Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perinatal Exposure to Bisphenol A Alters Early Adipogenesis in the Rat

Background The causes of the current obesity pandemic have not been fully elucidated. Implication of environmental endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A (BPA) on adipose tissue development has been poorly investigated. Objectives The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of perinatal exposure to BPA on early adipose storage at weaning. Methods Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats had access to drinking water containing 1 mg/L BPA from day 6 of gestation through the end of lactation. Pups were weaned on postnatal day (PND) 21. At that time, we investigated perigonadal adipose tissue of pups (weight, histology, gene expression). For the remaining animals, we recorded body weight and food intake for animals on either standard chow or a high-fat diet. Results Gestational exposure to BPA did not alter the sex ratio or litter size at birth. On PND1, the weight of male and female BPA-exposed pups was increased. On PND21, body weight was increased only in females, in which parametrial white adipose tissue (pWAT) weight was increased about 3-fold. This excess of pWAT was associated with adipocyte hypertrophy and overexpression of lipogenic genes such as C/EBP-α (CAAT enhancer binding protein alpha), PPAR-γ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma), SREBP-1C (sterol regulatory element binding protein-1C), LPL (lipoprotein lipase), FAS (fatty acid synthase), and SCD-1 (stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1). In addition, gene expression of SREBP-1C, FAS, and ACC (acetyl-CoA carboxylase) was also increased in liver from BPA-exposed females at PND21, without a change in circulating lipids and glucose. After weaning, perinatal BPA exposure predisposed to overweight in a sex- and diet-dependent manner. We observed no change in food intake due to perinatal BPA exposure in rats on either standard chow or a high-fat diet. Conclusions Perinatal exposure to a low dose of BPA increased adipogenesis in females at weaning. Adult body weight may be programmed during early life, leading to changes dependent on the sex and the nutritional status. Although further studies are required to understand the mechanisms of BPA action in early life, these results are particularly important with regard to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and the context-dependent action of endocrine disruptors.
Effect of immunoglobulin therapy on phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear leucocytes in whole blood of neonates

There has been some disagreement as to the clinical effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy on neonatal bacterial infections. We therefore evaluated the effect of IVIG therapy on neonatal polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) functions by monitoring phagocytosis and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production. Subjects were 10 mature neonates who had normal plasma levels (i.e. equal to adult plasma levels) of IgG and nine premature neonates who had lower plasma levels of IgG. Phagocytosis by PMN was measured using flow cytometric analysis of whole blood. Addition of γ‐globulin to the whole blood of mature neonates increased phagocytosis, but not significantly. Higher doses of added γ‐globulin (> 2.0 mg/ml, the concentration was expressed as that in the final reaction volume) decreased phagocytosis to under baseline level. In premature neonates addition of γ‐globulin increased phagocytosis and the significant maximum effect was observed with 0.5 mg/ml of the additional γ‐globulin. Higher doses of additional γ‐globulin (2.5 mg/ml) decreased phagocytosis to baseline level. Phagocytosis in four mature and four premature neonates was compared before and after 1 g/kg of IVIG therapy. Phagocytosis in mature neonates after IVIG therapy did not change compared with the pretreatment level. On the other hand, phagocytosis in premature neonates after IVIG therapy significantly increased compared with its pretreatment level. In both mature and premature neonates H2O2 production following phagocytosis varied in parallel with changes of phagocytosis. The patterns of H2O2 production following phagocytosis were essentially similar to those observed with phagocytosis. The above results are expected to form the basis for a rational indication for IVIG therapy against bacterial infections in neonates with low plasma IgG levels.
The association between Internet use and depressive symptoms among South Korean adolescents.

PURPOSE This study explores the cross-sectional relationship between Internet use and depressive symptoms in South Korean adolescents. DESIGN AND METHODS Existing data, the three-wave Korean Youth Panel Survey, were analyzed. The sample was a cohort representing the population of second-year students at Korean middle schools in 2003 (N = 3,449). Multivariate logistic regression was used. RESULTS A one-unit increase in Internet use was positively associated with a 20.7% increase in risk for depressive symptoms. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS It may be worthwhile for nursing professionals to inquire about Internet use as part of a measure of screening for depressive symptoms in teens.
Biologically inspired spiking neural network for autonomous locomotion control of snake-like robots

