Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and Control of Nonlinear Systems Using Neural Networks: A Singularity-Free Approach

In this paper, identification and control for a class of nonlinear systems with unknown constant or variable control gains are investigated. By reformulating the original system dynamic equation into a new form with a unit control gain and introducing a set of filtered variables, a novel neural network (NN) estimator is constructed and a new estimation error is used to update the augmented weights. Based on the identification results, two singularity-free NN indirect adaptive controllers are developed for nonlinear systems with unknown constant control gains or variable control gains, respectively. Because the singularity problem is eradicated, the proposed methods remove limitations on parameter estimates that are used to guarantee the positiveness of the estimated control gain. Consequently, a more accurate estimation result can be achieved and the system state can track the given reference signal more precisely. The effectiveness of the proposed identification and control algorithms are tested and the superiority of the proposed singularity-free approach is demonstrated by simulation results.
Beta-blocker, aspirin and statin usage after first-time myocardial infarction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a nationwide analysis from 1995 to 2015 in Denmark.

Aims To determine whether beta-blockers, aspirin, and statins are underutilized after first-time myocardial infarction (MI)in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared with patients without COPD. Further, todetermine temporal trends, and risk factors for non-use. Methods and Results Using Danish nationwide registers, we performed a cross-sectional study investigating the utilization of betablockers, aspirin and statins after hospitalisation for first-time MI among patients with and without COPD from 1995to 2015. Risk factors for non-use were examined in multivariable logistic regression models. During 21 years of study, 140,278 patients were included, hereof 13,496 (9.6%) with COPD. Patients with COPD were less likely to use beta-blockers (53.2% vs. 76.2%, P < 0.001), aspirin (73.9% vs. 78.8%, P < 0.001), and statins (53.5% vs. 61.9%, P < 0.001). Medication usage increased during the study period but inmultivariable analyses, COPD remained a significant predictor for non-use: OR [95% CI] for non-use of betablockers 1.86 [1.76-1.97]; aspirin 1.24 [1.16-1.32]; statins 1.50 [1.41-1.59]. Analyses stratified by ST-segmentelevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI showed similar undertreatment of COPD patients. Risk factors for non-use of beta-blockers in COPD included increasing age, female sex, andincreasing severity of COPD (frequent exacerbations, use of multiple inhaled medications, low lung function). Similar findings were demonstrated for aspirin and statins. Conclusion Beta-blockers, and to a lesser extent aspirin and statins, were systematically underutilized by patients with COPD following hospitalisation for MI despite an overall increase in the utilization over time. Increasing severity of COPDwas a risk factor for non-use of the medications.
Financiële sector - wat weten we?

De financiele sector lijkt de laatste decennia door grote verwevenheid en com-plexiteit instabieler geworden. Deze instabiliteit is een belangrijke oorzaak ge-weest van de huidige crisis. Macro-economische instabiliteit en de profilering van financiele markten spelen een belangrijke rol. Deze bijdrage vergelijkt de huidige crisis met die van de jaren 20 en 30. Ook toen was er sprake van ma-cro-economische instabiliteit en technologische ontwikkelingen die tot financi-ele instabiliteit leidden. Uiteindelijk werd hard ingegrepen in de structuur van het bankwezen. Hoe het gaat aflopen met de huidige crisis is onzeker. De com-plexiteit en onzekerheid rond de financiele sector is groot. Dat maakt dat het ontwerpen van een nieuwe blauwdruk voor de financiele sector buitengewoon ingewikkeld.
Worldwide Incidence of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage According to Region, Time Period, Blood Pressure, and Smoking Prevalence in the Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from ruptured intracranial aneurysms is a subset of stroke with high fatality and morbidity. Better understanding of a change in incidence over time and of factors associated with this change could facilitate primary prevention. Objective To assess worldwide SAH incidence according to region, age, sex, time period, blood pressure, and smoking prevalence. Data Sources We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for studies on SAH incidence published between January 1960 and March 2017. Worldwide blood pressure and smoking prevalence data were extracted from the Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factor and Global Burden of Disease data sets. Study Selection Population-based studies with prospective designs representative of the entire study population according to predefined criteria. Data Extraction and Synthesis Two reviewers independently extracted data according to PRISMA guidelines. Incidence of SAH was calculated per 100 000 person-years, and risk ratios (RRs) including 95% CIs were calculated with multivariable random-effects binomial regression. The association of SAH incidence with blood pressure and smoking prevalence was assessed with linear regression. Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence of SAH. Results A total of 75 studies from 32 countries were included. These studies comprised 8176 patients with SAH were studied over 67 746 051 person-years. Overall crude SAH incidence across all midyears was 7.9 (95% CI, 6.9-9.0) per 100 000 person-years; the RR for women was 1.3 (95% CI, 0.98-1.7). Compared with men aged 45 to 54 years, the RR in Japanese women older than 75 years was 2.5 (95% CI, 1.8-3.4) and in European women older than 75 years was 1.5 (95% CI, 0.9-2.5). Global SAH incidence declined from 10.2 (95% CI, 8.4-12.5) per 100 000 person-years in 1980 to 6.1 (95% CI, 4.9-7.5) in 2010 or by 1.7% (95% CI, 0.6-2.8) annually between 1955 and 2014. Incidence of SAH declined between 1980 and 2010 by 40.6% in Europe, 46.2% in Asia, and 14.0% in North America and increased by 59.1% in Japan. The global SAH incidence declined with every millimeter of mercury decrease in systolic blood pressure by 7.1% (95% CI, 5.8-8.4) and with every percentage decrease in smoking prevalence by 2.4% (95% CI, 1.6-3.3). Conclusions and Relevance Worldwide SAH incidence and its decline show large regional differences and parallel the decrease in blood pressure and smoking prevalence. Understanding determinants for regional differences and further reducing blood pressure and smoking prevalence may yield a diminished SAH burden.
Linked-read Sequencing Analysis Reveals Tumor-specific Genome Variation Landscapes in Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) Patients.

HYPOTHESIS We hypothesize that genomic variants including deletions, insertions, inversions, and tandem duplications beyond the changes in tumor suppressor NF2 gene affect gene expression of tumor-specific pathways in vestibular schwannomas (VS) patients with Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), thus contributing to their clinical behavior. BACKGROUND Genomic variation could reconfigure transcription in NF2 transformation process. Therefore, genome-wide high-resolution characterization of structural variants (SV) landscapes in NF2 tumors can expand our understanding of the genes regulating the clinical phenotypes in NF2-associated VS. METHODS We performed whole-genome haplotype-specific structural variation analysis using synthetic linked reads generated through microfluidics-based barcoding of high molecular weight DNA followed by high-coverage Illumina paired-end whole-genome sequencing from 10 patients' tumors of different growth rates and their matching blood samples. RESULTS NF2 tumor-specific deletions and large SVs were detected and can be classified based on their association with tumor growth rates. Through detailed annotation of these mutations, we uncover common alleles affected by these deletions and large SVs that can be associated with signaling pathways implicated in cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. CONCLUSION The genomic variation landscape of NF2-related VS was investigated through whole-genome linked-read sequencing. Large SVs, in addition to deletions, were identified and may serve as modulators of clinical behavior.
Can addiction counselors be trained to deliver Mothering from the Inside Out, a mentalization-based parenting therapy, with fidelity? Results from a community-based randomized efficacy trial

ABSTRACT This study evaluated methods for training community-based clinicians to deliver a mentalization-based parenting intervention in an addiction treatment setting. Mothering from the Inside Out (MIO) targets psychological deficits associated with early stages of addiction recovery by fostering improvement in parental reflective functioning, the capacity to make sense of strong emotions in oneself and the child. Fifteen addiction counselors were randomized to training in MIO versus a Parent Education comparison, and completed eight training sessions and a clinically-supervised 12-session training case. As predicted, MIO and PE counselors demonstrated fidelity to their respective interventions during the training case. At the end of training, MIO counselors showed greater improvement than PE counselors in clinical reflective functioning, the capacity to make sense of a patients’ mental and emotional experiences. Implications for training community-based counselors in evidence-based attachment interventions are explored.
Profile of patients and factors related to the clinical staging of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to identify the profile of patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and factors associated with the clinical stage of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHOD A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 293 medical charts of patients with SCC treated at an oncology reference center in the city of Campina Grande (Brazil) between 2000 and 2006. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed with robust Poisson regression (α=5%). RESULTS Males (56.6%), non-white individuals (49.0%) and individuals over than 60 years of age (74.1%) were the most affected by SCC. The tongue (35.1%) and palate (21.5%) were the most common sites. A large portion of the patients were smokers (37.6%) and 60.2% were in an advanced stage of the disease. Clinical staging was not associated with sex, age, skin color or drinking and/or smoking habits. CONCLUSION There was a higher incidence of SCC in men, older patients, non-white individuals and smokers. Clinical staging was not associated with the variables analyzed.
Calcium sensing receptor in developing human airway smooth muscle

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) regulation of airway structure and contractility is critical in fetal/neonatal physiology in health and disease. Fetal lungs experience higher Ca2+ environment that may impact extracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]o) sensing receptor (CaSR). Well‐known in the parathyroid gland, CaSR is also expressed in late embryonic lung mesenchyme. Using cells from 18‐22 week human fetal lungs, we tested the hypothesis that CaSR regulates intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in fetal ASM (fASM). Compared with adult ASM, CaSR expression was higher in fASM, while fluorescence Ca2+ imaging showed that [Ca2+]i was more sensitive to altered [Ca2+]o. The fASM [Ca2+]i responses to histamine were also more sensitive to [Ca2+]o (0–2 mM) compared with an adult, enhanced by calcimimetic R568 but blunted by calcilytic NPS2143. [Ca2+]i was enhanced by endogenous CaSR agonist spermine (again higher sensitivity compared with adult). Inhibition of phospholipase C (U73122; siRNA) or inositol 1,4,5‐triphosphate receptor (Xestospongin C) blunted [Ca2+]o sensitivity and R568 effects. NPS2143 potentiated U73122 effects. Store‐operated Ca2+ entry was potentiated by R568. Traction force microscopy showed responsiveness of fASM cellular contractility to [Ca2+]o and NPS2143. Separately, fASM proliferation showed sensitivity to [Ca2+]o and NPS2143. These results demonstrate functional CaSR in developing ASM that modulates airway contractility and proliferation.
Cyber-Physical Systems: Foundations, Principles and Applications

Cyber-Physical Systems: Foundations, Principles and Applications explores the core system science perspective needed to design and build complex cyber-physical systems. Using Systems Sciences underlying theories, such as probability theory, decision theory, game theory, organizational sociology, behavioral economics, and cognitive psychology, the book addresses foundational issues central across CPS applications, including System Design -- How to design CPS to be safe, secure, and resilient in rapidly evolving environments, System Verification -- How to develop effective metrics and methods to verify and certify large and complex CPS, Real-time Control and Adaptation -- How to achieve real-time dynamic control and behavior adaptation in a diverse environments, such as clouds and in network-challenged spaces, Manufacturing -- How to harness communication, computation, and control for developing new products, reducing product concepts to realizable designs, and producing integrated software-hardware systems at a pace far exceeding today's timeline. The book is part of the Intelligent Data-Centric Systems: Sensor-Collected Intelligence series edited by Fatos Xhafa, Technical University of Catalonia. Includes in-depth coverage of the latest models and theories that unify perspectives, expressing the interacting dynamics of the computational and physical components of a system in a dynamic environment Focuses on new design, analysis, and verification tools that embody the scientific principles of CPS and incorporate measurement, dynamics, and control Covers applications in numerous sectors, including agriculture, energy, transportation, building design and automation, healthcare, and manufacturing
Impact of changes in human reproduction on the incidence of endocrine-related diseases

