Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diversity and Plasticity of Th Cell Types Predicted from Regulatory Network Modelling

Alternative cell differentiation pathways are believed to arise from the concerted action of signalling pathways and transcriptional regulatory networks. However, the prediction of mammalian cell differentiation from the knowledge of the presence of specific signals and transcriptional factors is still a daunting challenge. In this respect, the vertebrate hematopoietic system, with its many branching differentiation pathways and cell types, is a compelling case study. In this paper, we propose an integrated, comprehensive model of the regulatory network and signalling pathways controlling Th cell differentiation. As most available data are qualitative, we rely on a logical formalism to perform extensive dynamical analyses. To cope with the size and complexity of the resulting network, we use an original model reduction approach together with a stable state identification algorithm. To assess the effects of heterogeneous environments on Th cell differentiation, we have performed a systematic series of simulations considering various prototypic environments. Consequently, we have identified stable states corresponding to canonical Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg subtypes, but these were found to coexist with other transient hybrid cell types that co-express combinations of Th1, Th2, Treg and Th17 markers in an environment-dependent fashion. In the process, our logical analysis highlights the nature of these cell types and their relationships with canonical Th subtypes. Finally, our logical model can be used to explore novel differentiation pathways in silico.
REM Sleep Theta Changes in Frequent Nightmare Recallers

Study Objectives To replicate and expand upon past research by evaluating sleep and wake electroencephalographic spectral activity in samples of frequent nightmare (NM) recallers and healthy controls. Methods Computation of spectral activity for sleep (non-REM and REM) and wake electroencephalogram recordings from 18 frequent NM recallers and 15 control participants. Results There was higher "slow-theta" (2-5 Hz) for NM recallers than for controls during wake, non-REM sleep and REM sleep. Differences were clearest for frontal and central derivations and for REM sleep cycles 2-4. There was also higher beta activity during NREM sleep for NM recallers. Findings partially replicate past research by demonstrating higher relative "slow-theta" (3-4Hz) for NM recallers than for controls. Conclusions Findings are consistent with a neurocognitive model of nightmares that stipulates cross-state anomalies in emotion processing in NM-prone individuals.
Neural Aesthetic Image Reviewer

Recently, there is a rising interest in perceiving image aesthetics. The existing works deal with image aesthetics as a classification or regression problem. To extend the cognition from rating to reasoning, a deeper understanding of aesthetics should be based on revealing why a high- or low-aesthetic score should be assigned to an image. From such a point of view, we propose a model referred to as Neural Aesthetic Image Reviewer, which can not only give an aesthetic score for an image, but also generate a textual description explaining why the image leads to a plausible rating score. Specifically, we propose two multi-task architectures based on shared aesthetically semantic layers and task-specific embedding layers at a high level for performance improvement on different tasks. To facilitate researches on this problem, we collect the AVA-Reviews dataset, which contains 52,118 images and 312,708 comments in total. Through multi-task learning, the proposed models can rate aesthetic images as well as produce comments in an end-to-end manner. It is confirmed that the proposed models outperform the baselines according to the performance evaluation on the AVA-Reviews dataset. Moreover, we demonstrate experimentally that our model can generate textual reviews related to aesthetics, which are consistent with human perception.
Learning Discriminative Multilevel Structured Dictionaries for Supervised Image Classification

Sparse representations using overcomplete dictionaries have proved to be a powerful tool in many signal processing applications such as denoising, super-resolution, inpainting, compression or classification. The sparsity of the representation very much depends on how well the dictionary is adapted to the data at hand. In this paper, we propose a method for learning structured multilevel dictionaries with discriminative constraints to make them well suited for the supervised pixelwise classification of images. A multilevel tree-structured discriminative dictionary is learnt for each class, with a learning objective concerning the reconstruction errors of the image patches around the pixels over each class-representative dictionary. After the initial assignment of the class labels to image pixels based on their sparse representations over the learnt dictionaries, the final classification is achieved by smoothing the label image with a graph cut method and an erosion method. Applied to a common set of texture images, our supervised classification method shows competitive results with the state of the art.
Segmentation of megathrust rupture zones from fore‐arc deformation patterns over hundreds to millions of years, Arauco peninsula, Chile

