Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling neural control of robotic fish with pectoral fins using a CPG-based network

A three-dimensional locomotion control method for robotic fish with pectoral fins is presented in this paper. The approach employed a Central Pattern Generator (CPG) network model, which can generate stable locomotive rhythms. The existence of periodic solution of the model has been proved. Parameter influence on the solution is also analyzed. The rhythm generators of the model not only produce rhythms, but also alter their frequencies and amplitudes separately. Robotic fish driven by pectoral fins is capable of implementing various motion patterns, such as pitching mode, backward motion, turning mode, etc, by using the CPG network model. The concrete procedure for using the model is described in this paper. Corresponding experimental results validated the neural control method, which can be extended to other robotic applications.
Dropwise condensation over superhydrophobic aluminium surfaces

Superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces have been analyzed being a promising solution to promote dropwise condensation. Superhydrophobicity has been obtained on an aluminum substrate by etching it with two different reagents and by depositing a fluorosilane film over them to lower the surface energy. The samples are characterized by means of contact angle measurements and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Experimental tests of pure steam condensation have been carried out on the samples and DWC has been visualized. Images of the dropwise condensation have been captured with high speed camera and, furthermore, the phenomenon of the jumping droplets has been observed. A heat transfer coefficient higher than 50 kW m-2 K-1 has been measured over the samples.
Evaluation of the Xpert HCV Viral Load Finger-Stick Point-of-Care Assay

Point-of-care hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA testing is advantageous, enabling diagnosis of active infection in a single visit. This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the Xpert HCV Viral Load Finger-Stick assay (Xpert HCV VL FS) for HCV RNA detection (finger-stick) and the Xpert HCV Viral Load assay (plasma) compared with the Abbott RealTime HCV Viral Load assay by venepuncture. Plasma and finger-stick capillary whole-blood samples were collected from participants in an observational cohort in Australia. Of 223 participants enrolled, HCV RNA was detected in 40% of participants (85 of 210) with available Xpert HCV Viral Load testing. Participants receiving HCV therapy were excluded from subsequent analyses (n = 16). Sensitivity of the Xpert HCV Viral Load assay for HCV RNA quantification in plasma collected by venepuncture was 100.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 96.9%-100.0%) and specificity was 100.0% (95% CI, 94.4%-100.0%). Sensitivity of the Xpert HCV VL FS assay for HCV RNA quantification in samples collected by finger-stick was 100.0% (95% CI, 93.9%-100.0%) and specificity was 100.0% (95% CI, 96.6%-100.0%). The Xpert HCV VL FS test can accurately detect active infection from a finger-stick sample in 1 hour allowing single-visit HCV diagnosis.
Unusual Electrical Transport Driven by the Competition between Antiferromagnetism and Ferromagnetism in Antiperovskite Mn3Zn1−xCoxN

The magnetic, electrical transport and thermal expansion properties of Mn3Zn1−xCoxN (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9) have been systematically investigated. Co-doping in Mn3ZnN complicates the magnetic interactions, leading to a competition between antiferromagnetism and ferromagnetism. Abrupt resistivity jump phenomenon and negative thermal expansion behavior, both associated with the complex magnetic transition, are revealed in all studied cases. Furthermore, semiconductor-like transport behavior is found in sample x = 0.7, distinct from the metallic behavior in other samples. Below 50 K, resistivity minimum is observed in samples x = 0.4, 0.7, and 0.9, mainly caused by e-e scattering mechanism. We finally discussed the strong correlation among unusual electrical transport, negative thermal expansion and magnetic transition in Mn3Zn1−xCoxN, which allows us to conclude that the observed unusual electrical transport properties are attributed to the shift of the Fermi energy surface entailed by the abrupt lattice contraction.
The Parametric RSM Model with Higher Order Terms for the Meat Tumbler Machine Process

Typical design of experiments (DoE) approach to the response surface problem applies the polynomials with at most the second order terms. It is correct due to the Taylor’s theorem when the variability of input variables is sufficiently small. Unfortunately, the variability bound of a designed experiment is planned with high uncertainty about the investigated object’s behavior. If the response of the object has a large curvature then model quality indicators (residuals normality, lack of fit, significance of terms) appear to be unacceptable. In such a case, polynomial terms with the order higher than second should be applied. The paper describes the RSM model with the fourth order terms identified for relationship between settings of a meat tumbler machine (input variables) and the Warner-Bratzler shear force (output variable).
Classification of motor imagery for Ear-EEG based brain-computer interface

