Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rhombic Tilings and Primordia Fronts of Phyllotaxis

We introduce and study properties of phyllotactic and rhombic tilings on the cylin- der. These are discrete sets of points that generalize cylindrical lattices. Rhombic tilings appear as periodic orbits of a discrete dynamical system S that models plant pattern formation by stacking disks of equal radius on the cylinder. This system has the advantage of allowing several disks at the same level, and thus multi-jugate config- urations. We provide partial results toward proving that the attractor for S is entirely composed of rhombic tilings and is a strongly normally attracting branched manifold and conjecture that this attractor persists topologically in nearby systems. A key tool in understanding the geometry of tilings and the dynamics of S is the concept of pri- mordia front, which is a closed ring of tangent disks around the cylinder. We show how fronts determine the dynamics, including transitions of parastichy numbers, and might explain the Fibonacci number of petals often encountered in compositae.
On Unstructured File Sharing Networks

We study the interaction among users of unstructured file sharing applications, who compete for available network resources (link bandwidth or capacity) by opening multiple connections on multiple paths so as to accelerate data transfer. We model this interaction with an unstructured file sharing game. Users are players and their strategies are the numbers of sessions on available paths. We consider a general bandwidth sharing framework proposed by Kelly [1] and Mo and Walrand [2], with TCP as a special case. Furthermore, we incorporate the Tit-for-Tat strategy (adopted by BitTorrent [3] networks) into the unstructured file sharing game to model the competition in which a connection can be set up only when both users find this connection beneficial. We refer to this as an overlay formation game. We prove the existence of Nash equilibrium in several variants of both games, and quantify the losses of efficiency of Nash equilibria. We find that the loss of efficiency due to selfish behavior is still unbounded even when the Tit-for-Tat strategy is believed to prevent selfish behavior.
Scanning for Therapeutic Targets within the Cytokine Network of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies

The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) constitute a heterogeneous group of chronic disorders that include dermatomyositis (DM), polymyositis (PM), sporadic inclusion body myositis (IBM) and necrotizing autoimmune myopathy (NAM). They represent distinct pathological entities that, most often, share predominant inflammation in muscle tissue. Many of the immunopathogenic processes behind the IIM remain poorly understood, but the crucial role of cytokines as essential regulators of the intramuscular build-up of inflammation is undisputed. This review describes the extensive cytokine network within IIM muscle, characterized by strong expression of Tumor Necrosis Factors (TNFα, LTβ, BAFF), Interferons (IFNα/β/γ), Interleukins (IL-1/6/12/15/18/23) and Chemokines (CXCL9/10/11/13, CCL2/3/4/8/19/21). Current therapeutic strategies and the exploration of potential disease modifying agents based on manipulation of the cytokine network are provided. Reported responses to anti-TNFα treatment in IIM are conflicting and new onset DM/PM has been described after administration of anti-TNFα agents to treat other diseases, pointing to the complex effects of TNFα neutralization. Treatment with anti-IFNα has been shown to suppress the IFN type 1 gene signature in DM/PM patients and improve muscle strength. Beneficial effects of anti-IL-1 and anti-IL-6 therapy have also been reported. Cytokine profiling in IIM aids the development of therapeutic strategies and provides approaches to subtype patients for treatment outcome prediction.
Estrogen Modifies an Electrocommunication Signal by Altering the Electrocyte Sodium Current in an Electric Fish,Sternopygus

Many species of electric fish emit sexually dimorphic electrical signals that are used in gender recognition. InSternopygus, mature females produce an electric organ discharge (EOD) that is higher in frequency and shorter in pulse duration than that of mature males. EOD pulse duration is determined by ion currents in the electrocytes, and androgens influence EOD pulse duration by altering the inactivation kinetics of the electrocyte sodium current. We examined whether estrogen modulates the female-specific EOD and, if so, whether it regulates EOD pulse duration by acting on the same androgen-sensitive ion current in the electrocytes. We implanted gonadectomized Sternopyguswith either empty SILASTIC capsules (control), one capsule filled with estradiol-17β (E2; low dose), or three capsules of E2 (high dose). Twelve days after implantation, E2-treated fish had plasma E2 levels ∼3.3-fold (low dose) or ∼7.1-fold (high dose) higher than controls. After implantation, both E2-treated groups had higher EOD frequency and shorter EOD pulse duration than controls and their own preimplantation values. Through immunocytochemistry, we identified immunoreactive estrogen receptors in the nuclei of electrocytes, indicating that these cells are directly responsive to estrogen. In addition, voltage-clamp studies showed that E2 affected the electrocyte ion currents kinetics: the sodium inactivation time constant was significantly lower in E2-treated fish than in controls. Thus, sexual dimorphism in the electrocommunication signal results, at least in part, from estrogens and androgens acting in opposite directions on the same ion current in the electrocytes.
Comparison of two types of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy in chronic stroke patients: A pilot study.

