Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of the SAND spatial browser for digital government applications

Numerous federal agencies produce official statistics made accessible to ordinary citizens for searching and data retrieval. This is frequently done via the Internet through a Web browser interface. If this data is presented in textual format, it can often be searched and retrieved by such attributes as topic, responsible agency, keywords, or press release. However, if the data is of spatial nature, for example, in the form of a map, then using text-based queries is often too cumbersome for the intended audience. We describe the use of the SAND Spatial Browser to provide more power to users of these databases by enabling them to define and explore the specific spatial region of interest graphically. The SAND Spatial Browser allows users to form either purely spatial or mixed spatial/nonspatial queries intuitively, which can present information to users that might have been missed if only a textual interface was available.
Statistical Analysis of Player Behavior in Minecraft

Interactive Virtual Worlds offer new individual and social experiences in a huge variety of artificial realities. They also have enormous potential for the study of how people interact, and how societies function and evolve. Systematic collection and analysis of in-play behavioral data will be invaluable for enhancing player experiences, facilitating effective administration, and unlocking the scientific potential of online societies. This paper details the development of a framework to collect player data in Minecraft. We present a complete solution which can be deployed on Minecraft servers to send collected data to a centralized server for visualization and analysis by researchers, players, and server administrators. Using the framework, we collected and analyzed over 14 person-days of active gameplay. We built a classification tool to identify high-level player behaviors from observations of their moment-by-moment game actions. Heat map visualizations highlighting spatial behavior can be used by players and server administrators to evaluate game experiences. Our data collection and analysis framework offers the opportunity to understand how individual behavior, environmental factors, and social systems interact through large-scale observational studies of virtual worlds.
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Reference Strain PA14 Displays Increased Virulence Due to a Mutation in ladS

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen that causes acute and chronic infections in a variety of hosts. The pathogenic potential of P. aeruginosa is strain-dependent. PA14 is a highly virulent strain that causes disease in a wide range of organisms, whereas PAO1 is moderately virulent. Although PA14 carries pathogenicity islands that are absent in PAO1, the presence or absence of specific gene clusters is not predictive of virulence. Here, we show that the virulent strain PA14 has an acquired mutation in the ladS gene. This mutation has a deleterious impact on biofilm, while it results in elevated type III secretion system (T3SS) activity and increased cytotoxicity towards mammalian cells. These phenotypes can be reverted by repairing the ladS mutation on the PA14 genome. The RetS/LadS/GacS signaling cascade is associated with virulence and the switch between acute and chronic infections. RetS is a sensor that down-regulates biofilm formation and up-regulates the T3SS. Mutations in retS are acquired in strains isolated from chronically infected cystic fibrosis patients and lead to hyperbiofilm formation and reduced cytotoxicity. Conversely, the LadS sensor promotes biofilm formation and represses the T3SS. We conclude that the ladS mutation is partly responsible for the high cytotoxicity of PA14, and our findings corroborate the central role of RetS and LadS in the switch between acute and chronic infections. Given the extensive use of the reference strain PA14 in infection and virulence models, the bias caused by the ladS mutation on the observed phenotypes will be crucial to consider in future research.
Feasibility of Microdialysis to Determine Interstitial Rocuronium Concentration in the Muscle Tissue of Anesthetized Neurosurgical Patients

