Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple noun expression analysis: An implementation of Ontological Semantic Technology

The paper analyzes multiple noun expressions, or compound nouns, as part of the implementation of Ontological Semantic Technology, which uses a lexicon, an ontology, and a semantic text analyzer to access and represent the meaning of text. Because the analysis and results depend on the lexical senses of words, general principles of lexical acquisition are discussed. The success in interpretation and classification of such expressions is demonstrated on 100 randomly selected sequences of noun compounds.
Association of Birthweight and Head Circumference at Birth to Cognitive Performance in 9- to 10-Year-Old Children in South India: Prospective Birth Cohort Study

To examine whether birthweight and head circumference at birth are associated with childhood cognitive ability in South India, cognitive function was assessed using three core tests from the Kaufman Assessment Battery for children and additional tests measuring long-term retrieval/storage, attention and concentration, and visuospatial and verbal abilities among 505 full-term born children (mean age 9.7 y). In multiple linear regression adjusted for age, sex, gestation, socioeconomic status, parent's education, maternal age, parity, body mass index, height, rural/urban residence, and time of testing, Atlantis score (learning ability/long-term storage and retrieval) rose by 0.1 SD per SD increase in newborn weight and head circumference, respectively (p < 0.05 for all), and Kohs' block design score (visuospatial ability) increased by 0.1 SD per SD increase in birthweight (p < 0.05). The associations were reduced after further adjustment for current head circumference. There were no associations of birthweight and/or head circumference with measures of short-term memory, fluid reasoning, verbal abilities, and attention and concentration. In conclusion, higher birthweight and larger head circumference at birth are associated with better childhood cognitive ability. The effect may be specific to learning, long-term storage and retrieval, and visuospatial abilities, but this requires confirmation by further research.
Reliability of a retrospective decade‐based life‐course alcohol consumption questionnaire administered in later life

Background and aims Retrospective measures of alcohol intake are becoming increasingly popular; however, the reliability of such measures remains uncertain. This study assessed the reliability of a retrospective decade‐based life‐course alcohol consumption questionnaire, based on the standardized Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test–Consumption (AUDIT‐C) administered in older age in a well‐characterized cohort study. Design, setting, participants and measurements A retrospective alcohol life‐grid was administered to 5980 participants (72% male, mean age 70 years) in the Whitehall II study covering frequency of drinking, number of drinks in a typical drinking day and frequency of consuming six or more drinks in a single drinking occasion in the teens (16–19 years) through to the 80s. A subsample of 385 individuals completed a repeat survey to determine test–retest reliability. Retrospective measures were also compared with prospectively ascertained information and used to predict objectively measured systolic blood pressure to test their predictive validity. Findings Across all decades of life, test–retest reliability was generally good (κ range = 0.62–0.78 for frequency, 0.55–0.62 for usual number of drinks and 0.57–0.65 for frequency of consuming six or more drinks in a single occasion). The concordance between prospective and retrospective measures was consistently moderate to high. The life‐grid method performed better than a single question in identifying life‐time abstainers. Retrospective measures were also related to systolic blood pressure in the manner anticipated. Conclusion A retrospective decade‐based AUDIT‐C grid administered in older age provides a relatively reliable measure of alcohol consumption across the life‐course.
Optimizing binary decision systems by manipulating transmission intervals

We study the optimization of a binary decision system where quantized (soft) decisions are transmitted across an additive white Gaussian noise channel. We adjust the bit transmission intervals to maximize the Chemoff distance at the output of the channel. At low channel signal-to-noise ratios (when the probability of a bit error is higher), we find unequal transmission intervals yield significant gains in terms of Chernoff distance and the information transfer ratio over the equal transmission case. This paper is a companion paper to [Johnson, D.H. and Rodriguez-Diaz, H. , 2003] wherein the gains of unequal bit transmissions are studied in terms of minimum squared error.
Realizing an Effective and Flexible ITS Evaluation Strategy Through Modular and Multi-Scaled Traffic Simulation

The next generation of transportation systems employing advanced ITS and vehicular inter-networking are difficult to evaluate because of their inherent complexity. Advanced control algorithms, sensor setups, multiple communication media, and the varying driver reactions require new planning and evaluation strategies. While simulation tools are often used to study the likely effects of such systems in advance, we do not fully know what to expect as the outcome of a given implementation, making it difficult to validate a simulation's output. Data collection from a variety of field-tests is beginning to provide this data, but simulation definition, implementation and validation tools are all in need of improvement in order to keep up. Here we propose a new simulation framework that can translate a single ITS use case to different simulation tools with multiple traffic networks and/or data sets. This allows simulation tools to be compared and combined as appropri-ate for the given use case in order to improve both the validity and scalability of the simulation, and to facilitate better coop-eration between those working in this rapidly developing field.
Characterization of adipose tissue macrophages and adipose-derived stem cells in critical wounds

