Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lasserre Hierarchy, Higher Eigenvalues, and Approximation Schemes for Quadratic Integer Programming with PSD Objectives

We present an approximation scheme for optimizing certain Quadratic Integer Programming problems with positive semidefinite objective functions and global linear constraints. This framework includes well known graph problems such as Minimum graph bisection, Edge expansion, Uniform sparsest cut, and Small Set expansion, as well as the Unique Games problem. These problems are notorious for the existence of huge gaps between the known algorithmic results and NP-hardness results. Our algorithm is based on rounding semidefinite programs from the Lasserre hierarchy, and the analysis uses bounds for low-rank approximations of a matrix in Frobenius norm using columns of the matrix. For all the above graph problems, we give an algorithm running in time $n^{O(r/\epsilon^2)}$ with approximation ratio $\frac{1+\epsilon}{\min\{1,\lambda_r\}}$, where $\lambda_r$ is the $r$'th smallest eigenvalue of the normalized graph Laplacian $\mathcal{L}$. In the case of graph bisection and small set expansion, the number of vertices in the cut is within lower-order terms of the stipulated bound. Our results imply $(1+O(\epsilon))$ factor approximation in time $n^{O(r^\ast/\epsilon^2)}$ where $r^\ast$ is the number of eigenvalues of $\mathcal{L}$ smaller than $1-\epsilon$. For Unique Games, we give a factor $(1+\frac{2+\epsilon}{\lambda_r})$ approximation for minimizing the number of unsatisfied constraints in $n^{O(r/\epsilon)}$ time. This improves an earlier bound for solving Unique Games on expanders, and also shows that Lasserre SDPs are powerful enough to solve well-known integrality gap instances for the basic SDP. We also give an algorithm for independent sets in graphs that performs well when the Laplacian does not have too many eigenvalues bigger than $1+o(1)$.
Effects of Mindfulness Meditation and Distraction on Mood and Attention in Veterans with PTSD

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a brief (20-minute) mindfulness meditation treatment on mood and attention in a sample ( N = 63) of veterans with PTSD when compared with a period of distraction and a control condition. Pre- and posttests of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule were used to assess changes in anxiety and mood, while the Stroop task was employed as a measure of selective attention. To control for the effects of comorbid physiological and psychological conditions, sub-analyses were conducted for participants with and without depression, sleep disturbance, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injury. Analysis of results indicated that meditators who were not reporting sleep problems demonstrated higher levels of selective attention. A decrease in negative mood was found in all participants regardless of their group assignment. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Human Capital, Values, and Attitudes of Persons Seeking Refuge in Austria in 2015

Since its inception in 2010, the Arab Spring has evolved into a situation of violent conflict in many countries, leading to high levels of migration from the affected region. Given the social impact of the large number of individuals applying for asylum across Europe in 2015, it is important to study who these persons are in terms of their skills, motivations, and intentions. DiPAS (Displaced Persons in Austria Survey) aims to uncover the socio-demographic characteristics of the persons seeking refuge who arrived in Austria in 2015, mainly originating from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Particular focus is on human capital, attitudes and values. This survey, the first of its kind in Austria and possibly in Europe, was carried out among adult displaced persons, mostly residing in Vienna, yielding 514 completed interviews. Information gathered on spouses and children allows for the analysis of 972 persons living in Austria, and of further 419 partners and children abroad. Results indicate that the surveyed population comprised mainly young families with children, particularly those coming from Syria and Iraq. Their educational level is high compared with the average level in their country of origin. A vast majority of respondents are Muslims, rating their religiosity at medium levels. Judging from stated attitudes towards gender equity, interviewed men seem to have more liberal attitudes than their compatriots. The majority of respondents do not intend to return to their home countries, mostly because of the perception of permanent threat. DiPAS provides data for political decision-making and the on-going societal dialogue. Its findings can help to inform assessments about the integration potential of the displaced population into the host society. In addition, the applied methodological technique and experiences during the fieldwork provide valuable insights on sampling asylum seekers and refugees in the current European context.
Universal High-Frequency-Link Characterization and Practical Fundamental-Optimal Strategy for Dual-Active-Bridge DC-DC Converter Under PWM Plus Phase-Shift Control

