Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrospinning in a controlled gaseous environment

Apparatus and method for producing fibrous materials in which the apparatus includes an extrusion element configured to electrospin a substance from which the fibers are to be composed by an electric field extraction of the substance from a tip of the extrusion element, a collector disposed from the extrusion element and configured to collect the fibers, a chamber enclosing the collector and the extrusion element, and a control mechanism configured to control a gaseous environment in which the fibers are to be electrospun. The method includes providing a substance from which the fibers are to be composed to a tip of an extrusion element, applying an electric field to the extrusion element in a direction of the tip, controlling a gaseous environment about where the fibers are to be electrospun, and electrospinnin the substance from the tip of the extrusion element by an electric field extraction of the substance from the tip into the controlled gaseous environment. ® KIPO & WIPO 2007
Cognitively adequate topological robot localization and mapping

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is a fundamental problem in the field of robotics which concerns mapping an environment or space while simultaneously localizing within this map. Given that one of the major goals of robotics is to perform tasks commonly performed by humans, we argue that SLAM methods should be cognitively adequate; that is, they should model the same properties of a space as the human cognition models. Topological properties are considered the most fundamental of those modelled by the human cognition. Therefore in order to achieve cognitive adequacy such properties must be modelled explicitly. Research in the domain of spatial cognition has demonstrated that the topological properties modelled by the human cognition can be quantified using the Egenhofer Nine-Intersection Model (9-IM). In this work we propose a conceptual SLAM method which models the same properties as the 9-IM. Relative to existing topological SLAM methods, which model a single topological property of connectivity between locations, this method achieves a stronger degree of cognitive adequacy.
The non-receptor tyrosine kinase TNK2/ACK1 is a novel therapeutic target in triple negative breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide. About 15-20% of all breast cancers do not express estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor or HER2 receptor and hence are collectively classified as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). These tumors are often relatively aggressive when compared to other types of breast cancer, and this issue is compounded by the lack of effective targeted therapy. In our previous phosphoproteomic profiling effort, we identified the non-receptor tyrosine kinase TNK2 as activated in a majority of aggressive TNBC cell lines. In the current study, we show that high expression of TNK2 in breast cancer cell lines correlates with high proliferation, invasion and colony forming ability. We demonstrate that knockdown of TNK2 expression can substantially suppress the invasiveness and proliferation advantage of TNBC cells in vitro and tumor formation in xenograft mouse models. Moreover, inhibition of TNK2 with small molecule inhibitor (R)-9bMS significantly compromised TNBC proliferation. Finally, we find that high levels of TNK2 expression in high-grade basal-like breast cancers correlates significantly with poorer patient outcome. Taken together, our study suggests that TNK2 is a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of TNBC.
Learning observer agents

Intelligent software agents are becoming essential part of collaborative virtual environments. In these environments, there is a need of agents that have the ability to learn user actions and predict future actions. Collaborative virtual workspace (CVW) is a collaborative virtual environment where agents can be created and perform important tasks for the user. Several agents have been created in CVW for specific tasks. These agents although can perform important tasks for the user, they lack the ability to learn and predict user actions. This paper presents a learning observer agent that is able to monitor the user's actions with learning capability using genetic algorithm (GA). To demonstrate the feasibility of this agent, it is implemented and demonstrated in FCVW. FCVW is our extension of CVW.
The role of visual representations in the learning and teaching of science : An introduction

Representations are the entities with which all thinking is considered to take place. Hence they are central to the process of learning and consequently to that of teaching. They are therefore important in the conduct and learning of science, given the central commitment of that discipline to providing evidence-based explanations of natural phenomena, in which underlying entities and mechanisms have to be postulated and substantiated on the basis of empirical enquiry. The three generic types of representation and the modes in which they are expressed are presented against the background of an established model of their acquisition, processing and display. The two meanings of 'visualization' are discussed as is the key role played by fluency in them in the attainment of expert status in the processes of science. The nature and origins of students' problems in attaining this 'metavisual competence' are derived from a review of the literature. Good practice in the teaching of the conventions of representation is suggested. Specific research and development is needed if this key aspect of knowledge acquisition and display is to be fully recognised in the varied curricula of formal science education and in the provision of opportunities for the informal communication of science. Behavioural psychology provided the dominant model of learning and hence the guidance for teaching for many years. This assumed that successful learning involved the mental acquisition of a 'copy' of the information being taught. It was a convincing model for the acquisition of skills where no extensive transfer understanding to other situations was really necessary e.g. in the routine operation of a piece of machinery. However, it proved unable to explain the very varied outcomes of conventional classroom teaching, where the context-transferable understanding of established knowledge is required but which is by no means always attained, 'misconceptions' often being acquired by students(Gilbert and Watts 1983). The suite of psychological theories described as being 'constructivist' has become increasingly influential in both formal and informal educational systems in the last few decades. It assumes that what a person already knows acts severally as a barrier to, a critical filter for, a foundation on which to build, information being received. The major variants of constructivism are the 'personal' variety, where the individual acting alone is the locus of learning (Pope and Keen 1981) and the 'social' variety, where interpersonal interactions are seen to be the locus of learning (Vygotsky 1978). Underlying all the …
A preliminary study on the validation of anautomatic measurement method for functional reach assessment by stereophotogrammetry