Background Microdialysis is used to determine the concentrations of substances in the extracellular fluid of tissues. To date, it has not been used to measure rocuronium concentrations in human muscle. We determined the ability of microdialysis to recover rocuronium from muscle interstitial tissue for the purpose of assessing the effect of chronic phenytoin therapy on muscle concentrations of rocuronium. Methods In a first phase, an in vitro study was performed to establish the ability of the assay to recover rocuronium. In a second phase, 17 patients undergoing brain surgery were enrolled. Eight patients were on chronic phenytoin therapy and the remaining 9 patients were not taking any antiepileptic agent (controls). Rocuronium was administered intravenously and muscle tissue samples for microdialysis were collected. Results The recovery rate of the in vitro assay was 36% at a pump rate of 1 μL/min. Rocuronium muscle tissue concentrations could be measured in 25 microdialysate samples. Rocuronium concentrations were similar in patients treated with phenytoin and in controls, although the doses required to obtain a similar effect were significantly higher in patients on chronic phenytoin treatment. Conclusions Quantification of drug concentrations in muscle by means of microdialysis is technically feasible in the clinical setting and it might help in studying pharmacologic mechanisms of drug action. Based on our results the decrease in the degree of effect of rocuronium in the presence of chronic phenytoin therapy might seem to be due mainly to a pharmacokinetic mechanism.
Elucidating the Nature of Deregulated Semantic Cognition in Semantic Aphasia: Evidence for the Roles of Prefrontal and Temporo-parietal Cortices

Semantic cognition—semantically driven verbal and nonverbal behavior—is composed of at least two interactive principal components: conceptual representations and executive control processes that regulate and shape activation within the semantic system. Previous studies indicate that semantic dementia follows from a progressive yet specific degradation of conceptual knowledge. In contrast, multimodal semantic impairment in aphasic patients (semantic aphasia [SA]) reflects damage to the control component of semantic cognition [Jefferies, E. , & Lambon Ralph, M. A. Semantic impairment in stroke aphasia versus semantic dementia: A case-series comparison. Brain, 129, 2132–2147, 2006]. The purpose of the present study was to examine the nature of the semantic control deficits in SA in detail for the first time. Seven patients with SA were tested on four comprehension and naming tasks that directly manipulated the requirement for executive control in different ways. In line with many theories of cognitive control, the SA patients demonstrated three core features of impaired control: (i) they exhibited poor on-line manipulation and exploration of semantic knowledge; (ii) they exhibited poor inhibition of strongly associated distractors; and (iii) they exhibited reduced ability to focus on or augment less dominant aspects of semantic information, although the knowledge itself remained and could be successfully cued by external constraints provided by the examiner. Our findings are consistent with the notion that the anterior temporal lobes are crucial for conceptual knowledge whereas the left prefrontal and temporo-parietal cortices, damaged in patients with SA, play a critical role in regulating semantic activation in a task-appropriate fashion.
Tonic immobility differentiates stress responses in PTSD

Tonic immobility (TI) is a state of physical immobility associated with extreme stress and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is unknown whether TI is associated with a distinct actual stress response, i.e., objective immobility measured by a stabilometric platform. This study made a first step in exploring this as well as differences in body sway responses between PTSD patients and healthy controls. We hypothesized that PTSD would be related to increased body sway under stress, whereas TI would be related to decreased body sway under stress.
1-RAAP: An Efficient 1-Round Anonymous Authentication Protocol for Wireless Body Area Networks

Thanks to the rapid technological convergence of wireless communications, medical sensors and cloud computing, Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) have emerged as a novel networking paradigm enabling ubiquitous Internet services, allowing people to receive medical care, monitor health status in real-time, analyze sports data and even enjoy online entertainment remotely. However, because of the mobility and openness of wireless communications, WBANs are inevitably exposed to a large set of potential attacks, significantly undermining their utility and impeding their widespread deployment. To prevent attackers from threatening legitimate WBAN users or abusing WBAN services, an efficient and secure authentication protocol termed 1-Round Anonymous Authentication Protocol (1-RAAP) is proposed in this paper. In particular, 1-RAAP preserves anonymity, mutual authentication, non-repudiation and some other desirable security properties, while only requiring users to perform several low cost computational operations. More importantly, 1-RAAP is provably secure thanks to its design basis, which is resistant to the anonymous in the random oracle model. To validate the computational efficiency of 1-RAAP, a set of comprehensive comparative studies between 1-RAAP and other authentication protocols is conducted, and the results clearly show that 1-RAAP achieves the best performance in terms of computational overhead.
Speech Perception and Localisation with SCORE Bimodal: A Loudness Normalisation Strategy for Combined Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Stimulation

