Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Appearance-preserving simplification

We present a new algorithm for appearance-preserving simplif i - cation. Not only does it generate a low-polygon-count approx i - mation of a model, but it also preserves the appearance. This is accomplished for a particular display resolution in the sense that we properly sample the surface position, curvature, and color attributes of the input surface. We convert the input surface to a representation that decouples the sampling of these three attri b - utes, storing the colors and normals in texture and normal maps, respectively. Our simplification algorithm employs a new texture deviation metric , which guarantees that these maps shift by no more than a user-specified number of pixels on the screen. The simplification process filters the surface position, while the run-time system filters the colors and normals on a per-pixel basis. We have applied our simplification technique to several large models achieving significant amounts of simplification with little or no loss in rendering quality.
Rediscovery of Darkfieid Dispersion Staining while Building a Universal Student Microscope

My first universal student microscope, shown in Figure 1, began life as a Monolux microscope from the 1960rs. Its development into a universal student microscope began when my wife wanted a polarized light microscope with the ability to photograph microscopic crystals under a cover glass for their artistic value. My background as a metallurgist was with the reflected light metallurgical microscope, I have also designed and built vertical illuminators for brightfield illumination of complete metal log raphic specimens using a fiber optic light guide end as the light source with lens configurations giving an imaged field diaphragm and an illumination aperture diaphragm imaged in the aperture of the macro lens.
Impaired Auditory Temporal Selectivity in the Inferior Colliculus of Aged Mongolian Gerbils

Aged humans show severe difficulties in temporal auditory processing tasks (e.g., speech recognition in noise, low-frequency sound localization, gap detection). A degradation of auditory function with age is also evident in experimental animals. To investigate age-related changes in temporal processing, we compared extracellular responses to temporally variable pulse trains and human speech in the inferior colliculus of young adult (3 month) and aged (3 years) Mongolian gerbils. We observed a significant decrease of selectivity to the pulse trains in neuronal responses from aged animals. This decrease in selectivity led, on the population level, to an increase in signal correlations and therefore a decrease in heterogeneity of temporal receptive fields and a decreased efficiency in encoding of speech signals. A decrease in selectivity to temporal modulations is consistent with a downregulation of the inhibitory transmitter system in aged animals. These alterations in temporal processing could underlie declines in the aging auditory system, which are unrelated to peripheral hearing loss. These declines cannot be compensated by traditional hearing aids (that rely on amplification of sound) but may rather require pharmacological treatment.
Innate Immune CD11b+Gr-1+ Cells, Suppressor Cells, Affect the Immune Response during Theiler’s Virus-Induced Demyelinating Disease1

Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating disease associated with an inflammatory immune response in the CNS. Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced demyelinating disease is a relevant mouse model for the study of multiple sclerosis. TMEV infection of susceptible mice leads to a persistent virus infection of the CNS which contributes to development of demyelinating disease. We have previously shown that the innate immune response can affect the development and progression of demyelinating disease. In the current studies, we determined that the predominant infiltrating cells during the innate immune response are CD11b+Ly6C+ cells. CD11b+Ly6C+ cells are immature myeloid cells that have exited the bone marrow without maturing and have been shown to suppress CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses. Therefore, we wanted to determine what role these cells play in development and progression of demyelinating disease. TMEV-infected mice depleted of CD11b+Ly6C+ cells during the innate immune response developed a reduced demyelinating disease which was associated with a decreased myelin-specific CD4+ T cell response and a decreased inflammatory immune response in the CNS. TMEV-infected mice depleted of CD11b+Ly6C+ cells had increased virus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses during early virus infection associated with increased expression of IFN-γ and IL-17 and decreased expression of IL-10 in the CNS. These results suggest that CD11b+Ly6C+ cells which infiltrate into the CNS during the innate immune response are myeloid-derived suppressor cells that suppress virus-specific T cell responses and contribute to the development of demyelinating disease.
Predictive Ability of Pretransplant Comorbidities to Predict Long‐Term Graft Loss and Death

Whether to include additional comorbidities beyond diabetes in future kidney allocation schemes is controversial. We investigated the predictive ability of multiple pretransplant comorbidities for graft and patient survival. We included first‐kidney transplant deceased donor recipients if Medicare was the primary payer for at least one year pretransplant. We extracted pretransplant comorbidities from Medicare claims with the Clinical Classifications Software (CCS), Charlson and Elixhauser comorbidities and used Cox regressions for graft loss, death with function (DWF) and death. Four models were compared: (1) Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN) recipient and donor factors, (2) OPTN + CCS, (3) OPTN + Charlson and (4) OPTN + Elixhauser. Patients were censored at 9 years or loss to follow‐up. Predictive performance was evaluated with the c‐statistic.
Jasmonate Regulates the INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION–C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR/DRE BINDING FACTOR1 Cascade and Freezing Tolerance in Arabidopsis[W]

