Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early responses to adenoviral-mediated transfer of the aquaporin-1 cDNA for radiation-induced salivary hypofunction

No conventional therapy exists for salivary hypofunction in surviving head and neck cancer patients with Radiation Therapy Oncology Group late grade 2–3 toxicity. We conducted a phase I clinical trial to test the safety and biologic efficacy of serotype 5, adenoviral-mediated aquaporin-1 cDNA transfer to a single previously irradiated parotid gland in 11 subjects using an open label, single-dose, dose-escalation design (AdhAQP1 vector; four dose tiers from 4.8 × 107 to 5.8 × 109 vector particles per gland). Treated subjects were followed at scheduled intervals. Multiple safety parameters were measured and biologic efficacy was evaluated with measurements of parotid salivary flow rate. Symptoms were assessed with a visual analog scale. All subjects tolerated vector delivery and study procedures well over the 42-d study period reported. No deaths, serious adverse events, or dose-limiting toxicities occurred. Generally, few adverse events occurred, and all were considered mild or moderate. No consistent changes were found in any clinical chemistry and hematology parameters measured. Objective responses were seen in six subjects, all at doses <5.8 × 109 vector particles per gland. Five of these six subjects also experienced subjective improvement in xerostomia. AdhAQP1 vector delivery to a single parotid gland was safe and transfer of the hAQP1 cDNA increased parotid flow and relieved symptoms in a subset of subjects.
Characteristic Kernels and Infinitely Divisible Distributions

We connect shift-invariant characteristic kernels to infinitely divisible distributions on $\mathbb{R}^{d}$. Characteristic kernels play an important role in machine learning applications with their kernel means to distinguish any two probability measures. The contribution of this paper is two-fold. First, we show, using the L\'evy-Khintchine formula, that any shift-invariant kernel given by a bounded, continuous and symmetric probability density function (pdf) of an infinitely divisible distribution on $\mathbb{R}^d$ is characteristic. We also present some closure property of such characteristic kernels under addition, pointwise product, and convolution. Second, in developing various kernel mean algorithms, it is fundamental to compute the following values: (i) kernel mean values $m_P(x)$, $x \in \mathcal{X}$, and (ii) kernel mean RKHS inner products ${\left\langle m_P, m_Q \right\rangle_{\mathcal{H}}}$, for probability measures $P, Q$. If $P, Q$, and kernel $k$ are Gaussians, then computation (i) and (ii) results in Gaussian pdfs that is tractable. We generalize this Gaussian combination to more general cases in the class of infinitely divisible distributions. We then introduce a {\it conjugate} kernel and {\it convolution trick}, so that the above (i) and (ii) have the same pdf form, expecting tractable computation at least in some cases. As specific instances, we explore $\alpha$-stable distributions and a rich class of generalized hyperbolic distributions, where the Laplace, Cauchy and Student-t distributions are included.
Integration of unsupervised clustering, interaction and parallel coordinates for the exploration of large multivariate data

Parallel coordinates are widely used in many applications for visualization of multivariate data. Because of the nature of parallel coordinates, the visualization technique is often used for data overview. However, when the number of tuples to be visualized becomes very large, this technique makes it difficult to distinguish the overall structure. In This work we present a novel technique which uses a classification approach, the self-organizing map (an unsupervised learning algorithm), to solve this problem by creating an initial clustering of the data. By initially only visualizing the resulting representational clusters, the inherited global structure can be shown. Using linked views and allowing the user to perform drill-down and filtering on these representations reveals the single data items without loss of context.
Melanoma Cells Regulation of Interleukin 8 Expression in Human Malignant

