Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photo-products of retinal pigment epithelial bisretinoids react with cellular thiols

Purpose Bisretinoids such as A2E that accumulate as components of the lipofuscin of retinal pigment epithelial cells are implicated in some retinal disease processes. These compounds undergo light-induced oxidation and cleavage with the latter releasing of a mixture of aldehyde-bearing fragments, including dicarbonyl methylglyoxal. We tested for the reactivity of photooxidation and photodegradation products of A2E with thiol-containing glutathione (GSH). Methods In cell-free assays, we measured the ability of photooxo-A2E to competitively inhibit the GSH-mediated reduction of the thiol reagent 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid). Cellular GSH was assayed colorimetrically. Products of GSH reduction and GSH-adducts were detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and GSH and oxidized GSH (glutathione disulfide [GSSG]) were quantified from chromatographic peak areas. Results We found that GSH can donate hydrogen atoms to, and form conjugates with, photooxidized forms of the bisretinoid A2E and with its photocleavage products. Reaction with non-photooxidized A2E was not observed. Chemical reduction by GSH involved the donation of a hydrogen atom from each of two GSHs. The ratio of GSH consumed to GSSG formed was consistent with GSH being used for both reduction and adduct formation. With the aid of synthesized standards, methylglyoxal-GSH adducts were identified within mixtures of GSH and photooxidized A2E; the adducts formed noncatalytically and by glutathione-S-transferase mediation. Conclusions Reduction and adduct formation by GSH likely limits the reactivity of bisretinoid photoproducts and may aid their elimination from the cells. These findings are significant to forms of macular degeneration associated with bisretinoid formation and maculopathy stemming from GSH synthase deficiency.
Uncertainty Displays Using Quantile Dotplots or CDFs Improve Transit Decision-Making

Everyday predictive systems typically present point predictions, making it hard for people to account for uncertainty when making decisions. Evaluations of uncertainty displays for transit prediction have assessed people's ability to extract probabilities, but not the quality of their decisions. In a controlled, incentivized experiment, we had subjects decide when to catch a bus using displays with textual uncertainty, uncertainty visualizations, or no-uncertainty (control). Frequency-based visualizations previously shown to allow people to better extract probabilities (quantile dotplots) yielded better decisions. Decisions with quantile dotplots with 50 outcomes were(1) better on average, having expected payoffs 97% of optimal(95% CI: [95%,98%]), 5 percentage points more than control (95% CI: [2,8]); and (2) more consistent, having within-subject standard deviation of 3 percentage points (95% CI:[2,4]), 4 percentage points less than control (95% CI: [2,6]). Cumulative distribution function plots performed nearly as well, and both outperformed textual uncertainty, which was sensitive to the probability interval communicated. We discuss implications for real time transit predictions and possible generalization to other domains.
LESAR: A dynamic line-end spacing aware detailed router

As the VLSI technology scales down, 193nm optical lithography reaches the limit and one-dimensional (1D) unidirectional style lithography technique emerges as one of the most promising solutions for coming advanced technology nodes. The 1D process first generates unidirectional dense metal lines and then use line-end cutting to form the target patterns with cut masks. If cuts are too close, they will lead to conflicts. Line-end spacing rules become dynamic rather than static because of cut mask and also now need to be followed strictly. Line-end spacing check between two line-end pairs in the same mask has also been regarded as compulsory line-end spacing constraints that have not discussed in previous works yet. Complying with these rules during APR has become a new bottleneck. In this work, we propose to make the router aware of the dynamic line-end spacing rules, including end-end spacing and parity spacing constraints. Experimental results of our proposed router demonstrates that it can effectively expel all end-end spacing violations as well as 75% of parity spacing violations in a reasonable runtime increase of 14%.
Use the Force Picker, Luke: Space-Efficient Value Input on Force-Sensitive Mobile Touchscreens

Picking values from long ordered lists, such as when setting a date or time, is a common task on smartphones. However, the system pickers and tables used for this require significant screen space for spinning and dragging, covering other information or pushing it off-screen. The Force Picker reduces this footprint by letting users increase and decrease values over a wide range using force touch for rate-based control. However, changing input direction this way is difficult. We propose three techniques to address this. With our best candidate, Thumb-Roll, the Force Picker lets untrained users achieve similar accuracy as a standard picker, albeit less quickly. Shrinking it to a single table row, 20% of the iOS picker height, slightly affects completion time, but not accuracy. Intriguingly, after 70 minutes of training, users were significantly faster with this minimized Thumb-Roll Picker compared to the standard picker, at the same accuracy and only 6% of the gesture footprint. We close with application examples.
Remembering by the Seat of Your Pants

