Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic thinning of Antarctic glaciers from along-track repeat radar altimetry

Abstract Since 2002, the Envisat radar altimeter has measured the elevation of the Antarctic ice sheet with a repeat cycle of 35 days. This long and regular time series is processed using an along-track algorithm to depict in detail the spatial and temporal pattern of elevation change for the whole ice sheet. We use this dataset to examine the spatial and temporal pattern of Pine Island Glacier (PIG) thinning and compare it to the neighbouring glaciers. We also examine additional areas, especially in East Antarctica whose mass balance is poorly known. One advantage of the finer along-track spacing of measurements is that it reveals places of dynamic thinning in regions of rapid ice flow. We observe the acceleration of thinning on PIG. Over the entire basin, the volume loss increased from 7 km3 a-1 during 2002−06 to ~48 km3 a-1 during 2006-10. We also observe accelerated thinning on the lower tens of kilometres of Thwaites Glacier, with a mean thinning of 0.18 m a-1 over its entire basin during our observation period. We confirm the dynamic thinning of Totten Glacier but we do not detect significantly accelerated thinning on any glacier elsewhere than on the coast of the Amundsen Sea.
Photovoice as a Participatory Health Promotion Strategy

Photovoice is a participatory action research strategy by which people create and discuss photographs as a means of catalyzing personal and community change. The use of photovoice as an effective tool for carrying out participatory needs assessment, conducting participatory evaluation and reaching policy-makers has been discussed elsewhere. Here the authors examine the claims made for the effectiveness of photovoice as a participatory method. To do so, they describe one large-scale case study and then consider where it succeeded or failed in fulfilling its participatory aims. Differences among participants in political power, class, education and control over one's life illustrate certain advantages and potential costs of participation, and suggest considerations for minimizing the risk of unintended consequences.
Adaptation thématique non supervisée d'un système de reconnaissance automatique de la parole. (Unsupervised topic-based adaptation of an automatic speech recognition system)

Les systemes actuels de reconnaissance automatique de la parole (RAP) reposent sur un modele de langue (ML) qui les aide a determiner les hypotheses de transcription les plus probables. Pour cela, le ML recense des probabilites de courtes sequences de mots, appelees n-grammes, fondees sur un vocabulaire fini. Ces ML et vocabulaire sont estimes une fois pour toutes a partir d'un vaste corpus de textes traitant de sujets varies. En consequence, les systemes actuels souffrent d'un manque de specificite lorsqu'il s'agit de transcrire des documents thematiquement marques. Pour pallier ce probleme, nous proposons un nouveau processus d'adaptation thematique non supervisee du ML et du vocabulaire. Sur la base d'une premiere transcription automatique d'un document audio, ce processus consiste a recuperer sur Internet des textes du meme theme que le document, textes a partir desquels nous reestimons le ML et enrichissons le vocabulaire. Ces composants adaptes servent alors a produire une nouvelle transcription dont la qualite est esperee meilleure. Ce processus est particulierement original car il se preserve de toute connaissance a priori sur les eventuels themes des documents a transcrire et il integre des techniques de traitement automatique des langues. De plus, nous apportons des contributions pour chaque etape du processus. Tout d'abord, etant donnee la transcription initiale d'un document audio, nous avons amenage le critere tf-idf , issu du domaine de la recherche d'information, aux specificites de l'oral afin de caracteriser le theme du document par des mots-cles extraits automatiquement. Via un moteur de recherche sur Internet, ces mots-cles nous permettent de recuperer des pages Web que nous filtrons afin d'assurer leur coherence thematique avec le document audio. Ensuite, nous avons propose une nouvelle technique de reestimation thematique du ML. En extrayant des mots et sequences de mots specifiques au theme considere a partir des corpora Web, nous utilisons le cadre de l'adaptation par minimum d'information discriminante pour ne modifier que les probabilites des n-grammes propres au theme, laissant les autres probabilites inchangees. Enfin, nous montrons egalement que les corpora extraits du Web peuvent servir a reperer des mots hors vocabulaire specifiques aux themes. Nous proposons une technique originale qui permet d'apprendre ces nouveaux mots au systeme et, notamment, de les integrer dans le ML en determinant automatiquement dans quels n-grammes ils sont susceptibles d'apparaitre. Pour cela, chaque nouveau mot est assimile a d'autres, deja connus du systeme, avec lesquels il partage une relation paradigmatique. Nos experiences, menees sur des emissions d'actualites radiodiffusees, montrent que l'ensemble de ces traitements aboutit a des ameliorations significatives du taux de reconnaissance d'un systeme de RAP.
Rad 53 is essential for a mitochondrial DNA inheritance checkpoint regulating G 1 to S progression

