Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Approach to Risk Assessment for TiO2

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a poorly soluble, low-toxicity (PSLT) particle. Fine TiO2 (<2.5 μm) has been shown to produce lung tumors in rats exposed to 250 mg/m3, and ultrafine TiO2 (< 0.1 μm diameter) has been shown to produce lung tumors in rats at 10 mg/m3. We have evaluated the rat dose-response data and conducted a quantitative risk assessment for TiO2. Preliminary conclusions are: (1) Fine and ultrafine TiO2 and other PSLT particles show a consistent dose-response relationship when dose is expressed as particle surface area; (2) the mechanism of TiO2 tumor induction in rats appears to be a secondary genotoxic mechanism associated with persistent inflammation; and (3) the inflammatory response shows evidence of a nonzero threshold. Risk estimates for TiO2 depend on both the dosimetric approach and the statistical model that is used. Using 7 different dose-response models in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) benchmark dose software, the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) rat lung dose associated with a 1 per 1000 excess risk ranges from 0.0076 to 0.28 m2/g-lung of particle surface area, with 95% lower confidence limits (LCL) of 0.0059 and 0.042, respectively. Using the ICRP particle deposition and clearance model, estimated human occupational exposures yielding equivalent lung burdens range from approximately 1 to 40 mg/m3 (MLE) for fine TiO2, with 95% LCL approximately 0.7–6 mg/m3. Estimates using an interstitial sequestration lung model are about one-half as large. Bayesian model averaging techniques are now being explored as a method for combining the various estimates into a single estimate, with a confidence interval expressing model uncertainty.
Expectation Propagation on the Maximum of Correlated Normal Variables

Many inference problems involving questions of optimality ask for the maximum or the minimum of a nite set of unknown quantities. This technical report derives the rst two posterior moments of the maximum of two correlated Gaussian variables and the rst two posterior moments of the two generating variables (corresponding to Gaussian approximations minimizing relative entropy). It is shown how this can be used to build a heuristic approximation to the maximum relationship over a nite set of Gaussian variables, allowing approximate inference by Expectation Propagation on such quantities.
Deep Learning Identity-Preserving Face Space

Face recognition with large pose and illumination variations is a challenging problem in computer vision. This paper addresses this challenge by proposing a new learning based face representation: the face identity-preserving (FIP) features. Unlike conventional face descriptors, the FIP features can significantly reduce intra-identity variances, while maintaining discriminative ness between identities. Moreover, the FIP features extracted from an image under any pose and illumination can be used to reconstruct its face image in the canonical view. This property makes it possible to improve the performance of traditional descriptors, such as LBP [2] and Gabor [31], which can be extracted from our reconstructed images in the canonical view to eliminate variations. In order to learn the FIP features, we carefully design a deep network that combines the feature extraction layers and the reconstruction layer. The former encodes a face image into the FIP features, while the latter transforms them to an image in the canonical view. Extensive experiments on the large MultiPIE face database [7] demonstrate that it significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art face recognition methods.
Flexible Macroblock Ordering for Context-Aware Ultrasound Video Transmission over Mobile WiMAX

The most recent network technologies are enabling a variety of new applications, thanks to the provision of increased bandwidth and better management of Quality of Service. Nevertheless, telemedical services involving multimedia data are still lagging behind, due to the concern of the end users, that is, clinicians and also patients, about the low quality provided. Indeed, emerging network technologies should be appropriately exploited by designing the transmission strategy focusing on quality provision for end users. Stemming from this principle, we propose here a context-aware transmission strategy for medical video transmission over WiMAX systems. Context, in terms of regions of interest (ROI) in a specific session, is taken into account for the identification of multiple regions of interest, and compression/transmission strategies are tailored to such context information. We present a methodology based on H.264 medical video compression and Flexible Macroblock Ordering (FMO) for ROI identification. Two different unequal error protection methodologies, providing higher protection to the most diagnostically relevant data, are presented.
Job satisfaction among nurses working in the private and public sectors: a qualitative study in tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan

Background Many low and middle income countries lack the human resources needed to deliver essential health interventions. A health care system with a limited number of nurses cannot function effectively. Although the recommended nurse to doctor ratio is 4:1, the ratio in Pakistan is reversed, with 2.7 doctors to one nurse. Methods A qualitative study using narrative analysis was undertaken in public and private tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan to examine and compare job satisfaction among nurses and understand the factors affecting their work climate. Interactive interviews were conducted with nurses working with inpatients and outpatients. Results All of the respondents had joined the profession by choice and were supported by their families in their decision to pursue their career, but now indicated that they were dissatisfied with their jobs. Three types of narratives were identified, namely, “Working in the spirit of serving humanity”, “Working against all odds”, and “Working in a functional system and facing pressures of increased accountability”. Nurses working in a public sector hospital are represented in the first two narrative types, whereas the third represents those working in a private sector hospital. The first narrative represents nurses who were new in the profession and despite hard working conditions were performing their duties. The second narrative represents nurses working in the public sector with limited resources, and the third narrative is a representation of nurses who were working hard and stressed out despite a well functioning system. Conclusion The study shows that the presence of a well trained health workforce is vital, and that certain aspects of its organization are key, including numbers (available quantity), skill mix (health team balance), distribution (urban/rural), and working conditions (compensation, nonfinancial incentives, and workplace safety). This study has identified the need to reform policies for retaining the nursing workforce. Simple measures requiring better management practices could substantially improve the working environment and hence retention of nurses.
Matching algorithms with physics : exact sequences of finite element spaces

In finite element lore the term “unstable discretization” is often applied to situations when approximate solutions develop unphysical “wiggles”, or otherwise behave in a strange manner. A textbook example of such wiggles are Galerkin solutions of a scalar hyperbolic equation with discontinuous data. A more subtle example of instability is the “strange” behavior of mixed finite elements for the Stokes problem when velocity and pressure are approximated by a linear-constant pair. In both cases failure of finite element methods to produce an adequate solution stems from discretization defects, i.e., a choice of finite element spaces that is inconsistent with the problem being solved. For instance, oscillations in the Galerkin method are invoked by symmetric discretization of an advection operator, while the linear-constant pair violates the inf-sup stability condition required for wellposedness of saddle-point optimization problems. The presence of these defects in the finite element method will almost surely lead to a disaster and in that sense they represent strong stability threats. However, a finite element discretization may possess flaws which do not lead to an immediate and obvious failure. Examples include minute oscillations in SUPG methods, approximation of solenoidal fields by approximately divergence free vectors, and many other “small” infractions. Because the impact of these defects is, as
Exploiting arrays with multiple invariances using MUSIC and MODE

This paper describes several new techniques for direction of arrival (DOA) estimation using arrays composed of multiple translated and uncalibrated subarrays. The new algorithms can be thought of as generalizations of the MUSIC, Root-MUSIC, and MODE techniques originally developed for fully calibrated arrays. The advantage of these new approaches is that the DOAs can be estimated using either a simple one-dimensional (1-D) search or by rooting a polynomial, as opposed to the multidimensional search required by multiple invariance (MI)-ESPRIT. When it can be applied, the proposed MI-MODE algorithm shares the statistical optimality of MI-ESPRIT. While MI-MUSIC and Root-MI-MUSIC are only optimal for uncorrelated sources, they perform better than a single invariance implementation of ESPRIT and are thus better suited for finding the initial conditions required by the MI-ESPRIT search.
Binding of heat shock protein 70 to extracellular phosphatidylserine promotes killing of normoxic and hypoxic tumor cells

Hypoxia is well known to limit curability of tumors by ionizing radiation. Here, we show that hypoxia treatment of tumor cells causes coexpression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and phosphatidylserine (PS) on the cell surface. Colocalization of Hsp70 and PS, as determined by confocal microscopy, also occurs when exogenous FITC‐labeled Hsp70 protein is added to normoxic and hypoxic tumor cells. Moreover, the interaction of Hsp70 with PS was demonstrated in artificial unilamellar phosphatidylcholine/ phosphatidylserine (PC/PS) liposomes at the physiological ratio of 8/2. Indeed, the Hsp70‐liposome interaction gradually increased with elevating PS molar ratios (8/2>7/3<5/5<4/6<3/7<2/8). In contrast, only a weak Hsp70 interaction was detected in phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylglycerol (PC/PG) liposomes, thus demonstrating that the interaction was not a charge‐related effect. The interaction of Hsp70 with surface PS significantly reduces clonogenic cell survival in normoxic (EC50 of Hsp70=85 μg/ml) and hypoxic (EC50 of Hsp70=55 μg/ml) tumor cells. The radiation‐ induced tumor cell killing was significantly enhanced by the addition of Hsp70 protein (50 μg/ml). Since apoptosis was not significantly enhanced in normoxic and hypoxic tumor cells by the addition of Hsp70, we hypothesize that the Hsp70 protein‐induced reduction in clonogenic cell survival might be through necrosis rather than apoptosis. — Schilling, D. ,Gehrmann, M. , Steinem, C. , De Maio, A. , Pockley, A. G. , Abend, M. , Molls, M. , Multhoff, G. Binding of heat shock protein 70 to extracellular phosphatidylserine promotes killing of normoxic and hypoxic tumor cells. FASEB J. 23, 2467–2477 (2009)
Journalistic Authority: Textual Strategies of Legitimation

