Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spheres, deficit angles and the cosmological constant

We consider compactifications of six-dimensional gravity in four-dimensional Minkowski or de Sitter space times a two-dimensional sphere, S2. As has been pointed out recently, it is possible to introduce 3-branes in these backgrounds with arbitrary tension without affecting the effective four-dimensional cosmological constant, since its only effect is to induce a deficit angle in the sphere. We show that if a monopole-like configuration of a 6D U(1) gauge field is used to produce the spontaneous compactification of the two extra dimensions in a sphere, a fine-tuning between brane and bulk parameters is reintroduced once the quantization condition for the gauge field is taken into account, so the 4D cosmological constant depends on the brane tension. This problem is absent if instead of the monopole we consider a 4-form field strength in the bulk to obtain the required energy–momentum tensor. Also, making use of the 4-form field, we generalize the solution to an arbitrary number of dimensions (≥6), keeping always four noncompact dimensions and compactifying the rest in an n-dimensional sphere. We show that an (n + 1)-brane with arbitrary tension can be introduced in this background without affecting the effective 4D cosmological constant.
Induction and regulatory function of miR-9 in human monocytes and neutrophils exposed to proinflammatory signals

Inflammation involves a coordinated, sequential, and self limiting sequence of events controlled by positive and negative regulatory mechanisms. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs), an evolutionarily conserved class of endogenous 22-nucleotide noncoding RNAs, contribute to the regulation of inflammation by repressing gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. In this study, we characterize the profile of miRNAs induced by LPS in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and monocytes. In particular, we identify miR-9 as the only miRNA (among 365 analyzed) up-regulated in both cell types after TLR4 activation. miR-9 is also induced by TLR2 and TLR7/8 agonists and by the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β, but not by IFNγ. Among the 3 different genes encoding miR-9 precursors in humans, we show that LPS selectively induces the transcription of miR-9–1 located in the CROC4 locus, in a MyD88- and NF-κB-dependent manner. In PMN and monocytes, LPS regulates NFKB1 at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels, and a conserved miR-9 seed sustained a miR-9-dependent inhibition of the NFKB1 transcript. Overall, these data suggest that TLR4-activated NF-κB rapidly increases the expression of miR-9 that operates a feedback control of the NF-κB-dependent responses by fine tuning the expression of a key member of the NF-κB family.
Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein-8/Endobrevin Negatively Regulates Phagocytosis of Bacteria in Dendritic Cells1

Phagocytosis is a specialized mechanism used by mammalian cells, particularly the cells of the immune system, such as dendritic cells (DC) and macrophages, to protect the host against infection. The process involves a complex cascade of pathways, from the ligation of surface receptors of phagocytes with components of the microorganism’s surface, formation of phagosomes and subsequently phagolysosomes, to the eventual presentation of foreign Ags. Vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)-8/endobrevin has been shown previously to function in the endocytic pathways. Our results showed that VAMP-8 colocalized with lysosome-associated membrane protein-2, and a significant amount of VAMP-8 was recruited to the phagosomes during bacterial ingestion. However, overexpression of VAMP-8 significantly inhibited phagocytosis in DC. We also found that the phagocytic activity of VAMP-8−/− DC was significantly higher than wild-type VAMP-8+/+ DC, thus further confirming that VAMP-8 negatively regulates phagocytosis in immature DC.
Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species: a common pathway for PAR1‐ and PAR2‐mediated tissue factor induction in human endothelial cells

Summary. Background: Protease‐activated receptors (PARs) comprise a family of G‐protein‐coupled receptors with a unique proteolytic activation mechanism. PARs regulate a broad range of cellular functions and are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders. Moreover, PAR1 and PAR2 activation in the endothelium shifts it toward a prothrombotic condition. Objectives: To assess the relevance of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the signaling events underlying tissue factor (TF) expression elicited by PAR1 and PAR2 occupancy in endothelial cells, and to investigate their source. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were exposed to specific PAR1 and PAR2 agonist peptides. TF expression was determined by real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis and measurement of procoagulant activity. ROS generation was determined by a fluorometric assay after cell loading with 2′‐7′‐dichlorofluorescein diacetate. Results: ROS generated by the mitochondrial chain, mostly from complex III, provide a pathway through which PAR1 and PAR2 occupancy induces TF. Other sources of ROS do not participate in TF induction. Activation of both ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK is critical for mitochondrial ROS generation. In addition to these pathways shared by the two PARs, mechanisms downstream from PAR1 and PAR2 activation, different for the two receptors, also induced TF. A module that sensitively regulates PAR1 signaling and ultimately involves NF‐κB activation has been identified. Conclusions: Our data identify ROS originating in mitochondria as key mediators of the signaling pathways triggered by PAR1 and PAR2 engagement in endothelial cells and show that downstream from receptor activation occur cascades that are mechanistically coupled to procoagulant activity.
A performance analysis StegoCrypt algorithm based on LSB-AES 128 bit in various image size

