Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Determinants of Participation in Worksite Health Promotion Programmes: a Systematic Review

Background: The workplace has been identified as a promising setting for health promotion, and many worksite health promotion programmes have been implemented in the past years. Research has mainly focused on the effectiveness of these interventions. For implementation of interventions at a large scale however, information about (determinants of) participation in these programmes is essential. This systematic review investigates initial participation in worksite health promotion programmes, the underlying determinants of participation, and programme characteristics influencing participation levels.
Infection‐resistant hyperbranched epoxy nanocomposite as a scaffold for skin tissue regeneration

Implantable devices and scaffolds are recently the focal points of biomedical research to address various human ailments. Infections associated with such appliances face severe consequences. In this report, hyperbranched epoxy/clay − silver nanocomposites are shown to be an infection-resistant tough implantable scaffold material. ‘Green’ silver nanoparticle embedded nanocomposites with varying percentages of nanoparticles were prepared by an ex situ technique. The thermosetting nanocomposites demonstrated an improvement of mechanical properties (tensile strength from 38 to 60 MPa) and adhesive strength from 768 to 2819 MPa compared with the pristine polymeric system. The nanocomposite surface inhibited the growth of antibiotic-resistant microbes such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans which are mostly responsible for surgical infections. The material is highly compatible with primary liver and cardiac cell lines of wistar rat. In vivo implantation of the material fostered wound healing in wistar rat. Hematological and histopathological parameters of the tested animals confirmed the compatibility of the scaffold with the in vivo system. Thus, the study forwards the nanocomposite as a potential infection-resistant implantable scaffold for skin tissue regeneration. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry Supporting information may be found in the online version of this article.
Importance of immunopharmacogenomics in cancer treatment: Patient selection and monitoring for immune checkpoint antibodies

In the last 5 years, immune checkpoint antibodies have become established as anticancer agents for various types of cancer. These antibody drugs, namely cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated antigen, programmed death‐1, and programmed death ligand‐1 antibodies, have revealed relatively high response rates, the ability to induce durable responses, and clinical efficacy in malignancies not previously thought to be susceptible to immune‐based strategies. However, because of its unique mechanisms of activating the host immune system against cancer as well as expensive cost, immune checkpoint blockade faces novel challenges in selecting appropriate patient populations, monitoring clinical responses, and predicting immune adverse events. The development of objective criteria for selecting patient populations that are likely to have benefit from these therapies has been vigorously investigated but still remains unclear. In this review, we describe immune checkpoint inhibition‐specific challenges with patient selection and monitoring, and focus on approaches to remedy these challenges. We also discuss applications of the emerging field of immunopharmacogenomics for guiding selection and monitoring for anti‐immune checkpoint treatment.
Neuron-specific phosphoproteins as biochemical indicators of neurotoxicity: effects of acute administration of trimethyltin to the adult rat.

The cytoarchitecture of the adult central nervous system is expressed by proteins specific to individual cell types. In this investigation, a subclass of these proteins, the neuron-specific phosphoproteins, was examined after the administration of trimethyltin (TMT), a neurotoxicant which preferentially damages neurons in limbic structures. After acute administration of TMT (0.0-9.0 mg/kg i.v.), effects on neuronal phosphoproteins were examined by three separate techniques: endogenous phosphorylation of total synaptic membrane proteins; radiometric assay of synapsin I, a neuron-specific phosphoprotein associated with synaptic vesicles; and radioimmunoassay of synapsin I and protein III, another synapse specific, synaptic vesicle-localized phosphoprotein. All three procedures gave similar results. TMT caused dose- and time-dependent decreases in hippocampal phosphoproteins. These effects were large in magnitude and were still evident 14 weeks after exposure to TMT. Microdissection of slices of dorsal hippocampus did not reveal significant regional differences in the extent to which TMT affected synapsin I. Phosphoproteins in frontal cortex, unlike those in hippocampus, were not affected by TMT. Our findings are consistent with the neuropathological effects of this compound and suggest that neuron-specific phosphoproteins may be useful biochemical indicators of neurotoxicity.
Adaptive Scheduling and Overhead Tuning for Deadline Constrained Computations

The growing popularity of grid and cloud computing has led to a renewed interest in resource control and coordination. The Actor model offers a convenient way for scheduling computations' access to resources by way of scheduling of the actor threads, however, efficient Actor implementations do not use a thread for each actor. This paper presents our work on integrating mechanisms for deadline assurance into an optimized implementation of Actors. We achieve this by using deadline-driven adaptive scheduling, which prioritizes individual message deliveries and method executions involved in a distributed computation. Additionally, a tuner dynamically balances the overhead of the control mechanisms against the extent of control exercised. Experiments shows that the approach offers effective support for timeliness requirements (for multimedia QoS, for example) at the cost of a relatively modest and adjustable overhead.
An Insight Into Research Ethics among Dental Professionals in A Dental Institute, India- A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND Research activities are increasing in all the fields of medicine including dentistry but there is dearth of information about the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of dental professionals for ethical principles in research, especially in the developing countries like India. OBJECTIVE To assess knowledge, attitude and behaviour among dental professionals pertaining to research ethics. MATERIALS AND METHODS A self-administered, close ended questionnaire survey with cross-sectional design was conducted in a private dental institute in India. All the house-surgeons, post-graduate students and the faculty of the same institute were included for the assessment of the knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding research ethics using a 24, 8 and 8 items. RESULTS A total of 213 of 230 dental professionals participated (response rate of 92.6%). Mean knowledge, attitude and behaviour scores were 43.3%, 82.5% and 46.37%, respectively. Significant correlations were observed of age and gender with the attitude about the research ethics among study subjects (χ(2)=14.383, p=0.006 and χ(2)=7.769, p=0.021, respectively). CONCLUSION Participants had favorable attitude towards research ethics, but their knowledge and behaviour needs considerable improvements. The age and gender were associated with attitude. The present pilot study highlights the need for further nationwide study and development of research ethics curriculum in detail for dental education in India.
A Preclinical Population Pharmacokinetic Model for Anti‐CD20/CD3 T‐Cell‐Dependent Bispecific Antibodies

CD20 is a cell‐surface receptor expressed by healthy and neoplastic B cells and is a well‐established target for biologics used to treat B‐cell malignancies. Pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) data for the anti‐CD20/CD3 T‐cell‐dependent bispecific antibody BTCT4465A were collected in transgenic mouse and nonhuman primate (NHP) studies. Pronounced nonlinearity in drug elimination was observed in the murine studies, and time‐varying, nonlinear PK was observed in NHPs, where three empirical drug elimination terms were identified using a mixed‐effects modeling approach: i) a constant nonsaturable linear clearance term (7 mL/day/kg); ii) a rapidly decaying time‐varying, linear clearance term (t½ = 1.6 h); and iii) a slowly decaying time‐varying, nonlinear clearance term (t½ = 4.8 days). The two time‐varying drug elimination terms approximately track with time scales of B‐cell depletion and T‐cell migration/expansion within the central blood compartment. The mixed‐effects NHP model was scaled to human and prospective clinical simulations were generated.
Stability analysis of speed adaptive flux observer for induction motor speed sensorless vector control

Stability analysis of speed adaptive flux observer for induction motor speed sensorless vector control, which is always unstable in the regenerating mode at low speeds, is performed by applying Routh-Hurwitz criteria to the small signal linearized model of IM. Based on the analysis, a modified speed adaptation law is proposed. The speed accuracy could be greatly improved by adding the magnetizing current estimation error to the general speed estimation law, and the instability behavior in the low speed regenerating mode could be remedied by adjusting the adaptation gain on-line. At last the validity of the proposed scheme is verified by the experimental results of speed sensorless field-oriented vector controlled 7.5kW induction motor platform.
Sparse reconstruction of quantized speech signals

We propose sparse reconstruction techniques to improve the quality and/or reduce the bit-rate of standard speech coders. To that end, we assume signal sparsity in some transform domain and formulate the problem of reconstructing the original signal in terms of constrained ℓ1-norm minimization. We use modern primal-dual methods in order to solve the resulting non-smooth convex optimization problem. Experiments show that with the proposed sparse reconstruction method the instrumentally predicted speech quality can be largely improved.
Verb Sense Disambiguation using a Predicate-Argument-Clustering Model

In this paper we present a verb sense disambiguation techniq ue which is based on statistical clustering models which merge verbs with similar subcategorisation and selectional pref erences into a cluster. The sense of a verb is disambiguated by (i) extracting the verb and its argument heads with a statistical parser from a given sentence, (ii) labeling the extrac ted verb-argument tuple with one or more clusters according to the clustering model, and (iii) assigning the verb to one of i ts possible senses based on this cluster information. Using on ly the cluster IDs as features, we obtained an accuracy of 57.06 % which is close to the results of the best system in the Senseva l2 competition which used far more information. We also show that a generalization of the selectional preferences in ter ms of WordNet concepts leads to better performance due to a reduction of sparse data problems.
The Development of Dewatering Predictions of the Velenje Coalmine

The complex hydro-geological situation, particularly in terms of groundwater, has been a constant threat to the mining carried out at the Velenje colliery since its inception. Of particular interest to the authors are the difficulties presented to the colliery by the adjacent sand aquifers, as the water pressure within these sands directly impacts mining safety, and the aquifers themselves are most directly affected by dewatering. In order to monitor water levels and estimate dewatering at the Velenje wells, multi-layered modelling using 3D Finite Difference Method (FDM) has already been carried out. However, FDM is not optimal due to its greater dependence on cell size than on water flow. In 2017 in Velenje, a series of wells will be terminated as a result of mining and mining-induced subsidence, leading to dewatering and danger of flooding. As part of a plan to address this by replacing dewatering structures, a series of drive-in filters will be implemented around the entry and exit point tunnels of a longwall face. Because FDM seems to be inadequate for purposes of optimising this process, the Finite Elements Method (FEM) was applied in this case. Based on such an application of FEM, a prediction of the optimisation of drive-in filters was carried out by the authors.
Persistence of Livestock-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Field Workers after Short-Term Occupational Exposure to Pigs and Veal Calves

ABSTRACT The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in pig and veal calf farmers in the Netherlands is estimated at 25 to 35%. However, no information is available about MRSA carriage in humans after short-term occupational exposure to pigs or veal calves. This study examines the prevalence and duration of MRSA acquisition after short-term intensive exposure to pigs or veal calves for persons not exposed to livestock on a daily basis. The study was performed with field workers who took samples from the animals or the animal houses in studies on MRSA prevalence in pig and veal farms. They were tested for MRSA by taking nasal samples before, directly after, and 24 h after they visited the farms. There were 199 sampling moments from visits to 118 MRSA-positive farms. Thirty-four of these visits (17%) resulted in the acquisition of MRSA. Thirty-one persons (94%) appeared negative again after 24 h. There were 62 visits to 34 MRSA-negative farms; none of the field workers acquired MRSA during these visits. Except for that from one person, all spa types found in the field workers were identical to those found in the animals or in the dust in animal houses and belonged to the livestock-associated clone. In conclusion, MRSA is frequently present after short-term occupational exposure, but in most cases the strain is lost again after 24 h.
Modelling of the Mechanical Behaviour of Human Joints Cartilage

A significant component of our understanding of cartilage mechanical behaviour is the ability to model its response to various types of mechanical loading, for which we require detailed knowledge of cartilage material properties. The Finite Element Analysis software ABAQUS is renowned for the ability to model poroelastic materials using the soil consolidation theory. In this research, ABAQUS has been used to model and investigate the mechanical behaviour of articular cartilage, mainly using indentation and unconfined compression techniques. A biphasic model of articular cartilage was first created and subsequently modified to incorporate more detailed material descriptions. Various material constitutive laws (and mechanical properties), accounting for the strain dependent permeability of the porous matrix, solid viscoelasticity and transverse isotropy, have been adopted to produce increasingly sophisticated models. The presence of collagen fibril networks embedded in the solid has been also considered and Fibril Reinforced Elastic and Viscoelastic models produced. A salient feature of these models is their ability to simulate fibril stiffening by replicating the nonlinear fibrillar response. In this paper, we provide an overview of the state-of-art modelling techniques adopted to simulate cartilage behaviour. The comparative study performed by the authors provides a critical assessment of the effectiveness of such techniques.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
High Dynamic Range Video: from Acquisition, to Display and Applications Chapter 3 Stack-based Algorithms for Hdr Capture and Reconstruction

High-dynamic-range (HDR) images can be created with standard camera hardware by capturing and combining multiple pictures, each sampling a different segment of the irradiance distribution of a scene. This seemingly straightforward process involves several important steps, which will be the focus of this chapter. We start by examining the problem of selecting the set of exposures that properly measures the full dynamic range of a particular scene, a process known as metering for HDR. We then describe how to perform radiometric calibration, needed to estimate the incoming irradiance from the low-dynamic-range (LDR) images. After that, we offer an overview of methods to merge multiple LDR images into a single HDR image. Finally, we discuss methods to compensate for camera and scene motion, which would otherwise cause artifacts in the final HDR image.
IL-17A stimulates the production of inflammatory mediators via Erk1/2, p38 MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB pathways in ARPE-19 cells

Purpose To investigate the signaling pathways involved in interleukin (IL)-17A -mediated production of interleukin 8 (CXCL8), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) by ARPE-19 cells, a spontaneously arisen cell line of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Methods Flow cytometry analysis and western blot were used to detect the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (Erk1/2), p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase B (PKB; Akt) in ARPE-19 cells stimulated with IL-17A. These cells were further pretreated with a series of kinase inhibitors and followed by incubation with IL-17A. CXCL8, CCL2, and IL-6 in the supernatant were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Coculture of ARPE-19 cells with IL-17A resulted in significant increases in Erk1/2, p38 MAPK, and Akt phosphorylation. Inhibition of p38MAPK, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), with the inhibitors SB203580, LY294002 and pyrrolydine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) respectively, reduced IL-17 (100 ng/ml) mediated production of CXCL8, CCL2, and IL-6 in a concentration dependent manner. Inhibition of Erk1/2 with PD98059 decreased the expression of the tested three inflammatory mediators when using low doses of IL-17A (0–10 ng/ml) but not at higher concentrations. Conclusions IL-17A-induced production of inflammatory mediators by ARPE-19 cells involves Erk1/2, p38MAPK, PI3K-Akt and NF-κB pathways.
A tool for lazy verification of security protocols