This work explores the control of fore‐arc structure on segmentation of megathrust earthquake ruptures using coastal geomorphic markers. The Arauco‐Nahuelbuta region at the south‐central Chile margin constitutes an anomalous fore‐arc sector in terms of topography, geology, and exhumation, located within the overlap between the Concepción and Valdivia megathrust segments. This boundary, however, is only based on ∼500 years of historical records. We integrate deformed marine terraces dated by cosmogenic nuclides, syntectonic sediments, published fission track data, seismic reflection profiles, and microseismicity to analyze this earthquake boundary over 102–106 years. Rapid exhumation of Nahuelbuta's dome‐like core started at 4 ± 1.2 Ma, coeval with inversion of the adjacent Arauco basin resulting in emergence of the Arauco peninsula. Here, similarities between topography, spatiotemporal trends in fission track ages, Pliocene‐Pleistocene growth strata, and folded marine terraces suggest that margin‐parallel shortening has dominated since Pliocene time. This shortening likely results from translation of a fore‐arc sliver or microplate, decoupled from South America by an intra‐arc strike‐slip fault. Microplate collision against a buttress leads to localized uplift at Arauco accrued by deep‐seated reverse faults, as well as incipient oroclinal bending. The extent of the Valdivia segment, which ruptured last in 1960 with an Mw 9.5 event, equals the inferred microplate. We propose that mechanical homogeneity of the fore‐arc microplate delimits the Valdivia segment and that a marked discontinuity in the continental basement at Arauco acts as an inhomogeneous barrier controlling nucleation and propagation of 1960‐type ruptures. As microplate‐related deformation occurs since the Pliocene, we propose that this earthquake boundary and the extent of the Valdivia segment are spatially stable seismotectonic features at million year scale.
Multifaceted Comparison of Two Cryotherapy Devices Used After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Cryotherapy Device Comparison

BACKGROUND: Some form of cryotherapy used after total knee arthroplasty is commonplace. However, various factors determine the specific device deployed. PURPOSE: This study aimed to answer the following questions: Is an ice/gel pack cryotherapy wrap noninferior to a more elaborate circulating cold water therapy device in terms of patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and hospital staff satisfaction? What is the projected economic impact of using an ice/gel pack cryotherapy wrap versus a circulating cold water cryotherapy device? METHODS: A group of 100 patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty by a single surgeon were enrolled in an institutional review board–approved, prospective study and randomized to receive either a circulating cold water or ice/gel pack cryotherapy device postoperatively. Demographic, pain, swelling, blood loss, range of motion, compliance, satisfaction, and adverse event outcomes were recorded until 6 weeks after surgery. Hospital staff satisfaction and economic variables were examined. RESULTS: The ice/gel pack cryotherapy wrap was noninferior to the cold water cryotherapy device for any patient outcome measured. Average pain level at 6 weeks postoperative was significantly less in the ice/gel pack cryotherapy wrap group. Hospital staff satisfaction was higher with the ice/gel pack cryotherapy wrap. Substantial economic savings can be realized at our institution by switching to the lower cost cryotherapy device. CONCLUSION: In this study, the lower cost ice/gel pack cryotherapy wrap was noninferior to the circulating ice water cryotherapy device with respect to objective patient outcomes and subjective patient satisfaction after total knee arthroplasty. Hospital staff satisfaction and economic considerations also favor the ice/gel pack compression cryotherapy wraps.
Believability of relative risks and odds ratios in abstracts: cross sectional study

Abstract Objective To compare the distribution of P values in abstracts of randomised controlled trials with that in observational studies, and to check P values between 0.04 and 0.06. Design Cross sectional study of all 260 abstracts in PubMed of articles published in 2003 that contained “relative risk” or “odds ratio” and reported results from a randomised trial, and random samples of 130 abstracts from cohort studies and 130 from case-control studies. P values were noted or calculated if unreported. Main outcome measures Prevalence of significant P values in abstracts and distribution of P values between 0.04 and 0.06. Results The first result in the abstract was statistically significant in 70% of the trials, 84% of cohort studies, and 84% of case-control studies. Although many of these results were derived from subgroup or secondary analyses, or biased selection of results, they were presented without reservations in 98% of the trials. P values were more extreme in observational studies (P < 0.001) and in cohort studies than in case-control studies (P = 0.04). The distribution of P values around P = 0.05 was extremely skewed. Only five trials had 0.05 ≤ P < 0.06, whereas 29 trials had 0.04 ≤ P < 0.05. I could check the calculations for 27 of these trials. One of four non-significant results was significant. Four of the 23 significant results were wrong, five were doubtful, and four could be discussed. Nine cohort studies and eight case-control studies reported P values between 0.04 and 0.06, but in all 17 cases P < 0.05. Because the analyses had been adjusted for confounders, these results could not be checked. Conclusions Significant results in abstracts are common but should generally be disbelieved.
The Presentation of Self in Virtual Life: Characteristics of Personal Home Pages

This study focused on how individuals used personal home pages to present themselves online. Content analysis was used to examine, record, and analyze the characteristics of personal home pages. Data interpretation revealed popular tools for self-presentation, a desire for virtual homesteaders to affiliate with online homestead communities, and significant relationships among home page characteristics. Web page design was influenced, to a certain extent, by the tools Web page space providers supplied. Further studies should consider personality characteristics, design templates, and Web author input to determine factors that influence self-presentation through personal home pages.
Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Kenyan Adolescents With α+Thalassemia