In this work a preliminary study is proposed to assess the validity of an automatic and low cost measurement method for Functional ReachTest (FRT) implementation. To this aim FRT was performed on 10 trials of 4 healthy men and results from the system under validation are compared with the corresponding data from a calibrated stereo-photogrammetric system: the percentage variation between them is lower than 3% in all subjects — 3 outlier trials excluded — and it is significantly lower than the percentage variation obtained in daily clinical practice. Since none of the subjects is affected by pathologies, all of themhave normal visual acuity and have been trained to the experimental procedure, uncertainty of the outcomes may be mainly attributed to the calibration procedure and to the measurement system. Anyway results seem to confirm that the proposed system can be used to support the physician in acquiring the clinical information about the motor control deterioration or restoring in patients with various pathologies. Despite the encouraging results, further studies are needed to achieve a more accurate and quantitative evaluation of the sources of uncertainty, i.e. by extending the population sample and increasing the number of trials with the support of a Monte Carlo simulation.
Design and Investigation of PolyFermS In Vitro Continuous Fermentation Models Inoculated with Immobilized Fecal Microbiota Mimicking the Elderly Colon

In vitro gut modeling is a useful approach to investigate some factors and mechanisms of the gut microbiota independent of the effects of the host. This study tested the use of immobilized fecal microbiota to develop different designs of continuous colonic fermentation models mimicking elderly gut fermentation. Model 1 was a three-stage fermentation mimicking the proximal, transverse and distal colon. Models 2 and 3 were based on the new PolyFermS platform composed of an inoculum reactor seeded with immobilized fecal microbiota and used to continuously inoculate with the same microbiota different second-stage reactors mounted in parallel. The main gut bacterial groups, microbial diversity and metabolite production were monitored in effluents of all reactors using quantitative PCR, 16S rRNA gene 454-pyrosequencing, and HPLC, respectively. In all models, a diverse microbiota resembling the one tested in donor’s fecal sample was established. Metabolic stability in inoculum reactors seeded with immobilized fecal microbiota was shown for operation times of up to 80 days. A high microbial and metabolic reproducibility was demonstrated for downstream control and experimental reactors of a PolyFermS model. The PolyFermS models tested here are particularly suited to investigate the effects of environmental factors, such as diet and drugs, in a controlled setting with the same microbiota source.
An Efficient Traffic-Based Routing Algorithm for 3 D Networks-on-Chip

Network-on-Chip (NoC) is proposed to solve the communication challenges in multiprocessor System-on-Chip architecture. 3D NoC uses through silicon vias to stack multiple 2D silicon layers and obtain better performance. However, 3D NoC has to design an efficiently adaptive routing algorithm to overcome huge traffic load problems. An adaptive routing algorithm is composed of routing function (RF) and selection function (SF). RF decides a set of deadlock-free candidate paths, and SF chooses a proper routing path from those candidates. In this paper, we propose a novel traffic-based routing algorithm, TBRA, to achieve better performance. TBRA combines some advantages from different routing algorithms and selects adaptive routing algorithms according to the traffic load. Furthermore, it also collects two hops data of networks to determine the better routing path. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme significantly improves the transmission latency, the throughput, and the energy consumption.
AOZDV: An Enhanced AODV Protocol based on Zone Routing in MANET

In MANET, AODV is one of famous on-demand routing protocols, which uses the routing tables in the nodes if possible, or a RDP (route discovery process) is triggered to find a new route. However, in the large MANET, the network performance becomes worse because of the limitations of RDP. In this paper, we propose a novel routing protocol, named AOZDV (ad hoc on-demand zone and distance-vector routing), which enhances the AODV protocol through zone routing. AOZDV creates a zone with neighbor nodes of the source/destination using traffic and power information, and it utilizes a destination-vector table for internal-zone routing while it adopts the AODV protocol for outer-zone routing. Using simulations, we prove that AOZDV can reduce the rate of route loss rate and RDP caused by route loss compared with DSR and AODV.
New method for colorectal cancer diagnosis based on SSCP analysis of DNA from exfoliated colonocytes in naturally evacuated feces.