Here, we report the molecular regulation of interleukin (IL)-8 expres sion in human melanoma cells. The inflammatory cytokines ll. -l/f and tumor necrosis factor-Â« (TNF-a) up-regulated IL-8 expression, in a timeand concentration-dependent manner, in three metastatic melanoma vari ants, SBC-2 (nonmetastatic), A375P (low metastatic), and A375SM (high metastatic), by increased transcription of the IL-8 gene, leading to in creased levels of IL-8 mRNA and protein production. Furthermore, we report that IFN-a and UN-/! did not inhibit steady-state IL-8 production. However, IFN-a and IFN-ÃŸ inhibited IL-l/i or TNF-a-mediated upregulation of IL-8 mRNA. In addition, IIN-/! demonstrated a more potent inhibitory effect at a lower concentration than did IFN-a. Both pretreat ment and simultaneous treatment of melanoma cells with IFN-a or IIN-/! inhibited the Il. -l/i and TNF-a up-regulation of IL-8 mRNA levels. This inhibition was at the transcriptional levels and was unaffected by a protein synthesis inhibitor, suggesting that this did not require de novo protein synthesis. Further, modulation of IL-8 levels by II. -I/. Ã•,alone or in com bination with UN-/! , affected the proliferation of melanoma cells. In summary, our data suggest that the up-regulation of IL-8 expression in melanoma cells is regulated at the transcriptional level and is rapidly and specifically inhibited by IFN-a or l KV/t, independent of de novo protein synthesis, perhaps due to a transient modification of a preexisting factor(s).
Speech-driven facial animation with realistic dynamics

This work presents an integral system capable of generating animations with realistic dynamics, including the individualized nuances, of three-dimensional (3-D) human faces driven by speech acoustics. The system is capable of capturing short phenomena in the orofacial dynamics of a given speaker by tracking the 3-D location of various MPEG-4 facial points through stereovision. A perceptual transformation of the speech spectral envelope and prosodic cues are combined into an acoustic feature vector to predict 3-D orofacial dynamics by means of a nearest-neighbor algorithm. The Karhunen-Loe/spl acute/ve transformation is used to identify the principal components of orofacial motion, decoupling perceptually natural components from experimental noise. We also present a highly optimized MPEG-4 compliant player capable of generating audio-synchronized animations at 60 frames/s. The player is based on a pseudo-muscle model augmented with a nonpenetrable ellipsoidal structure to approximate the skull and the jaw. This structure adds a sense of volume that provides more realistic dynamics than existing simplified pseudo-muscle-based approaches, yet it is simple enough to work at the desired frame rate. Experimental results on an audiovisual database of compact TIMIT sentences are presented to illustrate the performance of the complete system.
A cyclic self-learning Chinese word segmentation for the geoscience domain

Unlike English and other western languages, Chinese does not delimit words using white-spaces. Chinese Word Segmentation (CWS) is the crucial first step towards natural language processing. However, for the geoscience subject domain, the CWS problem remains unresolved with many challenges. Although traditional methods can be used to process geoscience documents, they lack the domain knowledge for massive geoscience documents. Considering the above challenges, this motivated us to build a segmenter specifically for the geoscience domain. Currently, most of the state-of-the-art methods for Chinese word segmentation are based on supervised learning, whose features are mostly extracted from a local context. In this paper, we proposed a framework for sequence learning by incorporating cyclic self-learning corpus training. Following this framework, we build the GeoSegmenter based on the Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) network model to perform Chinese word segmentation. It can gain a great advantage through iterations of the training data. Empirical experimental results on geoscience documents and benchmark datasets showed that geological documents can be identified, and it can also recognize the generic documents.
Leveraging wireless technology for mobile advertising

This paper is based on research conducted in cooperation with 12Snap, the leading European mobile marketing company, which has implemented large-scale mobile advertising campaigns with companies such as McDonald’s, Nestle, Microsoft, Coca Cola, Adidas and Sony. To set the overall stage, we first discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the mobile phone in comparison to other marketing media. Then we propose a framework of different types of advertising campaigns that can be supported through the usage of mobile devices. These campaign types include (1) mobile push campaigns, (2) mobile pull campaigns, and (3) mobile dialogue campaigns. Building on this framework, we analyze different campaigns that 12Snap implemented for different consumer goods and media companies. Drawing from these experiences we then discuss a number of key management issues that need to be considered when implementing mobile marketing campaigns. They include the following themes: (1) the choice of campaign type, (2) the design of a campaign, (3 ) the targeting of the youth market and (4) the combination of different media types to create integrated campaigns.
GLT-1 Promoter Activity in Astrocytes and Neurons of Mouse Hippocampus and Somatic Sensory Cortex

