Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the (Non) NP-Hardness of Computing Circuit Complexity

The Minimum Circuit Size Problem (MCSP) is: given the truth table of a Boolean function f and a size parameter k, is the circuit complexity of f at most k? This is the definitive problem of circuit synthesis, and it has been studied since the 1950s. Unlike many problems of its kind, MCSP is not known to be NP-hard, yet an efficient algorithm for this problem also seems very unlikely: for example, MCSP ∈ P would imply there are no pseudorandom functions. Although most NP-complete problems are complete under strong "local" reduction notions such as poly-logarithmic time projections, we show that MCSP is provably not NP-hard under O(n1/2-e)-time projections, for every e > 0. We prove that the NP-hardness of MCSP under (logtime-uniform) AC0 reductions would imply extremely strong lower bounds: NP ⊄ P/poly and E ⊄ i.o. -SIZE(2δn) for some δ > 0 (hence P = BPP also follows). We show that even the NP-hardness of MCSP under general polynomial-time reductions would separate complexity classes: EXP ≠ NP ∩ P/poly, which implies EXP ≠ ZPP. These results help explain why it has been so difficult to prove that MCSP is NP-hard. We also consider the nondeterministic generalization of MCSP: the Nondeterministic Minimum Circuit Size Problem (NMCSP), where one wishes to compute the nondeterministic circuit complexity of a given function. We prove that the Σ2P-hardness of NMCSP, even under arbitrary polynomial-time reductions, would imply EXP ⊄ P/poly.
The Benefits of Word Embeddings Features for Active Learning in Clinical Information Extraction

This study investigates the use of unsupervised word embeddings and sequence features for sample representation in an active learning framework built to extract clinical concepts from clinical free text. The objective is to further reduce the manual annotation effort while achieving higher effectiveness compared to a set of baseline features. Unsupervised features are derived from skip-gram word embeddings and a sequence representation approach. The comparative performance of unsupervised features and baseline hand-crafted features in an active learning framework are investigated using a wide range of selection criteria including least confidence, information diversity, information density and diversity, and domain knowledge informativeness. Two clinical datasets are used for evaluation: the i2b2/VA 2010 NLP challenge and the ShARe/CLEF 2013 eHealth Evaluation Lab. Our results demonstrate significant improvements in terms of effectiveness as well as annotation effort savings across both datasets. Using unsupervised features along with baseline features for sample representation lead to further savings of up to 9% and 10% of the token and concept annotation rates, respectively.
Factors Associated with Unplanned Dialysis Starts in Patients followed by Nephrologists: A Retropective Cohort Study

The number of patients starting dialysis is increasing world wide. Unplanned dialysis starts (patients urgently starting dialysis in hospital) is associated with increased costs and high morbidity and mortality. Risk factors for starting dialysis urgently in hospital have not been well studied. The primary objective of this study was to identify risk factors for unplanned dialysis starts in patients followed in a multidisciplinary chronic kidney disease (CKD) clinic. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 649 advanced CKD patients followed in a multidisciplinary CKD clinic at a tertiary care hospital from January 01, 2010 to April 30, 2013. Patients were classified as unplanned start (in hospital) or elective start. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with unplanned dialysis initiation. 184 patients (28.4%) initiated dialysis, of which 76 patients (41.3%) initiated dialysis in an unplanned fashion and 108 (58.7%) starting electively. Unplanned start patients were more likely to have diabetes (68.4% versus 51.9%; p = 0.04), CAD (42.1% versus 24.1%; p = 0.02), congestive heart failure (36.8% versus 17.6%; p = 0.01), and were less likely to receive modality education (64.5% vs 89.8%; p < 0.01) or be assessed by a surgeon for access creation (40.8% vesrus78.7% p < 0.01). On multivariable analysis, higher body mass index (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02, 1.13), and a history of congestive heart failure (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.09, 5.41) were independently associated with an unplanned start. Unplanned dialysis initiation is common among advanced CKD patients, even if they are followed in a multidisciplinary chronic kidney disease clinic. Timely education and access creation in patients at risk may lead to lower costs and less morbidity and mortality.
Cycloheximide and Actiphenol Production in Streptomyces sp. YIM56141 Governed by Single Biosynthetic Machinery Featuring an Acyltransferase-less Type I Polyketide Synthase

