Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Multiple System Atrophy: Immunomodulation and Neuroprotection

Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are currently strong candidates for cell-based therapies. They are well known for their differentiation potential and immunoregulatory properties and have been proven to be potentially effective in the treatment of a large variety of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Currently there is no treatment that provides consistent long-term benefits for patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA), a fatal late onset α-synucleinopathy. Principally neuroprotective or regenerative strategies, including cell-based therapies, represent a powerful approach for treating MSA. In this study we investigated the efficacy of intravenously applied MSCs in terms of behavioural improvement, neuroprotection and modulation of neuroinflammation in the (PLP)-αsynuclein (αSYN) MSA model. Methodology/Principal Findings MSCs were intravenously applied in aged (PLP)-αSYN transgenic mice. Behavioural analyses, defining fine motor coordination and balance capabilities as well as stride length analysis, were performed to measure behavioural outcome. Neuroprotection was assessed by quantifying TH neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). MSC treatment on neuroinflammation was analysed by cytokine measurements (IL-1α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, GM-CSF, INFγ, MCP-1, TGF-β1, TNF-α) in brain lysates together with immunohistochemistry for T-cells and microglia. Four weeks post MSC treatment we observed neuroprotection in the SNc, as well as downregulation of cytokines involved in neuroinflammation. However, there was no behavioural improvement after MSC application. Conclusions/Significance To our knowledge this is the first experimental approach of MSC treatment in a transgenic MSA mouse model. Our data suggest that intravenously infused MSCs have a potent effect on immunomodulation and neuroprotection. Our data warrant further studies to elucidate the efficacy of systemically administered MSCs in transgenic MSA models.
Micromanipulation tool replaceable soft actuator with gripping force enhancing and output motion converting mechanisms

This paper presents an innovative arched ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) actuator for micromanipulating soft matters (e.g. cells). With a pair of through-hole structures at two front ends of the actuator, versatile designed micro-tools can be individually installed onto and replaced from the actuator. Two micro-tools of scissor-type gripper and elastic pin structure are developed to strengthen the clamping force of the gripper and convert a squeeze/pull motion to forward/backward motion, respectively. Through the location design of a hinge joint on the scissor-type gripping tool, the gripper tip can produce several times larger force on than at the end of the assembled actuator. A microneedle can be mounted onto the pin of arc-shaped PDMS tool to manipulate a single cell in a linear motion through electrically controlling IPMC actuation.
Low blood pressure and dementia in elderly people: the Kungsholmen project

Abstract Objective: To examine the relation between blood pressure and dementia in elderly people. Design: Cross sectional, population based study. Setting: Kungsholmen district of Stockholm, Sweden. Subjects: 1642 subjects aged 75-101 years. Main outcome measures: Prevalence and adjusted odds ratio of dementia by blood pressure. Results: People with systolic pressure </=140 mm Hg were more often diagnosed as demented than those with systolic pressure >140 mm Hg: odds ratios (95% confidence interval) adjusted for age, sex, and education were 2.98 (2.17 to 4.08) for all dementias, 2.91 (1.93 to 4.38) for Alzheimer's disease, 2.00 (1.09 to 3.65) for vascular dementia, and 5.07 (2.65 to 9.70) for other dementias. Similar results were seen in subjects with diastolic pressure </=75 mm Hg compared with those with higher diastolic pressure. When severity and duration of dementia were taken into account, only moderate and severe dementia were found to be significantly related to relatively low blood pressure, and the association was stronger in subjects with longer disease duration. Use of hypotensive drugs and comorbidity with cardiovascular disease did not modify the results for all dementias, Alzheimer's disease, and other dementias but slightly reduced the association between vascular dementia and diastolic blood pressure. Conclusions: Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were inversely related to prevalence of dementia in elderly people. We think that relatively low blood pressure is probably a complication of the dementia process, particularly Alzheimer's disease, although it is possible that low blood pressure may predispose a subpopulation to developing dementia. Key messages Key messages We studied prevalence of dementia in 1642 subjects aged 75-101 and found that those with relatively low blood pressure (</=140 mm Hg systolic, </=75 mm Hg diastolic) were significantly more likely to have dementia When severity and duration of dementia were taken into account, only moderate and severe dementia were found to be significantly related to low blood pressure, and the association was stronger in subjects with longer duration of disease Use of hypotensive drugs and comorbidity with cardiovascular disease could not account for the association We think that relatively low blood pressure is probably a complication of the dementia process, particularly Alzheimer's disease, but it is possible that low pressure may predispose some people to developing dementia
Generating Apt Metaphor Ideas for Pictorial Advertisements

