Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological Factor Estimation via High-Dimensional Reduction: Prediction of MCI Conversion to Probable AD

We propose a novel morphological factor estimate from structural MRI for disease state evaluation. We tested this methodology in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with 349 subjects. The method consisted in (a) creating a reference MRI feature eigenspace using intensity and local volume change data from 149 healthy, young subjects; (b) projecting MRI data from 75 probable AD, 76 controls (CTRL), and 49 Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in that space; (c) extracting high-dimensional discriminant functions; (d) calculating a single morphological factor based on various models. We used this methodology in leave-one-out experiments to (1) confirm the superiority of an inverse-squared model over other approaches; (2) obtain accuracy estimates for the discrimination of probable AD from CTRL (90%) and the prediction of conversion of MCI subjects to probable AD (79.4%).
Optimal Experiments With Seismic Sensors

In this paper, we consider the problem of detecting and locating buried land mines and subsurface objects by using seismic waves. We demonstrate an adaptive seismic system that maneuvers an array of receivers, according to an optimal positioning algorithm based on the theory of optimal experiments, to minimize the number of distinct measurements to localize the mine. The adaptive localization algorithm is tested using numerical model data as well as laboratory measurements performed in a facility at Georgia Tech. It is envisioned that the future systems should be able to incorporate this new method into portable mobile mine-location systems
Cache-Conscious Concurrency Control of Main-Memory Indexes on Shared-Memory Multiprocessor Systems

Recent research addressed the importance of optimizing L2 cache utilization in the design of main memory indexes and proposed the so-called cache-conscious indexes such as the CSB+-tree. However, none of these indexes took account of concurrency control, which is crucial for running the real-world main memory database applications involving index updates and taking advantage of the off-the-shelf multiprocessor systems for scaling up the performance of such applications. Observing that latching index nodes for concurrency control (CC) incurs the so-called coherence cache misses on shared-memory multiprocessors thus limiting the scalability of the index performance, this paper presents an optimistic, latch-free index traversal (OLFIT) CC scheme based on a pair of consistent node read and update primitives. An experiment with various index CC implementations for the B+tree and CSB+-tree shows that the proposed scheme shows the superior scalability on the multiprocessor system as well as the performance comparable to that of the sequential execution without CC on the uniprocessor system.
2015 American Thyroid Association Management Guidelines for Adult Patients with Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: What is new and what has changed?

Thyroid nodules are very common, and thyroid cancer is currently the fifth leading cancer diagnosis in women. The American Thyroid Association has led the development and revision of guidelines for the management of patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The most current revision was published in the January 2016 issue of the journal Thyroid. The current guidelines have 101 recommendations, with 8 figures and 17 tables that are hopefully helpful to those treating patients with thyroid nodules and cancer. The primary goals of the American Thyroid Association Guidelines Task Force were to use the current evidence to guide recommendations and yet be as helpful and practical as possible within the scope and strength of the evidence. The current review focuses on new and significantly revised recommendations that may very well change clinical practice. The author notes 3 new basic principles that have emerged in this guidelines revision: 1) the management of thyroid nodules, including the decision to perform a fine‐needle aspiration biopsy as well as follow‐up decision making, will be heavily influenced by the newly developed sonographic risk pattern; 2) the long‐term management of DTC along with thyroid‐stimulating hormone target goals will be heavily influenced by the 4 categories of “response to therapy”; and 3) the management of patients with radioactive iodine‐refractory DTC will be divided into 4 basic decision‐making groups: patients who should undergo monitoring, patients who should undergo directed therapies, patients who should undergo systemic therapies, and patients who should be offered entry into clinical trials. Cancer 2017;123:372–381. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
CONCERNS ABOUT SERVQUAL ’ S UNDERLYING DIMENSIONS

