Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can we talk about microglia without neurons? A discussion of microglial cell autonomous properties in culture

MICROGLIAL ORIGIN AND FUNCTION Microglial cells originate from precursor cells located in the yolk sac that migrate into the developing central nervous system (CNS) around E8.5-10 in mice. Considering their origin, microglial cells could be regarded as invaders of the CNS in charge of debris clearance, just active during brain injury, infection or degeneration. In adulthood and under certain conditions, monocytes may penetrate the blood brain barrier, reach the CNS and become non-resident brain macrophages. CNS infiltrating-macrophages are difficult to distinguish from resident microglial cells and it is not clear the grade of functional similarity between these two types of cells (Prinz and Mildner, 2011; Gomez Perdiguero et al., 2013). Interestingly, microglial cells are able to self-renew independently of circulating monocytes or bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (Ajami et al., 2007; Elmore et al., 2014), and show a specific molecular signature (Butovsky et al., 2014). Moreover, during the last decade microglial cells have been demonstrated to be involved in normal brain development and function while maintaining a, previously assumed, “resting” state (Pont-Lezica et al., 2011; Tremblay et al., 2011; Valero et al., 2012). Thus, microglial cells cannot be considered just as macrophages.
Semantic parsing for priming object detection in indoors RGB-D scenes

The semantic mapping of the environment requires simultaneous segmentation and categorization of the acquired stream of sensory information. The existing methods typically consider the semantic mapping as the final goal and differ in the number and types of considered semantic categories. We envision semantic understanding of the environment as an on-going process and seek representations which can be refined and adapted depending on the task and robot’s interaction with the environment. In this work we propose a novel and efficient method for semantic parsing, which can be adapted to the task at hand and enables localization of objects of interest in indoor environments. For basic mobility tasks we demonstrate how to obtain initial semantic segmentation of the scene into ground, structure, furniture and props categories which constitute the first level of hierarchy. Then, we propose a simple and efficient method for predicting locations of objects that based on their size afford a manipulation task. In our experiments we use the publicly available NYU V2 dataset and obtain better or comparable results than the state of the art at a fraction of the computational cost. We show the generalization of our approach on two more publicly available datasets.
A Dexterous System for Laryngeal Surgery Multi-Backbone Bending Snake-like Slaves for Teleoperated Dexterous Surgical Tool Manipulation

This paper presents a design overview of a novel high DoF (Degrees-of-Freedom) system being developed for minimally invasive surgery of the throat. The system is designed to allow remote operation of 2-3 tools with high tip dexterity to enable suturing and soft-tissue manipulation while using the patient's mouth as the only entry port. The slave is a 34 DoF unit equipped with three snake-like distal dexterity units for surgical tool manipulation. Each of these units is a multi-backbone snake- like mechanism equipped with a detachable milli parallel manipulator allowing interchangeable tools to be used. The paper presents the outline of the kinematic analysis of the snake-like units and proposes one possible actuation redundancy resolution to allow further downsize scalability while reducing the risk of buckling of the primary backbone of the snake-like units. Finally, the paper presents a first early experiment with a prototype of the snake-like unit. This paper reports our work to develop a high-dexterity robotic system for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) of the throat - an organ unusually challenging because of its shape, length, and complexity. Throat surgery is characterized by insertion of endoscopes and multiple long tools through a narrow tube (the laryngoscope) inserted into the patient's mouth. Current manual instrumentation is awkward, hard to manipulate precisely, and lacks sufficient dexterity to permit common surgical subtasks such as suturing vocal fold tissue. Our goal is a three-armed teleoperated robot with high distal dexterity capable of suturing and similar tissue manipulation tasks through the laryngoscope. Our approach emphasizes Distal Dexterity Units (DDU) with a novel design mounted on the end of precisely manipulated, thin robot arms. The DDU design is easily scalable to small sizes, simple to manufacture,
Mining the Temporal Evolution of the Android Bug Reporting Community via Sliding Windows

The open source development community consists of both paid and volunteer developers as well as new and experienced users. Previous work has applied social network analysis (SNA) to open source communities and has demonstrated value in expertise discovery and triaging. One problem with applying SNA directly to the data of the entire project lifetime is that the impact of local activities will be drowned out. In this paper we provide a method for aggregating, analyzing, and visualizing local (small time periods) interactions of bug reporting participants by using the SNA to measure the betweeness centrality of these participants. In particular we mined the Android bug repository by producing social networks from overlapping 30-day windows of bug reports, each sliding over by day. In this paper we define three patterns of participant behaviour based on their local centrality. We propose a method of analyzing the centrality of bug report participants both locally and globally, then we conduct a thorough case study of the bug reporter's activity within the Android bug repository. Furthermore, we validate the conclusions of our method by mining the Android version control system and inspecting the Android release history. We found that windowed SNA analysis elicited local behaviour that were invisible during global analysis.
MATLAB Simulation for Diversity and Performance Enhancement of OSTBC-CDMA System using channel Coding Techniques over Multipath