According to dual-process theories of memory, “old” responses in recognition may reflect the separate or combined effects of two states, specific recollection and feelings of nonspecific familiarity. When decisions are based on familiarity, people may attribute enhanced perceptual fluency to memory for prior occurrence. In this experiment, we tested whether a subliminal somatic cue (a low-amplitude buzz) could enhance feelings of familiarity. The buzz increased the likelihood that participants responded “old,” both correctly and incorrectly. This effect occurred only with subjectively difficult stimuli, those relatively unlikely to elicit clear recollection. When a stronger control buzz was used, the effect vanished. Results for confidence ratings were consistent with Whittlesea's SCAPE theory, producing a dissociation between hits and false alarms. Specifically, the buzz reduced confidence in hits and increased confidence in false alarms, in accord with the most likely attributions for the feelings of familiarity associated with the buzz.
Nonequilibrium fluctuations in quantum heat engines: theory, example, and possible solid state experiments

We study stochastic energetic exchanges in quantum heat engines. Due to microreversibility, these obey a fluctuation relation, called the heat engine fluctuation relation, which implies the Carnot bound: no machine can have an efficiency greater than Carnot’s efficiency. The stochastic thermodynamics of a quantum heat engine (including the joint statistics of heat and work and the statistics of efficiency) are illustrated by means of an optimal two-qubit heat engine, where each qubit is coupled to a thermal bath and a two-qubit gate determines energy exchanges between the two qubits. We discuss possible solid-state implementations with Cooper-pair boxes and flux qubits, quantum gate operations, and fast calorimetric on-chip measurements of single stochastic events.
Total variation based image restoration with free local constraints

A new total variation based approach was developed by Rudin, Osher and Fatemi (see Physica D., vol.60, p.259, 1992) to overcome the basic limitations of all smooth regularization algorithms. The TV-based technique use the L/sup 1/ norm of the magnitude of a gradient, thus making discontinuous and nonsmooth solutions possible. In TV image restoration, the solution is obtained by solving a time-dependent, nonlinear PDE on a manifold that satisfies the degradation constraints. In practical applications, one assumes a space-varying blurring kernel and signal-dependent (e.g. multiplicative) noise. The evolution part of the TV-based PDE turned out to be related to the curve shortening equation, but scaled by an inverse. <<ETX>>
Toward a Theory of Music Information Retrieval Queries: System Design Implications

This paper analyzes a set of 161 music-related information requests posted to the rec.music. country.old-time newsgroup. These postings are categorized by the types of detail used to characterize the poster's information need, the type of music information requested, the intended use for the information, and additional social and contextual elements present in the postings. The results of this analysis suggest that similar studies of 'native' music information requests can be used to inform the design of effective, usable music information retrieval interfaces.
ThermoKiosk: Investigating Roles for Digital Surveys of Thermal Experience in Workplace Comfort Management

Thermal comfort in shared workplaces is often contested and impacts productivity, wellbeing, and energy use. Yet, subjective and situated comfort experiences are rarely captured and engaged with. In this paper, we explore roles for digital surveys in capturing and visualising subjective experiences of comfort in situ for comfort management. We present findings from a 3-week field trial of our prototype system called ThermoKiosk, which we deployed in an open plan, shared office with a history of thermal comfort complaints. In interviews with occupants and members of facilities management, we find that the data and interactions can play an important role in initiating dialogue to understand and handle tensions, and point to design considerations for more systematically integrating them into workplace comfort practices.
On the Bertozzi-Esedoglu-Gillette-Cahn-Hilliard Equation with Logarithmic Nonlinear Terms

Our aim in this paper is to study the existence of local (in time) solutions for the Bertozzi--Esedoglu--Gillette--Cahn--Hilliard equation with logarithmic nonlinear terms. This equation was proposed in view of applications to binary image inpainting. We also give some numerical simulations which show the efficiency of the model.
Green synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using Platanus orientalis leaf extract for antifungal activity

Abstract In this report, aqueous phase green synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticle utilizing Platanus orientalis is elucidated for the first time. The phytoconstituents of the P. orientalis leaf extract serve a dual role as reducing and capping agent during the fabrication of iron oxide nanoparticles. The role of the leaf extract in the synthesis of iron oxide has been briefly demonstrated in this work. The tailored iron oxide particles were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering technique. Nonetheless, X-ray diffraction pattern reveals the mixed phase nature of the ensuing iron oxide, i.e. α-Fe2O3 and γ-Fe2O3. The spherical oxide particles have an average diameter of 38 nm as determined from transmission electron microscopy. Infrared spectroscopy results confirmed the stabilization of iron oxide nanoparticles by the phytochemicals present in the leaf extract. Iron oxide nanoparticles show significant antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Mucor piriformis, employed as model fungi, but found to be more active toward M. piriformis.
Alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk among women from five ethnic groups with light to moderate intakes: The Multiethnic Cohort Study

