Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alginate microencapsulation of stem cells as alternative source to the limitedsupply of donor tissue.

Microencapsulation is the procedure by which biologically active material is enclosed within micro spherical, semi permeable containers of a diameter between 0.2 to 3 mm. The microcapsules are usually produced by two-step procedure, in the first step the cells are immobilized within hydro gel micro beads and then the micro beads are covered with semi permeable membrane to obtain a microcapsule [1]. The encapsulation system is unique compare to other cell-based therapy techniques, because it enables the free exchange of nutrients and oxygen between the entrapped cells and their surrounding while preventing the escape and elimination of the entrapped cells. The microcapsuls can be injected at the transplantation bed, localizing the release of therapeutic factor. This approach avoids systemic side effects and increases patient’s compliance [2]. One of its advantages is the use of allogenic (nonhuman) cells as alternative source to the limited supply of donor tissue [3].
Application of single-phase to three-phase converter motor drive systems with IGBT dual module losses reduction

This paper aims to apply a universal filter configuration to supply a three-phase motor from the single-phase grid, in this case the motor must be supplied with the same frequency of grid. The initial hypothesis consider that is possible to minimize the converter's losses through the variation of motor voltage phase and through selection of an appropriate transformer. To reduce the IGBT dual module losses means to reduce the operational cost of the system. The initial investment of this configuration is very attractive for treating of a converter that works in shunt, in other words, only a part of the load power flows through the converter. Analysis in steady state has been realized, as well. Experimental results are showed to demonstrate the theoretical studied.
Tracking Control of Underactuated Surface Vessels Using Hybrid Control Methods

Tracking Control of Underactuated Surface Vessels Using Hybrid Control Methods Yu Tian Advisor: University of Guelph, 2016 Prof. Simon X. Yang In this thesis, two intelligent control systems are developed for tracking control of an underactuated surface vessel (USV). The studied USV is controlled with uncertain parameters, such as the disturbances from the ocean current. In the first part of this thesis, a new intelligent controller is designed by integrating interval type-2 fuzzy logic control (IT2FLC) with sliding mode control (SMC). Traditional USV trajectory tracking models perform poorly when faced with the dynamic disturbances from wind, wave and airflow. Thus, both kinematic and dynamic USV models are considered in the proposed algorithms. The IT2FLC is utilized to analyze the kinematic model for generating control velocities due to its feature of minimizing the large uncertainties. Then, the IT2FLC is combined with SMC in the dynamic model to generate control law for better tracking performance. In the second part, a hybrid intelligent control system is proposed, which integrates a bioinspired shunting model based backstepping approach and a sliding mode approach. First, the bioinspired backstepping technique is developed to generate virtual velocities based on the kinematic model, which has the capability to resolve the velocity jump problem caused by large initial errors in the conventional backstepping method. Then, the generated smooth velocity signals are used for the dynamic model-based SMC. Furthermore, another bioinspired shunting model is combined with the SMC to provide appropriate control laws for the system to avoid the chattering problem. The effectiveness of the proposed two intelligent controllers is demonstrated through simulation and comparison studies.
Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase‐Lpd (Rv0462)‐specific T cell recall responses are higher in healthy household contacts of TB: a novel immunodominant antigen from M. tuberculosis