Pictorial metaphor is a popular way of expression in creative advertising. It attributes certain desirable quality to the advertised product. We adopt a general two-stage computational approach in order to generate apt metaphor ideas for pictorial advertisements. The first stage looks for concepts which have high imageability and the selling premise as one of their prototypical properties. The second stage evaluates the aptness of the candidate vehicles (found in the first stage) in regard to four metrics, including affect polarity, salience, secondary attributes and similarity with tenor. These four metrics are conceived based on the general characteristics of metaphor and its specialty in advertisements. We developed a knowledge extraction method for the first stage and utilized an affect lexicon and two semantic relatedness measures to implement the aptness metrics of the second stage. The capacity of our computer program is demonstrated in a task of reproducing the pictorial metaphor ideas used in three real advertisements. All the three original metaphors were replicated, as well as a few other vehicles recommended, which, we consider, would make effective advertisements as well.
Smart Pipe System for a Shipyard 4.0

As a result of the progressive implantation of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, many industries are experimenting a revolution that shipyards cannot ignore. Therefore, the application of the principles of Industry 4.0 to shipyards are leading to the creation of Shipyards 4.0. Due to this, Navantia, one of the 10 largest shipbuilders in the world, is updating its whole inner workings to keep up with the near-future challenges that a Shipyard 4.0 will have to face. Such challenges can be divided into three groups: the vertical integration of production systems, the horizontal integration of a new generation of value creation networks, and the re-engineering of the entire production chain, making changes that affect the entire life cycle of each piece of a ship. Pipes, which exist in a huge number and varied typology on a ship, are one of the key pieces, and its monitoring constitutes a prospective cyber-physical system. Their improved identification, traceability, and indoor location, from production and through their life, can enhance shipyard productivity and safety. In order to perform such tasks, this article first conducts a thorough analysis of the shipyard environment. From this analysis, the essential hardware and software technical requirements are determined. Next, the concept of smart pipe is presented and defined as an object able to transmit signals periodically that allows for providing enhanced services in a shipyard. In order to build a smart pipe system, different technologies are selected and evaluated, concluding that passive and active RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) are currently the most appropriate technologies to create it. Furthermore, some promising indoor positioning results obtained in a pipe workshop are presented, showing that multi-antenna algorithms and Kalman filtering can help to stabilize Received Signal Strength (RSS) and improve the overall accuracy of the system.
Dengue: a newly emerging viral infection in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

SUMMARY Prior to 2009 dengue fever had not been reported in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. In 2009, a few patients with dengue fever-like illness were reported, some of whom tested positive for dengue antibodies. In 2010, 516 suspected cases were reported, including some with dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS); 80 (15·5%) were positive for dengue antibodies. DENV RNA was detected in five patients and PCR-based typing showed that three of these belonged to serotype 1 and two to serotype 2. This was confirmed by sequence typing. Two clones of dengue virus, one belonging to serotype 1 and the other to serotype 2 appeared to be circulating in Andaman. Emergence of severe diseases such as DHF and DSS might be due to recent introduction of a more virulent strain or because of the enhancing effect of sub-neutralizing levels of antibodies developed due to prior infections. There is a need to revise the vector-borne disease surveillance system in the islands.
Managing and Delivering Context-Dependent User Preferences in Ubiquitous Computing Environments

We present a user profile management component for ubiquitous computing environments that provides management, inquiry and delivery of context-dependent user preferences. In particular, our approach takes into account that users act differently depending on their current context, and hence, that a user can be described by different submodels that represent the user's preferences within different contexts. Furthermore, our approach takes into account that different applications usually adhere to different semantics
Hybrid Alignment Strategy for Anatomical Ontologies: Results of the 2007 Ontology Alignment Contest

Herbicidal compositions containing as active substance a combination of at least two of the following components: (A) phosphinotricine or a derivative thereof of the formula (B) a phenoxy-alkane-carboxylic acid of the formula (C) a phenylurea derivative of the formula and (D) a s-triazine derivative of the formula in a proportion by weight of compound A to compounds B, C, and D, preferably in the range of from 4:1 to 1:30, exhibit a synergistic herbicidal effect.
E2F Regulates FASCIATA1, a Chromatin Assembly Gene Whose Loss Switches on the Endocycle and Activates Gene Expression by Changing the Epigenetic Status1[C][W][OA]

