Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Chitosan Concentration on Cell Viability and Proliferation in Vitro by Changing Film Topography

Purpose Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide which can form gels and scaffolds that support its use as a biomaterial in various tissue engineering applications. A useful feature of chitosan polymer is that you can manipulate its properties easily. Thus, in this work we studied the effect of varying chitosan concentration in the topography and the biological properties of the chitosan films, as well as the effects in the structure of 3D gels in order to be used as nerve bridges. Methods Analysis of film topographies were addressed by swelling test and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In vitro biological properties were assessed through MTT viability assays on cultures of blood-brain barrier forming endothelial (bEnd5), glioma (C6) and postmitotic neuron (NGF-differentiated PC12) cell lines. The structure of tridimensional gels was studied by environmental scanning electron microscopy. Results Topography of 1% chitosan films showed a AFM profile with higher nano-roughness profile than that observed in 2% films, which was smoother. Moreover, swelling rate was not affected. Topography changes affected cell viability as shown by the MTT assays. Our results showed that 2% chitosan films promoted higher proliferation and viability of C6 and PC12 respectively than 1% films. Conversely, neither 1% nor 2% films promoted viability of bEnd5 cells. In order to establish the feasibility of both type of chitosan solutions as nerve bridges, we constructed 3D gels by alkaline precipitation. Resulting gels showed that only 2% gels were rigid enough to be effectively used as nerve bridges. Conclusions These results establish that changes in chitosan concentration affects the polymer surface topography, which has a direct effect in the growing cell behavior. Additionally, higher concentration of chitosan gels are required to be used in neural tissue engineering.
Proposal of MU-MIMO system with block diagonalization in multi-site communication system

Multi-site multi-user multiple input multiple output (MS-MU-MIMO) is a key technology to construct the next generation high performance mobile communication networks; however, in MS-MU-MIMO systems, co-channel interference (CCI) occurred at cell edges significantly reduce user throughput. To overcome this problem, in this paper, we proposed a MS-MU-MIMO system with block diagonalization (BD)-based interference cancellation. Overall downlink performances of the proposed system and the traditional MS-MIMO system are compared through computer simulation, and the simulation results show that the proposed system can improved user throughput.
MRT letter: A fast and easy method for general fluorescent staining of cultured cells on transparent or opaque supports

Development of cell‐based therapy entails the use of different types of materials as support for cultured cells. Some of these materials are opaque. For a general microscope study of cell cultures prepared on transparent supports, Giemsa stain with bright field microscopy is useful. With opaque supports or scaffolds, epifluorescence microscopy is necessary. The method the authors describe uses eosin Y to stain cytoplasm and DAPI to stain nuclei under fluorescence microscopy. This method provides easy and fast fluorescent staining for a general morphological study of cultured cells on transparent or opaque supports. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using School Choice Lotteries to Test Measures of School Effectiveness

Value-added models (VAMs) are increasingly used to measure school effectiveness. Yet random variation in school attendance is necessary to test the validity of VAMs, and to guide the selection of models for measuring causal effects of schools. In this paper, I use random assignment from a public school choice lottery to test the predictive power of VAM specifications. In VAMs with minimal controls and two or more years of prior data, I fail to reject the hypothesis that school effects are unbiased. Overall, many commonly used VAMs are accurate predictors of student achievement gains.
Experimental malaria: effects upon the immune response to different antigens.

Hyperplasia of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) and hyperglobulinemia occur in human disease and in experimental infections with malaria [1]. Despite this hyperactivity of the immune system, the antibody response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBCs) is completely suppressed in mice immunized at the height of infection with Plasmodium berghei yoelii [2]. It has been hypothesized that a similar impairment of the antibody responses may occur in humans infected with malaria, and that this may contribute to the pathogenesis of Burkitt's lymphoma [2]. In the only reported study of response to immunization in humans, McGregor and Barr found that a significant number of Gambian children failed to respond to tetanus toxoid during a malaria infection [3]. The present study was designed to determine whether a generalized impairment of antibody responses occurs in mice infected with malaria. During the period of peak parasitemia, mice infected with P. b. yoelii were immunized with SRBCs or bacteriophage particles, and the antibody response to these antigens and to P. b. yoellii was followed.
Functions of glutathione and glutathione disulfide in immunology and immunopathology