GLT-1 eGFP BAC reporter transgenic adult mice were used to detect GLT-1 gene expression in individual cells of CA1, CA3 and SI, and eGFP fluorescence was measured to analyze quantitatively GLT-1 promoter activity in different cells of neocortex and hippocampus. Virtually all GFAP+ astrocytes were eGFP+; we also found that about 80% of neurons in CA3 pyramidal layer, 10–70% of neurons in I-VI layers of SI and rare neurons in all strata of CA1 and in strata oriens and radiatum of CA3 were eGFP+. Analysis of eGFP intensity showed that astrocytes had a higher GLT-1 promoter activity in SI than in CA1 and CA3, and that neurons had the highest levels of GLT-1 promoter activity in CA3 stratum pyramidale and in layer VI of SI. Finally, we observed that the intensity of GLT-1 promoter activity in neurons is 1–20% of that measured in astrocytes. These results showed that in the hippocampus and neocortex GLT-1 promoter activity is observed in astrocytes and neurons, detailed the distribution of GLT-1 expressing neurons, and indicated that GLT-1 promoter activity in both astrocytes and neurons varies in different brain regions.
A User-in-the-Loop Process for Investigational Search: Foreseer in TREC 2013 Microblog Track

Traditionally, ad hoc retrieval aims at satisfying an information need with a few highly relevant documents. This highprecision approach works well for simple and clear queries. When the information need becomes complex, a few topranked documents may not provide satisfactory answer. As a result, the user adapts to reformulate the query to explore more relevant information; the search engine evolves to diversify results to cover the user’s real information need. In cases where the user puts emphasis on high recall of the results, the search process becomes increasingly laborious. We propose a retrieval system that interacts with the user to obtain high precision and high recall search results, while minimizing the user eort. It iteratively explores the collection by a series of queries to optimize the recall, and renes an active learning classier to maintain the precision. We
Low-capacitance planar spiral windings employing inverse track-width-ratio

Abstract Planar spiral windings have garnered a significant amount of attention recently due to the popularity of slim consumer electronics combined with their low-profile, high reproducibility, and simple manufacturing. Unfortunately they still suffer from high internal capacitance which limits their use at high frequencies. This work presents the novel inverse Track-Width-Ratio (TWR) planar structure, which greatly reduces the undesired capacitance of multi-layer planar spiral windings by changing the turn widths. The amount of overlapping copper is ultimately reduced with the proposed technique, especially in the areas where the capacitance is the highest, resulting in significantly improved performance. Analytical models for the resistance of planar spiral windings with inverse TWR employed are presented and used as inputs into Finite Element Analysis to predict the capacitive behaviour of the structure. These results are compared to experimental results obtained from an impedance analyzer and a capacitance reduction up to 50% is exhibited, with a reduction in ac resistance by 20%.
Oceanic acidification affects marine carbon pump and triggers extended marine oxygen holes