To the extent that news texts participate in social and political discourse, they also participate in constructing social and political life. This paper examines one textual strategy of news, the journalist's use of stance adverbs. The analysis illustrates how stance adverbs operate as a strategy of legitimation that can augment or diminish the legitimacy of knowledge claims, masquerade as evidence, and steer readers toward a preferred interpretation of the news. As with other aspects of news work, textual strategies such as stance adverbs can serve to enhance and conceal both journalistic and social authority.
Development of a character recognition software to solve a Sudoku puzzle

An Image is a visual representation of any object, place, person etc. In the field of Computer Science a Digital Image is a numeric representation of a two-dimensional image. Often images may contain texts, which are a sequence of human-readable characters. Our general conundrum is extraction of texts from an image for processing and editing. In an image texts are defined by set of pixels just like any other object and thus cannot be processed or edited. In this work we have strived to develop a system which can extract texts from a digital image of a Sudoku puzzle, solve the puzzle, and then provide a solution. Our approach is specific but its application are varied.
Input Statistics and Hebbian Cross-Talk Effects

As an extension of prior work, we studied inspecific Hebbian learning using the classical Oja model. We used a combination of analytical tools and numerical simulations to investigate how the effects of synaptic cross talk (which we also refer to as synaptic inspecificity) depend on the input statistics. We investigated a variety of patterns that appear in dimensions higher than two (and classified them based on covariance type and input bias). We found that the effects of cross talk on learning dynamics and outcome is highly dependent on the input statistics and that cross talk may lead in some cases to catastrophic effects on learning or development. Arbitrarily small levels of cross talk are able to trigger bifurcations in learning dynamics, or bring the system in close enough proximity to a critical state, to make the effects indistinguishable from a real bifurcation. We also investigated how cross talk behaves toward unbiased (“competitive”) inputs and in which circumstances it can help the system productively resolve the competition. Finally, we discuss the idea that sophisticated neocortical learning requires accurate synaptic updates (similar to polynucleotide copying, which requires highly accurate replication). Since it is unlikely that the brain can completely eliminate cross talk, we support the proposal that is uses a neural mechanism that “proofreads” the accuracy of the updates, much as DNA proofreading lowers copying error rate.
Methodology to Determine Duration of Action for Antihypertensive Drugs

OBJECTIVE: To review and comment on methods used to assess the duration of action of antihypertensive drugs. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search (1966–June 2000) using key terms such as trough-to-peak ratio and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was conducted. STUDY SELECTION: An article was considered for this review if it pertained to the assessment of the duration of action of antihypertensive drugs. Special attention was given to articles dealing with methodologic aspects. DATA SYNTHESIS: Antihypertensive drugs with a long duration of action are thought to provide better therapeutic coverage against hypertensive complications compared with that of short-acting agents. Measuring blood pressure at the end of the dosing interval may be a way to assess the duration of action of a drug. However, the use of high doses of a short-acting agent to obtain sufficient effect when at trough concentrations can potentially cause dose-related adverse effects at the peak time, contributing to nonadherence to therapy and thus to adverse outcomes. To alleviate this problem, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has conceptualized the trough-to-peak (T:P) ratio. Although this arithmetic index has since been widely used to characterize the duration and safety of blood pressure control achieved by antihypertensive agents, several methodologic flaws limit its interpretation in the clinic. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is a more reliable approach to assess the duration of action and outcome of antihypertensive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Different methodologic approaches exist to evaluate the duration of action of antihypertensive drugs. Although the T:P ratio has been suggested by the FDA, it is difficult to establish a fair comparison among various antihypertensive agents based solely on this index. Treatment evaluation based on ABPM may be preferable to those guided by T:P because ABPM is more reproducible and is now established as a predictor of cardiovascular risk.
Research of index combination weighting model on discipline evaluation

The index combination weighting model based on the maximum entropy theory is proposed. This model takes the subjective factors as the goal planning body and transforms the subjective factors into the restrictions of target planning, which can achieve a good fusion of subjective and objective conditions. Taking the evaluation index system of three disciplines construction for instance, the effect of discipline construction is assessed by the model of combination weighting. The results show that this method is easy to implement on a computer, which has a high application value.
The Determinants of Larceny: an Empirical and Theoretical Study

