Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chitosan nanoparticles for the oral delivery of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate: formulation optimization, characterization and ex vivo and in vivo evaluation for uptake mechanism in rats

Abstract Objective: Design chitosan based nanoparticles for tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) with the purpose of enhancing its oral absorption. Significance: TDF is a prodrug that has limited intestinal absorption because of its susceptibility to gut wall esterases. Hence, design of chitosan based polymeric novel nanocarrier systems can protect TDF from getting metabolized and also enhance the oral absorption. Methods: The nanoparticles were prepared using the ionic gelation technique. The factors impacting the particle size and entrapment efficiency of the nanoparticles were evaluated using design of experiments approach. The optimized nanoparticles were characterized and evaluated for their ability to protect TDF from esterase metabolism. The nanoparticles were then studied for the involvement of active transport in their uptake during the oral absorption process. Further, in vivo pharmacokinetic studies were carried out for the designed nanoparticles. Results: The application of design of experiments in the optimization process was useful to determine the critical parameters and evaluate their interaction effects. The optimized nanoparticles had a particle size of 156 ± 5 nm with an entrapment efficiency of 48.2 ± 1%. The nanoparticles were well characterized and provided metabolic protection for TDF in the presence of intestinal esterases. The nanoparticles were able to increase the AUC of tenofovir by 380%. The active uptake mechanisms mainly involving clathrin-mediated uptake played a key role in increasing the oral absorption of tenofovir. Conclusions: These results show the ability of the designed chitosan based nanoparticles in enhancing the oral absorption of TDF along the oral route by utilizing the active endocytic uptake pathways.
MSW student perceptions of sexual health as relevant to the profession: Do social work educational experiences matter?

ABSTRACT Many social work clients are at an increased risk for negative outcomes related to sexual behavior, including unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, there is a dearth of literature on social work student experiences with these topics in social work classrooms and their perceptions about the topic’s relevance to their practice. The purpose of this study is to explore relationships between experiences with STIs and contraception as topics in social work education and practica experiences on student perceptions toward sexual health as a relevant topic for social work. Among a national sample of MSW students (N = 443), experiences with STIs and contraception as topics in practica was significantly related to perceptions toward sexual health’s relevance to social work. Findings and implications are discussed.
Investigation into electrical resonance phenomena in the field circuit of wound-rotor synchronous machines

The field circuit of wound-rotor synchronous machines can be supplied in various ways, including brushed and brushless excitation systems. Regardless of whether the synchronous machine is equipped with a rotating exciter or not, the external excitation power source necessarily injects some high-frequency harmonics into the field circuit. The frequency of these harmonics can be particularly large if Pulse-Width-Modulated (PWM) converters are used as excitation voltage supply. This paper investigates the possibility that the excitation supply harmonics can produce electrical resonance phenomena resulting in possibly harmful overvoltages. The investigation is carried out through different approaches: by experiments on a low-voltage salient-pole 20-kVA laboratory prototype; by experiments on a large (multi-MW) round-rotor synchronous motor; through an analytical model. The results obtained from the analytical model are shown to well match measurements provided that a resistive parameter (affected by eddy-current loss effects) is properly calibrated. Another important conclusion is that the possible overvoltages due to electrical resonance would occur between internal points of the field (not between its terminals) and would not be thereby damped by conventional field circuit protection devices.
A social-psychological model for synthetic actors

In the Virtual Theater project, we provide synthetic actors that portray fictive characters by improvising their behavior in a multimedia environment. Actors are either autonomous or avatars directed by users. Their improvisation is based on the directions they receive and the context. Directions can take different forms: high-level scenarios, user commands, and personality changes in the character portrayed. In this paper, we look at this last form of direction. We propose a social-psychological model, in which we can define personality traits that depend on the values of moods and attitudes. We show how such a model can be exploited by synthetic actors to produce performances that are theatrically interesting, believable, and diverse. An application, the Cybercafé, is used to test those features. Content Areas: synthetic actors, improvisation, believability. ________________________________
A brief survey of recent advances in consensus of sampled-data multi-agent systems

Consensus problems of multi-agent systems have attracted an ever-increasing interest in the control community due to their great potential in various applications such as cooperative unmanned air vehicles, automated highway systems scheduling, air traffic control, sensor networks. This paper presents a brief overview of theoretical development of consensus in a sampled-data setting, paying special attention to those published since 2011. Recent results in this area are categorized into several directions, such as consensus based on periodic sampling, variable sampling, stochastic sampling, and event-triggered communication. In particular, for event-triggered consensus, some typical patterns of event-triggering conditions are reviewed based on different definitions of a transmission error and a threshold.
Handwritten Chinese/Japanese Text Recognition Using Semi-Markov Conditional Random Fields

