Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optically Controlled Fast Reconfigurable Microwave Photonic Dual-Band Filter Based on Nonlinear Polarization Rotation

A high-speed optically controlled microwave photonic (MWP) reconfigurable dual-band filter is presented, which is achieved using a Lyot loop filter for spectrum slicing and ultrafast nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) effect in a semiconductor optical amplifier for high-speed tuning. Through the control of optical pump power, the MWP filter is switchable between four different operation states—all-block state, dual-band state, and single-band state with two different passband frequencies. The use of NPR greatly increases the tuning speed of the MWP filter to gigahertz range, making it capable for high-speed tuning in dynamic multiband applications. The four operation states and high-speed adjustment significantly improve operation flexibility of the filter. Furthermore, good passband quality is also obtained that the sidelobe suppressions of both passbands are over 40 dB with clean and sharp passband profiles, providing good filter selectivity.
Tumor Genome Wide DNA Alterations Assessed by Array CGH in Patients with Poor and Excellent Survival Following Operation for Colorectal Cancer

Genome wide DNA alterations were evaluated by array CGH in addition to RNA expression profiling in colorectal cancer from patients with excellent and poor survival following primary operations. DNA was used for CGH in BAC and cDNA arrays. Global RNA expression was determined by 44K arrays. DNA and RNA from tumor and normal colon were used from cancer patients grouped according to death, survival or Dukes A, B, C and D tumor stage. Confirmed DNA alterations in all Dukes A – D were judged relevant for carcinogenesis, while changes in Dukes C and D only were regarded relevant for tumor progression. Copy number gain was more common than loss in tumor tissue (p < 0.01). Major tumor DNA alterations occurred in chromosome 8, 13, 18 and 20, where short survival included gain in 8q and loss in 8p. Copy number gains related to tumor progression were most common on chromosome 7, 8, 19, 20, while corresponding major losses appeared in chromosome 8. Losses at chromosome 18 occurred in all Dukes stages. Normal colon tissue from cancer patients displayed gains in chromosome 19 and 20. Mathematical Vector analysis implied a number of BAC-clones in tumor DNA with genes of potential importance for death or survival. The genomic variation in colorectal cancer cells is tremendous and emphasizes that BAC array CGH is presently more powerful than available statistical models to discriminate DNA sequence information related to outcome. Present results suggest that a majority of DNA alterations observed in colorectal cancer are secondary to tumor progression. Therefore, it would require an immense work to distinguish primary from secondary DNA alterations behind colorectal cancer.
Chapter 11 Analysis of Group Conversations : Modeling Social Verticality

Social interaction is a fundamental aspect of human life and is also a key research area in psychology and cognitive science. Social psychologists have been researching the dimensions of social interaction for decades and found out that a variety of social communicative cues strongly determine social behavior and interaction outcomes. Many of these cues are consciously produced, in the form of spoken language. However, besides the spoken words, human interaction also involves nonverbal elements, which are extensively and often unconsciously used in human communication. The nonverbal information is conveyed as wordless messages, in parallel to the spoken words, through aural cues (voice quality, speaking style, intonation) and also through visual cues (gestures, body posture, facial expression, and gaze) [31]. These cues can be used to predict human behavior, personality, and social relations. It has been shown that, in many social situations, humans can correctly interpret the nonverbal cues and can predict behavioral outcomes with high accuracy, when exposed to short segments or “thin slices” of expressive behavior [1]. The length of these thin slices can change from a few seconds to several minutes depending on different situations. Computational analysis of social interaction, in particular of face-to-face group conversations is an emerging field of research in several communities such as human–computer interaction, machine learning, speech and language processing, and computer vision [20, 38]. Close connection with other disciplines including psychology and linguistics also exist in order to understand what kind of verbal
Developing force measurement techniques for cell mechanics and adhesion.

