Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic and reversible changes of interstitial cell phenotype during remodeling of cardiac valves.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY The roles of cardiac valvular interstitial cells (VIC) in extracellular matrix remodeling in fetal development, adaptation and response to injury are largely unknown. METHODS The phenotype of VIC was studied in health (normal adult human and sheep), development (fetal human and sheep), disease (human mitral valves with myxomatous degeneration), adaptation (clinical pulmonary to aortic valve autografts) and tissue-engineered heart valves matured in vitro and remodeled in vivo. Cell phenotype was assessed using expression of vimentin (V), alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA, A), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13/collagenase-3 (M), and SMemb (S). RESULTS VIC in normal adult valves were predominantly quiescent fibroblasts immunoreactive to vimentin (89.7 +/- 2.5%), but not MMP-13 or SMemb, with only 2.5 +/- 0.4% of alpha-SMA-positive cells ('normal/quiescent' phenotype: V+/A-/M-/S-). In contrast, fetal VIC were mostly activated myofibroblasts ('developing/activated' phenotype: V+/A+/M+/S+), with 62.1 +/- 5.0% of cells staining positive for alpha-SMA. VIC in myxomatous valves, short-term autografts and engineered valves in vitro were also activated myofibroblasts with coexpression of vimentin, alpha-SMA (36.2 +/- 3.7%, 19.3 +/- 2.4%, and 60.3 +/- 9% positive cells, respectively), strong MMP-13 activity indicative of collagen remodeling, and SMemb ('remodeling/activated' phenotype: V+/A+/M+/S+). In contrast, VIC in long-term pulmonary autografts and engineered valve explants had a mostly fibroblast-like phenotype, with sparse alpha-SMA expression (6.0 +/- 1% and 5.4 +/- 1.0% positive cells) (V+/A-/M-/S-). CONCLUSION Most VIC in normal valves were quiescent with a fibroblast-like phenotype. VIC in developing, diseased, adapting and engineered valves adjust to a dynamic environment through VIC activation and secretion of proteolytic enzymes mediating extracellular matrix remodeling ('developing/ remodeling/activated' phenotype), followed by a normalization of phenotype.
A research on estimation of emotion using EEG signals and brain computer interfaces

The brain produces weak electrical signals that can be measured from the skull. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method that provides monitoring electrical activity of the brain with the electrical methods. Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is a system that converts the electrical signals produced by the brain to the signals that can be interpreted by a computer or an electronic system. Brain Computer Interface aims to produce the result on developed computer systems rather than creating a response in the body from the signals sent by the brain. Emotion is defined as a psychophysiological change in the mood of a person that emerges by interaction with biochemical and environmental effects. There are many methods on emotion recognition research. These include voice recognition, recognition with mimics, and so on. However, face expression or tone of voice does not always represent feelings. Skin conductivity, skin temperature changes, blood pressure, heartbeat are also used for emotion estimation. In addition, BCI research on emotional recognition is important in recent years and it's still a new topic in research. In this paper, studies on emotion estimation using EEG signals and the brain computer interface studies in this subject have been examined and the lack of relevant literature on this subject are discussed.
A hybrid opportunistic Routing Scheme based on nodes grouping strategy for VANETs in Urban Scenarios

The increasing mobile devices with better wireless communication facilities trends to be a good opportunity for the development of vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs). The opportunistic routing protocols are generally developed from the Delay Tolerant Network (DTN). In this paper, we propose an opportunistic routing algorithm called RSUS (Routing Scheme for Urban Scenarios) based on a grouping strategy which considers both internal property and external contacts of nodes. The nodes of network are divided into super nodes, backbone nodes and ordinary nodes. Each type of nodes uses different routing strategy respectively. Then simulations were carried out by the ONE simulator and evaluations compared with the traditional single opportunistic algorithms. Furthermore RSUS was simulated in three different cities. Results show that RSUS algorithm can obtain the optimal performance with a low network overhead ratio and a high delivery rate, it is also suitable for different urban scenarios.
Data-Driven Forecast of Dengue Outbreaks in Brazil: A Critical Assessment of Climate Conditions for Different Capitals

