Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why Cognitive Science Needs Philosophy and Vice Versa

Contrary to common views that philosophy is extraneous to cognitive science, this paper argues that philosophy has a crucial role to play in cognitive science with respect to generality and normativity. General questions include the nature of theories and explanations, the role of computer simulation in cognitive theorizing, and the relations among the different fields of cognitive science. Normative questions include whether human thinking should be Bayesian, whether decision making should maximize expected utility, and how norms should be established. These kinds of general and normative questions make philosophical reflection an important part of progress in cognitive science. Philosophy operates best, however, not with a priori reasoning or conceptual analysis, but rather with empirically informed reflection on a wide range of findings in cognitive science.
Local Gene Transduction of Cyclooxygenase-1 Increases Blood Flow in Injured Atherosclerotic Rabbit Arteries

Background—Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) is the rate-limiting component in the synthesis of prostacyclin (PGI2), an important vasodilator and antithrombotic molecule. In balloon-injured, atherosclerosis-free porcine arteries, COX-1 gene transduction increases PGI2 production, induces durable vasodilation, and reduces thrombus formation. We tested the effectiveness of COX-1 local gene transduction for the prevention of postangioplasty restenosis in atherosclerotic arteries in a hypercholesterolemic rabbit model. Methods and Results—We injured 1 carotid artery in 43 Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits and performed local gene transduction using a viral vector containing the COX-1 gene (AdCOX-1, n=22) or no genes (Adnull, n=21). Three days later, AdCOX-1–treated arteries stimulated with arachidonic acid produced 100% more PGI2 (P<0.01), 400% more prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) (P<0.01), 400% more prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) (P<0.01), and 250% more cAMP (P<0.05) than Adnull-treated arteries. Twenty-eight days after treatment, Doppler sonography showed that blood flow velocity was preserved in AdCOX-1–treated arteries (ratio 0.92, injured compared with contralateral uninjured carotid artery) but reduced in Adnull-treated arteries (ratio 0.39), suggesting that AdCOX-1 prevented restenosis after injury. COX-1–transduced arteries also showed 80% greater lumen area 28 days after injury (P<0.01). Conclusions—The effectiveness of COX-1 in preventing restenosis and preserving normal blood flow 28 days after injury results from increased lumen area caused by durable vasodilation. COX-1 efficacy correlates with an early increase in the production of PGI2, PGE2, PGE1 (known to cause vasodilation), and cAMP. These results demonstrate for the first time that COX-1 gene transduction is an effective treatment for the prevention of postangioplasty restenosis of atherosclerotic arteries under clinically relevant conditions.
A Study on the Interplay Between the Corpus Size and Parameters of a Distributional Model for Term Classification

We propose and evaluate a method for identifying co-hyponym lexical units in a terminological resource. The principles of term recognition and distributional semantics are combined to extract terms from a similar category of concept. Given a set of candidate terms, random projections are employed to represent them as low-dimensional vectors. These vectors are derived automatically from the frequency of the co-occurrences of the candidate terms and words that appear within windows of text in their proximity (context-windows). In a k-nearest neighbours framework, these vectors are classified using a small set of manually annotated terms which exemplify concept categories. We then investigate the interplay between the size of the corpus that is used for collecting the co-occurrences and a number of factors that play roles in the performance of the proposed method: the configuration of context-windows for collecting co-occurrences, the selection of neighbourhood size (k), and the choice of similarity metric.
Security Conscious Web Service Composition

A Web service is a software system designed to support interoperable application-to-application interactions over the Internet. Web services are based on a set of XML standards, such as Web Services Description Language (WSDL), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI). Recently, there has been a growing interest in Web service composition, and some languages (e.g., WSBPEL, BPML) for modeling the composition have been proposed. In this paper, we focus on security constraints of Web service composition, which have not been deeply investigated so far. We propose a method for modeling security constraints and a brokered architecture to build composite Web services according to the specified security constraints
Summary of the second report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel II)

THE SECOND report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel II, or ATP II) presents the National Cholesterol Education Program's updated recommendations for cholesterol management. It is similar to the first in general outline, and the fundamental approach to treatment of high blood cholesterol is comparable. This report continues to identify low-density lipoproteins (LDL) as the primary target of cholesterol-lowering therapy. As in the first report, the second report emphasizes the role of the clinical approach in primary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). Dietary therapy remains the first line of treatment of high blood cholesterol, and drug therapy is reserved for patients who are considered to be at high risk for CHD. However, the second report contains new features that distinguish it from the first. These include the following: Increased emphasis on See also pp 3002 and 3009.
Combined inhibition of Wee1 and Chk1 gives synergistic DNA damage in S-phase due to distinct regulation of CDK activity and CDC45 loading