UNLABELLED Several studies showed that Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) leads to a lasting improvement of upper extremity function in chronic stroke patients. The original technique includes an intensive 2-week program with 6 hours of daily physiotherapy. Due to high expenses it is difficult to implement this concept in outpatient care. PURPOSE The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 4-week homebased CIMT program among chronic stroke patients and to compare them with a 2-week CIMT program, based on the original technique. METHODS Seven adults with chronic stroke completed a newly developed variant of CIMT, performed at patients' homes (group1, CIMThome), supervised by an instructed family member, constraint of unaffected hand for a target of 60% of waking hours. The intervention was analysed with pre-, post-treatment and 6-month follow-up measurements. Effects on improvement in upper extremity function were compared with patients treated according to the original protocol (group2, CIMTclassic), supervised by a physiotherapist, constraint of unaffected hand for a target of 90% of waking hours. RESULTS Patients from both groups showed almost identical improvement of their motor function according to scores on the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL) immediately after the treatment period as well as at follow-up after 6 months. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that CIMThome is not only feasible but also as effective as CIMTclassic. This finding should be replicated in a larger prospective randomized trial to perform a non-inferiority analysis.
Regulation of Nociceptive Plasticity Threshold and DARPP-32 Phosphorylation in Spinal Dorsal Horn Neurons by Convergent Dopamine and Glutamate Inputs

Dopamine can influence NMDA receptor function and regulate glutamate-triggered long-term changes in synaptic strength in several regions of the CNS. In spinal cord, regulation of the threshold of synaptic plasticity may determine the proneness to undergo sensitization and hyperresponsiveness to noxious input. In the current study, we increased endogenous dopamine levels in the dorsal horn by using re-uptake inhibitor GBR 12935. During the so-induced hyperdopaminergic transmission, conditioning low-frequency (1 Hz) stimulation (LFS) to the sciatic nerve induced long-term potentiation (LTP) of C-fiber-evoked potentials in dorsal horn neurons. The magnitude of LTP was attenuated by blockade of either dopamine D1-like receptors (D1LRs) by with SCH 23390 or NMDA receptor subunit NR2B with antagonist Ro25-6981. Conditioning LFS during GBR 12935 administration increased phosphorylation of dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of Mr 32kDa (DARPP-32) at threonine 34 residue in synaptosomal (P3) fraction of dorsal horn homogenates, as assessed by Western blot analysis, which was partially prevented by NR2B blockade prior to conditioning stimulation. Conditioning LFS also was followed by higher co-localization of phosphorylated form of NR2B at tyrosine 1472 and pDARPP-32Thr34- with postsynaptic marker PSD-95 in transverse L5 dorsal horn sections. Such increase could be significantly attenuated by D1LR blockade with SCH 23390. The current results support that coincidental endogenous recruitment of D1LRs and NR2B in dorsal horn synapses plays a role in regulating afferent-induced nociceptive plasticity. Parallel increases in DARPP-32 phosphorylation upon LTP induction suggests a role for this phosphoprotein as intracellular detector of convergent D1L- and NMDA receptor activation.
Interactive Multiscale Tensor Reconstruction for Multiresolution Volume Visualization

Large scale and structurally complex volume datasets from high-resolution 3D imaging devices or computational simulations pose a number of technical challenges for interactive visual analysis. In this paper, we present the first integration of a multiscale volume representation based on tensor approximation within a GPU-accelerated out-of-core multiresolution rendering framework. Specific contributions include (a) a hierarchical brick-tensor decomposition approach for pre-processing large volume data, (b) a GPU accelerated tensor reconstruction implementation exploiting CUDA capabilities, and (c) an effective tensor-specific quantization strategy for reducing data transfer bandwidth and out-of-core memory footprint. Our multiscale representation allows for the extraction, analysis and display of structural features at variable spatial scales, while adaptive level-of-detail rendering methods make it possible to interactively explore large datasets within a constrained memory footprint. The quality and performance of our prototype system is evaluated on large structurally complex datasets, including gigabyte-sized micro-tomographic volumes.
Insulinoma as rare cause of severe post‐partum hypoglycemia

