Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of polymers ratio on insulin-loaded nanoparticles based on poly-ε-caprolactone and Eudragit® RS for oral administration

Nanoparticles loaded with two different commercial insulins (Actrapid®, Novorapid®) and based on different blends of a biodegradable polyester (poly-ε-caprolactone) and a polycationic non-biodegradable acrylic polymer (Eudragit® RS) were characterized in vitro. The zeta potential was positive whenever Eudragit® RS was part of the nanoparticles matrix. The encapsulation efficiency was ~ 96% except for Novorapid®-loaded particles of poly-ε-caprolactone (only 35%). In vitro release studies revealed a burst release from nanoparticles, which may be of interest for oral delivery. Novorapid-loaded nanoparticles were orally administered to diabetic rats and allowed the glycemia to be decreased when compared with free nanoparticles.
Leveraging Renewable Energy in Edge Clouds for Data Stream Analysis in IoT

The emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) is participating to the increase of data-and energy-hungry applications. As connected devices do not yet offer enough capabilities for sustaining these applications, users perform computation offloading to the cloud. To avoid network bottlenecks and reduce the costs associated to data movement, edge cloud solutions have started being deployed, thus improving the Quality of Service. In this paper, we advocate for leveraging on-site renewable energy production in the different edge cloud nodes to green IoT systems while offering improved QoS compared to core cloud solutions. We propose an analytic model to decide whether to offload computation from the objects to the edge or to the core Cloud, depending on the renewable energy availability and the desired application QoS. This model is validated on our application use-case that deals with video stream analysis from vehicle cameras.
Division genes in Escherichia coli are expressed coordinately to cell septum requirements by gearbox promoters.

The cell division ftsQAZ cluster and the ftsZ‐dependent bolA morphogene of Escherichia coli are found to be driven by gearboxes, a distinct class of promoters characterized by showing an activity that is inversely dependent on growth rate. These promoters contain specific sequences upstream from the mRNA start point, and their −10 region is essential for the inverse growth rate dependence. Gearbox promoters are essential for driving ftsQAZ and bolA gene expression so that the encoded products are synthesized at constant amounts per cell independently of cell size. This mode of regulation would be expected for the expression of proteins that either play a regulatory role in cell division or form a stoichiometric component of the septum, a structure that, independently of cell size and growth rate, is produced once per cell cycle.
Modeling the Relationship of Action, Object, and Scene

In the task of action recognition, object and scene can provide rich source of contextual information for analyzing human actions, as human actions often occur under particular scene settings with certain related objects. Therefore, we try to utilize the contextual object and scene for improving the performance of action recognition. Specifically, a latent structural SVM is introduced to build the co-occurrence relationship among action, object and scene, in which the object class label and scene class label are treated as latent variables. Using this framework, we can simultaneously predict action class labels, object class labels as well as scene class labels. Moreover, we use a mid-level discriminative feature to separately describe the information of action, object and scene. The feature is actually a set of decision values from the pre-learned classifiers of each class, measuring the likelihood that the input video belongs to the corresponding class. In this paper, we use SVM as action and scene pre-learned classifiers, and use deformable part-based object detector as the object pre-learned classifier, so that object location can be obtained as a by-product. Experimental results on UCF Sports, YouTube and UCF50 datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Teachable machines for accessibility

How can accessibility research leverage advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence with limited data? In this article, we argue that teachable machines can empower accessibility research by enabling individuals with disabilities to personalize a data-driven assistive technology. By significantly constraining the conditions of the machine learning task to a specific user and their environment, these technologies can achieve higher robustness in real world scenarios. In contrast to automatic personalization, the end user is called to consciously provide training examples and actively interact with the machine learning algorithm to increase its accuracy. We demonstrate this concept with a concrete example: teachable object recognizers trained by and for blind users. Furthermore, we discuss open challenges in designing and building teachable machines with a focus on accessibility.
ℋ2 Optimal model reduction of linear dynamical systems

In this paper we consider the ℋ2 optimal model reduction problem which has important applications in system approximation and has received considerable attention in the literature. An important link between special cases of this problem and rational interpolation using Krylov projection methods has been recently established. We use this link to derive a solution in the special case when the original system is single input single output (SISO) and the approximation has first order. We also indicate extensions to higher order approximations. Finally, we give a few examples to illustrate our procedure.
The U/RI-Industry Linkage and the Development of the Computer Industry in China

