Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW)-Enhanced Chemical Functionalization of Gold Films

Surface chemical and biochemical functionalization is a fundamental process that is widely applied in many fields to add new functions, features, or capabilities to a material’s surface. Here, we demonstrate that surface acoustic waves (SAWs) can enhance the chemical functionalization of gold films. This is shown by using an integrated biochip composed by a microfluidic channel coupled to a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) readout system and by monitoring the adhesion of biotin-thiol on the gold SPR areas in different conditions. In the case of SAW-induced streaming, the functionalization efficiency is improved ≈5 times with respect to the case without SAWs. The technology here proposed can be easily applied to a wide variety of biological systems (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids) and devices (e.g., sensors, devices for cell cultures).
Polymer Brush-Stabilized Polyplex for a siRNA Carrier with Long Blood Circulatory Half-Life

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) holds potential as a therapeutic approach to silence targeted gene of disease, but siRNA has limited stability in vivo. Therefore, delivery system of siRNA is the key to siRNA therapeutic application. We attempted to develop a delivery system, which enables siRNA to demonstrate high stability and long blood circulation. We synthesized a series of bottlebrush-type copolymers (BBCs) possessing polycationic backbone (less than 30 wt%) and abundant water-soluble side chains (more than 70 wt%) as siRNA carrier. A siRNA complexed with the BBC was resistant to nuclease and stable in plasma. Especially, the BBC (10 wt% PLL and 90 wt% PEG) having higher grafting ratio (≈ 90 wt%) of water-soluble side chains showed 100-times enhanced stability of siRNA in mouse bloodstream in vivo. Surprisingly, even when the BBC and siRNA separately injected into mouse at 20 min interval, the BBC increased blood half life of the siRNA. These results suggest that the BBC has higher selectivity in its ionic interaction to siRNA than other anionic substance in blood components. To our knowledge, this is the first report of siRNA delivery carrier which prolonged blood circulation of siRNA without resource-consuming preparation process.
STRESS SINGULARITIES IN BI‐MATERIAL WEDGES WITH ADHESION AND DELAMINATION

The order of the stress singularity at corners in bi-materials is calculated by means of a local approximation of the stresses. This is performed for interfaces with adhesion and for interfaces which show delamination. It is demonstrated that the singular behaviour is less severe in the case of adhesion, i.e. when delamination is prevented. This result provides an explanation for the phenomenon that cracking at comers of bi-material wedges only occurs in the presence of delamination. This conclusion is confirmed by experiments on micro-electronic devices using scanning acoustic tomography, Fracture of the plastic encapsulation and failures of the electrical circuits are only observed in areas where the plastic has delaminated from the chip surface.
Thermal performance of PCM-cooled mobile phone

This paper presents the experimental study of using phase change material (PCM) in the cooling of the mobile phone. It investigates the thermal performance of transient charging and discharging of mobile phone in three different situations; making phone calls frequently, making long duration calls and making occasional calls. The results show that mobile phones are heated up fastest during the long duration usage. Experiments are also conducted to determine the effect of fins and effect of orientation of the mobile phone on its thermal performance.
Molecular phylogenetic evidence for a mimetic radiation in Peruvian poison frogs supports a Müllerian mimicry hypothesis

Examples of Müllerian mimicry, in which resemblance between unpalatable species confers mutual benefit, are rare in vertebrates. Strong comparative evidence for mimicry is found when the colour and pattern of a single species closely resemble several different model species simultaneously in different geographical regions. Todemonstrate this, it is necessary to provide compelling evidence that the putative mimics do, in fact, form a monophyletic group. We present molecular phylogenetic evidence that the poison frog Dendrobates imitator mimics three different poison frogs in different geographical regions in Peru. DNA sequences from four different mitochondrial gene regions in putative members of a single species are analysed using parsimony, maximum-likelihood and neighbour-joining methods. The resulting hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships demonstrate that the different populations of D.imitator form a monophyletic group. To our knowledge, these results provide the first evidence for a Müllerian mimetic radiation in amphibians in which a single species mimics different sympatric species in different geographical regions.
Learning feature extractors for AMD classification in OCT using convolutional neural networks

In this paper, we propose a two-step textural feature extraction method, which utilizes the feature learning ability of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to extract a set of low level primitive filter kernels, and then generalizes the discriminative power by forming a histogram based descriptor. The proposed method is applied to a practical medical diagnosis problem of classifying different stages of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) using a dataset comprising long-wavelength Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images of the choroid. The experimental results show that the proposed method extracts more discriminative features than the features learnt through CNN only. It also suggests the feasibility of classifying different AMD stages using the textural information of the choroid region.
TeamBeam - Meta-Data Extraction from Scientific Literature

