Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteomics of Fuchs’ Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy Support That the Extracellular Matrix of Descemet’s Membrane Is Disordered

Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a major corneal disorder affecting the innermost part of the cornea, leading to visual impairment. As the morphological changes in FECD are mainly observed in the extracellular matrix of the Descemet’s membrane/endothelial layer, we determined the protein profiles of diseased and control tissues using two relative quantitation MS methods. The first quantitation method, based on the areas of the extracted ion chromatograms, quantified the 51 and 48 most abundant proteins of the Descemet’s membrane/endothelial layer in patient and control tissues, respectively, of which 10 were significantly regulated. The results indicated that the level of type VIII collagen was unaltered even though the protein previously has been shown to be implicated in familial early-onset forms of the disease. Using the second relative quantitation method, iTRAQ, we identified 22 differentially regulated proteins, many of which are extracellular proteins known to be involved in proper assembly of the basement membrane in other tissues. In total, 26 differentially regulated proteins were identified, of which 6 proteins were regulated in both methods. These results support that the morphological changes observed in FECD are caused in part by an aberrant assembly of the extracellular matrix within the Descemet’s membrane/endothelial layer.
Anticipatory Cortical Activation Precedes Auditory Events in Sleeping Infants

Background Behavioral studies have shown that infants can form associations between environmental events and produce anticipatory actions for the predictable event, but the neural mechanisms for the learning and anticipation of events in infants are not known. Recent neuroimaging studies revealed that the association cortices of infants show activation related to auditory-stimulus discrimination and novelty detection during sleep. In the present study, we expected that when an auditory cue (beeps) predicted an auditory event (a female voice), specific regions of the infant cortex would show anticipatory activation before the event onset even while sleeping. Methodology/Principal Findings We examined the cortical activation of 3-month-old infants during delays between the cue and the event by using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy. To investigate spatiotemporal changes in cortical activation over the experimental session, we divided the session into two phases (early and late phase) and analyzed each phase separately. In the early phase, the frontal regions showed activation in response to the cue that was followed by the event compared with another cue that was not followed by any event. In the late phase, the temporoparietal region, in addition to the frontal region, showed prominent activation in response to the cue followed by the event. In contrast, when the cue was followed by an event and no-event in equal proportions, cortical activation in response to the cue was not observed in any phase. Conclusions Sleeping 3-month-old infants showed anticipatory cortical activation in the temporoparietal and frontal regions only in response to the cue predicting the event, suggesting that infants can implicitly form associations between temporally separated events and generate the anticipatory activation before the predictable event. Furthermore, the different time evolution of activation in the temporoparietal and frontal regions suggests that these regions may be involved in different aspects of learning and predicting future events.
Validation of a FEA Tire Model for Vehicle Dynamic Analysis and Full Vehicle Real Time Proving Ground Simulations

A tire model and its interface performance with road surface plays a major role in vehicle dynamics analysis and full vehicle real time proving ground simulations. The successful tire model must be able to support the vehicle weight, provide vehicle control and stability, transfer various forces and torques from road/tire interaction to a vehicle chassis/ suspension system. The dynamic effects in terms of tire stiffness and internal damping characteristics in impact loading conditions must also be accounted for in the model. A Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tire model is established and its performance is validated using LS/DYNA3D analysis code simulating the radial and lateral static stiffness test conditions, the one-meter dynamic freedrop test condition and the rolling cornering stiffness. The analysis results are compared with available test data and a generic empirical formula.
Antenna model for passive myelinated nerve fiber

