Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Women’s associations and the well-being of their members: From mutual support to full citizenship

Abstract This study investigated the goals and achievements of women members of organizations active within the city and province of Naples in recent years to detect how they acted in their local context to promote community health and wellbeing. Therefore, 39 representatives from feminist-oriented associations were interviewed to depict the effectiveness of women’s activities and their social impact. The textual materials, obtained by their transcripts, were categorized according to the ecological well-being model. The interviews revealed that whilst the active involvement of women in associations served to empower their wellbeing at both individual and relational levels, their action had poor effects on the collective context to which they belonged. This research, therefore, offers some useful indications regarding the actions of women in active groups and the related individual wellbeing, but at the same time, highlighted their potential ineffectiveness in having a transformative role at the collective community level.
Generation of Quiescent Cardiac Fibroblasts from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for In Vitro Modeling of Cardiac Fibrosis.

RATIONALE Activated fibroblasts are the major cell type that secrete excessive extracellular matrix in response to injury, contributing to pathological fibrosis and leading to organ failure. Effective anti-fibrotic therapeutic solutions, however, are not available due to the poorly defined characteristics and unavailability of tissue-specific fibroblasts. Recent advances in single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) fill such gaps of knowledge by enabling delineation of the developmental trajectories and identification of regulatory pathways of tissue-specific fibroblasts among different organs. OBJECTIVE This study aims to define the transcriptome profiles of tissue-specific fibroblasts using recently reported mouse scRNA-seq atlas, and to develop a robust chemically defined protocol to derive cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for in vitro modeling of cardiac fibrosis and drug screening. METHODS AND RESULTS By analyzing the single-cell transcriptome profiles of fibroblasts from 10 selected mouse tissues, we identified distinct tissue-specific signature genes, including transcription factors that define the identities of fibroblasts in the heart, lungs, trachea, and bladder. We also determined that CFs in large are of the epicardial lineage. We thus developed a robust chemically-defined protocol that generates CFs from human iPSCs. Functional studies confirmed that iPSC-derived CFs preserved a quiescent phenotype and highly resembled primary CFs at the transcriptional, cellular, and functional levels. We demonstrated that this cell-based platform is sensitive to both pro- and anti-fibrosis drugs. Finally, we showed that crosstalk between cardiomyocytes and CFs via the atrial/brain natriuretic peptide-natriuretic peptide receptor 1 pathway is implicated in suppressing fibrogenesis. CONCLUSIONS This study uncovers unique gene signatures that define tissue-specific identities of fibroblasts. The bona fide quiescent CFs derived from human iPSCs can serve as a faithful in vitro platform to better understand the underlying mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis and to screen anti-fibrotic drugs.
iMicrobe: Tools and data-driven discovery platform for the microbiome sciences

Abstract Background Scientists have amassed a wealth of microbiome datasets, making it possible to study microbes in biotic and abiotic systems on a population or planetary scale; however, this potential has not been fully realized given that the tools, datasets, and computation are available in diverse repositories and locations. To address this challenge, we developed iMicrobe.us, a community-driven microbiome data marketplace and tool exchange for users to integrate their own data and tools with those from the broader community. Findings The iMicrobe platform brings together analysis tools and microbiome datasets by leveraging National Science Foundation–supported cyberinfrastructure and computing resources from CyVerse, Agave, and XSEDE. The primary purpose of iMicrobe is to provide users with a freely available, web-based platform to (1) maintain and share project data, metadata, and analysis products, (2) search for related public datasets, and (3) use and publish bioinformatics tools that run on highly scalable computing resources. Analysis tools are implemented in containers that encapsulate complex software dependencies and run on freely available XSEDE resources via the Agave API, which can retrieve datasets from the CyVerse Data Store or any web-accessible location (e.g., FTP, HTTP). Conclusions iMicrobe promotes data integration, sharing, and community-driven tool development by making open source data and tools accessible to the research community in a web-based platform.
Spatial specificity of alpha oscillations in the human visual system

Alpha oscillations are strongly modulated by spatial attention. To what extent, the generators of cortical alpha oscillations are spatially distributed and have selectivity that can be related to retinotopic organization is a matter of continuous scientific debate. In the present report, neuromagnetic activity was quantified by means of spatial location tuning functions from 30 participants engaged in a visuospatial attention task. A cue presented briefly in one of 16 locations directing covert spatial attention resulted in a robust modulation of posterior alpha oscillations. The distribution of the alpha sources approximated the retinotopic organization of the human visual system known from hemodynamic studies. Better performance in terms of target identification was associated with a more spatially constrained alpha modulation. The present findings demonstrate that the generators of posterior alpha oscillations are retinotopically organized when modulated by spatial attention.
Comparison of protective properties of resveratrol and melatonin in the radiation inactivation and destruction of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase

Abstract Purpose: This work investigates the effect of resveratrol and melatonin on structural and functional changes of two enzymes, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), exposed to radiation-induced reactive oxygen species. Materials and methods: Solutions of dehydrogenases with or without antioxidants (resveratrol or melatonin) were irradiated with X-rays under the atmosphere of air and at room temperature (21 ± 2 °C). In order to determine the protective effect of melatonin and resveratrol in radiation-induced damage to GAPDH and LDH spectroscopy and HPLC methods were used. Furthermore, plausible binding sites of melatonin or resveratrol to the GAPDH or LDH molecule were analysed. Results and conclusions: Resveratrol shows better protective properties in the inactivation of GAPDH when compared to melatonin. LDH does not contain ‒SH groups in its active site, and is not inactivated by water radiolysis products other than hydroxyl radicals or the secondary radicals of the studied low-molecular-weight compounds. Resveratrol and melatonin protected the structure of LDH to a greater extent than GAPDH. This difference can be attributed to the fact that LDH potentially binds more resveratrol or melatonin molecules (27 binding sites for resveratrol and 40 for melatonin) than GAPDH (10 binding sites for resveratrol and 18 for melatonin).
ScatterJn: An ImageJ Plugin for Scatterplot-Matrix Analysis and Classification of Spatially Resolved Analytical Microscopy Data

We present ScatterJn, an ImageJ (and Fiji) plugin for scatterplot-based exploration and analysis of analytical microscopy data. In contrast to commonly used scatterplot tools, it handles more than two input images (or image stacks, respectively) by creating a matrix of pairwise scatterplots. The tool offers the possibility to manually classify pixels by selecting regions of datapoints in the scatterplots as well as in the spatial domain. We demonstrate its functioning using a set of elemental maps acquired by SEM-EDX mapping of a soil sample. The plugin is available at https://savannah.nongnu. org/projects/scatterjn .
Identifying distinct sets of predictors of specific functions of autobiographical memory

ABSTRACT Grounded in the ecological approach, research has charted several adaptive functions of autobiographical remembering. Each represents a rather different psychosocial domain (i.e., self, social, directive). The goal of this research was to determine the contributions of each of a set of variables, controlling for all others, in predicting use of autobiographical memory to serve each specific function. In two studies, participants (N = 100; N = 195) rated frequency of functional use of specific event memories and completed a brief battery of memory-related measures. Most Study One results were replicated in Study Two. Self-relevance of memories was related to their functional use regardless of domain. Each function was also, however, predicted by a unique set of variables consistent with its use in a given psychosocial domain. Findings emphasise how a combination of factors come into play to allow humans to use autobiographical memory to serve various different functions in navigating daily life.
Validation and Normative Data for the Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status: The Sydney Memory and Ageing Study

Telephone‐based cognitive screens, such as the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS), can potentially reduce the barriers and costs of assessing older adults. However, validation of clinically relevant psychometric properties is lacking in a large and comprehensively assessed sample of older adults. Furthermore, published normative data may lack sensitivity as they have not used regression‐based demographic corrections or accounted for cases with subsequent dementia. We address these gaps using the modified TICS (TICS‐M; a modified, 13‐item, 39‐point version) and provide an online norms calculator for clinicians and researchers.
Novel perspectives in fetal biomarker implementation for the noninvasive prenatal testing

Abstract Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) utilizes cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) present in maternal peripheral blood to detect chromosomal abnormalities. The detection of 21-trisomy, 18-trisomy, and 13-trisomy in the fetus has become a common screening method during pregnancy and has been widely applied in routine clinical testing because of its analytical and clinical validity. Currently, noninvasive prenatal testing involving copy number variations (CNVs) and other frequent single-gene disorders is being widely studied, and it plays an important and indispensable role in prenatal detection. The multiple approaches that have been reported and validated by various laboratories have different merits and limitations. Their clinical validity, utility, and application vary with different diseases. This review summarizes the principles, methods, advantages, and limitations of noninvasive prenatal testing for the detection of aneuploidy, CNVs and single-gene disorders. Before implementation of NIPT into clinical practice, a list of criteria that the application must meet is crucial. Essential parameters such as clinical sensitivity, clinical specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) are required to properly evaluate the clinical validity and utility of NIPT. We then discuss and analyze these clinical parameters and clinical application guidelines, providing physicians and scientists with feasible strategies and the latest research information.
XML Processing in Logic Programming

