Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrogel: Polymeric Smart Material in Drug Delivery

A ‘biomaterial’, recognizes some materials for biomedical applications like replacement of living system and wound stressing. ‘Biomaterials’ includes different compounds from diverse origins, like polymers, metals, ceramics and composites. Along with conventional natural polymers (polysaccharides, proteins), synthetic and biodegradable polymers like Polyvinyl alcohol, Polyvinylpyrrolidone, Polyetheleneglycol, Polylactic acid, Polyhydroxy acid are promisingly used in drug delivery, tissue engineering, biomedical sensing, skin grafting and medical adhesives. ‘Hydrogel’ a new generation biodegradable polymer typically used for pharmaceutical and medical purposes. Hydrogels are coined as super absorbent with significant function in health care, especially in wound treatment and protection. Unique characteristics features like enhanced hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, zero-toxicity and biodegradability along with soft and rubbery consistency, low interfacial tension and ‘self-healing’ properties make them compatible with living tissues. Hydrogels have been widely investigated as the carrier for drug delivery systems owing to their unusual characteristics like swelling in aqueous medium, pH and temperature sensitivity, or sensitivity towards other stimuli. Hydrogels being biocompatible materials have been recognized to function as drug protectors, especially for peptides and proteins, from in-vivo environment. In present context, development of ‘in situ’ forming systems for various biomedical applications, including drug delivery, cell encapsulation, and tissue repair are emerging. Among several typical hydrogel synthesis approaches like, solvent exchange, UV-irradiation, ionic cross-linkage, pH change, and temperature modulation, the ‘thermosensitive’ approach is advantageous since it does not require use of any organic solvents, co-polymerization agents and externally applied trigger for gelation. This review presents an overview to the advances in hydrogel based drug delivery system with some reconstructive features in the biomedical applications.
PSI: Precise Security Instrumentation for Enterprise Networks

Despite soaring investments in IT infrastructure, the state of operational network security continues to be abysmal. We argue that this is because existing enterprise security approaches fundamentally lack precision in one or more dimensions: (1) isolation to ensure that the enforcement mechanism does not induce interference across different principals; (2) context to customize policies for different devices; and (3) agility to rapidly change the security posture in response to events. To address these shortcomings, we present PSI, a new enterprise network security architecture that addresses these pain points. PSI enables fine-grained and dynamic security postures for different network devices. These are implemented in isolated enclaves and thus provides precise instrumentation on these above dimensions by construction. To this end, PSI leverages recent advances in software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV). We design expressive policy abstractions and scalable orchestration mechanisms to implement the security postures. We implement PSI using an industry-grade SDN controller (OpenDaylight) and integrate several commonly used enforcement tools (e.g., Snort, Bro, Squid). We show that PSI is scalable and is an enabler for new detection and prevention capabilities that would be difficult to realize with existing solutions.
Escholarship@umms Program in Gene Function and Expression Publications and Presentations Program in Gene Function and Expression a Stele-enriched Gene Regulatory Network in the Arabidopsis Root Repository Citation a Stele-enriched Gene Regulatory Network in the Arabidopsis Root a Stele-enriched Gene

A stele-enriched gene regulatory network in the Arabidopsis root" (2011). Link to article on publisher's site This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0 Unported License, which allows readers to alter, transform, or build upon the article and then distribute the resulting work under the same or similar license to this one. The work must be attributed back to the original author and commercial use is not permitted without specific permission. Tightly controlled gene expression is a hallmark of multicellular development and is accomplished by transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). Although many studies have focused on identifying downstream targets of these molecules, less is known about the factors that regulate their differential expression. We used data from high spatial resolution gene expression experiments and yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and two-hybrid (Y2H) assays to delineate a subset of interactions occurring within a gene regulatory network (GRN) that determines tissue-specific TF and miRNA expression in plants. We find that upstream TFs are expressed in more diverse cell types than their targets and that promoters that are bound by a relatively large number of TFs correspond to key developmental regulators. The regulatory consequence of many TFs for their target was experimentally determined using genetic analysis. Remarkably, molecular phenotypes were identified for 65% of the TFs, but morphological phenotypes were associated with only 16%. This indicates that the GRN is robust, and that gene expression changes may be canalized or buffered. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0 Unported License, which allows readers to alter, transform, or build upon the article and then distribute the resulting work under the same or similar license to this one. The work must be attributed back to the original author and commercial use is not permitted without specific permission.
Bioaccumulation, metabolism, and biochemical effects of the organophosphorus pesticide fenitrothion in Procambarus clarkii

