Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative analysis of glioma cell invasion by confocal laser scanning microscopy in a novel brain slice model.

To quantitatively analyze the spatial extent of glioma cell migration in an organotypic brain slice culture, we developed a new invasion model with the aid of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). CLSM allowed not only for three-dimensional visualization of the invasive pattern of human T98G glioma cells in the living brain slice but also for serial analysis of the invasive process over several weeks. Twenty-four hours after the T98G glioma spheroid was initiated to coculture with a brain slice, the glioma cells detached themselves from the spheroid and spontaneously continued to migrate on the surface of the brain slice, while they diffusely invaded into the slice by migrating to a deeper site. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that these migrating glioma cells much more strongly immunostained for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 than the tumor spheroid which remained at the implanted site. Treatment of the T98G glioma spheroid with 1,10-phenanthroline, a specific inhibitor of MMPs, significantly inhibited not only the cell migration on the surface of the brain slice but also the invasion of the glioma cells into the slice. The present version of the glioma invasion model using CLSM makes it possible to spatially and serially analyze the extent of glioma cell invasion in the living brain slice for several weeks, making it a very useful tool for investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of glioma invasion under conditions most analogous to those of normal brains in vivo.
The APOE ε4 allele in relation to brain white-matter microstructure in adulthood and aging.

The Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 allele is a major genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease and has been associated with structural and functional brain alterations across the adult life span. Recent studies have presented evidence that ε4 affects microstructural properties of brain white matter (WM) in non-demented carriers of the ε4 allele, but conflicting evidence has been presented as well. The main purpose of the present study was therefore to examine ApoE effects on WM in a large sample of middle-aged and older adults (N = 273). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data was acquired, and tract-based as well as voxel-wise analyses were conducted. The tract-based analyses revealed no significant ApoE effects, and no significant interactions between genotype and age were observed. Taken together, the findings of the present study suggest that ApoE effects on white-matter microstructure are less abundant than has been suggested in some previous studies.
Speculators Positions and Exchange Rate Forecasts : Beating Random Walk Models

Speculatorspositions in futures markets contain useful information to forecast exchange rates. We extract such information by tting a microfounded regime switching model, and forecast whether speculators will be increasing or decreasing their positions. We use this predicted state to form both directional and point exchange rate forecasts for the six most traded currency pairs. Over forecasting horizons from 6 to 12 months, our directional forecasts have a 58 percent average success ratio and most of our point forecasts are more accurate than those implied by the random walk models. Forecasting evaluation tests show that our empirical ndings are signi cant. We thank Graham Elliott, Olivier Gossner, Pierre Olivier Gourinchas, Jin Hahn, Rosa Matskin, Romain Ranciere, Martin Schneider, Allan Timmermann, and Pierre Olivier Weil for helpful comments. yDepartment of Economics, UCLA, Mail Stop: 147703, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Email: econoky@ucla.edu. zDepartment of Economics, UCLA, 8379 Bunche Hall, Mail Stop: 147703, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Email: zhipeng.liao@econ.ucla.edu. xDepartment of Economics, UC Los Angeles, 8283 Bunche Hall, Mail Stop: 147703, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Email: tornell@ucla.edu.
Myoelectric prosthetic hand with exteriority and functionality

The authors have previously developed the myoelectric prosthetic hand that has thumb opposition and passive extension/flexion mechanism based on the prosthetic hand users and medical experts. In this paper, introduces the prosthetic hand that has a human-like appearance and further weight reduction and the newly developed artificial skin. The experimental results of hand control measured by surface electromyogram are also presented.
A New Sensorless Speed Control Scheme for Doubly Fed Reluctance Generators

