Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advances in Bio-Optical Imaging for the Diagnosis of Early Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is among the most common malignancies worldwide, therefore early detection and treatment is imperative. The 5-year survival rate has remained at a dismal 50% for the past several decades. The main reason for the poor survival rate is the fact that most of the oral cancers, despite the general accessibility of the oral cavity, are not diagnosed until the advanced stage. Early detection of the oral tumors and its precursor lesions may be the most effective means to improve clinical outcome and cure most patients. One of the emerging technologies is the use of non-invasive in vivo tissue imaging to capture the molecular changes at high-resolution to improve the detection capability of early stage disease. This review will discuss the use of optical probes and highlight the role of optical imaging such as autofluorescence, fluorescence diagnosis (FD), laser confocal endomicroscopy (LCE), surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and confocal reflectance microscopy (CRM) in early oral cancer detection. FD is a promising method to differentiate cancerous lesions from benign, thus helping in the determination of adequate resolution of surgical resection margin. LCE offers in vivo cellular imaging of tissue structures from surface to subsurface layers and has demonstrated the potential to be used as a minimally invasive optical biopsy technique for early diagnosis of oral cancer lesions. SERS was able to differentiate between normal and oral cancer patients based on the spectra acquired from saliva of patients. OCT has been used to visualize the detailed histological features of the oral lesions with an imaging depth down to 2–3 mm. CRM is an optical tool to noninvasively image tissue with near histological resolution. These comprehensive diagnostic modalities can also be used to define surgical margin and to provide a direct assessment of the therapeutic effectiveness.
Nonlinear interferometer for tailoring the frequency spectrum of bright squeezed vacuum

We propose a method for tailoring the frequency spectrum of bright squeezed vacuum by generating it in a nonlinear interferometer, consisting of two down-converting nonlinear crystals separated by a dispersive medium. Due to a faster dispersive spreading of higher order Schmidt modes, the spectral width of the radiation at the output is reduced as the length of the dispersive medium is increased. Preliminary results show 30% spectral narrowing.
Cholesterol is essential for macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta binding and conformational integrity of CC chemokine receptor 5.

The chemokine receptor, CCR5, is used as a human immunodeficiency virus coreceptor in combination with CD4 during transmission and early infection. CCR5 has been shown to be palmitoylated and targeted to cholesterol- and sphingolipid-rich membrane microdomains termed "lipid rafts. " However, the role of cholesterol and lipid rafts on chemokine binding and signaling through CCR5 remains unknown. We found that cholesterol extraction by hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (BCD) significantly reduced the binding and signaling of macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta (MIP-1 beta) using CCR5-expressing CEM-NKR T cells. Reloading treated cells with cholesterol but not 4-cholesten-3-one, an oxidized form of cholesterol, restored MIP-1 beta binding to BCD-treated cells. Antibodies specific for distinct CCR5 epitopes lost their ability to bind to the cell surface after cholesterol extraction to varying degrees. Moreover, cells stained with fluorescently labeled MIP-1 beta extensively colocalized with the GM1 lipid raft marker while using anti-CCR5 antibodies; most of CCR5 on these cells only partially colocalized with GM1, suggesting that active ligand binding facilitates receptor association with lipid rafts or that raft association promotes a higher affinity conformation of CCR5. Together, these data demonstrate that cholesterol and lipid rafts are important for the maintenance of the CCR5 conformation and are necessary for both the binding and function of this chemokine receptor.
Audio-based object recognition system for tangible acoustic interfaces

Tangible Acoustic Interfaces (TAIs) are innovative acoustic Human-Machine Interaction devices. Exploiting a number of contact sensors distributed on a surface, the vibrational signal generated from the interaction between the surface and an object moved by the user is acquired and analyzed to recognize what the user is doing on the device. The usage of vibrational sensors naturally opens the way also to classification and recognition applications. In this paper, a system to perform audio-based interaction object recognition is presented. The aim of the system is to recognize what object the human is using to interact with the TAI, by exploiting feature analysis and classification techniques. In particular, a frame-by-frame SVM-based classifier architecture is used to perform object recognition. The result is then filtered to eliminate the possible classification outliers. By training and testing our system using signals from four interaction objects at different Signal to Noise Ratios we have reached accuracies between 73% and 100% according to the object used, the quality of the acquired signal and the optional use of the classification filtering algorithm.
Social perception and message awareness as correlates of person‐centered regulative messages

