Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IL-12 Is Required to Maintain a Th1 Response During Leishmania major Infection1

IL-12 initiates Th1 cell development and cell-mediated immunity, but whether IL-12 contributes to the maintenance of a Th1 response is unclear. To address this question, we infected IL-12 p40−/− C57BL/6 mice with Leishmania major, an intracellular protozoan parasite controlled by a cell-mediated immune response, and simultaneously administered IL-12. Whereas untreated p40−/− mice developed an uncontrolled infection, p40−/− mice treated with IL-12 for the first 2 or 4 wk of infection developed a Th1 response and resolved their lesions. However, the induction of this protective Th1 cell response by IL-12 treatment was not associated with long term immunity. We observed that on rechallenge in the absence of IL-12, the mice exhibited a susceptible phenotype. In addition, without rechallenge, lesions in the IL-12-treated p40−/− mice developed several weeks after cessation of IL-12 treatment. In both cases, disease was associated with the loss of a Th1 response and the development of a Th2 response. Our observations are not limited to the C57BL/6 strain, because IL-12 treatment was also unable to provide lasting protection to p40−/− BALB/c mice. Finally, we found that although Th1 cells from healed wild-type C57BL/6 mice adoptively transferred protection to L. major-infected RAG−/− mice, they were unable to protect p40−/− mice. In conclusion, these studies provide the first demonstration that IL-12 is required not only to initiate Th1 cell development but also throughout infection to maintain a Th1 cell response and resistance to L. major.
No-reference video quality assessment based on region of interest

In this paper, a novel no-reference video quality assessment algorithm based on region of interest (ROI) is introduced. Firstly, the video distortion is estimated by measuring the influence of blockiness and blur artifacts. Secondly, ROI is identified utilizing the encode information extracted from the bitstream with consideration of human vision system characteristics. Finally, the video quality is predicted using both video distortion and ROI. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve better accuracy as compared with other methods.
Dietary fish and meat intake and dementia in Latin America, China, and India: a 10/66 Dementia Research Group population-based study

Background: Evidence of an association between fish and meat consumption and risk of dementia is inconsistent and nonexistent in populations in developing countries. Objective: The objective was to investigate associations between fish and meat consumption with dementia in low- and middle-income countries. Design: One-phase cross-sectional surveys were conducted in all residents aged ≥65 y in 11 catchment areas in China, India, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, and Peru. A total of 14,960 residents were assessed by using the 10/66 standardized protocol, which includes face-to-face interviews for dietary habits and a cross-culturally validated dementia diagnosis. Results: Dietary intakes and the prevalence of dementia varied between sites. We combined site-specific Poisson regression prevalence ratios (PRs) for the association between fish and meat consumption and dementia in 2 fixed-effect model meta-analyses adjusted for sociodemographic and health characteristics and fish and meat consumption as appropriate. We found a dose-dependent inverse association between fish consumption and dementia (PR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.91) that was consistent across all sites except India and a less-consistent, dose-dependent, direct association between meat consumption and prevalence of dementia (PR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.31). Conclusions: Our results extend findings on the associations of fish and meat consumption with dementia risk to populations in low- and middle-income countries and are consistent with mechanistic data on the neuroprotective actions of omega-3 (n–3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids commonly found in fish. The inverse association between fish and prevalent dementia is unlikely to result from poorer dietary habits among demented individuals (reverse causality) because meat consumption was higher in those with a diagnosis of dementia.
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation in the amygdala mediates elevated plus maze behavior during opioid withdrawal