This study reveals that jasmonate has a positive role in regulating freezing stress responses in Arabidopsis. JAZ proteins, the repressors of jasmonate signaling, physically interact with ICE1 and ICE2 transcription factors, thereby repressing the ICE-CBF/DREB1 cold signaling pathway. The INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION (ICE)–C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR/DRE BINDING FACTOR1 (CBF/DREB1) transcriptional pathway plays a critical role in modulating cold stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. Dissecting crucial upstream regulatory signals or components of the ICE-CBF/DREB1 cascade will enhance our understanding of plant cold-tolerance mechanisms. Here, we show that jasmonate positively regulates plant responses to freezing stress in Arabidopsis. Exogenous application of jasmonate significantly enhanced plant freezing tolerance with or without cold acclimation. By contrast, blocking endogenous jasmonate biosynthesis and signaling rendered plants hypersensitive to freezing stress. Consistent with the positive role of jasmonate in freezing stress, production of endogenous jasmonate was triggered by cold treatment. In addition, cold induction of genes acting in the CBF/DREB1 signaling pathway was upregulated by jasmonate. Further investigation revealed that several JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins, the repressors of jasmonate signaling, physically interact with ICE1 and ICE2 transcription factors. JAZ1 and JAZ4 repress the transcriptional function of ICE1, thereby attenuating the expression of its regulon. Consistent with this, overexpression of JAZ1 or JAZ4 represses freezing stress responses of Arabidopsis. Taken together, our study provides evidence that jasmonate functions as a critical upstream signal of the ICE-CBF/DREB1 pathway to positively regulate Arabidopsis freezing tolerance.
CD200: Association with cancer stem cell features and response to chemoradiation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to characterize the expression of CD200, a membrane protein that functions in immune evasion, to examine its correlations with cancer stem cell (CSC)‐like features and analyze its response to chemotherapy and radiation in human papillomavirus (HPV)‐positive (+) and negative (−) head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs).
AI Challenges in Human-Robot Cognitive Teaming

Among the many anticipated roles for robots in future is that of being a human teammate. Aside from all the technological hurdles that have to be overcome on the hardware and control sides to make robots fit for work with humans, the added complication here is that humans have many conscious and subconscious expectations of their teammates -- indeed, teaming is mostly a cognitive rather than physical coordination activity. This focus on cognitive coordination, however, introduces new challenges for the robotics community that require fundamental changes to the traditional view of autonomous agents. In this paper, we provide an analysis of the differences between traditional autonomous robots and robots that team with humans, identifying the necessary teaming capabilities that are largely missing from current robotic systems. We then focus on the important challenges that are unique and of particular importance to human-robot teaming, especially from the point of view of the deliberative process of the autonomous agent, and sketch potential ways to address them.
Longitudinal and cross-sectional relationships of circulating reproductive hormone levels to self-rated health and health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older men.

CONTEXT Self-rated health and health-related quality of life are inversely associated with increased morbidity and mortality; however, the temporal relationship with reproductive hormones is poorly understood. OBJECTIVES The objective of the study was to examine relationships between reproductive hormones, self-rated health, and quality of life in older men at baseline as well as changes over a 2-year follow-up. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS One thousand six hundred thirty-seven men aged 70 years and older from the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project were assessed at baseline and 1316 men returned for the 2-year follow-up. Serum T, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, and estrone (E1) were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and SHBG, LH, and FSH by immunoassay. Logistic regression and multivariate linear regression models were performed. OUTCOME MEASURES Self-rated health and health-related quality of life measures (12-Item Short Form Health Survey) were determined. RESULTS In the cross-sectional baseline data, univariate analyses revealed significant associations between many of the hormones and quality-of-life scores and self-rated health. In a multivariable analysis, the associations between T, E1, and calculated free T and self-rated health remained statistically significant. Compared with men in the highest T quartile, men in the lowest T quartile had an odds ratio of 1.47 (95% confidence interval 1.04-2.06) for reporting fair, poor, or very poor health vs excellent or good health. The findings for E1 and calculated free T were similar. In the longitudinal data, the only significant relationship was that between E1 and self-rated health. Compared with those in the highest E1 quartile, those in the lowest quartile experienced deterioration in self-rated health: adjusted odds ratio of 1.84 (95% confidence interval 1.10-3.06). CONCLUSION Low serum T and E1 are associated with poorer self-rated health in older men, whereas lower serum levels of E1 are predictive of subsequent deterioration in self-rated health over time. Therefore, serum E1 is a novel potential risk factor for poor self-rated health in older men that warrants further investigation.
Impact of Parental Presence at Infants' Bedside on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

