Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Convergence of the Uniaxial Perfectly Matched Layer Method for Time-Harmonic Scattering Problems in Two-Layered Media

In this paper, we propose a uniaxial perfectly matched layer (PML) method for solving the time-harmonic scattering problems in two-layered media. The exterior region of the scatterer is divided into two half spaces by an infinite plane, on two sides of which the wave number takes different values. We surround the computational domain where the scattering field is interested by a PML with the uniaxial medium property. By imposing homogeneous boundary condition on the outer boundary of the PML, we show that the solution of the PML problem converges exponentially to the solution of the original scattering problem in the computational domain as either the PML absorbing coefficient or the thickness of the PML tends to infinity.
Caveolin-1 Inhibits Epidermal Growth Factor-stimulated Lamellipod Extension and Cell Migration in Metastatic Mammary Adenocarcinoma Cells (MTLn3)

Caveolin-1 is a principal component of caveolae membranes that may function as a transformation suppressor. For example, the human caveolin-1 gene is localized to a suspected tumor suppressor locus (D7S522; 7q31.1) that is deleted in human cancers, including mammary carcinomas. However, little is known about the role of caveolins in regulating cell movement, a critical parameter in determining metastatic potential. Here, we examine the role of caveolin-1 in cell movement. For this purpose, we employed an established cellular model, MTLn3, a metastatic rat mammary adenocarcinoma cell line. In this system, epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation induces rapid lamellipod extension and cell migration. Interestingly, we find that MTLn3 cells fail to express detectable levels of endogenous caveolin-1. To restore caveolin-1 expression in MTLn3 cells efficiently, we employed an inducible adenoviral gene delivery system to achieve tightly controlled expression of caveolin-1. We show here that caveolin-1 expression in MTLn3 cells inhibits EGF-stimulated lamellipod extension and cell migration and blocks their anchorage-independent growth. Under these conditions, EGF-induced activation of the p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade is also blunted. Our results suggest that caveolin-1 expression in motile MTLn3 cells induces a non-motile phenotype.
Inhibition of leucocyte elastase by heparin and its derivatives.

Leucocyte proteinases, e.g. leucocyte elastase and cathepsin G, are inhibited by heparin. The activities of pig pancreatic and Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastases are unaffected by this polysaccharide. Heparin derivatives of known Mr and degree of sulphation were isolated. The inhibition of leucocyte elastase by these oligosaccharides can be classified as tight-binding hyperbolic non-competitive. Ki values ranged from 40 nM to 100 microM and were found to be inversely correlated with the chain length of the oligosaccharides. Desulphated compounds lacked inhibitory potential towards leucocyte elastase. Over-O-sulphated di- and tetra-saccharides are more potent inhibitors than their over-N-sulphated counterparts. It is proposed that the therapeutic use of heparin and its derivatives could be extended to disease states such as emphysema and rheumatoid arthritis, where the role of leucocyte elastase has been clearly established.
Overhead-Aware-Best-Fit (OABF) Resource Allocation Algorithm for Minimizing VM Launching Overhead

FermiCloud is a private cloud developed in Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to provide elastic and on-demand resources for different scientific research experiments. The design goal of the FermiCloud is to automatically allocate resources for different scientific applications so that the QoS required by these applications is met and the operational cost of the FermiCloud is minimized. Our earlier research shows that VM launching overhead has large variations. If such variations are not taken into consideration when making resource allocation decisions, it may lead to poor performance and resource waste. In this paper, we show how we may use an VM launching overhead reference model to minimize VM launching overhead. In particular, we first present a training algorithm that automatically tunes a given refer- ence model to accurately reflect FermiCloud environment. Based on the tuned reference model for virtual machine launching overhead, we develop an overhead-aware-best-fit resource allocation algorithm that decides where and when to allocate resources so that the average virtual machine launching overhead is minimized. The experimental results indicate that the developed overhead-aware-best-fit resource allocation algorithm can significantly improved the VM launching time when large number of VMs are simultaneously launched.
Comparison of Primary Angioplasty With Stent Placement for Treating Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Diseases: A Multicenter Study

