Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lectin-Functionalized Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Reproductive Improvement

Background: Semen ejaculates contain heterogeneous sperm populations that can jeopardize male fertility. Recent development of nanotechnology in physiological systems may have applications in reproductive biology. Here, we used magnetic nanoparticles as a novel strategy for sperm purification to improve semen fertility. Methods: Boar semen was obtained in artificial insemination doses from a local boar stud. Doses were mixed with or without magnetic nanoparticles designed to target and deplete moribund and poor performing spermatozoa under an electromagnetic field. Sperm motility characteristics were assessed prior to insemination of open gilts with control (n=3 gilts) and nanopurified (n=4 gilts) semen. Pregnancies were verified 30 days post-insemination. Litter sizes and post-natal development of piglets were respectively evaluated at parturition and weekly until weaning. Results: Nanopurification significantly improved sperm motility. Two gilts in the control group were confirmed nonpregnant, but the remainder maintained pregnancies through to parturition (33% vs. 100%, control and nanopurified groups, respectively). At parturition, the number of piglets born to the control gilt was not significantly different from the average of the nanopurified group (17 ± 0.0 vs. 15 ± 2, respectively; P>0.05); however, in the latter group 78% of piglets remained alive compared to 76% of the control. Birth weight of control piglets was lower (1.18 ± 0.22 kg) than those in the nanopurified group (1.41 ± 0.14 kg). Both groups of piglets showed linear and parallel growth rates with respective weight gains of 4.4x and 4.1x from birth to weaning. Interestingly, piglets produced in the nanopurified group comprised of 55% males compared to 38% in the control group. Conclusions: Magnetic nanoparticles used in this preliminary study exhibited no toxic effects on sperm fertilization capacity and piglet viability. Beneficial effects may be seen in semen fertility, with possible use for gender selection. Further investigations on a large scale are needed to confirm the current findings, with potential application in clinical practice.
Affect Recognition in a Realistic Movie Dataset Using a Hierarchical Approach

Affective content analysis has gained great attention in recent years and is an important challenge of content-based multimedia information retrieval. In this paper, a hierarchical approach is proposed for affect recognition in movie datasets. This approach has been verified on the AFEW dataset, showing an improvement in classification results compared to the baseline. In order to use all the visual sentiment aspects contained in the movies excerpts of a realistic dataset such as FilmStim, deep learning features trained on a large set of emotional images are added to the standard audio and visual features. The proposed approach will be integrated in a system that communicates the emotions of a movie to impaired people and contribute to improve their television experience.
Respiratory self‐navigation for whole‐heart bright‐blood coronary MRI: Methods for robust isolation and automatic segmentation of the blood pool

Free‐breathing three‐dimensional whole‐heart coronary MRI is a noninvasive alternative to X‐ray coronary angiography. However, the existing navigator‐gated approaches do not meet the requirements of clinical practice, as they perform with suboptimal accuracy and require prolonged acquisition times. Self‐navigated techniques, applied to bright‐blood imaging sequences, promise to detect the position of the blood pool directly in the readouts acquired for imaging. Hence, the respiratory displacement of the heart can be calculated and used for motion correction with high accuracy and 100% scan efficiency. However, additional bright signal from the chest wall, spine, arms, and liver can render the isolation of the blood pool impossible. In this work, an innovative method based on a targeted combination of the output signals of an anterior phased‐array surface coil is implemented to efficiently suppress such additional bright signal. Furthermore, an algorithm for the automatic segmentation of the blood pool is proposed. Robust self‐navigation is achieved by cross‐correlation. These improvements were integrated into a three‐dimensional radial whole‐heart coronary MRI sequence and were compared with navigator‐gated imaging in vivo. Self‐navigation was successful in all cases and the acquisition time was reduced up to 63%. Equivalent or slightly superior image quality, vessel length, and sharpness were achieved. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
IEEE 802.11ac: Enhancements for very high throughput WLANs

