Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
It's the Metabolism That Makes Macrophages Detectable in the Magnetic Resonance Scanner: Immune Cell Detection by Hyperpolarized 13C Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Modulation of the immune response becomes more and more attractive for therapeutic interventions of cardiovascular diseases, aiming to improve healing and prevent remodeling after myocardial infarction or in myocarditis.1,2 However, there are also conflicting and sometimes disappointing results.3,4 Although a huge body of knowledge concerning immunologic pathways and networks is available, translation to the human setup and clinical progress are rather slow. One reason for this discrepancy might be that most of the latter is—roughly speaking—based on in vitro studies, which, for example, led to the concept of distinct classes of proinflammatory and reparative macrophages. However, there is increasing evidence that immune cells as macrophages behave differently in tissue. They are plastic and their polarization into different states strongly depends on the environment, which is determined by the affected organ and type of pathology.5 Article, see p 1084 Hence, it is of paramount importance that immunologic processes and targets should be assessed in their natural surroundings—at best in vivo, which demands the development of appropriate imaging techniques. Such techniques should provide new insights into basic processes and might guide therapeutic interventions in humans. In their article, Lewis et al6 apply a cutting-edge technology of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging which makes macrophage metabolism visible in vivo, namely 13C …
Rapidly-Dissolving Silver-Containing Bioactive Glasses for Cariostatic Applications

A novel bioactive glass series containing incremental amounts of silver oxide was synthesized, ground down, and subsequently incorporated into a dentifrice for the purpose of reducing the incidence of dental caries and lesion formation. Three glasses were synthesized using the melt quench route: Si-Control (70SiO2–12CaO–3P2O5–15Na2O, mol %), Si-02 and Si-05, where 0.2 and 0.5 mol % Ag2O were substituted, respectively, for SiO2 in Si-Control. The glasses were then ground, sieved, characterized, and dissolved in Tris buffer solution (pH = 7.30) for 6, 12, and 24 h, with the pH of the resultant solution being recorded and the ions that were released into solution quantified. Samples of each glass were subsequently embedded into a non-fluoridated, commercially available toothpaste which was then used to brush resin-mounted lamb molars which, up to the point of testing, had been stored in a 1.0 M HCl solution. Knoop microhardness measurements of the molars were recorded before and after brushing to determine the presence of remineralization on the surface of the teeth (surface hardness loss of 37%, 35%, and 34% for Si-Control, Si-02 and Si-05, respectively, after 24 h). Four oral cavity bacterial strains were isolated through swabs of the inner cheek, gums, and teeth surfaces of three volunteers, and placed on agar discs. Of each glass, 0.5 g was placed onto the discs, and the resultant inhibition zones were measured after 6, 12, and 24 h. Si-05 performed better than Si-02 on two strains after 24 h, while exhibiting similar behavior for the remaining two strains after 24 h; the largest inhibition zone measured was 2.8 mm, for Si-05 after 12 h. Si-Control exhibited no antibacterial effect at any time point, providing evidence for the role of silver oxide as the antibacterial component of these glasses.
Postoperative pain management in children: Guidance from the pain committee of the European Society for Paediatric Anaesthesiology (ESPA Pain Management Ladder Initiative)

The main remit of the European Society for Paediatric Anaesthesiology (ESPA) Pain Committee is to improve the quality of pain management in children. The ESPA Pain Management Ladder is a clinical practice advisory based upon expert consensus to help to ensure a basic standard of perioperative pain management for all children. Further steps are suggested to improve pain management once a basic standard has been achieved. The guidance is grouped by the type of surgical procedure and layered to suggest basic, intermediate, and advanced pain management methods. The committee members are aware that there are marked differences in financial and personal resources in different institutions and countries and also considerable variations in the availability of analgesic drugs across Europe. We recommend that the guidance should be used as a framework to guide best practice.
Acetylcholine-Containing Neuroepithelial Cells in Fish Gills Support the Cholinergic Hypothesis of O 2 Chemoreception

