Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Induction of eotaxin production by interleukin‐4, interleukin‐13 and lipopolysaccharide by nasal fibroblasts

Background There is growing evidence that eotaxin is a key mediator in the development of tissue eosinophilia. Fibroblasts are a major source of eotaxin. The severity of diseases with eosinophilic inflammation like nasal polyposis, atopic dermatitis and asthma, where Th2‐type cytokines (IL‐4 and IL‐13) and TGF‐β are expressed locally, was shown to correlate with bacterial factors such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) rather than allergen.
A plane regression-based sequence forecast algorithm for stream data

This paper presents a plane regression-based algorithm, called SFA-PR (sequence forecast algorithm based on plane regression) algorithm, to forecast sequence trends for real-time stream data. After gathering real-time stream data through sliding window, algorithm SFA-PR computes support for appointed sequence and describes plane equation to forecast sequence trends in the future. Comparing with other sequence trends mining algorithms, algorithm SFA-PR can cover much more area and never omit key exceptions.
Using electronic aids to daily living after acquired brain injury: A study of the learning process and the usability

Purpose. The purpose was to study the ability of persons with memory impairments after acquired brain injury to learn how to and use electronic aids to daily living (EADL) and to describe changes in function and quality of life. Method. Eight participants stayed in two apartments equipped with a set of basic and advanced EADL for either 4 or 6 months during an intervention time of 2 years. The teaching and learning method was influenced by certain principles of errorless learning. Ability to learn to use EADL was measured by structured observations. Function and quality of life were assessed with self-rating questionnaires. Results. Results indicate that the participants learned to use EADL in their everyday activities. They perceived that EADL were very useful and easy to learn. Occupational performance and satisfaction with occupational performance and quality of life was improved. Conclusion. The results indicate that EADL may play an important role in facilitating everyday activities and improve satisfaction with occupational performance and quality of life for people with memory impairments. The study indicates the importance of adjusting technology to the user's needs and calls for more consideration for human – technology interaction factors.
Lexical strata in loanword phonology: Spanish loans in Guarani

JUSTIN PINTA: Lexical Strata in Loanword Phonology: Spanish Loans in Guarańı (Under the direction of Jennifer L. Smith) An analysis of a corpus of Spanish loanwords in Paraguayan Guarańı shows the stratified structure of the Guarańı lexicon evidenced by varying phonological repair strategies in the loans. Itô and Mester (1999 and earlier work) show that a language with a synchronically relevant stratified lexicon displays impossible nativization effects. The phonology and morphology of Guarańı provide evidence for the synchronic relevance of the stratification, and as expected the corpus shows specific nativization strategies which are unattested. A nonce-word experiment with native Guarańı speakers shows that in some cases, but not all, impossible nativizations are strongly avoided by native speakers. The Itô and Mester (1999) model handles the impossible nativizations within Optimality Theory through their proposed ranking consistency of faithfulness constraints across strata. Variable repair strategies of certain Spanish phonological structures in Guarańı in addition to the results of the experiment present a theoretical problem for ranking consistency.
A morpholino phenocopy of the colourless mutant

We have utilized the modified antisense RNA morpholino technology to effectively phenocopy zebrafish colourless/sox10 (cls) mutations. The cls locus was identified in mutagenesis screens (Kelsh et al., 1996; Malicki et al., 1996). Homozygous mutants are characterized by extensive defects in nonectomesenchymal fates (neurons, glia, and pigment cells) derived from the neural crest (Kelsh and Eisen 2000; Kelsh et al., 2000a, 2000b). Additionally, cls mutants have small otic vesicles (Whitfield et al., 1996). Zebrafish cls mutants are models for two human neurocristopathies, Hirschsprung’s disease, characterized by few or no enteric ganglia, and Waardenburg-Shah syndrome, which combines Hirschsprung’s disease with pigment defects. We have recently shown that the cls mutant phenotype results from disruptions in the zebrafish sox10 homologue and that sox10 expression is first seen at approximately 11 h postfertilization (hpf) in premigratory neural crest cells (A. Pauliny and R. N. Kelsh, unpublished). The cls mutant phenotype can first be detected at 21 hpf in dopachrome tautomerase (dct) in situ or scored visibly at 27 hpf (Kelsh et al., 2000a). Thus, we demonstrate that morpholino oligos can effectively phenocopy late embryonic phenotypes in zebrafish. We have characterized morphants generated using morpholino oligos designed to target the zebrafish sox10 homologue. The phenotypes resulting from injection of these morpholinos are consistent with the cls mutant phenotype affecting both neural crest derivatives and otic vesicles with an optimal response achieved with a dose of 16.5 ng (Fig 1 and Table 1). In strong mutant phenotypes, no normal melanophores are seen. However, even with high doses of morpholino, some normal melanophores are present, implying that the characterized strong mutant alleles are likely nulls. At lower doses, all morphant embryos are reminiscent of the single reported weak cls allele, which is not presently available (Malicki et al., 1996). As most known cls alleles display strong phenotypes, the ability to produce a graded series of cls hypomorphs with morpholinos will be invaluable in examining the role of sox10 in neural crest development. LITERATURE CITED
An Event Search Platform Using Machine Learning

