Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Colonisation and growth of benthic algae in a recently deculverted urban stream

Stream restoration by the process of deculverting is a comprehensive form of restoration which aims to improve morphological, chemical and ecological condition through the re-creation of a naturalized stream from a piped channel. Norway has adopted the process, and themunicipalities are increasingly attempting to restore culverted streams wherever possible, particularly in the city of Oslo. It is, however, largely unknown how aquatic ecosystems will respond to the substantial changes associated with deculverting. This study examines the colonisation and growth of benthic algae assemblages a period after deculverting in a newly restored reach of the stream Hovinbekken in Oslo. Samples were collected monthly from May to November 2016 and in May and June the following year. Accumulation of benthic algae and concentration of nutrients were investigated to determine the stream’s ability to self-clean downstream the restored reach. Colonisation and composition of benthic algae taxa were investigated to determine whether the newly established ecosystem showed signs of being normal functioning. The ecological status of the restored reach was determined using benthic algae as indicators according to the periphyton index of trophic status (PIT). Additionally, this study assesses the performance of the BenthoTorch, an in-situ tool that provides estimations of algal biomass measured as Chlorophyll-a. Results from the samplings showed no clear evidence of an overall decline in concentrations of nutrients along the restored reach. Neither was the differences in nutrient concentration along the restored reach significantly related to algal biomass measured as estimated percent cover. High levels of nutrients were conceivably a contributing factor for the massive growth of the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria sancta and the filamentous green algae Spirogyra majuscula which occurred during both seasons of sampling. Additionally, the estimated percent cover of benthic algae was generally high in the restored reach, which after a period of drought rapidly accumulated at the sites that had been affected by these disturbances. Furthermore, according to PIT, the classification for all sites in the restored reach ranged between moderate and very poor ecological status. And, there were no significant differences in PIT downstream along the restored reach. Thus, the results of this study imply that nutrient was not a limiting factor for algal growth in the restored reach and that levels of nutrients were too high for algae to noticeable control the nutrient dynamics in the stream. Conceivable, without reducing levels of nutrients contaminating the water from upstream sources, it is likely that the benthic algae growing in the restored reach would only be limited by substrate space on which to colonize.
Risk factors for hypertensive attack during pheochromocytoma resection

Purpose We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the risk factors for hypertensive attack during adrenalectomy in patients with pheochromocytoma. Despite the development of newer surgical and anesthetic techniques for the management of pheochromocytoma, intraoperative hypertensive attack continues to present a challenge. Materials and Methods Data from 53 patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma at Kyungpook National Uriversity Medical Center between January 2000 and June 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. The subjects were divided into 2 groups depending on the presence or absence of hypertensive attack at the time of surgery. Patient demographic characteristics and preoperative evaluations were assessed for their prognostic relevance with respect to hypertensive attack. A univariate analysis was conducted, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was also performed. Results In the univariate analysis, systolic blood pressure at presentation, preoperative hormonal status (including epinephrine, norepinephrine, vanillylmandelic acid, and metanephrine levels in a 24-hour urine sample), tumor size, and postoperative systolic blood pressure were significantly associated with the development of hypertensive attack. In the multivariate analysis, preoperative epinephrine level and tumor size were independent factors that predicted hypertensive attack. The highest odds ratio for tumor size (2.169) was obtained at a cutoff value of 4.25 cm and the highest odds ratio for preoperative epinephrine (1.020) was obtained at a cutoff value of 166.3 µg/d. Conclusions In this study, a large tumor size and an elevated preoperative urinary epinephrine level were risk factors for intraoperative hypertensive attack in patients with pheochromocytoma.
Alcoholics show reduced telomere length in the oesophagus

Telomeres are repetitive G‐rich DNA sequences located at the ends of chromosomes. Chromosomal and genomic instability due to telomere dysfunction plays an important role in carcinogenesis. To study telomere shortening in the oesophageal epithelium of alcoholics, we measured the telomere lengths of basal and parabasal cells in comparison with those of non‐alcoholics using Q‐FISH and our original software, Tissue Telo, and also assessed histological inflammation. Telomeres in basal cells were significantly shorter in alcoholics than in age‐matched normal controls. Prominent histological findings of chronic inflammation were not evident in either alcoholics or non‐alcoholics. Our finding that telomeres in the oesophageal epithelium are shorter in alcoholics than in non‐alcoholics indicates that telomere shortening may be associated with the frequent occurrence of squamous cell carcinoma in alcoholics. Further studies to clarify the reason for the large annual loss of telomere length with rapid turnover or lower telomerase activity in the oesophageal epithelium of alcoholics will be necessary. Copyright © 2010 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toward Developmental Connectomics of the Human Brain

