Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microstructure and finite element analysis of 3D five-directional braided composites

Microstructure of 3D five-directional braided composites determines its mechanical properties. Microscopic evidence of the microstructure reveals that the cross-sections of the axial yarn are variable along its central axial due to the lateral compression from the adjacent braiding yarns. On the basis of microscopic observations, a dense but non-intersecting geometry internal unit cell model of 3D five-directional braided composites is established. By using the unti-cell model, a 3D mesomechanical FEA is proposed to predict the effective elastic properties of 3D five-directional braided composites. Compared with existing model, present model is more effective to calculate the mechanical properties of 3D five-directional braided composites with more than 50% fiber volume fraction.
Toward parametric representation of speech for speaker recognition systems

The front-end used in many speaker recognition systems extracts, from the input speech signal, a set of coe(cid:14)cients based on a mel-cepstrum technique. This paper addresses the problem of e(cid:14)ciency of mel-cepstrum coe(cid:14)cients in a speaker recognition system and suggests a technique permitting an appropriate choice of these coe(cid:14)cients. It is shown, by the results obtained, that this technique can signi(cid:12)cantly increase the performance of a speaker recognition system.
The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore and Nitric Oxide Synthase Mediate Early Mitochondrial Depolarization in Astrocytes during Oxygen–Glucose Deprivation

Recent studies suggest that the degree of mitochondrial dysfunction in cerebral ischemia may be an important determinant of the final extent of tissue injury. Although loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ψm), one index of mitochondrial dysfunction, has been documented in neurons exposed to ischemic conditions, it is not yet known whether astrocytes, which are relatively resistant to ischemic injury, experience changes in ψm under similar conditions. To address this, we exposed cortical astrocytes cultured alone or with neurons to oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) and monitored ψm using tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester. Both neurons and astrocytes exhibited profound loss of ψm after 45–60 min of OGD. However, although this exposure is lethal to nearly all neurons, it is hours less than that needed to kill astrocytes. Astrocyte ψmwas rescued during OGD by cyclosporin A, a permeability transition pore blocker, and GN-nitro-arginine, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in astrocytes was not accompanied by depolarization of the plasma membrane. Recovery of astrocyte ψmafter reintroduction of O2 and glucose occurred over a surprisingly long period (>1 hr), suggesting that OGD caused specific, reversible changes in astrocyte mitochondrial physiology beyond the simple lack of O2 and glucose. Decreased ψm was associated with a cyclosporin A-sensitive loss of cytochrome c but not with activation of caspase-3 or caspase-9. Our data suggest that astrocyte mitochondrial depolarization could be a previously unrecognized event early in ischemia and that strategies that target the mitochondrial component of ischemic injury may benefit astrocytes as well as neurons.
Cell Signaling : Proteins , Pathways and Mechanisms Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase as a target of sFRP 2 in cardiac fibroblasts

Martin S, Lin H, Ejimadu C, Lee T. Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase as a target of sFRP2 in cardiac fibroblasts. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 309: C139–C147, 2015. First published May 13, 2015; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00009. 2015. —Recent studies of myocardial infarction in secreted Frizzled-related protein 2 (sFRP2) knockout mice and our hamster heart failure therapy based on sFRP2 blockade have established sFRP2 as a key profibrotic cytokine in the heart. The failing hamster heart is marked by prominent fibrosis and calcification with elevated expression of sFRP2. Noting the involvement of tissuenonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) in bone mineralization and vascular calcification, we determined whether sFRP2 might be an upstream regulator of TNAP. Biochemical assays revealed an approximately twofold increase in the activity of TNAP and elevated levels of inorganic phosphate (Pi) in the failing heart compared with the normal heart. Neither was this change detected in the liver or hamstring muscle nor was it associated with systemic hyperphosphatemia. TNAP was readily cloned from the hamster heart and upon overexpression increased the level of extracellular but not intracellular Pi, which is consistent with the cell surface location of the ectoenzyme. In line with the previous demonstration that sFRP2 blockade attenuated fibrosis, we show here that the therapy downregulated TNAP. This in vivo finding is corroborated by the in vitro study showing that cultured cardiac fibroblasts treated with recombinant sFRP2 protein exhibited progressive increase in the expression and activity of TNAP, which was completely abrogated by cycloheximide or tunicamycin. Induction of TNAP by sFRP2 is restricted to cardiac fibroblasts among the multiple cell types examined, and was not observed with sFRP4. The current work indicates that sFRP2 may promote cardiac fibrocalcification through coordinate activation of tolloid-like metalloproteinases and TNAP.
Stem cell generation and choice of fate: role of cytokines and cellular microenvironment