This study examined whether activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) contributes to the increased open-arm time observed in the elevated plus maze (EPM) during opioid withdrawal. We applied SL327, a selective ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor, to specific limbic areas and examined the effect on EPM behaviors of controls and during naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal. We next confirmed that ERK activation increased in limbic areas of mice undergoing naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal. Direct injection of SL327 into the amygdala blocked the withdrawal-induced increase in open-arm time; however, injecting SL327 into the septum had no effect. Consistent with these results, both 0.2 and 2 mg/kg naloxone increased ERK activation in the central amygdala of morphine-dependent mice. In drug-naive mice, 2 mg/kg naloxone, but not 0.2 mg/kg, increased ERK activation in the central amygdala. During withdrawal, increased ERK activation was also observed in the lateral septum. In the locus coeruleus, a significant increase was observed only in morphine-dependent mice receiving 2 mg/kg, but not 0.2 mg/kg naloxone. In conclusion, ERK activation in limbic areas is likely involved in both the aversive properties of naloxone and in the affective/emotional symptoms of opioid withdrawal, including mediating EPM behaviors.
Protein Multiple Alignment Incorporating Primary and Secondary Structure Information

Identifying common local segments, also called motifs, in multiple protein sequences plays an important role for establishing homology between proteins. Homology is easy to establish when sequences are similar (sharing an identity > 25%). However, for distant proteins, it is much more difficult to align motifs that are not similar in sequences but still share common structures or functions. This paper is a first attempt to align multiple protein sequences using both primary and secondary structure information. A new sequence model is proposed so that the model assigns high probabilities not only to motifs that contain conserved amino acids but also to motifs that present common secondary structures. The proposed method is tested in a structural alignment database BAliBASE. We show that information brought by the predicted secondary structures greatly improves motif identification. A website of this program is available at www.stat.purdue.edu/~junxie/2ndmodel/sov.html.
Centralized Timestamp based Approach for Wireless Sensor Networks

Sensor Network has gained the reputation of becoming the most promising technology of 21 century due to its low cost and ability to traverse longer distances in unattended hostile environments. However, security has still remained a burning and an unresolved issue for both centralized and decentralized wireless sensor networks. Using rigorous theoretical and practical analysis, we have traced numerous security challenges, security attacks and have designed an efficient timestamp-based protocol called “SET-CTA” to provide defense against variety of security attacks in non-clustered wireless sensor deployment environments. Previously proposed TESLA and μ-TESLA [40] schemes were limited in scope; those schemes were only able to provide protection against basic security attacks like non-repudiation. But SETCTA scheme gives a flexibility to provide protection against numerous security attacks like (e.g. eavesdropping, node capture, man in the middle attack, con-currency attacks, trust attacks and many more [40]) by considering various timestamp based parameters like current-timestamp, sending time-stamp, timestamp-difference(Δt) etc. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only end-to-end timestamp based scheme that can provide secure and efficient transmission in centralized wireless sensor environments and can also assure protection against different range of security attacks. General Terms Security, Authentication
Complex System Model Based on Multi-Agent Systems and Petri Nets

This paper discusses the integration of the multi-agent paradigm and of Petri-Nets of high-level modeling and design of a compact disk production system (PS). We try first to describe the bases of design methodology using Petri nets of these systems which are by nature complex and distributed. For this, we will introduce a simplified example of a production process. And we will try, then, to define a model of transformation of the corresponding Petri-Net (PN) to a multi-agents system (MAS), passing through an intermediate phase, allowing obviously generating automatically the source code related to the obtained MAS. The objective of our approach is to take advantage of the power of decomposition of multi-agent systems problems and their ability to represent complex systems, on the one hand, and the ease of modular representation of the complex systems offered by Petri nets the other hand. What will offer us a conceptual modeling clear and realistic of the different agents, formalization and orderly and formal analysis of the global model obtained. Keywords-Multi Agent Systems (MAS); Petri-Nets (PN); Models; JADE; Complex Systems (CS).
INFORMATION FROM ON-LINE LIVE WEIGHT ASSESSMENT FOR OPTIMAL SELECTION OF SLAUGHTER PIGS FOR MARKET

