Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COUPLING LIDAR AND HIGH-RESOLUTION DIGITAL IMAGERY FOR BIOMASS ESTIMATION IN MIXED-WOOD FOREST ENVIRONMENTS

Forest cover type, structure, and volume information is required for the estimation of aboveground forest biomass, which in turn is important for carbon budget modeling and in quantifying forest productivity. Traditionally, this information has been obtained through ground survey and air photo interpretation, with more recent efforts involving satellite remote sensing. Current multispectral satellite image analysis methods, however, do not easily provide threedimensional structural information about the forest cover required for detailed biomass assays. Lidar remote sensing has been shown to provide such structural information, however, it lacks the ability to provide inferences on species differentiation and relative health of forest ecosystems available from passive optical data. Integration of these two technologies should permit accurate biomass and carbon estimates from a variety of forest biomes.
Reassessment of a Suggested Pharmacological Approach to Heart Failure: L-Arginine Is Only a Marginal NO donor in Pigs

Objectives: L-Arginine has been tested in various cardiovascular diseases, mainly to improve endothelial function through NO production. However, as the results have been partly unpredictable, we assessed the hemodynamic, energetic and metabolic effects of L-arginine to clarify any potential benefits in postischemic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Methods: LV dysfunction was induced by repetitive brief coronary occlusions in 12 anesthetized, open chest pigs. L-Arginine was subsequently infused (bolus 400 mg·kg−1 and continuously for 1 hour, 250 mg·kg−1·h−1). Hemodynamic parameters, metabolites of L-arginine and myocardial energetics were assessed sequentially. Results: L-Arginine infusions caused a substantial rise in plasma L-arginine (3474 ± 358 &mgr;mole·L−1) accompanied by a 2-fold increase in plasma L-citrulline. No significant alterations in vascular resistance or LV contractility were observed from L-arginine. Mean arterial pressure dropped from 78 ± 11 to 72 ± 10 mm Hg (P = 0.019) and 70 ± 8 mm Hg (P = 0.003) after bolus and infusions, respectively. Myocardial oxygen consumption was unaltered, and myocardial creatine content was not increased after 90 minutes of L-arginine infusion. Conclusion: L-Arginine infusion did not influence the energetic cost of myocardial contractility, and only minor hemodynamic changes were observed despite a demonstrable turnover of L-arginine. These findings question the use of L-arginine to promote therapeutic NO formation in the acute setting.
Electromygraphy (EMG) signal based hand gesture recognition using artificial neural network (ANN)

Electromyography (EMG) signal is a measure of muscles' electrical activity and usually represented as a function of time, defined in terms of amplitude, frequency and phase. This biosignal can be employed in various applications including diagnoses of neuromuscular diseases, controlling assistive devices like prosthetic/orthotic devices, controlling machines, robots, computer etc. EMG signal based reliable and efficient hand gesture identification can help to develop good human computer interface which in turn will increase the quality of life of the disabled or aged people. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of detecting different predefined hand gestures (left, right, up and down) using artificial neural network (ANN). ANNs are particularly useful for complex pattern recognition and classification tasks. The capability of learning from examples, the ability to reproduce arbitrary non-linear functions of input, and the highly parallel and regular structure of ANNs make them especially suitable for pattern recognition tasks. The EMG pattern signatures are extracted from the signals for each movement and then ANN utilized to classify the EMG signals based on features. A back-propagation (BP) network with Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm has been used for the detection of gesture. The conventional and most effective time and time-frequency based features (namely MAV, RMS, VAR, SD, ZC, SSC and WL) have been chosen to train the neural network.
Spin-Seebeck Temperature Sensors

The conceptual designs of two nanoscale spin-Seebeck temperature sensors are proposed based on the longitudinal spin-Seebeck effect (LSSE) in bilayers made of a ferromagnetic insulator Y3Fe5O12 and a Pt, and the transverse spin-Seebeck effect) in Ni81Fe19/Pt structure. The working principles of two sensors are presented. The direct conversion of the temperature information into the electric voltage is described in detail. Moreover, the effect of the spin Hall angle on the performance of sensors is discussed. The results obtained here reveal that the LSSE and TSSE have the potential to realize practical temperature sensors.
Neuroimaging and Psychophysiological Measurement in Organizational Research