Abstract The incidence rates of a wide range of diseases and conditions have increased over the last decades. There is controversy over the origin of these increases, whether they are caused by exposure to compounds thought to have an effect on the endocrine system, the “endocrine disruption theory”, or whether some other factor is responsible. In this analysis, the authors take a closer look at the role that changes in reproductive factors have played in this respect. They apply the relative risks of age at first pregnancy and parity or family size to a set of Dutch demographic data from 1955 and 2015 and calculate the percentage of disease increase explained. The decrease in parity over the last decades explains an increase of 26% in testicular cancer. The combination of decrease in parity and increase in maternal age at first pregnancy explains an increase of 34% in hypospadias prevalence. This combination of decreased parity and increased maternal age at pregnancy explains an increase of 24% in childhood obesity prevalence. The authors further point to a perhaps even more profound effect of the trend toward smaller families. This trend has led to an estimated doubling of the proportion of children born from subfertile couples. Since children born from subfertile couples are more likely to be preterm or of low birth weight, the incidence of these conditions must have increased as well. Low birth weight and preterm delivery are risk factors for a wide range of diseases and conditions. The changes in human reproduction over the last decades have had a profound impact on the incidence of a range of diseases and conditions in the next generation and thus provide a sound explanation for a substantial portion of the reported increases. Key messages The incidence rates of a wide range of diseases and conditions have increased in the Western societies over the last decades. Many have argued that these increases are attributable to compounds thought to have effects on the human endocrine system: the endocrine disruption theory This analysis shows, however, that human reproductive factors such as maternal age at first pregnancy and parity explain substantial proportions of the reported increases
Selective BMP-9 Inhibition Partially Protects Against Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension

Rationale: Although many familial cases of pulmonary arterial hypertension exhibit an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with the majority having mutations in essential constituents of the BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) signaling, the specific contribution of the long-term loss of signal transduction triggered by the BMPR2 (type 2 BMP receptor) remains poorly characterized. Objective: To investigate the role of BMP9, the main ligand of ALK1 (Activin receptor-like kinase 1)/BMPR2 heterocomplexes, in pulmonary hypertension. Method and Results: The absence of BMP9 in Bmp9−/− mice and its inhibition in C57BL/6 mice using neutralizing anti-BMP9 antibodies substantially prevent against chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension judged by right ventricular systolic pressure measurement, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary distal arterial muscularization. In agreement with these observations, we found that the BMP9/BMP10 ligand trap ALK1ECD administered in monocrotaline or Sugen/hypoxia (SuHx) rats substantially attenuate proliferation of pulmonary vascular cells, inflammatory cell infiltration, and regresses established pulmonary hypertension in rats. Our data obtained in human pulmonary endothelial cells derived from controls and pulmonary arterial hypertension patients indicate that BMP9 can affect the balance between endothelin-1, apelin, and adrenomedullin. We reproduced these in vitro observations in mice chronically exposed to hypoxia, with Bmp9−/− mice exhibiting lower mRNA levels of the vasoconstrictor peptide ET-1 (endothelin-1) and higher levels of the 2 potent vasodilator factors apelin and ADM (adrenomedullin) compared with Bmp9+/+ littermates. Conclusions: Taken together, our data indicate that the loss of BMP9, by deletion or inhibition, has beneficial effects against pulmonary hypertension onset and progression.
Phylotocol: Promoting Transparency and Overcoming Bias in Phylogenetics

Abstract The integrity of science requires that the process be based on sound experimental design and objective methodology. Strategies that increase reproducibility and transparency in science protect this integrity by reducing conscious and unconscious biases. Given the large number of analysis options and the constant development of new methodologies in phylogenetics, this field is one that would particularly benefit from more transparent research design. Herein, we introduce phylotocol (fi lō ’ta kôl), an a priori protocol-driven approach in which all analyses are planned and documented at the start of a project. The phylotocol template is simple and the implementation options are flexible to reduce administrative burdens and allow researchers to adapt it to their needs without restricting scientific creativity. While the primary goal of phylotocol is to increase transparency and accountability, it has a number of auxiliary benefits including improving study design and reproducibility, enhancing collaboration and education, and increasing the likelihood of project completion. Our goal with this Point of View article is to encourage a dialog about transparency in phylogenetics and the best strategies to bring transparent research practices to our field.
Advances in Artificial Intelligence - 27th Canadian Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Canadian AI 2014, Montréal, QC, Canada, May 6-9, 2014. Proceedings

