Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conditional random fields with semantic enhancement for named-entity recognition

We propose a novel Named Entity Recognition (NER) system based on a machine learning technique and a semantic network. The NER system is able to exploit the advantages of semantic information, coming from Expert System proprietary technology Cogito. NER is a task of Natural Language Processing (NLP) which consists in detecting, from an unformatted text source and classify Named Entities (NE), i.e. real-world entities that can be denoted with a rigid designator. To address this problem, the chosen approach is a combination of machine learning and deep semantic processing. The machine learning method used is Conditional Random Fields (CRF). CRF is particularly suitable for the task because it analyzes an input sequence of tokens considering it as a whole, instead of one item at a time. CRF has been trained not only with classical information, available after a simple computation or anyway with little effort, but with the addition of semantic information. Semantic information is obtained with Sensigrafo and Semantic Disambiguator, which are the proprietary semantic network and semantic engine of Expert System, respectively. The results are encouraging, as we can experimentally prove the improvements in the NER task obtained by exploiting semantics, in particular when the training data size decreases.
Critical role for &agr;v&bgr;6 integrin in enamel biomineralization

Summary Tooth enamel has the highest degree of biomineralization of all vertebrate hard tissues. During the secretory stage of enamel formation, ameloblasts deposit an extracellular matrix that is in direct contact with the ameloblast plasma membrane. Although it is known that integrins mediate cell–matrix adhesion and regulate cell signaling in most cell types, the receptors that regulate ameloblast adhesion and matrix production are not well characterized. We hypothesized that &agr;v&bgr;6 integrin is expressed in ameloblasts where it regulates biomineralization of enamel. Human and mouse ameloblasts were found to express both &bgr;6 integrin mRNA and protein. The maxillary incisors of Itgb6−/− mice lacked yellow pigment and their mandibular incisors appeared chalky and rounded. Molars of Itgb6−/− mice showed signs of reduced mineralization and severe attrition. The mineral-to-protein ratio in the incisors was significantly reduced in Itgb6−/− enamel, mimicking hypomineralized amelogenesis imperfecta. Interestingly, amelogenin-rich extracellular matrix abnormally accumulated between the ameloblast layer of Itgb6−/− mouse incisors and the forming enamel surface, and also between ameloblasts. This accumulation was related to increased synthesis of amelogenin, rather than to reduced removal of the matrix proteins. This was confirmed in cultured ameloblast-like cells, in which &agr;v&bgr;6 integrin was not an endocytosis receptor for amelogenins, although it participated in cell adhesion on this matrix indirectly via endogenously produced matrix proteins. In summary, integrin &agr;v&bgr;6 is expressed by ameloblasts and it plays a crucial role in regulating amelogenin deposition and/or turnover and subsequent enamel biomineralization.
60GHz microwave lens for antenna gain enhancment

Three passive mm wave lens designs are presented for the 57-66GHz range. The lenses are designed to increase antenna gain by a factor of 10dB or more and are designed for a specific antenna feed and at a specific distance (focal length). The lenses consist of repeating unit cells of a simple three layer printed circuit board (PCB) stackup for ease of manufacturing and low cost. Measurements were undertaken to validate the designs.
An in vitro approach to unravel the modulation of the hypothalamic system by blood-circulating factors

The central nervous system (CNS) and the periphery are closely associated in the regulation of body homeostasis. In fact, in both physiological and pathological conditions, the CNS showed to be targeted by peripheral system molecules, which are able to generate adaptive responses under the tight control of the hypothalamus. In spite of having a well-recognized importance, the mechanisms underlying this communication are still unclear. Two major routes have been proposed to explain the transmission of information from the periphery to the CNS: a sensory pathway, through the peripheral nerves and a humoral pathway, through the bloodstream. In the present work, in vitro blood-brain barrier cultures and hypothalamic organotypic cultures were characterized with the main goal to enable the establishment of a platform to investigate the communication between the periphery and the CNS through the humoral pathway.
Immunohistochemical analysis of hippocampal butyrylcholinesterase: Implications for regional vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease

Studies of acetylcholine degrading enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have suggested their potential role in the development of fibrillar amyloid‐β (Aβ) plaques (amyloid plaques). A recent genome‐wide association study analysis identified a novel association between genetic variations in the BCHE locus and amyloid burden. We studied BChE immunoreactivity in hippocampal tissue sections from AD and control cases, and examined its relationship with amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), dystrophic neurites (DN) and neuropil threads (NT). Compared to controls, AD cases had greater BChE immunoreactivity in hippocampal neurons and neuropils in CA2/3, but not in the CA1, CA4 and dentate gyrus. The majority of amyloid plaques (> 80%, using a pan‐amyloid marker X‐34) contained discrete neuritic clusters which were dual‐labeled with antibodies against BChE and phosphorylated tau (clone AT8). There was no association between overall regional BChE immunoreaction intensity and amyloid plaque burden. In contrast to previous reports, BChE was localized in only a fraction (~10%) of classic NFT (positive for X‐34). A similar proportion of BChE‐immunoreactive pyramidal cells were AT8 immunoreactive. Greater NFT and DN loads were associated with greater BChE immunoreaction intensity in CA2/3, but not in CA1, CA4 and dentate gyrus. Our results demonstrate that in AD hippocampus, BChE accumulates in neurons and plaque‐associated neuritic clusters, but only in a small proportion of NFT. The association between greater neurofibrillary pathology burden and markedly increased BChE immunoreactivity, observed selectively in CA2/3 region, could reflect a novel compensatory mechanism. Since CA2/3 is generally considered more resistant to AD pathology, BChE upregulation could impact the cholinergic modulation of glutamate neurotransmission to prevent/reduce neuronal excitotoxicity in AD hippocampus.
MRI of the Brain and Thorax during Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Preliminary Report from a Pig Model

Early diagnosis of cerebral hypoxic ischemic complications during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is important to guide further treatment. However, diagnostic methods available during ECMO are limited, especially in adults and older children. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a sensitive and noninvasive method for assessment of vessel patency and brain parenchymal changes, and for measurement of brain perfusion. The use of MRI during ECMO has, to our knowledge, never been reported. We report the first animal experiment with MRI examination during ECMO. After a preliminary test with the mobile ECMO system in the MRI environment, a healthy pig was put on venoarterial ECMO, transported to the MRI department, and examined with sequences for anatomy and function of the brain and thorax. The results showed that the ECMO system was not adversely affected by the magnetic field at a distance from the camera where positioning and examination of the animal was possible. High-quality anatomical and functional images of the brain, heart, and thoracic vessels were acquired. The results suggest that MRI may be used for early diagnosis of cranial complications in patients on ECMO. MRI may also provide a useful tool for further research on flow dynamics and brain perfusion during ECMO.
Capacitor-Current-Feedback Active Damping With Reduced Computation Delay for Improving Robustness of LCL-Type Grid-Connected Inverter

This paper investigates the capacitor-current-feedback active damping for the digitally controlled LCL-type grid-connected inverter. It turns out that proportional feedback of the capacitor current is equivalent to virtual impedance connected in parallel with the filter capacitor due to the computation and pulse width modulation (PWM) delays. The LCL-filter resonance frequency is changed by this virtual impedance. If the actual resonance frequency is higher than one-sixth of the sampling frequency (fs/6), where the virtual impedance contains a negative resistor component, a pair of open-loop unstable poles will be generated. As a result, the LCL-type grid-connected inverter becomes much easier to be unstable if the resonance frequency is moved closer to fs/6 due to the variation of grid impedance. To address this issue, this paper proposes a capacitor-current-feedback active damping with reduced computation delay, which is achieved by shifting the capacitor current sampling instant towards the PWM reference update instant. With this method, the virtual impedance exhibits more like a resistor in a wider frequency range, and the open-loop unstable poles are removed; thus, high robustness against the grid-impedance variation is acquired. Experimental results from a 6-kW prototype confirm the theoretical expectations.
Development of a Model Output Statistic and implementation of an operational solar photovoltaic energy forecast model based in WRF

