Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between endotoxin and mite allergen exposure with asthma and specific sensitization at age 7 in high‐risk children

To cite this article: Carlsten C, Ferguson A, Dimich‐Ward H, Chan H, DyBuncio A, Rousseau R, Becker A, Chan‐Yeung M. Association between endotoxin and mite allergen exposure with asthma and specific sensitization at age 7 years in high‐risk children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2011; 22: 320–326.
Detection of Encrypted Traffic in eDonkey Network through Application Signatures

Peer-to-peer file sharing applications became very popular, being responsible for a large percentage of the network traffic. However, peer-to-peer traffic may compromise the performance of enterprise critical networked applications or network-based tasks or may overload the network infrastructure of Internet Service Providers, being desirable that this traffic be blocked in some situations. However, this task may be difficult to achieve, namely for networks operating at very high-speed bit rates and low latency and/or when the traffic is encrypted. This paper addresses the problem of detecting and blocking encrypted traffic generated by eMule, which is one of the most difficult to detect among popular peer-to-peer file sharing applications. The proposed method is based on eMule signatures, which are coded as SNORT rules, this system being used to detect and block eMule traffic. Experiments have been carried out to evaluate the proposed method. The contribution of the paper falls within peer-to-peer security or within legal and regulatory issues.
Incorporating Prior Knowledge into Image Registration

The first step in the spatial normalization of brain images is usually to determine the affine transformation that best maps the image to a template image in a standard space. We have developed a rapid and automatic method for performing this registration, which uses a Bayesian scheme to incorporate prior knowledge of the variability in the shape and size of heads. We compared affine registrations with and without incorporating the prior knowledge. We found that the affine transformations derived using the Bayesian scheme are much more robust and that the rate of convergence is greater.
Upper bounds for accumulated strains due to creep ratcheting

A rigorous method of bounding both the total accumulated strain and the strain ranges due to cyclic operation in the creep regime is presented. These limits can be obtained from the results of purely elastic stress analyses. The basic problem of a cylindrical vessel under internal pressure subjected to cyclic thermal stresses is solved in detail. Results are presented in graphical form suitable for design purposes. (auth)
SignetLab 2 : a modular management architecture for wireless sensor networks

Large-scale deployed sensor networks have a wide range of po ssible applications, including a number of types of environmental monitoring. Th e primary challenge to designing deployable sensor network applications lies in the diffi culty of building and managing testbeds. The main contribution of this work is a sensor netw ork management system, called SignetLab, that allows the control, visualization, and reprogrammin g of deployed sensor networks. This system facilitates rapid testing and debugging of sensor network applications on deployed networks. To show the ability of our management sys tem, we also present the design of a fire alarm application for sensor networks. This app lication was designed and tested through the use of the SignetLab 2 management system.
HSF-1–mediated cytoskeletal integrity determines thermotolerance and life span

The conserved heat shock transcription factor–1 (HSF-1) is essential to cellular stress resistance and life-span determination. The canonical function of HSF-1 is to regulate a network of genes encoding molecular chaperones that protect proteins from damage caused by extrinsic environmental stress or intrinsic age-related deterioration. In Caenorhabditis elegans, we engineered a modified HSF-1 strain that increased stress resistance and longevity without enhanced chaperone induction. This health assurance acted through the regulation of the calcium-binding protein PAT-10. Loss of pat-10 caused a collapse of the actin cytoskeleton, stress resistance, and life span. Furthermore, overexpression of pat-10 increased actin filament stability, thermotolerance, and longevity, indicating that in addition to chaperone regulation, HSF-1 has a prominent role in cytoskeletal integrity, ensuring cellular function during stress and aging. A transcription factor may promote longevity by stabilizing the actin cytoskeleton in nematodes. Cytoskeleton protects from stress and aging The transcription factor HSF-1 has an unexpected second function that allows it to extend longevity in worms. Baird et al. expressed a modified form of HSF-1 in nematodes. The modified protein could not activate genes encoding protein chaperones. Such chaperones are thought to protect many cellular proteins from heat shock and other damage during aging However, the modified protein still extended the worm life span by regulating the transcription of other genes. One gene it regulated was pat-10, which encodes a troponin-like calcium binding protein. Overexpression of PAT-10 also extended worm life span, apparently by changing the stability of the actin cytoskeleton. Science, this issue p. 360
Effective adaptive computing environment management via dynamic optimization