Recent studies have shown synergistic cytotoxic effects of simultaneous Chk1- and Wee1-inhibition. However, the mechanisms behind this synergy are not known. Here, we present a flow cytometry-based screen for compounds that cause increased DNA damage in S-phase when combined with the Wee1-inhibitor MK1775. Strikingly, the Chk1-inhibitors AZD7762 and LY2603618 were among the top candidate hits of 1664 tested compounds, suggesting that the synergistic cytotoxic effects are due to increased S-phase DNA damage. Combined Wee1- and Chk1-inhibition caused a strong synergy in induction of S-phase DNA damage and reduction of clonogenic survival. To address the underlying mechanisms, we developed a novel assay measuring CDK-dependent phosphorylations in single S-phase cells. Surprisingly, while Wee1-inhibition alone induced less DNA damage compared to Chk1-inhibition, Wee1-inhibition caused a bigger increase in S-phase CDK-activity. However, the loading of replication initiation factor CDC45 was more increased after Chk1- than Wee1-inhibition and further increased by the combined treatment, and thus correlated well with DNA damage. Therefore, when Wee1 alone is inhibited, Chk1 suppresses CDC45 loading and thereby limits the extent of unscheduled replication initiation and subsequent S-phase DNA damage, despite very high CDK-activity. These results can explain why combined treatment with Wee1- and Chk1-inhibitors gives synergistic anti-cancer effects.
Artificial Neural Nets Object Recognition for 3D Point Clouds

This paper presents a approach that uses 3D point clouds from laser sensor to perform the classification of typical obstacles in urban environments. The presented method consists of Velodyne Lidar point clouds segmentation, feature extraction and use of a MLP Neural Nets to classify vehicles, people, tree trunks, light poles and buildings. Experimental results demonstrated that is possible to recognize different classes of 3D structures with a very good precision. At the end, the performances of two neural networks are compared.
Distance between 2D-scenes based on oriented matroid theory

A novel method for representing and comparing views of objects is presented. The topological properties of the regions of the views of objects are used to define a structure, called set of cocircuits, based on the oriented matroid theory. It is a formalism for qualitative spatial representation and reasoning and encodes information about relative position of the disjoint regions of the view and give local and global topological information about their spatial distribution. This topological technique is applied to recognising indoor scenes for the localization of a mobile robot.
PEN recsys: a personalized news recommender systems framework

We present the Personalized News (PEN) recommender systems framework, currently in use by a newspaper website to evaluate various algorithms for news recommendations. We briefly describe its system architecture and related components. We show how a researcher can easily evaluate different algorithms thanks to a web-based interface. Finally, we discuss important factors to take into account when conducting online evaluation, and report on our experience when deploying recommendations on a live-traffic website.
A Functional Screen in Human Cells Identifies UBF2 as an RNA Polymerase II Transcription Factor That Enhances the β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT β-Catenin signaling plays an important role in the development of many organisms and has a key part in driving the malignant transformation of epithelial cells comprising a variety of cancers. β-Catenin can activate gene expression through its association with transcription factors of the lymphoid enhancer factor 1 (LEF-1)/T-cell factor (TCF) family. We designed a screen in human cells to identify novel genes that activate a β-catenin-LEF/TCF-responsive promoter and isolated the high-mobility group box transcription factor, UBF2. UBF1 and UBF2 are splice variants of a common precursor RNA. Although UBF1 has been shown to activate RNA polymerase I-regulated genes, the function of UBF2 has remained obscure. Here, we show for the first time that both UBF1 and UBF2 activate RNA polymerase II-regulated promoters. UBF2 associates with LEF-1, as shown by coimmunoprecipitation experiments, and potentiates transcriptional activation stimulated by LEF-1/β-catenin from a synthetic promoter with multimerized LEF/TCF binding sites and a natural cyclin D1 promoter with consensus LEF/TCF binding sites. Downregulation of endogenous UBF expression using an RNA interference approach reduces transcriptional activation of a β-catenin-LEF/TCF-responsive promoter by means of overexpressed β-catenin, further implicating UBF as a transcriptional enhancer of the β-catenin pathway.
Temperature-uniformity study on transverse flux induction heating applied to rapid PCR

Induction heating has been widely used in industrial and domestic fields due to its rapid heating rate, low power, no pollution and easy control. However, its temperature uniformity isn’t good enough to meet the requirements of precise temperature control. The application in the field of nucleic acid amplification instruments (PCR instruments) is basically blank. In response to this situation, a method is provided to improve the temperature uniformity of transverse flux induction heating, which, for the first time, is applied to the study on rapid PCR. The principle of electromagnetic induction heating is analysed, a specific method for calculating the basic parameters of the transverse flux induction coil is introduced, then, different coil structures are designed and analysed by COMSOL Multiphysics according to the determined parameters, simulation analysis and comparison are carried out to obtain an optimal coil structure. The results show that, with other parameters unchanged, the temperature uniformity of the entire heating plane can be up to ±0.5 °C by adjusting the coil structure, which can meet the requirements of precise temperature control, and have a revolutionary impact on the study of rapid PCR.
SCO-Spondin Derived Peptide NX210 Induces Neuroprotection In Vitro and Promotes Fiber Regrowth and Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