An important aspect of the work of researchers as well as librarians is to manage collections of scientific literature. Social research networks, such as Mendeley and CiteULike, provide services that support this task. Meta-data plays an important role in providing services to retrieve and organise the articles. In such settings, meta-data is rarely explicitly provided, leading to the need for automatically extracting this valuable information. The TeamBeam algorithm analyses a scientific article and extracts structured meta-data, such as the title, journal name and abstract, as well as information about the article's authors (e.g. names, e-mail addresses, affiliations). The input of the algorithm is a set of blocks generated from the article text. A classification algorithm, which takes the sequence of the input into account, is then applied in two consecutive phases. In the evaluation of the algorithm, its performance is compared against two heuristics and three existing meta-data extraction systems. Three different data sets with varying characteristics are used to assess the quality of the extraction results. TeamBeam performs well under testing and compares favourably with existing approaches.
Current therapeutic approaches to diffuse grade II and III gliomas

The 2016 WHO classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System brought major conceptual and practical changes in the classification of diffuse gliomas, by combining molecular features and histology into ‘integrated’ diagnoses. In diffuse gliomas, molecular profiling has thus become essential for nosological purposes, as well as to plan adequate treatment strategies and identify patients susceptible of target therapy. WHO grade II (low grade) and grade III (anaplastic) diffuse gliomas form a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, also known as ‘lower-grade gliomas’, characterized by a wide range of malignant potential. Molecular profile accounts for this biological diversity, and provides an accurate prognostic stratification of tumors in this group. Treatment strategies in lower-grade gliomas are ultimately based on molecular profile and WHO grade, as well as on patient characteristics such as age and Karnofsky performance status. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in the classification of grade II and III gliomas, synthesize current treatment schemes according to molecular profile and describe ongoing research and future perspectives for the use of target therapies.
Control of Action Potential Timing by Intrinsic Subthreshold Oscillations in Olfactory Bulb Output Neurons

Rhythmic patterns of neuronal activity have been found at multiple levels of various sensory systems. In the olfactory bulb or the antennal lobe, oscillatory activity exhibits a broad range of frequencies and has been proposed to encode sensory information. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these oscillations are unknown. Bulbar oscillations might be an emergent network property arising from neuronal interactions and/or resulting from intrinsic oscillations in individual neurons. Here we show that mitral cells (output neurons of the olfactory bulb) display subthreshold oscillations of their membrane potential. These oscillations are mediated by tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium currents and range in frequency from 10 to 50 Hz as a function of resting membrane potential. Because the voltage dependency of oscillation frequency was found to be similar to that for action potential generation, we studied how subthreshold oscillations could influence the timing of action potentials elicited by synaptic inputs. Indeed, we found that subthreshold oscillatory activity can trigger the precise occurrence of action potentials generated in response to EPSPs. Furthermore, IPSPs were found to set the phase of subthreshold oscillations and can lead to “rebound” spikes with a constant latency. Because intrinsic oscillations of membrane potential enable very precise temporal control of neuronal firing, we propose that these oscillations provide an effective means to synchronize mitral cell subpopulations during the processing of olfactory information.
MICROSTRUCTURE OF THE INTERFACIAL ZONE AROUND AGGREGATE PARTICLES IN CONCRETE

This is a report of a study that examined the microstructural characteristics of the interfacial region around aggregate particles in concrete. The study also explored the influence of this interfacial zone on some of the properties of concrete such as the compressive strength, the water transport capacity, and the diffusion of ions into concretes prepared with and without mineral additives. The literature review is described, as well as the materials and the experimental methods. The micro-characteristics of the interfacial zone in portland cement mortars and concrete are described, as well as the effects of the interfacial zone on diffusion of ions in concrete. The effects of mineral additives on the cement paste-aggregate interfacial zone in concrete, and the influence of pozzolans on the interfacial zone in relationship to the transport of water and the diffusion of ions in concrete are covered. The study also covered the effects of silica fume and metakaolinite on the interfacial zone with respect to the strength of mortars.
Lumbosacral Sagittal Alignment in Association to Intervertebral Disc Diseases