BACKGROUND Despite increased incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) over the past decade, minimal data exist on benefits of parental presence at the bedside on NAS outcomes. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between rates of parental presence and NAS outcomes. METHODS This was a retrospective, single-center cohort study of infants treated pharmacologically for NAS using a rooming-in model of care. Parental presence was documented every 4 hours with nursing cares. We obtained demographic data for mothers and infants and assessed covariates confounding NAS severity and time spent at the bedside. Outcomes included length of stay (LOS) at the hospital, extent of pharmacotherapy, and mean Finnegan withdrawal score. Multiple linear regression modeling assessed the association of parental presence with outcomes. RESULTS For the 86 mother-infant dyads, the mean parental presence during scoring was on average 54.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48.8%-60.7%) of the infant's hospitalization. Maximum (100%) parental presence was associated with a 9 day shorter LOS (r = -0.31; 95% CI, -0.48 to -0.10; P < .01), 8 fewer days of infant opioid therapy (r = -0.34; 95% CI, -0.52 to -0.15; P < .001), and 1 point lower mean Finnegan score (r = -0.35; 95% CI, -0.52 to -0.15; P < .01). After adjusting for breastfeeding, parental presence remained significantly associated with reduced NAS score and opioid treatment days. CONCLUSIONS More parental time spent at the infant's bedside was associated with decreased NAS severity. This has important implications for clinical practice guidelines for NAS.
Versican Processing by a Disintegrin-like and Metalloproteinase Domain with Thrombospondin-1 Repeats Proteinases-5 and -15 Facilitates Myoblast Fusion*

Background: Skeletal muscle fiber formation requires myoblast cell-cell membrane contact and fusion. Results: A versican-rich pericellular matrix surrounding myoblasts is proteolytically cleared by ADAMTS versicanases facilitating myoblast contact and fusion. Conclusion: Versican processing by ADAMTS versicanases contribute to muscle fiber formation. Significance: Targeting versican remodeling could enhance the regenerative capacity of muscle by improving muscle fiber fusion during regeneration. Skeletal muscle development and regeneration requires the fusion of myoblasts into multinucleated myotubes. Because the enzymatic proteolysis of a hyaluronan and versican-rich matrix by ADAMTS versicanases is required for developmental morphogenesis, we hypothesized that the clearance of versican may facilitate the fusion of myoblasts during myogenesis. Here, we used transgenic mice and an in vitro model of myoblast fusion, C2C12 cells, to determine a potential role for ADAMTS versicanases. Versican processing was observed during in vivo myogenesis at the time when myoblasts were fusing to form multinucleated myotubes. Relevant ADAMTS genes, chief among them Adamts5 and Adamts15, were expressed both in developing embryonic muscle and differentiating C2C12 cells. Reducing the levels of Adamts5 mRNA in vitro impaired myoblast fusion, which could be rescued with catalytically active but not the inactive forms of ADAMTS5 or ADAMTS15. The addition of inactive ADAMTS5, ADAMTS15, or full-length V1 versican effectively impaired myoblast fusion. Finally, the expansion of a hyaluronan and versican-rich matrix was observed upon reducing the levels of Adamts5 mRNA in myoblasts. These data indicate that these ADAMTS proteinases contribute to the formation of multinucleated myotubes such as is necessary for both skeletal muscle development and during regeneration, by remodeling a versican-rich pericellular matrix of myoblasts. Our study identifies a possible pathway to target for the improvement of myogenesis in a plethora of diseases including cancer cachexia, sarcopenia, and muscular dystrophy.
Prolonged blockade of VEGF family members does not cause identifiable damage to retinal neurons or vessels

Several ocular diseases complicated by neovascularization are being treated by repeated intraocular injections of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antagonists. While substantial benefits have been documented, there is concern that unrecognized damage may be occurring, because blockade of VEGF may damage the fenestrated vessels of the choroicapillaris and deprive retinal neurons of input from a survival factor. One report has suggested that even temporary blockade of all isoforms of VEGF‐A results in significant loss of retinal ganglion cells. In this study, we utilized double transgenic mice with doxycycline‐inducible expression of soluble VEGF receptor 1 coupled to an Fc fragment (sVEGFR1Fc), a potent antagonist of several VEGF family members, including VEGF‐A, to test the effects of VEGF blockade in the retina. Expression of sVEGFR1Fc completely blocked VEGF‐induced retinal vascular permeability and significantly suppressed the development of choroidal neovascularization at rupture sites in Bruch's membrane, but did not cause regression of established choroidal neovascularization. Mice with constant expression of sVEGFR1Fc in the retina for 7 months had normal electroretinograms and normal retinal and choroidal ultrastructure including normal fenestrations in the choroicapillaris. They also showed no significant difference from control mice in the number of ganglion cell axons in optic nerve cross sections and the retinal level of mRNA for 3 ganglion cell‐specific genes. These data indicate that constant blockade of VEGF for up to 7 months has no identifiable deleterious effects on the retina or choroid and support the use of VEGF antagonists in the treatment of retinal diseases. J. Cell. Physiol. 217: 13–22, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Finding Minimal Reaction Sets in Large Metabolic Pathways

