Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Paraoxonase-1 and myeloperoxidase correlate with vascular biomarkers in overweight patients with newly diagnosed untreated hyperlipidaemia.

BACKGROUND In hyperlipidaemic state, increased levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and decreased paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity have been reported; however, their relationships with other atherosclerotic biomarkers have not been completely clarified. PATIENTS AND METHODS Serum concentrations of lipid and inflammatory parameters, MPO levels, and PON1 activities were investigated in 167 untreated hyperlipidaemic patients with and without vascular complications and in 32 healthy controls. Additionally, levels of CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and oxidized LDL were determined. RESULTS We found elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), ADMA, sCD40L, sICAM-1 concentrations, and higher MPO levels in patients with vascular complications compared to those without. The PON1 arylesterase activity correlated negatively with sCD40L, ADMA, and sICAM-1 levels, respectively. In contrast, MPO concentrations showed positive correlations with sCD40L, ADMA, and sICAM-1 levels, respectively. CONCLUSIONS It can therefore be stated that PON1 activity and MPO level correlate strongly with the vascular biomarkers, highlighting the importance of the HDL-associated pro- and antioxidant enzymes in the development of endothelial dysfunction and atherogenesis.
Integrated geophysical‐petrological modeling of lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary in central Tibet using electromagnetic and seismic data

We undertake a petrologically driven approach to jointly model magnetotelluric (MT) and seismic surface wave dispersion (SW) data from central Tibet, constrained by topographic height. The approach derives realistic temperature and pressure distributions within the upper mantle and characterizes mineral assemblages of given bulk chemical compositions as well as water content. This allows us to define a bulk geophysical model of the upper mantle based on laboratory and xenolith data for the most relevant mantle mineral assemblages and to derive corresponding predicted geophysical observables. One‐dimensional deep resistivity models were derived for two groups of MT stations. One group, located in the Lhasa Terrane, shows the existence of an electrically conductive upper mantle layer and shallower conductive upper mantle layer for the other group, located in the Qiangtang Terrane. The subsequent one‐dimensional integrated petrological‐geophysical modeling suggests a lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary (LAB) at a depth of 80–120 km with a dry lithosphere for the Qiangtang Terrane. In contrast, for the Lhasa Terrane the LAB is located at about 180 km but the presence of a small amount of water in the lithospheric mantle (<0.02 wt%) is required to fit the longest period MT responses. Our results suggest two different lithospheric configurations beneath the southern and central Tibetan Plateau. The model for the Lhasa Terrane implies underthrusting of a moderately wet Indian plate. The model for the Qiangtang Terrane shows relatively thick and conductive crust and implies thin and dry Tibetan lithosphere.
Heme oxygenase-1 inhibits myoblast differentiation by targeting myomirs.

AIMS Heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) is a cytoprotective enzyme degrading heme to biliverdin, iron ions, and carbon monoxide, whose expression is induced in response to oxidative stress. Its overexpression has been suggested as a strategy improving survival of transplanted muscle precursors. RESULTS Here we demonstrated that HMOX1 inhibits differentiation of myoblasts and modulates miRNA processing: downregulates Lin28 and DGCR8, lowers the total pool of cellular miRNAs, and specifically blocks induction of myomirs. Genetic or pharmacological activation of HMOX1 in C2C12 cells reduces the abundance of miR-1, miR-133a, miR-133b, and miR-206, which is accompanied by augmented production of SDF-1 and miR-146a, decreased expression of MyoD, myogenin, and myosin, and disturbed formation of myotubes. Similar relationships between HMOX1 and myomirs were demonstrated in murine primary satellite cells isolated from skeletal muscles of HMOX1(+/+), HMOX1(+/-), and HMOX1(-/-) mice or in human rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. Inhibition of myogenic development is independent of antioxidative properties of HMOX1. Instead it is mediated by CO-dependent inhibition of c/EBPδ binding to myoD promoter, can be imitated by SDF-1, and partially reversed by enforced expression of miR-133b and miR-206. Control C2C12 myoblasts injected to gastrocnemius muscles of NOD-SCID mice contribute to formation of muscle fibers. In contrast, HMOX1 overexpressing C2C12 myoblasts form fast growing, hyperplastic tumors, infiltrating the surrounding tissues, and disseminating to the lungs. INNOVATION We evidenced for the first time that HMOX1 inhibits differentiation of myoblasts, affects the miRNA processing enzymes, and modulates the miRNA transcriptome. CONCLUSION HMOX1 improves the survival of myoblasts, but concurrently through regulation of myomirs, may act similarly to oncogenes, increasing the risk of hyperplastic growth of myogenic precursors.
Real time biodetection of individual pathogenic microorganisms in food and water.

The primary objective of this research is to examine the feasibility of using an innovative technique based on laser-induced fluorescence coupled with flow cytometry to detect pathogenic microorganisms in food or water in real time. Our initial application is the rapid detection of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef. The research performed demonstrated conclusively that this approach is feasible, and that the technique has key advantages over current alternatives including: it is (1) able to totally examine a large volume of food or water in real time, (2) capable of detecting single microorganisms (alternative techniques require in excess of 10(4) microorganisms), (3) intrinsically automatic, and (4) sensitive only to the selected bacteria. We have demonstrated the feasibility of detecting individual E. coli bacteria with a breadboard system. The performance of this system allows for rapid detection of individual specific pathogenic microorganisms. Two of the most significant commercial applications of this technique are the detection of infectious microorganisms in contaminated food and water. Food-borne microbial pathogens account for approximately 7 million illnesses and 9,000 deaths in the U.S. annually, with an estimated economic loss of at least $6 billion [1]. In addition, this method has the potential for a broad range of other commercial applications, including the detection of small numbers of molecules, such as the ultrasensitive detection of explosives and groundwater contaminants.
Algorithm for multicast opportunistic routing in wireless mesh networks

Multi-hop Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) is a promising new technique for communication with routing protocol designs being critical to the effective and efficient of these WMNs. A common approach for routing traffic in these networks is to select a minimal distance from source to destination as in wire-line networks. Opportunistic Routing(OR) makes use of the broadcasting ability of wireless network and is especially very helpful for WMN because all nodes are static. Our proposed scheme of Multicast Opportunistic Routing(MOR) in WMNs is based on the broadcast transmissions and Learning Au-tomata (LA) to expand the potential candidate nodes that can aid in the process of retransmission of the data. The receivers are required to be in sync with one another in order to avoid duplicated broadcasting of data which is generally achieved by formulating the forwarding candidates according to some LA based metric. The most adorable aspect of this protocol is that it intelligently "learns" from the past experience and improves its performance. The results obtained via this approach of MOR, shows that the proposed scheme outperforms with some existing sachems and is an improved and more effective version of opportunistic routing in mesh network.
Experimental Comparison of Low-Cost Sub-Nanosecond Pulse Generators

In this paper, six low-cost pulse generator devices having sub-nanosecond transition time are analyzed and compared. Some of the possible applications for these devices are also described, along with an overview of the different approaches for sub-nanosecond pulse generation. Furthermore, the architecture and principle of operation of the realized prototypes are explained. The considered pulse generation techniques are based on logic gates, Step-Recovery Diodes, and transistors driven in the avalanche region. Some experimental results obtained by using an equivalent-time sampling oscilloscope and a spectrum analyzer are shown and discussed, providing both a time-domain and a frequency-domain characterization of the prototypes. Finally, an approach for the generation of modulated pulses in the 6-GHz band (for ultra-wideband applications) is investigated, and experimental results are provided.
A Model to Study Antioxidant Regulation of Endotoxemia-Modulated Neonatal Granulopoiesis and Granulocyte Apoptosis