Este trabajo analiza la innovacion del sistema de ciencia y tecnologia en anos recientes en China. Analiza la relacion entre Universidad/ Instituto de investigacion-industria (U/RI-industry) y debate el papel de esta en el desarrollo de la industria de la computacion de China. Asimismo demuestra que las universidades y los institutos de investigacion han llegado a ser la fuerza que impulsa el desarrollo de los sectores de alta tecnologia en China mediante el estudio de caso de esta relacion en la industria de la computacion. Se propone que los paises en vias de desarrollo sigan la experiencia china de construir capacidades propias de innovacion a traves del reforzamiento de la conexion universidad/instituto de investigacion-industria bajo la adecuada planificacion de politicas gubernamentales.
Mutations in the RAS and PI3K pathways are associated with metastatic location in colorectal cancers

Identification of mutations in the downstream epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway could provide important insights of EGFR‐targeted therapies in colorectal cancers. We analyzed the mutation spectra of the PI3K/PTEN/AKT and RAS/RAF/MAPK pathways in colorectal cancers and the associations of these mutations with sites of metastases or recurrence.
Joint Data Association, Registration, and Fusion using EM-KF

In performing surveillance using a sensor network, data association and registration are two essential processes which associate data from different sensors and align them in a common coordinate system. While these two processes are usually addressed separately, they actually affect each other. That is, registration requires correctly associated data, and data with sensor biases will result in wrong association. We present a novel joint sensor association, registration, and fusion approach for multisensor surveillance. In order to perform registration and association together, the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is incorporated with the Kalman filter (KF) to give simultaneous state and parameter estimates. Computer simulations are carried out to evaluate the performances of the proposed joint association, registration, and fusion method based on EM-KF.
The effects of a transition between local and global processing on vigilance performance

Sixty participants performed a sustained attention task in which they were required to perform either global or local feature discrimination. Two groups required just one type of discrimination, while the remaining two groups started on one type of discrimination before transitioning to the other type halfway through. A transition resulted in worse performance when compared to no transition. It was also found that the local discrimination group showed improved performance over time compared to the global discrimination group. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure blood oxygenation during the task and was used as an index of cerebral hemodynamic activity. Total oxygenation was found to increase more in global discrimination tasks. It was also found that the left prefrontal cortex showed little change in nontransition tasks while in transition tasks it followed the same trend as the right prefrontal cortex. Combined with performance data, it suggests that an increased utilization of bilateral resources may in some cases improve performance over time.
Uncertainty Analysis for Regional‐Scale Reserve Selection

Abstract: Methods for reserve selection and conservation planning often ignore uncertainty. For example, presence‐absence observations and predictions of habitat models are used as inputs but commonly assumed to be without error. We applied information‐gap decision theory to develop uncertainty analysis methods for reserve selection. Our proposed method seeks a solution that is robust in achieving a given conservation target, despite uncertainty in the data. We maximized robustness in reserve selection through a novel method, “distribution discounting,” in which the site‐ and species‐specific measure of conservation value (related to species‐specific occupancy probabilities) was penalized by an error measure (in our study, related to accuracy of statistical prediction). Because distribution discounting can be implemented as a modification of input files, it is a computationally efficient solution for implementing uncertainty analysis into reserve selection. Thus, the method is particularly useful for high‐dimensional decision problems characteristic of regional conservation assessment. We implemented distribution discounting in the zonation reserve‐selection algorithm that produces a hierarchy of conservation priorities throughout the landscape. We applied it to reserve selection for seven priority fauna in a landscape in New South Wales, Australia. The distribution discounting method can be easily adapted for use with different kinds of data (e.g., probability of occurrence or abundance) and different landscape descriptions (grid or patch based) and incorporated into other reserve‐selection algorithms and software.
Bioequivalence Trials with the Incomplete 3 × 3 Crossover Design

In bioequivalence trials, one often considers two or more generic products with the original one. The 3 × 3 crossover design can be adopted to evaluate the two generic candidates with a brand name drug, rather than conducting two separate 2 × 2 crossover trials. Dropouts, however, are more likely to occur due to various administrative reasons when we consider a higher order crossover design. A modified method, which was originally given by Chow and Shao (1997), is extended to compare two generic products with a reference in the incomplete 3 × 3 crossover design. A simulation study and discussion are also presented. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cloud photogrammetry with dense stereo for fisheye cameras

