Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Remodeling of the Mononuclear Phagocyte Network Underlies Chronic Inflammation and Disease Progression in Heart Failure: Critical Importance of the Cardiosplenic Axis

Rationale: The role of mononuclear phagocytes in chronic heart failure (HF) is unknown. Objective: Our aim was to delineate monocyte, macrophage, and dendritic cell trafficking in HF and define the contribution of the spleen to cardiac remodeling. Methods and Results: We evaluated C57Bl/6 mice with chronic HF 8 weeks after coronary ligation. As compared with sham-operated controls, HF mice exhibited: (1) increased proinflammatory CD11b+F4/80+CD206− macrophages and CD11b+F4/80+Gr-1hi monocytes in the heart and peripheral blood, respectively, and reduced CD11b+F4/80+Gr-1hi monocytes in the spleen; (2) significantly increased CD11c+B220− classical dendritic cells and CD11c+/lowB220+ plasmacytoid dendritic cells in both the heart and spleen, and increased classic dendritic cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow, respectively; (3) increased CD4+ helper and CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells in the spleen; and (4) profound splenic remodeling with abundant white pulp follicles, markedly increased size of the marginal zone and germinal centers, and increased expression of alarmins. Splenectomy in mice with established HF reversed pathological cardiac remodeling and inflammation. Splenocytes adoptively transferred from mice with HF, but not from sham-operated mice, homed to the heart and induced long-term left ventricular dilatation, dysfunction, and fibrosis in naive recipients. Recipient mice also exhibited monocyte activation and splenic remodeling similar to HF mice. Conclusions: Activation of mononuclear phagocytes is central to the progression of cardiac remodeling in HF, and heightened antigen processing in the spleen plays a critical role in this process. Splenocytes (presumably splenic monocytes and dendritic cells) promote immune-mediated injurious responses in the failing heart and retain this memory on adoptive transfer.
MR Imaging–Based Analysis of Glioblastoma Multiforme: Estimation of IDH1 Mutation Status

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Glioblastoma multiforme is highly aggressive and the most common type of primary malignant brain tumor in adults. Imaging biomarkers may provide prognostic information for patients with this condition. Patients with glioma with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutations have a better clinical outcome than those without such mutations. Our purpose was to investigate whether the IDH1 mutation status in glioblastoma multiforme can be predicted by using MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 55 patients with glioblastoma multiforme with wild type IDH1 and 11 patients with mutant IDH1. Absolute tumor blood flow and relative tumor blood flow within the enhancing portion of each tumor were measured by using arterial spin-labeling data. In addition, the maximum necrosis area, the percentage of cross-sectional necrosis area inside the enhancing lesions, and the minimum and mean apparent diffusion coefficients were obtained from contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images and diffusion-weighted imaging data. Each of the 6 parameters was compared between patients with wild type IDH1 and mutant IDH1 by using the Mann-Whitney U test. The performance in discriminating between the 2 entities was evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: Absolute tumor blood flow, relative tumor blood flow, necrosis area, and percentage of cross-sectional necrosis area inside the enhancing lesion were significantly higher in patients with wild type IDH1 than in those with mutant IDH1 (P < .05 each). In contrast, no significant difference was found in the ADCminimum and ADCmean. The area under the curve for absolute tumor blood flow, relative tumor blood flow, percentage of cross-sectional necrosis area inside the enhancing lesion, and necrosis area were 0.850, 0.873, 0.739, and 0.772, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor blood flow and necrosis area calculated from MR imaging are useful for predicting the IDH1 mutation status.
Maximizing the spread of influence through a social network

Models for the processes by which ideas and influence propagate through a social network have been studied in a number of domains, including the diffusion of medical and technological innovations, the sudden and widespread adoption of various strategies in game-theoretic settings, and the effects of "word of mouth" in the promotion of new products. Recently, motivated by the design of viral marketing strategies, Domingos and Richardson posed a fundamental algorithmic problem for such social network processes: if we can try to convince a subset of individuals to adopt a new product or innovation, and the goal is to trigger a large cascade of further adoptions, which set of individuals should we target? We consider this problem in several of the most widely studied models in social network analysis. The optimization problem of selecting the most influential nodes is NP-hard here, and we provide the first provable approximation guarantees for efficient algorithms. Using an analysis framework based on submodular functions, we show that a natural greedy strategy obtains a solution that is provably within 63% of optimal for several classes of models; our framework suggests a general approach for reasoning about the performance guarantees of algorithms for these types of influence problems in social networks.We also provide computational experiments on large collaboration networks, showing that in addition to their provable guarantees, our approximation algorithms significantly out-perform node-selection heuristics based on the well-studied notions of degree centrality and distance centrality from the field of social networks.
On the symbiosis of a data mining environment and a DBMS

