Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Close association of olfactory placode precursors and cranial neural crest cells does not predestine cell mixing

Vertebrate sensory organs originate from both cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) and placodes. Previously, we have shown that the olfactory placode (OP) forms from a large field of cells extending caudally to the premigratory neural crest domain, and that OPs form through cell movements and not cell division. Concurrent with OP formation, CNCCs migrate rostrally to populate the frontal mass. However, little is known about the interactions between CNCCs and the placodes that form the olfactory sensory system. Previous reports suggest that the OP can generate cell types more typical of neural crest lineages such as neuroendocrine cells and glia, thus marking the OP as an unusual sensory placode. One possible explanation for this exception is that the neural crest origin of glia and neurons has been overlooked due to the intimate association of these two fields during migration. Using molecular markers and live imaging, we followed the development of OP precursors and of dorsally migrating CNCCs in zebrafish embryos. We generated a six4b:mCherry line (OP precursors) that, with a sox10:EGFP line (CNCCs), was used to follow cell migration. Our analyses showed that CNCCs associate with and eventually surround the forming OP with limited cell mixing occurring during this process. Developmental Dynamics 241:1143–1154, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparative in vitro study of temocillin (BRL 17421), a new penicillin

The activity of temocillin (BRL 17421), a new penicillin, was tested in vitro against 653 isolates of gram-negative bacilli and gram-positive cocci. The drug was compared with other beta-lactam antibiotics and tobramycin. It inhibited the majority of gram-negative bacilli tested except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, which were highly resistant. It was active against more than 50% of the multiresistant strains tested. Temocillin was more active than mezlocillin against most gram-negative bacilli and more active than moxalactam, ceftriaxone, and ceftazidime against Enterobacter spp. In general, it was slightly less active than the other drugs tested and had no activity against the gram-positive cocci. There was no significant change in drug activity when pH and medium were varied, and the effect of serum binding was minimal. There was no significant inoculum effect when the size of the inoculum was increased from 10(4) to 10(6) organisms per ml.
Patterns of evolution at the gametophytic self-incompatibility Sorbus aucuparia (Pyrinae) S pollen genes support the non-self recognition by multiple factors model

S-RNase-based gametophytic self-incompatibility evolved once before the split of the Asteridae and Rosidae. In Prunus (tribe Amygdaloideae of Rosaceae), the self-incompatibility S-pollen is a single F-box gene that presents the expected evolutionary signatures. In Malus and Pyrus (subtribe Pyrinae of Rosaceae), however, clusters of F-box genes (called SFBBs) have been described that are expressed in pollen only and are linked to the S-RNase gene. Although polymorphic, SFBB genes present levels of diversity lower than those of the S-RNase gene. They have been suggested as putative S-pollen genes, in a system of non-self recognition by multiple factors. Subsets of allelic products of the different SFBB genes interact with non-self S-RNases, marking them for degradation, and allowing compatible pollinations. This study performed a detailed characterization of SFBB genes in Sorbus aucuparia (Pyrinae) to address three predictions of the non-self recognition by multiple factors model. As predicted, the number of SFBB genes was large to account for the many S-RNase specificities. Secondly, like the S-RNase gene, the SFBB genes were old. Thirdly, amino acids under positive selection—those that could be involved in specificity determination—were identified when intra-haplotype SFBB genes were analysed using codon models. Overall, the findings reported here support the non-self recognition by multiple factors model.
Re-Ranking Models for Spoken Language Understanding

Spoken Language Understanding aims at mapping a natural language spoken sentence into a semantic representation. In the last decade two main approaches have been pursued: generative and discriminative models. The former is more robust to overfitting whereas the latter is more robust to many irrelevant features. Additionally, the way in which these approaches encode prior knowledge is very different and their relative performance changes based on the task. In this paper we describe a machine learning framework where both models are used: a generative model produces a list of ranked hypotheses whereas a discriminative model based on structure kernels and Support Vector Machines, re-ranks such list. We tested our approach on the MEDIA corpus (human-machine dialogs) and on a new corpus (human-machine and human-human dialogs) produced in the European LUNA project. The results show a large improvement on the state-of-the-art in concept segmentation and labeling.
Taming Parallelism in a Multi-Variant Execution Environment

Exploit mitigations, by themselves, do not stop determined and well-resourced adversaries from compromising vulnerable software through memory corruption. Multi-variant execution environments (MVEEs) add additional assurance by executing multiple, diversified copies (variants) of the same program in lockstep while monitoring their behavior for signs of attacks (divergence). While executing multiple copies of the same program requires additional computational resources, modern MVEEs run many workloads at near-native speed and can detect adversaries before they leak secrets or achieve persistence on the host system. Multi-threaded programs are challenging to execute in lockstep by an MVEE. If the threads in a set of variants are not scheduled in the exact same order, the variants will diverge from each other in terms of the system calls they make. While benign, such divergence undermines the MVEEs ability detect divergence caused by malicious program inputs. To address this problem, we developed an MVEE-specific synchronization scheme that lets us execute a set of multithreaded variants in lockstep without causing benign divergence. Our fully-fledged MVEE runs the PARSEC 2.1 and SPLASH-2x parallel benchmarks (with four worker threads per variant) with a slowdown of less than 15% relative to unprotected execution. Addressing this longstanding compatibility issue makes MVEEs a viable defense for a far greater range of realistic workloads.
Adapting to intermittent faults in multicore systems