Local climate conditions play a major role in the development of the mosquito population responsible for transmitting Dengue Fever. Since the {\em Aedes Aegypti} mosquito is also a primary vector for the recent Zika and Chikungunya epidemics across the Americas, a detailed monitoring of periods with favorable climate conditions for mosquito profusion may improve the timing of vector-control efforts and other urgent public health strategies. We apply dimensionality reduction techniques and machine-learning algorithms to climate time series data and analyze their connection to the occurrence of Dengue outbreaks for seven major cities in Brazil. Specifically, we have identified two key variables and a period during the annual cycle that are highly predictive of epidemic outbreaks. The key variables are the frequency of precipitation and temperature during an approximately two month window of the winter season preceding the outbreak. Thus simple climate signatures may be influencing Dengue outbreaks even months before their occurrence. Some of the more challenging datasets required usage of compressive-sensing procedures to estimate missing entries for temperature and precipitation records. Our results indicate that each Brazilian capital considered has a unique frequency of precipitation and temperature signature in the winter preceding a Dengue outbreak. Such climate contributions on vector populations are key factors in dengue dynamics which could lead to more accurate prediction models and early warning systems. Finally, we show that critical temperature and precipitation signatures may vary significantly from city to city, suggesting that the interplay between climate variables and dengue outbreaks is more complex than generally appreciated.
Adiabatic 5T SRAM

In this paper an effort is made to design an energy efficient 5T SRAM in 65nm technology. The energy recovery driver saves energy in the single bit line in addition to enhancing the write ability of the 5T SRAM. The energy recovery is possible by pumping the bit line energy back into the bit line voltage source instead of allowing to ground after write operation. This energy efficient SRAM also provides good performance parameters and hence suitable for high density embedded systems.
A Review of various Face Prediction Models using Image Processing

Out of all body parts face is one of the most important part of body by which everyone can show its emotions, feelings etc. Most of the humans can easily predict a person’s current age just by gazing their faces. Facial recognition is a part of biometric software application which is used to identify a particular and individual thing in an image by analysis and evaluation of patterns. There are various face prediction models which are based on different techniques like PCA, ANN etc. Age plays an important role to predict the face of any person. Most of the models are built on the basis of age parameter. Recently, image processing has played a major role in this area of research and has widely used for the face prediction. These ages based models have various useful applications like security purpose, to find a missing person. This paper presents a survey of various face prediction systems using image processing techniques in recent times. A comprehensive study of a number of face prediction systems are done in this paper, with different methodologies and their performances.
AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT USING SANDPILE MODEL

This research develop the managing within network and relationship mechanism in agribusiness management through serious game. Agribusiness is represented as sand that work together in the market (sandpile) to maintain networks and relationships. This research apply agent base model for predicting activity network based on the parameters that exist in the collaboration. The result indicate that average selling, average buying and market price (CK = 4) are not approach the value of the open market but precisely coincide with eachother. Total bought and total sold are tend to be high value. This condition suggests a very tight competition. The average selling, average buying and market price (CK = 0.01) are approach the value of the open market. Total bought and total sold are not as high as total bought and total sold, by using CK = 4, this condition shows the competition is not too tight.
eEduHeart I: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial Investigating the Effectiveness of a Cardiac Web-Based eLearning Platform - Rationale and Study Design

Objectives: Cardiac telerehabilitation includes, in its most comprehensive format, telemonitoring, telecoaching, social interaction, and eLearning. The specific role of eLearning, however, was seldom assessed. The aim of eEduHeart I is to investigate the medium-term effectiveness of the addition of a cardiac web-based eLearing platform to conventional cardiac care. Methods: In this prospective, multicenter randomized, controlled trial, 1,000 patients with coronary artery disease will be randomized 1:1 to an intervention group (receiving 1-month unrestricted access to the cardiac eLearning platform in addition to conventional cardiac care) or to conventional cardiac care alone. The primary endpoint is health-related quality of life, assessed by the HeartQoL questionnaire at the 1- and 3-month follow-ups. Secondary endpoints include pathology-specific knowledge and self-reported eLearning platform user experience. Data on the eLearning platform usage will be gathered through web logging during the study period. Results: eEduHeart I will be one of the first studies to report on the added value of eLearning. Conclusions: If the intervention is proven effective, current cardiac telerehabilitation programs can be augmented by including eLearning, too. The platform can then be used as a model for other chronic diseases in which patient education plays a key role.
Cause of low arterial oxygen saturation in pulmonary fibrosis

Since the description of 'alveolar-capillary block' by Austrian, McClement, Renzetti, Donald, Riley, and Cournand (1951), impairment of diffusion across the alveolar-capillary membrane has been regarded as an important factor in the production of low arterial oxygen saturations in patients with diffuse pulmonary disease. However, Luchsinger, Moser, Buhlmann, and Rossier (1957) suggested that restriction of the capillary bed might be responsible, and the demonstration by Roughton and Forster (1957) that the relatively slow chemical reaction with haemoglobin was a major resistance to the absorption of respiratory gases lent support to this view. More recently, Motley (1958) and Finley, Swenson, and Comroe (1962) have shown the importance of uneven distribution of ventilation and perfusion in producing hypoxaemia. In view of the doubt as to the importance of diffusion in gas absorption, Cotes (1963) has suggested the non-committal term 'transfer factor' instead of 'diffusing capacity' (DL) to describe the process. Roughton and Forster (1957) showed that it was possible to separate the red cell and the membrane components of gas transfer by making use of the competition between carbon monoxide and oxygen for the available haemoglobin (Fig. 1). This technique gives an estimate of the volume of the pulmonary capillaries (Vc) if the rate of combination of the gas with blood (9) is known. However, both the capillary volume (Vc) and the membrane component (DM) estimated in this way are probably influenced by uneven distribution effects (Hamer, 1963b) which limit the contact between alveolar gas and capillary blood. The relation between the factors is given by the formula I I I DL =DM #V-C In the present study, the technique of Roughton and Forster (1957) was used to analyse the process of gas transfer in seven patients with diffuse
A study on the application of an integrated livestock excreta management system using U-ICT: Focusing on liquid fertilization element

To prevent the inappropriate treatment of livestock excreta and induce the correct circulation of them into farmland, systematic monitoring and management by the treatment and circulation stage of livestock excreta are required. The purpose of this study was to apply ubiquitous technology to a livestock waste treatment system for better treatment by utilizing ubiquitous computing technology in the livestock sector. Therefore it drew elements for efficient management by analyzing previous researches, identifying the level of application of ubiquitous technology to livestock waste treatment, and analyzing the existing liquid fertilization process to apply ubiquitous technology to the work process; and suggested a conceptual diagram of an integrated management system for systematization.
Mechanical Behaviour of Skin: A Review

Objective: The mechanical behaviour or the Young’s Modulus of the skin is measured as a ratio of the stress applied to the skin in vitro or in vivo over the skin deformation. The Young’s Modulus of skin is an important factor to estimate the characteristics of skin, to determine the course of a disease or to follow a cosmetic application. Methods: The mechanical behaviour of the skin is measured by changing the shape of skin by employing tensile, indentation, and suction and torsion tests. Results: Out of all the skin’s mechanical testing methods, suction tests are a common choice for skin testing, as they are easy to apply in vivo and consider both in-plane and normal loading conditions. Skin is found to be highly anisotropic and viscoelastic, with a range of Young’s Modulus between 5 kPa and 140 MPa. Conclusion: This paper reviews in vivo and in vitro reported values for Young’s Modulus of human skin for tensile, indentation, suction and torsion mechanical testing methods.
Tool Speci cation with GTSL

The de nition of software development methods encompasses the de nition of syntax and static semantics of formal languages. These languages determine documents to be produced during the application of a method. Developers demand language-based tools that provide document production support, check syntax and static semantics of documents and thus implement methods. Method integration must determine inter-document consistency constraints between documents produced in the various tasks. Tools must, therefore, be integrated to implement the required method integration and check or even preserve inter-document consistency. The focus of this paper is on the speci cation of such integrated tools and outlines the main concepts of the object-oriented tool speci cation language GTSL.
Role of NF‐κB activation in matrix metalloproteinase 9, vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin 8 expression and secretion in human breast cancer cells

The aims of this study were to assess the effects and potential mechanisms of parthenolide on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin 8 (IL‐8) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP‐9) in human breast cancer cell line MDA‐MB‐231. After incubation with different concentrations of parthenolide for 24 h, MDA‐MB‐231 cells were collected, and the expressions of VEGF, IL‐8 and MMP‐9 were measured by real‐time PCR and Western blot. The secretions of VEGF, IL‐8 and MMP‐9 in culture supernatant of MDA‐MB‐231 cells were then measured with ELISA assays. The NF‐κB DNA‐binding activity of breast cancer cells treated with parthenolide was analyzed using electrophoretic mobility assays. The real‐time PCR and Western blot data showed that the expressions of VEGF, IL‐8 and MMP‐9 were significantly inhibited by parthenolide at both transcription level and protein level in MDA‐MB‐231 cells. ELISA results also confirmed these effects at a secretion level. The electrophoretic mobility assay results demonstrated that parthenolide can inhibit NF‐κB DNA‐binding activity of the breast cancer cells. Hence, the expression of VEGF, IL‐8 and MMP‐9 may be suppressed by parthenolide through the inhibition of NF‐κB DNA‐binding activity in MDA‐MB‐231 cells. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spectral parameters of surface electromyography and performance in swim bench exercises during the training of elite and junior swimmers