Post‐partum hypoglycemia in non‐diabetic women is a rare condition. We report the exceptional case of a 38‐year‐old obese woman who experienced recurrent neuroglycopenia 3 weeks after delivery. Corresponding to severe hypoglycemia with blood glucose levels of <30 mg/dL, there was no suppression of insulin or C‐peptide. Through endoscopic ultrasound we detected a hypoechoic lesion of 8 × 9 mm localized in the head of the pancreas. Thus, the diagnosis of insulinoma was most probable. Complete surgical enucleation of the insulinoma resulted in immediate and permanent resolution of hypoglycemia. The postoperative course was complicated by recurrent episodes of pancreatitis requiring endoscopic ultrasound‐guided punctures of pseudocysts and temporary stenting of the pancreatic duct. In conclusion, insulinoma is a very rare, nonetheless important, differential diagnosis of post‐partum hypoglycemia.
'SemanticLIFE' - A Framework for Managing Information of A Human Lifetime

The SemanticLIFE' system is designed to store, manage and retrieve ones lifetime’s information entities. It enables the acquisition and storage of data while giving annotations to email messages, browsed web pages, phone calls, images, contacts, life events and other resources. 'SemanticLIFE' also provides intuitive and effective search mechanism based upon stored semantics. This paper presents the framework for the system to devise lifetime data store and search using recognized standards. We are aiming at a system which supports the long term memory by associating metadata with content and ontologies. The ultimate goal of our project is to build a Personal Information Management system over a Human Lifetime using ontologies as a basis for the representation of its content.
Quality of care for the treatment of acute medical conditions in US hospitals.

BACKGROUND The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently began reporting on quality of care for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. METHODS We linked performance data submitted for the first half of 2004 to American Hospital Association data on hospital characteristics. We created composite scales for each disease and used factor analysis to identify 2 additional composites based on underlying domains of quality. We estimated logistic regression models to examine the relationship between hospital characteristics and quality. RESULTS Overall, 75.9% of patients hospitalized with these conditions received recommended care. The mean composite scores and their associated interquartile ranges were 0.85 (0.81-0.95), 0.64 (0.52-0.78), and 0.88 (0.80-0.97) for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia, respectively. After adjustment, for-profit hospitals consistently underperformed not-for-profit hospitals for each condition, with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.80) for the congestive heart failure composite measure to 0.90 (95% CI, 0.89-0.91) for the pneumonia composite. Major teaching hospitals had better performance on the treatment and diagnosis composite (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.34-1.39) but worse performance on the counseling and prevention composite (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.82-0.84). Hospitals with more technology available, higher registered nurse staffing, and federal/military designation had higher performance. CONCLUSIONS Patients are more likely to receive high-quality care in not-for-profit hospitals and in hospitals with high registered nurse staffing ratios and more investment in technology. Because payments and sources of payments affect some of these factors (eg, investments in technology and staffing ratios), policy makers should evaluate the effect of alternative payment approaches on quality.
Factors Associated with Tobacco Smoking and Cessation among HIV-Infected Individuals under Care in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Worldwide the prevalence of smoking among people living with HIV/AIDS is elevated compared to the general population. This probably reflects the cluster of individual characteristics that have shared risk factors for HIV infection and smoking. A cross-sectional study, enrolling a convenience sample from a Brazilian HIV clinical cohort was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of tobacco smoking and the factors associated with current smoking and abstinence. A total of 2,775 HIV-infected individuals were interviewed: 46.2% have never smoked, 29.9% were current smokers and 23.9% were former smokers. Current smokers had a higher prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug use when compared to the other two groups. A higher proportion of heterosexual individuals were former smokers or never smokers while among men who have sex with men (MSM) a higher proportion were current smokers. Former smokers had been more frequently diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and depression, while for current smokers lung diseases were more frequent. Former smokers and current smokers were more likely to have had any hospital admission (42.0% and 41.2%, respectively) than participants who never smoked (33.5%) (p<0.001). Multivariate model results showed that current smokers (versus never smokers) were more likely to be less educated, to report the use of alcohol, crack and cocaine and to present clinical comorbidities. Former smokers (versus current smokers) were more likely to be older, to have smoked for a shorter amount of time and to have smoked >31 cigarettes/day. MSM (compared to heterosexuals) and cocaine users (versus non-users) had lower odds of being former smokers. Considering our results, smoking cessation interventions should be tailored to younger individuals, MSM and substance users.
Structural origins of intrinsic stress in amorphous silicon thin films

(Received 24 March 2011; revised manuscript received 16 January 2012; published 6 February 2012)Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) refers to a broad class of atomic conﬁgurations, sharing a lack oflong-range order, but varying signiﬁcantly in material properties, including optical constants, porosity, hydrogencontent, and intrinsic stress. It has long been known that deposition conditions affect microstructure, but muchwork remains to uncover the correlation between these parameters and their inﬂuence on electrical, mechanical,and optical properties critical for high-performance a-Si:H photovoltaic devices. We synthesize and augmentseveral previous models of deposition phenomena and ion bombardment, developing a reﬁned model correlatingplasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition conditions (pressure and discharge power and frequency) to thedevelopment of intrinsic stress in thin ﬁlms. As predicted by the model presented herein, we observe that ﬁlmcompressive stress varies nearly linearly with bombarding ion momentum and with a (−1
Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans Treated With Wide Local Excision and Followed at a Cancer Hospital: Prognostic Significance of Clinicopathologic Variables

