Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-approximate-keyword routing in GIS data

For GIS data situated on a road network, shortest path search is a basic operation. In practice, however, users are often interested at routing when certain constraints on the textual information have been also incorporated. This work complements the standard shortest path search with multiple keywords and an approximate string similarity function, where the goal is to find the shortest path that passes through at least one matching object per keyword; we dub this problem the multi-approximate-keyword routing (MAKR) query. We present both exact and approximate solutions. When the number κ of query keywords is small (e.g., κ ≤ 6), the exact solution works efficiently. However, when κ increases, it becomes increasingly expensive (especially on large GIS data). In this case, our approximate methods achieve superb query efficiency, excellent scalability, and high approximation quality, as indicated in our extensive experiments on large, real datasets (up to 2 million points on road networks with hundreds of thousands of nodes and edges). We also prove that one approximate method has a κ-approximation in the worst case.
A survey of fuzzy service matching approaches in the context of on-the-fly computing

In the last decades, development turned from monolithic software products towards more flexible software components that can be provided on world-wide markets in form of services. Customers request such services or compositions of several services. However, in many cases, discovering the best services to address a given request is a tough challenge and requires expressive, gradual matching results, considering different aspects of a service description, e.g., inputs/ouputs, protocols, or quality properties. Furthermore, in situations in which no service exactly satisfies the request, approximate matching which can deal with a certain amount of fuzziness becomes necessary. There is a wealth of service matching approaches, but it is not clear whether there is a comprehensive, fuzzy matching approach which addresses all these challenges. Although there are a few service matching surveys, none of them is able to answer this question. In this paper, we perform a systematic literature survey of 35 (out of 504) service matching approaches which consider fuzzy matching. Based on this survey, we propose a classification, discuss how different matching approaches can be combined into a comprehensive matching method, and identify future research challenges.
Delineation of Skin Strata in Reflectance Confocal Microscopy Images with Recurrent Convolutional Networks

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is an effective, non-invasive pre-screening tool for cancer diagnosis. However, acquiring and reading RCM images requires extensive training and experience, and novice clinicians exhibit high variance in diagnostic accuracy. Consequently, there is a compelling need for quantitative tools to standardize image acquisition and analysis. In this study, we use deep recurrent convolutional neural networks to delineate skin strata in stacks of RCM images collected at consecutive depths. To perform diagnostic analysis, clinicians collect RCM images at 4-5 specific layers in the tissue. Our model automates this process by discriminating between RCM images of different layers. Testing our model on an expert labeled dataset of 504 RCM stacks, we achieve 87.97% classification accuracy, and a 9-fold reduction in the number of anatomically impossible errors compared to the previous state-of-the-art.
Memory monitoring failure in confabulation: Evidence from the semantic illusion paradigm

Abstract Several prominent models of confabulation characterize the syndrome as a failure in controlled aspects of memory retrieval, such as pre-retrieval cue specification and post-retrieval monitoring. These models have been generated primarily in the context of studies of autobiographical memory retrieval. Less research has focused on the existence and mechanisms of semantic confabulation. We examined whether confabulation extends to the semantic domain, and if so, whether it could be understood as a monitoring failure. We focus on post-retrieval monitoring by using a verification task that minimizes cue specification demands. We used the semantic illusion paradigm that elicits erroneous endorsement of misleading statements (e.g., “Two animals of each kind were brought onto the Ark by Moses before the great flood”) even in controls, despite their knowing the correct answer (e.g., Noah). Monitoring demands were manipulated by varying semantic overlap between target and foils, ranging from high semantic overlap to unrelated. We found that semantic overlap modulated the magnitude of semantic illusion in all groups. Compared to controls, both confabulators and non-confabulators had greater difficulty monitoring semantically related foils; however, elevated endorsement of unrelated foils was unique to confabulators. We interpret our findings in the context of a two-process model of post-retrieval monitoring. (JINS, 2010, 16, 1006–1017.)
Gain-of-function p53 mutants have widespread genomic locations partially overlapping with p63