This letter first develops a universal steady-state model to simply and accurately describe the analytical expressions for the high-frequency-link (HFL) electrical quantities of isolated dual-active-bridge (DAB) dc-dc converter under PWM plus phase-shift control. Second, a universal reactive power interaction among the HFL electrical quantities is present; using this interaction, the circulating current characteristic of DAB can be described accurately by HFL power factor. On this basis, a practical HFL fundamental-optimal strategy is proposed to decrease the circulating current and increase the efficiency. At last, experimental results verify the correctness of the universal model and the effectiveness of the fundamental-optimal strategy.
Nesidioblastosis and Pancreatic Non-functioning Islet Cell Tumor in an Adult with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Nesidioblastosis is a clinically, pathologically, and genetically heterogenous disease observed in neonates with persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy, but it is very rare in adults.1 Although progression from nesidioblastosis and islet hyperplasia to pancreatic tumors has been observed in an animal study using transgenic mice,2 islet cell tumors associated with nesidioblastosis in human are exceedingly rare.3,4 Herein we report a very unusual case of nesidioblastosis coexisting with a pancreatic non-functioning islet cell tumor in an adult with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM).
Rules based model for automatic synthesis of f0 variation for declarative Arabic sentences

This paper deals with automatic generation of fundamental frequency (F0) contours for standard Arabic language. We use synthesis by rule for modelling Arabic intonation. The proposed model is based on the assumption that linguistic information is contained in target points of intonative contour. The perception of Arabic lexical accent is correlated with variations of F0. Rules used to determine target points are based particularly on accentuation algorithm. The existence of a declination phenomenon is discussed and introduced in our model. The validation of this model is carried out by TTS system based on TD-PSOLA technique. We provide an evaluation of our results based on perceptive test. The proposed processing of intonation allows a noticeable improvement of speech synthesis naturalness.
Alterations in Conjunctival Cytology and Tear Film Dysfunction in Patients with &bgr;-Thalassemia

Purpose Patients with &bgr;-thalassemia (&bgr;-tha) represent a group with lifelong transfusion-dependent anemias. This study aimed to describe the conjunctival changes and tear film parameters in these patients. Methods A total of 52 patients (104 eyes) with &bgr;-tha major and 22 normal control subjects (44 eyes) were studied during 1999 through 2000. Tear film break-up time (BUT), Schirmer test, rose Bengal staining, and cytologic evaluation of the conjunctival epithelium were performed in all subjects. The Papanicolaou and May-Grümwald-Giemsa staining procedures were performed on all smears. Patients and control subjects were compared for tear function parameters and conjunctival changes. Results The BUT, Schirmer test, and rose Bengal staining values were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in &bgr;-tha patients than in control subjects. Keratinized cells were observed in conjunctival samples in 41% of patients, with a decrease in the number of goblet cells per slide in 64% of patients. In 9% of &bgr;-tha patients, there were a slightly greater number of inflammatory cells than in control eyes. Conclusion Ocular surface disorder of these patients was characterized by goblet cell loss and conjunctival squamous metaplasia. Our findings were correlated positively with the variable age. Epithelial damage by toxic reaction and disorder of tear quality and quantity are implicated as important factors in the pathogenesis of the ocular surface disease in &bgr;-tha patients.
ADAP-ting TCR Signaling to Integrins

Adaptor proteins are essential components of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling cascades regulating gene transcription and cytoskeletal reorganization. The molecular adaptor adhesion- and degranulation-promoting adaptor protein (ADAP), also known as Fyn binding protein (FYB) or Slp-76-associated protein of 130 kilodaltons (SLAP-130), interacts with a number of signaling intermediates including Slp-76, the Src family tyrosine kinase Fyn, vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP), and the actin-nucleating protein WASP. Recently ADAP was shown genetically to positively regulate T cell activation, TCR-induced integrin clustering, and T cell adhesion. The mechanism by which ADAP couples TCR stimulation to integrin clustering remains unclear; however, studies of ADAP, the exchange factor Vav1, and WASP suggest that TCR and integrin clustering may be controlled by distinct signaling pathways. Adaptor proteins, which contain multiple intermolecular interaction domains, are critical intermediates in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling cascades leading to transcriptional and cytoskeletal changes. Recently, the adaptor adhesion- and degranulation-promoting adaptor protein (ADAP), also known as Fyn binding protein (FYB) or Slp-76-associated protein of 130 kilodaltons (SLAP-130), was demonstrated by genetic methods to couple TCR stimulation to integrin clustering and T cell adhesion.
Next-generation sequencing approach for connecting secondary metabolites to biosynthetic gene clusters in fungi

Genomics has revolutionized the research on fungal secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthesis. To elucidate the molecular and enzymatic mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of a specific SM compound, the important first step is often to find the genes that responsible for its synthesis. The accessibility to fungal genome sequences allows the bypass of the cumbersome traditional library construction and screening approach. The advance in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have further improved the speed and reduced the cost of microbial genome sequencing in the past few years, which has accelerated the research in this field. Here, we will present an example work flow for identifying the gene cluster encoding the biosynthesis of SMs of interest using an NGS approach. We will also review the different strategies that can be employed to pinpoint the targeted gene clusters rapidly by giving several examples stemming from our work.
Primary hepatic angiosarcoma on coregistered FDG PET and CT images.

4Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. ngiosarcoma is an uncommon mesenchymal malignant neoplasm of the vascular or lymphatic endothelium, accounting for 2% of all soft-tissue sarcomas [1–4], that can affect any organ but seems to have a predilection for the skin in the head and neck regions [3, 4]. Although primary hepatic angiosarcoma is rare and accounts for only 2% of primary hepatic tumor, it is the most common malignant mesenchymal tumor of the liver [5]. Various appearances of primary hepatic angiosarcoma on CT and on MRI have been noted [3, 5]. However, to the best of our knowledge, the FDG PET findings have not been described yet. Here, we present a case of primary hepatic angiosarcoma and the coregistered FDG PET and CT images that show the affected sites.
Thermoresponsive Micropatterned Substrates for Single Cell Studies

We describe the design of micropatterned surfaces for single cell studies, based on thermoresponsive polymer brushes. We show that brushes made of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) grafted at high surface density display excellent protein and cell anti-adhesive properties. Such brushes are readily patterned at the micron scale via deep UV photolithography. A proper choice of the adhesive pattern shapes, combined with the temperature-dependent swelling properties of PNIPAM, allow us to use the polymer brush as a microactuator which induces cell detachment when the temperature is reduced below C.
Implementation of a pixel-level snake algorithm on a CNNUM-based chip set architecture

In this paper, an on-chip implementation of the active contour technique called pixel-level snakes is proposed. This is based on an optimized cellular neural network (CNN) algorithm with capabilities to support changes in the contour topology. The entire algorithm has been implemented on a 64/spl times/64 CNN universal machine chip-set architecture for which the results of the time performance measurements are given. To illustrate the validity and capabilities of the proposed implementation some on-chip experiments are also included.
Sleep changes produced by destruction of medial septal neurons in rats

Changes in sleep–wakefulness were studied in male Wistar rats after destruction of the medial septal neurons with NMDA. Electroencephalogram, electromyogram and electrooculogram were recorded for 24 h prior to the destruction of the medial septum, and 7, 14 and 21 days after the destruction. There was a decrease in the total amount of slow wave sleep and frequency of slow wave sleep episodes after the lesion. It also produced an increase in the duration of paradoxical sleep episodes. These findings are in contrast to the changes produced after lesion of other basal forebrain areas. The present findings suggest that the medial septum may be involved in the genesis of slow wave sleep and inhibition of the durations of paradoxical sleep episodes.
Propofol for laryngeal mask airway insertion in children: Effect of two different doses

Purpose: To compare two different doses of propofol for laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion in children undergoing out-patient surgeries. Background: Insertion of LMA just after anesthesia induction is facilitated using propofol. However, the optimal dose of this drug not determined yet as heavy doses may lead to severe complications, whereas lower doses may not be quite as effective. Methods: In a double-blind randomized clinical trial, 120 children undergoing out-patient surgeries were recruited to receive intravenous propofol at a dose of either 2.5 mg/kg (group 1) or 3.5 mg/kg (group 2) for induction. Intravenous midazolam (0.03 mg/kg) and fentanyl (1 μg/kg) were used as pre-medication in all patients and anesthesia induction was initiated using lidocaine (1 mg/kg) prior to propofol administration. Hemodynamic changes, probable complications, quality of the established airway and number of attempts for LMA insertion were compared between two groups. Results: There were no differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation and intraoperative complications between the groups (P>0.05). LMA insertion was successful at the first attempt in 55 (93.2%) and 54 (91.5%) cases in group 1 and group 2, respectively (P>0.05). The efficiency of the established airways was adequate in all the patients of both groups. Conclusion: It seems that propofol doses of 2.5 and 3.5 mg/kg are equally effective for LMA insertion following intravenous midazolam, fentanyl, and lidocaine.
Cohort Profile Update: The TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS)