We present the lazy strategy implemented in a compiler of cryptographic protocols, Casrul. The purpose of this compiler is to verify protocols and to translate them into rewrite rules that can be used by several kinds of automatic or semi-automatic tools for finding flaws, or proving properties. It is entirely automatic, and the efficiency of the generated rules is guaranteed because of the use of a lazy model of intruder behavior. This efficiency is illustrated on several examples.
Tibiofemoral movement 3: full flexion in the living knee studied by MRI.

We studied active flexion from 90 degrees to 133 degrees and passive flexion to 162 degrees using MRI in 20 unloaded knees in Japanese subjects. Flexion over this arc is accompanied by backward movement of the medial femoral condyle of 4.0 mm and by backward movement laterally of 15 mm, i.e., by internal rotation of the tibia. At 162 degrees the lateral femoral condyle lies posterior to the tibia.
Nanolayers of a PV metamaterial buried within a single crystal Si: SEM and reflectivity observations

A new class of ordered structures that exhibit exceptional properties not readily observed before in nature or in the laboratory is called metamaterials. Their properties arise from qualitatively new response functions that are not observed in the constituent materials and result from the inclusion of artificially fabricated, intrinsic and extrinsic, lowdimensional components. Low-dimensional or nanostructured Si materials as, for example, nanoscale Si-layered systems combined with an active interface with its crystalline defects show new PV behavior never observed before in nature and in engineering. To observe such nanolayers buried within a Si single-crystal one has to conserve a local strain that plays an important role in the metamaterial formation. To do this, one uses techniques based on X-ray spectroscopy or more recently proposed SEM and EDS images of just cleaved edges. The microscopy results of layered structures have been compared with those obtained from reflectivity simulations from our code based on Lorentz-Drude theory and experimental reflectivity measured in integrated hemispheres. An excellent agreement can be observed.
Measurement of the Optical Properties of Apples Using Hyperspectral Diffuse Reflectance Imaging

This paper reports on the development of a novel hyperspectral imaging technique for rapid determination of the absorption and scattering properties of turbid food materials over the visible and nearinfrared region of 450-1,000 nm. A hyperspectral imaging system in line scanning mode was first tested and validated with three types of simulation samples, and it was then used to measure the optical properties of Golden Delicious apples. An instrumental calibration procedure was developed to compensate for the nonuniform instrument response of the imaging system. A curve fitting algorithm for a steady-state diffusion theory model was proposed to determine absorption and reduced scattering coefficients (ia and is', respectively) from the spatially-resolved hyperspectral reflectance profiles. The hyperspectral imaging system provided good measurement of ia and is' for the three types of simulation samples with the average fitting errors of 18% and 11%, respectively. The optical properties of Golden Delicious apples for the spectral range of 600-950 nm were determined from the hyperspectral reflectance scattering profiles that were corrected for the fruit contour effect . Simple regression analysis showed that ia of 690 nm was correlated with the soluble solids content of the fruit (r=- 0.77) and is' of 780 nm was correlated with fruit firmness (r=-0.77). Compared to other techniques, the hyperspectral imaging technique is simpler, faster and easier to use, and more importantly it is capable of determining optical properties over a broad spectral range simultaneously. The technique is useful for measuring the optical properties of turbid food and agricultural products.
The Exo70 Subunit of the Exocyst Is an Effector for Both Cdc42 and Rho3 Function in Polarized Exocytosis

Genetic and biochemical evidence is presented that the Exo70 subunit of the exocyst is a direct effector for both Rho3 and Cdc42 GTPases in yeast. Prenylation of these GTPases both promotes the interaction and affects the site of binding within Exo70. Thus, interaction of the Rho GTPases with Exo70 is a key event in spatial regulation of exocytosis.
A robust control framework for smart actuators

Hysteresis in smart actuators presents a challenge in control of these actuators. A fundamental idea to cope with hysteresis is inverse compensation. But due to the open loop nature of inverse compensation, its performance is susceptible to model uncertainties and to errors introduced by inverse schemes. In this paper we develop a robust control framework for smart actuators by combining inverse control with the l/sub 1/ robust control theory, where the inversion error is modeled as an exogenous disturbance with a magnitude bound quantifiable in terms of parameter uncertainties and inversion schemes. Through the example of controlling a magnetostrictive actuator, we present a systematic controller design method which guarantees robust stability and robust trajectory tracking while taking actuator saturation into account. Simulation and experimental results are provided.