A significant fraction of newly implanted cochlear implant recipients use a hearing aid in their non-implanted ear. SCORE bimodal is a sound processing strategy developed for this configuration, aimed at normalising loudness perception and improving binaural loudness balance. Speech perception performance in quiet and noise and sound localisation ability of six bimodal listeners were measured with and without application of SCORE. Speech perception in quiet was measured either with only acoustic, only electric, or bimodal stimulation, at soft and normal conversational levels. For speech in quiet there was a significant improvement with application of SCORE. Speech perception in noise was measured for either steady-state noise, fluctuating noise, or a competing talker, at conversational levels with bimodal stimulation. For speech in noise there was no significant effect of application of SCORE. Modelling of interaural loudness differences in a long-term-average-speech-spectrum-weighted click train indicated that left-right discrimination of sound sources can improve with application of SCORE. As SCORE was found to leave speech perception unaffected or to improve it, it seems suitable for implementation in clinical devices.
Evaluation of a clinical algorithm involving serum eosinophil cationic protein for guiding the anti‐inflammatory treatment of bronchial asthma in childhood

A pilot study was performed to investigate a clinical algorithm using serum‐eosinophil cationic protein level (S‐ECP) as an objective parameter for tapering the anti‐inflammatory treatment in chronic childhood asthma. We studied 21 outpatient asthmatic children (6 girls and 15 boys, mean age 9 yr, range 3–12 yr, all with initial S‐ECP ≥ 15 µg/l) over a period of 12 months at monthly intervals. At each visit a short history, clinical examination, blood sample for S‐ECP and eosinophil count, lung function tests and drug compliance were assessed. According to the initial S‐ECP, patients were allocated to two anti‐inflammatory treatment groups: patients with S‐ECP between 15 µg/l and 30 µg/l were treated with Budesonide 200 µg twice daily, while patients with S‐ECP of 30 µg/l and above received Budesonide 400 µg twice daily. After this induction treatment the anti‐inflammatory medication was tapered at monthly intervals according to actually measured S‐ECP: patients with S‐ECP < 15 µg/l received sodium cromoglycate (SCG) 10 mg twice daily per inhalation via spacer, patients with S‐ECP ≥ 15 µg/l and < 30 µg/l received Budesonide 200 µg twice daily via spacer, and patients with S‐ECP ≥ 30 µg/l received Budesonide 400 µg twice daily. Prior to inhalation of topical steroids or SCG all patients had to inhale 500 µg Terbutaline twice daily for optimal bronchodilatation. The use of medication was assessed by weighing the metered dose inhaler containers each month. Our results showed a decrease in symptoms (p = 0.0001) and in S‐ECP (p = 0.02) and MEF50% predicted (p = 0.02) after the initial month of Budesonide treatment. During a total of 246 months of investigation there was no need for emergency room treatment or hospital admission, and no need for oral steroids. During the whole study period there was a tendency for inhaled steroids to be more effective than SCG in reduction of markers of airway inflammation, improvement of symptoms and lung function. Inadequate use of medication was related to an increase in S‐ECP in all treatment groups. From this open pilot study it is concluded that a clinical algorithm including S‐ECP for tapering the anti‐inflammatory treatment may be helpful in childhood asthma. These first observations should be confirmed by a controlled long‐term study.
A wireless sensor network For structural monitoring