One of the main obstacles in applying data mining techniques to large, real-world databases is the lack of efficient data management. In this paper, we outline a two-level architecture, consisting of a mining tool and a database server. Key elements in its success are a clear separation of concerns: the mining tool organizes and controls the search process, while all data-handling is performed by the parallel main memory DBMS. Data is stored as a set of binary tables. The interaction consists of queries for statistical information. Properties of the DBMS and the search algorithm are exploited for optimization of the data handling. In particular, results of previous computations are re-used, and I/O activity is reduced by keeping a small hot-set of binary tables in main-memory. As test results show, this system handles large datasets at a competitive performance.
Visibility of individual packet loss on H.264 encoded video stream: a user study on the impact of packet loss on perceived video quality

Assessing video content transmitted over networked content infrastructures becomes a fundamental requirement for service providers. Previous research has shown that there is no direct correlation between traditional network QoS and user perceived video quality. This paper presents a study investigating the impact of individual packet loss on four types of H.264 main-profile encoded video streams. Four artifact factors to model the degree of artifacts in video frames are defined. Further, the visibility of artifacts considering the video content characteristics, encoding scheme and error concealment is investigated in conjunction with a user study. The individual and joint impacts of artifact factors are explored on the test video sequences. From the results of user tests, the artifact factor-based assessment method shows superiority over PSNR-based and network QoS based quality assessment.
Search-Intensive Concept Induction

This paper describes REGAL, a distributed genetic algorithm-based system, designed for learning first-order logic concept descriptions from examples. The system is a hybrid of the Pittsburgh and the Michigan approaches, as the population constitutes a redundant set of partial concept descriptions, each evolved separately. In order to increase effectiveness, REGAL is specifically tailored to the concept learning task; hence, REGAL is task-dependent, but, on the other hand, domain-independent. The system proved particularly robust with respect to parameter setting across a variety of different application domains. REGAL is based on a selection operator, called Universal Suffrage operator, provably allowing the population to asymptotically converge, on the average, to an equilibrium state in which several species coexist. The system is presented in both a serial and a parallel version, and a new distributed computational model is proposed and discussed. The system has been tested on a simple artificial domain for the sake of illustration, and on several complex real-world and artificial domains in order to show its power and to analyze its behavior under various conditions. The results obtained so far suggest that genetic search may be a valuable alternative to logic-based approaches to learning concepts, when no (or little) a priori knowledge is available and a very large hypothesis space has to be explored.
Sectoral Aid Priorities: Are Donors Really Doing Their Best to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals?

We analyze the aid portfolio of various bilateral and multilateral donors, testing whether they have prioritised aid in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In doing so, we combine sectorally disaggregated aid data with indicators reflecting the situation of recipient countries regarding the MDGs. Our results show that donors differ not only in terms of their overall generosity and the general poverty orientation of aid, but also in the extent to which their sectoral aid allocation is conducive to achieving more specific MDGs such as all children completing a full course of primary schooling, reducing child and maternal mortality as well as reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Overall, while some MDGs, e.g., the fight against HIV/AIDS, have shaped the allocation of aid, the sector-specific results reveal that with respect to other MDGs, most notably primary education, there is a considerable gap between donor rhetoric and actual aid allocation. These results invite the conclusion that the current focus on substantially increasing aid in order to turn the tide in trying to achieve the MDGs misses one important point: Unless the targeting of aid is improved, higher aid will not have the desired effects. Our results suggest that at least part of the blame for missing the MDGs falls on insufficient targeting of aid.
Design, modeling, and evaluation of a slim haptic actuator based on electrorheological fluid

