Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Migration patterns of dendritic cells in the mouse. Traffic from the blood, and T cell-dependent and -independent entry to lymphoid tissues

Dendritic cells (DC) are critical accessory cells for primary immune responses and they may be important stimulators of transplantation reactions, but little is known of their traffic into the tissues. We have studied the migration of purified splenic DC and T lymphocytes, labeled with 111Indium-tropolone, in syngeneic and allogeneic mice. First we demonstrate that DC can migrate from the blood into some lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues. Immediately after intravenous administration, radio-labeled DC were sequestered in the lungs, but they actively migrated into the liver and spleen and reached equilibrium levels between 3 and 24 h after transfer. At least half of the radiolabel accumulated in the liver, but the spleen was the principal site of DC localization in terms of specific activity (radiolabel per weight of tissue). DC were unable to enter Peyer's patches, or mesenteric and other peripheral lymph nodes from the bloodstream. This was also true in splenectomized recipients, where the otherwise spleen-seeking DC were quantitatively diverted to the liver. In contrast, T cells homed readily to the spleen and lymph nodes of normal mice and increased numbers were present in these tissues in splenectomized mice. Thus, unlike T cells, DC cannot recirculate from blood to lymph via the nodes. We then show that migration of DC from the blood into the spleen is dependent on the presence of T cells: DC did not enter the spleens of nude mice, but when they were reconstituted with T cells the numbers entering the spleen resembled those in euthymic mice. In nude mice, as in splenectomized recipients, the DC that would normally enter the spleen were quantitatively diverted to the liver. These findings suggest that there is a spleen- liver equilibrium for DC, that may be akin to that existing between spleen and lymph node for T cells. Finally, we followed the traffic of radiolabeled DC via the afferent lymphatics after subcutaneous footpad inoculation. DC accumulated in the popliteal nodes but did not migrate further to the inguinal nodes. There was no difference between euthymic and nude mice, showing that unlike traffic to the spleen, this route probably does not require T cells. These migration patterns were not affected by major histocompatibility barriers, and were only seen with viable, but not glutaraldehyde-fixed, DC. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Improvement of Car Positioning with Measurements of Relative Distance

In this article, we propose a method for improving the estimates of the absolute positions of cars. In the proposed method, each car measures its velocity, the absolute position, and the relative distance to a car in front, and uploads these measurements to a server. Using these measurements, the server computes the estimates of the cars' positions by means of the Kalman filter. This method can estimate the absolute position even if the GPS receiver cannot receive enough signals from the satellites and cannot measure the absolute position. The experimental results show that the measurements of the relative distance suppress the uncertainties of the estimates.
Energy loss of heavy ions in a plasma target.

The energy loss in a plasma target was measured for different heavy-ion species, ranging from $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ to $^{238}\mathrm{U}$ at an energy of 1.4 MeV/u. A discharge tube was used to generate a hydrogen plasma with a high degree of ionization and temperatures between 1 and 2 eV. An on-line diagnostic of the plasma was performed to measure the free-electron density and the electron temperature. Compared to neutral hydrogen of the same particle density, the plasma target shows an enhanced stopping power due to the increased energy transfer to the free plasma electrons, and a higher effective charge of the projectiles inside the plasma target. Theoretical predictions based on the Bethe-Bohr-Bloch stopping theory are in good agreement with the experimental results.
Efficient comparison-based fault diagnosis of multiprocessor systems using an evolutionary approach

In comparison models for system-level fault diagnosis pairs of units are given the same job and results are compared. The result of such a comparison test can be 0 (match) or 1 (mismatch) and diagnosis is based on the collection of test results. Two such models have been studied, among others: the symmetric model of Chwa and Hakimi and the asymmetric model of Malek. In this paper a novel approach is proposed for identifying faulty units, based on a well-known optimization procedure, as genetic algorithms, which have proven to be useful in various kinds of problems. Furthermore, a new problem-specific genetic mutation is presented and shown to be better than the standard one. A series of simulations was conducted to show the efficiency of the genetic-based approach.
Naming, State Management, and User-Level Extensions in the Sprite

