Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exaggerated bronchoconstriction due to inhalation challenges with occupational agents

Inhalation challenges with occupational agents are used to confirm the aetiology of occupational asthma. It has been proposed that using closed-circuit equipment rather than the realistic challenge method would improve the methodology of these tests. Changes in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were examined in 496 subjects with “positive specific inhalation challenges”, i.e. changes in FEV1 of ≥20% after exposure to an occupational agent, including 357 subjects exposed by the realistic method, 108 using the closed-circuit method and 31 by both methods. For immediate reactions, 18 of 95 (19%) showed changes in FEV1 of ≥30% with the closed-circuit method, whereas a significantly larger proportion, i.e. 77 of 200 (38.5%), showed such changes using the realistic method. As regards nonimmediate reactions, changes in FEV1 of ≥30% occurred in 16 of 43 (37%) cases with the closed-circuit method as compared to a larger proportion, i.e. 87 of 180 (48%) cases, using the realistic method. This favourable effect was significantly more pronounced in workers with higher levels of bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine. It is concluded that, for agents that can be generated using the closed-circuit method, use of such apparatus results in a smaller proportion of exaggerated bronchoconstriction than does the realistic method, this being particularly true for low-molecular weight agents.
Training in the Adolescent Brain: An fMRI Training Study on Divergent Thinking

Prior research suggests that adolescence is a time of enhanced sensitivity for practice and learning. In this study we tested the neural correlates of divergent thinking training in 15- to 16-year-old adolescents relative to an age-matched active control group. All participants performed an alternative uses task, a valid measure to test divergent thinking, while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) images were acquired before and after a training program. In between the 2 scanning sessions the experimental group completed 2 weeks of divergent thinking training (8 sessions) and the control group completed 2 weeks of rule switching training (8 session). A Group × Time interaction demonstrated stable divergent thinking performance for the experimental group, whereas in the control group performance declined. Generating alternative uses (experimental task condition) relative to generating ordinary characteristics of objects (control task condition) was associated with increased activation in the supramarginal gyrus (SMG), angular gyrus (AG), and middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Test–retest analyses showed that within-individuals-activation in these regions was stable over time in both groups. Changes in alternative uses fluency over time, however, were positively associated with changes in superior lateral PFC activation over time. Together, the results indicate that core brain regions for creativity (SMG, AG, and MTG) are consistently recruited in adolescence, and that changes in performance are associated with changes in activation in lateral PFC.
Germline PMS2 and somatic POLE exonuclease mutations cause hypermutability of the leading DNA strand in biallelic mismatch repair deficiency syndrome brain tumours

Biallelic mismatch repair deficiency (bMMRD) in tumours is frequently associated with somatic mutations in the exonuclease domains of DNA polymerases POLE or POLD1, and results in a characteristic mutational profile. In this article, we describe the genetic basis of ultramutated high‐grade brain tumours in the context of bMMRD. We performed exome sequencing of two second‐cousin patients from a large consanguineous family of Indian origin with early onset of high‐grade glioblastoma and astrocytoma. We identified a germline homozygous nonsense variant, p.R802*, in the PMS2 gene. Additionally, by genome sequencing of these tumours, we found extremely high somatic mutation rates (237/Mb and 123/Mb), as well as somatic mutations in the proofreading domain of POLE polymerase (p.P436H and p.L424V), which replicates the leading DNA strand. Most interestingly, we found, in both cancers, that the vast majority of mutations were consistent with the signature of POLE exo–, i.e. an abundance of C>A and C>T mutations, particularly in special contexts, on the leading strand. We showed that the fraction of mutations under positive selection among mutations in tumour suppressor genes is more than two‐fold lower in ultramutated tumours than in other glioblastomas. Genetic analyses enabled the diagnosis of the two consanguineous childhood brain tumours as being due to a combination of PMS2 germline and POLE somatic variants, and confirmed them as bMMRD/POLE exo– disorders. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metal-Organic Frameworks in Monolithic Structures

For the first time, the manufacturing of metal-organic framework-based monoliths using a two-step process is reported. In a first experiment, the in situ synthesis of Cu 3 (BTC) 2 (benzene tricarboxylate [BTC]) on cordierite monoliths was chosen to immobilize Cu 3 (BTC) 2 . As this approach turned out to be of major disadvantages, the manufacturing of Cu 3 (BTC) 2 monolithic structures was chosen. The two-step fabrication process included the manufacturing of a molding batch in a lab-scale kneader followed by extrusion in a ram-extruder. As additives, methyl hydroxyl propyl cellulose and methoxy functionalized siloxane ether were chosen. The resulting monolithic structures have a specific inner surface area of 370 m 2 /g and show a high mechanical stability of 320 N.
Pump-probe Spectroscopy of Photovoltaic Materials

