Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-18 and cardiovascular diseases: a literature review

Cardiovascular disease is a serious problem of modern healthcare, which is one of the leading causes of general mortality, reduction and loss of ability to work, as well as disability. The search and the study of new cardiovascular biological markers can allow the optimization of the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, development of laboratory tools for assessing the effectiveness of a treatment, and improving the prediction of possible adverse clinical outcomes. The purpose of this review was to promote the consideration of interleukin-18 (IL-18) as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in cardiovascular pathology. For the first time, K. Nakamura et al. in 1989, described IL-18 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ-inducing factor, IFN-γ-inducing factor, IGIF) as a new, previously unknown factor that induces the production of IFN-γ. Data obtained from rodent models and clinical studies have demonstrated that IL-18 is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases, immune-inflammatory rheumatic conditions, systemic vasculitis, cardiovascular diseases, malignancy, central nervous system pathologies, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and diseases of the kidneys and lungs. In animal models of acute myocardial infarction, pressure overload, and left ventricular dysfunction, IL-18 has been demonstrated to increase cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, induce cardiac contractile dysfunction, and extracellular matrix remodeling. It is therefore expected that further scientific and clinical studies can demonstrate the possibility of using IL-18 as an additional laboratory tool for the diagnosis, risk stratification, and prediction of cardiovascular events in patients with a cardiac profile. The effect of blockade of this cytokine on reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases remains to be assessed for more detail, while considering reasonable economic costs and the side effects of drugs.
Investigation of the dependence of the reflection coefficient on the modulation parameters and defects of the fiber Bragg gratings

In this article we studied a model of changes in the amplitude of the spectral density maxima and interference of the side lobes of backscattering radiation from Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). For this purpose a computer simulation of the matrix system of equations of coupled modes depending on the modulation depth and wavelength was carried out. The practical significance of the work lies in finding the laws of dependence of the level of oscillation on changes in the input parameters to obtain the greatest efficiency of optical fiber containing fiber Bragg gratings. An attempt is made to model technological defects and their influence on the character of FBG backscattering.
Phase behaviors of ionic liquids attributed to the dual ionic and organic nature

Ionic liquids (ILs), also known as room-temperature molten salts, are solely composed of ions with melting points usually below 100 °C. Because of their low volatility and vast amounts of species, ILs can serve as ‘green solvents’ and ‘designer solvents’ to meet the requirements of various applications by fine-tuning their molecular structures. A good understanding of the phase behaviors of ILs is certainly fundamentally important in terms of their wide applications. This review intends to summarize the major conclusions so far drawn on phase behaviors of ILs by computational, theoretical, and experimental studies, illustrating the intrinsic relationship between their dual ionic and organic nature and the crystalline phases, nanoscale segregation liquid phase, IL crystal phases, as well as phase behaviors of their mixture with small organic molecules.
Structure and oxygen-sensitive properties of thin films of natural carbon

Thin film carbon nanomaterials are widely studied and used as functional, conductive, reflective, and sensor coatings. In this work, films of natural graphene-based carbon are studied as a sensitive material for a gas sensor operating close to room temperature. The structural features of the films were studied by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It has been found that the deposition of natural carbon on substrates with a conductive coatings of indium oxide and of indium tin oxide allows to obtain a thin films, represented by homogeneous carbon nets, in the nodes of which are globular nano-sized particles. Microwave conductivity measurements were carried out using a λ/4 coaxial resonator based on a symmetric two-wire line. The results demonstrated that films on substrates with deposited indium oxide and indium tin oxide desorb oxygen from various structural levels of graphene-based carbon.
High-Speed Viscous Corner Flow