This paper presents the development and experimental validation of a novel angular velocity observer-based field-oriented control algorithm for a promising low-cost brushless doubly fed reluctance generator (BDFRG) in wind power applications. The BDFRG has been receiving increasing attention because of the use of partially rated power electronics, the high reliability of brushless design, and competitive performance to its popular slip-ring counterpart, the doubly fed induction generator. The controller viability has been demonstrated on a BDFRG laboratory test facility for emulation of variable speed and loading conditions of wind turbines or pump drives.
Macroporous silicon as an interdigitated electrode-less platform for impedance based bacteria detection

In this paper, an interdigitated electrode-less, high performance macroporous silicon based impedance biosensor has been reported for the detection of bacteria mainly E.Coli O157 and Salmonella Typhimurium. Macroporous silicon of three different pore thickness and 55% porosity have been fabricated on a 10–20 Ω-cm wafer using electrochemical etching. The samples are then thermally oxidized for partial oxidation of silicon crystallites followed by optimized silanization and antibody immobilization. Two simple gold coated aluminium electrodes of 2 mm by 1 mm dimensions and 1mm spacing have been fabricated. It has been observed that the macroporous silicon with 8µm thickness exhibits the maximum sensitivity of 30% corresponding to 104 CFU/ml of E.Coli O157 which is two times more than the sensitivity obtained with other thickness of macroporous silicon for Salmonella Typhimurium. The optimized sensor is also improved compared to most of the other reports using IDE structures. The optimized sensor has been found to be reproducible, specific and capable of detecting down to 103 CFU/ml with a simple structure.
Community Characteristics Affecting Emergency Department Use by Medicaid Enrollees

Objectives:In seeking to identify modifiable, system-level factors affecting emergency department (ED) use, we used a statewide Medicaid database to study community variation in ED use and ascertain community characteristics associated with higher use. Methods:This historical cohort study used administrative data from July 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004. Residence ZIP codes were used to assign all 555,219 Medicaid enrollees to 130 primary care service areas (PCSAs). PCSA characteristics studied included rural/urban status, presence of hospital(s), driving time to hospital, and several measures of primary care capacity. Statistical analyses used a 2-stage model. In the first stage (enrollee level), ED utilization rates adjusted for enrollee demographics and medical conditions were calculated for each PCSA. In the second stage (community level), a mixed effects linear model was used to determine the association between PCSA characteristics and ED use. Results:ED utilization rates varied more than 20-fold among the PCSAs. Compared with PCSAs with primary care capacity less than need, PCSAs with capacity 1 to 2 times the need had 0.12 (95% CI: −0.044, −0.20) fewer ED visits/person/yr. Compared with PCSAs with the nearest hospital accessible within 10 minutes, PCSAs with the nearest hospital >30 minutes’ drive had 0.26 (95% CI: −0.38, −0.13) fewer ED visits/person/yr. Conclusions:Within this Medicaid population, ED utilization was determined not only by patient characteristics but by community characteristics. Better understanding of system-level factors affecting ED use can enable communities to improve their health care delivery systems–augmenting access to care and reducing reliance on EDs.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for Chediak–Higashi syndrome

The clinical outcome of allogeneic HSCT was retrospectively analyzed in eight patients with CHS. In total, six of these eight patients are alive. Four of five patients transplanted with MAC achieved prompt engraftment, and three of the four patients, including two patients with AP before transplant, are alive without disease. In contrast, three patients transplanted with RIC without active AP disease achieved prompt engraftment and survive long term. RIC‐HSCT might be an alternative treatment for CHS similar to other types of HLH, at least for patients without active AP disease.
Tri-band spectroscopic optical coherence tomography based on optical parametric amplification for lipid and vessel visualization

Abstract. A tri-band spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (SOCT) system has been implemented for visualization of lipid and blood vessel distribution. The tri-band swept source, which covers output spectrum in 1.3, 1.5, and 1.6 μm wavelength windows, is based on a dual-band Fourier domain mode-locked laser and a fiber optical parametric amplifier. This tri-band SOCT can further differentiate materials, e.g., lipid and artery, qualitatively by contrasting attenuation coefficients difference within any two of these bands. Furthermore, ex vivo imaging of both porcine artery with artificial lipid plaque phantom and mice with coronary artery disease were demonstrated to showcase the capability of our SOCT.
Filteryedping: A Dwell-Free Eye Typing Technique

