Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reversing charges or how to improve Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells culture on polyelectrolyte multilayer films.

BACKGROUND Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEMs) films made of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) as polycation and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) as polyanion, with a PAH ending layer, can be used as a coating in order to improve the anti-thrombogenicity and patency of vascular grafts in vascular engineering field. They induce strong adhesion of mature endothelial cells on glass, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and cryopreserved arteries. Despite their outstanding effect on mature and progenitor endothelial cells, PEMs ending with PAH showed a poor outcome on Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) culture. OBJECTIVE The aim of this work was to examine the influence of the ending charge of PEMs on WJ-MSCs behavior. METHODS WJ-MSCs amplified until the 3rd passage were seeded and cultured on (PAH-PSS)3-PAH and on (PAH-PSS)4 coated glass for 10 days. Stem cell phenotype was checked by flow cytometry and cell morphology was followed by bright field microscopy. RESULTS Flow cytometry analysis showed that WJ-MSCs were positive for MSC's markers CD73, CD90 and CD105 and negative for hematopoietic markers CD34 and CD45. Light microscopy showed development of nodule-like structures after 10 days of culture on (PAH-PSS)3-PAH, which resulted in a disturbance of cell monolayer. Whereas WJ-MSCs cultured on (PAH-PSS)4 ending with PSS showed a normal cell growth like on collagen and reached confluence after 10 days. CONCLUSION The culture surface seems to have a determining role in WJ-MSC's "spatial" behavior, which could be considered in the field of tissue engineering.
Modified Topical Photodynamic Therapy of Superficial Skin Tumors, Utilizing Aminolevulinic Acid, Penetration Enhancers, Red Light, and Hypertherntia

background. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive selective therapy for a specific group of skin tumors. objective. In this study we used a modified topical medication in which ethyleneamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) and dimethyl‐sulphoxid (DMSO) were added to 5‐aminolevulinic acid 20% (ALA) followed by exposure to a novel high output light source emitting red and infrared irradiation. methods. ALA 20%‐EDTA 2%‐DMSO 2% in a water in oil cream base was applied to the tumors. After 12 hours the tumor was exposed to red (585–720 nm; 150 mW/cm2) and near infrared irradiation (1.25–1.6 mm; 50 mW/cm2) for 10–15 minutes by the VersaLight incoherent filtered light source. results. Complete responses were achieved after one to three ALA‐PDT treatments in 26/31 lesions of superficial or small nodular basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (84%), and in four of five in superficial squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (80%). Complete clearance was achieved in one patient with Bowen's disease of the penis. conclusions. Topical PDT utilizing ALA 20%‐EDTA 2%‐DMSO 2% as the photosensitizer and VersaLight as the light source is a noninvasive, nearly painless treatment with excellent therapeutic and cosmetic results. Our data show the efficiency of this therapy for patients with certain subtypes of BCC, SCC, and Bowen's disease. © 1998 by the American Society for Dermato‐logic Surgery, Inc.
Stimulation of Ca2+‐Activated Non‐specific Cationic Channels by Phospholipase C‐linked Glutamate Receptors in Synaptoneurosomes?

