Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early vs late age at onset frontotemporal dementia and frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Objective To examine clinicopathologic correlations in early vs late age at onset frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Methods All patients were clinically evaluated and prospectively diagnosed at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. Two consecutive series were included: (1) patients with a clinically diagnosed FTD syndrome who underwent autopsy (cohort 1) and (2) patients with a primary pathologic diagnosis of FTLD, regardless of the clinical syndrome (cohort 2). These series were divided by age at symptom onset (cutoff 65 years). Results In cohort 1, 48 (25.3%) were 65 years or older at symptom onset. Pathologic causes of behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) were similar in the early age at onset (EO) and late age at onset (LO) bvFTD groups. In corticobasal syndrome (CBS), however, the most common pathologic substrate differed according to age at onset: progressive supranuclear palsy (42.9%) in LO-CBS and Alzheimer disease (AD; 40.7%) in EO-CBS. In cohort 2, 57 (28.4%) were classified as LO-FTLD. Regarding FTLD major molecular classes, FTLD with transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa was most common in EO-FTLD (44.4%), whereas FTLD-tau (58.3%) was most common in LO-FTLD. Antemortem diagnosis of a non-FTD syndrome, usually AD-type dementia, was more frequent in LO-FTLD than EO-FTLD (19.3% vs 7.7%, p = 0.017). LO-FTLD was also associated with more prevalent comorbid pathologic changes. Of these, moderate to severe AD neuropathologic change and argyrophilic grain disease were overrepresented among patients who received an antemortem diagnosis of AD-type dementia. Conclusion Patients with FTD and FTLD often develop symptoms after age 65, and age at onset represents an important consideration when making antemortem neuropathologic predictions.
Innovations in electrophoretic deposition of nanotitania- based photoanodes for use in dye-sensitized solar cells

The scope of this thesis is the investigation and elaboration of novel cost-effective and environmentally friendly electrophoretic deposition (EPD) techniques for the fabrication of robust and adhesive nanotitania film electrodes for high performance dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC). In the first part of this work, EPD in water is investigated, where electrolysis of water is suppressed by adoption of a low DC voltage approach. Growth of adherent and robust films is enabled via the use of isopropanol as co-solvent and Zn(NO3)2 as additive, the latter leading to co-deposition of hydrous zinc oxide that acts as nanoglue. The optimization of the suspension composition, mechanism of zinc co-deposition with TiO2 nanoparticles (P25, Evonic), and the structural and electronic properties of the resultant TiO2-ZnO semiconductor films are described. Subsequent to EPD nanocomposite TiO2–ZnO film growth, the photoanodes after annealing at 450 oC are assembled into DSSC devices and shown to have better photovoltaic performance compared to that of bare TiO2 film photoanodes. Various photoelectrochemical characterizations indicated that in-situ formation of ZnO causes suppression of charge recombination at the electrode/electrolyte interface thus prolonging photoelectron lifetime. In the next phase, the electrophoretic deposition of mixed nano scale P25 TiO2-metal oxide composite films, namely TiO2-ZnO, TiO2-Al2O3 and TiO2-MgO is investigated in order to probe charge recombination and electron transport properties. The secondary oxides were found to co-deposit uniformly within the TiO2 film (forming island-like nanodeposits) at approximately 1-3 wt% content. Various photoelectrochemical characterization techniques revealed that among the three composite films, the TiO2-Al2O3 electrode exhibits the highest charge recombination resistance at the TiO2/electrolyte interface but its conversion efficiency is the lowest because it suffers from very high electron transport resistance. By comparison, the TiO2-MgO and TiO2-ZnO films exhibit significantly lower electron transport resistance and relatively higher conversion efficiency. In the last part of this thesis, EPD is employed successfully in a suspension of multi-component and different size and morphology (anatase + rutile) TiO2 nanoparticulates to engineer a very robust bi-functional electrode structure. Aqueous-synthesized anatase (5–10 nm) nanocrystallites, sub-micrometer-sized "sea urchin"-like rutile (200–500 nm) aggregates and P25 nanoparticles (30 nm) are formulated in a stable binder-free isopropanol suspension and deposited into adhesive films not only on glass but also metal and plastic substrates without resorting to mechanical compression. As result of the scattering functionality and the excellent film adhesion rendered by rutile, contact resistance between the TiO2 film and the substrate is minimized resulting in higher VOC, fill factor and record-breaking efficiency: 8.59% vs. 8.32% for double-layer benchmark photoanode. %%%%Cette these porte sur l'etude et…
Mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling is involved in nonylphenol‐induced proinflammatory cytokines secretion by BV2 microglia

