Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PresentationSpecies in Dendritic Cells During Antigen Generation and Function of Reactive Oxygen

Although reactive oxygen species (ROS) have long been considered to play pathogenic roles in various disorders, this classic view is now being challenged by the recent discovery of their physiological roles in cellular signaling. To determine the immunological consequence of pharmacological disruption of endogenous redox regulation, we used a selenium-containing antioxidant compound ebselen known to modulate both thioredoxin and glutaredoxin pathways. Ebselen at 5–20 (cid:1) M inhibited Con A-induced proliferation and cytokine production by the HDK-1 T cell line as well as the LPS-triggered cytokine production by XS52 dendritic cell (DC) line. Working with the in vitro-reconstituted Ag presentation system composed of bone marrow-derived DC, CD4 (cid:2) T cells puriﬁed from DO11.10 TCR-transgenic mice and OVA peptide (serving as Ag), we observed that 1) both T cells and DC elevate intracellular oxidation states upon Ag-speciﬁc interaction; 2) ebselen signiﬁcantly inhibits ROS production in both populations; and 3) ebselen at 5–20 (cid:1) M inhibits DC-induced proliferation and cytokine production by T cells as well as T cell-induced cytokine production by DC. Thus, Ag-speciﬁc, bidirectional DC-T cell communication can be blocked by interfering with the redox regulation pathways. Allergic contact hypersensitivity responses in BALB/c mice to oxazolone, but not irritant contact hypersensitivity responses to croton oil, were suppressed signiﬁcantly by postchallenge treatment with oral administrations of ebselen (100 mg/kg per day). These results provide both conceptual and technical frameworks for studying ROS-dependent
Prioritized Adaptive Max-Min Fair Residual Bandwidth Allocation for Software-Deﬁned Data Center Networks

—Modern data center networks commonly adopt multi-rooted tree topologies. Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP) forwarding is often used to achieve high link utilization and improve network throughput. Meanwhile, max-min fairness is widely used to allocate network bandwidth fairly among multiple applications. However, today’s data centers usually host diverse applications, which have various priorities (e.g., mission critical applications) and service level agreements (e.g., high throughput). It is unclear how to adopt ECMP forwarding and max-min fairness in the presence of such requirements. We propose Prioritized Max-Min Fair Multiple Path forwarding (PMP) to tackle this challenge. PMP can optimally allocate current available bandwidth to maximally satisfy user demands. When predeﬁned application requirements are available, PMP can prioritize current demands and allocate available bandwidth accordingly. Our performance evaluation results show that PMP can improve application throughput 10 - 12% on average and increase overall link utilization especially when the total demanded bandwidth is close or even exceeds the bisectional bandwidth of a data center network.
Chen–Stein method for the uncovered set of random walk on $\mathbb {Z}_{n}^{d}$ for $d \ge 3$

Let $X$ be a simple random walk on $\mathbb{Z}_n^d$ with $d\geq 3$ and let $t_{\rm{cov}}$ be the expected cover time. We consider the set of points $\mathcal{U}_\alpha$ of $\mathbb{Z}_n^d$ that have not been visited by the walk by time $\alpha t_{\rm{cov}}$ for $\alpha\in (0,1)$. It was shown in [MS17] that there exists $\alpha_1(d)\in (0,1)$ such that for all $\alpha>\alpha_1(d)$ the total variation distance between the law of the set $\mathcal{U}_\alpha$ and an i.i. d. sequence of Bernoulli random variables indexed by $\mathbb{Z}_n^d$ with success probability $n^{-\alpha d}$ tends to $0$ as $n \to \infty$. In [MS17] the constant $\alpha_1(d)$ converges to $1$ as $d\to\infty$. In this short note using the Chen--Stein method and a concentration result for Markov chains of Lezaud we greatly simplify the proof of [MS17] and find a constant $\alpha_1(d)$ which converges to $3/4$ as $d\to\infty$.
Rigorous discrete time linearization of periodically switched circuits with respect to duty cycle perturbations

