Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Pathogenesis of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Interplay between Diet, Gut Microbiota, and Genetic Background

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the world, and it comprises a spectrum of hepatic abnormalities from simple hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. While the pathogenesis of NAFLD remains incompletely understood, a multihit model has been proposed that accommodates causal factors from a variety of sources, including intestinal and adipose proinflammatory stimuli acting on the liver simultaneously. Prior cellular and molecular studies of patient and animal models have characterized several common pathogenic mechanisms of NAFLD, including proinflammation cytokines, lipotoxicity, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. In recent years, gut microbiota has gained much attention, and dysbiosis is recognized as a crucial factor in NAFLD. Moreover, several genetic variants have been identified through genome-wide association studies, particularly rs738409 (Ile748Met) in PNPLA3 and rs58542926 (Glu167Lys) in TM6SF2, which are critical risk alleles of the disease. Although a high-fat diet and inactive lifestyles are typical risk factors for NAFLD, the interplay between diet, gut microbiota, and genetic background is believed to be more important in the development and progression of NAFLD. This review summarizes the common pathogenic mechanisms, the gut microbiota relevant mechanisms, and the major genetic variants leading to NAFLD and its progression.
Using a centralized controller to optimize the traffic of intelligent vehicles in a single lane highway provided with a suicide lane

This paper presents a mathematical solution to optimize the microscopic centralized traffic management of intelligent vehicles in a single lane highway provided with a suicide lane. Therefore an optimization model that uses the travel time as criteria is proposed. The model considers important elements of a highway system such as capacity of acceleration of each vehicle, traffic rules and topography of the lane. It deals with traffic situations such as overtaking, slopes, obstacles, and speed reducers. As the model takes time to run, a simulation algorithm is also proposed. The results of the algorithm provide also references to solve the problem of overtaking priority. Moreover, new indexes for microscopic traffic assessment are proposed. Test results are presented to evaluate both the model and the algorithm.
Relativistic thinking and identity development in college students

The relationship between relativistic thinking and identity formation was examined. Relativistic thinking is the ability to accept the subjective nature of knowledge and values and has been shown to develop during college. It was predicted that as students become more relativistic in their thinking, they also realize that their own perception of reality is relative too. This causes an identity crisis, resulting in a mature identity. A one-year longitudinal study showed that changes in identity (increased moratorium) were related to changes in thinking (increased relativism). Students in different college majors were shown to think differently about the nature of knowledge and show different identities, supporting the idea that thinking is related to identity formation. Also, as students develop a mature sense of identity their locus of control orientations may change. An internal locus of control and relativistic thinking were related to the active exploration of identity, whereas belief in powerful others as determiners of one's fate and dualistic thinking were related to an immature identity. Finally, intimacy development was associated with identity and thinking. Students with a lot of experience in dating relationships (high intimacy development) were likely to be actively exploring their identities at the same time, supporting the idea that identity and intimacy development may occur at the same time. Yet, intimacy was not found to be related to relativistic thinking.
Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Training Needs of Italian Residents on Genetic Tests for Hereditary Breast and Colorectal Cancer

Objectives. The aim of the study was to assess knowledge and attitudes of medical residents working in Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy, on genetic tests for breast and colorectal cancer. Methods. We distributed self-administered questionnaire to the residents. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the determinants of knowledge and attitudes towards the tests. Results. Of 754 residents, 364 filled in questionnaire. Around 70% and 20% answered correctly >80% of questions on breast and colorectal cancer tests, respectively. Knowledge on tests for breast cancer was higher among residents who attended course on cancer genetic testing during graduate training (odds ratio (OR): 1.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05–2.82) and inversely associated with male gender (OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.35–0.87). As for colorectal cancer, residents were more knowledgeable if they attended courses on cancer genetic testing (OR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.07–4.03) or postgraduate training courses in epidemiology and evidence-based medicine (OR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.03–3.69). More than 70% asked for the additional training on the genetic tests for cancer during the specialization school. Conclusion. The knowledge of Italian residents on genetic tests for colorectal cancer appears to be insufficient. There is a need for additional training in this field.
Improving minimum flow rate in wireless mesh networks by effective placement of directional antennas