D.G. Crider and L.J. García-Rodríguez contributed equally to this paper. Correspondence to Liza A. Pon: lap5@columbia.edu L.J. García-Rodríguez’s present address is Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Cancer Research UK, University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, England, UK. Abbreviations used in this paper: ATM, ataxia telangiectasia mutated; dNTP, deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate; EtBr, ethidium bromide; HU, hydroxyurea; mtDNA, mitochondrial DNA. Introduction
Interaction in Situated Learning Does Not Imply Immersion - Virtual Worlds Help to Engage Learners without Immersing Them

Immersion is a central theme when using virtual worlds; the feeling of ‘being there’ is generally considered a positive attribute of virtual worlds, in particular when these are used for recreation. However, within educational context it may be debatable how far immersion can be expected or is even desirable: if we want students to be reflective and critical on their assignment task, wouldn’t it be more important for them to have a critical distance, rather than being immersed? In this paper, we approach this question by examining and discussing how interactions, learner engagement and immersion are linked together when a virtual world is being used in a Hybrid Virtual Learning scenario. Findings from our experiment seem to suggest that even though this learning approach aids positively the educational process, high levels of immersion do not occur. Nevertheless, more research in that direction is highly recommended to be undertaken.
Assessment of Argument in Science Education: A Critical Review of the Literature

Theoretical and empirical research on argumentation in science education has intensified over the last two decades. This article reviews and synthesizes analytical methods used to assess and characterize the nature of rhetorical arguments generated by students as part of this research. This synthesis of the current state of argumentation analysis in science education research provides a comprehensive framework for future research on rhetorical argumentation.
Observed gossip moderates the link between anxious withdrawal and friendship quality in early adolescence

Abstract We evaluated whether gossip between best friends moderated the relation between anxious withdrawal and friendship quality in early adolescence,using an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model ( APIM , Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006) approach. Participants ( n =256) were 5th and 6th gradeyoung adolescents (actors) and their best friends (partners). Observed gossip between best friends moderated the association between anxiouswithdrawal and young adolescent’ perceptions of friendship quality. When gossip between best friends was infrequent, the greater the anxiouswithdrawal the lower the perceived positive friendship quality, but this relation disappeared when gossip between best friends was of moderate orhigh frequency. Further, when gossip between best friends was infrequent, the greater the anxious withdrawal the lower the perceived friendshipconﬂict; but when gossip was frequent, the greater the anxious withdrawal the greater the friendship conﬂict. Results suggest that gossip mayhave both positive and negative consequences for the friendships, when taking into consideration the level of anxious withdrawal of the youngadolescents involved in the friendship.
Evolutionary change in developmental timing

This paper presents a mutation-based evolutionary algorithm that evolves genotypic genes for regulating developmental timing of phenotypic values. The genotype sequentially generates a given number of entire phenotypes and then finishes its life at each generation. Each genotypic gene represents a cycle time of changing probability to determine its corresponding phenotypic value in a life span of the genotype. This cycle time can be considered to be a sort of information on developmental timing. Furthermore, the algorithm has a learning mechanism for genotypic genes representing a long cycle time to change the probability more adaptively than those representing a short cycle time. Therefore, it can be expected that the algorithm brings different evolution speed to each phenotypic value. The experimental results show that the algorithm can identify building blocks of uniformly-scaled problems sequentially and also that a population size required for solving the problems is quite small but the number of function evaluations required is sub-exponential scale-up with the problem size.
Validação da versão para a língua portuguesa do questionário de Medida Funcional para Amputados (Functional Measure for Amputees Questionnaire)