Future multicore processors will be more susceptible to a variety of hardware failures. In particular, intermittent faults, caused in part by manufacturing, thermal, and voltage variations, can cause bursts of frequent faults that last from several cycles to several seconds or more. Due to practical limitations of circuit techniques, cost-effective reliability will likely require the ability to temporarily suspend execution on a core during periods of intermittent faults. We investigate three of the most obvious techniques for adapting to the dynamically changing resource availability caused by intermittent faults, and demonstrate their different system-level implications. We show that system software reconfiguration has very high overhead, that temporarily pausing execution on a faulty core can lead to cascading livelock, and that using spare cores has high fault-free cost. To remedy these and other drawbacks of the three baseline techniques, we propose using a thin hardware/firmware layer to manage an overcommitted system -- one where the OS is configured to use more virtual processors than the number of currently available physical cores. We show that this proposed technique can gracefully degrade performance during intermittent faults of various duration with low overhead, without involving system software, and without requiring spare cores.
Transforming Growth Factor-β-Activated Kinase 1 Is Required for Human FcγRIIIb-Induced Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation

Neutrophils (PMNs) are the most abundant leukocytes in the blood. PMN migrates from the circulation to sites of infection where they are responsible for antimicrobial functions. PMN uses phagocytosis, degranulation, and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) to kill microbes. Several stimuli, including bacteria, fungi, and parasites, and some pharmacological compounds, such as Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), are efficient inducers of NETs. Antigen–antibody complexes are also capable of inducing NET formation. Recently, it was reported that FcγRIIIb cross-linking induced NET formation similarly to PMA stimulation. Direct cross-linking of FcγRIIA or integrins did not promote NET formation. FcγRIIIb-induced NET formation presented different kinetics from PMA-induced NET formation, suggesting differences in signaling. Because FcγRIIIb also induces a strong activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and nuclear factor Elk-1, and the transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) has recently been implicated in ERK signaling, in the present report, we explored the role of TAK1 in the signaling pathway activated by FcγRIIIb leading to NET formation. FcγRIIIb was stimulated by specific monoclonal antibodies, and NET formation was evaluated in the presence or absence of pharmacological inhibitors. The antibiotic LL Z1640-2, a selective inhibitor of TAK1 prevented FcγRIIIb-induced, but not PMA-induced NET formation. Both PMA and FcγRIIIb cross-linking induced phosphorylation of ERK. But, LL Z1640-2 only inhibited the FcγRIIIb-mediated activation of ERK. Also, only FcγRIIIb, similarly to transforming growth factor-β-induced TAK1 phosphorylation. A MEK (ERK kinase)-specific inhibitor was able to prevent ERK phosphorylation induced by both PMA and FcγRIIIb. These data show for the first time that FcγRIIIb cross-linking activates TAK1, and that this kinase is required for triggering the MEK/ERK signaling pathway to NETosis.
Prevention of retained throat pack.

several months in a sample of 35 would be reason to stop further trials. A single directly attributable death among 120 patients would presumably lead to instant withdrawal of the new medicine. It is not suggested that the strict controls applied to clinical pharmacologists by themselves, by governments, and by research committees should or could be imposed on surgeons and confectioners. Everybody cannot be protected from everything. But it is interesting to note a wide divergence of attitudes when in the same issue a case of near-death from sweets is reported without any comment about future safety, 100°,, iatrogenic morbidity and 40O mortality allows the conclusion that "further careful evaluation of the effects of intestinal bypass operations is required," and 1 in 1000 morbidity makes an intravenous injection "unacceptable. " E M GLASER
The ALLHAT lipid lowering trial--less is less.

The Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial Lipid Lowering Trial (ALLHAT-LLT),1 published in this issue of THE JOURNAL, is the second-largest lipid-lowering trial yet reported. This randomized trial, a subset of the larger ALLHAT hypertension study,2 followed up 10 355 patients (49% women) who had hypertension and were 55 years or older for a mean of 4.8 years. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 40 mg of pravastatin (open label) vs "usual care" in 513 clinical centers, the majority of which were community-based. These centers were a subset of the 623 centers that treated patients for the larger (N = 33 357) ALLHAT hypertension study.2 Despite a 28% reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from baseline in the pravastatin treatment group, the trial failed to show a benefit in either the primary outcome (all-cause mortality) or the key secondary outcome (combined nonfatal myocardial infarction and .
A Novel Cyanophage with a Cyanobacterial Nonbleaching Protein A Gene in the Genome

ABSTRACT A cyanophage, PaV-LD, has been isolated from harmful filamentous cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii in Lake Donghu, a shallow freshwater lake in China. Here, we present the cyanophage's genomic organization and major structural proteins. The genome is a 95,299-bp-long, linear double-stranded DNA and contains 142 potential genes. BLAST searches revealed 29 proteins of known function in cyanophages, cyanobacteria, or bacteria. Thirteen major structural proteins ranging in size from 27 kDa to 172 kDa were identified by SDS-PAGE and mass-spectrometric analysis. The genome lacks major genes that are necessary to the tail structure, and the tailless PaV-LD has been confirmed by an electron microscopy comparison with other tail cyanophages and phages. Phylogenetic analysis of the major capsid proteins also reveals an independent branch of PaV-LD that is quite different from other known tail cyanophages and phages. Moreover, the unique genome carries a nonbleaching protein A (NblA) gene (open reading frame [ORF] 022L), which is present in all phycobilisome-containing organisms and mediates phycobilisome degradation. Western blot detection confirmed that 022L was expressed after PaV-LD infection in the host filamentous cyanobacterium. In addition, its appearance was companied by a significant decline of phycocyanobilin content and a color change of the cyanobacterial cells from blue-green to yellow-green. The biological function of PaV-LD nblA was further confirmed by expression in a model cyanobacterium via an integration platform, by spectroscopic analysis and electron microscopy observation. The data indicate that PaV-LD is an exceptional cyanophage of filamentous cyanobacteria, and this novel cyanophage will also provide us with a new vision of the cyanophage-host interactions.
Regression testing of database applications

Database applications features such as Structured Query Language or SQL, exception programming, integrity constraints, and table triggers pose difficulties for maintenance activities; especially for regression testing that follows modifications to database applications. In this work, we address these difficulties and propose a two-phase regression testing methodology. In phase 1, we explore control flow and data flow analysis issues of database applications. Then, we propose an impact analysis technique that is based on dependencies that exist among the components of database applications. This analysis leads to selecting test cases from the initial test suite for regression testing the modified application. In phase 2, further reduction in the regression test cases is performed by using reduction algorithms. We present two such algorithms. The Graph Walk algorithm walks through the control flow graph of database modules and selects a safe set of test cases to retest. The Call Graph Firewall algorithm uses a firewall for the inter-procedural level. Finally, a maintenance environment for database applications is described. Our experience with this regression testing methodology shows that the impact analysis technique is adequate for selecting regression tests and that phase 2 techniques can be used for further reduction in the number of theses tests.
Regional cerebral perfusion for surgical correction of neonatal aortic arch obstruction

One-stage repair of aortic arch obstruction and associated cardiac anomalies is a surgical challenge in infants.The purpose of the present study is to review the current outcome using regional cerebral perfusion (RCP) during a procedure correcting interrupted aortic arch (IAA) and also isolated aortic coarctation (CoA) and CoA combined with hypoplastic aortic arch (CoA-HyAA) in our center. Between January 2007 and July 2008, 24 infant patients with interrupted aortic arch (IAA) (n=3), isolated aortic coarctation (iCoA) (n=9) and aortic coarctation with hypoplastic aortic arch (CoA-HyAA) (n=12) underwent one-stage surgical correction in our hospital. End-to-end anastomosis was employed in 12 infants (IAA n=3 and iCoA n=9); for the other 12 patients with CoA-HyAA, an end-to-end extended anastomosis was used in 8 cases, end-to-side anastomosis in 2 cases, and composite heterologous pericardial patch in 2 cases. RCP with 40 mL/kg/min through the innominate artery during aortic arch reconstruction was employed for all pediatric patients. One single-dose histidine-ketoglutarate-tryptophan (HTK) solution was used for myocardial protection during CPB. Cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamp time were 165.6±32.4min and 81.7±30.0min, respectively. The mean regional cerebral perfusion time was 31.0±10.6min; lowest nasopharyngeal temperature was 19.1±1.1°C. Operative mortality rate in both groups was 8.3%. Mean follow-up was 10.5±4.8 months. There was no late mortality or postoperative neurologic, renal or hepatic complications. All patients are asymptomatic and are developing normally. One-stage total arch repair using the RCP technique is an excellent method that may minimize neurologic and renal complications. Our surgical strategy for arch anomaly has a low rate of residual and recurrent coarctation when performed in these infants.
The influences of ambiguity phase aberration profiles on focusing quality in the very near field-part II: dynamic range focusing on reception