The regulation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) by glutamate metabotropic receptors (mGluR) was studied in 8‐day‐old rat forebrain synaptoneurosomes using spectrofluorimetric methods. Here we demonstrate that metabotropic glutamate agonists induce in rat brain synaptoneurosomes a Ca2+ influx largely dependent upon the presence of Ca2+ in the external medium. The pharmacological profile of this influx is strongly correlated with the pharmacological profile of the activation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis, i.e. quisqualic acid ∼ 1S,3R‐amino‐1‐dicarboxylate‐1,3 cyclopentane ≅ glutamate. This metabotropic glutamate receptor‐induced Ca2+ influx is insensitive to voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channel antagonists and occurs through a Mn2+ impermeant pathway. The study of the rapid kinetics shows that this influx is triggered after a 300 ms delay compared with that elicited by depolarizing agents and Ca2+ ionophore A23187. In order to assess further if mGluR stimulate this influx through the recruitment of inositol triphosphate (IP3)‐sensitive intracellular Ca2+ stores, we have tested the effect of thapsigargin on membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ simultaneously. Thapsigargin induces a depolarization of the synaptoneurosomal membrane followed by a massive Ca2+ influx, occurring via a Mn2+ nonpermeant route. This depolarizing effect is sensitive to the presence of the intracellular Ca2+ chelator [1,2‐bis(2‐aminophenoxy)ethane‐N, N, N', N'‐tetraacetoxymethyl ester], and partially sensitive to extracellular Na+, but insensitive to the presence of extracellular Ca2+. Taken together, our data suggest that mGluR stimulate self‐maintained increases of [Ca2+]i in rat forebrain synaptoneurosomes via the activation of a multistep mechanism, sequenced in the following steps: (i) mGluR‐induced IP3 synthesis; (ii) IP3‐stimulated intracellular Ca2+ release; (iii) Ca2+‐activated non‐specific cation channel, leading to local depolarization and a Ca2+ influx; and (iv) activation of Ca2+‐sensitive phospholipase C.
Securing Whose Peace? The Effects of Peace-Agreement Provisions on Physical Integrity Rights After Civil War

When civil wars are resolved via negotiated settlement, peace-agreement provisions like power-sharing agreements and third-party security guarantees often are advocated for their purported benefits of ensuring a long-lasting and durable peace. Although scholars have explored the effects of peace-agreement provisions on enhancing the security of states, their influence on shaping individual security outcomes is largely unknown. The strong potential exists that these same provisions that improve a government’s ability to deter future violence also increase that government’s violation of its citizens’ physical integrity rights as a means of coercion and governance. Also rare in the power-sharing literature is exploration of the effects of individual, disaggregated provisions. This dissertation, therefore, asks: Under what conditions do peace-agreement provisions significantly improve the state’s protection of its citizens’ physical integrity rights? Two models are proposed. Model 1 considers aggregated power-sharing provisions. Model 2 considers disaggregated peace-agreement provisions, and includes both power-sharing agreements and robust third-party security guarantees. Both models are evaluated in light of the situational and historical contexts relevant to each state’s civil war experience. The universe of cases includes thirty-six civil wars in twenty-seven states where conflict terminated between 1989-2007 via negotiated settlement. This project leverages a mixed-method research design, including iii contingency tables and fuzzy-set Quantitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to resolve the “small number of cases, multiple variables” challenge and to account for causal complexity. Four central claims are advanced in this dissertation: First, the common technique of evaluating peace-agreement provisions by aggregating them according to common political, military, and territorial dimensions obscures and misleads scholars; the disaggregation of peace-agreement provisions reveals how measures often act in opposition. Second, a number of commonly present provisions—including integration of rebels into the main military ranks and the granting of territorial autonomy—are consistently inhibitory to individual security after civil war ends. Third, other provisions such as robust third-party security guarantees and the granting of territorial federalism consistently lead to a reduction in the level of political repression used by states after civil war has ended. Fourth, significant human-rights improvement results from favorable causal recipes (i.e., combinations of disaggregated conditions) that together reduce both the motivation and opportunity of a government to repress. These findings will assist decision-makers involved in negotiated settlements, as they (1) identify the appropriate blends of peace-agreement provisions for resolving different civil wars, and (2) balance the need for a post-conflict government to both assure its population and to deter future violence.
Genistein-attenuated Gastric Injury on Indomethacin-induced Gastropathy in Rats

Objectives: To investigates the mucoprotective effect of genistein on gastric injury in rats with indomethacin (IMN)-induced gastropathy. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (control; n = 6) was given distilled water (DW). Group 2 (IMN; n = 6) was given indomethacin (IMN) 150 mg/kg dissolved in 5% sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3-) 1 mL/rat via intragastric tube at time 0 and 4 h. Group 3 (genistein; n = 6) was given genistein 100 mg/kg dissolved in 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) plus IMN 150 mg/kg at time described as group 2. Four hours after the second dose, the stomach was removed to examine iNOS western blot expression, malondialdehyde (MDA), and histopathologic examination. Serum was collected to determine TNF-alpha and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) levels using ELISA technique. Results: Tissue MDA and serum TNF-alpha were significantly increased in the IMN group, as compared to the control group (9.70 ± 0.40 vs. 1.56 ± 0.14 nmol/mg protein, P = 0.000; 210.28 ± 0.98 vs. 126.4 ± 0.13 pg/mL, P = 0.000, respectively) and decreased in the genistein group when compared to the IMN group (2.87 ± 0.37 vs. 9.70 ± 0.40 nmol/mg protein, P = 0.000; 156.59 ± 0.10 vs. 210.28 ± 0.98 pg/mL, P = 0.000, respectively). Serum PGE2level in IMN group was decreased significantly compared with control group (152.83 ± 0.10 vs. 303.33 ± 2.16 pg/mL, P = 0.000) and increased in the genistein group compared to the IMN group (247.65 ± 0.01 vs. 152.83 ± 0.10 pg/mL, P = 0.000). Expression of tissue iNOS was increased in the IMN group and improved in genistein groups. Most of the rats in the IMN group developed moderate to severe gastric erosion and ulcers. Gastric erosions and neutrophil infiltration score were significantly decreased in the genistein group. Conclusions: Genistein attenuated IMN-induced gastropathy in rats by reducing inflammation, decreasing oxidative stress, restoring mucoprotective function, and improving gastric histopathology. Abbreviations used: NSAIDs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; IMN: Indomethacin; COX: Cyclooxygenase; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor; ICAM: Intercellular adhesion molecule; iNOS: Inducible nitric oxide synthase; MDA: Malondialdehyde; CINC: Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant.
Reduction Design of Vibration and Noise in IPMSM Type Integrated Starter and Generator for HEV

Integrated starter and generator (ISG) is working as starter after vehicle idle stopping and generator during vehicle driving. When ISG works as starter to operate engine, ISG produces maximum power at the operating speed 4000 rpm to remove vibration of initial starting of the engine. In that time ISG produces whine noise which can be detected inside a vehicle. There are two methods to reduce the vibration and noise. One is improving the stiffness of stator and the other is reduction of electromagnetic exciting force. Although improvement of stiffness using mechanical design is utilized effectively to reduce whine noise, the electromagnetic design using the reduction of exciting forces is more reasonable in the same motor size. Because ISG produces torque ripple, radial force and tangential force on operating condition, this paper deals with the reduction design of electromagnetic exciting forces which affect the noise and vibration. Two design variables are selected to optimize the rotor shape especially geometry of flux barrier, and response surface methodology (RSM) is applied as an optimization method. Finally, quantity of the vibration and noise of optimized model are compared with prototype model, and the noise measured in the vehicle engine bay was reduced from 27 dB(A) to 25 dB(A).
Cellular response to near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses in two-photon microscopes.

The influence of femtosecond near-infrared (NIR) microirradiation on cell vitality and cellular reproduction has been studied. Chinese hamster ovary cells exposed to a highly focused 150-fs scanning beam at 730, 760, and 800 nm (80 MHz, 80-mus pixel dwell time) of </=1 mW remained unaffected by the femtosecond microbeam. However, increased mean power led to impaired cell division. At >/=6 -mW mean power, cells were unable to form clones. They died or became giant cells. Complete cell destruction, including cell fragmentation, occurred at mean powers >10 mW. Cell death was accompanied by intense luminescence in the mitochondrial region. When we consider the diffraction-limited spot size in the submicrometer region, intensities and photon flux densities of 0.8-kW pulses (10-mW mean power) are of the order of terawatts per square centimeter (10(12)W/cm (2)) and 10(32) photons cm(-2) s(-1) , respectively. Extremely high fields may induce destructive intracellular plasma formation. The power limitations should be considered during NIR femtosecond microscopy of vital cells and in the design of compact NIR femtosecond solid-state lasers for two-photon microscopes.
Prevalence of chronic kidney disease and its risk factors among adults in a semi-urban community of South-East Nigeria

