Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Porphyrin photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy and its applications

In 1841, the extraction of hematoporphyrin from dried blood by removing iron marked the birth of the photosensitizer. The last twenty years has witnessed extensive research in the application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in tumor-bearing (or other diseases) animal models and patients. The period has seen development of photosensitizers from the first to the third generation, and their evolution from simple to more complex entities. This review focuses on porphyrin photosensitizers and their effect on tumors, mediated via several pathways involved in cell necrosis, apoptosis or autophagic cell death, and the preventive and therapeutic application of PDT against atherosclerosis.
Clothes detection and classification using convolutional neural networks

In this paper we describe development of a computer vision system for accurate detection and classification of clothes for e-commerce images. We present a set of experiments on well established architectures of convolutional neural networks, including Residual networks, SqueezeNet and Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD). The clothes detection network was trained and tested on DeepFashion dataset, which contains box annotations for locations of clothes. Classification task was evaluated on a set of images of dresses that were collected from online shops. Ground truth labels were inferred from shop items metadata for five different attributes, including color, pattern, sleeve, neckline and hemline, each consisting of several possible classes. Automatic gathering of labels resulted in an average of 83% rate of correct labels. In the experiments we evaluate the impact on classification accuracy of a set of potential improvements, including data augmentation by generating diverse backgrounds, increasing the size of the network and using ensembles. We analyse the accuracy improvements with respect to the processing efficiency. Finally, we present the achieved accuracy rates in the clothes detection task and outline the most successful network configurations for dresses classification.
Activation of Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathways Induces Antioxidant Response Element-mediated Gene Expression via a Nrf2-dependent Mechanism*

Antioxidant response element (ARE) regulates the induction of a number of cellular antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes. However, the signaling pathways that lead to ARE activation remain unknown. Here, we report that the expression of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase kinase 1 (MEKK1), transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase (TAK1), and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK1) in HepG2 cells activated the ARE reporter gene, whereas the expression of their dominant-negative mutants impaired ARE activation by the chemicals sodium arsenite and mercury chloride. Coexpression of downstream kinases, MAP kinase kinase 4, MAP kinase kinase 6, and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase-1, but not MAP kinase kinase 3 and p38, augmented ARE activation by MEKK1, TAK1, and ASK1. The coexpression of a basic leucine zipper transcription factor Nrf2 but not c-Jun also greatly enhanced the activation of reporter gene by MEKK1, TAK1, and ASK1; however, a dominant-negative mutant of Nrf2 (NF-E2-related factor 2) blocked this event. Furthermore, when overexpressed, MEKK1, TAK1, and ASK1 induced the expression of heme oxygenase-1, a gene regulated by ARE, and the cotransfection with the dominant-negative mutant of Nrf2 abolished the induction. Taken together, these results suggest that MAP kinase pathways that are activated by MEKK1, TAK1, and ASK1 may link chemical signals to Nrf2, leading to the activation of ARE-dependent genes.
Carboxypeptidase U (TAFIa): a metallocarboxypeptidase with a distinct role in haemostasis and a possible risk factor for thrombotic disease

Summary Since the discovery of Carboxypeptidase U (CPU) in 1988, considerable information has been gathered about its biochemistry and function in physiological and pathophysiological circumstances. A variety of tools such as assays to measure proCPU and CPU, antibodies raised against (pro)CPU, selective CPU inhibitors and knock-out mice have been developed and are currently being used to explore the role of this metallocarboxypeptidase in different in vivo and in vitro settings. The knowledge that proCPU can be activated by thrombin and plasmin, enzymes with a key function in coagulation and fibrinolysis, and the ability of CPU to remove C-terminal lysine residues has led to the hypothesis that the proCPU/CPU pathway plays a role in the balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis. The maintenance of the equilibrium between coagulation and fibrinolysis is crucial for normal haemostasis and disturbance of this delicate balance can lead either to bleeding tendency or thrombosis. This review provides an update on several aspects of CPU known at the moment, including an extensive overview on the clinical studies performed up till now. J. Leurs is a research assistant of the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen).
Antibacterial Nitroacridine, Nitroakridin 3582: Effects on Bacterial Growth and Macromolecular Biosynthesis In Vivo