Microglia (MG) are the key cells involved in the innate immune response in the central nervous system, and their activation has been linked to inflammation and neurotoxicity by the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Recently, researchers have found that nonylphenol (NP), a ubiquitous endocrine disrupting chemical, could impair neurodevelopment and cognitive memory performance. However, whether NP affects the inflammatory responses of MG remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of NP on the inflammatory responses of BV2 MG and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that NP increased the secretion of interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐1β in BV2 MG. Increased phosphorylation of Akt, JNK and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase and decreased phosphorylation of ERK were observed in NP‐treated MG. The inflammatory transcription factor activator protein 1 was also activated in NP‐treated BV2 MG. These results suggest that NP may activate Akt/mitogen‐activated protein kinase/activator protein 1 signaling in MG and subsequently increase IL‐6 and IL‐1β secretion.
Multistage class DE current driven low di/dt rectifier

The dual circuit of Cockcroft-Walton (CW) circuit is proposed as the multistage Class DE current driven low di/dt rectifier. The dual circuit of CW circuit naturally satisfies Class E switching condition. The equations of diodes and inductors waveforms are obtained at any diode on-duty ratio using the same scheme for Class DE rectifier. Moreover, the simulation and the experimental results are presented. Theoretical, simulation, and experimental results were in good agreement. The proposed circuit is suitable for low voltage and large current power sources.
Correlation of Decompression Time and Foaming Temperature on the Cell Density of Foamed Polystyrene

In this paper, the correlation between the foaming temperature and the decompression rate (decompression time) of the cell density that is the number of cells per unit volume remaining in the foamed plastic will be discussed. Foaming was carried out by the following method: the blowing agent was soaked into the resin as a solid state at high pressure under temperatures higher than the glass transition temperature of the resin. After the foaming agent reached its saturation state, cell nucleation and cell growth were accelerated by decompression. Finally, cell growth was halted by cooling. A device that can accurately control temperature and the decompression rate was designed, produced and verified for accuracy prior to this investigation. The polystyrene (PS) specimens were foamed under various foaming temperatures and the decompression rates using the above-mentioned method. The following results were obtained: 1. Cell density of foamed polystyrene shows time and temperature dependence as follows. The cell density increases when the decompression rate is quick, i.e. the decompression time is shortened under the condition of low foaming temperature, and cell density decreases when the decompression rate is slow, i.e. decompression time is lengthened under the condition of high foaming temperature, 2. Correlation is maintained between the temperature dependence and time dependence of the cell density of foamed PS, and it can be expressed by one master curve, 3. Based on this correlation, it is possible to predict the required foaming conditions of plastics having arbitrary cell densities.
Entomopathogenic fungi and their potential for the management of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Americas

Classical biological control has been used extensively for the management of exotic weeds and agricultural pests, but never for alien insect vectors of medical importance. This simple but elegant control strategy involves the introduction of coevolved natural enemies from the centre of origin of the target alien species. Aedes aegypti - the primary vector of the dengue, yellow fever and Zika flaviviruses - is just such an invasive alien in the Americas where it arrived accidentally from its West African home during the slave trade. Here, we introduce the concept of exploiting entomopathogenic fungi from Africa for the classical biological control of Ae. aegypti in the Americas. Fungal pathogens attacking arthropods are ubiquitous in tropical forests and are important components in the natural balance of arthropod populations. They can produce a range of specialised spore forms, as well as inducing a variety of bizarre behaviours in their hosts, in order to maximise infection. The fungal groups recorded as specialised pathogens of mosquito hosts worldwide are described and discussed. We opine that similar fungal pathogens will be found attacking and manipulating Ae. aegypti in African forests and that these could be employed for an economic, environmentally-safe and long-term solution to the flavivirus pandemics in the Americas.
Circular RNAs are abundant and dynamically expressed during embryonic muscle development in chickens

Abstract The growth and development of skeletal muscle is regulated by proteins as well as non-coding RNAs. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are universally expressed in various tissues and cell types, and regulate gene expression in eukaryotes. To identify the circRNAs during chicken embryonic skeletal muscle development, leg muscles of female Xinghua (XH) chicken at three developmental time points 11 embryo age (E11), 16 embryo age (E16) and 1 day post hatch (P1) were performed RNA sequencing. We identified 13,377 circRNAs with 3,036 abundantly expressed and most were derived from coding exons. A total of 462 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified (fold change > 2; q-value < 0.05). Parental genes of differentially expressed circRNAs were related to muscle biological processes. There were 946 exonic circRNAs have been found that harbored one or more miRNA-binding site for 150 known miRNAs. We validated that circRBFOX2s promoted cell proliferation through interacted with miR-206. These data collectively indicate that circRNAs are abundant and dynamically expressed during embryonic muscle development and could play key roles through sequestering miRNAs as well as other functions.
A robust gene expression-based prognostic risk score predicts overall survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients

Identification of reliable predictive biomarkers and new therapeutic targets is a critical step for significant improvement in patient outcomes. Here, we developed a multi-step bioinformatics analytic strategy to mine large omics and clinical data to build a prognostic scoring system for predicting the overall survival (OS) of lung adenocarcinoma (LuADC) patients. In latter we first identified 1327 significantly and robustly deregulated genes, 600 of which were significantly associated with the OS of LuADC patients. Gene co-expression network analysis revealed the biological functions of these 600 genes in normal lung and LuADCs, which were found to be enriched for cell cycle-related processes, blood vessel development, cell-matrix adhesion and metabolic processes. Finally, we implemented a multiple resampling method combined with Cox regression analysis to identify a 27-gene signature associated with OS, and then created a prognostic scoring system based on this signature. This scoring system robustly predicted OS of LuADC patients in 100 sampling test sets and was further validated in four independent LuADC cohorts. In addition, in comparison to other existing prognostic gene signatures published in the literature, our signature was significantly superior in predicting OS of LuADC patients. In summary, our multi-omics and clinical data integration study created a 27-gene prognostic risk score that can predict OS of LuADC patients independent of age, gender and clinical stage. This score could guide therapeutic selection and allow stratification in clinical trials.
Subclinical Decrease in Central Inner Retinal Activity Is Associated With Myopia Development in Children.

Purpose To investigate the characteristics of retinal electrophysiological activity in relation to early myopia development in children. Methods Fifty-six children aged 6 to 9 years with emmetropic refractive error (defined as ≥ -0.5 diopter [D] and ≤ +0.5 D) were recruited. Cycloplegic refraction, axial length, and global flash multifocal electroretinogram (MOFO mfERG) at 49% and 96% contrast levels were recorded in all children at their first visit. The refraction and axial length measurements were repeated after 1 year. The amplitudes and implicit times of the direct component (DC) and the induced component (IC) of the MOFO mfERG obtained at the initial visit were analyzed. Correlations between the MOFO mfERG parameters and changes in refractive error and axial length were investigated. Results The mean spherical equivalent refractive error and axial length of the eyes of the children at the first visit were +0.19 ± 0.33 D and 23.14 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. After 1 year, the mean refractive error increased by -0.55 ± 0.53 D, whereas axial length increased by 0.37 ± 0.22 mm. The changes in refractive error and axial length were significantly correlated with the central IC amplitudes at 49% contrast level measured at the initial visit (ρ = 0.46, P < 0.001 and ρ = -0.34, P = 0.01, respectively). Conclusions The prospective changes we have shown are believed to derive from central inner retina. These changes appear to precede myopia and could be a potential reference for juvenile myopia development.
High Resolution Full-Aperture ISAR Processing through Modified Doppler History Based Motion Compensation

A high resolution inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) technique is presented using modified Doppler history based motion compensation. To this purpose, a novel wideband ISAR system is developed that accommodates parametric processing over extended aperture length. The proposed method is derived from an ISAR-to-SAR approach that makes use of high resolution spotlight SAR and sub-aperture recombination. It is dedicated to wide aperture ISAR imaging and exhibits robust performance against unstable targets having non-linear motions. We demonstrate that the Doppler histories of the full aperture ISAR echoes from disturbed targets are efficiently retrieved with good fitting models. Experiments have been conducted on real aircraft targets and the feasibility of the full aperture ISAR processing is verified through the acquisition of high resolution ISAR imagery.
A single bout of high-intensity interval exercise and work-matched moderate-intensity exercise has minimal effect on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in 7- to 10-year-old boys

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to assess the acute effect of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and moderate-intensity exercise (MIE) on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and fat oxidation in young boys. Eleven boys (8.8 ± 0.8 y) completed three conditions: 1) HIIE; 2) work-matched MIE; and 3) rest (CON) followed by an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to determine glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (Cederholm index). Fat oxidation was measured following the OGTT using indirect calorimetry. There was no effect for condition on plasma [glucose] and [insulin] area under the curve (AUC) responses following the OGTT (P > 0.09). However, there was a “trend” for a condition effect for insulin sensitivity with a small increase after HIIE (P = 0.04, ES = 0.28, 9.7%) and MIE (P = 0.07, ES = 0.21, 6.5%) compared to CON. There was an increase in fat oxidation AUC following HIIE (P = 0.008, ES = 0.79, 38.9%) compared to CON, but with no differences between MIE and CON and HIIE and MIE (P > 0.13). In conclusion, 7- to 10-year-old boys may have limited scope to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance after a single bout of HIIE and MIE. However, fat oxidation is augmented after HIIE but not MIE.
Dynamic Requirement Clustering of Requirement with Usable Test Cases by Cosine-Correlation