The Diversity performance of 8 x 2 MIMO system. Diversity was achieved through the use of orthogonal spacetime block coding technique (OSTBC) at the transmitter, which is a recent innovation motivated by the need for higher throughput in wireless channel. Matlab is used to simulate 8 x 2 MIMO system, and OSTBC to encode the BPSK modulated signal before being transmitted through flat fading Rayleigh channel. At the receiving end, the received signals were combined by Maximal Ratio Combiner (MRC) and detected by Maximum-Likelihood (ML) detector. The 8 x 2 simulations achieved low BER without the need for high SNR values. Wireless networks have quickly become part of everyday life. Wireless LANs, cell phone networks, and personal area networks are just a few examples of widely used wireless networks. However, wireless devices are range and data rate limited. The research community has spent a great deal of effort on finding ways to overcome these limitations. One method is to use Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) links. The multiple antennas allow MIMO systems to perform precoding (multi-layer beam forming), diversity coding (space-time coding), and spatial multiplexing. Beam forming consists of transmitting the same signal with different gain and phase (called wights) over all transmit antennas such that the receiver signal is maximized. Diversity consists of transmitting a single space-time coded stream through all antennas. Spatial multiplexing increases network capacity by splitting a high rate signal into multiple lower rate streams and transmitting them through the different antennas. In spatial multiplexing, the receiver can successfully decode each stream given that the received signals have sufficient spatial signatures and that the receiver has enough antennas to separate the streams. The result of using these MIMO techniques is higher data rate or longer transmit range without requiring additional bandwidth or transmit power. This paper presents a detailed study of diversity coding for MIMO systems. Different space-time block coding (STBC) schemes including Alamouti’s STBC for 2 transmit antennas as well as orthogonal STBC for 3 and 4 transmit antennas are explored. Finally, these STBC techniques are implemented in MATLAB and analyzed for performance according to their bit-error rates using BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, and 64QAM modulation schemes.
Semi-automated Test Planning for e-ID Systems by Using Requirements Clustering

In acceptance testing, customer requirements as specified in system specifications have to be tested for their successful implementation. This is a time-consuming task due to inherent system complexity and thus a large number of requirements. In order to reduce efforts in acceptance testing, we introduce a novel approach that exploits redundancies and implicit relations in requirements specifications, which are based on multi-viewpoint techniques, in our case the reference model for open distributed processing (RM-ODP). It deploys requirements clustering and linguistic analysis techniques for reducing the total number of test cases. We report on concrete experiences with this approach within joint R&D work of the Software Quality Lab (s-lab) of the University of Paderborn and HJP Consulting, an international consulting company, specialized in planning, procurement and acceptance testing of national electronic identification (e-ID) systems. The paper is concluded with an overview on the current tool support especially for automated detection of the redundancies and implicit relations in requirements. Also the future work on the tool support for the overall test specification process is discussed.
Independent evolution of monkeypox and variola viruses

Smallpox was eradicated more than 10 years ago, but infection with another Orthopoxvirus, monkeypox virus, can result in a clinical picture resembling smallpox. Human infection with monkeypox virus is extremely rare, not easily transmitted, and confined to the rain forest belt of Africa (Z. Jezek and F. Fenner, p. 81-102, in Human Monkeypox, 1988). Evidence that variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, might be readily derived from monkeypox virus was presented [S. S. Marennikova and E. M. Shelukhina, Nature (London) 276:291-292, 1978; S. S. Marennikova, E. M. Shelukhina, N. N. Maltseva, and G. R. Matsevich Intervirology 11:333-340, 1979], but this was not confirmed [K. R. Dumbell and L. C. Archard, Nature (London) 286:29-32, 1980] and was subsequently discounted (J. J. Esposito, J. H. Nakano, and J. F. Obijeski, Bull. W.H.O. 63:695-703, 1985). Although enough difference between the genomes of monkeypox and variola viruses to rule out a simple interconversion has been demonstrated [K. R. Dumbell and L. C. Archard, Nature (London) 286:29-32, 1980; J. J. Esposito and J. C. Knight, Virology 143:230-251, 1985; J. J. Esposito, J. H. Nakano, and J. F. Obijeski, Bull. W.H. O. 63:695-703, 1985; M. Mackett and L. C. Archard, J. Gen. Virol. 45:683-701, 1979], the possibility that monkeypox virus was a more remote ancestor of variola virus remained. We have now identified a sequence in monkeypox virus DNA which is a homolog of a 1,065-bp open reading frame in the conserved region of the variola virus genome but which has multiple deletions. This is strong evidence that monkeypox virus is not ancestral to variola virus and strengthens confidence in the long-term success of smallpox eradication.
Flexibility of alpha-helices: results of a statistical analysis of database protein structures.

Alpha-helices stand out as common and relatively invariant secondary structural elements of proteins. However, alpha-helices are not rigid bodies and their deformations can be significant in protein function (e.g. coiled coils). To quantify the flexibility of alpha-helices we have performed a structural principal-component analysis of helices of different lengths from a representative set of protein folds in the Protein Data Bank. We find three dominant modes of flexibility: two degenerate bend modes and one twist mode. The data are consistent with independent Gaussian distributions for each mode. The mode eigenvalues, which measure flexibility, follow simple scaling forms as a function of helix length. The dominant bend and twist modes and their harmonics are reproduced by a simple spring model, which incorporates hydrogen-bonding and excluded volume. As an application, we examine the amount of bend and twist in helices making up all coiled-coil proteins in SCOP. Incorporation of alpha-helix flexibility into structure refinement and design is discussed.
Patterns and Objects for User Interface Construction

Nowadays, computers play a very important role, that is to say, as a communication tool between people. This introduces the interface between human and machines as a key player, therefore the importance of these interfaces. The existing software development processes recognize this importance but do not establish precise guidelines for the construction of the user interface as an activity within the system life cycle. This article describes a method for constructing user interfaces based upon interaction patterns. This method can be incorporated to an object-oriented software development process which fulfills certain characteristics. Interaction patterns describe interface design solutions favoring the development of a user interface prototype.
Human punishment is motivated by inequity aversion, not a desire for reciprocity

Humans involved in cooperative interactions willingly pay a cost to punish cheats. However, the proximate motives underpinning punitive behaviour are currently debated. Individuals who interact with cheats experience losses, but they also experience lower payoffs than the cheating partner. Thus, the negative emotions that trigger punishment may stem from a desire to reciprocate losses or from inequity aversion. Previous studies have not disentangled these possibilities. Here, we use an experimental approach to ask whether punishment is motivated by inequity aversion or by a desire for reciprocity. We show that humans punish cheats only when cheating produces disadvantageous inequity, while there is no evidence for reciprocity. This finding challenges the notion that punishment is motivated by a simple desire to reciprocally harm cheats and shows that victims compare their own payoffs with those of partners when making punishment decisions.
Protein kinase C and a calcium‐independent Phospholipase are required for IgG‐mediated phagocytosis by Mono‐Mac‐6 cells

Mono‐Mac‐6 (MM6) human monocytes ingest IgG‐opsonized particles better than other human cell lines. We compared the phagocytic signaling pathway in MM6 with human monocytes. MM6 expressed FcγRI at levels similar to monocytes, whereas FcRγII expression was approximately double. MM6 ingested IgG‐opsonized erythrocytes (EIgG) in a calcium‐independent manner. Incubation of MM6 with bromoenol lactone, an inhibitor of the phagocytic phospholipase (pPL), coordinately decreased phagocytosis and pPL activity. This inhibition was overcome by exogenous arachidonic acid, suggesting that phagocytosis requires pPL activation and arachidonic acid release. MM6 phagocytosis was inhibited with staurosporine and activated with diacylglycerol, supporting a role for protein kinase C (PKC) in this process. The pPL activators mastoparan and melittin restored phagocytosis to PKC‐inhibited cells, suggesting that pPL lies downstream from PKC. These results suggest that the MM6 signal transduction pathway for IgG‐mediated phagocytosis is similar to that of monocytes (PKCåpPLåarachidonic acidåphagocytosis). The results are discussed in the context of the finding that MM6 exhibit low phagocytosis relative to monocytes and thus may represent an attractive cell line for molecular manipulation in “recovery of function” studies. J. Leukoc. Biol. 65: 854–862; 1999.
The Tower of London Spatial Problem-Solving Task: Enhancing Clinical and Research Implementation

Since its development in 1982, The Tower of London (TOL; Shallice, 1982) spatial problem-solving task has been increasingly employed in test batteries of executive functions. This task has served as a rich source of information on preparation, planning and processing, but a number of issues remain unaddressed in the literature: (1) the problem structure, or problem space of the task, (2) the impact of modifications from the original, Shallice TOL, and (3) the variety of performance measures that can be derived from the TOL. We present here an overview of these issues in the hope that it may lead to a more effective and reasoned use of the TOL task by clinical and nonclinical investigators, alike.
Pessimism reduction in coupling-aware static timing analysis using timing and logic filtering