Many people have used the internet in daily communication. The rise of internet data theft makes the security of data transmission becomes very important. Cryptography and Steganography is a technique that is widely used to secure data so that data can not be accessed by unauthorized persons. Cryptography is a technique of message randomization, while steganography is a data-hiding technique. Combination Stego-Crypto Least Significant Bit (LSB) — Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is widely proposed in previous studies because of its reliability in providing multiple protection. The secret message is encrypted with the AES method before it is embedded into the image using LSB. In this study, analyzing the performance of a combination of LSB-AES algorithms on various cover image sizes. The cover image used is RGB color images. To measure imperceptibility performance is used Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), Mean Square Error (MSE), and Histogram. The measurement is done by comparing the original image with the resulting image. From the test results, we get a very good value PSNR with an average value above 70dB. The results of encryption and decryption can work perfectly. To test cryptographic performance is measured by time and entropy. The results of the test show good cryptographic quality.
A Comparative Study of Data Mining Algorithms for Network Intrusion Detection

Data mining techniques are being applied in building intrusion detection systems to protect computing resources against unauthorised access. In this paper, the performance of three well known data mining classifier algorithms namely, ID3, J48 and Naive Bayes are evaluated based on the 10-fold cross validation test. Experimental results using the KDDCuppsila99 IDS data set demonstrate that while Naive Bayes is one of the most effective inductive learning algorithms, decision trees are more interesting as far as the detection of new attacks is concerned.
Salivary pH in Edentulous Patients Before and After Wearing Conventional Dentures and Implant Overdentures: A Clinical Study

Purpose:Objective of this prospective study were to point out the changes of pH of resting saliva before and after prosthetic treatment in implant denture wearers. Materials and Methods:The study sample comprised 2 groups of edentulous patients, ranging in age from 50 to 80, who had not worn complete dentures in the past. First group was composed of 60 patients, who were planned for complete denture treatment. Second group consisted of 15 patients, who were planned for implant dentures treatment. Two measurements of pH of unstimulated saliva were carried out for each person. The salivary pH was measured before the construction of complete dentures and 15 days after the insertion. The measurements of pH of saliva were made using Electro pH meter-CONSORT-P903 (Scientific Instruments Co., Milan, Italy). Results:Data were statistically analyzed by t test for paired observations. The outcome of this study showed, significant statistical differences on the values of saliva’s pH 15 days after the insertion of complete dentures and dentures supported by implants (P < 0.001). Conclusions:Within the limitations of this study, changes of salivary pH were found after the insertion of conventional dentures and dentures supported by implants.
Photon-counting OTDR for local birefringence and fault analysis in the metro environment

Optical time domain reflectometery (OTDR) is one of the most used measurement techniques in the characterization of optical fiber links. In this paper, we present a thorough investigation of an OTDR using a Peltier cooled photon-counting detector at 1.55 um. Due to its superior spatial resolution and the absence of classical dead-zones, it is well suited for detailed, high resolution analysis of problem zones. We give a detailed analysis of its performance, and also demonstrate that a polarization-sensitive photon-counting OTDR can be used to extract local birefringences too large to be measured with standard P-OTDRs.
Teratogenesis of sodium valproate

Purpose of reviewSodium valproate has been a first-line antiepileptic drug for 40 years. A recent multicentre study conducted in the UK (Standard and New Antiepileptic Drugs) has confirmed what most practising neurologists had long suspected – that sodium valproate is the most effective drug in the treatment of idiopathic generalized epilepsy and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Recent findingsKnowledge of the drug's unsurpassed efficacy has intensified the dilemma faced by neurologists treating people with epilepsy, and in particular young women. Recent data from pregnancy registers has not only confirmed that sodium valproate is teratogenic but also that it may be associated with neurodevelopmental delay and autistic spectrum disorders in the children of women exposed to the drug during pregnancy. Thus physicians have to balance the undoubted benefits of seizure freedom for their female patients with the potential long-term consequences for the infants of these patients. SummaryThere is undoubtedly a phamacogenetic component to sodium valproate's teratogenic and neurodevelopmental effects. Future research may enable us to identify those women whose offspring may be affected. Research now underway will help quantify the precise risk of neurodevelopmental delay in the offspring of women exposed to the drug, although it will be some years before results become available.
Compartments within a compartment