Fenitrothion (O,O-dimethyl O-(3-methyl-4-nitrophenyl) phosphorothioate) is readily taken up from the water by the crayfish Procambarus clarkii. The bioconcentration factor, however, is lower than expected on the basis of its octanol/water partition coefficient. The ability of P. clarkii to metabolize fenitrothion was evaluated in vitro by using 12,000-g supernatant or microsomal fractions isolated from hepatopancreas and the results pointed out the existence of both oxidative and glutathione-mediated metabolism. Several biomarkers of exposure viz., the microsomal mixed-function oxygenase system, a phase II enzyme [glutathione S-transferase], and acetylcholinesterase inhibition, were studied in organisms exposed to 20 μg/L of fenitrothion for 48 h. Cytochrome P450 content, NADPH cytochrome c(P450) reductase, and 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity showed significant induction the second day of treatment, whereas glutathione S-transferase activity appeared to be unaffected. Acetylcholinesterase activity in the neuromuscular tissue of P. clarkii was a good indicator of exposure to this compound.
On centralized schedulers for 802.11e WLANs distribution versus grouping of resources allocation

Wireless LAN is becoming a pervasive wireless access technology that can be found in almost any mobile device such as laptops, PDAs, portable game consoles and mobile phones. Each of these groups of devices have a different set of requirements according to their intended use and applications but most of them share two main requirements: QoS support to satisfy applications' demands and power saving functionality to achieve an operating time according to users' expectations. IEEE 802.11e defines two centralized solutions in order to address these problems: Hybrid Coordination Channel Access (HCCA) for QoS and Scheduled Automatic Power Save Delivery (S-APSD) for power saving. The focus of our work in this paper is the analysis and evaluation of a proposed centralized scheduler that makes use of both aforementioned IEEE 802.11e QoS and power saving solutions. Our contributions are as follows: (i) Design and analytical modeling of a proposed centralized scheduler (DRA) that maximizes the minimum distance between the resource allocations with pseudo-polynomial complexity, (ii) Extensive performance evaluation of the QoS and power saving benefits of the Distribution proposal (DRA) as compared to a generic Grouping one (GRA), and (iii) Evaluation of the complexity and scalability of the proposal to assess its feasibility in practice. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sequence training of DNN acoustic models with natural gradient

Deep Neural Network (DNN) acoustic models often use discriminative sequence training that optimises an objective function that better approximates the word error rate (WER) than frame-based training. Sequence training is normally implemented using Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) or Hessian Free (HF) training. This paper proposes an alternative batch style optimisation framework that employs a Natural Gradient (NG) approach to traverse through the parameter space. By correcting the gradient according to the local curvature of the KL-divergence, the NG optimisation process converges more quickly than HF. Furthermore, the proposed NG approach can be applied to any sequence discriminative training criterion. The efficacy of the NG method is shown using experiments on a Multi-Genre Broadcast (MGB) transcription task that demonstrates both the computational efficiency and the accuracy of the resulting DNN models.
The use of non-conventional materials in asphalt pavements base

In Brazil's Middle West Region, there is a scarcity of granular natural material to be used in subbase and base layers of urban asphalt pavements. As most urban roads to be paved have a low volume of traffic, it becomes necessary to define alternatives for the pavements’ construction that have technical and economic feasibility. In this paper, laboratory studies were conducted with traditional and non-traditional materials available in the region, such as superficial fine soil found in abundance, crushed rock, quarry waste, hydrated lime and gravel. With the mixtures that showed better results in the laboratory, an experimental asphalt pavement was constructed to evaluate the performance of the structure made with different materials. During construction and after two years, the pavement was monitored by field tests. The results showed that the studied mixtures present technical feasibility and can be used in substitution for materials traditionally used.
Particle Filters for Real-Time Fault Detection in Planetary Rovers

Planetary rovers provide a considerable challenge for robotic systems in that they must operate for long periods autonomously, or with relatively little intervention. To achieve this, they need to have on-board fault detection and diagnosis capabilities in order to determine the actual state of the vehicle, and decide what actions are safe to perform. Traditional model-based diagnosis techniques are not suitable for rovers due to the tight coupling between the vehicle's performance and its environment. Hybrid diagnosis using particle filters is presented as an alternative, and its strengths and weakeners are examined. We also present some extensions to particle filters that are designed to make them more suitable for use in diagnosis problems.
Effect of Barrier Plasma Pre-Treatment on Polyester Films and their Adhesive Properties on Oak Wood

A barrier plasma, created at atmospheric pressure, was used to improve the surface and adhesive properties of polyester (PES) film with respect to wood using polyurethane adhesives. The modification of PES film surfaces using barrier discharge plasma is attractive for various applications. Plasma pre-treatment initiates and participates in grafting, polymerization, or cross-linking reactions on the PES surface. This method of surface modification is clean, dry, ecological, and very efficient. The enhancement of the wettability of the polyester film was necessary for promoting higher adhesion to wood with water-based adhesives. The treatment of polyester films by barrier plasma led to a considerable increase in the surface free energy of the film and subsequently an increase in the peel strength of the adhesive joint of PES film-oak wood with polyurethane adhesive.
Dietary fiber and breast cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies.