In this work, an operational solar energy forecast model was developed based in correction of irradatiation obtained from WRF output. This output depends on the Hourly Clearness Index (kt). Three different physic schemes of WRF parametrization are analyzed in this work. The horizontal irradiation computed by Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) is the input of the developed Model Output Statistic (MOS). Solar irradiation is converted from horizontal to tilted surface, and a final photo-voltaic solar energy plant coefficient is calibrated to obtain the minimal absolute error in the period of calibration.
Detecting an Anomaly Behavior through Enhancing the Mechanism of Packet Filtering

The fundamental task of the Network Traffic Analysis is the ability of capturing and monitoring all the network traffics (incoming and outgoing) for local area network LAN and how the network analyzer is able to analyze and detect errors or any type of suspicious activities such as intruders. The idea of this research is to use flexible packet filtering to filter out the captured network traffics. The proposed packet inspection will isolate the captured traffics based on their source using traffic source separation ‘TSS’ strategy, during the separation operation the traffic signature will be examined with the stored signatures of the system database using Traffic Signature Matching. The experiment results shows that by using a User Profile Filter (UPF) that will be based on SVM and examining the traffic signature, the total of error received from the traffic classifier has been reduced to 0.5% and the traffic capturing speed has been increased in comparing with the standard methods of the traffic analyzers.
Hemodynamic effects of central angiotensin I, II, and III in conscious rabbits.

We have examined the hemodynamic effects of intraventricular angiotensins in conscious rabbits. Fourth ventricular injections of angiotensin II (ANG II, 8 fmol to 25 pmol) produced dose-dependent pressor responses at doses 400 times less than equipressor intravenous doses. Lateral ventricle administration of doses up to 1,000 pmol had little effect on mean arterial pressure (maximum +7 +/- 3 mmHg, P < 0.05, n = 9). Comparison of dose-response curves to ANG I, II, and III showed that all three had similar maximum pressor effects (27 +/- 3 mmHg), with ANG I being four times less potent than ANG II, and ANG III as potent as ANG II. Central pretreatment with the ANG-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril abolished the pressor response to ANG I, suggesting that it was mediated entirely through ANG II. Examination of the hemodynamic changes after ANG I, II, and III in rabbits instrumented with aortic, mesenteric, or hindquarter flow probes showed that the rise in blood pressure to all three agents was due entirely to a decrease in total peripheral conductance, since cardiac output and heart rate fell. Peripheral conductance changes were not uniform, with the mesenteric bed showing an average 20 +/- 3% fall in conductance, while the hindquarter conductance increased (+12 +/- 3%). In sinoaortic-denervated rabbits, however, central angiotensins reduced conductance equally in the hindlimb and mesenteric beds, suggesting that the hindlimb dilatation in the baroreceptor intact rabbit was due to baroreflex buffering of the pressor effect. In conclusion, these studies suggest that the main sites for ANG effects on the cardiovascular system are located in the brain stem. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Role of the right dorsal anterior insula in the urge to tic in tourette syndrome

The mid‐posterior part of the insula is involved in processing bodily sensations and urges and is activated during tic generation in Tourette syndrome. The dorsal anterior part of the insula, however, integrates sensory and emotional information with cognitive valuation and is implicated in interoception. The right dorsal anterior insula also participates in urge suppression in healthy subjects. This study examined the role of the right dorsal anterior insula in the urge to tic in Tourette syndrome.
Wideband E-shaped antenna design for WLAN applications

This paper presents a design, simulation and optimization study of a coaxial-fed wideband E-Shaped patch antenna that is suitable for 5 GHz WLAN applications. The bandwidth of the antenna was enhanced from 8.5% to 17.5% by changing the antenna shape from square patch to E-shaped patch. The proposed antenna gives an overall bandwidth of about 1 GHz and operates between 5-6 GHz frequency bands. The design has also been optimized to minimize the antenna size with desired characteristics and antenna width has been reduced from 19.2 mm to 15.8 mm. The antenna is designed on a glass microfiber substrate having thickness h = 3.175 mm and dielectric constant εr = 2.2. The antenna design and simulation is performed using Agilent ADS Momentum simulator. The simulation results against different E-shaped antenna parameters have been analyzed and discussed. Other antenna performance parameters like gain, directivity, return loss, radiation pattern and bandwidth have also been studied and analyzed.
Cytomegalovirus infection in immunosuppressed patients after kidney transplantation