Brain-computer interface (BCI) researchers have shown an increased interest in the development of ear-electroencephalography (EEG), which is a method for measuring EEG signals in the ear or around the outer ear, to provide a more convenient BCI system to users. However, the ear-EEG studies have researched mostly targeting on a visual/auditory stimuli-based BCI system or a drowsiness detection system. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study on a motor-imagery (MI) detection system based on ear-EEG. MI is one of the mostly used paradigms in BCI because it does not need any external stimuli. MI that associated with ear-EEG could facilitate useful BCI applications in real-world. Hence, in this study, we aim to investigate a feasibility of the MI classification using ear-around EEG signals. We proposed a common spatial pattern (CSP)-based frequency-band optimization algorithm and compared it with three existing methods. The best classification results for two datasets are 71.8% and 68.07%, respectively, using the ear-around EEG signals (cf. 92.40% and 91.64% using motor-area EEG signals).
Bone marrow‐derived mononuclear cell therapy for nonischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy—A meta‐analysis

The therapeutic effects of bone marrow‐derived mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) transplantation in patients with nonischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are still under debate. Current randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported conflicting results. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of BMMNCs transplantation on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with nonischaemic DCM.
Experimental mixed infection of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and Leishmania (L.) infantum in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

SUMMARY In South America, visceral leishmaniasis is frequently caused by Leishmania infantum and, at an unknown frequency, by Leishmania amazonensis. Therefore, mixed infections with these organisms are possible. Mixed infections might affect the clinical course, immune response, diagnosis, treatment and epidemiology of the disease. Here we describe the clinical course of mixed infections with L. amazonensis and L. infantum in a hamster model. We show that mixed infections are associated with more severe clinical disease than infection with L. amazonensis or L. infantum alone. In spleens with mixed infections, L. infantum outcompeted L. amazonensis in the tissue, but not in culture from tissue. We found increased levels of IgG in animals infected with L. infantum. Although more than 30 bands were revealed in a Western blot, the highest immunogenicity was observed with proteins having molecular masses of 95 and 90 kDa, whereas proteins with molecular masses of lower than 50 kDa were reactive frequently with serum from hamsters infected with L. amazonensis, and proteins with molecular masses of 80 and 70 kDa were reactive only with serum from hamsters infected with L. infantum. This finding has important implications regarding the biology of Leishmania and humoral immune responses to infections with these organisms.
Long-term stimulation and recording with a penetrating microelectrode array in cat sciatic nerve

We studied the consequences of long-term implantation of a penetrating microelectrode array in peripheral nerve over the time course of 4-6 mo. Electrode arrays without lead wires were implanted to test the ability of different containment systems to protect the array and nerve during contractions of surrounding muscles. Treadmill walking was monitored and the animals showed no functional deficits as a result of implantation. In a different set of experiments, electrodes with lead wires were implanted for up to 7 mo and the animals were tested at 2-4 week intervals at which time stimulation thresholds and recorded sensory activity were monitored for every electrode. It was shown that surgical technique highly affected the long-term stimulation results. Results between measurement sessions were compared, and in the best case, the stimulation properties stabilized in 80% of the electrodes over the course of the experiment (162 days). The recorded sensory signals, however, were not stable over time. A histological analysis performed on all implanted tissues indicated that the morphology and fiber density of the nerve around the electrodes were normal.
Rasd1 Modulates the Coactivator Function of NonO in the Cyclic AMP Pathway

All living organisms exhibit autonomous daily physiological and behavioural rhythms to help them synchronize with the environment. Entrainment of circadian rhythm is achieved via activation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. NonO (p54nrb) is a multifunctional protein involved in transcriptional activation of the cAMP pathway and is involved in circadian rhythm control. Rasd1 is a monomeric G protein implicated to play a pivotal role in potentiating both photic and nonphotic responses of the circadian rhythm. In this study, we have identified and validated NonO as an interacting partner of Rasd1 via affinity pulldown, co-immunoprecipitation and indirect immunofluorescence studies. The GTP-hydrolysis activity of Rasd1 is required for the functional interaction. Functional interaction of Rasd1-NonO in the cAMP pathway was investigated via reporter gene assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation and gene knockdown. We showed that Rasd1 and NonO interact at the CRE-site of specific target genes. These findings reveal a novel mechanism by which the coregulator activity of NonO can be modulated.
Application of the allogenic mesenchymal stem cells in the therapy of the bladder tuberculosis