Imaging connectomics based on graph theory has become an effective and unique methodological framework for studying structural and functional connectivity patterns of the developing brain. Normal brain development is characterized by continuous and significant network evolution throughout infancy, childhood, and adolescence, following specific maturational patterns. Disruption of these normal changes is associated with neuropsychiatric developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. In this review, we focused on the recent progresses regarding typical and atypical development of human brain networks from birth to early adulthood, using a connectomic approach. Specifically, by the time of birth, structural networks already exhibit adult-like organization, with global efficient small-world and modular structures, as well as hub regions and rich-clubs acting as communication backbones. During development, the structure networks are fine-tuned, with increased global integration and robustness and decreased local segregation, as well as the strengthening of the hubs. In parallel, functional networks undergo more dramatic changes during maturation, with both increased integration and segregation during development, as brain hubs shift from primary regions to high order functioning regions, and the organization of modules transitions from a local anatomical emphasis to a more distributed architecture. These findings suggest that structural networks develop earlier than functional networks; meanwhile functional networks demonstrate more dramatic maturational changes with the evolution of structural networks serving as the anatomical backbone. In this review, we also highlighted topologically disorganized characteristics in structural and functional brain networks in several major developmental neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and developmental dyslexia). Collectively, we showed that delineation of the brain network from a connectomics perspective offers a unique and refreshing view of both normal development and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Need For Speed : Mining Sequential Patterns in Data Streams

Recently, the data mining community has focused on a new challenging model where data arrives sequentially in the form of continuous rapid streams. It is often referred to as data streams or streaming data. Many real-world applications data are more appropriately handled by the data stream model than by traditional static databases. Such applications can be: stock tickers, network traffic measurements, transaction flows in retail chains, click streams, sensor networks and telecommunications call records. In this paper we propose a new approach, called SPEED (Sequential Patterns Efficient Extraction in Data streams), to identify sequential patterns in a data stream. To the best of our knowledge this is the first approach defined for mining sequential patterns in streaming data. The main originality of our mining method is that we use a novel data structure to maintain frequent sequential patterns coupled with a fast pruning strategy. At any time, users can issue requests for frequent sequences over an arbitrary time interval. Furthermore, our approach produces an approximate support answer with an assurance that it will not bypass a user-defined frequency error threshold. Finally the proposed method is analyzed by a series of experiments on different datasets.
Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for a pancreatic lymphoepithelial cyst: case report and review of literature.

CONTEXT Lymphoepithelial cysts of the pancreas are a rare disease of true pancreatic cysts, the cause of which is unknown. The differential diagnosis is broad and includes many benign and malignant cystic lesions of the pancreas and surrounding organs. A combination of imaging modalities and fine needle aspiration might narrow the differential diagnosis. However, the final diagnosis can only be achieved with certainty after resection of the cyst. CASE REPORT The present case report is a lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas that was resected laparoscopically. A 53-year-old man was incidentally found to have a cystic tumor in the tail of the pancreas after undergoing an abdominal ultrasound, which showed a 41x33 mm cystic mass in the pancreatic tail. He had no abdominal symptoms. Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy were performed. Histologic examination revealed a lymphoepithelial cyst. CONCLUSION Herein, we discuss the diagnostic difficulties and management decisions that face surgeons treating pancreatic cysts.
End-Stage Renal Disease Causes Skewing in the TCR Vβ-Repertoire Primarily within CD8+ T Cell Subsets

A broad T cell receptor (TCR-) repertoire is required for an effective immune response. TCR-repertoire diversity declines with age. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have a prematurely aged T cell system which is associated with defective T cell-mediated immunity. Recently, we showed that ESRD may significantly skew the TCR Vβ-repertoire. Here, we assessed the impact of ESRD on the TCR Vβ-repertoire within different T cell subsets using a multiparameter flow-cytometry-based assay, controlling for effects of aging and CMV latency. Percentages of 24 different TCR Vβ-families were tested in circulating naive and memory T cell subsets of 10 ESRD patients and 10 age- and CMV-serostatus-matched healthy individuals (HI). The Gini-index, a parameter used in economics to describe the distribution of income, was calculated to determine the extent of skewing at the subset level taking into account frequencies of all 24 TCR Vβ-families. In addition, using HI as reference population, the differential impact of ESRD was assessed on clonal expansion at the level of an individual TCR Vβ-family. CD8+, but not CD4+, T cell differentiation was associated with higher Gini-TCR indices. Gini-TCR indices were already significantly higher for different CD8+ memory T cell subsets of younger ESRD patients compared to their age-matched HI. ESRD induced expansions of not one TCR Vβ-family in particular and expansions were predominantly observed within the CD8+ T cell compartment. All ESRD patients had expanded TCR Vβ-families within total CD8+ T cells and the median (IQ range) number of expanded TCR Vβ-families/patient amounted to 2 (1–4). Interestingly, ESRD also induced clonal expansions of TCR Vβ-families within naive CD8+ T cells as 8 out of 10 patients had expanded TCR Vβ-families. The median (IQ range) number of expanded families/patient amounted to 1 (1–1) within naive CD8+ T cells. In conclusion, loss of renal function skews the TCR Vβ-repertoire already in younger patients by inducing expansions of different TCR Vβ-families within the various T cell subsets, primarily affecting the CD8+ T cell compartment. This skewed TCR Vβ-repertoire may be associated with a less broad and diverse T cell-mediated immunity.
Evidence-Based Road Safety Practice in India: Assessment of the Adequacy of Publicly Available Data in Meeting Requirements for Comprehensive Road Safety Data Systems

