Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endogenous uncertainty in a general equilibrium model with price contingent contracts

SummaryThis paper views uncertainty and economic fluctuations as being primarily endogenous and internally propagated phenomena. The most important Endogenous Uncertainty examined in this paper is price uncertainty which arises when agents do not have structural knowledge and are complelled to make decisions on the basis of their beliefs. We assume that agents adopt Rational Beliefs as in Kurz [1994a]. The trading of endogenous uncertainty is accomplished by using Price Contingent Contracts (PCC) rather than the Arrow-Debreu state contingent contracts. The paper provides a full construction of the “price state space” which requires the expansion of the exogenous state space to include the “state of beliefs. ” This construction is central to the analysis of equilibrium with endogenous uncertainty and the paper provides an existence theorem for a Rational Belief Equilibrium with PCC. It shows how the PCC completes the markets for trading endogenous uncertainty and lead to an allocation which is Pareto optimal. This paper also demonstrates that endogenous uncertainty is generically present in this new equilibrium.
Local discriminative characterization of MRI for Alzheimer's disease

A novel method is proposed for characterizing Alzheimer's disease (AD) in brain MRI using local image texture features. Texture features are computed from local sub-volumes of T1-weighted MR images, and automatic classification performance is used to identify the (brain region, texture feature) combinations that are most discriminative regarding subject groups, i.e. AD vs healthy subjects. Experiments include MRI data of 124 subjects from the public OASIS database, three commonly-used texture feature types including the 3D-GLCM, 3D-DWT and LoG filters and random forest classification. The method identifies numerous (brain region, texture feature) combinations leading to high classification accuracy (> 70%), including several regions not traditionally linked to AD. These may indicate novel computational biomarkers for computer-assisted diagnosis or characterization of AD. The approach is generally applicable to other 3D data and disease contexts.
Outlier detection in sensor networks

Outlier detection has many important applications in sensor networks, e.g., abnormal event detection, animal behavior change, etc. It is a difficult problem since global information about data distributions must be known to identify outliers. In this paper, we use a histogram-based method for outlier detection to reduce communication cost. Rather than collecting all the data in one location for centralized processing, we propose collecting hints (in the form of a histogram) about the data distribution, and using the hints to filter out unnecessary data and identify potential outliers. We show that this method can be used for detecting outliers in terms of two different definitions. Our simulation results show that the histogram method can dramatically reduce the communication cost.
Proinflammatory cytokine synthesis in the injured mouse spinal cord: Multiphasic expression pattern and identification of the cell types involved

We have studied the spatial and temporal distribution of six proinflammatory cytokines and identified their cellular source in a clinically relevant model of spinal cord injury (SCI). Our findings show that interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are rapidly (<5 and 15 minutes, respectively) and transiently expressed in mice following contusion. At 30–45 minutes post SCI, IL‐1β and TNF‐positive cells could already be seen over the entire spinal cord segment analyzed. Multilabeling analyses revealed that microglia and astrocytes were the two major sources of IL‐1β and TNF at these times, suggesting a role for these cytokines in gliosis. Results obtained from SCI mice previously transplanted with green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐expressing hematopoietic stem cells confirmed that neural cells were responsible for the production of IL‐1β and TNF for time points preceding 3 hours. From 3 hours up to 24 hours, IL‐1β, TNF, IL‐6, and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) were strongly upregulated within and immediately around the contused area. Colocalization studies revealed that all populations of central nervous system resident cells, including neurons, synthesized cytokines between 3 and 24 hours post SCI. However, work done with SCI‐GFP chimeric mice revealed that at least some infiltrating leukocytes were responsible for cytokine production from 12 hours on. By 2 days post‐SCI, mRNA signal for all the above cytokines had nearly disappeared. Notably, we also observed another wave of expression for IL‐1β and TNF at 14 days. Overall, these results indicate that following SCI, all classes of neural cells initially contribute to the organization of inflammation, whereas recruited immune cells mostly contribute to its maintenance at later time points. J. Comp. Neurol. 500:267–285, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Half-Life of Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein: An Early Prognostic Index of Recurrence and Survival After Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective:To explore the prognostic value of the postsurgical half-life (HL) of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Background:There is still a paucity of early surrogate indicators of clinical endpoints after liver resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods:The analysis was based on cohorts of 225 (exploration set) and 117 (validation set) treatment-naïve HCC patients undergoing curative liver resection. We defined 3 categories of AFP HL: early complete resolution of AFP, normal HL, and prolonged HL if the HL exceeded 7 days. Overall, probabilities of recurrence and survival were estimated and compared across the AFP HL categories. Results:In the exploration cohort, 48 patients (21.3%) achieved early AFP complete resolution, 116 (51.6%) had normal HL, and 61 (27.1%) had prolonged HL. Long AFP HL was significantly associated with early postoperative recurrence (P < 0.001), as was microvascular invasion. Early recurrence within 2 years of resection was observed in 59% of the patients with prolonged AFP HL compared with only 29.3% of those with normal AFP HL (P < 0.001). A log-rank test followed by multivariate Cox analysis identified an independent function of prolonged AFP HL in predicting shorter recurrence-free survival and overall survival time after HCC resection (hazard ratios, 2.81 and 3.58; P < 0.001). When AFP HL analysis was applied to the validation cohort, the association between prolonged AFP HL and survival endpoints (hazard ratio, 11.63 and 16.39; P < 0.001) was confirmed.
Fault-tolerant hierarchical real-time scheduling with backup partitions on single processor