The antibacterial drug Nitroakridin 3582 inhibited the growth of selected grampositive bacteria more strongly than it inhibited the growth of gram-negative bacilli. Nitroakridin at concentrations of the order of 5 × 10−5m induced lysis of Bacillus licheniformis and Micrococcus lysodeikticus. At concentrations less than 10−4m, Nitroakridin 3582 reduced the exponential growth rate of Escherichia coli C-2; at 10−4m the drug was bacteriostatic, and, at concentrations greater than 10−4m, it was bactericidal. Prolonged bacteriostasis resulted in the formation of long filaments by E. coli, Serratia marcescens, Shigella sonnei, and Proteus mirabilis. The reversible effects of Nitroakridin 3582 on the growth of E. coli correlated with partial inhibitions of deoxyribonucleic acid biosynthesis; ribonucleic acid and protein syntheses were inhibited less strongly. Nitroakridin 3582 at concentrations greater than 2 × 10−4m, which block deoxyribonucleic acid biosynthesis, produced an accelerated bactericidal action.
Importance of soil moisture measurements for inferring parameters 49 in hydrologic models of low-yielding ephemeral catchments

56 Low-yielding catchments with ephemeral streams provide a stern test of the capability of conceptual catchment models for 57 predicting the hydrologic response of the natural landscape. Sustained periods of little or no flow mean that the information content 58 of the streamflow time-series for parameter estimation is limited. During periods with no streamflow, such ephemeral catchments 59 also offer no information on a catchment’s soil moisture status. As a result, parameters estimated solely from streamflow data are 60 often poorly identified and span a wide range of the feasible parameter space. These general observations were confirmed by an 61 application of the conceptual VIC model in a 6 ha experimental catchment in eastern Australia. Using a Monte Carlo style assessment 62 of parameter uncertainty, it was shown that the simple three-parameter model was ill-posed when calibrated solely to the streamflow 63 response. Failure of the calibration procedure to distinguish unique antecedent moisture storage conditions prior to large rainfall 64 events meant that the observed streamflow response could be replicated from a large envelope of potential parameter combinations. 65 The inclusion of an estimated time-series index of areal soil moisture status into the calibration procedure, however, significantly 66 reduced the number of feasible parameter combinations, and resulted in predictions that confirmed Bowen ratio measurements of 67 actual evapotranspiration. Attempts to further reduce parameter uncertainty by including the measured evapotranspiration data into 68 the joint calibration procedure were unsuccessful. The shortness of the measurement record was seen as a major factor inhibiting 69 improvement. The results of this study highlight the critical importance of antecedent moisture conditions on streamflow yields in 70 ephemeral catchments and point to the desirability of spatio-temporal soil moisture accounting. Future research efforts are discussed 71 in terms of establishing the appropriate spatial and temporal resolution of soil moisture measurements needed to extend the results 72 observed for this small experimental study to larger catchments.  2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.
Superconducting delta-sigma oversampling A/D converter

A superconducting delta-sigma analog-to-digital (A/D) converter is presented. The converter uses a low-pass filter instead of the integrator found in the usual delta-sigma architecture. The converter is analyzed by a behavior-level simulation package as well as the circuit simulator JSIM. Its performance is compared to that of the standard first-order delta-sigma converter. The simulation shows that this converter can achieve a 70-dB signal-to-noise ratio (S/(N+D)) with an oversampling ratio of 128. This corresponds to an 11-b resolution. The signal bandwidth is 4 MHz if the sampling rate is 1 GHz. <<ETX>>
Erythritol Availability in Bovine, Murine and Human Models Highlights a Potential Role for the Host Aldose Reductase during Brucella Infection

