Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical Comparison of IL-36 and the IL-23/Th17 Axis of Generalized Pustular Psoriasis and Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis

Background Cutaneous pustular disorders include generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP). Objective To identify differences between GPP and AGEP, here we immunohistochemically evaluated interleukin (IL)-36 and the IL-23/Th17 axis. Methods This retrospective comparative immunohistochemical study was completed using 11 biopsies of 11 cases of GPP and 11 biopsies of 11 cases of AGEP. Through staining with the anti-IL-36-alpha (IL-36α), anti-IL-36 receptor antagonist (IL-36Ra), anti-nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), anti-IL-23, anti-IL-17, and anti-IL-8 antibodies, main expression location and intensity were visualized in the epidermis and dermis. Results In both diseases, diffuse IL-36α expression was observed in the epidermis. IL-36Ra expression was observed in the dermal perivascular area as well as in the epidermis. NF-κB expression was observed in the epidermis and perivascular dermal area. Diffuse IL-23 and IL-17 expression was seen in the whole epidermis and the perivascular dermal area. IL-8 was expressed in the subcorneal pustules and parakeratotic area. Contrary to other cytokines, IL-23 expression in the epidermis of patients with GPP was more intense than only that in patients with AGEP. Conclusion Common pathomechanisms might exist in the development of GPP and AGEP based on these immunohistochemical results, but further studies are needed.
A linear Kalman Notch Filter for Power-Line Interference Cancellation

A discrete-time linear Kalman filter is presented for removing power-line interference from biomedical recordings. The theoretical aspects of this filter, the relationship with conventional digital IIR and adaptive IIR notch filters, and its steady state behavior are studied in detail. As compared to previous studies, the filter is linear and does not require any information about the amplitude nor the phase of the power-line interference. The proposed method is fairly general and is applicable to broad classes of signals contaminated by periodic noise. The proposed model also accounts for multiple harmonics. Two examples of its applications for electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram denoising are presented.
Compositional Design of Dielectric, Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Properties of (K, Na)NbO3 and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O3 Based Ceramics Prepared by Different Sintering Routes

Lead free piezoelectric materials are being intensively investigated in order to substitute lead based ones, commonly used in many different applications. Among the most promising lead-free materials are those with modified NaNbO3, such as (K, Na)NbO3 (KNN) and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O3 (BTNN) families. From a ceramic processing point of view, high density single phase KNN and BTNN ceramics are very difficult to sinter due to the volatility of the alkaline elements, the narrow sintering temperature range and the anomalous grain growth. In this work, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and high-energy ball milling (HEBM), following heat treatments (calcining and sintering), in oxidative (O2) atmosphere have been used to prepare single phase highly densified KNN (“pure” and Cu2+ or Li1+ doped), with theoretical densities ρth > 97% and BTNN ceramics (ρth ~ 90%), respectively. Using BTTN ceramics with a P4mm perovskite-like structure, we showed that by increasing the NaNbO3 content, the ferroelectric properties change from having a relaxor effect to an almost “normal” ferroelectric character, while the tetragonality and grain size increase and the shear piezoelectric coefficients (k15, g15 and d15) improve. For KNN ceramics, the results reveal that the values for remanent polarization as well as for most of the coercive field are quite similar among all compositions. These facts evidenced that Cu2+ may be incorporated into the A and/or B sites of the perovskite structure, having both hardening and softening effects.
External Shocks and International Inflation Linkages: A Global VAR Analysis

Amid the recent commodity price gyrations, policy makers have become increasingly concerned in assessing to what extent oil and food price shocks transmit to the inflationary outlook and the real economy. In this paper, we try to tackle this issue by means of a Global Vector Autoregressive (GVAR) model. We first examine the short-run inflationary effects of oil and food price shocks on a given set of countries. Secondly, we assess the importance of inflation linkages among countries, by dis-entangling the geographical sources of inflationary pressures for each region. Generalized impulse response functions reveal that the direct inflationary effects of oil price shocks affect mostly developed countries while less sizeable effects are observed for emerging economies. Food price increases also have significative inflationary direct effects, but especially for emerging economies. Moreover, significant second-round effects are observed in some countries. Generalized forecast error variance decompositions indicate that considerable linkages through which inflationary pressures spill over exist among regions. In addition, a considerable part of the observed headline inflation rises is attributable to foreign sources for the vast majority of the regions. JEL Classification: C32, E31
Relation between PLSA and NMF and implications

Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF, [5]) and Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (PLSA, [4]) have been successfully applied to a number of text analysis tasks such as document clustering. Despite their different inspirations, both methods are instances of multinomial PCA [1]. We further explore this relationship and first show that PLSA solves the problem of NMF with KL divergence, and then explore the implications of this relationship.
Diversified Coverage based Tag Recommendation