The first kidney transplantation was performed in 1951 and ever since then living donor transplantation became a more and more important solution for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Renal transplantation is a life-saving procedure. Morbidity and mortality on waiting-lists are strongly correlated with the time of dialysis and end-stage renal disease is one of the most important causes of death; this is the reason why transplantation has to be performed as soon as possible in order to reduce the time of dialysis. Once the transplantation is performed, a number of complications may occur in post-transplant evolution, the most important of which is rejection. The rejection may appear through several mechanisms, but one of the most frequent causes of rejection is cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. It is very important to have a precocious and fast diagnosis of CMV infection in order to maintain the functionality and survival of the graft. PP65 CMV antigenemia has proven its effectiveness in detecting and monitoring the CMV infection in transplanted patients. In the laboratory of the Clinical Institute of Urology and Renal Transplantation (ICUTR) of Cluj Napoca the CMV infection is evidenced by two methods: PP65antigenemia and IgM antibody identification by chemiluminiscence.
Novel applications of deep brain stimulation

The success of deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in treating medically refractory symptoms of some movement disorders has inspired further investigation into a wide variety of other treatment-resistant conditions. These range from disorders of gait, mood, and memory to problems as diverse as obesity, consciousness, and addiction. We review the emerging indications, rationale, and outcomes for some of the most promising new applications of DBS in the treatment of postural instability associated with Parkinson's disease, depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder, obesity, substance abuse, epilepsy, Alzheimer′s-type dementia, and traumatic brain injury. These studies reveal some of the excitement in a field at the edge of a rapidly expanding frontier. Much work still remains to be done on basic mechanism of DBS, optimal target and patient selection, and long-term durability of this technology in treating new indications.
Genotypic Resistance and Immunologic Outcomes Among HIV-1-Infected Women With Viral Failure

Objectives:To describe the prevalence of specific protease inhibitor (PI) and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) resistance mutations and the relationship between the presence of these mutations and immunologic outcomes following PI/NNRTI initiation among a cohort of HIV-1-infected women. Methods:Viral genotypic resistance testing was done for 366 women enrolled in the Women's Interagency HIV Study at the visit immediately prior to 1st reported use of PI or NNRTI (baseline) and at the visit approximately 1 year after PI/NNRTI initiation. We modeled the changes in CD4+ T-cell counts and HIV RNA levels approximately 1 year after therapy initiation as a function of baseline and follow-up markers, type of antiretroviral therapy used, and resistance mutations. Results:At baseline, 52% of women showed only nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) mutations, 38% showed no mutations, and 10% showed PI or NNRTI mutations. Only 40% of women showed viral response (HIV-1 RNA ≤ 80 copies/mL) 1 year after initiating a PI or NNRTI. Among those without a viral response, 54% developed PI or NNRTI mutations. NNRTI (among those with baseline NRTI mutations) and PI resistance mutations were associated with better CD4+ cell count changes (mean increase of 118 cells/mm3 and 64 cells/mm3, respectively, as compared with viral nonresponders with no PI or NNRTI mutations). Conclusions:In this population-based cohort, virologic failure with PI or NNRTI resistance was common. Viremia with these resistance mutations was associated with preserved CD4+ T-cell count responses, providing evidence of reduced virulence or viral fitness.
On Event/Time Triggered and Distributed Analysis of a WSN System for Event Detection, Using Fuzzy Logic