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a relatively rare low-grade sarcoma. Local control can usually be achieved by wide local excision, but some patients still develop recurrences. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between clinicopathologic factors and recurrence-free survival (RFS)/overall survival (OS) in a large series of DFSP patients from a single institution. The study group included sections and medical records of 122 patients (63 women and 59 men, median age of 43) with primary DFSP from UT-MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1976 and 2005. Fibrosarcomatous change was detected in 24 (20.9%) patients. Thirty-eight of 120 patients (31.7%) recurred with a median RFS of 10.2 years. The 5-year RFS rate was 64.2%. Based on univariate analyses, fibrosarcomatous change, mitotic count, metastasis at time of diagnosis, and acral location were significantly associated with shorter RFS. On multivariate analysis, acral location and fibrosarcomatous change remained significant for shorter RFS. Five-year OS was 95.5% (95% confidence interval: 75.42%–99.3%). On univariate analysis, mitotic count per square millimeter, presence of necrosis, and metastasis at time of diagnosis were significantly associated with lower OS. On multivariate analysis, only presence of metastasis remained significantly associated with shorter OS. DFSP-FS variant and acral site are associated with shorter recurrence-free interval after wide local excision. Therefore, patients with tumors on acral sites or those with a fibrosarcomatous component may benefit from aggressive therapies other than wide local excision. The only factor that remains significantly associated with decreased OS is detection of metastasis.
Sparse connection and pruning in large dynamic artificial neural networks

This paper presents new methods for training large neural networks for phoneme probability estimation. A combination of the time-delay architecture and the recurrent network architecture is used to capture the important dynamic information of the speech signal. Motivated by the fact that the number of connections in fully connected recurrent networks grows super-linear with the number of hidden units, schemes for sparse connection and connection pruning are explored. It is found that sparsely connected networks outperform their fully connected counterparts with an equal or smaller number of connections. The networks are evaluated in a hybrid HMM/ANN system for phoneme recognition on the TIMIT database. The achieved phoneme error-rate, 28.3%, for the standard 39 phoneme set on the core testset of the TIMIT database is not far from the lowest reported. All training and simulation software used is made freely available by the author, making reproduction of the results feasible.
Rate and power allocation under the pairwise distributed source coding constraint

We explore the problem of rate and power allocation for a sensor network where pairwise distributed source coding is employed (introduced by Roumy and Gesbert '07). For noiseless node-terminal channels, we show that the minimum sum rate assignment with this property can be found by finding a minimum weight arborescence in an appropriately defined directed graph. For orthogonal noisy node-terminal channels, the minimum sum power allocation can be found by finding a minimum weight matching forest in a mixed graph. Numerical results are presented for the noiseless case showing that our solution outperforms previous solutions when source correlations are high.
Molecular and Culture-Based Assessment of the Microbial Diversity of Diabetic Chronic Foot Wounds and Contralateral Skin Sites

ABSTRACT Wound debridement samples and contralateral (healthy) skin swabs acquired from 26 patients attending a specialist foot clinic were analyzed by differential isolation and eubacterium-specific PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) in conjunction with DNA sequencing. Thirteen of 26 wounds harbored pathogens according to culture analyses, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most common (13/13). Candida (1/13), pseudomonas (1/13), and streptococcus (7/13) were less prevalent. Contralateral skin was associated with comparatively low densities of bacteria, and overt pathogens were not detected. According to DGGE analyses, all wounds contained significantly greater eubacterial diversity than contralateral skin (P < 0.05), although no significant difference in total eubacterial diversity was detected between wounds from which known pathogens had been isolated and those that were putatively uninfected. DGGE amplicons with homology to Staphylococcus sp. (8/13) and S. aureus (2/13) were detected in putatively infected wound samples, while Staphylococcus sp. amplicons were detected in 11/13 noninfected wounds; S. aureus was not detected in these samples. While a majority of skin-derived DGGE consortial fingerprints could be differentiated from wound profiles through principal component analysis (PCA), a large minority could not. Furthermore, wounds from which pathogens had been isolated could not be distinguished from putatively uninfected wounds on this basis. In conclusion, while chronic wounds generally harbored greater eubacterial diversity than healthy skin, the isolation of known pathogens was not associated with qualitatively distinct consortial profiles or otherwise altered diversity. The data generated support the utility of both culture and DGGE for the microbial characterization of chronic wounds.