Maintenance of genome integrity depends on histone chaperone-mediated chromatin reorganization. DNA replication-associated nucleosome deposition relies on chromatin assembly factor-1 (CAF-1). Depletion of CAF-1 in human cells leads to cell death, whereas in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), where it is involved in heterochromatin compaction and homologous recombination, plants are viable. The mechanism that makes the lack of CAF-1 activity compatible with development is not known. Here, we show that the FASCIATA1 (FAS1) gene, which encodes the CAF-1 large subunit, is a target of E2F transcription factors. Mutational studies demonstrate that one of the two E2F binding sites in its promoter has an activator role, whereas the other has a repressor function. Loss of FAS1 results in reduced type A cyclin-dependent kinase activity, inhibits mitotic progression, and promotes a precocious and systemic switch to the endocycle program. Selective up-regulation of the expression of a subset of genes, including those involved in activation of the G2 DNA damage checkpoint, also occurs upon FAS1 loss. This activation is not the result of a global change in chromatin structure, but depends on selective epigenetic changes in histone acetylation and methylation within a small region in their promoters. This suggests that correct chromatin assembly during the S-phase is required to prevent unscheduled changes in the epigenetic marks of target genes. Interestingly, activation of the endocycle switch as well as introduction of activating histone marks in the same set of G2 checkpoint genes are detected upon treatment of wild-type plants with DNA-damaging treatments. Our results are consistent with a model in which defects in chromatin assembly during the S-phase and DNA damage signaling share part of a pathway, which ultimately leads to mitotic arrest and triggers the endocycle program. Together, this might be a bypass mechanism that makes development compatible with cell division arrest induced by DNA damage stress.
Coordinated scheduling scheme for IEEE 802.11p wireless vehicular networks using centralized scheduling of IEEE 802.16e wireless metropolitan area networks

The IEEE 802.11p architecture imposes a demand- ing reliable transmission requirement on both road-side-unit (RSU) and on-board-unit (OBU) in order to provide emergency messages, traffic information, and internet services. The IEEE 802.16e network, which has been designed as a centralized control system to provide the mobile services in a metropolitan area network (MAN), can assist the WAVE network to fulfill the requirement. As all OBUs equip with both IEEE 802.11p and IEEE 802.16 transceivers, the deficiency of the IEEE 802.11p contention-based medium access control protocol can be curbed by using the IEEE 802.16e centralized scheduling scheme. As a solution, we propose a novel scheme, namely coordinated scheduling scheme (CSS), which allows the IEEE 802.11p OBUs to access service channels in a contention-free manner by means of IEEE 802.16 centralized scheduling. As confirmed by the performance evaluation, the proposed CSS can achieve significant throughput improvement, as compared with the IEEE 802.11p standard.
Estimating P2P Traffic Volume at USC

With the rise of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing applications there has been an increasing interest in understanding the popularity and use of P2P. In this study, we look at P2P use on the University of Southern California’s campus network throughout a 14-hour period. We quantify the volume of traffic from P2P activity as well as the number of campus hosts involved in P2P at USC. Since port-matching techniques often fail for P2P applications, we estimate traffic based on both port-based and connection-pattern based techniques. We do not have access to packet data and so these measures provide only bounds on P2P traffic. In addition, while we identify P2P sharing, we cannot comment the types of data being shared (either music or data, restricted or freely available). We find that 3–13% of active hosts on campus participate in P2P, and that this traffic accounts for 21–33% of the bytes transferred to and from our campus.
The origin of circumstellar features in the spectra of hot DA white dwarfs

We have analysed a sample of 23 hot DAs to better understand the source of the circumstellar features reported in previous work. Unambiguous detections of circumstellar material are again made at eight stars. The velocities of the circumstellar material at three of the white dwarfs are coincident with the radial velocities of ISM along the sight line to the stars, suggesting that the objects may be ionising the ISM in their locality. In three further cases, the circumstellar velocities are close to the ISM velocities, indicating that these objects are either ionising the ISM, or evaporated planetesimals/material in a circumstellar disc. The circumstellar velocity at WD 1614-084 lies far from the ISM velocities, indicating either the ionisation of an undetected ISM component or circumstellar material. The material seen at WD 0232+035 can be attributed to the photoionisation of material lost from its M dwarf companion. The measured column densities of the circumstellar material lie within the ionised ISM column density ranges predicted to exist in hot DA Stromgren spheres.
Shared Antigens Between Heterologous Bacterial Species

Sera from normal rabbits were shown to have antibodies that bound radiolabeled test antigens derived from many taxonomically unrelated bacteria. Sera from rabbits that had been immunized with sonically treated material of 12 different bacteria, including M. bovis strain BCG, had antibodies that bound not only radiolabeled homologous test antigens but also radiolabeled antigens from many unrelated bacteria. Binding by normal and immunized sera to radiolabeled test antigens was inhibited by homologous unlabeled test antigens but not by substances such as bovine serum albumin, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sheep erythrocytes, and endotoxin. The broad range of shared or cross-reactivity among antigens in bacteria may explain the presence of antibodies to many bacteria in sera from normal humans and previously unimmunized experimental animals. The presence of these antibodies raises the question whether resistance to many bacterial infections may be partly due to immune mechanisms, whether cellular or humoral, that have been stimulated by unrelated bacteria.
Short-term load forecasting, profile identification, and customer segmentation: a methodology based on periodic time series

