Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DevoFlow: cost-effective flow management for high performance enterprise networks

The OpenFlow framework enables flow-level control over Ethernet switching, as well as centralized visibility of the flows in the network. OpenFlow's coupling of these features comes with costs, however: the distributed-system costs of involving the OpenFlow controller on flow setups, and the switch-implementation costs of involving the switch's control plane too often. In this paper, we analyze the overheads, and we propose DevoFlow, a modification of the OpenFlow model in which we try to gently break the coupling between centralized control and centralized visibility, in a way that maintains a useful amount of visibility without imposing unnecessary costs.
Toxicity risk assessment from heterogeneous uncertain data with possibility-probability distribution

Due to the advance of modern computing technology, decisions can be made based on all the existing related data instances scattered across multiple data storages, such that available information has been entirely taken into consideration. Particularly in the predictive toxicology domain, because of the heterogeneity of data sources, multiple data instances with respect to the same endpoint are usually inconsistent, and the quality (or reliability) of the data instances is typically different. Also, the quantity of data instances is often not sufficient to conduct a study using conventional statistics-based methods. This paper presents a novel risk analysis approach for chemical toxicity assessment which considers all the available heterogeneous data instances in the same time, assisted by their quality (or reliability) values. The system is developed on the basis of possibility-probability distribution, where the uncertainty of the approximated probability values based on traditional statistics methods is represented by possibility. The uncertainty considered herein is led not only by the statistics on limited small number of data instances, but also by the poor quality (or reliability) of data instances. The possibility-probability distribution is automatically computed from available data instances by employing a modified diffused-interior-outer-set model (where the reliability of data is considered) based on information diffusion theory. Toxicity value for a given chemical compound is then estimated as the fuzzy expected value based on the resulted possibility-probability distribution. Toxicity risk with respect to regulatory threshold is also introduced, in order to evaluate the probability of which the toxicity may be classified into a certain regulatory range. The proposed approach is applied to a real-world dataset to illustrate the utility and the potential of the approach in risk assessment of chemical toxicity.
Cardiometabolic Traits and Systolic Mechanics in the Community

Background— Obesity and cardiometabolic dysfunction are associated with increased risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. We sought to examine the association of cardiometabolic traits with left ventricular (LV) cardiac mechanics. We hypothesized that specific obesity-related phenotypes are associated with distinct aspects of LV strain. Methods and Results— We evaluated the associations of obesity-related phenotypes, including central adiposity, diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, and circulating adipokine concentrations with echocardiographic measures of LV mechanical function among participants of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring and Third Generation cohorts. Among 6231 participants, the mean age was 51±16 years, and 54% were women. Greater body mass index was associated with worse LV longitudinal strain, radial strain (apical view), and longitudinal synchrony (multivariable-adjusted P<0.0001). After accounting for body mass index, we found that central adiposity, as measured by waist circumference, was associated with worse global longitudinal strain and synchrony (P⩽0.006). Measures of insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus also were associated with distinct aspects of LV mechanical function. Circulating leptin concentrations were associated with global longitudinal and radial strain (apical view, P<0.0001), whereas no such association was found with leptin receptor, adiponectin, or C-reactive protein. Conclusions— Our findings highlight the association of central obesity and related cardiometabolic phenotypes above and beyond body mass index with subclinical measures of LV mechanical function. Interestingly, obesity-related traits were associated with distinct aspects of LV mechanics, underscoring potential differential effects along specific LV planes of deformation. These findings may shed light onto obesity-related cardiac remodeling and heart failure.
Early Systemic Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor Treatment Attenuates Neuropathic Pain after Peripheral Nerve Injury

Recent studies have shown that opioid treatment can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine production and counteract various neuropathic pain syndromes. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) can promote immune cell differentiation by increasing leukocytes (mainly opioid-containing polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells), suggesting a potential beneficial role in treating chronic pain. This study shows the effectiveness of exogenous G-CSF treatment (200 µg/kg) for alleviating thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI), during post-operative days 1–25, compared to that of vehicle treatment. G-CSF also increases the recruitment of opioid-containing PMN cells into the injured nerve. After CCI, single administration of G-CSF on days 0, 1, and 2, but not on day 3, relieved thermal hyperalgesia, which indicated that its effect on neuropathic pain had a therapeutic window of 0–48 h after nerve injury. CCI led to an increase in the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) protein in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). These high levels of IL-6 mRNA and TNF-α were suppressed by a single administration of G-CSF 48–144 h and 72–144 h after CCI, respectively. Furthermore, G-CSF administered 72–144 h after CCI suppressed the CCI-induced upregulation of microglial activation in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn, which is essential for sensing neuropathic pain. Moreover, the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone methiodide (NLXM) reversed G-CSF-induced antinociception 3 days after CCI, suggesting that G-CSF alleviates hyperalgesia via opioid/opioid receptor interactions. These results suggest that an early single systemic injection of G-CSF alleviates neuropathic pain via activation of PMN cell-derived endogenous opioid secretion to activate opioid receptors in the injured nerve, downregulate IL-6 and TNF-α inflammatory cytokines, and attenuate microglial activation in the spinal dorsal horn. This indicates that G-CSF treatment can suppress early inflammation and prevent the subsequent development of neuropathic pain.
Generating Facial Emotions for Diagnosis and Training