TRAILS consists of a population cohort (N = 2230) and a clinical cohort (N = 543), both of which were followed from about age 11 years onwards. To date, the population cohort has been assessed five times over a period of 11 years, with retention rates ranging between 80% and 96%. The clinical cohort has been assessed four times over a period of 8 years, with retention rates ranging between 77% and 85%. Since the IJE published a cohort profile on the TRAILS in 2008, the participants have matured from adolescents into young adults. The focus shifted from parents and school to entry into the labour market and family formation, including offspring. Furthermore, psychiatric diagnostic interviews were administered, the database was linked to a Psychiatric Case Registry, and the availability of genome-wide SNP variations opened the door to genome-wide association studies regarding a wide range of (endo)phenotypes. With some delay, TRAILS data are available to researchers outside the TRAILS consortium without costs; access can be obtained by submitting a publication proposal (see www.trails.nl).
Alloimmunization to red blood cell antigens after universal leucodepletion. A regional multicentre retrospective study

Leucodepletion has been shown to reduce human leucocyte antigen immunization, but studies on the effect of leucodepletion on red cell alloimmunization reported discordant results. We conducted a retrospective multicentre study to determine whether prestorage filter leucodepletion alters the development of clinically significant red blood cell alloimmunization against the Rhesus, Kell, Duffy, Kidd and MSs blood group systems. Two periods were investigated, 2 years before and 2 years after universal leucodepletion. Comparisons were made between the transfused patient cohorts. To control for changes not related to leucoreduction, we compared antibody incidence with antibody prevalence in the two study periods. Newly detected antibodies (n = 4770) were found in 4115 patients from 19 participating hospitals. Of these, 857 antibodies in 659 patients were because of transfusions given in the study periods. The immunization risk was 0·13% for both periods. No differences were found regarding incidence of new antibodies, nor for patients regarding age, sex, previous antibodies, multiple antibodies, additional antibodies, number of transfusions, transfusions episodes and days from transfusion to date of immunization. In conclusion, compared with buffy‐coat leucoreduction, universal prestorage filter leucodepletion did not alter the development of clinically significant red blood cell alloimmunization.
Detection of Asymptomatic Antigenemia in Pigs Infected by Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) by a Novel Capture Immunoassay with Monoclonal Antibodies against the Nucleocapsid Protein of PRRSV

ABSTRACT Routine surveillance for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infections is crucial for the epidemiological control of this disease. Antibody tests are widely used but cannot differentiate between vaccination and reinfection. We developed a PRRSV antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using well-characterized monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against the nucleocapsid (N) protein of North American and European PRRSV. This antigen assay detected purified N protein from both genotypes at levels as low as 0.4 and 0.8 ng, respectively. The specificity and sensitivity of the N antigen assay were evaluated with ground lung tissues from 8 PRRSV-infected and 16 healthy swine, and culture supernatants from six PRRSV isolates as well as other swine viruses were confirmed by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). Antigen assays were positive in all eight infected tissues and with six different PRRSV isolates, with no false positives among healthy tissues and other swine viruses (i.e., pseudorabies and foot and mouth disease viruses). A number of sera, field collected from 466 vaccinated and asymptomatic pigs in Guangdong, China, between 2008 and 2009, tested positive by the N antigen assay (12.45%), RT-PCR (15.02%), and a commercial test for antibodies against PRRSV (78.97%). Of the 466 sera, 47 were positive by both antigen and RT-PCR tests, 11 by antigen test only, and 23 by RT-PCR only; the two assays had an overall agreement of 92.7%, indicating a significant percentage of active PRRSV in asymptomatic pigs despite previous immunization. These findings suggest that the antigen assay is a valuable field tool for the epidemiological control of PRRSV that can be used for rapid screening, particularly in asymptomatic animals.
Bag equivalence of tree patterns

When a query is evaluated under bag semantics, each answer is returned as many times as it has derivations. Bag semantics has long been recognized as important, especially when aggregation functions will be applied to query results. This article is the first to focus on bag semantics for tree pattern queries. In particular, the problem of bag equivalence of a large class of tree pattern queries (which can be used to model XPath) is explored. The queries can contain unions, branching, label wildcards, the vertical child and descendant axes, the horizontal following and following-sibling axes, as well as positional (i.e., first and last) axes. Equivalence characterizations are provided, and their complexity is analyzed. As the descendant axis involves a recursive relationship, this article is also the first to address bag equivalence over recursive queries, in any setting.