Cycloheximide (1) and actiphenol (2) have been isolated from numerous Streptomyces species. Cloning, sequencing, and characterization of a gene cluster from Streptomyces sp. YIM65141 now establish that 1 and 2 production is governed by single biosynthetic machinery. Biosynthesis of 1 features an acyltransferase-less type I polyketide synthase to construct its carbon backbone but may proceed via 2 as a key intermediate, invoking a provocative reduction of a phenol to a cyclohexanone moiety in natural product biosynthesis.
Trust and Reliance on an Automated Combat Identification System

Objective: We examined the effects of aid reliability and reliability disclosure on human trust in and reliance on a combat identification (CID) aid. We tested whether trust acts as a mediating factor between belief in and reliance on a CID aid. Background: Individual CID systems have been developed to reduce friendly fire incidents. However, these systems cannot positively identify a target that does not have a working transponder. Therefore, when the feedback is “unknown”, the target could be hostile, neutral, or friendly. Soldiers have difficulty relying on this type of imperfect automation appropriately. Method: In manual and aided conditions, 24 participants completed a simulated CID task. The reliability of the aid varied within participants, half of whom were told the aid reliability level. We used the difference in response bias values across conditions to measure automation reliance. Results: Response bias varied more appropriately with the aid reliability level when it was disclosed than when not. Trust in aid feedback correlated with belief in aid reliability and reliance on aid feedback; however, belief was not correlated with reliance. Conclusion: To engender appropriate reliance on CID systems, users should be made aware of system reliability. Application: The findings can be applied to the design of information displays for individual CID systems and soldier training.
Discovering Semantic Vocabularies for Cross-Media Retrieval

This paper proposes a data-driven approach for cross-media retrieval by automatically learning its underlying semantic vocabulary. Different from the existing semantic vocabularies, which are manually pre-defined and annotated, we automatically discover the vocabulary concepts and their annotations from multimedia collections. To this end, we apply a probabilistic topic model on the text available in the collection to extract its semantic structure. Moreover, we propose a learning to rank framework, to effectively learn the concept classifiers from the extracted annotations. We evaluate the discovered semantic vocabulary for cross-media retrieval on three datasets of image/text and video/text pairs. Our experiments demonstrate that the discovered vocabulary does not require any manual labeling to outperform three recent alternatives for cross-media retrieval.
Development of chitosan based nanocomposite film for the wing membrane of biomimetic micro air vehicles (BMAV)/ Rubentheren Viyapuri

Biomimetic Micro Air Vehicles (BMAV) are unmanned, micro-scaled aircraft that are bioinspired from flying organisms to achieve lift and thrust by flapping their wings. There are still many technological challenges involved with the designing BMAV. One of these is designing ultra-lightweight materials and structures for the wings that have the mechanical strength to withstand continuous flapping at high frequencies (e.g. 30 Hz for a dragonfly). Insects achieve this by using chitin-based, wing frame structures that encompass a thin, film membrane. The overall objective of this research is to develop an innovative wing membrane for a BMAV, bioinspired from actual dragonfly wings. Chitosan was used as a polymer matrix. Chitin nanowhiskers (CNW) and nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) were prepared in laboratory and used as reinforcement fillers in the design of two types of nanocomposite membranes. In each type, tannic acid was used as crosslinker for the chitosan matrix. Film samples with different ratios of nanomaterials and crosslinking agent were prepared. The chemical changes, structural properties, and mechanical performance of each sample was measured, analyzed, and compared. Following these initial studies, heat treatment was also investigated to assess its potential for improving the chitosan nanocomposite film. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirms the nano-scaled size of nanomaterial produced and reveals the dispersion level of the nanomaterials in the chitosan matrix. Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to investigate the molecular interaction of film. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that the nanocomposite films have a rigid structure. Performance analysis using a universal testing machine (UTM) and nanoindentation machine indicates that, the tensile strength and modulus increase significantly for the crosslinker nanocomposite films. Wettability, moisture content and solubility tests show that the film exhibits elevated water resistant when the additives and heat treatment are introduced. A dragonfly wing frame structure iv was also bio-mimicked and fabricated using a 3D printer. The membrane was applied to these BMAV wing frames by a casting method. A flapping generator was used to produce static, flapping motion on these BMAV wings and an actual dragonfly wing (for comparison). The aeroelastic properties of both the BMAV and actual dragonfly wings were examined using two high speed frame camera. Bending angle, wing tip deflection and wing tip twist angle were analyzed at the flapping frequencies of 30 Hz, 60 Hz and 120 Hz.
Local Tiled Deep Networks for Recognition of Vehicle Make and Model