The IEEE 802.11ac is an emerging very high throughput (VHT) WLAN standard that could achieve PHY data rates of close to 7 Gbps for the 5 GHz band. In this paper, we introduce the key mandatory and optional PHY features, as well as the MAC enhancements of 802.11ac over the existing 802.11n standard in the evolution towards higher data rates. Through numerical analysis and simulations, we compare the MAC performance between 802.11ac and 802.11n over three different frame aggregation mechanisms, viz., aggregate MAC service data unit (A-MSDU), aggregate MAC protocol data unit (A-MPDU), and hybrid A-MSDU/A-MPDU aggregation. Our results indicate that 802.11ac with a configuration of 80MHz and single (two) spatial stream(s) outperforms 802.11n with a configuration of 40 MHz and two spatial streams in terms of maximum throughput by 28% (84%). In addition, we demonstrate that hybrid A-MSDU/A-MPDU aggregation yields the best performance for both 802.11n and 802.11ac devices, and its improvement is a function of the maximum A-MSDU size.
Visualizing Unsaturated Flow Phenomena Using High‐Resolution Reflection Ground Penetrating Radar

Unsaturated flow phenomena, such as unstable wetting fronts and preferential flow, cannot be investigated using small‐scale sampling. Dye tracer experiments can help visualize the dynamics of water flow but are destructive and therefore irreproducible. We investigated the applicability of high‐resolution ground penetrating radar (GPR) for nondestructive visualization of unsaturated flow patterns arising from a forced infiltration experiment. Synthetic studies using a reflection GPR two‐dimensional finite difference time domain modeling code indicated that differences in water content caused by preferential flow and fingering could be resolved. Moisture content contrasts down to approximately 2.5% within the top 2 m were detectable, but with increasing degrees of heterogeneity in the subsurface it becomes difficult to distinguish these moisture content changes. We conducted a field experiment in which 100 mm (900 L) of Brilliant Blue dyed water was infiltrated across a 3‐ by 3‐m area in relatively homogenous and undisturbed sandy alluvial sediments. Reflection GPR data were collected before and after infiltration. Dye‐staining patterns, revealed by excavating a 2‐m‐deep trench through the infiltration area, were compared with changes in the GPR data. Reflection amplitude changes as well as reflection delay revealed significant differences within the dye‐stained area. The GPR data provided information about the unsaturated flow below the extent of the dye staining, and the results of the synthetic GPR modeling, as well as the observed changes in the real GPR data set, underline the potential of reflection GPR as a nondestructive method to map unsaturated flow phenomena.
Complete genome sequence of the thermophilic sulfate-reducing ocean bacterium Thermodesulfatator indicus type strain (CIR29812T)

Thermodesulfatator indicus Moussard et al. 2004 is a member of the Thermodesulfobacteriaceae, a family in the phylum Thermodesulfobacteria that is currently poorly characterized at the genome level. Members of this phylum are of interest because they represent a distinct, deep-branching, Gram-negative lineage. T. indicus is an anaerobic, thermophilic, chemolithoautotrophic sulfate reducer isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. The 2,322,224 bp long chromosome with its 2,233 protein-coding and 58 RNA genes is a part of the GenomicEncyclopedia ofBacteria andArchaea project.
Gaitzilla: A game to study the effects of virtual embodiment in gait rehabilitation

The long term objective of this research is to improve gait (i.e., walking patterns) rehabilitation through the use of 3D user interfaces and virtual embodiment. Previous research has shown that virtual embodiment can elicit behavioral change and increased motivation for exercise. However, there has been minimal research on how virtual embodiment can affect persons undergoing physical rehabilitation. To enable the future study of this, we present Gaitzilla a novel gait rehabilitation game in which the user embodies a gigantic monster who is being attacked by small tanks on the ground. The user must step on the tanks to survive. The required movements in the game are inspired by real gait training exercises that focus on foot placement and control. We utilize 3D user interfaces for control of the user's avatar. This poster presents the concept and implementation of the game, the methodology behind the design, and future considerations for studying the effects of virtual embodiment on gait rehabilitation.
Northward abyssal transport through the Samoan passage and adjacent regions