Background and Purpose— We sought to compare the clinical outcomes between primary angioplasty and stent placement for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis. Methods— We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and angiographic data of 190 patients treated with 95 primary angioplasty procedures and 98 intracranial stent placements (total of 193 procedures) in 3 tertiary care centers. Stroke and combined stroke and/or death were identified as primary clinical end points during the periprocedural and follow-up period of 5 years. The rates of significant postoperative residual stenosis (≥50% of greater stenosis immediately after the procedure) and binary restenosis (≥50% stenosis at follow-up angiography within 3 years) were also compared. The comparative analysis was performed after adjusting for age, sex, and center. Results— Fourteen procedures in the angioplasty-treated group (15%) and 4 in the stent-treated group (4.1%) had significant postoperative residual stenosis (relative risk [RR]=2.8, 95% CI, 0.85 to 9.5, P=0.09, for the adjusted model). There were 3 periprocedural deaths (1.5%), 1 in the angioplasty group (1.1%) and 2 in the stent-treated group (2.0%) and 14 periprocedural strokes (7.3%), 7 periprocedural strokes in each group (7.4% and 7.1%, respectively; hazard ratio=1.1; 95% CI, 0.57 to 1.9, P=0.85). Angiographic follow-up was available for 134 procedures (66 angioplasty-treated and 68 stent-treated cases). Forty-eight procedures (36.1%) had evidence of binary restenosis (25 of 66 angioplasties, 23 of 68 stents, P=0.85). Binary restenosis-free survival at 12 months was 68% for the angioplasty-treated group and 64% for the stent-treated group. There was no difference in follow-up survival (stroke, or stroke and/or death) between the angioplasty-treated and the stent-treated groups (hazard ratio=0.54; 95% CI, 0.11 to 2.5, P=0.44 and hazard ratio=0.50; 95%, CI 0.17 to 1.5, P=0.22, respectively, after adjusting for age, sex, and center). The stroke- and/or death-free survival at 2 years for the angioplasty-treated group and the stent-treated group was 92±4% and 89±5%, respectively. Conclusions— Stent treatment for intracranial atherosclerosis may lower the rate of significant postoperative residual stenosis compared with primary angioplasty alone. No benefit of stent placement over primary angioplasty in reducing stroke or stroke and/or death could be identified in this study.
Validation of the HITS domestic violence screening tool with males.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To date, screening tools for domestic violence have been validated only for use with female patients. A four-item HITS (Hurt-Insult-Threaten-Scream) screening tool is one of those instruments. The purpose of the current research was to validate the HITS screening tool in a population of male patients. METHODS In Phase I of the study, 78 non-victim male subjects from an ambulatory clinic, a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) clinic, or emergency room completed the HITS and the Conflict Tactics Scale to establish the concurrent validity of the HITS. In Phase II, Optimal Data Analysis (ODA) was used to establish the construct validity of the HITS by identifying the score that reliably differentiated Phase I non-victims from 17 self-identified male victims of domestic violence. RESULTS Concurrent validity of the HITS was good. ODA found that the score of 11 on the HITS differentiated between non-victims and victims. Sensitivity and specificity were 88% and 97%, respectively. Predictive values were 97% for non-victims and 88% for victims. The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 34.41 and 0.12, respectively. CONCLUSIONS HITS differentiated between male victimized respondents from non-victims in clinical settings.
Sublethal Effects of Resin Glycosides from the Periderm of Sweetpotato Storage Roots on Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Abstract Resin glycoside material extracted from the periderm tissue of storage roots from sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. , was bioassayed for effects on survival, development, and fecundity of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). The resin glycoside was incorporated into an artificial diet and fed to P. xylostella larvae. First instars were placed individually into snap-top centrifuge vials containing artificial diet with one of six concentrations of resin glycoside material (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, 1.50, and 2.00 mg/ml). Each replication consisted of 10 individuals per concentration, and the experiment was repeated 13 times. Vials were incubated at 25°C and a photoperiod of 14:10 (L:D) h in a growth chamber. After 6 d, surviving larvae were weighed and their sex determined, then returned to their vials. Later, surviving pupae were weighed and incubated at 25°C until moths emerged. Females were fed, mated with males from the laboratory colony, and allowed to lay eggs on aluminum foil strips. Lifetime fecundity (eggs/female) was measured. There were highly significant negative correlations between resin glycoside levels and survival, and between glycoside levels and larval weight after 6 d of feeding. For larvae that lived at least 6 d, there was no additional mortality that could be attributed to the resin glycoside material. However, there was a significant positive correlation between glycoside dosages and developmental time of larvae (measured as days until pupation). Lifetime fecundity also was negatively affected at sublethal doses. Resin glycosides may contribute to the resistance in sweetpotato breeding lines to soil insect pests.
Interleukin 15 Skews Monocyte Differentiation into Dendritic Cells with Features of Langerhans Cells