BACKGROUND Evidence from case-control studies suggest that dietary fiber may be inversely related to breast cancer risk, but it is unclear if this is supported by prospective data. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence from prospective studies. METHODS PubMed was searched for prospective studies of fiber intake and breast cancer risk until 31st August 2011. Random effects models were used to estimate summary relative risks (RRs). RESULTS Sixteen prospective studies were included. The summary RR for the highest versus the lowest intake was 0.93 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-0.98, I(2) = 0%] for dietary fiber, 0.95 (95% CI 0.86-1.06, I(2) = 4%) for fruit fiber, 0.99 (95% CI 0.92-1.07, I(2) = 1%) for vegetable fiber, 0.96 (95% CI 0.90-1.02, I(2) = 5%) for cereal fiber, 0.91 (95% CI 0.84-0.99, I(2) = 7%) for soluble fiber and 0.95 (95% CI 0.89-1.02, I(2) = 0%) for insoluble fiber. The summary RR per 10 g/day of dietary fiber was 0.95 (95% CI 0.91-0.98, I(2) = 0%, P(heterogeneity) = 0.82). In stratified analyses, the inverse association was only observed among studies with a large range (≥13 g/day) or high level of intake (≥25 g/day). CONCLUSION In this meta-analysis of prospective studies, there was an inverse association between dietary fiber intake and breast cancer risk.
Development and validation of a vision-specific quality-of-life questionnaire for Timor-Leste.

PURPOSE To develop and determine the reliability and validity of a vision-specific quality-of-life instrument (TL-VSQOL) designed to assess the impact of distance and near vision impairment in adults living in Timor-Leste. METHODS A vision-specific quality-of-life questionnaire was developed, piloted, and administered to 704 Timorese aged >or=40 years during a population-based eye health rapid assessment. Rasch analysis was performed on the data of 457 participants with presenting near vision worse than N8 (78.5%) and/or distance vision worse than 6/18 (69.8%). Unidimensionality, item fit to the model, response category performance, differential item functioning, and targeting of items to participants were assessed. RESULTS Initially, the questionnaire lacked fit to the Rasch model. Removal of two items concerning emotional well-being resulted in a fit of the data (overall item-trait interaction: chi(2) (df) = 81 (51); mean (SD) person and item fit residual values: -0.30 (1.02) and -0.32 (1.46), and good targeting of person ability and item difficulty was evident. Poorer distance and near visual acuities were significantly associated with worse quality-of-life scores (P < 0.001). Person separation reliability was substantial (0.93), indicating that the instrument can discriminate between groups with normal and impaired vision. All 17 items were free of differential item functioning, and there was no evidence of multidimensionality. CONCLUSIONS This 17-item TL-VSQOL has high reliability, construct, and criterion validity and effective targeting. It can effectively assess the impact on quality of life of adult Timorese with distance and near vision impairment. The TL-VSQOL could be adapted for use in other low-resource settings.
Advances in Water Use Efficiency in Agriculture: A Bibliometric Analysis

Water use efficiency in agriculture (WUEA) has become a priority given increasing limitations on hydric resources. As a result, this area of research has increased in importance, becoming one of the most prolific lines of study. The main aim of this study was to present a review of worldwide WUEA research over the last 30 years. A bibliometric analysis was developed based on the Scopus database. The sample included 6063 articles. The variables analyzed were: articles per year, category, journal, country, institution, author, and keyword. The results indicate that a remarkable growth in the number of articles published per year is occurring. The main category is environmental science and the main journal Agricultural Water Management. The countries with the highest number of articles were China, the United States of America, and India. The institution that published the most articles was the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the authors from China also were the most productive. The most frequently used keywords were irrigation, crop yield, water supply, and crops. The findings of this study can assist researchers in this field by providing an overview of worldwide research.
Effects of additives of ATF and components of friction material for AT on μ-v characteristics

Slip-controlled lock-up clutch systems are effective for improving the fuel economy of AT vehicles. Friction coefficient versus sliding velocity (μ-v) characteristics of the lock-up clutch are important for making these systems work successfully without shudder vibration. This paper comprehensively presents effects of each typical additive applied to ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) and of each component (graphite, cashew dust, aramid fiber and carbon fiber) applied to paper-based friction materials on; μ-v characteristics. Viscosity index improvers (poly-methacrylate and olefin-copolymer) and anti-oxidants (hindered phenol and diphenylamine) have no effect on μ-v characteristics. Most the anti-wear agents (phosphate, phosphite and ZnDTP) and the friction modifiers (alcohol, amine, acid and amide) reduce friction coefficients at low sliding velocities. Dispersants (succinimide) and metallic detergents (phenate and sulfonate) can increase friction coefficients at high sliding velocities. Some metallic detergents also reduce friction coefficients at low sliding velocities at the same time. On the other hand, effect of components applied to paper-based friction materials on μ-v characteristics is not as much as that of additives applied to ATF.
Brainstem branches from olivocochlear axons in cats and rodents