Structural monitoring---the collection and analysis of structural response to ambient or forced excitation--is an important application of networked embedded sensing with significant commercial potential. The first generation of sensor networks for structural monitoring are likely to be data acquisition systems that collect data at a single node for centralized processing. In this paper, we discuss the design and evaluation of a wireless sensor network system (called Wisden for structural data acquisition. Wisden incorporates two novel mechanisms, reliable data transport using a hybrid of end-to-end and hop-by-hop recovery, and low-overhead data time-stamping that does not require global clock synchronization. We also study the applicability of wavelet-based compression techniques to overcome the bandwidth limitations imposed by low-power wireless radios. We describe our implementation of these mechanisms on the Mica-2 motes and evaluate the performance of our implementation. We also report experiences from deploying Wisden on a large structure.
The HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, simvastatin, exhibits anti-metastatic and anti-tumorigenic effects in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. The mevalonate pathway is thought to be a potential oncogenic pathway in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. Simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) inhibitor, is a widely used drug for inhibiting the synthesis of cholesterol and may also have anti-tumorigenic activity. Our goal was to evaluate the effects of simvastatin on ovarian cancer cell lines, primary cultures of ovarian cancer cells and in an orthotopic ovarian cancer mouse model. Simvastatin significantly inhibited cellular proliferation, induced cell cycle G1 arrest and apoptosis, and caused cellular stress via reduction in the enzymatic activity of HMGCR and inhibition of the MAPK and mTOR pathways in ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, simvastatin induced DNA damage and reduced cell adhesion and invasion. Simvastatin also exerted anti-proliferative effects on primary cell cultures of ovarian cancer. Treatment with simvastatin in an orthotopic mouse model reduced ovarian tumor growth, coincident with decreased Ki-67, HMGCR, phosphorylated-Akt and phosphorylated-p42/44 protein expression. Our findings demonstrate that simvastatin may have therapeutic benefit for ovarian cancer treatment and be worthy of further exploration in clinical trials.
Adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved survival in patients with stage II colon cancer

The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage II colon cancer remains to be elucidated and its use varies between patients and institutions. Currently, clinical guidelines suggest discussing adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with high‐risk stage II disease in the absence of conclusive randomized controlled trial data. To further investigate this relationship, the objective of the current study was to determine whether an association exists between overall survival (OS) and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients stratified by age and pathological risk features.
Regional Distribution of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the Republic of Korea, 2007–2011

Background/Aims In Korea, hepatitis C is included as an infectious disease in a sentinel surveillance system. Recently, a large variation in hepatitis C incidence between different regions in Korea has been noticed. The current study verified the nationwide distribution of hepatitis C infection for effective prevention and management. Methods We counted the number of hepatitis C patients who visited a hospital per county using the National Health Insurance database from 2007 to 2011. The age-adjusted prevalence ratio was used, and the age adjustment method was used as an indirect standardization method. Disease mapping and spatial analysis were conducted using a geographic information system. Results The annual prevalence of diagnosed hepatitis C was approximately 0.12% to 0.13% in Korea. The age-adjusted prevalence ratios in Busan, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam were high (1.75, 1.4, and 1.3, respectively). The three regions in the southern coastal area of the Korean Peninsula were identified as a high-prevalence cluster (Moran’s index, 0.3636). Conclusions The present study showed that hepatitis C infection has very large regional variation, and there are several high-risk areas. Preventive measures focusing on these areas should be applied to block the transmission of hepatitis C and reduce the disease burden.
The MediaEval 2014 Affect Task: Violent Scenes Detection