Background Subcutaneous adipose tissue is a rich source of adipose tissue macrophages and adipose-derived stem cells which both play a key role in wound repair. While macrophages can be divided into the classically-activated M1 and the alternatively-activated M2 phenotype, ASCs are characterized by the expression of specific stem cell markers. Methods In the present study, we have investigated the expression of common macrophage polarization and stem cell markers in acutely inflamed adipose tissue. Subcutaneous adipose tissue adjacent to acutely inflamed wounds of 20 patients and 20 healthy subjects were harvested and underwent qPCR and flow cytometry analysis. Results Expression levels of the M1-specific markers CD80, iNOS, and IL-1b were significantly elevated in inflammatory adipose tissue when compared to healthy adipose tissue, whereas the M2-specific markers CD163 and TGF-β were decreased. By flow cytometry, a significant shift of adipose tissue macrophage populations towards the M1 phenotype was confirmed. Furthermore, a decrease in the mesenchymal stem cell markers CD29, CD34, and CD105 was observed whereas CD73 and CD90 remained unchanged. Discussion This is the first report describing the predominance of M1 adipose tissue macrophages and the reduction of stem cell marker expression in acutely inflamed, non-healing wounds.
Preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the Andean clade and the placement of new Colombian blueberries (Ericaceae, Vaccinieae)

Abstract The blueberry tribe Vaccinieae (Ericaceae) is particularly diverse in South America and underwent extensive radiation in Colombia where many endemics occur. Recent fieldwork in Colombia has resulted in valuable additions to the phylogeny and as well in the discovery of morphologically noteworthy new species that need to be phylogenetically placed before being named. This is particularly important, as the monophyly of many of the studied genera have not been confirmed. In order to advance our understanding of the relationships within neotropical Vaccinieae and advice the taxonomy of the new blueberry relatives, here we present the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis for the Andean clade. Anthopterus, Demosthenesia, and Pellegrinia are among the putative Andean genera recovered as monophyletic, while other eight Andean genera were not. The analyses also showed that genera that have been traditionally widely defined are non-monophyletic and could be further split into more discrete groups. Four newly discovered Colombian Vaccinieae are placed in the monophyletic Satyria s.s. and the Psammisia I clade. Although these new species are endemic to the Colombian Western Cordillera and Chocó biogeographic region and three are not known outside of Las Orquídeas National Park, they do not form sister pairs.
The University of Padua (IMS) at TREC 2016 Total Recall Track

The participation of the Information Management System (IMS) Group of the University of Padua in the Total Recall track at TREC 2016 consisted in a set of fully automated experiments based on the two-dimensional probabilistic model. We trained the model in two ways that tried to mimic a real user, and we compared it to two versions of the BM25 model with diﬀerent parameter settings. This initial set of experiments lays the ground for a wider study that will explore a gamiﬁcation approach in the context of high recall situations.
Analysis of Dictyostelium discoideum Inositol Pyrophosphate Metabolism by Gel Electrophoresis

The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum was instrumental in the discovery and early characterization of inositol pyrophosphates, a class of molecules possessing highly-energetic pyrophosphate bonds. Inositol pyrophosphates regulate diverse biological processes and are attracting attention due to their ability to control energy metabolism and insulin signalling. However, inositol pyrophosphate research has been hampered by the lack of simple experimental procedures to study them. The recent development of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and simple staining to resolve and detect inositol pyrophosphate species has opened new investigative possibilities. This technology is now commonly applied to study in vitro enzymatic reactions. Here we employ PAGE technology to characterize the D. discoideum inositol pyrophosphate metabolism. Surprisingly, only three major bands are detectable after resolving acidic extract on PAGE. We have demonstrated that these three bands correspond to inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6 or Phytic acid) and its derivative inositol pyrophosphates, IP7 and IP8. Biochemical analyses and genetic evidence were used to establish the genuine inositol phosphate nature of these bands. We also identified IP9 in D. discoideum cells, a molecule so far detected only from in vitro biochemical reactions. Furthermore, we discovered that this amoeba possesses three different inositol pentakisphosphates (IP5) isomers, which are largely metabolised to inositol pyrophosphates. Comparison of PAGE with traditional Sax-HPLC revealed an underestimation of the cellular abundance of inositol pyrophosphates by traditional methods. In fact our study revealed much higher levels of inositol pyrophosphates in D. discoideum in the vegetative state than previously detected. A three-fold increase in IP8 was observed during development of D. discoideum a value lower that previously reported. Analysis of inositol pyrophosphate metabolism using ip6k null amoeba revealed the absence of developmentally-induced synthesis of inositol pyrophosphates, suggesting that the alternative class of enzyme responsible for pyrophosphate synthesis, PP-IP5K, doesn’t’ play a major role in the IP8 developmental increase.
Spatial and Spectral Image Fusion Using Sparse Matrix Factorization