Vehicle analysis involves license-plate recognition (LPR), vehicle-type classification (VTC), and vehicle make and model recognition (MMR). Among these tasks, MMR plays an important complementary role in respect to LPR. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for MMR using local tiled deep networks. The frontal views of vehicle images are first extracted and fed into the local tiled deep networks for training and testing. A local tiled convolutional neural network (LTCNN) is proposed to alter the weight sharing scheme of CNN with local tiled structure. The LTCNN unties the weights of adjacent units and then ties the units k steps from each other within a local map. This architecture provides the translational, rotational, and scale invariance as well as locality. In addition, to further deal with the colour and illumination variation, we applied the histogram oriented gradient (HOG) to the frontal view of images prior to the LTCNN. The experimental results show that our LTCNN framework achieved a 98% accuracy rate in terms of vehicle MMR.
Prediction of left ventricular dysfunction in basis of ventricular depolarization time and electrical axis in patients with left bundle brunch block

BackgroundProlongation of ventricular depolarization time (QRS duration), particularly in left bundle branch block (LBBB), is commonly associated with many cardiac diseases. We posit that the QRS duration and degree of left-axis deviation (LAD) identify significant left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction in patients with LBBB. MethodsIn this prospective study, 150 patients with diagnosis of LBBB were divided into two groups (QRS≥160 and QRS<160 milliseconds). Then the relationships between QRS duration, left axis deviation (LAD: axis between –30° and –90°), and echocardiographic LV ejection fraction (EF) were derived by t-test, chi-square, and linear regression analysis in a step-wise method. ResultsThere was no significant difference in age and sex among the patients with or without LAD and QRS duration less or more than 160 ms (p>0.05). The EF of patients with LAD (n=64) and without LAD (n=86) was 48.64±14.63% and 52.10±13.98%, respectively (p=0.143). The mean±SD EF (54.5±10.54%) of the patients with a QRS duration of ≥160 milliseconds (n=19) was significantly more than the mean ± SD EF (23.89±5.46%) of the patients with a QRS duration of <160 milliseconds (n=131, p<0.001). The QRS duration also had a significant (p<0.001) inverse correlation with EF (R = 0.926, adjusted R = 0.857, SE of estimate = 5.42). However, the QRS axis was not significantly correlated with EF and did not have added predictive values. ConclusionThe QRS duration has a significant inverse relationship with EF. Furthermore, the prolongation of QRS duration (≥160 milliseconds) in the presence of LBBB is a marker of significant left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The presence of LAD in LBBB does not signify a further decrease in EF (Iranian Heart Journal 2006; 7 (4):17-25).
Pancreatic Lkb1 Deletion Leads to Acinar Polarity Defects and Cystic Neoplasms

ABSTRACT LKB1 is a key regulator of energy homeostasis through the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and is functionally linked to vascular development, cell polarity, and tumor suppression. In humans, germ line LKB1 loss-of-function mutations cause Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS), which is characterized by a predisposition to gastrointestinal neoplasms marked by a high risk of pancreatic cancer. To explore the developmental and physiological functions of Lkb1 in vivo, we examined the impact of conditional Lkb1 deletion in the pancreatic epithelium of the mouse. The Lkb1-deficient pancreas, although grossly normal at birth, demonstrates a defective acinar cell polarity, an abnormal cytoskeletal organization, a loss of tight junctions, and an inactivation of the AMPK/MARK/SAD family kinases. Rapid and progressive postnatal acinar cell degeneration and acinar-to-ductal metaplasia occur, culminating in marked pancreatic insufficiency and the development of pancreatic serous cystadenomas, a tumor type associated with PJS. Lkb1 deficiency also impacts the pancreas endocrine compartment, characterized by smaller and scattered islets and transient alterations in glucose control. These genetic studies provide in vivo evidence of a key role for LKB1 in the establishment of epithelial cell polarity that is vital for pancreatic acinar cell function and viability and for the suppression of neoplasia.
Mutant Copper-Zinc Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1) Induces Protein Secretion Pathway Alterations and Exosome Release in Astrocytes