The main goal of this thesis is to develop a new approach to XML processing based in Logic Programming by exploring the natural tree structure of data in the Logic Programming paradigm and new forms of unification. In particular our aim is to focus on the following issues: • Study an alternative form of unification more appropriate to XML processing. • Study appropriate type systems suitable for both XML and to the alternative form of unification. • Creation of a new programming language for XML processing based on the topics above and its use in the implementation of real-world applications. XML processing in Logic Programming is usually done by traditional list processing or alternatively by translating documents into terms. In both approaches the programmer must process the whole document instead of focusing in the parts that matter. Also there is noway to use the schemas associated with the documents for verification of programs. The contributions of this work are: • A new approach to XML processing based in unification and pattern matching of terms with flexible arity. This led to a new programming language (here named XCentric). • Definition of algorithms which use types (schemas) in the unification process in order to verify the correction of the results. • Development of a simple API based on the concepts above to enable an easy access to parts of documents in depth and translation between different representations. • Application of the language to website verification, where the simple and expressive programs that can be defined in XCentric can be used to impose constraints on websites and correct several errors.
A New Method of Information Aggregation for Multi-type Evaluation Subjects-Involving Teachers' Performance Evaluation Based on TDW Operator

Traditional university teachers' performance evaluation rarely considers quantitative evaluation, and usually involves only one subject. In order to fill the inadequacies, this paper put forwards a new method to aggregate the evaluation information of university teachers. The new method involves many different parts of the evaluation. First, a new information aggregation method——TDW operator method is presented; then TOPSIS is employed to handle evaluation results of different types of evaluation subjects in order to avoid the difficulty of information aggregation preference of different types; third, method to determine density weighted vector according to the relevant degree of different information is introduced. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness.
Exploiting Statistical Information in Constructional Analysis

Recent work in linguistics argues that statistical information should be considered a part of grammar [2]. Consistent with this hypothesis, statistical information plays an important role in the process of mapping an utterance onto its meaning using constructions. We call this process Constructional Analysis. The implemented analysis system takes as input an utterance and a grammar specified in the Embodied Construction Grammar formalism [1]. It searches for the most likely analysis of the utterance given the grammar’s syntactic and semantic constraints. The system then outputs both the constructions used to interpret the utterance and the utterance’s semantic representation in terms of frames and image schemas. The program’s search process can also be used to predict which words in an utterance are associated with increased reading time, but the accuracy of the predictions depends crucially on the inclusion of the following probabilistic parameters:
A forest map of a part of Switzerland

In the frame of the project EUFORA (European Forest Observations using Radars) a forest map of a part of Switzerland was completed with ERS SAR interferometry. Particular attention was paid to the realization of an accurate end product and to the presentation of the map. The data analysis, the classification method, the accuracy and visualization of the map are summarized in this contribution.
Opis: Reliable Distributed Systems in OCaml EPFL Technical Report NSL-REPORT-2008-001

The importance of distributed systems is growing as computing devices become ubiquitous and bandwidth becomes plentiful. Concurrency and distribution pose algorithmic and implementation challenges in developing reliable distributed systems, making the field an excellent testbed for evaluating programming language and verification paradigms. Recently, several specialized domain-specific languages and extensions of memory-unsafe languages have been proposed to aid distributed system development. In this paper we propose an alternative to these approaches, arguing that modern, higher-order, strongly typed, memory safe languages provide an excellent vehicle for developing and debugging distributed systems. We present Opis, a functional-reactive approach for developing distributed systems in Objective Caml. In Opis, a protocol description consists of a reactive function (called event function) describing the behavior of a distributed system node. The event functions in Opis are built from pure functions as building blocks, composed using the Arrow combinators. This facilitates reasoning about event functions both informally and using interactive provers. For example, this approach leads to simple termination arguments. Given a protocol description, a developer can use higher-order library functions of Opis to 1) deploy the distributed system, 2) run the distributed system in a network simulator with full-replay capabilities, 3) apply explicit-state model checking to the distributed system and detect any undesirable behaviors, and 4) do performance analysis on the system. We describe the design and implementation of Opis, and present our experience in using Opis to develop peer-to-peer overlay protocols including the Chord distributed hash table and the Cyclon random gossip protocol. We have found that using Opis results in high programmer productivity and leads to concise and easily composable protocol descriptions. Moreover, Opis tools were effective in helping identify and eliminate correctness and performance problems during distributed system development.
PID Control Law for Trajectory Tracking Error Using Time-Delay Adaptive Neural Networks for Chaos Synchronization

This paper presents an application of Time- Delay adaptive neural networks based on a dynamic neural network for trajectory tracking of unknown nonlin- ear plants. Our approach is based on two main method- ologies: the first one employs Time-Delay neural net- works and Lyapunov-Krasovskii functions and the sec- ond one is Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control for nonlinear systems. The proposed controller structure is composed of a neural identifier and a control law defined by using the PID approach. The new control scheme is applied via simulations to Chaos Synchroniza- tion. Experimental results have shown the usefulness of the proposed approach for Chaos Production. To verify the analytical results, an example of a dynamical network is simulated and a theorem is proposed to ensure the tracking of the nonlinear system.
Prevalent externally driven protoplanetary disc dispersal as a function of the galactic environment

