Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human papillomavirus infection and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in primary laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE This study was designed to add new data about laryngeal carcinogenesis, a multistep process in which chemical and/or viral agents induce and promote successive alterations in growth factor-linked signal transmission pathways, genetic instability, and mutations in key genes involved in cell growth control. Epidemiological evidence suggests that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may be associated with the development of laryngeal cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN In this report, we have analyzed the prevalence of HPV infection and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in a series of 42 laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas by PCR with HPV consensus primers and by a radioligand receptor assay, respectively. RESULTS HPV DNA was detected in 15 of 42 (35.7%) tumors, and it belonged almost exclusively to the highly oncogenic HPV-16, HPV-18, and HPV-33 genotypes. At analysis by Mann-Whitney nonparametric statistical test, EGFR level was found to be significantly higher in HPV-infected than in HPV-negative cases (T = 440; P = 0.002). EGFR overexpression (EGFR-positive status >6 fmol/mg protein, the arbitrary cutoff value chosen) was found in 20 of 42 (47.6%) tumors, and it was associated with HPV infection in a statistically significant extent (chi(2) = 4.686; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Viral oncoproteins have been shown to induce a perturbation of the cell response to signals for growth and differentiation; these findings confirm that enhanced EGFR expression and activation in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma may occur also as a consequence of HPV infection and support the hypothesis of an involvement of HPV infection in laryngeal carcinogenesis.
Key infection: smart trust for smart dust

Future distributed systems may include large self-organizing networks of locally communicating sensor nodes, any small number of which may be subvened by an adversary. Providing security for these sensor networks is important, but the problem is complicated by the fact that managing cryptographic key material is hard: low-cost nodes are neither tamper-proof nor capable of performing public key cryptography efficiently. We show how the key distribution problem can be dealt with in environments with a partially present, passive adversary: a node wishing to communicate securely with other nodes simply generates a symmetric key and sends it in the clear to its neighbours. Despite the apparent insecurity of this primitive, we can use mechanisms for key updating, multipath secrecy amplification and multihop key propagation to build up extremely resilient trust networks where at most a fixed proportion of communications links can be eavesdropped. We discuss applications in which this assumption is sensible. Many systems must perforce cope with principals who are authenticated weakly, if at all; the resulting issues have often been left in the 'too hard' tray. One particular interest of sensor networks is that they present a sufficiently compact and tractable version of this problem. We can perform quantitative analyses and simulations of alternative strategies, some of which we present here. We also hope that This work may start to challenge the common belief that authentication is substantially about bootstrapping trust. We argue that, in distributed systems where the opponent can subvert any small proportion of nodes, it is more economic to invest in resilience than in bootstrapping.
Bridging the gap between cyclone wind and wave by C‐band SAR measurements

Active microwave remote sensing of hurricane-strength wind is a challenging task due to the saturation of col-polarization backscattering signal under such condition. Here, we take advantage of the fact that wind-sea wave growth does not saturate at high wind and the intrinsic relationship among wind-wave triplets (sea surface wind speed, significant wave height, and peak wave period) within a tropical storm to derive the wind speed. Three Sentinel-1 (S-1) and nine RADARSAT-2 (R-2) C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images acquired between 20 and 40 m/s winds are collected in this study. The S-1 and R-2 SAR-derived winds are compared with those measured by coincident National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) and simulated by Symmetric Hurricane Estimates for Wind (SHEW) model. Validations against SFMR winds for S-1 show Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 1.7 m/s with a 0.2 m/s bias at the left-side of cyclone centers and RMSE of 2.9 m/s RMSE with a 0.56 bias at the back-side of cyclone centers. R-2 SAR-derived winds against SHEW model results show a RMSE of 2.4 m/s with a 0.3 m/s bias and 2.6 m/s with a 0.35 m/s bias at the right-side and the left-side of cyclone centers, while the RMSE is 3.9 m/s with a 0.1 m/s bias at the back-side of cyclone centers. The wave-information-based wind retrieval method works well at the left-side and right-side, but less accurately at the back-side of a tropical storm when wind-wave and swell are mixed.
Role of sertraline in posttraumatic brain injury depression and quality-of-life in TBI

