Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Green Biosynthesis, Characterization, In vitro Antidiabetic Activity, and Investigational Acute Toxicity Studies of Some Herbal-mediated Silver Nanoparticles on Animal Models

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, altered carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism. In recent studies, Nanoscience and nanotechnology are blazing fields for researchers; for researchers; of late there has been a prodigious excitement in the field of nanopharmacology to study silver nanoparticle (SNP) synthesis using natural products. Biological methods have been used to synthesize SNPs using medicinally active plants having an antidiabetic role, and this made us to assess the biologically synthesized SNPs from the seed extract of Psoralea corylifolia using 1 mM silver nitrate solution. The synthesized herbal&-mediated SNPs (HMSNPs) were subjected to various characterization techniques such as X&-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), energy dispersive X&-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and differential light scattering (DLS), respectively. In the current study the HMSNPs were tested to observe the in vitro antidiabetic activity and possible toxic effects in healthy female albino mice by following OECD guidelines&-425. Huge data from biochemical, cellular, mouse, and chemical inhibitor studies have recognized protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) as a major negative regulator of insulin signaling. In addition, corroboration suggests that insulin action can be enhanced by the inhibition of PTP1B. Keeping in view of the above fact, the PTP1B assay was done to determine the PTP1 B inhibitory effect of HMSNPs. It can be concluded that medicinal plants can be a good source for the synthe sis of HMSNPs. This study can be used for the development of valuable nanomedicines to treat various ailments, and it also highlights the safety and biocompatibility of SNPs within a biological cell; in vivo parameters need to be considered for further discoveries. Abbreviations used: HMSNPs: Herbal mediated silver nanoparticles, XRD: X&-ray diffraction, EDX: Energy dispersive X&-ray analysis, TEM: Transmission electron microscope, PTP1B: Protein tyrosine phosphotase 1B, OECD: Organization for economic cooperation and development
Parameter extraction for identifying product type of mckibben pneumatic artificial muscles

This study demonstrates that various unknown parameters used in nonlinear models of McKibben pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) can characterize the features of McKibben PAM products. By focusing on a parameter space in the PAM model, this study employs a support vector machine (SVM) to determine which unknown parameters characterize each PAM product. For validation, three different PAM products are analyzed to observe whether the resulting minimal combination of parameters will help to identify the product. The observation is expected to provide prior PAM knowledge that can be used to develop efficient parameter estimation and capture aging degradation, which are important for robust estimation and control in PAM systems.
The Estimation Theoretic Sensor Bias Correction Problem in Map Aided Localization

Simultaneous Localization and Map Building (SLAM) and Map Aided Localization (MAL) are very effective techniques employed extensively in robot navigation tasks. However, biases and drifts in both exteroceptive and proprioceptive sensors adversely impair correct localization (in MAL) and also impair map building (in SLAM). More specifically, accumulated errors as a result of biases in the sensors cause the algorithms to diverge and produce inconsistent and inaccurate results. Although offline calibration of these sensors can reduce the effects to some extent, the process results in longer setup and processing times. Moreover, during operation, the sensors’ calibration may often be subject to changes or drifts requiring regular resetting and initialization. A convenient, appropriate and effective approach to overcome problems associated with biases in sensors has been to explicitly model and estimate the bias parameters concurrently with the vehicle state online using an augmented state space approach. This paper investigates the properties of the concurrent bias estimation in MAL using an augmented, estimation theoretic state space approach for the localization of a large class of mobile robots, consisting of autonomous ground vehicles. This involves a rigorous theoretical study of the issues of observability and convergence, their interrelations and effects on the algorithm’s performance. This paper shows analytically that if sensor biases are estimated jointly with the vehicle pose in a MAL framework: 1) The uncertainties of the estimated errors in the bias parameters of both proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensors diminish in each update. 2) A derived lower bound is reached in each of these estimates. 3) The rate of convergence to this lower bound is also derived. 4) Although often neglected in the literature, observability is a major issue. From the analysis it is derived that in order to guarantee observability in MAL with bias estimation, it is necessary to observe simultaneously at least two distinct landmarks, which are not on a straight line with the vehicle position. Extensive simulations are provided to illustrate the theoretical results established for the general case of nonlinear dynamics and slowly varying sensor biases. The results are further exemplified and verified experimentally using a sophisticated MAL algorithm, utilizing a low cost inertial navigation sensor suite.
CDKN2B Polymorphism Is Associated with Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) in the Afro-Caribbean Population of Barbados, West Indies

The purpose of this study was to confirm previously reported associations of common variants in or near CDC7/TGFBR3, ZP4, SRBD1, ELOVL5, CAV1/CAV2, TLR4, CDKN2B, CDKN2B-AS1, ATOH7, PLXDC2, TMTC2, SIX1, and CARD10, with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in the Afro-Caribbean population of Barbados, West Indies. A total of 437 unrelated subjects from the Barbados Family Study of Open Angle Glaucoma (BFSG), including 272 with POAG and 165 unaffected individuals were included in this study. Eighteen SNPs were genotyped by using the multiplex SNaPshot method. Allelic, genotypic and model-based (dominant, recessive, and additive) associations of the SNPs with POAG were analyzed using Chi-squared tests and logistic regression. SNP rs1063192 (near CDKN2B) was found to be significantly associated with POAG (allelic P = 0.0008, genotypic P = 0.0029), and the minor allele C of rs1063192 was protective against POAG (OR = 0.39; 95%CI = 0.22−0.69). Suggestive association was also noted for rs7916697 (near ATHO7, allelic P = 0.0096, genotypic P = 0.01) with the minor allele being protective (OR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.50−0.91), although this finding did not withstand correction for multiple testing. However, a significant interactive effect on POAG risk was identified between rs1063192 and rs7916697 (P-interaction = 2.80×10−5). Individuals with the rs1063192 protective genotype CC or CT and also rs7916697 genotypes GG or GA show a significantly decreased risk of POAG (OR = 0.17, 95%CI: 0.07−0.41). Our study confirms the significant association between SNP rs1063192 (CDKN2B, previously shown to influence vertical cup-to-disc ratio and POAG at 9p21) and POAG in the Afro-Caribbean population of Barbados. The minor allele of rs1063192 interacts with that of rs7916697 (ATOH7)) to reduce POAG risk. Our results also suggest that rs1063912 is a common protective variant for POAG in populations of African as well as European descent.
Decentralized cognitive mac for dynamic spectrum access

We consider the problem of opportunistic dynamic spectrum access (DSA) in an ad hoc network in which unlicensed secondary users communicate through channels not used by the primary users. Decentralized cognitive medium access control protocols are presented that allow secondary users to recognize spectrum opportunity and transmit based on a partial observation of the instantaneous spectrum availability. Under a framework of partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP), we derive optimal and suboptimal decentralized strategies for the secondary users to decide which channel(s) to sense and access for the maximization of the overall network throughput
Cytokine Profiles in Peripheral Blood of Children and Adults With Crohn Disease

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that cytokine dysregulation in T-helper 1 and T-helper 2 (TH1/TH2) subsets contributes to the pathogenesis of Crohn disease (CD). The present pilot study examines the hypothesis that cytokine profiles differ between pediatric and adult patients with CD. Methods: Production of TH1 cytokines interferon-gamma (IFN-&ggr;) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-&agr;) and of TH2 cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-6 was analyzed in peripheral blood of patients with CD and healthy controls (n = 20) using flow cytometry after in vitro stimulation. Results: In both pediatric and adult subjects, frequencies of TNF-&agr; CD4+ T cells were higher in patients with CD than in controls (P = 0.009 and P = 0.047, respectively). Percentages of cells expressing IL-4 were slightly increased (P = 0.036), whereas those for IFN-&ggr; were decreased (P = 0.009) in pediatric patients with CD compared with controls. As expected, the overall production of TH1 cytokines was higher in adults compared with pediatric subjects. When memory CD4+CD45RO+ T cells were considered, lower IFN-&ggr; expression was observed in pediatric subjects with CD compared with controls (P = 0.009), matching the trend seen in the general CD4+ T cell population. The percentage of CD4+CD45RO+ T cells was increased in adult patients with CD compared with pediatric patients with CD (P = 0.016). Conclusions: The present study describes a peripheral blood TH1/TH2 cytokine imbalance in CD and suggests different immunological mechanisms in children and adults for disease pathogenesis.
DISCOVERY OF AN UNUSUAL OPTICAL TRANSIENT WITH THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

We present observations of SCP 06F6, an unusual optical transient discovered during the Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey. The transient brightened over a period of ∼100 days, reached a peak magnitude of ∼ 21.0 in both i775 and z850, and then declined over a similar timescale. There is no host galaxy or progenitor star detected at the location of the transient to a 3σ upper limit of i775 ⩾ 26.4 and z850 ⩾ 26.1, giving a corresponding lower limit on the flux increase of a factor of ∼ 120. Multiple spectra show five broad absorption bands between 4100 Å and 6500 Å, and a mostly featureless continuum longward of 6500 Å. The shape of the light curve is inconsistent with microlensing. The transient's spectrum, in addition to being inconsistent with all known supernova types, does not match any spectrum in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database. We suggest that the transient may be one of a new class.
Different Retrieval Models and Hybrid Term Indexing

Retrieval effectiveness depends on both the retrieval model and how terms are extracted and indexed. For Chinese, Japanese and Korea text, there are no spaces to delimit words. Indexing using hybrid terms (i.e. words and bigrams) was not very effective in NTCIR-II open evaluation. In this evaluation, we found that using the 2-Poisson model with hybrid term indexing can be effective in retrieval. With our pseudo-relevance feedback, the performance can be enhanced to a level that is comparable to the best performance in the formal runs. Therefore, we found that hybrid term indexing is promising when the 2-Poisson model is used.
Localization system of mobile robot based on sensor fusion technique

A sensor fusion technique based on omnidirectional camera and laser range sensor and Monte Carlo method are presented in this paper for mobile robot in the indoor environment to realize localization system. The localization system based on odometry, vision information and laser information is running in the simulation environment and in the real world, which is compared with the localization system only based on odometry. The experiment proves that using sensor fusion technique to realize localization system can get correct localization.
Typed Faceted Values for Secure Information Flow in Haskell

When an application fails to ensure information flow security, it may leak sensitive data such as passwords, credit card numbers, or medical records. News stories of such failures abound. Austin and Flanagan [2012] introduce faceted values ‐ values that present different behavior according to the privileges of the observer ‐ as a dynamic approach to enforcing information flow policies for an untyped, imperative -calculus. We implement faceted values as a Haskell library, elucidating their relationship to types and monadic imperative programming. In contrast to previous work, our approach does not require modification to the language runtime. In addition to pure faceted values, our library supports faceted mutable reference cells, secure facetaware socket-like communication, and robust declassification.
Mirror-like faults and power dissipation during earthquakes

Earthquakes occur along faults in response to plate tectonic movements, but paradoxically, are not widely recognized in the geological record, severely limiting our knowledge of earthquake physics and hampering accurate assessments of seismic hazard. Light-reflective (so-called mirror like) fault surfaces are widely observed geological features, especially in carbonate-bearing rocks of the shallow crust. Here we report on the occurrence of mirror-like fault surfaces cutting dolostone gouges in the Italian Alps. Using friction experiments, we demonstrate that the mirror-like surfaces develop only at seismic slip rates (∼1 m/s) and for applied normal stresses and sliding displacements consistent with those estimated on the natural faults. Under these experimental conditions, the frictional power density dissipated in the samples is comparable to that estimated for natural earthquakes (1–10 MW/m 2 ). Our results indicate that mirror-like surfaces in dolostone gouges are a signature of seismic faulting, and can be used to estimate power dissipation during ancient earthquake ruptures.
Truth revelation in approximately efficient combinatorial auctions

Some important classical mechanisms considered in Microeconomics and Game Theory require the solution of a difficult optimization problem. This is true of mechanisms for combinatorial auctions, which have in recent years assumed practical importance, and in particular of the gold standard for combinatorial auctions, the Generalized Vickrey Auction (GVA). Traditional analysis of these mechanisms---in particular, their truth revelation properties---assumes that the optimization problems are solved precisely. In reality, these optimization problems can usually be solved only in an approximate fashion. We investigate the impact on such mechanisms of replacing exact solutions by approximate ones. Specifically, we look at a particular greedy optimization method. We show that the GVA payment scheme does not provide for a truth revealing mechanism. We introduce another scheme that does guarantee truthfulness for a restricted class of players. We demonstrate the latter property by identifying natural properties for combinatorial auctions and showing that, for our restricted class of players, they imply that truthful strategies are dominant. Those properties have applicability beyond the specific auction studied.
Image-based 3D photography using opacity hulls

We have built a system for acquiring and displaying high quality graphical models of objects that are impossible to scan with traditional scanners. Our system can acquire highly specular and fuzzy materials, such as fur and feathers. The hardware set-up consists of a turntable, two plasma displays, an array of cameras, and a rotating array of directional lights. We use multi-background matting techniques to acquire alpha mattes of the object from multiple viewpoints. The alpha mattes are used to construct an opacity hull. The opacity hull is a new shape representation, defined as the visual hull of the object with view-dependent opacity. It enables visualization of complex object silhouettes and seamless blending of objects into new environments. Our system also supports relighting of objects with arbitrary appearance using surface reflectance fields, a purely image-based appearance representation. Our system is the first to acquire and render surface reflectance fields under varying illumination from arbitrary viewpoints. We have built three generations of digitizers with increasing sophistication. In this paper, we present our results from digitizing hundreds of models.
Dimension and product structure of hyperbolic measures

We prove that every hyperbolic measure invariant under a C 1+fi difieomorphism of a smooth Riemannian manifold possesses asymptotically \almost" local product structure, i.e., its density can be approximated by the product of the densities on stable and unstable manifolds up to small exponentials. This has not been known even for measures supported on locally maximal hyperbolic sets. Using this property of hyperbolic measures we prove the long-standing Eckmann-Ruelle conjecture in dimension theory of smooth dynamical systems: the pointwise dimension of every hyperbolic measure invariant under a C 1+fi difieomorphism exists almost everywhere. This implies the crucial fact that virtually all the characteristics of dimension type of the measure (including the Hausdorfi dimension, box dimension, and information dimension) coincide. This provides the rigorous mathematical justiflcation of the concept of fractal dimension for hyperbolic measures.
A 700‐year record on the effects of climate and human impact on the southern cape coast inferred from lake sediments of eilandvlei, wilderness embayment, south africa

Abstract The southern Cape coast, outh frica, is sensitive to climate fluctuations as it is influenced by different atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems. Palaeoecological evidence of Holocene climate variations in this region is presently limited. Here, we present a lake sediment record spanning approximately the last 670 years from ilandvlei, a brackish coastal lake situated mid‐way between Cape Town and Port lizabeth. The results from geochemical and sedimentological analyses point to an increase in minerogenic sediment input from the catchment starting around ad 1400. Changes in the seasonal distribution of rainfall during the Little Ice Age may have altered river discharge and increased erosion rates and fluvial sediment transport in pre‐colonial times. A rising mean lake level, possibly associated with an altered water balance or relative sea‐level rise, may offer an explanation for the deposition of finer sediments. After ad 1450, reduced burial flux of elements associated with autochthonous sediment formation may have resulted from ecological changes in ilandvlei. Enhanced sedimentation rates, increasing carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and biogenic silica concentrations, as well as high concentrations of proxies for allochthonous sediment input (e.g. aluminium, titanium, zirconium) point to increasing sediment and nutrient flux into ilandvlei from the late nineteenth century onwards. The most likely factor involved in these recent changes is land‐use change and other forms of human impact.
Induction of CD44 cleavage in articular chondrocytes.

OBJECTIVE The hyaluronan receptor CD44 provides chondrocytes with a mechanism for sensing and responding to changes in the extracellular matrix. The purpose of this study was to document the fragmentation and loss of CD44 and to determine the likely mechanisms involved. METHODS A polyclonal anti-CD44 cytotail antibody was generated to detect CD44 fragmentation by Western blot analysis. Chondrocytes were isolated from human or bovine articular cartilage. Primary articular chondrocytes were treated with interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), hyaluronan oligosaccharides, or phorbol myristate acetate or were passaged and subcultured in monolayer to induce dedifferentiation. Conditions that altered the capacity of CD44 to transit into lipid rafts, or pharmacologic inhibitors of metalloproteinase or gamma-secretase activity were used to define the mechanism of fragmentation of CD44. RESULTS Chondrocytes from osteoarthritic cartilage exhibited CD44 fragmentation as low molecular mass bands, corresponding to the CD44-EXT and CD44-ICD bands. Following dedifferentiation of chondrocytes or treatment of primary chondrocytes with hyaluronan oligosaccharides, IL-1beta, or phorbol myristate acetate, CD44 fragmentation was enhanced. Subsequent culture of the dedifferentiated chondrocytes in 3-dimensional alginate beads rescued the chondrocyte phenotype and diminished the fragmentation of CD44. Fragmentation of CD44 in chondrocytes was blocked in the presence of the metalloproteinase inhibitor GM6001 and the gamma-secretase inhibitor DAPT. CONCLUSION CD44 fragmentation, consistent with a signature pattern reported for sequential metalloproteinase/gamma-secretase cleavage of CD44, is a common metabolic feature of chondrocytes that have undergone dedifferentiation in vitro and osteoarthritic chondrocytes. Transit of CD44 into lipid rafts may be required for its fragmentation.
The Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans Neurocan and Phosphacan Are Expressed by Reactive Astrocytes in the Chronic CNS Glial Scar

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CS-PGs) expressed by reactive astrocytes may contribute to the axon growth-inhibitory environment of the injured CNS. The specific potentially inhibitory CS-PGs present in areas of reactive gliosis, however, have yet to be thoroughly examined. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry, combined immunohistochemistry–in situ hybridization, immunoblot analysis, and reverse transcription-PCR to examine the expression of specific CS-PGs by reactive astrocytes in an in vivo model of reactive gliosis: that is, the glial scar, after cortical injury. Neurocan and phosphacan can be localized to reactive astrocytes 30 d after CNS injury, whereas brevican and versican are not expressed in the chronic glial scar. Neurocan is also expressed by astrocytes in primary cell culture. Relative to the amount present in cultured astrocytes or uninjured cortex, neurocan expression increases significantly in the glial scar resulting from cortical injury, including the re-expression of the neonatal isoform of neurocan. In contrast, phosphacan protein levels are decreased in the glial scar compared with the uninjured brain. Because these CS-PGs are capable of inhibiting neurite outgrowth in vitro, our data suggest that phosphacan and neurocan in areas of reactive gliosis may contribute to axonal regenerative failure after CNS injury.
Non‐volcanic CO2 Earth degassing: Case of Mefite d'Ansanto (southern Apennines), Italy

Mefite d'Ansanto, southern Apennines, Italy is the largest natural emission of low temperature CO2 rich gases, from non‐volcanic environment, ever measured in the Earth. The emission is fed by a buried reservoir, made up of permeable limestones and covered by clayey sediments. We estimated a total gas flux of ∼2000 tons per day. Under low wind conditions, the gas flows along a narrow natural channel producing a persistent gas river which has killed over a period of time people and animals. The application of a physical numerical model allowed us to define the zones which potentially can be affected by dangerous CO2 concentration at breathing height for humans. The geometry of the Mefite gas reservoir is similar to those designed for sequestering CO2 in geological storage projects where huge amounts of CO2 should be injected in order to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentration. The approach which we have used at Mefite to define hazardous zones for the human health can be applied also in case of large CO2 leakages from storage sites, a phenomena which, even if improbable, can not be ruled out.