Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanotechnologies in regenerative medicine

Abstract Nanotechnology offers promising perspectives in biomedical research as well as in clinical practice. To cover some of the latest nanotechnology trends in regenerative medicine, this review will focus on the use of nanomaterials for tissue engineering and cell therapy. Nanofibrous materials that mimic the native extracellular matrix and promote the adhesion of various cells are being developed as tissue-engineered scaffolds for the skin, bone, vasculature, heart, cornea, nervous system, and other tissues. A range of novel materials has been developed to enhance the bioactive or therapeutic properties of these nanofibrous scaffolds via surface modifications, including the immobilization of functional cell-adhesive ligands and bioactive molecules such as drugs, enzymes and cytokines. As a new approach, nanofibers prepared by using industrial scale needleless technology have been recently introduced, and their use as scaffolds to treat spinal cord injury or as cell carriers for the regeneration of the injured cornea is the subject of much current study. Cell therapy is a modern approach of regenerative medicine for the treatment of various diseases or injuries. To follow the migration and fate of transplanted cells, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have been developed for cell labeling and non-invasive MRI monitoring of cells in the living organism, with successful applications in, e.g, the central nervous system, heart, liver and kidney and also in pancreatic islet and stem cell transplantation.
A Stretchable RF Antenna With Silver Nanowires

A stretchable, flexible antenna fabricated with silver nanowires (AgNW) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is presented. Highly conductive AgNWs coupled with mechanically flexibility and durable PDMS are shown to produce promising results for RF sensing. The RF antenna is designed as a 1.5-GHz microstrip patch antenna using the transmission-line model. The resonance frequency of the antenna shifts in response to the applied force/strain, making the configuration suitable for wireless sensing applications.
Detection of Acetone Processing of Castor Bean Mash for Forensic Investigation of Ricin Preparation Methods *

Abstract: Samples containing the toxic castor bean protein ricin have been recently seized in connection with biocriminal activity. Analytical methods that enable investigators to determine how the samples were prepared and to match seized samples to potential source materials are needed. One commonly described crude ricin preparation method is acetone extraction of crushed castor beans. Here, we describe the use of solid‐phase microextraction and headspace analysis to determine whether castor beans were processed by acetone extraction. We prepared acetone‐extracted castor bean mash, along with controls of unextracted mash and mash extracted with nonacetone organic solvents. Samples of acetone‐extracted mash and unextracted mash were stored in closed containers for up to 109 days at both room temperature and −20°C, and in open containers at room temperature for up to 94 days. Acetone‐extracted bean mash could consistently be statistically distinguished from controls, even after storage in open containers for 94 days.
Do Logic Programs Resemble Programs in Conventional Languages?

: It was suggested by Mellish that \many Prolog programs are not radically di(cid:11)erent in kind from programs written in conventional languages". This paper attempts to formalize the concept of a \conventional" logic program. An experiment was performed to check how often Prolog programs fall in our restricted class of conventional programs and ascertain which programming techniques result in programs falling outside this class. For the experiment a sample of Prolog programs was selected ranging from simple student programs to a 52K character data base implementation. The results con(cid:12)rm Mellish's hypothesis. On the other hand the experiment disclosed some programming techniques which are unique for logic programming.
Catheter complications in AIDS patients treated for cytomegalovirus retinitis

Purpose:To describe the complications of central venous catheter use for intravenous therapy of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in patients with AIDS. Methods:Retrospective review of 388 patients with AIDS and CMV retinitis treated with intravenous medications through an indwelling catheter. Results:The catheter complication rate was 1.2 complications per person-year (0.33 complications per 100 catheter-days). Current injecting drug use increased the risk of infectious complications [hazard ratio (HR), 1.73; P = 0.04] whereas former use did not (HR, 0.96; P = 0.88). Subdermal port catheters increased the risk of bacteremia (HR, 1.78; P = 0.05). Mortality for the first complication was 5.8%. Forty percent of patients required catheter removal, and 86.8% of these patients required reinsertion of another catheter. Conclusions:Catheter complications are a substantial problem in patients with CMV retinitis treated with daily intravenous therapy.
Electrically small structural antenna design for small UAV based on characteristics modes