A conductivity-temperature-depth/hydrographic survey in January–February 1994 and a 17-month deployment of current meter moorings from September 1992 to March 1994 were carried out to determine the volume transport, water mass characteristics, and diathermal fluxes of northward flowing abyssal waters in the Samoan Passage and adjacent regions of the South Pacific Ocean. Geostrophic calculations relative to 1.2°C potential temperature indicated northward transport of 7.8 Sv in the Samoan Passage, 1.1 Sv through a gap in Robbie Ridge, and 2.8 Sv along the eastern flank of the Manihiki Plateau. All of the total of 11.7 Sv of northward geostrophic transport was in waters colder than 1.1°C. The northward transport distribution was bimodal in temperature, with a cold mode of 3.6 Sv in the range 0.65°–0.70°C occurring entirely in the Samoan Passage and a warm mode of 3.0 Sv in the range of 0.80°–0.85°C occurring mainly along the Manihiki Plateau. Within the Samoan Passage, 7.1 Sv of the northward transport was below 4000 m where the geostrophic calculation was confirmed by an equal estimate of transport from current meters during the simultaneous 3-day period. The 17-month mean transport from the moored array was 6.0 Sv ± 0.5. By using the observed temporally varying flow within the Samoan Passage together with the hydrographic snapshot across the region, an estimate of the total mean northward transport of 10.6 Sv ± 1.7 was obtained. Estimates of the flow across near-bottom potential temperature surfaces indicate extraordinarily high rates of mixing, with heating of the abyssal layer up to 20 W m−2, corresponding to diffusivities up to 10−1 m2 s−1.
High incidence of esophageal cancer in central-western Brazil: a migrant effect?

To determine the incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer in central-western Brazil: Goiânia, Brasília, Cuiabá, and Campo Grande, incidence data for Cuiabá (2000–2005) and Brasília (1999–2002) were obtained from the National Cancer Institute, and data from Goiânia (1995–2008) from the Population-Based Cancer Registry of Goiânia. Mortality data for the cities of central-western Brazil were obtained for the period 1980–2008 from the Ministry of Health. Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated using the world population of Segi. Mortality trends were assessed with the Joinpoint Regression Program and a P value less than 0.05 was defined as significant. The highest incidence of esophageal cancer among men was in Cuiabá (16.0/100 000); the lowest was in Goiânia (6.5/100 000). Among women, the incidence rates were similar in Brasília and Cuiabá, but in Goiânia, the incidence declined. There was a significant increase in mortality among men in Cuiabá (2.4%, P=0.03) and Campo Grande (1.2%, P=0.05), and in women (1.6%, P=0.04) in Goiânia. Mortality by age group increased significantly in Campo Grande by 1.9% for men aged at least 50 years and in Goiânia by 2.7% among women aged at least 50 years; the mortality decreased in Goiânia by 2.2% for women aged less than 50 years. The incidence of esophageal cancer in Brasília and Cuiabá was similar to that of southern Brazil in some periods. There was an increase in mortality trends for men in Cuiabá and Campo Grande, and for women in Goiânia.
The siderophore system is essential for viability of Aspergillus nidulans: functional analysis of two genes encoding l‐ornithine N 5‐monooxygenase (sidA) and a non‐ribosomal peptide synthetase (sidC)

The filamentous ascomycete A. nidulans produces two major siderophores: it excretes triacetylfusarinine C to capture iron and contains ferricrocin intracellularly. In this study we report the characterization of two siderophore biosynthetic genes, sidA encoding l‐ornithine N5‐monooxygenase and sidC encoding a non‐ribosomal peptide synthetase respectively. Disruption of sidC eliminated synthesis of ferricrocin and deletion of sidA completely blocked siderophore biosynthesis. Siderophore‐deficient strains were unable to grow, unless the growth medium was supplemented with siderophores, suggesting that the siderophore system is the major iron assimilatory system of A. nidulans during both iron depleted and iron‐replete conditions. Partial restoration of the growth of siderophore‐deficient mutants by high concentrations of Fe2+ (but not Fe3+) indicates the presence of an additional ferrous transport system and the absence of an efficient reductive iron assmilatory system. Uptake studies demonstrated that TAFC‐bound iron is transferred to cellular ferricrocin whereas ferricrocin is stored after uptake. The siderophore‐deficient mutant was able to synthesize ferricrocin from triacetylfusarinine C. Ferricrocin‐deficiency caused an increased intracellular labile iron pool, upregulation of antioxidative enzymes and elevated sensitivity to the redox cycler paraquat. This indicates that the lack of this cellular iron storage compound causes oxidative stress. Moreover, ferricrocin biosynthesis was found to be crucial for efficient conidiation.
Kettleman Hills Waste Landfill Slope Failure. II: Stability Analyses

