Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of safety indicators for truck platooning

This paper addresses safety indicators for truck platooning at short inter-vehicle distances (with a time gap of 0.5 s). The aim of a safety indicator is to determine the correct moment for initiating a Collision Avoidance brake action to prevent a collision with the preceding truck in threatening situations. Three safety indicators are selected for an evaluation: the intended acceleration of the preceding truck, which is shared via Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication, the Brake Threat Number (BTN — based on simple vehicle models and an emergency brake assumption of the lead), and the Time-To-Collision (TTC — based on a constant velocity assumption). The latter two do not rely on V2V communication, but are obtained via on-board signals. Requirements for the amount of false negatives (missing a threatening situation) and the false positives (identifying a safe situation as threatening) are derived from a functional safety perspective. To find thresholds for the safety indicators that minimize the false negative rate, emergency brake tests are used. To evaluate the number of false positives, a set of data of two trucks driving in a platoon at 0.5 s at mixed-traffic highways in Belgium and the Netherlands, collected during 8 hours of automated driving in a platoon, is used. The results indicate that the communicated intended acceleration of the preceding truck might be able to distinguish safe and threatening situations in a vehicle platoon. Furthermore, for situations without V2V, both the BTN and the TTC are not capable to distinguish between threatening and safe situations. The amount of false positives found in the safe driving data-set does not fulfill the requirements derived from functional safety perspective.
Factors Associated With Risk Behaviors for Sexually Transmitted Disease/AIDS Among Urban Brazilian Women: A Population-Based Study

Background The proportion of women among persons with sexually transmitted disease (STD)/AIDS in Brazil is increasing rapidly, and studies are needed to understand risk behaviors. Goal The goal of this study was to identify factors associated with risk behaviors for acquiring STD/AIDS among women aged 15 to 49 years in Pelotas, Brazil. Study Design A representative sample of women was surveyed by means of interviewer-administered and self-administered confidential questionnaires. Of the women we sought to include, 3.5% refused and 1543 participated. Results Risk behaviors included nonuse of condoms (72%); first intercourse before the age of 18 years (47%); use of drugs or alcohol by the partner (14%) or by the woman (7%); multiple partners (7%); and anal sex (3%). The risk score was significantly associated with being younger than age 30 years, having <5 years of schooling, being divorced or separated, and being a smoker. Conclusion Preventive strategies should prioritize efforts toward young women, those with little schooling, smokers, and those who are divorced or separated.
Dexamethasone attenuates LPS-induced changes in expression of urea transporter and aquaporin proteins, ameliorating brain endotoxemia in mice.

AIM AQP4 in the brain is involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of encephalopathy. AQPs family changes in kidney were accompanied by altered UTs family. The aim of this study was to observe AQP4 and UT-A3 expression in CNS and to explore their role in the pathogenesis of endotoxemia encephalopathy following peripheral LPS injection in mice. METHODS Endotoxemia was induced in C57Bl/6 mice by intraperitoneal injection of LPS. The expression of UT-A3 and AQP4 in brain were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, the level of cytokines were detected by ELISA, and the content of LDH, AST/ALT, BUN and CREA were detected by colorimetric method. RESULTS As compared with the control group, in model group, the brain weight/ body weight ratio increased by 13%. Meanwhile, a 2.5 fold increase in LDH and a 1.2 fold increase in AST/ALT were found in peripheral serum (P < 0.05), and also, BUN and CREA increased 2.5 fold (P < 0.01). In addition to severe CNS injury in response to lipopolysaccharide, the contents of cytokines and the expression of AQP4 protein in hippocampal is increased (P < 0.05), while the expression of UT-A3 protein in the hippocampus and cortical astrocytes decreased (P < 0.05). And, in part, Dexa pretreatment attenuated those effects. CONCLUSIONS In endotoxemia encephalopathy, AQPs and UTs which regulate the functions of cell membrane are both altered. We suggested that the molecular mechanisms of regulation in endotoxemia may provide a new strategy for clinical treatment of the disease and drug binding sites.
Performance of adaptive subcarrier QAM intensity modulation in Gamma-Gamma turbulence

An adaptive subcarrier intensity modulation employing rectangular quadrature amplitude modulation is investigated for optical wireless communication over the Gamma-Gamma turbulence channels. The adaptive scheme is implemented by adapting the modulation order according to the received signal-to-noise ratio and a pre-defined target bit-error rate requirement. Highly accurate series approximations for the achievable spectral efficiency, average bit-error rate, and outage probability are derived using a series expansion of the modified Bessel function. In addition, asymptotic bit-error rate and outage probability analyses are also presented. Our asymptotic analysis reveals that the diversity order of the considered system depends only on the smaller channel parameter of the Gamma-Gamma turbulence.
Colloidal analogs of molecular chain stoppers