Abstract Spectral parameters of surface electromyography (EMG) are used to assess intramuscular coordination in terms of fatigue and motor unit recruitment. The aim of the present study was to examine changes in performance and EMG spectral parameters of the propulsive muscles during a swim bench exercise in swimmers to determine the intra-individual effects of different training periods in the normal training process. Ten swimmers of different ages and standards were investigated in a longitudinal study. Electromyograms of the relevant muscles (triceps longum, triceps lateralis, and latissimus dorsi) were recorded during the tests, and spectral parameters calculated using time-variant spectral analysis. In the elite swimmers, we observed variation in performance throughout the training season with respect to training load, whereas for the junior swimmers there was a trend to improve performances irrespective of training load. Correlations with performance were observed for the median frequencies of the triceps longus for the elite athletes. Performances and frequencies were increased in the taper period, whereas they were reduced after periods of high training loads. For the junior swimmers, no such correlations were observed. Based on our results, spectral parameters could provide information about the fatigue of the neuromuscular system of elite swimmers during periods of high training loads and enhanced intramuscular coordination in the taper period before competition.
Parameter Adaption for Generalized Multiframe Tasks and Applications to Self-Suspending Tasks

The generalized multiframe task model (GMF) extends the sporadic task model and multiframe task model. Each frame in the GMF model contains an execution time, a relative deadline, and a minimum inter-arrival time. These parameters are fixed after task specification time in the GMF model. However, multimedia and adaptive control systems may be overloaded and no longer stabilized when the task parameters in such systems are not flexible. In order to address this problem, deadlines and periods may change to alleviate temporal overload, for example in the parameter adaption and elastic scheduling model. In this paper, we propose a new model GMF-PA (the GMF model with parameter adaption). This model allows task parameters to be flexible in arbitrary-deadline systems. A necessary schedulability test based on mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) is given to check the schedulability under EDF scheduling and optimally assign deadlines and periods at the same time. We also prove that the test is a sufficient and necessary schedulability test when task parameters must be integers. An approximation algorithm is also deployed to reduce computational running time. The speed-up factor of our approximation algorithm is 1+ϵ where ϵ can be arbitrarily small, with respect to the exact schedulability test of GMF-PA tasks under EDF. We also apply the GMF model to self-suspending tasks. By extending recent work on scheduling self-suspending tasks, we remove the assumption that deadlines are equally assigned in self-suspending tasks, and the system is extended from constrained-deadline systems to arbitrary-deadline systems. We have done exhaustive experiments to show that the schedulability ratio is improved using our techniques in our GMF-PA model.
Bionic Kinect device to assist visually impaired people by haptic and voice feedback

This paper presents a wearable bionic Kinect device for blinds that helps visually challenging persons to move freely without any external assistance. This wearable consists of Kinect sensor, NUC (Next Unit of Computing) board and haptic feedback. Kinect sensor is used to get color data by RGB (Red Green Blue) camera and depth data by infrared projector which emits coded pattern received by receiver sensor that captures deformed pattern due to reflection by obstacles; algorithm decodes these variations into depth matrix. Image processing algorithms are applied on depth matrix to remove noise. Two dimensional Image processing algorithms of edge, contour detection and segmentation techniques are applied on multidimensional matrix at each level to extract important information about obstacle, humans and their characteristics. Extracted information of obstacles and humans are converted to haptic sequence and voice commands. Haptic feedback device receives the sequence, decodes sequence by using onboard microcontroller algorithm and creates vibration of different intensity at different regions. Text is recognized by optical character recognition system and faces by machine learning algorithms of device uses Kinect color data. All these tasks are performed by two processing units, a microcontroller and NUC which is excellent combination of wearable ubiquitous computing. Whole system is light weight, battery powered with intelligent power management circulatory to make it portable and easy to use.
Intergenerational Coresidence of the Japanese Elderly

Relatively high prevalence of coresidence between older parents and adult children in Japan is generally interpreted as a structural manifestation of traditional family norms; however, recent socioeconomic changes in Japan have called this into question. This study analyzes national data from older people in Japan to examine the reciprocal relationship between two types of inter-generational coresidence and normative beliefs about traditional stem-family living arrangements. Two-stage least squares regression analysis reveals that coresidence with married children and traditional normative beliefs mutually reinforces each other, whereas coresidence with unmarried children strengthens normative beliefs, but not vice versa. The authors argue that the composition of multigenerational households of older people in Japan is shifting toward a type where instrumental concerns of both generations take precedence over traditional cultural ideology. Traditional norms still motivate the formation of stem-family households but are also used to justify instrumentally driven living arrangements with single children.
Efficient execution of operations in a DBMS for multidimensional arrays

In the RasDaMan project a database system for management of multidimensional arrays is being built. It offers a declarative query language extending SQL-92 with operations on arrays of arbitrary base types and a C++ programming interface. Integrating arrays in the query language enables the system to process complex queries on high-volume multidimensional data in the database server close to physical data storage. Storage of arrays is done in tiles of arbitrary size. Operations on arrays are transformed into operations on tiles during query optimization and execution. These operations are then executed on tiles loaded from mass storage. This paper describes the underlying formal model for tile based operations on multidimensional arrays and its efficient implementation in C++ as part of the RasDaMan system.