Analyses were made to determine the cause of a stability failure of a 90 ft high, 15 acre hazardous waste landfill in which lateral displacements of up to 35 ft and vertical settlements of up to 14 ft were measured. The failure developed by sliding along interfaces within the composite geosynthetic‐compacted‐clay liner system beneath the waste fill. The shear resistances of the different interfaces in the liner system were determined by direct shear and pullout tests as described in a companion paper (Mitchell et al. 1990). Conventional two‐dimensional (2D) stability analyses of representative cross sections and three‐dimensional (3D) analyses of the overall waste fill and liner configuration are described. Each type of analysis was applied to two cases: (1) The “Probable Minimum Clay/Liner Wetting Case,” in which shear along a wetted HDPE liner/compacted clay interface was assumed to occur only over a small area of the base; and (2) the “Full‐Base‐Wetting Case,” in which the HDPE liner/compacted clay lin.
Death across the lifespan: Age differences in death-related thoughts and anxiety

ABSTRACT Many studies have found age-related declines in death-related anxiety. Why do death-related thoughts and anxiety decline across the lifespan when exposure to, and likelihood of, death increase over time? In Study 1, a cross-sectional survey of 2,363 adults, death-related thoughts declined across the lifespan. In Study 2, a longitudinal study of 9,815 adults followed over a 4-year period, death anxiety declined across the lifespan. Further, greater social support predicted lower levels of death anxiety over time, after controlling for self-rated health and chronic illnesses. Close relationships serve emotion regulation functions to decrease death anxiety and thoughts across the lifespan.
P–T–t evidence for mechanisms of vertical tectonic motion in a contractional orogen: north‐western US and Canadian Cordillera

The >1800 km long Coast Mountains–North Cascades orogen of the Canadian Cordillera and north‐western US developed as a continental magmatic arc. Metamorphic rocks in the orogen contain widespread evidence for burial of supracrustal rocks to depths of c. 40 km, followed by nearly isothermal decompression to depths of <10 km. Near many shallowly‐emplaced, mid‐Cretaceous plutons, low‐pressure contact metamorphic effects were overprinted by high‐pressure regional metamorphic minerals and textures, as evidenced by kyanite±staurolite pseudomorphs after andalusite in metapelitic rocks. Therefore, near‐pluton rocks record the loading history of the orogen. Metapelitic rocks not associated with plutons only preserve evidence for high‐pressure conditions and/or high‐temperature decompression, as indicated, for example, by sillimanite and cordierite after kyanite and garnet, respectively. Petrological evidence for burial and decompression is therefore recorded in different rocks. Various regions of the orogen differ in timing of metamorphism, the overall shape of P–T paths and the relative timing and regional extent of the high‐pressure event, but most of these data and observations are consistent with thrusting and/or pure shear thickening as primary loading mechanisms throughout the orogen, as opposed to magma‐dominated loading. This interpretation is further supported by comparison with thermal models, which demonstrate that the P–T paths are consistent with simultaneous thrusting and folding at a high initial geothermal gradient (35–40 °C km−1) in much of the orogen. A high geothermal gradient supports tectonic models invoking intra‐arc contraction and suggests that magmatism played an important role in regional temperature‐time paths. This tectonic‐thermal history may be typical of other contractional orogens and illustrates the importance of large vertical displacement of crust in magmatic arcs.
Myocardial Injury and Ventricular Dysfunction Related to Training Levels Among Nonelite Participants in the Boston Marathon