The partial effectiveness against pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), displayed by the existing tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, bacillus Calmette‐Guérin (BCG), highlights the need for novel vaccines to replace or improve BCG. In TB immunology, antigen‐specific cellular immune response is frequently considered indispensable. Latency‐associated antigens are intriguing as targets for TB vaccine development. The mycobacterial protein, dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (Lpd; Rv0462), the third enzyme of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex, facilitates Mycobacterium tuberculosis to resist host reactive nitrogen intermediates. Multicolor flow cytometry analysis of whole‐blood cultures showed higher Lpd‐specific Th1 recall response (IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, and IL‐2; P = 0.0006) and memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (CCR7+ CD45RA− and CCR7− CD45RA−) in healthy household contacts (HHC) of TB (P < 0.0001), which is comparable with or higher than the standard antigens, ESAT‐6 and CFP‐10. The frequency of Lpd‐specific multifunctional T cells was higher in HHC compared with PTB patients. However, there is no significant statistical correlation. Regulatory T cell (Treg) analysis of HHCs and active TB patients demonstrated very low Lpd‐specific CD4+ Tregs relative to ESAT‐6 and CFP‐10. Our study demonstrates that the Lpd antigen induces a strong cellular immune response in healthy mycobacteria‐infected individuals. In consideration of this population having demonstrated immunologic protection against active TB disease development, our data are encouraging about the possible use of Lpd as a target for further TB subunit vaccine development.
K+ secretion activated by luminal P2Y2 and P2Y4 receptors in mouse colon

Extracellular nucleotides are important regulators of epithelial ion transport, frequently exerting their action from the luminal side. Luminal P2Y receptors have previously been identified in rat distal colonic mucosa. Their activation by UTP and ATP stimulates K+ secretion. The aim of this study was to clarify which of the P2Y receptor subtypes are responsible for the stimulated K+ secretion. To this end P2Y2 and P2Y4 knock‐out mice were used to measure distal colonic ion transport in an Ussing chamber. In mouse (NMRI) distal colonic mucosa, luminal UTP and ATP with similar potency induced a rapid and transient increase of the transepithelial voltage (Vte) (UTP: from −0.81 ± 0.23 to 3.11 ± 0.61 mV, n= 24), an increase of equivalent short circuit current (Isc) by 166.9 ± 22.8 μA cm−2 and a decrease of transepithelial resistance (Rte) from 29.4 ± 2.4 to 23.5 ± 2.0 Ω cm2. This effect was completely inhibited by luminal Ba2+ (5 mm, n= 5) and iberiotoxin (240 nm, n= 6), indicating UTP/ATP‐stimulated K+ secretion. RT‐PCR analysis of isolated colonic crypts revealed P2Y2, P2Y4 and P2Y6 specific transcripts. The luminal UTP‐stimulated K+ secretion was still present in P2Y2 receptor knock‐out mice, but significantly reduced (ΔVte: 0.83 ± 0.26 mV) compared to wild‐type littermates (ΔVte: 2.08 ± 0.52 mV, n= 9). In P2Y4 receptor knock‐out mice the UTP‐induced K+ secretion was similarly reduced. Luminal UTP‐stimulated K+ secretion was completely absent in P2Y2/P2Y4 double receptor KO mice. Basolateral UTP showed no effect. In summary, these results indicate that both the P2Y2 and P2Y4 receptors are present in the luminal membrane of mouse distal colonic mucosa, and stimulation of these receptors leads to K+ secretion.
Transoceanic PM-QPSK Terabit superchannel transmission experiments at Baud-rate subcarrier spacing

We show experimental results on the transmission of a Terabit superchannel, consisting of 10×120-Gb/s PM-QPSK densely-packed subcarriers. We reached 10000km with 1.1×Baud-rate subcarrier spacing and 9000km with Baud-rate subcarrier spacing. We also reached 8000km with 3 superchannels at 1.1 spacing.
Novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques in Brain Tumors

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful, noninvasive imaging technique with exquisite sensitivity to soft tissue composition. Magnetic resonance imaging is primary tool for brain tumor diagnosis, evaluation of drug response assessment, and clinical monitoring of the patient during the course of their disease. The flexibility of magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence design allows for a variety of image contrasts to be acquired, including information about magnetic resonance–specific tissue characteristics, molecular dynamics, microstructural organization, vascular composition, and biochemical status. The current review highlights recent advancements and novel approaches in MR characterization of brain tumors.
P-values, q-values and posterior probabilities for equivalence in genomics studies

