Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empathizing with Saddam Hussein.

Ten elements in the methodology of realistic empathy are considered, including the chessplayer's type of empathy and taking into account the other's expectable misperceptions, one's own expectable misperceptions, and the other's cultural background. A somewhat systematic cognitive map of Saddam's political world is then attempted. Somewhat surprisingly, his basic motives include much genuine fear, especially fear that, without strength and toughness on his part, Iraq will fall apart and Syria and Iran will pick up the pieces. They also include intense needs for power as such, for economic recovery, and for keeping his recently acquired reputation, in Arab eyes, as the great, tough champion of all Arabs in their struggle against Israel, the United States, and the greedy, corrupt, spineless rulers of the Gulf states. Present perceived paths to those goals include nonprovocation, waiting for new Arab allies and for greater disunity in the nonArab world, and a ruthless, all-out attack if attacked or about to be attacked. Implications for negotiation are considered.
Steiner triple ( quadruple ) systems of small ranks embedded into perfect ( extended perfect ) binary codes 1

It is shown that a class of Steiner triple systems of order 2−1, obtained by some special switchings from the Hamming Steiner triple system, is embedded into some perfect code, constructed by known switchings of ijk-components from the binary Hamming code. The number of Steiner triple systems of order n and rank less or equal n− log(n + 1) + 2, embedded into perfect binary codes of length n, is given. Similar results are obtained for Steiner quadruple systems.
High Glucose Decreases Expression and Activity of p-glycoprotein in Cultured Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium Possibly through iNOS Induction

Inhibition of p-glycoprotein under hyperglycemic conditions has been reported in various barrier tissues including blood-brain barrier, intestine, and kidney, and has been linked to significant clinical complications. However, whether this is also true for the outer blood-retinal barrier constituted by retinal pigment epithelium, or has a role in pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy is not yet clear. In this study, using cultured human retinal pigment epithelium cell line D407, we found that high glucose exposure induced a significant decrease in p-glycoprotein expression both at mRNA and at protein levels, accompanied by an attenuated p-glycoprotein activity determined by intracellular rhodamine 123 retention. In marked contrast, the expressions of both mRNA and protein levels of inducible nitrate oxide synthase (iNOS) increased, and were accompanied by increased extracellular nitrate/nitrite production by Griess reaction. In addition, mRNA levels of nuclear receptors revealed a decreased expression of pregnane X receptor after the exposure of high glucose. However, the subsequent alterations in production of nitrate/nitrite, functional expression of p-glycoprotein, and mRNA levels of pregnane X receptor were partially blocked when pretreated with S,S′-1,3-phenylene-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)-bis-isothiourea•2HBr (PBITU), a selective iNOS inhibitor. Moreover, the effects of PBITU were antagonized with the addition of L-arginine, a substrate for NO synthesis. Our in vitro results suggest for the first time that iNOS induction plays a novel role in decreased p-glycoprotein expression and transport function at the human outer blood-retinal barrier under hyperglycemic conditions and further support the concept of inhibiting iNOS pathway as a therapeutic strategy for diabetic retinopathy.
An Event-Driven Dual Coordination Mechanism for Demand Side Management of PHEVs

This paper addresses the challenges of integrating existing PHEV charging algorithms, which optimize PHEV charging per market timeslot (e.g., 15 minutes), into an environment with realistic communication conditions. To address this challenge, we propose a dual coordination mechanism, which controls a cluster of devices on two different operation levels: market operation and real-time operation. The market operation level uses an existing timeslot-based algorithm to calculate a charging schedule per timeslot. The real-time operation level translates this schedule into event-based control actions for a realistic communication environment, wherein a limited number of messages can be exchanged. A case study of 1000 PHEVs shows that it is possible to achieve results on par with the timeslot based algorithm but with significantly reduced communication with the PHEVs.
A New Corpus and Imitation Learning Framework for Context-Dependent Semantic Parsing