O objetivo deste estudo foi traduzir e adaptar culturalmente o Functional Measure for Amputees Questionnaire (FMA) para a populacao brasileira e analisar sua validade e eficacia quando aplicado em pacientes amputados de membro inferior. O procedimento seguiu as etapas de traducao, retro-traducao, analise das versoes portugues e ingles por um comite multidisciplinar, e pre-teste. O questionario traduzido foi aplicado em 44 pacientes (39 homens e 5 mulheres) com amputacao em nivel transtibial (N=27) e transfemoral (N=17), com idade media de 47,5±17,2 anos. No estudo da confiabilidade, em media, os coeficientes Kappa foram superiores a 0,80; e 25% deles foram iguais a 1,0, indicando haver excelente concordância inter e intra-entrevistadores. Na analise da consistencia interna, o valor do coeficiente para a questao sobre o Indice de Capacidade Locomotora foi igual a 0,79, demonstrando haver consistencia no bloco de questoes relacionadas a mobilidade. A adaptacao transcultural foi satisfatoria; algumas modificacoes foram necessarias, porem sem implicar mudanca na estrutura ou no conteudo do questionario original. Os resultados sugerem que a versao brasileira do FMA, MFA - questionario de Medida Funcional para Amputados pode ser um instrumento confiavel para medir o resultado funcional de pacientes brasileiros reabilitados apos amputacao de membro inferior.
Section 9. Technical Details of Microsurgical Biliary Reconstruction in Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Abstract Small size and multiple ducts, particularly in right lobe liver grafts, are major factors that contribute to biliary complications in living donor liver transplantation. To improve the outcome of biliary reconstruction, further investigation and refinement of reconstruction techniques and management strategies are necessary. From March 2006 to June 2012, routine MBR was performed in 584 grafts in 581 consecutive LDLT (including 3 dual graft transplants). All biliary reconstructions were performed using microsurgical technique by a single microsurgeon. The classification of biliary reconstruction was based according to the number of ducts in the graft, the manner in which these ducts were reconstructed (with or without ductoplasty), and the conduit used (recipient duct or jejunum) to reconstruct the biliary tree. In duct-to-duct reconstruction, posterior wall first technique by using interrupted suture and continuous running and interrupted tie technique (combined method) for the anterior wall were performed. Recipient reduction ductoplasty was done, if necessary. In duct-to-jejunum reconstruction, enterotomy was performed first under microscope; then, the serosal and mucosal layers were sutured together using 8-0 prolene to facilitate the anastomosis. Posterior wall first by using interrupted suture technique and combined method for the anterior wall were also performed. Overall, there were 397 right and 184 left lobe grafts. Single duct opening was noted in 440 (75.34%), two duct openings in 135(23.12%), and three duct openings in 9 (1.54%) grafts. Duct-to-duct anastomosis was performed in 473 (81%) and duct-to-jejunum Roux limb in 111 (19%) biliary reconstructions. Size discrepancy in the graft and recipient ducts was noted in 394 (83.3%) reconstructions. The overall biliary complication was 7.9%. These included 19 (3.3%) bile leaks and 27 (4.6%) biliary strictures. The routine use of MBR capably surmounts the difficulties brought about by the anatomic variations and the size discrepancies between the graft and recipient hepatic ducts with excellent outcome.
Regression of Glioma in Rat Models by Intranasal Application of Parvovirus H-1