In software engineering testing plays an important role in development and maintenance of software. Component based software development gained a lot of practical importance in the field of Software engineering by the academic researcher and industry for finding reusable efficient test cases. It is the predominant problem in software engineering that clustering reduces the search space of the component of test cases by grouping of similar entities together ensuring reduce time complexity and reduce the search time for retrieve test cases according to requirement. In this research paper we investigate how k-mean work on the set of requirement and usable test cases we also define how to resolve the k-mean clustering static number of cluster when new requirement or test cases will come. In this research paper we investigate how k-mean work on the set of requirement and usable test cases we also define how to resolve the k-mean clustering static number of cluster when new requirement or test cases will come. Here we purposed an approach for dynamic clustering for test cases and requirement.
Automated recommendations for reducing unnecessary variability of technology architectures

A technology architecture (TA) represents the technical infrastructure of a company and consists of hardware and software components. As the evolution of such TAs is typically uncoordinated, their complexity often grows with a company’s requirements. As a consequence, a variety of redundancies and architectural variants exist, which are not necessary for the architecture’s purpose. This leads to increased costs and higher effort for evolving and maintaining the entire IT landscape. To alleviate these problems, unnecessary variability has to be identified and reduced. As a manual approach requires high effort and is not feasible for largescale analysis, experts face a major challenge. For this purpose, we propose an automated approach, which provides experts with recommendations for restructurings of related TAs in order to reduce unnecessary variability. We show suitability of our approach by expert interviews and an industrial case study with real-world TAs.
Toxin–antitoxin systems and their role in disseminating and maintaining antimicrobial resistance

Abstract Toxin–antitoxin systems (TAs) are ubiquitous among bacteria and play a crucial role in the dissemination and evolution of antibiotic resistance, such as maintaining multi-resistant plasmids and inducing persistence formation. Generally, activities of the toxins are neutralised by their conjugate antitoxins. In contrast, antitoxins are more liable to degrade under specific conditions such as stress, and free active toxins interfere with essential cellular processes including replication, translation and cell-wall synthesis. TAs have also been shown to be responsible for plasmid maintenance, stress management, bacterial persistence and biofilm formation. We discuss here the recent findings of these multifaceted TAs (type I–VI) and in particular examine the role of TAs in augmenting the dissemination and maintenance of multi-drug resistance in bacteria.
Structural and Biochemical Characterization of BdsA from Bacillus subtilis WU-S2B, a Key Enzyme in the “4S” Desulfurization Pathway

Dibenzothiophene (DBT) and their derivatives, accounting for the major part of the sulfur components in crude oil, make one of the most significant pollution sources. The DBT sulfone monooxygenase BdsA, one of the key enzymes in the “4S” desulfurization pathway, catalyzes the oxidation of DBT sulfone to 2′-hydroxybiphenyl 2-sulfonic acid (HBPSi). Here, we determined the crystal structure of BdsA from Bacillus subtilis WU-S2B, at the resolution of 2.2 Å, and the structure of the BdsA-FMN complex at 2.4 Å. BdsA and the BdsA-FMN complex exist as tetramers. DBT sulfone was placed into the active site by molecular docking. Seven residues (Phe12, His20, Phe56, Phe246, Val248, His316, and Val372) are found to be involved in the binding of DBT sulfone. The importance of these residues is supported by the study of the catalytic activity of the active site variants. Structural analysis and enzyme activity assay confirmed the importance of the right position and orientation of FMN and DBT sulfone, as well as the involvement of Ser139 as a nucleophile in catalysis. This work combined with our previous structure of DszC provides a systematic structural basis for the development of engineered desulfurization enzymes with higher efficiency and stability.
Large constituent families help children parse compounds

The family size of the constituents of compound words, or the number of compounds sharing the constituents, has been shown to affect adults' access to compound words in the mental lexicon. The present study was designed to see if family size would affect children's segmentation of compounds. Twenty-five English-speaking children between 3;7 and 5;9 were asked to explain the meaning of existing compounds with constituents of varying family size to an alien puppet. The results showed that children were more likely to mention the modifier of compounds if they came from large constituent families than if they came from small constituent families. Other variables were also shown to have some, but smaller effects on children's parsing, including the frequency of the constituent words and the compounds, whether the compounds were already known, and age. These results suggest that children's segmentation of compounds might be facilitated by analogy with other compounds already in their vocabularies.
Modeling of a membrane mirror strip actuated using a piezoelectric bimorph

This paper presents an improved model for the one-dimensional behavior of a membrane mirror strip actuated using a piezoelectric bimorph. This model specifically accounts for the changes in physical properties of the membrane strip at the location of the piezoelectric bimorph. The membrane strip is modeled as a pinned-pinned beam under tension and the finite element method (FEM) is used to represent the system mathematically. The frequency response obtained from the proposed model is shown to be in agreement with experiments. Furthermore, the importance of including local mass and stiffness effects is demonstrated. © 2006 ASME