Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brain Microbleeds Relate to Higher Ambulatory Blood Pressure Levels in First-Ever Lacunar Stroke Patients

Background and Purpose— Hypertension is an important risk factor for brain microbleeds (BMBs) in lacunar stroke patients. However, beyond the qualitative label “hypertension,” little is known about the association with ambulatory blood pressure (BP) levels. Methods— In 123 first-ever lacunar stroke patients we performed 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring after the acute stroke-phase. We counted BMBs on T2*-weighted gradient-echo MR images. Because a different etiology for BMBs according to location has been suggested, we distinguished between BMBs in deep and lobar location. Results— BMBs were seen in 36 (29.3%) patients. After adjusting for age, sex, number of antihypertensive drugs, asymptomatic lacunar infarcts, and white matter lesions, we found 24-hour, day, and night systolic and diastolic BP levels to be significantly associated with the presence and number of BMBs (odds ratios 1.6 to 2.3 per standard deviation increase in BP). Distinguishing between different locations, various BP characteristics were significantly associated with the presence of deep (or combined deep and lobar) BMBs, but not with purely lobar BMBs. Conclusions— Our results underline the role of a high 24-hour BP load as an important risk factor for BMBs. The association of BP levels with deep but not purely lobar BMBs is in line with the idea that different vasculopathies might be involved. Deep BMBs may be a particular marker of BP-related small vessel disease, but longitudinal and larger studies are now warranted to substantiate these findings.
Object Category Detection Using Audio-visual Cues Object Category Detection Using Audio-visual Cues

Categorization is one of the fundamental building blocks of cognitive systems. Object categorization has traditionally been addressed in the vision domain, even though cognitive agents are intrinsically multimodal. Indeed, biological systems combine several modalities in order to achieve robust categorization. In this paper we propose a multimodal approach to object category detection, using audio and visual information. The auditory channel is modeled on biologically motivated spectral features via a discriminative classifier. The visual channel is modeled by a state of the art part based model. Multimodality is achieved using two fusion schemes, one high level and the other low level. Experiments on six different object categories, under increasingly difficult conditions, show strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches, and clearly underline the open challenges for multimodal category detection.
Is food addiction a valid and useful concept?

In this paper, we consider the concept of food addiction from a clinical and neuroscientific perspective. Food addiction has an established and growing currency in the context of models of overeating and obesity, and its acceptance shapes debate and research. However, we argue that the evidence for its existence in humans is actually rather limited and, in addition, there are fundamental theoretical difficulties that require consideration.
RelClus: Clustering-based Relationship Search

Searching and browsing relationships between entities is an important task in many domains. To support users in interactively exploring a large set of relationships, we present a novel relationship search engine called RelClus, which automatically groups search results into a dynamically generated hierarchy with meaningful labels. This hierarchical clustering of relationships exploits their schematic patterns and a similarity measure based on information theory.
Anaerobic digestion of bio-waste: A mini-review focusing on territorial and environmental aspects

Scientific and industrial experiences, together with economical and policies changes of last 30 years, bring anaerobic digestion among the most environmental friendly and economically advantageous technologies for organic waste treatment and management in Europe. In this short review, the role of anaerobic digestion of organic wastes is discussed, considering the opportunity of a territorial friendly approach, without barriers, where different organic wastes are co-treated. This objective can be achieved through two proposed strategies: one is the anaerobic digestion applied as a service for the agricultural and farming sector; the other as a service for citizen (biowaste, diapers and wastewater treatment integration). The union of these two strategies is an environmental- and territorial-friendly process that aims to produce renewable energy and fertiliser material, with a low greenhouse gas emission and nutrients recovery. The advantage of forthcoming application of anaerobic digestion of organic wastes, even for added value bioproducts production and new energy carriers, are finally discussed. Among several advantages of anaerobic digestion, the role of the environmental controller was evaluated, considering the ability of minimising the impacts exploiting the biochemical equilibrium and sensitivity as a quality assurance for digestate.
Tff3, as a Novel Peptide, Regulates Hepatic Glucose Metabolism

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder strongly associated with hepatic glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. The trefoil peptides are a family of small regulatory proteins and Tff3 is widely expressed in multiple tissues including liver. But the roles of Tff3 in regulation of glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in liver remain unclear. Here we show that the hepatic Tff3 expression levels were decreased in ob/ob and high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Overexpression of Tff3 in primary mouse hepatocytes inhibited the expression of gluconeogenic genes, including G6pc, PEPCK and PGC-1α, subsequently decreasing cellular glucose output. GTT and ITT experiments revealed that adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Tff3 in diabetic or obese mice improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Collectively, our results indicated that Tff3 peptides are involved in glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity, providing a promising peptide on new therapies against the metabolic disorders associated with T2DM.
Multi-view VR system for co-located multidisciplinary collaboration and its application in ergonomic design