In systems biology, identifying vital functions like glycolysis from a given metabolic pathway is important to understand living organisms. In this paper, we particularly focus on the problem of finding minimal sub-pathways producing target metabolites from source metabolites. We represent laws of biochemical reactions in propositional formulas and use a minimal model generator based on a state-of-the-art SAT solver. An advantage of our method is that it can treat reversible reactions represented in cycles. Moreover recent advances of SAT technologies enables us to obtain solutions for large pathways. We have applied our method to a whole Escherichia coli metabolic pathway. As a result, we found 5 sets of reactions including the conventional glycolysis sub-pathway described in a biological database EcoCyc.
Cross-layer betweenness centrality in multiplex networks with applications

Several real-life social systems witness the presence of multiple interaction types (or layers) among the entities, thus establishing a collection of co-evolving networks, known as multiplex networks. More recently, there has been a significant interest in developing certain centrality measures in multiplex networks to understand the influential power of the entities (to be referred as vertices or nodes hereafter). In this paper, we consider the problem of studying how frequently the nodes occur on the shortest paths between other nodes in the multiplex networks. As opposed to simplex networks, the shortest paths between nodes can possibly traverse through multiple layers in multiplex networks. Motivated by this phenomenon, we propose a new metric to address the above problem and we call this new metric cross-layer betweenness centrality (CBC). Our definition of CBC measure takes into account the interplay among multiple layers in determining the shortest paths in multiplex networks. We propose an efficient algorithm to compute CBC and show that it runs much faster than the naïve computation of this measure. We show the efficacy of the proposed algorithm using thorough experimentation on two real-world multiplex networks. We further demonstrate the practical utility of CBC by applying it in the following three application contexts: discovering non-overlapping community structure in multiplex networks, identifying interdisciplinary researchers from a multiplex co-authorship network, and the initiator selection for message spreading. In all these application scenarios, the respective solution methods based on the proposed CBC are found to be significantly better performing than that of the corresponding benchmark approaches.
Chunking + Island-Driven Parsing = Full Parsing Alicia Ageno and Horacio

We present a novel method for improving parsing performance, using a stochastic island-driven chart parser preceded by a chunking process for identifying initial islands. Two different stochastic models have been developed for the island-driven parsing. Some experiments with nominal chunking using broad-coverage grammars derived from the Penn Treebank have been performed with remarkable results.
The effects of platform motion and target orientation on the performance of trackball manipulation

The trackball has been widely employed as a control/command input device on moving vehicles, but few studies have explored the effects of platform motion on its manipulation. Fewer still have considered this issue in designing the user interface and the arrangement of console location and orientation simultaneously. This work describes an experiment carried out to investigate the performance of trackball users on a simple point-and-click task in a motion simulator. By varying the orientation of onscreen targets, the effect of cursor movement direction on performance is investigated. The results indicate that the platform motion and target orientation both significantly affect the time required to point and click, but not the accuracy of target selection. The movement times were considerably longer under rolling and pitching motions and for targets located along the diagonal axes of the interface. Subjective evaluations carried out by the participants agree with these objective results. These findings could be used to optimise console and graphical menu design for use on maritime vessels. Statement of Relevance: In military situations, matters of life or death may be decided in milliseconds. Any delay or error in classification and identification will thus affect the safety of the ship and its crew. This study demonstrates that performance of manipulating a trackball is affected by the platform motion and target orientation. The results of the present study can guide the arrangement of consoles and the design of trackball-based graphical user interfaces on maritime vessels.
Nonlinear spectroscopy in perovskite quantum dots

Since the first reports of their successful synthesis in 2015, all-inorganic perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), emerged as promising material for lighting applications. Despite their unique optical properties, to date, PQDs based LEDs and lasing media operation is still far from ideal. One of the limiting factors is the strong Coulomb interaction, which contributes to nonradiative decay processes. Here, we discuss in detail the multiexciton interactions in PQDs based on their size dependence. We expand on their nonlinear optical properties, focusing on the two-photon absorption characteristics, showing results for two-photon pumped amplified stimulated emission, suggesting that these materials may be promising for two-photon pumped lasers.