Realistic haptic feedback is needed to provide information to users of numerous technologies, such as virtual reality, mobile devices, and robotics. For a device to convey realistic haptic feedback, two touch sensations must be present: tactile feedback and kinesthetic feedback. Although many devices today convey tactile feedback through vibrations, most neglect to incorporate kinesthetic feedback. To address this issue, this study investigates a haptic device with the aim of conveying both kinesthetic and vibrotactile information to users. A prototype based on electrorheological fluids was designed and fabricated. By controlling the electrorheological fluid flow via applied electric fields, the device can generate a range of haptic sensations. The design centered on an elastic membrane that acts as the actuator’s contact surface. Moreover, the control electronics and structural components were integrated into a compact printed circuit board, resulting in a slim device suitable for mobile applications. The device was tested using a dynamic mechanical analyzer to evaluate its performance. The device design was supported with mathematical modeling and was in agreement with experimental results. According to the just-noticeable difference analysis, this range is sufficient to transmit distinct kinesthetic and vibrotactile sensations to users, indicating that the electrorheological fluid–based actuator is capable of conveying haptic feedback.
3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Inhibitors Upregulate Inducible NO Synthase Expression and Activity in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase ameliorate atherosclerosis by both cholesterol-dependent and cholesterol-independent mechanisms. We examined whether HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors affect the expression and activity of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in cultured rat aortic vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells. Atorvastatin (34 to 68 &mgr;mol/L) markedly increased nitrite production, an increase that was essentially abrogated by the NO synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (500 &mgr;mol/L). Activity of iNOS, determined by the conversion of l-arginine to l-citrulline, increased 9-fold after atorvastatin treatment. Western blot and semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed that atorvastatin (34 to 68 &mgr;mol/L) strongly upregulated iNOS protein and mRNA levels, respectively. These concentrations of atorvastatin did not cause cytotoxicity, as judged by the cell survival rate. Similarly, simvastatin and lovastatin (34 &mgr;mol/L) caused robust upregulation of the iNOS protein level. Transfection experiments demonstrated that the −1034- to 88-bp human iNOS promoter was strongly induced by atorvastatin (34 &mgr;mol/L). Electromobility and supershift assays using a nuclear factor-&kgr;B (NF-&kgr;B) consensus oligonucleotide and nuclear extracts from VSM cells as well as transfection studies using an NF-&kgr;B reporter plasmid suggested that the transcriptional activation of the iNOS gene by atorvastatin is not mediated via the NF-&kgr;B pathway. We conclude that HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors potently upregulate iNOS expression and activity in VSM cells, at least in part, by transcriptional mechanisms that do not depend on transcription factor NF-&kgr;B. These effects might have important implications for the impact of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors on atherosclerosis.
"Quels sont les liens entre arithmétique et langage ? Une étude en Amazonie"

Is calculation possible without language ? Or is the human ability for arithmetic dependent on the language faculty ? To clarify the relation between language and arihmetic, we studied numerical cognition in speakers of Munduruku, an Amazonian langauge with a very lexicon of number words. This state of affaits we claim can be understood in a model wher the distinction between performance and competence is at work.
Analysis of Transcripts Expressed in One-Day-Old Larvae and Fifth Instar Silk Glands of Tasar Silkworm, Antheraea mylitta

Antheraea mylitta is one of the wild nonmulberry silkworms, which produces tasar silk. An EST project has been undertaken to understand the gene expression profile of A. mylitta silk gland. Two cDNA libraries, one from the whole bodies of one-day-old larvae and the other from the silkglands of fifth instar larvae, were constructed and sequenced. A total of 2476 good-quality ESTs (1239 clones) were obtained and grouped into 648 clusters containing 390 contigs and 258 singletons to represent 467 potential unigenes. Forty-five sequences contained putative coding region, and represented potentially novel genes. Among the 648 clusters, 241 were categorized according to Gene Ontology hierarchy and showed presence of several silk and immune-related genes. The A. mylitta ESTs have been organized into a freely available online database “AmyBASE”. These data provide an initial insight into the A. mylitta transcriptome and help to understand the molecular mechanism of silk protein production in a Lepidopteran species.
β-1,3-glucan modifying enzymes in Aspergillus fumigatus

In Aspergillus fumigatus like in other filamentous ascomycetes, β-1,3-glucan constitutes a prominent cell wall component being responsible for rigidity of the cell wall structure. In filamentous fungi, softening of the cell wall is absolutely required during conidial germination and hyphal branching. Because of the central structure of β-1,3-glucans, it is expected that β-1,3-glucanases play a major role in cell wall softening. Based on in silico and experimental data, this review gives an overview of β-1,3-glucan modifying enzymes in A. fumigatus genome and their putative role during morphogenesis.
Two Models for Evaluating Alignment of State Standards and Assessments: Competing or Complementary Perspectives?