The ability to type using eye gaze only is extremely important for individuals with a severe motor disability. To eye type, the user currently must sequentially gaze at letters in a virtual keyboard and dwell on each desired letter for a specific amount of time to input that key. Dwell-based eye typing has two possible drawbacks: unwanted input if the dwell threshold is too short or slow typing rates if the threshold is long. We demonstrate an eye typing technique, which does not require the user to dwell on the letters that she wants to input. Our method automatically filters out unwanted letters from the sequence of letters gazed at while typing a word. It ranks candidate words based on their length and frequency and presents them to the user for confirmation. Spell correction and support for typing words not in the corpus are also included.
Taxes on the Internet: Deterrence Effects of Public Disclosure

Supporters of public disclosure of personal tax information point to its deterrent effect on tax evasion, but this effect has not been empirically explored. Although Norway has a long tradition of public disclosure of tax filings, it took a new direction in 2001 when anyone with access to the Internet could obtain individual information on income, wealth, and income and wealth taxes paid. We exploit this change in the degree of exposure to identify the effects of public disclosure on income reporting. Identification of the deterrence effects of public disclosure is facilitated by the fact that, prior to the shift to the Internet in 2001, some municipalities had exposure which was close to the Internet type of public disclosure, as tax information was distributed widely through paper catalogues that were locally produced and disseminated. We observe income changes that are consistent with public disclosure deterring tax evasion: an approximately 3 percent average increase in reported income is found among business owners living in areas where the switch to Internet disclosure represented a large change in access.
Fuzzy systems to solve inverse kinematics problem in robots control: application to an hexapod robots' leg

The complexity of walking robots poses a number of control problems due to the large number of degrees of freedom involved in the robot's motion. This work deals with the design of a hexapod robot, whose legs have 3 rotative joints and the same configuration. The kinematics analysis of one leg is presented and used to generate data for black box identification using fuzzy systems and neural networks: the direct kinematics is used to generate the training data and the inverse kinematics is used to generate the testing data. Two fuzzy systems and a neural network are used as general black box methods to solve the inverse kinematics problem in robots' leg control. Results have shown that reasonable precision can be achieved with low computational cost.
Comparative evaluation of harmonic compensation capability of active power filter with conventional and Bacterial foraging based control

Optimizing the performance of power system networks using conventional methods is quite difficult because of the complex nature of systems that are highly non-linear and non-stationary. In this paper, it is proposed to implement Bacterial foraging (BF) optimization to the conventional shunt active power filter (APF). A comparative analysis of the APF performance is carried out for BF based and conventional approach under unbalanced supply voltage. The instantaneous active and reactive current components (id−iq) method of reference compensation current generation; having greater sensitivity to harmonics and unbalances has been utilized here. Extensive MATLAB simulations are carried out and results demonstrate that the APF with proposed implementation of BF algorithm outperforms the conventional APF in terms of both convergence rate and current harmonic compensation.
An update on the status of anatomical sciences education in United States medical schools

Curricular changes continue at United States medical schools and directors of gross anatomy, microscopic anatomy, neuroscience/neuroanatomy, and embryology courses continue to adjust and modify their offerings. Developing and supplying data related to current trends in anatomical sciences education is important if informed decisions are going to be made in a time of curricular and course revision. Thus, a survey was sent to course directors during the 2012–2013 academic years to gather information on total course hours, lecture and laboratory hours, the type of laboratory experiences, testing and competency evaluation, and the type of curricular approach used at their institution. The data gathered were compared to information obtained from previous surveys and conclusions reached were that only small or no change was observed in total course, lecture and laboratory hours in all four courses; more gross anatomy courses were part of an integrated curriculum since the previous survey; virtual microscopy with and without microscopes was the primary laboratory activity in microscopic anatomy courses; and neuroscience/neuroanatomy and embryology courses were unchanged. Anat Sci Educ 7: 321–325. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.
Sequencing of hepatitis C virus for detection of resistance to direct‐acting antiviral therapy: A systematic review