A systematic approach in developing a 4-port structural antenna system on a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (SUAV) is presented. The largest dimension of the SUAV is 0.67 wavelength of the operating frequency. Using Characteristic Mode (CM) Analysis, two significant CMs with good radiation efficiency are identified. The radiation patterns of these two CMs can be synthesized by combining the individual element gain patterns with specific amplitude and phase settings (either in-phase or out-of-phase). In addition, the radiation pattern may be gradually steered from one CM to another by progressively changing the phase settings. A 1:5 scaled model of the SUAV is fabricated and the respective CMs are excited; the gain patterns are measured in an anechoic chamber. The resulting gain patterns can be combined either via a suitable RF combiner or digitally beamformed. In both cases, the results agree well. This method may be used to provide steering, albeit limited, of the gain pattern of an electrically small structural antenna.
Surface plasmon resonance shows that type IV pili are important in surface attachment by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Type IV pili have been shown to play a role in the early stages of bacterial biofilm formation, but not in initial bacterial attachment. Here, using the surface analytical technique, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), we follow the attachment of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa in real time. In contrast to previous studies, we show that type IV pili mutants are defective in attachment. Both mutants lacking pili (pilA), and those possessing an overabundance of pili (pilT), showed reduced SPR measured attachment compared with the wild-type PAO1 strain. Both pil mutants also showed reduced pathogenicity in a model insect host, as measured by percentage mortality after 24 h. SPR revealed differences in the kinetics of attachment between pilA and pilT, differences obscured by endpoint assays using crystal violet stain. These results highlight the power of SPR in monitoring bacterial attachment in real time and also demonstrate an additional role for type IV pili beyond bacterial aggregation and micro-colony formation.
Antibody‐based profiling of cerebrospinal fluid within multiple sclerosis

Antibody suspension bead arrays have proven to enable multiplexed and high‐throughput protein profiling in unfractionated plasma and serum samples through a direct labeling approach. We here describe the development and application of an assay for protein profiling of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). While setting up the assay, systematic intensity differences between sample groups were observed that reflected inherent sample specific total protein amounts. Supplementing the labeling reaction with BSA and IgG diminished these differences without impairing the apparent sensitivity of the assay. We also assessed the effects of heat treatment on the analysis of CSF proteins and applied the assay to profile 43 selected proteins by 101 antibodies in 339 CSF samples from a multiple sclerosis (MS) cohort. Two proteins, GAP43 and SERPINA3 were found to have a discriminating potential with altered intensity levels between sample groups. GAP43 was detected at significantly lower levels in secondary progressive MS compared to early stages of MS and the control group of other neurological diseases. SERPINA3 instead was detected at higher levels in all MS patients compared to controls. The developed assay procedure now offers new possibilities for broad‐scale protein profiling of CSF within neurological disorders.
Experimental investigation and modeling of shadow fading by human movement on body surface propagation channel

In this article, dynamic wireless BAN channel measurement results using a male specimen in a radio anechoic chamber, and the statistical channel model of body surface propagation with dynamic movement of a human being were presented. We found that the log-normal and Weibull distribution can provide a good characterization of dynamic channel behavior due to small and large movements, respectively, in the BAN channel. In addition, the temporal channel coherency at various receiving positions was investigated to understand the variability of the channel behavior.
Diversity-Based Inference of Finite Automata (Extended Abstract)

We present a new procedure for inferring the structure of a finitestate automaton (FSA) from its input/output behavior, using access to the automaton to perform experiments. Our procedure uses a new representation for FSA's, based on the notion of equivalence between testa. We call the number of such equivalence classes the diversity of the automaton; the diversity may be as small as the logarithm of the number of states of the automaton. The size of our representation of the FSA, and the running time of our procedure (in some case provably, in others conjecturally) is polynomial in the diversity and ln(1/e), where e is a given upper bound on the probability that our procedure returns an incorrect result. (Since our procedure uses randomization to perform experiments, there is a certain controllable chance that it will return an erroneous result.) We also present some evidence for the practical efficiency of our approach. For example, our procedure is able to infer the structure of an automaton based on Rubik's Cube (which has approximately 1019 states) in about 2 minutes on a DEC Micro Vax. This automaton is many orders of magnitude larger than possible with previous techniques, which would require time proportional at least to the number of global states. (Note that in this example, only a small fraction (10-14) of the global states were even visited. )
Cell Trajectory Clustering: Towards the Automated Identification of Morphogenetic Fields in Animal Embryogenesis