Background Recent studies have discovered that α‐globin is expressed in blood vessel walls where it plays a role in regulating vascular tone. We tested the hypothesis that blood pressure (BP) might differ between normal individuals and those with α+thalassemia, in whom the production of α‐globin is reduced. Methods and Results The study was conducted in Nairobi, Kenya, among 938 adolescents aged 11 to 17 years. Twenty‐four‐hour ambulatory BP monitoring and arterial stiffness measurements were performed using an arteriograph device. We genotyped for α+thalassemia by polymerase chain reaction. Complete data for analysis were available for 623 subjects; 223 (36%) were heterozygous (−α/αα) and 47 (8%) were homozygous (−α/−α) for α+thalassemia whereas the remaining 353 (55%) were normal (αα/αα). Mean 24‐hour systolic BP ±SD was 118±12 mm Hg in αα/αα, 117±11 mm Hg in −α/αα, and 118±11 mm Hg in −α/−α subjects, respectively. Mean 24‐hour diastolic BP ±SD in these groups was 64±8, 63±7, and 65±8 mm Hg, respectively. Mean pulse wave velocity (PWV)±SD was 7±0.8, 7±0.8, and 7±0.7 ms−1, respectively. No differences were observed in PWV and any of the 24‐hour ambulatory BP monitoring‐derived measures between those with and without α+thalassemia. Conclusions These data suggest that the presence of α+thalassemia does not affect BP and/or arterial stiffness in Kenyan adolescents.
Pain Perception Due to Dental Injection by Smartject: Split Mouth Design Study

Statement of the Problem: Dental injection is one of the most fearful procedures in dental setting, especially for children. Many researchers have attempted to find a painless method. As computer controlled local anesthesia delivery system devices (CCLADs) allow the speed rate and pressure of injection solution to be controlled, they may cause less pain during injection in comparison to the conventional method. Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare pain perception in dental injection by Smartject with conventional technique. Materials and Method: The present study was a randomized single-blind crossover clinical trial. The participants consisted of 50 healthy volunteer dental students. They received a topical anesthetic agent plus injection in maxillary premolar buccal mucosa via conventional technique on one side (control) and a topical anesthetics agent plus injection in maxillary premolar buccal mucosa by Smartject on the other side (experimental). The first injection method was chosen based on block randomization table. A blind person recorded the subjects’ pain perception of injection based on the visual analogue scale (VAS) in the two groups. Repeated measure test, independent Student t-test and Student paired t- test were used. Statistical significance was defined at p< 0.05. Results: There was statistically significant difference in VAS score between Smartject and the conventional technique. The mean of VAS scores for Smartject and the conventional technique were 14.5±7.4 and 24±12.1, respectively. Conclusion: It is suggested, needle penetration is not the main reason of pain during injection. Inconsistent fluid pressure created by injected anesthetic solution on nerve fibers is more impressive in pain development. Hence, Smartject as a CCLAD can be considered as an appropriate device for dental injection.
Factors Associated With Early Loss of Hallux Valgus Correction

&NA; Recurrence is common after hallux valgus corrective surgery. Although many investigators have studied the risk factors associated with a suboptimal hallux position at the end of long‐term follow‐up, few have evaluated the factors associated with actual early loss of correction. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify the predictors of lateral deviation of the hallux during the postoperative period. We evaluated the demographic data, preoperative severity of the hallux valgus, other angular measurements characterizing underlying deformities, amount of hallux valgus correction, and postoperative alignment of the corrected hallux valgus for associations with recurrence. After adjusting for the covariates, the only factor associated with recurrence was the postoperative tibial sesamoid position. The recurrence rate was ˜50% and ˜60% when the postoperative tibial sesamoid position was >4 and >5 on the 7‐point scale, respectively. &NA; Level of Clinical Evidence: 3
Qualitative Characteristics of Meat from Lambs Fed Hydrolyzed Sugarcane

— We used 24 Ile de France lambs, weighing between 15 and 32 kg (BW). Treatments were supplemented with concentrate: “in nature” sugarcane (IN), sugarcane hydrolyzed using 0.6% calcium oxide (CaO) under aerobic condition (AER), and sugarcane hydrolyzed using 0.6% CaO under anaerobic condition (ANA), constituting a completely randomized design with eight repetitions per treatment. Lambs were housed in individual stalls and fed into the through, allowing 10% of leftovers. Lambs were slaughtered when body weight reached 32 kg. The following parameters were determined on Longissimu lumborum muscle of hot and cold carcasses: pH and color, 45 minutes and 24 hours after slaughtering. Qualitative analysis of the meat were performed in the loins, water-holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL), and shear force (SF). We used a completely randomized design with three treatments and eight repetitions. Means were compared by Tukey test at 5% significance. A higher value for redness (a*) 45 minutes after slaughter (10.48) were found for lambs fed hydrolyzed under anaerobic conditions sugarcane. The other qualitative characteristics of meat were not affected by treatments (P >0.05). The comparison of meat quality resulting from the treatments shows that it is possible to feed in nature sugarcane to lambs, thus waiving hydrolyses process and the spending with alkalizing agent.
Effect of fibre configurations on mechanical properties of flax / tannin composites