The primary cilium has emerged as a hotbed of sensory and developmental signaling, serving as a privileged domain to concentrate the functions of a wide number of channels, receptors and downstream signal transducers. This realization has provided important insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the ciliopathies, an ever expanding spectrum of multi-symptomatic disorders affecting the development and maintenance of multiple tissues and organs. One emerging research focus is the subcompartmentalised nature of the organelle, consisting of discrete structural and functional subdomains such as the periciliary membrane/basal body compartment, the transition zone, the Inv compartment and the distal segment/ciliary tip region. Numerous ciliopathy, transport-related and signaling molecules localize at these compartments, indicating specific roles at these subciliary sites. Here, by focusing predominantly on research from the genetically tractable nematode C. elegans, we review ciliary subcompartments in terms of their structure, function, composition, biogenesis and relationship to human disease.
What Determines an Athletic Injury (Definition)? Who Determines an Injury (Occurrence)?

One of the most common questions asked by sports medicine personnel, coaches, and parents concerns the incidence or rate of injury in a particular sport. For example, is participation in football more dangerous than participation in soccer? School administrators want to know if sports activities at one institution lead to a higher injury rate than those same sports at another school. Using trainers at schools supposedly decreases the incidence and severity of injuries, but this hypothesis requires valid data and statistical analysis. Equipment manufacturers must determine if modifications to equipment are required to reduce a particular injury. Recently, many claims have been made for and against prophylactic knee braces in reducing the injury rates in medial collateral ligamentous injuries. (Section 5) Before any decisions on the use of these braces can be made, it is necessary to have an exact anatomical diagnosis of the types of injuries which occur and the frequency at which they occur. There is little doubt, therefore, that injury rates are one of the primary factors to be addressed in all of athletics. (Chapters 5, 6D, 6E, 11) However, it is seldom recognized that there is no widely used definition of what constitutes an injury. Consider, for example, that one school with a trainer defines an injury as any abnormality requiring medical or trainer attention. All "lumps, bumps, and bruises" are included with the more serious injuries, and the injury rate for this school would be high, perhaps 3 to 4 injuries per player during the football season. Compare this school's injury rate with the high school which has ~o trainers and counts only those injuries that are treated at a medical facility and for which an insurance claim is filed. (This IS a common way to collect injury data at the end of a football season.) The injury rate in this school would be low, perhaps 0.1 injury per player per season, meaning that 1 out of every 10 players requires medical attention during the entire season. b~iouslY any comparison of injury rates between schools, sports, or published studies requires a common definition of InJury. " In this chapter we attempt to provide the elements required for investigators to define "injury" as it is applied in the data collection instrument and interpreted in the analysis. We discuss three variables (time lost, medical treatment required, and anatomical tissue diagnosis). Bias is possible unless these variables are defined precisely in the study design (Chapters 8, 9). The definition in the study must encompass who determines the occurrence of an injury (the player? , trainer? , coach? , physician? ). (Chapters I, 2) Lastly, we make recommendations for injury definition.
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SHAPES ON CHARACTERISTICS OF CONJUGATE HEAT TRANSFER OF MICRO CHANNEL HEAT SINK

One of the effective liquid cooling techniques for microelectronic devices is attaching micro channel heat sink to the inactive side of chip. A micro channel heat sink is a device that decreases temperature by flowing coolant through micro channels. The present study focuses on the conjugate heat transfer analyses for different cross-sections (trapezoidal, hexagonal, octagonal and circular). After present study is validated with the published result in the literature, the comparative study of parallel and counter flow configuration is performed. Different geometries are modeled using CATIA V5 software and simulated in ANSYS Fluent R14. From these CFD simulations, preferred configuration of parallel-flow or counter-flow is chosen based on maximum possible heat transfer for effective cooling. The focus on the analyses is to improve the heat transfer rate by either decreasing the chip wall (bottom wall) temperature or the decrease in overall thermal resistance.
Two-mode operation in highly birefringent photonic Crystal fiber

A photonic crystal fiber with different air-hole diameters along the orthogonal axes is found to support only the first two modes over a very broad wavelength range (>650 nm). The second-order mode is approximately linearly polarized and has stable-intensity lope positions that do not change in response to environmental disturbances. Strain sensitivity as a function of operating wavelength of a two-mode interferometric sensor made from such a fiber is also investigated.
S100B – a potential biomarker for early detection of neonatal brain damage following asphyxia