The significance of the clinical impact of direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) resistance‐associated substitutions (RASs) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) on treatment failure is unclear. No standardized methods or guidelines for detection of DAA RASs in HCV exist. To facilitate further evaluations of the impact of DAA RASs in HCV, we conducted a systematic review of RAS sequencing protocols, compiled a comprehensive public library of sequencing primers, and provided expert guidance on the most appropriate methods to screen and identify RASs. The development of standardized RAS sequencing protocols is complicated due to a high genetic variability and the need for genotype‐ and subtype‐specific protocols for multiple regions. We have identified several limitations of the available methods and have highlighted areas requiring further research and development. The development, validation, and sharing of standardized methods for all genotypes and subtypes should be a priority. (Hepatology Communications 2017;1:379–390)
Life-cycle savings and public policy : a cross-national study of six countries

A. Boersch-Supan, Introduction A. Brugiavaini and G. Weber, Household Saving: Concepts and Measurement A. Boersch-Supan, A. Reil-Held, and R. Schnabel, Household Saving in Germany A. Brugiavaini and M. Padula, Household Saving Behavior and Pension Policies in Italy Y. Kitamura, N. Takayama, and F. Arita, Household Savings and Wealth Distribution in Japan R. Alessi and A. Kapteyn,Savings and Pensions in the Netherlands J. Banks and S. Rohwedder, Pensions and Life Cycle Savings Profiles in the U.K. O.P. Attanasio and M. Paiella, Household Saving Behavior and Pension Policies in the U.S.
Comparative Molluscicidal Activities of Methanolic and Crude Extracts of Jatropha curcas Leaves against Biomphalaria pfeifferi

The bioassay of the molluscicidal Activities of J. curcas leaves against Biomphalaria pfeifferi was investigated in vitro, using Crude and 70% methanolic extracts in a twophased rapid and final screening test. The rapid screening of the crude extracts, for the minimal molluscicidal concentration (LC100), of the snails was less active (>500ppm), compared to the methanolic extracts (<500ppm). The final screening, revealed an LC50 and LC100 values of 6 and 30ppm respectively. Further investigation based on exposure, revealed a mortality within 12 hours, which meets WHO standard of less than 24 hours for a potential molluscicide. These results confirmed that J. curcas leaves can be regarded as a potential molluscicide for the control of schistosomiasis and therefore encourage the cultivation of this plant in endemic regions.
Booster biocides and microfouling

Antifouling (AF) paints are used to prevent the attachment of living organisms to the submerged surfaces of ships, boats and aquatic structures, usually by the release of biocides. Apart from copper, organic booster biocides are the main active components in AF paints, but their use can have a negative impact on the marine environment. The direct effects of biocides on marine bacteria are poorly known. This work investigates the impact of two biocides, viz. diuron and tolylfluanid, on the growth and the viability of marine microorganisms and on their ability to form biofilms. The biocides in solution were found to inhibit growth of two strains of marine bacteria, viz. Pseudoalteromonas and Vibrio vulnificus, at a high concentration (1000 μg ml−1), but only a small effect on viability was observed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed that the booster biocides decreased biofilm formation by both bacteria. At a concentration of 10 μg ml−1, the biocides inhibited cell attachment and reduced biofilm thickness on glass surfaces. The percentage of live cells in the biofilms was also reduced. The effect of the biocides on two diatoms, Fragilaria pinnata and Cylindrotheca closterium, was also evaluated in terms of growth rate, biomass, chlorophyll a content and attachment to glass. The results demonstrate that diuron and tolylfluanid are more active against diatoms than bacteria.
Electromagnetic media in FDTD-PIC

