Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contribution of CD11a/CD18, CD11b/CD18, ICAM‐1 (CD54) and −2 (CD102) to human monocyte migration through endothelium and connective tissue fibroblast barriers

Recently we reported that monocyte migration through a barrier of human synovial fibroblasts (HSF) is mediated by the CD11/CD18 (β2) integrins, and the β1 integrins VLA‐4 and VLA‐5 on monocytes. Here we investigated in parallel the role of β2 integrin family members, LFA‐1 (CD11a/CD18) and Mac‐1 (CD11b/CD18) on monocytes, and the immunoglobulin supergene family members, ICAM‐1 and ICAM‐2 on HSF and on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), in monocyte migration through HSF and HUVEC monolayers. Using function blocking monoclonal antibodies (mAb), when both VLA‐4 and VLA‐5 on monocytes were blocked, treatment of monocytes with mAb to both LFA‐1 and to Mac‐1 completely inhibited monocyte migration across HSF barriers, although blocking either of these β2 integrins alone had no effect on migration, even when VLA‐4 and VLA‐5 were blocked. This indicates that optimal β2 integrin‐dependent monocyte migration in synovial connective tissue may be mediated by either LFA‐1 or Mac‐1. Both ICAM‐1 and ICAM‐2 were constitutively expressed on HSF and on HUVEC, although ICAM‐2 was only minimally expressed on HSF. Based on results of mAb blockade, ICAM‐1 appeared to be the major ligand for LFA‐1‐dependent migration through the HSF. In contrast, both ICAM‐1 and ICAM‐2 mediated LFA‐1‐dependent monocyte migration through HUVEC. However, neither ICAM‐1 nor ICAM‐2 was required for Mac‐1‐dependent monocyte migration through either cell barrier, indicating that Mac‐1 can utilize ligands distinct from ICAM‐1 and ICAM‐2 on HSF and on HUVEC during monocyte transmigration.
A simple colony‐formation assay in liquid medium, termed ‘tadpoling’, provides a sensitive measure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture viability

Here we describe the first high‐throughput amenable method of quantifying Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture viability. Current high‐throughput methods of assessing yeast cell viability, such as flow cytometry and SGA analysis, do not measure the percentage viability of a culture but instead measure cell vitality or colony fitness, respectively. We developed a method, called tadpoling, to quantify the percentage viability of a yeast culture, with the ability to detect as few as one viable cell amongst ~108 dead cells. The most important feature of this assay is the exploitation of yeast colony formation in liquid medium. Utilizing a microtiter dish, we are able to observe a range of viability of 100% to 0.0001%. Comparison of tadpoling to the traditional plating method to measure yeast culture viability reveals that, for the majority of Saccharomyces species analyzed there is no significant difference between the two methods. In comparison to flow cytometry using propidium iodide, the high‐throughput method of measuring yeast culture viability, tadpoling is much more accurate at culture viabilities < 1%. Thus, we show that tadpoling provides an easy, inexpensive, space‐saving method, amenable to high‐throughput screens, for accurately measuring yeast cell viability. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metallic Species on the Phenolic Species of Pyrolysis Oil

Bio-oil as an important renewable energy product has been successfully made from corn stalks and lignin via a fast pyrolysis process. This study investigated the effects of alkali and alkaline earth metallic species (AAEMs) on phenolic products in corn stalk and lignin pyrolysis oil. Corn stalks were demineralized with 0.5 M HCl, and lignin was doped with 0.2wt%, 2wt%, and 20wt% KCl and CaCl2, respectively. The pyrolysis experiments were conducted in a fixed bed tubular furnace ranging from 450 °C to 600 °C. It was found that AAEMs exert positive effects on the formation of char and gas and inhibit the production of bio-oil. The effect of KCl on the product distribution from lignin is somewhat stronger than CaCl2. Moreover, the content of P, HP, GP, and SP decreases after removal of AAEMs. KCl can promote the polymerization of light molecular aromatic hydrocarbons to increase the SP yield at 600 °C, whereas the effect on increase in P and HP content is relatively weaker than CaCl2. KCl and CaCl2 play notable roles in demethxylation and demethoxylation in increasing phenol content and removing the R group from the ring.
Vehicle state estimator for urban autonomous solution POC

