Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Type I IFN-Dependent Pathway Induced by Schistosoma mansoni Eggs in Mouse Myeloid Dendritic Cells Generates an Inflammatory Signature1

Schistosomes are helminth parasites that display a dual impact on the immune system of their hosts. Although the larval stage, also known as schistosomulum, appears to subvert the host defenses, the egg stage induces strong inflammatory reactions. Given the pivotal role of dendritic cells (DC) in initiating and regulating immune responses, we compared the distinct transcriptional programs induced in immature mouse DC by S. mansoni eggs or schistosomula. Although SLA abrogated the transcription of many genes implicated in DC functions, eggs caused myeloid DC to produce IFN-β. Autocrine/paracrine signaling through the type I IFN receptor in response to eggs was necessary for the induction of known IFN-responsive genes and enhanced the synthesis of key inflammatory products. Taken as a whole, our data provide molecular insights into the immune evasion mechanism of schistosomula and suggest an unexpected role for type I IFN in the innate response to helminth eggs.
Pharmacologic Characterization of S-1255, a Highly Potent and Orally Active Endothelin A Receptor Antagonist

The pharmacologic properties of a novel nonpeptide endothelin (ET) receptor antagonist, S-1255 ([R]-[+]-2-[benzo(1,3)dioxol-5-yl]-6-isopropyl-4-[4-methoxyphenyl]-2H-chromene-3-carboxylic acid), was studied. [3H]S-1255 specifically bound to porcine aortic smooth muscle membranes expressing only ETA receptors with a Kd value of 0.39 n M. [3H]S-1255 binding was potently inhibited by ET-1 and selective ETA or ETA/ETB receptor antagonists, such as L-749329, SB209670, bosentan, and BQ-123, but the inhibitory effect of ET-3 and the selective ETB receptor antagonist, BQ-788, on the binding was weak. These inhibitory effects on [3H]S-1255 binding correlated well with those on [125I]ET-1 binding. S-1255 inhibited ETA receptor-and ETB receptor-mediated contractions in isolated rabbit femoral and pulmonary arteries with pA2 values of 8.8 and 6.3, respectively. The pA2 value of S-1255 for ETB receptor-mediated relaxation in isolated rabbit mesenteric artery was 7.4. Oral administration of S-1255 (0.3–10 mg/kg) caused dose-dependent inhibition of the pressor response to exogenous ET-1 (0.1 nmol/kg) in conscious normotensive rats, which was similar to that produced by intravenous administration (1 and 3 mg/kg). S-1255 (10 and 30 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly reduced blood pressure in deoxycorticosterone acetate–salt hypertensive rats from 6 h after administration, and the hypotensive effects were sustained up to 24–48 h. These results suggest that S-1255 is a highly potent and orally active ETA receptor antagonist.
Retrograde axonal transport and the demonstration of non‐specific projections to the cerebral cortex and striatum from thalamic intralaminar nuclei in the rat, cat and monkey

The intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus have been examined particularly in the rat but with additional observations in the cat and squirrel monkey, with a view to determining the extent of their connections with the cerebral cortex and/or striatum. Cells in the intralaminar and other thalamic nuclei were labeled by retrograde axonal transport of the enzyme, horseradish peroxidase, from injection sites of varying size in the cerebral cortex and striatum.
Electron acceleration above thunderclouds

The acceleration of electrons results in observable electromagnetic waves which can be used for remote sensing. Here, we make use of ∼4 Hz–66 MHz radio waves emitted by two consecutive intense positive lightning discharges to investigate their impact on the atmosphere above a thundercloud. It is found that the first positive lightning discharge initiates a sprite where electrons are accelerated during the exponential growth and branching of the sprite streamers. This preconditioned plasma above the thundercloud is subsequently exposed to a second positive lightning discharge associated with a bouncing-wave discharge. This discharge process causes a re-brightening of the existing sprite streamers above the thundercloud and initiates a subsequent relativistic electron beam.
Selection of thresholding methods for nondestructive testing applications

