Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Braking Index for the Young, High Magnetic Field, Rotation-Powered Pulsar in Kesteven 75

We present the first phase-coherent measurement of a braking index for the young, energetic rotation-powered pulsar PSR J1846-0258. This 324 ms pulsar is located at the center of the supernova remnant Kesteven 75 and has a characteristic age of τc = 723 yr, a spin-down energy of Ė = 8.3 × 1036 ergs s-1, and an inferred magnetic field of 4.9 × 1013 G. Two independent phase-coherent timing solutions are derived, which together span 5.5 yr of data obtained with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. In addition, a partially phase-coherent timing analysis confirms the fully phase-coherent result. The measured value of the braking index, n = 2.65 ± 0.01, is significantly less than 3, the value expected from magnetic dipole radiation, implying another physical process must contribute to the pulsar's rotational evolution. Assuming the braking index has been constant since birth, we place an upper limit on the spin-down age of PSR J1846-0258 of 884 yr, the smallest age estimate of any rotation-powered pulsar.
Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Chemically Grafted and Physically Adsorpted on Reinforcing Carbon Fibres

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) because of their properties are alleged to be the key candidate additives for improving the mechanical properties of polymers and carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRPs). Nevertheless in order for the reinforcing effect of the nanotubes to be of practical use, the CNTs have to be mixed with the matrix material. In the current work an effort was made to chemically graft Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the actual reinforcing Carbon Fibres (CFs) in order to skip the sometimes complex mixing stage. Two different solutions were used in order to treat/prepare the CNTs; a) an acid solution of H2SO4/HNO3 and, b) a toluene solution. The treated CFs were added to each solution, sonic bathed with deionised water and then dried in an oven. The resulting CFs were examined under SEM and both the solutions used proved to be reasonable successful with further investigation/optimisation to be necessary.
A Framework for Measuring Ontology Usage on the Web

A decade-long conscious effort by the Semantic Web community has resulted in the formation of a decentralized knowledge platform which enables data interoperability at a syntactic and semantic level. For information interoperability, at a syntactic level, RDF provides the standard format for publishing data and RDFS gives structure to the information. For semantic-level interoperability, ontologies are used which allow information dissemination and assimilation among diverse applications and systems; where information is equally accessible and useful to humans and machines. The success of the linked open data project, recognition of explicit semantics (annotated through web ontologies) by search engines and the realized potential advantages of semantic data for publishers have resulted in tremendous growth in the use of web ontologies on the web. In order to promote the adoption of ontologies (to new users), reusability of adopted ontologies, effective and efficient utilization on ontological knowledge and evolving the ontological model, erudite insight on the usage of ontologies is imperative. While ontology evaluation attempts to evaluate a developed ontology to assess its fitness and quality, it does not provide any insight into how ontologies are being used and what is the state of prevalent knowledge patterns. Realizing the importance of measuring and analysing ontology usage to advance the adoption, reusability and exploitation of ontologies, we present a semantic framework for measuring and analysing ontology usage on the Web on empirical grounding.
An adaptive fuzzy controller based on sliding mode for robot manipulators

This paper considers adaptive fuzzy control of robotic manipulators based on sliding mode. It is first shown that an adaptive fuzzy system with the system representative point (RP, or as is often termed, a switching function in variable structure control (VSC) theory) and its derivative as inputs, can approximate the robot nonlinear dynamics in the neighborhood of the switching hyperplane. Then a new method for designing an adaptive fuzzy control system based on sliding mode is proposed for the trajectory tracking control of a robot with unknown nonlinear dynamics. The system stability and tracking error convergence are also proved by Lyapunov techniques.
Prediction of coronary heart disease using risk factor categories.

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to examine the association of Joint National Committee (JNC-V) blood pressure and National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) cholesterol categories with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, to incorporate them into coronary prediction algorithms, and to compare the discrimination properties of this approach with other noncategorical prediction functions. METHODS AND RESULTS This work was designed as a prospective, single-center study in the setting of a community-based cohort. The patients were 2489 men and 2856 women 30 to 74 years old at baseline with 12 years of follow-up. During the 12 years of follow-up, a total of 383 men and 227 women developed CHD, which was significantly associated with categories of blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol (all P<.001). Sex-specific prediction equations were formulated to predict CHD risk according to age, diabetes, smoking, JNC-V blood pressure categories, and NCEP total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol categories. The accuracy of this categorical approach was found to be comparable to CHD prediction when the continuous variables themselves were used. After adjustment for other factors, approximately 28% of CHD events in men and 29% in women were attributable to blood pressure levels that exceeded high normal (> or =130/85). The corresponding multivariable-adjusted attributable risk percent associated with elevated total cholesterol (> or =200 mg/dL) was 27% in men and 34% in women. CONCLUSIONS Recommended guidelines of blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol effectively predict CHD risk in a middle-aged white population sample. A simple coronary disease prediction algorithm was developed using categorical variables, which allows physicians to predict multivariate CHD risk in patients without overt CHD.
A Semantic-Based Indexing for Indoor Moving Objects