One of the most labor intensive tasks of traditional slaughter pig production is the weighting of pigs for market. In an on-going project, methods for automatically assessing live weights through image analysis are being developed. Below, we present the framework of a farm level model to optimize selection of slaughter pigs for market. The optimization tool used in this study is a hierarchical Markov process. The state space is defined in such a way that observations from the online live weight estimation may serve as input for the decision support system. In that way the precision of the underlying predictions of future growth is improved. The aim is create a decision support being able to inform the farmer about the number of pigs that are ready for market per pen. The MLHMP software system will be used to implement the model.
Family history of chronic renal failure is associated with malnutrition in Korean hemodialysis patients

The present study was to investigate the nutritional status and factors related to malnutrition in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients requiring hemodialysis (HD) in South Korea. Subjects were ESRD outpatients from general hospitals or HD centers in Seoul referred to the dialysis clinic for maintenance HD care. A total of 110 patients (46 men and 64 women; mean ages 58.6 ± 1.0 y) were eligible for this study. The family history of chronic renal failure (CRF) was considered positive if a patient reported having either a first-degree or second-degree relative with CRF. Malnutrition was defined as a triceps skinfold thickness or mid-arm muscle circumference below the fifth percentile for age and sex and forty-seven of the 110 patients were malnourished. Almost all (94%) patients had anemia (hemoglobin: <13 g/dL for men and <12 g/dL for women). Energy intake was below the recommended intake levels of energy [30-35 kcal/kg ideal body weight (IBW)] and protein (1.2 g/kg IBW) in 60% of patients. The duration of HD was longer in malnourished HD patients (P=0.0095). Malnutrition was more prevalent in women (P=0.0014), those who never smoked (P=0.0007), nondiabetic patients (P=0.0113), and patients with bone diseases (P=0.0427), adequate HD (spKt/V≥1.2) (P=0.0178), and those with a family history of CRF (P=0.0255). Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between malnutrition and potential risk factors. After adjusting for age, sex, and other putative risk factors for malnutrition, the OR for malnutrition was greater in HD patients with a family history of CRF (OR, 3.290; 95% CI, 1.003-10.793). Active nutrition monitoring is needed to improve the nutritional status of HD patients. A family history of CRF may be an independent risk factor for malnutrition in Korean HD patients. A follow-up study is needed to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between a family history of CRF and malnutrition in Korean ESRD patients.
Discrete multitone echo cancelation

Multicarrier transmission methods have long been known to optimize the performance of data transceivers on bandlimited communication channels. One form of multicarrier transmission, known as discrete multitone modulation (DMT), is particularly attractive for its ability to be implemented using efficient digital signal processing techniques. Given a basic DMT system, it is possible to increase the aggregate data rate with full-duplex transmission using echo cancelation. However, DMT echo cancelation at first appears difficult because of the computational complexity required in a straightforward implementation to cancel the cross-echoes produced by each carrier into every carrier. This paper presents high-speed echo cancelation techniques for full-duplex data transmission using DMT systems. The techniques estimate the echo with a method of fast convolution that combines a complex multiply per tone with a short convolution in the time domain. In addition, the frequency-domain update of the echo parameters consists of one complex multiply per tap. As a result, these techniques can achieve much lower complexity than that required by traditional single-carrier technique, such as the least mean square (LMS) algorithm. This approach has been implemented for asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) applications.
Estimating formation shear attenuation from frequency-dependent dipole-flexural wave attenuation

A key characteristic of dipole-flexural wave is that it travels with the formation shear slowness at the low frequency limit. In this work, we extend the workflow of extracting shear slowness from flexural wave dispersion to include the estimation of shear attenuation. The new workflow includes: 1. computing frequency-dependent flexural wave attenuation from array dipole data; 2. determining a characteristic frequency band where shear wave is dominant based on slowness probability; 3. averaging the flexural wave attenuation within the calibrated low frequency band to obtain the formation shear attenuation. In the synthetic example, the estimated shear attenuation is within 1% of the actual value. Application of the method to real data acquired in open borehole also produces reasonable results. Our work suggests that accounting for the frequencydependency of flexural wave attenuation is crucial for an accurate formation shear attenuation estimate. With appropriate modification, the developed workflow is also applicable to frequency-dependent attenuation analysis for other borehole guided wave modes.
Focus-sensitive dwell time in EyeBCI: Pilot study

