Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Redundancy in Systems which Entertain a Model of Themselves: Interaction Information and the Self-organization of Anticipation

Mutual information among three or more dimensions (μ* = -Q) has been considered as interaction information. However, Krippendorff (1,2) has shown that this measure cannot be interpreted as a unique property of the interactions and has proposed an alternative measure of interaction information based on iterative approximation of maximum entropies. Q can then be considered as a measure of the difference between interaction information and redundancy generated in a model entertained by an observer. I argue that this provides us with a measure of the imprint of a second-order observing system—a model entertained by the system itself—on the underlying information processing. The second-order system communicates meaning hyper-incursively; an observation instantiates this meaning-processing within the information processing. The net results may add to or reduce the prevailing uncertainty. The model is tested empirically for the case where textual organization can be expected to contain intellectual organization in terms of distributions of title words, author names, and cited references.
Computing Wireless Capacity∗

In this paper we address two common questions in wireless communication from an algorithmic perspective, assuming a geometric path loss model: First, how long does it take to satisfy an arbitrary set of wireless communication requests? Second, given a set of arbitrary communication requests, how many of them can be transmitted concurrently. Our main results are efficient algorithms that find a constant approximation for the second problem, and a logarithmic approximation for the first problem. In addition we present a robustness result, showing that constant parameter and model changes will modify a result only by a constant.
Transparency, teleoperation, and children's understanding of social robots

Teleoperation or Wizard-of-Oz control of social robots is commonly used in human-robot interaction (HRI) research. This is especially true for child-robot interactions, where technologies like speech recognition (which can help create autonomous interactions for adults) work less well. We propose to study young children's understanding teleoperation, how they conceptualize social robots in a learning context, and how this affects their interactions. Children will be told about the teleoperator's presence either before or after an interaction with a social robot. We will assess children's behavior, learning, and emotions before, during, and after the interaction. Our goal is to learn whether children's knowledge about the teleoperator matters (e.g., for their trust and for learning outcomes), and if so, how and when it matters most (e.g. at what age).
Serum adipocytokines are related to lipodystrophy and metabolic disorders in HIV-infected men under antiretroviral therapy

Objectives: Adipocytokines, secreted by adipose tissue, may regulate fat metabolism, lipid and glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. We analysed the relations between circulating concentrations of adiponectin, leptin, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor α and its soluble receptors sTNFR1 and R2, lipodystrophic phenotypes and metabolic alterations in patients under highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Methods: We studied 131 consecutive HIV-infected males under protease inhibitor (PI)-based HAART, with body mass index < 27 kg/m2 and C-reactive protein (CRP) < 10 mg/l. Patients were classified in four groups according to clinical examination: no lipodystrophy (NL), lipohypertrophy (LH), lipoatrophy (LA) and mixed lipodystrophy (ML). In addition to adipocytokines, we measured plasma fasting levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, cardiovascular risk markers (high-sensitivity CRP and apolipoproteins B/A1 ratio), fasted and 2 h post-glucose loading glycemia and insulinemia and calculated the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index. Results: The patients were HIV-infected and PI-treated for a mean of 8.2 and 1.6 years respectively; 74% presented lipodystrophy, 38% altered glucose tolerance and 42% hypertriglyceridemia. Insulin sensitivity correlated positively with adiponectin and negatively with leptin and interleukin-6. Adiponectin, but not leptin, negatively correlated with all metabolic parameters. Insulin resistance, metabolic defects and cardiovascular risk markers were strongly negatively correlated with the adiponectin/leptin ratio (A/L), and positively with sTNFR1. LA patients had a longer duration of infection but ML patients presented the most severe metabolic alterations, insulin resistance and A/L decrease. Conclusions: These results suggest that adiponectin and the TNFα system are related to lipodystrophy, insulin resistance and metabolic alterations in patients under PI-based HAART. A/L and sTNFR1 could predict insulin sensitivity and potential cardiovascular risk in these patients.
Hydrogen Peroxide Produced by Oral Streptococci Induces Macrophage Cell Death

