iPSC-derived neurons. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed structural tubulin damage and revealed initial phases of actin-based cytoskeletal remodeling at the damage site. The results of this study indicate that there is a repeatable and cross-species repair response of axons and growth cones after laser-induced damage.
Contribution of Environment Factors to the Temperature Distribution According to Different Resolution Levels ; Test on the Forefield of the Loven Glaciers ( Svalbard )

The temperature distribution is controlled by numerous factors related to topography (such as altitude, gradient, slope facing, landforms) and land cover (such as vegetation, bare ground, water). Additional elements worth to be considered like distance to significant objects like sea, crest lines or glaciers. The influence of these environment features on temperature distribution can be effective according to different scale-ranges as it is the case when comparing, for instance, the effects of two water bodies: the effect of a small lake is only local whereas the oceanic influence is still sensible far from the coast line, beyond several hundred miles. Thus, we see that the key point for solving the problem is to establish, factor by factor, the scale level for which its contribution to temperature variation is the highest before integrating, in a further step, these segmented results in a global model of temperature distribution. In order to carry out this protocol, we choosed an experimental site, located at the front of two glaciers in Svalbard, so called Loven East and Loven Middre (79°N). This place offers appropriate characteristics for such an experiment: (i) the environment conditions are very contrasted in term of topography, vegetation cover and soil properties, (ii) some significant objects (fjord, glaciers, mountain ridges) are present in the surroundings and thus, it is possible to identify their specific influence on temperature, (iii) a rather complete data base is available for this area: DEM and images at different resolutions, reference measurements made on the field with the help of a dense network of data loggers. Linear correlations will measure the influence of the environment factors (explanatory variables) on temperature (variable to be explained).
Evolutionary Data Driven Modeling and Multi Objective Optimization of Noisy Data Set in Blast Furnace Iron Making Process

Data driven models are constructed for the tuyere cooling heat loss, total blast furnace gas flow, tuyere velocity, productivity, and coke rate for an operational blast furnace of an integrated steel plant by using evolutionary computation methods like bi objective genetic programming (BioGP) and evolutionary neural network (EvoNN), which serve as the objectives for their optimization. The models are used to compute the Pareto tradeoff between these conflicting objectives with the help of predator prey genetic algorithm well tasted for computing the Pareto optimality earlier. The results of optimization and the performances of these models are thoroughly analyzed and accessed and a discussion regarding these data driven models and their influence in the ironmaking process are presented. The results are also compared against a similar calculation performed with the commercial software KIMEME.
Subcellular Localization and Ser-137 Phosphorylation Regulate Tumor-suppressive Activity of Profilin-1*

Background: The actin-binding protein profilin-1 is a eukaryotic protein essential for growth, with poorly understood antitumor function. Results: Profilin-1 antitumor activity requires nuclear localization and is inhibited by Ser-137 phosphorylation. Conclusion: Profilin-1 has spatially defined functions and is post-translationally regulated. Significance: Our data support a model to reconcile the seemingly oppositional functions of profilin-1 and may have implications for novel anticancer therapies. The actin-binding protein profilin-1 (Pfn1) inhibits tumor growth and yet is also required for cell proliferation and survival, an apparent paradox. We previously identified Ser-137 of Pfn1 as a phosphorylation site within the poly-l-proline (PLP) binding pocket. Here we confirm that Ser-137 phosphorylation disrupts Pfn1 binding to its PLP-containing ligands with little effect on actin binding. We find in mouse xenografts of breast cancer cells that mimicking Ser-137 phosphorylation abolishes cell cycle arrest and apoptotic sensitization by Pfn1 and confers a growth advantage to tumors. This indicates a previously unrecognized role of PLP binding in Pfn1 antitumor effects. Spatial restriction of Pfn1 to the nucleus or cytoplasm indicates that inhibition of tumor cell growth by Pfn1 requires its nuclear localization, and this activity is abolished by a phosphomimetic mutation on Ser-137. In contrast, cytoplasmic Pfn1 lacks inhibitory effects on tumor cell growth but rescues morphological and proliferative defects of PFN1 null mouse chondrocytes. These results help reconcile seemingly opposed cellular effects of Pfn1, provide new insights into the antitumor mechanism of Pfn1, and implicate Ser-137 phosphorylation as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.
Feedback Optimal Control of Distributed Parameter Systems by Using Finite-Dimensional Approximation Schemes