Abstract: Although organizational research has made tremendous strides in the last century, recent advances in neuroscience and the imaging of functional brain activity remain underused. In fact, even the use of well‐established psychophysiological measurement tools is comparatively rare. Following the lead of social cognitive neuroscience, in this review, we conceptualize organizational cognitive neuroscience as a field dedicated to exploring the processes within the brain that underlie or influence human decisions, behaviors, and interactions either (a) within organizations or (b) in response to organizational manifestations or institutions. We discuss organizational cognitive neuroscience, bringing together work that may previously have been characterized rather atomistically, and provide a brief overview of individual methods that may be of use. Subsequently, we discuss the possible convergence and integration of the different neuroimaging and psychophysiological measurement modalities. A brief review of prior work in the field shows a significant need for a more coherent and theory‐driven approach to organizational cognitive neuroscience. In response, we discuss a recent example of such work, along with three hypothetical case studies that exemplify the link between organizational and psychological theory and neuroscientific methods.
ntifouling activity of macroalgal extracts on Fragilaria pinnata Bacillariophyceae ) : A comparison with Diuron lla

The tributyltin-based products and organic biocides which are incorporated into antifouling paints have had a negative impact on the marine environment, and the ban on tributyltin-based antifouling products has urged the industry to find substitutes to prevent the development of fouling on ship hulls. Natural antifouling agents could be isolated from marine resources, providing an alternative option for the industry. The effects of different marine seaweed extracts from Sargassum muticum and Ceramium botryocarpum on the growth, pigment content and photosynthetic apparatus of the marine diatom Fragilaria pinnata were compared with those of Diuron, a biocide widely used in antifouling paints. The addition of the macroalgal extracts in the culture medium resulted in an inhibition of the growth of F. pinnata, but this inhibition was lower than that obtained with Diuron. After transfer to a biocide-free medium, F. pinnata cells previously exposed to the macroalgal extracts exhibited normal growth, in contrast to icrospectrofluorimetry
Expression, purification, and structural characterization of human histone H4.

Recombinant human histone H4 (hH4) was produced in milligrams quantities in Escherichia coli, without altering the codons of the original cDNA sequence. The hH4 cDNA was subcloned into the pQE30 expression vector, in frame with a sequence encoding an N-terminal stretch of six histidine residues. Purification to electrophoretic homogeneity was obtained by nickel-chelating chromatography, followed by gel filtration. The final yield of the entire expression and purification process was about 1 mg of pure histone H4 per liter of bacterial culture. SDS-PAGE analysis showed for the recombinant H4 a molecular weight corresponding to the expected one (12,535 Da). Circular dichroism spectroscopy was used to estimate the secondary structural composition of recombinant histone, when it is isolated from the physiological core particle. It was observed that under these conditions histone H4 exhibits an altered secondary conformation. In order to induce the recombinant histone to assume a conformation more similar to the one measured when it is organized inside the nucleosome, we resuspended it in buffers at increasing ionic strengths and in the presence of different concentrations of trifluoroethanol. We tried also to mimic the physiological situation of histone H4 by adding an equimolar amount of a commercial DNA to the protein solution. Finally, an estimation of protein thermal stability was evaluated by spectropolarimetry.
Increased IFN‐γ secretion from duodenal biopsy samples in delayed‐type cow's milk allergy