This dissertation describes and evaluates a shared network file system. Resources accessible via the file system include disk storage, peripheral devices, and user-implemented services. These resources are accessed via an open-close, read-write file system interface. Services and peripheral devices can be located on any host, and file storage is concentrated on file servers. The operating system manages the distribution of resources so the distributed system has the same behavior as a stand-alone timesharing file system. The distributed file system name space is implemented by a collection of file servers and user-implemented services. The name space is unified using a light-weight, decentralized system based on prefix tables and a broadcast protocol. The system automatically adjusts to changes in the systems configuration so it remains easy to manage as the system grows. The file servers are "stateful". Their state is needed to support a high-performance caching system. However, state complicates error recovery and process migration. This dissertation describes how the distributed state of the file system is maintained during normal operation, during the migration of processes between hosts, and during host failures. The semantics of shared I/O streams are maintained after migration by using shadow stream descriptors on the servers. Failure recovery involves a recovery protocol that relies on redundant state on the clients and servers instead of disk-logging techniques. User-level services are integrated into the file system framework; they appear as files (pseudo-devices) or as directory hierarchies (pseudo-file-systems). The user-level services benefit from the shared name space and transparent remote access present to support the distributed file system. The file system interface is flexible enough to allow a variety of services to be implemented this way. Examples include an X window server, a TCP/IP protocol server, and an NFS file server. Virtually all features of the file system that are described in this dissertation have been implemented as part of the Sprite network operating system. Measurements of its use by a real user community are presented.
The Imperfect Ancestral Recombination Graph Reconstruction Problem: Upper Bounds for Recombination and Homoplasy

One of the central problems in computational biology is the reconstruction of evolutionary histories. While models incorporating recombination and homoplasy have been studied separately, a missing component in the theory is a robust and flexible unifying model which incorporates both of these major biological events shaping genetic diversity. In this article, we introduce the first such unifying model and develop algorithms to find the optimal ancestral recombination graph incorporating recombinations and homoplasy events. The power of our framework is the connection between our formulation and the Directed Steiner Arborescence Problem in combinatorial optimization. We implement linear programming techniques as well as heuristics for the Directed Steiner Arborescence Problem, and use our methods to construct evolutionary histories for both simulated and real data sets.
Office-Based Ultrasound-Guided FNA with Molecular Testing for Thyroid Nodules

Objective Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is the primary method of evaluating thyroid nodules. Up to one-third of FNA results are reported to be of “indeterminate” cytology, which carries a 25% malignancy risk. Most of these patients are referred for diagnostic surgery, which results in many unnecessary interventions. We implemented an FNA protocol combining expert thyroid cytopathology and molecular testing of indeterminate lesion in our community practice. This study is a report of the outcomes from this protocol as compared with historical data in the same setting over a similar period. Study Design Case series with planned data collections and retrospective chart reviews. Setting A large community-based practice with multiple satellite offices. Subjects and Methods A total of 264 thyroid nodules (196 patients) were evaluated under the new protocol from January to December 2014, and data were collected in a prospective manner. Historical data for a similar period (2012), obtained by chart review, included 164 nodules (134 patients) biopsied in a hospital setting by a number of radiologists, with cytologic interpretations completed by community-based pathologists. Statistical analyses included χ2 and Fischer’s exact tests. Results Based on the new protocol, the rate of indeterminate lesion diagnosis was reduced from 24% to 10% (P = .006) and the rate of diagnostic surgery from 24% to 6% (P < .001). Of the patients who underwent diagnostic surgery, 58% had evidence of malignancy, as compared with 12% in our previous experience (P = .04). Conclusion Expert cytopathologic analysis combined with molecular testing of indeterminate FNA samples significantly reduced unnecessary operations.
A physically grounded approach to coordinate movements in a team

Focuses on the problem of coordinating the movements of a cooperative team in an environment, and proposes an approach that takes inspiration from the laws of physics. The idea is to have the movements of team members driven by abstract force fields, generated by team members themselves and propagated via some embedded infrastructure. A globally coordinated and self-organized behavior in team members' movements emerges due to the interrelated effects of team members following the shape of the fields and of dynamic fields re-shaping. A case study in the area of warehouse management is introduced to exemplify the proposed approach.
A less recursive variant of Karatsuba-Ofman algorithm for multiplying operands of size a power of two

We propose a new algorithm for fast multiplication of large integers having a precision of 1k computer words, where k is an integer. The algorithm is derived from the Karatsuba-Ofman Algorithm and has the same asymptotic complexity. However, the running time of the new algorithm is slightly better, and it makes one third as many recursive calls.
Radiological Mapping of Al-Dabaa Site at Low Depth Profile for Evaluation its Suitability for Disposal of Radioactive Wastes