A myelinated nerve fiber, stimulated by a current generator at the fiber beginning, is modeled as a straight thin wire antenna. The model is based on the corresponding Pocklington integro-differential equation for the perfectly conducting wire in a lossy unbounded homogenous space. Pocklington integro-differential equation in the frequency domain is numerically solved by means of the Galerkin Bubnov Indirect Boundary Element Method (GB-IBEM). By solving the Pocklington integro-differential equation, intracellular current distribution along the myelinated nerve fiber in the passive state is obtained.
Long-term outcome and late toxicities of simultaneous integrated boost-intensity modulated radiotherapy in pediatric and adolescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The application of simultaneous integrated boost-intensity modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) in pediatric and adolescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is underevaluated. This study aimed to evaluate long-term outcome and late toxicities in pediatric and adolescent NPC after SIB-IMRT combined with chemotherapy. Thirty-four patients (aged 8–20 years) with histologically proven, non-disseminated NPC treated with SIB-IMRT were enrolled in this retrospective study. The disease stage distribution was as follows: stage I, 1 (2.9%); stage III, 14 (41.2%); and stage IV, 19 (55.9%). All patients underwent SIB-IMRT and 30 patients also underwent cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The prescribed dose of IMRT was 64–68 Gy in 29–31 fractions to the nasopharyngeal gross target volume. Within the median follow-up of 52 months (range, 9–111 months), 1 patient (2.9%) experienced local recurrence and 4 (11.8%) developed distant metastasis (to the lung in 3 cases and to multiple organs in 1 case). Four patients (11.8%) died due to recurrence or metastasis. The 5-year locoregional relapse–free survival, distant metastasis–free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates were 97.1%, 88.2%, 85.3%, and 88.2%, respectively. The most common acute toxicities were grades 3–4 hematologic toxicities and stomatitis. Of the 24 patients who survived for more than 2 years, 16 (66.7%) and 15 (62.5%) developed grades 1–2 xerostomia and ototoxicity, respectively. Two patients (8.3%) developed grade 3 ototoxicity; no grade 4 toxicities were observed. SIB-IMRT combined with chemotherapy achieves excellent long-term locoregional control in pediatric and adolescent NPC, with mild incidence of late toxicities. Distant metastasis is the predominant mode of failure.
Wormholes and Black Hole Pair Creation

We analyze the possibility of black holes pair creation induced by three dimensional wormholes. Although this spacetime configuration is nowadays hard to suppose, it can be very important in the early universe, when the wormhole spacetime foam representation can be meaningful. We compare our approach with the no-boundary prescription of Hartle-Hawking.
On error exponents for woven convolutional codes with one tailbiting component code

An error exponent for woven convolutional codes (WCC) with one tailbiting component code is derived. This error exponent is compared with that of the original WCC. It is shown that for WCC with outer warp, a better error exponent is obtained if the inner code is terminated with the tailbiting method. Furthermore, it is shown that the decoding error probability decreases exponentially with the square of the memory of the constituent convolutional encoders, while the decoding complexity grows exponentially only with the memory.
Markerless Feature Extraction for Gait Analysis

Human motion analysis has received a great attention from researchers in the last decade due to its potential use in different applications. We propose a new approach to extract human joints (Vertex positions)using a model-based method. The gait pattern is incorporated to aid the extraction process, where model templates are established through analysis of gait motion. People walk normal to the viewing plane, as major gait information is available in a sagittal view. Gait periodicity and other parameters are estimated by finding the heel strikes. The ankle, knee and hip joints are successfully extracted with high accuracy for indoor and outdoor data. In this way, we have established a baseline analysis which can be deployed in recognition, marker-less analysis and other areas.
Redefinition of max-min fairness in multi-hop wireless networks

In this paper, it is shown that it is challenging to evaluate service fairness in multi-hop wireless networks due to intra-flow contention and unequal channel capacity. The conventional fairness criterion in wireline networks in terms of flow rate is not appropriate in the wireless environment. Thus, the channel time in the maximal clique is proposed here as an alternative criterion. Based on this criterion, a new definition of max-min fairness for wireless networks is given. This definition is shown to be general for both wireless and wireline networks. Under certain conditions, it is seen to be equivalent to the proportional fairness definition.
The Function and Roles of ADAMTS-7 in Inflammatory Diseases