In mammals, the limited regenerating potential of the central nervous system (CNS) in adults contrasts with the plasticity of the embryonic and perinatal periods. SCO (subcommissural organ)-spondin is a protein secreted early by the developing central nervous system, potentially involved in the development of commissural fibers. SCO-spondin stimulates neuronal differentiation and neurite growth in vitro. NX210 oligopeptide was designed from SCO-spondin's specific thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSR) sequences that support the main neurogenic properties of the molecule. The objective of this work was to assess the neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties of NX210 in vitro and in vivo for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). In vitro studies were carried out on the B104 neuroblastoma cell line demonstrating neuroprotection by the resistance to oxidative damage using hydrogen peroxide and the measure of cell viability by metabolic activity. In vivo studies were performed in two rat models of SCI: (1) a model of aspiration of dorsal funiculi followed by the insertion of a collagen tube in situ to limit collateral sprouting; white matter regeneration was assessed using neurofilament immunostaining; (2) a rat spinal cord contusion model to assess functional recovery using BBB scale and reflex testing. We demonstrate for the first time that NX210 (a) provides neuroprotection to oxidative stress in the B104 neuroblastoma cells, (b) stimulates axonal regrowth in longitudinally oriented neofibers in the aspiration model of SCI and (c) significantly improves functional recovery in the contusive model of SCI.
Longitudinal relationships between fatigue and depression in cancer patients with depression and/or pain.

OBJECTIVE Fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms reported by cancer patients, yet relatively little is understood about its etiology. Recently, as researchers have begun to focus attention on cancer-related fatigue (CRF), depression has emerged as its strongest correlate. Few longitudinal studies, however, have examined directionality of the relationship between the two symptoms. Our aim was to evaluate the directionality of the association between depression and CRF. METHOD The study used a single-group cohort design of longitudinal data (N = 329) from a randomized controlled trial of an intervention for pain and depression in a heterogeneous sample of cancer patients. Participants met criteria for clinically significant pain and/or depression. Our hypothesis that depression would predict change in fatigue over 3 months was tested using latent variable cross-lagged panel analysis. RESULTS Depressive symptoms and fatigue were strongly correlated in the sample (baseline correlation of latent variables = 0.71). Although the model showed good fit to the data, χ(2) (66, N = 329) = 88.16, p = . 04, SRMR = 0.030, RMSEA = 0.032, and CFI = 1.00, neither structural path linking depression and fatigue was significant, suggesting neither symptom preceded and predicted the other. CONCLUSIONS Our findings did not support hypotheses regarding the directionality of the relationship between depressive symptoms and fatigue. The clinical implication is that depression-specific treatments may not be sufficient to treat CRF and that instead, interventions specifically targeting fatigue are needed.
The Effect of XPD/ERCC2 Polymorphisms on Gastric Cancer Risk among Different Ethnicities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Potential xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD), also called excision repair cross-complimentary group two (ERCC2), Lys751Gln and Asp312Asn polymorphisms have been implicated in gastric cancer risk among different ethnicities. Methods We aimed to explore the effect of XPD Lys751Gln and Asp312Asn polymorphisms on the susceptibility to gastric cancer among different ethnicities through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Each initially included article was scored for quality appraisal. Desirable data were extracted and registered into databases. 13 studies were ultimately eligible for the meta-analysis of Lys751Gln polymorphism and 9 studies for the meta-analysis of Asp312Asn polymorphism. We adopted the most probably appropriate genetic model (recessive model) for both Lys751Gln and Asp312Asn polymorphisms. Potential sources of heterogeneity were sought out via subgroup and sensitivity analyses, and publication biases were estimated. Results Statistically significant findings were apparently noted in Asians but not in Caucasians for both XPD Lys751Gln and XPD Asp312Asn polymorphisms. A statistically significant finding could be seen in noncardia-type gastric cancer for XPD Lys751Gln polymorphism. A statistically significant finding could also be seen in high quality subgroup, small-and-moderate sample size subgroup, articles published after 2007, or PCR-RFLP genotyping subgroup for XPD Asp312Asn polymorphism. Conclusions Our meta-analysis indicates that XPD Gln751Gln (CC) genotype and Asn312Asn (AA) genotype may seem to be more susceptible to gastric cancer in Asian populations but not in Caucasian populations, suggesting that the two genotypes may be important biomarkers of gastric cancer susceptibility for Asian populations, the assumption that needs to be further confirmed in well-designed studies among different ethnicities. Gln751Gln (CC) genotype may also be associated with noncardia-type gastric cancer risk, which should also be confirmed among different ethnicities in the future.
Isolated Gallbladder Rupture Due to Blunt Abdominal Trauma