To minimize the surging power consumption of microprocessors, adaptive computing environments (ACEs) where microarchitectural resources can be dynamically tuned to match a program's runtime requirement and characteristics are becoming increasingly common. Adaptive computing environments usually have multiple configurable hardware units, necessitating exploration of a large number of combinatorial configurations in order to identify the most energy-efficient configuration. In this paper, we propose a scheme for efficient management of multiple configurable units, utilizing the inherent capabilities of dynamic optimization systems. Most dynamic optimizers typically detect dominant code regions (hotspots). We develop an ACE management scheme where hotpot boundaries are used for phase detection and adaptation. Since hotspots are of variable sizes and are often nested, program phase behavior which is hierarchical in nature is automatically captured in this technique. To demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of our framework, we use the proposed framework to dynamically adapt the sizes of L1 data and L2 caches that have different reconfiguration latencies and overheads. Our technique reduces L1D and L2 cache energy consumption by 47% and 58%, while a popular previously proposed technique only achieves reduction of 32% and 52% respectively.
On using logic synthesis for supervised classification learning

Learning from data is the central theme of knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) and the machine learning (ML) community. In order to handle large databases, certain assumptions are necessary to make the problem tractable. Without introducing explicit domain knowledge, a natural assumption is Occam's Razor. However, the requirement to find solutions of low complexity is not limited to KDD and ML. For example, in the logic synthesis community, low-complexity solutions are sought for realizing circuits. Although the logic synthesis paradigms discussed are certainly not new, it is still a relatively unknown phenomenon when referring to these tools' ability as machine learning programs. We demonstrate the applicability of circuit design tools to the KDD and ML communities. Specifically, we exhibit results from C4.5 (a typical machine learning algorithm), Espresso (a 2-level minimization circuit design tool),and Function Extrapolation by Recomposing Decompositions (FERD).
Development of a Direct Isolation Procedure for Free-Living Diazotrophs under Controlled Hypoxic Conditions

ABSTRACT Free-living diazotrophs are diverse and ubiquitous in soil, contributing the nitrogen pool in natural ecosystems. The isolation of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms has relied on semisolid nitrogen-free medium enrichment, followed by multiple subculturing steps. These procedures limit the diversity of recovered isolates. In the current study, we investigated three different isolation strategies for free-living diazotrophs using a soil sample from the Amazon forest. The methods were (i) direct plating on solid nitrogen-free medium under a 2% O2 concentration, (ii) enrichment in semisolid nitrogen-free medium before plating on solid nitrogen-free medium under 2% O2, and (iii) enrichment followed by subculturing in the semisolid nitrogen-free medium before plating on nitrogen containing medium under a 21% O2 concentration. A total of 794 isolates were differentiated by their genomic fingerprinting patterns, and strains with unique profiles were identified on the basis of sequencing of their 16S rRNA gene. Isolates belonged to four bacterial phyla: Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteriodetes. The novel strategy of combining a solid N-free medium and hypoxic conditions showed an increase of 62.6% in the diversity of diazotrophs in comparison to that obtained by the conventional semisolid medium-based methods. All isolates grew on the nitrogen-free medium under a 2% O2 concentration, 78% of them showed the presence of the nifH gene, and 39% tested positive for acetylene reduction activity. Our results suggest that direct plating of soil dilutions on nitrogen-free solid medium under a 2% O2 concentration is a useful strategy for the isolation of the diverse diazotrophic communities.
On the Approximation of Matrix Products and Positive Definite Matrices

In this paper, we introduce and analyze new randomized and deterministic algorithms to approximate the product of two matrices. In addition we provide what is, to the best of our knowledge, the first relative error bound for the Nystrom approximation of quadratic forms. While deriving the proofs of the results, we highlight several new connections between matrix products, the Nystrom extension and Schur complements. In addition, we see that using a sampling procedure similar to the recently introduced notion of volume sampling [1] yields good provable bounds, though the reasons underlying the use of this sampling technique are rather different in our case.
Robust Decision Trees: Removing Outliers from Databases

Finding and removing outliers is an important problem in data mining. Errors in large databases can be extremely common, so an important property of a data mining algorithm is robustness with respect to errors in the database. Most sophisticated methods in machine learning address this problem to some extent, but not fully, and can be improved by addressing the problem more directly. In this paper we examine C4.5, a decision tree algorithm that is already quite robust - few algorithms have been shown to consistently achieve higher accuracy. C4.5 incorporates a pruning scheme that partially addresses the outlier removal problem. In our ROBUST-C4.5 algorithm we extend the pruning method to fully remove the effect of outliers, and this results in improvement on many databases.
Learning to categorize perceptual space of a mobile robot using fuzzy-ART neural network

This paper deals with an application of fuzzy-ART self-organizing neural classifier to adaptive categorization of the perceptual space of a mobile robot. The aim of the research is to develop a learning system for reactive locomotion control in an unknown, cluttered environment. A qualitative description of the proposed categorization technique for a trial-and-error learning paradigm is given. Experimental results show that the method of control is efficient, when learning starts from scratch, as well as after some major disturbances of an already experienced system. <<ETX>>
Country of origin determination via Web mining techniques