Horseradish peroxidase was used to label axons of olivocochlear (OC) neurons by intracellular injections in cats and extracellular injections in rodents. These axons arise from cell bodies in the superior olivary complex and project to the cochlea. En route to the cochlea, the thick axons (> 0.7 μm diam.) of medial olivocochlear (MOC) neurons formed collaterals that terminated in the ventral cochlear nucleus, the interstitial nucleus of the vestibular nerve (in cats), and the inferior vestibular nucleus (in rodents). The thin axons (< 0.7 μm diam.), presumed to arise from lateral olivocochlear (LOC) neurons, did not branch near the CN. Within the CN, the MOC collaterals tended to ramify in and near regions with high densities of granule cells, regions also associated with the terminals of type II afferent axons (Brown et al.: J. Comp. Neurol. 278:581–590, '88). These results suggest that those fibers associated peripherally with outer hair cells (MOC efferents and type II afferents) are associated centrally with regions containing granule cells, whereas those fibers associated with inner hair cells peripherally (LOC efferents and type I afferents) are not.
Web Tracking - A Literature Review on the State of Research

Web tracking seems to become ubiquitous in online business and leads to increased privacy concerns of users. This paper provides an overview over the current state of the art of web-tracking research, aiming to reveal the relevance and methodologies of this research area and creates a foundation for future work. In particular, this study addresses the following research questions: What methods are followed? What results have been achieved so far? What are potential future research areas? For these goals, a structured literature review based upon an established methodological framework is conducted. The identified articles are investigated with respect to the applied research methodologies and the aspects of web tracking they emphasize.
Psychopaths : cheaters or warrior-hawks ? Angela

From a life history perspective, psychopaths can be thought to pursue both social cheating and warriorhawk strategies. The Cheater Hypothesis suggests that psychopaths would exhibit more indignation, and less empathy and altruism than nonpsychopaths. According to the Warrior-Hawk Hypothesis, psychopaths should also be more aggressive. Questionnaires measuring empathy, altruism, indignation, antisociality, aggression, and behavioral activation and inhibition were administered to 37 psychopathic inmates, 40 nonpsychopathic inmates, 42 community recruited volunteers, and 38 undergraduate students. Both hypotheses received some support: psychopathic participants scored significantly higher than other participants on measures of indignation and aggression. Consistent with both hypotheses, psychopaths also had a lower ratio of behavioral inhibition to activation than other participants. Contrary to expectations, psychopaths did not score lower on measures of empathy or altruism. # 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
An Algorithm to Identify Target-Selective Ligands – A Case Study of 5-HT7/5-HT1A Receptor Selectivity

A computational procedure to search for selective ligands for structurally related protein targets was developed and verified for serotonergic 5-HT7/5-HT1A receptor ligands. Starting from a set of compounds with annotated activity at both targets (grouped into four classes according to their activity: selective toward each target, not-selective and not-selective but active) and with an additional set of decoys (prepared using DUD methodology), the SVM (Support Vector Machines) models were constructed using a selective subset as positive examples and four remaining classes as negative training examples. Based on these four component models, the consensus classifier was then constructed using a data fusion approach. The combination of two approaches of data representation (molecular fingerprints vs. structural interaction fingerprints), different training set sizes and selection of the best SVM component models for consensus model generation, were evaluated to determine the optimal settings for the developed algorithm. The results showed that consensus models with molecular fingerprints, a larger training set and the selection of component models based on MCC maximization provided the best predictive performance.
Gaze is not Enough: Computational Analysis of Infant's Head Movement Measures the Developing Response to Social Interaction

Infant eye gaze is frequently studied because of its relevance as an indicator of early attention and learning. However, the coupling of eye gaze with an individual’s head motion is often overlooked. This paper analyzes how head motion develops within a social interaction context. To measure this interaction, we developed an approach that can estimate infant head motion from ego perspective recordings as they are typically provided by eye-tracking systems. Our method is able to quantify infant head motion from existing social interaction recordings even if the head was not explicitly tracked. Therefore, data from longitudinal studies that has been collected over the years can be reanalyzed in more detail. We applied our method to an existing longitudinal study of parent infant interaction and found that infants’ head motion in response to social interaction shows a developmental trend. Furthermore, our results indicate that this trend is less visible within gaze data alone. This suggests that head motion is an important element for understanding and measuring infants’ behavior during parent-child interactions.