Urogenital tuberculosis (TB) often leads to contraction of the bladder, a reduction of the urinary reservoir capacity, and, in the latest stage, to real microcystitis up to full obliteration. Bladder TB Stage 4 is unsuitable for conservative therapy, and cystectomy with subsequent enteroplasty is indicated. In this study, using a model of bladder TB in New Zealand rabbits, the therapeutic efficacy of the interstitial injection of autologous bone‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) combined with standard anti‐TB treatment in the restoration of the bladder function was demonstrated. For analysis of the MSC distribution in tissues, the latter were labelled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. In vitro studies demonstrated the high intracellular incorporation of nanoparticles and the absence of cytotoxicity on MSC viability and proliferation. A single‐dose administration of MSCs into the bladder mucosal layer significantly reduced the wall deformation and inflammation and hindered the development of fibrosis, which was proven by the subsequent histological assay. Confocal microscopy studies of the bladder cryosections confirmed the presence of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle‐labelled MSCs in different bladder layers of the treated animals, thus indicating the role of stem cells in bladder regeneration.
Culturally Competent Dietary Education for Southern Rural African Americans With Diabetes

PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to describe a culturally competent, dietary self-management intervention designed to improve physiological outcomes, diabetes self-management, and costs of care for high-risk African Americans with type 2 diabetes. METHODS A longitudinal, quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention for 23 adult African Americans from a physician practice group in rural South Carolina. The intervention consisted of 4 low-fat dietary education classes, 6 discussion groups, and follow-up. Intervention sessions were provided by a dietitian and nurse case managers and framed as social events; families were encouraged to participate. RESULTS Data suggest that the intervention significantly improved fat-related dietary habits, Al C values, fasting blood glucose, and frequency of acute care visits. A trend in reduction of lipids and weight also was observed. CONCLUSIONS Culturally competent dietary self-management provides a meaningful approach to focused diabetes education for rural African Americans. Integrating nursing case management provides an innovative method of addressing the more global issues of delivery of care to underserved rural populations and decreasing the high costs of care.
A novel colonic polyp volume segmentation method for computer tomographic colonography

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer. However, this disease can be prevented by detection and removal of precursor adenomatous polyps after the diagnosis given by experts on computer tomographic colonography (CTC). During CTC diagnosis, the radiologist looks for colon polyps and measures not only the size but also the malignancy. It is a common sense that to segment polyp volumes from their complicated growing environment is of much significance for accomplishing the CTC based early diagnosis task. Previously, the polyp volumes are mainly given from the manually or semi-automatically drawing by the radiologists. As a result, some deviations cannot be avoided since the polyps are usually small (6~9mm) and the radiologists’ experience and knowledge are varying from one to another. In order to achieve automatic polyp segmentation carried out by the machine, we proposed a new method based on the colon decomposition strategy. We evaluated our algorithm on both phantom and patient data. Experimental results demonstrate our approach is capable of segment the small polyps from their complicated growing background.
Thermal Management in Fine-Grained 3-D Integrated Circuits

For beyond 2-D CMOS logic, various 3-D integration approaches specially transistor based 3-D integrations such as monolithic 3-D [1], Skybridge [2], SN3D [3] holds most promise. However, such 3D architectures within small form factor increase hotspots and demand careful consideration of thermal management at all levels of integration [4] as stacked transistors are detached from the substrate (i.e., heat sink). Traditional system level approaches such as liquid cooling [5], heat spreader [6], etc. are inadequate for transistor level 3-D integration and have huge cost overhead [7]. In this paper, we investigate the thermal profile for transistor level 3-D integration approaches through finite element based modeling. Additionally, we propose generic physical level heat management features for such transistor level 3-D integration and show their application through detailed thermal modeling and simulations. These features include a thermal junction and heat conducting nano pillar. The heat junction is a specialized junction to extract heat from a selected region in 3-D; it allows heat conduction without interference with the electrical activities of the circuit. In conjunction with the junction, our proposed thermal pillars enable heat dissipation through the substrate; these pillars are analogous to TSVs/Vias, but carry only heat. Such structures are generic and is applicable to any transistor level 3-D integration approaches. We perform 3-D finite element based analysis to capture both static and transient thermal behaviors of 3-D circuits, and show the effectiveness of heat management features. Our simulation results show that without any heat extraction feature, temperature for 3-D integrated circuits increased by almost 100K-200K. However, proposed heat extraction feature is very effective in heat management, reducing temperature from heated area by up to 53%.
Non-Invasive Imaging Provides Spatiotemporal Information on Disease Progression and Response to Therapy in a Murine Model of Multiple Myeloma