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of disability. Depression is one of the major squeal of TBI in both in-patient and out-patient populations. Depression is associated with numerous negative outcomes, thus affecting quality-of-life (QOL) adversely in these patients. Addressing depression in treatment regimen of TBI may improve QOL of these patients. Objective: The present study is designed to evaluate the role of sertraline in post TBI depression and its impact on QOL. Materials and Methods: Eighty male patients with post TBI depression were included in the study among the 250 male patients of mild to moderate TBI recruited for the evaluation. Half of the patients were given sertraline 50 mg PO, whereas other half served as control without sertraline treatment. Participants were assessed on Glasgow Coma scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and World Health Organization QOL (WHOQOL) at regular interval till the end of 6 months. Result: Depression was found in 35.6% of total patients recruited. Most of the patients (63.1%) were below 35 years of age. Depression was more common in mild TBI cases than those with moderate TBI (53.7% vs. 46.25%, P = 0.04). Left side brain injury (56.25%) with cerebral contusions was more commonly associated with depression (P = 0.04). Patients in sertraline group responded well to treatment with significant improvement in mod symptoms (PHQ-9 score 14.88 ± 3.603 vs. 5.33 ± 2.98, P = 0.04)). All the four domains of QOL improved significantly in sertraline group than the control group with sertraline treatment. Conclusion: Management of TBI should also focus on treatment of associated mood symptoms, which is likely to be associated with poor QOL in these patients. Sertraline has been found to be effective in the treatment of depression with significant improvement in QOL in TBI patients.
Long‐Term Stimulatory Warming Effect on Soil Heterotrophic Respiration in a Cool‐Temperate Broad‐Leaved Deciduous Forest in Northern Japan

To evaluate the long‐term response of soil organic carbon decomposition to global warming in Asian monsoon forests, we established a multichannel automated chamber system combined with infrared carbon‐filament heat lamps in a 70‐year‐old cool‐temperate broad‐leaved deciduous forest in northern Japan in September 2011. We designed control plots to measure total soil respiration (Rs), root exclusion (trenched) plots to measure heterotrophic respiration (Rh), and warmed trenched plots to measure Rh under warmed conditions (+2.5°C soil temperature at 5 cm depth, Rhw). Annual effluxes ranged from 12.02 to 14.15 tC ha−1 in Rs, 7.78 to 11.49 tC ha−1 in Rh, and 8.76 to 15.25 tC ha−1 in Rhw over five years (2012–2016). During the summer season (between July and September), the daily warming effect was negatively related to soil temperature. In comparison, the relationship between soil moisture and the daily warming effect varied in each year depending on soil moisture levels. The annual warming effect exhibited large interannual variation, ranging from 6.2 to 17.7% °C−1; however, the five year average (10.9% °C−1) was close to the estimated value (10.2% °C−1) based on the annual Q10 of Rh (2.66). Interannual variation was positively related to the number of rainy days (p = 0.013). Our results indicate that existing global terrestrial models underestimate the strength of the feedback of Rh to global warming in Asian monsoon forests, because most global terrestrial models used relatively low Q10 values (usually below 2.0).
Manual and Virtual Rotation Page 1 Manual and Virtual Rotation Manual and Virtual Rotation of a Three-dimensional Object Manual and Virtual Rotation Page 2 Manual and Virtual Rotation Page 3 Manual and Virtual Rotation of a Three-dimensional Object

An orientation-matching task, based on a mental rotation paradigm, was used to investigate how participants manually rotated a Shepard-Metzler object in the real world and in an immersive virtual environment (VE). Participants performed manual rotation quicker and more efficiently than virtual rotation but the general pattern of results was similar for both. The rate of rotation increased with the starting angle between the stimuli meaning that, in common with many motor tasks, an amplitude-based relationship such as Fitts' Law is applicable. When rotation was inefficient (i.e., not by the shortest path) it was often because participants incorrectly perceived the orientation of one of the objects, and this happened more in the VE than in the real world. Thus, VEs allow objects to be manipulated naturally to a limited extent, indicating the need for timing scale factors to be used for applications such as method-time-motion studies of manufacturing operations. A goal of many virtual environment (VE; virtual reality) applications is to allow users to interact " naturally " with 3D computer-generated objects. If natural interaction can be achieved then not only would the interface exploit well-practiced motor skills, but real-world operations such as manual handling tasks, that involve human operators, could be realistically simulated in real time. This holds manifold advantages in manufacturing design. For example, it would allow accurate method-time-motion studies to be performed using VEs to optimize processes within each cell of a manufacturing facility, the lifting requirements of different tasks to be assessed using actual human motion, " what if " scenarios to be easily investigated, and provide a new mechanism for training production operators. One component of interaction is the free-form (unconstrained) rotation of objects. This is an everyday task, but one that is poorly understood in the cognitive domain. The present article reports the findings of three experiments that studied aspects of free-form manual (real world) and virtual object rotation, and had three primary goals. First, to understand the effect of axes of rotation and angles of separation on the manner in which people perform manual rotation. Second, to determine the extent to which people can rotate objects naturally in a VE and, third, to investigate some of the factors that cause the differences between manual and virtual rotation. First, however, we consider existing studies of manual and virtual rotation, and investigations of a related task, mental rotation.
Transforming online teaching practice: critical analysis of the literature on the roles and competencies of online teachers