Rising atmospheric CO2 levels will not only drive future global mean temperatures toward values unprecedented during the whole Quaternary but will also lead to massive acidification of sea water. This constitutes by itself an anthropogenic planetary-scale perturbation that could significantly modify oceanic biogeochemical fluxes and severely damage marine biota. As a step toward the quantification of such potential impacts, we present here a simulation-model-based assessment of the respective consequences of a business-as-usual fossil-fuel-burning scenario where a total of 4,075 Petagrams of carbon is released into the atmosphere during the current millennium. In our scenario, the atmospheric pCO2 level peaks at ≈1,750 μatm in the year 2200 while the sea-surface pH value drops by >0.7 units on global average, inhibiting the growth of marine calcifying organisms. The study focuses on quantifying 3 major concomitant effects. The first one is a significant (climate-stabilizing) negative feedback on rising pCO2 levels as caused by the attenuation of biogenic calcification. The second one is related to the biological carbon pump. Because mineral ballast, notably CaCO3, is found to play a dominant role in carrying organic matter through the water column, a reduction of its export fluxes weakens the strength of the biological carbon pump. There is, however, a third effect with severe consequences: Because organic matter is oxidized in shallow waters when mineral-ballast fluxes weaken, oxygen holes (hypoxic zones) start to expand considerably in the oceans in our model world—with potentially harmful impacts on a variety of marine ecosystems.
Dynamic detection of visual entities

This paper tackles the issue of retrieving different instances of an object of interest within a given video document or in a video database. The principle consists of considering a semi-global image representation based on an over-segmentation of video frames. An aggregation mechanism is then applied in order to group a set of segments into an object similar to the query, under a global similarity criterion. We test the effectiveness of three different aggregation strategies, two of them based on a greedy approach, and the third one involving simulated annealing optimization. Experimental results on different color spaces show promising performances, with First Tier and Bull Eye detection rates of up to 70% and 88%, respectively. The integration of the method in a web-based video navigation system, allowing fast video object retrieval, is finally described.
Propagation aspects of vehicle-to-vehicle communications - an overview

Vehicle-to-vehicle (VTV) wireless communications have many envisioned applications in traffic safety, congestion avoidance, etc., but the development of suitable communications systems and standards requires accurate models for the VTV propagation channel. This paper provides an overview of existing VTV channel measurement campaigns, describing the most important environments, and the delay spread and Doppler spreads obtained in them. Statistical as well as geometry-based channel models have been developed based on measurements and intuitive insights. A key characteristic of VTV channels is the nonstationarity of their statistics, which has major impact on the system performance. Extensive references are provided.
Hierarchical Clustering of Business Process Models

Business process is collection of standardized and structured tasks inducing value creation of a company. Nowadays, it is recognized as one of significant intangible business assets to achieve competitive advantages. We introduce a novel approach to business process analysis, which has more and more significance as process-aware information systems are spreading widely over a lot of companies. In this paper, a methodology of business process clustering based on process similarity is proposed. The purpose of business process clustering is to analyze accumulated process models in order to assist new process design or process reengineering. The proposed methodology exploits structural similarity metrics of business processes. We illustrated the methodology with example processes in inducing the hierarchical merged models from the process clusters.
Speech processing and retrieval in a personal memory aid system for the elderly

The paper presents a new application of automatic speech processing in the Ambient Assisted Living area, developed in the course of a three year research project. Recording and automatic processing of spoken conversations plays a major role in this solution enabling effective search in a personal audio archive and fast browsing of conversations. Processing of elderly conversational speech recorded by a distant PDA microphone poses a great challenge. The speech processing flow includes transcription, speaker tracking and combined indexing and search of spoken terms and participating speakers identity extracted from the audio. We present the entire application and individual speech processing components as well as evaluation results of the individual components and of the end-to-end spoken information retrieval solution.
Sexual Desire and Satisfaction in Sexual Life Affecting Factors in Breast Cancer Survivors After Mastectomy

The purpose of this study was to examine impact of treatment and personality characteristics, and support need for femininity and body image on sexual desire and sexual satisfaction of women with breast cancer. The sample consisted of 123 married women who previously underwent mastectomy and applied to medical oncology clinics of a university hospital. Sexual desire of the women in this study was low, and they were slightly satisfied with sexual life. Consequently, the women required supporting needs of femininity and body image. The result of this study could be utilized to determine sexual desire and satisfaction related to sexual life of women with breast cancer.
An Energy Efficient Multi-channel MAC Protocol for wireless ad hoc networks