Neonates with septicemia tend to develop granulocytopenia, which may, in part, be due to septic mediators such as oxygen free radicals and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Granulocytopenia may be caused by a decrease in granulocyte growth and/or an increase in granulocyte destruction. In the present study, we investigated antioxidant regulation of endotoxin-modulated neonatal granulopoiesis and granulocyte apoptosis. Using human umbilical cord blood (HUCB), we found that simulating endotoxemia in vitro elicited significant superoxide production within a few minutes. Endotoxin exposure suppressed colony-forming unit–granulocyte and monocyte formation in a dose-dependent fashion. Addition of antioxidants such as N-acetyl-cysteine could reverse the endotoxin suppression of colony-forming unit–granulocyte and monocyte formation (13 ± 5 versus 75 ± 5 colony-forming units/mL). Spontaneous in vitro granulocyte apoptosis in 6 h, as reflected by phosphatidylserine expression on the cell surface, was higher in granulocytes from HUCB than in those from adult blood (10.8 ± 1.0%versus 5.6 ± 1.2%). The addition of endotoxin or IL-8 to the cells in the in vitro model did not promote granulocyte apoptosis, but TNF-α, a major mediator of the effects of endotoxin, significantly induced granulocyte apoptosis in HUCB (control versus TNF-α: 8.9 ± 1.2%versus 35.9 ± 2.9%). Addition of the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine effectively blocked TNF-α-induced granulocyte apoptosis as demonstrated by DNA fragmentation. Results from these studies indicate that oxygen radicals are directly involved in endotoxin suppression of granulopoiesis, and indirectly promote granulocyte apoptosis, presumably through TNF-α-mediated action. Thus, under certain conditions, modulation of oxygen radical production in the blood may benefit neonates with granulocytopenia.
Scalable Congestion Control Protocol Based on SDN in Data Center Networks

On-line data center applications render challenging network latency demands to meet their service level requirements. These applications, however, frequently suffer from increased latency due to the packet loss and queueing delay at the network switches. These are mainly as a result of the momentary massive bursts by the Partition/Aggregation application traffic patterns, which causes incast network congestion at the network switches. In this paper, we propose a scalable congestion control protocol, called SCCP. Our scheme effectively limits the data rate of the TCP senders by leveraging the Software Defined Networking (SDN) switches, so that the total utilization does not exceed the bottleneck link capacity. Furthermore, SCCP can be easily deployed to the existing SDN data center switches by extending the OpenFlow specifications. Our Open vSwitch-based prototype experiments and ns-3 simulations show that SCCP is scalable for up to hundreds of concurrent flows traversing through the data center network switch port.
On Improving the Performance of Dynamic DCVSL Circuits

This contribution aims at improving the performance of Dynamic Differential Cascode Voltage Switch Logic (Dy-DCVSL) and Enhanced Dynamic Differential Cascode Voltage Switch Logic (EDCVSL) and suggests three architectures for the same. The first architecture uses transmission gates (TG) to reduce the logic tree depth and width, which results in speed improvement. As leakage is a dominant issue in lower technology nodes, the second architecture is proposed by adapting the leakage control technique (LECTOR) in Dy-DCVSL and EDCVSL. The third proposed architecture combines features of both the first and the second architectures. The operation of the proposed architectures has been verified through extensive simulations with different CMOS submicron technology nodes (90 nm, 65 nm, and 45 nm). The delay of the gates based on the first architecture remains almost the same for different functionalities. It is also observed that Dy-DCVSL gates are 1.6 to 1.4 times faster than their conventional counterpart. The gates based on the second architecture show a maximum of 74.3% leakage power reduction. Also, it is observed that the percentage of reduction in leakage power increases with technology scaling. Lastly, the gates based on the third architecture achieve similar leakage power reduction values to the second one but are not able to exhibit the same speed advantage as achieved with the first architecture.
Numerical analysis of switching characteristics in SOI MOSFET's