Langerhans cells (LCs) represent a subset of immature dendritic cells (DCs) specifically localized in the epidermis and other mucosal epithelia. As surrounding keratinocytes can produce interleukin (IL)-15, a cytokine that utilizes IL-2Rγ chain, we analyzed whether IL-15 could skew monocyte differentiation into LCs. Monocytes cultured for 6 d with granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and IL-15 differentiate into CD1a+HLA-DR+CD14−DCs (IL15-DCs). Agents such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, and CD40L induce maturation of IL15-DCs to CD83+, DC-LAMP+ cells. IL15-DCs are potent antigen-presenting cells able to induce the primary (mixed lymphocyte reaction [MLR]) and secondary (recall responses to flu-matrix peptide) immune responses. As opposed to cultures made with GM-CSF/IL-4 (IL4-DCs), a proportion of IL15-DCs expresses LC markers: E-Cadherin, Langerin, and CC chemokine receptor (CCR)6. Accordingly, IL15-DCs, but not IL4-DCs, migrate in response to macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-3α/CCL20. However, IL15-DCs cannot be qualified as “genuine” Langerhans cells because, despite the presence of the 43-kD Langerin, they do not express bona fide Birbeck granules. Thus, our results demonstrate a novel pathway in monocyte differentiation into dendritic cells.
The defect in Fas mRNA expression in MRL/lpr mice is associated with insertion of the retrotransposon, ETn

Fas is a cell surface protein of the tumor necrosis factor receptor, nerve growth factor receptor, CD40 family, and is involved in the control of lymphocyte apoptosis. A mutation in the Fas gene in MRL/lpr mice results in massive lymphoproliferation (lpr) and accelerated autoimmunity. To further study the nature of this defect, Fas mRNA expression was evaluated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction as well as by Northern blotting. These studies revealed that the wild-type Fas message was produced at approximately 10-fold lower levels in the lpr compared with the ++ substrain of MRL mice. In addition to the wild-type transcript, lpr mice also synthesized chimeric transcripts containing an insertion of the early retrotransposon (ETn). Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequencing of a Fas-ETn chimeric cDNA suggested that the striking reduction in wild- type Fas mRNA levels and the presence of aberrant transcripts in MRL/lpr mice are most likely explained by the insertion of the ETn retrotransposon into an intron of the Fas gene and induction of alternative splicing involving the 5' ETn long terminal repeat.
Upright, Weight-bearing, Dynamic-kinetic Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Spine — Review of the First Clinical Results

