Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Supervisory control of Petri nets using routing functions: starvation avoidance issues

In this paper, we present a new point of view on supervisory control of Petri nets by using routing functions instead of the traditional control places. We first show the relation between the two notions. In the second part of the paper, we illustrate the use of routing functions by showing how to compute a routing function in order to avoid starvation in general Petri nets. This control uses a continuous version of the net and a description of the evolution of the net under the form of linear algebraic equations. As for the computational part, we use algebraic polynomial geometry in the continuous case and Diophantine equations for the discrete version of the Petri net under study.
Assessment of the Knowledge of Diabetes Mellitus Among School Teachers within the Scope of the Managing Diabetes at School Program

Objective: Training teachers and education professionals on diabetes is crucial for full-time monitoring of diabetic children in schools. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge on diabetes in a group of school teachers in Turkey. Methods: Between November 2010 and November 2011, 1054 teachers from three regions of Ankara were given a questionnaire to assess their knowledge on diabetes. The mean age of the group (27% males, 73% females) was 38.8±8 years. 61.7% of the participants were class teachers, 23.3% were school counselors, and the rest were physical education teachers and administrators. Results: A fair percentage (47.6%) of the participants had a moderate knowledge level on diabetes and 32.4% expressed a lower level of knowledge. A large proportion (94%) gave an accurate definition of diabetes. Of the total group of 1054 teachers, 625 were aware that blood glucose level might decrease in diabetic children during follow-up. Also, 75% believed that diabetic children were eligible for physical education classes. 52.8% of these teachers had no diabetic child in their classes and teachers with a diabetic patient in their family had better knowledge of diabetes compared to their counterparts. Conclusions: Our study results indicate that school teachers have limited knowledge on diabetes. We believe that their knowledge levels can be improved by widespread training programs. Conflict of interest:None declared.
Development of neonatal mouse and fetal human testicular tissue as ectopic grafts in immunodeficient mice.

AIM To investigate the stepwise development and germ cell gene expression in allografted neonatal mouse testes and the differentiation of immature human testicular cells in xenografted human testes. METHODS Immunodeficient nude mice were used as hosts for allografting of neonatal mouse testes and xenografting of human fetal testicular tissues. Stepwise development and stage-specific gene expression of germ cells in allografts were systematically evaluated and parallel compared with those in intact mice by periodically monitoring the graft status with measurement of graft weight, histological analysis and determination of five stage-specific genes. Human testicular tissues from 20 and 26 weeks fetuses were used for the xenografting study. Histological analysis of xenografts was performed 116 and 135 d after the grafting procedure. RESULTS In the allografting study, progressive increase in tissue volume and weight as well as in tubule diameter in grafts was observed; the appearance time of various germ cells in seminiferous tubules, including spermatogonia, spermatocytes, round and elongate spermatids and sperm, was comparable with that in intact donors; the initiation of gene transcription in grafts showed a similar trend as in normal mice. Graft weight ceased to increase after 7-8 weeks and degradation of grafts was observed after 5 weeks with progressive damage to seminiferous epithelium. In the xenografting study using immature human testicular tissues, graft survival and development was indicated by increasing graft weight, Sertoli cells differentiation into advanced stage, germ cells migration and location to the basal lamina and formation of a niche-like structure. CONCLUSION The developmental course and gene expression pattern of germ cells in allografts were similar to those in intact mice. The best time point for retrieval of mouse sperm from grafts was 5-7 weeks after grafting procedure. An accelerated development of immature human testicular cells could be achieved by ectopic xenografting of human testes.
Bombesin stimulates growth of human prostatic cancer cells in vitro

Cell proliferation of the human prostatic carcinoma cell line PC3 and of the epithelial cell strain PMU 23 derived from a primary culture of a stage III prostatic carcinoma was enhanced dose dependently by adding 0.1 nM to 10.0 nM bombesin (BMBS) to the culture medium. The growth stimulation was specifically inhibited by antibodies versus Gastrin Releasing Peptide (GRP) crossreacting with BMBS. Presence of BMBS‐positive neuroendocrine cells in human prostate and measurable amounts of BMBS‐like peptides in prostatic fluid were reported previously. In a binding assay using 125I‐GRP, it was possible to demonstrate the presence of saturable specific receptors on PC3 cells, numerically comparable with those measured on small cell lung cancer cell lines. By immunofluorescence, however, no BMBS immunoreactivity on PC3 cells could be demonstrated. These observations suggest that BMBS plays a role in prostatic epithelium growth and that prostatic carcinoma may have an autocrine or paracrine proliferation stimulus within the gland microenvironment.
Effects of mental fatigue on biomechanics of slips