Equivalence testing is of emerging importance in genomics studies but has hitherto been little studied in this content. In this paper, we define the notion of equivalence of gene expression and determine a `strength of evidence' measure for gene equivalence. It is common practice in genome-wide studies to rank genes according to observed gene-specific P-values or adjusted P-values, which are assumed to measure the strength of evidence against the null hypothesis of no differential gene expression. We show here, both empirically and formally, that the equivalence P-value does not satisfy the basic consistency requirements for a valid strength of evidence measure for equivalence. This means that the widely-used q-value (Storey, 2002) defined for each gene to be the minimum positive false discovery rate that would result in the inclusion of the corresponding P-value in the discovery set, cannot be translated to the equivalence testing framework. However, when represented as a posterior probability, we find that the q-value does satisfy some basic consistency requirements needed to be a credible measure of evidence for equivalence. We propose a simple estimate for the q-value from posterior probabilities of equivalence, and analyse data from a mouse stem cell microarray experiment which demonstrate the theory and methods presented here.
Effect of dietary phosphorus on finishing steer performance, bone status, and carcass maturity.

Yearling crossbred steers (n = 60; 386 kg) were individually fed in a completely randomized experimental design to determine their P requirement. Treatments were in a factorial arrangement with two levels of Ca (.35 or .70% of DM) and five concentrations of P (.14, .19, .24, .29, or .34% of DM). The finishing diet consisted of 34.5% dry-rolled corn, 22.5% brewers grits, 22.5% corn bran, 7.5% ground corncobs, 5% molasses, 3% fat, and 5% supplement. Supplemental P was provided as monosodium phosphate and Ca as limestone. Ash content was determined on the first phalanx bone from the lower front legs following slaughter, and rib bone breaking strength was determined with an Instron Universal Testing Machine. Carcass maturity and shear force were also evaluated on wholesale rib cuts. Because no interactions between Ca and P levels were detected, only main effects are presented. Daily gain, DMI, and feed efficiency were not affected by dietary P concentration or P intake. Bone ash (g or g/100 kg BW) and rib bone breaking strength were also unaffected by dietary P. Feeding . 7% Ca decreased (P<.06) ADG and efficiency compared with feeding . 35% Ca. Neither dietary Ca nor P had a significant effect on tenderness (shear force), skeletal maturity, or overall maturity. These results indicate that the P requirement for finishing yearlings is . 14% of diet DM or less and that supplementing P above levels supplied by basal ingredients in many grain-based finishing diets is not necessary.
Evaluation of monoclonal antibody F9-4 as immunological probe for Leptospira interrogans

I assayed the lack of reactivity of monoclonal antibody (MAb) F9-4 with nonpathogenic leptospires. Of 47 saprophytic strains tested, 46 did not react in an enzyme immunoassay and 1 was recognized by MAb F9-4, as usually reported with pathogenic Leptospira strains. On the other hand, the MAb did not react with one pathogenic strain, thus showing that the ability of MAb F9-4 to discriminate between pathogenic and nonpathogenic leptospires is not absolute.
Electrical Stimulation of the Trigeminal Ganglion and Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems for the Management of Corneal Neuropathic Pain

Purpose: This case study reports on 2 novel neuromodulatory approaches in the management of a particularly recalcitrant case of corneal neuropathic pain. Methods: Report of a case Results: A 32-year-old woman presented with intractable bilateral dry eye–like symptoms and corneal neuropathic pain after undergoing laser in situ keratomileusis surgery. Extensive ocular and systemic therapies were unsuccessful. Implantation of an electrode for the electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion resulted in complete resolution of symptoms, but pain recurred after lead migration. Implantation of an intrathecal infusion system for fentanyl and bupivacaine delivery at the C1-C2 level resulted in control of her symptoms with excellent pain relief for more than 1 year. Conclusions: Electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion and a high cervical intrathecal pain pump can be used in the management of corneal neuropathic pain unresponsive to ocular and systemic approaches.
Seedling establishment of Asteraceae forbs along altitudinal gradients: a comparison of transplant experiments in the native and introduced ranges

Aim Since ecological and evolutionary context changes when a plant species is introduced to a new area, it can be assumed that responses of alien plants to changing conditions along environmental gradients differ from those in their native range. Even if seed availability is not limited, the distribution of alien plants along such a gradient might still be restricted by their ability to germinate and establish as seedlings. In the present study, we aim at testing what factors promote or limit plant invasions during early establishment by using altitude as a model gradient.
[Association of the integrin gene polymorphisms with ischemic stroke and plasma lipid levels].

