Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of 3D scanning and 3D printing for designing and fabricating customized half-mask facepieces: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND The main function of respiratory protective devices is to provide an intact physical barrier between the environment and the user. To ensure that, a leak-tight fit of the facepiece to the user's face is essential, regardless of the user's individual facial features. OBJECTIVE The main objective of this study was to assess the possibilities of developing customized respirators well-fitting to the anthropometric dimensions of the user's face using 3D scanning and 3D printing techniques and to evaluate this custom-made device in terms of protective, usage and strength parameters. METHODS Commercially available twin-filter half-mask type MP22/2 was selected as base model for customization. The 3D scans of the half-mask facepiece were performed using ATOS Core optical 3D scanner. Simultaneously anthropometric measurements of the test subject face were carried out with hand-held 3D scanner Artec EVA. Then digital model of the facepiece was matched to the shape of user's face using Geomagic Touch X haptic device. Customized facepieces were printed out with use of selective laser sintering technique from thermoplastic polyurethane. After assembling, respirators were tested for compliance with the requirements of the European standards. RESULTS The developed respirators proved to be very well-fitted to the user's face, did not cause any imprints or skin irritations and were assessed positively in terms of protective, usage and strength parameters. CONCLUSIONS The application of 3D scanning and 3D printing techniques for designing and fabricating customized half-mask facepieces constitutes a viable option for the future development of respiratory protective devices.
Conditional deletion of the Lkb1 gene in the mouse mammary gland induces tumour formation

Heterozygous germline mutations in the LKB1 (STK11) gene cause Peutz‐Jeghers syndrome (PJS), an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by hamartomatous polyposis of the gastrointestinal tract and an increased risk of colorectal, breast, and other cancers. To model the role of LKB1 mutation in mammary tumourigenesis, we have used a conditional gene targeting strategy to generate a mouse in which exons encoding the kinase domain of Lkb1 were deleted specifically in the mammary gland. Mammary gland tumours developed in these mice with a latency of 46–85 weeks and occurred in the thoracic or inguinal glands. These tumours were grade 2 invasive ductal carcinomas or solid papillary carcinomas with histological features similar to those described in breast cancers arising in patients with PJS. This mouse model of Lkb1 deficiency provides a potentially useful tool to investigate the role of Lkb1 in tumourigenesis and to guide the development of therapeutic approaches. Copyright © 2009 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sirolimus-FKBP12.6 Impairs Endothelial Barrier Function Through Protein Kinase C-&agr; Activation and Disruption of the p120–Vascular Endothelial Cadherin Interaction

Objective—Sirolimus (SRL) is an immunosuppressant drug used to prevent rejection in organ transplantation and neointimal hyperplasia when delivered from drug-eluting stents. Major side effects of SRL include edema and local collection of intimal lipid deposits at drug-eluting stent sites, suggesting that SRL impairs endothelial barrier function (EBF). The aim of this study was to address the role of SRL on impaired EBF and the potential mechanisms involved. Approach and Results—Cultured human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and intact human and mouse endothelium was examined to determine the effect of SRL, which binds FKBP12.6 to inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin, on EBF. EBF, measured by transendothelial electrical resistance, was impaired in HAECs when treated with SRL or small interfering RNA for FKBP12.6 and reversed when pretreated with ryanodine, a stabilizer of ryanodine receptor 2 intracellular calcium release channels. Intracellular calcium increased in HAECs treated with SRL and normalized with ryanodine pretreatment. SRL-treated HAECs demonstrated increases in protein kinase C-&agr; phosphorylation, a calcium sensitive serine/threonine kinase important in vascular endothelial (VE) cadherin barrier function through its interaction with p120-catenin (p120). Immunostaining of HAECs, human coronary and mouse aortic endothelium treated with SRL showed disruption of p120–VE cadherin interaction treated with SRL. SRL impairment of HAEC EBF was reduced with protein kinase C-&agr; small interfering RNA. Mice treated with SRL demonstrated increased vascular permeability by Evans blue albumin extravasation in the lungs, heart, and aorta. Conclusions—SRL-FKBP12.6 impairs EBF by activation of protein kinase C-&agr; and downstream disruption of the p120–VE cadherin interaction in vascular endothelium. These data suggest this mechanism may be an important contributor of SRL side effects related to impaired EBF.
Total cource locomotion control of assist walking exoskeleton leg

