Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive nonlinear control of agile antiair missiles using neural networks

Research has shown that neural networks can be used to improve upon approximate dynamic inversion controllers in the case of uncertain nonlinear systems. In one possible architecture, the neural network adaptively cancels linearization errors through online learning. Learning may be accomplished by a simple weight update rule derived from Lyapunov theory, thus assuring the stability of the closed-loop system. In the paper, the authors discuss the evolution of this methodology and its application in a bank-to-turn autopilot design for an agile antiair missile. First, a control scheme based on approximate inversion of the vehicle dynamics is presented. This nonlinear control system is then augmented by the addition of a feedforward neural network with online learning. Finally, the resulting control law is demonstrated in a nonlinear simulation and its performance is evaluated relative to a conventional gain-scheduled linear autopilot.
Advanced Application of CFSE for Cellular Tracking

This unit proposes a method to extend the already well known dividing‐cell‐tracking (DCT) cytometric technique based on supravital staining of the lymphocytes with CFSE and allowing them to divide afterwards, beyond simple observation and counting of dividing cells and their generations. Dynamic proliferation parameters that make it possible to determine for in vitro dividing human lymphocytes from various sources, are the actual duration of the pre‐division transition period (G0→︀G1), time of a single division, and number of divisions an average dividing cell performs over the time of an experiment, as well as the number of effective precursors giving rise to viable daughter lymphocytes. As the method does not require purification of the lymphocyte population of interest, yet allows the calculations for any cytometrically discernible subpopulation, it presents a powerful tool for detailed analysis of the efficiency of proliferative response of the immune cells. Curr. Protocol. Cytom. 44:9.25. 1‐9.25. 8. © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Modeling Website Topic Cohesion at Scale to Improve Webpage Classification

Considerable work in web page classification has focused on incorporating the topical structure of the web (e.g., the hyperlink graph) to improve prediction accuracy. However, the majority of work has primarily focused on relational or graph-based methods that are impractical to run at scale or in an online environment. This raises the question of whether it is possible to leverage the topical structure of the web while incurring nearly no additional prediction-time cost. To this end, we introduce an approach which adjusts a page content-only classification from that obtained with a global prior to the posterior obtained by incorporating a prior which reflects the topic cohesion of the site. Using ODP data, we empirically demonstrate that our approach yields significant performance increases over a range of topics.
Interlaboratory variation in 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 is significantly improved if common calibration material is used.

Measurements of 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 (D2)1 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (D3) are used to detect vitamin D deficiency and monitor vitamin D supplementation. Interlaboratory variation within the same method groups makes it impossible to apply standardized reference intervals or published clinical cutoff values. Laboratories therefore must develop site-specific reference intervals. Advances in the routine use of liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in clinical chemistry laboratories have enabled the development of methods for measuring D2 and D3 individually (1). Despite the superior performance of LC-MS/MS methods compared with HPLC and immunoassay approaches, an examination of the UK Vitamin D External Quality Assessment Scheme (DEQAS) data for the LC-MS/MS user group indicates that interlaboratory variation exists within this method group. Calibration of D2 and D3 assays has been a continuing problem because there is no certified reference material available to test method accuracy. A recent Letter to the Editor in this journal pointed out that calibration is not the only concern with vitamin D assays. Laboratories also do not have common standard operating procedures and use a wide variety of instrumentation (2). We used commercially available calibration material (Chromsystems, …
Molluscicidal activity of various solvent extracts from Solanum nigrum var. villosum L. aerial parts against Galba truncatula

Molluscicidal activity of Solanum nigrum var. villosum (morelle velue) extracts and their fractions were tested against the mollusca gastropoda Galba truncatula intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica. The results indicated that the hydro-methanol (MeOH-H2O) immature fruit extract possess the highest molluscicidal activity (LC50 = 3.96 mg/L) against Galba truncatula compared with other tested compounds. After acido-basic treatment, the methanolic extract fraction isolated from the immature fruits and the richest in alkaloids was the most toxic (LC50 = 1.65 mg/L). The fractions richest in saponosides obtained from the hydromethanolic and methanolic extracts of immature fruits showed interesting molluscicidal activities (LC50 = 6.15 mg/L and LC50 = 7.91 mg/L, respectively). The observed molluscicide activity could be attributed to the presence of alkaloids or saponosides. So, the immature fruits of Solanum nigrum var. villosum could be substrates of choice for molluscicide activity. In addition, total alkaloids and saponosides present in this plant deserve further investigations in order to identify the active principles and demonstrate their activities on mollusks in their natural habitat. According to the World Health Organization’s guidelines on screening for plant molluscicides, use of these fractions may add to the arsenal of methods to control snail transmitting fasciolosis in tropical and Third World countries where fasciolosis is a common disease.
Effects of breast cancer resistance protein inhibitors and pharmaceutical excipients on decreasing gastrointestinal toxicity of camptothecin analogs

AbstractAim:To investigate the effect of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) inhibitors and pharmaceutical excipients on reducing the biliary excretion of camptothecins (CPT), ameliorating delayed-type diarrhea and intestinal mucosa damage induced by CPT.Methods:The cumulative biliary excretion of irinotecan (CPT-11) and hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) with or without BCRP inhibitors and excipients was investigated in rats. The gastrointestinal toxicity, assessed as the diarrheal score, body weight change and microscopic pathological damage was also determined in rats.Results:Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) exhibited important effects on the biliary excretion of CPT. Coadministration of BCRP inhibitors such as GF120918 and cyclosporin A reduced the biliary excretion of CPT-11 and HCPT. Pharmaceutical excipients such as Pluronic F68 and PEG 2000 stearate also showed inhibitory effects on BCRP and similarly reduced CPT biliary excretion. The observed gastrointestinal toxicity was ameliorated by coadministration of BCRP inhibitors and excipients compared with injection of CPT-11 and HCPT alone.Conclusion:The use of excipients as inhibitors of BCRP is safe and relatively non-toxic, and may lead to important pharmacotherapeutic benefits by decreasing the gastrointestinal toxicity of CPT.
Silymarin for the treatment of chronic liver disease.

KRR Silymarin is a flavonoid with alleged antioxidant properties to counteract the oxidative stress associated with certain liver diseases. Based on urinary excretion of isoprostanes, which are markers of oxidative stress, hepatitis C disease, alcoholic liver disease, and acute alcoholic hepatitis are all associated with this process. Recent work by Polyak and colleagues at the University of Washington has also demonstrated, in an in vitro replicon system, some antiviral and immunomodulatory properties of silymarin. However, the main mechanism that seems to provide a hepatoprotective effect is the free radical scavenging and related antioxidant effect.
Immusorba TR and PH

Abstract: Immusorba TR (IM‐TR) and PH (IM‐PH) were developed as adsorbentswith non‐biological materials as affinity ligands to remove pathogenicautoantibodies. The adsorbents of IM‐TR and IM‐PH are polyvinylalcohol gel immobilized with tryptophan and phenylalanine as ligand, respectively.IM‐TR is clinically applied for treatment of autoimmune neurologicaldiseases such as myasthenia gravis and Guillain–Barre syndrome.IM‐PH is used for not only neurological diseases such as GBS andmultiple sclerosis but also collagen diseases such as rheumatoidarthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). As many autoantibodieswith different specificities have been found to have similar affinitiesto the ligand of Immusorba, it is expected that Immusorba will beapplied to more diseases and contribute to the clarification ofthe mechanisms of the development of diseases by the identificationof adsorbed unknown pathogenic substances with Immusorba.
Novel Fusion Protein Targeting Mitochondrial DNA Improves Pancreatic Islet Functional Potency and Islet Transplantation Outcomes

Long-term graft survival is an ongoing challenge in the field of islet transplantation. With the growing demand for transplantable organs, therapies to improve organ quality and reduce the incidence of graft dysfunction are of paramount importance. We evaluated the protective role of a recombinant DNA repair protein targeted to mitochondria (Exscien I-III), as a therapeutic agent using a rodent model of pancreatic islet transplantation. We first investigated the effect of therapy on isolated rat islets cultured with pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1 β, interferon γ, and tumor necrosis factor α) for 48 h and documented a significant reduction in apoptosis by flow cytometry, improved viability by immunofluorescence, and conserved functional potency in vitro and in vivo in Exscien I-III-treated islets. We then tested the effect of therapy in systemic inflammation using a rat model of donor brain death (BD) sustained for a 6-h period. Donor rats were allocated to 4 groups: (non-BD + vehicle, non-BD + Exscien I-III, BD + vehicle, and BD + Exscien I-III) and treated with Exscien I-III (4 mg/kg) or vehicle 30 min after BD induction. Sham (non-BD)-operated animals receiving either Exscien I-III or vehicle served as controls. Islets purified from BD + Exscien I-III-treated donors showed a significant increase in glucose-stimulated insulin release in vitro when compared to islets from vehicle-treated counterparts. In addition, donor treatment with Exscien I-III attenuated the effects of BD and significantly improved the functional potency of transplanted islets in vivo. Our data indicate that mitochondrially targeted antioxidant therapy is a novel strategy to protect pancreas and islet quality from the deleterious effects of cytokines in culture and during the inflammatory response associated with donation after BD. The potential for rapid translation into clinical practice makes Exscien I-III an attractive therapeutic option for the management of brain-dead donors or as an additive to islets in culture after isolation setting.
Probabilistic segmentation for segment-based speech recognition

Speech Recognition by Steven C. Lee S.B. , Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997 Submitted to the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in partial ful llment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY May 1998 c Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1998. All rights reserved.
Heart Rate Dependency of Large Artery Stiffness

Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) quantifies large artery stiffness, it is used in hemodynamic research and is considered a useful cardiovascular clinical marker. cfPWV is blood pressure (BP) dependent. Intrinsic heart rate (HR) dependency of cfPWV is unknown because increasing HR is commonly accompanied by increasing BP. This study aims to quantify cfPWV dependency on acute, sympathovagal-independent changes in HR, independent of BP. Individuals (n=52, age 40–93 years, 11 female) with in situ cardiac pacemakers or cardioverter defibrillators were paced at 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 bpm. BP and cfPWV were measured at each HR. Both cfPWV (mean [95% CI], 0.31 [0.26–0.37] m/s per 10 bpm; P<0.001) and central aortic diastolic pressure (3.78 [3.40–4.17] mm Hg/10 bpm; P<0.001) increased with HR. The HR effect on cfPWV was isolated by correcting the BP effects by 3 different methods: (1) statistically, by a linear mixed model; (2) mathematically, using an exponential relationship between BP and cross-sectional lumen area; and (3) using measured BP dependency of cfPWV derived from changes in BP induced by orthostatic changes (seated and supine) in a subset of subjects (n=17). The BP-independent effects of HR on cfPWV were quantified as 0.20 [0.11–0.28] m/s per 10 bpm (P<0.001, method 1), 0.16 [0.11–0.22] m/s per 10 bpm (P<0.001, method 2), and 0.16 [0.11–0.21] m/s per 10 bpm (P<0.001, method 3). With a mean HR dependency in the range of 0.16 to 0.20 m/s per 10 bpm, cfPWV may be considered to have minimal physiologically relevant changes for small changes in HR, but larger differences in HR must be considered as contributing to significant differences in cfPWV.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging of reorganization in rat brain after stroke

Functional recovery after stroke has been associated with brain plasticity; however, the exact relationship is unknown. We performed behavioral tests, functional MRI, and histology in a rat stroke model to assess the correlation between temporal changes in sensorimotor function, brain activation patterns, cerebral ischemic damage, and cerebrovascular reactivity. Unilateral stroke induced a large ipsilateral infarct and acute dysfunction of the contralateral forelimb, which significantly recovered at later stages. Forelimb impairment was accompanied by loss of stimulus-induced activation in the ipsilesional sensorimotor cortex; however, local tissue and perfusion were only moderately affected and cerebrovascular reactivity was preserved in this area. At 3 days after stroke, extensive activation-induced responses were detected in the contralesional hemisphere. After 14 days, we found reduced involvement of the contralesional hemisphere, and significant responses in the infarction periphery. Our data suggest that limb dysfunction is related to loss of brain activation in the ipsilesional sensorimotor cortex and that restoration of function is associated with biphasic recruitment of peri- and contralesional functional fields in the brain.
A Comparison of Neuraxial Block Versus General Anesthesia for Elective Total Hip Replacement: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND:A recent meta-analysis showed that compared with general anesthesia (GA), neuraxial block reduced many serious complications in patients undergoing various types of surgeries. It is not known whether this finding from studying heterogeneous patient groups is applicable to a particular surgical patient population. We performed the present meta-analysis to determine whether anesthesia choice affected the outcome after elective total hip replacement (THR). METHODS:Medline (1966 to August 2005), MD Consult (1966 to August 2005), BIOSIS (1969 to August 2005), and EMBASE (1969 to August 2005) databases were searched. Randomized and quasirandomized studies comparing GA and neuraxial (spinal or epidural) block for elective THR were included in this analysis. RESULTS:Ten independent trials, involving 330 patients under GA and 348 patients under neuraxial block, were identified and analyzed. Pooled results from five trials showed that neuraxial block significantly decreased the incidence of radiographically diagnosed deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. The odds ratio (OR) for deep venous thrombosis was 0.27 with 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17–0.42. The OR for pulmonary embolism was 0.26 with 95% CI 0.12–0.56. Neuraxial block also decreased the operative time by 7.1 min/case (95% CI 2.3–11.9 min) and intraoperative blood loss by 275 mL/case (95% CI 180–371 mL). Data from three trials showed that patients under neuraxial block for THR were less likely to require blood transfusion than were patients under GA (21/177 = 12% vs 62/188 = 33% of patients transfused, P < 0.001 by z-test). The OR for this comparison was 0.26. However, the CIs were wide and compatible with both no effect and a nine-tenths reduction (95% CI 0.06–1.05). CONCLUSIONS:Patients undergoing elective THR under neuraxial anesthesia seem to have better outcomes than those under GA.
Stress and gastrointestinal tract. II. Stress and intestinal barrier function.

The influence of stress on the clinical course of a number of intestinal diseases is increasingly being recognized, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. This themes article focuses on recent findings related to the effects of stress on mucosal barrier function in the small intestine and colon. Experiments using animal models demonstrate that various types of psychological and physical stress induce dysfunction of the intestinal barrier, resulting in enhanced uptake of potentially noxious material (e.g., antigens, toxins, and other proinflammatory molecules) from the gut lumen. Evidence from several studies indicates that in this process, mucosal mast cells play an important role, possibly activated via neurons releasing corticotropin-releasing hormone and/or acetylcholine. Defining the role of specific cells and mediator molecules in stress-induced barrier dysfunction may provide clues to novel treatments for intestinal disorders.
Regulation of feeding behavior and psychomotor activity by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in fish

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide belonging to a family of neuropeptides that includes urocortins, urotensin I, and sauvagine in vertebrates. CRH and urocortin act as anorexigenic factors for satiety regulation in fish. In a goldfish model, intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of CRH has been shown to affect not only food intake, but also locomotor and psychomotor activities. In particular, CRH elicits anxiety-like behavior as an anxiogenic neuropeptide in goldfish, as is the case in rodents. This paper reviews current knowledge of CRH and its related peptides derived from studies of teleost fish, as representative non-mammals, focusing particularly on the role of the CRH system, and examines its significance from a comparative viewpoint.
Wideband reflectance in newborns with present transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions.

PURPOSE To characterize the normal values of acoustic energy reflectance obtained with pure-tone stimulation in neonates prior to hospital discharge. METHODS Seventy-seven infants (37 girls and 40 boys) were evaluated by measuring acoustic reflectance using pure-tone stimuli, transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions, and tympanometric probe frequencies of 226 Hz and 1 kHz. RESULTS At low frequencies (258-750 Hz), greater energy reflectance was observed, while at medium frequencies (1-3 kHz), greater energy absorption was observed. There was no difference between ears or between genders. CONCLUSION Normal energy reflectance values were obtained for the studied population. The data indicate a reflectance curve with a distinct configuration for the studied age.
Pharmacovigilance on Twitter? Mining Tweets for Adverse Drug Reactions

Recent research has shown that Twitter data analytics can have broad implications on public health research. However, its value for pharmacovigilance has been scantly studied - with health related forums and community support groups preferred for the task. We present a systematic study of tweets collected for 74 drugs to assess their value as sources of potential signals for adverse drug reactions (ADRs). We created an annotated corpus of 10,822 tweets. Each tweet was annotated for the presence or absence of ADR mentions, with the span and Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) concept ID noted for each ADR present. Using Cohen's kappa1, we calculated the inter-annotator agreement (IAA) for the binary annotations to be 0.69. To demonstrate the utility of the corpus, we attempted a lexicon-based approach for concept extraction, with promising success (54.1% precision, 62.1% recall, and 57.8% F-measure). A subset of the corpus is freely available at: http://diego.asu. edu/downloads.
Adults with cerebral palsy benefit from participating in a strength training programme at a community gymnasium

Purpose: This study examined whether a community-based progressive resistance strength training programme could improve muscle strength and functional activity in a group of adults with cerebral palsy with high support needs. Method: Using a single group pre-post clinical design, 10 adults (7 males, 3 females; mean age 47.8 SD 5.7 years) with cerebral palsy and high support needs completed 4 weeks of introduction and familiarization, followed by a 10-week progressive resistance strength training programme in a community gymnasium. Participants were measured for muscle strength, locomotion speed and timed sit-to-stand. Results: After establishment of a stable baseline from weeks 2 to 5 with no systematic change and a high degree of association (r > 0.86), participants increased leg strength by 22.0% (p = 0.02), arm strength by 17.2% (p = 0.01) and improved performance of sit-to-stand (p = 0.02) during the 10-week strength training intervention. Conclusions: This study adds to the accumulating evidence that strength training can be beneficial for people with cerebral palsy by demonstrating benefits for adults with cerebral palsy and high support needs who are subject to decline in physical function associated with the ageing process.
Functional Analysis of Phagocyte Activity in Whole Blood from HIV/Tuberculosis-Infected Individuals Using a Novel Flow Cytometry-Based Assay

The accurate assessment of immune competence through ex vivo analysis is paramount to our understanding of those immune mechanisms that lead to protection or susceptibility against a broad range of human pathogens. We have developed a flow cytometry-based, whole blood phagocyte functional assay that utilizes the inflammatory inducer zymosan, coupled to OxyBURST-SE, a fluorescent reporter of phagosomal oxidase activity. The assay measures both phagocytic uptake and the superoxide burst in the phagocyte populations in whole blood. We utilized this assay to demonstrate impaired superoxide burst activity in the phagocytes of hospitalized HIV-positive patients with laboratory-confirmed tuberculosis. These data validate the use of the assay to assess the immune competence of patients in a clinical setting. The method is highly reproducible with minimal intraindividual variation and opens opportunities for the rapid assessment of cellular immune competence in peripheral blood in a disease setting.