Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Targeted expression of baculovirus p35 caspase inhibitor in oligodendrocytes protects mice against autoimmune‐mediated demyelination

The mechanisms underlying oligodendrocyte (OLG) loss and the precise roles played by OLG death in human demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), and in the rodent model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), remain to be elucidated. To clarify the involvement of OLG death in EAE, we have generated transgenic mice that express the baculovirus anti‐apoptotic protein p35 in OLGs through the Cre‐loxP system. OLGs from cre/p35 transgenic mice were resistant to tumor necrosis factor‐α‐, anti‐Fas antibody‐ and interferon‐γ‐induced cell death. cre/p35 transgenic mice were resistant to EAE induction by immunization with the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. The numbers of infiltrating T cells and macrophages/microglia in the EAE lesions were significantly reduced, as were the numbers of apoptotic OLGs expressing the activated form of caspase‐3. Thus, inhibition of apoptosis in OLGs by p35 expression alleviated the severity of the neurological manifestations observed in autoimmune demyelinating diseases.
Initial estimates of Wiener and Hammerstein systems using multisine excitation

This paper presents fast methods to get an initial estimate of Wiener or Hammerstein systems. For this purpose, a special excitation signal is introduced: the random phase multisine. Its properties are briefly stated and used in both methods. The methods are tested with simulations and compared with similar methods available in the literature.
Replicon Cell Culture System as a Valuable Tool in Antiviral Drug Discovery against Hepatitis C Virus

Discovery of potential therapeutics against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been hampered in the past decade by the inability to grow this virus in tissue culture and by the lack of robust small animal models. This situation has been improved by the recent development of a selectable HCV replicon cell culture system. For the first time, drug discovery scientists are able to screen large compound collections using the replicon cell culture system to identify small molecules with the potential to inhibit HCV RNA replication. The replicon system has also been used to elucidate inhibitors' antiviral mechanism of action and to optimize antiviral potency. In this review, we will summarize the recent development of HCV replicon cell culture system and its use in anti-HCV drug discovery. The antiviral activities of promising lead compounds are also reviewed.
Corrosion testing of spent nuclear fuel performed at Argonne National Laboratory for repository acceptance

Corrosion tests of DOE-owned spent nuclear fuel are performed at Argonne National Laboratory to support the license application for the Yucca Mountain Repository. The tests are designed to determine corrosion rates and degradation products formed when fuel is reacted at elevated temperature in different aqueous environments, including vapor, dripping water, submersion, and liquid film contact. Corrosion rates are determined from the quantity of radionuclides released from wetted fuel and from the weight loss of the test fuel specimen as a function of time. Degradation products include secondary mineral phases and dissolved, adsorbed, and colloidal species. Solid phase examinations determine fuel/mineral interface relationships, characterize radionuclide incorporation into secondary phases, and determine corrosion mechanisms at grain interfaces within the fuel. Leachate solution analyses quantify released radionuclides and determine the size and charge distribution of colloids. This paper presents selected results from corrosion tests on metallic fuels.
A Fast Parallel Thinning Algorithm for the Binary Image Skeletonization

This paper investigates the skeletonization problem using parallel thinning techniques and proposes a new one-pass parallel asymmetric thinning algorithm (OPATA8). Wu and Tsai presented a one-pass parallel asymmetric thinning algorithm (OPATA4) that implemented 4-distance, or city block distance, skeletonization. However, city block distance is not a good approximation of Euclidean distance. By applying 8-distance, or chessboard distance, this new algorithm improves not only the quality of the resulting skeletons but also the efficiency of the computation. This algorithm uses 18 patterns. The algorithm has been implemented, and has been compared to both algorithm OPATA4 and Zhang and Suen’s two-pass parallel thinning algorithm. The results show that the proposed OPATA8 has good noise resistance, perfectly 8-connected skeleton output, and a faster speed without serious erosion.
Sailing for Rehabilitation of Patients with Severe Mental Disorders: Results of a Cross Over Randomized Controlled Trial

