Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is the light at the end of the tunnel nigh? A review of ADPKD focusing on the burden of disease and tolvaptan as a new treatment

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) causes pathological cystic changes to the kidney and is characterized by numerous renal and systemic manifestations. ADPKD is the fourth most common renal disease requiring renal replacement therapy. In this report, we present a detailed review of ADPKD, with a particular focus on its major economic, psychological, and social burden in affected patients. Treatment of this disease has been based on prophylactic and supportive measures. However, in recent years, new drugs have emerged as promising agents that may retard the progression of ADPKD, such as tolvaptan. In this report, we provide an in-depth discussion of tolvaptan, which has shown an effect in decreasing annual total kidney volume growth and renal function decline, thus slowing disease progression. The mechanism of action, side effects, and available data on cost-effectiveness are discussed together with the results of the first clinical trials and the most recent trials with regard to its efficacy and safety. Tolvaptan has recently received approval and been granted marketing authorization in Japan, Canada, Korea, Switzerland, and Europe. A demand for widely accepted guidelines for its use has emerged since its approval. The currently available series of recommendations and guidelines as to when to start treatment with tolvaptan, as well as which patients should be treated, are also reviewed in this report. We lastly offer some considerations for future trials, and raise unanswered questions.
Extended Kalman filter based sliding mode control of parallel-connected two five-phase PMSM drive system

This paper presents sliding mode control of sensor-less parallel-connected two five-phase permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) fed by a single five-leg inverter. For both machines, the rotor speeds and rotor positions as well as load torques are estimated by using Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) scheme. Fully decoupled control of both machines is possible via an appropriate phase transposition while connecting the stator windings parallel and employing proposed speed sensor-less method. In the resulting parallel-connected two-machine drive, the independent control of each machine in the group is achieved by controlling the stator currents and speed of each machine under vector control consideration. The effectiveness of the proposed Extended Kalman Filter in conjunction with the sliding mode control is confirmed through application of different load torques for wide speed range operation. Comparison between sliding mode control and PI control of the proposed two-motor drive is provided. The speed response shows a short rise time, an overshoot during reverse operation and settling times is 0.075 s when PI control is used. The speed response obtained by SMC is without overshoot and follows its reference and settling time is 0.028 s. Simulation results confirm that, in transient periods, sliding mode controller remarkably outperforms its counterpart PI controller.
Small catadioptric microscope optics

New catadioptric objectives have been developed with large bandwidths in the DUV, high numerical apertures (NAs), and small size. This can be achieved using a single glass material. Designs are specifically optimized for loose alignment tolerances and ease of manufacturability. Applications include broad band DUV imaging and high resolution immersion imaging for industrial microscopy and life sciences.
Projecting Emotions through Aquatic Interactions and the Creation of a Water-Propulsion Robot

Expressing robot intent through movements is a key factor in the acceptability of new robotic systems. One way to express intent is to connect communication and emotions. The concept of generating motions to portray a body language can aid in the speed of communication between humans and robots. However, body language and expressibility can be heavily influenced by the situated environment. In this thesis, we investigate the creation of a new robotic system with a unique aquatic environment to generalize the connection between portraying emotions and robotic system movements, using water as an aid in the communication. Through the creation of this innovative aquatic robot platform, we produce a unique set of behaviors and responses that impart environmental changes such as water spray, splashes, and bubbles. In addition, we will delve into the development and assessment of various movement patterns and the expression of emotions.
Imaging and Spectroscopy of Natural Fluorophores in Pine Needles

Many plant tissues fluoresce due to the natural fluorophores present in cell walls or within the cell protoplast or lumen. While lignin and chlorophyll are well-known fluorophores, other components are less well characterized. Confocal fluorescence microscopy of fresh or fixed vibratome-cut sections of radiata pine needles revealed the presence of suberin, lignin, ferulate, and flavonoids associated with cell walls as well as several different extractive components and chlorophyll within tissues. Comparison of needles in different physiological states demonstrated the loss of chlorophyll in both chlorotic and necrotic needles. Necrotic needles showed a dramatic change in the fluorescence of extractives within mesophyll cells from ultraviolet (UV) excited weak blue fluorescence to blue excited strong green fluorescence associated with tissue browning. Comparisons were made among fluorophores in terms of optimal excitation, relative brightness compared to lignin, and the effect of pH of mounting medium. Fluorophores in cell walls and extractives in lumens were associated with blue or green emission, compared to the red emission of chlorophyll. Autofluorescence is, therefore, a useful method for comparing the histology of healthy and diseased needles without the need for multiple staining techniques, potentially aiding visual screening of host resistance and disease progression in needle tissue.
Semi-supervised Convolutional Neural Networks for Identifying Wi-Fi Interference Sources

We present a convolutional neural network for identifying radio frequency devices from signal data, in order to detect possible interference sources for wireless local area networks. Collecting training data for this problem is particularly challenging due to a high number of possible interfering devices, difficulty in obtaining precise timings, and the need to measure the devices in varying conditions. To overcome this challenge we focus on semi-supervised learning, aiming to minimize the need for reliable training samples while utilizing larger amounts of unsupervised labels to improve the accuracy. In particular, we propose a novel structured extension of the pseudo-label technique to take advantage of temporal continuity in the data and show that already a few seconds of training data for each device is sufficient for highly accurate recognition.
Hyaluronan Export through Plasma Membranes Depends on Concurrent K+ Efflux by Kir Channels

Hyaluronan is synthesized within the cytoplasm and exported into the extracellular matrix through the cell membrane of fibroblasts by the MRP5 transporter. In order to meet the law of electroneutrality, a cation is required to neutralize the emerging negative hyaluronan charges. As we previously observed an inhibiting of hyaluronan export by inhibitors of K+ channels, hyaluronan export was now analysed by simultaneously measuring membrane potential in the presence of drugs. This was done by both hyaluronan import into inside-out vesicles and by inhibition with antisense siRNA. Hyaluronan export from fibroblast was particularly inhibited by glibenclamide, ropivacain and BaCl2 which all belong to ATP-sensitive inwardly-rectifying Kir channel inhibitors. Import of hyaluronan into vesicles was activated by 150 mM KCl and this activation was abolished by ATP. siRNA for the K+ channels Kir3.4 and Kir6.2 inhibited hyaluronan export. Collectively, these results indicated that hyaluronan export depends on concurrent K+ efflux.
New insights in the homotopic and heterotopic connectivity of the frontal portion of the human corpus callosum revealed by microdissection and diffusion tractography

Extensive studies revealed that the human corpus callosum (CC) plays a crucial role in providing large–scale bi‐hemispheric integration of sensory, motor and cognitive processing, especially within the frontal lobe. However, the literature lacks of conclusive data regarding the structural macroscopic connectivity of the frontal CC. In this study, a novel microdissection approach was adopted, to expose the frontal fibers of CC from the dorsum to the lateral cortex in eight hemispheres and in one entire brain. Post‐mortem results were then combined with data from advanced constrained spherical deconvolution in 130 healthy subjects. We demonstrated as the frontal CC provides dense inter‐hemispheric connections. In particular, we found three types of fronto‐callosal fibers, having a dorso‐ventral organization. First, the dorso‐medial CC fibers subserve homotopic connections between the homologous medial cortices of the superior frontal gyrus. Second, the ventro‐lateral CC fibers subserve homotopic connections between lateral frontal cortices, including both the middle frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus, as well as heterotopic connections between the medial and lateral frontal cortices. Third, the ventro‐striatal CC fibers connect the medial and lateral frontal cortices with the contralateral putamen and caudate nucleus. We also highlighted an intricate crossing of CC fibers with the main association pathways terminating in the lateral regions of the frontal lobes. This combined approach of ex vivo microdissection and in vivo diffusion tractography allowed demonstrating a previously unappreciated three‐dimensional architecture of the anterior frontal CC, thus clarifying the functional role of the CC in mediating the inter‐hemispheric connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4718–4735, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Positron Spectroscopy of Nanodiamonds after Hydrogen Sorption