A delayed and local gastrointestinal hypersensitivity to cow's milk (CM) protein is difficult to diagnose and there are limited data on this disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate local intestinal cytokine secretion in the upper small intestine in children with delayed‐type cow's milk allergy (CMA). Duodenal biopsy samples from 31 children with delayed CMA, 14 with celiac disease (CD), and 14 healthy controls were studied for the spontaneous release of IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐10, measured by cytometric bead array, and of TGF‐β and IL‐6 measured by ELISA. The children with delayed CMA secreted more IFN‐γ than the controls (p = 0.006) and the children with CD (p = 0.006). The children with CD secreted more IL‐6 compared to the controls (p = 0.008) and the children with delayed CMA (p = 0.002). The children with delayed CMA who had continuously been exposed to CM secreted less TGF‐β than the children with delayed CMA who avoided CM (p = 0.050), and showed a tendency towards lower secretion compared to the controls (p = 0.078). Secretions of TNF‐α, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐10 were low in general; however, the children with delayed CMA who did not avoid CM secreted more IL‐4 and IL‐10 than the controls (p = 0.016, 0.059). In conclusion, the children with delayed CMA showed up‐regulation of IFN‐γ. Interestingly, TGF‐β secretion was up‐regulated in those children with delayed CMA who avoided CM suggesting recovery of regulation mechanisms.
An indel polymorphism within pre-miR3131 confers risk for hepatocellular carcinoma

Polymorphisms in pre-miRNAs may affect its expression, then have effect on its target mRNAs and be associated with cancer susceptibility. In this study, we evaluated the association of an indel polymorphism rs57408770 in pre-miR-3131 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility in a Chinese population. The contribution of rs57408770 to HCC risk was investigated in two independent case-control sets (1051 HCC and 1058 controls). Logistic regression analysis showed that the insertion allele of rs57408770 was significantly associated with an increased risk for HCC occurrence in both case-control studies. Moreover, the results of genotype-phenotype correlation analysis from both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that the insertion allele was significantly correlated with higher expression of mature miR-3131 comparing with the deletion allele. The RNA-Binding Protein Immunoprecipitation assay results indicated that rs57408770 could affect the expression level of mature miR-3131 probably through disturbing the binding of splicing factor SRp20 with pre-miR-3131. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-3131 displayed a proliferation promoting and anti-apoptosis effect on HCC cell lines, suggesting that miR-3131 may act as a proto-oncogene in HCC. Finally, human genome-wide gene expression profile assay was used to screen the targets of miR-3131. The overexpressed miR-3131 could lead to a significant decrease of DTHD1 and XAF1 mRNA level. Taken together, our findings provided evidence that rs57408770 may play a functional role in the carcinogenesis of HCC by affecting SRp20 binding with pre-miR-3131 and affecting the expression of mature miR-3131, subsequently affecting the expression of DTHD1 and XAF1, thus confers risk for HCC.
Further Characterization of Cells Expressing STRO‐1 in Cultures of Adult Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

Primitive cells of the osteoblast lineage are not well characterized but are known to be present within the STRO‐1+ fraction of adult human bone and marrow. A survey of human osteosarcoma cell lines revealed that STRO‐1 is expressed by MG‐63 but not SaOS‐2. Among murine cell lines tested, expression of STRO‐1 was detected in the bipotential (adipocyte/osteoblast) line BMS‐2 but not the committed osteoblast precursor MC3T3‐E1. A proportion of cultured adult human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) consistently expressed the STRO‐1 antigen. The expression of a range of cell surface antigens was studied in relation to STRO‐1 by flow cytometry and several, including the bone/liver/kidney isoform of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), were found to subtype the STRO‐1+ population of BMSCs. Further, BMSCs dual‐labeled with antibodies recognizing STRO‐1 and ALP could be assigned to one of four fractions: STRO‐1−/ALP−, STRO‐1+/ALP−, STRO‐1+/ALP+, and STRO‐1−/ALP+. Cells from each fraction could be isolated in high purity and, when recultured, remained viable and exhibited a limited degree of phenotypic stability. Using reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction, cells in the four fractions were found to express different levels of transcripts for the parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHr) and bone sialoprotein (BSP). The expression of transcripts for the nuclear transcription factor core‐binding factor alpha 1/osteoblast‐specific factor‐2 (CBFA1/OSF2) was restricted to those fractions expressing STRO‐1 and/or ALP. Treatment with 10 nM dexamethasone consistently increased the proportion of cells present in those fractions which expressed the highest levels of transcripts for PTHr and BSP (STRO‐1+/ALP+ and STRO‐1−/ALP+) while simultaneously decreasing the proportion present in the STRO‐1+/ALP− fraction. In conclusion, the expression of STRO‐1 in vitro remains a characteristic of less well differentiated cells of the osteoblast lineage; in cultures of BMSCs and in established human osteosarcoma cell lines, there is an inverse association between the expression of STRO‐1 and ALP; dual labeling of BMSCs with monoclonal antibodies recognizing STRO‐1 and ALP permits the identification and isolation of cells of the osteoblast lineage at different stages of differentiation.
Effect of hemodialysis on platelet function in end-stage renal disease Egyptian patients using in vitro closure time test (PFA-100 analyzer)