The ServQual instrument has engendered considerable debate in MIS research articles. The ServQual instrument has been the target of repeated criticisms in its originating discipline (Marketing), as well as in a variety of other disciplines. This study focuses attention on the underlying constructs included in the ServQual instrument. The results of this study strongly suggest that an individual’s expectations for service quality are expressed in a different set of factors than those contained in the same individual’s perceptions of service performance. This fundamental difference between the expectations for service quality and the perceptions of service performance indicates that the calculation of the gap score-based ServQual index is inappropriate. Accordingly, this study recommends against the use of the ServQual gap score as the basis of information systems quality assessment.
ooooo 0 o o o o 0 ' XIV % 0 Yeast Sequencing Reports The Sequence of a 44 420 bp Fragment Located on the Left Arm of Chromosome XIV from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of a 44 420 bp DNA fragment from chromosome XIV of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The sequence data revealed 23 open reading frames (ORFs) larger than 300 bp, covering 73.5% of the sequence. The ORFs N2418, N2428, N2441, N2474 and N2480 correspond to previously sequenced S. cerevisiae genes coding respectively for the mitochondrial import protein Mas.5, the nucleolar protein Nop2, the outer mitochondrial membrane porin Porl, the cytochrome c oxidase polypeptide VA precursor CoxA and the yeast protein tyrosine phosphatase Msg5. Translation products of three other ORFs N2406, N2411 and N2430 exhibit similarity to previously known S. cerevisiae proteins: the ribosomal protein YL9A, the protein Nca3 involved in the mitochondrial expression of subunits 6 and 8 of the ATP synthase and actin; in addition N2505 presents strong similarity to an ORF of chromosome IX. The predicted protein products of ORFs N2417 and N2403 present similarities with domains from proteins of other organisms: the Candida maltosa cycloheximide-resistance protein, the human interleukin enhancer-binding factor (ILF-2). The 12 remaining ORFs show no significant similarity to known proteins. In addition, we have detected a DNA region very similar to the yeast transposon Ty 1-15 of which insertion has disrupted a tRNAASp gene. The sequence has been deposited in the GenBank database with the Accession Number U12141.
Evaluating Stereoscopic 3D for Automotive User Interfaces in a Real-World Driving Study

This paper reports on the use of in-car 3D displays in a real-world driving scenario. Today, stereoscopic displays are becoming ubiquitous in many domains such as mobile phones or TVs. Instead of using 3D for entertainment, we explore the 3D effect as a mean to spatially structure user interface (UI) elements. To evaluate potentials and drawbacks of in-car 3D displays we mounted an autostereoscopic display as instrument cluster in a vehicle and conducted a real-world driving study with 15 experts in automotive UI design. The results show that the 3D effect increases the perceived quality of the UI and enhances the presentation of spatial information (e.g., navigation cues) compared to 2D. However, the effect should be used well-considered to avoid spatial clutter which can increase the system's complexity.
Needed: An Empirical Science of Algorithms

Deductive algorithmic science has reached a high level of sophistication, but its worst-case and average-case results seldom tell us how well an algorithm is actually going to work in practice. I argue that an empirical science of algorithms is a viable alternative. I respond to misgivings about an empirical approach, including the prevalent notion that only a deductive treatment can be “theoretical” or sophisticated. NP-completeness theory, for instance, is interesting partly because it has significant, if unacknowledged, empirical content. An empirical approach requires not only rigorous experimental design and analysis, but also the invention of empirically-based explanatory theories. I give some examples of recent work that partially achieves this aim.
A Mathematical Model of the Circadian Phase-Shifting Effects of Exogenous Melatonin

Melatonin is endogenously produced and released in humans during nighttime darkness and is suppressed by ocular light exposure. Exogenous melatonin is used to induce circadian phase shifts and sleep. The circadian phase-shifting ability of a stimulus (e.g., melatonin or light) relative to its timing may be displayed as a phase response curve (PRC). Published PRCs to exogenous melatonin show a transition from phase advances to delays approximately 1 h after dim light melatonin onset. A previously developed mathematical model simulates endogenous production and clearance of melatonin as a function of circadian phase, light-induced suppression, and resetting of circadian phase by light. We extend this model to include the pharmacokinetics of oral exogenous melatonin and phase-shifting effects via melatonin receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the mammalian hypothalamus. Model parameters are fit using 2 data sets: (1) blood melatonin concentration following a 0.3- or 5.0-mg dose, and (2) a PRC to a 3.0-mg dose of melatonin. After fitting to the 3.0-mg PRC, the model correctly predicts that, by comparison, the 0.5-mg PRC is slightly decreased in amplitude and shifted to a later circadian phase. This model also reproduces blood concentration profiles of various melatonin preparations that differ only in absorption rate and percentage degradation by first-pass hepatic metabolism. This model can simulate experimental protocols using oral melatonin, with potential application to guide dose size and timing to optimally shift and entrain circadian rhythms.
Risk of the Development of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Metabolically Healthy Obese People