The structure and defects of nanodiamonds influence the hydrogen sorption capacity. Positronium can be used as a sensor for detecting places with the most efficient capture of hydrogen atoms. Hydrogenation of carbon materials was performed from gas atmosphere. The concentration of hydrogen absorbed by the sample depends on the temperature and pressure. The concentration 1.2 wt % is achieved at the temperature of 243 K and the pressure of 0.6 MPa. The hydrogen saturation of nanodiamonds changes the positron lifetime. Increase of sorption cycle numbers effects the positron lifetime, as well as the parameters of the Doppler broadening of annihilation line. The electron-positron annihilation being a sensitive method, it allows detecting the electron density fluctuation of the carbon material after hydrogen saturation.
A Method for Locating Digital Evidences with Outlier Detection Using Support Vector Machine

One of the biggest challenges facing digital investigators is the sheer volume of data that must be searched in locating the digital evidence. How to efficiently locate the evidence relating to the computer crime while maintaining accuracy is becoming a research focus. In this paper, we introduce a two-tier method to automate the process of locating the digital evidence, which first employ a one-class Support Vector Machine (SVM) outlier detector to filter out insignificant records for forensic investigators and then use a group of one-class SVM classifiers (trained with the expert knowledge or interested samples for an investigator based on a different feature vector) to further analyze the output of the outlier detector to improve the accuracy of investigation. The effectiveness of the proposed method for locating digital evidence is demonstrated using the public datasets: KDD Cup99 (Knowledge Discovery and Data-mining) intrusion detection dataset.
Chemical preparation and applications of silver dendrites

Silver dendrites have received immense attention because of their fascinating hierarchical structures and unique properties. Depending on the methods of synthesis, Ag dendrites can be implemented in numerous fields. This review summarizes a variety of Ag dendrites preparation techniques. The involved growth mechanisms are investigated in order to control the formation progress more effectively. With regard to the applications, this article mainly focuses on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, catalysis, superhydrophobic surface and surface enhanced fluorescence by using Ag dendrites. The remaining issues of the preparation methods, which impede the practical applications of Ag dendrites, are pointed out to enlighten their future research.
Selective Sensing of Gas Mixture via a Temperature Modulation Approach: New Strategy for Potentiometric Gas Sensor Obtaining Satisfactory Discriminating Features

A new strategy to discriminate four types of hazardous gases is proposed in this research. Through modulating the operating temperature and the processing response signal with a pattern recognition algorithm, a gas sensor consisting of a single sensing electrode, i.e., ZnO/In2O3 composite, is designed to differentiate NO2, NH3, C3H6, CO within the level of 50–400 ppm. Results indicate that with adding 15 wt. % ZnO to In2O3, the sensor fabricated at 900 °C shows optimal sensing characteristics in detecting all the studied gases. Moreover, with the aid of the principle component analysis (PCA) algorithm, the sensor operating in the temperature modulation mode demonstrates acceptable discrimination features. The satisfactory discrimination features disclose the future that it is possible to differentiate gas mixture efficiently through operating a single electrode sensor at temperature modulation mode.
Synthesis and characterization of styrene butadiene rubber—Bentonite clay nanocomposites

In the present study, naturally occurring unfractionated bentonite clay was used to prepare styrene butadiene rubber/bentonite clay nanocomposite by latex stage blending. The bentonite clay was organo-modified by in situ resol formation by the reaction of resorcinol and formaldehyde. The latex clay mixture was co-coagulated with acid. The resulting clay masterbatch was compounded and evaluated by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Scanning Electron Microscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. XRD showed that the interplanar distance of the in situ resol-modified bentonite clay increased from 1.23 to 1.41 nm for the unmodified bentonite. TEM analysis indicated partial exfoliation and/or intercalation. EDS (Si and Al mapping) of the clay revealed the nature of the dispersion in the nanocomposites vis-a-vis the conventional styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/bentonite clay composite. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to compare the decomposition trends of the SBR/clay nanocomposites with the SBR/clay composite. The glass transition temperature of SBR/clay nanocomposites increased as compared with that of neat SBR. Substantial improvement in most of the other mechanical properties was also observed in case of the nanocomposites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
30 min of treadmill walking at self-selected speed does not increase gait variability in independent elderly