The resource partitioning has been suggested to provide efficient composition of multi-threaded real-time applications. Partitioning can provide reliable and flexible software upgrade as partitions are strongly isolated in terms of resources. However, there are always possibility of experiencing software faults while operating on a real plant. To avoid entering a hazardous state due to a partition that is yet to be fully verified, we can deploy a backup partition that may implement inefficient algorithms or limited features but is verified with respect to reliability. The backup partition performs failover to carry out missions of the corresponding primary partition when a software fault is detected. There have been significant researches for fault-tolerant real-time scheduling but considerations for partitioned systems have not been studied. In this paper, we extend the resource model for hierarchical real-time scheduling to support primary and backup partitions. Our model can support context-dependent and context-independent tasks in the backup partition efficiently. In addition, we provide the schedulability analysis for suggested model.
Measurement of Audition and Vision in the First Year of Postnatal Life: A Methodological Overview

This volume is based upon a conference which brought together a group of leading developmental researchers to assess state-of-the-art methodology for measuring audition and vision during the first year of life. The volume is primarily aimed at providing an overview of current methods used to assess hearing and vision. Both behavioral and physiological approaches are examined in detail with a view toward providing the reader with a critical undertanding of the methods, including their strengths and weaknesses. It is essential reading for those interested in the development of sensory systems.
Migration of Myeloid Cells during Inflammation Is Differentially Regulated by the Cell Surface Receptors Slamf1 and Slamf8

Previous studies have demonstrated that the cell surface receptor Slamf1 (CD150) is requisite for optimal NADPH-oxidase (Nox2) dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by phagocytes in response to Gram- bacteria. By contrast, Slamf8 (CD353) is a negative regulator of ROS in response to Gram+ and Gram- bacteria. Employing in vivo migration after skin sensitization, induction of peritonitis, and repopulation of the small intestine demonstrates that in vivo migration of Slamf1-/- dendritic cells and macrophages is reduced, as compared to wt mice. By contrast, in vivo migration of Slamf8-/- dendritic cells, macrophages and neutrophils is accelerated. These opposing effects of Slamf1 and Slamf8 are cell-intrinsic as judged by in vitro migration in transwell chambers in response to CCL19, CCL21 or CSF-1. Importantly, inhibiting ROS production of Slamf8-/- macrophages by diphenyleneiodonium chloride blocks this in vitro migration. We conclude that Slamf1 and Slamf8 govern ROS–dependent innate immune responses of myeloid cells, thus modulating migration of these cells during inflammation in an opposing manner.
Circumferential Spinal Cord Decompression through a Single Posterior Approach with Microendoscopy for Thoracic and Thoracolumbar Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament

Thoracic and thoracolumbar ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) can be difficult to treat due to the anatomical position. The purpose of this study was to report the significance of a novel surgical technique that represented two cases of thoracic or thoracolumbar OPLL. The first patient was a 72-year-old woman who had a beak-type OPLL at the T11/12. The second was a 45-year-old woman who had a beak-type OPLL at the T12/L1. We performed circumferential spinal cord decompression through a single posterior approach with microendoscopy in both cases. The postoperative computed tomography revealed the complete removal of the OPLL, and the magnetic resonance imaging confirmed adequate decompression of the spinal cord. Preoperative symptoms were substantially improved in both patients. To date, we have used this novel technique to treat five patients with thoracic or thoracolumbar OPLL. This new surgical technique is likely to be useful in patients with a beak-type OPLL of the thoracic or thoracolumbar spine.
Monitoring and detection of disease recurrence after resection for Crohn’s disease: the role of non-invasive fecal biomarkers