Abstract. We present a novel approach for dense 3-D cloud reconstruction above an area of 10 × 10 km2 using two hemispheric sky imagers with fisheye lenses in a stereo setup. We examine an epipolar rectification model designed for fisheye cameras, which allows the use of efficient out-of-the-box dense matching algorithms designed for classical pinhole-type cameras to search for correspondence information at every pixel. The resulting dense point cloud allows to recover a detailed and more complete cloud morphology compared to previous approaches that employed sparse feature-based stereo or assumed geometric constraints on the cloud field. Our approach is very efficient and can be fully automated. From the obtained 3-D shapes, cloud dynamics, size, motion, type and spacing can be derived, and used for radiation closure under cloudy conditions, for example. Fisheye lenses follow a different projection function than classical pinhole-type cameras and provide a large field of view with a single image. However, the computation of dense 3-D information is more complicated and standard implementations for dense 3-D stereo reconstruction cannot be easily applied. Together with an appropriate camera calibration, which includes internal camera geometry, global position and orientation of the stereo camera pair, we use the correspondence information from the stereo matching for dense 3-D stereo reconstruction of clouds located around the cameras. We implement and evaluate the proposed approach using real world data and present two case studies. In the first case, we validate the quality and accuracy of the method by comparing the stereo reconstruction of a stratocumulus layer with reflectivity observations measured by a cloud radar and the cloud-base height estimated from a Lidar-ceilometer. The second case analyzes a rapid cumulus evolution in the presence of strong wind shear.
In vitro antifungal activities of amphotericin B and liposome-encapsulated amphotericin B

The in vitro activities of liposome-encapsulated amphotericin B and free amphotericin B against Candida albicans 336 were comparable. Amphotericin B concentrations 12-fold and greater than 50-fold higher were required to kill the same organism when cholesterol and ergosterol were incorporated into the liposomes. The addition of cholesterol to liposomes caused a significant increase in the minimal fungicidal concentration of amphotericin B in 7 of 19 other yeast strains tested, whereas ergosterol caused an increase in 18 of the 19 strains.
Two neighboring residues of loop A of the a1 subunit point towards the benzodiazepine binding site of GABAA receptors

Benzodiazepines are widely used drugs exerting sedative, anxiolytic, muscle relaxant, and anticonvulsant effects by acting through specific high affinity binding sites on some GABAA receptors. It is important to understand how these ligands are positioned in this binding site. We are especially interested here in the conformation of loop A of the a1b2c2 GABAA receptor containing a key residue for the interaction of benzodiazepines: a1H101. We describe a direct interaction of a1N102 with a diazepamand an imidazobenzodiazepine-derivative. Our observations help to better understand the conformation of this region of the benzodiazepine pocket in GABAA receptor. 2007 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
How to show the evidence

The chronic total occlusion (CTO) is the most difficult subset in achieving the success of angioplasty among different kinds of coronary lesions. Most of the sophisticated techniques using conventional guidewires have been developed by Japanese colleagues. Those guidewires with improved torque transmission, good shaping ability, good shaping memory, different stiffness, different tip diameters, and improved hydrophilic coating as well as devices such as good microcatheters, Tornus penetration catheter, or user-friendly Y-adapters have been produced and put into clinical use by Japanese manufactures, while most of western companies have been spending most of their resources into the development of drug-eluting stents. The retrograde approach is the most expected one among the techniques newly developed for CTO angioplasty [1]. Different kinds of strategies have been proposed after the successful crossing a guidewire into the true lumen distal to the CTO lesion through the collateral channels [2]. However, the real efficacy of these strategies has not been clearly shown. The indication for percutaneous coronary angioplasty is classified into three major classes according to the evidence level in ACC/AHA/SCAI guidelines for percutaneous coronary intervention [3] as follows: Class I: Conditions for which there is evidence for and/or general agreement that the procedure or treatment is useful and effective. Class II: Conditions for which there is conflicting evidence and/or a divergence of opinion about the usefulness/efficacy of a procedure or treatment. Class IIa: Weight of evidence/opinion is in favor of usefulness/efficacy. Class IIb: Usefulness/efficacy is less well-established by evidence/opinion. Class III: Conditions for which there is evidence and/ or general agreement that the procedure/treatment is not useful/effective, and in some cases may be harmful. And, the weight of evidence in support of the recommendation for each listed indication is presented as follows: Evidence Level A: Data derived from multiple randomized clinical trials. Evidence Level B: Data derived from a single randomized trial or nonrandomized studies. Evidence Level C: Consensus opinion of experts. How is the retrograde approach classified? There has been no randomized trial reported. Thus, the level of evidence shall be ‘‘C. ’’ Not all interventional cardiologists agree with its usefulness or effectiveness. Thus, retrograde approach can be classified as IIa-C or IIb-C. Under these evidence levels, how we can show whether these developments in angioplasty techniques or devices brought the actual improvement in the clinical success in angioplasty for CTO lesions? The case report by J. Matsumi and me in this journal [4] is clearly showing the solution. By accumulating these case reports, we can raise up the evidence level of the retrograde approach.
Glioblastoma occurring at the site of a previous medulloblastoma following a 5‐year remission period