For some time, directional antennas have been considered to solve connectivity and interference issues in wireless networks. Several scenarios have been presented and often the conclusions drawn are positive, showing increase in capacity. However, to date there has been no effort to assess a holistic picture of the benefit/cost tradeoff and previous work mainly concerns either link scheduling or antenna placement but not the two combined. Such consideration will become increasingly important in the near future with the advent of heterogeneous networks and other possible combinations of mesh and public access networks. In order to better understand the full implications and potential of using directional antennas in such systems, we present a model for determining the maximized benefit/cost tradeoff using a combination of directional and omnidirectional antennas in wireless multihop backbones. We study the problem of maximizing the minimal flow rate from gateways to mesh routers in the mesh network. A mixed integer programming model is formulated for joint optimization of antenna placement and link transmission scheduling under an antenna-aware SINR interference constraint and a budget constraint. An accurate antenna model is used and variable modulation and coding schemes are used. The model is decomposed to a master problem and a pricing problem, and solved by a branch-and-price algorithm. Additionally, two effective heuristics are proposed as supplement methods. Applying the introduced model makes it possible to deploy directional antennas at appropriate nodes and find a corresponding link transmission scheduling (with data rate adaptation). The numerical results show that introducing directional antennas can indeed substantially improve the considered traffic objective. Interestingly, the results also show that it is not always optimal to install directional antennas at all possible nodes because of increased interference observed at non-receiving nodes within the beam width. Finally, comparisons are made to show the effectiveness of the proposed solution methods.
On the Interface Instability During Rapid Evaporation in Microgravity

The rapid evaporation of a superheated liquid (vapor explosion) under microgravity conditions is studied by direct numerical simulation. The time-dependent Navier-Stokes and energy equations coupled to the interface dynamics are solved using a two-dimensional finite-difference/front-tracking method. Large interface deformations, topology change, latent heat, surface tension and unequal material properties between the liquid and vapor phases are included in the simulations. A comparison of numerical results to the exact solution of a one-dimensional test problem shows excellent agreement. For the two-dimensional rapid evaporation problem, the vapor volume growth rate and unstable interface dynamics are studied for increasing levels of initial liquid superheat. As the superheat is increased the liquid-vapor interface experiences increasingly unstable energetic growth. These results indicate that heat transfer plays a very important role in the instability mechanism leading to vapor explosions. It is suggested that the Mullins-Sekerka instability could play a role in the instability initiation mechanism.
Performance Efficiency of Indian Private Hospitals Using Data Envelopment Analysis and Super-efficiency DEA

India is expected to be ranked among the top three healthcare markets in terms of growth by 2020. The scale and scope for delivery of quality healthcare services demand high levels of service performance to provide effective and efficient services to patients. The purpose of this study is to assess the performance efficiency of Indian private hospitals using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and super-efficiency DEA. The analysis uses an output-oriented approach with a mix of four inputs and one output variables to identify the most efficient hospitals. In the first stage, a sample of 25 private hospitals is evaluated using DEA, and in the second stage, the same sample is analysed using super-efficiency DEA for discriminating the performance of the efficient hospitals. The results show seven hospitals as the most efficient ones using DEA in the first stage. Fortis Hospital Ltd emerges as the super-efficient hospital using super-efficiency DEA analysis in the second stage. The results obtained have managerial implications and provide the decision maker (DM) the requisite guidance for corrective actions.
Linguistic Correlates of the Quiet Ego in Narratives About the Self

Increasingly, research has shown that the drive to elevate the self and the excessive pursuit of self-esteem have negative effects on well-being and mental health. In addition, many of the defensive and aggressive tendencies seen in psychological research can be seen as efforts to defend and elevate the self. In contrast to these tendencies, the quiet ego construct describes a state of ego balance characterized by an inclusive sense of identity, perspective-taking, detached awareness (mindfulness), and growth orientation. The quiet ego and related qualities have been associated with many positive outcomes. A body of research using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software (Pennebaker, Booth, Boyd, & Francis, 2015), has shown numerous relationships between use of language and psychological processes such as self-focus and social relationships. The present study examined the relationship between quiet ego, as measured by scores on the Quiet Ego Scale (Wayment, Bauer, & Sylaska, 2015), and the use of words in selected categories measured by the LIWC in highand low-point life event narratives. The study also examined the relationships between the selected LIWC variables and several measures of well-being, and between quiet ego and well-being. Results confirmed a correlation between quiet ego and increased well-being and decreased depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. However, results showed no significant correlations between quiet ego and language use as measured by the LIWC. There were also no significant correlations between the selected LIWC variables and the well-being measures. Clinical implications of the research, limitations of the study, and future dfrections for research are discussed. 3 LINGUISTIC CORRELATES OF THE QUJET EGO
When did her smile drop? Facial mimicry and the influences of emotional state on the detection of change in emotional expression