Based on the analyze of the assist walking exoskeleton leg behavior characteristics, the total cource locomotion can be divided into swing and stance two phase. To the stance phase, the position control based on fixed gravity compensation is used. To the swing phase, the fast terminal sliding mode control is used to design the virtual torque controller. Theoretical analyse and simulation results test the feasibility and validity of this control method.
A 0.5V 34.4uW 14.28kfps 105dB smart image sensor with array-level analog signal processing

This paper proposes a 0.5V smart image sensor with multi-operation modes of edge extraction, centroid tracking, and high-dynamic-range imaging output. The 0.5V operated pulse-width-modulation (PWM) sensor [1] is applied to achieve a high dynamic range (HDR) response and reduce the fixed pattern noise (FPN). The array-level analog signal processing (ASP) is implemented by local inter-pixel feedback and the event-driven (ED) hand-shaking readout. A prototype chip of smart image sensor with 64×64 CIS array was fabricated in 0.18um CMOS technology. The prototype has been verified to demonstrate the features of real-time edge extraction, object tracking, and high-dynamic range imaging successfully. The measurement results show a power dissipation of 34.4uW in edge extraction mode, a frame rate of 14.28kfps and a tracking error of 0.36 pixels in centroid tracking mode, and a high dynamic range (DR) of 105dB in imaging mode.
Unraveling of cross talk between Ca2+ and ROS regulating enzymes in Anabaena 7120 and ntcA mutant

In order to understand a cross talk between Ca2+ and ROS regulating enzymes and the possible involvement of ntcA gene, Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 and its derivative ntcA mutant grown in varied levels of calcium chloride (0, 1, 10, and 100 mM) have been investigated. Scanning Electron Microscopy showed abnormal structure formation at high calcium concentration (100 mM) both in wild type and mutant. Fv/Fm values suggested that 100 mM calcium concentration was detrimental for photosynthetic apparatus. SOD, catalase, APX, GR, and peroxidase activity were found to be maximum for 100 mM and minimum for 1 mM of exogenously supplied calcium salt. NADPH contents were higher for wild type than mutant. RAPD‐PCR and SDS‐PAGE analysis revealed a difference in DNA as well as proteome pattern with changes in calcium chloride regime. Prominent bands of approximately 70, 33, 21, and 14 kDa expressed in the wild type served as the marker polypeptide bands under calcium supplementation. Results suggest that higher levels of calcium ion disturb the cellular homeostasis generating ROS, thereby inducing enhanced levels of antioxidative enzymes. Further, data also suggests possible involvement of ntcA gene in cross talk between calcium ion and ROS regulating enzymes.
186 Gene transfer Isolation of transacting regulatory mutations in Drosophila using alcohol dehydrogenase gene fusions for chemical selection