Event detection in realistic WSN environments is a critical research domain, while the environmental monitoring comprises one of its most pronounced applications. Although efforts related to the environmental applications have been presented in the current literature, there is a significant lack of investigation on the performance of such systems, when applied in wireless environments. Aiming at addressing this shortage, in this paper an advanced multimodal approach is followed based on fuzzy logic. The proposed fuzzy inference system (FIS) is implemented on TelosB motes and evaluates the probability of fire detection while aiming towards power conservation. Additionally to a straightforward centralized approach, a distributed implementation of the above FIS is also proposed, aiming towards network congestion reduction while optimally distributing the energy consumption among network nodes so as to maximize network lifetime. Moreover this work proposes an event based execution of the aforementioned FIS aiming to further reduce the computational as well as the communication cost, compared to a periodical time triggered FIS execution. As a final contribution, performance metrics acquired from all the proposed FIS implementation techniques are thoroughly compared and analyzed with respect to critical network conditions aiming to offer realistic evaluation and thus objective conclusions’ extraction.
Enzyme Digests Eliminate Nonfunctional Env from HIV-1 Particle Surfaces, Leaving Native Env Trimers Intact and Viral Infectivity Unaffected

ABSTRACT HIV-1 viruses and virus-like particles (VLPs) bear nonnative “junk” forms of envelope (Env) glycoprotein that may undermine the development of antibody responses against functional gp120/gp41 trimers, thereby blunting the ability of particles to elicit neutralizing antibodies. Here, we sought to better understand the nature of junk Env with a view to devising strategies for its removal. Initial studies revealed that native trimers were surprisingly stable in the face of harsh conditions, suggesting that junk Env is unlikely to arise by trimer dissociation or gp120 shedding. Furthermore, the limited gp120 shedding that occurs immediately after synthesis of primary HIV-1 isolate Envs is not caused by aberrant cleavage at the tandem gp120/gp41 cleavage sites, which were found to cleave in a codependent manner. A major VLP contaminant was found to consist of an early, monomeric form of gp160 that is glycosylated in the endoplasmic reticulum (gp160ER) and then bypasses protein maturation and traffics directly into particles. gp160ER was found to bind two copies of monoclonal antibody (MAb) 2G12, consistent with its exclusively high-mannose glycan profile. These findings prompted us to evaluate enzyme digests as a way to remove aberrant Env. Remarkably, sequential glycosidase-protease digests led to a complete or near-complete removal of junk Env from many viral strains, leaving trimers and viral infectivity largely intact. “Trimer VLPs” may be useful neutralizing antibody immunogens.
Time-resolved Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (TR-FRET) to Analyze the Disruption of EGFR/HER2 Dimers

In oncology, simultaneous inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and HER2 by monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is an efficient therapeutic strategy but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we describe a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) method to quantify EGFR/HER2 heterodimers on cell surface to shed some light on the mechanism of such therapies. First, we tested this antibody-based TR-FRET assay in NIH/3T3 cell lines that express EGFR and/or HER2 and in various tumor cell lines. Then, we used the antibody-based TR-FRET assay to evaluate in vitro the effect of different targeted therapies on EGFR/HER2 heterodimers in the ovarian carcinoma cell line SKOV-3. A simultaneous incubation with Cetuximab (anti-EGFR) and Trastuzumab (anti-HER2) disturbed EGFR/HER2 heterodimers resulting in a 72% reduction. Cetuximab, Trastuzumab or Pertuzumab (anti-HER2) alone induced a 48, 44, or 24% reduction, respectively. In contrast, the tyrosine kinase inhibitors Erlotinib and Lapatinib had very little effect on EGFR/HER2 dimers concentration. In vivo, the combination of Cetuximab and Trastuzumab showed a better therapeutic effect (median survival and percentage of tumor-free mice) than the single mAbs. These results suggest a correlation between the extent of the mAb-induced EGFR/HER2 heterodimer reduction and the efficacy of such mAbs in targeted therapies. In conclusion, quantifying EGFR/HER2 heterodimers using our antibody-based TR-FRET assay may represent a useful method to predict the efficacy and explain the mechanisms of action of therapeutic mAbs, in addition to other commonly used techniques that focus on antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, phosphorylation, and cell proliferation.