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have provided a model for the isolation, enrichment and transplantation of stem cells. Gene targeting studies in mice have shown that expression of the thrombopoietin receptor (TpoR) is linked to the accumulation of HSCs capable to generate long‐term blood repopulation when injected into irradiated mice. The powerful increase in vivo in HSC numbers by retrovirally transduced HOX4B, a homeotic gene, along with the role of the TpoR, suggested that stem cell fate, renewal, differentiation and number can be controlled. The discovery of the precise region of the mouse embryo where HSCs originate and the isolation of supporting stromal cell lines open the possibility of identifying the precise signals required for HSC choice of fate. The completion of human genome sequencing coupled with advances in gene expression profiling using DNA microarrays will enable the identification of key genes deciding the fate of stem cells. Downstream from HSCs, multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cells appear to co‐express a multiplicity of genes characteristic of different blood lineages. Genomic approaches will permit the identification of the select group of genes consolidated by the commitment of these multipotent progenitors towards one or the other of the blood lineages. Studies with neural stem cells pointed to the unexpected plastic nature of these cells. Isolation of stem cells from multiple tissues may suggest that, providing the appropriate environment/signal, tissues could be regenerated in the laboratory and used for transplantation. A spectacular example of influence of the environment on cell fate was revealed decades ago by using mouse embryonic stem cells (ES). Injected into blastocysts, ES cells contribute to the formation of all adult tissues. Injected into adult mice, ES cells become cancer cells. After multiple passages as ascites, when injected back into the blastocyst environment, ES‐ derived cancer cells behaved again as ES cells. More recently, the successful cloning of mammals and reprogramming of transferred nuclei by factors in the cytoplasm of oocytes turned back the clock by showing that differentiated nuclei can be “re‐booted” to generate again the stem cells for different tissues.
Evaluating Environmental Barrier Coatings on Ceramic Matrix Composites After Engine and Laboratory Exposures

SiC/SiC continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composite (CFCC) combustor liners having protective environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) applied to the liner working surfaces have been field-tested in a Solar Turbines’ Centaur 50S SoLoNOx engine at the Chevron, Bakersfield, CA engine test site. This latest engine test ran for a total of 13,937h. The EBCs significantly increased the lifetime of the in-service liners compared with uncoated CFCC liners used in previous field-tests. The engine test was concluded when a routine borescope inspection revealed the formation of a small hole in the inner liner. Extensive microstructural evaluation of both the inner and outer liners was conducted after removal from the engine. Post-test analysis indicated that numerous degradation mechanisms contributed to the EBC and CFCC damage observed on the liners, including EBC volatilization, sub-surface CFCC oxidation and recession, and processing defects which resulted in localized EBC spallation and accelerated CFCC oxidation. The characterization results obtained from these field-tested liners have been compared with the analyses of similarly-processed CFCC/EBCs that were laboratory-tested in a high-pressure, high temperature exposure facility (the ORNL “Keiser Rig”) for >6000h.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Graph index based query-by-example search on a large speech data set

This paper presents a neighborhood graph index approach for query-by-example search using dynamic time warping (DTW) on Gaussian mixture model (GMM) posteriorgram sequences. The approach is intended to achieve a significant speed-up of a spoken term detection (STD) task for resource-limited situations. The proposed method employs a degree-reduced k-nearest neighbor (k-DR) graph as an index. A set of k-DR graphs is pre-constructed off-line from a large number of GMM posteriorgram sequences. Given a query posteriorgram sequence, one k-DR graph is selected from the set as the index. By applying a newly introduced combination of greedy-search (GS) and breadth-first search (BFS) algorithms to the selected k-DR graph index, the proposed method efficiently achieves query-by-example STD. Experimental results on the MIT lecture corpus demonstrate that the proposed method works much faster than a state-of-art method by more than one order magnitude, keeping almost the same precision.
The src oncogene can regulate a human glucose transporter expressed in chicken embryo fibroblasts

When fibroblasts are transformed by the src oncogene, there is a two- to fivefold increase in glucose transport and in the level of immunoprecipitable glucose transporter protein. In chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs), this increase is correlated with a comparable reduction in the rate at which the glucose transporter protein is turned over. In contrast, in mammalian fibroblasts glucose transporter biosynthesis is increased by src, but there is little or no change in its turnover. To further understand the action of src on transporter turnover, we investigated whether a mammalian transporter can be stabilized by src in a chicken cell environment. The human type 1 glucose transporter protein (hGT), originally cloned from HepG2 cells, was expressed in CEFs or Rat-1 fibroblasts by using a retroviral vector. In CEFs transformed by a temperature-sensitive src mutant, tsNY68, turnover of hGT was lower at the permissive temperature (36 degrees C) than at the nonpermissive temperature (42 degrees C). When this protein was expressed in CEFs transformed by wild-type src, no difference in turnover was observed at the two temperatures. In the case of Rat-1 cells transformed by the temperature-sensitive src mutant tsLA29, turnover of hGT was the same at the permissive temperature (35 degrees C) as at the nonpermissive temperature (39.5 degrees C). These data demonstrate that a heterologous glucose transporter behaves in the same way in chicken and rat cells as the respective endogenous transporter, i.e., when src is active, the protein is stablilized against turnover in chicken cells but not in rat cells.
FXR activation reverses insulin resistance and lipid abnormalities and protects against liver steatosis in Zucker (fa/fa) obese rats[S]