In nondestructive testing (NDT) applications based on image analysis, image segmentation is the most important step in the extraction of defective regions of materials. An effective and very simple method of image segmentation, especially in NDT applications, is image thresholding. In an effort to present a quantitative evaluation of image thresholding methods NDT applications, 41 thresholding algorithms are compared. They are grouped in six categories based on the information they are exploiting, such as histogram shape, object attribute or clustering behavior, etc. Performance assessment is based on the weighted combination of four complementary objective metrics. Based on the results of such NDT images as defective thermal, ultrasonic, eddy current, etc., the thresholding algorithms that perform well over the majority of cases are established and a mixture thresholding scheme is proposed.
A clinical comparison of two flap designs for coronal advancement of the gingival margin: semilunar versus coronally advanced flap.

BACKGROUND The semilunar incision was introduced in oral surgery more than a century ago. The semilunar coronally re-positioned flap (SLCRF) is one of the variants of this procedure; however, no previous controlled clinical study has evaluated the SLCRF performed as originally described. The objective of the present study was to compare the clinical outcomes of the SLCRF and coronally advanced flap (CAF) procedure in the treatment of maxillary Miller class I recession (GR) defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-two patients, with 22 contra-lateral Miller class I GR defects, were randomly assigned to CAF or SLCRF. Clinical parameters assessed included recession height, width of keratinized tissue, probing depth, vertical clinical attachment level, visual plaque score and bleeding on probing. Clinical recordings were performed at baseline and 6 months later. Inter-measurements differences were analysed with a chi(2) or a paired t-test, with significance set at alpha<0.05. RESULTS Both flap designs were effective in obtaining and maintaining a coronal displacement of the gingival margin. The CAF resulted in clinical improvements significantly better than SLCRF for percentage of root coverage (RC), frequency of complete RC and gain in clinical attachment level. RC obtained in the immediate post-surgical period of SLCRF-treated sites was not maintained throughout the subsequent evaluations. CONCLUSION RC is significantly better with CAF compared with the original SLCRF technique in the treatment of shallow maxillary Miller class I GR defects.
Reelin gene polymorphisms in the Indian population: A possible paternal 5′UTR‐CGG‐repeat‐allele effect on autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with high heritability factor and the reelin gene, which codes for an extracellular matrix protein involved with neuronal migration and lamination is being investigated as a positional and functional candidate gene for autism. It is located on chromosome 7q22 within the autism susceptible locus (AUTS1); identified in earlier genome scans and several investigations have been carried out on various ethnic groups to assess possible association and linkage of the gene with autism. However, the findings are still inconclusive. In the present study which represents the first report of such a study on the Indian population, genotyping analyses of CGG repeat polymorphism at 5′UTR, two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) at exon 6 and exon 50 were performed in 73 autistic subjects, 129 parents, and 80 controls. The allelic distributions of the repeat polymorphism and exon 50 T/C SNP were quite different from earlier reports in other populations. Allelic and genotypic distribution of the markers did not show any differences between the cases and controls. While our preliminary data on family‐based association studies on 58 trios showed no preferential transmission of any allele from the parents to the affected offspring, TDT and HHRR analyses revealed significant paternal transmission distortions for 10‐ and ≥11‐repeat alleles of CGG repeat polymorphism. Thus, the present study suggests that 5′UTR of reelin gene may have a role in the susceptibility towards autism with the paternal transmission and non‐transmission respectively of 10‐ and ≥11‐repeat alleles, to the affected offspring. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Performance Analysis of LDPC-Coded Space-Time Modulation over MIMO Fading Channels

A closed-form upper bound on the error performance is proposed for LDPC-coded space-time modulation over MIMO block/slow fading channels based on the analysis framework developed for the fast fading case. This follows from the observation that the pairwise error probability (PEP) in all these fading cases is determined by a certain metric of codewords, with respect to which we can enumerate all distinct PEPs and thus concisely formulate the union bound. Simulation results indicate that the bound is useful to benchmark the performance of iterative decoding and detection algorithms
Pigmentary characteristics, sun sensitivity and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma

We report on pigmentary characteristics, sun sensitivity and some other possible risk factors for non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in people 20–74 years of age. A statewide case‐control study was conducted in New South Wales, Australia, with population‐based sampling of cases (n = 704) and controls (n = 694). Risk of NHL was increased in subjects with hazel eyes (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.07–2.04), very fair skin (OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.01–2.07) and poor ability to tan (OR = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.06–2.71). Risk with mild facial freckling as a child (OR = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.59–0.99) was reduced relative to that with no or moderate to severe freckling. Smokers were not at increased risk of NHL. A past history of treatment for skin cancer was associated with a slight nonsignificant increase in risk. Previous radiotherapy and chemotherapy were associated with 1.5‐ to 2‐fold increases in risk but with wide confidence intervals. These results provide weak support for the possibility that sun sensitivity or perhaps sun exposure increases risk of NHL. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Estimating the Country Risk Premium in Emerging Markets: The Case of the Republic of Macedonia

Estimation of the cost of capital is difficult in developed markets and even more difficult in emerging markets. Investments in the emerging markets are more risky than in the developed markets but return is also higher. The key question here is whether the return on investments in emerging markets should be rewarded by compensation in excess of that provided by an equivalent investment in a developed market. Contemporary literature provides alternative ways for calculating the cost of capital invested in emerging markets. In general, it can be concluded that it is widely accepted that country risk matters when investing in emerging markets and it is a key component in the estimation of the cost of capital for those investments. Country risk is non-diversifiable, which will be argued in this paper first, after which an alternative approach will be provided for quantification of country risk in the risk premium measure, which is integral component in the models for estimating the cost of capital.
Radix-16 Signed-Digit Division

A two-stage algorithm for fixed point, radix-16 signed-digit division is presented. The algorithm uses two limited precision radix-4 quotient digit selection stages to produce the full radix-16 quotient digit. The algorithm requires a two-digit estimate of the (initial) partial remainder and a three-digit estimate of the divisor to correctly select each successive quotient digit. The normalization of redundant signed-digit numbers requires accommodation of some fuzziness at one end of the range of numeric values that are considered normalized. A set of general equations for determining the ranges of normalized signed-digit numbers is derived. Another set of general equations for determining the precisions of estimates of the divisor and dividend are derived. These two sets of equations permit design tradeoff analyses to be made with respect to the complexity of the model division. The specific case of a two-stage radix-16 signed-digit division is presented. The staged division algorithm used can be extended to other radices as long as the signed-digital number representation used has certain properties. >
Spray dried microparticles for controlled delivery of mupirocin calcium: Process–tailored modulation of drug release

Spray dried microparticles containing mupirocin calcium were designed as acrylic matrix carriers with modulated drug release for efficient local drug delivery at minimum daily dose. Particle generation in spray drying and its effect on release performance were assessed by varying drug : polymer ratios with consequently altered initial saturations. Narrow-sized microparticles with mean diameters of 1.7–2.5 µm were obtained. Properties of the generated solid dispersions were examined by X-ray, thermal (thermogravimetric analysis, modulated differential scanning calorimetry) and spectroscopic (Fourier transformed infrared, Fourier transformed Raman) methods and correlated with drug loading and in vitro release. The best control over mupirocin release was achieved for 2 : 1 (w/w) drug : polymer ratio and found to be strongly process-dependent. For a particular ratio, increased feed concentration (>4%) boosted while increased inlet temperature (≥100°C) reduced drug release. Antimicrobial activity testing confirmed that encapsulated drug preserved its antibacterial effectiveness. Conclusively, spray drying was proven as a suitable method for preparing structured microparticles which can control drug release even at exceptionally high drug loadings.
Characterization of a Murine Model of Endotoxin-Induced Acute Lung Injury