The increasing availability of indoor positioning, driven by techniques like RFID, Bluetooth, and smart phones, enables a variety of indoor location-based services (LBSs). Efficient queries based on semantic-constraint in indoor spaces play an important role in supporting and boosting LBSs. However, the existing indoor index techniques cannot support these semantic constraints-based queries. To solve this problem, this paper addresses the challenge of indexing moving objects in indoor spaces, in which both the moving objects and the indoor environments include semantic meanings. We present an indoor semantic-based model, which gives the formal description of semantics of indoor cells and moving objects. Then, a new semantic-based index is proposed for indoor environment, which can support queries under semantic constraint. In addition, we develop efficient algorithms for two new queries, which are the nearest neighbor query based on semantic constraints for static indoor cells and moving objects, respectively. The conducted experiment demonstrates that the proposed index structure is effective, robust, and efficient.
Improvements To Monolingual English Word Sense Disambiguation

Word Sense Disambiguation remains one of the most complex problems facing computational linguists to date. In this paper we present modification to the graph based state of the art algorithm In-Degree. Our modifications entail augmenting the basic Lesk similarity measure with more relations based on the structure of WordNet, adding SemCor examples to the basic WordNet lexical resource and finally instead of using the LCH similarity measure for computing verb verb similarity in the In-Degree algorithm, we use JCN. We report results on three standard data sets using three different versions of WordNet. We report the highest performing monolingual unsupervised results to date on the Senseval 2 all words data set. Our system yields a performance of 62.7% using WordNet 1.7. 1.
Brain plasticity in the motor network is correlated with disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Objective: To test the influence of functional cerebral reorganization in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on disease progression. Methods: Nineteen predominantly right‐handed ALS patients and 21 controls underwent clinical evaluation, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging. Patients were clinically re‐evaluated 1 year later and followed until death. For fMRI, subjects executed and imagined a simple hand‐motor task. Between‐group comparisons were performed, and correlations were searched with motor deficit arm Medical Research Council (MRC) score, disease progression ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS), and survival time. Results: By the MRC score, the hand strength was lowered by 12% in the ALS group predominating on the right side in accordance with an abnormal fractional anisotropy (FA) limited to the left corticospinal tract (37.3% reduction vs. controls P < 0.01). Compared to controls, patients displayed overactivations in the controlateral parietal (P < 0.004) and somatosensory (P < 0.004) cortex and in the ipsilateral parietal (P < 0.01) and somatosensory (P < 0.01) cortex to right‐hand movement. Movement imagination gave similar results while no difference occurred with left‐hand tasks. Stepwise regression analysis corrected for multiple comparisons showed that controlateral parietal activity was inversely correlated with disease progression (R2 = 0.43, P = 0.001) and ipsilateral somatosensory activations with the severity of the right‐arm deficit (R2 = 0.48, P = 0.001). Conclusions: Cortical Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal changes occur in the brain of ALS patients during a simple hand‐motor task when the motor deficit is still moderate. It is correlated with the rate of disease progression suggesting that brain functional rearrangement in ALS may have prognostic implications. Hum Brain Mapp 34:2391–2401, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mathematical study on kinetics of hematopoietic stem cells – theoretical conditions for successful transplantation

Numerous haematological diseases occur due to dysfunctions during homeostasis processes of blood cell production. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a therapeutic option for the treatment of haematological malignancy and congenital immunodeficiency. Today, HSCT is widely applied as an alternative method to bone marrow transplantation; however, HSCT can be a risky procedure because of potential side effects and complications after transplantations. Although an optimal regimen to achieve successful HSCT while maintaining quality of life is to be developed, even theoretical considerations such as the evaluations of successful engraftments and proposals of clinical management strategies have not been fully discussed yet. In this paper, we construct and investigate mathematical models that describe the kinetics of hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal and granulopoiesis under the influence of growth factors. Moreover, we derive theoretical conditions for successful HSCT, primarily on the basis of the idea that the basic reproduction number R 0 represents a threshold condition for a population to successfully grow in a given steady-state environment. Successful engraftment of transplanted haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is subsequently ensured by employing a concept of dynamical systems theory known as ‘persistence’. On the basis of the implications from the modelling study, we discuss how the conditions derived for a successful HSCT are used to link to experimental studies.
Adult Plasticity in the Subcortical Auditory Pathway of the Maternal Mouse