With continued scaling of technology into nanometer regimes, the impact of coupling induced delay variations is significant. While several coupling-aware static timers have been proposed, the results are often pessimistic with many false failures. We present an integrated iterative timing filtering and logic filtering based approach to reduce pessimism. We use a realistic coupling model based on arrival times and slews and show that non-iterative pessimism reduction algorithms proposed in previous research may give potentially non- conservative timing results. On a functional block from an industrial 65nm microprocessor, our algorithm produced a maximum pessimism reduction of 11.18% of cycle time over converged timing filtering analysis that does not consider logic constraints.
Grainstick: A Collaborative, Interactive Sound Installation

The interactive installation GrainStick was developed as a collaboration between the composer Pierre Jodlowski and the European project Sound And Music For Everyone Everyday Everywhere Everyway (SAME) at Ircam, Paris. The interaction design of GrainStick presents a new development in multimodal interfaces and multichannel sound by allowing users control of their auditory scene through gesture analysis performed on infrared camera motion tracking and accelerometer data. Spatial rendering was performed on a wavefield synthesis system; we discuss the advantages held by this technology in collaborative and interactive applications of this kind.
Incoherent-Light Temporal Imaging Based on a Temporal Pinspeck

Incoherent-light temporal imaging using a temporal pinhole camera has been recently proposed and demonstrated as a way to improve the key limitations of coherent temporal imaging systems. However, the energy efficiency of incoherent-light temporal imaging is greatly limited by the narrow temporal pinhole, which filters out most of the incoming light along the time domain. In this letter, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel incoherent-light temporal imaging scheme based on a temporal pinspeck, which is a time-domain equivalent of a spatial pinspeck. In contrast to a temporal pinhole, the temporal pinspeck keeps most of the incoming light, greatly improving the system's energy efficiency. In addition, the performance specifications of temporal-pinspeck-based systems, such as temporal apertures and resolutions, are subject to similar design tradeoffs as their temporal-pinhole-based counterparts.
Development and characterization of a stable epithelial cell line from Muta™Mouse lung

We have isolated and characterized a stable epithelial cell line from Muta™Mouse lung that is a suitable complement to the in vivo assay system. The cells are contact inhibited, forming a flat monolayer, and retain several epithelial/pulmonary characteristics. The genome is stable across more than 50 generations, with a modal chromosome number of 78. Spontaneous rates of micronuclei (19.2 ± 1.4 per 1,000), sister chromatid exchanges (0.25 ± 0.004 per chromosome), and chromosome aberrations (∼ 4%) are lower than, or comparable to, other transgenic cell lines currently used in mutagenicity research. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses showed that 80% of cells contain three λgt10lacZ loci. Slot‐blot analyses indicated that the average cell contains ∼17 transgene monomers. Spontaneous mutant frequency at the lacZ transgene is stable (39.8 ± 1.1 × 10−5), and the direct‐acting mutagens N‐ethyl‐N‐nitrosourea and ICR‐191 yielded increases in mutant frequency of 6.3‐ and 3.2‐fold above control, respectively. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) exposure increased mutant frequency more than 25‐fold above control and did not require an exogenous metabolic activation mixture. Inhibition of Cyp1A1 by 5 μM α‐naphthoflavone eliminated BaP mutagenesis. Activation and mutation induction by the heterocyclic amine 2‐amino‐1‐methyl‐6‐phenylimidazo[4,5‐b]pyridine required a low concentration (0.05% v/v) of exogenous rat liver S9. High activity of α, μ, and π glutathione‐S‐transferase isozymes appears to confer resistance to the cytotoxic effects of xenobiotics. The cell line is a suitable complement to the in vivo Muta™Mouse assay, and provides an opportunity for routine in vitro mutagenicity testing using an endpoint that is identical to that employed in vivo. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 42:166–184, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Are Anticapsular Antibodies the Primary Mechanism of Protection against Invasive Pneumococcal Disease?

Background Antibody to capsular polysaccharide has been the basis of several vaccines that offer protection against invasive disease from Streptococcus pneumoniae. The success of such vaccines has led to the inference that natural protection against invasive pneumococcal disease is largely conferred by anticapsular antibody. If this is so, one would expect that the decline in disease from different serotypes would vary significantly, and that the appearance of substantial concentrations of anticapsular antibodies would coincide temporally with the decline in age-specific incidence. Methods and Findings Using incidence data from the United States, we show that, on the contrary, the decline in incidence with age is quite similar for the seven most important serogroups, despite large differences in exposure in the population. Moreover, only modest increases in antibody concentration occur over the second and third years of life, a period in which serotype-specific incidence declines to less than 25% of its peak. We also present detailed data on the distribution of antibody concentrations in Israeli toddlers, which are consistent with the United States findings. The same conclusion is supported by new data on age-specific incidence in Finland, which is compared with published data on antibody acquisition in Finnish toddlers. Conclusion We suggest some additional studies of the mechanisms of protection that could distinguish among potential alternative mechanisms, including acquired immunity to noncapsular antigens, maturation of nonspecific immune responses, or changes in anatomy or exposure.