The ADAMTS proteinases are a group of multidomain and secreted metalloproteinases containing the thrombospondin motifs. ADAMTS-7 is a member of ADAMTS family and plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of arthritis. Overexpression of ADAMTS-7 gene promotes the breakdown of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) matrix and accelerates the progression of both surgically induced osteoarthritis and collagen-induced arthritis. Moreover, ADAMTS-7 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) form a positive feedback loop in osteoarthritis. More significantly, granulin-epithelin precursor, a growth factor has important roles in bone development and bone-associated diseases, disturbs the interaction between ADAMTS-7 and COMP, and prevents COMP degradation. This review is based on our results and provides an overview of current knowledge of ADAMTS-7, including its structure, function, gene regulation, and inflammatory diseases involvement.
A Muti-center, Randomized Phase II Study of Oxaliplatin and S-1 versus Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Background: Capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) is considered one of the primary chemotherapy regimens for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Oxaliplatin plus S-1 (OS) has also demonstrated significant efficacy in CRC. We performed this randomized phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of XELOX versus OS as first-line chemotherapy in patients with metastatic CRC. Methods: Patients were assigned randomly to receive either OS or XELOX chemotherapy. Oxaliplatin was administered intravenously to all patients at a dose of 130 mg/m2 on day 1. Patients received either S-1 (40 mg/m2) or capecitabine (1,000 mg/m2), twice a day for 2 weeks, followed by a 1-week rest. Results: Forty-two patients were assigned to the OS arm and 44 to the XELOX arm. The overall response rate was 33.3% (95% CI, 18.8-47.2) in the OS arm and 40.9% (95% CI, 25.5-54.4) in the XELOX arm (P = 0.230). The disease control rate was significantly higher in the OS arm than the XELOX arm [92.9% (95% CI, 83.7-100) versus 77.3% (95% CI, 64.5-89.4), P = 0.044]. With a median follow up of 17.9 months, the median progression-free survival was 6.1 months in the OS arm and 7.4 months in the XELOX arm, respectively (P = 0. 599). The median survival time was 18.7 months in the OS arm and 20.1 months in the XELOX arm (P = 0.340). The most common grade 3/4 hematologic toxicity was thrombocytopenia in both arms (19.0% for OS and 28.6% for XELOX). Grade 3/4 neutropenia was observed more frequently in the XELOX arm than the OS arm (16.7% vs. 2.4%, P = 0.026). Conclusion: Both OS and XELOX were effective and well tolerated in patients with metastatic CRC. Our results indicate that the combination of oxaliplatin and S-1 is a possible additional therapeutic strategy for such patients.
Response of a spaceborne gravitational wave antenna to solar oscillations

We investigate the possibility of observing very small amplitude low frequency solar oscillations with the proposed laser interferometer space antenna (LISA). For frequencies {nu} below 3x10{sup -4} Hz the dominant contribution is from the near zone time-dependent gravitational quadrupole moments associated with the normal modes of oscillation. For frequencies {nu} above 3x10{sup -4} Hz the dominant contribution is from gravitational radiation generated by the quadrupole oscillations which is larger than the Newtonian signal by a factor of the order (2{pi}r{nu}/c){sup 4}, where r is the distance to the Sun, and c is the velocity of light. The low order solar quadrupole pressure and gravity oscillation modes have not yet been detected above the solar background by helioseismic velocity and intensity measurements. We show that for frequencies {nu} < or approx. 2x10{sup -4} Hz, the signal due to solar oscillations will have a higher signal to noise ratio in a LISA type space interferometer than in helioseismology measurements. Our estimates of the amplitudes needed to give a detectable signal on a LISA type space laser interferometer imply surface velocity amplitudes on the sun of the order of 1-10 mm/sec in the frequency range 1x10{sup -4}-5x10{sup -4} Hz. If such modes existmore » with frequencies and amplitudes in this range they could be detected with a LISA type laser interferometer. « less
R&D Shocks, News Shocks, and Price Levels

