Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding Drivers of Ocular Fibrosis: Current and Future Therapeutic Perspectives

Ocular fibrosis leads to severe visual impairment and blindness worldwide, being a major area of unmet need in ophthalmology and medicine. To date, the only available treatments are antimetabolite drugs that have significant potentially blinding side effects, such as tissue damage and infection. There is thus an urgent need to identify novel targets to prevent/treat scarring and postsurgical fibrosis in the eye. In this review, the latest progress in biological mechanisms underlying ocular fibrosis are discussed. We also summarize the current knowledge on preclinical studies based on viral and non-viral gene therapy, as well as chemical inhibitors, for targeting TGFβ or downstream effectors in fibrotic disorders of the eye. Moreover, the role of angiogenetic and biomechanical factors in ocular fibrosis is discussed, focusing on related preclinical treatment approaches. Moreover, we describe available evidence on clinical studies investigating the use of therapies targeting TGFβ-dependent pathways, angiogenetic factors, and biomechanical factors, alone or in combination with other strategies, in ocular tissue fibrosis. Finally, the recent progress in cell-based therapies for treating fibrotic eye disorders is discussed. The increasing knowledge of these disorders in the eye and the promising results from testing of novel targeted therapies could offer viable perspectives for translation into clinical use.
Valorization of Hemp Hurds as Bio-Sourced Additives in PLA-Based Biocomposites

Sourced from agricultural waste, hemp hurds are a low-cost renewable material with high stiffness; however, despite their potential to be used as low-cost filler in natural fiber reinforced polymer biocomposites, they are often discarded. In this study, the potential to add value to hemp hurds by incorporating them into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) biopolymer to form bio-based materials for packaging applications is investigated. However, as with many plant fibers, the inherent hydrophilicity of hemp hurds leads to inferior filler-matrix interfacial interactions, compromising the mechanical properties of the resulting biocomposites. In this study, two chemical treatments, alkaline (NaOH) and alkaline/peroxide (NaOH/H2O2) were employed to treat hemp hurds to improve their miscibility with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for the formation of biocomposites. The effects of reinforcement content (5, 10, and 15 wt. %), chemical treatments (purely alkaline vs. alkaline/peroxide) and treatment cycles (1 and 3 cycles) on the mechanical and thermal properties of the biocomposites were investigated. The biocomposites of treated hemp hurd powder exhibited enhanced thermal stability in the temperature range commonly used to process PLA (130–180 °C). The biocomposites containing 15 wt. % hemp hurd powder prepared using a single-cycle alkaline/peroxide treatment (PLA/15APHH1) exhibited a Young’s modulus of 2674 MPa, which is 70% higher than that of neat PLA and 9.3% higher than that of biocomposites comprised of PLA containing the same wt. % of untreated hemp hurd powder (PLA/15UHH). Furthermore, the tensile strength of the PLA/15APHH1 biocomposite was found to be 62.6 MPa, which was 6.5% lower than that of neat PLA and 23% higher than that of the PLA/15UHH sample. The results suggest that the fabricated PLA/hemp hurd powder biocomposites have great potential to be utilized in green and sustainable packaging applications.
Beamforming-Based Mitigation of Hovering Inaccuracy in UAV-Aided RFET

Hovering inaccuracy of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) degrades the performance of UAV-aided radio frequency energy transfer (RFET). Such inaccuracy arises due to positioning error and rotational motion of UAV, which lead to localization mismatch (LM) and orientation mismatch (OM). In this paper, antenna array beam steering based UAV hovering inaccuracy mitigation strategy is presented. The antenna beam does not accurately point towards the field sensor node due to rotational motion of the UAV along with pitch, roll, and yaw, which leads to deviation in the elevation angle. An analytical framework is developed to model this deviation, and its variation is estimated using the data collected through an experimental setup. Closed-form expressions of received power at the field node are obtained for the four cases arising from LM and OM. An optimization problem to estimate the optimal system parameters (transmit power, UAV hovering altitude, and antenna steering parameter) is formulated. The problem is proven to be nonconvex. Therefore, an algorithm is proposed to solve this problem. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed framework significantly mitigates the hovering inaccuracy; compared to reported state-of-the-art the same performance can be achieved with substantially less transmit power.
Mitochondria Isolated from Hearts Subjected to Ischemia/Reperfusion Benefit from Adenine Nucleotide Translocase 1 Overexpression

