Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The M1 and M2 paradigm of macrophage activation: time for reassessment

Macrophages are endowed with a variety of receptors for lineage-determining growth factors, T helper (Th) cell cytokines, and B cell, host, and microbial products. In tissues, macrophages mature and are activated in a dynamic response to combinations of these stimuli to acquire specialized functional phenotypes. As for the lymphocyte system, a dichotomy has been proposed for macrophage activation: classic vs. alternative, also M1 and M2, respectively. In view of recent research about macrophage functions and the increasing number of immune-relevant ligands, a revision of the model is needed. Here, we assess how cytokines and pathogen signals influence their functional phenotypes and the evidence for M1 and M2 functions and revisit a paradigm initially based on the role of a restricted set of selected ligands in the immune response.
Characterization and design of elastomeric magnetodielectric materials for radar absorber structures

Radar absorbing materials (RAMs) are widely used in order to reduce the radar cross section (RCS) of military platforms requiring low observability. In this work, nitrile based elastomer material which exhibits dielectric properties only is filled with carbonyl iron powder at different concentration ratios. As a result, a material library consisting of magnetodielectric materials with different complex dielectric and magnetic coefficients is obtained. Using the material library, RAMs exhibiting desired absorption characteristics in 2–18 GHz frequency range are synthesized, produced and measured. The expected and measured reflection characteristics are observed to show good agreement.
Automatic Distribution of Reactive Systems for Asynchronous Networks of Processors

The paper addresses the problem of automatically distributing reactive systems. We first show that the use of synchronous languages allows a natural parallel description of such systems, regardless of any distribution problems. Then, a desired distribution can be easily specified, and achieved with the algorithm presented here. This distribution technique provides distributed programs with the same safety, test, and debug facilities as ordinary sequential programs. Finally, the implementation of such distributed programs only requires a very simple communication protocol ("first in first out" queues), thereby reducing the need for large distributed real time executives.
Climate-Driven Basin-Scale Decadal Oscillations of Oceanic Phytoplankton

Untangling the Web Chlorophyll-containing phytoplankton is at the core of the marine food web. Martinez et al. (p. 1253) combined satellite data about upper ocean chlorophyll and sea surface temperatures to demonstrate a clear connection between phytoplankton and sea surface temperatures on a multidecadal time scale. Basin-scale ocean dynamic processes such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation connect the physical, climate-related variability to changes in phytoplankton distribution and amount. Thus, improving the reliability of forecasts of large-scale ocean dynamics may help to improve predictions of changes in ocean community ecology. Satellite data show that upper ocean chlorophyll and sea surface temperatures are connected on a multidecadal time scale. Phytoplankton—the microalgae that populate the upper lit layers of the ocean—fuel the oceanic food web and affect oceanic and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels through photosynthetic carbon fixation. Here, we show that multidecadal changes in global phytoplankton abundances are related to basin-scale oscillations of the physical ocean, specifically the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. This relationship is revealed in ~20 years of satellite observations of chlorophyll and sea surface temperature. Interaction between the main pycnocline and the upper ocean seasonal mixed layer is one mechanism behind this correlation. Our findings provide a context for the interpretation of contemporary changes in global phytoplankton and should improve predictions of their future evolution with climate change.
B cells response directed against Cut4 and CFP21 lipolytic enzymes in active and latent tuberculosis infections