ABSTRACT Walking is one of the preferred exercises among elderly, but could a prolonged walking increase gait variability, a risk factor for a fall in the elderly? Here we determine whether 30 min of treadmill walking increases coefficient of variation of gait in elderly. Because gait responses to exercise depend on fitness level, we included 15 sedentary and 15 active elderly. Sedentary participants preferred a lower gait speed and made smaller steps than the actives. Step length coefficient of variation decreased ~16.9% by the end of the exercise in both the groups. Stride length coefficient of variation decreased ~9% after 10 minutes of walking, and sedentary elderly showed a slightly larger step width coefficient of variation (~2%) at 10 min than active elderly. Active elderly showed higher walk ratio (step length/cadence) than sedentary in all times of walking, but the times did not differ in both the groups. In conclusion, treadmill gait kinematics differ between sedentary and active elderly, but changes over time are similar in sedentary and active elderly. As a practical implication, 30 min of walking might be a good strategy of exercise for elderly, independently of the fitness level, because it did not increase variability in step and stride kinematics, which is considered a risk of fall in this population.
A distributed algorithm for robust LCMV beamforming

In this paper we propose a distributed reformulation of the linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) beamformer for use in acoustic wireless sensor networks. The proposed distributed minimum variance (DMV) algorithm, for which we demonstrate implementations for both cyclic and acyclic networks, allows the optimal beamformer output to be computed at each node without the need for sharing raw data within the network. By exploiting the low rank structure of estimated covariance matrices in time-varying noise fields, the algorithm can also provide a reduction in the total amount of data transmitted during computation when compared to centralised solutions. This is particularly true when multiple microphones are used per node. We also compare the performance of DMV with state of the art distributed beamformers and demonstrate that it achieves greater improvements in SNR in dynamic noise fields with similar transmission costs.
A Comparative Study of Multifunctional Finishing of Cotton and P/C Blended Fabrics Treated with Titanium Dioxide/zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Research outcome on the syntheses and characterizations of Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and their applications on cotton and polyester/cotton blended fabrics for imparting multifunctional properties (viz.Anti-bacterial protection, self-cleaning and UV protection) are reported. The nanoparticles of TiO 2 and ZnO were produced separately in different conditions of chemical reactions using soft chemistry. These synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by F ourier T ransformed I nfrared S pectroscopy (FTIR), T ransmission E lectron M icroscopy (TEM), and X -ray powder D iffractometry (XRD) for assessing the composition, shape, size and crystallinity respectively. These TiO 2 and ZnO nanoparticles were then applied to 100% cotton and 45/55% polyester/cotton
Application of non-symmetrical drying tests for assessment of drying behaviour of ntholo (Pseudolachnostylis maprounaefolia PAX)

Abstract Experiments concerning drying behaviour of ntholo (Pseudolachnostylis maprounaefolia PAX) were conducted to find a suitable drying schedule. Two non-symmetrical drying (NSD) tests were carried out to determine the drying behaviour of ntholo in terms of drying rate and stress behaviour. A tentative drying schedule was selected for comparison of the test results with those of similar tests with other known species. The schedule was tested in a laboratory kiln on 28-mm thick boards. According to both NSD tests and laboratory tests, ntholo dries easily but slowly. The laboratory drying lasted 266 h and achieved standard drying quality characterised by 8.9% moisture content, a moisture gradient of 1.2% and a case-hardening (gap) of 1.2 mm. Twist was the largest deformation with 3.4 mm per 1000 mm on average. The assigned schedule provided standard drying quality and it could be tested further in industrial kilns.
Route of Injection Affects the Impact of InlB Internalin Domain Variants on Severity of Listeria monocytogenes Infection in Mice

The facultative intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes causes a severe food-borne infection in humans and animals. L. monocytogenes invasion factor InlB interacts with the tyrosine kinase c-Met via the N-terminal internalin domain. Previously, distinct variants of the InlB internalin domain (idInlB) have been described in L. monocytogenes field isolates. Three variants were used to restore full-length InlB expression in the L. monocytogenes strain EGDeΔinlB. Obtained isogenic L. monocytogenes strains were tested in the invasion assay and intravenous, intraperitoneal, and intragastric models of infection in mice. All idInlBs were functional, restored InlB activity as an invasion factor, and improved invasion of the parental strain EGDeΔinlB into human kidney HEK23 cells. Meanwhile, distinct idInlBs provided different mortality rates and bacterial loads in internal organs. When recombinant strains were compared, the variant designated idInlB14 decreased severity of disease caused by intravenous and intraperitoneal bacterial administration, whereas this variant improved intestine colonization and stimulated intragastric infection. Obtained results demonstrated that naturally occurring idInlBs differed in their impact on severity of L. monocytogenes infection in mice in dependence on the infection route.
Immunogenicity of heparin-binding hemagglutinin expressed by Pichia pastoris GS115 strain

Objective(s): Heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA), a mycobacterial cell surface protein, mediates adhesion to nonphagocytic cells and the dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) from the site of primary infection. Superior expression systems are required to obtain abundant M. tuberculosis proteins for the purpose of diagnosing M. tuberculosis infection or for the immunization. Here, HBHA was expressed by Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris) GS115 strain , and the immunogenicity of HBHA was evaluated. Materials and Methods: The HBHA gene of M. tuberculosis was cloned into the pPIC9K plasmid, which was good for electroporation into P. pastoris GS115 strain. Unlabeled HBHA protein was purified using a Sepharose CL-6B column, and its expression was confirmed using anti-HBHA polyclonal antibody from mouse serum. We injected C57BL/6 mice with HBHA/ dimethyldioctadecylammonium/trehalose 6,6’-dibehenate (HBHA/DDA/TDB) to investigate the immunogenicity of this potential vaccine. Results: The results demonstrated that HBHA/DDA/TDB has the ability to induce high levels of HBHA-specific IgG antibody and its subclasses, as well as interferon-gamma, compared with injection of phosphate-buffered saline, DDA/TDB alone and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) controls (P<0.05). Moreover, the ratio of IgG2a/IgG1 of the HBHA/DDA/TDB group was higher than that of the BCG group (P<0.05). Conclusion: HBHA with no label has excellent immunogenicity, and is suitable for evaluating the effectiveness to prevent M. tuberculosis infection.
TTT - Cure diagram of an anhydride-cured epoxy system including gelation, vitrification, curing kinetics model and monitoring of the glass transition temperature

The curing reaction of an epoxy resin [diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)] combined with a methyl-hexahydrophtalic anhydride (MHHPA) hardener and a benzyldimethylamine (BDMA) accelerator was studied over a temperature range of 60140°C to build its isothermal time-temperature-transformation (TTT)cure diagram. This includes gelation and vitrification measurements using rheological measurement techniques, monitoring of the glass transition temperature and the reaction kinetics by differential scanning calorimetry, and determination of the following critical glass transition temperatures: Tg0, GelTg, and Tg. A new curing kinetics model, based on the Sesta´k-Berggren model, was developed including both chemicaland diffusion-controlled stages of reaction. Then, the TTTcure diagram was built by numerical integration of the kinetics model, and good agreement was obtained by comparison with experimental data. Additionally, for the first time, this model takes into account the incomplete cure, which occurs when the thermosetting system is cured below its ultimate glass transition temperature, leading to a more realistic description of the cure evolution after vitrification.