Participants in manipulated emotional states played computerised movies in which facial expressions of emotion changed into categorically different expressions. The participants' task was to detect the offset of the initial expression. An effect of emotional state was observed such that individuals in happy states saw the offset of happiness (changing into sadness) at an earlier point in the movies than did those in sad states. Similarly, sad condition participants detected the offset of a sad expression changing into a happy expression earlier than did happy condition participants. This result is consistent with a proposed role of facial mimicry in the perception of change in emotional expression. The results of a second experiment provide additional evidence for the mimicry account. The Discussion focuses on the relationship between motor behaviour and perception.
A comparison of dominance criteria in many-objective optimization problems

In this paper, we analyze four dominance criteria in terms of their ability to adequately order sets of points in multi-and many-objective optimization problems. The use of relaxed and alternative dominance relationships has been an important tool for improving the performance of multiobjective evolutionary optimization algorithms, and their ordering ability is among the most important characteristics responsible for such improvement. Three relaxed formulations of dominance are investigated, along with the traditional Pareto ordering, in order to provide a comparison baseline. The results obtained show that all three relaxed dominance approaches presented greater robustness to the increase in the number of objectives, and are therefore more appropriate for use in many-objective optimization algorithms.
ZKBoo: Faster Zero-Knowledge for Boolean Circuits

In this paper we describe ZKBoo1, a proposal for practically efficient zero-knowledge arguments especially tailored for Boolean circuits and report on a proof-ofconcept implementation. As an highlight, we can generate (resp. verify) a non-interactive proof for the SHA-1 circuit in approximately 13ms (resp. 5ms), with a proof size of 444KB. Our techniques are based on the “MPC-in-the-head” approach to zero-knowledge of Ishai et al. (IKOS), which has been successfully used to achieve significant asymptotic improvements. Our contributions include: ◦ A thorough analysis of the different variants of IKOS, which highlights their pros and cons for practically relevant soundness parameters; ◦ A generalization and simplification of their approach, which leads to faster Σ-protocols (that can be made non-interactive using the Fiat-Shamir heuristic) for statements of the form “I know x such that y = φ(x)” (where φ is a circuit and y a public value); ◦ A case study, where we provide explicit protocols, implementations and benchmarking of zero-knowledge protocols for the SHA-1 and SHA-256 circuits.
Learning deficits in aged rats related to decrease in extracellular volume and loss of diffusion anisotropy in hippocampus

The extracellular space (ECS) is the microenvironment of the nerve cells and an important communication channel, allowing for long‐distance extrasynaptic communication between cells. Changes in ECS size, geometry, and composition have been reported in diverse (patho)physiological states, including aging. In the present study, real‐time tetramethylammonium (TMA+) iontophoresis was used to quantify ECS diffusion parameters in different brain regions of adult and behaviorally characterized aged rats. Prior to ECS diffusion measurement, superior and inferior learners were selected from a large group of aged rats, according to their performance in the open‐field water maze. The main finding was that the degree of impaired maze performance of old rats correlates, firstly, with decrease in ECS volume, loss of diffusion anisotropy in hippocampus, and degree of astrogliosis, and secondly, with disorganization of the astrocytic processes and reduction of hippocampal ECS matrix molecules. Importantly, no significant differences were found in the density of neurons in any region of the hippocampus or dentate gyrus. The alterations in hippocampal diffusion parameters evident in aged animals with severe learning deficits could account for the learning impairment, due to their effects on extrasynaptic volume transmission and/or on the “cross‐talk” between synapses, which has been suggested to be involved in neural processes associated with learning and memory formation. Hippocampus 2002;12:269–279. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of Novel Antibacterial N-Halamine Nanoparticles Prodrugs towards Susceptibility of Escherichia coli Induced by DksA Protein

Novel N-halamine nanoparticles potentially useful for killing pathogenic bacteria, i.e., SiO2@PS/N-halamine NPs, were successfully synthesized via the immobilization of N-halamines onto the polystyrene-coated silica nanoparticles (SiO2@PS NPs). The effect of reaction conditions, i.e., chlorination temperature, bleaching concentration, chlorination time, on the oxidative chlorine content in the products was systematically investigated. The antibacterial activity of the products was tested via the modified plate counting methd using Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a model bacterium. The possible mechanism of the antibacterial action of the products was also studied using scanning electron microscopy combined with a inhibition zone study. The antimicrobial capability of the products was well controlled by tuning the oxidative chlorine content in the products. More importantly, the role of DksA protein in the susceptibility of E. coli against the products was proven using a time-kill assay. This in-depth investigation of the sensitivity of E. coli towards N-halamine NPs provides a systematic understanding of the utility of N-halamines for deactivating bacteria or even disease control.
How do people with moderate intellectual disability evaluate restrictions in daily care?