ABSTRACT This paper considers the well-known problem of deriving a linear model of dynamics of periodically switched circuits w.r. t. small perturbations in duty cycle (or switching instances) as external control inputs. A rigorous approach to this problem is developed and is shown that the linearized model is shift invariant and discrete time in nature. This is at variance with the well-known model, which is linear time invariant continuous time referred as state space averaging (SSA) model. SSA model ignores commutativity conditions in matrices of state space model due to varying parameters over intervals as well as the discrete nature of control input. The proposed method of linearization considers the problem of linearization in a neighbourhood of a periodic solution. The monodromy matrix for state transition over all phases of switching is considered to account for non-commuting matrices of parameters. Similarly discrete nature of the input changing once in every period of switching leads to the discrete model. This methodology is applicable for multiple independently switched circuits and takes into account orders of switching once the nominal periodic solution over which linearization is sought is fixed. This paper gives the detailed theory as well as illustrative examples to prove the usefulness of the proposed methodology.
Short report A phase II study of the modulation of 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid with high-dose infusional hydroxyurea in metastatic colorectal carcinoma

Summary Background: Hydroxyurea (HU), an inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase, may potentiate the activity of 5-fiuorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid (FA) by reducing the deoxyribonucleotide pool available for DNA synthesis and repair. However as HU may inhibit the formation of 5-fluoro-2-deoxyuridine-5-mono-phosphate (FdUMP), one of the principal active metabolites of 5-FU, the scheduling of HU may be critical. In vitro experi-ments suggest that administration of HU following 5-FU, maintaining the concentration in the region of 1 mM for six or more hours, significantly enhances the efficacy of 5-FU. Patients and methods: 5-FU/FA was given as follows: days 1 and 2 - FA 250 mg/m 2 (max. 350 mg) over two hours followed by 5-FU 400 mg/m 2 by intravenous bolus (ivb) over 15 minutes and subsequently 5-FU 400 mg/m 2 infusion (ivi) over 22 hours. HU was administered on day 3 immediately after the 5-FU with 3 g ivb over 15 minutes followed by 12 g ivi over 12 hours. Results: Thirty patients were entered into the study. Median survival was nine months (range 1-51+ months). There were eight partial responses (28%, 95% CI: 13%-47%). The median duration of response was 6.5 (range 4—9 months). Grade 3-4 toxicities included neutropenia (grade 3 in eight patients and grade 4 in five), anaemia (grade 3 in one patient) and diarrhoea (grade 3 in two patients). Neutropenia was associated with pyrexia in two patients. Phlebitis at the infusion site occurred in five patients. The treatment was complicated by pulmonary embolism in one patient and deep venous thrombosis in an-other. Conclusion: HU administered in this schedule is well tolerated. Based on these results and those of other phase II studies, a randomised phase III study of 5-FU, FA and HU versus 5-FU and FA using the standard de Gramont schedule is recommended.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE OPTIMIZATION FORMULATION OF ELASTIC INVERSE PROBLEMS

Inverse problems are often formulated as optimization problems. One seeks the parameter distribution which, when used in a forward model of the problem, gives the best match possible to the measured data. We consider the problem of imaging the elastic modulus distributions of soft tissues in this context. We consider in particular formulating this inverse problem as a constrained optimization problem in which we minimize the objective functional (the data mismatch) with the plane stress incompressible elasticity equations as constraints. The Lagrange multiplier method is applied resulting in a two-eld variational formulation that is often called a mixed formulation. We analyze the well-posedness of this problem. Under some relatively strong mathematical conditions, we prove that the continuous optimization formulation of this inverse problem is well-posed. In practice, however, when we solve this problem approximately by using classical discretization techniques, problems like oscillations and spurious non-physical solutions appear. Finally, we introduce stabilization in the discrete optimization problem to control the spurious solutions. In the context of inverse problems, stabilization must be contrasted to regularization. The latter is used to render a continuous problem well-posed. Stabilization is used to make well-behaved a particular discretization of a well-posed mathematical problem. We expect this research to improve computational approaches to nearly all inverse problems solved via optimization methods. In the context of elastography, this research will improve our ability to screen, diagnose, and treat breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other tissue pathologies.
Crop residues as a potential renewable energy source for Malawi's cement industry