The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a bile acid activated nuclear receptor. Zucker (fa/fa) rats, harboring a loss of function mutation of the leptin receptor, develop diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, and liver steatosis. In this study, we investigated the effect of FXR activation by 6-ethyl-chenodeoxycholic acid, (6E-CDCA, 10 mg/kg) on insulin resistance and liver and muscle lipid metabolism in fa/fa rats and compared its activity with rosiglitazone (10 mg/kg) alone or in combination with 6E-CDCA (5 mg/kg each). In comparison to lean (fa/+), fa/fa rats on a normal diet developed insulin resistance and liver steatosis. FXR activation protected against body weight gain and liver and muscle fat deposition and reversed insulin resistance as assessed by insulin responsive substrate-1 phosphorylation on serine 312 in liver and muscles. Activation of FXR reduced liver expression of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, lipogenesis, and gluconeogenesis. In the muscles, FXR treatment reduced free fatty acid synthesis. Rosiglitazone reduced blood insulin, glucose, triglyceride, free fatty acid, and cholesterol plasma levels but promoted body weight gain (20%) and liver fat deposition. FXR activation reduced high density lipoprotein plasma levels. In summary, FXR administration reversed insulin resistance and correct lipid metabolism abnormalities in an obesity animal model.
Social learning and human mate preferences: a potential mechanism for generating and maintaining between-population diversity in attraction

Inspired by studies demonstrating mate-choice copying effects in non-human species, recent studies of attractiveness judgements suggest that social learning also influences human preferences. In the first part of our article, we review evidence for social learning effects on preferences in humans and other animals. In the second part, we present new empirical evidence that social learning not only influences the attractiveness of specific individuals, but can also generalize to judgements of previously unseen individuals possessing similar physical traits. The different conditions represent different populations and, once a preference arises in a population, social learning can lead to the spread of preferences within that population. In the final part of our article, we discuss the theoretical basis for, and possible impact of, biases in social learning whereby individuals may preferentially copy the choices of those with high status or better access to critical information about potential mates. Such biases could mean that the choices of a select few individuals carry the greatest weight, rapidly generating agreement in preferences within a population. Collectively, these issues suggest that social learning mechanisms encourage the spread of preferences for certain traits once they arise within a population and so may explain certain cross-cultural differences.
User Study for Generating Personalized Summary Profiles

The need for personalized summaries of media content has been driven by the recent and anticipated explosive growth in the media world. In this paper, we present a methodology and a supporting user study for generating user profiles and content features that can be used to automatically create personalized summaries of broadcast television content. We determined a mapping, from users' personality traits measured by commonly available personality tests, to computable video features that such personality traits appear to prefer. Three common personality profiles (Myers-Briggs, Merrill Reed, and Brain.exe) were elicited from 59 subjects, together with their preferred summary of news, music, and talk show videos. A factor analysis between the personality traits and the features in preferred summaries indicated that only some traits (e.g., gender, extroversion, control orientation, intuitiveness, etc.) and only some features (e.g., faces, reportage, text, chorus, host, etc.) had predictive value. The mapping of personality to feature also differed by genre. However, in general, extroverted users tended to prefer directly experienced content, while introverted users preferred content mediated through analysis. A validation user study is in progress
Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy of Breast Carcinoma Is Associated with the Disappearance of Tumor-Infiltrating Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells

Purpose: T-cell infiltration is associated with good tumor prognosis in many cancers. To assess the capacity of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to affect T-cell infiltration in breast cancer, we evaluated CD3 and CD8 infiltrates, and the Foxp3 immunosuppressive T cells. Experimental Design: CD3+, CD8+, and Foxp3+ cell infiltrates were detected by immunohistochemistry in a series of 56 breast cancer patients before and after the end of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Results: Poor prognostic factors (negative hormonal receptors, high tumor grade, and nodal involvement) were associated with a significantly higher number of CD3, CD8, and Foxp3 infiltrates before the beginning of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy resulted in a decrease in Foxp3 infiltrates, whereas the level of CD8 and CD3 infiltrates remained unchanged. Pathologic complete responses (pCR) had a drastic decrease of Foxp3+ cells, whereas these cells remained elevated in nonresponders. A cutoff criterion that combined high CD8 infiltration and no Foxp3 cell infiltration on surgical specimens is associated with pCR with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 93%. The infiltrate of cytotoxic TiA1 and granzyme B–positive cells was dramatically enhanced after chemotherapy only in patients with pCR. By multivariate analysis, association of a high CD8 infiltration and no Foxp3 infiltration on final histologic specimens were independently associated with pCR. Conclusion: These findings indicate that pCR to neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with an immunologic profile combining the absence of immunosuppressive Foxp3 cells and the presence of a high number of CD8 T cells and cytotoxic cells. These results argue for the induction of an antitumor immune response by chemotherapy.
How well do response changes of striate neurons signal differences in orientation: a study in the discriminating monkey

Just-noticeable differences (JNDs) in orientation were measured in 2 monkeys using a temporal same-different task, with stationary rectangular gratings as stimuli, and compared to those of humans tested in the same setup. The JNDs of one monkey (1.5 degree) were similar to those of humans; those of the other monkey were larger (5.8 degrees). We recorded from V1 neurons in these monkeys while they were performing the orientation discrimination with the same stimuli and under the same conditions as used in the behavioral testing. In order to determine how small a difference in orientation the V1 neurons can, in these conditions, signal reliably by small changes in firing rate, we performed 2 different receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. One ROC analysis was performed on the number of spikes evoked by the first of the 2 stimulus presentations as a function of the orientation of this stimulus. Neural JNDs derived from the neurometric curve were obtained in this way for 50 cells. In the second ROC analysis, the difference in the number of spikes evoked by the 2 stimuli presented in succession during 1 trial was analyzed as a function of orientation difference between the 2 stimuli. Neural JNDs were obtained by this procedure for 21 cells. These 2 complementary ROC analyses yielded very similar results. Also, the results were similar for the 2 monkeys. A minor fraction of V1 cells can reliably signal difference in orientation as small as 2.5 degrees, but none could signal differences smaller than 2 degrees. Our results also showed that the neural JND obtained by the ROC analysis depends on the duration of the interval during which spikes are counted. In these experiments, this duration could be chosen rather precisely, because the reaction times of the 2 monkeys were measured. Also, our results showed that the neural JND depends on the point of the tuning curve at which the measurement is made and is smallest when this is done on the steepest part of the tuning curve. Finally, our results show that the discriminative capacity of V1 neurons does not depend so much on each of the tuning characteristics--bandwidth, response strength, and variability--as on the combination of these factors.
How capable is non-invasive EEG data of predicting the next movement? A mini review

In this study we summarize the features that characterize the pre-movements and pre-motor imageries (before imagining the movement) electroencephalography (EEG) data in humans from both Neuroscientists' and Engineers' point of view. We demonstrate what the brain status is before a voluntary movement and how it has been used in practical applications such as brain computer interfaces (BCIs). Usually, in BCI applications, the focus of study is on the after-movement or motor imagery potentials. However, this study shows that it is possible to develop BCIs based on the before-movement or motor imagery potentials such as the Bereitschaftspotential (BP). Using the pre-movement or pre-motor imagery potentials, we can correctly predict the onset of the upcoming movement, its direction and even the limb that is engaged in the performance. This information can help in designing a more efficient rehabilitation tool as well as BCIs with a shorter response time which appear more natural to the users.
The Role of Financial Variables in Predicting Economic Activity in the Euro Area

The U.S. business cycle typically leads the European cycle by a few quarters and this can be used to forecast euro area GDP. We investigate whether financial variables carry additional information. We use vector autoregressions (VARs) which include the U.S. and the euro area GDPs as a minimal set of variables as well as growth in the Rest of the World (an aggregation of seven small countries) and selected combinations of financial variables. Impulse responses (in-sample) show that shocks to financial variables influence real activity. However, according to out-of-sample forecast exercises using the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) metric, this macro-financial linkage would be weak: financial indicators do not improve short and medium term forecasts of real activity in the euro area, even when their timely availability, relative to GDP, is exploited. This result is partly due to the 'average' nature of the RMSE metric: when forecasting ability is assessed as if in real time (conditionally on the information available at the time of the forecast), we find that models using financial variables would have been preferred, ex ante, in several episodes, in particular between 1999 and 2002. This result suggests that one should not discard, on the basis of RMSE statistics, the use of predictive models that include financial variables if there is a theoretical prior that a financial shock is affecting growth.