In co-located collaborative environment for product design, new groupware of multi-view system allows multiple experts to have individual visual information. A co-located multi-view VR system and a multidisciplinary task have been created and studied. Results show that using multi-view VR system achieves a better effectiveness and user performance. Then, an application for collaborative ergonomic design is explored and an industrial multidisciplinary scenario is realized with proposed system.
Task Learning through Visual Demonstration and Situated Dialogue

To enable effective collaborations between humans and cognitive robots, it is important for robots to continuously acquire task knowledge from human partners. To address this issue, we are currently developing a framework that supports task learning through visual demonstration and natural language dialogue. One core component of this framework is the integration of language and vision that is driven by dialogue for task knowledge learning. This paper describes our on-going effort, particularly, grounded task learning through joint processing of video and dialogue using And-Or-Graphs.
Brief parent training in pivotal response treatment for preschoolers with autism.

BACKGROUND Evidence of improved outcomes with early behavioural intervention has placed the early treatment of autism as a health priority. However, long waiting lists for treatment often preclude timely access, raising the question of whether parents could be trained in the interim. Parent training in pivotal response treatment (PRT) has been shown to enhance the communication skills of children with autism. This is typically provided within a 25-hour programme, although less intensive parent training may also be effective. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of brief training in PRT for parents of preschoolers with autism, who were awaiting, or unable to access, more comprehensive treatment. METHOD Eight preschoolers with autism and their parents participated in the study. A non-concurrent multiple (across-participants) baseline design was used, in which parents were seen individually for three 2-hour training sessions on PRT. Child and parent outcomes were assessed before, immediately after, and 2 to 4 months following training using standardised tests, questionnaires and behaviour coded directly from video recordings. RESULTS Overall, children's communication skills, namely functional utterances, increased following training. Parents' fidelity in implementing PRT techniques also improved after training, and generally these changes were maintained at follow-up. A moderate to strong relationship was found between parents' increased ability to implement PRT techniques and improvement in the children's communication skills. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that brief parent training in PRT promises to provide an immediate, cost-effective intervention that could be adopted widely.
Pleomorphic Adenoma

A neoplasm characterized by the presence of benign epithelial and myoepithelial cells and a mesenchymal component that may contain mucoid, myxoid, cartilaginous, or osseous areas. It may be completely or partially encapsulated. It occurs in the parotid gland, submandibular gland, minor salivary glands in the oral cavity, upper respiratory tract, and nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. It usually presents as a slow growing painless mass. Infrequently, patients may present with pain and facial palsy. It may recur after excision or transform to a malignant neoplasm (carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma). Qeios · Definition, February 7, 2020
Viscometric Study of the Gelatin Solutions Ranging from Dilute to Extremely Dilute Concentrations

The viscosity of gelatin solutions with concentrations between 10−4 and 10−5 g/cm3, covering the extremely dilute zones, was studied via a photoelectric viscometer, and the effects of the electrolyte, pH, surfactant, urea, and temperature were discussed. The results showed that the reduced viscosity (ηsp/C) of gelatin exhibited a drastic increase with dilution in the extremely dilute aqueous solutions, this being a typical polyelectrolyte effect. The reduced viscosity of gelatin underwent several oscillations with varying pH; the minimum value of the viscosity was at pH = 5.0, corresponding to its isoelectric point, where gelatin exhibited antipolyelectrolyte behavior. The reduced viscosity of gelatin decreased with increasing temperature, which was due to the helix–coil transition in the gelatin solution. The temperature of the helix–coil transition was 30.0°C in gelatin aqueous solution; however the temperature of helix–coil transition decreased to 20.0°C in urea. Upon cooling, the gelatin molecules in aqueous solution underwent a coil–helix transition. Hydrophobic interactions caused chain folding in the presence of the surfactant sodium dodecylsulphate.
Design and control of compliant tensegrity robots through simulation and hardware validation