The ability to process and identify facial emotions is an essential factor for an individuals social interaction. There are certain psychiatric disorders that can limit an individuals ability to recognize emotions in facial expressions. This problem could be confronted by making use of computational techniques in order to develop learning environments for the diagnosis, evaluation and training in identifying facial emotions. This paper presents an approach that uses image processing techniques, formal languages, anthropometry and Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to generate caricatures that represent facial movements related to neutral, satisfaction, sadness, anger, disgust, fear and surprise emotions. The rules that define the emotions were determined using an AND-OR graph to enable generating these images in a flexible manner. An evaluation conducted with healthy volunteers showed that some emotions are more easily recognized, while for other emotions the caricatures need to be further improved. This is a promising approach, since the parameters used provide flexibility to define the emotional intensity that must be represented.
CD45-null transgenic mice reveal a positive regulatory role for CD45 in early thymocyte development, in the selection of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, and B cell maturation

The CD45 transmembrane glycoprotein has been shown to be a protein phosphotyrosine phosphatase and to be important in signal transduction in T and B lymphocytes. We have employed gene targeting to create a strain of transgenic mice that completely lacks expression of all isoforms of CD45. The spleens from CD45-null mice contain approximately twice the number of B cells and one fifth the number of T cells found in normal controls. The increase in B cell numbers is due to the specific expansion of two B cell subpopulations that express high levels of immunoglobulin (IgM) staining. T cell development is significantly inhibited in CD45-null animals at two distinct stages. The efficiency of the development of CD4-CD8- thymocytes into CD4+ CD8+ thymocytes is reduced by twofold, subsequently the frequency of successful maturation of the double positive population into mature, single positive thymocytes is reduced by a further four- to fivefold. In addition, we demonstrate that CD45-null thymocytes are severely impaired in their apoptotic response to cross-linking signals via T cell receptor (TCR) in fetal thymic organ culture. In contrast, apoptosis can be induced normally in CD45-null thymocytes by non-TCR- mediated signals. Since both positive and negative selection require signals through the TCR complex, these findings suggest that CD45 is an important regulator of signal transduction via the TCR complex at multiple stages of T cell development. CD45 is absolutely required for the transmission of mitogenic signals via IgM and IgD. By contrast, CD45-null B cells proliferate as well as wild-type cells to CD40- mediated signals. The proliferation of B cells in response to CD38 cross-linking is significantly reduced but not abolished by the CD45- null mutation. We conclude that CD45 is not required at any stage during the generation of mature peripheral B cells, however its loss reveals a previously unrecognized role for CD45 in the regulation of certain subpopulations of B cells.
Activity of CD4+ T-cell clones of type 1 and type 2 in generation of influenza virus-specific cytotoxic responses in vitro

The activity of distinct CD4+ T-helper cell (Th) clones in promoting secondary A/PR/8/34/Mt.S. (H1N1) (A/PR8) influenza virus-specific, class I-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses in vitro was examined. CD8+ T cells which had been purified by fluorescence-activated cell sorter from spleen cells of A/PR8-primed mice were used as responders. On their own, purified CD8+ T cells were unable to generate cytotoxic activity upon in vitro culture with A/PR8-infected stimulator cells. Significant cytotoxic activity was generated in cultures that were additionally supplemented with A/PR8-specific Th clones or cell-free supernatant from these clones. Although there were large differences among individual Th clones in this function, Th clones of type 1 (Th1) promoted, on average, significantly stronger cytotoxic responses than Th clones of type 2 (Th2). The differences in promotion of a cytotoxic response correlated with the amount of interleukin-2 (IL-2) or IL-4 secreted by individual Th clones. These two lymphokines accounted for the CTL-promoting activity of the respective Th clones, since addition of recombinant IL-2 (IL-2) or rIL-4 to Th-free cultures substituted fully for the respective Th clones. As observed with Th clones, rIL-2 was significantly more effective than rIL-4 in promoting a cytotoxic response. When used in combination, Th2 clones had an antagonistic effect on the generation of a CTL response by Th1 clones. This effect could be partially transferred with cell-free supernatant from activated Th2 clones and could be reversed by addition of excess rIL-2. Both consumption of IL-2 by Th2 and secretion of an inhibitory factor(s) appear to be involved in this phenomenon.
Accuracy assessment of MODIS fire products in African Savanna woodlands