In this paper, we present a novel spatial and spectral fusion model (SASFM) that uses sparse matrix factorization to fuse remote sensing imagery with different spatial and spectral properties. By combining the spectral information from sensors with low spatial resolution (LSaR) but high spectral resolution (HSeR) (hereafter called HSeR sensors), with the spatial information from sensors with high spatial resolution (HSaR) but low spectral resolution (LSeR) (hereafter called HSaR sensors), the SASFM can generate synthetic remote sensing data with both HSaR and HSeR. Given two reasonable assumptions, the proposed model can integrate the LSaR and HSaR data via two stages. In the first stage, the model learns from the LSaR data a spectral dictionary containing pure signatures, and in the second stage, the desired HSaR and HSeR data are predicted using the learned spectral dictionary and the known HSaR data. The SASFM is tested with both simulated data and actual Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) acquisitions, and it is also compared to other representative algorithms. The experimental results demonstrate that the SASFM outperforms other algorithms in generating fused imagery with both the well-preserved spectral properties of MODIS and the spatial properties of ETM+. Generated imagery with simultaneous HSaR and HSeR opens new avenues for applications of MODIS and ETM+.
Sensor Based Vehicle Environment Perception Information System

A sensor based vehicle information system (SVIS) is proposed to study vehicle environment perception in this paper. The different types of sensors are installed on the road side environment and wireless communication technology is used to realize the sense information between sensor, base stations and servers. The system considered the high speed characteristics of vehicles, when vehicles will be passing a road ahead that is prone to accidents, the vehicles driving states should be predicted to ensure drivers have advance information about road and safe from accidents. To evaluate the performance and stability the traditional sensor mounted system compared with SVIS system. The simulation results show the accuracy and efficiency of proposed system.
High-conductance states on a neuromorphic hardware system

Under typical synaptical stimulation, cortical neurons exhibit a total membrane conductance which, compared to a situation without any input spikes, is significantly increased. This results in a shorter membrane time constant and thus in an increased capability of the neuron to detect coincidences in its synaptic input. For this study, a neuromorphic hardware device was utilized, which does not provide direct access to its membrane conductances. Motivated by the aim of finding biologically realistic configuration regimes for the chip operation, a purely spike-based method for the estimation of membrane conductances is presented, allowing to test the hardware membrane dynamics. A proof of principle is given by pure software simulations. Hardware results are presented which illustrate the functionality of the method and show the possibility to generate high-conductance states in the utilized VLSI neurons. In the final section, limits and useful implications of the proposed method are discussed.
MicroRNA-1 is a candidate tumor suppressor and prognostic marker in human prostate cancer

We previously reported that miR-1 is among the most consistently down-regulated miRs in primary human prostate tumors. In this follow-up study, we further corroborated this finding in an independent data set and made the novel observation that miR-1 expression is further reduced in distant metastasis and is a candidate predictor of disease recurrence. Moreover, we performed in vitro experiments to explore the tumor suppressor function of miR-1. Cell-based assays showed that miR-1 is epigenetically silenced in human prostate cancer. Overexpression of miR-1 in these cells led to growth inhibition and down-regulation of genes in pathways regulating cell cycle progression, mitosis, DNA replication/repair and actin dynamics. This observation was further corroborated with protein expression analysis and 3′-UTR-based reporter assays, indicating that genes in these pathways are either direct or indirect targets of miR-1. A gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the miR-1-mediated tumor suppressor effects are globally similar to those of histone deacetylase inhibitors. Lastly, we obtained preliminary evidence that miR-1 alters the cellular organization of F-actin and inhibits tumor cell invasion and filipodia formation. In conclusion, our findings indicate that miR-1 acts as a tumor suppressor in prostate cancer by influencing multiple cancer-related processes and by inhibiting cell proliferation and motility.
Multistage Interconnection Networks Reliability

Reliability and performance of interconnection network systems significantly depends on the interconnection of its components, among other factors. The interconnection among switches, number of stages, and the types of switches normally determine the system configuration. System performance could be analyzed based on its redundant paths, information transition time, and its reliability. As the number of interconnection paths and number of input/output of connecting switches in a network increases, the performance measurement becomes more complicated. This paper presents several multistage interconnection network systems, with complexity of each for performance analysis. We also present a method for reliability improvement of interconnection communication systems.
An oligomeric protein is imported into peroxisomes in vivo