Alcohol Dehydrogenease (Adh) is an ideal enzyme for chemical selection of mutations affecting its expression, as Adh activity is required for survival of exposure to ethanol. Conversely, Adh activity renders exposure to 3-pentyne-l-ol lethal, thus allowing the selection of Adh-deficient flies. We have sought to adapt this system to the isolation of mutations affecting the expression of developmentally or metabolically regulated genes for which chemical selections do not already exist. We have used the heat shock system for our initial studies, as the heat shock genes are readily inducible in the laboratory, and the DNA sequences involved in their regulation are known. We have fused the 5' flanking sequences of hsp70, and the first 200 nucleotides of the hsp70 transcription unit to the structural gene for Adh. The fusion is m the 5' untranslated leader sequence of both genes, and does not affect translational reading frames. We have used this fusion gene for germline transformation of flies carrying a deletion in their Adh gene. Flies transformed with this gene fusion exhibit Adh activity only after heat shock, demonstrating that the sequences involved in the control of Adh transcription have been functionally replaced by the hsp70 sequences. The activity of Adh, once induced by heat shock, is stable. Males continue to show Adh activity for at least a week after a one-hour heat shock. Thus Adh can be used in gene fusions of this kind to mark cells which have previously expressed transcription from the promoter used in the fusion. For example, primary spermatocytes, which fail to induce Adh activity in response to heat shock, exhibit Adh activity several days after the shock, as a result of the differentiation of stem cells in which activity was induced. Because the induction of Adh activity by heat shock allows these flies (which are otherwise Adh-deficient) to survive ethanol, we have been able to select dominant, transacting mutations which activate transcription from the heat shock genes aberrantly (e.g. at 28 °C). We propose that similar trans-acting regulatory mutations can be isolated which affect the expression of developmentally regulated genes simply by utilizing a developmentally regulated promoter rather than the promoter of hsp70.
Ethanol‐Induced Oxygen Radical Formation and Lipid Peroxidation in Rat Brain: Effect of Chronic Alcohol Consumption

Abstract: The effect of chronic and in vitro ethanol exposure on brain oxygen radical formation and lipid peroxidation was analyzed. Ethanol induces a dose‐dependent increase in lipid peroxidation in brain homogenates. The peroxidative effects of alcohol seem to be related to both cytochrome P450 and the ethanol‐inducible form of cytochrome P450 (CYP2E1), because preincubation with metyrapone (an inhibitor of cytochrome P450) or with an antibody against CYP2E1 abolished the ethanol‐increased lipid peroxidation. Using the formation of dichlorofluorescein, we also demonstrated that both in vitro and chronic alcohol exposure significantly enhanced the formation of oxygen radical species in synaptosomes. Chronic alcohol treatment also leads to an induction of cytochrome P450 (230%), NADPH cytochrome c reductase (180%), NADPH oxidation (184%), and CYP2E1 in brain microsomes. In addition, this treatment produced a decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio in brain and significantly enhanced the levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. This mechanism could be involved in the toxic effects of ethanol on brain and membrane alterations occurring after chronic ethanol intake.
Development of a functional measure for persons with Alzheimer's disease: the disability assessment for dementia.

OBJECTIVES This article describes the development of an assessment of functional disability for use with proxy-respondents of community-dwelling persons who have Alzheimer's disease as well as a study testing its reliability. METHOD Panels composed of health care professionals and caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease were used to develop the Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD). Fifty-nine caregivers participated in the refinement of the content and the testing of reliability. RESULTS The DAD includes 40 items: 17 related to basic self-care and 23 to instrumental activities of daily living. It demonstrated a high degree of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .96) and excellent interrater (N = 31, ICC = .95) and test-retest (N = 45, ICC = .96) reliability. In addition, it was found not to have gender bias. CONCLUSION This instrument may help clinicians and caregivers of the population with Alzheimer's disease make decisions regarding the choice of suitable interventions.
Object coverage with camera rotation in visual sensor networks

This paper is to study the object coverage problem in visual sensor networks. When sensors equipped camera with rotating capability in the monitoring environment are deployed randomly, the images of target object with circle shape may be captured by different camera nodes in different orientations at the same time. In order to achieve the full coverage of an object, there might be lots of redundant image data to consume the transmission energy in visual sensor networks. An approach is proposed to reduce the cover set of camera nodes by rotating cameras of sensors. Such a set can cover the entire object using as few sensors as possible. In addition, a mapping is proposed for find out the coverage problem for target objects with convex polygon shape. The simulation results show that our approach can reduce the number of sensors while preserving the maximum coverage range of object.
Modeling of Endpoint Feedback Learning Implemented Through Point-to-Point Learning Control

In the last decade, several experiments were conducted to investigate human motor control behavior for the task of arm reaching, using only visual feedback of the final hand position at the end of each reaching motion. Current computational frameworks have yet to model that the humans learn to complete such a task by feedforward action based on the feedback of a displacement error at the end of past reaching motions. This paper demonstrates how such learning can be formulated as an optimization problem. By designing a cost function which weighs the tracking of the target and the smoothness of human motion, the constructed framework, implemented in the form of point-to-point learning control, inherently embeds the feedforward control and enables learning over repeated trials using only the available feedback from past observations, here the endpoint errors of a reaching motion trajectory. The proposed framework is able to reproduce the human learning behavior observed in experiments.
Isolation and receptor profiling of ileal enterochromaffin cells.