Even a moderate increase in the cellular cysteine supply elevates the intracellular glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) levels and potentiates immunological functions of lymphocytes in vitro. At low GSSG levels, T cells cannot optimally activate the immunologically important transcription factor NFxB, whereas high GSSG levels inhibit the DNA binding activity of NFxB. The effects of GSSG are antagonized by reduced thioredoxin (TRX). As the protein tyrosine kinase activities p56lck and p59fyn are activated in intact cells by hydrogen peroxide, they are likely targets for GSSG action. These redox‐regulated enzymes trigger signal cascades for NFxB activation and transduce signals from the T cell antigen receptor, from CD4 and CD8 molecules, and from the IL‐2 receptor β‐chain. The effector phase of cytotoxic T cell responses and IL‐2‐dependent functions are inhibited even by a partial depletion of the intracellular GSH pool. As signal transduction is facilitated by prooxidant conditions, we propose that the well‐known immunological consequences of GSH depletion ultimately may be results of the accompanying GSSG deficiency. As HIV‐infected patients and SIV‐infected rhesus macaques have, on the average, significantly decreased plasma cyst(e)ine and intracellular GSH levels, we also hypothesize that AIDS may be the consequence of a GSSG deficiency as well. —Dröge, W. , Schulze‐Osthoff, K. , Mihm, S. , Galter, D. , Schenk, H. , Eck, H. ‐P., Roth, S. , Gmünder, H. Functions of glutathione and glutathione disulfide in immunology and immunopathology. FASEB J. 8, 1131‐1138 (1994)
A Robust Estimation Scheme of Reading Difficulty for Second Language Learners

Reading difficulty is a measurement for estimating the appropriate reading level of a document. Almost all prior studies are designed for first language learners, but not for second language learners. In this study, we propose a robust estimation scheme, including features such as word frequency, official word grade and grammar patterns, to train a linear model to estimate the difficulty of the document for second language learners. The experiment results show that the proposed estimation scheme outperforms other reading difficulty estimations.
Metabolism of Dietary Cetoleic Acid (22:1n‐11) in Mink (Mustela vison) and Gray Seals (Halichoerus grypus) Studied Using Radiolabeled Fatty Acids

Cetoleic acid (22:1n‐11) is a good indicator of diet in marine predators and has proven to be an important fatty acid (FA) when using adipose tissue FA composition to study diet in marine mammals and seabirds. Feeding studies have shown that 22:1 isomers are predictably underrepresented in adipose tissue relative to diet, implying that metabolism within the predator strongly influences the relationship between the level of these FAs in diet and adipose tissue. Fully understanding such metabolic processes for individual FAs is important for the quantitative estimation of predator diets. We employed a dual‐label radioisotope tracer technique to investigate the potential modification of 22:1n‐11 and its recovery in the blubber of gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) and in the adipose tissue and liver of mink (Mustela vison), a smaller model carnivore also accustomed to fish‐based diets. In both seals and mink, 3H radioactivity was found in the chain‐shortened products of 22:1n‐11, with 18:1 being the dominant product. We also found 3H radioactivity in saturated FAs. The distribution patterns of 3H radioactivity across the FAs isolated from seal blubber and mink subcutaneous adipose tissue were comparable, indicating that mink are a good model for the investigation of lipid metabolism in marine carnivores.
A Survey on Procedural Modelling for Virtual Worlds

Procedural modelling deals with (semi‐)automatic content generation by means of a program or procedure. Among other advantages, its data compression and the potential to generate a large variety of detailed content with reduced human intervention, have made procedural modelling attractive for creating virtual environments increasingly used in movies, games and simulations. We survey procedural methods that are useful to generate features of virtual worlds, including terrains, vegetation, rivers, roads, buildings and entire cities. In this survey, we focus particularly on the degree of intuitive control and of interactivity offered by each procedural method, because these properties are instrumental for their typical users: designers and artists. We identify the most promising research results that have been recently achieved, but we also realize that there is far from widespread acceptance of procedural methods among non‐technical, creative professionals. We conclude by discussing some of the most important challenges of procedural modelling.
Satisfaction with work-life balance and the career and retirement plans of US oncologists.

PURPOSE To evaluate satisfaction with work-life balance (WLB) and career plans of US oncologists. METHODS The American Society of Clinical Oncology conducted a survey of US oncologists evaluating satisfaction with WLB and career plans between October 2012 and March 2013. The sample included equal numbers of men and women from all career stages. RESULTS Of 2,998 oncologists contacted, 1,490 (49.7%) returned surveys. From 1,117 oncologists (37.3% of overall sample) completing full-length surveys, we evaluated satisfaction with WLB and career plans among the 1,058 who were not yet retired. The proportion of oncologists satisfied with WLB (n = 345; 33.4%) ranked lower than that reported for all other medical specialties in a recent national study. Regarding career plans, 270 oncologists (26.5%) reported a moderate or higher likelihood of reducing their clinical work hours in the next 12 months, 351 (34.3%) indicated a moderate or higher likelihood of leaving their current position within 24 months, and 273 (28.5%) planned to retire before 65 years of age. Multivariable analyses found women oncologists (odds ratio [OR], 0.458; P < .001) and those who devoted greater time to patient care (OR for each additional hour, 0.977; P < .001) were less likely to be satisfied with WLB. Satisfaction with WLB and burnout were the strongest predictors of intent to reduce clinical work hours and leave current position on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION Satisfaction with WLB among US oncologists seems lower than for other medical specialties. Dissatisfaction with WLB shows a strong relationship with plans to reduce hours and leave current practice. Given the pending US oncologist shortage, additional studies exploring interactions among WLB, burnout, and career satisfaction and their impact on career and retirement plans are warranted.
Robust observer-based mixed H2/H∞ control design for uncertain linear discrete-time systems