The neurochemical link between O2 chemoreceptors and afferent nerves that carry information about O2 levels to cardio-ventilatory centers in the brain has yet to be determined. This study examines the roles of two candidate neurotransmitters thought to be involved in O2 chemoreception, using channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Fish gills are the evolutionary progenitors of arterial arches (aortic and carotid) of mammals where O2 chemoreceptors are located. Neuroepithelial cells (NECs) containing serotonin (5-HT) and acetylcholine (Ach) were confirmed in the first gill arch using immunohistochemistry and laser confocal microscopy. 5HT-containing NECs were aggregated around the efferent branchial artery, near tips of filaments and lamellae, ACh-containing NECs at the distal tips of filaments. Preliminary co-localization experiments indicate separate 5-HT and Ach-containing cells. This is the first demonstration of ACh-containing NECs and results of this study support pharmacological studies suggesting that ACh is the primary neurochemical involved in O2 chemoreception in vertebrates. Acetylcholine-Containing Neuroepithelial Cells in Fish Gills 4
An integrated 60GHz low power two-chip wireless system based on IEEE802.11ad standard

This paper presents our developed two-chip wireless communication system adhering to the IEEE 802.11ad standards with a baseband IC (BBIC) integrated with a low power 60 GHz transceiver SOC (RFIC) and antennas. The novel low power 60GHz RFIC using a sub-harmonic sliding-IF scheme is fully integrated based on low cost SiGe 0.18 um BiCMOS process. The BBIC uses an adaptive time domain equalizer rather than the commonly used frequency domain equalizer to lower the requirements on power consumption.
STUDY ON EFFECT OF PRETREATMENT METHODS ON BIOMETHANATION OF WATER HYACINTH

A comparative study on the effect of different pre-treatment methods on the biogas yield from Water hyacinth (WH) was carried out in 250 ml batch digester for a 60 days retention period. Biomethanation was carried out in mesophilic temperature range of 30 to 37°C. WH was pretreated as: chopped, dried and ground (WH-CDG), treated with NaOH, dried and ground (WH-NaOH), ground WH combined with poultry waste (WH-PW), ground WH combined with primary sludge (WH-PS) while fresh water hyacinth (WH-F) served as control. The results of the study showed the highest cumulative biogas yield was from WH-PW, with yield of 0.38 liters/g VS. This was followed by WH-PS, WH-NaOH, and WH-CDG with cumulative biogas yield of 0.345, 0.31 and 0.281 liters/g VS respectively. The biogas yield of the fresh Water hyacinth (WH-F) was negligible. Gas analysis from WH-P shows Methane (65.0%), CO2 (34.94%). WH- F contained Methane (60.0%), CO2 (39.94%), and WH- NaOH contained Methane (71.0%), CO2 (28.94%). The other gases were found in the same levels and in trace amounts in all the systems. The overall results showed that blending water hyacinth with poultry waste and primary sludge had significant improvement on the biogas yield, and treating water hyacinth with NaOH increased the biogas yield slightly. It also indicated that water hyacinth is a very good biogas producer and the yield can be improved by drying and combining it with poultry waste and primary sludge.
German Public Support for Tobacco Control Policy Measures: Results from the German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRA), a Representative National Survey

Smoking prevalence in Germany remains high at approximately 28%. We assessed public support for tobacco legislation and associations between level of support and smoking and socio-demographic characteristics. Data from 2087 people were collected as part of the German Study on Tobacco Use (“DEBRA”): a nationally representative, face-to-face household survey. Public support was measured on total ban of sale, raising the minimum age for sales, taxation of tobacco industry sales, research into e-cigarettes, and ban of smoking in cars when children are present. Associations were assessed with multivariate logistic regression. Over 50% of the German population support taxing industry profits (57.3%) and assessing e-cigarettes as an aid to quit smoking (55.5%). Over 40% support raising the legal age of sale (43.1%), and 22.9% support a total ban on tobacco sales. A smoking ban in cars when children are present was most popular (71.5%), even among current smokers (67.0%). There is public support for stricter tobacco control measures in Germany. A smoking ban in cars when children are present could be a feasible policy to implement.
Effect of PLC on the impedance and stability of converter dominated DC microgrids