Reperfusion is the only feasible therapy following myocardial infarction, but reperfusion has been shown to damage mitochondrial function and disrupt energy production in the heart. Adenine nucleotide translocase 1 (ANT1) facilitates the transfer of ADP/ATP across the inner mitochondrial membrane; therefore, we tested whether ANT1 exerts protective effects on mitochondrial function during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). The hearts of wild-type (WT) and transgenic ANT1-overexpressing (ANT1-TG) rats were exposed to I/R injury using the standard Langendorff technique, after which mitochondrial function, hemodynamic parameters, infarct size, and components of the contractile apparatus were determined. ANT1-TG hearts expressed higher ANT protein levels, with reduced levels of oxidative 4-hydroxynonenal ANT modifications following I/R. ANT1-TG mitochondria isolated from I/R hearts displayed stable calcium retention capacity (CRC) and improved membrane potential stability compared with WT mitochondria. Mitochondria isolated from ANT1-TG hearts experienced less restricted oxygen consumption than WT mitochondria after I/R. Left ventricular diastolic pressure (Pdia) decreased in ANT1-TG hearts compared with WT hearts following I/R. Preserved diastolic function was accompanied by a decrease in the phospho-lamban (PLB)/sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2a) ratio in ANT1-TG hearts compared with that in WT hearts. In addition, the phosphorylated (P)-PLB/PLB ratio increased in ANT1-TG hearts after I/R but not in WT hearts, which indicated more effective calcium uptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum in ANT1-TG hearts. In conclusion, ANT1-TG rat hearts coped more efficiently with I/R than WT rat hearts, which was reflected by preserved mitochondrial energy balance, diastolic function, and calcium dynamics after reperfusion.
Surgical Treatment of Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs): Effects on Speech Articulation Disorders in Children a Review

The purpose of this paper is to serve as a review in support of and showing the effectiveness of frenectomy for tongue-tie, lip-tie and buccal-ties in patients with speech articulation disorders. Restricted oral tissues in the form of ankyloglossia and lip restrictions have been shown to affect function with regard to speech articulation disorders in children. The motivation for this article is to demonstrate the indications for evaluation and treatment for oral restrictions in the patient population dealing with speech articulation disorders.
Soft iontronic delivery devices based on an intrinsically stretchable ion selective membrane

Implantable electronically controlled drug delivery devices can provide precision therapeutic treatments by highly spatiotemporally controlled delivery. Iontronic delivery devices rely on the movement of ions rather than liquid, and can therefore achieve electronically controlled precision delivery in a compact setting without disturbing the microenvironment within the tissue with fluid flow. For maximum precision, the delivery device needs to be closely integrated into the tissue, which is challenging due to the mechanical mismatch between the soft tissue and the harder devices. Here we address this challenge by developing a soft and stretchable iontronic delivery device. By formulating an ink based on an in-house synthesized hyperbranched polyelectrolyte, water dispersed polyurethane, and a thickening agent, a viscous ink is developed for stencil patterning of soft ion exchange membranes (IEMs). We use this ink for developing soft and stretchable delivery devices, which are characterized both in the relaxed and stretched state. We find that their functionality is preserved up to 100% strain, with small variations in resistance due to the strain. Finally, we develop a skin patch to demonstrate the outstanding conformability of the developed device. The presented technology is attractive for future soft implantable delivery devices, and the stretchable IEMs may also find applications within wearable energy devices.
Analytical Framework to Investigate the Performance of WDM Cascade Demultiplexer

The aim of this paper is to present a framework to analysis the performance of wavelength-division demultiplexers incorporating cascaded stages. Each stage is used as a single-channel drop filter. The analysis is based on the coupled-mode theory (CMT) and takes into account the interaction between successive stages. The CMT is first applied to characterise a single-channel demultiplexer and the results are used to drive expressions for its scattering parameters. Then the analysis is extended to a multi-channel demultiplexer using matrix formulation in order to calculate the scattering parameters related to various ports. Simulation results are presented for two 3-channel demultiplexers, namely (1550, 1300, 850 nm) and (1650, 1550, 1450 nm) demultiplexers. The results reveal that the interaction between successive stages should be taken into account to extract the demultiplexer performance accurately.
Conservation standards for works of art in transit and on exhibition