Understanding what is lacking in the online teaching literature is critical to helping researchers and practitioners develop programs and support mechanisms for online teachers in higher education. This review formulates a critique of the standards- and competency-driven vision of online teaching from the perspective of transformative learning theory, in order to offer an alternative exploration of the professional development of online teachers as adult learners. The results indicate that while research about online teacher roles and competencies guides the development of teacher preparation and training programs, it lacks in terms of addressing the issues of empowerment of online teachers, promoting critical reflection, and integrating technology into pedagogical inquiry. An alternative perspective is suggested that considers teachers as adult learners who continuously transform their meaning of structures related to online teaching through a continuous process of critical reflection and action.
A UAV based system for real time flash flood monitoring in desert environments using Lagrangian microsensors

Floods are the most common natural disasters, causing thousands of casualties every year in the world. In particular, flash flood events are particularly deadly because of the short timescales on which they occur. Most casualties could be avoided with advance warning, for which real time monitoring is critical. While satellite-based high resolution weather forecasts can help predict floods to a certain extent, they are not reliable enough, as flood models depend on a large number of parameters that cannot be estimated beforehand. In this article, we present a novel flood sensing architecture to monitor large scale desert hydrological basins surrounding metropolitan areas, based on unmanned air vehicles. The system relies on Lagrangian (mobile) microsensors, that are released by a swarm of UAVs. A preliminary testbed implementing this technology is briefly described, and future research directions and problems are discussed.
Effect of expectancy and personality on cortical excitability in Parkinson's disease

Our previous studies in Parkinson's disease have shown that both levodopa and expectancy of receiving levodopa reduce cortical excitability. We designed this study to evaluate how degree of expectancy and other individual factors modulate placebo response in Parkinson's patients. Twenty‐six Parkinson's patients were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: 0%, 50%, and 100% expectancy of receiving levodopa. All subjects received placebo regardless of expectancy group. Subjects completed the NEO‐Five Factor Inventory, General Perceived Self‐Efficacy Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. Cortical excitability was measured by the amplitude of motor‐evoked potential (MEP) evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Objective physical fatigue of extensor carpi radialis before and after placebo levodopa was also measured. Responders were defined as subjects who responded to the placebo levodopa with a decrease in MEP. Degree of expectancy had a significant effect on MEP response (P < .05). Subjects in the 50% and 100% expectancy groups responded with a decrease in MEP, whereas those in the 0% expectancy group responded with an increase in MEP (P < .05). Responders tended to be more open to experience than nonresponders. There were no significant changes in objective physical fatigue between the expectancy groups or between responders and nonresponders. Expectancy is associated with changes in cortical excitability. Further studies are needed to examine the relationship between personality and placebo effect in Parkinson's patients. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society
Lived experience of driving ability following stroke

Purpose. This study describes and expands our understanding of the lived-experience of driving ability after stroke in the context of being under a driving evaluation. Method. Four men with stroke were interviewed on three occasions. The interviews were open-ended, taped and transcribed verbatim, and analysed using Karlsson's Empirical, Phenomenological and Psychological method. Findings. The findings revealed five main characteristics expressed in the participants' lived experiences: (1) the meaning of driving remained throughout life; (2) being questioned and advised not to drive–an untenable situation; (3) being out of control and violated by the driving evaluation; (4) driving safely (as usual) during the on-road test; and (5) perceiving consequences in everyday living. Conclusion. The findings indicate that driving is important and taken for granted even after stroke. To lose the ability to drive was unexpected and aroused strong feelings and reactions. The present study contributes to a deeper understanding of how people with stroke experience their driving ability and the evaluation process, which can be integrated in clinical procedures to help improve information, emotional support and clinical procedures.
Sound Source Localization in Spherical Harmonics Domain Based on High-Order Ambisonics Signals Enhancement Neural Network

Compared with methods based on microphone arrays, sound source localization methods based on higher-order ambisonics (HOA) signals are no longer limited to specific array structures and exhibit better performance in multi-source scenarios. However, the estimation errors of HOA signals always limit the available frequency band of localization algorithms, leading to a decrease in the accuracy and robustness of localization algorithms. To address this problem, we propose a sound source localization method that combines an HOA signals enhancement neural network (referred to as the network model). This method uses a convolutional neural network (CNN) to eliminate low-frequency noise and high-frequency aliasing errors in the HOA signals. It enhances the noise resistance of the network model by adding noise interference during the training. Because the network model improves the consistency of spatial features in each frequency band of the HOA signals, we directly used the full-band frequency smoothing algorithm to improve the accuracy of the covariance matrix and combined it with the minimum variance distortionless response algorithm in the eigenbeam domain (i.e., spherical harmonics domain) (EB-MVDR) for sound source localization. Experimental results show that compared with the traditional EB-MVDR, the proposed sound source localization method can effectively improve the accuracy of multi-source localization in noisy and reverberant environments and has good performance under different numbers of sound sources.
Nucleic acids of bovine lymphosarcoma and normal thymus.