The study of photovoltaic materials is important so as to develop new solar energy technologies: in particular, quantum-confined semiconductors could offer increased quantum efficiencies at a much lower manufacture cost. This thesis contains results from a number of pump-probe experiments designed to probe the carrier dynamics in bulk and quantum-confined photovoltaics.A THz time-domain spectrometer was designed, built and commissioned. The THz refractive indices and absorption coefficients of toluene and hexane were determined, and the spectrometer was benchmarked using a photoexcited GaAs wafer. Results are presented of time-resolved THz spectroscopy of photoexcited bulk InP as a function of laser excitation wavelength. These data were used to extract the quantum efficiency of bulk InP in order to compare with recent results for InP quantum dots. The quantum efficiency in quantum dots increases when the incident photon energy is at least twice the band gap energy, whereasthe efficiency of the bulk material is found to decrease. This is because of surface recombination, and these measurements therefore verify the potential superiority of quantum dot materials over bulk materials for use in solar energy applications. Initial measurements of quantum dots using THz spectroscopy highlighted the various experimental challenges involved and the upgrades required to study such samples in the future.The time-dependence of the photoinduced surface photovoltage (SPV) in Si was studied on nanosecond timescales by synchronizing an ultrafast laser system to a synchrotron radiation source (the SRS at Daresbury, UK), and measuring the resulting shift in the photoelectron spectrum. The equilibrium band bending was determined, and the decay of the SPV was attributed to the recombination of charge carriers across the band gap. Results are presented for the SPV in bulk ZnO and for PbS quantum dot chemically attached to ZnO. The fact that the PbS quantum dots were chemically attached to the surface without becoming oxidized was verified using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The changes caused by photoexcitation occur on much longer timescales in ZnO than Si (sub-milliseconds rather than nanoseconds), and these timescales were conveniently accessed using the time-resolved XPS facility at the TEMPO beamline at Synchrotron SOLEIL (Paris, France). This is due to oxygen adsorption and desorption processes at the ZnO surface affectingthe transfer of charge carriers. The addition of PbS quantum dots to the ZnO surface was found to increase the speed of this charge transfer due to injection of carriers directly from the PbS quantum dot to the bulk ZnO conduction band.
Predictors of serum creatinine in haemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, an acute phase response index, predict cardiovascular outcome and are inversely related to visceral proteins, including albuminaemia in haemodialysis patients. Less definite is the relationship between inflammation and markers of somatic proteins such as serum creatinine in such patients. To explore these questions, a cross-sectional analysis of potential predictors of serum creatinine was performed. METHODS One hundred and seventy-nine prevalent haemodialysis patients as of June 2001 were included in the cohort. Midweek pre-dialysis blood samples were collected during the months of June, September through to December 2001 inclusive, and determinations of serum urea (urease method), creatinine (alkaline picrate method) and CRP levels by means of a high sensitivity immunonephelometric method were performed. Furthermore, pre- and post-dialysis body weights were recorded and 2 min post-dialysis serum urea levels were determined three times. They were utilized for the calculation of single pool Kt/V and of normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR). Each of the data represents the mean of three determinations made every 3 months in the study period. RESULTS The analysis of multivariate linear regression was able to validate our model characterized by a dependent variable, serum creatinine and four independent variables (age, CRP, Kt/V and nPCR) (R(2)=0.60; F=24.10; P<0.00001; SE=1.94). Age (-0.08 mg/dl decrease in serum creatinine per 1-year increase in age), Kt/V (-0.25 mg/dl decrease in serum creatinine per 0.1 increase in Kt/V) and nPCR (0.10 mg/dl increase in serum creatinine per 0.1 g protein/kg/day increase in nPCR) were independently predictive of serum creatinine (P<0.00001). CRP and dialysis vintage did not predict serum creatinine. Stratifying the patients for the effects of CRP, only CRP values </=4 mg/l were directly predictive of serum creatinine (P<0.00001), whereas CRP values >4 mg/l were not. A further insight was given by the stratification of the patients for the effects of the interquartile ranges of CRP: it showed a progressive and statistically significant reduction of beta-coefficient inversely related to the increasing CRP values (P=0.003). Thus, the nature of the correlation between CRP and serum creatinine changes with increasing CRP values: from being a direct one, it shows a trend towards a transformation into an indirect one with beta=0 at a CRP value of approximately 9 mg/l. However, this indirect relationship does not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS The present cross-sectional study suggests that the activation of acute phase response does not influence creatinine metabolism in haemodialysis patients; in contrast, age, Kt/V and nPCR predict serum creatinine levels. Larger prospective trials are needed to achieve a definitive answer about the relationship between somatic proteins, acute phase response activation and nutrition in dialysis patients.
A Stochastic Framework for Hierarchical System‐Level Power Management