OBJECTIVE To study the association of integrin alpha-2 (ITGA2) gene C807T, integrin beta-3 (ITGB3) gene T176C polymorphisms with ischemic stroke and the effect of the polymorphisms on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels. METHODS Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing were used to detect the integrin genotypes in 265 patients with ischemic stroke and 280 healthy controls. The plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels were measured by routine method. RESULTS Plasma total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) in the patients with ischemic stroke were significantly higher than those in the controls (P< 0.05). The distributions of the ITGB3 gene T176C polymorphism were not different between the ischemic stroke group and control group, but the ITGA2 gene C807T polymorphism was significantly different. The relative risk suffering from ischemic stroke of the T allele carrier was 1.455 times as that of the C allele carrier (OR=1.455, 95%CI: 1.134-1.866). The level of plasma lipid in the T allele carriers was significantly higher than that in the C allele carriers (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION The ITGA2 gene C807T polymorphism was associated with ischemic stroke, the 807 T allele may be a genetic risk factor for ischemic stroke. The ITGA2 gene C807T polymorphism may affect ischemic stroke through plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels.
Pressure algometry in manual therapy.

SUMMARY. The pressure pain threshold (PPT), i.e. the least stimulus intensity at which a subject perceives pain, was studied in 30 patients with chronic unilateral pain in the shoulder and arm region.Fourteen trigger points were investigated on both sides of the body using pressure algometry. Eight paravertebral points and six points in the shoulder and arm region were evaluated. Each location was examined twice. The patients were tested by one examiner.The intraobserver reliability of PPT measurements was considered to be good. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficients of reliability (ICC), based on two repeated PPT measurements varied between 0.64 and 0.96. The painful side of the body was found to be more sensitive than the non-painful side, although there was not always a significant difference at the 0.05 level. The PPT was found to be higher in males than in females (P < 0.05). Females demonstrated lower PPTs than males at each trigger point. It was established that pressure tenderness varies over individual trigger points. Significant regional differences in PPT values were observed (P < 0.05). PPT values decreased in a cranial direction in the spine and in a caudal direction in the upper limb.Although the authors expected to find segmentally reduced PPT values on the painful side of the body, a generalized reduction of PPT values was present at all peripheral and spinal segmental sites. Some correlations between segmentally related trigger points were found by factor analysis. Copyright 1996 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
A Simulation-Based Evaluation of a Graphic Cardiovascular Display

INTRODUCTION:A graphic presentation of complex information can facilitate early detection and management of adverse events. Prior work found that graphical presentation of selected cardiovascular variables led to earlier detection of a simulated ischemic event. Based on these findings, a second evaluation explored the utility of a graphical cardiovascular display (GCD) in a variety of simulated adverse cardiopulmonary events for two different display configurations. In this evaluation, we revised the GCD to present hemodynamic variables with or without a pulmonary artery catheter. Our hypotheses were that the revised GCD would improve detection of adverse cardiopulmonary events and add no additional perceived workload. METHODS:Sixteen anesthesiologists and anesthesia residents were enrolled in a simulation-based evaluation of the GCD. Participants were randomly split into two groups balanced for expertise and asked to manage six simulated adverse cardiopulmonary events. The GCD was present in half of the simulations, balanced across scenarios and groups. Participants’ verbalizations and actions during each scenario were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts of treatment interventions were subsequently rated by two blinded expert anesthesiologists. Perceived workload, time to detection, and proper treatment of the adverse event were compared between groups. RESULTS:Experts ranked anesthesiologists using the GCD as being more effective overall and individually in three of six scenarios. Use of the GCD was demonstrated to influence the time to detection and the time to treatment of some critical events. There were no workload differences between display groups. DISCUSSION:Treatment intervention by participants using the GCD was rated superior by two blinded experts. The presence of the GCD resulted in a modest improvement in the time to detect myocardial ischemia and increased pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. The GCD may be a useful adjunct to monitor patients during adverse cardiopulmonary events.
The effect of distance from light source on light intensity from curing lights.

