Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lactic acid is elevated in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and induces myofibroblast differentiation via pH-dependent activation of transforming growth factor-β.

RATIONALE Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complex disease for which the pathogenesis is poorly understood. In this study, we identified lactic acid as a metabolite that is elevated in the lung tissue of patients with IPF. OBJECTIVES This study examines the effect of lactic acid on myofibroblast differentiation and pulmonary fibrosis. METHODS We used metabolomic analysis to examine cellular metabolism in lung tissue from patients with IPF and determined the effects of lactic acid and lactate dehydrogenase-5 (LDH5) overexpression on myofibroblast differentiation and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β activation in vitro. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Lactic acid concentrations from healthy and IPF lung tissue were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; α-smooth muscle actin, calponin, and LDH5 expression were assessed by Western blot of cell culture lysates. Lactic acid and LDH5 were significantly elevated in IPF lung tissue compared with controls. Physiologic concentrations of lactic acid induced myofibroblast differentiation via activation of TGF-β. TGF-β induced expression of LDH5 via hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α). Importantly, overexpression of both HIF1α and LDH5 in human lung fibroblasts induced myofibroblast differentiation and synergized with low-dose TGF-β to induce differentiation. Furthermore, inhibition of both HIF1α and LDH5 inhibited TGF-β-induced myofibroblast differentiation. CONCLUSIONS We have identified the metabolite lactic acid as an important mediator of myofibroblast differentiation via a pH-dependent activation of TGF-β. We propose that the metabolic milieu of the lung, and potentially other tissues, is an important driving force behind myofibroblast differentiation and potentially the initiation and progression of fibrotic disorders.
Learning the structure of human-computer and human-human dialogs

We are interested in the problem of understanding human conversation structure in the context of human-machine and human-human interaction. We present a statistical methodology for detecting the structure of spoken dialogs based on a generative model learned using decision trees. To evaluate our approach we have used the LUNA corpora, collected from real users engaged in problem solving tasks. The results of the evaluation show that automatic segmentation of spoken dialogs is very effective not only with models built using separately human-machine dialogs or human-human dialogs, but it is also possible to infer the task-related structure of human-human dialogs with a model learned using only human-machine dialogs. Index Terms: Domain Knowledge Acquisition, Spoken Dialog Systems, Dialog Structure Annotation.
A Parallel Rendering Algorithm for Large-Scale Terrain

This paper has put forward a type of parallel rendering algorithm for large-scale terrain. Based on Sort-First tactics, this paper has proposed a load balancing algorithm to achieve relatively small extra overhead and relatively balanced load distribution while guarantee relatively high load calculation and distribution efficiency at the same time. The modified nested grid algorithm for terrain rendering decreases the pressure on calculating view frustum culling during load balancing while increases rendering efficiency at the same time. In this paper, we use JPEG lossy compression to process image data to be transmitted, and use effective synchronization mechanism between two nodes, so as to further improve system efficiency.
Robust gold nanoparticles stabilized by trithiol for application in chemiresistive sensors

The use of gold nanoparticles coated with an organic monolayer of thiol for application in chemiresistive sensors was initiated in the late 1990s; since then, such types of sensors have been widely pursued due to their high sensitivities and reversible responses to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, a major issue for chemical sensors based on thiol-capped gold nanoparticles is their poor long-term stability as a result of slow degradation of the monothiol-to-gold bonds. We have devised a strategy to overcome this limitation by synthesizing a more robust system using Au nanoparticles capped by trithiol ligands. Compared to its monothiol counterpart, the new system is significantly more stable and also shows improved sensitivity towards different types of polar or non-polar VOCs. Thus, the trithiol–Au nanosensor shows great promise for use in real world applications.
Locally Boosted Graph Aggregation for Community Detection

Learning the right graph representation from noisy, multi-source data has garnered significant interest in recent years. A central tenet of this problem is relational learning. Here the objective is to incorporate the partial information each data source gives us in a way that captures the true underlying relationships. To address this challenge, we present a general, boosting-inspired framework for combining weak evidence of entity associations into a robust similarity metric. Building on previous work, we explore the extent to which different local quality measurements yield graph representations that are suitable for community detection. We present empirical results on a variety of datasets demonstrating the utility of this framework, especially with respect to real datasets where noise and scale present serious challenges. Finally, we prove a convergence theorem in an ideal setting and outline future research into other application domains.
Ultrasound elastographic evaluation of the median nerve in pregnant women with carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the median nerve (MN) in pregnant women with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) by using ultrasound elastography. PATIENTS AND METHODS 30 wrists of 20 pregnant women with CTS and 25 wrists of 14 healthy control pregnant women were evaluated by ultrasound and ultrasound elastography (UE). The MN in the patients' wrist was imaged to measure the cross-sectional area and longitudinally to calculate the elasticity value (EV) at four different locations (proximal carpal tunnel (CT) at the level of the pisiform, distal CT at the level of the hamate, middle of the CT and forearm at one centimeter above the CT). Clinical classification was performed according to a historic and objective scale of CTS. In the healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with CTS, MN area and EV were analyzed statistically by comparing with parity and clinical grade. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference for MN area between the patient and control groups (p = 0.001). A positive relationship was found between parity in pregnancy and clinical grade of the CTS (p = 0.035, Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.386). Although MN elasticity for both groups was nearly the same in the proximal region of the CT, these values were decreased in the middle of the CT. MN elasticity values were smaller in the distal region of CT, and it was statistically significant in pregnant women with CTS (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound elastography, which is a non-invasive, inexpensive and a favorable diagnosis technique, may be useful in the diagnosis of CTS, especially in conditions in which an invasive procedure would be problem, as in pregnancy.
Energy-efficient scheduling policy for collaborative execution in mobile cloud computing

In this paper, we investigate the scheduling policy for collaborative execution in mobile cloud computing. A mobile application is represented by a sequence of fine-grained tasks formulating a linear topology, and each of them is executed either on the mobile device or offloaded onto the cloud side for execution. The design objective is to minimize the energy consumed by the mobile device, while meeting a time deadline. We formulate this minimum-energy task scheduling problem as a constrained shortest path problem on a directed acyclic graph, and adapt the canonical “LARAC” algorithm to solving this problem approximately. Numerical simulation suggests that a one-climb offloading policy is energy efficient for the Markovian stochastic channel, in which at most one migration from mobile device to the cloud is taken place for the collaborative task execution. Moreover, compared to standalone mobile execution and cloud execution, the optimal collaborative execution strategy can significantly save the energy consumed on the mobile device.
The tidal tails of globular cluster Palomar 5 based on the neural networks method

The sixth Data Release (DR6) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) provides more photometric regions, new features and more accurate data around globular cluster Palomar 5. A new method, Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN), is used to estimate the cluster membership probability in order to detect its tidal tails. Cluster and field stars, used for training the networks, are extracted over a 40 × 20 deg 2 field by color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). The best BPNNs with two hidden layers and a Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) training algorithm are determined by the chosen cluster and field samples. The membership probabilities of stars in the whole field are obtained with the BPNNs, and contour maps of the probability distribution show that a tail extends 5 . 42 ° to the north of the cluster and another tail extends 3 . 77 ° to the south. The tails are similar to those detected by Odenkirchen et al., but no more debris from the cluster is found to the northeast in the sky. The radial density profiles are investigated both along the tails and near the cluster center. Quite a few substructures are discovered in the tails. The number density profile of the cluster is fitted with the King model and the tidal radius is determined as 14 . 28 ’ . However, the King model cannot fit the observed profile at the outer regions ( R > 8 ’ ) because of the tidal tails generated by the tidal force. Luminosity functions of the cluster and the tidal tails are calculated, which confirm that the tails originate from Palomar 5.
Energy-Efficient RSSI-Based Localization for Wireless Sensor Networks

Sensor positioning is a fundamental block in many location-dependent applications of wireless sensor networks. Although the main objective in localization is primarily enhancing the positioning accuracy, the importance of energy consumption and localization accuracy poses new challenges. The localization is usually assisted with some self-known position sensors called anchor nodes. In this letter, optimal power allocation for the anchor nodes in a sense of minimizing the energy consumption considering estimation errors is investigated. To have a better estimation of the relative distance between the anchor and unknown nodes using received signal strength indicator (RSSI), average energy of the received beacon is introduced as a new decision metric. Based on this, a squared position error bound as an accuracy parameter is derived, and an optimization problem is proposed to maximize the localization performance. More specifically, the optimal power allocation policy is first derived for the case that the anchor nodes estimate their own locations with no error. Since there are unavoidable errors in the positions of the anchor nodes, the optimization problem is then modified by including uncertainty in the positions of the anchor nodes. The results show that a substantial reduction in power consumption can be achieved by optimal allocation of the transmission power.
Clinical personality assessment : practical approaches

In this book, the second in the Oxford Textbooks in Clinical Psychology series, 30 eminent contributors (from diverse psychological disciplines) address central issues in assessment. Topics include ethical considerations in clinical personality assessment, assessment of ethnic and racial minorities, and assessment of the elderly, for example. The book maintains a practical, context-based approach throughout, and will appeal to both graduate students and practising clinical psychologists.
Associating Uncertainty With Three-Dimensional Poses for Use in Estimation Problems