A boundary-layer integral method analysis is set up for compressible laminar flow in a S3^mmetric corner with var}dng angle and streamwise pressure gradient. I t represents an extension and modification of the constant density analysis of Loitsianskii and Bolshakov. The analysis is applied to the case of constant pressure, constant corner angle, and isothermal surfaces, for which the Crocco velocity-enthalpy relation holds. Although simplifying assumptions limit the quantitative accuracy outside the 60° to 120° angle range, some qualitative trends are probably correct outside this range. The limiting cases near 0° and 180° are not considered. Favorable agreement between some results obtained by the integral method and by other methods is demonstrated for the isothermal, constant-density case. Results show an increasingly sharp merger of the outermost isovels of streamwise velocity as the Mach number increases. This sharp merging of the outer isovels is increased by increasing corner angle and by insulation or heating of the surfaces. Within the interior of the viscous layer the spreading or contraction of the disturbed region of merging is influenced by surface heattransfer conditions. Surface shear and heat flux are decreased in the disturbed region, and are zero at the apex. For cases corresponding roughly to the higher Mach numbers or wider corner angles, the "specific momentum-area" exhibits the same decrease with Mach number as its two-dimensional counterpart, whereas the "specific displacement-area," a measure of streamtube dilation, increases more rapidly with Mach number than the comparable two-dimensional parameter. u V v W w 7 A*
The Influence of Music and Music Familiarity on Time Perception

Previous research has shown that secondary tasks sometimes interfere with the perception of time. In this study, we look at the impact of background music, and the familiarity of music on the reproduction of a time interval. We hypothesize that both music listening and attending to time require declarative memory access, and that conflicts between the two can explain why the reproduced intervals are longer when participants listen to music. A cognitive model based on the PRIMs architecture, but built from two existing models can explain the data, including the effect of music familiarity. The model is a combination of two existing models: one of time perception, which requires occasional memory access to check whether the interval is already over, and one of music perception, which tries to predict the next musical phrase based on the one currently perceived. The memory conflict between the two models reproduces the effects found in the data.
NicE-C efficiently reveals open chromatin–associated chromosome interactions at high resolution

Enhancer–promoter communication is known to regulate spatiotemporal dynamics of gene expression. Several methods are available to capture enhancer–promoter interactions, but they either require large amounts of starting materials and are costly, or provide a relative low resolution in chromatin contact maps. Here, we present nicking enzyme-assisted open chromatin interaction capture (NicE-C), a method that leverages nicking enzyme–mediated open chromatin profiling and chromosome conformation capture to enable robust and cost-effective detection of open chromatin interactions at high resolution, especially enhancer–promoter interactions. Using TNF stimulation and mouse kidney aging as models, we applied NicE-C to reveal characteristics of dynamic enhancer–promoter interactions.
Convergence Rates of the Front Tracking Method for Conservation Laws in the Wasserstein Distances

We prove that front tracking approximations to entropy solutions of scalar conservation laws with convex fluxes converge at a rate of $\Delta x^2$ in the 1-Wasserstein distance $W_1$. Assuming positive initial data, we also show that the approximations converge at a rate of $\Delta x$ in the $\infty$-Wasserstein distance $W_\infty$. Moreover, from a simple interpolation inequality between $W_1$ and $W_\infty$ we obtain convergence rates in all the $p$-Wasserstein distances: $\Delta x^{1+1/p}$, $p \in [1,\infty]$.
Development of Prismatic robotic arms for rehabilitation by using Electromygram(EMG)

The design and fabrication of a bio-mechatronics robust novel robotic arms, and several parameters are discussed in this paper. Specially designed mechanism was identified and being under modification compared to the previously designed robotic arms. This paper shows the design of bio-mechatronic of the robotic arms from the shoulder to the endpoint of wrist. The robotic arms bio-mechatronic has 2 Degrees of Freedom (DOFs) direction of forward and inverse kinematic. This kinematic axis joint provided shoulder dynamic rotation, forth motion, elbow kinematics and wrist movement (internal and external). The Electromyogram (EMG) also apply in this experiment to measure Upper arms muscle activity during flexion and extension. The idea can provide advantages to researcher and physiotherapy to perform exercise during rehabilitation.
Numerical Simulation and Experimental Analysis on the AC Losses of HTS Bulks Levitating Under a Varying External Magnetic Field