Describes current techniques of handling, packing, transporting and exhibiting works of art and museum objects within the context of conservation and preservation requirements. The book represents the culmination of approximately 20 years of experience in the exhibition conservation field. Initial chapters cover such topics as deterioration phenomena and control by conservation and administrative measures; examination and preparation techniques; followed by detailed illustrative treatment of case design and packing methods for two and three dimensional works of art and artifacts including the means for maintaining humidity in transit. A chapter is devoted to transportation; material is included on the influence of pressure in air transit and on cushioning for shock and vibration. The final chapter concerns guidelines and standards of care during storage, packing, transit and on exhibition. There are three useful appendices on recommended relative humidity levels for collections; notes on the methods of measurement of relative humidity; and a selected glossary of conservation, technical and transportation terms.
Online Machine Learning of Available Capacity for Vehicle-to-Grid Services during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Vehicle-to-grid services make use of the aggregated capacity available from a fleet of vehicles to participate in energy markets, help integrate renewable energy in the grid and balance energy use. In this paper, the critical components of such a service are described in the context of a commercial service that is currently under development. Key among these components is the prediction of available capacity at a future time. In this paper, we extend a previous work that used a deep learning recurrent neural network for this task to include online machine learning, which enables the network to continually refine its predictions based on observed behaviour. The coronavirus pandemic that was declared in 2020 resulted in closures of the university and substantial changes to the behaviour of the university fleet. In this work, the impact of this change in vehicles usage was used to test the predictions of a network initially trained using vehicle trip data from 2019 with and without online machine learning. It is shown that prediction error is significantly reduced using online machine learning, and it is concluded that a similar capability will be of critical importance for a commercial service such as the one described in this paper.
Datafied Mobile Markets Measuring control over apps, data accesses, and third-party services

The increasing use of mobile applications (apps) has turned data harvesting, mining, and distribution into commercial as well as functional backbones of mobile communication. Acknowledging that contemporary markets for mobile communication are increasingly data ﬁ ed, this article maps and discusses how infrastructures for mobile data ﬁ cation are controlled. It combines perspectives from critical data studies, political economy of communication, and app studies in an empirical analysis of the 500 most downloaded apps in the Google Play store (November 2020). Focusing on control over and ownership in the three interdependent markets for apps, data accesses, and third-party services, the analysis documents, con ﬁ rms, and explains established power structures and sheds light on the mobile data ﬁ cation processes that frame the use of apps and commodi ﬁ cation of users. As such, it provides an empirical baseline for future monitoring, and ultimately regulation, of mobile app ecosystems.
Advanced Analog MMICs for mm-wave Communication and Remote Sensing in 0.15µm mHEMT Technology

Multi-Gigabit per second wireless communication and atmospheric remote sensing for weather forecasts are new applications in the mm-wave frequency spectra. The High Electron Mobility Transistor is an excellent technology for high frequency mm-wave applications. Its low noise and linear performance makes a 0.15 μm GaAs metamorphic HEMT technology the basis for three MMIC circuit designs at mm-wave frequencies. The wireless data traffic has increased exponentially over the last years due to more network subscribers and their fast adaptation to use high datarate mobile services. In order for the operators to evolve and accommodate higher data-rates at affordable prices, new microwave bands for point-to-point communication is a cost effective solution for increasing the backhaul capacity and deliver higher data rates to the network users. Two mm wave mixers for wideband E-band communications, specially focusing on direct modulation and demodulation solutions have been designed, fabricated and characterized. Direct modulators requires added functions such as quadrature signals and LO-RF isolation to be compatible with e.g. QAM modulated signals. Complex high performance mixers with novel solutions have been designed to cope with cost, function and performance. Since cost is a driving factor, a novel differential branchline coupler has been introduced to reduce size while maintaining function and performance. The design rely on differential modes to accomplish this, something that is common in CMOS or BiCMOS due to the lossy substrate but not in GaAs. Utilizing the properties of common and differential modes, the LO-RF isolation has been further improved by the use of a mode selective filter. The design covers the whole E-band frequency span with measured 13 dBm OIP3, conversion loss of 11 dB, LO-RF isolation >30 dB and IF bandwidth of 5GHz. Remote mm and sub-mm wave sensing in Geostationary Earth Orbit has become an alternative solution for providing more accurate short term (nowcasting) weather predications. The advantage of being in geostationary orbit is the continuous coverage over a relatively large area. One of four frequency band of interest for this is 53GHz, where a complete single chip MMIC receiver with integrated low noise amplifier, frequency multiplier and image reject mixer was designed, manufactured and measured. The Noise Figure (NF) of the receiver was measured to be 4.6 dB, with a total power consumption of 140mW, conversion gain and image rejection measured to be 10 dB and >47 dB respectively. The NF is the lowest reported for a single chip receiver at 53GHz.
RestAssured: Securing Cloud Analytics