Cellular force is essential in maintaining the normal function of a biological cell. The primary goal of this study is to develop experimental methods to quantitatively determine forces generated from cell contraction and cell-to-cell adhesion. A novel method has been developed to measure the cell contraction forces exerted within a cell-embedded collagen matrix. The technique provides a 3D cell-matrix model which allows estimation of the cell contraction forces over a certain period of time. It was found that embedded fibroblast cells are able to cause a shrinkage of their surrounding matrix due to cell contractility. Tailored equipment which has ultimate force and displacement resolutions of 10 nN and 100 nm respectively has been constructed to accurately determinate the elasticity of cell-embedded collagen matrix. In combination with a mathematical model, the cell contraction force can be calculated based on the geometric parameters of the collagen matrix before and after the shrinkage. Reagents of agonist (histamine) or antagonist (ML-7) have been used to stimulate or block the fibroblast contraction force. They both show the effect of altering the stiffness of an extracellular matrix which is critical in the determination of cell contraction forces. More importantly, the analysis of the measured data based on a non-linear mechanical model have also confirmed that the elasticity of the extracellular matrix will influence the fibroblast contraction force. Cell-to-cell adhesion is an intricate interplay of mechanical, chemical and electrical signals between cells. A novel method based on Atomic Force Microscopy Single Cell Force Spectroscopy (AFM-SCFS) has been applied to examine cell-to-cell adhesion of human kidney proximal tubule HK2 cells. Ketamine was used to evoke early changes in expression of proteins (E-cadherin, N-cadherin and β-catenin) central to adherens junctions that lead to the loss of cell-to-cell adhesion force. The results provide strong evidence that the illicit substance Ketamine has major impacts on renal function and the loss of intracellular adherent energy. Overall, both cell contraction and cell-to-cell adhesion experiments demonstrated that the changes of biological states evoke protein interactions which would ultimately lead to the biomechanical alterations. Therefore, characterising the changes of mechanobiological properties can provide new insight into the investigation of physiological and pathological issues.
Identifying the irreducible disjoint factors of a multivariate probability distribution

We study the problem of decomposing a multivariate probability distribution p(v) defined over a set of random variables V = {V1 ,. , Vn } into a product of factors defined over disjoint subsets {VF1 ,. , VFm }. We show that the decomposition of V into irreducible disjoint factors forms a unique partition, which corresponds to the connected components of a Bayesian or Markov network , given that it is faithful to p. Finally, we provide three generic procedures to identify these factors with O(n^2) pairwise conditional independence tests (Vi ⊥ Vj |Z) under much less restrictive assumptions: 1) p supports the Intersection property; ii) p supports the Composition property; iii) no assumption at all.
Colorimetric protein assay techniques

There has been an increase in the number of colorimetric assay techniques for the determination of protein concentration over the past 20 years. This has resulted in a perceived increase in sensitivity and accuracy with the advent of new techniques. The present review considers these advances with emphasis on the potential use of such technologies in the assay of biopharmaceuticals. The techniques reviewed include Coomassie Blue G‐250 dye binding (the Bradford assay), the Lowry assay, the bicinchoninic acid assay and the biuret assay. It is shown that each assay has advantages and disadvantages relative to sensitivity, ease of performance, acceptance in the literature, accuracy and reproducibility/coefficient of variation/laboratory‐to‐laboratory variation. A comparison of the use of several assays with the same sample population is presented. It is suggested that the most critical issue in the use of a chromogenic protein assay for the characterization of a biopharmaceutical is the selection of a standard for the calibration of the assay; it is crucial that the standard be representative of the sample. If it is not possible to match the standard with the sample from the perspective of protein composition, then it is preferable to use an assay that is not sensitive to the composition of the protein such as a micro‐Kjeldahl technique, quantitative amino acid analysis or the biuret assay. In a complex mixture it might be inappropriate to focus on a general method of protein determination and much more informative to use specific methods relating to the protein(s) of particular interest, using either specific assays or antibody‐based methods. The key point is that whatever method is adopted as the ‘gold standard’ for a given protein, this method needs to be used routinely for calibration.
Mitochondria Control AMPA/Kainate Receptor-Induced Cytoplasmic Calcium Deregulation in Rat Cerebellar Granule Cells

Although mitochondria mediate the delayed failure of cytoplasmic Ca2+ homeostasis [delayed Ca2+deregulation (DCD)] in rat cerebellar granule cells resulting from chronic activation of NMDA receptors, their role in AMPA/KA-induced DCD remains to be established. The mitochondrial ATP synthase inhibitor oligomycin protected cells against KA- but not NMDA-evoked DCD. In contrast to NMDA-evoked DCD, no additional protection was afforded by the further addition of rotenone. The effects of KA on cytoplasmic Ca2+ homeostasis, including the protection afforded by oligomycin, could be reproduced by veratridine. KA exposure induced a partial mitochondrial depolarization that was enhanced by oligomycin, indicating ATP synthase reversal. The nonglycolytic substrates pyruvate and lactate were unable to maintain Ca2+ homeostasis in the presence of KA. In contrast to NMDA, KA exposure did not cause mitochondrial Ca2+ loading. The data indicate that Na+ entry via noninactivating AMPA/KA receptors or voltage-activated Na+ channels compromises mitochondrial function sufficiently to cause ATP synthase reversal. Oligomycin may protect by preventing the consequent mitochondrial drain of cytoplasmic ATP.
My reviewers: participatory design & crowd-sourced usability processes