Tag recommendation, as a branch of recommendation engine, has drawn more and more attention, which is al- so extensively exploited in e-commerce and SNS (Social Networking Services). The results generated by the current algo- rithms could describe the items with a high relevance. However, they are often of poor diversity in the recommended re- sults. That indicates there is a redundancy in the results in term of semantics. Such a case reduces the novelty and diversi- ty of the recommended results, seriously affecting the user's experience. In this paper, we define the tag correlation metric based on the local and global tag co-occurrence matrices, which improves the recommendation accuracy by incorporating both the user's interests and the popularity of tags. Moreover, we propose the concept of semantic coverage, by which the redundancy of semantics can be removed efficiently. To our best knowledge, it is first proposed in the context of tag rec- ommendation. Finally, a diversified coverage based tag recommendation algorithm, namely EDC, is developed. By con- verting the problem of diversified coverage tag recommendation to the MIDS (Minimum Independent Dominating Set) problem, EDC first handles the cliques and the bipartites in the graph. Then, it recursively searches the MIDSs in the re- maining graph. Further, a greedy algorithm GDC is proposed. The experiments conducted on the real datasets of Mov- ieLens and Last.fm show that the proposed EDC and GDC improve the diversity significantly.
Perceptual Space of Superimposed Dual-Frequency Vibrations in the Hands

The use of distinguishable complex vibrations that have multiple spectral components can improve the transfer of information by vibrotactile interfaces. We investigated the qualitative characteristics of dual-frequency vibrations as the simplest complex vibrations compared to single-frequency vibrations. Two psychophysical experiments were conducted to elucidate the perceptual characteristics of these vibrations by measuring the perceptual distances among single-frequency and dual-frequency vibrations. The perceptual distances of dual-frequency vibrations between their two frequency components along their relative intensity ratio were measured in Experiment I. The estimated perceptual spaces for three frequency conditions showed non-linear perceptual differences between the dual-frequency and single-frequency vibrations. A perceptual space was estimated from the measured perceptual distances among ten dual-frequency compositions and five single-frequency vibrations in Experiment II. The effect of the component frequency and the frequency ratio was revealed in the perceptual space. In a percept of dual-frequency vibration, the lower frequency component showed a dominant effect. Additionally, the perceptual difference among single-frequency and dual-frequency vibrations were increased with a low relative difference between two frequencies of a dual-frequency vibration. These results are expected to provide a fundamental understanding about the perception of complex vibrations to enrich the transfer of information using vibrotactile stimuli.
Qualitative Analysis of Knowledge Transfer in Pair Programming

Knowledge transfer in the context of pair programming is both a desired effect and a necessary precondition. There is no detailed understanding yet of how effective and efficient knowledge transfer in this particular context actually works. My qualitative research is concerned with the analysis of professional software developer's sessions to capture their specific knowledge transfer skill in the form of comprehensible, relevant, and practical patterns.
Host Galaxies of 2MASS-selected QSOs to Redshift 0.3

We present and discuss optical imaging of 76 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that represent the selected Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) sample for z < 0.3, from a full list of 243. They are found to have dust-obscured nuclei, residing in host galaxies that show a high fraction (greater than 70%) of tidal interactions. The derived luminosities of the AGNs and host galaxies are similar to traditionally selected AGNs, and they may comprise some 40% of the total AGN population at low redshift. We have measured a number of host galaxy properties and discuss their distributions and interrelations. We compare the 2MASS AGNs with optically selected samples and the IRAS-selected galaxy samples and discuss the differences in terms of merger processes and initial conditions.
Impact of labour market shocks on business cycle fluctuations in Poland

This paper investigates whether labour market shocks contribute to business cycle fluctuations in Poland. To assess the impact of labour market disturbances, we develop an international real business cycle model with non-Walrasian labour market in the spirit of Diamond, Mortensen and Pissarides. To fit the model to the data, we use Bayesian techniques to estimate selected model parameters and shock properties. We find that hiring cost and job destruction rate disturbances were non-negligible factors affecting both output and consumption variability in the period of 1995 Q1 ? 2013 Q3. Shock to the workers’ bargaining power turns out to have almost no impact on evolution of these two macro variables. Moreover, our results show the condition derived by Hosios (1990) is nearly satisfied, i.e. the degree of inefficiency resulting from the search process decentralization is very small.
Comparison of Flight Simulators Based on Human Motion Perception Metrics

In flight simulation, motion filters are used to transform aircraft motion into simulator motion. When looking for the best match between visual and inertial amplitude in a simulator, researchers have found that there is a range of inertial amplitudes, rather than a single inertial value, that is perceived by subjects as optimal. This zone, hereafter referred to as the optimal zone, seems to correlate to the perceptual coherence zones measured in flight simulators. However, no studies were found in which these two zones were compared. This study investigates the relation between the optimal and the coherence zone measurements within and between different simulators. Results show that for the sway axis, the optimal zone lies within the lower part of the coherence zone. In addition, it was found that, whereas the width of the coherence zone depends on the visual amplitude and frequency, the width of the optimal zone remains constant.
Existence of positive solutions for nth-order boundary value problem with sign changing nonlinearity