Semantic parsing is the task of translating natural language utterances into a machine-interpretable meaning representation. Most approaches to this task have been evaluated on a small number of existing corpora which assume that all utterances must be interpreted according to a database and typically ignore context. In this paper we present a new, publicly available corpus for context-dependent semantic parsing. The MRL used for the annotation was designed to support a portable, interactive tourist information system. We develop a semantic parser for this corpus by adapting the imitation learning algorithm DAgger without requiring alignment information during training. DAgger improves upon independently trained classifiers by 9.0 and 4.8 points in F-score on the development and test sets respectively.
[EGFR gene copy number, ERCC1 and BRCA1 protein expression and their relationship in non-small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene copy number and the expression of ERCC1 and BRCA1 proteins in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the correlation between them. METHODS The status of EGFR gene copy number was determined by in situ hybridization (FISH), and the expression of ERCC1 and BRCC1 proteins was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The relationship of EGFR gene copy number with the expression of ERCC1 and BRCA1 and the clinical pathologic features were analyzed. RESULTS FISH-positive EGFR expression was identified in 40 of 166 samples (24.1%). More FISH-positive EGFR in the female than male patients (31.9% vs. 18.6%, P = 0.048), and non-smoker than smoker (32.8% vs. 16.7%, P = 0.045). FISH-positive EGFR was not associated with age, pathological type, clinical stage and metestasis status (P > 0.05). The expression of ERCC1 protein was identified in 60 of 132 samples (45.5%). The expression of ERCC1 protein varied significantly in tumors of different pathological types (P = 0.046), but not associated with age, gender, clinical stage, metestatic status and smoking status (P > 0.05). The expression of BRCA1 protein was identified in 46 of 131 samples (35.1%). The expression of BRCA1 was not associated with age gender, pathological type, clinical stage, metestatic ststus and smoking status (P > 0.05). There was a moderate correlation between the expressions of ERCC1 and BRCA1 (r = 0.449, P < 0.001), but EGFR gene copy number was not correlated with the expression of ERCC1 or BRCA1 protein. CONCLUSIONS FISH-positive EGFR expression is associated with gender and smoking status, but not correlated with the expression of ERCC1 and BRCA1 proteins. There is a moderate correlation between the expressions of ERCC1 and BRCA1.
DIFFERENTIATION OF THE SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM AND T SYSTEM IN DEVELOPING CHICK SKELETAL MUSCLE IN VITRO

The electron microscope was used to investigate the first 10 days of differentiation of the SR and the T system in skeletal muscle cultured from the breast muscle of 11-day chick embryos. The T-system tubules could be clearly distinguished from the SR in developing muscle cells fixed with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide. Ferritin diffusion confirmed this finding: the ferritin particles were found only in the tubules identified as T system. The proliferation of both membranous systems seemed to start almost simultaneously at the earliest myotube stage. Observations suggested that the new SR membranes developed from the rough-surfaced ER as tubular projections. The SR tubules connected with one another to form a network around the myofibril. The T-system tubules were formed by invagination of the sarcolemma. The early extension of the T system by branching and budding was seen only in subsarcolemmal regions. Subsequently the T-system tubules could be seen deep within the muscle cells. Immediately after invaginating, the T-system tubule formed, along its course, specialized connections with the SR or ER: triadic structures showing various degrees of differentiation. The simultaneous occurrence of myofibril formation and membrane proliferation is considered to be important in understanding the coordinated events resulting in the differentiated myotube.
Gamification for Machine Learning: The Classification Game

The creation of a labelled dataset for machine learning purposes is a costly process. In recent works, it has been shown that a mix of crowdsourcing and active learning approaches can be used to annotate objects at an a↵ordable cost. In this paper, we study the gamification of machine learning techniques; in particular, the problem of classification of objects. In this first pilot study, we designed a simple game, based on a visual interpretation of probabilistic classifiers, that consists in separating two sets of coloured points on a two-dimensional plane by means of a straight line. We present the current results of this first experiment that we used to collect the requirements for the next version of the game and to analyze i) what is the ‘price’ to build a reasonably accurate classifier with a small amount of labelled objects, ii) and compare the accuracy of the player to the state-of-the-art classification algorithms.
Analysis of Serum Cytokines in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

