Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CD11b+Ly6G− myeloid cells mediate mechanical inflammatory pain hypersensitivity

Significance Inflammatory mediators can activate and sensitize nociceptors, specialized high-threshold nerve fibers that relay noxious signals to the spinal cord and brain to initiate pain. However, the contribution of specific immune cell types to pain in animal models of inflammation remains largely unknown. We therefore characterized the immune response in two widely used preclinical models of inflammatory pain: intraplantar injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant and plantar incisional wound. Cell-depletion strategies investigated the contribution of neutrophils, myeloid cells (including monocytes and macrophages), and T cells to pain behavior outcomes. Our results show that these two models induced quite different inflammatory processes and that targeted elimination of a subpopulation of nonneutrophil myeloid cells blocked development of mechanical hypersensitivity following incisional wounds. Pain hypersensitivity at the site of inflammation as a result of chronic immune diseases, pathogenic infection, and tissue injury is a common medical condition. However, the specific contributions of the innate and adaptive immune system to the generation of pain during inflammation have not been systematically elucidated. We therefore set out to characterize the cellular and molecular immune response in two widely used preclinical models of inflammatory pain: (i) intraplantar injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) as a model of adjuvant- and pathogen-based inflammation and (ii) a plantar incisional wound as a model of tissue injury-based inflammation. Our findings reveal differences in temporal patterns of immune cell recruitment and activation states, cytokine production, and pain in these two models, with CFA causing a nonresolving granulomatous inflammatory response whereas tissue incision induced resolving immune and pain responses. These findings highlight the significant differences and potential clinical relevance of the incisional wound model compared with the CFA model. By using various cell-depletion strategies, we find that, whereas lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G (Ly)6G+CD11b+ neutrophils and T-cell receptor (TCR) β+ T cells do not contribute to the development of thermal or mechanical pain hypersensitivity in either model, proliferating CD11b+Ly6G− myeloid cells were necessary for mechanical hypersensitivity during incisional pain, and, to a lesser extent, CFA-induced inflammation. However, inflammatory (CCR2+Ly6Chi) monocytes were not responsible for these effects. The finding that a population of proliferating CD11b+Ly6G− myeloid cells contribute to mechanical inflammatory pain provides a potential cellular target for its treatment in wound inflammation.
A Combined Smoking Cessation Intervention within a Lung Cancer Screening Trial: A Pilot Observational Study

Aims and Background The time of lung cancer screening may provide the ideal setting to discuss and initiate a smoking cessation plan that includes pharmacologic aids. No studies to date have fully investigated the potential effectiveness of such combined approach. Methods We prospectively evaluated the biochemically verified 1-year continuous abstinence rate from smoking of 187 persistent smokers enrolled within the Multicentric Italian Lung Detection Trial (MILD), who received a pharmacologic aid to quit smoking with varenicline along with behavioral counseling. The propensity of study subjects to succeed in smoking cessation was also monitored. Results At 12 months, the continuous abstinence rate from smoking was achieved in 37 out of 187 patients (19.8%), with a propensity to succeed in smoking cessation for the assisted attempt equal to 1.43, as compared to an unassisted MILD patient. At the end of the third month of therapy, 48.7% of subjects showed a continuous abstinence rate, while only 33.7% of patients were abstinent from smoking at 6 months. At baseline, the subgroup of MILD participants who were originally allocated to lung tomography showed higher smoking intensity than those allocated to no screening. Conclusions A combined smoking cessation intervention can be implemented with satisfactory results within a lung cancer screening program; this preliminary observation needs to be replicated in a prospective investigation. Clinicians should consider that lung cancer screening may be falsely reassuring for persistent smokers; therefore it should always be coupled with a smoking cessation program.
Altered mechanics of cartilage with osteoarthritis: human osteoarthritis and an experimental model of joint degeneration.

OBJECTIVE Studies of cartilage mechanics seek to determine the fundamental relationships between mechanical behavior and the composition and structure of healthy cartilage and to determine mechanisms for changes associated with degeneration. METHOD The mechanics of normal and osteoarthritic (OA) human articular cartilage are reviewed. Studies of the initiation and pathogenesis of cartilage degeneration in the anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) model of joint instability are also presented. RESULTS In human cartilage with OA, tensile, compressive and shear behaviors are dramatically altered. These changes present as decreases in the modulus or stiffness of OA cartilage in tension, compression and shear loading, and increases in the propensity to swell as compared to healthy cartilage. In the ACL transection model of OA, similar changes in the mechanics of cartilage have been observed. In addition, changes in structure, composition, and as metabolism consistent with human OA have been found. Deterioration of the collagen-proteoglycan solid network, which appears to be focused at the articular surface, has been the earliest cartilage changes in the model. It remains to be determined if the initial disruption of the cartilage surface is a direct result of mechanical forces or a product of altered chondrocyte activity. CONCLUSIONS These data and continued research using experimental models of OA provide a basis for our understanding of the pathogenesis and the time course of events in OA and will lead to the development of better procedures for disease intervention and treatment.
Ab initio MO calculations on the Structure and Raman and Infrared Spectra of the [Al4O2Cl10]2- oxide species in chloroaluminate melts

The oxide complexation chemistry in molten tetrachloroaluminate salts and ionic liquids is discussed with respect to what possible structures may be formed in addition to [AlCl 4 ] − : [Al 2 OCl 6 ] 2 − , [Al 3 OCl 8 ] − , [Al 2 O 2 Cl 4 ] 2 − , [Al 3 O 2 Cl 6 ] − and [Al 4 O 2 Cl 10 ] 2 − . Ab initio molecular orbital calcula- tions are carried out on these various aluminium chloride and oxochloride ions, in assumed isolated gaseous free ionic state, by use of the Gaussian 03W program at the restricted Hartree-Fock (HF) level and with the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set. Without any pre-assumed symmetries and with tight optimization convergence criteria and by using the modiﬁed GDIIS algorithm, the model calculations generally converge. The structures and their binding energies are presented. The expected geometries are sup-ported, with one exception perhaps being the [Al 2 OCl 6 ] 2 − ion, that gave a linear Al-O-Al bonding system of staggered AlCl 3 -groups (approximate D 3 d symmetry), in analogy to the linear Al-O-Al geometry of the analogous [Al 2 OF 6 ] 2 − ion, found previously. The calculations include determina- tion of the vibrational harmonic normal modes and the infrared and Raman spectra (vibrational band wavenumbers and intensities), without any empiric adjustments of the harmonic force constants, us- ing constants directly predicted from the Gaussian 03W program. Previously obtained IR absorption and Raman scattering spectra of melts are assigned, by comparing to the ab initio quantum mechani- cal vibrational analysis results. It is concluded that the small oxide content commonly found in basic and neutral tetrachloroaluminate melts, most probably consists of [Al 4 O 2 Cl 10 ] 2 − ions, and the vibra- tional spectra are given.
Examining Educational Challenges in Communication Sciences and Disorders From the Perspectives of Signature Pedagogy and Reflective Practice

ABSTRACT: Purpose: Like other professional disciplines, communication sciences and disorders (CSD) is faced with challenges related to maximizing student development and meeting workforce needs. Challenges include the difficulty that students experience connecting classroom experiences to clinical practice, the stress that many students feel with their first clinical experiences, and the national shortage of practitioners. Ways to address these challenges through a theoretically based examination of common educational practices in the CSD discipline are suggested. Method: Common educational practices in CSD were identified through the educational concepts of signature pedagogy (Schulman, 2005) and reflective practice (Schön, 1983, 1990). These common practices were then examined to determine if and how they may relate to challenges to the discipline. P
Tobin’s Q and Its Determinants: A Study of Market Valuation in MISC Berhad

The study examines the impact of Tobin’s Q or market valuation determinants on firm corporate governance of MISC Berhad. Tobin’s Q of the firm represents the ratio of market capitalization plus long-term debt to total assets. This study employs time series regression analysis from 2012 to 2016. The findings show that only internal factors giving significant impact to the market valuation of the firm when it has been tested solely in Model 1 and combined for both internal and external factors in Model 3. Meanwhile, there is no significant result when the external factors were tested solely in Model 2. The multiple linear regression analysis shows that the Altman Z score is the most significant and positively influenced the market valuation of MISC Berhad.
A flexible regime switching model with pairs trading application to the S&P 500 high-frequency stock returns

This paper develops the regime classification algorithm and applies it within a fully-fledged pairs trading framework on minute-by-minute data of the S&P 500 constituents from 1998 to 2015. Specifically, the highly flexible algorithm automatically determines the number of regimes for any stochastic process and provides a complete set of parameter estimates. We demonstrate its performance in a simulation study—the algorithm achieves promising results for the general class of Lévy-driven Ornstein–Uhlenbeck processes with regime switches. In our empirical back-testing study, we apply our regime classification algorithm to propose a high-frequency pair selection and trading strategy. The results show statistically and economically significant returns with an annualized Sharpe ratio of 3.92 after transaction costs—results remain stable even in recent years. We compare our strategy with existing quantitative trading frameworks and find its results to be superior in terms of risk and return characteristics. The algorithm takes full advantage of its flexibility and identifies various regime patterns over time that are well-documented in the literature.
Performance enhancement of object shape classification by coupling tactile sensing with EEG