Background: The mechanism by which astrocytes contribute to disease progression in mutant SOD1 mouse models of ALS is not known. Results: Mutant SOD1 astrocytes release mutant SOD1-containing exosomes that are toxic for motor neurons. Conclusion: Astrocyte-derived exosomes may have a role in disease spreading and motor neuron pathology. Significance: New therapeutic approaches should target exosomes to contain disease progression. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the most common motor neuron disease and is still incurable. The mechanisms leading to the selective motor neuron vulnerability are still not known. The interplay between motor neurons and astrocytes is crucial in the outcome of the disease. We show that mutant copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) overexpression in primary astrocyte cultures is associated with decreased levels of proteins involved in secretory pathways. This is linked to a general reduction of total secreted proteins, except for specific enrichment in a number of proteins in the media, such as mutant SOD1 and valosin-containing protein (VCP)/p97. Because there was also an increase in exosome release, we can deduce that astrocytes expressing mutant SOD1 activate unconventional secretory pathways, possibly as a protective mechanism. This may help limit the formation of intracellular aggregates and overcome mutant SOD1 toxicity. We also found that astrocyte-derived exosomes efficiently transfer mutant SOD1 to spinal neurons and induce selective motor neuron death. We conclude that the expression of mutant SOD1 has a substantial impact on astrocyte protein secretion pathways, contributing to motor neuron pathology and disease spread.
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Estrogenic Environmental Chemicals and Drugs: Mechanisms for Effects on the Developing Male Urogenital System

Development and differentiation of the prostate from the fetal urogenital sinus (UGS) is dependent on androgen action via androgen receptors (AR) in the UGS mesenchyme. Estrogens are not required for prostate differentiation but do act to modulate androgen action. In mice exposure to exogenous estrogen during development results in permanent effects on adult prostate size and function, which is mediated through mesenchymal estrogen receptor (ER) alpha. For many years estrogens were thought to inhibit prostate growth because estrogenic drugs studied were administered at very high concentrations that interfered with normal prostate development. There is now extensive evidence that exposure to estrogen at very low concentrations during the early stages of prostate differentiation can stimulate fetal/neonatal prostate growth and lead to prostate disease in adulthood. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental endocrine disrupting chemical that binds to both ER receptor subtypes as well as to AR. Interest in BPA has increased because of its prevalence in the environment and its detection in over 90% of people in the USA. In tissue culture of fetal mouse UGS mesenchymal cells, BPA and estradiol stimulated changes in the expression of several genes. We discuss here the potential involvement of estrogen in regulating sig-naling pathways affecting cellular functions relevant to steroid hormone signaling and metabolism and to inter-and intra-cellular communications that promote cell growth. The findings presented here provide additional evidence that BPA and the estrogenic drug ethinylestradiol disrupt prostate development in male mice at administered doses relevant to human exposures.
Scenario description for multi-agent simulation

Making it easier to design interactions between agents and humans is essential for realizing multi-agent simulations of social phenomena such as group dynamics. To realize large-scale social simulations, we have developed the scenario description languages Q and IPC (Interaction Pattern Card); they enable experts in the application domain (often not computing professionals) to easily create complex scenarios. We have also established a four-step process for creating scenarios: 1) defining a vocabulary, 2) describing scenarios, 3) extracting interaction patterns, and 4) integrating real and virtual experiments. In order to validate the scenario description languages and the four-step process, we ran a series of evacuation simulations based on the proposed languages and process. We successfully double-check the result of the previous controlled experiment done in a real environment.
Identification and Functional Characterization of Genetic Variants of Human Organic Cation Transporters in a Korean Population