BACKGROUND Establishment of a sensitive, reliable and non-invasive method for the diagnosis of early-stage colorectal cancer is necessary, because colorectal cancer can be cured surgically if diagnosed early. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of using PCR-SSCP (polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism) analysis of the DNA extracted from the colonocytes isolated from naturally evacuated feces, in order to detect colorectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Colonocytes exfoliated into feces, retrieved from 33 patients with colorectal cancer and 63 healthy volunteers, were analyzed for the presence of mutations in their DNA. The DNA extracted from the colonocytes was examined for mutations of the APC, K-ras and p53 genes using direct sequence analysis, and also subjected to PCR-SSCP analysis. RESULTS Genetic alterations were detected in the colonocytes isolated from the feces of 12 out of 33 patients with colorectal cancer (36.4%) by direct sequence analysis. PCR-SSCP analysis using the same DNA samples revealed abnormal signals in 18 of the 33 patients (54.5%). However, 3 and 7 among the 63 healthy volunteers were also found to have abnormal genetic alterations by direct sequence and PCR-SSCP analysis, respectively. CONCLUSION The present study indicated the feasibility of using PCR-SSCP analysis for the detection of mutations in the DNA extracted from colonocytes isolated from naturally evacuated fecal samples.
Tumor Necrosis Factor c ~ ( TNF-c ~ )-induced Cell Adhesion to Human Endothelial Cells Is under Dominant Control of One TNT Receptor Type , TNF-R 55 By

Tumor necrosis factor ot (TNF-ot) is a pleiotropic cytokine triggering cell responses through two distinct membrane receptors. Stimulation of leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium is one of the many TNF-ot activities and is explained by the upregulation of adhesion molecules on the endothelial cell surface. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were isolated, cultured, and demonstrated to express both TNF receptor types, TNF-K55 and TNF-R75. Cell adhesion to HUVEC was studied using the HL60, U937, and MOLT-4 cell lines. HUVEC were activated by either TNF-ot, binding to both TNF-R55 and TNF-K75, and by receptor type-specific agonists, binding exclusively to TNF-R55 or to TNF-K75. The TNF-ot-induced cell adhesion to HUVEC was found to be controlled almost exclusively by TNF-R55. This finding correlated with the exclusive activity of TNF-K55 in the TNF-ot-dependent regulation of the expression of the intercellular adhesion molecule type 1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin, and vascular cell adhesion molecule type 1 (VCAM-1). The CD44 adhesion molecule in HUVEC was also found to be upregulated through TNF-K55. However, both TNF-R55 and TNF-R75 upregulate ot2 integrin expression in HUVEC. The predominant role of TNF-R55 in TNF-ot-induced adhesion in HUVEC may correlate with its specific control of NF-xB activation, since xB elements are known to be present in ICAM-1, E-selectin, and VCAM-1 gene regulatory sequences.
Attachment, forgiveness, and physical health quality of life in HIV + adults

Abstract Research aims to help HIV + individuals improve and maintain a healthy quality of life, while managing a chronic illness. Using Lazarus and Folkman's model of stress and coping, we examined the main and interactive effects of attachment style and forgiveness on physical health quality of life of HIV + adults. Participants (n=288, 49% women) were recruited in Dallas/Fort Worth and self-identified as African-American (52%), European-American (32%), Latino(a) (12%), and other (4%), with an average age of 41.7 (SD=8.6). The average number of years participants reported being HIV + was 7.6 (SD=5.4). Participants completed medical and demographic information, measures assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance, forgiveness of self and others, and five quality of life scales (physical functioning, pain, role functioning, social functioning, and health perceptions). Significant correlations revealed that attachment anxiety was inversely related to physical health quality of life, while forgiveness of self was associated with greater quality of life. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that attachment anxiety and avoidance, forgiveness of self and others, as well as interactions between attachment style and forgiveness, were related to the physical health quality of life of HIV + adults. Interpretation of the interactions identified that for individuals who endorsed greater attachment anxiety, forgiveness of others was associated with greater pain, while forgiveness of self was associated with a greater perception of health. Research has indicated that forgiveness interventions lead to positive health outcomes for most individuals; however, in HIV + adults, whether an outcome is health promoting may be dependent on attachment style.
Altering Fish Embryos with Aquaporin-3: An Essential Step Toward Successful Cryopreservation1