The release of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010) and their adoption across the United States calls for careful attention to the alignment between mathematics standards and assessments. This study investigates 2 models that measure alignment between standards and assessments, the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) and the Webb Alignment Tool (WAT), by examining the use of these models in 3 grade levels in 3 states. Findings indicate affordances and limitations of both models and suggest that, when taken together, the criteria of the WAT coupled with the alignment index and tile charts of the SEC provide a variety of perspectives on the alignment between standards and assessments. Findings from the study also suggest using caution when making decisions based on the results of alignment evaluations.
Identification of the eleventh complementation group of UV-sensitive excision repair-defective rodent mutants.

The drug-sensitive mutant UVS1, isolated from the Chinese hamster cell line CHO9, was previously found to complement the UV sensitivity of the excision repair-defective rodent mutants representative of groups 1 to 8 (Hata et al., Cancer Res., 51: 195-198, 1991; M. Numata et al., personal communication). Recently two new complementation groups of UV-sensitive CHO mutants, e.g., groups 9 and 10, have been identified (Stefanini et al., Cancer Res., 51: 3965-3971, 1991). In this paper we demonstrate that the repair defect in UVS1 cells is genetically different from those present in the mutants CHO7PV and CHO4PV, representing groups 9 and 10, respectively. Therefore, UVS1 represents a new complementation group of UV-sensitive rodent cell lines, the eleventh group.
Discrimination and retrieval of animal sounds

Until recently few research has been performed in the area of animal sound retrieval. The authors identify state-of-the-art techniques in general purpose sound recognition by a broad survey of literature. Based on the findings, this paper gives a thorough investigation of audio features and classifiers and their applicability in the domain of animal sounds. We introduce a set of novel audio descriptors and compare their quality to other popular features. The results are encouraging and motivate further research in this domain
International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems Improving Prehensile Mobile Manipulation Performance through Experience Reuse Regular Paper

During pick and place tasks, a mobile manipulator performs recurring relative moves within the close proximities of the object of interest and the destination independent of their global poses. These moves are usually critical to the success of the manipulation attempt and hence need to be executed delicately. Considering the critical yet recurring nature of these moves, we let the robot memorize them as state-action sequences and reuse them whenever possible to guide manipulation planning and execution. When combined with a sampling-based generative planner, this guidance helps reduce planning time by deliberately biasing the planning process towards the feasible sequences. Additionally, monitoring the execution while reiterating the reached sequences improves task success rate. Our experiments show that this complementary combination of the already available partial plans and executions with the ones generated from scratch yields to fast, reliable, and repeatable solutions.
Widespread Recurrent Patterns of Rapid Repeat Evolution in the Kinetochore Scaffold KNL1

The outer kinetochore protein scaffold KNL1 is essential for error-free chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. A critical feature of KNL1 is an array of repeats containing MELT-like motifs. When phosphorylated, these motifs form docking sites for the BUB1–BUB3 dimer that regulates chromosome biorientation and the spindle assembly checkpoint. KNL1 homologs are strikingly different in both the amount and sequence of repeats they harbor. We used sensitive repeat discovery and evolutionary reconstruction to show that the KNL1 repeat arrays have undergone extensive, often species-specific array reorganization through iterative cycles of higher order multiplication in conjunction with rapid sequence diversification. The number of repeats per array ranges from none in flowering plants up to approximately 35–40 in drosophilids. Remarkably, closely related drosophilid species have independently expanded specific repeats, indicating near complete array replacement after only approximately 25–40 Myr of evolution. We further show that repeat sequences were altered by the parallel emergence/loss of various short linear motifs, including phosphosites, which supplement the MELT-like motif, signifying modular repeat evolution. These observations point to widespread recurrent episodes of concerted KNL1 repeat evolution in all eukaryotic supergroups. We discuss our findings in the light of the conserved function of KNL1 repeats in localizing the BUB1–BUB3 dimer and its role in chromosome segregation.