The IEEE 802.11 [1] provides multiple channels for wireless communications at the Physical Layer, but the Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol is only designed for a single channel. If the multiple channels can be exploited by multi-channel MAC protocol, there can be multiple transmissions on different channels. Besides that, the power control algorithm can improve the spatial reuse of wireless channels. In this paper, we combine the multi-channel MAC protocol and the power control algorithm together to exploit multiple channels and improve frequency reuse. The main idea of our proposal is to use IEEE 802.11 Power Saving Scheme (PSM) with different transmission power levels in the ATIM window and the data window. All nodes transmit ATIM/ATIM-ACK/ATIM-RES messages with the maximum power while contending the data channel during the ATIM window, and use the minimum required transmission power in the data window on their negotiated channels. The simulation results show that the proposed E-MMAC improve the performance of the network: aggregate throughput, average delay and energy efficiency.
Teaching Speaking: A Holistic Approach

Teaching Speaking A Holistic Approach brings together theoretical and pedagogical perspectives on teaching speaking within a coherent methodological framework. The framework combines understandings derived from several areas of speaking research and instruction including cognitive and affective processes, oracy for thinking and learning communicative competence, discourse theories, task-based language learning, and self-regulated learning. By explaining, interpreting, evaluating, and synthesizing these diverse perspectives from linguistics and language learning, the text offers a comprehensive and versatile approach for teaching speaking. Samples of authentic classroom data are used for illustrating important concepts to help readers see how theoretical perspectives can be applied in practice. It also includes a pedagogical model for sequencing learning activities with concrete guidelines on planning and conducting speaking lessons. Different types of learning tasks are explained and illustrated with examples, and each chapter includes short tasks and ends with a number of tasks that enable readers to extend their ideas.
Caspase Proteolysis of Desmin Produces a Dominant-negative Inhibitor of Intermediate Filaments and Promotes Apoptosis*

Caspase cleavage of key cytoskeletal proteins, including several intermediate filament proteins, triggers the dramatic disassembly of the cytoskeleton that characterizes apoptosis. Here we describe the muscle-specific intermediate filament protein desmin as a novel caspase substrate. Desmin is cleaved selectively at a conserved Asp residue in its L1-L2 linker domain (VEMD↓M264) by caspase-6 in vitro and in myogenic cells undergoing apoptosis. We demonstrate that caspase cleavage of desmin at Asp263 has important functional consequences, including the production of an amino-terminal cleavage product, N-desmin, which is unable to assemble into intermediate filaments, instead forming large intracellular aggregates. Moreover, N-desmin functions as a dominant-negative inhibitor of filament assembly, both for desmin and the structurally related intermediate filament protein vimentin. We also show that stable expression of a caspase cleavage-resistant desmin D263E mutant partially protects cells from tumor necrosis factor-α-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results indicate that caspase proteolysis of desmin at Asp263produces a dominant-negative inhibitor of intermediate filaments and actively participates in the execution of apoptosis. In addition, these findings provide further evidence that the intermediate filament cytoskeleton has been targeted systematically for degradation during apoptosis.
Scalable Diversified Ranking on Large Graphs

Enhancing diversity in ranking on graphs has been identified as an important retrieval and mining task. Nevertheless, many existing diversified ranking algorithms either cannot be scalable to large graphs due to the time or memory requirements, or lack an intuitive and reasonable diversified ranking measure. In this paper, we propose a new diversified ranking measure on large graphs, which captures both relevance and diversity, and formulate the diversified ranking problem as a submodular set function maximization problem. Based on the submodularity of the proposed measure, we develop an efficient greedy algorithm with linear time and space complexity w.r. t. the size of the graph to achieve near-optimal diversified ranking. In addition, we present a generalized diversified ranking measure and give a near-optimal randomized greedy algorithm with linear time and space complexity for optimizing it. We evaluate the proposed methods through extensive experiments on five real data sets. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms.