Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Issues in the Development of Epidemiologic Studies of Workers Exposed to Engineered Nanoparticles

Objective: Capitalizing on phenomena at the nanoscale may present great benefits to society. Nevertheless, until the hazards and risks of engineered nanoparticles are determined, the technological products and advances of nanotechnology may be impeded by the societal concerns. Although animal data provide the necessary first step in hazard and risk assessment, ultimately epidemiological studies will be required, especially studies of workers exposed to engineered nanoparticles. It may be too soon to conduct informative epidemiological studies but it is now appropriate to identify issues that will be pertinent and prepare strategies to address them. Methods: The published scientific literature on incidental and engineered nanoparticles and air pollution were reviewed to identify issues in the conduct of epidemiological studies of workers exposed to engineered nanoparticles. Results: Twelve important issues were identified—the most critical pertaining to particle heterogeneity, temporal factors, exposure characterization, disease endpoints, and identification of the study population. Conclusion: Consideration of these issues provides the foundation for initiating epidemiologic research on workers exposed to engineered nanoparticles.
Traditional Knowledge and Nutritive Value of Indigenous Foods in the Oraon Tribal Community of Jharkhand: An Exploratory Cross-sectional Study

Traditional knowledge and nutritional value of indigenous foods of the Oraon tribal community in Jharkhand, India was explored. Focus group discussions were conducted with adult members to identify commonly consumed indigenous foods. Taxonomic classification and quantitative estimation of nutritive value were conducted in laboratories or utilized data from Indian food composition database. More than 130 varieties of indigenous foods were identified, many of which were rich sources of micronutrients like calcium, iron, vitamin A, and folic acid. Some were reported having medicinal properties. Utilization and ease of assimilation of indigenous foods into routine diets can be leveraged to address malnutrition in tribal communities.
ACL Research Retreat VII: An Update on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk Factor Identification, Screening, and Prevention.

The seventh ACL Research Retreat was held March 19–21, 2015, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The retreat brought together clinicians and researchers to present and discuss the most recent advances in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury epidemiology, risk factor identification, and injury risk screening and prevention strategies. Subsequently, our goal was to identify important unknowns and future research directions.
A novel technique for the design of controller of a vector-controlled permanent magnet synchronous motor drive

The design of the speed controller is important from the point of view of imparting desired transient and steady-state characteristic to the speed-controlled permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive system. The design and analysis of a vector-controlled closed-loop permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive is presented in this paper work. The effect of different factors like the time constant of proportional speed controller and the motor time constant on drive performance is analyzed. The D-partition technique is used to investigate the interaction of proportional speed time constant, amplifier gain and armature time constant on the system stability. In this paper work, a procedure has been suggested to find the optimum value of the amplifier gain to give minimum settling time, which is the most important requirement of high performance drives or high fidelity drives. Using the D-partition technique, a comprehensive performance analysis of system design is carried out in this paper work in MATLAB environment.
Exercise: shifting fluid and sleep apnoea away

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a prevalent sleep disorder [1, 2] with a wide array of potential adverse health consequences if left untreated, including cognitive impairment, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and early mortality [3–6]. The most common type of SDB, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), is strongly tied to excess weight [7] and afflicts up to 10% of adults [2]. Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the most established treatment for OSA and central sleep apnoea (CSA), the other common type of SDB. PAP therapy is highly efficacious at reducing apnoeas and hypopneas during sleep, and its consistent use has been shown to reduce health risk to near non-SDB levels [8, 9]. However, its efficacy is dependent upon regular use, and long-term adherence to PAP is often unacceptably low [10]. Exercise may reduce SDB severity through reduction in nocturnal rostral fluid shift http://ow.ly/4nbPZz
The effect of gender-related difference on human-centred performance using a mass assessment method

In this study, "human-centred performance" is defined as "performance of natural body motion". The study aims to reveal the effect of gender-related difference on human-centred performance using a Mass Assessment Method (MAM). First, a comprehensive literature review on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) associated with gender-related difference is given. Thereafter, the analysis result shows consistence with current studies. In particular, the study has found that female computer users in normal usage group, i.e., using computer less than 60 h per week, might suffer from approximately 10% slower pointing time than males since females might not satisfy with operational effort than male subjects. Furthermore, male computer users in the intensive usage group are 17% slower in pointing time than those in the normal usage group. The result highlights an urgent need for the design innovation of an ordinary mouse. Finally, further improvement for the MAM and the Fitts' Law Generator (FLG) software are noted, and the design guideline for an alternative mouse is recommended.
Virtual reality-based paediatric interactive therapy system (PITS) for improvement of arm and hand function in children with motor impairment—a pilot study

Objective: Rehabilitation of upper-limb sensorimotor function in children with motor dysfunctions is primarily based on movement training. This study developed a virtual-reality based, paediatric interactive therapy system (PITS) that allows children to practice specific movements of the upper limbs with immediate feedback about their motor performance. Methods: The system was tested on five children with motor dysfunctions over 3 weeks of training. Pre- and post-assessment was conducted before and after the training period. Results: Results of the pilot study show improvements of hand function in the test scores (except one patient). Patient motivation was high and maintained over the course of the therapy sessions. Conclusion: PITS is an applicable VR-system which can be feasibly applied during the rehabilitation of children with upper limb motor dysfunctions. Further investigation is necessary to determine if the system provides significantly improved results compared to conventional therapies, both in terms of motor function outcomes and patient motivation.
CEP1612, a dipeptidyl proteasome inhibitor, induces p21WAF1 and p27KIP1 expression and apoptosis and inhibits the growth of the human lung adenocarcinoma A-549 in nude mice.

The ubiquitin proteasome system is responsible for the proteolysis of important cell cycle and apoptosis-regulatory proteins. In this paper we report that the dipeptidyl proteasome inhibitor, phthalimide-(CH2)8CH-(cyclopentyl) CO-Arg(NO2)-Leu-H (CEP1612), induces apoptosis and inhibits tumor growth of the human lung cancer cell line A-549 in an in vivo model. In cultured A-549 cells, CEP1612 treatment results in accumulation of two proteasome natural substrates, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21WAF1 and p27KIP1, indicating its ability to inhibit proteasome activity in intact cells. Furthermore, CEP1612 induces apoptosis as evident by caspase-3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Treatment of A-549 tumor-bearing nude mice with CEP1612 (10 mg/kg/day, i.p. for 31 days) resulted in massive induction of apoptosis and significant (68%; P < 0.05) tumor growth inhibition, as shown by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated UTP end labeling. Furthermore, immunostaining of tumor specimens demonstrated in vivo accumulation of p21WAF1 and p27KIP1 after CEP1612 treatment. The results suggest that CEP1612 is a promising candidate for further development as an anticancer drug and demonstrate the feasibility of using proteasome inhibitors as novel antitumor agents.
THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES Contrast Enhancing Lesions in Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy: A Clinicopathological Correlation

A 60 year old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) developed a subacute neurological illness associated with multiple contrast enhancing lesions on CT scan. At autopsy large demyelinating lesions characteristic of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) were found in the right cerebral hemisphere surrounded by a dense leukemic infiltrate. The areas of contrast enhancement, highly unusual for PML, coincided with the CLL infiltrate. RESUME: Lesions hypercontrastantes dans la leuco-encephalopathie multifocale progressive. Un homme de 60 ans atteint d'une leuc£mie lymphoide chronique (LLC) a developpe un syndrome neurologique subaigu associe' a des lesions multiples hypercontrastantes au CT scan. On a retrouve a l'autopsie, de grandes lesions d6my61inisantes caract6ristiques d'une leuco-encephalopathie multifocale progressive (LMP) entourees d'un infiltrat leucemique dense dans l'hemisphere droit. Les zones hypercontrastantes, phenomene inusite dans la LMP, coincident avec les infiltrats de LLC. Can. J. Neurol. Sci. 1987; 14:600-602 This report describes a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who developed two unusual complications of this illness, leukemic infiltration of the brain and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The rarity of the former and the atypical CT scan appearance of the latter led to diagnostic difficulties.
The Epidemiology of Contact Lens Related Infiltrates

With estimated numbers of contact lens wearers worldwide exceeding 140 million, even complications with a low incidence will affect a significant number of individuals. Although contact lenses clearly have many advantages for wearers, certain risks have been associated with their use. Differences in risk for different types of contact lenses and wearing patterns have been demonstrated for both rare and common lens related complications. This review particularly focuses on the incidence and etiology of contact lens related corneal infection and inflammation. An understanding of the risks and contributory factors to these conditions is important for practitioners and will enable an informed choice of safer lens wear modalities, wear schedules, and hygiene regimes to be made.
Plasmid-Determined Copper Resistance in Pseudomonas syringae from Impatiens

A strain of Pseudomonas syringae was recently identified as the cause of a new foliar blight of impatiens. The bacterium was resistant to copper compounds, which are used on a variety of crops for bacterial and fungal disease control. The bacterium contained a single 47-kilobase plasmid (pPSI1) that showed homology to a copper resistance operon previously cloned and characterized from P. syringae pv. tomato plasmid pPT23D (D. Cooksey, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 53:454-456, 1987). pPSI1 was transformed by electroporation into a copper-sensitive P. syringae strain, and the resulting transformants were copper resistant. A physical map of pPSI1 was constructed, and the extent of homology to pPT23D outside the copper resistance operon was determined in Southern hybridizations. The two plasmids shared approximately 20 kilobases of homologous DNA, with the remainder of each plasmid showing no detectable homology. The homologous regions hybridized strongly, but there was little or no conservation of restriction enzyme recognition sites.
Polarimetric Analysis of Compact-Polarimetry SAR Architectures for Sea Oil Slick Observation

In this paper, a theoretical and experimental analysis of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) architectures is undertaken for sea oil slick observation purposes. Reference is made to the conventional full-polarimetric (FP) SAR that is here contrasted with new-generation polarimetric SAR architectures, known as compact-polarimetric (CP) SAR. Two CP modes are considered, i.e., the hybrid-polarity and π/4 modes, whose measurements are emulated from actual L- and C-band FP SAR data. Polarimetric sea surface scattering is predicted according to an extended version of the Bragg scattering model (X-Bragg) in order to point out the differences exhibited between FP and CP SAR architectures and among CP SAR modes. Theoretical predictions are then contrasted with experiments undertaken on actual polarimetric SAR data collected over well-known oil slicks and weak-damping surfactants. Results confirm model prediction, showing that differences mainly apply when polarimetric features are estimated over slick-free sea surface using different SAR architectures, with the π/4 mode behaving closer to FP SAR. Although CP SAR architectures measure only a subset of the FP information content, they represent an interesting operational alternative for both detecting oil slicks and discriminating them from weak-damping surfactants.
Targeted therapy in T-cell malignancies : dysregulation of the cellular signaling pathways

T-cell malignancies, mainly known as T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (T-NHL), are aggressive tumors. Although the clinical outcome of the patients has improved dramatically with combination chemotherapy, significant challenges remain, including understanding of the factors that contribute to the malignant behavior of these tumor cells and developing subsequently optimal targeted therapy. Aberrant cell signal transduction is generally involved in tumor progression and drug resistance. This review describes the pathogenetic role of multiple cellular signaling pathways in T-cell malignancies and the potential therapeutic strategies based on the modulation of these key signaling networks. Leukemia (2010) 24, 13–21; doi:10.1038/leu.2009. 223; published online 29 October 2009
Mapping Genes for Common Diseases: The Case for Genetic (LD) Maps

We examine the current effort to develop a haplotype map of the human genome and suggest an alternative approach which represents linkage disequilibrium patterns in the form of a metric LD map. LD maps have some of the useful properties of genetic linkage maps but have a much higher resolution which is optimal for SNP-based association mapping of common diseases. The studies that have been undertaken to date suggest that LD and recombination maps show some close similarities because of abundant, narrow, recombination hot spots. These hot spots are co-localised in all populations but, unlike linkage maps, LD maps differ in scale for different populations because of differences in population history. The prospects for developing optimized panels of SNPs and the use of linkage disequilibrium maps in disease gene localisation are assessed in the light of recent evidence.
JANE – A Simulation Platform for Ad Hoc Network Applications

This work describes a Java based application development, evaluation, and testing platform JANE (Java Ad hoc Network Environment) which is intended to support ad hoc network researchers in application and protocol design. Software development within this environment is expected to follow a bottom up approach. Basic functionality is implemented in elementary components which can be combined to more complex ones by using well defined interfaces. With dynamically changing network links being rather the common case than a failure situation, asynchronous communication has been selected as the main communication paradigm within this platform. Reusability of components in different execution contexts by providing an appropriate machine abstraction is a further important design decision which drove the platform development. Code written once can be executed in a pure simulation mode, in a hybrid setting with real devices being attached to a running simulation, and, finally, in a setting using real devices only. Software development following this three-tier development process paired with the platform’s rich visualization features emerged to significantly ease the burden of debugging and parameterizing in such highly dynamic and inherently distributed environments. Some ad hoc network application programs have already been implemented on top of JANE. These applications which are described in this work as well serve as a proof of concept for the platform.
Jouez avec les neurones de la machine

« L’intelligence artificielle est la science de faire faire a des machines des choses qui demanderaient de l’intelligence si elles etaient faites par des humains». Tout est dit par le fondateur de l’intelligence artificielle, Marvin Minsky. Exit les fantasmes du genre* de celui d’une «servante-robot, qui sert [le] cafe [au lit] le matin ». Et comme le mentionne Cedric Villani au lancement de sa mission de reflexion sur ces sujets, notre meilleure arme est «une grande qualite de formation» sur ce sujet qui est «l’affaire de [toutes et] tous». Soit. Et si on commencait, la, maintenant ? Ca vous dirait de soulever le capot de l’intelligence artificielle ?
Robert Koch: Nobel laureate and controversial figure in tuberculin research.