To better understand the role of tensegrity structures in biological systems and their application to robotics, the Dynamic Tensegrity Robotics Lab at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA, has developed and validated two software environments for the analysis, simulation and design of tensegrity robots. These tools, along with new control methodologies and the modular hardware components developed to validate them, are presented as a system for the design of actuated tensegrity structures. As evidenced from their appearance in many biological systems, tensegrity (‘tensile–integrity’) structures have unique physical properties that make them ideal for interaction with uncertain environments. Yet, these characteristics make design and control of bioinspired tensegrity robots extremely challenging. This work presents the progress our tools have made in tackling the design and control challenges of spherical tensegrity structures. We focus on this shape since it lends itself to rolling locomotion. The results of our analyses include multiple novel control approaches for mobility and terrain interaction of spherical tensegrity structures that have been tested in simulation. A hardware prototype of a spherical six-bar tensegrity, the Reservoir Compliant Tensegrity Robot, is used to empirically validate the accuracy of simulation.
Etude micromécanique de l'effet de la présence d'amas d'inclusions sur la transition fragile-ductile d'aciers nucléaires

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Étude micro-mécanique de l’effet de la présence d’amas d’inclusions sur la transition fragile-ductile d’aciers nucléaires. Nicolas Bilger
Surface Deformation of Augustine Volcano, 1992-2005, from Multiple-Interferogram Processing Using a Refined Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) Approach

Augustine Volcano is an active stratovolcano located in southwestern Cook Inlet, about 280 kilometers southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. The volcano produced six significant explosive eruptions between 1812 and 1986. Augustine eruptions typically have an explosive onset followed by dome building. The most recent eruption began on January 11, 2006. We applied the small baseline subset (SBAS) interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique to measure ground surface deformation during 1992–2005 with the use of European Remote Sensing Satellites 1 and 2 (ERS–1 and ERS–2) radar imagery. Through a multiple-interferogram approach, atmospheric delay artifacts, which hinder conventional InSAR measurements, are significantly reduced by spatial and temporal filtering. This allows us to retrieve time-series deformation over coherent points at millimeter-scale accuracy. The deformation results from two independent satellite tracks agree with each other, suggesting 2 to 8 cm wholesale uplift of Augustine Volcano from 1992 to 2005. Global Positioning System (GPS) data acquired in September 2004 and October 2005 confirm the SBAS InSAR results. A preliminary model consisting of a contracting source at 2 to 4 km depth and an inflating source at 7 to 12 km depth fits the observed deformation reasonably well. We interpret the deeper source as a long-term magma storage zone and the shallower source as a subsidiary reservoir that was tapped during the 2006 eruption. The shallow source corresponds approximately to the location of the volcanotectonic earthquakes that preceded and followed the 1976 and 2006 eruptions, respectively.
Two-photon polymerization for fabrication of biomedical devices

Two-photon polymerization (2PP) is a novel technology which allows the fabrication of complex three-dimensional (3D) microstructures and nanostructures. The number of applications of this technology is rapidly increasing; it includes the fabrication of 3D photonic crystals [1-4], medical devices, and tissue scaffolds [5-6]. In this contribution, we discuss current applications of 2PP for microstructuring of biomedical devices used in drug delivery. While in general this sector is still dominated by oral administration of drugs, precise dosing, safety, and convenience are being addressed by transdermal drug delivery systems. Currently, main limitations arise from low permeability of the skin. As a result, only few types of pharmacological substances can be delivered in this manner [7]. Application of microneedle arrays, whose function is to help overcome the barrier presented by the epidermis layer of the skin, provides a very promising solution. Using 2PP we have fabricated arrays of hollow microneedles with different geometries. The effect of microneedle geometry on skin penetration is examined. Our results indicate that microneedles created using 2PP technique are suitable for in vivo use, and for integration with the next generation of MEMS- and NEMS-based drug delivery devices.
Detecting Motion through Dynamic Refraction

Refraction causes random dynamic distortions in atmospheric turbulence and in views across a water interface. The latter scenario is experienced by submerged animals seeking to detect prey or avoid predators, which may be airborne or on land. Man encounters this when surveying a scene by a submarine or divers while wishing to avoid the use of an attention-drawing periscope. The problem of inverting random refracted dynamic distortions is difficult, particularly when some of the objects in the field of view (FOV) are moving. On the other hand, in many cases, just those moving objects are of interest, as they reveal animal, human, or machine activity. Furthermore, detecting and tracking these objects does not necessitate handling the difficult task of complete recovery of the scene. We show that moving objects can be detected very simply, with low false-positive rates, even when the distortions are very strong and dominate the object motion. Moreover, the moving object can be detected even if it has zero mean motion. While the object and distortion motions are random and unknown, they are mutually independent. This is expressed by a simple motion feature which enables discrimination of moving object points versus the background.
New saliva DNA collection method compared to buccal cell collection techniques for epidemiological studies