This paper proposes a method for handwritten Chinese/Japanese text (character string) recognition based on semi-Markov conditional random fields (semi-CRFs). The high-order semi-CRF model is defined on a lattice containing all possible segmentation-recognition hypotheses of a string to elegantly fuse the scores of candidate character recognition and the compatibilities of geometric and linguistic contexts by representing them in the feature functions. Based on given models of character recognition and compatibilities, the fusion parameters are optimized by minimizing the negative log-likelihood loss with a margin term on a training string sample set. A forward-backward lattice pruning algorithm is proposed to reduce the computation in training when trigram language models are used, and beam search techniques are investigated to accelerate the decoding speed. We evaluate the performance of the proposed method on unconstrained online handwritten text lines of three databases. On the test sets of databases CASIA-OLHWDB (Chinese) and TUAT Kondate (Japanese), the character level correct rates are 95.20 and 95.44 percent, and the accurate rates are 94.54 and 94.55 percent, respectively. On the test set (online handwritten texts) of ICDAR 2011 Chinese handwriting recognition competition, the proposed method outperforms the best system in competition.
Impact of additive mitral valve surgery to coronary artery bypass grafting on mortality in patients with coronary artery disease and ischaemic mitral regurgitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and observational studies.

Aims Treatment of ischaemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) remains controversial. While IMR is associated with worse outcomes, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies provided conflicting evidence regarding the benefit of mitral valve replacement (MVR) or repair (MVr) in addition to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We conducted a meta-analysis incorporating data from published RCTs and observational studies comparing CABG vs. CABG + MVR/MVr. Methods and results We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Ovid, and Cochrane for RCTs and observational studies comparing CABG (Group 1) vs. CABG + MVR/MVr (Group 2). Outcome was 30-day and 1-year mortality after surgical intervention. Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio (OR) was calculated using random-effects meta-analysis for the outcome. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 statistics. Four RCTs and 11 observational studies met the inclusion criteria (5781 patients, 507 in RCTs, 5274 in observational studies). Group 1 vs. 2 weighted mean left ventricular ejection fraction in RCTs and combined RCTs/observational studies was 41.5 ± 12.3 vs. 40.3 ± 10.4% ( P -value = 0.24) and 45.5 ± 7.2 vs. 38 ± 10% ( P -value < 0.001), respectively. In RCTs, there was no difference in 30-day [OR: 0.95, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.30-3.08, P = 0.94] or 1-year (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.43-1.87, P = 0.78) mortality, respectively. For combined RCTs/observational studies, there was no difference in mortality at 30 days (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.43-1.04, P = 0.08) or at 1 year (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.7-1.15, P = 0.39). Conclusion In a meta-analysis of RCTs and observational studies of IMR patients, the addition of MVR/MVr to CABG did not improve survival.
A Direct Neurokinin B Projection from the Arcuate Nucleus Regulates Magnocellular Vasopressin Cells of the Supraoptic Nucleus

Central administration of neurokinin B (NKB) agonists stimulates immediate early gene expression in the hypothalamus and increases the secretion of vasopressin from the posterior pituitary through a mechanism that depends on the activation of neurokinin receptor 3 receptors (NK3R). The present study reports that, in the rat, immunoreactivity for NK3R is expressed in magnocellular vasopressin and oxytocin neurones in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, and that NKB immunoreactivity is expressed in fibres in close juxtaposition with vasopressin neurones at both of these sites. Retrograde tracing in the rat shows that some NKB‐expressing neurones in the arcuate nucleus project to the SON and, in mice, using an anterograde tracing approach, it is found that kisspeptin‐expressing neurones of the arcuate nucleus, which are known to co‐express NKB, project to the SON and PVN. Finally, i.c. v. injection of the NK3R agonist senktide is shown to potently increase the electrical activity of vasopressin neurones in the SON in vivo with no significant effect detected on oxytocin neurones. The results suggest that NKB‐containing neurones in the arcuate nucleus regulate the secretion of vasopressin from magnocellular neurones in rodents, and the possible significance of this is discussed.
Development of carbon fiber/phenolic resin prepregs modified with nanoclays