Background Better understanding of the immune response directed against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is critical for development of vaccine strategies and diagnosis tests. Previous studies suggested that Mtb enzymes involved in lipid metabolism, are associated with persistence and/or reactivation of dormant bacilli. Methods Circulating antibodies secreting cells (ASCs), memory B cells, and antibodies directed against Cut4 (Rv3452) and CFP21 (Rv1984c) antigens were explored in subjects with either active- or latent-tuberculosis (LTB), and in Mtb-uninfected individuals. Results Circulating anti-Cut4 ASCs were detected in 11/14 (78.6%) subjects from the active TB group vs. 4/17 (23.5%) from the LTB group (p = 0.001). Anti-CFP21 ASCs were found in 11/14 (78.6%) active TB vs. in 5/17 (29.4%) LTB cases (p = 0.01). Circulating anti-Cut4 and anti-CFP21 ASCs were not detected in 38 Mtb uninfected controls. Memory B cells directed against either Cut4 or CFP21 were identified in 8/11 (72.7%) and in 9/11 (81.8%) subjects with LTB infection, respectively, and in 2/6 Mtb uninfected individuals (33.3%). High level of anti-Cut4 and anti-CFP21 IgG were observed in active TB cases. Conclusion Circulating IgG SCs directed against Cut4 or CFP21 were mostly detected in patients presenting an active form of the disease, suggesting that TB reactivation triggers an immune response against these two antigens.
RB pocket domain B mutation frequency in Malaysia

In Malaysia, retinoblastoma (RB) affects a reported 3.6 million children under the age of 15.1 The RB gene consists of a pocket region which is composed of two domains, A and B, separated by a spacer. Although no “hot spot” has been identified for RB1 gene mutations, previously reported mutations2,3 appear to affect the function of this gene, which is the target of viral transforming proteins such as E1A. To date, no reports are available on the combined clinical features and genetic analysis of Malaysian children with RB.
Long-term antipsychotic treatment and brain volumes: a longitudinal study of first-episode schizophrenia.

CONTEXT Progressive brain volume changes in schizophrenia are thought to be due principally to the disease. However, recent animal studies indicate that antipsychotics, the mainstay of treatment for schizophrenia patients, may also contribute to brain tissue volume decrement. Because antipsychotics are prescribed for long periods for schizophrenia patients and have increasingly widespread use in other psychiatric disorders, it is imperative to determine their long-term effects on the human brain. OBJECTIVE To evaluate relative contributions of 4 potential predictors (illness duration, antipsychotic treatment, illness severity, and substance abuse) of brain volume change. DESIGN Predictors of brain volume changes were assessed prospectively based on multiple informants. SETTING Data from the Iowa Longitudinal Study. PATIENTS Two hundred eleven patients with schizophrenia who underwent repeated neuroimaging beginning soon after illness onset, yielding a total of 674 high-resolution magnetic resonance scans. On average, each patient had 3 scans (≥2 and as many as 5) over 7.2 years (up to 14 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Brain volumes. RESULTS During longitudinal follow-up, antipsychotic treatment reflected national prescribing practices in 1991 through 2009. Longer follow-up correlated with smaller brain tissue volumes and larger cerebrospinal fluid volumes. Greater intensity of antipsychotic treatment was associated with indicators of generalized and specific brain tissue reduction after controlling for effects of the other 3 predictors. More antipsychotic treatment was associated with smaller gray matter volumes. Progressive decrement in white matter volume was most evident among patients who received more antipsychotic treatment. Illness severity had relatively modest correlations with tissue volume reduction, and alcohol/illicit drug misuse had no significant associations when effects of the other variables were adjusted. CONCLUSIONS Viewed together with data from animal studies, our study suggests that antipsychotics have a subtle but measurable influence on brain tissue loss over time, suggesting the importance of careful risk-benefit review of dosage and duration of treatment as well as their off-label use.
Squamous cell carcinoma arising within a maxillary odontogenic keratocyst: A rare occurrence

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising within the lining of an odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is a rare occurrence. Although potentially locally destructive, OKC is a benign odontogenic process that typically presents with clinical and radiographic features characteristic of a benign intraosseous neoplasm. We present the clinical and radiographic features of a maxillary mass that demonstrated SCC arising from the lining of an OKC. Although the initial clinical and radiographic presentation suggested an infection or malignant neoplasm, biopsies revealed an infiltrative well-differentiated SCC contiguous with and arising from the focus of a pre-existing OKC. The patient subsequently underwent a type II hemi-maxillectomy with neoadjuvant chemoradiation. This report discusses the clinical and radiographic features associated with intraosseous malignancies, especially those arising from an otherwise benign odontogenic lesion. While the majority of OKCs are benign, the current report illustrates the potential for carcinomatous transformation within the lining of an OKC.
Robust H∞ and μ-Synthesis frequency control for two-bus islanded microgrid