The recent availability of complete cell lineages from live imaging data opens the way to novel methodologies for the automated analysis of cell dynamics in animal embryogenesis. We propose a method for the calcula- tion of measure-based dissimilarities between cells. These dissimilarity measures allow the use of clustering algorithms for the inference of time-persistent patterns. The method is applied to the digital cell lineages reconstructed from live zebrafish embryos imaged from 6 to 13 hours post fertilization. We show that the position and velocity of cells are sufficient to identify relevant morphological features including bilateral sym- metry and coherent cell domains. The method is flexible enough to readily integrate larger sets of measures opening the way to the automated identification of morphogenetic fields.
Distribution and function of voltage-gated sodium channels in the nervous system

ABSTRACT Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are the basic ion channels for neuronal excitability, which are crucial for the resting potential and the generation and propagation of action potentials in neurons. To date, at least nine distinct sodium channel isoforms have been detected in the nervous system. Recent studies have identified that voltage-gated sodium channels not only play an essential role in the normal electrophysiological activities of neurons but also have a close relationship with neurological diseases. In this study, the latest research findings regarding the structure, type, distribution, and function of VGSCs in the nervous system and their relationship to neurological diseases, such as epilepsy, neuropathic pain, brain tumors, neural trauma, and multiple sclerosis, are reviewed in detail.
Influence of storage method on the viability, mycelial growth and pathogenicity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sclerotia

The effect of three storage methods on the viability, mycelial growth and pathogenicity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (isolate S36) sclerotia was determined with a view towards establishing an optimal method for storing this pathogen during its mass production as a mycoherbicide for controlling the weed Ranunculus acris. Sclerotia were stored at −80°C, 4°C after desiccation, or at room temperature after freeze-drying and their germination, growth and pathogenicity were assessed after 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 months in these conditions. Germination was maintained at 100% at −80°C and when dry-stored at 4C. In contrast, freeze-dried sclerotia showed a significant reduction in germination and insufficient mycelium was produced at 30 months for growth and pathogenicity assessments. Colony growth from the stored sclerotia was similar for all three storage methods and durations. Pathogenicity, assessed using the leaves of R. acris, was the same for all three storage methods. This study indicates that the sclerotia of S. sclerotiorum may be successfully stored either at −80°Cor at4°C after desiccation for use as a mycoherbicide, but that freeze-drying is not a suitable method.
The U wave in atrial fibrillation

The U wave in ECGs of patients is difficult to observe because it is hidden under the atrial fibrillatory wave. Measurement and characteristics of the U wave in atrial fibrillation have not previously been described. Beat averaging was used to reveal the U waves in 12lead ECGs of 8 patients with atrial fibrillation taking account of heart rate dependency of U wave characteristics. U wave polarity and amplitude in 12-lead ECG and the amplitude ratio of U wave to atrial fibrillatory wave in lead VI were measured. U waves were measureable in all patients. U waves were predominantly positive in leads 1. 11. aVF. V2. V3, V4, V5 and V6, negative in leads aVR. Amplitudes were largest in the precordial leads measuring up to 55 fJ V. In lead VI the U wave amplitude was on average 0.17 (range 0.1 to 0.4) times the amplitude of the atrial fibrillatory wave. U waves can be measured by ventricular beat averaging in AF patients. U waves were normal in this small group of patients.
Additions to the Brazilian mycobiota of the grassy weed, Hymenachne amplexicaulis, with a discussion on the taxonomic status of Paraphaeosphaeria recurvifoliae

Hymenachne amplexicaulis (capybara grass) has been listed among Australia’s 20worstweeds (orweeds of national significance) but has not been officially recognised as a target for biological control. Nevertheless, collections are being made of fungal pathogens associated with this amphibious grassy weed and of other aquatic weeds native to Brazil. This paper represents the second contribution towards the description of the pathogenic mycobiota of H. amplexicaulis in Brazil. Two newfungal records are described and illustrated: Passalora barretoana stat. et comb. nov. and Paraphaeosphaeria michotii. The latter is described in association with its anamorph, which belongs to the genus Microsphaeropsis. The status of the taxon Phyllachora sp. , recorded in a previous publication, is elucidated and a more complete description is provided here.
Variations in deep convective activity during the 4 month Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere-Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment ( TOGA-COARE )