An Autonomous vehicle is a driverless vehicle which is an emerging area in automotive industry across world. In an autonomous vehicle, the Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) is an indispensable component which is developed to automate, adapt and enhance vehicle systems for safety and better driving. The key factors in the ADAS are reliable vehicle's position and orientation. In the present system, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers with a real time kinematics (RTK) are used in autonomous vehicle. But the reliability of GPS signal and orientation accuracy is not satisfactory because of its inherent limitations. In this paper work, the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) which is combination of sensors and GPS are integrated with Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to overcome the limitations in the present system, thus a navigation algorithm is proposed for autonomous vehicles. The proposed algorithm methodology involves recording of the data from the GPS and IMU simultaneously and processing those obtained data in the EKF to reduce the accumulated errors. Then it is integrated in the iterative process of the filter, which gives the final positional data. In the driver less environment, the Dead Reckoning (DR) is a condition when there is a loss of GPS signal and the vehicle position depends on IMU data. The on-field performance trials with DR are conducted and evaluated for different real-time urban scenarios with both simulated results and pre recorded data on the demo path.
Chapter 6 Recent Advances on Implantable Wireless Sensor Networks

Implantable electronic devices are undergoing a miniaturization age, becoming more eicient and yet more powerful as well. Biomedical sensors are used to monitor a multitude of physiological parameters, such as glucose levels, blood pressure and neural activity. A group of sensors working together in the human body is the main component of a body area network, which is a wireless sensor network applied to the human body. In this chapter, applications of wireless biomedical sensors are presented, along with state-of-the-art communication and powering mechanisms of these devices. Furthermore, recent integration methods that allow the sensors to become smaller and more suitable for implantation are summarized. For individual sensors to become a body area network (BAN), they must form a network and work together. Issues that must be addressed when developing these networks are detailed and, inally, mobility methods for implanted sensors are presented.
Current status of the congenital hypothyroidism neonatal screening program in Adana Province, Turkey

Abstract Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a common cause of mental retardation; it has a worldwide incidence ranging from 1:3000 to 1:4500 live births. Predictably, an increase in the reported incidence of primary CH occurs when the cut-off levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone are lowered. We aimed to evaluate the results of a congenital hypothyroidism screening program and current status in this study. Methods: Analysis results of 1300 infants who were referred to the endocrinology polyclinic because of suspected CH within the scope of the Ministry of Health National Neonatal Screening Program were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The diagnosis of CH and initiation of treatment were both done in 223 (18.5%) and 10 (0.8%) infants as a result of the initial evaluation and follow-up, respectively. The mean capillary and venous thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels of 223 patients were 40.78 (5.5–100) μIU/mL and 67.26 (10.7–100) μIU/mL, respectively. These patients’ mean heel prick time was 8.65 (0–30, median: 7) days. The mean age of the 223 infants whose treatment was initiated as a result of the initial evaluation was 19.87 (4–51, median: 20) days, and the mean age of the infants whose treatment was started at follow-up was 43.71 (29–65) days. The duration between heel prick time and venous TSH time was 11.10 (2–28, median: 11) days and was longer than planned (3–5 days). Conclusions: Although the duration for the diagnosis and initiation of CH treatment were markedly reduced with the implementation of the screening program in Turkey compared to those before the implementation of the screening program, we have not yet achieved the ideal time (≤14 days).
Finite Horizon Tracking Control of Boolean Control Networks

In this paper, we propose an approach to design tracking controllers for Boolean control networks to track a time-varying reference output trajectory of finite length by applying the semi-tensor product method. First, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the trackability of the reference output trajectory. Second, in the case of a trackable output trajectory, one control sequence that realizes exact tracking can be found directly by means of backward selection. Otherwise, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ell _1$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ell _\infty$</tex-math></inline-formula> optimization problems can be formulated to find the control sequence that minimizes the tracking error. These optimization problems can be extended to take changes in control inputs into account. An additional advantage of the proposed approaches is that state, transition, and input constraints can be easily taken into account during the design of the controllers. Finally, illustrative example is given to demonstrate the proposed approaches.
[Assessment of the horizontal semicircular canal function after cochlear implantation by video head impulse test and caloric test].