ABSTRACT Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an acute infectious disease of the respiratory system. Although a novel coronavirus has been identified as the causative agent of SARS, the pathogenic mechanisms of SARS are not understood. In this study, sera were collected from healthy donors, patients with SARS, patients with severe SARS, and patients with SARS in convalescence. The serum concentrations of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor growth factor beta (TGF-β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The concentrations of IL-1 and TNF-α were not significantly different in different groups. The IL-6 concentration was increased in SARS patients and was significantly elevated in severe SARS patients, but the IL-6 concentrations were similar in convalescent patients and control subjects, suggesting that there was a positive relationship between the serum IL-6 concentration and SARS severity. The concentrations of IL-8 and TGF-β were decreased in SARS patients and significantly reduced in severe SARS patients, but they were comparable in convalescent SARS patients and control subjects, suggesting that there was a negative relationship between the IL-8 and TGF-β concentrations and SARS severity. The concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10 showed significant changes only in convalescent SARS patients. The IFN-γ and IL-4 levels were decreased, while the levels of IL-10 were increased, and the differences between convalescent SARS patients and other patient groups were statistically significant. These results suggest that there are different immunoregulatory events during and after SARS and may contribute to our understanding of the pathogenesis of this syndrome.
Perspectives Series : Nitric Oxide and Nitric Oxide Synthases Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase : What Difference Does It Make ?

Fire sweeps through the brush. In its aftermath, dormant seeds of chaparral, savanna, heath, and scrub begin to germinate in response to a “go” signal in the smoke. Even though smokesoaked water kills the seeds, in diluted form it triggers their development. The chemical cues are nitrogen oxides (1). This lesson of death and life in the field mirrors comparable events within us, where reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) 1 deliver both deathand life-promoting messages. As described in Michel and Feron’s introduction to this series (2), RNI include not only nitric oxide (NO), the primary reactive product of nitric oxide synthases (NOSs), but also those species resulting from NO’s rapid oxidation, reduction, or adduction in physiologic milieus, such as NO 2 , NO 2 2 , N 2 O 3 , N 2 O 4 , S -nitrosothiols, and peroxynitrite (OONO 2 ). In mammals, there is a rough correspondence between toxic and homeostatic functions of NO and its production in large and small quantities, respectively. The high-output path of NO production is the hallmark of the second isoform of NOS to be cloned, NOS2. NOS2 was named “iNOS” (3) to connote its independence of elevated intracellular Ca 2 1 , the distinguishing biochemical feature primarily responsible for conferring the capacity of this isoform for more sustained catalysis than typically exercised either by nNOS (NOS1) or eNOS (NOS3) (4). Because iNOS is expressed in most cells only after induction by immunologic and inflammatory stimuli, the “i” doubles for “inducible. ” 5 yr after mouse iNOS cDNA was cloned (3, 5, 6), and 2 yr after the NOS2 gene was disrupted in mice through homologous recombination (7–9), it is timely to take stock: What does iNOS contribute to mammalian pathophysiology? The complexity of this question has elicited multiple responses addressed to different facets of an answer (e.g., references 10–15). The approach of this Perspective is to focus on lessons emerging from iNOS “knock-out” mice. The compound phenotype of these mice (Table I) invites prediction, the limitations of pathophysiologic analysis through gene disruption deserve reflection, and the bottom line demands inspection: In what light does this new knowledge cast iNOS as a potential therapeutic target?
Exercise, Sedentary Pastimes, and Cognitive Performance in Healthy Older Adults