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasingly prevalent problem worldwide. Treatment of end-stage kidney disease is beyond the reach of an average Nigerian. The prevention and early detection are imperative to reducing its burden. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CKD and some of its risk factors among adults in a representative semi-urban Nigerian population. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 400 randomly selected adults. Participants were assessed using the WHO stepwise approach. Urinary protein-creatinine ratio (PCR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from serum creatinine, among other parameters, were analysed. A PCR ≥200 mg/g was regarded as significant proteinuria while GFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 was regarded as reduced GFR. Participants with abnormal PCR and/or reduced GFR were re-evaluated after 3 months to document persistence of these abnormalities. CKD was defined as persistent significant proteinuria and/or reduced GFR for more than 3 months. Results: Data were complete for 328 participants. Persistent significant proteinuria was found in 5.8% while persistently reduced GFR was obtained in 4.6% of participants. Overall, the prevalence of CKD was 7.8%. The prevalence of some established CKD risk factors was old age, 36.3%; hypertension, 36.9%; diabetes mellitus, 7.9%; and family history of kidney disease, 6.4%. The predictors of CKD included old age (adjusted odds ratio = 3.2; confidence interval: 1.10–8.92; P= 0.02), hypertension: 3.5 (1.93–11.90; P= 0.001), family history of kidney disease; 4.5 (3.91–10.23; P= 0.01), generalised obesity 1.3 (1.20–6.21; P= 0.001) and central obesity 3.8 (1.13–12.68; P= 0.003). Conclusion: The prevalence of CKD and some of its risk factors were high. Effective control of the modifiable risk factors identified will assist in reducing the burden of CKD.
No data left behind: real-time insights from a complex data ecosystem

The typical enterprise data architecture consists of several actively updated data sources (e.g., NoSQL systems, data warehouses), and a central data lake such as HDFS, in which all the data is periodically loaded through ETL processes. To simplify query processing, state-of-the-art data analysis approaches solely operate on top of the local, historical data in the data lake, and ignore the fresh tail end of data that resides in the original remote sources. However, as many business operations depend on real-time analytics, this approach is no longer viable. The alternative is hand-crafting the analysis task to explicitly consider the characteristics of the various data sources and identify optimization opportunities, rendering the overall analysis non-declarative and convoluted. Based on our experiences operating in data lake environments, we design System-PV, a real-time analytics system that masks the complexity of dealing with multiple data sources while offering minimal response times. System-PV extends Spark with a sophisticated data virtualization module that supports multiple applications - from SQL queries to machine learning. The module features a location-aware compiler that considers source complexity, and a two-phase optimizer that produces and refines the query plans, not only for SQL queries but for all other types of analysis as well. The experiments show that System-PV is often faster than Spark by more than an order of magnitude. In addition, the experiments show that the approach of accessing both the historical and the remote fresh data is viable, as it performs comparably to solely operating on top of the local, historical data.
A NOVEL APPROACH FOR OPTIMIZATION OF SMART MICRO-GRID USING MULTI AGENT REINFORCEMENT LEARNING

In this paper we consider grid connected solar micro-grid system which contains a consumer, a solar photovoltaic system and a battery. The consumer is considered as an agent who continuously interacts with the environment and learns to take best actions. Initially Multi Agent System is implemented for effective energy management of solar micro-grid. Then reinforcement learning is imparted to the agent to make it smart. Each agent uses a model-free reinforcement learning algorithm, namely Q Learning, to optimize the battery scheduling in dynamic environment of load and available solar power. Multiple agents sense the states of the environment components and make coordinated, collective decisions about how to respond to randomness in load, intermittent solar power, unexpected events and unplanned actions using a Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning algorithm, called Coordinated Q Learning (CQL). The goal of each agent is to increase the utility of the battery and solar power in order to reduce the power consumption from grid. Each agent individually optimizes and contributes to global optimization. Simulation results using real numerical data are presented for improving the reliability and stability of solar micro-grid under dynamic environment. Also substantial reduction in the grid power requirement is proved leading to economic and environmental optimization.
Islamic vs conventional Human Development Index: empirical evidence from ten Muslim countries