In this paper, we proposed a bio-inspired hierarchical control architecture for the autonomous locomotion control of snake-like robots. Mimicking the central nervous system of animals, the spiking neural network and the central pattern generator-based controller are utilized to make high-level decision and generate medium-level locomotion control signals, respectively. The low-level control of the actuators is accomplished by local PID controllers. We present a convert method to obtain the spiking neural network from a conventional neural network. The case study results demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed architecture.
The essence of management creativity

Preface. Creativity in Management. Coping with Blocks to Creative Problem Solving. Theories of Creativity. Identifying the Problem. Morphological Analysis and Related Techniques. Brainstorming and its Variants. Lateral Thinking. Synectics and Related Approaches. Miscellaneous Idea Generating Methods. Evaluating Ideas. Implementing Ideas. Computer Assisted Creativity. Further Reading.
Validation of housekeeping genes for normalizing RNA expression in real-time PCR

It is essential to control for error between samples when measuring RNA expression. This error can be introduced at a number of stages throughout the experimental protocol (input sample, RNA extraction, reverse transcription, etc.). There are many methods to control for this error. One approach is to normalize to total RNA. However, this requires a reliable RNA quantification method and fails to take into account the variability of the reverse transcription and other steps. A widely used alternative is to normalize RNA levels to an internal reference or housekeeping gene (1). The expression levels of reference genes should remain constant between the cells of different tissues and under different experimental conditions (2). If these requirements are not fulfilled, then normalization to varying internal references can lead to increased “noise” or erroneous results (3). If the chosen housekeeping gene fluctuates randomly between samples, then small differences between genes of interest will be missed. Furthermore, if the experimental condition causes a directional change in the housekeeping gene, the subsequent normalization will cause an erroneous result. This was shown in a study of human asthma, where target gene expression between experimental groups became falsely different when β-actin was used as a normalizer (4). It was in fact the β-actin rather than the target gene that was changing (4). More recently, it has become clear that housekeeping genes like β-actin and glyceraldehyde3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH) may be inappropriate as internal references because of their variability (5). Appropriate validation of internal references is therefore crucial to avoid misinterpretations of study findings. Our experimental protocols will be transferred to sites in the developing world as part of a program to build research capacity (http://www. eubusiness.com/funding/research/ rtd01_en.htm). We therefore required a method with simplicity and relatively low cost. The housekeeping gene method of normalization was chosen for this reason. Our main genes of interest specify cytokines that have low RNA expression (6). Consequently, we anticipate that differences between study groups may be small. Therefore it was important to find an internal reference that had minimal variability. Previous reports have used conventional housekeeping genes in models of tuberculosis (TB) to normalize for differing amounts of input RNA (7–9), but there has been no report of studies to check the validity of these housekeeping genes in TB or in in vitro lymphocyte cultures. We used real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to study the levels of 13 housekeeping genes expressed in whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) culture of healthy volunteers and patients Validation of housekeeping genes for normalizing RNA expression in real-time PCR
Time Tree: Exploring Time Changing Hierarchies

Intelligence analysis often involves the task of gathering information about an organization. Knowledge about individuals in an organization and their relationships, often represented as a hierarchical organization chart, is crucial for understanding the organization. However, it is difficult for intelligence analysts to follow all individuals in an organization. Existing hierarchy visualizations have largely focused on the visualization of fixed structures and can not effectively depict the evolution of a hierarchy over time. We introduce TimeTree, a novel visualization tool designed to enable exploration of a changing hierarchy. TimeTree enables analysts to navigate the history of an organization, identify events associated with a specific entity (visualized on a TimeSlider), and explore an aggregate view of an individual's career path (a CareerTree). We demonstrate the utility of TimeTree by investigating a set of scenarios developed by an expert intelligence analyst. The scenarios are evaluated using a real dataset composed of eighteen thousand career events from more than eight thousand individuals. Insights gained from this analysis are presented
IL-6 KO MICE DEVELOP EXPERIMENTAL AMOEBIC LIVER INFECTION WITH EOSINOPHILIA

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates various aspects of the immune response, such as acute phase reaction and hematopoiesis, and is an important signal that coordinates activities of liver cells, macrophages, and lymphocytes. Amoebic liver lesions have been studied, usually in hamsters, due to the problem of abscess development in mice. We report here the development of an experimental amoebic liver abscess (ALA) model in mice deficient in IL-6. Axenically grown amoebae were injected directly into the livers of C57BL/6 wild type (WT) and IL-6 KO−/− mice; the abscesses produced were counted and the inflammatory process was examined on 5, 10, and 20 days postinfection. Our results showed that IL-6 KO−/− mice develop ALA, in contrast to the WT strain, which usually do not have signs of abscess or infection. Histological analysis of the abscesses showed extended inflammatory response, mainly mediated by eosinophils, which strongly infiltrate the abscess in IL-6 K−/− mice. The present results suggest that in mice, IL-6 could play a role in the resistance against ALA.
Using the augmented vector space model to support the knowledge worker in document filtering