ABSTRACT Introduction: Ileocolonoscopy is the gold standard for the diagnosis and assessment of postoperative recurrence in Crohn’s disease (CD). Nevertheless, endoscopy is time-consuming and invasive. A minimally invasive and simple screening test would improve patient adherence to examination and provide greater clinical benefit. A number of fecal biomarkers have been evaluated for their utility for the diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease as alternative tests to endoscopy. Area covered: In this review, we focused on the utility of fecal biomarkers in the management of postoperative CD. Our major endeavor was to present an evidence-based assessment of the results of clinical trials on the available data. A literature search was conducted using the Medline. Expert commentary: Calprotectin and lactoferrin, both neutrophil-derived proteins, are the two most frequently used fecal biomarkers in clinical trials and practice. Several studies evaluated the role of these fecal biomarkers in patients with postoperative CD. These studies suggest that fecal calprotectin, and to a lesser degree lactoferrin, are useful in assessing endoscopic severity and in predicting future clinical recurrence after resection for CD. However, large scale, well-designed studies are necessary to rigorously evaluate the role of fecal biomarkers in postoperative CD.
Comparative analysis of the mutagenic activity of oxaliplatin and cisplatin in the Hprt gene of CHO cells

Oxaliplatin is a platinum‐derived antitumor drug that is active against cisplatin‐resistant tumors and has lower overall toxicity than does cisplatin. DNA adduct formation is believed to mediate the cytotoxic activity of both compounds; however, the adducts may also be responsible for mutagenic and secondary tumorigenic activities. In this study, we have compared the mutagenicity of oxaliplatin and cisplatin in the Hprt gene of CHO‐K1 cells. Both drugs produced dose‐related increases in mutant frequency. For 1‐hr treatments, oxaliplatin was less mutagenic than cisplatin at equimolar doses, while similar mutant frequencies were induced at equitoxic doses. Sequencing of mutant Hprt genes indicated that the mutation spectra of both oxaliplatin and cisplatin were significantly different from the spontaneous mutation spectrum (P = 0.014 and P = 0.008, respectively). A significant difference was also observed between the spectra of oxaliplatin‐ and cisplatin‐induced mutations (P = 0.033). Although G:C→T:A transversion was the most common mutation produced by both compounds, oxaliplatin produced higher frequencies of A:T→T:A transversion than did cisplatin, most commonly at nucleotide 307, and higher frequencies of small deletions/insertions. Also, cisplatin induced tandem base‐pair substitutions, mainly at positions 135/136, and a higher frequency of G:C→A:T transition than did oxaliplatin. These results provide the first evidence that oxaliplatin is mutagenic and that the profiles of cisplatin‐ and oxaliplatin‐induced mutations display not only similarities but also distinctive features relating to the type and sequence‐context preference for mutation. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. , 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mesodermal Gene Expression in the Acoel Isodiametra pulchra Indicates a Low Number of Mesodermal Cell Types and the Endomesodermal Origin of the Gonads

Acoelomorphs are bilaterally symmetric small marine worms that lack a coelom and possess a digestive system with a single opening. Two alternative phylogenetic positions of this group within the animal tree are currently debated. In one view, Acoelomorpha is the sister group to all remaining Bilateria and as such, is a morphologically simple stepping stone in bilaterian evolution. In the other, the group is a lineage within the Deuterostomia, and therefore, has derived a simple morphology from a more complex ancestor. Acoels and the closely related Nemertodermatida and Xenoturbellida, which together form the Acoelomorpha, possess a very limited number of cell types. To further investigate the diversity and origin of mesodermal cell types we describe the expression pattern of 12 orthologs of bilaterian mesodermal markers including Six1/2, Twist, FoxC, GATA4/5/6, in the acoel Isodiametra pulchra. All the genes are expressed in stem cells (neoblasts), gonads, and at least subsets of the acoel musculature. Most are expressed in endomesodermal compartments of I. pulchra developing embryos similar to what has been described in cnidarians. Our molecular evidence indicates a very limited number of mesodermal cell types and suggests an endomesodermal origin of the gonads and the stem cell system. We discuss our results in light of the two prevailing phylogenetic positions of Acoelomorpha.
Reconstruction of Zebrafish Early Embryonic Development by Scanned Light Sheet Microscopy

A long-standing goal of biology is to map the behavior of all cells during vertebrate embryogenesis. We developed digital scanned laser light sheet fluorescence microscopy and recorded nuclei localization and movement in entire wild-type and mutant zebrafish embryos over the first 24 hours of development. Multiview in vivo imaging at 1.5 billion voxels per minute provides “digital embryos,” that is, comprehensive databases of cell positions, divisions, and migratory tracks. Our analysis of global cell division patterns reveals a maternally defined initial morphodynamic symmetry break, which identifies the embryonic body axis. We further derive a model of germ layer formation and show that the mesendoderm forms from one-third of the embryo's cells in a single event. Our digital embryos, with 55 million nucleus entries, are provided as a resource.
The effect of minimum pulse width limitation on neutral point voltage control and their cooperation in high power three-level NPC converters