With the fast emerge of renewable sources, remote locations started to utilize Microgrids to provide the required power. The Microgrid could be connected to a utility grid, and in many situations it may serve as a small isolated grid. An islanded Microgrid is subjected to many disturbances throughout the day e.g. load profile and power generation changes. The case gets even worse when this small grid is exclusively driven by renewable sources such as wind and power; which are dependent on wind speed and sun radiation. It is very challenging to control the voltage and frequency of a Microgrid to meet the desired output when a Microgrid is not connected to utility grid. This paper provides a literature survey of the latest proposed frequency control techniques of islanded Microgrids, which could be equipped with energy storage equipment or could be connected to utility grid when needed. Also, the paper will contribute in testing H∞ and μ-Synthesis frequency control approaches for paper [4] modified model to be two-bus Islanded Microgrid model.
PERBANDINGAN FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMENGARUHI INTENSI BERWIRAUSAHA MAHASISWA FEB UNUD DAN MAHASISWA FEB UNDIKNAS

Entreprenenur memiliki kontribusi besar bagi perekonomian suatu negara, dengan adanya entrepreneur membawa beberapa dampak positif, yaitu terciptanya lapangan kerja, peningkatan pemerataan pendapatan serta peningkatan kualitas hidup dan kesejahteraan masyarakat. Beberapa faktor yang dapat membuat mahasiswa berniat menjadi seorang wirausaha diantaranya Konteks Keluarga, Entrepreneurial Skills , dan Locus Of Control . Penelitian ini dilakukan di Program Studi S1 Reguler FEB Universitas Udayana dan FEB Universitas Pendidikan Nasional. Jumlah sampel yang dipergunakan untuk responden FEB UNUD sebanyak 54 dan FEB UNDIKNAS sebanyak 38 dengan menggunakan teknik Probability Sampling , khususnya Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling . Data yang telah dikumpulkan diolah menggunakan teknik Analisis Diskriminan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Konteks Keluarga dan Entrepreneurial Skills , berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap Intensi Berwirausaha pada mahasiswa S1 Reguler FEB UNUD, sedangkan Konteks Keluarga dan Locus Of Control berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap Intensi Berwirausaha pada mahasiswa S1 Reguler FEB UNDIKNAS. Penelitian ini dapat dijadikan referensi guna mengarahkan dan membentuk jiwa wirausaha mahasiswa.
A Non-Parametric Generative Model for Human Trajectories

Modeling human mobility and synthesizing realistic trajectories play a fundamental role in urban planning and privacy-preserving location data analysis. Due to its high dimensionality and also the diversity of its applications, existing trajectory generative models do not preserve the geometric (and more importantly) semantic features of human mobility, especially for longer trajectories. In this paper, we propose and evaluate a novel non-parametric generative model for location trajectories that tries to capture the statistical features of human mobility {\em as a whole}. This is in contrast with existing models that generate trajectories in a sequential manner. We design a new representation of locations, and use generative adversarial networks to produce data points in that representation space which will be then transformed to a time-series location trajectory form. We evaluate our method on realistic location trajectories and compare our synthetic traces with multiple existing methods on how they preserve geographic and semantic features of real traces at both aggregated and individual levels. The empirical results prove the capability of our model in preserving the utility of real data.
Increased Choline Kinase Activity and Elevated Phosphocholine Levels in Human Colon Cancer†