Erythritol is the preferential carbon source for most brucellae, a group of facultative intracellular bacteria that cause a worldwide zoonosis. Since this polyol is abundant in genital organs of ruminants and swine, it is widely accepted that erythritol accounts at least in part for the characteristic genital tropism of brucellae. Nevertheless, proof of erythritol availability and essentiality during Brucella intracellular multiplication has remained elusive. To investigate this relationship, we compared ΔeryH (erythritol-sensitive and thus predicted to be attenuated if erythritol is present), ΔeryA (erythritol-tolerant but showing reduced growth if erythritol is a crucial nutrient) and wild type B. abortus in various infection models. This reporting system indicated that erythritol was available but not required for B. abortus multiplication in bovine trophoblasts. However, mice and humans have been considered to lack erythritol, and we found that it was available but not required for B. abortus multiplication in human and murine trophoblastic and macrophage-like cells, and in mouse spleen and conceptus (fetus, placenta and envelopes). Using this animal model, we found that B. abortus infected cells and tissues contained aldose reductase, an enzyme that can account for the production of erythritol from pentose cycle precursors.
Validation of the Brazilian version of the quality of life scale for patients with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers (QOL-AD)

Quality of life (QOL) has been extensively studied in clinical trials and in research on chronic degenerative diseases and dementia. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and construct validity of the Brazilian version of the QOL scale in Alzheimer's disease (AD; QOL-AD). The QOL-AD was administered to 60 patients with mild or moderate AD and to their caregivers. The construct validation was accomplished through correlations amongst total scores of patients’ and caregivers’ reports on patients’ quality of life (PQOL and C-PQOL, respectively), and data related to cognitive impairment, depressive symptoms, functional performance, behavioral disturbances and a generic instrument of quality of life (WHOQOL-brief), as well as correlation of total score of caregivers’ reports on their own quality of life (CQOL) with the measurements cited above, QOL-AD patient reports, and depressive symptoms. The reliability was high for PQOL, C-PQOL, and CQOL versions (Cronbach's alpha = 0.80, 0.83, and 0.86, respectively). We observed significant correlations in the construct validity of all three versions regarding the variables associated with the disease and also with WHOQOL-brief. The scale took, on average, six min for each version. The results indicate reliability and construct validity of the Brazilian version of the QOL-AD in the studied sample.
RAPD typing of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus haemolyticus

The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay was used to generate DNA fingerprints from clinical isolates of Staphylococcus haemolyticus isolated from patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and previously subjected to a combination of typing methods. The RAPD profiles generated with one of six randomly designed 10‐mer primers allowed visual discrimination of strains. Good correlation with the original typing scheme was achieved but RAPD typing allowed discrimination of strains previously indistinguishable.
Aptitude au séchage de quelques variétés de mangue cultivée au Cameroun : Amélie, Zill, Irwin et Horé Wandou

Quatre varietes de mangue (3 varietes ameliorees: Amelie, Zill, lrwin et 1 variete locale: Hore Wandou) ont ete recoltees et sechees en vue d'etudier leur comportement au sechage dans un sechoir electrique et au soleil. Les fruits, recoltes a 2 niveaux de maturite (maturite commerciale et avancee), ont ete laves, pares puis decoupes en lamelles d'un centimetre d'epaisseur et seches. Pour la meme variete, le pH, la teneur en eau et en sucre des fruits augmentent avec le degre de maturite, tandis que l'acidite baisse. Apres un sechage a 50 C pendant 24 heures, les lamelles de mangue sechees obtenues avaient une humidite comprise entre 16 et 24%. Des differences significatives existent entre les rendements au sechage des varietes etudiees. Les varietes Zill, locale, lrwin et Amelie ont eu des rendements respectifs de 14,8%, 12,9%, 12,4% et 10,6%. Les lamelles de mangue sechee a maturite avancee sont moins acides, plus sucrees et plus riches en vitamine C que celles sechees a maturite commerciale ou physiologique. Les taux moyens de conservation apres sechage des constituants nutritifs (vitamine C, sucres reducteurs, extraits secs solubles) sont superieurs a 56%, sauf pour la fibre (16%). Un sechage solaire direct a ete realise et les produits obtenus sont semblables a ceux du sechage au four electrique, malgre la duree plus longue de l'operation et un taux de vitamine C plus faible. (Resume d'auteur)
The role of cardiopulmonary bypass in lung transplantation