Significance Self-assembly of nanoparticles in polymer-like chains bears a strong similarity to polymerization reactions, in which monomer units are brought together by directional noncovalent interactions. Based on this similarity, the molecular concepts of polymer chemistry can be applied to achieve controllable nanoparticle assembly. On the other hand, the ability to visualize nanoparticle assemblies and to exploit characterization tools used in nanoscience offers a unique way to study polymerization reactions. Here we explore this twofold strategy for an exemplary system including the self-assembly of bifunctional metal nanorods in the presence of monofunctional nanoparticles (chain stoppers). The approach provided insight into the polymerization kinetics, side reactions, the distribution of species in the system, and the design rules for the synthesis of molecular chain stoppers. A similarity between chemical reactions and self-assembly of nanoparticles offers a strategy that can enrich both the synthetic chemistry and the nanoscience fields. Synthetic methods should enable quantitative control of the structural characteristics of nanoparticle ensembles such as their aggregation number or directionality, whereas the capability to visualize and analyze emerging nanostructures using characterization tools can provide insight into intelligent molecular design and mechanisms of chemical reactions. We explored this twofold concept for an exemplary system including the polymerization of bifunctional nanoparticles in the presence of monofunctional colloidal chain stoppers. Using reaction-specific design rules, we synthesized chain stoppers with controlled reactivity and achieved quantitative fine-tuning of the self-assembled structures. Analysis of the nanostructures provided information about polymerization kinetics, side reactions, and the distribution of all of the species in the reaction system. A quantitative model was developed to account for the reactivity, kinetics, and side reactions of nanoparticles, all governed by the design of colloidal chain stoppers. This work provided the ability to test theoretical models developed for molecular polymerization.
AMP-activated protein kinase – not just an energy sensor

Orthologues of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) occur in essentially all eukaryotes as heterotrimeric complexes comprising catalytic α subunits and regulatory β and γ subunits. The canonical role of AMPK is as an energy sensor, monitoring levels of the nucleotides AMP, ADP, and ATP that bind competitively to the γ subunit. Once activated, AMPK acts to restore energy homeostasis by switching on alternate ATP-generating catabolic pathways while switching off ATP-consuming anabolic pathways. However, its ancestral role in unicellular eukaryotes may have been in sensing of glucose rather than energy. In this article, we discuss a few interesting recent developments in the AMPK field. Firstly, we review recent findings on the canonical pathway by which AMPK is regulated by adenine nucleotides. Secondly, AMPK is now known to be activated in mammalian cells by glucose starvation by a mechanism that occurs in the absence of changes in adenine nucleotides, involving the formation of complexes with Axin and LKB1 on the surface of the lysosome. Thirdly, in addition to containing the nucleotide-binding sites on the γ subunits, AMPK heterotrimers contain a site for binding of allosteric activators termed the allosteric drug and metabolite (ADaM) site. A large number of synthetic activators, some of which show promise as hypoglycaemic agents in pre-clinical studies, have now been shown to bind there. Fourthly, some kinase inhibitors paradoxically activate AMPK, including one (SU6656) that binds in the catalytic site. Finally, although downstream targets originally identified for AMPK were mainly concerned with metabolism, recently identified targets have roles in such diverse areas as mitochondrial fission, integrity of epithelial cell layers, and angiogenesis.
Frontal lobe deficits in domestic violence offenders.

Functional frontal lobe deficits were examined in 38 men who committed domestic violence and 38 control participants. Dependent measures that examine frontal lobe deficits, including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (D. A. Grant & E. A. Berg, 1948), the Stroop Color-Word Test (J. R. Stroop, 1935), and Trails B (R. M. Reitan & L. A. Davidson, 1974), were used. The prediction that men who commit domestic violence would perform more poorly on neuropsychological measures related to frontal lobe deficits was only partially supported. A discriminate analysis was significant (p < .05), explaining approximately 7% of the variance; Trails B was the only contributor to that equation. The men who committed battery took significantly longer to complete Trails B than the control participants, suggesting that the men who committed battery may not have been as good as the control participants at inhibiting the competing response and therefore took longer to complete the task. The groups did not significantly differ on the other neuropsychological measures.
Investigating Grammar-Based Design of Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

The importance of automatic algorithms design has been pointed out by researchers. In general, automatically designed algorithms can outperform tailored made ones. This is the case of the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) that has many components that can be chosen such as the velocity equation, etc. Motivated by the success reported by the automatic design of the PSO, this study investigates Multi-objective PSO (MOPSO), an extension of PSO that deals with multi-objective problems. Furthermore, this study presents a framework based on the use of a context-free grammar to guide the design of the MOPSO. The grammar allows the use of different components and parameters from various MOPSOs. Further, the framework offers two design methods: Grammatical Evolution (GE) and Iterated Race (IRACE). Likewise, a set of experiments is made to evaluate the framework using a set of Multi-objective problems, quality indicators and statistical tests. The set of experiments includes the evaluation of: two versions of the grammar, GE against IRACE and a comparison with the Speed-constrained PSO (SMPSO), a well-known multi-objective algorithm.
Biofilms in chronic rhinosinusitis: systematic review and suggestions for future research