We describe a case of a 14‐year‐old boy who developed a cerebellar and brainstem glioblastoma 5 years after treatment for a medulloblastoma. The patient first presented in 2003 with 9 months of vomiting and a 9‐kg weight loss. A head MRI showed a heterogeneously enhancing posterior fossa mass with hydrocephalus. Gross total resection was performed and the tumor was consistent with a classic medulloblastoma. Postoperative chemotherapy and craniospinal radiation was administered. The patient remained tumor‐free until 2008, at which time he presented with right‐sided weakness and numbness, left eye pain, vomiting and weight loss. Imaging showed abnormalities within the posterior pons, medulla, inferior cerebellar peduncles, cerebellar hemispheres and cervicomedullary junction with expansion of the medulla and cervical spinal cord. Due to the location of the lesion, biopsy was felt to be too risky and was avoided. Despite receiving chemotherapy, his symptoms continued to worsen and he died 4 months later. Post mortem examination limited to the brain and spinal cord confirmed the radiographic extent of the tumor. Microscopic examination showed a highly cellular infiltrative glial neoplasm with extensive palisading necrosis. A diagnosis of glioblastoma was rendered. The question of whether the first and second tumors were related is of potential clinical and academic interest. The first tumor was synaptophysin‐positive and GFAP‐negative, consistent with medulloblastoma. The second tumor was synaptophysin‐negative and focally GFAP‐positive, consistent with glioblastoma. The glioblastoma displayed EGF receptor amplification, and interestingly, it also displayed MYCN amplification; both tumors showed low level PTEN deletion. The medulloblastoma displayed a signal pattern consistent with an isochromosome 17q, while the glioblastoma showed some cells with an isochromosome 17q signal pattern amid a background of cells with abundant chromosomal instability. The relationship between these two tumors, particularly with regard to various molecular events, is discussed.
The quality of care provided to hospitalized patients at the end of life.

BACKGROUND Patients in American hospitals receive intensive medical treatments. However, when lifesaving treatments are unsuccessful, patients often die in the hospital with distressing symptoms while receiving burdensome care. Systematic measurement of the quality of care planning and symptom palliation is needed. METHODS Medical records were abstracted using 16 Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders quality indicators within the domains of end-of-life care and pain management designed to measure the quality of the dying experience for adult decedents (n = 496) hospitalized for at least 3 days between April 2005 and April 2006 at a university medical center recognized for providing intensive care for the seriously ill. RESULTS Over half of the patients (mean age, 62 years; 47% were women) were admitted to the hospital with end-stage disease, and 28% were 75 years or older. One-third of the patients required extubation from mechanical ventilation prior to death, and 15% died while receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Overall, patients received recommended care for 70% of applicable indicators (range, 25%-100%). Goals of care were addressed in a timely fashion for patients admitted to the intensive care unit approximately half of the time, whereas pain assessments (94%) and treatments for pain (95%) and dyspnea (87%) were performed with fidelity. Follow-up for distressing symptoms was performed less well than initial assessment, and 29% of patients extubated in anticipation of death had documented dyspnea assessments. CONCLUSION A practical, medical chart-based assessment identified discrete deficiencies in care planning and symptom palliation that can be targeted to improve care for patients dying in the hospital.
Novel ribosomal mutations affecting translational accuracy, antibiotic resistance and virulence of Salmonella typhimurium

Many mutations in rpsL cause resistance to, or dependence on, streptomycin and are restrictive (hyperaccurate) in translation. Dependence on streptomycin and hyperaccuracy can each be reversed phenotypically by mutations in either rpsD or rpsE. Such compensatory mutations have been shown to have a ram phenotype (ribosomal ambiguity), increasing the level of translational errors. We have shown recently that restrictive rpsL alleles are also associated with a loss of virulence in Salmonella typhimurium. To test whether ram mutants could reverse this loss of virulence, we have isolated a set of rpsD alleles in Salmonella typhimurium. We found that the rpsD alleles restore the virulence of strains carrying restrictive rpsL alleles to a level close to that of the wild type. Unexpectedly, three out of seven mutant rpsD alleles tested have phenotypes typical of restrictive alleles of rpsL, being resistant to streptomycin and restrictive (hyperaccurate) in translation. These phenotypes have not been previously associated with the ribosomal protein S4. Furthermore, all seven rpsD alleles (four ram and three restrictive) can phenotypically reverse the hyperaccuracy associated with restrictive alleles of rpsL. This is the first demonstration that such compensations do not require that the compensating rpsD allele has a ribosomal ambiguity (ram) phenotype.