Objective:To analyze the functional change of horizontal semicircular canals after cochlear implantation.Method:Eighteen patients were enrolled in this study.Their vestibular function was evaluated by using the caloric test and video head impulse test before and one week,one month after CI surgery,respectively.The unilateral weakness(UW),slow phase velocity(SPV)in caloric test and gain in video head impulse test(vHIT-G)were observed.Caloric test was abnormal when UW>25% or SPV mean<6°/s,while vHIT was abnormal when vHIT-G<0.8. Result:The SPV of the implanted ear were[(10.36±8.01)°/s;(14.77±14.24)°/s]pre-operatively,[(6.45±7.52)°/s;(5.14±4.67)°/s]1 week post-operatively and[(6.05±3.86)°/s;(6.27±4.17)°/s]1 month post-operatively.Statistically significant difference(P<0.05)was found between pre-and post-operative period.The vHIT-G of the implanted ear were(0.73±0.33)pre-operatively,(0.65±0.32)1 week post-operatively and(0.71±0.36)1 month post-operatively.There was no statistically significant difference of vHIT-G between preand post-operative period(P(pre-operative/1 week post-operative)=0.084,P(pre-operative/1 month post-operative)=0.679). Four patients presented with vertigo and one of them manifested slight unsteadiness post-operatively.All symptoms resolved within 7 days.These symptoms had no correlate with age,gender,implantedear and results of vestibular test.Conclusion:Cochlear implantation can affect the horizontal semicircular canal function,and the video head impulse test and caloric test should be used in a complementary fashion.
Honey as an effective antimicrobial treatment for chronic wounds: is there a place for it in modern medicine?

Honey has a long history in the treatment of wounds, where claims of its therapeutic properties include the inhibition of a wide range of infectious agents as well as an ability to promote rapid wound healing. However, honey is not a uniform product, and its chemical composition can be influenced by multiple factors. The availability of modern, licensed dress - ings containing medical grade honey has garnered renewed interest in its clinical potential for conventional wound care. Laboratory investigations are beginning to explain at a cellular and molecular level the effects of specific honeys on certain microorganisms, but the clinical evidence of its antimicrobial effects is limited at present. The aim of this review is to demonstrate the chemical complexity of honey, to describe the mechanisms of antibacterial action reported to date, and to collate the evidence that provides insight into antimicrobial claims for honey.
Combining Contextual and Lexical Features to Classify UMLS Concepts

Semantic classification is important for biomedical terminologies and the many applications that depend on them. Previously we developed two classifiers for 8 broad clinically relevant classes to reclassify and validate UMLS concepts. We found them to be complementary, and then combined them using a manual approach. In this paper, we extended the classifiers by adding an "other" class to categorize concepts not belonging to any of the 8 classes. In addition, we focused on automating the method for combining the two classifiers by training a meta-classifier that performs dynamic combination to exploit the strength of each classifier. The automated method performed as well as manual combination, achieving classification accuracy of about 0.81.
Mobility-Aware Participant Recruitment for Vehicle-Based Mobile Crowdsensing