Results from a project in cooperation with the Belgian National Grid Operator ELIA are presented in this paper. Starting from a set of 245 time series, each one corresponding to four years of measurements from a HV-LV substation, individual modeling using Periodic Time Series yields satisfactory results for short-term forecasting or simulation purposes. In addition, we use the stationarity properties of the estimated models to identify typical daily customer profiles. As each one of the 245 substations can be represented by its unique daily profile, it is possible to cluster the 245 profiles in order to obtain a segmentation of the original sample in different classes of customer profiles. This methodology provides a unified framework for the forecasting and clustering problems.
Health Effects of Nanoparticles

̈ To contribute, through research, to the prevention of industrial accidents and occupational diseases as well as to the rehabilitation of affected workers. ̈ To offer the laboratory services and expertise necessary for the activities of the public occupational health and safety prevention network. ̈ To disseminate knowledge, and to act as scientific benchmark and expert. Funded by the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail, the IRSST has a board of directors made up of an equal number of employer and worker representatives. Visit our Web site for complete up-to-date information about the IRSST. All our publications can be downloaded at no charge. To obtain the latest information on the research carried out or funded by the IRSST, subscribe to Prévention au travail, the free magazine published jointly by the IRSST and the CSST. Established in Québec since 1980, the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) is a scientific research organization known for the quality of its work and the expertise of its personnel. i SUMMARY The nanoparticle and nanotechnology field is a fast-growing research niche 1. Research has already led to significant breakthroughs, and several products are available commercially. It is currently anticipated that the number of exposed Quebec workers, both in use and processing and in production, will increase over the next few years. The purpose of this literature review is to determine whether nanoparticles represent health risks for workers. The chosen presentation format has the advantage of covering all the aspects that must be considered in toxic risk assessment. For some nanoparticles, the toxicological data are very partial, so this presentation format reveals the scope, and especially the limits, of the information currently available. Nonetheless, several studies exist on the toxicological properties of nanoparticles. Although the various toxicological aspects and the diversity of the nanomaterials assessed are just beginning, many deleterious effects have been documented, particularly in animals. Insoluble or low solubility nanoparticles are the greatest cause for concern. Several studies have shown that some of them can pass through the various protective barriers of living organisms. The inhaled nanoparticles can end up in the bloodstream after passing through all the respiratory or gastrointestinal protective mechanisms. They are then distributed in the various organs and accumulate at specific sites. They can travel along the olfactory nerves and penetrate directly into the brain, just as they can pass …
Right Ventricular Function in Heart Failure: The Long and Short of Free Wall Motion Versus Deformation Imaging.

It is well known that in pulmonary arterial hypertension, prognosis is determined by right ventricular (RV) function.1 We are seeing more and more that in diverse conditions including congestive heart failure (HF), the RV tail is wagging the left ventricular dog.2,3 The RV once again has been shown to be a major determinant of outcome, and as we refine our methods, our ability to prognosticate becomes more powerful. The next challenge is clarifying how best to assess RV function, and from this, how we can then use this technique to detect subtle, preclinical abnormalities and eventually have an impact on outcomes. See Article by Carluccio et al In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging , Carluccio et al4 provide an elegant study demonstrating the superiority of RV free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWS) over tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) for earlier detection of RV dysfunction, providing an ability to prognosticate and reclassify even in the setting of a guidelines-based normal TASPE value. Although this message can be diluted simply to let us do RV strain, there are several important messages that go well beyond this simple conclusion. First, we must examine how shortening, measured by RVFWS, differs from longitudinal motion measured by TAPSE and why it better reflects function. Second, this study reiterates that some echo parameters seem to better predict outcomes than several clinical parameters, including age, sex, and even New York Heart Association class, and are complementary with incremental value to well-established HF risk scores. Finally, this study reinforces the concept that a normal value for an echocardiographic measure may not imply a good outcome and that prognostic cutoffs are not the same as cutoffs of so-called normalcy. The RV assessment has long been one of the more challenging and technically difficult tasks …
Simultaneous coordinated tuning of PSS and FACTS controller for damping power system oscillations in multimachine systems

This work deals with the simultaneous coordinated tuning of the FACTS (flexible AC transmission systems) POD power oscillation damping) controller and the conventional PSS (power system stabilizer) controllers in multimachine power systems. Using the linearized system model and the parameter-constrained nonlinear optimization algorithm, interactions among FACTS controller and PSS controllers are considered. Furthermore, their parameters are optimized simultaneously. Simulation results of multimachine power system validate the efficiency of this new approach. The proposed algorithm is an effective method for the tuning of multicontrollers in large power systems.