Genetic variants of three human organic cation transporter genes (hOCTs) were extensively explored in a Korean population. The functional changes of hOCT2 variants were evaluated in vitro, and those genetic polymorphisms of hOCTs were compared among different ethnic populations. From direct DNA sequencing, 7 of 13 coding variants were nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including four variants from hOCT1 (F160L, P283L, P341L, and M408V) and three from hOCT2 (T199I, T201M, and A270S), whereas 6 were synonymous SNPs. The linkage disequilibrium analysis presented for three independent LD blocks for each hOCT gene showed no significant linkage among all three hOCT genes. The transporter activities of MDCK cells that overexpress the hOCT2-T199I, -T201M, and -A270S variants showed significantly decreased uptake of [3H]methyl-4-phenylpyridinium acetate (MPP+) or [14C]tetraethylammonium compared with those cells that overexpress wild-type hOCT2, and the estimated kinetic parameters of these variants for [3H]MPP+ uptake in oocytes showed a 2- to 5-fold increase in Km values and a 10- to 20-fold decrease in Vmax values. The allele frequencies of the five functional variants hOCT1-P283L, -P341L, and hOCT2-T199I, -T201M, and -A270S were 1.3, 17, 0.7, 0.7, and 11%, respectively, in a Korean population; the frequency distributions of these variants were not significantly different from those of Chinese and Vietnamese populations. These findings suggest that genetic variants of hOCTs are not linked among three genes in a Korean population, and several of the hOCT genetic variants cause decreased transport activity in vitro compared with the wild type, although the clinical relevance of these variants remains to be evaluated.
Sequelae of chorioamnionitis

Chorioamnionitis correlates to preterm delivery prior to 30 weeks of gestation. In most studies, proxies of intrauterine infection (clinical chorioamnionitis, histological chorioamnionitis, intra-amniotic increase in cytokines) are associated with acute neonatal morbidity and mortality and, at least to some degree, with neurological impairments (periventricular leukomalacia, intraventricular hemorrhage, cerebral palsy, polymicrogyria), chronic lung disease, and involution of the thymus in the preterm infant. The connection to visual impairment and cognitive deficits is uncertain or unknown. Full-term babies exposed to intrauterine infection often present with depressed Apgar scores and neonatal encephalopathy, and are at markedly increased risk of developing cerebral palsy. The infectious/inflammatory mechanisms involved are incompletely understood, and the types of microbes, as well as the genetic characteristics of the host adaptive and innate immune response, need to be better characterized.
Saliva pH Changes in Patients with High and Low Caries Risk After Consuming Organic ( Sucrose ) and Non-Organic ( Maltitol ) Sugar

Introduction: Enamel demineralization is associated with decrease in saliva pH due to fermentation of sugar by oral commensal. Thus, exploring the changing pattern of saliva pH is meaningful in dental caries prevention. The aim of this study was to compare the changing pattern of saliva pH after consuming different types of sweeteners (sucrose and maltitol). Methods: It was a case-control study involving 14 male patients attending IIUM dental clinic who were selected with the intention of getting seven patients with high caries risk ( DMFT ≥6) and seven patients with low caries risk (DMFT ≤3) with initial saliva pH interval of 6.5 to7.5. Patients were asked to consume snacks containing 8 gram sucrose and 8 gram maltitol as sweeteners. The changing pH values of the saliva were measured by Waterproof pHTestr 10BNC (Oakton, Vernon Hills, USA) seven times consecutively at 0 (before snack consumption), and at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 60 minutes after snack consumption. The pH values of saliva of patients with low and high caries risk after consuming sucrose and maltitol were statistically analized by using Anova and Tukey-HSD tests at α = 0.05. Result: There were significant differences in saliva pH changes between low-risk group and high-risk group after consuming sucrose and maltitol. Conclusion: The changing patterns of saliva pH in high-risk patients were lower than those of low-risk patients after consuming two types of snacks containing sucrose and maltitol.