Subcortical auditory nuclei were traditionally viewed as non-plastic in adulthood so that acoustic information could be stably conveyed to higher auditory areas. Studies in a variety of species, including humans, now suggest that prolonged acoustic training can drive long-lasting brainstem plasticity. The neurobiological mechanisms for such changes are not well understood in natural behavioral contexts due to a relative dearth of in vivo animal models in which to study this. Here, we demonstrate in a mouse model that a natural life experience with increased demands on the auditory system – motherhood – is associated with improved temporal processing in the subcortical auditory pathway. We measured the auditory brainstem response to test whether mothers and pup-naïve virgin mice differed in temporal responses to both broadband and tone stimuli, including ultrasonic frequencies found in mouse pup vocalizations. Mothers had shorter latencies for early ABR peaks, indicating plasticity in the auditory nerve and the cochlear nucleus. Shorter interpeak latency between waves IV and V also suggest plasticity in the inferior colliculus. Hormone manipulations revealed that these cannot be explained solely by estrogen levels experienced during pregnancy and parturition in mothers. In contrast, we found that pup-care experience, independent of pregnancy and parturition, contributes to shortening auditory brainstem response latencies. These results suggest that acoustic experience in the maternal context imparts plasticity on early auditory processing that lasts beyond pup weaning. In addition to establishing an animal model for exploring adult auditory brainstem plasticity in a neuroethological context, our results have broader implications for models of perceptual, behavioral and neural changes that arise during maternity, where subcortical sensorineural plasticity has not previously been considered.
Numerical modeling of capillary-driven flow in open microchannels: An implication of optimized wicking fabric design

The use of microfluidics to transfer fluids without applying any exterior energy source is a promising technology in different fields of science and engineering due to their compactness, simplicity and cost-effective design. In geotechnical engineering, to increase the soil’s strength, hydrophilic wicking fibers as type of microfluidics have been employed to transport and drain water out of soil spontaneously by taking advantage of natural capillary force without using any pumps or other auxiliary devices. The objective of this study is to understand the scientific mechanisms of the capability for wicking fiber to drain both gravity and capillary water out of soil fills. In this work, wicking fibers were numerically modeled as open microchannels. The effect of the geometry and wettability on the spontaneous flow were analyzed. A 3D computational fluid dynamics-based model was developed to predict the transient movement of the meniscus in microchannels of different geometries. The Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) method was employed along with an in-house developed algorithm to refine the grid only at the air-water interface to reduce the computational effort. Analytical and numerical criteria were derived to determine the critical contact angle for spontaneous flow in different geometry open microchannels. It was found that the aspect ratio and channel geometry have a significant effect on the water filling velocity and mass flowrate. The study was extended to water drainage from unsaturated soils and the minimum negative inlet pressure which represents the maximum soil suction was determined numerically for spontaneous flow for different microchannel geometry. Results of this study can provide an implication in the design of wicking fibers and other microfluidic systems.
Upregulation of DNMT1 mediated by HBx suppresses RASSF1A expression independent of DNA methylation.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBx) plays a key role in the molecular pathogenesis of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its critical gene targets remain largely unknown. RASSF1A gene (Ras-association domain family 1A, RASSF1A), a tumor-suppressor gene, is frequently found to be hypermethylated and downregulated in HCC. In the present study, we investigated whether HBx is involved in the hypermethylation and downregulation of RASSF1A and we examined the potential regulation mechanisms. RT-PCR analysis was used to determine RASSF1A and HBx expression in 9 liver cell lines and the results showed that RASSF1A expression was relatively low in HBx-positive cells. Notably, RASSF1A was downregulated in HepG2.2. 15 cells, as compared to HepG2 cells. Further analysis revealed that HBx transfection suppressed RASSF1A expression and HBx knockdown induced its expression. Enforced HBx suppressed RASSF1A and meanwhile induced DNMT1 and DNMT3B expression. In addition, RASSF1A is negatively regulated by DNMT1. ChIP analysis using an antibody against DNMT1 revealed that HBx enhanced the binding of DNMT1 to the RASSF1A promoter but the inhibition of RASSF1A by HBx is DNA methylation-independent as detected by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Further studies using MSP and bisulfite genomic sequencing (BGS) revealed that no significant methylation changes were observed for regional methylation levels of RASSF1A in DNMT1 knockdown cells, although methylation levels of specific CpG sites at the predicted binding sites for the Sp1 and USF transcription factors were reduced. Additionally, RASSF1A was downregulated in HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC) as detected by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry suggesting RASSF1A expression may be related to HBx in HCC and the clinical relevance of our observations. Collectively, our data showed that HBx suppressed RASSF1A expression via DNMT1 and offered a new mechanism of RASSF1A inactive in HCC in addition to the widely known DNA methylation, enriching the epigenetic mechanism by which HBx contributes to the pathogenesis of HBV-HCC.
Protein phosphatase PP2A – a novel interacting partner of carnitine transporter OCTN2 (SLC22A5) in rat astrocytes