Higher alcohol consumption, even at moderate levels, has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in epidemiological studies. However, prior studies were conducted in mostly white populations. To assess the relationship of alcohol consumption to postmenopausal breast cancer risk in a multiethnic population of largely never, light or moderate drinkers, we prospectively examined the association in 85,089 women enrolled in the Multiethnic Cohort in Hawaii and California. During a mean follow‐up of 12.4 years, 3,885 incident invasive breast cancer cases were identified. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models, controlling for potential confounders. Higher alcohol consumption was associated with increased risk of breast cancer: compared to nondrinkers, HRs were 1.23 (95% CI: 1.06–1.42), 1.21 (95% CI: 1.00–1.45), 1.12 (95% CI: 0.95–1.31) and 1.53 (95% CI: 1.32–1.77) for 5–9.9, 10–14.9, 15–29.9 and ≥30 g/day of alcohol, respectively. The positive association was seen in African American, Japanese American, Latino and white, but not in Native Hawaiian women, and in those with tumors that were both positive and negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER/PR). This prospective study supports previous findings that light to moderate alcohol consumption increases breast cancer risk, and demonstrates this association in several ethnic groups besides whites, independent of ER/PR status.
Investigations on the role of expectations and individual decisions in quality perception

In the scientific field of Quality of Experience (QoE) the impact of technical influencing factors — often referred as Quality of Service (Qos) — and additional context factors like applications, usage scenarios, emotional state, etc. on the subjective quality assessment is examined. Nevertheless, two relevant aspects have been neglected so far in QoE related research: user expectations and user decisions. Hence, a literature study is presented which explains how expectations are addressed in related research fields and how individual expectations can be quantified. Based on that, four empirical user studies are discussed which show how to trigger quality-related expectations in a laboratory setup and which methodological aspects need to be considered. Based on the concept of desired and adequate expectations [11], questionnaires have been used to measure individual expectations in the context of video on demand and telecommunication providers. This information is furthermore used to enhance the prediction accuracy of quantitative QoE models up to 12%. A failure to fulfill quality-related user expectations may entail certain user decisions, e.g., the technical video quality of a streamed video is increased, which also includes higher fees. For this reason, three user studies are discussed which have examined the impact of economic user decisions on QoE. In these studies the test participants were able to spend real money for enhanced video quality. According to the discussed findings, the individual decision regarding quality and price has a positive impact on subjective quality assessment. Moreover, recommendations are presented which can be used for further QoE experiments including economic decisions. The impact of non-economic decisions on QoE assessment is investigated by three user studies, which focused on the impact of individual decisions regarding quality impairment, end device and content. So far, the ambiguous results of these three user studies make it impossible to draw final conclusions regarding the impact of non-economic user decisions on quality assessment. Finally, both user-related QoE-aspects — user expectations and user decisions — are presented in the framework of the quality formation process [12] which describes the interaction between expectations, decisions and subjective quality assessment.
Joint effect of mid- and late-life blood pressure on the brain

Objective: We hypothesized that in participants with a history of hypertension, lower late-life blood pressure (BP) will be associated with more brain pathology. Methods: Participants are 4,057 older men and women without dementia with midlife (mean age 50 ± 6 years) and late-life (mean age 76 ± 5 years) vascular screening, cognitive function, and brain structures on MRI ascertained as part of the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES)–Reykjavik Study. Results: The association of late-life BP to brain measures depended on midlife hypertension history. Higher late-life systolic and diastolic BP (DBP) was associated with an increased risk of white matter lesions and cerebral microbleeds, and this was most pronounced in participants without a history of midlife hypertension. In contrast, in participants with a history of midlife hypertension, lower late-life DBP was associated with smaller total brain and gray matter volumes. This finding was reflected back in cognitive performance; in participants with midlife hypertension, lower DBP was associated with lower memory scores. Conclusion: In this large population-based cohort, late-life BP differentially affects brain pathology and cognitive performance, depending on the history of midlife hypertension. Our study suggests history of hypertension is critical to understand how late-life BP affects brain structure and function.
ResearchIME: A Mobile Keyboard Application for Studying Free Typing Behaviour in the Wild

We present a data logging concept, tool, and analyses to facilitate studies of everyday mobile touch keyboard use and free typing behaviour: 1) We propose a filtering concept to log typing without recording readable text and assess reactions to filters with a survey (N=349). 2) We release an Android keyboard app and backend that implement this concept. 3) Based on a three-week field study (N=30), we present the first analyses of keyboard use and typing biometrics on such free text typing data in the wild, including speed, postures, apps, auto correction, and word suggestions. We conclude that research on mobile keyboards benefits from observing free typing beyond the lab and discuss ideas for further studies.
Clinical Outcomes After SMILE and Femtosecond Laser-Assisted LASIK for Myopia and Myopic Astigmatism: A Prospective Randomized Comparative Study

