Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ethosomal nanocarriers: the impact of constituents and formulation techniques on ethosomal properties, in vivo studies, and clinical trials

Ethosomal systems are novel lipid vesicular carriers containing a relatively high percentage of ethanol. These nanocarriers are especially designed for the efficient delivery of therapeutic agents with different physicochemical properties into deep skin layers and across the skin. Ethosomes have undergone extensive research since they were invented in 1996; new compounds were added to their initial formula, which led to the production of new types of ethosomal systems. Different preparation techniques are used in the preparation of these novel carriers. For ease of application and stability, ethosomal dispersions are incorporated into gels, patches, and creams. Highly diverse in vivo models are used to evaluate their efficacy in dermal/transdermal delivery, in addition to clinical trials. This article provides a detailed review of the ethosomal systems and categorizes them on the basis of their constituents to classical ethosomes, binary ethosomes, and transethosomes. The differences among these systems are discussed from several perspectives, including the formulation, size, ζ-potential (zeta potential), entrapment efficiency, skin-permeation properties, and stability. This paper gives a detailed review on the effects of ethosomal system constituents, preparation methods, and their significant roles in determining the final properties of these nanocarriers. Furthermore, the novel pharmaceutical dosage forms of ethosomal gels, patches, and creams are highlighted. The article also provides detailed information regarding the in vivo studies and clinical trials conducted for the evaluation of these vesicular systems.
A comparative study of scheduling algorithms for OFDMA-based WiMAX networks

Scheduling is an essential component in WiMAX networks for efficient use of radio resources. In this paper, we propose a review of some scheduling algorithms for OFDMA-based WiMAX networks, MAX-SNR scheduling, Proportional Fairness scheduling (PFS) and a novel cross-layer scheduling algorithm (CACBq). The CACBQ algorithm takes into account both QoS and channel condition of users in its decisions. Simulation results are presented in two scenarios to achieve better evaluation of the performance of these schemes. CACBQ algorithm outperforms other algorithms in delay and packet loss rate for real-time services. However, MAX-SNR algorithm has the best throughput.
Investigation on damage self-diagnosis of fiber smart structures based on LS-SVM

The self-diagnosis function is one of main research contents of smart structures. And it is the foundation of other functions realization of smart structures. Aiming at the localization of present structural damage detection methods and the virtue of Least Square Support Vector Machine arithmetic, Least Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) used to detect damages in fiber smart structures was proposed in this paper and was compared with the improved BP neural network. The experimental research results show that this proposed method is feasible and effective for detecting damages in smart structures. Least Square Support Vector Machine provides the more advanced method for realizing the self-diagnosis function in fiber smart structures.
ADAPTIVE MULTISCALE DETECTION OF FILAMENTARY STRUCTURES IN A BACKGROUND OF UNIFORM RANDOM POINTS 1

We are given a set of n points that might be uniformly distributed in the unit square [0 , 1] 2 . We wish to test whether the set, although mostly consisting of uniformly scattered points, also contains a small fraction of points sampled from some (a priori unknown) curve with C α -norm bounded by β . An asymptotic detection threshold exists in this problem; for a constant T − ( α,β ) > 0, if the number of points sampled from the curve is smaller than T − ( α,β ) n 1 / (1+ α ) , reliable detection is not possible for large n . We describe a multiscale signiﬁcant-runs algorithm that can reliably detect concentration of data near a smooth curve, without knowing the smoothness information α or β in advance, provided that the number of points on the curve exceeds T ∗ ( α,β ) n 1 / (1+ α ) . This algorithm therefore has an optimal detection threshold, up to a factor T ∗ /T − . At the heart of our approach is an analysis of the data by counting membership in multiscale multianisotropic strips. The strips will have area 2 /n and exhibit a variety of lengths, orientations and anisotropies. The strips are partitioned into anisotropy classes; each class is organized as a directed graph whose vertices all are strips of the same anisotropy and whose edges link such strips to their “good continuations. ” The point-cloud data are reduced to counts that measure membership in strips. Each anisotropy graph is reduced to a subgraph that consist of strips with signiﬁcant counts. The algorithm rejects H 0 whenever some such subgraph contains a path that connects many consecutive signiﬁcant counts.
An integral approach to bedrock river profile analysis

Bedrock river profiles are often interpreted with the aid of slope–area analysis, but noisy topographic data make such interpretations challenging. We present an alternative approach based on an integration of the steady‐state form of the stream power equation. The main component of this approach is a transformation of the horizontal coordinate that converts a steady‐state river profile into a straight line with a slope that is simply related to the ratio of the uplift rate to the erodibility. The transformed profiles, called chi plots, have other useful properties, including co‐linearity of steady‐state tributaries with their main stem and the ease of identifying transient erosional signals. We illustrate these applications with analyses of river profiles extracted from digital topographic datasets. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Pathway Regulates Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption and Oxidative Capacity*