Purpose: In previous studies, we have shown that the apathogenic rat parvovirus H-1 (H-1PV) is capable to induce regression of advanced symptomatic rat and human gliomas in a rat model, when the virus was injected in the tumor (intracranially) or intravenously. Infection with H-1PV did not provoke any pathology in nontumor tissue. This study addresses the question whether also intranasal application of this oncolytic virus is suitable and sufficient for treating gliomas in this animal model. Experimental Design: Rat (RG-2) or human (U87) glioma cells were grafted stereotactically in the brain of rats (Wistar or RNU, respectively), and after development of tumors visible by MRI, H-1PV was instilled intranasally. Tumor regression was monitored by MRI, and survival was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Brains from sacrificed animals were analyzed for histologic alterations, presence of viral DNA and proteins and infectious virions. In addition, distribution of virus to other organs was determined. Results: A single intranasal instillation of H-1PV was sufficient to induce efficient regression of rat glioma, leading to significant prolongation of survival without any toxicity for other tissues. It is shown that the virus reaches brain and other tissues, and that the viral replication-associated (and oncolysis-associated) regulatory proteins are exclusively expressed in the tumor tissue. In rats with xenografts of human glioma, oncolytic activity of H-1PV was less pronounced, however, leading to significant prolongation of survival. Conclusion: In view of an ongoing clinical trial on the use of H-1PV for oncolytic virotherapy of glioma, the option of applying the virus intranasally may be a valuable alternative to invasive routes of infection. Clin Cancer Res; 17(16); 5333–42. ©2011 AACR.
Evidence for Greater Oxidative Substrate Flexibility in Male Carriers of the Pro 12 Ala Polymorphism in PPARγ2

The Pro12Ala polymorphism of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma2 (PPARgamma2) gene is associated with reduced type 2 diabetes risk and increased insulin sensitivity. It is possible that the oxidative shift from lipid to glucose as a fuel is more efficient in Ala allele carriers. To test this hypothesis, we examined carbohydrate and lipid oxidation by indirect calorimetry in lean, glucose tolerant subjects with (X/Ala, n = 25) and without the Pro12Ala polymorphism (Pro/Pro, n = 73) basally and after insulin stimulation during a 2-hour eugylcaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp. Insulin sensitivity was non-significantly greater in X/Ala (0.13 +/- 0.01 micromol/kg/min/pM) than in Pro/Pro (0.12 +/- 0.01 micromol/kg/min/pM, p = 0.27). Basally, there were no lipid nor carbohydrate oxidation differences between the groups. Interestingly, the decrease in lipid oxidation during insulin stimulation was significantly greater in male X/Ala (- 0.51 +/- 0.06 mg/kg/min) than in male Pro/Pro (- 0.35 +/- 0.04 mg/kg/min, p = 0.03). No difference was observed in females. Analogously, the change in carbohydrate oxidation in male X/Ala (1.34 +/- 0.2 mg/kg/min) was significantly greater than in male Pro/Pro (1.03 +/- 0.12 mg/kg/min, p = 0.05). The respiratory quotient increased more, but not significantly more, in male X/Ala (0.11 +/- 0.01) than in male Pro/Pro subjects (0.08 +/- 0.01, p = 0.08) but similarly in females. These results indicate that the mechanism by which the Ala allele improves insulin sensitivity might involve enhanced suppression of lipid oxidation permitting more efficient (predominantly non-oxidative) glucose disposal. It is unclear why this could be demonstrated only in males, although gender differences in substrate oxidation are well documented.
Electronic Communications of the EASST Volume 5 ( 2006 ) Proceedings of the Sixth OCL Workshop OCL for ( Meta-) Models in Multiple Application Domains ( OCLApps 2006 ) Aligning OCL with Domain-Specific Languages to Support Instance-Level Model Queries

The Object Constraint Language (OCL) provides a set of powerful facilities for navigating and querying models in the MOF metamodelling architecture. Currently, OCL queries can be expressed only in the context of MOF metamodels and UML models. This adds an additional burden to the development and use of Domain Specific Languages, which can also benefit from an instance-level querying mechanism. In an effort to address this issue, we report on ongoing work on defining a rigorous approach for aligning the OCL querying and navigation facilities with arbitrary Domain Specific Languages to support instance-level queries. We present a case-study that demonstrates the usefulness and practicality of this approach.
Layered nanoemulsions as mucoadhesive buccal systems for controlled delivery of oral cancer therapeutics

Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers are considered the eighth most common cancer worldwide, with relatively poor prognosis (62% of patients surviving 5 years, after diagnosis). The aim of this study was to develop a proof-of-concept mucoadhesive lozenge/buccal tablet, as a potential platform for direct sustained delivery of therapeutic antimitotic nanomedicines. Our system would serve as an adjuvant therapy for oral cancer patients undergoing full-scale diagnostic and operative treatment plans. We utilized lipid-based nanocarriers, namely nanoemulsions (NEs), containing mixed-polyethoxylated emulsifiers and a tocopheryl moiety–enriched oil phase. Prototype NEs, loaded with the proapoptotic lipophilic drug genistein (Gen), were further processed into buccal tablet formulations. The chitosan polyelectrolyte solution overcoat rendered NE droplets cationic, by acting as a mucoadhesive interfacial NE layer. With approximate size of 110 nm, the positively charged chitosan-layered NE (+25 mV) vs negatively charged chitosan-free/primary aqueous NE (−28 mV) exhibited a controlled-release profile and effective mucoadhesion for liquid oral spray prototypes. When punch-pressed, porous NE-based buccal tablets were physically evaluated for hardness, friability, and swelling in addition to ex vivo tissue mucoadhesion force and retention time measurements. Chitosan-containing NE tablets were found equivalent to primary NE and placebo tablets in compression tests, yet significantly superior in all ex vivo adhesion and in vitro release assays (P≤0.05). Following biocompatibility screening of prototype chitosan-layered NEs, substantial anticancer activity of selected cationic Gen-loaded NE formulations, against two oropahryngeal carcinomas, was observed. The data strongly indicate the potential of such nanomucoadhesive systems as maintenance therapy for oral cancer patients awaiting surgical removal, or postresection of identified cancerous lesions.
Dynactin Is Required for Microtubule Anchoring at Centrosomes

The multiprotein complex, dynactin, is an integral part of the cytoplasmic dynein motor and is required for dynein-based motility in vitro and in vivo. In living cells, perturbation of the dynein–dynactin interaction profoundly blocks mitotic spindle assembly, and inhibition or depletion of dynein or dynactin from meiotic or mitotic cell extracts prevents microtubules from focusing into spindles. In interphase cells, perturbation of the dynein–dynactin complex is correlated with an inhibition of ER-to-Golgi movement and reorganization of the Golgi apparatus and the endosome–lysosome system, but the effects on microtubule organization have not previously been defined. To explore this question, we overexpressed a variety of dynactin subunits in cultured fibroblasts. Subunits implicated in dynein binding have effects on both microtubule organization and centrosome integrity. Microtubules are reorganized into unfocused arrays. The pericentriolar components, γ tubulin and dynactin, are lost from centrosomes, but pericentrin localization persists. Microtubule nucleation from centrosomes proceeds relatively normally, but microtubules become disorganized soon thereafter. Overexpression of some, but not all, dynactin subunits also affects endomembrane localization. These data indicate that dynein and dynactin play important roles in microtubule organization at centrosomes in fibroblastic cells and provide new insights into dynactin–cargo interactions.
Software platform for development of multimodular robotic systems with asynchronous multithreaded control

Modern robotic complexes (RC) are equipped with lots of integrated hardware and software tools, the purposes of which are: environment analysis, communications, control of executional mechanisms and other specific features. In most cases, existing software platforms for developing RC are oriented to a very specific class of tasks, or in fact, these platforms are too “heavy” for a quick adaptation to an application task. In this article, a software platform for development of Multimodular robotic systems with asynchronous multithreaded control is proposed. The main feature of the platform is high performance of communications between modules of a robotic system, which was confirmed by experiments. For most practical robotic systems with 10 modules and transmission of 100 messages per cycle the proposed platform deals with such a load in less than 1 ms. This is significantly faster than the speed of program interaction with hardware of the robot. For instance, the average frequency of program interaction with hardware of a popular mobile robot Darwin OP was about 14 ms.
Characterisation of a Wheat Breeders’ Array suitable for high throughput SNP genotyping of global accessions of hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivium)

Wheat Breeders’ Array), in a high-throughput 384 microplate conﬁguration, to characterize a diverse global collection of wheat accessions including landraces and elite lines derived from commercial breeding communities. We demonstrate that the Wheat Breeders’ Array is also suitable for generating high-density genetic maps of previously uncharacterized populations and for characterizing novel genetic diversity produced by mutagenesis. To facilitate the use of the array by the wheat community, the markers, the associated sequence and the genotype information have been made available through the interactive web site ‘CerealsDB’.