Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Historical note: Information retrieval and the future of an illusion

More than thirty years ago there was good evidence to suggest that information retrieval involved conceptual problems of greater subtlety than is generally recognized. The dramatic development and growth of online services since then seems not to have been accompanied by much interest in these conceptual problems, the limits they appear to impose, or the potential for transcending such limits through more creative use of the new services. In this article, I offer a personal perspective on automatic indexing and information retrieval, focusing not necessarily on the mainstream of research but on those events and ideas over a 34-year period that have led to the view stated above, and that have influenced my perception of important directions for future research. Some experimental tests of information systems have yielded good retrieval results and some very poor results. I shall explain why I think that occurred, why I believe that the poor results merit special attention, and why we should reconsider a suggestion that Robert Fairthome put forward in 1963 to develop postulates of impotence—statements of what cannot be done. By understanding such limits we are led to new goals, metaphors, problems, postulates, and perspectives.
Towards improved survivability in safety-critical systems

Performance demand of Critical Real-Time Embedded (CRTE) systems implementing safety-related system features grows at an exponential rate. Only modern semiconductor technologies can satisfy CRTE systems performance needs efficiently. However, those technologies lead to high failure rates, thus lowering survivability of chips to unacceptable levels for CRTE systems. This paper presents SESACS architecture (Surviving Errors in SAfety-Critical Systems), a paradigm shift in the design of CRTE systems. SESACS is a new system design methodology consisting of three main components: (i) a multicore hardware/firmware platform capable of detecting and diagnosing hardware faults of any type with minimal impact on the worst-case execution time (WCET), recovering quickly from errors, and properly reconfiguring the system so that the resulting system exhibits a predictable and analyzable degradation in WCET; (ii) a set of analysis methods and tools to prove the timing correctness of the reconfigured system; and (iii) a white-box methodology and tools to prove the functional safety of the system and compliance with industry standards. This new design paradigm will deliver huge benefits to the embedded systems industry for several decades by enabling the use of more cost-effective multicore hardware platforms built on top of modern semiconductor technologies, thereby enabling higher performance, and reducing weight and power dissipation. This new paradigm will further extend the life of embedded systems, therefore, reducing warranty and early replacement costs.
Phosphatase is responsible for run down, and probably G protein- mediated inhibition of inwardly rectifying K+ currents in guinea pig chromaffin cells

The mechanism of G protein-mediated inhibition of an inwardly rectifying K+ current (IIR) in adrenal chromaffin cells was investigated using the whole-cell version of the patch clamp technique. In case of recording with use of ATP-containing patch solution, the IIR was well maintained; otherwise, it ran down within 15 min. This run down was not prevented by replacement with adenylyl-imidodiphosphate, a nonhydrolysable analogue of ATP, but was markedly reduced by the addition to the ATP-free solution of 1 microM calyculin A, a specific inhibitor of serine/threonine phosphatase 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A). The addition of alkaline phosphatase to the ATP-containing solution facilitated run down of the current, and application of 100 microM H-7, a general kinase inhibitor, reversibly suppressed IIR. These results taken together suggest that inwardly rectifying K+ channels are under the influence of kinase and phosphatase without external signals. Infusion of nonhydrolysable analogues of GTP, guanosine-5'-O-(3- thiophosphate) (GTP gamma S) or guanylyl-imidodiphosphate, through the pipette produced little inward current at -55 mV, but completely inhibited IIR within approximately 5 or 6 min in all cells tested in the presence of 12 microM Mg2+ inside the cell. In contrast, infusion of aluminum fluoride (AlF) complex, another GTP binding (G) protein activator, consistently produced large inward currents, but did not alter IIR noticeably for 15 min in 17% of the cells tested. In the other cells, the inhibition of IIR developed slowly after long latent periods. This inhibitory potency of AlF was not enhanced by an increase in Mg2+ concentrations. Subtraction of the current-voltage relationship before from that noted during the generation of inward current by AlF complex revealed that the inward current diminished progressively with hyperpolarizations, as is the case with a nonselective cation current (INS) induced by a muscarinic agonist. Thus, AlF complex seems to be potent with the generation of INS, but not with IIR inhibition. The addition of 3 microM calyculin A significantly retarded the IIR inhibition by GTP gamma S, whereas that of 1 microM okadaic acid, another inhibitor of PPI and PP2A, markedly prevented the decline of IIR by AIF complex. Our observations suggest that the low potency of AlF complex in inhibiting IIR may be due to interference with phosphatase activity and that the activation of G protein suppresses IIR, probably by enhancing the apparent activity of phosphatase, which may explain run down of the current.
Prevalence of Muscular Dystrophies: A Systematic Literature Review