Abstract Fish populations are globally threatened by overharvesting and habitat degradation. The ability to bank fish embryos by cryopreservation could be crucial for preserving species diversity, for aquaculture (allowing circannual fish farming), and for managing fish models used in human biomedical research. However, no nonmammalian embryo has ever been successfully cryopreserved. For fish, low membrane permeability prevents cryoprotectants from entering the yolk to prevent cryodamage. Here, we present evidence of a membrane mechanism hindering cryopreservation of fish and propose a novel solution to this obstacle. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos have rectifying membranes that allow water to leave but not to reenter readily. This feature may be an evolutionary trait that allows freshwater embryos to grow in hypoosmotic environments without osmoregulatory organs. However, this trait may also prevent successful fish embryo cryopreservation because both water and cryoprotectants must move into and out of cells. As a solution, we injected zebrafish embryos with mRNA for the aquaporin-3 water channel protein and demonstrated increased membrane permeability to water and to a cryoprotectant. Modeling indicates that sufficient cryoprotectant enters aquaporin-3-expressing zebrafish embryos to allow cryopreservation.
Men, women and capital: Estimating substitution patterns using a size and gender-dependent childcare policy in Chile

This paper uses a policy implemented in Chile that obliges firms to fully fund childcare costs for their female employees, but only if they hire more than 19 women. Using plant level data from manufacturing firms, we first show that this policy has had a substantially detrimental impact on the hiring of women above that threshold, in particular since the policy has become more binding, in industrial sectors that hire fewer women and in larger firms. We then use the response of firms to study whether women workers are more or less complementary to capital than men. We find that firms that avoid the legislation by having just below 20 female workers are significantly more capital intensive than firms just above the threshold. This suggests that firms that want to avoid being subject to the regulation replace women with capital but in such a way that the capital to men ratio increases. We use our estimates to calibrate a production function and find that our results are consistent with a framework where women are weakly substitutes with capital (while men are complementary) in this emerging economy’s manufacturing sector. This does not seem to be driven by a change in skill composition of the workforce. We also find some evidence of other changes: average wages and total workforce are lower for firms who hire 20 women than those who hire just below that threshold but labor productivity is unaltered. PRELIMINARY, PLEASE DO NOT CITE ∗We thank comments from seminar participants at IADB, PUC Chile and Toronto. All remaining errors are our own. †Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile ‡Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. §Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile and FinanceUC.
Point-to-point learning in human motor systems

Motor planning is one of the key processes in human motor systems. It accounts for how the Central Nervous System (CNS) generates the desired trajectory for the human to follow in order to achieve the given task. This work focuses on a special task: point-to-point tracking. For this task, point-to-point learning is used with the aim for gaining a deeper understanding of motor learning. Point-to-point learning control (LC) not only naturally matches the task, but also provides tools to analyse learning in human motion planning. It is observed that the simulation results obtained by using tracking performance failed to match the observed motion performed by humans captured from experiments. It was then shown that additional objective, namely minimal jerk, is required to provide satisfactory results, suggesting that humans consider objectives other than tracking during motion planning. This finding provides experimental and mathematical validation to current hypotheses of human motor planning.
Functional gastroduodenal disorders

While widely used in research, the 1991 Rome criteria for the gastroduodenal disorders, especially symptom subgroups in dyspepsia, remain contentious. After a comprehensive literature search, a consensus-based approach was applied, supplemented by input from international experts who reviewed the report. Three functional gastroduodenal disorders are defined. Functional dyspepsia is persistent or recurrent pain or discomfort centered in the upper abdomen; evidence of organic disease likely to explain the symptoms is absent, including at upper endoscopy. Discomfort refers to a subjective, negative feeling that may be characterized by or associated with a number of non-painful symptoms including upper abdominal fullness, early satiety, bloating, or nausea. A dyspepsia subgroup classification is proposed for research purposes, based on the predominant (most bothersome) symptom: (a) ulcer-like dyspepsia when pain (from mild to severe) is the predominant symptom, and (b) dysmotility-like dyspepsia when discomfort (not pain) is the predominant symptom. This classification is supported by recent evidence suggesting that predominant symptoms, but not symptom clusters, identify subgroups with distinct underlying pathophysiological disturbances and responses to treatment. Aerophagia is an unusual complaint characterized by air swallowing that is objectively observed and troublesome repetitive belching. Functional vomiting refers to frequent episodes of recurrent vomiting that is not self-induced nor medication induced, and occurs in the absence of eating disorders, major psychiatric diseases, abnormalities in the gut or central nervous system, or metabolic diseases that can explain the symptom. The current classification requires careful validation but the criteria should be of value in future research.