The origin of a music artist or a band is an important kind of musical meta-data as it usually influences his/her/its music. In this paper, we propose three approaches to automatically determine the country of origin of a person or institution, which we apply to music artists and bands. The first approach investigates estimates of page counts returned for specific queries to Web search engines. The second approach uses term weighting functions for country-specific terms that occur on the top-ranked Web pages of an artist. The third approach applies to Web pages text distance measures between country-specific terms and key terms related to the concept or origin. We further present a thorough evaluation of the approaches taking into consideration different refinements. We show that we are able to outperform the first, nevertheless recent, approach to determine the origin of a music artist.
Efficient high-current field emission from arrays of carbon nanotube columns

Arrays of entangled carbon nanotube (CNT) columns on patterned n-Si substrates were fabricated by an atmospheric chemical vapor deposition with a ferrocene/xylene mixture. Preferential CNT growth in the opened Si windows of a 300 nm thick SiO2 layer was achieved by adjusting the parameters of the synthesis process. The resulting multiwalled CNT formed vertically aligned columns up to 50 μm net height in four arrays of 10, 30, or 50 μm patch diameter and 100 or 160 μm pitch. The field emission (FE) properties of such structured cathodes were measured by a FE scanning microscope using tip anodes of adjusted size. Well-aligned FE from nearly 100% of the patches at electric field lower than 10 V/μm was observed, but less pronounced FE occurred between the arrays too. High current capability of most patches up to milliamperes, suggesting multiple CNT emitters per patch, was achieved. Integral FE measurements in the diode configuration with luminescence screen and processing under N2 and O2 exposures of up to 3.
Measurement of impaired muscle function of the gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior muscles in spastic hemiplegia: a preliminary study.

Based on the results of several electrodiagnostic and biomechanical studies, the following classification of muscle dysfunction in spastic hemiplegia is proposed: changes in muscle activation (excess symptoms, e.g., spasticity, and deficit symptoms, e.g., paresis); changes in muscle stiffness; and changes in muscle length. The clinical significance of this classification is that different types of muscle dysfunction might require specific treatment. The authors have developed techniques to measure quantitatively each type of muscle dysfunction: free frequency repetitive movement (FFRM) and torque angle diagram (TAD). Surface EMGs of tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscle are recorded during active (FFRM) and passive (TAD) ankle movements. EMG data are converted to parameters for abnormal muscle activation (excess and deficit symptoms). Parameters for muscle stiffness and muscle length are derived from the hysteresis curve of the TAD. This article describes the measurements and the results of a validation study. For the validation study, four hypotheses were formulated: 1) in nonimpaired control subjects, parameters expressing abnormal muscle activation are low; 2) in hemiplegic subjects, differences between the affected and the unaffected sides will be found for all types of parameters; 3) after local anaesthesia of the tibial nerve on the hemiplegic side, excess symptoms will decrease, while muscle stiffness remains unchanged; and 4) despite a uniform gait pattern, between-subject differences can be detected with regard to muscle activation, stiffness, and length. The first hypothesis was tested and confirmed in two controls; the remaining three were tested and confirmed in ten hemiplegic subjects (mean age 47.7 yrs, mean time since onset 10.7 yrs). However, the level of co-contraction of the gastrocnemius muscle was low, probably indicating that the clinical significance of this phenomenon might be limited. The results support the validity of the proposed classification and measurements.
Report on a User Test and Extension of a Type Debugger for Novice Programmers

A type debugger interactively detects the expressions that cause type errors. It asks users whether they intend the types of identifiers to be those that the compiler inferred. However, it seems that novice programmers often get in trouble when they think about how to fix type errors by reading the messages given by the type debugger. In this paper, we analyze the user tests of a type debugger and report problems of the current type debugger. We then extend the type debugger to address these problems. Specifically, we introduce expression-specific error messages and language levels. Finally, we show type errors that we think are difficult to explain to novice programmers. The subjects of the user tests were 40 novice students belonging to the department of information science at Ochanomizu University.
Axotomized Corticospinal Neurons Increase Supra-Lesional Innervation and Remain Crucial for Skilled Reaching after Bilateral Pyramidotomy