Objective: To assess the availability and coverage of publicly available road safety data at the national and state levels in India. Methods: We reviewed the 2 publicly accessible data sources in India for the availability of data related to traffic injuries and deaths: (1) the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and (2) the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH). Using the World Health Organization (WHO) manual for the comprehensive assessment of road safety data, we developed a checklist of indicators required for comprehensive road safety assessment. These indicators were then used to assess the availability of road safety data in India using the NCRB and MORTH data. We assessed the availability of data on outcomes and exposures indicators (i.e., number of crashes, injuries, deaths, timing of deaths, gender and age distribution of injuries and deaths), safety performance indicators (i.e., with reference to select risk factors of speeding, alcohol, and helmet use), and cost indicators (i.e., medical costs, material costs, intervention costs, productivity costs, time costs, and losses to quality of life). Results: Information on outcome indicators was the most comprehensive in terms of availability. Both NCRB and MORTH databases had data for most of the need areas specified by the WHO under outcomes and exposure indicators. Regarding outcome and exposure indicators, data were available for 81 and 91 percent of specified need areas at the national level from NCRB and MORTH databases, respectively. At the state level, data on outcome and exposure indicators were available for only 54 percent of need areas from either of the 2 sources. There were no data on safety performance indicators in the NCRB database. From the MORTH database, data availability on safety performance indicators was 60 percent at both national and state levels. Data availability on costs and process indicators was found to be below 20 percent at the national and state levels. Conclusion: Overall, there is an urgent need to improve the publicly available road safety data in India. This will enhance monitoring of the burden of traffic injuries and deaths, enable sound interpretation of national road safety data, and allow the formulation effective road safety policies.
QT Dispersion is Not Increased in Familial Mediterranean Fever

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoimmune disease inherited as an autosomal recessive trait and is characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and sterile polyserositis. This study examined electrocardiographic ventricular repolarization parameters (QT interval and QT dispersion) in 38 FMF patients and 35 healthy controls. The QT interval was measured manually from the onset of QRS to the end of the T wave (return to the TP baseline). QT dispersion was defined as the difference between the maximum and minimum QT values, and corrected QT was calculated according to the Bazett formula. There were no significant differences between FMF patients and healthy control subjects in any parameter of ventricular repolarization; hence QT dispersion was not affected by FMF. Electrocardiographic assessment of QT interval and QT dispersion are, therefore, of little value for the evaluation of cardiac impairment and risk of arrhythmia in FMF patients.
LLR-Based Successive Cancellation List Decoding of Polar Codes

We show that successive cancellation list decoding can be formulated exclusively using log-likelihood ratios. In addition to numerical stability, the log-likelihood ratio based formulation has useful properties that simplify the sorting step involved in successive cancellation list decoding. We propose a hardware architecture of the successive cancellation list decoder in the log-likelihood ratio domain which, compared with a log-likelihood domain implementation, requires less irregular and smaller memories. This simplification, together with the gains in the metric sorter, lead to 56% to 137% higher throughput per unit area than other recently proposed architectures. We then evaluate the empirical performance of the CRC-aided successive cancellation list decoder at different list sizes using different CRCs and conclude that it is important to adapt the CRC length to the list size in order to achieve the best error-rate performance of concatenated polar codes. Finally, we synthesize conventional successive cancellation decoders at large block-lengths with the same block-error probability as our proposed CRC-aided successive cancellation list decoders to demonstrate that, while our decoders have slightly lower throughput and larger area, they have a significantly smaller decoding latency.
A genome-wide association study suggests that a locus within the ataxin 2 binding protein 1 gene is associated with hand osteoarthritis: the Treat-OA consortium