In past decades, eye-tracking (ET) became one of the most widespread communication strategies for people with severe motor impairments (as in locked-in syndromes, LIS). ET cameras enable paralyzed patients to move a cursor across a user interface (UI) by means of their gaze, and to activate a selectable UI object after looking at it for a certain dwell time. This procedure is definitely intuitive and acceptable for many users. Nevertheless, such control function of gaze can become prone to errors if the dwell time duration is too short, not customized for each specific user. Considering such issue and the potential of brain-computer interface (BCI) systems in monitoring user's parameters like attention, it is possible to design hybrid ET-BCI solutions - labeled as EyeBCI in this paper - in order to improve the performance and the usability of ET. In this paper, a novel interaction concept is introduced to adapt the duration of the dwell time to the level of mental focus of the user of EyeBCI when he/she wants to select and activate a UI item: the dwell time shortens according to the raise of the observer's concentration, improving the system precision and responsiveness. In order to evaluate this solution, a pilot study was performed to compare different control conditions in terms of task performance and user experience: 3 ET conditions (different by duration of dwell time) and 2 EyeBCI conditions (BCI-triggered activation of UI items and BCI-modulated dwell time). The results demonstrated promising levels of performance and user experience when using the tested implementation of the novel EyeBCI. In addition, the capability of this new interaction paradigm to be self-adaptable to the user's goals has the potential to greatly enhance the usability of ET solutions for patients with LIS.
An analysis of the variability in forty preprocessor-based software product lines

Over 30 years ago, the preprocessor cpp was developed to extend the programming language C by lightweight metaprogramming capabilities. Despite its error-proneness and low abstraction level, the preprocessor is still widely used in present-day software projects to implement variable software. However, not much is known about how cpp is employed to implement variability. To address this issue, we have analyzed forty open-source software projects written in C. Specifically, we answer the following questions: How does program size influence variability? How complex are extensions made via cpp's variability mechanisms? At which level of granularity are extensions applied? Which types of extension occur? These questions revive earlier discussions on program comprehension and refactoring in the context of the preprocessor. To provide answers, we introduce several metrics measuring the variability, complexity, granularity, and types of extension applied by preprocessor directives. Based on the collected data, we suggest alternative implementation techniques. Our data set is a rich source for rethinking language design and tool support.
Adherence to a snacking dietary pattern and soda intake are related to the development of adiposity: a prospective study in school-age children

Abstract Objective Snacking has been related to increased prevalence of overweight among school-age children in cross-sectional studies. It is uncertain, however, whether snacking influences the development of adiposity over time. Design We examined whether adherence to a snacking dietary pattern was associated with greater increases in children's BMI, subscapular:triceps skinfold thickness ratio and waist circumference over a median 2·5-year follow-up. Dietary patterns were identified through principal component analysis of an FFQ administered at recruitment in 2006. Anthropometric follow-up was conducted annually. Linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate rates of change in each indicator according to quartiles of adherence to the snacking pattern. We also examined change in BMI, subscapular:triceps skinfold thickness ratio and waist circumference in relation to intake of the food items in the snacking pattern. Subjects Children (n 961) 5–12 years of age. Setting Public schools in Bogotá, Colombia. Results After adjustment for age, sex, total energy intake and socio-economic status, children in the highest quartile of adherence to the snacking pattern had a 0·09 kg/m2 per year higher BMI gain than children in the lowest quartile (P trend = 0·05). A similar association was observed for mean change in subscapular:triceps skinfold thickness ratio (highest v. lowest quartile difference = 0·012/year; P = 0·03). Of the food items in the snacking pattern, soda intake was positively and significantly associated with change in BMI (P trend = 0·01) and waist circumference (P trend = 0·04) in multivariable analysis. Conclusions Our results indicate that snacking and soda intake are associated with development of adiposity in school-age children.
ZIL: An Energy-Efficient Indoor Localization System Using ZigBee Radio to Detect WiFi Fingerprints