This paper investigates the influence of power line communication signals on the impedance and the control of a dc distribution grid. In a dc distribution grid, PLC is affected by the impedances of the cables and converters. The time variant converter impedance is affected considerably by the terminal capacitor of a converter at higher PLC frequencies. Different approaches are implemented to make the grid impedance time invariant for PLC applications. The use of decoupling inductors at each source and load in a dc distribution grid is one of the common approaches to substantially decrease the influence of terminal capacitors. The influence of the parasitic capacitance of the added decoupling inductor on the converter impedance is investigated. Moreover, the effect of decoupling inductances on the stability of the dc distribution grid for different load conditions, especially when the grid is dominated by constant power loads, is studied. The influence of a source and a load modeling (constant power load) on the dc distribution grid stability is also investigated. This paper shows that the system's voltage stability depends on the value of decoupling inductors, grid capacitance and the complexity of the dc grid.
LVRT capability evaluation of variable-flux PMSG based WECS

Exponential increase in installed capacity of Wind energy conversion system (WECS) in recent years has led to increased penetration into power grid. Thus, Grid-codes have started demanding better low-voltage-ride-through (LVRT) capability of coming wind generators and behave pretty much like conventional synchronous generator. This paper tests and analyses LVRT capability of a variable-flux PMSG and compares it with conventional blade-pitch-angle (BPA) control technique. Experimental setup to test LVRT capability consists of a Kaman-type dual-stator axial-flux permanent-magnet synchronous generator (DSAF PMSG) with provision of angular displacement of one of the stator with respect to other to implement mechanical flux-variation technique as proposed.
Computational modelling of polymer-based drug delivery systems

Polymer-based drug delivery systems have fantastic potential in chemotherapy as they can reduce drug side effects, help in patient compliance and provide targeting. Nanoprecipitation is used to encapsulate small drug molecules into polymer nanoparticles to form a drug delivery system. A major obstacle in polymer-based drug delivery systems reaching the clinic is their inability to load sufficient drug molecules. Little is known about the processes involved in the encapsulation of drug molecules into these delivery systems. An insight into the processes that govern the formation of these particles and encapsulation of small drug molecules within them is therefore desirable. We used molecular dynamics to model nanoprecipitation by simulating the dispersion of an acetone drop, containing polymer, into water containing drug. To allow sufficient dispersion of acetone a large amount of water is required, thus coarse-graining becomes mandatory. However, we maintain accuracy for our polymer-drug interactions by using a multiscale force field. Atomistic polymer and drug molecules contain coarse-grain virtual sites which facilitate interactions with the coarse-grain solvent molecules. We also employed fully atomistic reference simulations via resolution transformation to optimise our multiscale force field. This thesis details the theory and design behind this model of nanoprecipitation including how other techniques produced inferior results. Initial simulations with our multiscale model matched an experimental trend and were shown to be accurate relative to atomistic reference simulations. We also analysed a fully atomistic simulation of nanoprecipitation that took several months to complete. This atomistic simulation was used as a reference to update the multiscale force field. The updated force field improved on some aspects of the simulation but there are still areas that need improvement. Insight from the simulations provides an understanding of the experimental results and trends. The transferability of the model should help in designing more efficient polymer-based drug delivery systems in the future. We conclude with future work on modelling polymer-based drug delivery systems including alternate methods to gain understanding of not only drug incorporation but also drug release.
Projective Splitting with Forward Steps: Asynchronous and Block-Iterative Operator Splitting

This work is concerned with the classical problem of finding a zero of a sum of maximal monotone operators. For the projective splitting framework recently proposed by Combettes and Eckstein, we show how to replace the fundamental subproblem calculation using a backward step with one based on two forward steps. The resulting algorithms have the same kind of coordination procedure and can be implemented in the same block-iterative and highly flexible manner, but may perform backward steps on some operators and forward steps on others. Prior algorithms in the projective splitting family have used only backward steps. Forward steps can be used for any Lipschitz-continuous operators provided the stepsize is bounded by the inverse of the Lipschitz constant. If the Lipschitz constant is unknown, a simple backtracking linesearch procedure may be used. For affine operators, the stepsize can be chosen adaptively without knowledge of the Lipschitz constant and without any additional forward steps. We close the paper by empirically studying the performance of several kinds of splitting algorithms on a large-scale rare feature selection problem.
Zespół łamliwego Chromosomu x i Choroby FMR1-zależne - Objawy Kliniczne, Epidemiologia i Podłoże Molekularne Choroby