AbstractThe reported effects of a metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype on diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk are contradictory. Within the context of a population-based cohort study, we aimed to investigate the long-term risk of an MHO status for the development of diabetes and CVD, and whether consistency of this phenotype or age affected cardiometabolic outcomes.We recruited 7588 subjects without diabetes or CVD, aged 40 to 69 years at baseline examination, from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study, and followed-up these subjects for 10 years biennially. Participants were divided into 4 groups based on the body mass index and the presence of metabolic syndrome: metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), MHO, metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW), and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO). We defined persistent phenotypes if subjects maintained the same phenotype at every visit from baseline to their last visit. Incident diabetes and CVD morbidity or mortality were identified during 10 years of follow-up.Compared to MHNW controls, MUNW and MUO groups had increased risk for development of diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 3.0 [95% CI: 2.5–3.6], and 4.0 [3.4–4.7], respectively) and CVD (HR 1.6 [1.3–2.0], and 1.9 [1.5–2.4], respectively). However, the MHO group showed only a marginal increase in risk for diabetes and CVD (HR 1.2 [0.99–1.6], 1.4 [0.99–1.8], respectively). The impact of MHO on the development of diabetes was more prominent in younger individuals (HR 1.9 [1.2–3.1] vs 1.1 [0.8–1.4], <45 years vs ≥45 years at baseline). Only 15.8% of MHO subjects maintained the MHO phenotype at every visit from baseline to the 5th biennial examination (persistent MHO). In subjects with persistent MHO, the risk for diabetes and CVD was significantly higher than those with persistent MHNW (1.9 [1.2–3.1], 2.1 [1.2–3.7], respectively). MHO phenotype, even if maintained for a long time, was associated with a significantly higher risk for the development of diabetes and CVD in Korean subjects.
A Self-shielding Dynamic Network Architecture

The current static nature of computer networks allows attackers to gather intelligence, perform planning, and then execute attacks at will. This situation creates a low barrier of entry and assures that any given computer network will eventually be successfully attacked. In particular, once an attacker has gained access to a node within an enclave, there is little to stop a determined attacker from eventually accessing other hosts and services within the enclave. To reduce the impact of an attack in the time frame between when the attack begins and when the attacker is (eventually) detected and removed, we propose a fundamental change to the nature of the network by introducing cryptographically-strong dynamics. In this work, we describe a Self-shielding Dynamic Network Architecture (SDNA) which allows multiple types of dynamics to be constructively combined. We have implemented SDNA on real hardware in a testbed network and have designed SDNA to eliminate many of the technical challenges, user impacts, and compatibility issues faced by such an architecture. Through the use of a hypervisor, SDNA is transparent to the OS and is not noticeable to the average user. SDNA can also be added to an existing network with little to no infrastructure or configuration changes. At the same time, many classes of attacks can be either completely prevented or severely limited by SDNA.
Hexagon DSP: An Architecture Optimized for Mobile Multimedia and Communications

Heterogeneous computing is essential for mobile products to meet power and performance targets. The Qualcomm Hexagon DSP, now in its fifth generation, is used for both modem processing and multimedia acceleration. By offloading multimedia tasks such as voice, audio, sensor, and image processing from the CPU to the DSP, Hexagon achieves significant power savings. Hexagon features a unique architecture that combines application-specific instructions, a VLIW instruction set architecture, and hardware multithreading. The design approach is to maximize work per cycle for performance, but run at modest clock speeds and focus the implementation on low power. This article provides an overview of the Hexagon architecture. The processor is designed to deliver far superior energy efficiency compared to mobile CPU alternatives and thereby help achieve long battery life for important mobile applications.
High density R2R screen printed silver interconnections for hybrid system integration

In this case study, we investigated the minimum line width and spacing for roll-to-roll (R2R) screen printed silver interconnections on polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This initial pilot investigation involved rotary screen printing 16 high density I/0 patterns while alternating pitch (150, 175, 200, and 250 μm) and nominal screen linewidth (50, 75, 100, 150 μm).
Near-Optimal Low-Cost Distortion Estimation Technique for JPEG2000 Encoder

Optimal rate-control is a very important feature of JPEG2000 which allows simple truncation of compressed bit-stream to achieve best image quality at a given target bit-rate. Accurate distortion estimation with respect to allowed bit-stream truncation points, is essential for rate-control performance. In this paper, we address the issues involved in accurate distortion estimation for hardware oriented implementation of JPEG2000 encoding systems with generic block coding capabilities. We propose a novel hardware friendly distortion estimation technique. Rate control based on the proposed technique results in only an average 0.02 dB PSNR degradation with respect to the optimal distortion estimation approach used in the software implementations of JPEG2000. This is the best performance reported in comparison to existing techniques. The proposed technique requires only an additional 4096 bits per block coder which is 80% less than the memory requirements of optimal approach
Learning Proximal Operators: Using Denoising Networks for Regularizing Inverse Imaging Problems