Abstract Background: A biofilm is a community of micro-organisms encased within a self-produced, extracellular, polymeric substance. The role of biofilms as a major pathological aetiology in chronic rhinosinusitis would help explain the clinical manifestation of the disease. Objectives: To examine the current evidence, and to discuss possible future research directions, in relation to biofilms and chronic rhinosinusitis. Study design: Systematic literature review. Evaluation method: Two assessors independently undertook critical appraisal of the studies identified by the literature search. Significant findings were incorporated into this review. The primary outcome assessed was the presence of biofilm in human mucosal biopsy samples taken from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, and from healthy controls. Results: We identified 11 studies examining biofilm formation in human mucosal biopsy samples taken from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Conclusion: It is unlikely that biofilms occur in every case of chronic rhinosinusitis; consequently, the significance of ‘biofilm detection’ in some series should be considered carefully. Several authors have argued strongly for the use of confocal scanning laser microscopy with fluorescent in situ hybridisation probes as the ‘gold standard’ for biofilm imaging. This imaging modality should be combined with further investigation of the microbiology of chronic rhinosinusitis, and of the efficacy of traditional culture techniques used for pathogen identification.
Sheared-Root Inocula of Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

For efficient handling, vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi should be processed into small and uniform inocula; however, processing can reduce the inoculum density. In this article we describe the preparation and use of sheared-root inocula of Glomus spp. in which inoculum densities were increased during processing. Our objectives were to determine inoculum viability and density after shearing and to ascertain if the sheared inocula could be pelletized or used with a gel carrier. Root samples were harvested from aeroponic cultures, blotted dry, cut into 1-cm lengths, and sheared in a food processor for up to 80 s. After shearing, the inoculum was washed over sieves, and the propagule density in each fraction was determined. Sheared inocula were also encapsulated in carrageenan or used in a gel carrier. Shearing aeroponically produced root inocula reduced particle size. Propagule density increased with decreasing size fraction down to a size of 63 μm, after which propagule density decreased. The weighted-average propagule density of the inoculum was 135,380 propagules g (dry weight) of sheared root material-1. Sheared roots were encapsulated successfully in carrageenan, and the gel served as an effective carrier. Aeroponic root inoculum was stored dry at 4°C for 23 months without significant reduction in propagule density; however, this material was not appropriate for shearing. Moist roots, useful for shearing, began to lose propagule density after 1 month of storage. Shearing proved to be an excellent method to prepare viable root inocula of small and uniform size, allowing for more efficient and effective use of limited inoculum supplies.
Comparison between computational alanine scanning and per‐residue binding free energy decomposition for protein–protein association using MM‐GBSA: Application to the TCR‐p‐MHC complex

Recognition by the T‐cell receptor (TCR) of immunogenic peptides (p) presented by Class I major histocompatibility complexes (MHC) is the key event in the immune response against virus‐infected cells or tumor cells. A study of the 2C TCR/SIYR/H‐2Kb system using a computational alanine scanning and a much faster binding free energy decomposition based on the Molecular Mechanics—Generalized Born Surface Area (MM‐GBSA) method is presented. The results show that the TCR‐p‐MHC binding free energy decomposition using this approach and including entropic terms provides a detailed and reliable description of the interactions between the molecules at an atomistic level. Comparison of the decomposition results with experimentally determined activity differences for alanine mutants yields a correlation of 0.67 when the entropy is neglected and 0.72 when the entropy is taken into account. Similarly, comparison of experimental activities with variations in binding free energies determined by computational alanine scanning yields correlations of 0.72 and 0.74 when the entropy is neglected or taken into account, respectively. Some key interactions for the TCR‐p‐MHC binding are analyzed and some possible side chains replacements are proposed in the context of TCR protein engineering. In addition, a comparison of the two theoretical approaches for estimating the role of each side chain in the complexation is given, and a new ad hoc approach to decompose the vibrational entropy term into atomic contributions, the linear decomposition of the vibrational entropy (LDVE), is introduced. The latter allows the rapid calculation of the entropic contribution of interesting side chains to the binding. This new method is based on the idea that the most important contributions to the vibrational entropy of a molecule originate from residues that contribute most to the vibrational amplitude of the normal modes. The LDVE approach is shown to provide results very similar to those of the exact but highly computationally demanding method. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Hybrid Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Mitigating Air Traffic Congestion