The paper presents an analysis of switching characteristics in SOI MOSFET's. By using a two-carrier and two-dimensional transient SOI simulator, calculated waveforms having good agreement with experimental results are obtained. Further analysis revealed the mechanism of switching characteristics. The motion of majority carriers features the switching characteristics for SOI devices in both turn-on and turn-off stages, although the current overshooting time and the substrate potential recovery time are strongly affected by bias conditions. The magnitude of drain current overshoot in the turn-on stage also proved to be a function of substrate impurity concentration.
Set of shorter paths using genetic algorithm and evaluating network delay

The essence of this paper is to formulate the delay factor in transmitting a data unit from source to destination with multiple opinion regarding shorter, shortest path and the traffic using Geographic Information System. The feasible paths are diagnose with shortest path Algorithm and verified using genetic Algorithm. The proposed shortest path algorithm detects the shortest path with other possible shorter paths form source to destination, and implemented with developed formulae to calculate the delay factors in the transmitting media. Selection and connection between nodes are done with Geographic Information System. Transfer of packets through medium, transfer of liquid into pipelines and transfer of goods over different medium (rail, road and air) requires faster modes of communication with reducing delay factor. In the run of multiplicity algorithms like dijkstra's provides a single channel from source to destination. But the proposed algorithm, not only provide multiple option but also calculates the possible delay in the network. The proposed algorithm is equated with dijkstra's algorithm and results obtained are acceptable. Simulated results are formulated using Matlab. The result assures the experimental potency of the algorithm and the work.
Dopamine, Acetylcholine and Nitric Oxide Systems Interact to Induce Corticostriatal Synaptic Plasticity

Two distinct forms of synaptic plasticity have been described at corticostriatal synapses: long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP). Both these enduring changes in the efficacy of excitatory neurotransmission in the striatum have a major impact on the physiological activity of the basal ganglia and are triggered by the stimulation of complex and independent cascades of intracellular second messenger systems. Along with the massive glutamatergic inputs originating from the cortex, striatal neurons receive a myriad of other synaptic contacts arising from different sources. In particular, while the nigrostriatal pathway provides this brain area with dopamine (DA), intrinsic circuits are the main source of acetylcholine (ACh) and nitric oxide (NO). The three neurotransmitter systems interact with each other to determine whether corticostriatal LTP or LTD is triggered in response to repetitive synaptic stimulation. Two distinct subtypes of striatal interneurons produce ACh and NO in the striatum. These interneurons are activated by the cortex during the induction phase of striatal plasticity, and stimulate, in turn, the intracellular changes in projection neurons required for LTD or LTP. Interneurons, therefore, exert a feedforward control of the excitability of striatal projection neurons by ensuring the coordinate expression of two alternative forms of synaptic plasticity at the same type of excitatory synapse. The integrative action exerted by striatal projection neurons on the converging information arising from the cortex, nigral DA neurons, and from ACh- and NO-producing interneurons dictates the final output of the striatum to the other structures of the basal ganglia.
Psychological and fitness changes associated with exercise participation among women with breast cancer

Exercise participation has been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness and reduce psychological distress among women receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the changes in distress and body image, and fitness following exercise participation among 24 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer within the previous 3 years. The women were randomly assigned to participate in a 12‐week supervised aerobic exercise program in a hospital setting or a wait‐list control group. Assessments of distress and body image were conducted at pre‐ and post‐treatment. Data showed that the women in the exercise group improved significantly in body image (Physical Condition and Weight Concerns subscales) vs control group participants at post‐treatment. Reductions in distress were also noted in the exercise group, but these were nonsignificant. At post‐treatment, there were modest improvements in fitness in the exercise group. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Empirical Analysis of Local Opposition to New Transmission Lines Across the EU-27