Disposal sites use series of natural and engineered barriers to contain either radioactive wastes and or spent nuclear fuel. Migration of radionuclide and their pathways studies are carried out as selection criteria of radioactive waste disposal/storage facility. In the framework of the planned NPPs program at Al-Dabaa site, radiological mapping at low depth profile of a specific area within the site has been carried out for evaluation its suitability for disposal of radioactive wastes. Twenty samples were collected from different bore holes of about 12-meterdepthprofile.The samples were transported to the laboratory and prepared for non-destructive assay using well calibrated 60% efficiency High-Purity Germanium (HpGe) detector. The natural radioactivity of 235U, 238U (234Th), 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were determined and quantified. The 235U/238U activity ratios were also calculated and found to be within the natural signature. The Absorbed dose rates (nGy/h) were also calculated and found in the average world value; 59nGy/h. The man-made 137Cs was also found in ultra-low activity concentrations, where the highest value was found to be 0.00987 Bq/kg. The mineralogy of the collected site samples was also investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis technique to identify and determine the major mineral structure of the samples. It was observed that Dolomite and Calcite are the major minerals of the investigated site. The results are discussed and represented as histograms, contour mapping and 3D correlations. These results are also going to be used as inputs and bases for a future work; code modeling for evaluation of Al-Dabaa site.
Social Reactions, Self-Blame and Problem Drinking in Adult Sexual Assault Survivors.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to test a model of the relations of social reactions to sexual assault disclosure, self-blame and problem drinking. This is the first study to investigate whether type of self-blame has different relationships with social reactions and problem drinking in a large, diverse sample of sexually assaulted women. These relationships are important to investigate in order to identify specific targets for treatment and intervention with sexual assault victims and their social networks. METHOD Community-residing female sexual assault survivors (N = 1863) in a large metropolitan area completed a mail survey about sexual assault, social reactions to disclosure, self-blame attributions, and problem drinking symptoms. RESULTS Structural equation modeling showed that characterological self-blame mediated the effect of negative social reactions on drinking, but behavioral self-blame did not function as a mediator. A second model showed unique relationships of specific positive and negative social reactions to drinking through characterological and behavioral self-blame. CONCLUSIONS Characterological self-blame needs to be targeted in treatment and intervention with survivors, as it appears to be a key mechanism through which social reactions may influence recovery. Secondary prevention with informal social networks should educate people about social reactions to avoid negative reactions and promote those that are helpful, so people can better respond to survivors' sexual assault disclosures and improve recovery.
Intracellular Trafficking and Secretion of Adiponectin Is Dependent on GGA-coated Vesicles*

Adiponectin (Acrp30) is an insulin-sensitizing hormone produced and secreted exclusively by adipose tissue. Confocal fluorescent microscopy demonstrated the colocalization of adiponectin with the Golgi membrane markers p115, β-COP, and the trans-Golgi network marker, syntaxin 6. Treatment of cells with brefeldin A redistributed adiponectin to the endoplasmic reticulum where it colocalized with the chaperone protein BIP and inhibited secretion of adiponectin demonstrating a requirement for a functional Golgi apparatus for adiponectin release. Confocal fluorescent microscopy also demonstrated a colocalization of endogenous adiponectin with that of expressed GGA1myc (Golgi-localizing γ-adaptin ear homology ARF-binding protein) but with no significant overlap between adiponectin and the GGA2myc or GGA3myc isoforms. Consistent with confocal fluorescent microscopy, transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the colocalization of GGA1 with adiponectin. Although GGA1 did not directly interact with the adiponectin protein, the adiponectin enriched membrane compartments of adipocyte were precipitated by a GST-GGA1 cargo binding domain (VHS) fusion protein but not with a GST-GGA2 VHS or GST-GGA3 VHS fusion proteins. Moreover, co-expression of adiponectin with a GGA1 dominant-interfering mutant (GGA1-VHS GAT domain) resulted in a marked inhibition of adiponectin secretion in both 3T3L1 adipocytes and HEK293 cells, whereas no inhibition was detected with the truncated mutants GGA2-VHSGAT or GGA3-VHSGAT. Moreover, co-expression of wild type GGA1 with adiponectin enhanced secretion of adiponectin. Interestingly, leptin secretion was unaffected by neither the wild type form or GGA1 mutant. Taken together these data demonstrate that the trafficking of adiponectin through its secretory pathway is dependent on GGA-coated vesicles.
Ego-centric Network Sampling in Viral Marketing Applications

