Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Area-Based Socioeconomic Inequalities in Colorectal Cancer Survival in Germany: Investigation Based on Population-Based Clinical Cancer Registration

Background: Socioeconomic inequalities in colorectal cancer survival have been observed in many countries. To overcome these inequalities, the underlying reasons must be disclosed. Methods: Using data from three population-based clinical cancer registries in Germany, we investigated whether associations between area-based socioeconomic deprivation and survival after colorectal cancer depended on patient-, tumor- or treatment-related factors. Patients with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer in 2000–2015 were assigned to one of five deprivation groups according to the municipality of the place of residence using the German Index of Multiple Deprivation. Cox proportional hazards regression models with various levels of adjustment and stratifications were applied. Results: Among 38,130 patients, overall 5-year survival was 4.8% units lower in the most compared to the least deprived areas. Survival disparities were strongest in younger patients, in rectal cancer patients, in stage I cancer, in the latest period, and with longer follow-up. Disparities persisted after adjustment for stage, utilization of surgery and screening colonoscopy uptake rates. They were mostly still present when restricting to patients receiving treatment according to guidelines. Conclusion: We observed socioeconomic inequalities in colorectal cancer survival in Germany. Further studies accounting for potential differences in non-cancer mortality and exploring treatment patterns in detail are needed.
CockroachDB: The Resilient Geo-Distributed SQL Database

We live in an increasingly interconnected world, with many organizations operating across countries or even continents. To serve their global user base, organizations are replacing their legacy DBMSs with cloud-based systems capable of scaling OLTP workloads to millions of users. CockroachDB is a scalable SQL DBMS that was built from the ground up to support these global OLTP workloads while maintaining high availability and strong consistency. Just like its namesake, CockroachDB is resilient to disasters through replication and automatic recovery mechanisms. This paper presents the design of CockroachDB and its novel transaction model that supports consistent geo-distributed transactions on commodity hardware. We describe how CockroachDB replicates and distributes data to achieve fault tolerance and high performance, as well as how its distributed SQL layer automatically scales with the size of the database cluster while providing the standard SQL interface that users expect. Finally, we present a comprehensive performance evaluation and share a couple of case studies of CockroachDB users. We conclude by describing lessons learned while building CockroachDB over the last five years.
Deep Learning Models for Selectivity Estimation of Multi-Attribute Queries

Selectivity estimation - the problem of estimating the result size of queries - is a fundamental problem in databases. Accurate estimation of query selectivity involving multiple correlated attributes is especially challenging. Poor cardinality estimates could result in the selection of bad plans by the query optimizer. Recently, deep learning has been applied to this problem with promising results. However, many of the proposed approaches often struggle to provide accurate results for multi attribute queries involving large number of predicates and with low selectivity. In this paper, we propose two complementary approaches that are effective for this scenario. Our first approach models selectivity estimation as a density estimation problem where one seeks to estimate the joint probability distribution from a finite number of samples. We leverage techniques from neural density estimation to build an accurate selectivity estimator. The key idea is to decompose the joint distribution into a set of tractable conditional probability distributions such that they satisfy the autoregressive property. Our second approach formulates selectivity estimation as a supervised deep learning problem that predicts the selectivity of a given query. We describe how to extend our algorithms for range queries. We also introduce and address a number of practical challenges arising when adapting deep learning for relational data. These include query/data featurization, incorporating query workload information in a deep learning framework and the dynamic scenario where both data and workload queries could be updated. Our extensive experiments with a special emphasis on queries with a large number of predicates and/or small result sizes demonstrates that our proposed techniques provide fast and accurate selective estimates with minimal space overhead.
Evidence for Prescribed NK Cell Ly-49 Developmental Pathways in Mice