Skilled upper limb function heavily depends on the corticospinal tract. After bilateral lesions to this tract, motor control is disrupted but can be partially substituted by other motor systems to allow functional recovery. However, the remaining roles of motor cortex and especially of axotomized corticospinal neurons (CSNs) are not well understood. Using the single pellet retrieval task in adult rats, we induced significant recovery of skilled reaching after bilateral pyramidotomy by rehabilitative reaching training, and show that reach-related motor cortex activity, recorded in layer V, topographically reappeared shortly after axotomy. Using a chemogenetic neuronal silencing technique, we found that axotomized CSNs retained a crucial role for the recovered pellet retrieval success. The axotomized CSNs sprouted extensively in the red nucleus supplying new innervation to its magnocellular and parvocellular parts. Specific silencing of the rubrospinal tract (RST) also strongly abolished the recovered pellet retrieval success, suggesting a role of this cervically projecting nucleus in relaying cortical motor control. In summary, our results show that after bilateral corticospinal axotomy, motor cortex still actively engages in forelimb motor control and axotomized CSNs are crucially involved in the recovered reaching movement, potentially by relaying motor control via the RST.
Distributed Partial Clustering

Recent years have witnessed an increasing popularity of algorithm design for distributed data, largely due to the fact that massive datasets are often collected and stored in different locations. In the distributed setting communication typically dominates the query processing time. Thus it becomes crucial to design communication efficient algorithms for queries on distributed data. Simultaneously, it has been widely recognized that partial optimizations, where we are allowed to disregard a small part of the data, provide us significantly better solutions. The motivation for disregarded points often arise from noise and other phenomena that are pervasive in large data scenarios. In this paper we focus on partial clustering problems, k-center, k-median and k-means, in the distributed model, and provide algorithms with communication sublinear of the input size. As a consequence we develop the first algorithms for the partial k-median and means objectives that run in subquadratic running time. We also initiate the study of distributed algorithms for clustering uncertain data, where each data point can possibly fall into multiple locations under certain probability distribution.
In Vivo TLR9 Inhibition Attenuates CpG-Induced Myocardial Dysfunction

The involvement of toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), a receptor for bacterial DNA, in septic cardiac depression has not been clarified in vivo. Thus, the aim of the study was to test possible TLR9 inhibitors (H154-thioate, IRS954-thioate, and chloroquine) for their ability to protect the cardiovascular system in a murine model of CpG oligodeoxynucleotide- (ODN-) dependent systemic inflammation. Sepsis was induced by i.p. application of the TLR9 agonist 1668-thioate in C57BL/6 wild type (WT) and TLR9-deficient (TLR9-D) mice. Thirty minutes after stimulation TLR9 antagonists were applied i.v. Survival was monitored up to 18 h after stimulation. Cardiac mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators was analyzed 2 h and 6 h after stimulation with 1668-thioate and hemodynamic parameters were monitored at the later time point. Stimulation with 1668-thioate induced a severe sepsis-like state with significant drop of body temperature and significantly increased mortality in WT animals. Additionally, there was a time-dependent increase of inflammatory mediators in the heart accompanied by development of septic heart failure. These effects were not observed in TLR9-D mice. Inhibition of TLR9 by the suppressive ODN H154-thioate significantly ameliorated cardiac inflammation, preserved cardiac function, and improved survival. This suppressive ODN was the most efficient inhibitor of the tested substances.
Improving Navigability of Hierarchically-Structured Encyclopedias through Effective Tag Cloud Construction

In this paper we present an approach to improving navigability of a hierarchically structured Web encyclopedia. The approach is based on an integration of a tagging module and adoption of tag clouds as a navigational aid in such a system. The main idea of this approach is to apply tagging for the purpose of a better highlighting of cross–references between information items across the hierarchy. Although in principle tag clouds have the potential to support efficient navigation in tagging systems, recent research identified a number of limitations. In particular, applying tag clouds within pragmatic limits of a typical user interface leads to poor navigational performance as tag clouds are vulnerable to a so-called pagination effect. In this paper, a possible solution to the pagination problem is discussed. In addition, the paper presents a first implementation prototype developed within an Austrian online encyclopedia called Austria-Forum.
Symptomatic enlarged cervical anterior epidural venous plexus in a patient with Marfan syndrome.

To the Editor : We read with interest the case report by Chun et al ([1][1]) of a patient with Marfan syndrome who presented with headache and neck pain and was found to have a large engorged cervical anterior epidural venous plexus. Chun et al suggest that Marfan disease may have predisposed the
Hedging European Government Bond Portfolios during the Recent Sovereign Debt Crisis

The sovereign debt crisis challenged investors in European government bonds to deal with volatile interest rate spreads. For managing sovereign risk, “Eurex” introduced futures contracts on Italian government bonds reflecting risks of lower rated countries. We analyze hedging strategies for bond portfolios with futures on German and Italian government bonds before and during the sovereign debt crisis and evaluate their out-of-sample hedging effectiveness. Before the crisis, German futures were efficient instruments for hedging government bond portfolios, but during the crisis, a composite hedge combining German and Italian futures was superior. Allocating bonds to high and low sovereign risk-buckets and hedging these buckets individually further enhanced the hedging efficiency.