Summary Prior work has shown that mild alkaline hydrolysis of nuclei previously extracted with cold dilute acid and with lipid solvents yielded not only the expected RNA nucleotides but also free adenine and guanine in amounts which varied inversely with the extent of preliminary lipid extraction. The nucleic acid of the nuclei was identified as the source of the free purines. The experiments described here demonstrated that the DNA of the nuclei was the source of the free adenine and probably also of the guanine, and that the conditions to which the nuclei had been subjected were such that significant amounts of purines could not have been removed from isolated DNA. The combined results support the hypothesis that the DNA contains purine deoxyribotides with direct or indirect linkages to lipid which render the deoxyribosidic bonds labile to hydrolysis following extraction with lipid solvents. The lymphosarcoma was found to have a high nuclear ribonucleic acid content when compared with thymus and myocardium. The cytoplasmic and nuclear ribonucleic acids of the lymphosarcoma were unusual in that each had a high cytidylic acid content. In the analyses of the base content of the DNA, statistically significant differences between lymphosarcoma and thymus were found with respect to adenine and thymine.
The Robotic Social Attributes Scale (RoSAS): Development and Validation

Accurately measuring perceptions of robots has become increasingly important as technological progress permits more frequent and extensive interaction between people and robots. Across four studies, we develop and validate a scale to measure social perception of robots. Drawing from the Godspeed Scale and from the psychological literature on social perception, we develop an 18-item scale (The Robotic Social Attribute Scale; RoSAS) to measure people's judgments of the social attributes of robots. Factor analyses reveal three underlying scale dimensions-warmth, competence, and discomfort. We then validate the RoSAS and show that the discomfort dimension does not reflect a concern with unfamiliarity. Using images of robots that systematically vary in their machineness and gender-typicality, we show that the application of these social attributes to robots varies based on their appearance.
Dendritic Cells Discriminate between Yeasts and Hyphae of the Fungus Candida albicans

The fungus Candida albicans behaves as a commensal as well as a true pathogen of areas highly enriched in dendritic cells, such as skin and mucosal surfaces. The ability of the fungus to reversibly switch between unicellular yeast to filamentous forms is thought to be important for virulence. However, whether it is the yeast or the hyphal form that is responsible for pathogenicity is still a matter of debate. Here we show the interaction, and consequences, of different forms of C. albicans with dendritic cells. Immature myeloid dendritic cells rapidly and efficiently phagocytosed both yeasts and hyphae of the fungus. Phagocytosis occurred through different phagocytic morphologies and receptors, resulting in phagosome formation. However, hyphae escaped the phagosome and were found lying free in the cytoplasm of the cells. In vitro, ingestion of yeasts activated dendritic cells for interleukin (IL)-12 production and priming of T helper type 1 (Th1) cells, whereas ingestion of hyphae inhibited IL-12 and Th1 priming, and induced IL-4 production. In vivo, generation of antifungal protective immunity was induced upon injection of dendritic cells ex vivo pulsed with Candida yeasts but not hyphae. The immunization capacity of yeast-pulsed dendritic cells was lost in the absence of IL-12, whereas that of hypha-pulsed dendritic cells was gained in the absence of IL-4. These results indicate that dendritic cells fulfill the requirement of a cell uniquely capable of sensing the two forms of C. albicans in terms of type of immune responses elicited. By the discriminative production of IL-12 and IL-4 in response to the nonvirulent and virulent forms of the fungus, dendritic cells appear to meet the challenge of Th priming and education in C. albicans saprophytism and infections.
Exploring Brain Function from Anatomical Connectivity

The intrinsic relationship between the architecture of the brain and the range of sensory and behavioral phenomena it produces is a relevant question in neuroscience. Here, we review recent knowledge gained on the architecture of the anatomical connectivity by means of complex network analysis. It has been found that cortico-cortical networks display a few prominent characteristics: (i) modular organization, (ii) abundant alternative processing paths, and (iii) the presence of highly connected hubs. Additionally, we present a novel classification of cortical areas of the cat according to the role they play in multisensory connectivity. All these properties represent an ideal anatomical substrate supporting rich dynamical behaviors, facilitating the capacity of the brain to process sensory information of different modalities segregated and to integrate them toward a comprehensive perception of the real world. The results here exposed are mainly based on anatomical data of cats’ brain, but further observations suggest that, from worms to humans, the nervous system of all animals might share these fundamental principles of organization.