Metabolic rate and the subsequent production of reactive oxygen species are thought to contribute to the rate of aging in a wide range of species. The target of rapamycin (TOR) is a well conserved serine/threonine kinase that regulates cell growth in response to nutrient status. Here we demonstrate that in mammalian cells the mammalian TOR (mTOR) pathway plays a significant role in determining both resting oxygen consumption and oxidative capacity. In particular, we demonstrate that the level of complex formation between mTOR and one of its known protein partners, raptor, correlated with overall mitochondrial activity. Disruption of this complex following treatment with the mTOR pharmacological inhibitor rapamycin lowered mitochondrial membrane potential, oxygen consumption, and ATP synthetic capacity. Subcellular fractionation revealed that mTOR as well as mTOR-raptor complexes can be purified in the mitochondrial fraction. Using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis, we further demonstrated that inhibiting mTOR with rapamycin resulted in a dramatic alteration in the mitochondrial phosphoproteome. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of TSC2, p70 S6 kinase (S6K1), raptor, or rictor demonstrates that mTOR regulates mitochondrial activity independently of its previously identified cellular targets. Finally we demonstrate that mTOR activity may play an important role in determining the relative balance between mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial sources of ATP generation. These results may provide insight into recent observations linking the TOR pathway to life span regulation of lower organisms.
Semiasymptotic method for quasiperiodic impedance rod

Phenomena of coupling of wave beam and surface wave at impedance rod with spatially oscillating parameters are theoretically considered. Used method is asymptotic with respect to smoothness parameter and is numerical with respect to perturbation amplitudes. It combines advantages of the asymptotic and numeric methods in cases of quasiperiodic structures with large number of “periods”. Obtained coupling coefficients are compared with known asymptotic expressions.
An Asynchronous Event Relation Model for Monitoring Distributed System

Distributed system monitor of heterogeneous environment is a very important problem in distributed system searching field. This paper describes an asynchronous event relation model, which constructs a hiberarchy event relation graph according to event equivalent relation, and event ordinal relation, and event independent relation, and event exclusive relation. According to event relation graph, asynchronous event transacting process determines which events will be transacted. This model not only reduces numbers of asynchronous events transacted but also can reflect state of monitor object. The periodic method and asynchronous event relation model are compared with monitoring distributed system in this paper. By implementation, the model is efficient.
Mack Center on Nonprofit and Public Sector Management in Human Service Organizations

This invited set of reflections upon the research carried out under the auspices of a school of social work is part of a series featuring research centers. It reflects 25 years of scholarly work related to both public and nonprofit human service organizations at the only university-based research center in the United States devoted to research on the management of human service organizations. Organized in the predefined categories of center history, structure, past projects, and current projects, it features current and past research in the areas of welfare services, child welfare services, adult and aging services, organizational support for evidence-informed practice, sustainability of nonprofits, international human services, and practice research methodology. Dedicated to the principles of team science by including graduate students, postdoctorate fellows, and consulting researchers, the Mack Center features the processes of practice research in which practitioners play a major role in the research process.
Enhanced thermal stability of silica-coated gold nanorods for photoacoustic imaging and image-guided therapy

Photothermal stability and, therefore, consistency of both optical absorption and photoacoustic response of the plasmonic nanoabsorbers is critical for successful photoacoustic image-guided photothermal therapy. In this study, silica-coated gold nanorods were developed as a multifunctional molecular imaging and therapeutic agent suitable for image-guided photothermal therapy. The optical properties and photothermal stability of silica-coated gold nanorods under intense irradiation with nanosecond laser pulses were investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Silica-coated gold nanorods showed increased photothermal stability and retained their superior optical properties under much higher fluences. The changes in photoacoustic response of PEGylated and silica-coated nanorods under laser pulses of various fluences were compared. The silica-coated gold nanorods provide a stable photoacoustic signal, which implies better imaging capabilities and make silica-coated gold nanorods a promising imaging and therapeutic nano-agent for photoacoustic imaging and image-guided photothermal therapy.
Talk and Totems : The Discursive Constitution of the Strategy Process Introduction