This paper explores the benefits and consequences of employing crowd-sourced development and usability processes during the early stages of a software-development project. Our context is My Reviewers, a suite of web-based tools designed to facilitate document markup, team projects, peer review, e-portfolio review, and writing-program assessment. Since 2009, WPAs (Writing Program Administrators) at USF (University of South Florida) have been collaborating with instructors at USF as well as with WPAs and instructors at other colleges and universities to develop My Reviewers. To illustrate our development and usability processes and to highlight the benefits of working with diverse institutions, we provide a case study of a USF and University of Pennsylvania collaboration to develop e-portfolio tools. We conclude by noting ways our usability processes have matured along with the tool, including adoption of more traditional SCRUM methods and Microsoft Team Foundation Server.
Thalamic mediodorsal nucleus and its participation in spatial working memory processes: comparison with the prefrontal cortex

Working memory is a dynamic neural system that includes processes for temporarily maintaining and processing information. Working memory plays a significant role in a variety of cognitive functions, such as thinking, reasoning, decision-making, and language comprehension. Although the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is known to play an important role in working memory, several lines of evidence indicate that the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus (MD) also participates in this process. While monkeys perform spatial working memory tasks, MD neurons exhibit directionally selective delay-period activity, which is considered to be a neural correlate for the temporary maintenance of information in PFC neurons. Studies have also shown that, while most MD neurons maintain prospective motor information, some maintain retrospective sensory information. Thus, the MD plays a greater role in prospective motor aspects of working memory processes than the PFC, which participates more in retrospective aspects. For the performance of spatial working memory tasks, the information provided by a sensory cue needs to be transformed into motor information to give an appropriate response. A population vector analysis using neural activities revealed that, although the transformation of sensory-to-motor information occurred during the delay period in both the PFC and the MD, PFC activities maintained sensory information until the late phase of the delay period, while MD activities initially represented sensory information but then started to represent motor information in the earlier phase of the delay period. These results indicate that long-range neural interactions supported by reciprocal connections between the MD and the PFC could play an important role in the transformation of maintained information in working memory processes.
Experimental characterization of the pore size distribution in fibrous reinforcements of composite materials

This study uses capillary flow porometry to investigate the porous structure of engineering fabrics used in high-performance polymer composites. This technique consists of applying air pressure to a previously wetted sample to progressively expel the liquid from the pores. A porometry testing device commonly employed to characterize filtration media was used as the principal tool for this investigation. Four types of fibrous fabrics made of glass and carbon fibers with different textile architectures have been experimentally characterized with a through-thickness setup. This allowed obtaining the pore size distribution inside the tested material. In all the cases studied, the porometry technique was able to detect in a reproducible way a bimodal pore size distribution reflecting the presence of both micropores (inside the fiber yarns) and mesopores (between the yarns). Moreover, experimental results indicate that the method can be used to study the influence of the textile pattern on the pore size distribution. Overall, the study shows that capillary flow porometry can give valuable information on the dual scale structure of fibrous reinforcements, which plays a critical role during the impregnation stage of Liquid Composite Molding processes. Because of its simplicity and speed of execution, the proposed approach appears to be a promising way to complement other sophisticated techniques already used for composites such as microscopy and X-ray microtomography.
Depression and anxiety in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: is there any association?

AIM Several authors consider that depression and anxiety may induce inflammatory states, and thus can influence the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The purpose of this paper was to evaluate if there was an association between anxiety, depression and NAFLD, in patients with normal and elevated serum transaminases. METHODS We selected a group of patients with NAFLD and a group of female patients with chronic viral hepatitis (B or C). Clinical and biological parameters were collected. All patients filled in several questionnaires assessing total distress, and the presence of symptoms of depression and anxiety. We compared all these scores in female versus males, in patients with normal and elevated liver serum transaminases (LST), and in female patients with NAFLD versus female patients with chronic hepatitis. RESULTS The NAFLD group included 63 patients (38 females). The viral hepatitis group included 18 female patients. Female patients had significantly higher scores in all questionnaires when compared with male patients. There was a strong association between feminine gender and depression, with a relative risk of 3.2 (95% CI = 1.6-6.7). Depression, anxiety and distress scores were not statistically different in patients with NAFLD and normal LST as compared with patients with NAFLD and elevated LST. No differences were noticed when comparing the scores of depression, anxiety, or distress in females with NAFLD and females with viral hepatitis. There were no correlations between the scores for personality traits and serological tests in either of groups. CONCLUSION Symptoms of depression and anxiety are common in our region, and are more often seen in female patients. We cannot support any relationship between NAFLD and depression or anxiety. Prospective studies should be done in order to assess the real influence of depression and anxiety on the outcome of patients with NAFLD or chronic viral hepatitis.
Partial Decode-Forward Relaying for the Gaussian Two-Hop Relay Network