p53 and p63 are transcription factors -TFs- playing master roles in the DNA-damage response and in the development and maintenance of pluristratified epithelia, respectively. p53 mutations are common in epithelial tumors and HaCaT keratinocytes harbor two p53 alleles -H179Y and R282Q- with gain-of-function (GOF) activity. Indeed, functional inactivation of mutp53 affects the growth rate of HaCaT. We investigated the strategy of mutp53, by performing ChIP-Seq experiments of mutp53 and p63 and analyzed the transcriptome after mutp53 inactivation. Mutp53 bind to 7135 locations in vivo, with a robust overlap with p63. De novo motifs discovery recovered a p53/p63RE with high information content in sites bound by p63 and mutp53/p63, but not by mutp53 alone: these sites are rather enriched in elements of other TFs. The HaCaT p63 locations are only partially overlapping with those of normal keratinocytes; importantly, and enriched in mutp53 sites which delineate a functionally different group of target genes. Our data favour a model whereby mutp53 GOF mutants act both by tethering growth-controlling TFs and highjacking p63 to new locations.
Phenylephrine postconditioning increases myocardial injury: are alpha-1 sympathomimetic agonist cardioprotective?

OBJECTIVE We studied effects of phenylephrine (PHE) on postischemic functional recovery and myocardial injury in an ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) experimental model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rat hearts were Langendorff-perfused and subjected to 30 min zero-flow ischemia (I) and 60 min reperfusion (R). During R PHE was added at doses of 1 μM (n = 10) and 50 μM (n = 12). Hearts (n = 14) subjected to 30 and 60 min of I-R served as controls. Contractile function was assessed by left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and the rate of increase and decrease of LVDP; apoptosis by fluorescent imaging targeting activated caspase-3, while myocardial injury by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released during R. Activation of kinases was measured at 5, 15, and 60 min of R using western blotting. RESULTS PHE did not improve postischemic contractile function. PHE increased LDH release (IU/g); 102 ± 10.4 (Mean ± standard error of mean) control versus 148 ± 14.8 PHE (1), and 145.3 ± 11 PHE (50) hearts, (P < 0.05). PHE markedly increased apoptosis. Molecular analysis showed no effect of PHE on the activation of proapoptotic c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling; a differential pattern of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation was found depending on the PHE dose used. With 1 μM PHE, p-p38/total-p38 MAPK levels at R were markedly increased, indicating its detrimental effect. With PHE 50 μM, no further changes in p38 MAPK were seen. Activation of Akt kinase was decreased implying involvement of different mechanisms in this response. CONCLUSIONS PHE administration during reperfusion does not improve postischemic recovery due to exacerbation of myocardial necrosis and apoptosis. This finding may be of clinical and therapeutic relevance.
The CDI toxin of Yersinia kristensenii is a novel bacterial member of the RNase A superfamily

Abstract Contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) is an important mechanism of inter-bacterial competition found in many Gram-negative pathogens. CDI+ cells express cell-surface CdiA proteins that bind neighboring bacteria and deliver C-terminal toxin domains (CdiA-CT) to inhibit target-cell growth. CDI+ bacteria also produce CdiI immunity proteins, which specifically neutralize cognate CdiA-CT toxins to prevent self-inhibition. Here, we present the crystal structure of the CdiA-CT/CdiIYkris complex from Yersinia kristensenii ATCC 33638. CdiA-CTYkris adopts the same fold as angiogenin and other RNase A paralogs, but the toxin does not share sequence similarity with these nucleases and lacks the characteristic disulfide bonds of the superfamily. Consistent with the structural homology, CdiA-CTYkris has potent RNase activity in vitro and in vivo. Structure-guided mutagenesis reveals that His175, Arg186, Thr276 and Tyr278 contribute to CdiA-CTYkris activity, suggesting that these residues participate in substrate binding and/or catalysis. CdiIYkris binds directly over the putative active site and likely neutralizes toxicity by blocking access to RNA substrates. Significantly, CdiA-CTYkris is the first non-vertebrate protein found to possess the RNase A superfamily fold, and homologs of this toxin are associated with secretion systems in many Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. These observations suggest that RNase A-like toxins are commonly deployed in inter-bacterial competition.
Electricity Theft Detection in AMI Using Customers’ Consumption Patterns