Text, Talk and Totems: The Discursive Constitution of the Strategy Process The efficacy of processual analysis in the study of micro-strategizing is well established. In this paper we will seek to contribute to the strategy as process debate by introducing a discourse perspective. We will argue that such an approach offers an analytically fruitful means of studying the way in which strategies are formulated, especially in relation to an interpretation of the wider institutional and business environment. We are interested in seeing how strategizing activities were manifested in talk and text. These were manifested in visible totems. Text, talk and totems were recursively constituted through interpretations of the (business) environment, i.e. framing strategy, competition, finance and regulation. We applied this framework in order to structure our narrative. Our aim in this paper is therefore to construct a framework that has the capacity to speak to the strategy making process. We use an indicative case, that of a privatised Regional Electricity Company CoastElectric, to illustrate our argument. The case study is particularly illuminating in that within the space of a few years there was a sharp volte-face in the strategy making by the organization. Broadly speaking, this can be characterised first by a shift towards a ‘market based, diversification’ approach which, after a few years, was followed by a shift to a ‘core capability’ approach. In each case, senior managers could plausibly argue for the necessity of the strategy adopted.
Potts model based on a Markov process computation solves the community structure problem effectively

The Potts model is a powerful tool to uncover community structure in complex networks. Here, we propose a framework to reveal the optimal number of communities and stability of network structure by quantitatively analyzing the dynamics of the Potts model. Specifically we model the community structure detection Potts procedure by a Markov process, which has a clear mathematical explanation. Then we show that the local uniform behavior of spin values across multiple timescales in the representation of the Markov variables could naturally reveal the network's hierarchical community structure. In addition, critical topological information regarding multivariate spin configuration could also be inferred from the spectral signatures of the Markov process. Finally an algorithm is developed to determine fuzzy communities based on the optimal number of communities and the stability across multiple timescales. The effectiveness and efficiency of our algorithm are theoretically analyzed as well as experimentally validated.
A CMOS IC for portable EEG acquisition systems

This paper presents a monolithic low-power, low-noise analog front-end electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition system. It draws only 500 /spl mu/A from a standard 9 V battery, making it suitable for use in portable systems. Although fabricated in a standard CMOS technology, using current feedback techniques it achieves a CMRR of 100 dB while the total input noise referred to input is kept as low as 1.5 /spl mu/V (RMS).
Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation: a utilization review of use in a teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND The use of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) for acute respiratory failure (ARF) has become more widespread over the past decade, but its prescription, use and outcomes in the clinical setting remain uncertain. The objective of this study was to review the use of NIPPV for ARF with respect to clinical indications, physician ordering, monitoring strategies and patient outcomes. METHODS A total of 91 consecutive adult patients admitted between June 1997 and September 1998 to a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital in Hamilton, Ont. , who received 95 trials of NIPPV for ARF were included in an observational cohort study. Data abstraction forms were completed in duplicate, then relevant clinical, physiologic, prescribing, monitoring and outcome data were abstracted from the NIPPV registry and hospital records. RESULTS The most common indications for NIPPV were pulmonary edema (42 of 95 trials [44.2%]) and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (23 of 95 trials [24.2%]). NIPPV was started primarily in the emergency department (62.1% of trials), however, in terms of total hours of NIPPV the most frequent sites of administration were the intensive care unit (30.9% of total hours) and the clinical teaching unit (20.2% of total hours). NIPPV was stopped in 48.4% of patients because of improvement and in 25.6% because of deterioration necessitating endotracheal intubation. The median time to intubation was 3.0 hours (interquartile range 0.8-12.2 hours). The respirology service was consulted for 28.4% of the patients. Physician orders usually lacked details of NIPPV settings and monitoring methods. We found no significant predictors of the need for endotracheal intubation. The overall death rate was 28.6%. The only independent predictor of death was a decreased level of consciousness (odds ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.0-8.4). INTERPRETATION NIPPV was used for ARF of diverse causes in many hospital settings and was started and managed by physicians with various levels of training and experience. The use of this technique outside the critical care setting may be optimized by a multidisciplinary educational practice guideline.
The response of native oaks from California and Israel to drought