Traumatic injury to the extrahepatic biliary system is rare and usually diagnosed at laparotomy when it is associated with other visceral injuries. Isolated gallbladder rupture due to blunt abdominal trauma is even rarer. The clinical presentation of gallbladder injury is variable, resulting in a delay in diagnosis and treatment. Awareness to the possibilty of trauma to the extrahepatic biliary system enables early surgical intervention and eliminates the high morbidity associated with delated diagnosis. A 5 year old child with isolated gallbladder rupture caused by blunt abdominal trauma is presented.
The tree width of auxiliary storage

We propose a generalization of results on the decidability of emptiness for several restricted classes of sequential and distributed automata with auxiliary storage (stacks, queues) that have recently been proved. Our generalization relies on reducing emptiness of these automata to finite-state graph automata (without storage) restricted to monadic second-order (MSO) definable graphs of bounded tree-width, where the graph structure encodes the mechanism provided by the auxiliary storage. Our results outline a uniform mechanism to derive emptiness algorithms for automata, explaining and simplifying several existing results, as well as proving new decidability results.
Multiple-instance learning with global and local features for thyroid ultrasound image classification

Multi-modality thyroid ultrasound image can provide more information about the lesion for the physician to diagnosis. In this paper, the thyroid B-mode ultrasound image and the elastogrom are viewed as a bag. And the local features of the B-mode image and the global features of the elastogram are considered as instances of the bag. Multiple-instance learning (MIL) method is employed to solve thyroid ultrasound image classification problem. Local features of B-mode are mapped to the concept space by self-organizing map (SOM). The hue component of elastogram is extracted to represent the elasticity information of the lesion. The bag vector is composed of the concept vector of the B-mode and global elasticity of elastogram. Finally, a traditional supervised learning method, support vector machine (SVM), is employed for classifying the lesion. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve better performance.
WAVNet: Wide-Area Network Virtualization Technique for Virtual Private Cloud

A Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is a secure collection of computing, storage and network resources spanning multiple sites over Wide Area Network (WAN). With VPC, computation and services are no longer restricted to a fixed site but can be relocated dynamically across geographical sites to improve manageability, performance and fault tolerance. We propose WAVNet, a layer 2 virtual private network (VPN) which supports virtual machine live migration over WAN to realize mobility of execution environment across multiple security domains. WAVNet adopts a UDP hole punching technique to achieve direct network connection between two Internet hosts without special router configuration. We evaluate our design in an emulated WAN with 64 hosts and also in a real WAN environment with 10 machines located at seven different sites across the Asia-Pacific region. The experimental results show that WAVNet not only achieves close-to-native host-to-host network bandwidth and latency, but also guarantees more effective VM live migration than existing solutions.
Simpler structure for more informative words: a longitudinal study

As new concepts and discoveries accumulate over time, the amount of information available to speakers increases as well. One would expect that an utterance today would be more informative than an utterance 100 years ago (basing information on surprisal; Shannon, 1948), given the increase in technology and scientific discoveries. This prediction, however, is at odds with recent theories regarding information in human language use, which suggest that speakers maintain a somewhat constant information rate over time. Using the Google Ngram corpus (Michel et al., 2011), we show for multiple languages that changes in lexical information (a unigram model) are actually negatively correlated with changes in structural information (a trigram model), supporting recent proposals on information theoretic constraints. keywords: information rate, information theory, Google
Our Virtual Selves, Our Virtual Morals: Mass Effect Players' Personality and In-Game Choices

While many studies have been done on the consequences of playing aggressive games, there is little research on games where players can make choices that affect the storyline and the level of violence they employ. This online study focused on the Mass Effects series, which offers players' choices in how the story progresses, and positions them on Paragon (peaceful, 'rule adherence') or Renegade (aggressive, 'end justifies the means') alignment scale. We recruited 1007 players (69% women, 19% men, mean age=22, SD=5 years), and investigated how their choice to align with Paragon or Renegade positions was related to their Big Five personality traits, and to their decisions in two 'trolley' dilemmas. It was found that Renegade players scored significantly less on Agreeableness (mean 2.94 points) than Mixed players (mean 3.22) and Paragon players (mean 3.35). In the first trolley task (pulling a lever and thus killing one person to save five) there was no significant association between the playstyle and the decision made, with the majority of players electing to pull the lever. However, there was a significant group effect in the second trolley scenario (pushing a bystander onto the tracks to save five other lives), where the Renegade players were more likely to act (54%) than Mixed (40%) or Paragon players (30%).