Alternating current (AC) loss occurs when the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) maglev running on a permanent magnetic guideway (PMG) with a varying field. The running stability and safety of the HTS maglev vehicle will be influenced by the AC losses, which are closely related to the magnetic field fluctuation of the PMG and the levitation characteristics of HTS bulks. In order to study the AC losses of the HTS bulk under a varying field with different frequencies and amplitudes, numerical simulation and experimental analysis are employed. The simulation model was built by COMSOL Multiphysics with the partial differential equations module and heat transfer module. The experimental analysis of AC losses was designed based on a calorimetric method. The experiments are based on an HTS maglev dynamic measurement system, in which the rotational velocity of the PMG and working height of the HTS bulks are changed for simulating the experimental conditions of different frequencies and amplitudes of the AC field. And, the AC losses of HTS bulks are deduced from the evaporation amount of the liquid nitrogen. The simulation findings are consistent with the experimental phenomena qualitatively, which not only verify the rules of frequency and amplitude, but also the availability of the numerical simulation method. Moreover, the findings provide important hints for the future design of the HTS maglev systems.
DAG Automata - Variants, Languages and Properties

We study final-state automata that work on directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). We consider ordered and unordered DAGs and show that they can be simulated by each other. Then we show that deterministic DAG automata are weaker then nondeterministic automata. Some properties of recognizable DAG languages are presented and the decidability of the finiteness problem is shown. Finally we compare tree and DAG automata and show that the path language of a DAG language is regular by proving that the tree unfolding of a DAG language preserves recognizability.
Toll-like receptor-mediated innate immune responses by recognition of the recombinant dormancy-associated Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins Rv2659c and Rv1738

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) poses a major threat to the global public health. Importantly, latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) still impedes the elimination of TB incidence since it has a substantial risk to develop active disease. A multi-stage subunit vaccine comprising active and latency antigens of Mtb has been raised as the promising vaccine to trigger immune protection against all stages of TB. Therefore, the discovery of new antigens that could trigger broad immune response is essential. While current development of TB vaccine mainly focuses on protective immunity mediated by adaptive immune response, the knowledge on triggering the innate immune response by antigens is still limited. We showed that recombinant dormancy-associated Mtb proteins Rv2659c and Rv1738 were recognized by human innate immune recognition molecules, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 4 by using HEK-Blue™ hTLR2/hTLR4 systems. We further demonstrated that these two proteins activated phosphorylated NF-κB p65 (Ser536) in the human CD14+ blood cells. We also investigated that these two proteins significantly induced level of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-α) which were mediated through TLR2 and TLR4 pathways in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs). These findings suggest that proteins Rv2659c and Rv1738 stimulated innate immune response targeting TLR2 and TLR4 to produce inflammatory cytokines, and their benefits would be valuable for the development of an effective prophylactic tuberculosis vaccine.
Finite element analysis and optimization of microneedle arrays for transdermal vaccine delivery: comparison of coated and dissolving microneedles

Abstract Microneedle arrays have recently been proposed as an alternative device for delivering vaccines into the skin. In recent years, many types of microneedles, such as coated and dissolving microneedles, have been developed with a variety of array configurations. However, the study that alongside compares the vaccine delivery efficiency of different types of microneedles and optimizes their arrangements on an array has been lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the vaccine delivery efficiency of coated and dissolving microneedles as well as to optimize the microneedle arrangements by using a three-dimensional finite element modeling approach. The constructed models describe the antigen release via diffusion, the antigen-receptor binding, and the antigen internalization by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the skin layers. Our modeling result reveals that the coated microneedle provides higher efficiency in activating APCs than the dissolving microneedle. It also predicts that the square arrangement of microneedles is not the optimal arrangement. According to the magnitude of APC activation, the acute-angle arrangement of microneedles outperforms the square arrangement by activating more APCs in the dermis.
Risk-taking propensity as a risk factor for noise-induced hearing loss in the general population