l‐Carnitine is essential for translocation of fatty acids for their mitochondrial β‐oxidation, a process shown in the brain to take place in astrocytes. Organic cation and carnitine plasma membrane transporter OCTN2 (SLC22A5) is present in astrocytes. OCTN2 activity and localization were previously shown to be regulated by protein kinase C (PKC), although no phosphorylation of the transporter was detected. In this study, mass spectrometry was used to identify rOctn2‐interacting partners in astrocytes: several cytoskeletal, ribosomal, mitochondrial, heat‐shock proteins, as well as proteins involved in trafficking and signaling pathways. The analysis of signaling proteins shows that Octn2 co‐precipitated with PP2A phosphatase catalytical (C) and structural (A) subunits, and with its regulatory B”’ subunits – striatin, SG2NA, and zinedin. The Octn2/PP2A complex is mainly detected in endoplasmic reticulum. PKC activation increases both, carnitine transport and, as shown by immunofluorescence and surface biotinylation, transporter presence in plasma membrane. It also results in phosphorylation of SG2NA, zinedin, and catalytical subunit, although co‐precipitation, immunocytochemistry, and proximity ligation assay experiments showed that only the amount of SG2NA decreased in the complex with Octn2. PP2A inhibition with okadaic acid does not lead to Octn2 phosphorylation; however, it abolishes observed effects of PKC activation. We postulate that PKC phosphorylates SG2NA, resulting in its dissociation from the complex and transfer of Octn2 to the plasma membrane, leading to increased transporter activity. The observed interaction could affect brain functioning in vivo, both in fatty acid metabolism and in control of carnitine homeostasis, known to change in certain brain pathologies.
Human Parechoviruses, New Players in the Pathogenesis of Viral Meningitis

Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) belong to the family of Picornaviridae and have been recognized as a separate group on the basis of distinct molecular and biological properties since 1999. The identification of HPeV3 in 2004 and its association with neonatal sepsis and meningitis made it particularly clear that HPeVs are related to severe disease in infants. Molecular techniques are increasingly being used for the identification of HPeVs and with the increase in epidemiological and clinical data, HPeVs are now considered to be the second predominant cause of viral meningitis, following enteroviruses (EVs). This review focuses on the role of HPeVs, with particular notice to HPeV3, as a causative agent in viral meningitis as well as neonatal sepsis and encephalitis. Data on epidemiology, clinical manifestations, immunology and molecular and cellular biology, underlying the greater pathogenicity of this novel group of viruses as well as the diagnosis, management and treatment options will be discussed.
Structure, Function, and Endothelium-Derived Hyperpolarizing Factor in the Caudal Artery of the SHR and WKY Rat

Objective—To quantify structural and functional characteristics of the caudal artery from spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats with particular reference to endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). Methods and Results—Ultrastructural studies showed that the number of myoendothelial gap junctions, smooth muscle cell (SMC) layers, and medial cross-sectional area were significantly greater in SHR than WKY. Intracellular dye labeling demonstrated hyperplasia of SMCs in SHR. Analysis of nerve-mediated excitatory junction potentials recorded in SMCs at the adventitial and luminal borders demonstrated decreased radial coupling of SMCs in SHR. In both SHR and WKY, in the presence of NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester and indomethacin, acetylcholine-elicited EDHF was abolished by charybdotoxin and apamin, while iberiotoxin had no effect, implicating the involvement of small and intermediate, but not large, calcium-activated potassium channels. EDHF was abolished by Gap-mimetic peptides, 18&bgr;-glycyrrhetinic acid, and endothelial removal but not affected by the NO scavengers hydroxocobalamin and carboxy-PTIO. Conclusions—Significant differences in SMC morphology and homocellular and heterocellular coupling exist between the caudal artery of SHR and WKY rats. In the caudal artery of SHR, significantly greater heterocellular coupling compensates for other structural changes in the media to maintain a functional role for EDHF.