To identify the susceptibility gene in hand osteoarthritis (OA) the authors used a two-stage approach genome-wide association study using two discovery samples (the TwinsUK cohort and the Rotterdam discovery subset; a total of 1804 subjects) and four replication samples (the Chingford Study, the Chuvasha Skeletal Aging Study, the Rotterdam replication subset and the Genetics, Arthrosis, and Progression (GARP) Study; a total of 3266 people). Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) had a likelihood of association with hand OA in the discovery stage and one of them (rs716508), was successfully confirmed in the replication stage (meta-analysis p = 1.81×10−5). The C allele conferred a reduced risk of 33% to 41% using a case–control definition. The SNP is located in intron 1 of the A2BP1 gene. This study also found that the same allele of the SNP significantly reduced bone density at both the hip and spine (p<0.01), suggesting the potential mechanism of the gene in hand OA might be via effects on subchondral bone. The authors' findings provide a potential new insight into genetic mechanisms in the development of hand OA.
Linking normative models of natural tasks to descriptive models of neural response

Understanding how nervous systems exploit task relevant properties of sensory stimuli to perform natural tasks is fundamental to the study of perceptual systems. However, there are few formal methods for determining which stimulus properties are most useful for a given task. As a consequence, it is difficult to develop principled models for how to compute task-relevant latent variables from natural signals, and it is difficult to evaluate descriptive models fit to neural response. Accuracy Maxmization Analysis (AMA) is a recently developed Bayesian method for finding the optimal task-specific filters (receptive fields). Here, we introduce AMA-Gauss, a new faster form of AMA that incorporates the assumption that the class-conditional filter responses are Gaussian distributed. Next, we use AMA-Gauss to show that its assumptions are justified for two fundamental visual tasks: retinal speed estimation and binocular disparity estimation. Then, we show that AMA-Gauss has striking formal similarities to popular quadratic models of neural response: the energy model and the Generalized Quadratic Model (GQM). Together, these developments deepen our understanding of why the energy model of neural response have proven useful, improve our ability to evaluate results from subunit model fits to neural data, and should help accelerate psychophysics and neuroscience research with natural stimuli.
Magnetospheric radio emission from extrasolar giant planets: the role of the host stars

ABSTRACT We present a new analysis of the expected magnetospheric radio emission fromextrasolar giant planets for a distance limited sample of the nearest known extrasolarplanets. Using recent results on the correlation between stellar X-ray ﬂux and mass-loss rates from nearby stars, we estimate the expected mass-loss rates of the host starsof extrasolar planets that lie within 20 pc of the Earth. We ﬁnd that some of the hoststars have mass-loss rates that are more than 100 times that of the Sun, and giventhe expected dependence of the planetary magnetospheric radio ﬂux on stellar windproperties this has a very substantial eﬀect. Using these results and extrapolationsof the likely magnetic properties of the extrasolar planets we infer their likely radioproperties.We compile a list of the most promising radio targets, and conclude that theplanets orbiting Tau Bootes, Gliese 86, Upsilon Andromeda and HD1237 (as well asHD179949) are the most promising candidates, with expected ﬂux levels that shouldbe detectable in the near future with upcoming telescope arrays. The expected emis-sion peak from these candidate radio emitting planets is typically ∼ 40 − 50 MHz.We also discuss a range of observational considerations for detecting extrasolar giantplanets.Key words: planetary systems – radiation mechanisms: non-thermal – stars: coronae– stars: late-type: planetary systems – solar neighbourhood
A General BRDF Representation Based on Tensor Decomposition

Generating photo‐realistic images through Monte Carlo rendering requires efficient representation of light–surface interaction and techniques for importance sampling. Various models with good representation abilities have been developed but only a few of them have their importance sampling procedure. In this paper, we propose a method which provides a good bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) representation and efficient importance sampling procedure. Our method is based on representing BRDF as a function of tensor products. Four‐dimensional measured BRDF tensor data are factorized using Tucker decomposition. A large data set is used for comparing the proposed BRDF model with a number of well‐known BRDF models. It is shown that the underlying model provides good approximation to BRDFs.
Automatic Identification of Bengali Noun-Noun Compounds Using Random Forest

This paper presents a supervised machine learning approach that uses a machine learning algorithm called Random Forest for recognition of Bengali noun-noun compounds as multiword expression (MWE) from Bengali corpus. Our proposed approach to MWE recognition has two steps: (1) extraction of candidate multi-word expressions using Chunk information and various heuristic rules and (2) training the machine learning algorithm to recognize a candidate multi-word expression as Multi-word expression or not. A variety of association measures, syntactic and linguistic clues are used as features for identifying MWEs. The proposed system is tested on a Bengali corpus for identifying noun-noun compound MWEs from the corpus.