This study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of a sailing and learning-to-sail rehabilitation protocol in a sample of patients diagnosed with severe mental disorders. The study was a randomized, crossover, waiting-list controlled trial, following recruitment in the Departments of Mental Health of South Sardinia. Participants were outpatients diagnosed with severe mental disorders, recruited through announcements to the directors of the Departments of Mental Health of South Sardinia. Out of the 40 patients enrolled in the study, those exposed to rehabilitation with sailing during a series of guided and supervised sea expeditions near the beach of Cagliari (Sardinia), where the aim to explore the marine environment while sailing was emphasized, showed a statistically significant improvement of their clinical status (measured by BPRS) and, as well, of their general functioning (measured by HoNOS Scale) against the control group. The improvement was maintained at follow-up for some months only: after 12 months, the patients returned to their baseline values on the measures of psychopathology and showed a worsening trend of their quality of life. Sailing can represent a substitute of important experiences that the patients with severe mental disorders miss because of their illness.
Structure and biochemical analysis of Kokobera virus helicase

Structure and biochemical analysis of Kokobera virus helicase Silvia Speroni, Luigi De Colibus, Eloise Mastrangelo, Ernest Gould, Bruno Coutard, Naomi L. Forrester, Séverine Blanc, Bruno Canard, and Andrea Mattevi* 1Department of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, Pavia 27100 Italy 2Department of Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Milano Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy 3Unité des Virus Emergents, Faculté de Médecine Timone, 27, Blvd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille cedex 5, France 4 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (formerly Institute of Virology), Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, England 5 AFMB UMR 6098 CNRS/UI/UII ESIL Case 932 163 Avenue de Luminy 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France
Irrigation and fertilization effects on Nantucket Pine Tip Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) damage levels and pupal weight in an intensively-managed pine plantation

The widespread application of intensive forest management practices throughout the southeastern U.S. has increased loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L. , yields and shortened conventional rotation lengths. Fluctuations in Nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock), population density and subsequent damage levels have been linked to variations in management intensity. We examined the effects of two practices, irrigation and fertilization, on R. frustrana damage levels and pupal weights in an intensively-managed P. taeda plantation in South Carolina. Trees received intensive weed control and one of the following treatments; irrigation only. fertilization only, irrigation + fertilization, or control. Mean whole-tree tip moth damage levels ranged from <1 to 48% during this study. Damage levels differed significantly among treatments in two tip moth generations in 2001, but not 2000. Pupal weight was significantly heavier in fertilization compared to the irrigation treatment in 2000, but no significant differences were observed in 2001. Tree diameter. height. and aboveground volume were significantly greater in the irrigation + fertilization than in the irrigation treatment after two growing seasons. Our data suggest that intensive management practices that include irrigation and fertilization do not consistently increase R. frustrana damage levels and pupal weights as is commonly believed. However, tip moth suppression efforts in areas adjacent to our study may have partially reduced the potential impacts of R. frustrana on this experiment.
Utilizing Targeted Gene Therapy with Nanoparticles Binding Alpha v Beta 3 for Imaging and Treating Choroidal Neovascularization