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) produced by members of the mitis group of oral streptococci plays important roles in microbial communities such as oral biofilms. Although the cytotoxicity of H2O2 has been widely recognized, the effects of H2O2 produced by oral streptococci on host defense systems remain unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effect of H2O2 produced by Streptococcus oralis on human macrophage cell death. Infection by S. oralis was found to stimulate cell death of a THP-1 human macrophage cell line at multiplicities of infection greater than 100. Catalase, an enzyme that catalyzes the decomposition of H2O2, inhibited the cytotoxic effect of S. oralis. S. oralis deletion mutants lacking the spxB gene, which encodes pyruvate oxidase, and are therefore deficient in H2O2 production, showed reduced cytotoxicity toward THP-1 macrophages. Furthermore, H2O2 alone was capable of inducing cell death. The cytotoxic effect seemed to be independent of inflammatory responses, because H2O2 was not a potent stimulator of tumor necrosis factor-α production in macrophages. These results indicate that streptococcal H2O2 plays a role as a cytotoxin, and is implicated in the cell death of infected human macrophages.
A Combinatorial View on Gene Assembly

We shall give an introduction to gene assembly based on operations on signed permutations. These operations sort signed permutations to a conjugate of an identity permutation or of its inversion, and they are faithful to the molecular model of gene assembly in ciliates introduced by Ehrenfeucht, Prescott, and Rozenberg. In particular, the operations on signed permutations are not reductive, that is, the result of an application of an operation corresponds to a full molecule of the molecular model. For the molecular model there are formal reductive models based on strings and graphs. The article is based on the author’s invited talk at the First Joint International Meeting between the American Mathematical Society and the Real Sociedad Matematica Espanola.
A randomized, dose-finding study with didanosine plus stavudine versus didanosine alone in antiviral-naive, HIV-infected Thai patients

ObjectivesTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of four different regimens of didanosine (ddI) + stavudine (d4T) in HIV-infected Thais. DesignProspective, open-label, randomized study. MethodsPatients were randomized to four regimens of high and low doses of ddI and d4T or to ddI alone. D4T was added to the ddI-alone arm after week 24. The duration of study was 48 weeks. ResultsSeventy-eight patients were randomized (mean CD4 cell count, 255 × 106/l; mean plasma HIV-1 RNA; 4.3 log10 copies/ml). In the intent-to-treat analysis, 78% of patients in the pooled combination arms and 20% of the patients in the ddI alone arm (to which d4T was added after 24 weeks) showed plasma HIV-1 RNA < 500 copies/ml at week 24 (P < 0.001), and 59% versus 53% at week 48, respectively. In addition, the proportion of patients with < 50 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml was 13% versus 7% at week 24 (P = 0.5) and 17% versus 20% at week 48 respectively. At week 24, median CD4 cell count increases from baseline were 101 × 106/l in the pooled combination versus 76 × 106/l in the ddI alone arm (P = 0.78). Logistic regression modeling suggested a correlation between receiving high dose ddI and achieving HIV-1 RNA < 500 copies/ml at week 48 (P = 0.07). ConclusionsThe d4T/ddI combination was superior to ddI alone in producing HIV-1 viral suppression. At week 48, > 60% of patients treated with this combination reached HIV-1 RNA levels < 500 copies/ml. Receiving high dose ddI but not d4T may correlate with a better viral suppression.
Integrating serological and genetic data to quantify cross-species transmission: brucellosis as a case study