Abstract Objectives To examine general risk propensity in relation to perceptions of noise, risk behaviour, and hearing loss in the general population. Design Participants completed an online survey using the Amazon Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing platform. Study sample The sample comprised 1274 adults from the United States. Results Higher general risk propensity was associated with an increased likelihood to engage in noise-risk behaviours. Lower general risk propensity was associated with increased knowledge of noise risks and an increased perception of noise as risky. The frequency of self-reported exposures to hazardous noise resulted in estimated annual noise doses exceeding standard hazard limits in 40% of the surveyed population. Conclusions Results revealed limited knowledge of the risks and associated health consequences of noise exposure in the general population Results of this study suggest a high rate of self-exposure to hazardous noise by the general population. Those with higher general risk propensity are more likely to engage in risky noise behaviour. Risky noise behaviour is associated with age, gender, race, ethnicity, and general risk propensity. Intervention programs to modify risky noise behaviour in the general population should focus on both increasing knowledge and establishing accurate perceptions of risk.
The acute muscular response following a novel form of pulsed direct current stimulation (Neubie) or traditional resistance exercise

Abstract Objectives: To examine changes in muscle thickness (MT), soreness (SOR), and isometric torque (ISO) following exercise with pulsed direct current (Neubie) or traditional high-load (TRAD) exercise. Methods: Thirty-two participants had SOR, MT, and ISO measured before, immediately after, and 24 and 48h following TRAD and Neubie. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and discomfort were also measured. Results are displayed as means(SD). Results: For MT, there was a condition x time interaction (p<0.001). For Neubie, MT increased pre [3.7(0.7)cm] to post [3.9(0.8) cm, p<0.001] and remained elevated at 24h. For TRAD, MT increased pre [3.7(0.6)cm] to post [4.0 (0.7)cm, p<0.001] and remained up to 48h. Greater values were observed for TRAD post-exercise. For ISO, both conditions decreased up to 48h. TRAD demonstrated a greater change post exercise (p<0.001). For SOR, both conditions increased up to 48h. Neubie demonstrated greater SOR at 48h (p=0.007). RPE was higher for all sets in TRAD [Mean across sets=16.0(1.9) vs. 13.5(2), p<0.001]. Discomfort was higher in all sets for Neubie [Mean across sets=5.8(1.5)vs. 4.5(2.0), p<0.05]. Conclusions: Both conditions showed increased SOR, and decreased ISO for up to 48h, with MT increased for up to 24h. MT remained elevated in TRAD at 48h. Neubie training might be effective for individuals who are looking to experience lower RPE responses during exercise.
A novel Candida glabrata doxycycline-inducible system for in vitro/in vivo use

Abstract Candida glabrata is an important pathogen causing superficial to invasive disease in human. Conditional expression systems are helpful in addressing the function of genes and especially when they can be applied to in vivo studies. Tetracycline-dependent regulation systems have been used in diverse fungi to turn-on (Tet-on) or turn-off (Tet-off) gene expression either in vitro but also in vivo in animal models. Up to now, only a Tet-off expression has been constructed for gene expression in C. glabrata. Here, we report a Tet-on gene expression system which can be used in vitro and in vivo in any C. glabrata genetic background. This system was used in a mice model of systemic infection to demonstrate that the general amino acid permease Gap1 is important for C. glabrata virulence.
Fluoroscopic Evaluation of the Role of Syndesmotic Injury in Lateral Ankle Instability in a Cadaver Model