Purpose The integrin αvβ3 is differentially expressed on neovascular endothelial cells. We investigated whether a novel intravenously injectable αvβ3 integrin-ligand coupled nanoparticle (NP) can target choroidal neovascular membranes (CNV) for imaging and targeted gene therapy. Methods CNV lesions were induced in rats using laser photocoagulation. The utility of NP for in vivo imaging and gene delivery was evaluated by coupling the NP with a green fluorescing protein plasmid (NP-GFPg). Rhodamine labeling (Rd-NP) was used to localize NP in choroidal flatmounts. Rd-NP-GFPg particles were injected intravenously on weeks 1, 2, or 3. In the treatment arm, rats received NP containing a dominant negative Raf mutant gene (NP-ATPμ-Raf) on days 1, 3, and 5. The change in CNV size and leakage, and TUNEL positive cells were quantified. Results GFP plasmid expression was seen in vivo up to 3 days after injection of Rd-NP-GFPg. Choroidal flatmounts confirmed the localization of the NP and the expression of GFP plasmid in the CNV. Treating the CNV with NP-ATPμ-Raf decreased the CNV size by 42% (P<0.001). OCT analysis revealed that the reduction of CNV size started on day 5 and reached statistical significance by day 7. Fluorescein angiography grading showed significantly less leakage in the treated CNV (P<0.001). There were significantly more apoptotic (TUNEL-positive) nuclei in the treated CNV. Conclusion Systemic administration of αvβ3 targeted NP can be used to label the abnormal blood vessels of CNV for imaging. Targeted gene delivery with NP-ATPμ-Raf leads to a reduction in size and leakage of the CNV by induction of apoptosis in the CNV.
A CMOS Spiking Neural Network Circuit with Symmetric/Asymmetric STDP Function

In this paper, we propose an analog CMOS circuit which achieves spiking neural networks with spike-timing dependent synaptic plasticity (STDP). In particular, we propose a STDP circuit with symmetric function for the first time, and also we demonstrate associative memory operation in a Hopfield-type feedback network with STDP learning. In our spiking neuron model, analog information expressing processing results is given by the relative timing of spike firing events. It is well known that a biological neuron changes its synaptic weights by STDP, which provides learning rules depending on relative timing between asynchronous spikes. Therefore, STDP can be used for spiking neural systems with learning function. The measurement results of fabricated chips using TSMC 0. 25µm CMOS process technology demonstrate that our spiking neuron circuit can construct feedback networks and update synaptic weights based on relative timing between asynchronous spikes by a symmetric or an asymmetric STDP circuits.
Pseudo-random sequence generation from elliptic curves over a finite field of characteristic 2

In this paper, the randomness of binary sequences generated from elliptic curves over a finite field of characteristic 2 is studied. A scheme of construction based on the Chaos-Driven Elliptic Curve Pseudo-random Number Generator (C-D ECPRNG) is proposed. The generators based of this scheme are verified by using tests from the NIST Statistical Test Suite to analyze their statistical properties. An elliptic curve used in the numerical example is defined over F28. The investigations which made for the generated series of two output sequences of the lengths of 210 and 220 bits shown that 14 generators working according to our general scheme exhibit good randomness properties. Next, the binary sequences generated by these 14 schemes were used for encrypting a 256×256 grayscale Lena image as an application example and the security analysis of the ciphered images was carried out.
Approximate real-time optimal control based on sparse Gaussian process models

In this paper we present a fully automated approach to (approximate) optimal control of non-linear systems. Our algorithm jointly learns a non-parametric model of the system dynamics - based on Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) - and performs receding horizon control using an adapted iterative LQR formulation. This results in an extremely data-efficient learning algorithm that can operate under real-time constraints. When combined with an exploration strategy based on GPR variance, our algorithm successfully learns to control two benchmark problems in simulation (two-link manipulator, cart-pole) as well as to swing-up and balance a real cart-pole system. For all considered problems learning from scratch, that is without prior knowledge provided by an expert, succeeds in less than 10 episodes of interaction with the system.
Lognormal firing rate distribution reveals prominent fluctuation–driven regime in spinal motor networks

When spinal circuits generate rhythmic movements it is important that the neuronal activity remains within stable bounds to avoid saturation and to preserve responsiveness. In what dynamical regime does the neuronal population operate in order to achieve this? Here, we simultaneously record from hundreds of neurons in lumbar spinal circuits and establish the neuronal fraction that operates within either a ‘mean-driven’ or a ‘fluctuation–driven’ regime during generation of multiple motor behaviors. We find a rich diversity of firing rates across the neuronal population as reflected in a lognormal distribution and demonstrate that half of the neurons spend at least 50% of the time in the ‘fluctuation–driven’ regime regardless of behavior. Since neurons in this regime have a ‘supralinear’ input–output curve, which enhances sensitivity, whereas the mean–driven regime reduces sensitivity, this fraction may reflect a fine trade–off between stability and sensitivity in order to maintain flexibility across motor behaviors.
The Microwave Anisotropy Probe ( MAP )