SUMMARY Epidemiological data are often fragmented, partial, and/or ambiguous and unable to yield the desired level of understanding of infectious disease dynamics to adequately inform control measures. Here, we show how the information contained in widely available serology data can be enhanced by integration with less common type-specific data, to improve the understanding of the transmission dynamics of complex multi-species pathogens and host communities. Using brucellosis in northern Tanzania as a case study, we developed a latent process model based on serology data obtained from the field, to reconstruct Brucella transmission dynamics. We were able to identify sheep and goats as a more likely source of human and animal infection than cattle; however, the highly cross-reactive nature of Brucella spp. meant that it was not possible to determine which Brucella species (B. abortus or B. melitensis) is responsible for human infection. We extended our model to integrate simulated serology and typing data, and show that although serology alone can identify the host source of human infection under certain restrictive conditions, the integration of even small amounts (5%) of typing data can improve understanding of complex epidemiological dynamics. We show that data integration will often be essential when more than one pathogen is present and when the distinction between exposed and infectious individuals is not clear from serology data. With increasing epidemiological complexity, serology data become less informative. However, we show how this weakness can be mitigated by integrating such data with typing data, thereby enhancing the inference from these data and improving understanding of the underlying dynamics.
Unregulated Autonomy: Uncredentialed Educational Interpreters in Rural Schools

Abstract: Although many rural Deaf and Hard of Hearing students attend public schools most of the day and use the services of educational interpreters to gain access to the school environment, little information exists on what interpreters are doing in rural school systems in the absence of credentialing requirements. The researcher used ethnographic interviews and field observations of three educational interpreters with no certification or professional assessment to explore how uncredentialed interpreters were enacting their role in a rural high school. The findings indicate that uncredentialed interpreters in rural settings perform four major functions during their school day: preparing the environment, staff, and materials; interpreting a variety of content; interacting with numerous stakeholders; and directly instructing Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Generally, educational interpreters in rural districts operate with unregulated autonomy, a situation that warrants further research and a national standard for all educational interpreters.
Real-life experience of using conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Retrospective analysis of the efficacy of methotrexate, sulfasalazine, and leflunomide in PsA in comparison to spondyloarthritides other than PsA and literature review of the use 

OBJECTIVE With the aim of assessing the response to treatment with conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) used in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), data on methotrexate, sulfasalazine (SSZ), and leflunomide were analyzed from baseline and subsequent follow-up (FU) questionnaires completed by patients with either PsA or other spondyloarthritides (SpAs). MATERIAL AND METHODS A single-center real-life retrospective analysis was performed by obtaining clinical data via questionnaires administered before and after treatment. The indices used were erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Function Index (BASFI), wellbeing (WB), and treatment effect (TxE). The indices measured at baseline were compared with those measured on one occasion in a FU visit at least 1 year later. RESULTS A total of 73 patients, 51 with PsA (mean age 49.8±12.8 years; male-to-female ratio [M:F]=18:33) and 22 with other SpAs (mean age 50.6±16 years; M:F=2:20), were studied. BASDAI, BASFI, and WB displayed consistent improvements during FU assessments in both PsA patients and controls in comparison to baseline values. SSZ exhibited better efficacy as confirmed by TxE in both PsA patients and controls. ESR and CRP displayed no differences in either the PsA or the SpA group between the cases before and after treatment. CONCLUSION Real-life retrospective analysis of three DMARDs used in PsA (and SpAs other than PsA) demonstrated that all three DMARDs that were used brought about improvements in BASDAI, BASFI, TxE, and WB. However, the greatest improvements at FU were seen with SSZ use in both PsA and control cohorts.
A new method for image reconstruction using self-embedding

In this paper we propose a new method for content reconstruction using self-embedding technology. As the content reconstruction problem can be regarded as a special kind of erasure channel, we use fountain code which has good performance in erasure channel to generate reference symbols for reconstruction. Theoretical analysis of success bound about maximal tamper rate is given and is verified by the Monte Carlo simulation. The experiments of a specific scheme show that our method can reduce the payload and improve the quality of the watermarked image, while still achieving high quality reconstruction and high tamper tolerance.
Detection of lymphangiogenesis by near‐infrared fluorescence imaging and responses to VEGF‐C during healing in a mouse full‐dermis thickness wound model