It is well known that the minimum pulse width limitation must be considered to ensure the reliable operation of high power three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) converters equipped with GTOs or IGCTs, however the limitation has deleterious influence on neutral point voltage control. Based on the conventional realization of minimum pulse width limitation and its effect on the voltage balancing control (VBC), this paper proposes a novel implementation method of minimum pulse width limitation. The modification of original switching sequence considers both minimum pulse width limitation and voltage balancing control in the same time, and the theoretical analysis of cooperation between them is given in this paper. The performance of the proposed method is verified by simulated and experimental results on a 7.5MVA NPC converter based on IGCTs.
Extraction of lumped structural parameters from multiphysics field simulations for MEMS switches

This paper investigates the extraction of lumped parameters (elastic coefficient and effective mass) for RF MEMS switches. The extraction starts from field simulations obtained with the finite element method, which solves strongly coupled structural-electrostatic field problems, and is based on least square fitting. The elastic coefficients are extracted from static coupled simulations, whereas the effective mass is extracted from a dynamic, without damping, unforced, transient simulation. The degree of system nonlinearity can be estimated from the static simulation. If the system is close to linearity with respect to its structural behavior, then a simple algorithm to extract the effective mass is proposed. The validations are carried out by comparing the initial field results with the results obtained from the reduced order models. Relative errors less than 8 % are obtained for the pull-in voltage for all the structures investigated.
Depression Analysis of Twitter Dataset Using Natural Language Processing Techniques

A significant global public health problem that affects many people is depression. Twitter has grown in popularity as a venue for people to express their feelings and experiences, making it a valuable source of information for figuring out the attitudes and trends around depression. We employed Multinomial Naive Bayes, Support Vector Machines, and Logistic Regression as well as three machine learning models to analyse this data. Our goal was to categorise tweets into positive and negative attitudes, find the most frequently used terms and phrases, and investigate how these patterns varied depending on the gender, age, and location of the tweets.
Activation of brain areas following ankle dorsiflexion versus plantar flexion

Changes in activated areas of the brain during ankle active dorsiflexion and ankle active plantar flexion were observed in six healthy subjects using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Excited areas of ankle active dorsiflexion involved the bilateral primary motor area and the primary somatosensory area, as well as the bilateral supplementary sensory area, the primary visual area, the right second visual area, and the vermis of cerebellum. Excited areas of ankle active plantar flexion included the ipsilateral supplementary motor area, the limbic system, and the contralateral corpus striatum. Fine movements of the cerebral cortex control the function of the ankle dorsiflexion to a larger extent than ankle plate flexion, and the function of ankle plate flexion is more controlled by the subcortical area.
Manipulation of cell-cell and cell-substratum interactions in mouse mammary tumor epithelial cells using broad spectrum antisera

Two antisera were raised in goats against material shed by two different mammary epithelial cell lines into serum-free culture medium. These antisera, when added to the medium of intact, growing mouse mammary tumor cells in the absence of complement, cause distinct and dramatic alterations in cell morphology and adhesiveness. One antiserum (anti-SFM I) causes mouse mammary tumor epithelial cells to round and detach from the substratum. Treatment with the other antiserum (anti- SFM II) does not affect cell-substratum interactions, but causes the cells to convert from an epitheloid to a fibroblastic morphology. Statistical analysis of transmission electron micrographs of control and antibody-treated cells indicates that treatment with anti-SFM II is associated with a substantial reduction in the extent of intercellular junctions, particularly desmosomes. To identify the components with which the two antisera interact, nonionic detergent extracts of mouse mammary tumor cells were fractionated, and the ability of various fractions to block the morphological effects of either antiserum was determined. The whole Nonidet P40 (NP40) extract of the epithelial cells blocked the effects of both antisera. After the extract was subjected to ion exchange and lectin affinity chromatography, two separate fractions were obtained. One fraction blocks and anti-SFM I induced rounding and detachment of cells from the substratum. The second fraction blocks the effects of both antisera. The isolation of the former fraction, which has highly restricted number of components, represents a significant first step toward identifying the surface membrane molecule(s) involved in cell-substratum adhesion in epithelial cells.
Efficient management of transitive relationships in large data and knowledge bases

We argue that accessing the transitive closure of relationships is an important component of both databases and knowledge representation systems in Artificial Intelligence. The demands for efficient access and management of large relationships motivate the need for explicitly storing the transitive closure in a compressed and local way, while allowing updates to the base relation to be propagated incrementally. We present a transitive closure compression technique, based on labeling spanning trees with numeric intervals, and provide both analytical and empirical evidence of its efficacy, including a proof of optimality.