Simulation and modelling using FDTD-PIC techniques requires the treatment and utilization of various electromagnetic media properties to provide high fidelity results. The various techniques available have practical limitations when employed in problems that include the modeling of ambient plasmas. The authors discuss some of the techniques and issues that must be overcome in obtaining robust simulations suitable for design and demonstration of useful physical principles.
Immune Function Abnormalities in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Cytokine Expression Differentiates Stages of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma/Mycosis Fungoides

Purpose: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) characterized by neoplastic skin-homing T cells. To better understand the immunopathogenesis of MF, we analyzed the functional ability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from early and late MF/CTCL patients to express cytokine genes. In late stage MF/CTCL, patients were separated into those with blood involvement (+B) and without blood involvement (−B). Experimental Design: We analyzed TH1 (interleukin 2 (IL-2), IFN-γ), TH2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13), and TH17 (IL-17) cytokine gene expression from activated PBMCs from normal (n = 12), psoriasis (n = 6), early MF/CTCL (n = 11), and late MF/CTCL+B (n = 4) and MF/CTCL−B (n = 3) by quantitative real-time PCR. Results: PBMCs from early MF/CTCL and psoriasis showed higher induction of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ genes than those from normal and late MF/CTCL−B and MF/CTCL+B (P < 0.05) in descending order. PBMCs from late MF/CTCL−B exhibited generally the highest level of IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, and IL-17 expression compared with the other groups. PBMCs from early MF/CTCL and late MF/CTCL−B had similarly elevated IL-13 and IL-17. Of all groups, PBMCs from late MF/CTCL+B had the lowest levels of IL-2 (P < 0.05), IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-13, and IL-17. Conclusions: The different pattern of cytokine gene expression suggests a change in immune function in MF/CTCL from early MF/CTCL to late MF/CTCL−B to late MF/CTCL+B. These stages are consistent with localized disease associated with an anti-tumor immune response and late MF/CTCL associated with a loss of immune function mediated by malignant T cells that share regulatory T cell–like properties.
Mediastinoscopy-assisted Transhiatal Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer: A Single-Institutional Cohort Study

We compared the therapeutic outcomes of mediastinoscopy-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy (MATHE) with transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE), and with video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy (VATS-E) for the treatment of esophageal cancer. Twenty patients underwent MATHE in our institute from 2001 to 2005 were enrolled. We evaluated the therapeutic outcomes, including perioperative complications and long-term prognosis after surgery, and compared these with 15 patients who underwent TTE during the same time period and 15 who underwent VATS-E at a later date. MATHE was performed safely and the long-term prognosis were satisfactory compared with TTE. However, the number of dissected mediastinal lymph nodes, total blood loss, and sophistication of the procedure were inferior to VATS-E. MATHE represents a less invasive surgical procedure. However, in light of the risk of leaving lymph node metastasis around the tracheal bifurcation in patients with tumor invasion beyond the muscularis mucosa, MATHE should only be adopted in a minority of patients.
Design criteria for developing an automated live-bird transfer system

Presents the design criteria for developing machines to automate the process of transferring live birds from a moving conveyor onto a processing line without causing damage or stress. The process includes inserting both legs of the bird into a shackle, flipping and hanging it for subsequent processing. Specifically, the paper illustrates the operating principles of the transfer system and describes the method for manipulating the leg kinematics for shackling. Unlike the traditional articulated robotic arm where the actuations are applied directly through the joint angles, the legs of a live object can only be manipulated indirectly. In addition, natural objects are typically characterized bp varying sizes and shapes in batch processing and their natural reflexes (or voluntarily motion) contribute to the overall dynamics. The design criteria have been verified experimentally with live broilers (meat chickens) in a realistic environment. It is expected that the analytical model presented would provide an essential basis for the design, analysis and control of the transfer mechanism.