Background: Determining the prevalence of neuromuscular disorders for the general population is important to identify the scope of burden on society and enable comparisons with other health conditions. This systematic review aims to identify and collate the findings of studies published between 1960 and 2013 on the prevalence of all types of muscular dystrophies. Summary: Relevant articles were identified through electronic database searches and manual searches of reference lists. There were 38 articles from across 19 countries that met the inclusion criteria. The total combined prevalence for all muscular dystrophies for studies classified as having a low risk of bias ranged between 19.8 and 25.1 per 100,000 person-years. Myotonic dystrophy (0.5-18.1 per 100,000), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (1.7-4.2) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (3.2-4.6 per 100,000) were found to be the most common types of disorder. There was wide variation in study methodology, case ascertainment, and verification procedures and populations studied, all of which may contribute to the wide prevalence range, in addition to the likely variation in prevalence by country. Key Messages: Greater consistency in the conduct and reporting of neuroepidemiological studies is urgently needed to enable comparisons to be made between studies, countries, and over time.
Removal of Image Artifacts Due to Sensor Dust

Image artifacts that result from sensor dust are a common but annoying problem for many photographers. To reduce the appearance of dust in an image, we first formulate a model of artifact formation due to sensor dust. With this artifact formation model, we make use of contextual information in the image and a color consistency constraint on dust to remove these artifacts. When multiple images are available from the same camera, even under different camera settings, this approach can also be used to reliably detect dust regions on the sensor. In contrast to image inpainting or other hole-filling methods, the proposed technique utilizes image information within a dust region to guide the use of contextual data. Joint use of these multiple cues leads to image recovery results that are not only visually pleasing, but also faithful to the actual scene. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated in experiments with various cameras.
Activity-Dependent Bulk Endocytosis and Clathrin-Dependent Endocytosis Replenish Specific Synaptic Vesicle Pools in Central Nerve Terminals

Multiple synaptic vesicle (SV) retrieval modes exist in central nerve terminals to maintain a continual supply of SVs for neurotransmission. Two such modes are clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), which is dominant during mild neuronal activity, and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis (ADBE), which is dominant during intense neuronal activity. However, little is known about how activation of these SV retrieval modes impact the replenishment of the total SV recycling pool and the pools that reside within it, the readily releasable pool (RRP) and reserve pool. To address this question, we examined the replenishment of all three SV pools by triggering these SV retrieval modes during both high- and low-intensity stimulation of primary rat neuronal cultures. SVs generated by CME and ADBE were differentially labeled using the dyes FM1-43 and FM2-10, and their replenishment of specific SV pools was quantified using stimulation protocols that selectively depleted each pool. Our studies indicate that while the RRP was replenished by CME-generated SVs, ADBE provided additional SVs to increase the capacity of the reserve pool. Morphological analysis of the uptake of the fluid phase marker horseradish peroxidase corroborated these findings. The differential replenishment of specific SV pools by independent SV retrieval modes illustrates how previously experienced neuronal activity impacts the capability of central nerve terminals to respond to future stimuli.
Expression of interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukins-6, -10 and -4, and metalloproteases by freshly isolated mononuclear cells from early never-treated and non-acute treated rheumatoid arthritis patients.

OBJECTIVE To determine IL-1 beta, TNF alpha, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-13 expression by freshly isolated peripheral blood (PBMC) and synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMC) in early, never-treated (ENT-RA) and non-acute, treated rheumatoid arthritis (NAT-RA) patients. To elucidate whether excessive or inadequate interleukin (IL) and metalloprotease (MMP) expression is influenced by the disease duration. METHODS Fourteen RA patients, 7 with early RA (< 1 year of evolution) never treated with corticosteroids or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and 7 patients with non-acute RA (> 2 years of evolution) treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, were studied by ELISA and quantitative and semiquantitative RT-PCR. A group of 14 healthy subjects matched for sex and age was included. RESULTS No statistically significant difference in the protein or transcript levels for the cytokines of interest was found between the ENT-RA and NAT-RA groups. The cytokine mRNA expression by freshly isolated PBMC and SFMC in both groups was as follows: IL-1 beta > TNF alpha > IL-10 > IL-6, with no mRNA IL-4 expression. In contrast, cytokine serum levels in ENT-RA and NAT-RA patients were detected in inverse order as follows: IL-6 > IL-10, while IL-1 beta, TNF alpha and IL-4 were undetectable. MMP-3 mRNA expression by the PBMC of NAT-RA patients was statistically different to that in ENT-RA patients. Similar levels of mRNA expression of MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-13 by the PBMC and SFMC in both RA groups were observed. CONCLUSIONS A close equilibrium between MMP and pro/anti-inflammatory cytokine production is observed in ENT-RA and NAT-RA patients. This balance is apparently not influenced by the length of the disease. Highly sensitive methods such as quantitative RT-PCR and ELISA, and even studying freshly isolated MC, showed sustained cytokine secretion at the local level (synovial fluid/SFMC) and scarce translation at the peripheral level (serum/PBMC). Expression of MMP mRNA needs to be further evaluated in order to know whether their peripheral expression reflects their local activity in RA patients.
Thin‐beam ultrasound overestimation of blood flow: How wide is your beam?