This paper proposes a structural explanation for a news shock. My hypothesis is that a surprise, research and development sector-specific productivity shock may be identified and labeled as news by prominent empirical research in the literature. To examine this hypothesis, I construct a simple macroeconomic model having endogenous product entry and no news shock, and I apply identification methods proposed in the literature to the simulated data. I find evidence supporting that Barsky and Sims (2011) identify a real shock in the research and development sector as news, but I do not find such evidence for Beaudry and Portier (2006).
Does revolution change risk attitudes? Evidence from Burkina Faso

A popular uprising in 2014, led to a revolution overthrowing the sitting president of Burkina Faso. We investigate if individuals’ risk attitudes changed due to this revolution. Specifically, we investigate the impact of the revolution on risk attitudes, by gender, age and level of education. The analysis is based on a unique nationally representative panel Household Budget Survey, which allows us to track the changes in the risk attitudes of the same individuals before, during and after the revolution. Our results suggest that the impact of the revolution is short-term. Individuals become risk averse during the revolution but converge back to the pre-revolution risk attitudes, slightly increasing their risk taking, after the revolution is over. Women are more risk taking than the men after the revolution but are more risk averse during the revolution. In general, older individuals tend to have higher risk aversion than the younger individuals. During the revolution, however, the individuals with higher level of education are less willing to take risk.
Elie Cartan's torsion in geometry and in field theory, an essay

We review the application of torsion in field theory. First we show how the notion of torsion emerges in differential geometry. In the context of a Cartan circuit, torsion is related to translations similar as curvature to rotations. Cartan's investigations started by analyzing Einsteins general relativity theory and by taking recourse to the theory of Cosserat continua. In these continua, the points of which carry independent translational and rotational degrees of freedom, there occur, besides ordinary (force) stresses, additionally spin moment stresses. In a 3-dimensional continuized crystal with dislocation lines, a linear connection can be introduced that takes the crystal lattice structure as a basis for parallelism. Such a continuum has similar properties as a Cosserat continuum, and the dislocation density is equal to the torsion of this connection. Subsequently, these ideas are applied to 4-dimensional spacetime. A translational gauge theory of gravity is displayed (in a Weitzenboeck or teleparallel spacetime) as well as the viable Einstein-Cartan theory (in a Riemann-Cartan spacetime). In both theories, the notion of torsion is contained in an essential way. Cartan's spiral staircase is described as a 3-dimensional Euclidean model for a space with torsion, and eventually some controversial points are discussed regarding the meaning of torsion.
Estimating Biophysical and Biochemical Properties over Heterogeneous Vegetation Canopies Radiative Transfer Modeling in Forest Canopies Based on Imaging Spectrometry and LIDAR

Vegetation controls important ecosystem processes responsible for energy and mass exchanges within the terrestrial biosphere. A comprehensive characterization of the vegetation canopy is thus required to monitor the heterogeneous and dynamic terrestrial biosphere. Although Earth Observation provides detailed measurements of the Earth surface, it has been a challenge to produce reliable data sets of the Earth vegetation condition in its spatial distribution and change over time. Relative to the heterogeneous and three-dimensional nature of vegetation the generally available amount of independent Earth Observation measurements is limited. The problem of deriving vegetation characteristics from Earth Observation becomes consequently underdetermined. For an improved retrieval of vegetation characteristics the number of independent information sources needs to be increased. However, detailed measurements of the Earth Observation systems imaging spectrometry and LIDAR provide such independent information. The information dimensions observed by the two sensor systems contain data relevant to different aspects for a comprehensive characterization of vegetation canopies. The information dimension observed by LIDAR provides direct measurements of the vertical canopy structure including the canopy height. Whereas, the spectral information dimension provided by imaging spectrometers contains information about biophysical as well as biochemical canopy properties. The presented dissertation focuses on the combined exploitation of the independent Earth Observation measurements of imaging spectrometry and LIDAR based on radiative transfer modeling. The approach of radiative transfer modeling explicitly describes the relationship between the remotely sensed signal and vegetation characteristics. A Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) considers the incident radiation, sensor specifications and physical processes that govern the radiative transfer within the canopy. Two such physically based RTM are employed to separately describe the signals of an imaging spectrometer and a large footprint LIDAR. The combined inversion of these RTM’s presents an efficient methodology for a synergistic exploitation of the independent information dimension obtained by the two Earth Observations systems. The developed methodology ensures a retrieval algorithm of increased robustness, but also provides an enhanced vegetation canopy characterization. Results present reliable and quantitative estimates of canopy characteristics including the horizontal and vertical canopy structure as well as the foliage biochemistry over coniferous forest stands. The dissertation shows thus the potential of independent information dimensions of Earth Observation and RTM inversion for the retrieval of quantitative vegetation characteristics.
Antiviral effect of raltegravir on HTLV-1 carriers.