Summary - This article presents a hierarchical power management architecture which aims to facilitate power-awareness in an Energy-Managed Computer (EMC) system with multiple components. The proposed architecture decomposes the power management (PM) task into two layers: component-level and system -level. The component-level PM policy is pre-specified and fixed whereas the system-level PM policy optimization, which is formulated as a concurrent service request flow regulation and application scheduling problem, is solved by the hierarchical power manager. Experimental results show that the hierarchical PM achieves a 25% reduction in the total system energy compared to an optimal component-level DPM policy.
Portfolio Losses in Factor Models: Term Structures and Intertemporal Loss Dependence

Due to their computational efficiency, simple factor models remain popular in the pricing of credit portfolio derivatives. In this paper, we continue the elaboration on the fundamental structure of factor models initiated in [3], with a special focus on term structure effects. We describe a number of techniques to understand, and to improve control over, portfolio loss distribution term structures and intertemporal loss correlation. As part of our analysis, we introduce an extension of the RFL model ([2]) to incorporate jumps in the systematic factor and in firm residuals. We also numerically test the dependence of forward-starting synthetic CDOs on the correlation of losses across time. Finally, our analysis highlights the fact that several of the models suggested in the literature are essentially equivalent.
Tractable Concept Languages

We present two concept languages, called PL1 and PL2 which are extensions of TC. We prove that the subsumption problem in these languages can be solved in polynomial time. Both languages include a construct for expressing inverse roles, which has not been considered up to now in tractable languages. In addition, PL1 includes number restrictions and negation of primitive concepts, while Pl2 includes role conjunction and role chaining. By exploiting recent complexity results, we show that none of the constructs usually considered in concept languages can be added to PL1 and PL2 without losing tractabtlity. Therefore, on the assumption that Languages are characterized by the set of constructs they provide, the two languages presented in this paper provide a solution to the problem of singling out an optimal trade-off between expressive power and computational complexity.
Estimating the indexability of multimedia descriptors for similarity searching

A study on properties of data sets representing public domain audio and visual content and their relation to their indexability is presented. Data analysis considers the pair-wise distance distributions and various techniques to estimate the true intrinsic dimensionality of the studied data. One own alternative to dimensionality estimation is also presented. These results are contrasted with the indexability results gathered using various indexing techniques.
The effect of soy food intake on mineral status in premenopausal women.

BACKGROUND Soy foods have been substituted for meat in recent years because of proposed health benefits. Research indicates, however, that soy protein and phytate in soy products inhibit the absorption of divalent cations. METHODS Our study was primarily designed to determine the effect of consuming two to three servings per day of soy foods, providing ∼19 g protein and ∼36 mg isoflavones, on iron and zinc status in premenopausal women during a 10-weeks period. As secondary outcomes, we also tested the effect of soy foods on biochemical markers of bone and thyroid hormones. Nonsmoking women (18-28 years) without chronic disease, anemia, pregnancy, or irregular menstrual cycles were randomly assigned to either the soy food (SF, n=31) or animal food (AF, n=32) group. Blood and urine samples and 3-day dietary records were collected at baseline and postintervention. RESULTS At baseline, iron and zinc status, bone markers, and thyroid hormones were not different between groups. After intervention, no significant changes were observed in hemoglobin, transferrin saturation, serum iron, ferritin, or transferrin receptor (TFR) concentrations. Plasma zinc, but not serum alkaline phosphatase, significantly decreased in both groups (-0.8 μmol/L). The change in bone-specific alkaline phosphatase was significant between SF (1.5 U/L) and AF (-0.7 U/L) groups. No significant changes were observed in bone resorption, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), or free thyroxine after soy food intake. CONCLUSIONS Incorporating ∼19 g soy protein from soy foods for 10 weeks had no significant effect on iron or zinc status, bone resorption or formation, or thyroid hormone status in premenopausal women.
Effects of Tribulus terrestris on monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis pain in rats

Tribulus terrestris L. (T. terrestris) has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of diuretic, lithontriptic, edema and urinary infections. Previous studies have indicated that it is effective in improving inflammation by regulating tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, nitric oxide (NO) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. However, the effects and mechanism of action of T. terrestris on osteoarthritis (OA) remain unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the ethanolic extract of T. terrestris (ETT) in a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA animal model. OA was induced in LEW/SSNHSD rats by intra-articular injection of MIA. Morphometric changes and parameters of the tibial trabecular bone were determined using micro-computed tomography. The molecular mechanisms of ETT in OA were investigated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and gelatin zymogram analysis. Treatment with ETT attenuated MIA-induced OA, and this effect was mediated by the downregulation of NO synthase 2, COX-2, TNF-α and IL-6. Furthermore, the ETT-mediated attenuation of OA was also dependent on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and −9. The results of the current study indicate that further evaluation of the mechanisms underlying the attenuation of MIA-induced OA by ETT are required, and may support the development of ETT as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as OA.
Privacy-Preserving Schemes for Ad Hoc Social Networks: A Survey