The risk–benefit for utilizing cardio‐pulmonary bypass (CPB) in lung transplantation (LTx) remains debatable. This study compares outcomes after LTx utilizing different CPB strategies – elective CPB vs. off‐pump vs. off‐pump with unplanned conversion to CPB.
Laparoscopic and open liver resection – a literature review with meta-analysis

Introduction In recent years laparoscopic approach to liver resections has gained important attention from surgeons worldwide. The aim of this review was to compare the results of laparoscopic and open liver resections. Material and methods We have performed a search in Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases. Studies comparing laparoscopic and open liver resections were included. Results No randomized clinical trial were identified. In the 16 observational studies included in the analysis there were 927 laparoscopic and 1049 open liver resections. The laparoscopy group had lower blood loss (MD = 244.93 ml, p < 0.00001), lower odds of transfusion (OR = 0.35, p = 0.0002), lower odds of positive margins on pathology report (OR = 0.22, p < 0.00001), lower odds of readmission (OR = 0.36, p = 0.04), lower odds of pulmonary (OR = 0.38, p = 0.003) and cardiac complications (OR = 0.30, p = 0.02) and lower odds of postoperative liver failure (OR = 0.24, p = 0.001), but in many cases the results were based on a low number of events reported in included studies. Conclusions Laparoscopic resection of liver yields complications rates comparable to open resection, but the results are based on low quality evidence from nonrandomised studies.
Mathematical Explanation of Physical Phenomena : A Step Toward Pluralism ?

A traditional trend toward scientific explanation aimed to provide a single account of the nature of explanation. On the other hand, a recent attitude toward mathematical explanations of physical phenomena is to go ‘pluralist’ and consider that what makes something a good explanation can vary from case to case, i.e. there are different kinds of explanation which cannot be captured through a single model. In this paper I will show how two classical theories of scientific explanation (Van Fraassen’s pragmatic model and Kitcher’s unification model) have difficulties in accounting for a case of mathematical explanation of physical phenomena recognized as such in scientific practice. Furthermore, I will argue that the result of this testing does suggest a new picture of mathematical explanations of physical phenomena. According to this new perspective, the pluralist attitude should be considered as the most promising way to the investigation of mathematical explanation of physical phenomena.
Data Science : fondamentaux et études de cas : Machine Learning avec Python et R Ed. 1

Nous vivons une epoque tres excitante, qui ramene l'analyse de donnees et les methodes quantitatives au coeur de la societe. L'aboutissement de nombreux projets de recherche, la puissance de calcul informatique disponible et des donnees a profusion permettent aujourd'hui d'incroyables realisations, grâce au travail des data scientists. Un livre de reference pour les data scientists La data science est l'art de traduire des problemes industriels, sociaux, scientifiques, ou de toute autre nature, en problemes de modelisation quantitative, pouvant etre resolus par des algorithmes de traitement de donnees. Cela passe par une reflexion structuree, devant faire en sorte que se rencontrent problemes humains, outils techniques/informatiques et methodes statistiques/algorithmiques. Chaque projet de data science est une petite aventure, qui necessite de partir d'un probleme operationnel souvent flou, a une reponse formelle et precise, qui aura des consequences reelles sur le quotidien d'un nombre plus ou moins important de personnes. Eric Biernat et Michel Lutz proposent de vous guider dans cette aventure. Ils vous feront visiter les vastes espaces de la data science moderne, de plus en plus presente dans notre societe et qui fait tant parler d'elle, parfois par l'intermediaire d'un sujet qui lui est corollaire, les big data. Des etudes de cas pour devenir kaggle master Loin des grands discours abstraits, les auteurs vous feront decouvrir, claviers a la main, les pratiques de leur metier de data scientist chez OCTO Technology, l'un des leaders francais du domaine. Et vous mettrez egalement la main a la pâte : avec juste ce qu'il faut de theorie pour comprendre ce qu'impliquent les methodes mathematiques utilisees, mais surtout avec votre ordinateur personnel, quelques logiciels gratuits et puissants, ainsi qu'un peu de reflexion, vous allez participer activement a cette passionnante exploration ! A qui s'adresse cet ouvrage ? Aux developpeurs, statisticiens, etudiants et chefs de projets ayant a resoudre des problemes de data science. Aux data scientists, mais aussi a toute personne curieuse d'avoir une vue d'ensemble de l'etat de l'art du machine learning.
The Zipper