Currently, the evolution of technology allows to find which events occurs around us at any given location. Social networks are one of the reasons of this trend and new applications are emerging aiming at finding and disclosing events. This paper proposes a platform of event searching. In particular, we propose a new architecture that uses machine learning to classify events with tags. An experimental evaluation with different types of algorithms was done using Facebook as a source of dataset events.
Family background and context effects on educational participation in five Arab countries

Recent data from PAPFAM and DHS are analyzed to gain insight in the relative effects o f factors at the family and district level on participation in education o f children aged 8-15 in five Arab countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria. Over the last decades, in all five countries much progress has been made in getting young children into school. Currently the major challenge is not to get them in school but to keep them there. After age 11, participation rates decrease strongly. This is especially true in rural areas, where also still major gender differences exist. In the cities, the gender differences have almost disappeared. Multivariate analyses show that education o f both parents, fa ther’s occupation and household wealth are still very important determinants o f educational participation o f children. Also demographic factors, like number o f siblings (especially brothers) and birth order are important. Absence o f one o f the parents and having a mother who got her first child at a young age decreases the chances o f girls and older boys to be in school. A t the regional/district level, a higher degree o f modernization is associated with higher participation rates. Interaction analysis shows that the family background effects may differ among the countries and according to economic characteristics o f the districts in which the family lives. Direct correspondence to Jeroen Smits, Department of Economics, Radboud University P.O. Box 9108, 6500 HK, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Phone +31 24 3612319 ; Fax +31 24 3612379 ; E-mail Jeroen.smits@fm.ru. nl; www.jeroensmits. info This work was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (VIDI-grant nr 452-03-351). I am grateful to the Pan Arab Project for Family Health of the League of Arab States and Dr. Ahmed Abdel Monem for making the Papfam data sets available for this project, to MEASURE DHS for providing the Demographic and Health Surveys, and to Ellen Webbing and Janine Huisman for their assistance in preparing the data.
Modelo de diseño de la longitud de los carriles de deceleración paralelos, basado en el desarrollo y la aplicación de un indicador de la conflictividad de las maniobras de salida

La presente tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo principal el desarrollo de un nuevo modelo de diseno de la longitud de carriles de deceleracion, basado en la evaluacion del diseno y la funcionalidad de los carriles de deceleracion del tipo paralelo, en funcion de su longitud, mediante el desarrollo y la aplicacion de un nuevo indicador de conflictividad para las maniobras de salida. Dicho objetivo ha surgido a partir del estudio del estado del arte en el que se destaca como las observaciones experimentales realizadas por diversos investigadores no se corresponden con los modelos cinematicos de deceleracion uniforme que suelen adoptarse para el calculo de la longitud del carril de deceleracion, lo que conlleva la necesidad de un nuevo modelo. La investigacion se ha basado en la hipotesis fundamental de que el comportamiento de los conductores que toman un carril de deceleracion varia en funcion de la longitud del carril. Este cambio de comportamiento afecta tanto a la operacion como a la funcionalidad de los carriles de deceleracion y por consiguiente influye sobre la seguridad vial. En el desarrollo del trabajo se distinguen dos fases. La primera consiste en una fase experimental en un carril de deceleracion paralelo variando su longitud, aprovechando una obra de mejora de la autovia CV-35. En la segunda fase se lleva a cabo la validacion de los resultados observando 10 carriles de deceleracion adicionales. En ambas, se realizo un analisis cualitativo por observacion directa en videos y un analisis cuantitativo en el que se pretendia medir las caracteristicas de la evolucion de los vehiculos. Para lograrlo, se desarrollo un programa informatico de restitucion de perspectivas conicas a partir de videos, que permitiera hacer un seguimiento individualizado de los vehiculos y conocer en cada momento su posicion, velocidad y aceleracion.
A prospective evaluation of normal mean platelet volume in discriminating hyperdestructive thrombocytopenia from hypoproductive thrombocytopenia