Key Points NK cells with unique receptor repertoires predominate at iNK, tNK, and mNK stages. High interdependencies of NK cell receptor expression at the iNK stage were found. In MHC-I–deficient mice, activating Ly-49 receptor expression is underrepresented. Visual Abstract Previous studies of NK cell inhibitory Ly-49 genes showed their expression is stochastic. However, relatively few studies have examined the mechanisms governing acquisition of inhibitory receptors in conjunction with activating Ly-49 receptors and NK cell development. We hypothesized that the surface expression of activating Ly-49 receptors is nonrandom and is influenced by inhibitory Ly-49 receptors. We analyzed NK cell “clusters” defined by combinatorial expression of activating (Ly-49H and Ly-49D) and inhibitory (Ly-49I and Ly-49G2) receptors in C57BL/6 mice. Using the product rule to evaluate the interdependencies of the Ly-49 receptors, we found evidence for a tightly regulated expression at the immature NK cell stage, with the highest interdependencies between clusters that express at least one activating receptor. Further analysis demonstrated that certain NK clusters predominated at the immature (CD27+CD11b−), transitional (CD27+CD11b+), and mature (CD27−CD11b−) NK cell stages. Using parallel in vitro culture and in vivo transplantation of sorted NK clusters, we discovered nonrandom expression of Ly-49 receptors, suggesting that prescribed pathways of NK cluster differentiation exist. Our data infer that surface expression of Ly-49I is an important step in NK cell maturation. Ki-67 expression and cell counts confirmed that immature NK cells proliferate more than mature NK cells. We found that MHC class I is particularly important for regulation of Ly-49D and Ly-49G2, even though no known MHC class I ligand for these receptors is present in B6 mice. Our data indicate that surface expression of both activating and inhibitory Ly-49 receptors on NK cell clusters occurs in a nonrandom process correlated to their maturation stage.
Serotonin suppresses slow oscillations by activating somatostatin interneurons via the 5-HT2A receptor

Serotonin (5-HT) affects multiple physiological processes in the brain and is involved in a number of psychiatric disorders. 5-HT axons reach all cortical areas; however, the precise mechanism by which 5-HT modulates cortical network activity is not yet fully understood. We investigated the effects of 5-HT on slow oscillations (SO), a synchronized cortical network activity universally present across species. SO are observed during slow-wave sleep and anesthesia and are considered the default cortical activity pattern. Combining opto- and pharmacogenetic manipulations with electrophysiological recordings, we discovered that 5-HT inhibits SO within the entorhinal cortex (EC) by activating somatostatin-expressing (Som) interneurons via the 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR). This receptor is involved in the etiology of different psychiatric disorders and mediates the psychological effects of many psychoactive serotonergic drugs, suggesting that 5-HT targeting of Som interneurons may play an important role in these processes.
G-CARE: A Framework for Performance Benchmarking of Cardinality Estimation Techniques for Subgraph Matching

Despite the crucial role of cardinality estimation in query optimization, there has been no systematic and in-depth study of the existing cardinality estimation techniques for subgraph matching queries. In this paper, for the first time, we present a comprehensive study of the existing cardinality estimation techniques for subgraph matching queries, scaling far beyond the original experiments. We first introduce a novel framework called g-care that enables us to realize all existing techniques on top of it and that provides insights on their performance. By using g-care, we then reimplement representative cardinality estimation techniques for graph databases as well as relational databases. We next evaluate these techniques w.r. t accuracy on rdf and non-rdf graphs from different domains with subgraph matching queries of various topologies so far considered. Surprisingly, our results reveal that all existing techniques have serious problems in accuracy for various scenarios and datasets. Intriguingly, a simple sampling method based on an online aggregation technique designed for relational data, consistently outperforms all existing techniques.
True Protein Digestibility and Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score of Red Kidney Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

True digestibility of protein (TDP) and digestibility-corrected amino acid score (AAS TDP ) for thermally processed red kidney beans were evaluated using rat balance assay. High fecal protein (based on Kjeldahl N) relative to low protein digestibility was observed. The fecal protein content was 43.8% from rats fed the raw bean diet and 25.6-36.0% from rats fed the processed bean diets. Heat processing appeared to have a greater (P < 0.05) impact on protein intake than on fecal protein output, which indicated that protein digestibility for beans may depend on protein intake rather than fecal protein output. AAS TDP values of beans (ranging from 13.9 to 74.6) were similar to digestibility-corrected essential amino acid index (EAAI TDP ) and digestibility-corrected available lysine (AL TDP ) values. This suggests that EAM TDP and AL TDP might be considered another approach for assessing protein quality of beans. True digestibility of total fat, carbohydrate, and energy for beans was also measured.
Organizing Data Lakes for Navigation

We consider the problem of creating an effective navigation structure over a data lake. We define an organization as a navigation graph that contains nodes representing sets of attributes within a data lake and edges indicating subset relationships among nodes. We propose the data lake organization problem as the problem of finding an organization that allows a user to most effectively navigate a data lake. We present a new probabilistic model of how users interact with an organization and propose an approximate algorithm for the data lake organization problem. We show the effectiveness of the algorithm on both a real data lake containing data from open data portals and on a benchmark that contains rich metadata emulating the observed characteristics of real data lakes. Through a formal user study, we show that navigation can help users find relevant tables that cannot be found by keyword search.
Prediction and counting of field wheat based on LC-DcVgg