In this paper, we provide specific and practical approaches to associate uncertainty with 4 ×4 transformation matrices, which is a common representation for pose variables in 3-D space. We show constraint-sensitive means of perturbing transformation matrices using their associated exponential-map generators and demonstrate these tools on three simple-yet-important estimation problems: 1) propagating uncertainty through a compound pose change, 2) fusing multiple measurements of a pose (e.g., for use in pose-graph relaxation), and 3) propagating uncertainty on poses (and landmarks) through a nonlinear camera model. The contribution of the paper is the presentation of the theoretical tools, which can be applied in the analysis of many problems involving 3-D pose and point variables.
EPIBI : Escala de Percepción de Indicadores de Bienestar Infantil : validación del instrumento utilizando modelos politómicos de Rasch

La obtencion de indicadores para el analisis las condiciones de vida de ninos y ninas es una preocupacion creciente en nuestra sociedad. Prueba de ello es que diversos organismos e instituciones nacionales e internacionales han dirigido notables esfuerzos en obtener medidas precisas de las caracteristicas especificas del bienestar infantil. Al mismo tiempo, conocer la opinion de los futuros profesionales de la educacion acerca de los elementos determinantes del bienestar infantil y de su impacto en la vida de ninos y ninas ayudara a un mayor acercamiento a dicha realidad, comprendiendo esta de forma mas ajustada. En consecuencia, el objetivo del presente trabajo es validar el instrumento EPIBI ( Escala de Percepcion de Indicadores del Bienestar Infantil ) que permite analizar los determinantes del bienestar infantil que los futuros profesionales de la educacion reconocen, asi como el grado de importancia que otorgan a cada uno de ellos. El test final esta compuesto por 80 reactivos, que se responden en una escala tipo Likert con 6 categorias de respuesta. Para la validacion se han probado cuatro modelos politomicos TRI (modelo de Rasch) que varian en el procedimiento de calculo de las probabilidades de respuesta (escala de clasificacion vs. credito parcial) y la dimensionalidad de la escala (unidimensional vs. multidimensional). Los resultados muestran como el modelo con mejor ajuste es el multidimensional de credito parcial. Al mismo tiempo se ha detectado un buen funcionamiento de la escala en su conjunto, a pesar de que algunos items muestran bajos ajustes en las categorias extremas de la escala, hallazgo que permite su revision y mejora.
Bridging the Research-Practice Gap

Abstract The purpose of this article is to familiarize social work researchers and practitioners with Concept Mapping (Trochim, 1989), a mixed-methods strategy that can be useful in practice-based research. Using two case examples, the steps involved in concept mapping are illustrated. Practice strengths of concept mapping are discussed, including that it is participatory, accessible, permits immediate application of findings, and enhances service effectiveness. Research strengths include that it is a structured mixed-methods approach, the process is flexible, it accommodates cross-cultural applications, and is time-and cost-effective. Ways that concept mapping can be used to advance practice-based research are discussed, including instrument development, needs/resource assessment, theory development, evaluating activities and outcomes, strategic planning and action planning.
Disability and Treatment Outcomes for Anxiety and Depression in Older Veterans

The present study examined the impact of disability on mental health outcomes in older Veterans referred to an interdisciplinary geriatric mental health team for assessment and treatment of anxiety or depression or both. Thirty-five Veterans (age, M = 81.2 years, SD = 7.4) completed one or more psychotherapy sessions and pre- and post-treatment assessments of anxiety, depression, and disability. Pre-treatment disability did not predict anxiety or depression treatment response in hierarchical linear regression models. However, change in disability predicted both anxiety and depression treatment response. Specifically, decreased disability was associated with decreased anxiety and depression symptoms at post-treatment. Anxiety and depression treatment response also predicted change in disability such that decreased anxiety and depression symptoms were associated with less disability at post-treatment. The present study provides preliminary evidence that change in disability during treatment may have an effect on, and may also be a function of, treatment outcomes in older Veterans.
HIV gp120 Induces Mucus Formation in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells through CXCR4/α7-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and lung infections are major causes of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected patients even in the era of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Many of these diseases are strongly associated with smoking and smoking is more common among HIV-infected than uninfected people; however, HIV is an independent risk factor for chronic bronchitis, COPD, and asthma. The mechanism by which HIV promotes these diseases is unclear. Excessive airway mucus formation is a characteristic of these diseases and contributes to airway obstruction and lung infections. HIV gp120 plays a critical role in several HIV-related pathologies and we investigated whether HIV gp120 promoted airway mucus formation in normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells. We found that NHBE cells expressed the HIV-coreceptor CXCR4 but not CCR5 and produced mucus in response to CXCR4-tropic gp120. The gp120-induced mucus formation was blocked by the inhibitors of CXCR4, α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)AR but not the antagonists of CCR5 and epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR). These results identify two distinct pathways (α7-nAChR-GABAAR and EGFR) for airway mucus formation and demonstrate for the first time that HIV-gp120 induces and regulates mucus formation in the airway epithelial cells through the CXCR4-α7-nAChR-GABAAR pathway. Interestingly, lung sections from HIV ± ART and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) ± ART have significantly more mucus and gp120-immunoreactivity than control lung sections from humans and macaques, respectively. Thus, even after ART, lungs from HIV-infected patients contain significant amounts of gp120 and mucus that may contribute to the higher incidence of obstructive pulmonary diseases in this population.
Broadband Antireflection Coating Design Recommendations