In theory, mean blood velocity is overestimated by current ultrasound systems using thin‐beam ultrasound. However, if beam and vessel width are known, this overestimation may be correctable. To test this, we developed a string‐phantom based method to measure the effective beam width on a standard vascular ultrasound system (GE Vingmed System 5, Horton, Norway) and used a flow phantom to compare beam‐width estimates of mean velocity to half the peak velocity. We assumed that during steady‐state flow in the flow phantom, mean velocity should equal half the peak velocity. When insonating at a depth of 2 cm, effective beam width was 2.449±0.005 mm (mean±SE). From this, the calculated error correction factor was 0.786 (to correct for a predicted overestimation of 27.2%) for a flow phantom diameter of 6.5 mm based on a parabolic velocity model. We found that, across a range of velocities (8 to 60 cm/s), uncorrected mean velocity overestimated half the peak velocity by 31.7±0.7%, whereas corrected mean velocity overestimated by 3.5±0.6% (P<0.05 vs uncorrected). These findings suggest that while overestimation of mean velocity by thin‐beam ultrasound is a practical concern, it can be minimized if beam and vessel width are known.
Propofol Produces Immobility via Action in the Ventral Horn of the Spinal Cord by a GABAergic Mechanism

BACKGROUND: We investigated the actions of propofol and isoflurane on nociceptive responses of neurons in the spinal cord. METHODS: We determined nociceptive responses of lumbar neurons in the dorsal horn (<1200 &mgr;m) and ventral horn (>1200 &mgr;m) of decerebrate rats before and during propofol (1 effective dose, ED50) or isoflurane (1 minimum alveolar concentration) anesthesia. During recording of ventral horn neurons, we administered picrotoxin by infusion to determine whether isoflurane and propofol differed in their effects at the γ aminobutyric acid (GABA) Type A receptors. We also determined whether decerebration altered propofol requirements to produce immobility. RESULTS: Decerebration did not affect propofol requirements. The ED50 for propofol was 497 ± 58 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1 in intact rats and 420 ± 65 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1 in decerebrated rats (P > 0.05), with corresponding propofol blood concentrations of 8.1 ± 1.1 &mgr;g/mL and 7.3 ± 1.1 &mgr;g/mL, respectively (P > 0.05). Propofol did not significantly depress dorsal horn neurons, but isoflurane depressed the responses to 56% of control (P < 0.05). Propofol depressed ventral horn neurons to 47% of control, whereas isoflurane depressed ventral horn neurons to 20% of control. Picrotoxin significantly reversed the depressant effect of propofol on ventral horn neuronal responses (79% of control, not significantly different from control). Pic- rotoxin, however, had no effect on isoflurane's depression of ventral horn neuronal responses (26% of control). CONCLUSIONS: Propofol acts in the spinal cord to produce immobility. This depressive effect occurs in the ventral horn and is mediated mainly by GABAA receptors. Isoflurane also depresses neurons in the ventral horn; however, isoflurane actions at the GABAA receptor are either weak or overridden by other effects in the ventral horn.
A multi‐modal multiphoton investigation of microstructure in the deep zone and calcified cartilage

Multi‐modal multiphoton microscopy was used to investigate tissue microstructure in the zone of calcified cartilage, focussing on the collagen fibre organisation at the tidemark and cement line. Thick, unstained and unfixed sagittal sections were prepared from the equine metacarpophalangeal joint. Second harmonic generation (SHG) provided contrast for collagen, two‐photon fluorescence (TPF) for endogenous fluorophores, and coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) allowed the cells to be visualised. The structure of radial and calcified cartilage was found to vary with location across the joint, with the palma regions showing a more ordered parallel arrangement of collagen fibres than the cortical ridge and dorsal regions. These patterns may be associated with regional variations in joint loading. In addition, the cell lacunae had a greater diameter in the dorsal region than in the palmar region. At the cement line some collagen fibres were observed crossing between the calcified cartilage and the subchondral bone. At the tidemark the fibres were parallel and continuous between the radial and calcified cartilage. Beneath early superficial lesions the structure of the tidemark and calcified cartilage was disrupted with discontinuities and gaps in the fibrillar organisation. Cartilage microstructure varies in the deep zones between regions of different loading. The variations in collagen structure observed may be significant to the local mechanical properties of the cartilage and therefore may be important to its mechanical interactions with the subchondral bone. The calcified cartilage is altered even below early superficial lesions and therefore is important in the understanding of the aetiology of osteoarthritis.
Perceived Discrimination and Health-Related Quality of Life: Testing the Reserve Capacity Model in Hispanic Americans