The multicast capacity of the Gaussian two-hop relay network with one source, N relays, and L destinations is studied. It is shown that a careful modification of the partial decode-forward coding scheme, whereby the relays recover and coherently transmit degraded sets of message parts, achieves the cutset upper bound within (1/2) log N bits regardless of the channel gains and power constraints. This scheme improves upon a previous scheme by Chern and Özgür, which is also based on partial decode-forward yet has an unbounded gap from the cutset bound for L ≥ 2 destinations. When restricted to noncoherent transmission among the relays, the proposed partial decodeforward scheme achieves a slightly larger gap of log N bits from the cutset bound. The computation of this relaxed achievable rate involves evaluating mutual information across L(N + 1) cuts out of the total L2N possible cuts, providing a very simple linearcomplexity algorithm to approximate the single-source multicast capacity of the Gaussian two-hop relay network.
Trust-serv: model-driven lifecycle management of trust negotiation policies for web services

A scalable approach to trust negotiation is required in Web service environments that have large and dynamic requester populations. We introduce Trust-Serv, a model-driven trust negotiation framework for Web services. The framework employs a model for trust negotiation that is based on state machines, extended with security abstractions. Our policy model supports lifecycle management, an important trait in the dynamic environments that characterize Web services. In particular, we provide a set of change operations to modify policies, and migration strategies that permit ongoing negotiations to be migrated to new policies without being disrupted. Experimental results show the performance benefit of these strategies. The proposed approach has been implemented as a container-centric mechanism that is transparent to the Web services and to the developers of Web services, simplifying Web service development and management as well as enabling scalable deployments.
An Exponential Separation between Randomized and Deterministic Complexity in the LOCAL Model

Over the past 30 years numerous algorithms have been designed for symmetry breaking problems in the LOCAL model, such as maximal matching, MIS, vertex coloring, and edge coloring. For most problems the best randomized algorithm is at least exponentially faster than the best deterministic algorithm. We prove that these exponential gaps are necessary and establish numerous connections between the deterministic and randomized complexities in the LOCAL model. Each of our results has a very compelling take-away message: 1) Building on the recent randomized lower bounds of Brandt et al. [1], we prove that the randomized complexity of Δ-coloring a tree with maximum degree Δ is O(log Δ log n + log*n), for any Δ > = 55, whereas its deterministic complexity is Ω(log Δ n) for any Δ > = 3. This also establishes a large separation between the deterministic complexity of Δ-coloring and (Δ+1)-coloring trees. 2) We prove that any deterministic algorithm for a natural class of problems that runs in O(1) + o(log Δ n) rounds can be transformed to run in O(log*n - log*Δ + 1) rounds. If the transformed algorithm violates a lower bound (even allowing randomization), then one can conclude that the problem requires Ω(log Δ n) time deterministically. This gives an alternate proof that deterministically Δ-coloring a tree with small Δ takes Ω(log Δ n) rounds. 3) We prove that the randomized complexity of any natural problem on instances of size n is at least its deterministic complexity on instances of size √log n. This shows that a deterministic Ω(log Δ n) lower bound for any problem (Δ-coloring a tree, for example) implies a randomized Ω(log Δ log n) lower bound. It also illustrates that the graph shattering technique employed in recent randomized symmetry breaking algorithms is absolutely essential to the LOCAL model. For example, it is provably impossible to improve the 2O(√log log n) term in the complexities of the best MIS and (Δ+1)-coloring algorithms without also improving the 2O(√log n)-round Panconesi-Srinivasan algorithm.
Therapeutic Lymphangiogenesis With Implantation of Adipose‐Derived Regenerative Cells

Background Lymphedema is one of the serious clinical problems that can occur after surgical resection of malignant tumors such as breast cancer or intra‐pelvic cancers. However, no effective treatment options exist at present. Here, we report that implantation of adipose‐derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) can induce lymphangiogenesis in a mouse model of reparative lymphedema. Methods and Results ADRCs were isolated from C57BL/6J mice. To examine the therapeutic efficacy of ADRC implantation in vivo, we established a new mouse model of tail lymphedema. Lymphedema was improved significantly by local injection of ADRCs (P<0.05). Histological analysis revealed that lymphatic capillary density was greater in the ADRC group than in the phosphate‐buffered saline control group (P<0.01). Tissue expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C mRNA and plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor C were greater in the ADRC group than in the control group (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). ADRCs released vascular endothelial growth factor C, which directly stimulated lymphangiogenesis. Implantation of ADRCs also enhanced recruitment of bone marrow–derived M2 macrophages, which served as lymphatic endothelial progenitor cells. Conclusions Implantation of autologous ADRCs could be a useful treatment option for patients with severe lymphedema via mediation of lymphangiogenesis. (J Am Heart Assoc. 2012;1:e000877 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.112.000877.)