Birth asphyxia results in a significant percentage of neonatal morbidity and mortality. A key factor in the management of this complication is the early and accurate detection of brain damage following asphyxia. Currently, reliable tools for such diagnosis are absent. Extensive research has focused on biomarkers in an attempt to solve this matter. Recent data marked serum and urine elevation of the S100B protein as an established peripheral biomarker for detection of brain injury including traumatic head injuries and brain damage following cardiac arrest and stroke. In the past decade, a substantial number of studies illustrated the potential use of S100B testing in order to detect brain damage in asphyxiated newborns. This review summarizes the available data regarding the use of S100B as a biomarker of brain damage following birth asphyxia.
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Review of Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently considered the third most common neoplasm in the world according to the World Cancer Research Fund International with 1.4 million cases diagnosed in 2012, and the second malignity as cause of death. Approximately 1/5 of patients present directly with metastatic disease (mCRC), and 30 to 50% develop metastasis after surgical treatment for initially localized disease. The aims of the current study are to review the diagnostic particularities, treatment options and clinical evolution of mCRC. Metastatic process in CRC is long and complex, involving several mechanisms, molecular pathways and cellular types. Advances in medical imaging now allow an early and accurate diagnosis of metastatic lesions no matter their location. The progress of fundamental research in CRC led to understanding the molecular basis of the metastatic process that was further translated into novel chemotherapic and biological agents, thus increasing overall survival and and progression-free survival rates. Resection of liver, lung and brain metastases is crucial for survival when achievable and is more effective when completed by an oncological treatment and rigorous follow-up. All patients with mCRC should be discussed by a multidisciplinary team (surgeon, oncologist, radiologist, and gastroenterologist) in order to identify the most appropriate therapeutic management.
The Future of Medical Education: Assessing the Impact of Interventions on Long-Term Retention and Clinical Care.

The study reported by Dolan et al1 in this issue of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education epitomizes the type of research that is sorely needed in medical education. The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial in which they assigned internal medicine residents at a large academic practice to receive either the standard curriculum in fracture prevention, or a standard curriculum plus repeated, spaced practice on the material over a 3- to 6-month period. They found that the intervention with repeated practice produced better retention of knowledge 10 months later, and improved the quality of clinical care (bone density screening rates, appropriate use of bisphosphonates, but not FRAX score reporting) provided by the residents during the study. This study is innovative and important in that it assesses the long-term consequences of an educational intervention, and measures its impact on both knowledge and clinical practice.
Risk of bone loss in men with multiple sclerosis

Context: O steoporosis and the increased fracture risk associated with osteoporosis become apparent in men appro ximately 10 years later than women. However, in recent studies, appro ximately 20% of healthy men in the age range 55-64 years were found to be osteopenic. Emerging data suggest a significantly increased prevalence of osteoporosis in men and women with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to age-matched controls, but no specific clinical testing recommendations are available for men. Objective: To determine the proportion of male MS patients with osteoporosis and to identify the factors associated with the reduction in bone mass. Design: C onsecutive male MS patients seen at our MS clinic were screened with dual-X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan for determining the bone mineral density (BMD). A ll patients had neurological Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) evaluation. The results were compared to healthy age-matched male reference population using the Z score and to a cohort of women MS patients and women controls. C alcium, total testosterone, sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), 25-hydro xy-vitamin-D, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were evaluated in male patients with decreased BMD. Relevant data on body mass index (BMI), medicatio n, alcohol consumption, smoking, and sexual dysfunction were recorded. Setting: Academic MS C entre. Patients and other participants: Forty consecutive male MS patients, age mean 51.2±8.7 years, and mean EDSS of 5.8±1.9 were evaluated with DEXA scan. O f these, 17.5% patients were relapsing - remitting (RR) MS, 57.5% were secondary progressive (SP) MS and 25% were primary progressive (PP) MS. Main outcome measure: Proportion of male MS patients with reduced BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Results: Thirty-two (80%) of our patients had a reduced bone mass of either lumbar spine or the femoral neck; of these 17 patients (42.5%) had osteopenia and 15 patients (37.5%) had osteoporosis. Twenty-o ne per cent (eight out of 38 patients) had vertebral, rib or extremities fractures. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that the EDSS (P B-0.0001) and BMI (P =0.0004) were the important factors associated with low BMD at the femoral neck and the EDSS was the important factor (P =0.0017) associated with low BMD at the lumbar spine. The same factors emerged as significantly associated with the corresponding Z scores, which are corrected for age and sex. No clear association between intravenous steroid therapy and BMD was evident in the multivariate analysis. Low levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin-D were seen in 37.5% of patients. Conclusions: The proportion of male MS patients with reduced bone mass is high and disproportionate to their age and ambulation, consistent with an association between the MS disease process and patho logical bone loss. Increased awareness and bone density screening of male and female MS patients over 40 years of age is warranted.