California and Israel are both characterized by Mediterranean climates, and the native oaks growing in these two locales occupy similar ecological niches. However, in California certain oak species are having difficulty regenerating adequately, while in Israel this is not a problem. From 2004 to 2006, a series of greenhouse studies were conducted in both Israel and California to sort out the role of evolutionary history in influencing species regeneration rates and strategies. These studies have evaluated survival and growth, as well as the response of the species to disturbance including simulated browsing and fire. In 2006, an out-planting study was initiated at the University of California Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center in Yuba County to determine how the species respond under normal field conditions. Three California oak species, including Quercus agrifiolia, Q. douglasii and Q. berberidifolia, as well as two Israeli oak species (Q. ithaburensis and Q. calliprinos) were planted in a common garden. This latter study was designed to evaluate phenology, growth rates, and how seedlings respond to summer drought in terms of pre-dawn plant moisture stress (PMS). Unfortunately, high field mortality prevented assessing plant moisture stress or field growth rates so the results reported here include only initial size, bud burst date and survival. Results indicate that the deciduous species from both locations (Q. douglasii and Q. ithaburensis) break bud far earlier than their evergreen counterparts. Growth in containers varied greatly by species, with Q. agrifolia from California and Q. ithaburensis from Israel growing far more rapidly that the other species. Finally, a comparison of the survival of evergreen and deciduous species from Israel with those from California suggests that California species tended to die earlier. These results are consistent with results from the greenhouse studies that found that the California species were generally less water-use efficient and might be less adapted to drought stress than Israeli species.
A Robust Model Predictive Control Framework for Diesel Generators

Abstract A constraint tightened linear-time-varying MPC framework is proposed with applications in power tracking for variable and fixed speed generators. Current constraint tightening approaches are extended to allow for practical applications where future system representations are unknown. The resulting control structure is shown to be robustly feasible under given conditions. Knowledge about the geometry of system constraints is exploited to obtain a computationally efficient method of computing tightened sets online. A simulation study is presented demonstrating the ability of the controller to handle modelling error and demonstrate tracking of a commanded power profile.
Lipoprotein Subfractions in Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Clinical Significance and Therapeutic Approaches

Small, dense low density lipoprotein (sdLDL) represents an emerging cardiovascular risk factor, since these particles can be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) independently of established risk factors, including plasma lipids. Obese subjects frequently have atherogenic dyslipidaemia, including elevated sdLDL levels, in addition to elevated triglycerides (TG), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and apolipoprotein-B, as well as decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Obesity-related co-morbidities, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) are also characterized by dyslipidaemia. Therefore, agents that favourably modulate LDL subclasses may be of clinical value in these subjects. Statins are the lipid-lowering drug of choice. Also, anti-obesity and lipid lowering drugs other than statins could be useful in these patients. However, the effects of anti-obesity drugs on CVD risk factors remain unclear. We review the clinical significance of sdLDL in being overweight and obesity, as well as the efficacy of anti-obesity drugs on LDL subfractions in these individuals; a short comment on HDL subclasses is also included. Our literature search was based on PubMed and Scopus listings. Further research is required to fully explore both the significance of sdLDL and the efficacy of anti-obesity drugs on LDL subfractions in being overweight, obesity and MetS. Improving the lipoprotein profile in these patients may represent an efficient approach for reducing cardiovascular risk.
A commitment-based management strategy for the performance and reliability enhancement of flash-memory storage systems

Cost has been a major driving force in the development of the flash memory technology, but has also introduced serious challenges on reliability and performance for future products. In this work, we propose a commitment-based management strategy to resolve the reliability problem of many flash-memory products. A three-level address translation architecture with an adaptive block mapping mechanism is proposed to accelerate the address translation process with a limited amount of the RAM usage. Parallelism of operations over multiple chips is also explored with the considerations of the write constraints of multi-level-cell flash memory chips.
Core epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition interactome gene-expression signature is associated with claudin-low and metaplastic breast cancer subtypes

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) produces cancer cells that are invasive, migratory, and exhibit stem cell characteristics, hallmarks of cells that have the potential to generate metastases. Inducers of the EMT include several transcription factors (TFs), such as Goosecoid, Snail, and Twist, as well as the secreted TGF-β1. Each of these factors is capable, on its own, of inducing an EMT in the human mammary epithelial (HMLE) cell line. However, the interactions between these regulators are poorly understood. Overexpression of each of the above EMT inducers up-regulates a subset of other EMT-inducing TFs, with Twist, Zeb1, Zeb2, TGF-β1, and FOXC2 being commonly induced. Up-regulation of Slug and FOXC2 by either Snail or Twist does not depend on TGF-β1 signaling. Gene expression signatures (GESs) derived by overexpressing EMT-inducing TFs reveal that the Twist GES and Snail GES are the most similar, although the Goosecoid GES is the least similar to the others. An EMT core signature was derived from the changes in gene expression shared by up-regulation of Gsc, Snail, Twist, and TGF-β1 and by down-regulation of E-cadherin, loss of which can also trigger an EMT in certain cell types. The EMT core signature associates closely with the claudin-low and metaplastic breast cancer subtypes and correlates negatively with pathological complete response. Additionally, the expression level of FOXC1, another EMT inducer, correlates strongly with poor survival of breast cancer patients.