This paper provides a description of the MediaEval 2014 Affect Task: Violent Scenes Detection, which is running for the fourth year. The task originates from a use case at Technicolorthat aims to help users find suitable contents from a movie database. We provide insights on the use case, task challenges, data set and ground truth, required and optional participant runs and evaluation metrics.
Increased frequency of bronchial hyperresponsiveness in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Although bronchopulmonary manifestations are rare in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), subclinical abnormalities have been described in up to 50% of cases. The pathophysiology of these abnormalities remains unknown. However, a latent inflammation of the bronchial mucosa secondary to the inflammation of the intestinal mucosa has been suggested. This subclinical inflammation may lead to increased bronchial responsiveness. We studied the bronchial responsiveness in 38 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, using the methacholine test. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness was defined by a PC20M <16 mg/ml. Twenty‐four healthy controls were also studied. There was no significant difference in baseline FEV1 between IBD patients and controls. However, there was a significantly greater fall in FEV1 in the IBD patients at the concentrations of methacholine tested. The frequency of bronchial hyperresponsiveness was significantly higher in the IBD population (45%) than in controls (17%; P<0.03). Atopy, defined by skin test, was more common in IBD patients (42%) than in controls (21%). Even when only nonatopic subjects were considered, the frequency of bronchial hyperresponsiveness was significantly higher in IBD patients (41%) than in controls (5%; P<0.02). Thus, subclinical bronchial hyperresponsiveness is common in IBD, and may be considered a further extraintestinal manifestation.
The Pharmacodynamic Effects of Rocuronium When Dosed According to Real Body Weight or Ideal Body Weight in Morbidly Obese Patients

We investigated the pharmacodynamic effects of rocuronium on morbidly obese patients. Twelve morbidly obese female patients (body mass index >40 kg/m2) admitted for laparoscopic gastric banding were randomized into two groups. Group 1 (n = 6) received 0.6 mg/kg of rocuronium based on real body weight, whereas Group 2 (n = 6) received 0.6 mg/kg of rocuronium based on ideal body weight. In a control group of six normal-weight female patients admitted for laparoscopic surgery, rocuronium was dosed on the basis of their real body weight. Neuromuscular transmission was monitored by using acceleromyography of the adductor pollicis; anesthesia was induced and maintained with remifentanil and propofol. The onset time tended to be shorter in Group 1 and the control group compared with Group 2, but this did not achieve statistical significance. Duration of action to 25% of twitch tension was more than double in Group 1 (55 min) compared with the other two groups (22 and 25 min; P < 0.001). Duration of action was similar between Group 2 and control. Recovery index tended to be longer in Group 1, but without a significant difference. In conclusion, in morbidly obese patients, the duration of action of rocuronium is significantly prolonged when it is dosed according to real body weight. Therefore, the dosage should be assessed on the basis of ideal rather than on real body weight in clinical practice.
Ontogeny, compartmentation, and turnover of spectrin isoforms in rat central neurons

A variant of a principal structural protein of erythrocytes, spectrin, is a major neuronal protein. Here we have examined the subcellular and regional distributions, subunit composition, ontogeny, and metabolism of spectrin in rat CNS. While all subcellular fractions, except the mitochondrial, expressed the previously characterized brain form of spectrin (fodrin, or alpha gamma-spectrin), limited brain regions contained, in cytoplasm, a second isoform immunologically related to erythrocyte alpha beta-spectrin. Both alpha gamma- and alpha beta- spectrin are primarily neuronal, as evidenced by immunocytochemistry. The spectrins are distributed between 2 distinct subneuronal compartments: a membrane-associated domain containing alpha gamma- spectrin in relatively constant amounts across brain regions, and a cytoplasmic domain containing both the alpha gamma and alpha beta isoforms in widely varying amounts across brain regions. Although forebrain has considerable alpha beta-spectrin, the diencephalon, mesencephalon, and brain stem are devoid of this isoform. Further evidence for spectrin compartmentation comes from its ontogeny. Membrane-associated alpha gamma-spectrin is present at birth at its adult levels, but cytoplasmic alpha beta-spectrin is expressed only following the second postnatal week. Similarly, the 4-fold difference in cytoplasmic alpha gamma-spectrin content across brain regions develops during the third postnatal week. In this compartment, both spectrin forms may be metabolized in vivo, at least in part, by calcium- activated proteolysis. The presence in mammalian neurons of 2 spectrin isoforms and their compartmentation into distinct domains suggests multiple functions for neuronal spectrin, one of which may be in the stabilization or maturation of forebrain neurons.