Nowadays, vehicles have been increasingly adopted in mobile crowdsensing applications. Due to their predictable mobility trajectories, vehicles as participants bring new insight in improving the crowdsensing quality. The predictable mobility of vehicles provides not only the current locations of the vehicles, but also their future mobility trajectory. In this context, the existing participant recruitment solutions, which are mainly based on the current locations of the participants, cannot be directly used in vehicle-based mobile crowdsensing. Utilizing the predicted mobility trajectory of vehicles, this paper aims to propose efficient vehicle recruitment algorithms for mobile crowdsensing, so as to minimize the overall recruitment cost. Specifically, we study two mobility trajectory models of the vehicles, named deterministic and probabilistic models. We first prove that the vehicle recruitment problem under both models is NP-hard. Then, for the deterministic trajectory model, an efficient LP-relaxation-based heuristic algorithm is proposed, and an approximation ratio is analyzed. For the probabilistic trajectory model, we propose a greedy algorithm and analyze its performance with a guaranteed approximation ratio. Finally, we evaluate the performance of the proposed schemes through simulations.
An Analytically Based Two-Sex Marriage Model and Maximum Likelihood Estimates of its Parameters: Austria, 1979

A parameterized model of family formation, with applicability in both economics and demography is presented here. The model itself is a marriage of economic and demographic analysis. On the economic side, the model is based on a formal characterization of the "marriage market" and makes use of what economists call the "extended linear expenditure system. " On the demographic side, the model makes use of the analytic nuptiality function developed by Coale and McNeil. The resulting specification with 13 easily interpretable parameters, is applied to the patterns of nuptiality observed in Austria in 1979. The plausibility of the maximum likelihood parameter estimates as well as the measures of goodness-of-fit indicate that the model can tentatively be accepted as a new tool for the study of the family.
Vacancy and interstitial oxide ion migration in heavily doped La2−xSrxCoO4±δ

La2−xSrxCoO4±δ, a K2NiF4-type structured oxide, is currently under investigation for its possible application as a cathode material in solid oxide fuel cells operating at intermediate temperature (IT-SOFCs). Here we report a combined energy minimization and molecular dynamics study of oxygen migration mechanisms in the La2−xSrxCoO4±δ material for high Sr levels (x > 0.8). In the oxygen-deficient composition La0.8Sr1. 2CoO3.9 the oxide-ion transport mainly occurs through the migration of oxygen vacancies within the perovskite layer of the structure, with possible vacancy paths between adjacent layers. In the oxygen-rich composition La1.2Sr0.8CoO4.1 interstitial oxygen transport is via an interstitialcy mechanism and within the ab plane.
Fisetin inhibits the proliferation of gastric cancer cells and induces apoptosis through suppression of ERK 1/2 activation

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of fisetin on proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells, as well as the underlying mechanism. Proliferation in SGC7901 cancer and GES-1 normal cells was analyzed using a CCK-8 assay. Apoptosis was analyzed using an Annexin V/Propidium Iodide apoptosis kit and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 was analyzed by western blot assay. Treatment of SGC7901 cells with various concentrations (1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 µM) of fisetin for 48 h resulted in a concentration dependent reduction in proliferation. Flow cytometry revealed a marked increase in apoptosis from 5 µM concentration of fisetin after 48 h. The percentage of apoptotic cells increased to 87% following treatment with 15 µM fisetin for 48 h, compared with 2% in control. Treatment of SGC7901 cells with fisetin for 48 h resulted in a reduction in the activation of ERK 1/2 in a concentration-dependent manner. The reduction in activation of ERK 1/2 was significant following treatment with 15 µM fisetin for 48 h. The inhibitory effect of fisetin on activation of ERK 1/2 was further demonstrated using the ERK 1/2 inhibitor, PD98059. The results indicated a significant reduction in the proliferation of SGC7901 cells following treatment with PD98059 (P<0.002). The reduction by PD98059 administration was comparable to that observed following fisetin treatment for 48 h. In conclusion, the current study demonstrates that fisetin inhibits the proliferation of gastric cancer cells and induces apoptosis through suppression of ERK 1/2 activation. Thus, fisetin may have therapeutic applications in the treatment of gastric cancer.
The impact of total body irradiation on the outcome of patients with follicular lymphoma treated with autologous stem-cell transplantation in the modern era: a retrospective study of the EBMT Lymphoma Working Party.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the high-dose regimen on the outcome of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) having had autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) in a recent time period. PATIENTS Between 1995 and 2007, 2233 patients with FL had their first ASCT with either a total body irradiation (TBI)-containing regimen or carmustin, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan (BEAM), of which 47% were autografted in first remission. RESULTS After a median observation time of 73 months (interquartile range 30-107), 5- and 10-year non-relapse mortality (NRM) was similar (6% and 10% in both groups). No significant NRM differences became evident after multivariate adjustment for confounders. Secondary malignancies were observed in 9.7% and 7.9% of the patients after TBI and BEAM (P = 0.19), which were treatment-related myelodysplastic syndromes/acute myelogenous leukaemia (t-MDS/AML) in 3.4% and 2.8% (P = 0.57). The median time to t-MDS/AML was around 50 months in both groups. Because of a lower relapse incidence, TBI was associated with better event-free survival reaching statistical significance in the patients transplanted in first remission but not in those transplanted beyond first remission. CONCLUSIONS In patients with FL who received TBI-based ASCT after 1995 increased NRM and t-MDS/AML risks did not emerge compared with BEAM while disease control was at least equivalent.
Concerning Knowledge: Assessing Radon Knowledge and Concern in Rural Nova Scotia