Purpose - Given the fact that the Islamic economic paradigm differs from the secular capitalist paradigm in terms of its emphasis on morality and spirituality, the author thinks that the current Human Development Index (HDI) does not capture human development from an Islamic perspective. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to provide a paradigmatic, theoretical, and conceptual model for the suggested Islamic HDI (iHDI) and second, to present several proxy variables for multi-dimensional iHDI and test the proposed index through empirical data for ten Muslim countries. Design/methodology/approach - The author developed eight-dimensional composite iHDIs based on the understanding of human nature from the Tawhidi anthropology. These dimensions included physical, reasoning, spiritual, ethical, animal, social, deciding, and oppressive selves. The author measured them using nine different indices, three of which came from the conventional HDI (cHDI). The author then compared the rankings of those Muslim countries in iHDI to those in cHDI. Findings - The iHDI rankings for all Muslim countries except two differed from those in cHDI. The difference was more substantial for countries with higher economic development. Thus, improved cHDI rankings for Muslim countries based on their economic development do not necessarily mean that they move toward ideal human development. This finding confirms the need for an alternative human development indexing approach from an Islamic perspective. Research limitations/implications - The paper is likely to initiate movement to develop an alternative HDI from Islamic perspective. Practical implications - The paper findings have important policy implications for Muslim countries. Originality/value - It is the first empirical paper showing how to develop an alternative HDI from an Islamic perspective.
Speaker diarization in meeting audio for single distant microphone

This paper presents speaker diarization system on NIST Rich Transcription 2009 (RT-09) Meeting Recognition evaluation data set for the task of Single Distant Microphone (SDM). A two-step speaker clustering method is proposed. The first step is speaker cluster initialization using speech segments of meeting audio, where we randomly pick a small subset of speech segments and merge them iteratively into a number of clusters. And, the second step is cluster purification, where we introduce a consensus-based speaker segment selection method for efficient speaker cluster modeling that purifies the clusters. The system achieves a promising diarization error rate (DER) of 16.4%.
Improved Neocollagenesis and Skin Mechanical Properties After Injection of Diluted Calcium Hydroxylapatite in the Neck and Décolletage:A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND Calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA; Radiesse (R)) provides safe and effective correction of moderate-to-deep lines, volume replacement, lift and contour, and induction of neocollagenesis and neoelastogenesis for improved skin quality. CaHA hyperdilution takes advantage of its skin-tightening properties without a volumizing effect. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the collagen- and elastin-stimulating effects of diluted CaHA in subjects with skin laxity in the neck and décolletage. METHODS Twenty subjects with skin laxity in the neck and décolletage received multiple, linear, subdermal injections of CaHA diluted with preserved saline at baseline and 4 months: 1:2 dilution (normal skin), 1:4 dilution (thin skin), and 1:6 dilution (atrophic skin). Subjects also received deep subdermal injection of CaHA (~0.1 ml) of the same dilution in the peri-auricular area for skin biopsy. Biopsy tissue was obtained at baseline, 4 months, and 7 months for immunohistochemical evaluation of neocollagenesis. Changes to skin mechanical properties were measured by ultrasound scanning and cutometry. Subject and investigator satisfaction was evaluated using the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale. RESULTS Immunohistochemical analysis of biopsy tissue demonstrated signi cant increases in collagen I expression at 4 months (P less than 0.05) and 7 months (P less than 0.00001) compared with baseline. Increases in collagen III levels were also significant at 4 months (P less than 0.00001); they declined by 7 months but remained above baseline. Staining for elastin and angiogenesis signi cantly increased at 4 months (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01, respectively) and 7 months (P less than 0.00001 for both) compared with baseline. Immunohistochemical data correlated with improvements in skin elasticity and pliability evaluated by cutometry, and with ultrasound-assessed increases in dermal thickness. Subject and investigator satisfaction was high, and the procedure was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS Injection of diluted CaHA is very effective for skin tightening of the neck and décolletage. J Drugs Dermatol. 2017;16(1):68-74.