Crop residues have been undervalued as a source of renewable energy to displace coal in the national energy mix for greenhouse emission reduction in Malawi. Switching to crop residues as an alternative energy source for energy-intensive industries such as cement manufacturing is hampered by uncertainties in crop residue availability, cost and quality. In this study, future demand for energy and availability of crop residues was assessed, based on data at the sub-national level. Detailed energy potentials from crop residues were computed for eight agricultural divisions. The results showed that the projected total energy demands in 2020, 2025 and 2030 were approximately 177 810 TJ, 184 210 TJ and 194 096 TJ respectively. The highest supply potentials were found to be in the central and southern regions of Malawi, coinciding with the locations of the two clinker plants. Crop residues could meet 45–57% of the national total energy demand. The demand from the cement industry is only 0.8% of the estimated biomass energy potential. At an annual production of 600 000 t of clinker and 20% biomass co-firing with coal, 18 562 t of coal consumption would be avoided and 46 128 t of carbon dioxide emission reduction achieved per year. For sustainability, holistic planning and implementation would be necessary to ensure the needs of various users of crop residues are met. Furthermore, there would be a need to address social, economic and environmental barriers of the crop residue-based biomass energy supply chain. Future research should focus on local residue-to-product ratios and their calorific values.
Rheological behavior of lithium grease with CNTs/GNPs hybrid nanocomposite as an additive

Purpose The target of this paper is to investigate the rheological characteristics of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), and hybridized nanocomposite consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and GNPs as an additive on lithium based grease. The experiments of nanogrease were examined in different values of shear stress, apparent viscosity, temperature, and shear rate using Brookfield Programmable Rheometer DV-III ULTRA and characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Design/methodology/approach First GNPs was mixed well with lithium grease using mechanical stirring at 3500 rpm for 15 min at room temperature to form a homogenous composite at different concentrations (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5 wt. %). Afterwards, MWCNTs and GNPs were mixed and dispersed well in the lithium grease using sonication path for 30 min and mechanical stirring at 3500 rpm for 15 min at 28 °C, to form a homogenous nanocomposite. Findings The results indicated that 1.
Automatic Traffic Light Recognition for Mobile Robot Applications

—In this study, we present a method to enhance the quality of traffic light images captured by a webcam using hardware filters for mobile robot applications. The images are processed through pre-processing, detection, and recognition steps to recognize the status of traffic lights. The results show that the status of traffic lights is recognized successfully; the overall recognition rate is about 99% while the recognition time is about 41ms to 76ms per frame. By using the method of support vector machine (SVM), the recognition rate is higher with the cost of a larger processing time.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in partial sequences of the gene encoding the large sub-units of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase within a representative collection of 10 Musa genotypes Electronic Journal of Biotechnology

Background: ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) is a rate-limiting enzyme catalyzing the ﬁ rst step in the starch biosynthesis pathway in higher plants. To date, there are no reported variants or isoforms of the AGPase enzyme in bananas ( Musa spp. family Musaceae) as is the case of other plants. In this study, genomic DNA sequences homologous to the gene encoding one of the large subunits of the enzyme were ampli ﬁ ed from 10 accessionsofthegenus Musa ,includingrepresentativesofwildancestors(AAandBBgenomes),dessertbananas (AA, AAA, AB and AAB genomes), plantains (AAB genome) and cooking bananas (ABB and AAA genomes), and studied in order to ﬁ nd single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) base variations in Musa accessions. Results: Inthe810-basepairamplicons oftheAGPaselarge sub-unit(LSU) gene analyzedinten Musa accessions, a total of 36 SNPs and insertions/deletions (indels) were found. The phylogenetic analysis revealed ﬁ fteen distinct haplotypes, which were grouped into four variants. Deep examination of SNPs in the 2nd exon in the LSU of AGPase showed that at seven locations, ﬁ ve SNPs altered their amino acid sequence. Conclusions: This work reveals the possible number of AGPase enzyme isoforms and their molecular levels in banana. Molecular markers could be designed from SNPs present in these banana accessions. This information could be useful for the development of SNP-based molecular markers for Musa germplasm, and alteration of the allosteric properties of AGPase to increase the starch content and manipulate the starch quality of banana fruits.
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a group of multi- functional regulatory polypeptides that are secreted by a large variety of cells and play a crucial role in cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and extracellular matrix production