In this work we establish the fact that using Electroencephalogram (EEG) with tactile signal during dynamic exploration accomplishes object shape recognition better than using the either alone. Adaptive auto-regressive coefficients and Hjorth parameters are used as features which are classified using linear Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, k-nearest neighbor and tree classifiers. Following this, the space complexity to store the high-dimensional tactile features is identified. ReliefF algorithm is used as a dimension reduction technique. A polynomial of order 6 is used to fit an EEG feature to a corresponding tactile feature. These pre-fitted polynomials are used to predict the EEG features in situation where EEG measuring device is not present. Finally we note that using these predicted features along with the tactile features yields enhanced classification accuracies.
LABORATORY AND IMAGING SPECTROSCOPY OF TOURMALINE – A TOOL FOR MINERAL EXPLORATION

Tourmaline is often overlooked as an indicator for exploration and there is generally a lack of information about tourmaline NIR-SWIR spectral features. The study was initiated after it was recognised that spectral features of a tourmaline sample, collected in the field by the author, varied from any known tourmaline reference spectra. Laboratory spectral analysis of museum specimens for tourmaline end-members showed that the visible to short-wave infrared spectroscopy is complex. Species in the dravite-schorl-elbaite composition field have diagnostic spectral characteristics, both in terms of the wavelength position and strength of absorption features. Tourmaline is characterized by a series of strong absorptions in the 2100 nm to 2500 nm range. The positions of these features vary with the ionic composition of the Ysite, i.e. Mg and Al content. The feature at 2360 nm is the most diagnostic for detecting tourmaline compositions by hyperspectral remote sensing due to the magnitude of wavelength variation. Dravite has a wide diagnostic feature at 2033 nm in a part of the spectrum normally devoid of features. The positions of absorptions near 1400, 1430, 1860 and 1930 nm are also indicative of tourmaline species. MnOH related absorption features are interpreted near 2390, 2173, 1470, 1316 and 1248 nm with a Mn feature at 526 nm. MgOH features appear at 2320, 1822, 1365 and 1306 nm. AlOH features are interpreted at 2040 and 2200 nm while Fe features appear at 720 and 1100 nm. The field sample is identified as a relatively pure schorl based on band positions at 2204 nm, 2244 nm and 2366 nm. Image analysis of variation in the draviteschorl composition field can be used to determine proximity to ore-bodies. This hyperspectral mapping technique, combined with the spectral information derived in this study, represents a new exploration technique for gold and basemetal deposits.
The interaction between human enteroviruses and type I IFN signaling pathway

Abstract Human enteroviruses (HEV), very common and important human pathogens, cause infections in diverse ways. Recently, the large epidemic of HFMD caused by HEV infection became a growing threat to public health in China. As the first line of immune response, the type I interferon (IFN-α/β) pathway plays an essential role in antiviral infection, particularly in limiting both the early and late stages of infection. Because of co-evolution with the host, the viruses have evolved multiple strategies to evade or subvert the host immunity to ensure their survival. In this paper, we systematically reviewed and summarized the interaction between HEV infections and host type I IFN responses. We firstly described the recent findings of HEV recognition and IFN induction, specifically on host pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) in HEV infection. Then we discussed the antiviral effect of IFN in HEV infection. Finally, we timely summarized the mechanisms of HEV to circumvent the IFN responses. Clarification of the complexity in this battle may provide us new strategies for prevention and antiviral treatment.
Assistive Technologies for Bipolar Disorder: A Survey

Bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness characterized by periodic manic and depressive episodes. The current mode of assessment of the patient’s bipolar state is using subjective clinical diagnosis influenced by the patients self-reporting. There are many intervention technologies available to help manage the illness and many researches have worked up on objective diagnosis and state prediction. Most of the recent work is focused on sensor-based objective prediction to minimize the delay between a relapse and the patient’s visit to the clinic for diagnosis and treatment. Due to the severity of the societal and economic burden caused by bipolar disorder, these researches have been given great emphasis. In this paper, we will start with a discussion of global severity of the disorder and economic and family burden inflicted due to it; we then talk about the existing mechanisms in place to identify the current state of the bipolar patient, then we go on to discussing the behavioral intervention technologies available and researched upon to help patients manage the disorder. Next, we mention the shift in focus of the current research, i.e. towards sensor based predictive systems for patients and clinical professionals, highlighting some of the preliminary researches and clinical studies and their outcomes.
A Policy-Driven Approach for Software-as-Services Customization

Software as services (SaS) is emerging as a new application software delivery approach, and has extensively leveraged Web services and other SOA concepts and technologies. Compared to the traditional ones, SaS has the following distinctive features: application delivery over Internet, usage based pricing mechanism, etc. Potentially, this approach can significantly reduce the total cost of ownership of application software. However, it does have a number of unique issues that include service customization, multi-tenancy, complex billing model, etc. If not handled properly, these issues can result in ad-hoc and manual service consumption practices, which could eliminate the benefits of the SaS approach. In this paper, we are going to specifically deal with the service customization issue. To that end, we proposed a novel SaS customization policy and a supporting framework that is realized through a design-time tooling and a runtime environment. We also provided a case study to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Skip Quadtrees: Dynamic Data Structures for Multidimensional Point Sets

We present a new multi-dimensional data structure, which we call the skip quadtree (for point data in R2) or the skip octree (for point data in Rd, with constant d > 2). Our data structure combines the best features of two well-known data structures, in that it has the well-defined “box”-shaped regions of region quadtrees and the logarithmic-height search and update hierarchical structure of skip lists. Indeed, the bottom level of our structure is exactly a region quadtree (or octree for higher dimensional data). We describe efficient algorithms for inserting and deleting points in a skip quadtree, as well as fast methods for performing point location, approximate range, and approximate nearest neighbor queries.
Central nervous system demyelination associated with etanercept in a 51 years old woman

There are few case reports documenting a new onset of demyelinating processes in patients receiving anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha therapy (anti-TNF alpha) for chronic inflammatory arthropathies. Whether anti-TNF alpha therapy induces new onset demyelination or just exacerbates pre-existing latent multiple sclerosis is not fully understood. We are reporting a 51-year-old woman without a prior history of multiple sclerosis, who developed demyelinating brain lesions three months after starting Etanercept. Her symptoms partially resolved on cessation of the drug. Our case was unusual compared to some previous case reports, as the patient’s age at presentation was beyond that for idiopathic multiple sclerosis. This may strengthen the hypothesis of a causal relationship between new onset demyelination and Etanercept; however, exacerbation of pre-existing demyelinating process by Etanercept in this patient still cannot be totally excluded. We recommend doing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain before starting patients on anti-TNF alpha therapy to exclude latent demyelination. In addition, new onset demyelination following anti-TNF alpha therapy should be reported and studied thoroughly as this may yield a significant advancement in our understanding of the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Long-term follow-up of these cases is also important to determine the long-term prognosis and the rate of relapse of demyelinating process in this group of patients.
Outcomes in Two Post-Acute Non-Inpatient Rehabilitation Settings

Abstract Background: Although several attempts have been made to look into the “black box” of inpatient rehabilitation, little is known about therapy effectiveness in outpatient settings. Method: This study described the characteristics of 167 persons with stroke referred to one of two outpatient settings–a comprehensive rehabilitation program or a single modality outpatient clinic within one system of care; the services provided in each setting; and the relationship of patient and therapy characteristics to rehabilitation outcomes. Results: Differences were found in the characteristics of persons referred to each setting and the amount and intensity of therapy provided. The amount of therapy provided was positively related to initial status (greater need results in more therapy), but better outcomes appeared to be more strongly related to the match between the need and amount of therapy provided than to the amount provided (more therapy does not necessarily result in better outcomes).
Impact of Climate Change on Food Consumption and Nutrition

This chapter focuses on the complex interrelationships between nutrition and climate change. After a brief review of the main nutritional problems globally and their determinants, we begin by showing how the dietary changes associated with agricultural and food sector industrialization and urbanization contribute to both climate change and malnutrition in all its forms. Consumption of animal products is discussed, but we show that livestock farming needs to be addressed as well as to consume animal products. We then illustrate how climate change affects food and nutrition. Finally, we review areas where more research is needed, to inform debate on some poorly understood aspects of the relationship between climate change and nutrition, and conclude that there is a need for an ecological nutrition science drawing on several complementary disciplines.
Lymphocyte Extracellular Matrix Interactions

Limiting dilution analysis was performed in the presence of interleukin 2 (IL‐2) on lymphocytes isolated from the synovial fluid (SF) and peripheral blood (PB) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and PB of normal donors. Clones of theses ‘spontaneously’ IL‐2‐responsive cells from PB and SF were compared for their reactivity with component of the extracellular matrix (i.e. native or denatured type I or type II Collagen and proteoglycan). It was determined that all clones from both PB and SF were activated to produce interferon (IFN) in the presence of any of the connective tissue components (CTC) Clones derived from normal PH behaved in a similar fashion hut produced lower IFN‐γ levels There was a synergy between the CTC and serum or plasma fibronectin, which was more apparent when soluble CTC were used as the stimuli rather than immobilized CTC. The fibronectin alone was unable to induce 1FN‐γ production under any of the conditions tested (i.e. soluble or immobilized). These results demonstrate that clones of IL‐2‐responsivc T cells can be activated by interactions with connective tissue components lo produce IFN