The Microwave Anisotropy Probe mission is designed to produce a map of the cosmic microwave background radiation over the entire celestial sphere by executing a fast spin and a slow precession of its spin axis about the Sun line to obtain a highly interconnected set of measurements. The spacecraft attitude is sensed and controlled using an Inertial Reference Unit, two Autonomous Star Trackers, a Digital Sun Sensor, twelve Coarse Sun Sensors, three Reaction Wheel Assemblies, and a propulsion system. This paper describes the design of the attitude control system that carries out this mission and presents some early flight experience.
Stochastic Gene Expression in a Single Cell

HDAC1 were also bound to the same region (Fig. 5E), which is consistent with the recruitment of at least two corepressor complexes through Dachs. To test whether Six6 could directly regulate p27Kip1 expression in a biological context, we performed ChIP experiments using microdis-sected e13.5 wild-type retinas, showing that both Six6 and Dach2 were indeed recruited to the putative SE sites of the p27Kip1 promoter (Fig. 5F), which is consistent with the correlation between Six6 high expression and p27Kip1 low expression at that developmental time (13). Despite the strong expression of Sno in the developing retina and its homology with Dach2, Sno was not present on the p27Kip1 promoter (Fig. 5F), which is consistent with our finding of no detectable functional interactions between Six6 and Sno in transient transfection, two-hybrid, and microinjection studies (Fig. 4D) (13). We therefore conclude that Six6/Dach complex binds directly to the p27Kip1 promoter and represses its transcriptional activity in vivo, together with regulation of p19Ink4d and p57Kip2, to regulate proliferation. The Six6/CKI regulatory network likely serves as a molecular strategy for Six6-dependent regulation of the proper expansion of retinal and pituitary precursor cell populations. The strong coexpression of another highly related Six gene, Six3, during retinal development could partially compensate for the loss of Six6 (5). Six6/Dach repressive function in eye development is in contrast to the activation roles shown for Six1/Eya2 in muscle development (11), identifying a unique role of Six6 in terms of regulating downstream genes by interacting with specific partners. Together, these findings provide an organ-specific strategy for the expansion of precursor cell populations during development , a strategy that is likely used in other organ systems. and manuscript preparation; and H. Taylor for animal care. We are very grateful to R. Clonal populations of cells exhibit substantial phenotypic variation. Such het-erogeneity can be essential for many biological processes and is conjectured to arise from stochasticity, or noise, in gene expression. We constructed strains of Escherichia coli that enable detection of noise and discrimination between the two mechanisms by which it is generated. Both stochasticity inherent in the biochemical process of gene expression (intrinsic noise) and fluctuations in other cellular components (extrinsic noise) contribute substantially to overall variation. Transcription rate, regulatory dynamics, and genetic factors control the amplitude of noise. These results establish a quantitative foundation for modeling noise in genetic networks and reveal how low intracellular copy numbers of molecules can fundamentally …
Influence of smokeless tobacco on periodontal health status in local population of north India: A cross-sectional study