Abstract In patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), hemorrhagic complications are commonly encountered due to abnormalities in primary hemostasis, in particular, platelet (PLT) dysfunction and impaired PLT–vessel wall interaction. The pathogenesis of altered PLT function is considered multifactorial. Dialysis procedures had a favorable impact on bleeding complications in uremic patients. We aimed to evaluate the effect of hemodialysis on PLT function in patients with ESRD on a regular hemodialysis program. This study was carried on 40 ESRD Egyptian patients undergoing regular hemodialysis. Twenty healthy subjects were studied as a control group. Samples were assayed for PLT function by PLT function analyzer-100 (PFA-100) before and after the hemodialysis session. Prolonged closure time (CT) was found in 90% of patients before hemodialysis session and returned to normal ranges after hemodialysis session in 22% of those patients. The CT was longer among patients before and after hemodialysis session compared to controls (p < 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively), while it was shorter among patients after hemodialysis session compared to before hemodialysis session (p = 0.004). Hemoglobin (Hb) level and hematocrit (Hct) values were higher in control group compared to patient group before hemodialysis session (p < 0.01 and p = 0.001, respectively), patients after hemodialysis session (p < 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively) and also in patients after hemodialysis compared to before hemodialysis session (p = 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). The percentage change in PLT count was positively correlated with that of Hb (p = 0.01). We concluded that PLT dysfunction is encountered in ESRD Egyptian patients, and hemodialysis has the ability to correct some part of these hemostatic disturbances.
Using Salivary Glands as a Tissue Target for Gene Therapeutics

Gene transfer offers a potential way to correct local and systemic protein deficiency disorders by using genes as drugs, so called gene therapeutics. Salivary glands present an interesting target site for gene therapeutic applications. Herein, we review proofs of concept achieved for salivary glands with in vivo animal models. In that context we discuss problems (general and salivary tissue-specific) that limit immediate clinical use for this application of gene transfer. Ongoing efforts, however, suggest that salivary glands may be suitable as gene therapeutic target sites for drug delivery in the near future.
Automatic Detection of Elevation Changes by Differential DSM Analysis: Application to Urban Areas

Research in change detection from optical satellite data is widely investigated as a support for visual image analysis. Most of the methods, however, are based on radiometric changes and are suffering from high false alarms rate due to irrelevant radiometric changes. Change detection based on the elevation difference between two dates, therefore, seems a good alternative to identify relevant changes, especially in a context of urban change detection. In the present work, we provide a fully automatic method of change detection based on a digital surface model (DSM) comparison. The processing flow includes the bundle block adjustment of all the available data as a preprocessing step, followed by an improved DSM generation scheme and a differential DSM analysis. The last two steps have been formulated as labeling problems and solved by an optimization method with a spatial regularization constraint. The solution of these labeling problems is computed with a generalized dynamic programming algorithm that is adapted according to the input data and the defined labels. The final DSMs reach a planimetric and altimetric resolution of about 1 m, allowing changes from 20\nbspm2 to be detected. The results show that 33%-75% (respectively about 95%) of all changes (respectively, changes larger than 100\nbspm2) are detected, depending on the employed regularization and the area. Moreover, the calculated kappa coefficient of the processing flow reaches up to 0.80, which emphasizes the method accuracy. All the above features lead to a significant gain compared to the classical visual image analysis.
Age and Educational Influences on RBANS Index Scores in a Nondemented Geriatric Sample