The current European Union vision for a low carbon electricity system requires a large-scale expansion of overhead transmission lines to integrate renewable energy sources and ensure a secure electricity supply for the future. Recently, new installations of overhead transmission lines across Europe have been stymied by local opposition, which causes long delays in project completion and occasional cancellations. This study presents and analyzes data from an unprecedented survey on the social acceptance of transmission lines that was conducted in the EU-27. We find that auxiliary information regarding the positive effects of a grid development project can have a substantial impact in decreasing the opposition of local stakeholders. In particular, emphasizing any long-term carbon reduction potential or economic benefit of a particular project will, on average, decrease the likelihood that a local resident is strongly opposed to the project by 10-11%.
Lifetime analysis of CORMAN and PSR in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) have seen vast application and continuous development. A good number of protocols have evolved to perform efficient routing in MANETs in order to improve the communication. Two protocols Cooperative Opportunistic Routing Scheme in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (CORMAN) and Proactive Source Routing (PSR) have been implemented for MANETs and their routing performance have been improved. In this paper, we analyze the lifetime of the MANET by fixing the initial energy of nodes to see how much energy is being consumed by these protocols. Simulations are performed in the network simulator NS-2.
Wnt signaling potentiates nevogenesis

Significance Human benign nevi (moles) are clonal neoplasms that rarely progress to melanoma because their cells (melanocytes) are arrested in a viable but nonproliferating state (senescence). However, at low frequency, nevus melanocytes do progress to melanoma. Consequently, it is important to understand the factors that determine nevus formation and progression to melanoma. We present evidence that repression of a proliferation-promoting cell signaling pathway (Wnt signaling pathway) contributes to senescence of melanocytes in vitro. However, Wnt signaling remains active in some senescent human melanocytes in nevi, and activation of Wnt signaling leads to a delay in melanocyte senescence in a mouse model. We suggest that activated Wnt signaling in human nevi delays senescence to promote nevus formation, and thereafter, persistent Wnt signaling might undermine senescence-mediated tumor suppression. Cellular senescence is a stable proliferation arrest associated with an altered secretory pathway (senescence-associated secretory phenotype). Cellular senescence is also a tumor suppressor mechanism, to which both proliferation arrest and senescence-associated secretory phenotype are thought to contribute. The melanocytes within benign human nevi are a paradigm for tumor-suppressive senescent cells in a premalignant neoplasm. Here a comparison of proliferating and senescent melanocytes and melanoma cell lines by RNA sequencing emphasizes the importance of senescence-associated proliferation arrest in suppression of transformation. Previous studies showed that activation of the Wnt signaling pathway can delay or bypass senescence. Consistent with this, we present evidence that repression of Wnt signaling contributes to melanocyte senescence in vitro. Surprisingly, Wnt signaling is active in many senescent human melanocytes in nevi, and this is linked to histological indicators of higher proliferative and malignant potential. In a mouse, activated Wnt signaling delays senescence-associated proliferation arrest to expand the population of senescent oncogene-expressing melanocytes. These results suggest that Wnt signaling can potentiate nevogenesis in vivo by delaying senescence. Further, we suggest that activated Wnt signaling in human nevi undermines senescence-mediated tumor suppression and enhances the probability of malignancy.
Development of a Roebel-Cable-Based $\cos\vartheta$ Dipole: Design and Windability of Magnet Ends

In the scope of the Future Circular Collider, work package 10, i.e., “Future Magnets,” of the EuCARD2 project aims at investigating accelerator quality magnets made of high-temperature superconductors. This paper deals with development of a cosϑ dipole relying on Roebel cable technology. In the first part, we present in detail the design of the dipole: the magnet generates 5 T in stand-alone mode with an overall current density of 684 A/mm2. When operating in a background field of 13 T, an extra field of 2 T can be provided by the cos ϑ insert due to mechanical limitations. A field increase up to 2.5 T is conceivable, providing the addition of inner shell reinforcement that would reduce the magnet aperture from 40 to 30 mm. In the second part, winding tests of dummy Roebel cable are reported. They demonstrate the challenges stemming from the relative slippage of the cable tapes while winding, which may be overcome by a lengthening of the longitudinal gap of the cable either by an increase of the transposition pitch or a decrease of the number of tapes in the cable. The cable shows a smooth winding behavior along the coil for two different magnet end designs and for its path outward the magnet.