Almost every programmer has faced the problem of representing a tree together with a subtree that is the focus of attention, where that focus may move left, right, up or down the tree. The Zipper is Huet's nifty name for a nifty data structure which fulfills this need. I wish I had known of it when I faced this task, because the solution I came up with was not quite so efficient or elegant as the Zipper.
Sequence complexity of circular Epstein-Bar virus DNA in transformed cells

A simplified procedure, based on several methods previously used to isolate circular DNA molecules from bacteria, was derived for the preparation of covalently closed circular viral DNA molecules from large quantities of lymphocytes transformed by Epstein-Barr virus. The protocol can be applied both to virus nonproducer lines and to lines containing cells activated to virus production. Sufficient amounts o highly purified viral DNA of intracellular origin were obtained from B95-8 and Raji cells to allow direct visual analysis of their sequence complexities after cleavage with EcoRI and separation of fragments by gel electrophoresis. No major differences in complexity were observed between circular DNA and linear virion DNA from B95-8 cells. The fragment patterns observed in this fashion agree well with those detected by conventional blotting and hybridization methods. The procedure can also be used as an analytical method to assay for small amounts of circular Epstein-Barr virus DNA molecules in other transformed cells. In this connection, no circular Epstein-Barr virus DNA was detected in Namalva cells.
Long-term, retrospective evaluation (implant and patient-centred outcome) of the two-implants-supported overdenture in the mandible. Part 1: survival rate.

OBJECTIVE This retrospective analysis evaluated the long-term outcome of two implants supporting an overdenture in the mandible, as well as the significance of some confounding factors (smoking, implant length, bone quality). MATERIAL AND METHODS All mandibular overdenture cases (n=495) treated during the past 25 years in our centre (with > or = 5 years loading of the implants) were included in this study. General information (medical history, implant data, report on surgery) was retrieved from the patient's file. A large number of patients (n=248) were willing to visit the clinic for an additional follow-up visit. For the others, information on implant survival was collected by phone (n=121), or contact was impossible (57 had died, three were hospitalized and 66 could not be reached). In the latter group, information was used, up to their last visit to the clinic. An implant was considered as surviving if it was still in function in the mouth, without clear adverse effects (pain, swelling, mobility). A failure was defined as early if it occurred within the window, insertion-final prosthesis placement; afterwards, it was considered as late. RESULTS Most of the inserted implants (Brånemark type) were of the turned (machined) type (95.5%), the remainder was anodized (TiUnite). The anchoring system was either a bar (86.3%), ball attachments (11.7%) or magnets (1.6%), and only some patients changed from one to the other (0.4%). Kaplan-Meier analyses showed a survival rate of 95.5% after 20 years of loading. Factors that influenced the outcome included smoking (90% rate for smokers) and the surgical protocol (reduced survival rate for one-stage-placed implants). Implant length and bone quality had no impact. CONCLUSIONS These results fully support the two-implant overdenture concept in the mandible even in the long run.