In the current age the discovery of relevant information is becoming extremely difficult. Users must manually search through the high-recall, low-precision results produced by current search engines. We propose a process which incorporates benefits of automated and manual information extraction. The HSC workbench (Hierarchical Step-wise Categorization) is a tool developed by the Hewlett-Packard Research Group in HP, ESC Galway. It implements this process supporting the user in information filtering tasks, automating segments of the process but giving the user control of the categorization.
Liposomal clodronate eliminates synovial macrophages, reduces inflammation and ameliorates joint destruction in antigen-induced arthritis.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the efficacy of a single i.v. dose of clodronate encapsulated within small unilamellar vesicles in suppressing joint inflammation and the histological progression of rat antigen-induced arthritis (AIA). METHODS Rats with AIA received a single i.v. injection of 20 mg of clodronate encapsulated within small unilamellar vesicles (SUVc) or larger multilamellar vesicles (MLVc) 7 days post-arthritis induction. Free clodronate or saline were used as negative controls. RESULTS SUVc was shown to be more effective than MLVc, sustaining a significant reduction in knee swelling for up to 7 days after the initial systemic administration. Knee swelling in free clodronate-treated animals was not significantly affected. The increased efficacy of SUVc in reducing inflammation and joint destruction was associated with a significant depletion of resident ED1+, ED2+ and ED3+ macrophages from the synovial membrane (SM). CONCLUSIONS SUVc is more efficient than MLVc in reducing the severity of inflammation and joint destruction in rat AIA, and is associated with the specific elimination of macrophage subpopulations from the SM.
Spin orbit torques for ultra-low power computing

In this paper, we review recent progress made in ultra-low power computing system with non-volatile magnetic random access memory (MRAM). Compared with the traditional Spin Transfer Torque (STT) based memories, Spin Orbit Torque (SOT) mechanism offers higher write speed, lower power consumption, and potentially infinite endurance. In particular, Spin-Hall assisted STT achieves a purely electrical operation in absence of an external magnetic field, and opens the door to real normally-off/instant-on computing with non-volatility at all levels of the memory hierarchy.
West Nile virus nonstructural protein NS1 inhibits complement activation by binding the regulatory protein factor H

The complement system, by virtue of its dual effector and priming functions, is a major host defense against pathogens. Flavivirus nonstructural protein (NS)-1 has been speculated to have immune evasion activity, because it is a secreted glycoprotein, binds back to cell surfaces, and accumulates to high levels in the serum of infected patients. Herein, we demonstrate an immunomodulatory function of West Nile virus NS1. Soluble and cell-surface-associated NS1 binds to and recruits the complement regulatory protein factor H, resulting in decreased complement activation in solution and attenuated deposition of C3 fragments and C5b–9 membrane attack complexes on cell surfaces. Accordingly, extracellular NS1 may function to minimize immune system targeting of West Nile virus by decreasing complement recognition of infected cells.
Understanding dialogue: sentiment and topic analysis of dialogue transcripts

by Anjali Muralidhar B.S. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT 2012 Submitted to the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology May 2013 Copyright 2013 Anjali Muralidhar. All rights reserved. The author hereby grants to M.I. T. permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole and in part in any medium now known or hqi'after created.
Data mining with an ant colony optimization algorithm

The paper proposes an algorithm for data mining called Ant-Miner (ant-colony-based data miner). The goal of Ant-Miner is to extract classification rules from data. The algorithm is inspired by both research on the behavior of real ant colonies and some data mining concepts as well as principles. We compare the performance of Ant-Miner with CN2, a well-known data mining algorithm for classification, in six public domain data sets. The results provide evidence that: 1) Ant-Miner is competitive with CN2 with respect to predictive accuracy, and 2) the rule lists discovered by Ant-Miner are considerably simpler (smaller) than those discovered by CN2.
Front-end amplifier of low-noise and tunable BW/gain for portable biomedical signal acquisition