Marketing is most successful when people spread the message within their social network. The Internet can serve as an approximation of the spread of messages, particularly marketing campaigns, to both measure marketing effectiveness and provide data for influencing future efforts. However, to measure the network of Web sites spreading the marketing message potentially requires a massive amount of data collection over a long period of time. Additionally, collecting data from the Internet is very noisy and can create a false sense of precision. Therefore, we propose to use ego-centric network sampling to both reduce the amount of data required to collect as well as handle the inherent uncertainty of the data collected. In this paper, we study whether the proposed ego-centric network sampling accurately captures the network structure. We use the Stanford-Berkeley network to show that the approach can capture the underlying structure with a minimal amount of data.
Selecting Automatically Vision Operators with their Parameters to Accomplish a Segmentation Task

a vision system, every task needs that the operators to apply should be « well chosen » and their parameters should be also « well adjusted ». The diversity of operators and the multitude of their parameters constitute a big challenge for users. As it is very difficult to make the « right » choice, lack of a specific rule, many disadvantages appear and affect the computation time and especially the quality of results. In this paper we present a multi-agent architecture to learn the best operators to apply and their best parameters for a class of images. Our architecture consists of three types of agents: User Agent, Operator Agent and Parameter Agent. The User Agent determines the phases of treatment, a library of operators and the possible values of their parameters. The Operator Agent constructs all possible combinations of operators and the Parameter Agent, the core of the architecture, adjusts the parameters of each combination by treating a large number of images. Through the reinforcement learning mechanism, our architecture does not consider only the system opportunities but also the user preferences.
The information mural: a technique for displaying and navigating large information spaces

Visualizations which depict entire information spaces provide context for navigation and browsing tasks; however, the limited size of the display screen makes creating effective global views difficult. We have developed a technique for displaying and navigating large information spaces. The key concept is the use of an information mural, a two-dimensional reduced representation of an entire information space that fits completely within a display window or screen. Information murals use grayscale shading and color along with anti-aliasing techniques to create a miniature version of the entire data set. By incorporating navigational capabilities, information murals become a tool that can be used as a global view along with more detailed informational displays. Information murals are utilized in our software visualization research to help depict the execution of object-oriented programs, and can also be used in more general information visualization applications.
New Concepts in the Invasive and Non Invasive Evaluation of Remodelling of the Right Ventricle and Pulmonary Vasculature in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare fatal disease defined as a sustained elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure to more than 25 mmHg at rest, with a mean pulmonary-capillary wedge pressure and left ventricular enddiastolic pressure of less than 15 mmHg at rest. Histopathology of PAH is founded on structural modifications on the vascular wall of small pulmonary arteries characterized by thickening of all its layers. These changes, named as vascular remodelling, include vascular proliferation, fibrosis, and vessel obstruction. In clinical practice the diagnosis of PAH relies on measurements of pulmonary vascular pressure and cardiac output, and calculation of pulmonary vascular resistances. Direct evaluation of pulmonary vascular structure is not routinely performed in pulmonary hypertension since current imaging techniques are limited and since little is known about the relationship between structural changes and functional characteristics of the pulmonary vasculature. Intravascular ultrasound studies in patients with pulmonary hypertension have shown a thicker middle layer, increased wall-thickness ratio and diminished pulsatility than in control patients. Optical Coherence Tomography, a new high resolution imaging modality that has proven its superiority over intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for the detection and characterization of coronary atherosclerotic plaque composition, may potentially be a useful technique for the in vivo study of the pulmonary arterial wall. In addition current progress in Echo Doppler technique will quantify right ventricular function with parameters independent of loading conditions and not requiring volumetric approximations of the complex geometry of the right ventricle. This would allow the in vivo study of right ventricular and pulmonary artery remodelling in PAH.
Nanostructured-coated XLPE showing improved electrical properties: Partial discharge resistance and space charge accumulation

The electric properties of hybrid organic-inorganic nanostructured coated XLPE are investigated in this paper with the purpose to understand if this class of nanostructured insulating material could have applications in the field of high voltage electrical insulation. Space charge measurements and aging tests under partial discharge activity were performed on different kinds of nanocoated specimens and the results compared to the base XLPE. The paper shows that space charge accumulation can be reduced significantly by some coatings which could increase the injection barrier. Moreover, surface erosion caused by partial discharges can be slowed down even by a thin coating of about 1 μm, which creates a `barrier effect' to partial discharge propagation in the insulation bulk.
Wedderburn Rank Reduction and Krylov Subspace Method for Tensor Approximation. Part 1: Tucker Case

New algorithms are proposed for the Tucker approximation of a 3-tensor accessed only through a tensor-by-vector-by-vector multiplication subroutine. In the matrix case, the Krylov methods are methods of choice to approximate the dominant column and row subspaces of a sparse or structured matrix given through a matrix-by-vector operation. Using the Wedderburn rank reduction formula, we propose a matrix approximation algorithm that computes the Krylov subspaces and can be generalized to 3-tensors. The numerical experiments show that on quantum chemistry data the proposed tensor methods outperform the minimal Krylov recursion of Savas and Elden.