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of mental fatigue on biomechanics of slips. A total of 44 healthy young participants were evenly categorised into two groups: no fatigue and mental fatigue. Mental fatigue was induced by performing an AX-continuous performance test. The participants in both groups were instructed to walk on a linear walkway, and slips were induced unexpectedly during walking. We found that mental fatigue has adverse effects in all the three phases of slips. In particular, it leads to increased likelihood of slip initiation, poorer slip detection and a more insufficient reactive recovery response to slips. Based on the findings from the present study, we can conclude that mental fatigue is a risk factor for slips and falls. In order to prevent slip-induced falls, interventions, such as providing frequent rest breaks, could be applied in the workplace to avoid prolonged exposures to cognitively demanding activities. Practitioner Summary: Slips are a common external perturbation initiating accidental falls. Recognising risk factors is typically the first step in accident prevention. We found that mental fatigue is a risk factor for slips and falls. Thus, exposures to mental fatigue should be avoided in order to reduce the risk of slip-induced falls.
Land‐sharing/‐sparing connectivity landscapes for ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation

1. The land-sharing versus land-sparing debate recently stagnated, lacking an integrating perspective in agricultural landscapes as well as consideration of ecosystem services. Here, we argue that land-sharing (i.e. wildlife-friendly farming systems) and land-sparing (i.e. separation of high-yielding agriculture and natural habitats) are not mutually exclusive, as both are needed to balance management needs for the multifunctionality of agricultural landscapes. 2. Land-sharing promotes ecosystem services in agricultural settings, thereby allowing for environmentally friendly production. Land set aside in protected areas by land-sparing is crucial for conservation of those species that are incompatible with agriculture. 3. Importantly, as species move throughout the landscape and exploit different habitats, increased connectivity between environmentally friendly managed and protected areas is needed to (a) promote spillover of ecosystem service providers from land-sharing/-sparing measures to agricultural production and rescue ser-vice-providing species from extinction in hostile areas, (b) to facilitate immigration and counteract possible extinctions in spared habitats and (c) to conserve response diversity of species communities for ensuring resilience of ecosystem services in changing environments. 4. In conclusion, the successful management of multifunctional landscapes requires the combination of context-specific land-sharing and land-sparing measures within spatially well-connected landscape mosaics, resulting in land-sharing/-sparing connectivity landscapes.
Acaricidal Activity of Juglans regia Leaf Extracts on Tetranychus viennensis and Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Abstract Leaf extracts of the walnut, Juglans regia L. , were evaluated under laboratory conditions to determine their acaricidal activity on the mites Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) and Tetranychus viennensis Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae). Extracts had both contact and systemic toxicity to these mites. The four solvents tested for preparing crude extracts were petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol. Methanol was the most efficient solvent, with an extraction rate from 17.06 ± 0.80 to 20.27 ± 0.28%. Petroleum ether was the least effective solvent, with extraction rates from 2.30 ± 0.13 to 2.71 ± 0.13%. However, the crude extracts with petroleum ether resulted in the highest mite mortality (79.04 ± 0.52%) in a slide dip bioassay. Mites mortalities from the concentrated extracts prepared by chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, or distilled water were significantly lower than petroleum ether. The mean lethal concentrations (LC50) of the extracts from petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and distilled water to the two mite species were 0.73 ± 0.04, 1.66 ± 0.28, 4.96 ± 0.35, 7.45 ± 0.67, and 9.91 ± 0.32 mg/ml, respectively. After liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography, the concentrated extracts of petroleum ether were separated into eight fractions and tested for acaricidal activity. Fraction 6 produced significantly higher mite mortality rates than the other groups, killing ≈90% of both species.
CGRP receptor antagonists: an expanding drug class for acute migraine?

Introduction: Migraine afflicts approximately 11% of the population worldwide producing substantial disability, resulting in loss of productivity both at home and at the workplace. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is closely involved in the cascade of molecular events leading to migraine painful crisis. Areas covered: Acute treatment of migraine is actually based on the use of triptans, class drug which presents a clear limitation due to its cardiovascular side effects. Gepants, a CGRP antagonist class, might offer a new non-vasoconstrictive approach in the acute treatment of migraine. Four chemically unrelated CGRP receptor (CGRP-R) antagonists (olcegepant, telcagepant, MK-3207 and BI 44370 TA) have displayed efficacy in the treatment of migraine. Expert opinion: When compared with triptans, gepants class showed a similar efficacy, moreover corresponding to the best published results for oral triptans. CGRP antagonists are in different phases of their development, and the treatment of migraine could be based on the use of gepants, as class of acute medications. However, CGRP-R antagonists clinical trials seem to be discouraging for their forthcoming use in clinical practice. New CGRP-R antagonists, such as BMS-927711 and BI 44370 TA, are in the pipeline and their developments will outline the future of this drug class.
Radar high range resolution profiles recognition based on wavelet packet and subband fusion