Magnetic resonance imaging has, until recently, been limited to scans with patients in the recumbent position. However, a new fully open magnetic resonance imaging unit has been configured to allow upright, partially upright, and recumbent imaging, enabling weight-bearing positional evaluation of the spinal column during various dynamic-kinetic manoeuvres for patients with degenerative conditions of the spine. In a prospective non-statistical analysis of cervical or lumbar imaging examinations, all studies were performed on a whole body magnetic resonance imaging system. The system operates at 0.6 T using an electromagnet with a horizontal field, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the patient’s body. The unit was configured with a top/front-open design, incorporating a patient-scanning table with tilt, translation, and elevation functions. The unique motorised patient handling system developed for the scanner allows for vertical (upright, weight bearing) and horizontal (recumbent) positioning of all patients. The top/front-open construction also allows for dynamic-kinetic flexion and extension manoeuvres of the spine. Patterns of bony and soft tissue change occurring among recumbent and upright neutral positions, and dynamic-kinetic acquisitions were sought. Depending on the specific underlying pathological degenerative condition, significant alterations observed on positional and dynamic-kinetic magnetic resonance imaging that were either more or less pronounced than on recumbent magnetic resonance imaging included fluctuating anterior and posterior disc herniations, hypermobile spinal instability, central spinal canal and spinal neural foramen stenosis, and general sagittal spinal contour changes. No patients had claustrophobia that resulted in termination of the examination. The potential relative benefits of upright, weight-bearing, dynamickinetic spinal imaging over that of recumbent magnetic resonance imaging include the revelation of occult disease dependent on true axial loading, the unmasking of kinetic-dependent disease, and the ability to scan the patient in a position clinically relevant to the signs and symptoms. This imaging technique demonstrated a low claustrophobic potential and yielded relatively high-resolution images with little motion/magnetic susceptibility/chemical shift artifacts. Overall, it was found that recumbent imaging underestimated the maximum degree of degenerative spinal pathology and missed its dynamic nature altogether — factors that are optimally revealed with positional/ dynamic-kinetic magnetic resonance imaging.
Feeling the bern: Adaptive estimators for Bernoulli probabilities of pairwise comparisons

We study methods for aggregating pairwise comparison data in order to estimate outcome probabilities for future comparisons. We investigate this problem under a flexible class of models satisfying the strong stochastic transitivity (SST) condition. Prior works have studied the minimax risk for estimation of the pairwise comparison probabilities under the SST model. The minimax risk, however, is a measure of the worst-case risk of an estimator over a large parameter space, and in general provides only a rudimentary understanding of an estimator in problems where the intrinsic difficulty of estimation varies considerably over the parameter space. In this paper, we introduce an adaptivity index, in order to benchmark the performance of an estimator against an oracle estimator. The adaptivity index, in addition to measuring the worst-case risk of an estimator, also captures the extent to which the estimator adapts to the instance-specific difficulty of the underlying problem, relative to an oracle estimator. In the context of this adaptivity index we provide two main results. We propose a three-step, Count-Randomize-Least squares (CRL) estimator, and derive upper bounds on the adaptivity index of this estimator. We complement this result with a complexity-theoretic result, that shows that conditional on the planted clique hardness conjecture, no computationally efficient estimator can achieve a substantially smaller adaptivity index.
On the Magnetic and Mössbauer Spectroscopic Characterization of EuPd2Sb2

The CaBe2Ge2-type antimonide EuPd2Sb2 (P4/nmm, a = 462.43(7), c = 1056.1(2) pm) was synthesized by induction melting of the elements in a sealed tantalum tube. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements have revealed Curie-Weiss behavior with an experimental magnetic moment of 7.93(1) μB/Eu atom, indicating stable divalent europium. EuPd2Sb2 orders antiferromagnetically at TN = 4.5(2) K as is also evident from almost full hyperfine field splitting (Bh = 19.5 T) in the 151Eu Mössbauer spectrum at 4.2 K Graphical Abstract On the Magnetic and Mössbauer Spectroscopic Characterization of EuPd2Sb2
The Effect of a Standardized Ginger Extract on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea-Related Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Moderately or Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy: A Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Trial