Study Design A cross-sectional case-control study was designed to compare the sagittal alignment of lumbosacral regions in two groups of patients suffering from low back pain, one with intervertebral disc pathologies and one without. Purpose To evaluate the correlation between lumbosacral sagittal alignment and disc degeneration. Overview of Literature Changes in lumbar lordosis and pelvic parameters in degenerative disc lesions have been assessed in few studies. Overall, patients with discopathy were shown to have lower lumbar lordosis and more vertical sacral profiles. Methods From patients with intractable low back pain undergoing lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging, 50 subjects with disc degeneration and 50 controls with normal scans were consecutively enrolled. A method was defined with anterior tangent-lines going through anterior bodies of L1 and S1 to measure global lumbosacral angle, incorporating both lumbar lordosis and sacral slope. Global lumbosacral angle using the proposed method and lumbar lordosis using Cobb's method were measured in both groups. Results Lumbar lordosis based on Cobb's method was lower in group with discopathy (20°-67°; mean, 40.48°±9.89°) than control group (30°-62°; mean, 44.96°±7.68°), although it was not statistically significant. The proposed global lumbosacral angle in subject group (53°-103°; mean, 76.5°±11.018°) was less than control group (52°-101°; mean, 80.18°±9.95°), with the difference being statistically significant (p=0.002). Conclusions Patients with intervertebral disc lesions seem to have more straightened lumbosacral profiles, but it has not been proven which comes first: disc degeneration or changes in sagittal alignment. Finding an answer to this dilemma demands more comprehensive long-term prospective studies.
Genome-Wide Analysis of Copy Number Variation in Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) tends to cluster in families, suggesting there may be a genetic component predisposing to disease. However, a recent large-scale genome-wide association study concluded that identified genetic factors, single nucleotide polymorphisms, do not account for overall familiality. Another class of genetic variation is the amplification or deletion of >1 kilobase segments of the genome, also termed copy number variations (CNVs). We performed genome-wide CNV analysis on a cohort of 20 unrelated adults with T1D and a control (Ctrl) cohort of 20 subjects using the Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0 in combination with the Birdsuite copy number calling software. We identified 39 CNVs as enriched or depleted in T1D versus Ctrl. Additionally, we performed CNV analysis in a group of 10 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for T1D. Eleven of these 39 CNVs were also respectively enriched or depleted in the Twin cohort, suggesting that these variants may be involved in the development of islet autoimmunity, as the presently unaffected twin is at high risk for developing islet autoimmunity and T1D in his or her lifetime. These CNVs include a deletion on chromosome 6p21, near an HLA-DQ allele. CNVs were found that were both enriched or depleted in patients with or at high risk for developing T1D. These regions may represent genetic variants contributing to development of islet autoimmunity in T1D.
Alterations in photoreceptor‐bipolar cell signaling following ischemia/reperfusion in the rat retina

Studies of retinal ischemia/reperfusion indicate a disparity between the anatomical and functional results; while a large number of rod bipolar cells remain postischemia, there is a significant reduction in the amplitude of the scotopic b‐wave of the electroretinogram (ERG). We investigated the alterations in photoreceptor‐bipolar cell signaling following ischemia/reperfusion and suggest a mechanism for the decrease in b‐wave amplitude. A cation channel probe (agmatine, 1‐amino‐4‐guanidobutane, AGB) was used to assess cellular ion channel activity in neurochemically identified cells secondary to endogenous glutamate release or pharmacological manipulations. By applying the “neurochemical truth point” principle (Sun et al. [2007a] J Comp Neurol, this issue), we have been able to confirm the loss of specific subpopulations of neurons. ERG was used to assess gross retinal function, with parameters of the ERG model providing insight into changes in the phototransduction cascade and sensitivity of postreceptoral glutamate receptors. Following ischemia/reperfusion, rod bipolar cells maintained 2‐amino‐4‐phosphonobutyric acid‐responsive metabotropic glutamate receptors and displayed no change in sensitivity to flashes of light as assessed by ERG. Therefore, the loss in b‐wave amplitude is likely due to alterations in photoreceptoral glutamate release detected as a change in postsynaptic AGB permeation into rod bipolar cells. Bipolar cell to amacrine cell signaling was also altered. The robust AGB entry into cholinergic amacrine cells was virtually absent in retinas that had undergone ischemia/reperfusion but remained in the AII amacrine cells. Such results suggest a loss of glutamate receptors and/or a change in receptor subunit expression in subpopulations of inner retinal neurons. Although many cells retain their characteristic neurochemical labeling following ischemia/reperfusion, caution should be used when assuming cells participate in functional retinal circuits based solely on the persistence of neurochemical labeling. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:131–146, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Induction of thyroid gene expression and radioiodine uptake in thyroid cancer cells by targeting major signaling pathways.

CONTEXT Radioiodine ablation is commonly used to treat thyroid cancer, but a major challenge is often the loss of radioiodine avidity of the cancer caused by aberrant silencing of iodide-handling genes. OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to test the therapeutic potential of targeting the aberrantly activated MAPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways and histone deacetylase to restore radioiodine avidity in thyroid cancer cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We tested the effects of specific inhibitors targeting these pathways/molecules that had established clinical applicability, including the MAPK kinase inhibitor RDEA119, mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus, Akt inhibitor perifosine, and histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA, individually or in combinations, on the expression of iodide-handling genes and radioiodide uptake in a large panel of thyroid cancer cell lines. RESULTS The expression of a large number of iodide-handling genes could be restored, particularly the sodium/iodide symporter, TSH receptor, and thyroperoxidase, by treating cells with these inhibitors. The effect was particularly robust and synergistic when combinations of inhibitors containing SAHA were used. Robust expression of sodium/iodide symporter in the cell membrane, which plays the most important role in iodide uptake in thyroid cells, was confirmed by immunofluorescent microscopy. Radioiodide uptake by cells was correspondingly induced under these conditions. Thyroid gene expression and radioiodide uptake could both be further enhanced by TSH. CONCLUSIONS Targeting major signaling pathways could restore thyroid gene expression and radioiodide uptake in thyroid cancer cells. Further studies are warranted to test this therapeutic potential in restoring radioiodine avidity of thyroid cancer cells for effective ablation treatment.
Direct coupling information measure from non-uniform embedding