Fire poses a continuous threat to forest ecosystems and can dramatically reduce valuable timber species in forest woodland areas. The occurrence of fire in Baikiaea plurijuga woodlands warrants the need of an active and timely fire detection system. Rudimentary methods of detecting fires are still in use in most of Zimbabweâ€™s forest reserves, yet remote sensing has played a pivotal role around the globe in detecting and monitoring both active incidences and post fire burnt areas. Several satellite systems have been validated in different biomes of the world for both MODIS MOD14A1 and MCD14ML.However, there still remains a gap of knowledge in the accurate detection of fires in Baikiaea plurijuga woodlands. In this study we evaluate the accuracy of MODIS fire products using, confusion matrices, kappa statistic, true skill statistic (TSS), remote sensing and Geographical Information techniques where employed to assess the accuracy of MODIS MOD14A1 burnt area product and MCD14ML active fire product in fire detection. This is the first time results of accuracy assessment of fire products are reported in Baikiaea plurijuga woodlands. In both study sites, course resolution 1 km MODIS MOD14A1 burnt area fire product has a continually poor index of agreement with ground data kappa 0 and TSS value is 0. However, for MODIS MCD14ML we found high kappa and true skill statistic values, showing a high. However, we recorded high kappa and TSS values for the MODIS MCDML active fire product. These results, are consistent with the premise that, increase in spatial resolution reduces the sensors ability to detect fires in African Savanna woodlands
Network-based analysis identifies epigenetic biomarkers of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression

MOTIVATION A rapid progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) causes a high mortality rate because of the propensity for metastasis driven by genetic and epigenetic alterations. The identification of prognostic biomarkers would help prevent or control metastatic progression. Expression analyses have been used to find such markers, but do not always validate in separate cohorts. Epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, are a potential source of more reliable and stable biomarkers. Importantly, the integration of both expression and epigenetic alterations is more likely to identify relevant biomarkers. RESULTS We present a new analysis framework, using ESCC progression-associated gene regulatory network (GRN escc), to identify differentially methylated CpG sites prognostic of ESCC progression. From the CpG loci differentially methylated in 50 tumor-normal pairs, we selected 44 CpG loci most highly associated with survival and located in the promoters of genes more likely to belong to GRN escc. Using an independent ESCC cohort, we confirmed that 8/10 of CpG loci in the promoter of GRN escc genes significantly correlated with patient survival. In contrast, 0/10 CpG loci in the promoter genes outside the GRN escc were correlated with patient survival. We further characterized the GRN escc network topology and observed that the genes with methylated CpG loci associated with survival deviated from the center of mass and were less likely to be hubs in the GRN escc. We postulate that our analysis framework improves the identification of bona fide prognostic biomarkers from DNA methylation studies, especially with partial genome coverage.
Improved temporal stability in multieffector movements.

Four experiments compared the temporal stability of actions involving either 1 or more effectors. A reduction in within-effector temporal variability was observed during 2-effector tapping relative to when either effector moved alone. This phenomenon was observed for various limb combinations, and it did not require that the timed movements be produced in a repetitive manner. Moreover, an additional reduction in variability was found when tapping involved 3 effectors. This multiple effector advantage was multiplicative: The magnitude of the advantage was greater for longer target intervals. It is proposed that independent temporal representations are generated for each effector. These representations are integrated to produce coordinated motor commands, and the multiple effector advantage is a statistical consequence of the integration process.
Unconscious Masked Priming Depends on Temporal Attention

The cognitive processes at work in masked priming experiments are usually considered automatic and independent of attention. We provide evidence against this view. Three behavioral experiments demonstrate that the occurrence of unconscious priming in a number-comparison task is determined by the allocation of temporal attention to the time window during which the prime-target pair is presented. Both response-congruity priming and physical repetition priming vanish when temporal attention is focused away from this time window. These findings are inconsistent with the concept of a purely automatic spreading of activation during masked priming.
Evidence for attenuation of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) impulse strength with preservation of GnRH pulse frequency in men with chronic renal failure.