This work is focused on the study of the main variables involved in the development of phenolic/carbon prepregs and how these variables are affected by the incorporation of nanoclays. For this, phenolic resin was obtained from phenol and formaldehyde, performing the reaction under basic conditions and with formaldehyde excess. Resin curing kinetics was studied by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. Organo-modified clay was added to the phenolic resin in order to evaluate their effect on the general performance of the material. Carbon fiber/phenolic resin and carbon fiber/clay modified phenolic resin prepregs were obtained by hand-layup and vacuum bagging. Prepregs were characterized in terms of fiber content, flexural stiffness, and degree of tack. In both the cases, intermediate fiber volume content, nearly 50%, was obtained. The addition of 5 wt% of clay to the phenolic resin did not produce a significant change on the prepregs stiffness but increased the degree of tack, which implies that the incorporation of such particles was useful to enhance the prepregs properties. Composite materials were obtained by compression molding of the prepregs obtained, and were characterized by its fiber content, mechanical behavior with the three-point bending test and its thermal degradation by thermogravimetry. High fiber content composites materials were obtained, nearly 75% by volume. However, modified composites showed lower fiber content, which resulted in a decrease of the flexural modulus and strength. In relation to thermal degradation, the addition of nanoclay did not change the behavior of the materials.
Task planning of mobile robots in distributed service framework

Complexity and uncertainty of service environment where mobile robots work greatly challenge the performance of robot task planning system. In this paper, an effective and flexible task planning system of mobile robots is designed in distributed service framework with Robot Operating System (ROS). The first part of this paper is the design of system architecture. Then, the logical description tool Planning Domain Definition Language (PDDL) is used to describe the task dynamically based on the designed knowledge base and distributed sensing. In addition, a flexible and stable planning module is designed which combines Forward-Chaining Partial-Order Planning (POPF) planner, post-process, action dispatcher and exceptions handling programs. Lastly, the experiment results in distributed service framework of the task planning system are presented, proving the feasibility of the design.
Compatibility of Neutron Star Masses and Hyperon Coupling Constants

Abstract It is shown that the modern equations of state for neutron star matter based on microscopic calculations of symmetric and asymmetric nuclear matter are compatible with the lower bound on the maximum neutron-star mass for a certain range of hyperon coupling constants, which are constrained by the binding energies of hyperons in symmetric nuclear matter. The hyperons are included by means of the relativistic Hartree-or Hartree-Fock approximation. The obtained couplings are also in satisfactory agreement with hypernuclei data in the relativistic Hartree scheme. Within the relativistic Hartree-Fock approximation, hypernuclei have not been investigated so far.
Differences in Certification and the Effect on Team Climate Among Community Health Workers in Texas

The purpose of this study was to compare team climate among Texas community health workers (CHWs)/promotoras who were certified by the 2 different methods: (a) completing a state-approved training program, and (b) providing evidence of work experience (grandfathering). Analysis of survey results found no significant differences in Team Climate Inventory scores between CHWs who were certified either through state-approved training or through work experience. This research provides some preliminary evidence in support of experience-based certification, but there continues to be a need for more research evaluating CHW certification requirements and the impact of state certification of CHWs on population health outcomes.
Cytoskeleton-centric protein transportation by exosomes transforms tumor-favorable macrophages

The exosome is a key initiator of pre-metastatic niche in numerous cancers, where macrophages serve as primary inducers of tumor microenvironment. However, the proteome that can be exosomally transported from cancer cells to macrophages has not been sufficiently characterized so far. Here, we used colorectal cancer (CRC) exosomes to educate tumor-favorable macrophages. With a SILAC-based mass spectrometry strategy, we successfully traced the proteome transported from CRC exosomes to macrophages. Such a proteome primarily focused on promoting cytoskeleton rearrangement, which was biologically validated with multiple cell lines. We reproduced the exosomal transportation of functional vimentin as a proof-of-concept example. In addition, we found that some CRC exosomes could be recognized by macrophages via Fc receptors. Therefore, we revealed the active and necessary role of exosomes secreted from CRC cells to transform cancer-favorable macrophages, with the cytoskeleton-centric proteins serving as the top functional unit.
Women’s Autonomy and Attitudes toward Condom Use: A Multicountry Analysis

ABSTRACT Autonomy gives women the ability to negotiate safe sex and make decisions on their health. This study explores the gender stratification framework to understand the intertwined nature of HIV and women’s autonomy using the nationally representative Demographic Health Survey. It examines women’s autonomy and attitudes toward condom use for prevention of HIV/AIDS in four culturally diverse countries. Findings from the logistic regression indicate that labor force participation, individual autonomy, and decision making significantly increased the odds of always using a condom during sex in all countries. Promoting prevention policies highlighting women’s autonomy may contribute in reducing the spread of HIV infection.
Hooke: an open software platform for force spectroscopy