The stellar birth environment can significantly shorten protoplanetary disc (PPD) lifetimes due to the influence of stellar feedback mechanisms. The degree to which these mechanisms suppress the time and mass available for planet formation is dependent on the local far-ultraviolet (FUV) field strength, stellar density, and ISM properties. In this work, we present the first theoretical framework quantifying the distribution of PPD dispersal time-scales as a function of parameters that describe the galactic environment. We calculate the probability density function for FUV flux and stellar density in the solar neighbourhood. In agreement with previous studies, we find that external photoevaporation is the dominant environment-related factor influencing local stellar populations after the embedded phase. Applying our general prescription to the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way (i.e. the central $\sim 250~\mbox{${\rm pc}$}$), we predict that $90{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of PPDs in the region are destroyed within 1 Myr of the dispersal of the parent molecular cloud. Even in such dense environments, we find that external photoevaporation is the dominant disc depletion mechanism over dynamical encounters between stars. PPDs around low-mass stars are particularly sensitive to FUV-induced mass-loss, due to a shallower gravitational potential. For stars of mass ∼1 M⊙, the solar neighbourhood lies at approximately the highest gas surface density for which PPD dispersal is still relatively unaffected by external FUV photons, with a median PPD dispersal time-scale of ∼4 Myr. We highlight the key questions to be addressed to further contextualize the significance of the local galactic environment for planet formation.
On $\Psi$-Laplace transform method and its applications to $\Psi$-fractional differential equations

Motivated by some recent developments in $\Psi$-fractional calculus, in this paper some new properties and the uniqueness of $ \Psi $-Laplace transform in the settings of $ \Psi $-fractional calculus are established. The final goal of this research is to demonstrate the effectiveness of $ \Psi $-Laplace transform for solving $\Psi$-fractional ordinary and partial differential equations.
Vertex-Fault Tolerant Complete Matching in Bipartite graphs: the Biregular Case

Given a family $\mathcal{H}$ of graphs and a positive integer $k$, a graph $G$ is called vertex $k$-fault-tolerant with respect to $\mathcal{H}$, denoted by $k$-FT$(\mathcal{H})$, if $G-S$ contains some $H\in\mathcal{H}$ as a subgraph, for every $S\subset V(G)$ with $|S|\leq k$. Vertex-fault-tolerance has been introduced by Hayes [A graph model for fault-tolerant computing systems, IEEE Transactions on Computers, C-25 (1976), pp. 875-884. ], and has been studied in view of potential applications in the design of interconnection networks operating correctly in the presence of faults. We define the Fault-Tolerant Complete Matching (FTCM) Problem in bipartite graphs of order $(n,m)$: to design a bipartite $G=(U,V;E)$, with $|U|=n$, $|V|=m$, $n>m>1$, that has a FTCM, and the tuple $(\Delta_U, \Delta_V)$, where $\Delta_U$ and $\Delta_V$ are the maximum degree in $U$ and $V$, respectively, is lexicographically minimum. $G$ has a FTCM if deleting at most $n-m$ vertices from $U$ creates $G'$ that has a complete matching, i.e., a matching of size $m$. We show that if $m(n-m+1)/n$ is integer, solutions of the FTCM Problem can be found among $(a,b)$-regular bipartite graphs of order $(n,m)$, with $a=m(n-m+1)/n$, and $b=n-m+1$. If $a=m-1$ then all $(a,b)$-regular bipartite graphs of order $(n,m)$ have a FTCM, and for $a<m-1$, it is not the case. We characterize the values of $n$, $m$, $a$, and $b$ that admit an $(a,b)$-regular bipartite graph of order $(n,m)$, with $b=n-m+1$, and give a simple construction that creates such a graph with a FTCM whenever possible. Our techniques are based on Hall's marriage theorem, elementary number theory, linear Diophantine equations, properties of integer functions and congruences, and equations involving them.
Increasing Broadband Reach with Hybrid Access Networks

End users and governments are forcing network operators to deploy faster Internet access services everywhere. Access technologies such as FTTx, VDSL2, and DOCSIS3.0 can provide such services in cities. However, it is not cost-effective for network operators to deploy them in less densely populated regions. The recently proposed hybrid access networks allow boosting xDSL networks by using the available capacity in existing LTE networks. We first present the three architectures defined by the Broadband Forum for such hybrid access networks. Then we describe our experience with the implementation and deployment of Multipath TCP-based hybrid access networks.