Bone marrow (BM) examination is the gold standard test in discriminating between hyperdestructive thrombocytopenia and hypoproductive thrombocytopenia. However, this procedure is invasive. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is simple and may be used as an alternative diagnostic test in distinguishing these two types of thrombocytopenia. All thrombocytopenic patients (platelet count: <150.0 × 109/l), except those with congestive splenomegaly, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, were enrolled into the study prospectively. The mean MPV of normal Thais (7.9 fl) was tested as a cutoff value. Any thrombocytopenic patient with MPV of >7.9 fl would be presumptively diagnosed as hyperdestructive thrombocytopenia, whereas one with MPV of ≤7.9 fl would be presumptively diagnosed as hypoproductive thrombocytopenia. One hundred two patients were completely evaluated. When compared with the BM examination, the MPV of >7.9 fl could predict hyperdestructive thrombocytopenia with a sensitivity of 82.3% (95% CI: 70.5–90.8), a specificity of 92.5% (95% CI: 79.6–98.4), a positive predictive value of 94.4% (95% CI: 84.6–98.8), a negative predictive value of 77.1% (95% CI: 62.7–88.0), and a likelihood ratio of 11.0. In conclusion, the mean MPV of normal Thais may be used as a cutoff value in distinguishing these two types of thrombocytopenia.
A Robust Model of Bubbles With Multidimensional Uncertainty

Boom-bust episodes in asset markets have often been interpreted by observers as speculative frenzies where asymmetrically informed investors buy overvalued assets hoping to sell to a greater fool before the crash. While intuitively appealing, this notion of speculative bubbles has been difficult to reconcile with standard economic theory. Existing models of speculation have been criticized on the basis that they assume irrationality, that prices are somewhat unresponsiveness to sales, or that they depend on fragile, knife-edge restrictions. To address these issues, I construct a rational version of Abreu and Brunnermeier (2003), where agents invest growing endowments into an asset, fueling appreciation and eventual overvaluation. Riding bubbles is optimal as long as the price grows quickly and there is a probability of exiting before the crash. This probability increases with the amount of noise in the economy, as random price flucutations make it difficult for agents to infer sales from the price.
Hepatoprotective Effects of Schisandra sphenanthera Extract against Lithocholic Acid–Induced Cholestasis in Male Mice Are Associated with Activation of the Pregnane X Receptor Pathway and Promotion of Liver Regeneration

We previously reported that the ethanol extract of Schisandra sphenanthera [Wuzhi (WZ) tablet] significantly protects against acetaminophen-induced hepatoxicity. However, whether WZ exerts a protective effect against cholestasis remains unclear. In this study, the protective effect of WZ on lithocholic acid (LCA)–induced intrahepatic cholestasis in mice was characterized and the involved mechanisms were investigated. WZ pretreatment (350 mg/kg) with LCA significantly reversed liver necrosis and decreased serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase activity. More importantly, serum total bile acids and total bilirubin were also remarkably reduced. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis showed that hepatic expression of pregnane X receptor (PXR) target genes such as CYP3A11 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 were significantly increased by WZ treatment. Luciferase assays performed in LS174T cells illustrated that WZ extract and its six bioactive lignans could all activate human PXR. In addition, WZ treatment significantly promoted liver regeneration via inhibition of p53/p21 to induce cell proliferation–associated proteins such as cyclin D1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. In conclusion, WZ has a protective effect against LCA-induced intrahepatic cholestasis, partially owing to activation of the PXR pathway and promotion of liver regeneration.
Application of ozone in wastewater treatment : For mitigation of filamentous bulking sludge & reduction of pharmaceutical discharge