PURPOSE To investigate how light intensity changes as the distance increases from the tip of the light guide. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten different curing light/light guide combinations were used. Light intensity was measured at 0, 3, 6, and 10 mm from the tip of the light guide with a radiometer. Measurements were repeated in five separate trials and the mean light intensity +/- standard deviation was calculated. The fiber density was measured at the entrance and exit of all ten light guides and the light dispersion patterns were recorded. RESULTS Light intensity decreased as distance increased for all lights tested; however, the rate and extent of this decrease was not similar for all lights (p < 0.0001). Turbo light guides exhibited a more rapid decrease in intensity as the distance increased than standard light guides. At 10 mm, all the turbo light guides had lost over 80% of their intensity recorded at 0 mm. CONCLUSION 1. The rate and extent of the decrease in intensity is not similar among curing lights (p < 0.0001). 2. It is not possible to predict light intensity at 10 mm from measurements made at 0 mm. 3. Curing light manufacturers should state intensity over clinically relevant distances (0 to 10 mm).
Cerebral metabolic differences in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases matched for dementia severity.

UNLABELLED Despite controversial clinicopathological distinctions between Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), similar patterns of metabolic reduction in the posterior brain were reported previously using PET with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose. The current study was designed to examine more specific regional differences in cerebral glucose metabolism between PDD and AD using accurate and objective brain mapping techniques. METHODS This study included nine normal subjects, nine PDD patients and nine AD patients. PDD and AD groups were matched carefully for age, sex and general dementia severity as measured by Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating scales. Each subject underwent [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-PET and neuropsychological testing. After anatomic standardization of PET image sets and stereotactic data extraction, absolute and normalized cerebral metabolic rates were assessed by region of interest and pixel-by-pixel analyses. RESULTS PDD and AD showed global glucose metabolic reduction with similar regional accentuation involving the lateral parietal, lateral temporal and lateral frontal association cortices and posterior cingulate cortex in comparison to normal controls. When comparing between PDD and AD, however, PDD showed greater metabolic reduction in the visual cortex and relatively preserved metabolism in the medial temporal cortex. CONCLUSION Although a common feature of metabolic abnormalities in the posterior brain exists in PDD and AD, the presence of regional metabolic differences suggests different degrees and combinations of disease specific underlying pathological and neurochemical processes.
Multi-agent system for customer relationship management with SVMs tool

In this paper, we introduce multiple agents, knowledge discovery and data mining into customer relationship management (CRM) to set up the architecture of a multi-agent-based CRM system (MAB-CRM), and then use the SVMs-based approach to build up the decision support model which can classify the patterns obtained by the multiple agents into several decision levels, so that managers can pursue different decision-making activities according to the decision level of a pattern. Substantial experiments in the two-dimensional space show how the SVMs-based approach works. The practical problem from one Chinese company has been resolved by the SVMs-based approach. The results illustrate that this approach has an effective ability to learn the decision rules from the assessors' experience.
Recommendations for Building Gamified Calibration Technologies for BCI Applications

Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are a promising interaction method that currently face many problems before they can be used in everyday applications, such as games. One of the main problems is that calibration required for each new session using the BCI can be as long as 30 min. In this work in progress we hold 6 workshops with 2-4 participants per workshop, 18 participants total, to brainstorm the wide range of BCI applications and how to gamify the calibration process for each application. We propose an overview of the workshop results and an analysis and discussion around criteria for calibration games based on a BCI application.