Background: Moderately vigorous physical activity (MVPA) provides a protective affect against cognitive decline and cardiovascular risk factors. Less is known about sedentary pastimes or non exercise physical activity (NEPA) and cognitive performance. Method: 125 healthy adults 65 or older with no clinical evidence of cognitive impairment were enrolled. The CogState computerized neurocognitive battery was administered. Leisure activities were measured using the Community Health Activity Program for Seniors (CHAMPS). Results: Sedentary pastimes were associated with executive dysfunction (P = 0.01); MVPA with high memory scores (P = 0.05) and NEPA with improved working memory (P = 0.05). Only sedentary pastimes and executive dysfunction retained significance after correction for multiple comparisons. Smoking and alcohol confounded the association of memory with sedentary pastimes and MVPA. Conclusions: Study highlights: negative impact of sedentary pastimes on executive function, need for additional investigation of sedentary behavior, NEPA, the impact of addictions upon activity in late life.
Muscle-Specific Pten Deletion Protects against Insulin Resistance and Diabetes

ABSTRACT Pten (phosphatase with tensin homology), a dual-specificity phosphatase, is a negative regulator of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. Pten regulates a vast array of biological functions including growth, metabolism, and longevity. Although the PI3K/Akt pathway is a key determinant of the insulin-dependent increase in glucose uptake into muscle and adipose cells, the contribution of this pathway in muscle to whole-body glucose homeostasis is unclear. Here we show that muscle-specific deletion of Pten protected mice from insulin resistance and diabetes caused by high-fat feeding. Deletion of muscle Pten resulted in enhanced insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake and Akt phosphorylation in soleus but, surprisingly, not in extensor digitorum longus muscle compared to littermate controls upon high-fat feeding, and these mice were spared from developing hyperinsulinemia and islet hyperplasia. Muscle Pten may be a potential target for treatment or prevention of insulin resistance and diabetes.
The consumer-to-consumer persuasion : application of rhetorical appeals in consumer’s reviews

The human need for interaction explains their engagement in social networks sites and why they are willing to actually make their role in Web 2.0 through User Generated Content (UGC). Self-expression, self-confidence and the reinforcement of their character are also reasons and are aligned with persuasive goals. The persuasive nature of human communication is elicited by the classical rhetoric, an ancient series of systems encompassing all the possible uses of written and spoken language. Its survival over the years is explained by its adaptability to different media and context and by the fact that it considers the whole man as sources of persuasive appeals: character (ethos), emotion (pathos) and reason (logos). Considering the consumer to consumer conversation through social media based communities this study explored the application of persuasive appeals in such interactions and answer the following question: RQ: To what extent ethos, pathos and logos are used in consumer to consumer conversations? A content analysis was performed in a set on consumer online reviews about three different business categories. The main finding shows that consumers used more logical appeals to illustrate their standpoint. The study also supports the idea that a good persuasive message addresses all the rhetorical appeals.
Expression of transforming growth factor beta-1 in gastric cancer and in the gastric mucosa of first-degree relatives of patients with gastric cancer

Transforming growth factors beta (TGF-β) constitute a family of polypeptide growth factors that control cell growth, cell differentiation and migration, as well as the formation of the extracellular matrix. Recent analyses revealed the overexpression of TGF-β1 in human gastric cancers and demonstrated increased cell proliferation in the stomach of patients with gastric cancer and their first-degree relatives. Using human gastric tissues obtained from patients with gastric cancer (n = 19), biopsies from healthy first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients (n = 18) and healthy individuals (n = 19), we analysed the expression of TGF-β1 using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Fifteen of 19 patients with gastric cancer expressed TGF-β1 in the tumour. In 11 of these 15 cases TGF-β1 mRNA was also detectable in the non-tumourous stomach. Interestingly, all but two individuals with a first-degree relative diagnosed with gastric cancer exhibited TGF-β1 expression in either the antrum or corpus biopsy or both. In contrast, only one of 19 individuals without a family history of gastric cancer expressed TGF-β1 in the stomach (P< 0.0001). TGF-β1 expression is detectable in a large proportion of gastric cancers and in the stomach of healthy first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients. Since individuals without gastric cancers in their family express TGF-β1 only in one of 19 cases, the induction of TGF-β1 expression in first-degree relatives of patients with gastric cancer points to the presence of specific molecular alterations in a subgroup of individuals with an increased risk of developing gastric cancer that may precede the development of gastric cancers. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign
Charging properties and time-temperature stability of innovative polymeric cellular ferroelectrets