Optimal control for systems described by partial differential equations is investigated by proposing a methodology to design feedback controllers in approximate form. The approximation stems from constraining the control law to take on a fixed structure, where a finite number of free parameters can be suitably chosen. The original infinite-dimensional optimization problem is then reduced to a mathematical programming one of finite dimension that consists in optimizing the parameters. The solution of such a problem is performed by using sequential quadratic programming. Linear combinations of fixed and parameterized basis functions are used as the structure for the control law, thus giving rise to two different finite-dimensional approximation schemes. The proposed paradigm is general since it allows one to treat problems with distributed and boundary controls within the same approximation framework. It can be applied to systems described by either linear or nonlinear elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic equations in arbitrary multidimensional domains. Simulation results obtained in two case studies show the potentials of the proposed approach as compared with dynamic programming.
Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibition in Colorectal Cancers with APC and PIK3CA Mutations

Therapeutic targeting of the PI3K pathway is an active area of research in multiple cancer types, including breast and endometrial cancers. This pathway is commonly altered in cancer and plays an integral role in numerous vital cellular functions. Mutations in the PIK3CA gene, resulting in a constitutively active form of PI3K, often occur in colorectal cancer, though the population of patients who would benefit from targeting this pathway has yet to be identified. In human colorectal cancers, PIK3CA mutations most commonly occur concomitantly with loss of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). Here, treatment strategies are investigated that target the PI3K pathway in colon cancers with mutations in APC and PIK3CA. Colorectal cancer spheroids with Apc and Pik3ca mutations were generated and characterized confirming that these cultures represent the tumors from which they were derived. Pan and alpha isomer–specific PI3K inhibitors did not induce a significant treatment response, whereas the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors BEZ235 and LY3023414 induced a dramatic treatment response through decreased cellular proliferation and increased differentiation. The significant treatment responses were confirmed in mice with Apc and Pik3ca-mutant colon cancers as measured using endoscopy with a reduction in median lumen occlusion of 53% with BEZ235 and a 24% reduction with LY3023414 compared with an increase of 53% in controls (P < 0.001 and P = 0.03, respectively). This response was also confirmed with 18F-FDG microPET/CT imaging. Implications: Spheroid models and transgenic mice suggest that dual PI3K/mTOR inhibition is a potential treatment strategy for APC and PIK3CA-mutant colorectal cancers. Thus, further clinical studies of dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors are warranted in colorectal cancers with these mutations. Mol Cancer Res; 15(3); 317–27. ©2016 AACR.
Design of a kinematic vibration energy harvester for a smart bearing with piezoelectric/magnetic coupling

Abstract A new configuration of vibration energy harvester is proposed, to equip a smart bearing with a power supply. The case of rolling mill is analyzed, to allow the identification of some design issues, related to the proposed hybrid energy scavenger. The energy conversion is performed by a contactless plucking of a permanent magnet upon the tip mass of a flexible structure, with surface-bonded piezoelectric layers. Since the system is embedded into a mechanical bearing, the dynamic excitation is applied on the vibrating structure, constrained to its fixed ring, by a permanent magnet lying on the rotating ring surface.
Enabling Communication in Emergency Response Environments

Effective communication among first responders during response to natural and human-made large-scale catastrophes has increased tremendously during the last decade. However, most efforts to achieve a higher degree of effectiveness in communication lack synergy between the environment and the technology involved to support first responders operations. This article presents a natural and intuitive interface to support Stigmergy; or communication through the environment, based on intuitively marking and retrieving information from the environment with a pointer. A prototype of the system was built and tested in the field, however the pointing activity revealed challenges regarding accuracy due to limitations of the sensors used. The results obtained from these field tests were the basis for this research effort and will have the potential to enable communication through the environment for first responders operating in highly dynamical and inhospitable disaster relief environments.
The Relationship of the Superficial and Deep Facial Fascias: Relevance to Rhytidectomy and Aging