Radar automatic target recognition (ATR) using high range resolution profiles (HRRPs) is addressed. A subband fusion structure is proposed based on wavelet packet transforming. Multiple adaptive Gaussian classifiers (AGCs) are built for each subband, and the outputs of each of the subband classifiers are combined to make a final decision. Compared with the traditional wideband recognition approach, i.e., single band approach, the proposed approach can achieve better recognition performance, and is more robust to noise as well. Example results, based on the measured data, show the efficiency of the proposed method.
US Labor Studies in the Twenty-First Century: Understanding Laborism Without Labor

In recent years, labor studies has flourished even as labor unions in the United States have continued their long-term downward trajectory. One strain of this research has situated the labor movement, and its decline, at the center of economic inequality's rise in the United States. Another has explored the labor movement's interconnections with political dynamics in the contemporary United States, including how labor's demise has reshaped the polity and policies. This body of scholarship also offers insights into recent stirrings of labor resurgence, ranging from the teachers’ strikes of 2017 to the Fight for 15 minimum wage initiatives. Yet the field's reliance on official union membership rates as the standard measure of union strength, and on official strike statistics as the standard measure of union activism, prevents it from fully understanding the scope and durability of worker activism in the post-Wagner age.
Transparent conductive oxide nanoparticle-based layers for laminar plasmonic devices

In this paper we investigate the application of transparent conductive oxides (TCO) in plasmonic devices, and especially for the functionalization of surface plasmon resonance and metamaterial sensors. We analyzed fabrication of laminar nanocomposites obtained by the deposition of indium oxide, tin oxide and indium tin oxide nanoparticles from solution to ultrathin freestanding structures. We investigated the spectral characteristics of ultrathin TCO layers and their plasmonic functionality. We used Drude model taking into account absorptive losses to determine complex relative dielectric permittivity and refractive index. Experimentally, we chose the approach to TCO nanoparticle synthesis from nonaqueous sol-gel utilizing organic solvents both as the reacting substances and the stabilizing agents and its drop coating onto ultrathin, freestanding substrates.
Emerging new approaches for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia

The introduction of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in the late 1980s combined with anthracycline-based chemotherapy has revolutionized the prognosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with more than 90% complete response rates and cure rates of approximately 80%. The subsequent advent of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in 1990s and progress in the treatment of APL have changed its course from a highly fatal to a highly curable disease. Despite the dramatic improvement in clinical outcome of APL, treatment failure still occurs due most often to early death. Relapse has become increasingly less frequent, most commonly occurring in patients with high-risk disease. A major focus of research for the past decade has been to develop risk-adapted and rationally targeted nonchemotherapy treatment strategies to reduce treatment-related morbidity and mortality to low- and intermediate-risk or older patients while targeting more intensive or alternative therapy to those patients at most risk of relapse. In this review, emerging new approaches to APL treatment with special emphasis on strategies to reduce early deaths, risk-adapted therapy during induction, consolidation and maintenance, as well as an overview of current and future clinical trials in APL will be discussed.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor is a potential therapeutic target for gastrointestinal stromal tumors

A subset of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) lack gain-of-function mutations in c-KIT and PDGFRα. These so-called wild-type (WT) GISTs tend to be less responsive to imatinib-based therapies and have a poor prognosis. We identified amplification of IGF1R in a SNP analysis of GIST and thus studied its potential as a therapeutic target in WT and mutant GIST. Expression of IGF1R and downstream effectors in clinical GIST samples was examined by using immunoblots and immunohistochemistry. The roles of IGF1R signaling in GIST and viability were analyzed by using NVP-AEW541, an inhibitor of IGF1R, alone and in combination with imatinib, or via siRNA silencing of IGF1R. IGF1R was strongly overexpressed, and IGF1R amplification was detected at a significantly higher frequency in WT GISTs, including a pediatric WT GIST, compared with mutant GISTs (P = 0.0173 and P = 0.0163, respectively). Inhibition of IGF1R activity in vitro with NVP-AEW541 or down-regulation of expression with siIGF1R led to cytotoxicity and induced apoptosis in GIST cell lines via AKT and MAPK signaling. Combination of NVP-AEW541 and imatinib in GIST cell lines induced a strong cytotoxicity response. Our results reveal that IGF1R is amplified and the protein is overexpressed in WT and pediatric GISTs. We also demonstrate that the aberrant expression of IGF1R may be associated with oncogenesis in WT GISTs and suggest an alternative and/or complementary therapeutic regimen in the clinical management of all GISTs, especially in a subset of tumors that respond less favorably to imatinib-based therapy.
Sources of presumptive glutamatergic/aspartatergic afferents to the magnocellular basal forebrain in the rat

The distribution of presumptive glutamatergic and/or aspartatergic neurons retrogradely labeled following injections of [3H]‐D‐aspartate into the magnocellular basal forebrain of the rat was compared with the distribution of neurons labeled by comparable injections of the nonspecific retrograde axonal tracer wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase.
Graduating to a Pay Gap: The Earnings of Women and Men One Year after College Graduation.