We proposed a novel analog circuit design which is suitable for various biomedical signal acquisitions. In addition to the consideration of low power and low noise, the analog front-end integrated circuit (AFEIC) is presented with design of high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) and high power supply ripple rejection ratio (PSRR). It has not only reduced the number of outer components, and enhances abetter signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The chip includes a current-balancing instrumentation amplifier, switched-capacitor filter, non-overlapping clock generator, and a programmable gain amplifier (PGA). It was fabricated by TSMC 0.35 mum CMOS 2P4M standard process, with CMRR 155 dB CMRR, 131 dB of PSRR+, and 127 dB of PSRR- at 50 Hz. The power consumption is about 142.4 muW under +1.5 V supply.
Filtration Characterization Method as Tool to Assess Membrane Bioreactor Sludge Filterability—The Delft Experience

Prevention and removal of fouling is often the most energy intensive process in Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs), responsible for 40% to 50% of the total specific energy consumed in submerged MBRs. In the past decade, methods were developed to quantify and qualify fouling, aiming to support optimization in MBR operation. Therefore, there is a need for an evaluation of the lessons learned and how to proceed. In this article, five different methods for measuring MBR activated sludge filterability and critical flux are described, commented and evaluated. Both parameters characterize the fouling potential in full-scale MBRs. The article focuses on the Delft Filtration Characterization method (DFCm) as a convenient tool to characterize sludge properties, namely on data processing, accuracy, reproducibility, reliability, and applicability, defining the boundaries of the DFCm. Significant progress was made concerning fouling measurements in particular by using straight forward approaches focusing on the applicability of the obtained results. Nevertheless, a fouling measurement method is still to be defined which is capable of being unequivocal, concerning the fouling parameters definitions; practical and simple, in terms of set-up and operation; broad and useful, in terms of obtained results. A step forward would be the standardization of the aforementioned method to assess the sludge filtration quality.
A figure search engine architecture for a chemistry digital library

Academic papers contain multiple figures representing important findings and experimental results; we present a search engine specifically focused on figures in academic documents. This search engine allows users to search on figures in approximately 150,000 chemistry journal articles though the method is easily extendable to other domains. Our system indexes figure caption and mentions extracted from the PDF in documents using a custom built extractor. Recall and precision performance of extracted figures is in the 80 to 90% range. We give the frame work for the extraction algorithm, architecture and ranking function.
Geometric Potential Force for the Deformable Model

We propose a new external force field for deformable models which can be conveniently generalized to high dimensions. The external force field is based on hypothesized interactions between the relative geometries of the deformable model and image gradients. The evolution of the deformable model is solved using the level set method. The dynamic interaction forces between the geometries can greatly improve the deformable model performance in acquiring complex geometries and highly concave boundaries, and in dealing with weak image edges. The new deformable model can handle arbitrary cross-boundary initializations. Here, we show that the proposed method achieve significant improvements when compared against existing state-of-the-art techniques.
Do different orthographies share the same mechanisms of reading? A review of research on and models for Japanese acquired dyslexia

Background: The Japanese writing system has two distinctive orthographies: morphographic Kanji and syllabographic Kana. The difference between Kanji and Kana in terms of both character–sound correspondences (i.e., pronunciation predictability) and the character–meaning relationship is quite striking. Research on acquired dyslexia in Japanese means studying “monolingual-bi-scriptal readers” with brain damage, giving us a rare chance to examine whether the identical brain damage has similar or discrepant effects on the processes of reading aloud in different orthographies. Aims: This article mainly reviews cognitive neuropsychological research on Japanese acquired dyslexia and proposed reading models for Japanese, then asks how well existing reading models can explain patterns of impaired oral reading in Japanese. Main Contribution: This review attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of research on Japanese acquired dyslexia, which is still not especially well-known in the English literature and has not even been critically considered in Japan. Such a review may offer a better understanding of dyslexia patterns in bi-scriptal writing system. Theoretical interpretations of Japanese acquired dyslexia using the triangle model and the Dual Route Cascaded (DRC) model developed for English also provide implication about common cognitive procedures for reading across different orthographies. Conclusion: Cognitive neuropsychological studies which used well-manipulated and well-controlled reading stimuli revealed that Japanese patients with acquired dyslexia display effects of the same psycholinguistic variables as those observed in English acquired dyslexic patients and in both Kanji and Kana. This suggests (i) that patterns of Japanese acquired dyslexia are script-nonspecific (i.e., script-independent) and (ii) that the manner in which brain disease/injury disrupts reading processes is probably the same across different orthographies (i.e., a universal basis for acquired dyslexia). Together, these two outcomes imply universal mechanisms underlying oral reading. The triangle model could account for patterns of Japanese acquired dyslexia, whereas the DRC model needed to incorporate additional assumptions. So, certain features of the models and results may favour the former model.