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has detected elevated phosphocholine levels in human tumor tissues and cells, and in cells that were transformed with the activated Ha‐ras gene and stimulated in vitro with growth‐promoting factors such as platelet‐derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and phorbol ester. However, the mechanism of the elevation and the function of the increased phosphocholine levels have not been clearly demonstrated. We studied phosphocholine levels enzymatically and analyzed the activity of choline kinase, which catalyzes the phosphorylation of choline to produce phosphocholine, in human colon cancer and adenoma. Both choline kinase activity and phosphocholine levels were increased in colon cancer and adenoma tissue. The activation of choline kinase and the increased levels of choline kinase α were partly responsible for the elevated phosphocholine levels. This study suggests that choline kinase might play a role in growth promotion or signal transduction in carcinogenesis.
On videogames : representing narrative in an interactive medium

This thesis investigates the function of narrative in videogames, challenging views that games do not—and should not—have anything to do with narrative. It tests videogames against literary narrative theories and examines ways in which videogames have evolved beyond other narratives and narrative theories. The narrative vs. ludology debate among videogame scholars has, at its core, the question of whether narrative is possible in videogames. Ludologists, who prioritize videogames as games, argue that narrative is incompatible with play, both interrupting and interfering with it. My research suggests that videogames often render narrative and play symbiotic, even inseparable, as the act of playing reveals and produces videogame narrative. Other objections to videogame narrative include the argument that videogame narrative is less sophisticated than narrative forms in other media. My thesis demonstrates that some videogames contain narrative every bit as complex as those in literature and film, holding up to rigorous testing by complex narratological theories. It further shows that changes in videogame technology and design have brought about evolutions in narrative that are the result of playing rather than being at odds with it. As narrative has evolved in videogames beyond its manifestations in older media, narrative theories developed to account for older media prove to be inadequate to explicate videogame narratives. The introduction and first chapter of the thesis delineate these issues, theories, and debates. The remaining chapters probe how videogame narrative unfolds in specific areas, such as identity and identification, the navigation of narrative space, narrative agency and authority, consumer ethics, and concepts of death and genre. Finally, the thesis considers the endings of videogames and how death is presented and represented in this medium. My conclusion summarises my own work and suggests possibilities for future studies of videogame narratives.
Hormone Disruption by PBDEs in Adult Male Sport Fish Consumers

Background Persistent pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), affect endocrine function. Human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are similar in structure to PCBs, has increased recently, but health effects have not been well studied. Objectives Our goal in this study was to determine whether PBDE body burdens are related to thyroid and steroid hormone levels, thyroid antibodies, and thyroid disease in a cohort of frequent and infrequent adult male sport fish consumers. Methods We tested serum from 405 adult males for PBDE congeners, PCB congeners, testosterone, sex-hormone–binding globulin (SHBG), SHBG-bound testosterone, thyroglobulin antibodies, and the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and T4-binding globulin (TBG). We collected data on demographics, fish consumption, medical diseases, and medication use. Results The median sum of PBDEs was 38 ng/g lipid. In 308 men without thyroid disease or diabetes, PBDEs were positively related to measures of T4 and reverse T3 and inversely related to total T3 and TSH. PBDEs were positively related to the percentage of T4 bound to albumin, and inversely related to the percentage of T4 bound to TBG. Associations of BDE congeners with hormones varied. BDE-47 was positively associated with testosterone levels. Participants with PBDEs over the 95th percentile were more likely to have thyroglobulin antibodies, although high PBDE exposure was not associated with thyroid disease. PBDE effects were independent of PCB exposure and sport fish consumption. Conclusions PBDE exposure, at levels comparable with those of the general U.S. population, was associated with increased thyroglobulin antibodies and increased T4 in adult males.
Potentiation of cis‐Diammine(1, 1‐cyclobutanedicarboxylato)platinum(II) by Amphotericin B in BALB/c Nude Mice Bearing Human Ovarian Carcinoma Cells