Noninvasive, longitudinal near‐infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging was used to detect and quantify lymphangiogenesis following a full‐dermis thickness incision in the presence and absence of locally administered vascular endothelial growth factor‐C (VEGF‐C), a well‐known regulator of lymphangiogenesis. Peripheral cytokines/chemokines were also measured in treated and sham‐injected animals. Lymphangiogenesis was detected via NIRF imaging by day 7–8 and confirmed by intravital microscopy, while angiogenesis was observed by day 2–3 postincision (PI). All lymph vessel parameters quantified were significantly greater on wounded vs. nonwounded sides of mice. Lymph vessel parameters appeared larger on wounded sides of VEGF‐C– relative to NaCl‐treated mice, although differences were not significant. Interleukin‐1α and interleukin‐22 were significantly elevated at day 7 PI relative to respective preincision levels in VEGF‐C‐treated mice, and decreased by day 21 PI to levels nearing those measured preincision. For the majority of cytokines/chemokines measured, mean responses were significantly greater in VEGF‐C– vs. NaCl‐treated animals. Local VEGF‐C administration may stimulate lymphangiogenesis during tissue repair and regeneration via mediating systemic cytokine/chemokine levels. NIRF imaging can be utilized to detect lymphangiogenesis during wound healing, and offers a promising platform to complement current methods for monitoring wound status and studying the effects of growth factors on healing.
REDUCTION IN HOMICIDE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THROUGH THE MAHARISHI TECHNOLOGY OF THE UNIFIED FIELD, 1980-83: A TIME SERIES ANALYSIS

There are over 20 studies that have supported the prediction that the quality of life in an area can be significantly improved by a small number of individuals practicing the Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of collective practice of the Maharishi Technology of the Unified Field on the reduction of the number of homicides in the District of Columbia using interrupted time series analysis. The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia supplied the homicide data for the period of the study: from August 1980 through November 1983.
Direct Thrombin Inhibitor Argatroban Reduces Stroke Damage in 2 Different Models

Background and Purpose— We showed previously robust neuroprotection with the thrombin inhibitor argatroban and now sought additional support for its neuroprotective potential. Methods— We used behavioral and histological end points; rigorously blinded the study groups; extended the treatment window to 3 hours after ischemia onset; and used 2 separate models. First, 2-hour filament middle cerebral artery occlusion in 64 male Sprague-Dawley rats was followed by learning and memory testing and quantitative histomorphometry. Randomly assigned treatment was 0.45 mg argatroban, saline, or 0.4 U thrombin. Second, we used the quantal bioassay (n=272) after 2-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion to detect the longest time delay after which therapy failed. Results— Argatroban powerfully and significantly reversed learning and memory deficits because of focal ischemia compared with saline or thrombin (P<0.03; ANOVA). Argatroban was significantly (P<0.05; t test with Bonferroni) protective when given immediately or after 1, 2, 3, but not 4 hours delay. Conclusions— We obtained supportive evidence for argatroban protection of the neurovascular unit using behavioral and histological measurements at realistic therapeutic time windows.
Wind Penetration through Fabric Systems. Part I

Total and local heat transfer coefficients obtained on heated cylinders under similar environmental conditions of wind speed and air temperature are used as "figures of merit" for comparing fabric systems with different partitional dimensions and material compositions and covered by windbreaks of different permeability. It was found that two moderately air permeable windbreaks with a space between them could provide protection from wind penetration equal to or greater than a single windbreak of low permeability. It was also shown that the variation in heat loss around the cylinder was much greater with certain arrangements of fabric layers than with others even though the average (over-all) coefficients were often the same. This suggests that comparisons of fabric systems based on average or over-all insulating values may be highly misleading, since no indication of potential "cold spots" in a wind (particularly on the windward side) is possible.
XORing Elephants: Novel Erasure Codes for Big Data