This study ascertains the characteristics of individuals and their life styles that are differentially related to the risk of personal larceny victimization. Using the "rou tine activity" perspective recently explicated by Cohen and Felson (1979), we analyze 1975-76 National Crime Survey victimization data for the entire United States. The effects of age, race, income, major activity, and number of persons in the household are examined independently and in interaction, via log-linear tech niques. The data indicate that those with a family income of $20,000 or more a year, sixteen through twenty-nine year olds, people who live alone, and persons who are unemployed all face greater than average risks of being victimized by personal lar ceny. In contrast, those with a family income of less than $10,000 per year, those who are fifty or older, and those whose major activity is "keeping house" have less than average odds of being the victims of a personal larceny. These findings are discussed within the routine activity framework and are seen as providing substan tial support for this perspective, indicating that it holds considerable promise as a base from which to develop a general theory of criminal victimization.
A Low-Signalling Scheme for Distributed Resource Allocation in Multi-Cellular OFDMA Systems

This paper considers distributed protocol design for joint sub-carrier, transmission scheduling and power management in uplink/downlink multi-cellular OFDMA wireless networks. The optimal solution to this problem is hard to achieve, both in theory and in practice. We propose a fully decentralized resource allocation scheme combining decomposition methods for convex optimization with a strategic non-cooperative game formulation of the power and sub-carrier allocation subproblem. Although the final protocols are suboptimal, they drastically reduce computation time while maintaining the overall system performance close to the optimal, exhibiting strong robustness to multiple access interference. We validate the theoretical framework and quantify the performance with numerical examples.
Intertidal sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus) alter body shape in response to wave action

SUMMARY Sea stars are some of the largest mobile animals able to live in the harsh flow environment of wave-exposed, rocky intertidal shores. In addition, some species, such as the northeastern Pacific Pisaster ochraceus, are ecologically significant predators in a broad range of environments, from sheltered lagoons to the most wave-exposed shorelines. How they function and survive under such an extreme range of wave exposures remains a puzzle. Here we examine the ability of P. ochraceus to alter body form in response to variation in flow conditions. We found that sea stars in wave-exposed sites had narrower arms and were lighter per unit arm length than those from sheltered sites. Body form was tightly correlated with maximum velocity of breaking waves across four sites and also varied over time. In addition, field transplant experiments showed that these differences in shape were due primarily to phenotypic plasticity. Sea stars transplanted from a sheltered site to a more wave-exposed site became lighter per unit arm length, and developed narrower arms, after 3 months. The tight correlation between water flow and morphology suggests that wave force must be a significant selective factor acting on body shape. On exposed shores, narrower arms probably reduce both lift and drag in breaking waves. On protected shores, fatter arms may provide more thermal inertia to resist overheating, or more body volume for gametes. Such plastic changes in body shape represent a unique method by which sea stars adapt to spatial, seasonal and possibly short-term variation in flow conditions.
Bi-Directional SIFT Predicts a Subset of Activating Mutations

Advancements in sequencing technologies have empowered recent efforts to identify polymorphisms and mutations on a global scale. The large number of variations and mutations found in these projects requires high-throughput tools to identify those that are most likely to have an impact on function. Numerous computational tools exist for predicting which mutations are likely to be functional, but none that specifically attempt to identify mutations that result in hyperactivation or gain-of-function. Here we present a modified version of the SIFT (Sorting Intolerant from Tolerant) algorithm that utilizes protein sequence alignments with homologous sequences to identify functional mutations based on evolutionary fitness. We show that this bi-directional SIFT (B-SIFT) is capable of identifying experimentally verified activating mutants from multiple datasets. B-SIFT analysis of large-scale cancer genotyping data identified potential activating mutations, some of which we have provided detailed structural evidence to support. B-SIFT could prove to be a valuable tool for efforts in protein engineering as well as in identification of functional mutations in cancer.
Learning-Practice: The Ghosts in the Education Machine

The ghosts of this paper refer to the ways in which diverse practices and learning styles coincide in particular frames. This article will combine the philosophy of mind with educational poststructuralism to generate an informed approach to understand learning-practice. This combinational analysis rests on certain principles and focus points such as: 1) Language plays a crucial role in the orchestration of practice; 2) Learning cannot be separated from its contextual instantiations; 3) The conjunction learning-practice is meaningless without a discussion about the language of practice and the learning context. This approach called learning-practice will be furnished with an example taken from research into vocational education and the learning of an orchestra. This example will act as an experimental field to test the principles and focus points of learning-practice. The research field also acts to examine the coherence and cogency of the philosophy of education that we may draw from this perspective that strategically deploys ideas taken from Ludwig Wittgenstein, Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari and Gilbert Ryle.