In this paper, we investigate the existence of positive solu tions for singular nth-order boundary value problem where n � 2, a 2 C((0, 1), [0,+1)) may be singular at t = 0 and (or) t = 1 and the nonlinear term f is continuous and is allowed to change sign. Our proofs are based on the method of lower solution and topology degree theorem.
Myocardial Micronecrosis Produced by Microsphere Embolization: Role of an α‐Adrenergic Tonic Influence on the Coronary Microcirculation

Microspheres approximately 25 or 50 μm in diameter were systemically embolized from the left ventricular cavity. The number of microspheres given was empirically chosen to minimize the possibility of more than one microsphere lodging in an arteriole (3 mg/kg), yet was sufficient to allow for adequate histological assessment. The dogs were sacrificed after 24 hours, and focal areas of myocytolytic necrosis were noted in the myocardium. Groups of dogs were given prerreatment with drugs 10 minutes before embolization. Dogs pretreated with phentolamine (n = 8) and prazosin (n = 2) did not reveal any areas of myocardial necrosis after embolization with 25 -μm microspheres. Cardiac lesions were also prevented in four of five dogs pretreated with verapamil. In contrast, cardiac lesions were not prevented by prerreatment with yohimbine (n = 2), dipyridamole (n = 3), propranolol (n = 2), or atropine (n = 2). Drug prerreatment with phentolamine or verapamil was not able to prevent cardiac lesions after embolization with 50-μm microspheres. Furthermore, despite a greater number of microspheres physically present in the subendocardial layer, the necrotic lesions were more frequent in the mid-wall and epicardial layers. Lesions produced by 25- or 50-jtm emboli were also significantly smaller in the endocardium. Systemic embolization with microspheres excluding the coronary circulation did not produce cardiac lesions. We conclude that mechanical interruption of the coronary circulation with a 25-μm microsphere may be a necessary but not sufficient condition to produce cardiac necrosis. An ai-adrenergic mechanism is also involved in the production of these lesions. The distinct transmural differences in distribution and size of the embolic lesions suggest the possibilities of a nonuniform transmural ã-adrehergic tonic influence on the coronary microtirculation and/or a nonuniform transmural arteriolar hierarchy within the left ventricular myocardium.
Camera to map alignment for accurate low-cost lane-level scene interpretation

To be able to predict the evolution of the driving context, estimate the expected risks and plan future behavior alternatives, it is crucial to know where traffic participants can go and where they will most likely go. Consequently, for future Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), precise, lane-accurate localization of the ego- as well as the other vehicles is a key technology. The proposed standard solutions to lane-accurate localization are usually based on expensive detailed 3D maps and precise absolute position estimation sensors. To the contrary, in this paper we propose to improve the localization of scene items based on state-of-the-art map data, combined with a coarse and cheap position estimation as e.g. provided by standard GNSS. From the map data, we infer the structure of the contextual road geometry, and align it with the road view(s) as provided by a front camera. This results in an improved relative positioning of the sensed items on the map structures, allowing a better scene interpretation. The alignment occurs by best-match search based on a feature comparison between the real road view from the camera and virtually generated road views based on the map considering different assumed ego-vehicle positions. On standard road scenes, we validate the approach, and show that it can be used as a cheap means to support intelligent ADAS and improve localization.
COLI INSPIRED PROPULSION FOR SWIMMING MICROROBOTS

Medical applications are among the most fascinating areas of microrobotics. For long, scientists have dreamed of miniature smart devices that can travel inside the human body and carry out a host of complex operations such as minimally invasive surgery (MIS), highly localized drug delivery, and screening for diseases that are in their very early stages. Still a distant dream, significant progress in micro and nanotechnology brings us closer to materializing it. For such a miniature device to be injected into the body, it has to be 800 μm or smaller in diameter. Miniature, safe and energy efficient propulsion systems hold the key to maturing this technology but they pose significant challenges. Scaling the macroscale natation mechanisms to micro/nano length scales is unfeasible. It has been estimated that a vibrating-fin driven swimming robot shorter than 6 mm can not overcome the viscous drag forces in water. In this paper, the authors propose a new type of propulsion inspired by the motility mechanism of bacteria with peritrichous flagellation, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Serratia marcescens. The perfomance of the propulsive mechanism is estimated by modeling the dynamics of the motion. The motion of the moving organelle is simulated and key parameters such as velocity, distribution of force and power requirments for different configurations of the tail are determined theoretically. In order to validate the theoretical result, a scaled up model of the swimming robot is fabricated and characterized in silicone oil using the Buckingham PI theorem for scaling. The results are compared with the theoretically computed values. These robots are intended to swim in stagnation/low velocity biofluid and reach currently inaccessible areas of the human body for disease inspection and possibly treatment. Potential target regions to use these robots include eyeball cavity, cerebrospinal fluid and the urinary system.
Alkene ozonolysis SOA: inferences of composition and droplet growth kinetics from Kohler theory analysis