This paper is concerned with the robust observer-based mixed H<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>∞</sub> control design for a class of uncertain linear discrete-time systems. A new sufficient condition for the existence of an observer-based controller is given in the term of linear matrix inequality, which can lead to a less conservative result. The sufficient condition for the existence of an observer-based mixed H<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>∞</sub> controller is then derived, and a convex optimization method is presented to get the desired observer-based controller with the minimized H<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>∞</sub> performances. Numerical examples are given to indicate the novelty and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
General approximation method for the distribution of Markov processes conditioned not to be killed

We consider a strong Markov process with killing and prove an approximation method for the distribution of the process conditioned not to be killed when it is observed. The method is based on a Fleming-Viot type particle system with rebirths, whose particles evolve as independent copies of the original strong Markov process and jump onto each others instead of being killed. Our only assumption is that the number of rebirths of the Fleming-Viot type system doesn't explode in finite time almost surely and that the survival probability of the original process remains positive in finite time. The approximation method generalizes previous results and comes with a speed of convergence. A criterion for the non-explosion of the number of rebirths is also provided for general systems of time and environment dependent diffusion particles. This includes, but is not limited to, the case of the Fleming-Viot type system of the approximation method. The proof of the non-explosion criterion uses an original non-attainability of $(0,0)$ result for pair of non-negative semi-martingales with positive jumps.
An RRAM Biasing Parameter Optimizer

Research on memory devices is a highly active field, and many new technologies are being constantly developed. However, characterizing them and understanding how to bias for optimal performance are becoming an increasingly tight bottleneck. Here, we propose a novel technique for extracting biasing parameters, conducive to desirable switching behavior in a highly automated manner, thereby shortening the process development cycles. The principle of operation is based on: 1) applying variable amplitude, pulse-mode stimulation on a test device in order to induce switching multiple times; 2) collecting the data on how pulsing parameters affect the device's resistive state; and 3) choosing the most suitable biasing parameters for the application at hand. The utility of the proposed technique is validated on TiOx-based prototypes, where we demonstrate the successful extraction of biasing parameters that allow the operation of our devices both as multistate and binary resistive switches.
Design of SHA-1 & SHA-2 MIPS processor using FPGA

According to the wide developments in the area of communications, there is a demand for secure system for data transmissions. In this paper, a Hash system SHA-1 and SHA-2 Processor is designed using Xilinx Spartan-3AN and interfaced with keyboard and Video Graphics Array (VGA) Display. The implementation of the processor is done by using MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipelines) single cycle by choosing a certain number of instructions that was necessary to invoke the SHA-1, SHA-224 and SHA-256 algorithm. A keyboard in interfaced with the Xilinx Spartan-3AN kit, to enable the user to enter the data and the result is shown on a VGA Display.
Free-field calibration of earphones.

Probe‐microphone measurements of the real‐ear response of an earphone are subject to inherent problems of interpretation. The cushion‐enclosed sound field is homogeneous only in the frequency region below 1 kHz, and measurements outside this band can differ by more than 15 dB from one probe position to another. Probe measurements at the earphone diaphragm do not provide enough information on earphone response, because the earphone can create or modify resonances in the outer ear that affect the pressure delivered to the eardrum. Measurements at the canal entrance provide too much information, because they include pinna gain characteristics that are not functions of earphone performance. In the present experiments, the response of an earphone is derived by subtracting, from earphone‐induced sound pressures at the eardrum, the sound pressures produced at the same point by a loudspeaker that the pinna faces. The speaker is used to establish a reference of outer ear acoustic gain before disturbance by the earphone, less the effects of head diffraction. The eardrum position was selected for the probe‐tube measurements after a preliminary experiment showed that a supraaural earphone can affect ear canal gain by constricting the canal entrance and lowering the canal's resonant frequency. The derived response curves were in agreement with earphone frequency‐response data derived from subjective judgments by the corresponding subjects.
Near‐IR Absorbing Solar Cell Sensitized With Bacterial Photosynthetic Membranes