[1] Variations in deep convective activity during the 4month Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere-Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA-COARE) field campaign are simulated using a cloud-resolving model (CRM). Convection in the model is coupled to large-scale vertical velocities that are parameterized using one of two different methods: the damped gravity wave (Damped-wave) method and the weak temperature gradient (WTG) method. The reference temperature profiles against which temperature anomalies are computed are taken either from observations or from a model integration with no large-scale vertical motion (but other forcings taken from observations); the parameterized large-scale vertical velocities are coupled to those temperature (or virtual temperature) anomalies. Sea surface temperature, radiative fluxes, and relaxation of the horizontal mean horizontal wind field are also imposed. Simulations with large-scale vertical velocity imposed from the observations are performed for reference. The primary finding is that the CRM with parameterized large-scale vertical motion can capture the intraseasonal variations in rainfall to some degree. Experiments in which one of several observation-derived forcings is set to its time-mean value suggest that those which influence direct forcings on the moist static energy budget—surface wind speed and sea surface temperature (which together influence surface evaporation) and radiative cooling—play the most important roles in controlling convection, particularly when the Damped-wave method is used. The parameterized large-scale vertical velocity has a vertical profile that is too bottom-heavy compared to observations when the Damped-wave method is used with vertically uniform Rayleigh damping on horizontal wind, but is too top-heavy when the WTG method is used.
The Power of Non-Hydrolytic Sol-Gel Chemistry: A Review

This review is devoted to non-hydrolytic sol-gel chemistry. During the last 25 years, non-hydrolytic sol-gel (NHSG) techniques were found to be attractive and versatile methods for the preparation of oxide materials. Compared to conventional hydrolytic approaches, the NHSG route allows reaction control at the atomic scale resulting in homogeneous and well defined products. Due to these features and the ability to design specific materials, the products of NHSG reactions have been used in many fields of application. The aim of this review is to present an overview of NHSG research in recent years with an emphasis on the syntheses of mixed oxides, silicates and phosphates. The first part of the review highlights well known condensation reactions with some deeper insights into their mechanism and also presents novel condensation reactions established in NHSG chemistry in recent years. In the second section we discuss porosity control and novel compositions of selected materials. In the last part, the applications of NHSG derived materials as heterogeneous catalysts and supports, luminescent materials and electrode materials in Li-ion batteries are described.
Grain of environment explains variation in the strength of genotype × environment interaction

Theory predicts that genetic variation in phenotypic plasticity (genotype × environment interaction or G × E) should be eroded by selection acting across environments. However, it appears that G × E is often maintained under selection, although not universally. This variation in the presence and strength of G × E requires explanation. Here I ask whether the explanation may lie in the grain of the environment at which G × E is expressed. The grain (or grain size) of the environment refers to the scale of environmental heterogeneity relative to generation time – that is, relative to the window of operation of selection – with higher rates of heterogeneity occurring in finer‐grained environments. The hypothesis that the grain of the environment explains variation in the expression of G × E encapsulates variation in the power of selection to shape reaction norms: selection should be able to erode G × E in fine‐grained environments but lose its power as the grain becomes coarser. I survey studies of G × E in sexual traits and demonstrate that the strength of G × E varies with the grain of the environment across which it is expressed, with G × E being stronger in coarser‐grained environments. This result elucidates when G × E is most likely to be sustained in the reaction norms of fitness‐related traits and when its evolutionary consequences will be most pronounced.
Soluble CD14 Mediates Efflux of Phospholipids from Cells1

Soluble CD14 (sCD14), a 55-kDa glycoprotein found in plasma, has been shown to act as a shuttle for bacterial LPS and phospholipids, transporting LPS and phospholipid monomers from LPS aggregates or liposomes to high density lipoprotein particles. sCD14 has also been shown to mediate the transport of LPS and phosphatidylinositol into cells. Here we show that sCD14 mediates not only the influx but also the efflux of cellular phospholipids. Addition of sCD14 enhanced efflux of cellular phospholipids labeled with [3H]palmitic acid, [3H]oleic acid, or [3H]choline chloride from differentiated THP-1 monocytic cells. Efflux was dependent on the concentration of sCD14 added and was essentially complete in 30 min. The role of membrane-bound CD14 (mCD14) in lipid efflux was assessed using matched pairs of cell lines that express or fail to express this protein. While efflux was very dependent on mCD14 in U373 cells, it was not dependent on mCD14 in Chinese hamster ovary cells, suggesting a role for additional cellular proteins in determining the pathway of phospholipid efflux. A deletion mutant of sCD14 lacking the LPS binding site had less ability to efflux phospholipids than intact sCD14, suggesting that this site is needed for CD14 to serve in phospholipid transport. [3H]Palmitate-labeled lipids released by sCD14 were precipitated with anti-CD14 then analyzed by HPLC. Phosphatidylcholine was the dominant phospholipid exported and bound to sCD14. These results demonstrate that sCD14 mediates efflux of phospholipids from cells and suggest that sCD14 contributes to phospholipid transport in blood.