We review the state of the art of privacy-preserving schemes for ad hoc social networks including mobile social networks (MSNs) and vehicular social networks (VSNs). Specifically, we select and examine in-detail 33 privacy-preserving schemes developed for or applied in the context of ad hoc social networks. Based on novel schemes published between 2008 and 2016, we survey privacy preservation models including location privacy, identity privacy, anonymity, traceability, interest privacy, backward privacy, and content oriented privacy. Recent significant attacks of leaking privacy, countermeasures, and game theoretic approaches in VSNs and MSNs are summarized in the form of tables. In addition, an overview of recommendations for further research is provided. With this survey, readers can acquire a thorough understanding of research trends in privacy-preserving schemes for ad hoc social networks.
Miller Compensation: Optimization with Current Buffer/Amplifier

A novel design-oriented approach for Miller compensation exploiting current buffer/amplifiers is described. The analysis enables a simple design procedure to be outlined, which is in turn applied to a two-stage CMOS OTA driving a large capacitive load. Assuming a 100-pF load, three example compensation networks were designed using alternatively a compensation capacitor as low as 1.3 pF, 0.6 pF and 250 fF. Simulations in very good agreement with theoretical results are also given.
Adaptive Demand-Forecasting Approach based on Principal Components Time-series

In this study, an adaptive demand-forecasting approach adopting the data-mining technique that detects the correlation between the target variable and other related elements, is proposed. Also included is the time-series analysis scheme based on the state-space approach This approach has two characteristic points. One is the state-space that is formed by principal components composed of various market variables. Another is the self organisation of the state-space using a neural network. This latter approach is applied to two cases of demand-forecasting. Some comparisons of forecasting accuracy (extrapolation test) with this approach and non-self-organising models (AR, etc) are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Consequently, we achieved significantly higher accuracy using this approach compared to other approaches.
Differential Release of β-Amyloid from Dendrite- Versus Axon-Targeted APP

The β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. APP is processed in neurons, but little is known about the relative contributions of presynaptic or postsynaptic compartments to the release of Aβ peptides. To address this issue, we transduced primary neurons from Sprague-Dawley rats or APP−/− mice (B6.129S7-Apptm1Dbo/J) with lentiviral constructs expressing APP chimeras harboring targeting motifs from low-density lipoprotein receptor or neuron-glia cell-adhesion molecule to polarize expression to either dendritic or axonal membranes, respectively. Using imaging and quantitative biochemical approaches, we now report that APP selectively targeted to either axons or dendrites leads to the secretion of full-length Aβ peptides with significantly elevated release from dendritic compartments. These findings reveal that the enzymatic machinery required for production of Aβ peptides are operative both in presynaptic and postsynaptic compartments of primary neurons, leading to the suggestion that Aβ-mediated impairments in glutamatergic neurotransmission is the result of Aβ release from both local and distal neuronal compartments.
Spatiotemporal Clutter Filtering of Ultrafast Ultrasound Data Highly Increases Doppler and fUltrasound Sensitivity

Ultrafast ultrasonic imaging is a rapidly developing field based on the unfocused transmission of plane or diverging ultrasound waves. This recent approach to ultrasound imaging leads to a large increase in raw ultrasound data available per acquisition. Bigger synchronous ultrasound imaging datasets can be exploited in order to strongly improve the discrimination between tissue and blood motion in the field of Doppler imaging. Here we propose a spatiotemporal singular value decomposition clutter rejection of ultrasonic data acquired at ultrafast frame rate. The singular value decomposition (SVD) takes benefits of the different features of tissue and blood motion in terms of spatiotemporal coherence and strongly outperforms conventional clutter rejection filters based on high pass temporal filtering. Whereas classical clutter filters operate on the temporal dimension only, SVD clutter filtering provides up to a four-dimensional approach (3D in space and 1D in time). We demonstrate the performance of SVD clutter filtering with a flow phantom study that showed an increased performance compared to other classical filters (better contrast to noise ratio with tissue motion between 1 and 10mm/s and axial blood flow as low as 2.6 mm/s). SVD clutter filtering revealed previously undetected blood flows such as microvascular networks or blood flows corrupted by significant tissue or probe motion artifacts. We report in vivo applications including small animal fUltrasound brain imaging (blood flow detection limit of 0.5 mm/s) and several clinical imaging cases, such as neonate brain imaging, liver or kidney Doppler imaging.