Agent systems. - AI applications. - Automated reasoning. - Bioinformatics and BioNLP. - Case-based reasoning. - Cognitive models. - Constraint satisfaction. - Data mining. - E-commerce. - Evolutionary computation. - Games. - Information retrieval. - Knowledge representation. - Machine learning. - Multi-media processing. - Natural language processing. - Neural nets. - Planning. - Privacy-preserving data mining. - Robotics. - Search. - Smart graphics. - Uncertainty. - User modeling. - Web applications.
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Mediated by recPrPC Involved in the Neuronal Differentiation Process of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells (hDPSCs) represent a type of adult mesenchymal stem cells that have the ability to differentiate in vitro in several lineages such as odontoblasts, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes and neurons. In the current work, we used hDPSCs as the experimental model to study the role of recombinant prion protein 23–231 (recPrPC) in the neuronal differentiation process, and in the signal pathway activation of ERK 1/2 and Akt. We demonstrated that recPrPC was able to activate an intracellular signal pathway mediated by extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK 1/2) and protein kinase B (Akt). Moreover, in order to understand whether endogenous prion protein (PrPC) was necessary to mediate the signaling induced by recPrPC, we silenced PrPC, demonstrating that the presence of endogenous PrPC was essential for ERK 1/2 and Akt phosphorylation. Since endogenous PrPC is a well-known lipid rafts component, we evaluated the role of these structures in the signal pathway induced by recPrPC. Our results suggest that lipid rafts integrity play a key role in recPrPC activity. In fact, lipid rafts inhibitors, such as fumonisin B1 and MβCD, significantly prevented ERK 1/2 and Akt phosphorylation induced by recPrPC. In addition, we investigated the capacity of recPrPC to induce hDPSCs neuronal differentiation process after long-term stimulation through the evaluation of typical neuronal markers expression such as B3-Tubulin, neurofilament-H (NFH) and growth associated protein 43 (GAP43). Accordingly, when we silenced endogenous PrPC, we observed the inhibition of neuronal differentiation induced by recPrPC. The combined data suggest that recPrPC plays a key role in the neuronal differentiation process and in the activation of specific intracellular signal pathways in hDPSCs.
Mechanisms of apoptosis modulation by curcumin: Implications for cancer therapy

Cancer incidences are growing and cause millions of deaths worldwide. Cancer therapy is one of the most important challenges in medicine. Improving therapeutic outcomes from cancer therapy is necessary for increasing patients’ survival and quality of life. Adjuvant therapy using various types of antibodies or immunomodulatory agents has suggested modulating tumor response. Resistance to apoptosis is the main reason for radioresistance and chemoresistance of most of the cancers, and also one of the pivotal targets for improving cancer therapy is the modulation of apoptosis signaling pathways. Apoptosis can be induced by intrinsic or extrinsic pathways via stimulation of several targets, such as membrane receptors of tumor necrosis factor‐α and transforming growth factor‐β, and also mitochondria. Curcumin is a naturally derived agent that induces apoptosis in a variety of different tumor cell lines. Curcumin also activates redox reactions within cells inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production that leads to the upregulation of apoptosis receptors on the tumor cell membrane. Curcumin can also upregulate the expression and activity of p53 that inhibits tumor cell proliferation and increases apoptosis. Furthermore, curcumin has a potent inhibitory effect on the activity of NF‐κB and COX‐2, which are involved in the overexpression of antiapoptosis genes such as Bcl‐2. It can also attenuate the regulation of antiapoptosis PI3K signaling and increase the expression of MAPKs to induce endogenous production of ROS. In this paper, we aimed to review the molecular mechanisms of curcumin‐induced apoptosis in cancer cells. This action of curcumin could be applicable for use as an adjuvant in combination with other modalities of cancer therapy including radiotherapy and chemotherapy.