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell malignancy, where malignant plasma cells clonally expand in the bone marrow of older people, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Typical clinical symptoms include increased serum calcium levels, renal insufficiency, anemia, and bone lesions. With standard therapies, MM remains incurable; therefore, the development of new drugs or immune cell-based therapies is desirable. To advance the goal of finding a more effective treatment for MM, we aimed to develop a reliable preclinical MM mouse model applying sensitive and reproducible methods for monitoring of tumor growth and metastasis in response to therapy. Material and Methods A mouse model was created by intravenously injecting bone marrow-homing mouse myeloma cells (MOPC-315.BM) that expressed luciferase into BALB/c wild type mice. The luciferase in the myeloma cells allowed in vivo tracking before and after melphalan treatment with bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Homing of MOPC-315.BM luciferase+ myeloma cells to specific tissues was examined by flow cytometry. Idiotype-specific myeloma protein serum levels were measured by ELISA. In vivo measurements were validated with histopathology. Results Strong bone marrow tropism and subsequent dissemination of MOPC-315.BM luciferase+ cells in vivo closely mimicked the human disease. In vivo BLI and later histopathological analysis revealed that 12 days of melphalan treatment slowed tumor progression and reduced MM dissemination compared to untreated controls. MOPC-315.BM luciferase+ cells expressed CXCR4 and high levels of CD44 and α4β1 in vitro which could explain the strong bone marrow tropism. The results showed that MOPC-315.BM cells dynamically regulated homing receptor expression and depended on interactions with surrounding cells. Conclusions This study described a novel MM mouse model that facilitated convenient, reliable, and sensitive tracking of myeloma cells with whole body BLI in living animals. This model is highly suitable for monitoring the effects of different treatment regimens.
Effect of stacking sequence and geometric scaling on the brittleness number of glass fiber composite laminate with stress raiser

Abstract The fracture behavior of quasi-brittle material exhibits commonly brittle behavior with some ductility in the fracture processing zone. Therefore, a matrix of experimental works is performed to investigate the failure behaviors based on a parameter known as brittleness number, which is a measure of brittle behaviors. Glass fiber-reinforced epoxy laminates of three stacking sequences, cross-ply [0/90]2s and two quasi-isotropic [0/45/90]2s and [0/45/90/-45]s, are manufactured using hand lay-up technique. A matrix of different specimen geometric scaling with open hole of the same material is used. The fracture energy GIC and nominal strength of these composite laminates are measured experimentally using compact tension test, center crack specimen, and tension test, respectively. The results showed that the increase of homogeneity of composite laminates, which is introduced by inserting a certain angle ply for the laminate structure, enhanced the material ductility as the brittle number increased. The larger size of specimen leads to the increase of brittleness for the same stacking sequences due to the increase of stress concentration factor.
An Analysis of Home IoT Network Traffic and Behaviour

Internet-connected devices are increasingly present in our homes, and privacy breaches, data thefts, and security threats are becoming commonplace. In order to avoid these, we must first understand the behaviour of these devices. In this work, we analyse network traces from a testbed of common IoT devices, and describe general methods for fingerprinting their behavior. We then use the information and insights derived from this data to assess where privacy and security risks manifest themselves, as well as how device behavior affects bandwidth. We demonstrate simple measures that circumvent attempts at securing devices and protecting privacy.
The Hepatoselective Glucokinase Activator PF-04991532 Ameliorates Hyperglycemia without Causing Hepatic Steatosis in Diabetic Rats

Hyperglycemia resulting from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the main cause of diabetic complications such as retinopathy and neuropathy. A reduction in hyperglycemia has been shown to prevent these associated complications supporting the importance of glucose control. Glucokinase converts glucose to glucose-6-phosphate and determines glucose flux into the β-cells and hepatocytes. Since activation of glucokinase in β-cells is associated with increased risk of hypoglycemia, we hypothesized that selectively activating hepatic glucokinase would reduce fasting and postprandial glucose with minimal risk of hypoglycemia. Previous studies have shown that hepatic glucokinase overexpression is able to restore glucose homeostasis in diabetic models; however, these overexpression experiments have also revealed that excessive increases in hepatic glucokinase activity may also cause hepatosteatosis. Herein we sought to evaluate whether liver specific pharmacological activation of hepatic glucokinase is an effective strategy to reduce hyperglycemia without causing adverse hepatic lipids changes. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated a hepatoselective glucokinase activator, PF-04991532, in Goto-Kakizaki rats. In these studies, PF-04991532 reduced plasma glucose concentrations independent of changes in insulin concentrations in a dose-dependent manner both acutely and after 28 days of sub-chronic treatment. During a hyperglycemic clamp in Goto-Kakizaki rats, the glucose infusion rate was increased approximately 5-fold with PF-04991532. This increase in glucose infusion can be partially attributed to the 60% reduction in endogenous glucose production. While PF-04991532 induced dose-dependent increases in plasma triglyceride concentrations it had no effect on hepatic triglyceride concentrations in Goto-Kakizaki rats. Interestingly, PF-04991532 decreased intracellular AMP concentrations and increased hepatic futile cycling. These data suggest that hepatoselective glucokinase activation may offer glycemic control without inducing hepatic steatosis supporting the evaluation of tissue specific activators in clinical trials.