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a group of multifunctional regulatory polypeptides that are secreted by a large variety of cells and play a crucial role in cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and extracellular matrix production (reviewed by Roberts and Sporn, 1990; Massagué, 1990; Moses et al., 1990, Derynck, 1994). Based on these activities and its expression during embryogenesis, it is widely assumed that TGF-β has important functions in mammalian development. Three closely related isoforms of TGF-β (TGF-β1, TGFβ2 and TGF-β3) have been characterized and are expressed at different sites in a defined temporal and spatial pattern during mouse development (Fitzpatrick et al., 1990; Pelton et al., 1990a,b, 1991). Thus it is expected that each of these isoforms has a distinct role in fetal development. The inactivation of the mouse TGF-β1 gene has been shown to result in a wasting syndrome with diffuse inflammatory infiltrates in homozygous animals (Shull et al., 1992; Kulkarni et al., 1993). It is likely that redundancy with TGF-β2 and TGF-β3 in many tissues prevented embryonic manifestation of the phenotype. Based on their patterns of expression during mouse embryogenesis (Fitzpatrick et al., 1990; Pelton et al., 1990a,b, 1991), inactivation of the TGF-β2 and TGF-β3 genes will likely result in phenotypes that are markedly different from the TGF-β1 gene inactivation. The structural differences among their precursor segments (Derynck et al., 1988; ten Dijke et al., 1988), which interact with the mature homodimeric TGF-β isoforms and confer latency (Miyazono et al., 1988, 1991), suggest that there may be distinct differences in the posttranslational activation of the latent complexes. However, the biological activities of the mature, activated factors are largely similar although there are some remarkable quantitative differences (Ohta et al., 1987; Jennings et al., 1988; Graycar et al., 1989, Lyons et al., 1991). How TGF-β exerts its multiplicity of biological effects is still largely unclear. Up to eight cell surface proteins with the capacity to interact with TGF-β have been detected (Massagué, 1992). Among these, three types of TGF-β receptors are commonly observed on most cells. The type III receptor, also known as betaglycan, is a cell surface proteoglycan and thought not to function as a signal transducing molecule (Lopez-Casillas et al., 1991; Wang et al., 1991). Genetic evidence has clearly implicated the type I and type II receptors as responsible for most if not all biological activities of TGF-β (Laiho et al., 1990, 1991; Geiser et al., 1992). Specific inactivation of the type II receptor indicates that, at least in the epithelial Mv1Lu cells, the type II receptor 165 Development 120, 165-175 (1994) Printed in Great Britain  The Company of Biologists Limited 1994
68 Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC PET/CT detects location and extent of primary prostate cancer

We evaluated the accuracy of 68 Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC ( 68 Ga-PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) to localize cancer in the prostate and surrounding tissue at initial diagnosis. Methods: Twenty-one patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer (PCa) underwent 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT at a median of 4 (range: 0 to 47) days prior to radical prostatectomy. Based on a 6-segment model, the Gleason score (GS) and segmental tumor burden (STB HP ) as determined by histopathology were correlated with maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) and tumor burden as determined by different SUV cut-off values for 68 Ga-PSMA PET (STB PET1-6 ). Furthermore, the involvement of seminal vesicles and other extracapsular extension were assessed by histopathology and PET/CT. Results: Histopathology positive (+) segments (n=100 of 126, 79%) demonstrated a significantly higher mean±standard deviation (SD) SUV max (11.8±7.6) as compared to histopathology Receiver-operating-characteristic revealed an optimal SUV max cut-off value of 6.5 for discrimination of histopathology+/- segments (area under the curve, AUC: 0.84; p<0.001) which gave 67% sensitivity, 92% specificity, 97% positive predictive value, 42% negative predictive value, and 72% accuracy. STB PET3 as determined by 2xSUV blood +2xSD correlated best with STB HP (Pearson’s rho=0.68; p<0.001; mean difference±SD = 19±15%). PET/CT correctly detected invasion of seminal vesicles (n=11 of 21 patients; 52%) with 86% accuracy, and tumor spread through the capsule (n=12; 57%) with 71% accuracy. Conclusion: Ga-PSMA PET/CT accurately detects location and extent of Our preliminary findings warrant further investigation of 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT in conjunction with needle biopsy.
Stock Market Liquidity: A Literature Survey