Research has indicated the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS; Randolph, 1998) to be sensitive to the effects of brain dysfunction and capable of accurately discriminating cortical from subcortical dementias (Randolph, Tierney, Mohr, & Chase, 1998). It recently has been demonstrated, however, that certain indices of the measure are susceptible to educational influences (Lineweaver, Zone, Chelune, Hermann, & Dow, 2001). The present investigation examined the effects of age and education on the six RBANS indices in a sample of nondemented older adults. Education accounted for a statistically significant proportion of the variance across all RBANS indices for this group (range = 1.9–7.6%), while age increased the variance accounted for on four of six indices (range = 0.5–2.2%). Regression-based educational corrections for index scores were derived to allow for appropriate adjustment. Effects of age, although statistically significant, were too small to make clinical adjustment on three of the four index scores worthwhile. On the Delayed Memory Index, however, correction for age for persons 80 years old and higher should be considered.
Comparison between static models of commercial/residential loads and their effects on Conservation Voltage Reduction

International Standards ANSI C84.1-2006 and IEEE std 1250-1995 specify the range of supply voltage to electronics equipment from 0.9 to 1.05 per-unit (pu) of nominal voltage. From this information, it is possible to feed electronics equipment with a voltage level below of nominal voltage without failures. The Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) is a technique that aims to achieve the reduction of power consumption by reducing the level of supply voltage, giving at the customer location a lowest possible level of voltage compatible with both nominal values of equipment and the levels stipulated by the regulatory agency. It is essential obtaining a good model that describes the behavior of the loads connected to grid to evaluate the effectiveness of the CVR application. This paper presents an evaluation of three static load model techniques, being two ZIP load models and an exponential model. The model parameters were estimated for samples obtained from measurements performed on residential/commercial loads, through the variation of supply voltage within the operational acceptable range. The data collection was performed at three different periods of times to mitigate the grid's influence on the results. The load models are obtained through an optimization algorithm based on the collected data. The ellipsoidal optimization algorithm was applied to estimate the parameters of each model, searching for the best feasible solution. Some papers in the literature exhibit mathematical solutions for load models without physical meaning. Unlike that, this algorithm is not limited only to find a mathematical solution but also a physical one.
Survey on Symplectic Finite-Difference Time-Domain Schemes for Maxwell's Equations

To discretize Maxwell's equations, a variety of high-order symplectic finite-difference time-domain schemes, which use th-order symplectic integration time stepping and th-order staggered space differencing, are surveyed. First, the order conditions for the symplectic integrators are derived. Second, the comparisons of numerical stability, dispersion, and energy-conservation are provided between the high-order symplectic schemes and other high-order time approaches. Finally, these symplectic schemes are studied by using different space and time strategies. According to our survey, high-order time schemes for matching high-order space schemes are required for optimum electromagnetic simulation. Numerical experiments have been conducted on radiation of electric dipole and wideband S-parameter extraction of dielectric-filled waveguide. The results demonstrate that the high-order symplectic scheme can obtain satisfying numerical solutions under high Courant-Friedrichs-Levy number and coarse grid conditions.
Design of Square Patch Antenna with a Notch on FR4 Substrate

The simulation and experimental results of square patch antennas having a notch and designed on FR4 substrate are reported in this paper. The notch angle is varied and different radiation properties of antennas are tested. It is found that on reducing the notch angle thetas from 180deg to 164deg, the patch resonates at a single frequency. However on reducing notch angle further, the patch starts resonating at two different frequencies. The f2/f1 ratio almost linearly increases on decreasing the notch angle. The 10dB impedance bandwidth (VSWR 2:1) of antenna increases up to notch angle 151deg but thereafter that antenna behaves simply as a dual frequency antenna with narrow bandwidth at each resonance frequency.