To investigate the nature of putative disturbances in pulsatile gonadotropin (LH) secretion in men with chronic renal failure, we undertook blood sampling at 10-min intervals for 24 h in 9 hemodialysis-dependent uremic men and 16 community- and age-matched controls. Serum LH concentrations were measured in a 2-site immunoradiometric assay, which does not cross-react with free alpha or LH beta-subunit and correlates well with an in vitro Leydig cell bioassay. Deconvolution analysis was applied to calculate the number, amplitude, mass, and duration of spontaneous LH release episodes and simultaneously estimate the half-life of endogenous LH in each subject. We observed that: 1) the estimated half-life of immunoradiometric LH removal from plasma averaged 103 +/- 11 min in normal and 207 +/- 29 min in uremic men (P < 0.01); 2) the number of LH secretory bursts was slightly higher in uremic than healthy men (e.g. 20 +/- 2.2 vs. 15 +/- 1.0 secretory bursts/24 h, respectively; P = 0.05); 3) the mass of LH secreted per burst was approximately 50% lower in chronic renal failure than in health, namely 1.4 +/- 0.18 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.42 IU/L (P < 0.01); 4) the decrease in the mass of LH secreted per burst was not due to a decline in LH secretory burst amplitude, but rather an attenuation of LH secretory burst duration (4.8 +/- 0.35 min in uremic vs. 11 +/- 1.3 min in normal men; P < 0.001); 5) the mean 24-h serum immunoradiometric LH concentration was significantly higher in uremia at 5.7 +/- 0.68 vs. 3.6 +/- 0.41 IU/L in controls (P = 0.017); and 6) serum estradiol concentrations were increased in uremia, but total and free testosterone concentrations did not differ significantly between the two subject groups. In response to synthetic GnRH (10 micrograms, administered iv after the 24-h basal sampling period), the mean mass of immunoradiometric LH released within each calculated LH secretory burst was similar in uremic (n = 8) and normal (n = 21) individuals. We conclude that uremia is accompanied by a specific defect in the pulsatile mode of LH secretion, which is marked by an abbreviation of LH secretory burst duration and a consequent fall in the mass of LH secreted per spontaneous release episode. There is no overall decline in LH secretory pulse frequency or gonadotroph responsiveness to a submaximally effective dose of exogenous GnRH. Such findings are consistent with diminished hypothalamic GnRH impulse strength. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Network Model of Interpersonal Alignment in Dialog

In dyadic communication, both interlocutors adapt to each other linguistically, that is, they align interpersonally. In this article, we develop a framework for modeling interpersonal alignment in terms of the structural similarity of the interlocutors' dialog lexica. This is done by means of so-called two-layer time-aligned network series, that is, a time-adjusted graph model. The graph model is partitioned into two layers, so that the interlocutors' lexica are captured as subgraphs of an encompassing dialog graph. Each constituent network of the series is updated utterance-wise. Thus, both the inherent bipartition of dyadic conversations and their gradual development are modeled. The notion of alignment is then operationalized within a quantitative model of structure formation based on the mutual information of the subgraphs that represent the interlocutor's dialog lexica. By adapting and further developing several models of complex network theory, we show that dialog lexica evolve as a novel class of graphs that have not been considered before in the area of complex (linguistic) networks. Additionally, we show that our framework allows for classifying dialogs according to their alignment status. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first approach to measuring alignment in communication that explores the similarities of graph-like cognitive representations.
Macrobenthos in offshore wind farms : a review of research, results and relevance for future developments

Offshore wind farms potentially have an effect on the benthic ecosystem. Given the plans for large-scale development of offshore wind farms on the Dutch Continental Shelf (DCS), understanding these effects is relevant for policy and regulations regarding these developments. Because studying the effects of offshore wind farms on the benthic ecosystem is expensive and time-consuming, it is important to use all knowledge which is already available before deciding if and what additional research is necessary. To facilitate the uptake of all available knowledge in Dutch policy and management decisions, we reviewed the research conducted to study benthic effects of offshore wind farms in the North Sea (and Kattegat). We focus on the research conducted, results obtained, methods used, technical parameters of the offshore wind farms and prevailing abiotic conditions. Using the results of this review, we assess the relevance of this research for the Dutch offshore wind development and its effects on the benthic ecosystem of the DCS, and derive lessons for possible future studies.
“Women Are Better Than Men”–Public Beliefs on Gender Differences and Other Aspects in Multitasking

Reports in public media suggest the existence of a stereotype that women are better at multitasking than men. The present online survey aimed at supporting this incidental observation by empirical data. For this, 488 participants from various ethnic backgrounds (US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, and others) filled out a self-developed online-questionnaire. Results showed that overall more than 50% of the participants believed in gender differences in multitasking abilities. Of those who believed in gender differences, a majority of 80% believed that women were better at multitasking. The main reasons for this were believed to be an evolutionary advantage and more multitasking practice in women, mainly due to managing children and household and/or family and job. Findings were consistent across the different countries, thus supporting the existence of a widespread gender stereotype that women are better at multitasking than men. Further questionnaire results provided information about the participants’ self-rated own multitasking abilities, and how they conceived multitasking activities such as childcare, phoning while driving, and office work.