The mechanism of translocation of peroxisomal proteins from the cytoplasm into the matrix is largely unknown. We have been studying this problem in yeast. We show that the peroxisomal targeting sequences SKL or AKL, with or without a spacer of nine glycines (G9), are sufficient to target chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) to peroxisomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in vivo. The mature form of CAT is a homotrimer, and complete trimerization of CAT was found to occur within a few minutes of synthesis. In contrast, import, measured by immunoelectron microscopy and organellar fractionation, occurred over several hours. To confirm that import of preassembled CAT trimers was occurring, we co-expressed CAT-G9-AKL with CAT lacking a peroxisomal targeting sequence but containing a hemagglutinin-derived epitope tag (HA-CAT). We found that HA-CAT was not imported unless it was co- expressed with CAT-G9-AKL. Both proteins were released from the organelles under mild conditions (pH 8.5) that released other matrix proteins, indicating that import had occurred. These results strongly suggested that HA-CAT was imported as a heterotrimer with CAT-G9-AKL. The process of oligomeric import also occurs in animal cells. When HA- CAT was co-expressed with CAT-G9-AKL in CV-1 cells, HA-CAT co-localized with peroxisomes but was cytoplasmic when expressed alone. It is not clear whether the import of globular proteins into peroxisomes occurs through peroxisomal membrane pores or involves membrane internalization. Both possibilities are discussed.
DNA Methylation Mediated Control of Gene Expression Is Critical for Development of Crown Gall Tumors

Crown gall tumors develop after integration of the T-DNA of virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains into the plant genome. Expression of the T-DNA–encoded oncogenes triggers proliferation and differentiation of transformed plant cells. Crown gall development is known to be accompanied by global changes in transcription, metabolite levels, and physiological processes. High levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in crown galls regulate expression of drought stress responsive genes and mediate drought stress acclimation, which is essential for wild-type-like tumor growth. An impact of epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation on crown gall development has been suggested; however, it has not yet been investigated comprehensively. In this study, the methylation pattern of Arabidopsis thaliana crown galls was analyzed on a genome-wide scale as well as at the single gene level. Bisulfite sequencing analysis revealed that the oncogenes Ipt, IaaH, and IaaM were unmethylated in crown galls. Nevertheless, the oncogenes were susceptible to siRNA–mediated methylation, which inhibited their expression and subsequently crown gall growth. Genome arrays, hybridized with methylated DNA obtained by immunoprecipitation, revealed a globally hypermethylated crown gall genome, while promoters were rather hypomethylated. Mutants with reduced non-CG methylation developed larger tumors than the wild-type controls, indicating that hypermethylation inhibits plant tumor growth. The differential methylation pattern of crown galls and the stem tissue from which they originate correlated with transcriptional changes. Genes known to be transcriptionally inhibited by ABA and methylated in crown galls became promoter methylated upon treatment of A. thaliana with ABA. This suggests that the high ABA levels in crown galls may mediate DNA methylation and regulate expression of genes involved in drought stress protection. In summary, our studies provide evidence that epigenetic processes regulate gene expression, physiological processes, and the development of crown gall tumors.
Adaptive contrast enhancement involving CNN-based processing for foggy weather conditions & non-uniform lighting conditions

Adaptive image processing in the context of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is a crucial issue because bad weather conditions lead to poor vision. In a foggy weather, image contrast and visibility are low due to the presence of airlight that is generated by scattering light, which in turn is caused by fog particles. Since vision based ADAS are affected by inadequate contrast, a real-time capable solution is required. To improve such degraded images, a method is required which processes each image region separately. Hence, real-time processing is required, the method is realized with the CNN paradigm which claims the characteristic of real-time image processing. To compare the proposed method with existing state-of-the-art methods the Tenengrad measure is applied.
Cortical Cholinergic Input Is Required for Normal Auditory Perception and Experience-Dependent Plasticity in Adult Ferrets

The nucleus basalis (NB) in the basal forebrain provides most of the cholinergic input to the neocortex and has been implicated in a variety of cognitive functions related to the processing of sensory stimuli. However, the role that cortical acetylcholine release plays in perception remains unclear. Here we show that selective loss of cholinergic NB neurons that project to the cortex reduces the accuracy with which ferrets localize brief sounds and prevents them from adaptively reweighting auditory localization cues in response to chronic occlusion of one ear. Cholinergic input to the cortex was disrupted by making bilateral injections of the immunotoxin ME20.4-SAP into the NB. This produced a substantial loss of both p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR)-positive and choline acetyltransferase-positive cells in this region and of acetylcholinesterase-positive fibers throughout the auditory cortex. These animals were significantly impaired in their ability to localize short broadband sounds (40–500 ms in duration) in the horizontal plane, with larger cholinergic cell lesions producing greater performance impairments. Although they localized longer sounds with normal accuracy, their response times were significantly longer than controls. Ferrets with cholinergic forebrain lesions were also less able to relearn to localize sound after plugging one ear. In contrast to controls, they exhibited little recovery of localization performance after behavioral training. Together, these results show that cortical cholinergic inputs contribute to the perception of sound source location under normal hearing conditions and play a critical role in allowing the auditory system to adapt to changes in the spatial cues available.