A measure to estimate the direct and directional coupling in multivariate time series is proposed. The measure is an extension of a recently published measure of conditional mutual information from mixed embedding (MIME) for bivariate time series. In the proposed measure of partial MIME (PMIME), the embedding is on all observed variables and it is optimized in explaining the response variable. It is shown that PMIME detects correctly direct coupling and outperforms the (linear) conditional Granger causality and the partial transfer entropy. We demonstrate that PMIME does not rely on significance test and embedding parameters and the number of observed variables has no effect on its statistical accuracy; it may only slow the computations. The importance of these points is shown in simulations and in an application to epileptic multichannel scalp electroencephalograms.
Characterization of microstructure and fatigue life of CP titanium grade 2 specimens subject to various bending processes

This study focussed on an investigation into the fatigue behaviour of commercially pure (CP) titanium (Ti) grade 2 specimens produced by various bending (deformation) processes, i.e. mechanical bending, laser bending and laser-mechanical bending. Although published literature on the fatigue behaviour of components produced by laser forming is relatively limited, it was found that laser bending could improve the mechanical behaviour of such components. At high fatigue load settings the microstructure was the dominant contributor to crack initiation and crack growth. After the specimens were bent, residual stress analysis as well as a characterization of the microstructure was performed on the three bent samples as well as the parent plate. Mathematical equations were formulated and presented for the laser forming process for predicting the fatigue life of CP Ti grade 2. This study revealed that the laser forming process can be successfully used as a manufacturing method in the forming of CP Ti grade 2.
Investigations on Pastes and Mortars of Ordinary Portland Cement Admixed with Wollastonite and Microsilica

Wollastonite is abundantly available in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and Andhra Pradesh states of the Indian Union as a low-cost material. In this study, investigations were made on pastes and mortars to evaluate its potential as a new material for admixing with ordinary portland cement with or without microsilica. Its physical and chemical properties were analyzed. Wollastonite consists of 45.6% of CaO and 48% of SiO2 , mostly in amorphous form. It has an average specific surface area of 842.7 m2 /kg and retention on 45-micron sieve of 3.20%. When ground to fine powder, it attains an average particle size of 4 microns which is about 4.5 times finer than ordinary portland cement. Scanning electron microscope images show that wollastonite particles were solid, acicular in shape, and have rough surfaces. Several cementitious mix proportions of ordinary portland cement, wollastonite, and microsilica were investigated for normal consistency, initial and final setting time of paste, and compressive str.
Histological changes and temperature distribution studies of a novel bipolar radiofrequency heating system in degenerated and nondegenerated human cadaver lumbar discs.

OBJECTIVE AND STUDY DESIGN The purpose of this experimentation was to investigate the safety of a novel cooled bipolar radiofrequency system by examining histology and monitoring temperature distribution in the disc, epidural space, and adjacent to the nerve roots. In our study we used two human cadaver lumbar spines, one moderately to severely degenerated and the other mildly degenerated. SETTING AND INTERVENTIONS Radiofrequency ablation of the disc posterior annulus is a theoretically plausible technique to ablate the nociceptors and to modify collagen of the annulus fibrosus. A novel cooled bipolar radiofrequency system is used to perform a procedure called intervertebral disc biacuplasty to heat the posterior annulus for the treatment of discogenic pain. Four lumbar intervertebral discs were treated in each spine sample using the bipolar system while two lumbar discs of each spine were used as controls. RESULTS Temperatures developed in the posterior annulus of the disc were on average 52.35 +/- 5.07 degrees C, while in the intervertebral foramen and in the spinal canal were 38.84 +/- 1.7 degrees C and 38.29 +/- 2.04 degrees C, respectively. There was no histological evidence of damage to any other structures including vertebral end plates, epidural space, or nerve roots. Additionally, there were no histological changes in the posterior annulus that were consistent with heat-induced changes to collagen structure. CONCLUSIONS Temperatures reached in the posterior annulus during transdiscal biacuplasty were greater than required (45 degrees C) for neuroablation. Temperatures reached at the neural foramina and epidural were low enough to avoid neural damage.