As one of the key components of the smart grid, advanced metering infrastructure brings many potential advantages such as load management and demand response. However, computerizing the metering system also introduces numerous new vectors for energy theft. In this paper, we present a novel consumption pattern-based energy theft detector, which leverages the predictability property of customers' normal and malicious consumption patterns. Using distribution transformer meters, areas with a high probability of energy theft are short listed, and by monitoring abnormalities in consumption patterns, suspicious customers are identified. Application of appropriate classification and clustering techniques, as well as concurrent use of transformer meters and anomaly detectors, make the algorithm robust against nonmalicious changes in usage pattern, and provide a high and adjustable performance with a low-sampling rate. Therefore, the proposed method does not invade customers' privacy. Extensive experiments on a real dataset of 5000 customers show a high performance for the proposed method.
Influence of Renal Prostaglandins and Dietary Linoleate on Hypertension in Dahl S Rats

Kidney prostaglandlns appear to bare powerful Influences on Nad-Induced hypertension. In quick-frozen kidneys, the concentration of prosUglandin E1, (PGE1,) in the renal papilla is 60% lower in Dahl S rats than in Dahl R rats (17 ng/100 mg TS 42 ng/100 mg, p < 0.01) when both S and R rats are fed a 0.3% low NaCI diet. When S and R rats eat a 4% high NaCl diet for 4 weeks or 11 weeks, the PGE1, concentration doubles in both strains (p < 0.05) but the papillary PGE1, concentration in the S rats is always about half that in the R rat (p < 0.01). Through effects on sodium (Na) excretion and papillary plasma flow, the low PGE1, in S papillae may account in part for the large rises in the blood pressure (BP) of S rats after eating a high NaCI diet. This proposition was explored by utilizing high fat diets with either normal or high linoleic acid content. Arachidonic acid is the precursor of PGE1, and linoleic add is the precursor of arachidonic acid. It turned out that the low PGE1, level in S papillae could be tripled by a diet high in linoleic acid. Sixteen S rats on a 16-week diet of 5% NaCI and 1.5% linoleic acid had a mean papillary PGE1, level of 30 compared to a level of 89 in 15 other S rats on a diet of 5% NaCI and 16% linoleic acid. The 16% high linoleic diet tripled the PGE1, concentration in S papillae (p < 0.005). It also increased the PGE1, concentration in R papillae Vh times, 137 vs 53 (p < 0.02). In rats on either high or normal linoleic diets, the PGE1, In S papillae was always at least 35% less than that in R papillae. However, the 16% high linoleic diet did raise the papillary PGE1, level In S rats up to that found in normal rats on regular rat chow of equivalent NaCI content. Moreover, this change in PGE1, level was associated with greatly reduced BP rises in S rats. The BP of S rats on a 5% NaCI-1.5% linoleic diet began to rise after 5 weeks on the diet and reached 183 mm Hg after 16 weeks. The BP of S rats on a 5% NaCl-16% linoleic diet did not begin to rise until 12 weeks on the diet and reached only 166 after 16 weeks. The high linoleic diet greatly delayed the onset of the rise in BP and significantly reduced the ultimately attained level (p < 0.001). In fact, on a low 0.3% NaCI diet, S rats of comparable age reached approximately the same mildly hypertensive level of 166. Thus, in S rats, the high linoleic diet brings papillary PGE1, up to normal and also prevents the large rises in BP usually related to a high NaCI Intake. These two changes may well be causally related. (Hypertension 4 (suppl II): II-149-II-153, 1982)
Effect of Micro- and Nanoscale Topography on the Adhesion of Bacterial Cells to Solid Surfaces