Ginger supplementation could be an effective adjuvant treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea (CIN). The aim of this clinical trial was to address significant methodological limitations in previous trials. Patients (N = 51) were randomly allocated to receive either 1.2 g of standardised ginger extract or placebo per day, in addition to standard anti-emetic therapy, during the first three cycles of chemotherapy. The primary outcome was CIN-related quality of life (QoL) measured with the Functional Living Index- Emesis (FLIE) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included acute and delayed nausea, vomiting, and retching as well as cancer-related fatigue, nutritional status, and CIN and vomiting-specific prognostic factors. Over three consecutive chemotherapy cycles, nausea was more prevalent than vomiting (47% vs. 12%). In chemotherapy Cycle 1, intervention participants reported significantly better QoL related to CIN (p = 0.029), chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)-related QoL (p = 0.043), global QoL (p = 0.015) and less fatigue (p = 0.006) than placebo participants. There were no significant results in Cycle 2. In Cycle 3, global QoL (p = 0.040) and fatigue (p = 0.013) were significantly better in the intervention group compared to placebo. This trial suggests adjuvant ginger supplementation is associated with better chemotherapy-induced nausea-related quality of life and less cancer-related fatigue, with no difference in adverse effects compared to placebo.
Cyclin D1 Induces Chromosomal Instability

We developed mouse model systems to investigate the potential for cyclin D1 to induce CIN in vivo. In a mammary gland specific Tet-inducible model the acute expression profile regulated by cyclin D1 after 7 days was enriched in genes that rank highly with CIN. We also used a mammary gland targeted model (MMTV) to continuously express cyclin D1. The mice started to develop mammary gland tumors at 400 days and the tumor-free incidence was 40% in MMTV-cyclin D1. The gene expression profile of the tumors showed enrichment for the CIN signature. We next compared cyclin D1 expression and the highest ranking CIN genes to a breast cancer expression database and discovered that expression of genes promoting CIN are highly enriched in luminal subtype and that high cyclin D1 and CIN expression correlate specifically in the luminal B subtype. There is increasing interest in employing drugs in the clinic that exploit CIN in tumors. The high CIN expression index in luminal B breast cancer provides a basis for using Cdk and CIN inhibitors as a targeted therapeutic approach.
Impaired in vivo synaptic plasticity in dentate gyrus and spatial memory in juvenile rats induced by prenatal morphine exposure

Prenatal morphine exposure induces neurobiological changes, including deficits in learning and memory, in juvenile rat offspring. However the effects of this exposure on hippocampal plasticity, which is critical for learning and memory processes, are not well understood. The present study investigates the alterations of spatial memory and in vivo hippocampal synaptic plasticity in juvenile rats prenatally exposed to morphine. On gestation days 11–18, pregnant rats were randomly chosen to be injected twice daily with morphine or saline. Each juvenile offspring (postnatal day 22–31) performed one two‐trial Y‐maze task to evaluate spatial memory. Afterwards, the in vivo field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) and population spike (PS) were recorded in the perforant path dentate gyrus (DG) pathway in the hippocampus. Prenatal morphine exposure reduced depotentiation (DP), but not long‐term potentiation (LTP), of the EPSP slope. However, both LTP and DP of the EPSP slope were depressed in prenatal morphine‐exposed juvenile offspring. The morphine group also showed poorer performance for the Y‐maze task than the control group. Depressed PS LTP, but not EPSP LTP, in the morphine group suggested that prenatal morphine exposure changed GABAergic inhibition, which mediates EPSP‐spike potentiation. Then a loss of GABA‐containing neurons in the DG area of the morphine group was observed using immunohistochemistry. Taken together, our results suggest that prenatal morphine exposure impairs the juvenile offspring's dentate synaptic plasticity and spatial memory, and that decreased GABAergic inhibition may play a role in these effects. These findings might contribute to an explanation for the cognitive deficits in children whose mothers abuse opiates during pregnancy. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.