Purpose: To compare the clinical outcomes of small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK (FS-LASIK) for the correction of myopia and myopic astigmatism. Methods: In this prospective, randomized, comparative study, SMILE surgery was performed in 113 eyes with a mean spherical equivalent (MSE) of −5.22 ± 1.70 diopters (D) and FS-LASIK was performed in 84 eyes with an MSE of −5.18 ± 1.93 D. Contrast sensitivity and uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities were measured preoperatively and 1 day, 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Higher-order aberrations were evaluated preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Results: At postoperative day 1, the uncorrected distance visual acuity in the FS-LASIK group was better (P < 0.05), whereas no statistically significant difference was found at 6 months postoperatively (P = 0.9). There was no significant difference in terms of logMAR corrected distance visual acuity and MSE during the 6 months of follow-up between the SMILE and FS-LASIK groups (all P > 0.05). The contrast sensitivity in the SMILE group was lower at 1 day and 1 week postoperatively (all P < 0.05). The spherical aberration at 6 mm diameter at 6 months postoperatively was lower (P < 0.05) in the SMILE group (0.12 ± 0.22 &mgr;m) than in the FS-LASIK group (0.28 ± 0.26 &mgr;m). Conclusions: Both FS-LASIK and SMILE procedures achieved good visual outcomes in the correction of myopia and myopic astigmatism. SMILE had a lower induction rate of spherical aberration at 6 months postoperatively in the analysis of 6 mm diameter than that of FS-LASIK.
Low Temperature Aqueous Solution-Processed ZnO and Polyethylenimine Ethoxylated Cathode Buffer Bilayer for High Performance Flexible Inverted Organic Solar Cells

High performance flexible inverted organic solar cells (OSCs) employing the low temperature cathode buffer bilayer combining the aqueous solution-processed ZnO and polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE) are investigated based on Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butryric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PC61BM) and Poly({4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl}{3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexy)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl}):[6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PTB-7:PC71BM) material systems. It is found that, compared with pure ZnO or PEIE cathode buffer layer (CBL), the proper combination of low-temperature processed ZnO and PEIE as the CBL enhanced the short circuit current density (JSC), resulting in better device performance. The increased JSC results from the enhanced electron collection ability from the active layer to the cathode. By using the ZnO/PEIE CBL, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as 4.04% for the P3HT:PC61BM flexible device and a PCE as high as 8.12% for the PTB-7:PC71BM flexible device are achieved, which are higher than the control devices with the pure ZnO CBL or pure PEIE CBL. The flexible inverted OSC also shows a superior mechanical property and it can keep 92.9% of its initial performance after 1000 bending cycles with a radius of 0.8 cm. These results suggest that the combination of the low temperature aqueous solution processed ZnO and PEIE can be a promising cathode buffer bilayer for flexible inverted OSCs.
Level sets of the stochastic wave equation driven by a symmetric Lévy noise

We consider the solution {u(t, x)\ t > 0, e R} of a system of d linear stochastic wave equations driven by a ? /-dimensional symmetric space-time L? vy noise. We provide a necessary and sufficient condition on the characteristic exponent of the L? vy noise, which describes exactly when the zero set of u is non-void. We also compute the Hausdorff dimension of that zero set when it is non-empty. These results will follow from more general potential-theoretic theorems on the level sets of L? vy sheets.
Genetic variant in 8q24 is associated with prognosis for gastric cancer in a Chinese population

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in long noncoding RNA CASC8 gene may influence the process of splicing and stability of messenger RNA conformation, resulting in the modification of its interacting partners. Genome‐wide association studies have identified the SNP rs10505477 and SNP rs1562430 in CASC8 were associated with risk of the colorectal cancer (CRC) and breast cancer, respectively.
Comparing a statistical and a rule-based tagger for German

In this paper we present the results of comparing a statistical tagger for German based on decision trees and a rule-based Brill-Tagger for German. We used the same training corpus (and therefore the same tag-set) to train both taggers. We then applied the taggers to the same test corpus and compared their respective behavior and in particular their error rates. Both taggers perform similarly with an error rate of around 5%. From the detailed error analysis it can be seen that the rule-based tagger has more problems with unknown words than the statistical tagger. But the results are opposite for tokens that are many-ways ambiguous. If the unknown words are fed into the taggers with the help of an external lexicon (such as the Gertwol system) the error rate of the rule-based tagger drops to 4.7%, and the respective rate of the statistical taggers drops to around 3.7%. Combining the taggers by using the output of one tagger to help the other did not lead to any further improvement.