For pt. I see ibid., vol. 49, no. 1, p. 57-71 (2002). The influences of ambiguity phase aberration profiles, including constant, tilted, and quadratic profiles, on focusing quality have been quantitatively analyzed with the very near field approximation for single range focusing on transmission. In this paper, their influences are analyzed in a very different situation: dynamic range focusing on reception, which is commonly used in medical ultrasound imaging for beam formation on reception. It is shown that the results for dynamic range focusing on reception are dramatically different from those for single range focusing on transmission. For example, constant phase aberration profiles are harmless to focusing quality for single range focusing on transmission but become harmful for dynamic range focusing on reception. The analysis also shows that, compared with single range focusing on transmission, dynamic range focusing on reception is much more sensitive to ambiguity phase aberration profiles, which have adverse effects on focusing quality even in the near field and far field. These significant differences are caused by the fundamental differences between single range focusing and dynamic range focusing as well as between transmission and reception. Numerical and simulation results are also derived to test the correctness and accuracy of the theoretical results.
Occupational fraud detection through visualization

Occupational fraud affects many companies causing them economic loss and liability issues towards their clients and other entities. Detecting internal fraud requires significant effort since a huge amount of data produced by diverse systems (which are mostly in textual form) has to be processed with little automated support. In this paper, we exploit the advantages of information visualization and present a system that aims to detect occupational fraud in systems which involve a pair of entities (e.g., an employee and a client). The main visualization is a spiral on which the events are drawn according to their time-stamp. Suspicious events are considered those which appear along the same radius or on close radii. The system ranks both entities according to the specifications of the auditor and a video file of their activity is generated such that events with strong evidence of fraud appear first. The system is equipped with several visualizations that facilitate the detection procedure.
A Spectral Multigrid Method Combined With MLFMM for Solving Electromagnetic Wave Scattering Problems

A new spectral multigrid method (SMG) combined with the multilevel fast multipole method (MLFMM) is proposed for solving electromagnetic wave scattering problems. The MLFMM is used to speed up the matrix-vector product operations and the SMG is employed to accelerate the convergence rate of the Krylov iteration. Unlike traditional algebraic multigrid methods (AMG), the spectral multigrid method is an algebraic two-grid cycle built on a preconditioned Krylov iterative method that is used as the smoother, and the grid transfer operators are defined using the spectral information of the preconditioned matrix. Numerical experiments indicate that this class of multigrid method is very effective with the MLFMM and can reduce both the iteration number and the overall simulation time significantly.
Response-Time Variability Is Related to Parent Ratings of Inattention, Hyperactivity, and Executive Function

Objective: Individuals with ADHD are often characterized as inconsistent across many contexts. ADHD is also associated with deficits in executive function. We examined the relationships between response time (RT) variability on five brief computer tasks to parents’ ratings of ADHD-related features and executive function in a group of children with a broad range of ADHD symptoms from none to full diagnosis. Methods: We tested 98 children (mean age 9.9 ± 1.4 years; 66 boys) from community clinics on short tasks of executive control (TEC) and the Eriksen Flanker task, while a parent completed the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. Results: Variability for two of the TEC tasks explained significant proportions of the variance of all five ADHD-related Conners’ subscales and several executive function subscales. By contrast, variability on the flanker task or mean RTs for any task were not associated with any rating scale. Conclusion: The significant dimensional relationships observed between variability measures and parent ratings supported the utility of RT variability as an objective measure in ADHD and aspects of executive functioning that is superior to RT means or accuracy measures.
Plasma Homocysteine and Lipoprotein Profile in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease

Several studies have identified moderate hyperhomocysteinemia (HCy) as an indepen dent risk factor for atherosclerosis. The purpose of this case control study was to determine lipoprotein profile and homocysteine concentration in serum of 85 male patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) and in 51 normolipidemic age- matched male controls. Cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol as well as subfractions HDL2 and HDL3 cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, apo B, apo A-I, and lipoprotein particles LpA-I and LpA-I:A-II were measured in serum. Homocysteine, folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B 12 were determined with the help of high-pressure liquid chromatography. The 677 C → T mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene was analyzed in PAOD patients. Patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease showed a significantly higher mean concentration of homocysteine than control subjects (p< 0.001). There was a negative correlation between the levels of homocysteine and vitamin B12 as well as folic acid (for vitamin B12: r=-0.40 and for folic acid: r=-0.38). The prevalence of hyperhomocys teinemia (Hcy > 16 μmol/L) in the patients was 45% in contrast to 8% in controls. HDL cholesterol, HDL3 cholesterol, Apo A-I, and Lp A-I were significantly reduced in patients and triglycerides were elevated. The elevated plasma homocysteine concentra tion is frequently seen in homozygous carriers of a point mutation (677 C → T) in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene, as the product of this gene is an enzyme, participating in homocysteine remethylation. The homozygous state for the 677 C → T mutation was found in 13.3% of PAOD patients.