Tuberculosis has been a major cause of death for centuries. Likewise, anthrax has posed a deadly threat to both farm animals and humans and today poses a threat as a weapon of biological warfare. Cholera, which wreaked havoc in the East and threatened to enter Europe, also posed a deadly threat. The causes of these diseases remained mysteries for centuries. Nobel laureate Robert Koch (1843-1910), often called the founder of medical bacteriology, is credited with discovering the tubercle bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; with demonstrating for the first time in history the life cycle of the anthrax bacillus under controlled in vitro conditions; and with identifying Vibrio cholorae as the cause of cholera. In later life, he also was at the center of several controversies. This article provides a brief summary of Koch's exploration into bacteriology and, especially, his experience with tuberculosis and the controversies that developed in the latter part of his life, as well as his childhood and early adult years and the development of his now well-known "postulates. "
Factors affecting stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures in food webs of the Ste. Marguerite River system (Quebec, Canada)

Deeper understanding of the factors controlling stable isotopic signatures of aquatic organisms of all trophic levels is required if we are to properly use them in food web studies and as environmental indicators. The present field study conducted in the Ste. Marguerite River system, Quebec, compared periphyton signatures found in eight reaches (sections of a river/tributary) each composed of a series of sites with different flow regimes. Similar to patterns found in the laboratory, periphyton delta13C significantly decreased with increasing water velocity. In addition, periphyton biomass positively affected periphyton delta13C. Isotopic fractionation in favour of 12C by the periphyton communities likely leads to build-up of the heavier isotope in the boundary layer of algae. This study allows a better understanding of aquatic plant delta13C fluctuations. It also suggests how much variability in aquatic consumer delta13 C can be explained by water velocity in lotic systems.
Escitalopram in the treatment of social anxiety disorder: Analysis of efficacy for different clinical subgroups and symptom dimensions

Escitalopram has demonstrated efficacy for the acute treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD) in two placebo‐controlled trials and for long‐term treatment in a relapse‐prevention study. Social anxiety disorder is a heterogeneous disorder. This study questions whether this new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor is effective across different subgroups of patients. Data from two randomised, placebo‐controlled, 12‐week escitalopram SAD trials were pooled. General linear models were used to determine the efficacy of escitalopram in different patient subgroups. Furthermore, a factor analysis of the primary efficacy scale, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), was undertaken, and a determination made of whether treatment effects were similar for the different symptom dimensions. Escitalopram was effective in both younger and older patients, in male and female patients, and in patients with more and less severe social anxiety symptoms. The LSAS factor analysis showed six factors, which were differentially associated with different areas of disability. Escitalopram was significantly superior to placebo for all six symptom dimensions. The treatment effects of escitalopram were independent of gender, symptom severity and chronicity, and comorbid depressive symptoms. A six‐factor model of social anxiety symptoms is supported by the distinctive association between these symptom dimensions and different areas of disability, but did not predict differential response to escitalopram. Depression and Anxiety 20:175–181, 2004. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On Hidden Disorder in XML Tags

Automatic integration of structured and semi-structured data has been a goal of nearly thirty years of integration research. The eXtensible Markup Language (XML) integration attempts have not succeeded either. The lack of progress demonstrates early assumptions were naive. This paper will show XML schemas possess natural language characteristics that pose significant barriers to achieving full automatic integration of semi-structured data. This aspect of XML evolution has not been addressed in the literature. XML exhibits many of the same ambiguities as natural language. Automating XML integration puts forward a challenge similar in magnitude to automated natural language translation efforts. Correct and complete integration needs to satisfy meaning-preservation constraints; e.g., a mapping function that is invertible, proof preserving, vocabulary preserving and structure preserving. Natural language characteristics in XML can theoretically be utilized to predict and explain the level of XML automated integration possible.
HTS Levitated Mobile Technology and Prototype

The special reaction phenomenon of a high temperature superconductor (HTS) to magnetic fields provides an alternative technical solution for design of a levitated mobilization system, in which a linear motion drive with a HTS incorporated is a critical issue. This work presents the design and performance analysis of a HTS linear synchronous driving system with a prototype built for verification. Magnetic field finite element analyses are conducted to compute the key parameters, and the steady state characteristic of the system is predicted by using the classic phasor voltage equation. A simulation model is also built to analyze the system dynamic performance, and results show that the levitated HTS mobilization system developed can be driven and controlled at the desired speed.