Epidemiological studies may require noninvasive methods for off‐site DNA collection. We compared the DNA yield and quality obtained using a whole‐saliva collection device (Oragene™ DNA collection kit) to those from three established noninvasive methods (cytobrush, foam swab, and oral rinse). Each method was tested on 17 adult volunteers from our center, using a random crossover collection design and analyzed using repeated‐measures statistics. DNA yield and quality were assessed via gel electrophoresis, spectophotometry, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification rate. The whole‐saliva method provided a significantly greater DNA yield (mean ± SD = 154.9 ± 103.05 μg, median = 181.88) than the other methods (oral rinse = 54.74 ± 41.72 μg, 36.56; swab = 11.44 ± 7.39 μg, 10.72; cytobrush = 12.66 ± 6.19, 13.22 μg) (all pairwise P < 0.05). Oral‐rinse and whole‐saliva samples provided the best DNA quality, whereas cytobrush and swab samples provided poorer quality DNA, as shown by lower OD260/OD280 and OD260/OD230 ratios. We conclude that both a 10‐ml oral‐rinse sample and 2‐ml whole‐saliva sample provide sufficient DNA quantity and better quality DNA for genetic epidemiological studies than do the commonly used buccal swab and brush techniques.Am. J. Hum. Biol. 19:319–326, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Transcription Factor Wilms Tumor 1 Regulates Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 through a Nitric Oxide-Mediated Pathway

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is released by human lung epithelial cells (LEC) in conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and expression of MMP-9 correlates with the severity of these disorders. MMP-9 production has been reported to be regulated by a NO/soluble guanylate cyclase-dependent pathway. Transcriptional regulation of this enzyme, however, is poorly understood. Using phylogenetic analysis, we observed a highly conserved sequence in the 5′ flanking region of the MMP-9 gene containing binding sites for the transcription factor Wilms tumor 1 (WT1). We confirmed the presence of WT1 in human LEC and that treatment with TNF or a mixture containing LPS, PMA, and IFN-γ resulted in translocation of WT1 from the nucleus to the cytosol. This translocation coincided with increased expression of MMP-9 and could be blocked by inhibitors of the NO/soluble guanylate cyclase pathway. WT1 knockdown using small-interfering RNA up-regulated MMP-9 expression in the presence of the NO synthase inhibitor 1400W. Using either WT1 pulldown with probes for the conserved region of the MMP-9 promoter or chromatin immunoprecipitation, we confirmed WT1 binding to the MMP-9 promoter. These findings indicate WT1 is a repressor of MMP-9, regulated by a NO-mediated pathway in human LEC. To our knowledge, this is the first report of WT1 regulating MMP-9 expression. Further study is needed to determine whether clinical conditions exhibiting tissue remodeling, such as asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, demonstrate reduced levels of WT1 or its repressor activity.
Planning in Nondeterministic Domains under Partial Observability via Symbolic Model Checking

Planning under partial observability is one of the most significant and challenging planning problems. It has been shown to be hard, both theoretically and experimentally. In this paper, we present a novel approach to the problem of planning under partial observability in non-deterministic domains. We propose an algorithm that searches through a (possibly cyclic) and-or graph induced by the domain. The algorithm generates conditional plans that are guaranteed to achieve the goal despite of the uncertainty in the initial condition, the uncertain effects of actions, and the partial observability of the domain. We implement the algorithm by means of BDD-based, symbolic model checking techniques, in order to tackle in practice the exponential blow up of the search space. We show experimentally that our approach is practical by evaluating the planner with a set of problems taken from the literature and comparing it with other state of the art planners for partially observable domains.
NetLets: End-To-End QoS Mechanisms for Distributed Computing Over Internet Using Two-Paths

We propose a two-path method based on delay-regression estimation to achieve low end-to-end delays for message transmissions in distributed computing applications. Our scheme is implemented over the Internet by a network of NetLets, which communicate with one another to maintain an accurate \state" of delay-regressions in the network. NetLets handle all network tasks at host processes and also perform routing at a certain level depending on the underlying network. We present experimental results to illustrate that NetLets provide a viable and practical means for distributed computing applications over the Internet.
The Morphware Stable Interface: A Software Framework for Polymorphous Computing Architectures

Abstract : Polymorphous Computing Architectures (PCAs) are computing devices that are capable of significant, rapid reconfiguration directed by software. Composed of several groups of computing elements, PCA devices can be configured to achieve high performance on a wide variety of problem types and processing demands. We describe an emerging concept called the Morphware Stable Interface (MSI), a portable, scalable software development framework to harness the power and complexity of PCAs, while allowing productive software development, and rapid adoption of PCA devices.