This paper presents a novel hybrid MCDM approach based on concepts of fuzzy DEMATEL, ANP, and fuzzy TOPSIS to address air traffic congestion in the Philippines. The proposed approach enables the decision-makers under the Air Traffic Services (ATS) to elicit judgment on which ATFM action (i.e., ground holding, airborne holding, rerouting, and speed controlling) is most suitable to be applied in the occurrence of air traffic congestion. A case study at Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is conducted to illustrate the application of the proposed framework based on pairwise comparison among criteria and evaluation of ATFM actions with respect to the previously given set of criteria. The results revealed that the decision-makers are most concerned with the criterion on safety. Correspondingly, ground holding is perceived to be the most suitable ATFM action to be applied during air traffic congestion as its degree of safety once implemented is highest.
Safety assessment and global regulatory requirements for genetic toxicity evaluations of medical devices

Medical devices have the potential to leach substances which, depending on the contact category of the device, can directly contact the human body. Hence, appropriate evaluation for genetic toxicity as part of the biocompatibility risk assessment is critical. The biocompatibility risk assessment of medical devices is guided by the ISO 10993 series of standards. The recently revised ISO 10993‐3 (2014) provides guidance on evaluating the genotoxicity, carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity potential of medical devices. The revised standard includes the use of risk assessments and chemical characterization in addition to traditional genetic toxicity tests. The ISO 10993‐3 standard provides guidance on the selection and preparation of test samples, and the selection of tests to evaluate genetic toxicity. Although conformance to ISO 10993‐3 is required by various national regulatory agencies for specific medical device categories, there are still differences in the interpretation of the requirements within the standard which may require additional testing. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:375–379, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Deterministic learning control of disturbed brunovsky systems

Deterministic learning control was investigated recently. Due to the existence of time varying disturbances, learning capability may be influenced. In this paper, deterministic learning theory is analyzed in environments with disturbances. With an appropriately designed neural adaptive controller, the disturbances are attenuated and partial persistent excitation (PE) condition for the radial basis neural network (RBF NN) is satisfied. By imposing uniform complete observability (UCO) technique, the tracking error and the neural weight estimate error exponentially converge to a neighborhood of zero in finite time and the size of the neighborhood relies not only on the amplitude of disturbances but also on the control gains. After the learning process, the estimated neural weights are stored in RBF NN and a constant neural controller can be implemented. The simulation shows the effectiveness of this scheme.
Recent research advances in eosinophilic esophagitis

Purpose of review Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergic disease triggered by food allergens with an increasing prevalence. This review highlights recent research advances in EoE with a focus on the literature of the past 18 months. Recent findings The incidence of EoE in the black population is higher than previously suggested. A novel locus spanning CAPN14 is associated with EoE. Diagnostic tests utilizing an analysis of EoE-specific transcriptome have been improved. Standardized EoE symptom score systems have been established. Treatment trials show the promise and limitations of allergen avoidance, antiinflammatory reagents, and anti-interleukin-13 antibodies. Insights into disease mechanisms highlight the role of invariant natural killer T cells and group 2 innate immune cells. Epithelial barrier protein desmoglein 1, bone morphogenetic protein antagonist follistatin, neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 1, and CAPN14 have been defined as new potential therapeutic targets in EoE as regulators of the inflammatory interleukin-13-axis. The role of IgG4 in the disease mechanisms has been suggested. Summary Genetic predisposition influenced by environmental factors increases EoE susceptibility. Research identifying the critical events leading to allergen sensitization and the esophagus-specific responses that drive EoE is evolving, and will lead to a better understanding of EoE and new therapeutic approaches for the disease.
The MOS 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36): II. Psychometric and Clinical Tests of Validity in Measuring Physical and Mental Health Constructs

Cross-sectional data from the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) were analyzed to test the validity of the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scales as measures of physical and mental health constructs. Results from traditional psychometric and clinical tests of validity were compared. Principal components analysis was used to test for hypothesized physical and mental health dimensions. For purposes of clinical tests of validity, clinical criteria defined mutually exclusive adult patient groups differing in severity of medical and psychiatric conditions. Scales shown in the components analysis to primarily measure physical health (physical functioning and role limitations-physical) best distinguished groups differing in severity of chronic medical condition and had the most pure physical health interpretation. Scales shown to primarily measure mental health (mental health and role limitations-emotional) best distinguished groups differing in the presence and severity of psychiatric disorders and had the most pure mental health interpretation. The social functioning, vitality, and general health perceptions scales measured both physical and mental health components and, thus, had the most complex interpretation. These results are useful in establishing guidelines for the interpretation of each scale and in documenting the size of differences between clinical groups that should be considered very large.