The number of wheat spikes per unit area is an important parameter for assessing wheat yield and wheat planting density. At present, the methods of intelligent counting of wheat include remote sensing technology and machine learning technology, but all have shortcomings such as poor stability, strong limitations, and poor versatility. And however, the existing object detection neural network algorithm requires a large amount of manpower to produce data sets. And it is not possible to identify too dense wheat spikes. In this paper, a new structure called direct connection is proposed to improve the algorithm of Vggnet, which makes it better combined with localization-based counting loss. Direct connection can fuse the features of shallow layer with those of deep layers, which can make the network retain the original picture information and make the localization-based counting loss play a better role in wheat spike counting. The model has a good recognition effect on the wheat spikes that are stuck together. For dense wheat spikes, the model can achieve MAE of 11.857, an accuracy rate of 90.4%, RMSE of 16.985.
From Paper Flight Strips to Digital Strip Systems: Changes and Similarities in Air Traffic Control Work Practices

To increase capacity and safety in air traffic control, digital strip systems have superseded paper strips in lower airspace control centers in Europe. Previous ethnographic studies on paper strip systems anticipated a radical change in work practices with digital strip systems, but we are not aware of any studies that evaluated these predictions. We carried out contextual inquiries with controllers and focused on face-to-face and radio communication, interactions with the digital strip system and the workspace in general. In turn, we contribute (1) detailed descriptions of controllers' work practices, such as using tacit information from radio communication and 'standard advocates vs. tinkerers' operation modes, (2) respective implications for design and (3) discuss how the observed work practices are similar or different from the reported practices in the literature of the two preceding decades. Our key insights are, that documentation speed is faster with digital strips, although a high load in the case of radio frequency persists. Controllers retrieve tacit information from the radio communication and combine it with scattered cues from several displays to form empathic decisions that sometimes exceed the standard protocol. We conclude that the role of tacit information holds opportunities for future flight systems and should be considered in a holistic approach to individualized workspaces for controllers.
The visual ecology of Holocentridae, a nocturnal coral reef fish family with a deep-sea-like multibank retina

ABSTRACT The visual systems of teleost fishes usually match their habitats and lifestyles. Since coral reefs are bright and colourful environments, the visual systems of their diurnal inhabitants have been more extensively studied than those of nocturnal species. In order to fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a detailed investigation of the visual system of the nocturnal reef fish family Holocentridae. Results showed that the visual system of holocentrids is well adapted to their nocturnal lifestyle with a rod-dominated retina. Surprisingly, rods in all species were arranged into 6–17 well-defined banks, a feature most commonly found in deep-sea fishes, that may increase the light sensitivity of the eye and/or allow colour discrimination in dim light. Holocentrids also have the potential for dichromatic colour vision during the day with the presence of at least two spectrally different cone types: single cones expressing the blue-sensitive SWS2A gene, and double cones expressing one or two green-sensitive RH2 genes. Some differences were observed between the two subfamilies, with Holocentrinae (squirrelfish) having a slightly more developed photopic visual system than Myripristinae (soldierfish). Moreover, retinal topography of both ganglion cells and cone photoreceptors showed specific patterns for each cell type, likely highlighting different visual demands at different times of the day, such as feeding. Overall, their well-developed scotopic visual systems and the ease of catching and maintaining holocentrids in aquaria, make them ideal models to investigate teleost dim-light vision and more particularly shed light on the function of the multibank retina and its potential for dim-light colour vision. Highlighted Article: Compared with other reef fishes, holocentrids have a well-developed multibank retina, an adaptation mostly found in deep-sea fishes, which may allow colour vision in dim-light settings.
Automating Incremental and Asynchronous Evaluation for Recursive Aggregate Data Processing