Distributed storage systems for large clusters typically use replication to provide reliability. Recently, erasure codes have been used to reduce the large storage overhead of three-replicated systems. Reed-Solomon codes are the standard design choice and their high repair cost is often considered an unavoidable price to pay for high storage efficiency and high reliability. This paper shows how to overcome this limitation. We present a novel family of erasure codes that are efficiently repairable and offer higher reliability compared to Reed-Solomon codes. We show analytically that our codes are optimal on a recently identified tradeoff between locality and minimum distance. We implement our new codes in Hadoop HDFS and compare to a currently deployed HDFS module that uses Reed-Solomon codes. Our modified HDFS implementation shows a reduction of approximately 2× on the repair disk I/O and repair network traffic. The disadvantage of the new coding scheme is that it requires 14% more storage compared to Reed-Solomon codes, an overhead shown to be information theoretically optimal to obtain locality. Because the new codes repair failures faster, this provides higher reliability, which is orders of magnitude higher compared to replication.
Mechanisms of Auger-induced chemistry derived from wave packet dynamics

To understand how core ionization and subsequent Auger decay lead to bond breaking in large systems, we simulate the wave packet dynamics of electrons in the hydrogenated diamond nanoparticle C197H112. We find that surface core ionizations cause emission of carbon fragments and protons through a direct Auger mechanism, whereas deeper core ionizations cause hydrides to be emitted from the surface via remote heating, consistent with results from photon-stimulated desorption experiments [Hoffman A, Laikhtman A, (2006) J Phys Condens Mater 18:S1517–S1546]. This demonstrates that it is feasible to study the chemistry of highly excited large-scale systems using simulation and analysis tools comparable in simplicity to those used for classical molecular dynamics.
Tuberculosis in Asia and the Pacific: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Health System Development

Objective: To identify the relationship between socioeconomic status, health system development and the incidence, prevalence and mortality of tuberculosis in Asia and the Pacific. Methods: Incidence, prevalence and mortality rates of tuberculosis and 20 variables of socioeconomic, health system and biological–behavioral issues were included in the study involving all 46 countries of the Asian Development Bank region (2007 data). Both univariate and multivariate linear regressions were used. Results: The worst three tuberculosis affected countries were Cambodia, India and Indonesia, while the least affected was Australia. Tuberculosis incidence, prevalence and mortality rate were higher in countries with lower human development index, corruption perception index, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and countries with more people under minimum food supplements. Among the health system variables, total health expenditure per capita, governmental health expenditure per capita, hospital beds, and access to improved water and sanitation were strongly associated with tuberculosis. Conclusions: Socioeconomic determinants and health system development have significant effect on the control of tuberculosis in Asia and the Pacific region. The study has some policy implications by means of lowering the corruption and improving the sanitation.
A phase II study of bortezomib in mantle cell lymphoma: the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group trial IND.150.

BACKGROUND We evaluated the activity and toxic effects of bortezomib in patients with mantle cell lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty patients, including 29 eligible patients, were enrolled; 13 had received no prior chemotherapy. The dose of bortezomib was 1.3 mg/m2 given on days 1, 4, 8 and 11 every 21 days. Response was assessed according to the International Workshop Criteria for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and toxicity graded using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria version 2.0. RESULTS There were 13 responding patients (46.4%; 95% confidence interval=27.5% to 66.1%), including one unconfirmed complete remission. The median response duration was 10 months. Response rates were similar in previously untreated (46.2%) and treated (46.7%) patients. Neurological toxicity and myalgia led to treatment discontinuation in 10 patients after two to seven treatment cycles. Five serious adverse events (including two deaths) associated with fluid retention were observed in the first 12 patients. We subsequently excluded patients with baseline effusions, dyspnea or edema; no further events were seen. CONCLUSIONS Bortezomib is active in treating patients with mantle cell lymphoma. While cumulative neuromuscular toxic effects limited therapy duration and specific issues related to fluid retention require further evaluation, continued study of this drug in combination regimens is warranted.