BACKGROUND In vitro studies support that integrase inhibitors, such as raltegravir, may inhibit human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) replication. However, this hypothesis has not been tested in vivo. METHODS HTLV-1-infected individuals were invited to participate in a pilot, open study that examined whether 400 mg of raltegravir twice daily could exhibit any recognizable virological effect over 12 months. Proviral DNA was measured by a real-time PCR targeting the pol region. HTLV-1 integrase sequences were obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at baseline and during follow-up. RESULTS A total of five HTLV-1-infected individuals entered the study. All were infected with HTLV-1 subtype a. Two patients had HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), the rest being asymptomatic. The HTLV-1 proviral load was high in all cases (median 758 HTLV-1 DNA copies/10(4) PBMCs). Following the initiation of raltegravir therapy and for up to 6 months, both of the HAM/TSP patients experienced a transient decline in the HTLV-1 proviral load (2248 to 519 and 1033 to 861 copies/10(4) PBMCs, respectively), returning to baseline levels on subsequent determinations. No significant changes in the HTLV-1 proviral load were noticed in the three asymptomatic individuals (median proviral load of 755 copies/10(4) PBMCs over time). A total of 20 integrase sequences could be obtained from the five patients, and no genotypic substitutions were recognized comparing baseline and follow-up specimens under raltegravir. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with raltegravir in HTLV-1-infected individuals does not result in a significant reduction of proviral load beyond 6 months of therapy. The lack of continuous viral replication cycles in chronic HTLV-1 carriers most likely explains our findings.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-DETERMINATION ACROSS THE LANGUAGE COURSE

Abstract Research suggests that students put more effort into language learning when they feel that it is a voluntary and self-relevant activity or they enjoy the process of mastering that language (i.e., they have a more self-determined orientation). This orientation is fostered when learners feel autonomous, competent, and related to others in their learning environment. We followed 162 university students of French across one semester to examine these causal claims longitudinally. Latent growth curve modeling showed that feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness and self-determined motivation increased across the semester while engagement declined. Parallel processes growth curve modeling showed that declines in engagement across the semester were attenuated to the extent that self-determined motivation increased. Auto-regressive cross-lagged analysis showed that, contrary to expectation, more engagement as the semester started predicted greater self-determination mid-semester (instead of vice versa), but these relations became reciprocal from mid-semester on. These findings are consistent with a dynamic model of motivation that emphasizes the reciprocal interplay between motivational constructs over the duration of a language course. The implications of these findings for motivation theory and instructional practices are discussed.
The dimensionality of the concept of intangibility : a critical analysis

The main objective of this article is to develop a scale for measuring the degree of intangibility of a service offering after having first clarified the concept and analysed the various publications that have already appeared on this subject. A survey and a structural equation modelling analysis were conducted to examine the hypothesis of the bidimensionality (both physical and mental) of this concept. Recognising this double dimension of intangibility should be of interest to both managers of service activities and academics working on this area.