Endotoxin-induced microvascular lung injury in mice is a commonly used experimental model of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The present paper aimed to characterize this popular model in a comprehensive and systematic fashion. Male C57bl/6 mice (n = 5) were administered an LD55 dose of E. coli endotoxin (15 mg/kg, i.p.), and lungs were harvested at several time points and evaluated for injury as well as for expression of a variety of inflammatory mediators. Endotoxin induced many features characteristic of acute microvascular lung injury. These included early (1-2 h) expression of inflammatory mediators (IL-1&agr;, IL-1&bgr;, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-&agr;, interferon-&agr;, interferon-&ggr;, and MCP-1) and leukocyte accumulation in lung tissue (lung myeloperoxidase activity 18.5 ± 7.8 U/g tissue, P < 0.05), followed by pulmonary edema (lung water content index 17.4% ± 2.5%, P < 0.05) and mortality. Histopathological evaluation of lung tissue was compatible with these findings. The characterization of this murine model of endotoxin-induced microvascular injury will facilitate its utilization in ARDS research.
A general algorithms for 3-D shape interpolation in a facet-based representation

Concerned with interpolation between two objects defined using a faceted representation. The interpolation function is not examined, but the paper emphasizes the problem of correspondence between the two given key drawings. The problem is much more complex than interpolation between line drawings, because the two key drawings generally have a different total number of vertices, a different total number of facets and corresponding facets have a different number of vertices. A general algorithm is proposed based on a criterion of minimal dynamic displacement. There are numerous applications of the method: simulation of biological evolution, animation, portrait-robots
L3S at MediaEval 2013 Crowdsourcing for Social Multimedia Task

In this paper we present results of our initial research on aggregating noisy crowdsourced labels, by using a modified version of the EM algorithm introduced in [1]. We propose different methods of estimating the worker confidence, a measure that indicates how well the worker is performing the task, and of integrating it in the computation of the aggregated label. Furthermore, we introduce a novel method of computing the worker confidence by using the soft aggregated labels. In order to assess the effectiveness of our proposed methods, we experiment on the MediaEval 2013 Crowdsourcing for Social Multimedia Task dataset.
Autonomous Navigation of Nao using Kinect CS 365 : Project Report

The navigation of humanoid robots is a non-trivial task with widespread applications ranging from assisting humans in their daily chores to manning space missions to disaster recovery operations. We present a depth based sensing approach for autonomous navigation of humanoid Nao. The objective is to reach a user desired goal position from a source position using the data of depth based sensor for visual servoing. The localization of the robot is done via Monte Carlo techniques which uses the RGBD data of Kinect sensor. The cluster of robot is extracted from the environment followed by KLD (Kullback-Leibler distance) sampling to accurately track the robot in real time. The motion control of Nao relies on the feedback data obtained from the depth sensor to correct its path which could possibly deviate due to noises in odometry and sensing information.
Correlates of Symptom Dimensions in Schizophrenia Obtained with the Spanish Version of the Manchester Scale

In the last decade, a significant number of studies have been published which suggest a multifactorial psychopathological structure in schizophrenia. Seventy-eight acute and chronic schizophrenic patients diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III-R criteria were studied with the Manchester Scale, Premorbid Adjustment Scale, Family History-RDC Interview, Digit Span, Mini-Mental State and computerized tomography (CT). A factorial analysis of the symptoms as recorded with the Spanish version of the Manchester Scale was carried out. Three factors (‘positive’, ‘negative’ and ‘disorganization’) accounted for 79% of the total variance. Poor premorbid adjustment was associated with high scores for the ‘positive’ dimension. The ‘disorganization’ dimension was significantly associated with lower scores in the Mini-Mental and attention test than the rest. However, CT did not differentiate between these symptom dimensions. This study of a sample of mostly outpatients corroborates the hypothesis of three clinical dimensions in schizophrenia.
Low-power bulk-driven feed-forward reverse nested miller compensated OTA with high drive capability