ABSTRACT This study tested aspects of the Reserve Capacity Model (Gallo & Matthews, 2003; Gallo, Penedo Espinosa de los Monteros, & Arguelles, 2009) as a means of understanding disparities in health-related quality of life appraisals among Hispanic Americans. Questionnaire data were collected from 236 Hispanic participants, including measures of perceived discrimination, optimism, social support, symptoms of trait anxiety, and physical and mental health-related quality of life. Path analysis indicated direct, negative associations between perceived discrimination and both forms of health-related quality of life. Results also showed that these relationships were partially mediated by the reserve capacity variable of optimism and by symptoms of anxiety, though evidence for mediation by anxiety was stronger than for optimism. Findings suggest that perceived discrimination depletes intrapersonal reserves in Hispanic Americans, which, in turn, induces negative emotions. Implications for community-level interventions are discussed.
Flow instabilities of magnetic flux tubes - II. Longitudinal flow

Context. Flow-induced instabilities are relevant for the storage and dynamics of magnetic fields in stellar convection zones and possibly also in other astrophysical contexts. Aims. We continue the study started in the first paper of this series by considering the stability properties of longitudinal flows along magnetic flux tubes. Methods. A linear stability analysis was carried out to determine criteria for the onset of instability in the framework of the approximation of thin magnetic flux tubes. Results. In the non-dissipative case, we find Kelvin-Helmholtz instability for flow velocities exceeding a critical speed that depends on the Alfven speed and on the ratio of the internal and external densities. Inclusion of a friction term proportional to the relative transverse velocity leads to a friction-driven instability connected with backward (or negative energy) waves. We discuss the physical nature of this instability. In the case of a stratified external medium, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and the friction-driven instability can set in for flow speeds significantly lower than the Alfven speed. Conclusions. Dissipative effects can excite flow-driven instability below the thresholds for the Kelvin-Helmholtz and the undulatory (Parker-type) instabilities. This may be important for magnetic flux storage in stellar convection zones and for the stability of astrophysical jets.
Journal of Enterprise Information Management The role of institutional pressures and top management support in the intention to adopt cloud computing solutions

Purpose –While many studies have predominantly looked at the benefits and risks of cloud computing, little is known whether and to what extent institutional forces play a role in cloud computing adoption. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of institutional factors in top management team’s (TMT’s) decision to adopt cloud computing services. Design/methodology/approach – A model is developed and tested with data from an Australian survey using the partial least squares modeling technique. Findings – The results suggest that mimetic and coercive pressures influence TMT’s beliefs in the benefits of cloud computing. The results also show that TMT’s beliefs drive TMT’s participation, which in turn affects the intention to increase the adoption of cloud computing solutions. Research limitations/implications – Future studies could incorporate the influences of local actors who might also press for innovation. Practical implications – Given the influence of institutional forces and the plethora of cloud-based solutions on the market, it is recommended that TMTs exercise a high degree of caution when deciding for the types of applications to be outsourced as organizational requirements in terms of performance and security will differ. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the growing empirical literature on cloud computing adoption and offers the institutional framework as an alternative lens with which to interpret cloud-based information technology outsourcing.
Instrument specific use-dependent plasticity shapes the anatomical properties of the corpus callosum: a comparison between musicians and non-musicians

Long-term musical expertise has been shown to be associated with a number of functional and structural brain changes, making it an attractive model for investigating use-dependent plasticity in humans. Physiological interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) as examined by transcranial magnetic stimulation has been shown to be correlated with anatomical properties of the corpus callosum as indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA). However, whether or not IHI or the relationship between IHI and FA in the corpus callosum can be modified by different musical training regimes remains largely unknown. We investigated this question in musicians with different requirements for bimanual finger movements (piano and string players) and non-expert controls. IHI values were generally higher in musicians, but differed significantly from non-musicians only in string players. IHI was correlated with FA in the posterior midbody of the corpus callosum across all participants. Interestingly, subsequent analyses revealed that this relationship may indeed be modulated by different musical training regimes. Crucially, while string players had greater IHI than non-musicians and showed a positive structure-function relationship, the amount of IHI in pianists was comparable to that of non-musicians and there was no significant structure-function relationship. Our findings indicate instrument specific use-dependent plasticity in both functional (IHI) and structural (FA) connectivity of motor related brain regions in musicians.
Typhlitis: a neutropenic complication

‘Typhlitis’ describes enterocolitis of the ileocaecal region seen commonly in neutropenic patients. As compared with other malignant conditions, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is most often associated with typhlitis.1 The pathogenesis of typhlitis probably involves a combination of factors, including mucosal injury by cytotoxic drugs, profound neutropenia and impaired host defence to invasion by microorganisms.2 The most common chemotherapeutics associated with typhlitis are cytarabine and daunorubicin.1 Peritonitis and perforation are …