Current interest in natural photosynthesis as a blueprint for solar energy conversion has led to the development of a biohybrid photovoltaic cell in which bacterial photosynthetic membrane vesicles (chromatophores) have been adsorbed to a gold electrode surface in conjunction with biological electrolytes (quinone [Q] and cytochrome c; Magis et al. [2010] Biochim. Biophys. Acta1798, 637–645). Since light‐driven current generation was dependent on an open circuit potential, we have tested whether this external potential could be replaced in an appropriately designed dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Herein, we show that a DSSC system in which the organic light‐harvesting dye is replaced by robust chromatophores from Rhodospirillum rubrum, together with Q and cytochrome c as electrolytes, provides band energies between consecutive interfaces that facilitate a unidirectional flow of electrons. Solar I–V testing revealed a relatively high Isc (short‐circuit current) of 25 μA cm−2 and the cell was capable of generating a current utilizing abundant near‐IR photons (maximum at ca 880 nm) with greater than eight‐fold higher energy conversion efficiency than white light. These studies represent a powerful demonstration of the photoexcitation properties of a biological system in a closed solid‐state device and its successful implementation in a functioning solar cell.
Biological Evaluation of Bioceramic Materials - A Review

The uses of bioceramics have been revolutionizing the biomedical field in deployment as implants for humans. Many implant materials made of ceramics have been used for the past three decades. In the search to improve the biocompatibility and mechanical strength of implant materials, attention has been directed towards the potential use of ceramic/ceramic composites. The ceramic-based biomaterials have been accepted after biological evaluation through several in vivo and in vitro tests. In this review an attempt has been made to elicit some of the in vivo and in vitro studies performed on bioceramics, ceramic/ceramic composites and their applications as implants.
Mitochondrial Pathology in Muscle of a Patient with a Novel Parkin Mutation

Mutations of the parkin gene on chromosome 6 cause early-onset parkinsonism. Myopathy has not been reported to be a feature of this condition. Here we report the muscle biopsy findings of a 53-year-old man with a novel parkin gene mutation (IVS-9-1 deletion). His symptoms were characterized by typical early-onset, dopa-responsive, and slowly progressive parkinsonism. Parkin gene analysis revealed a homozygous IVS-9-1 deletion in the proband and his sibling. The unusual feature was hypertrophy of bilateral thigh muscles in the proband. Muscle biopsy from the biceps brachii muscle showed abundant cytochrome oxidase (COX) (−) fibers. This is the first report on the coexistence of a myopathy with COX deficiency with parkin disease and may shed light on the function of parkin in muscle.
A Continuous LoA Compliant Trust Evaluation Method

The trust provided by authentication systems is commonly expressed with a Level of Assurance (LoA see 3). If it can be considered as a first process to simplify the expression of trust during the authentication step, it does not handle all the aspects of the authentication mechanism and especially it fails to integrate continuous authentication systems. In this paper, we propose a model based on the Dempster Shafer theory to merge continuous authentication system with more traditional static authentication scheme and to assign a continuous trust level to the current LoA. In addition, this method is proved to be compliant with the LoA frameworks.
Structural Insights into Cargo Recognition by the Yeast PTS1 Receptor*

Background: Peroxisomal proteins are recognized in the cytosol by the import receptor Pex5p. Results: Photo-cross-linking and mass spectrometry reveal the binding interface of Pex5p and its cargo protein Pcs60p. Conclusion: Pex5p-cargo interaction extends beyond signal sequence recognition and exhibits a bivalent binding mode. Significance: These data indicate a two-step concept of peroxisomal cargo recognition with initial tethering and subsequent lock-in. The peroxisomal matrix protein import is facilitated by cycling import receptors that shuttle between the cytosol and the peroxisomal membrane. The import receptor Pex5p mediates the import of proteins harboring a peroxisomal targeting signal of type I (PTS1). Purified recombinant Pex5p forms a dimeric complex with the PTS1-protein Pcs60p in vitro with a KD of 0.19 μm. To analyze the structural basis for receptor-cargo recognition, the PTS1 and adjacent amino acids of Pcs60p were systematically scanned for Pex5p binding by an in vitro site-directed photo-cross-linking approach. The cross-linked binding regions of the receptor were subsequently identified by high resolution mass spectrometry. Most cross-links were found with TPR6, TPR7, as well as the 7C-loop of Pex5p. Surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed a bivalent interaction mode for Pex5p and Pcs60p. Interestingly, Pcs60p lacking its C-terminal tripeptide sequence was efficiently cross-linked to the same regions of Pex5p. The KD value of the interaction of truncated Pcs60p and Pex5p was in the range of 7.7 μm. Isothermal titration calorimetry and surface plasmon resonance measurements revealed a monovalent binding mode for the interaction of Pex5p and Pcs60p lacking the PTS1. Our data indicate that Pcs60p contains a second contact site for its receptor Pex5p, beyond the C-terminal tripeptide. The physiological relevance of the ancillary binding region was supported by in vivo import studies. The bivalent binding mode might be explained by a two-step concept as follows: first, cargo recognition and initial tethering by the PTS1-receptor Pex5p; second, lock-in of receptor and cargo.