Objectives One of the general articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) focuses on the right of freedom to make one's own choices and being aware of the importance for persons with disabilities to obtain independence. People with intellectual disability (ID) are, to a greater or lesser degree, dependent on significant others, such as support staff with respect to decision making. For that reason, the UNCRPD also stresses the relevance of supportive decision making, which should be stimulated by service policies. However, support staff may find it necessary to restrict people with ID to make their own choices, for example to prevent them from harm. Since restrictions should be applied in the interest of people with ID, it is essential to examine their own perception. In this study, we have examined how people with moderate ID themselves perceive and evaluate restrictions in daily care, using a qualitative methodology. Method Based on an extensive pilot study, we conducted interviews being close in time and place in which possible restrictions might occur. Additionally, we applied triangulation of sources. After conducting interviews with eight persons with a moderate ID, we examined their clinical files and interviewed their key workers. Qualitative analysis was carried out by two researchers, using an inductive, thematic approach. Results Results demonstrate communality between the participating people with ID and their key workers in perception and evaluation of restrictions, in people with ID tending to comply with the applied restrictions. When the participants with ID and their key workers differ in their evaluation of applied restrictions, this appears a value based dissensus. Conclusion To ensure that restrictions are applied in the best interest of people with ID, it is essential that staff are attentive to the wishes of people with ID, which might be based on different values. By asking people with ID about their experiences and views of the restrictions imposed on them, we hope to contribute to an ongoing and open dialogue to inform the planning and delivery of services for people with ID based on ‘best interest’ principles.
Automatic Discovery of Attribute Synonyms Using Query Logs and Table Corpora

Attribute synonyms are important ingredients for keyword-based search systems. For instance, web search engines recognize queries that seek the value of an entity on a specific attribute (referred to as e+a queries) and provide direct answers for them using a combination of knowledge bases, web tables and documents. However, users often refer to an attribute in their e+a query differently from how it is referred in the web table or text passage. In such cases, search engines may fail to return relevant answers. To address that problem, we propose to automatically discover all the alternate ways of referring to the attributes of a given class of entities (referred to as attribute synonyms) in order to improve search quality. The state-of-the-art approach that relies on attribute name co-occurrence in web tables suffers from low precision. Our main insight is to combine positive evidence of attribute synonymity from query click logs, with negative evidence from web table attribute name co-occurrences. We formalize the problem as an optimization problem on a graph, with the attribute names being the vertices and the positive and negative evidences from query logs and web table schemas as weighted edges. We develop a linear programming based algorithm to solve the problem that has bi-criteria approximation guarantees. Our experiments on real-life datasets show that our approach has significantly higher precision and recall compared with the state-of-the-art.
Towards Massive, Ultra-Reliable, and Low-Latency Wireless Communication with Short Packets

Most of the recent advances in the design of high-speed wireless systems are based on information-theoretic principles that demonstrate how to efficiently transmit long data packets. However, the upcoming wireless systems, notably the 5G system, will need to support novel traffic types that use short packets. For example, short packets represent the most common form of traffic generated by sensors and other devices involved in Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications. Furthermore, there are emerging applications in which small packets are expected to carry critical information that should be received with low latency and ultra-high reliability. Current wireless systems are not designed to support short-packet transmissions. For example, the design of current systems relies on the assumption that the metadata (control information) is of negligible size compared to the actual information payload. Hence, transmitting metadata using heuristic methods does not affect the overall system performance. However, when the packets are short, metadata may be of the same size as the payload, and the conventional methods to transmit it may be highly suboptimal. In this article, we review recent advances in information theory, which provide the theoretical principles that govern the transmission of short packets. We then apply these principles to three exemplary scenarios (the two-way channel, the downlink broadcast channel, and the uplink random access channel), thereby illustrating how the transmission of control information can be optimized when the packets are short. The insights brought by these examples suggest that new principles are needed for the design of wireless protocols supporting short packets. These principles will have a direct impact on the system design.