Background: Limited studies have been published so far, which revealed the association of different types of smokeless tobacco on various periodontal health indicators, including mobility and furcation, on North Indian population. The present study has been undertaken to evaluate the effects of commonly used smokeless tobacco forms on periodontal health in Lucknow, North India. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the effect of commonly used smokeless tobacco on periodontal health in local population of Lucknow, for which 2045 individuals were evaluated. Amongst them, 1069 individuals were found to be using some kind of tobacco; amongst the tobacco users, n=122 were smokers, n=657 were only using only smokeless tobacco and n=290 were using both smokeless tobacco as well as tobacco in smoking form. After completing the questionnaire, all the participants underwent clinical examination for the various clinical parameters. Results: The impact of smokeless form of tobacco use was significantly higher on all the periodontal health indicators, viz., plaque index, gingival index, calculus, clinical attachment loss, gingival recession, mobility, furcation, lesion, and probing pocket depth. Both duration and frequency of smokeless tobacco use significantly affected the periodontal health. Conclusion: The periodontal health of the general population in the region required immediate attention as majority of subjects irrespective of their habit status had onset of clinical attachment loss and gingival recession, more so amongst the smokeless tobacco users than smoking form of tobacco as well as than from non-tobacco users.
A generic procedure for interactive 3D model registration on images

This paper presents a generic and user-friendly procedure for interactive 3-D model registration on images. Such tasks are numerous in a CAD-based model acquisition process through interactive means. Moreover object alignment can also be used to quickly provide an initial match when registering a whole model on actual data. This task could be performed by setting a minimal set of 2D-3D point matches. Our goal is to set up a more user-friendly solution, which minimizes the amount of manual work. We have implemented a two-step procedure relying on the selection in the image of some structured object features. First a visual feature interpretation method is used. It provides a solution that fixes at least two rotation parameters. Remaining degrees-of-freedom are then easily handled through interactive modes. Several interpretation methods are proposed to cope with various contexts according to the available features. Achieved accuracy is a posteriori estimated to help the operator decide on the registration reliability.
Protocol-independent secrecy

Inductive proofs of secrecy invariants for cryptographic protocols can be facilitated by separating the protocol dependent part from the protocol-independent part. Our secrecy theorem encapsulates the use of induction so that the discharge of protocol-specific proof obligations is reduced to first-order reasoning. Also, the verification conditions are modularly associated with the protocol messages. Secrecy proofs for Otway-Rees (1987) and the corrected Needham-Schroeder protocol are given.
Grey Relational Optimization of Turning Parameters in Dry Machining of Austenitic Stainless Steel Using Zr Based Coated Tools

The present work aims at the microstructural characterization of TiAlZrN/ Al2O3 and TiAlZrN/Si3N4 coatings deposited via lateral rotating cathodes. The coatings were deposited using Lateral Rotating Cathodes (LARC) technology. The deposited coatings were studied for its cross sectional morphology using scanning electron microscopy. Energy Dispersive Spectrometry was also conducted along the cross section to determine the elemental composition. Micro Vickers hardness test was conducted to determine the hardness of the coatings. The scanning electron microscope images showed that TiAlZrN/Al2O3 coatings showed preferred columnar grain orientation with multilayered structure while TiAlZrN/Si3N4 coatings exhibit a dense grain structure. The TiAlZrN/Si3N4 coating shows a hardness of 31.58 GPa while TiAlZrN/Al2O3 coating shows a hardness of 25.40 GPa. Dry turning tests were performed on AISI 304 stainless steel. The TiAlZrN/Si3N4 coatings show reduced flank wear. Both the coatings even under severe cutting conditions impart surface roughness of less than 1.5 μm.
Leading the Way: An Efficient Multi-robot Guidance System

Recent advances in service robotics have made it possible to deploy a large number of mobile robots in indoor environments to perform tasks such as delivery, maintenance and eldercare. If a centrally connected multi-robot system is available, can it be effectively used to aid humans in other on-demand tasks? In this paper, we demonstrate how individual service robots in a multi-robot system can be temporarily reassigned from their original task to help guide a human from one location to another in the environment. We formulate this multi-robot treatment of the human guidance problem as a Markov Decision Process (MDP). Solving the MDP produces a policy to efficiently guide the human, but the state space size makes it infeasible to optimally solve it. Instead, we use the Upper Confidence bound for Trees (UCT) planner to obtain an approximate solution. We show that this solution outperforms an approach that uses a single robot to guide the human from start to finish.