The CCN properties, surfactant characteristics, and droplet growth kinetics of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed from the ozonolysis of three parent alkene hydrocarbons (terpinolene, 1-methlycycloheptene and cycloheptene) are explored. Based on measurements of CCN activity, total carbon and inorganic ion concentrations, we estimate the average molar volume of the water-soluble organic component using Kohler Theory Analysis (KTA). The results suggest that the water-soluble organics in the SOA are composed of relatively low molecular weight species, with an effective molar mass less than 200 g mol ? 1 . This finding is consistent with the speciated fraction for some of the SOA, and suggests that KTA can be applied to complex organic aerosol, such as that found in the atmosphere. From measurements of CCN activity and Kohler Theory, we apply a novel method to infer the surface tension at the point of activation; this is used to infer the presence of surface-active organics. It is found that the water-soluble carbon can be surface-active, depressing surface tension 10? 15% from that of pure water at concentrations relevant for CCN activation. Although important, this level of surface tension depression is lower than expected for HULIS, which suggest that they are not likely in the SOA examined. In all cases, the CCN exhibit droplet growth kinetics similar to (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 .
The Political Ecology of a School Board Decision to Hire a Nontraditional Superintendent

This retrospective study used the language of political ecology to describe the dynamics of a school board decision to hire a nontraditional superintendent. Those dynamics were described as contextual variables that existed within the community as well as mediating variables that were negotiated among the key players who were part of the selection process. This study confirmed that the school board did not make the decision in isolation from the community power structure. The methodology of this descriptive case study was qualitative, using a basic interpretive design informed by symbolic interactionism. Data were collected primarily through interviews with key players of the superintendent selection event, as well as from local news articles and artifacts. This research identified variables that were part and parcel of the superintendent selection process. It also helped to explain why most of Jacksonville, Florida, favored a candidate with a military background over three other candidates who had served as superintendents of other large, urban school districts. The environmental and mediating variables were presented as key constructs that affected the superintendent selection process and influenced the final decision to hire a nontraditional superintendent.
Forward Exchange Rates as Optimal Predictors of Future Spot Rates: An Econometric Analysis

This paper examines the hypothesis that the expected rate of return to speculation in the forward foreign exchange market is zero; that is, the logarithm of the forward exchange rate is the market's conditional expectation of the logarithm of the future spot rate. A new computationally tractable econometric methodology for examining restrictions on a k-step-ahead forecasting equation is employed. Using data sampled more finely than the forecast interval, we are able to reject the simple market efficiency hypothesis for exchange rates from the 1970s and the 1920s. For the modern experience, the tests are also inconsistent with several alternative hypotheses which typically characterize the relationship between spot and forward exchange rates.
Germline Mutation in NLRP2 (NALP2) in a Familial Imprinting Disorder (Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome)

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a fetal overgrowth and human imprinting disorder resulting from the deregulation of a number of genes, including IGF2 and CDKN1C, in the imprinted gene cluster on chromosome 11p15.5. Most cases are sporadic and result from epimutations at either of the two 11p15.5 imprinting centres (IC1 and IC2). However, rare familial cases may be associated with germline 11p15.5 deletions causing abnormal imprinting in cis. We report a family with BWS and an IC2 epimutation in which affected siblings had inherited different parental 11p15.5 alleles excluding an in cis mechanism. Using a positional-candidate gene approach, we found that the mother was homozygous for a frameshift mutation in exon 6 of NLRP2. While germline mutations in NLRP7 have previously been associated with familial hydatidiform mole, this is the first description of NLRP2 mutation in human disease and the first report of a trans mechanism for disordered imprinting in BWS. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that NLRP2 has a previously unrecognised role in establishing or maintaining genomic imprinting in humans.
Wagner's hypothesis: New evidence from Turkey using the bounds testing approach

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to prove the validity of Wagner's hypothesis. Design/methodology/approach - The paper examines the validity of Wagner's hypothesis with annual data for Turkey over 1950-2005 period. Findings - The empirical results using the ARDL bounds tests of cointegration provide strong support for the hypothesis. Also, the results are robust across six alternative specifications of the Wagner's hypothesis as well as four alternative lag length selection criterions. Originality/value - The paper provides useful information on the validity of Wagner's hypothesis.