Controversy persists regarding the relationship of the superficial facial fascia (SMAS) to the mimetic muscles, deep facial fascia, and underlying facial nerve branches. Using fresh cadaver dissection, and supplemented by several hundred intraoperative dissections, we studied facial soft-tissue anatomy. The facial soft-tissue architecture can be described as being arranged in a series of concentric layers: skin, subcutaneous fat, superficial fascia, mimetic muscle, deep facial fascia (parotidomasseteric fascia), and the plane containing the facial nerve, parotid duct, and buccal fat pad. The anatomic relationships existing within the facial soft-tissue layers are (1) the superficial facial fascia invests the superficially situated mimetic muscles (platysma, orbicularis oculi, and zygomaticus major and minor); (2) the deep facial fascia represents a continuation of the deep cervical fascia cephalad into the face, the importance of which lies in the fact that the facial nerve branches within the cheek lie deep to this deep fascial layer; and (3) two types of relationships exist between the superficial and deep facial fascias: In some regions of the face, these fascial planes are separated by an areolar plane, and in other regions of the face, the superficial and deep fascia are intimately adherent to one another through a series of dense fibrous attachments. The layers of the facial soft tissue are supported in normal anatomic position by a series of retaining ligaments that run from deep, fixed facial structures to the overlying dermis. Two types of retaining ligaments are noted as defined by their origin, either from bone or from other fixed structures within the face. The significance of the retaining ligaments lies in the fact that as people age, the support from this ligamentous system becomes attenuated, leading to many of the stigmata of the aging face, such as the development of jowling and prominent nasolabial folds. The anatomic changes that occur in the aging face are delineated. With an adequate understanding of the anatomic changes that occur with aging, rhytidectomy can be approached as a reconstructive procedure, restoring facial soft tissue to its original anatomic state and location.
The 1:1 charge-transfer complex dibenzotetrathiafulvalene–pyromellitic dianhydride (DBTTF–PMDA)

The title charge-transfer (CT) complex, C10H2O6·C14H8S4, composed of donor dibenzotetrathiafulvalene (DBTTF) and acceptor pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), forms a mixed stacking pattern along the [-110] direction. The constituent molecules occupy crystallographic inversion centers. They are nearly parallel and lie ca.3. 41 Å from each other. The crystals exhibit a high degree of donor/acceptor overlap [88.20 (4)%] in the long direction of the DBTTF and PMDA molecules as compared with 51.27 (5)% in the shortest direction of the molecules.
THE EINSTEIN@HOME GAMMA-RAY PULSAR SURVEY. I. SEARCH METHODS, SENSITIVITY, AND DISCOVERY OF NEW YOUNG GAMMA-RAY PULSARS

We report on the results of a recent blind search survey for gamma-ray pulsars in Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) data being carried out on the distributed volunteer computing system, Einstein@Home. The survey has searched for pulsations in 118 unidentified pulsar-like sources, requiring about 10,000 years of CPU core time. In total, this survey has resulted in the discovery of 17 new gamma-ray pulsars, of which 13 are newly reported in this work, and an accompanying paper. These pulsars are all young, isolated pulsars with characteristic ages between 12 kyr and 2 Myr, and spin-down powers between 1034 and 4 × 1036 erg s−1. Two of these are the slowest spinning gamma-ray pulsars yet known. One pulsar experienced a very large glitch during the Fermi mission. In this, the first of two associated papers, we describe the search scheme used in this survey, and estimate the sensitivity of our search to pulsations in unidentified Fermi-LAT sources. One such estimate results in an upper limit of 57% for the fraction of pulsed emission from the gamma-ray source associated with the Cas A supernova remnant, constraining the pulsed gamma-ray photon flux that can be produced by the neutron star at its center. We also present the results of precise timing analyses for each of the newly detected pulsars.