Protecting sensitive business and personal information is a cornerstone requirement when enterprises and organizations move to the cloud. Many aspects of this requirement are already handled at various levels. Data-at-rest can be secured in cloud stores by encrypting it before persisting the data to storage, while data-in-flight is transmitted using protected channels such as TLS and HTTPS. Data-in-use, processed in cloud compute nodes, is the most vulnerable link in the end-to-end information flow, since the process memory can be accessed by malicious privileged software or system administrators. IBM Research - Haifa takes part in a European H2020 research project RestAssured [2] that aims to deliver end-to-end cloud architectures and methodologies for assuring secure data processing in the cloud. We build a trusted analytic platform based on a combination of hardware and software components, and collaborate with the RestAssured partners to implement cloud analytic use cases ranging from social care services to pay-as-you-drive insurance policies. The platform uses the Intel SGX (Software Guard Extension) technology [4], available in Skylake and later processors, that allows to create memory regions (enclaves) protected with hardware encryption in the SoC (system on chip). The data resides unencrypted only inside the processor. It is encrypted in SoC before being written to main memory, and decrypted in SoC upon fetching from main memory. Our team has designed and developed a framework for trust management in SGX enclaves [3] that performs verification (remote attestation) of the enclave hardware and software components, and assists in trusted delivery of secrets (such as data encryption keys) to the enclaves. Apache Spark SQL [1] is the analytic engine of the RestAssured platform. We use the Opaque [6] open source technology [5] from the Berkeley RISELab that integrates the Spark SQL with Intel SGX hardware, and offers data protection by running SQL transformations inside trusted enclaves. We have augmented Opaque with a few key mechanisms for secure data processing in SGX enclaves, by integrating Opaque with our trust management framework to enable remote attestation and data encryption key delivery to Opaque enclaves. We have also developed a component that serves as a gateway between RestAssured use case applications and Opaque clusters. The gateway supports a REST endpoint that accepts SQL query from applications, sends the query for governance verification and modification by a rule engine, and executes the modified query in Opaque. The results are serialized into a JSON object and sent back to the application on a secure REST channel.
Reducing bias in ecological studies: an evaluation of different methodologies

Summary. Statistical methods of ecological analysis that attempt to reduce ecological bias are empirically evaluated to determine in which circumstances each method might be practicable. The method that is most successful at reducing ecological bias is stratified ecological regression. It allows individual level covariate information to be incorporated into a stratified ecological analysis, as well as the combination of disease and risk factor information from two separate data sources, e.g. outcomes from a cancer registry and risk factor information from the census sample of anonymized records data set. The aggregated individual level model compares favourably with this model but has convergence problems. In addition, it is shown that the large areas that are covered by local authority districts seem to reduce between‐area variability and may therefore not be as informative as conducting a ward level analysis. This has policy implications because access to ward level data is restricted.
Productivity and safety: adjustments at work in socio-technical system

The thesis presents the findings from a study of the adjustments of performance conducted by human operators in the course of routine work. The findings are in the form of a comprehensive theory and a method. The adjustments are the changes to the natural flow of work, to avoid a situation considered undesirable, to compensate for a temporary lack of resources, equipment, and time, or to maintain or restore control over the operation of a sociotechnical system. The thesis describes a number of events in which such adjustments occurred, and identifies the reasons behind the adjustments and their consequences for both safety and productivity. The identification of these two elements leads the research toward the development of a classification of adjustments in terms of their work conditions, their underlying motivations, and their observable effects. This classification may be used by anyone concerned with maintaining a proper balance between safety and productivity, by indicating which practices should be facilitated and improved upon, and which should be reduced or altogether avoided. The thesis uses data obtained from observation of various activities carried out aboard natural gas production platforms in the North Sea. The use of the classification is described as a method for gauging performance adjustments. Future research based on this study should go in the direction of refining the classification proposed here, as well as in the development of methods to support the management of performance adjustments.