Background— Multiple studies have individually documented cardiac dysfunction and biochemical evidence of cardiac injury after endurance sports; however, convincing associations between the two are lacking. We aimed to determine the associations between the observed transient cardiac dysfunction and biochemical evidence of cardiac injury in amateur participants in endurance sports and to elicit the risk factors for the observed injury and dysfunction. Methods and Results— We screened 60 nonelite participants, before and after the 2004 and 2005 Boston Marathons, with echocardiography and serum biomarkers. Echocardiography included conventional measures as well as tissue Doppler–derived strain and strain rate imaging. Biomarkers included cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). All subjects completed the race. Echocardiographic abnormalities after the race included altered diastolic filling, increased pulmonary pressures and right ventricular dimensions, and decreased right ventricular systolic function. At baseline, all had unmeasurable troponin. After the race, >60% of participants had increased cTnT >99th percentile of normal (>0.01 ng/mL), whereas 40% had a cTnT level at or above the decision limit for acute myocardial necrosis (≥0.03 ng/mL). After the race, NT-proBNP concentrations increased from 63 (interquartile range [IQR] 21 to 81) pg/mL to 131 (IQR 82 to 193) pg/mL (P<0.001). The increase in biomarkers correlated with post-race diastolic dysfunction, increased pulmonary pressures, and right ventricular dysfunction (right ventricular mid strain, r=−0.70, P<0.001) and inversely with training mileage (r=−0.71, P<0.001). Compared with athletes training >45 miles/wk, athletes who trained ≤35 miles/wk demonstrated increased pulmonary pressures, right ventricular dysfunction (mid strain 16±5% versus 25±4%, P<0.001), myocyte injury (cTnT 0.09 versus <0.01 ng/mL, P<0.001), and stress (NT-proBNP 182 versus 106 pg/mL, P<0.001). Conclusions— Completion of a marathon is associated with correlative biochemical and echocardiographic evidence of cardiac dysfunction and injury, and this risk is increased in those participants with less training.
Multiple Techniques Approach to the 3D Virtual Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage

According to an UNESCO survey, Italy accounts for more than half of the Cultural Heritage of the entire world. Italy’s Cultural Heritage therefore represents an enormous wealth not only for the country itself but also for the entire world and this asset should be preserved and documented for future generations and possibly used as source of revenues. Within the relevant methods of the Information Technology which can be applied to Cultural Heritage, that of accurate and realistic 3D "shape capture" of art works has been challenging the scientific community since a long time because an extremely high degree of realism is required. Thereby the virtual reconstruction of cultural heritage sites is becoming a significant field of application in the 3D modeling area. This paper proposes an integrated approach based upon a seamless combination of different 3D measurement techniques for the virtual reconstruction of complex architectures. Depending on the required spatial resolutions, different techniques can be used and at the end all the acquired data have to be integrated into a single 3D model. As example the model of a castle located in Trentino (Italy) was done using surveying, 3D laser scanner, close-range and aerial photogrammetry.
Absence of efficacy of subcutaneous antisense ICAM-1 treatment of chronic active Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS ISIS-2302, an antisense oligonucleotide directed against intercellular adhesion molecule 1, was effective in steroid refractory Crohn's disease in a pilot trial. The aim of this study was to investigate safety and efficacy of ISIS-2302 in chronic active Crohn's disease (CACD). METHODS A dose-interval, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 75 patients with steroid-refractory CACD (Crohn's Disease Activity Index [CDAI], 200-400). The primary endpoint was steroid-free remission (CDAI <150) at week 14. RESULTS Only 2 of 60 (3.3%) ISIS-2302-treated and no placebo patients reached the primary endpoint. Steroid-free remission at week 26 (secondary endpoint) was reached in 8 of 60 (13.3%) active treatment and 1 of 15 (6.7%) placebo patients. A greater proportion of ISIS-2302-treated than placebo patients achieved a steroid dose <10 mg/day at weeks 14 and 26 (48.3% vs. 33.3% and 55.0% vs. 40.0%, respectively, and a glucocorticoid dose of 0 mg [prednisone equivalent] at week 26 [23.3% vs. 6.7%, respectively]). Treatment with ISIS-2302 was safe. The most common side effects were injection site reactions in the active treatment group (23% in ISIS-2302-treated patients vs. none in placebo patients). No statistically significant differences in the frequency of side effects were detected between dose groups. CONCLUSIONS The trial did not prove clinical efficacy of ISIS-2302 based on the primary endpoint. Positive trends were observed in some of the secondary endpoints.