In existing WiFi-based localization methods, smart mobile devices consume quite a lot of power as WiFi interfaces need to be used for frequent AP scanning during the localization process. In this work, we design an energy-efficient indoor localization system called ZigBee assisted indoor localization (ZIL) based on WiFi fingerprints via ZigBee interference signatures. ZIL uses ZigBee interfaces to collect mixed WiFi signals, which include non-periodic WiFi data and periodic beacon signals. However, WiFi APs cannot be identified from these WiFi signals by ZigBee interfaces directly. To address this issue, we propose a method for detecting WiFi APs to form WiFi fingerprints from the signals collected by ZigBee interfaces. We propose a novel fingerprint matching algorithm to align a pair of fingerprints effectively. To improve the localization accuracy, we design the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) method with three different weighted distances and find that the KNN algorithm with the Manhattan distance performs best. Experiments show that ZIL can achieve the localization accuracy of 87%, which is competitive compared to state-of-the-art WiFi fingerprint-based approaches, and save energy by 68% on average compared to the approach based on WiFi interface.
Modelling Protagonist Goals and Desires in First-Person Narrative

Many genres of natural language text are narratively structured, a testament to our predilection for organizing our experiences as narratives. There is broad consensus that understanding a narrative requires identifying and tracking the goals and desires of the characters and their narrative outcomes. However, to date, there has been limited work on computational models for this problem. We introduce a new dataset, DesireDB, which includes gold-standard labels for identifying statements of desire, textual evidence for desire fulfillment, and annotations for whether the stated desire is fulfilled given the evidence in the narrative context. We report experiments on tracking desire fulfillment using different methods, and show that LSTM Skip-Thought model achieves F-measure of 0.7 on our corpus.
The integral membrane protein, ponticulin, acts as a monomer in nucleating actin assembly

Ponticulin, an F-actin binding transmembrane glycoprotein in Dictyostelium plasma membranes, was isolated by detergent extraction from cytoskeletons and purified to homogeneity. Ponticulin is an abundant membrane protein, averaging approximately 10(6) copies/cell, with an estimated surface density of approximately 300 per microns2. Ponticulin solubilized in octylglucoside exhibited hydrodynamic properties consistent with a ponticulin monomer in a spherical or slightly ellipsoidal detergent micelle with a total molecular mass of 56 +/- 6 kD. Purified ponticulin nucleated actin polymerization when reconstituted into Dictyostelium lipid vesicles, but not when a number of commercially available lipids and lipid mixtures were substituted for the endogenous lipid. The specific activity was consistent with that expected for a protein comprising 0.7 +/- 0.4%, by mass, of the plasma membrane protein. Ponticulin in octylglucoside micelles bound F- actin but did not nucleate actin assembly. Thus, ponticulin-mediated nucleation activity was sensitive to the lipid environment, a result frequently observed with transmembrane proteins. At most concentrations of Dictyostelium lipid, nucleation activity increased linearly with increasing amounts of ponticulin, suggesting that the nucleating species is a ponticulin monomer. Consistent with previous observations of lateral interactions between actin filaments and Dictyostelium plasma membranes, both ends of ponticulin-nucleated actin filaments appeared to be free for monomer assembly and disassembly. Our results indicate that ponticulin is a major membrane protein in Dictyostelium and that, in the proper lipid matrix, it is sufficient for lateral nucleation of actin assembly. To date, ponticulin is the only integral membrane protein known to directly nucleate actin polymerization.