AIM AND METHODS Enterochromaffin (EC) cells, interspersed throughout the gastrointestinal mucosa, provide most of the serotonin of the body and control intestinal motility, secretion and absorption. We purified EC cells from the rat ileum by a combination of elutriation and density gradient centrifugation in order to characterize the function of this important cell type. RESULTS Immunostaining showed that there were 84% serotonin-positive cells in the highly enriched EC fraction as compared with 12% in unfractionated cells, yielding a approximately sevenfold enrichment. Serotonin measurements in the cell suspensions indicated a seven to 14-fold enrichment. Presence of alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptor isoforms, muscarinic M3 and gama-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-A receptors was confirmed by RT-PCR and cytochemistry. Increased expression of VMAT-1 and GABA-A mRNA was also shown by quantitative TaqMan PCR using EC cell RNA. Serotonin release in isolated EC cells was stimulated by noradrenaline, and to a smaller extent, by carbachol, while GABA addition was without effect. CONCLUSION Our data provide a basis for a new approach to characterize receptors on this unique cell type.
Oviduct Cells Express the Cyclic AMP-Adenosine Pathway1

Abstract The extracellular cAMP-adenosine pathway refers to the local production of adenosine mediated by cAMP egress into the extracellular space, conversion of cAMP to AMP by ectophosphodiesterase (PDE), and the metabolism of AMP to adenosine by ecto-5′-nucleotidase. The goal of this study was to assess whether the cAMP-adenosine pathway is expressed in oviduct cells. Studies were conducted in cultured bovine oviduct cells (mixed cultures of fibroblasts and epithelial cells, 1:1 ratio). Confluent monolayers of oviduct cells were exposed to cAMP (0.01–100 μmol/L) in the presence and absence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX, 1 mmol/L, an inhibitor of both extracellular and intracellular PDE activity), 1,3-dipropyl-8-p-sulfophenylxanthine (DPSPX, 100 μmol/L, a xanthine that can inhibit extracellular or ecto-PDE activity at high concentrations), or α,β-methylene-adenosine-5′-diphosphate (AMPCP, 100 μmol/L, an ecto-5′-nucleotidase inhibitor) for 0–60 min. The medium was then sampled and assayed for AMP, adenosine, and inosine. Addition of exogenous cAMP to oviduct cells increased extracellular levels of AMP, adenosine, and inosine in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. This effect was attenuated by blockade of total (extracellular and intracellular) PDE activity (IBMX), ecto-PDE activity (DPSPX), or ecto-5′-nucleotidase (AMPCP). The functional relevance of the cAMP-adenosine pathway is supported by the findings that treatment with adenylyl cyclase stimulants (forskolin plus isoproterenol) resulted in the egress of cAMP (97% extracellular) into the extracellular space and its conversion into adenosine. The extracellular cAMP-adenosine pathway exists in oviduct cells and may play an important role in regulating the biology and physiology of the oviduct. This pathway also may play a critical role in regulating sperm function, fertilization, and early embryo development.
Creatine supplementation does not alter neuromuscular recovery after eccentric exercise

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of creatine (CR) supplementation on recovery after eccentric exercise (ECC). Methods: Fourteen men were assigned randomly to ingest 0.3 g/kg of CR or placebo (PL) before and during recovery (48 hours) from 6 sets of 8 repetitions of ECC. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), voluntary activation (VA), muscle thickness (MT), electromyography (EMG), contractile properties, and soreness were assessed. Results: MVC, evoked twitch torque, and rate of torque development decreased for both groups immediately after ECC and recovered at 48 hours. MT increased and remained elevated at 48 hours for both groups. Soreness increased similarly for both groups. EMG activation was higher for CR versus PL only at 48 hours. There were no group differences for torque, total work, or fatigue index during ECC. Conclusions: CR supplementation before and during recovery from ECC had no effect on strength, voluntary activation, or indicators of muscle damage. Muscle Nerve 54: 487–495, 2016
Bell's or Friedreich's palsy

OBJECTIVES Eleven patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) were selected from an initial cohort of 43 patients. The patients with NPH fell into two distinctive subgroups: preshunt, group 1 (n=5) scored less than 24 on the mini mental state examination (MMSE) and were classified as demented and group 2 (n=6) scored 24 or above on the MMSE and were classified as non-demented. METHODS All patients were neuropsychologically assessed on two occasions: preshunt and then again 6 months postshunt. Group 1 completed the mini mental state examination (MMSE) and the Kendrick object learning test (KOLT). In addition to the MMSE and KOLT, group 2 completed further tasks including verbal fluency and memory and attentional tasks from the CANTAB battery. Nine of the 11 patients also underwent postshunt MRI. RESULTS Group 1, who, preshunt, performed in the dementing range on both the MMSE and KOLT, showed a significant postoperative recovery, with all patients now scoring within the normal non-demented range. Group 2, although showing no signs of dementia according to the MMSE and KOLT either preshunt or postshunt, did show a specific pattern of impairment on tests sensitive to frontostriatal dysfunction compared with healthy volunteers, and this pattern remained postoperatively. Importantly, this pattern is distinct from that exhibited by patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. Eight of the nine patterns of structural damage corresponded well to cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS These findings are useful for three main reasons: (1) they detail the structural and functional profile of impairment seen in NPH, (2) they demonstrate the heterogeneity found in this population and show how severity of initial cognitive impairment can affect outcome postshunt, and (3) they may inform and provide a means of monitoring the cognitive outcome of new procedures in shunt surgery.
Guidelines to statistical evaluation of data from rating scales and questionnaires.

Questionnaires and rating scales are commonly used to measure qualitative variables, such as feelings, attitudes and many other behavioural and health-related variables. There are different types of instruments ranging from single scales to multidimensional, multi-item questionnaires. The scaling of the responses can vary from the dichotomous alternatives “yes” and “no” to a mark on a line, as in the visual analogue scale (VAS). Numerical labels are commonly used for the recordings. Nevertheless, irrespective of the type of scaling, the item responses indicate only an ordered structure and not a numerical value in a mathematical sense. Such data are often called ordered categorical or ordinal (1–4). Statistical methods for data from rating scales must take account of the rank-invariant propertiesof ordinal data, whichmeans that the methodsmust be unaffected by a relabelling of the scale categories. Hence, statistical methods applicable to data from rating scales differ completely from the traditional methods for quantitative variables, since calculations based on adding or subtracting ordinal data are not appropriate. Sum scores of multi-item assessments, the mean value, standard deviation and calculation of differences for description of change in score do not have an interpretable meaning and must be avoided in the statistical evaluation of data from rating scales and questionnaires (4–6). Traditionally, in applied research, there is a temptation to treat data from rating scales as numerical on an interval level (4, 5). It should be emphasized, however, that data on an interval level are quantitative, which means that such data have the mathematical properties of well-de ned size and equidistance, but the same variable does not have the same ratio when it is measured in different units (1). Hence, qualitative data could never gain the properties required for being treated as interval data. Statistical methods for quantitative data are valid only when data have the mathematical properties of well-de ned size and distance, and conclusions drawn from such analyses are solely interpretable and reliable for quantitative data. However, quantitative data such as blood pressure could be treated as ordinal when categorized as “low”, “normal” and “high”. Such categorization changes the choice of appropriate statistical methods of analysis. GUIDELINES FOR STUDIES INCLUDING RATING SCALES AND/OR QUESTIONNAIRES