: This study aims to review the existing literature on stock market liquidity and provide future directions of research. The paper provides a review of seminal, transitional and current literature on stock market liquidity’s origin, measures and role in asset pricing. The literature survey found that there is no single universal definition of liquidity. This study contributes in the existing literature by defining market liquidity comprehensively as traded and non-traded liquidity. Cost-based and mixed measures are found to have reached the advanced stage of development of liquidity measures while, the research on quantity-based and time-based liquidity measures is limited in the existing literature. Fundamental studies on market liquidity are concentrated for developed nations and there is future scope for emerging nations. Comprehensive pricing of illiquidity is required to be studied than studying traded and non-trading illiquidity factors studied separately. Since funding and market illiquidity are inseparable, conditional asset pricing models should be developed.
Frequency and Phasor Estimations in Three-Phase Systems: Maximum Likelihood Algorithms and Theoretical Performance

In this paper, the problem of frequency and phasor estimation in three-phase systems is considered. Three-phase electrical signals are composed of three components that can be jointly exploited to improve the estimation performance. To exploit this property, most of the existing estimation algorithms are based on a linear preprocessing called the Clarke transform. In this paper, we investigate a more general situation where the preprocessing is obtained from a semi-orthogonal transform. This situation encompasses several strategies such as the single-phase estimator, the optimal three-phase estimator, and the Clarke-based estimator. For this general situation, we derive the maximum likelihood estimator of the angular frequency and complex phasors. We also examine how the choice of a particular semi-orthogonal transform affects the estimation performance, and present a new technique that statistically outperforms the Clarke transform. Regarding the estimation performance under noisy environment, we also introduce and derive a new criterion called the probability of IEEE C37.118 Standard compliance.
rcd : An R Package for Estimating Robust Copula Dependence

—The robust copula dependence (RCD) [1, 2] is recently introduced as an equitable dependence measure: it measures the dependence according to the strength of association regardless of the functional shape, treating linear and nonlinear relationships among the data equitably. It is useful to detect nonlinear relationships in data exploration. We introduce a new R package rcd for implementing the estimation of RCD using two methods: the kernel density estimation (KDE) and the k-nearest-neighbour (KNN) density estimation, with the latter one has smaller computational complexity in high-dimensional settings. The parallel programming with the Rcpp and RcppParallel packages is used to further speed up the estimators. The numerical performance of different estimators are evaluated with numerical experiments. The usage of functions in the rcd package is illustrated with numerical examples.
Online Reading Strategy Use and Gender Differences: The Case of Iranian EFL Learners

: This study investigated the online reading strategies used by Iranian EFL students and the differences between male and female learners in terms of online reading strategy use. It also made an attempt to answer the question of whether skilled strategy users in the offline environment are skilled strategy users in the online environment. Participants in this study were 30 students (15 males and 15 females) selected from among 50 MA students at IAU University of Shahreza, Iran. The Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS) and Online Survey of Reading Strategies (OSORS) were adapted to the purposes of this study. The results indicated that participants used online reading strategies moderately. Problem-solving strategies and global reading strategies were used the most. The findings revealed while there were no overall significant differences between males and females in terms of online reading strategy use, they did differ significantly on a number of individual strategies. The findings also indicated that active strategy users in the offline environment were active strategy users in the online environment. The findings hold implications for EFL teachers, students, material developers, and for researchers.