A homeowner survey (n=152), designed to assess knowledge of radon health effects, concern regarding radon exposure in the home, and interest in radon testing, was conducted in a small university town in uranium-rich Nova Scotia, Canada. Although approximately 10% of lung cancer deaths in Canada are attributable to residential radon exposure, most respondents indicated that they had little knowledge of and little concern about radon and its health effects. There was a significant positive relationship between knowledge and concern but even when knowledge is high, levels of concern remain relatively low. Unless government policies address residential radon testing and mitigation, families will remain at risk of radon exposure in their homes. Keywords: Public health, family health, health policy, radon, risk perception
Existence of Diverse Modifications in Small-RNA Species Composed of 16-28 Nucleotides.

RNA contains diverse modifications that exert an important influence in a variety of cellular processes. So far, more than 150 modifications have been identified in various RNA species, mainly in ribosomal RNA (rRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA). In contrast to rRNA, tRNA, and mRNA, the known modifications in small RNA species have been primarily limited to 2'-O-ribose methylation in plants and inosine in mammals. The methylation of small RNAs in mammals is still unclear. Current methods widely used in the characterization of small RNAs are mainly based on the strategy of nucleic acid hybridization and sequencing, which cannot characterize modifications in small RNAs. Herein, we have systematically investigated modifications in small RNAs composed of 16-28 nucleotides (nt) by establishing an effective isolation and neutral enzymatic digestion of small RNAs in combination with liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). This method allowed us to simultaneously detect 57 different types of nucleoside modification. By using this approach, we revealed 24 modifications in small RNAs comprising 16-28 nt from human cells. In addition, we found that the obesity-associated protein (FTO) may demethylate N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) and N6 ,2'-O-dimethyladenosine (m6 Am) in small RNAs of 16-28 nt. Our study demonstrates the existence of diverse modifications in small RNAs composed of 16-28 nt, which may promote in-depth understanding of the regulatory roles of noncoding RNAs.
Researching recovery from psychosis: A user-led project

AIMS AND METHOD Involvement of service users in the research process and examination of recovery from psychosis are two topics that have generated recent interest within the research community. This user-led study examines the subjective experience of recovery in people with experience of psychosis. Seven interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis and several themes emerged from the data. RESULTS Recovery from psychosis was found to be a complex and idiosyncratic process, which often involved rebuilding life, rebuilding self and hope for a better future (each of these themes consisted of sub-themes). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The importance of continuity of care, the need for greater choice in approaches aimed at alleviating distress, access to stories of recovery and encouragement, and the importance of more individualised recovery care plans are among factors highlighted.