The design of broadband antireflection (BBAR) coatings is based upon the indices of refraction of the materials to be used, the bandwidth required, the overall thickness of the coating, and the number of layers. Some useful tools have been found to guide the designer to optimal results such as: 1) recommended overall thickness; 2) observation of the low frequency (long wavelength) spectra beyond the AR band; 3) the reflectance versus coating thickness plot; 4) the shape of the passband trace, and 5) a definite number of layers required. It was also found that any more than the minimum number of layers increases the average reflectance. For small bandwidths, designs tend to require a number of layers equal to six times the parameter of overall thickness divided by the minimum thickness. Whereas 10 times that parameter are needed for large bandwidths. It has further been our experience that the optimization of a starting design, other than a design of only a few layers, tends to reach a conclusion at a local minimum which is not always the best that can be achieved in the general region of available variables. The best overall thickness parameter used has a tendency to be quantized. Design guides as to overall thickness, number of layers, and visual aids as to shape are provided.
Small-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel and Recurrent Ventricular Fibrillation in Failing Rabbit Ventricles

Rationale: Fibrillation/defibrillation episodes in failing ventricles may be followed by action potential duration (APD) shortening and recurrent spontaneous ventricular fibrillation (SVF). Objective: We hypothesized that activation of apamin-sensitive small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels is responsible for the postshock APD shortening in failing ventricles. Methods and Results: A rabbit model of tachycardia-induced heart failure was used. Simultaneous optical mapping of intracellular Ca2+ and membrane potential (Vm) was performed in failing and nonfailing ventricles. Three failing ventricles developed SVF (SVF group); 9 did not (no-SVF group). None of the 10 nonfailing ventricles developed SVF. Increased pacing rate and duration augmented the magnitude of APD shortening. Apamin (1 &mgr;mol/L) eliminated recurrent SVF and increased postshock APD80 in the SVF group from 126±5 to 153±4 ms (P<0.05) and from 147±2 to 162±3 ms (P<0.05) in the no-SVF group but did not change APD80 in nonfailing group. Whole cell patch-clamp studies at 36°C showed that the apamin-sensitive K+ current (IKAS) density was significantly larger in the failing than in the normal ventricular epicardial myocytes, and epicardial IKAS density was significantly higher than midmyocardial and endocardial myocytes. Steady-state Ca2+ response of IKAS was leftward-shifted in the failing cells compared with the normal control cells, indicating increased Ca2+ sensitivity of IKAS in failing ventricles. The Kd was 232±5 nmol/L for failing myocytes and 553±78 nmol/L for normal myocytes (P=0.002). Conclusions: Heart failure heterogeneously increases the sensitivity of IKAS to intracellular Ca2+, leading to upregulation of IKAS, postshock APD shortening, and recurrent SVF.
Fairness in Ultimatum Games with Heterogeneous Receivers

I collect data from a modi ed ultimatum game designed to enable the estimation of fairness, altruism and learning. In the standard ultimatum game, if the receiver of the ultimatum rejects, both players get zero. In this modi ed game, if the receiver rejects, the receiver gets a positive alternative payo , while the sender still gets zero. The receiver's alternative payo is drawn from a common knowledge distribution. The draw is unknown to the sender when the ultimatum is given, but known to the receiver before the accept/reject decision is made. While the receiver still has a dominant strategy in the modi ed game (take whichever is bigger { the ultimatumpayo or the alternative payo ), it is not true that the receiver should always accept the ultimatum. Hence receivers are observed making decisions both when they should accept and when they should reject. I model the receiver's accept/reject decision and control for warm glow, altruism, fairness and learning. All of these variables are statistically signi cant. The main determinant of the receiver's accept/reject decision is di erence between the ultimatum payo and the alternative payo , but these other concerns play an important role. The other players, the senders, are observed choosing ultimatums. I use the rst order condition of their utility maximization problem to construct a regression equation with independent variables that control for altruism, fairness and learning. I found that the senders are somewhat spiteful, but more importantly, they care about an un-fair outcome. In other words, they want to win. However, over time this desire is tempered and the senders become more generous.