Human ovarian carcinoma cells (HRA) were sensitized to cis‐diammine(l, l‐cyclobutanedicarboxylato)platinum(II) (CBDCA) 1.2‐, 2.1‐ and 3.4‐fold by treatment with amphotericin B (AMB) at concentrations of 2.1, 5.4, and 10.8 μM, respectively. Moreover, the intracellular accumulation of platinum after 2‐h exposure to CBDCA was increased significantly by AMB treatment. For estimating the enhancing effect of AMB on CBDCA cytotoxicity in vivo, we prepared HRA cell‐inoculated nude mice. Ascites was evident 7 to 9 days after intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation of HRA cells, and the mice died of intraabdominal carcinomatosis 11 to 14 days (mean survival time (MST): 12.0±1.0 days) after inoculation. Treatment with AMB (2.0 mg/kg) alone increased the MST by only 1.2 days. Simultaneous treatment with CBDCA (12 or 15 mg/kg) and AMB (0.5 to 2.0 mg/kg) produced a significant increase in MST compared to treatment with CBDCA alone. Maximal MST (38.5 days) was obtained by treatment with 15 mgAg CBDCA plus 2.0 mg/kg AMB, whereas the MST with 15 mg/kg CBDCA alone was 15.8 days. A drug accumulation study demonstrated that platinum accumulation in tumor tissues after i.p. treatment with CBDCA and AMB in tumor‐bearing nude mice was increased significantly compared to treatment with CBDCA alone. These findings indicate that intraperitoneal combination chemotherapy with CBDCA and AMB is useful in nude mice with advanced ovarian carcinoma.
Title Coarse Grained Reconfigurable Array Based Architecture forLow Power Real Time Seizure Detection

There is increasing research and commercial interest in miniature on-body and implantable devices for continuous real-time biosignal monitoring. A key challenge in realizing this vision is in implementation of biosignal processing algorithms with acceptably low energy consumption. In this article, we investigate implementation of the REACT algorithm for real-time epileptic seizure detection on a Coarse Grained Reconfigurable Array (CGRA) based architecture. Computationally expensive biosignal processing tasks are offloaded from a conventional Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to the CGRA. The CGRA is designed to support low power biosignal processing by means of a systolic architecture, flexible interconnect and low resource usage. The CGRA architecture is shown to provide 38% and 60% improvements in energy consumption and in performance, respectively, for the REACT system, without the use of voltage scaling or increased clock frequency. Index Terms Coarse grained reconfigurable architecture, biosignal processing, low energy, seizure detection, ambulatory monitoring
CHACT: Convex Hull Enabled Active Contour Technique for Salient Object Detection

In the domain of computer vision research, human’s capability to distinguish salient objects from background has become an important ingredient. So far, the researchers are not able to propose an approach that balances the tradeoff between the computation time needed by humans and detection accuracy. This paper highlights an improved salient object detection (SOD) accuracy technique which does not demand high computation time. The accuracy of convex hull enabled active contour technique (CHACT) model is assessed with area under the curve, recall, precision, F-measure, mean absolute error, and computation time on six available publicly image datasets. The computation time of CHACT is comparatively less than many existing approaches and also improved accuracy for SOD.
GenotypeAnalytics: a RESTFul platform to mine multiple associations between SNPs and drug response in case-control studies

10 We present GenotypeAnalytics (GA), a RESTFul service that makes it possible to mine association rules from Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) datasets using standard web browsers. GA can speed up and simplify the analysis of this massive amount of data, highlighting only the SNPs involved, for example, in the development of the disease or responsible for adverse drug reactions to the drug. In this way, the doctor may use this extracted knowledge for a signiﬁcant improvement in the quality of the treatments
1 Antibiotic Resistance : An Emerging Global Headache

The discovery of antibiotics was one of the greatest achievements of the twentieth century. The subsequent introduction of sulphonamides, penicillin and streptomycin, broad spectrum bacteriostatic antibiotics, bactericidal antibiotics, synthetic chemicals and highly specific narrow spectrum antibiotics to clinical medicine transformed the treatment of bacterial diseases (Baldry, 1976). However, due to the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics there has been a gradual emergence of populations of antibiotic –resistant bacteria, which pose a global public health problem (Komolafe, 2003).