After appropriate mechanical and electrical treatments, some cellular polymers become able to retain space charge for a long time, i.e. they acquire electret behavior. The electrical treatment consists of charging under high levels of DC electric field. The mechanical treatment, based on the application of stretching forces to cellular polymer slabs that were before expanded under pressurized gas, affects the cavity size and shape, and therefore also the effectiveness of the charging process itself. An investigation of charging mechanisms, as well as of mechanical treatment, is therefore fundamental for optimizing the ferro- and piezo-electret properties. The aim of this paper is to discuss the effect of the physical dimension of the cavities on the charging behavior of cellular ferroelectrets and to focus on the time-temperature stability for two families of polymeric cellular ferroelectrets based on polypropylene (PP) and on a cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC). Emphasis will be given to the stretching process and in particular to the expansion rate applied during the manufacturing process (which affects the radial dimension and the height of the cavities, respectively). Space-charge and partial-discharge measurements as a function of time and temperature are the main tools to infer the influence of the cavity size on charging and stability characteristics
The musculoskeletal effect of intense physical training of non-athletic youth corps conscripts.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the musculoskeletal problems associated with high intensity physical exercise among non-athletic youth subjects. METHODS: 484 fresh Nigerian graduates participating in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme were studied. At the start of the four week intensive physical training which formed part of the orientation course for the programme, the subjects completed a questionnaire designed to determine their previous exercise habit. The physical training consisted of jogging, physical drills, games (soccer and volleyball), and man o'war activities. During the period of physical training, the subjects were instructed to report all ailments to the camp clinic. RESULTS: Muscular pain/soreness and injuries were major problems associated with the exercise. The lower limbs were most affected and the ankle joint was found to be more injury-prone than other joints. CONCLUSIONS: Most of these graduates were physically unfit and the intense fitness programme produced adverse effects on their physical health. Precamp physical preparation would be desirable.
Intracisternal injection of somatostatin receptor 5-preferring agonists induces a vagal cholinergic stimulation of gastric emptying in rats.

We previously showed that the somatostatin receptor 5 (sst(5))-preferring agonist BIM-23052 injected intracisternally (i.c. ; 0.8 nmol/rat) stimulated gastric emptying of a non-nutrient meal in conscious rats. In this study, we investigated the neural pathways and specificity of BIM-23052 action. BIM-23052 (0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 nmol/rat i.c.) stimulated gastric transit; values of gastric emptying were 65.5 +/- 6.5, 77.4 +/- 5.3, and 77.7 +/- 1.9%, respectively, compared with 43.2 +/-3.2% in i.c. saline group. Intravenous injection of BIM-23052 (0.8 nmol/rat) had no effect. BIM-23052 (0.8 nmol/rat i.c.) action was prevented by subdiaphragmatic vagotomy or atropine. Medullary thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is known to play a physiological role in the vagal stimulation of gastric motor function. TRH receptor antisense oligodeoxynucleotides injected i.c. with a regimen that prevented TRH (0.3 nmol/rat i.c.)-induced enhanced gastric emptying did not influence BIM-23052 stimulatory action. Somatostatin-28 (0.2-1.2 nmol/rat i.c.), which possesses a higher affinity than somatostatin-14 for sst(5), and the cyclic octapeptide des-AA(1,2,4,5,12,13)[D-Trp(8)]somatostatin (0.2-1.2 nmol/rat i.c.), an oligo-somatostatin analog that shares similar brain actions as somatostatin-28, induced a dose-related stimulation of gastric emptying. Somatostatin-14 and the preferring peptide agonists for sst(1), CH-275; sst(2), DC-32-87; sst(3), BIM-23056 and L-796,778; and sst(4), L-803,087 had no significant effect on gastric emptying when injected i.c. at 0.8 nmol/rat. These results show that BIM-23056 injected i.c. acts in the brain independently from medullary TRH to induce a vagal cholinergic stimulation of gastric emptying through the sst(5) receptor subtype.