This paper presents a two-stage sub-threshold current mirror, bulk-driven OTA, which utilizes reverse nested Miller and feed-forward frequency compensation techniques to ensure stable operation, while driving widespread capacitive loads from 1 pF up to 1 nF. This two-stage OTA provides a 60 dB open loop gain, 25 kHz gain bandwidth, 82° phase margin and 91 dB common mode rejection ratio driving 15 pF capacitive load. It is biased using a single 0.5 V supply and has provided an average slew rate of 15 V/ms, reduced total harmonic distortion of - 40 dB for 0.5 Vpp signal swing, consuming 120 nW power and 240 nA total bias current in its unity gain configuration. The total harmonic distortion get reduced to -76 dB for small signal swing of 10 mVpp. The performance results of proposed OTA have been obtained using EDA Tanner 13.0 simulator tool in 0.18 μm standard n-tub CMOS technology.
ICT Technologies and Financial Innovations: The Case of Exchange Traded Funds in Brazil, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United States

Exchange traded funds (ETFs), funds structured in order to mimic the performance of selected financial assets, are one of the most significant innovative financial instruments recently introduced. They have gained considerable popularity among investors due to their advantages in comparison with conventional mutual funds, investment vehicles with a significantly longer history. This paper contributes by providing extensive knowledge about the empirical links between information and communications technology (ICT) penetration and the introduction of financial innovations in emerging economies. We examine the impact of increasing ICT penetration on the assets of exchange traded funds in Brazil, Mexico, Japan and South Korea and the United States. Our methodological framework includes descriptive statistics, logistic growth models applied to estimate ETF market development patterns, and panel data analysis used to test the hypothesized relationship between increasing ICT penetration and ETF market development. Our empirical findings collectively indicate that in all countries the growth of ICT has been pervasive and accompanied by a rapid development of ETF markets. Furthermore, the relationship between increasing ICT penetration and ETF market development is found to be strong, positive and statistically significant in Japan, Mexico, the United States and South Korea; while in Brazil the analogous relationship is relatively weak, although still positive.
Combination of fluorescence microscopy and nanomotion detection to characterize bacteria

Antibiotic‐resistant pathogens are a major health concern in everyday clinical practice. Because their detection by conventional microbial techniques requires minimally 24 h, some of us have recently introduced a nanomechanical sensor, which can reveal motion at the nanoscale. By monitoring the fluctuations of the sensor, this technique can evidence the presence of bacteria and their susceptibility to antibiotics in less than 1 h. Their amplitude correlates to the metabolism of the bacteria and is a powerful tool to characterize these microorganisms at low densities. This technique is new and calls for an effort to optimize its protocol and determine its limits. Indeed, many questions remain unanswered, such as the detection limits or the correlation between the bacterial distribution on the sensor and the detection's output. In this work, we couple fluorescence microscopy to the nanomotion investigation to determine the optimal experimental protocols and to highlight the effect of the different bacterial distributions on the sensor. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detailed 3D models of the induced electric field of transcranial magnetic stimulation coils

Previous models neglected contributions from current elements spanning the full geometric extent of wires in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coils. A detailed account of TMS coil wiring geometry is shown to provide significant improvements in the accuracy of electric field (E-field) models. Modeling E-field dependence based on the TMS coil's wire width, height, shape and number of turns clearly improved the fit of calculated-to-measured E-fields near the coil body. Detailed E-field models were accurate up to the surface of the coil body (within 0.5% of measured) where simple models were often inadequate (up to 32% different from measured).
Polynomial-Degree-Robust A Posteriori Estimates in a Unified Setting for Conforming, Nonconforming, Discontinuous Galerkin, and Mixed Discretizations

We present equilibrated flux a posteriori error estimates in a unified setting for conforming, nonconforming, discontinuous Galerkin, and mixed finite element discretizations of the two-dimensional Poisson problem. Relying on the equilibration by the mixed finite element solution of patchwise Neumann problems, the estimates are guaranteed, locally computable, locally efficient, and robust with respect to polynomial degree. Maximal local overestimation is guaranteed as well. Numerical experiments suggest asymptotic exactness for the incomplete interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin scheme.