ABSTRACT Attachment and biofilm formation by bacterial pathogens on surfaces in natural, industrial, and hospital settings lead to infections and illnesses and even death. Minimizing bacterial attachment to surfaces using controlled topography could reduce the spreading of pathogens and, thus, the incidence of illnesses and subsequent human and financial losses. In this context, the attachment of key microorganisms, including Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, and Pseudomonas fluorescens, to silica and alumina surfaces with micron and nanoscale topography was investigated. The results suggest that orientation of the attached cells occurs preferentially such as to maximize their contact area with the surface. Moreover, the bacterial cells exhibited different morphologies, including different number and size of cellular appendages, depending on the topographical details of the surface to which they attached. This suggests that bacteria may utilize different mechanisms of attachment in response to surface topography. These results are important for the design of novel microbe-repellant materials.
Palliative Treatment of Malignant Esophagorespiratory Fistulas With Gianturco-Z Stents: A Prospective Clinical Trial and Review of the Literature on Covered Metal Stents

Objective:Esophagorespiratory fistulas, especially in the upper third of the esophagus, are a complication of malignant esophageal tumors, which are difficult to manage. The efficacy of polyurethane-covered, self-expanding metal stents for palliation of malignant esophagorespiratory fistulas was investigated prospectively.Methods:Eleven patients with malignant esophagorespiratory fistulas resp. perforations were treated with Gianturco-Z stents. In five patients the lesion was located in the proximal part of the esophagus. Because of the fistula all patients suffered from dysphagia even for liquids.Results:No technical problems during the implantation procedure of the stents occurred. In the control radiography with water-soluble contrast media, the fistulas were completely sealed in 10 of 11 patients. Therefore the dysphagia score improved from 3.0 to 0.6. Nearly all Gianturco-Z stents (10/11) showed a sufficient expansion within 24 h after placement. Severe early or late complications were not encountered, with the exception of tumor overgrowth in one patient about 9 months after stent placement. In five patients, short term (3–6 days) retrosternal pain was observed, and one patient complained of slight foreign body sensation. By August 1997 all 11 patients had died of advanced disease, with a median survival time of 121 days (range, 22–300 days). Conclusions:Gianturco-Z stents are highly effective for palliative treatment of esophagorespiratory fistula resp. perforations and have a low complication rate. Due to the fact that this stent shows no retraction during the release, a precise positioning is possible, especially in the case of tumors and fistulas in the upper third of the esophagus. It seems that use of the Gianturco-Z stent can be considered a good therapeutic method for palliative endoscopic treatment of this high risk patient group.
Exploring multimodality in the laboratory and the field

There are new challenges to us, as researchers, on how to design and evaluate new mobile applications because they give users access to powerful computing devices through small interfaces, which typically have limited input facilities. One way of overcoming these shortcomings is to utilize the possibilities of multimodality. We report in this paper how we designed, developed, and evaluated a multimodal mobile application through a combination of laboratory and field studies. This is the first time, as far as we know, that a multimodal application has been developed in such a way. We did this so that we would understand more about where and when users envisioned using different modes of interaction and what problems they may encounter when using an application in context.
Differential Contribution of Hippocampal Subfields to Components of Associative Taste Learning

The ability to associate the consumption of a taste with its positive or negative consequences is fundamental to survival and influences the behavior of species ranging from invertebrate to human. As a result, for both research and clinical reasons, there has been a great effort to understand the neuronal circuits, as well as the cellular and molecular mechanisms, underlying taste learning. From a neuroanatomical perspective, the contributions of the cortex and amygdala are well documented; however, the literature is riddled with conflicting results regarding the role of the hippocampus in different facets of taste learning. Here, we use conditional genetics in mice to block NMDA receptor-dependent plasticity individually in each of the three major hippocampal subfields, CA1, CA3, and the dentate gyrus, via deletion of the NR1 subunit. Across the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus NR1 knock-out lines, we uncover a pattern of differential deficits that establish the dispensability of hippocampal plasticity in incidental taste learning, the requirement of CA1 plasticity for associative taste learning, and a specific requirement for plasticity in the dentate gyrus when there is a long temporal gap between the taste and its outcome. Together, these data establish that the hippocampus is involved in associative taste learning and suggest an episodic component to this type of memory.
The Block in Assembly of Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara in HeLa Cells Reveals New Insights into Vaccinia Virus Morphogenesis