This report explores the earnings difference between male and female college graduates working full time, one year after graduation using the latest nationally representative data available. The report compares 'apples' to 'apples' by looking at the pay gap after controlling for various factors known to affect earnings, such as occupation, college major, and hours worked. The report also looks at one immediate effect of the pay gap for many women, high student loan debt burden.
Number of pregnancies and the subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND Whether increasing parity or gravidity is a risk factor for coronary heart disease has been debated, but the question remains unresolved. METHODS We tested the association between the number of pregnancies and a variety of cardiovascular end points in two groups of women who had completed childbearing. One group comprised 2357 women who were followed for 28 years through the Framingham Heart Study, and the other 2533 women followed for at least 12 years through the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey National Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (NHEFS). RESULTS The rates of coronary heart disease were higher among multigravid women than among women who had never been pregnant, in both the Framingham Heart Study and the NHEFS, but in both studies, the higher rates were statistically significant only in women with six or more pregnancies. For the women in the Framingham Study, the rate ratio adjusted for age and educational level in the group with six or more pregnancies (as compared with women who had never been pregnant) was 1.6 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.2). For the women in the NHEFS, the same adjusted rate ratio was 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 1.9). Adjustments for other known cardiovascular risk factors, including weight, did not markedly alter this risk. The rate of total cardiovascular disease was also significantly higher among multigravid women in the Framingham Study than in the women who had never been pregnant. CONCLUSIONS In two prospective American studies, having six or more pregnancies was associated with a small but consistent increase in the risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Whether gravidity itself or some other unmeasured factor accounts for the increase in risk that we observed requires further investigation.
Interferon-β mechanisms of action in multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the CNS characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and axonal injury. These pathologic effects are manifested in clinical symptoms of relapse and disability. Various disease-modifying therapies have been developed in recent years to modulate the body's immune response. Among the most widely used are the beta interferons (IFNβ). All produce comparable biological effects and are approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Although the precise mechanisms through which IFNβ achieves its antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects remain uncertain, several modes of action have been proposed, including inhibition of T-cell activation and proliferation; apoptosis of autoreactive T cells; induction of regulatory T cells; inhibition of leukocyte migration across the blood-brain barrier; cytokine modulation; and potential antiviral activity. Endogenously produced IFNβ in the injured brain is also now believed to contribute to mediation of antiinflammatory and regenerative effects. All these mechanisms are believed to underlie the therapeutic effect of IFNβ in the treatment of RRMS.
Variations in Chromosomes 9 and 6p21.3 with Risk of Non–Hodgkin Lymphoma

Background: There is growing evidence linking genetic variations to non–Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) etiology. To complement ongoing agnostic approaches for identifying susceptibility genes, we evaluated 488 candidate gene regions and their relation to risk for NHL and NHL subtypes. Methods: We genotyped 6,679 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 947 cases and 826 population-based controls from a multicenter U.S. case–control study. Gene-level summary of associations were obtained by computing the minimum P value (“minP test”) on the basis of 10,000 permutations. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between genotypes and haplotypes with NHL. For NHL subtypes, we conducted polytomous multivariate unconditional logistic regression (adjusted for sex, race, age). We calculated P-trends under the codominant model for each SNP. Results: Fourteen gene regions were associated with NHL (P < 0.01). The most significant SNP associated with NHL maps to the SYK gene (rs2991216, P-trend = 0.00005). The three most significant gene regions were on chromosome 6p21.3 (RING1/RXRB; AIF1; BAT4). Accordingly, SNPs in RING1/RXRB (rs2855429), AIF1 (rs2857597), and BAT4 (rs3115667) were associated with NHL (P-trends ≤ 0.0002) and both diffuse large B-cell and follicular lymphomas (P-trends < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest potential importance for SYK on chromosome 9 with NHL etiology. Our results further implicate 6p21.3 gene variants, supporting the need for full characterization of this chromosomal region in relation to lymphomagenesis. Impact: Gene variants on chromosome 9 may represent a new region of interesting for NHL etiology. The independence of the reported variants in 6p21.3 from implicated variants (TNF/HLA) supports the need to confirm causal variants in this region Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(1); 42–9. ©2011 AACR.
Outcome in adulthood of asymptomatic airway hyperresponsiveness in childhood: A longitudinal population study

The clinical outcome of asymptomatic airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) first detected in childhood is sparsely reported, with conflicting results. We used a birth cohort of 1,037 children followed to age 26 years to assess the clinical outcome of asymptomatic AHR to methacholine first documented in study members at age 9 years.