Flax reinforced tannin-based composites have a potential to be used in vehicle applications due to the environmental advantages and good mechanical properties. In this paper, the effects of fibre configuration on mechanical properties of flax/tannin composites were investigated for nonwoven and woven fabric lay-up angles (UD, [0°, 90°]2 and [0°, +45°, 90°, -45°]2). The tannin/flax composites were prepared by compression moulding. The manufactured specimens were then characterized for quasi-static tensile properties, dynamic mechanical properties and low-energy impact performance. Failure mechanism was further investigated using microscopy and demonstrated the need for further adhesion improvements. The study shows that the UD fabric reinforced composite performs better in tensile strength and modulus whereas [0°, +45°, 90°, -45°]2 composite provides the best impact energy absorption performance.
Prospective dose selection and acceleration of paliperidone palmitate 3-month formulation development using a pharmacometric bridging strategy.

AIMS To prospectively select the dose of the paliperidone palmitate 3-month (PP3M) formulation, using a pharmacometric bridging strategy based on the paliperidone palmitate 1-month (PP1M) formulation previously approved for schizophrenia treatment. METHODS Pharmacokinetic (PK) data from a 6-month interim analysis of a single dose PP3M Phase I clinical trial was integrated with a previously developed PP1M population-PK model. The model was updated to incorporate formulation as a covariate on absorption parameters and to explore the most critical design element of the Phase III study: the PP1M-to-PP3M dose multiplier for patients switching formulations. Plasma paliperidone concentrations were measured at predetermined intervals during Phase III, enabling comparison of the multiple-dose PK between PP1M and PP3M. Exposure matching was assessed graphically to determine whether paliperidone plasma concentrations from the two formulations overlapped. RESULTS Prospective steady-state PK simulations revealed that a 3.5 multiple of the PP1M dose would yield a corresponding PP3M dose with comparable exposure. The prospective pharmacometric simulation and observed Phase III PK data agreed closely. Phase III results confirmed the hypothesis that efficacy of PP3M was noninferior to that of PP1M. The similarity in exposures between the two formulations was likely a key determinant of the equivalent efficacy between the two products observed in the Phase III study. CONCLUSIONS Successful prospective PP3M Phase III clinical trial dose selection was achieved through the use of pharmacometric bridging, without conducting a Phase II study and using only limited Phase I data for PP3M. We estimate that this strategy reduced development time by 3-5 years and may be applicable to other drug development projects.
Inferring sequences produced by pseudo-random number generators

In this paper, efficient algorithms are given for inferring sequences produced by certain pseudo-random number generators. The generators considered are all of the form <italic>X<subscrpt>n</subscrpt></italic> = &Sgr;<supscrpt>k</supscrpt><subscrpt>j-l</subscrpt> α<subscrpt>j</subscrpt>φ<subscrpt>j</subscrpt>(<italic>X</italic><subscrpt>o</subscrpt>, <italic>X</italic><subscrpt>l</subscrpt>, . . ., <italic>X<subscrpt>n</italic>-l</subscrpt>) (mod <italic>m</italic>). In each case, we assume that the functions φ<italic>j</italic> are known and polynomial time computable, but that the coefficients aj and the modulus <italic>m</italic> are unknown. Using this general method, specific examples of generators having this form, the linear congruential method, linear congruences with <italic>n</italic> terms in the recurrence, and quadratic congruences are shown to be cryptographically insecure.
The Expected Shape of Random Doubly Alternating Baxter Permutations

Guibert and Linusson introduced the family of doubly alternating Baxter permutations, i.e. Baxter permutations $\sigma \in S_n$, such that $\sigma$ and $\sigma^{-1}$ are alternating. They proved that the number of such permutations in $S_{2n}$ and $S_{2n+1}$ is the Catalan number $C_n$. In this paper we explore the expected limit shape of such permutations, following the approach by Miner and Pak.
Experimental Investigation of Bi-2223/Ag Superconducting Tape Joints

We have developed a manufacturing method for superconducting joints for Bi-2223/Ag tapes (DI-BSCCO Type-H, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Yokosuka, Japan). The tapes’ superconducting joints were fabricated under pressure and heat treatment processes. The critical currents of these joints under relevant temperature conditions were measured to investigate their applicability to superconducting devices such as magnetic shields and superconducting magnets using current transport tests. In addition, the critical currents were investigated in a parallel magnetic field to the tape surface up to 5 T at 4 and 20 K. We will report the results of these experiments.