SUMMARY Hooke is an open source, extensible software intended for analysis of atomic force microscope (AFM)-based single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) data. We propose it as a platform on which published and new algorithms for SMFS analysis can be integrated in a standard, open fashion, as a general solution to the current lack of a standard software for SMFS data analysis. Specific features and support for file formats are coded as independent plugins. Any user can code new plugins, extending the software capabilities. Basic automated dataset filtering and semi-automatic analysis facilities are included. AVAILABILITY Software and documentation are available at (http://code.google.com/p/hooke). Hooke is a free software under the GNU Lesser General Public License.
Configuration and performance analysis of a compact planetary geared Elastic Actuator

Safety, compliance and human-friendliness are trending keywords in robotics now. The most significant reason for the growth in the use of these keywords is the progress of the service robot interacting with environments, including humans. Following these trends, Series Elastic Actuator (SEA) has received a large attention as a promising actuator in this field. Consequently, various SEA mechanisms have been developed by a lot of researchers ever since it was firstly introduced in 1990s. In spite of the development and applications at various SEAs, there still are challenging problems: backlash of gear reducer, encoder resolution problem, spring non-linearity, limited working range, etc. In this research, a novel SEA mechanism called compact Planetary geared Elastic Actuator (cPEA) is introduced at first. The proposed cPEA utilizes the planetary gear as a power transmission which has the compactness so that it can minimize the backlash in SEA motions. Series elasticity is achieved by the torsional spring which is placed in the redundant space of mechanism. Spring linearity, dynamics, sensitivity, mechanism of planetary gear as differential mechanism and force tracking performance with model-based controller are analyzed in this paper utilizing the proposed cPEA. From the results, the effectiveness of the proposed cPEA is verified.
Probing the interaction of human serum albumin with iprodione, a fungicide: spectroscopic and molecular docking insight

Probing the interaction of human serum albumin with iprodione, a fungicide: spectroscopic and molecular docking insight Azaj Ahmed, Anas Shamsi, Mohd Shahnawaz Khan, Fohad Mabood Husain and Bilqees Bano* Faculty of Life Science, Department of Biochemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India; Protein Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, King Saud University, 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Neural Damage in Experimental Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Infection: Hypothalamic Peptidergic Sleep and Wake-Regulatory Neurons

Neuron populations of the lateral hypothalamus which synthesize the orexin (OX)/hypocretin or melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) peptides play crucial, reciprocal roles in regulating wake stability and sleep. The disease human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also called sleeping sickness, caused by extracellular Trypanosoma brucei (T. b.) parasites, leads to characteristic sleep-wake cycle disruption and narcoleptic-like alterations of the sleep structure. Previous studies have revealed damage of OX and MCH neurons during systemic infection of laboratory rodents with the non-human pathogenic T. b. brucei subspecies. No information is available, however, on these peptidergic neurons after systemic infection with T. b. gambiense, the etiological agent of 97% of HAT cases. The present study was aimed at the investigation of immunohistochemically characterized OX and MCH neurons after T. b. gambiense or T. b. brucei infection of a susceptible rodent, the multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis. Cell counts and evaluation of OX fiber density were performed at 4 and 8 weeks post-infection, when parasites had entered the brain parenchyma from the periphery. A significant decrease of OX neurons (about 44% reduction) and MCH neurons (about 54% reduction) was found in the lateral hypothalamus and perifornical area at 8 weeks in T. b. gambiense-infected M. natalensis. A moderate decrease (21% and 24% reduction, respectively), which did not reach statistical significance, was found after T. b. brucei infection. In two key targets of diencephalic orexinergic innervation, the peri-suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) region and the thalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVT), densitometric analyses showed a significant progressive decrease in the density of orexinergic fibers in both infection paradigms, and especially during T. b. gambiense infection. Altogether the findings provide novel information showing that OX and MCH neurons are highly vulnerable to chronic neuroinflammatory signaling caused by the infection of human-pathogenic African trypanosomes.
Virtual actors that can perform scripts and improvise roles

This paper describes work in progress on the Humanoid 2 ESPRIT project, in which we are integrating the human figure animation software described in (Magnenat Thalmann & Thalmann 1995) with the agent technology described in (Wavish & Graham 1996) in order to produce virtual actors for films, games and virtual reality worlds. In this paper we focus on how the actors perform scripts and improvise role-related behaviour. Our approach to creating believable characters is modelled on how characters are portrayed by human actors during a theatrical performance. The character played by the actor is originally specified in the script. The actor's purpose is to perform the script as skilfully as it can in order to portray the character. Our actors are constructed internally as societies of simple situated agents, where each agent corresponds to a skill or to a role. Skills are task oriented behaviours of an individual actor, whereas roles provide a means for the actor to engage in routine social interactions.