ABSTRACT It has previously been shown that upon infection of HeLa cells with modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), assembly is blocked at a late stage of infection and immature virions (IVs) accumulate (G. Sutter and B. Moss, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:10847-10851, 1992). In the present study the morphogenesis of MVA in HeLa cells was studied in more detail and compared to that under two conditions that permit the production of infectious particles: infection of HeLa cells with the WR strain of vaccinia virus (VV) and infection of BHK cells with MVA. Using several quantitative and qualitative assays, we show that early in infection, MVA in HeLa cells behaves in a manner identical to that under the permissive conditions. By immunofluorescence microscopy (IF) at late times of infection, the labelings for an abundant membrane protein of the intracellular mature virus, p16/A14L, and the viral DNA colocalize under permissive conditions, whereas in HeLa cells infected with MVA these two structures do not colocalize to the same extent. In both permissive and nonpermissive infection, p16-labeled IVs first appear at 5 h postinfection. In HeLa cells infected with MVA, IVs accumulated predominantly outside the DNA regions, whereas under permissive conditions they were associated with the viral DNA. At 4 h 30 min, the earliest time at which p16 is detected, the p16 labeling was found predominantly in a small number of distinct puncta by IF, which were distinct from the sites of DNA in both permissive and nonpermissive infection. By electron microscopy, no crescents or IVs were found at this time, and the p16-labeled structures were found to consist of membrane-rich vesicles that were in continuity with the cellular endoplasmic reticulum. Over the next 30 min of infection, a large number of p16-labeled crescents and IVs appeared abruptly under both permissive and nonpermissive conditions. Under permissive conditions, these IVs were in close association with the sites of DNA, and a significant amount of these IVs engulfed the viral DNA. In contrast, under nonpermissive conditions, the IVs and DNA were mostly in separate locations and relatively few IVs acquired DNA. Our data show that in HeLa cells MVA forms normal DNA replication sites and normal viral precursor membranes but the transport between these two structures is inhibited.
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Suppresses Hair Cell Responses to Mechanical Stimulation in the Xenopus Lateral Line Organ

The presence of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the efferent fibers of virtually every hair cell organ studied suggests it may serve some fundamental but heretofore unknown role in control of hair cell function. We examined the effects of CGRP on spontaneous and stimulus-evoked discharge patterns in an in vitropreparation of the lateral line organ of Xenopus laevis. Discharge patterns were determined by sinusoidally displacing the cupula with a glass micropipette driven with a piezoelectric device while recording afferent fiber activity. All afferent fibers had characteristic frequencies of 16–32 Hz. Responses synchronized to cupular displacements as small as 20 nm. CGRP suppressed responses of the lateral line organ to displacement while increasing spontaneous discharge rate. In the presence of CGRP, stimulus–response curves were shifted 10 dB toward higher displacement levels. The suppression of stimulus-evoked responses suggests a function for CGRP as an efferent neurotransmitter that is similar to that of cholinergic efferent transmission in other hair cell organs. The 10 dB shift toward larger displacements makes it comparable in magnitude with the effects of electrical stimulation of efferents in the mammalian cochlea. This suggests a significant role for CGRP in efferent modulation of the output of this mechanosensory organ.
Thermal Conductivity of Chickpea Flour and Isolated Starch and Protein

Thermal conductivity of chickpea flour, isolated starch, and protein extracted from chickpea flour was measured at four temperatures and three levels of bulk density at constant moisture content for each sample. The line heat source method was employed; thermal conductivity value was calculated using the maximum slope method. In all three samples, the thermal conductivity was found to increase linearly with increase of temperature and bulk density. The thermal conductivity of chickpea flour, isolated starch and isolated protein ranged from 0.0739 to 0.1058, from 0.0688 to 0.0919, and from 0.0643 to 0.0787 W m-1 K-1, respectively. The first order polynomial model was fitted to measured data well with high R2 and low standard error of estimate.