In database and large-scale data analytics, recursive aggregate processing plays an important role, which is generally implemented under a framework of incremental computing and executed synchronously and/or asynchronously. We identify three barriers in existing recursive aggregate data processing. First, the processing scope is largely limited to monotonic programs. Second, checking on conditions for monotonicity and correctness for async processing is sophisticated and manually done. Third, execution engines may be suboptimal due to separation of sync and async execution. In this paper, we lay an analytical foundation for conditions to check if a recursive aggregate program that is monotonic or even non-monotonic can be executed incrementally and asynchronously with its correct result. We design and implement a condition verification tool that can automatically check if a given program satisfies the conditions. We further propose a unified sync-async engine to execute these programs for high performance. To integrate all these effective methods together, we have developed a distributed Datalog system, called PowerLog. Our evaluation shows that PowerLog can outperform three representative Datalog systems on both monotonic and non-monotonic recursive programs.
Intolerance of uncertainty is associated with heightened responding in the prefrontal cortex during instructed outcome uncertainty of threat

Heightened responding to uncertain threat is considered a hallmark of anxiety disorder pathology. Here, we sought to determine if individual differences in self-reported intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a key transdiagnostic dimension in anxiety-related pathology, underlies differential recruitment of neural circuitry during instructed outcome uncertainty of threat (n = 42). In an instructed threat of shock task, cues signalled uncertain threat of shock (50%) or certain safety from shock outcomes. Ratings of arousal and valence, skin conductance response (SCR) and functional magnetic resonance imaging were acquired. Overall, participants displayed greater ratings of arousal and negative valence, SCR, and amygdala activation to uncertain threat vs. safe cues. IU was not associated with greater arousal ratings, SCR or amygdala activation to uncertain threat vs. safe cues. However, we found that high IU was associated with greater ratings of negative valence and greater activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and dorsomedial rostral prefrontal cortex to uncertain threat vs safe cues. These findings suggest that during instructed outcome uncertainty of threat, individuals high in IU rate uncertain threat as aversive and engage prefrontal cortical regions known to be involved in safety-signalling and conscious threat appraisal. Taken together, these findings highlight the potential of IU in modulating safety-signalling and conscious appraisal mechanisms in situations with instructed outcome uncertainty of threat, which may be relevant to models of anxiety-related pathology.
Inheritance of resistance to powdery mildew in beans

Abstract does not appear. First page follows. Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe polygoni D.C.) I frequently causes considerable loss in beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in the coastal districts of California. Among the numerous bean varieties grown in test plots at Berkeley each season by W. W. Mackie, of the Division of Agronomy, differences in varietal susceptibility have been apparent. In the summer of 1932 the mildew was very abundant at Berkeley, but the Pinto and some other varieties were not infected. The following winter crosses were made in the greenhouse between these and certain other varieties with the idea of studying the inheritance of resistance and introducing resistance into commercial varieties which lack it. Methods Employed in Inoculation Tests The reaction of the bean plants to mildew was determined by inoculating detached leaflets floated on a sugar solution in petri dishes, a method used by Yarwood(4)4 in his work with the powdery mildew of red clover. This method has numerous advantages. Plants may be grown in the greenhouse and tested at any time of the year, and uniformity of inoculum and environmental conditions during inoculation tests are insured. The same single-spore culture of the mildew was propagated in petri dishes free from contamination by other strains of mildew and was used in all of the inoculation tests, which extended over a period of more than three years. Length of Life of the Detached Leaflets. —Tests made to determine what substrate was most favorable to prolonged life of the detached bean leaflets showed that a 10 percent solution of sucrose was superior to several higher and lower concentrations tested and to pure water or Hoagland culture solution. In petri dishes leaves floated on a 10 percent sucrose solution or lying on cotton saturated with this solution remained alive (turgid and normal green in color) two to three weeks at room temperature and over a month at 80°C with a maximum of 55 days at 8°, 12 days at 25°, and 7 days at 31°.
Resource selection functions for age-0 Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) and their application to stream habitat compensation

We developed resource selection functions (RSFs) for young-of-the-year (YOY) Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in a natural Barrenlands stream and used them to assess the habitat in an artificial stream created as part of a habitat compensation agreement in the Canadian Arctic. The model for small (1521 mm) grayling explained 55% of the variation in habitat use and included water velocity, average water depth, and percentage of detritus and fines. The model for large (3857 mm) grayling explained 36% of the variation in habitat use and included water depth, percentage of detritus and fines, and several cover variables. Model validation using a withheld sample of data indicated that the models provided good fits to the data, correctly classifying 7175% of habitat-use locations. Applying the RSFs to observed habitat use in the artificial stream indicated an abundance of quality habitat for small grayling, but a paucity for the larger YOY. These results reflect an ontogenetic shift in habitat requiremen.