Streszczenie Zespół łamliwego chromosomu X (ang. Fragile X Syndrome, FXS) jest, po zespole Downa, najczęstszą dziedziczną przyczyną niepełnosprawności intelektualnej (NI). Stopień niepełnosprawności intelektualnej pacjentów z FXS jest różny i zależy głównie od płci. Zaburzeniom intelektualnym towarzyszą dodatkowe objawy takie jak opóźnienie rozwoju psychoruchowego, zaburzenia zachowania czy emocji. W ponad 99% przypadków, choroba spowodowana jest występowaniem mutacji dynamicznej w genie FMR1 zlokalizowanym na chromosomie X. W wyniku ekspansji trójki nukleotydów CGG (>200 powtórzeń) dochodzi do zahamowania ekspresji genu, a tym samym znacznego obniżenia poziomu białka FMRP kodowanego przez gen FMR1. Ekspansja sekwencji CGG do zakresu premutacji (55-200 powtórzeń CGG) warunkuje wystąpienie nosicielstwa FXS i chorób FMR1-zależnych takich jak: przedwczesne wygasanie funkcji jajników związane z zespołem łamliwego chromosomu X (ang. Fragile X-associated Primary Ovarian Insufficiency, FXPOI) oraz zespołu drżenia i ataksji związanego z zespołem łamliwego chromosomu X (ang. Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome, FXTAS). W przypadku obu tych chorób objawy kliniczne występują dopiero u ludzi dorosłych. Celem pracy jest przybliżenie aktualnej wiedzy dotyczącej podłoża molekularnego i epidemiologii zespołu łamliwego chromosomu X oraz innych chorób FMR1-zależnych.
A modified sensitivity measure for linear digital systems

In this paper a new sensitivity measure for state space systems is proposed. This new measure is a modified form of Tavsanoglu and Thiele's measure but has three advantages : (1) it is more precise than Tavsanoglu and Thiele's measure when the parameters of the state space realizations contain 0 and ±1 ; (2) it can be used to explain why the sparse Schur and Hessenberg realizations can give better actual sensitivity performance than the corresponding fully parametrized optimal realizations ; (3) it is identical with the global round-off noise gain G = tr(QW) + γ obtained by Hwang under a dynamic constraint.
Damage by the pine weevil Hylobius abietis to seedlings of two native and five introduced tree species in Sweden

There is increasing interest in using introduced species in Swedish forestry in response to climate change, but it is important to assess their resistance to native pests. Thus, we compared the extent of pine weevil feeding on two dominant native conifers, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ), the non-host deciduous broadleaf hybrid aspen (Populus × wettsteinii Hamet-Ahti) and four introduced conifers: Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), hybrid larch (Larix × marschlinsii Coaz), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carriere) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon). The extent of feeding damage on seedlings and its effect on their vitality were examined in a field study in south-central Sweden and a laboratory experiment, which gave largely consistent results. Generally, the species most heavily attacked by the pine weevil, in both experiments, were Douglas fir and Sitka spruce. In the field experiment pine weevils killed or severely damaged significantly higher proportions of Douglas fir and Sitka spruce seedlings (60%) than any other species except Norway spruce (49%). Among conifer seedlings the proportions of killed or severely damaged seedlings were lowest for Scots pine and hybrid larch (27%) and Lodgepole pine (36%). The results indicate that most conifer species planted on young clear-cuttings in Sweden need some kind of pine weevil protection, and the possibility that introducing new tree species might increase damage caused by pests must be considered. For instance, widespread use of hybrid aspen could reduce damage by pine weevils, but increase damage by other, untested pests or pathogens.
Cell Surface Remodeling by Plasmin: A New Function for an Old Enzyme

Plasmin, one of the most potent and reactive serine proteases, is involved in various physiological processes, including embryo development, thrombolysis, wound healing and cancer progression. The proteolytic activity of plasmin is tightly regulated through activation of its precursor, plasminogen, only at specific times and in defined locales as well as through inhibition of active plasmin by its abundant natural inhibitors. By exploiting the plasminogen activating system and overexpressing distinct components of the plasminogen activation cascade, such as pro-uPA, uPAR and plasminogen receptors, malignant cells can enhance the generation of plasmin which in turn, modifies the tumor microenvironment to sustain cancer progression. While plasmin-mediated degradation and modification of extracellular matrix proteins, release of growth factors and cytokines from the stroma as well as activation of several matrix metalloproteinase zymogens, all have been a focus of cancer research studies for decades, the ability of plasmin to cleave transmembrane molecules and thereby to generate functionally important cleaved products which induce outside-in signal transduction, has just begun to receive sufficient attention. Herein, we highlight this relatively understudied, but important function of the plasmin enzyme as it is generated de novo at the interface between cross-talking cancer and host cells.
Localization System based on Ultra Low-power Radio Landmarks

In this paper we present a novel indoor localization system using external reference landmarks as a guidance system for emergency responders. The landmarks are based on low-power wake-up nodes which can be integrated into smoke detectors. The radio wake-up technology is equipped in the system to extend the lifetime of landmarks. While in sleep mode our landmarks have an overall power consumption of 66 μW making them ready-to-use in case of an emergency for up to 5 years. The landmarks are small and cost-efficient and may be integrated into the building infrastructure. The positioning is achieved by combining the radio ranging and IMU based dead reckoning to overcome the disadvantages of both systems. The experimental results show that the proposed system is able to outperform both standalone systems and meanwhile maintain the low power consumption.
EphrinB2/EphB4 signaling regulates non‐sprouting angiogenesis by VEGF

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the master regulator of angiogenesis, whose best‐understood mechanism is sprouting. However, therapeutic VEGF delivery to ischemic muscle induces angiogenesis by the alternative process of intussusception, or vascular splitting, whose molecular regulation is essentially unknown. Here, we identify ephrinB2/EphB4 signaling as a key regulator of intussusceptive angiogenesis and its outcome under therapeutically relevant conditions. EphB4 signaling fine‐tunes the degree of endothelial proliferation induced by specific VEGF doses during the initial stage of circumferential enlargement of vessels, thereby limiting their size and subsequently enabling successful splitting into normal capillary networks. Mechanistically, EphB4 neither inhibits VEGF‐R2 activation by VEGF nor its internalization, but it modulates VEGF‐R2 downstream signaling through phospho‐ERK1/2. In vivo inhibitor experiments show that ERK1/2 activity is required for EphB4 regulation of VEGF‐induced intussusceptive angiogenesis. Lastly, after clinically relevant VEGF gene delivery with adenoviral vectors, pharmacological stimulation of EphB4 normalizes dysfunctional vascular growth in both normoxic and ischemic muscle. These results identify EphB4 as a druggable target to modulate the outcome of VEGF gene delivery and support further investigation of its therapeutic potential.
Plant-sex-biased tritrophic interactions on dioecious willow.

Plant sex effects on herbivores are well studied, but little is known about these effects on predators and predator-herbivore dynamics. Here we take a holistic approach to study, simultaneously, plant sex effects on herbivore and predator preference and performance, as well as population densities and predation pressure in the field. For dioecious Salix cinerea (grey willow) we found that male plants represented higher host plant quality than females for an omnivorous predator (Anthocoris nemorum, common flower bug), while host plant quality for its herbivorous prey (Phratora vulgatissima, blue willow beetle) was not sex-biased. The herbivore strongly preferred the host plant sex (female) that was suboptimal for the predator, which in turn followed its prey to female plants, leading to plant-sex-biased predation. These results provide new insight into the far-reaching effects of plant sex on insect communities, and open up novel opportunities for improving biocontrol of the herbivore in Salix short rotation coppice.