Background: There is a high prevalence of concomitant lateral ankle ligament injuries and syndesmotic ligamentous injuries. However, it is unclear whether syndesmotic ligaments directly contribute toward the stability of the lateral ankle. Therefore, the aim of this study was to fluoroscopically evaluate the role of the syndesmotic ligaments in stabilizing the lateral ankle. Methods: Twenty-four cadaveric specimens were divided into 3 groups and fluoroscopically evaluated for lateral ankle stability with all syndesmotic and ankle ligaments intact and then following serial differential ligamentous transection. Group 1: (1) anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), (2) calcaneofibular ligament (CFL), and (3) posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL). Group 2: (1) anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL), (2) interosseous ligament (IOL), (3) posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (PITFL), (4) ATFL, (5) CFL, and (6) PTFL. Group 3: (1) AITFL, (2) ATFL, (3) CFL, (4) IOL, (5) PTFL, and (6) PITFL. At each transection state, 3 loading conditions were used: (1) anterior drawer test performed using 50 and 80 N of direct force, (2) talar tilt <1.7 Nm torque, and (2) lateral clear space (LCS) <1.7 Nm torque. These measurements were in turn compared with those of the stressed intact ligamentous state. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the findings of each ligamentous transection state to the intact state. A P value <. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The lateral ankle remained stable after transection of all syndesmotic ligaments (AITFL, IOL, PITFL). However, after additional transection of the ATFL, the lateral ankle became unstable in varus and anterior drawer testing conditions (P values ranging from .036 to .012). Lateral ankle instability was also observed after transection of the ATFL and AITFL in varus and anterior drawer testing conditions (P values ranging from .036 to .012). Subsequent transection of the CFL and PTFL worsened the lateral ankle instability. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that isolated syndesmosis disruption does not result in lateral ankle instability. However, the lateral ankle became unstable when the syndesmosis was injured along with ATFL disruption. Clinical Relevance: When combined with ATFL release, disruption of the syndesmosis appeared to destabilize the lateral ankle.
Genetic diversity and population structure of wild and cultivated Crotalaria species based on genotyping-by-sequencing

Crotalaria is a plant genus that is found all over the world, with over 700 species of herbs and shrubs. The species are potential alternative food and industrial crops due to their adaptability to different environments. Currently, information on the genetic diversity and population structure of these species is scanty. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) is a cost-effective high-throughput technique in diversity evaluation of plant species that have not been fully sequenced. In the current study, de novo GBS was used to characterize 80 Crotalaria accessions from five geographical regions in Kenya. A total of 9820 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were obtained after thinning and filtering, which were then used for the analysis of genetic diversity and population structure in Crotalaria. The proportion of SNPs with a minor allele frequency (maf) > = 0.05 was 45.08%, while the Guanine-Cytosine (GC) content was 0.45, from an average sequence depth of 455,909 reads per base. The transition vs transversion ratio was 1.81 and Heterozygosity (He) ranged between 0.01–0.07 in all the sites and 0.04 to 0.52 in the segregating sites. The mean Tajima’s D value for the population was -0.094, suggesting an excess of rare alleles. The fixation index (Fst) between the different populations based on the Wright Fst (1943) ranged from 0.0119 to 0.066 for the Eastern-Western and Nairobi-Western populations. Model based techniques of population structure analysis including structure, k-means and cross-entropy depicted eight clusters in the study accessions. Non-model based techniques especially DAPC depicted poor population stratification. Correspondence Analysis (CA), Principal coordinate analyses (PCoA) and phylogenetic analysis identified a moderate level of population stratification. Results from this study will help conservationists and breeders understand the genetic diversity of Crotalaria. The study also provides valuable information for genetic improvement of domesticated species.
Physics of Intense Charged Particle Beams in High Energy Accelerators

Theoretical Models of Intense Non-neutral Particle Beams Particle Orbits in Periodic Focusing Field Configurations Nonlinear Kinetic Stability Theorem, Vlasov-Maxwell Description of Periodically-Focused Intense Beam Equilibria Statistically-Averaged Rate Equations Hamiltonian Averaging Techniques Applied to the Nonlinear Vlasov-Maxwell Equations Kinetic Stability Properties and Collective Oscillations in Intense Particle Beams Warm-Fluid Stability Properties and Collective Oscillations in Intense Particle Beams Special Topics on Intense Beam Propagation.