While variational methods have been among the most powerful tools for solving linear inverse problems in imaging, deep (convolutional) neural networks have recently taken the lead in many challenging benchmarks. A remaining drawback of deep learning approaches is their requirement for an expensive retraining whenever the specific problem, the noise level, noise type, or desired measure of fidelity changes. On the contrary, variational methods have a plug-and-play nature as they usually consist of separate data fidelity and regularization terms. In this paper we study the possibility of replacing the proximal operator of the regularization used in many convex energy minimization algorithms by a denoising neural network. The latter therefore serves as an implicit natural image prior, while the data term can still be chosen independently. Using a fixed denoising neural network in exemplary problems of image deconvolution with different blur kernels and image demosaicking, we obtain state-of-the-art reconstruction results. These indicate the high generalizability of our approach and a reduction of the need for problemspecific training. Additionally, we discuss novel results on the analysis of possible optimization algorithms to incorporate the network into, as well as the choices of algorithm parameters and their relation to the noise level the neural network is trained on.
In planta gene targeting

The development of designed site-specific endonucleases boosted the establishment of gene targeting (GT) techniques in a row of different species. However, the methods described in plants require a highly efficient transformation and regeneration procedure and, therefore, can be applied to very few species. Here, we describe a highly efficient GT system that is suitable for all transformable plants regardless of transformation efficiency. Efficient in planta GT was achieved in Arabidopsis thaliana by expression of a site-specific endonuclease that not only cuts within the target but also the chromosomal transgenic donor, leading to an excised targeting vector. Progeny clonal for the targeted allele could be obtained directly by harvesting seeds. Targeted events could be identified up to approximately once per 100 seeds depending on the target donor combination. Molecular analysis demonstrated that, in almost all events, homologous recombination occurred at both ends of the break. No ectopic integration of the GT vector was found.
Some essential skills and their combination in an architecture for a cognitive and interactive robot

The topic of joint actions has been deeply studied in the context of Human-Human interaction in order to understand how humans cooperate. Creating autonomous robots that collaborate with humans is a complex problem, where it is relevant to apply what has been learned in the context of Human-Human interaction. The question is what skills to implement and how to integrate them in order to build a cognitive architecture, allowing a robot to collaborate efficiently and naturally with humans. In this paper, we first list a set of skills that we consider essential for Joint Action, then we analyze the problem from the robot's point of view and discuss how they can be instantiated in human-robot scenarios. Finally, we open the discussion on how to integrate such skills into a cognitive architecture for human-robot collaborative problem solving and task achievement.
Effect of autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells on neovascularization of artificial equine tendon lesions.

AIMS To investigate whether autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) treatment of tendon lesions increases neovascularization during tendon healing. MATERIALS & METHODS A standardized surgical model was used to create lesions in both front limb superficial digital flexor tendons (SDFTs) of nine horses. Either AT-MSCs or control substance was injected intralesionally 2 weeks post-surgery. Color Doppler ultrasonography of SDFTs was performed at regular intervals. Horses were euthanized 22 weeks post-treatment and SDFTs were harvested for histology. RESULTS The color Doppler ultrasonography signal was significantly more extensive at 2 weeks post-treatment and the number of vessels counted on histologic slides was significantly higher at 22 weeks post-treatment in AT-MSC-treated SDFTs. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that AT-MSC treatment has a beneficial effect on neovascularization of healing tendons.
Joint Spectrum and Energy Efficiency in Device to Device Communication Enabled Wireless Networks

This paper presents a joint spectrum and energy efficiency maximization mechanism for device to device communication enabled wireless networks. Most approaches in the literature fail to take into account link heterogeneity in terms of their demands and the traffic they inject into the network. This paper presents a linear optimization formulation to allocate bandwidth to links, not only based on network topology but also based on traffic injection patterns of devices and link demands. We derive bounds on the achievable spectrum efficiency. The achieved spectrum efficiency and energy efficiency are further enhanced by deploying power control using $ {\mathcal {M}-}$ matrix theory. The proposed approach is shown to provide an improvement between 25% to up to four orders of magnitude in spectrum efficiency and between 25% to up to five orders of magnitude in energy efficiency compared to existing mechanisms, depending on the network topology and traffic injection patterns of the nodes.