Wastewater treatment with activated sludge is the most common way of treating wastewater. The process relies on bacteria converting nutrients, BOD and COD into biomass, CO2 and N2. Even though the configuration of activated sludge processes and wastewater treatment plants varies there are common problems which are shared. Filamentous bulking sludge is one problem that is widespread and disturbs the critical sludge separation which can result in reduced throughput, increased cost, sludge release, increased nutrient release and clogging of polishing steps. Another problem is that WWTPs are not designed to reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals commonly found in domestic wastewater and a large portion of them are being released into the environment.Alleviation of filamentous bulking sludge and reduction of pharmaceutical residues are both possible to achieve with ozone. This thesis presents results from two full-scale installations focused on mitigation of filamentous bulking sludge as well as one pilot-scale trial in which ozone was combined with a pre-treatment to remove pharmaceuticals from treated wastewater. Ozone addition into the return activated sludge was very effective in reducing the critical parameters SVI or DSVI to acceptable levels while not affecting the desired biological activity of the main treatment line. The energy consumption of such a system was investigated and found to be 0.044 kWh m-3 for a treatment lasting 45 days. This added operating cost should always be compared to the cost of having filamentous bulking sludge problems. A pre-treatment consisting of coagulation/flocculation/disc-filtration was highly effective in reducing the amount of ozone scavenging compounds. When ozone was added at a dose of 5 g O3 m-3 after the pre-treatment, the total pharmaceutical reduction reached 95% compared to 80% without pre-treatment. When ozone was added after pre-treatment the energy consumption reached 0.165 kWh m-3 year-1 while without pre-treatment the consumption reached 0.212 kWh m-3 year-1. (Less)
Experimental data imaging for the airborne bistatic SAR

The signal processing in the bistatic SAR case is more complex than the monostatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) case due to issues such as the range history of the target echo signal, time synchronization error, time-varying Doppler rate be- cause of squint, etc. In this paper, a monostatic equivalent geometry model of bistatic SAR is established; the mechanism of the System time synchronization error is analyzed; a time synchronization error correction method based on direct-path signal is presented; a modified time-varying step transform algorithm is used for bistatic SAR. Theoretical analysis and experimental data processing confirmed the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Analysis of Contributions to NO2 Ambient Air Quality Levels in Madrid City (Spain) through Modeling. Implications for the Development of Policies and Air Quality Monitoring

As environmental standards become more stringent (e.g. European Directive 2008/50/EC), more reliable and sophisticated modeling tools are needed to simulate measures and plans that may effectively tackle air quality exceedances, common in large cities across Europe, particularly for NO2. Modeling air quality in urban areas is rather complex since observed concentration values are a consequence of the interaction of multiple sources and processes that involve a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Besides a consistent and robust multi-scale modeling system, comprehensive and flexible emission inventories are needed. This paper discusses the application of the WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ system to the Madrid city (Spain) to assess the contribution of the main emitting sectors in the region. A detailed emission inventory was compiled for this purpose. This inventory relies on bottom-up methods for the most important sources. It is coupled with the regional traffic model and it makes use of an extensive database of industrial, commercial and residential combustion plants. Less relevant sources are downscaled from national or regional inventories. This paper reports the methodology and main results of the source apportionment study performed to understand the origin of pollution (main sectors and geographical areas) and define clear targets for the abatement strategy. Finally the structure of the air quality monitoring is analyzed and discussed to identify options to improve the monitoring strategy not only in the Madrid city but the whole metropolitan area.
Assessment of competencies in physicians-in-training through the delivery of a community-based health curriculum using distance learning

Academic physicians must master the elements of curriculum development and evaluation specific to defined competencies in postgraduate medical education. Six fellows in primary care medicine, working as a peer group with a faculty mentor, designed and evaluated a distance-learning project that included resident physicians. Professionalism, interpersonal skills and systems-based medical practice skills were measured with original instruments designed by the peer group. By the process of evaluation and revision in a peer-group setting and with mentorship from program faculty, experiential learning enhanced the training of future academic physicians. This paper describes the background, process and statistical results of their work.
A mathematical model of factors that influence the performance of accommodative intraocular lenses

In this work a mathematical model of capsule movement during pseudophakic accommodation is described to allow identification and evaluation of factors that may explain the variation in effect of accommodative intraocular lenses (IOLs) between patients. The model assumes that increasing vitreous pressure pushes the lens capsule forward as a circular diaphragm and that this movement is from a fixed fulcrum. With an IOL in situ, the capsule is taken to have a non‐uniform thickness due to the presence of the anterior capsulorhexis. The model assumes a uniform capsular elasticity and ignores contributions from cellular elements such as posterior capsule opacification. Using our model and a regression formula to calculate capsular bag size, taking into account axial length and keratometry values, we are able to predict accommodative effect in individual patients. By simple geometry we have developed a mathematical model to identify variables that are important in pseudophakic accommodation. It provides the basis for the development of a more complex model that would address the movement of a lens taking into account the influence of the zonular system during accommodation.