This study reports the extent to which four social and message perception abilities predict the use of person‐centered messages in regulative influence situations: construct differentiation, number of prosocial influence goals, awareness of message effects, and positive outcome predictions. Undergraduate students completed several message tasks along with the Role Category Questionnaire to measure interpersonal cognitive complexity. Construct differentiation and the message analysis variables accounted for 45% of the variance in person‐centered regulative messages. Each of the message knowledge and goal variables was a significant predictor of person‐centered regulative messages. Person‐centered regulative messages were more likely to be produced by people with highly differentiated construct systems, people who had prosocial influence goals, and people who had knowledge of and confidence about the effects their messages would have on their message recipients.
A randomized controlled trial of brief interventions for problem gambling in substance abuse treatment patients.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the efficacy of brief gambling treatments in patients attending substance abuse treatment clinics. METHOD Substance abuse treatment patients with gambling problems (N = 217) were randomly assigned to a 10- to 15-min brief psychoeducation gambling intervention; a 10- to 15-min brief advice intervention addressing gambling norms, risk factors, and methods to prevent additional problems; or 4 50-min sessions of motivational enhancement therapy plus cognitive behavior therapy for reducing gambling (MET + CBT). Gambling and related problems were assessed at baseline and throughout 24 months. RESULTS In the sample as a whole, days and dollars wagered and gambling problems decreased markedly from baseline through Month 5; thereafter, reductions in dollars wagered and gambling problems continued to decrease modestly but significantly, and days gambled remained constant. Brief advice significantly reduced days gambled between baseline and Month 5 relative to brief psychoeducation. The MET + CBT condition engendered no benefit beyond brief advice in terms of days gambled but did lead to more precipitous reductions in dollars gambled and problems experienced in the initial 5 months, and greater clinically significant improvements in gambling in both the short and long term. MET + CBT also resulted in initial decreases in self-reported alcohol use and problems but did not differentially impact self-reported illicit drug use or submission of positive samples. CONCLUSIONS Gambling problems tend to dissipate over time regardless of the intervention applied, but offering MET + CBT was more efficacious in decreasing gambling than providing a brief single session intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record
Sexual Abuse and Suicide: Why We May Not Know What We Think We Know

This article reviews the research on the relationship between a reported history of sexual abuse and subsequent suicidal behavior. Based on this review, it is suggested that a conclusion that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant risk factor for subsequent suicidal ideation, attempts, and completed suicides is premature. Identified limitations of the existing research include the lack of consistency in definitions of CSA and suicidality, issues related to sample selection and causality interpretations, and the absence of theoretical grounding.
Condoms and Consequences: HIV/AIDS Education and African American Women

Low income African American mothers of elementary school children in Oakland, California, participated in six prevention training sessions that fused education about HIV/AIDS with other life-skills and resources. This exploratory intervention, known as the Healthy Mamas Project, was based on the Theory of Reasoned Action with inclusion of self-efficacy. Responses to a questionnaire at baseline and at 3-month follow up show that all women (N=15) entered the training program with, and sustained, a high level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Based on self-reports of attitudes and behaviors at the 3-month follow-up, training affected only some women beneficially. Overall, 42% of the participants expressed increased trust in and resolve to use condoms to reduce the likelihood of acquiring HIV infection. Differences in demographic characteristics and sexual practices distinguished women who accepted the educational messages about condoms from participants who did not. The intervention did not sufficiently recognize.
Communications of the Association for Information Systems Investigating the "knowledge" in Knowledge Management: a Social Representations Perspective Recommended Citation Investigating the " Knowledge " in Knowledge Management: a Social Representations Perspective

A panel at ICIS 2005 in Las Vegas, NV questioned how social representations (SR) theory could illuminate central questions related to the research and practice of Knowledge Management (KM). The panel included IS researchers who examined different aspects of SR theory and their implications for the understanding of knowledge and knowledge management dynamics. The topics covered in the panel and this report include: the representations of knowledge in the history of KM systems, the role of discursive processes in the emergence of new representations and knowledge, the non-consensual nature of knowledge of various communities, and the potential contributions of a structural approach to SR for situated learning research. This paper elaborates on the presentations of the panel and summarizes the issues raised during its discussion session.
Self‐monitoring and the propensity for risk

Apart from earlier research on sexual behavior, little is known about associations between self‐monitoring and engagement in risk behaviors. Our research verified that one component of self‐monitoring, public performing, is related to a range of risk behaviors. We then tested whether the greater engagement of high compared to low self‐monitoring individuals in risk behaviors could be attributed to: (a) greater discrepancies between perceptions of risk and reported risk behaviors for the high‐scoring group; or (b) higher levels of sensation seeking among high versus low self‐monitoring individuals. Data from a sample of 452 college students supported the second of these two explanations. Implications for self‐monitoring theory and measurement, as well as for adolescent and young adult risk behaviors, are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GABRB3 Mutation, G32R, Associated with Childhood Absence Epilepsy Alters α1β3γ2L γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A (GABAA) Receptor Expression and Channel Gating

Background: A GABRB3 mutation has been associated with childhood absence epilepsy and β3 subunit hyperglycosylation. Results: The mutation altered subunit expression and reduced GABAA receptor function independent of N-glycosylation. Conclusion: The mutation introduced a charged residue predicted to alter subunit interactions. Significance: The distal N terminus of GABAA receptor subunits may play an unexpected role in receptor assembly and channel gating. A GABAA receptor β3 subunit mutation, G32R, has been associated with childhood absence epilepsy. We evaluated the possibility that this mutation, which is located adjacent to the most N-terminal of three β3 subunit N-glycosylation sites, might reduce GABAergic inhibition by increasing glycosylation of β3 subunits. The mutation had three major effects on GABAA receptors. First, coexpression of β3(G32R) subunits with α1 or α3 and γ2L subunits in HEK293T cells reduced surface expression of γ2L subunits and increased surface expression of β3 subunits, suggesting a partial shift from ternary αβ3γ2L receptors to binary αβ3 and homomeric β3 receptors. Second, β3(G32R) subunits were more likely than β3 subunits to be N-glycosylated at Asn-33, but increases in glycosylation were not responsible for changes in subunit surface expression. Rather, both phenomena could be attributed to the presence of a basic residue at position 32. Finally, α1β3(G32R)γ2L receptors had significantly reduced macroscopic current density. This reduction could not be explained fully by changes in subunit expression levels (because γ2L levels decreased only slightly) or glycosylation (because reduction persisted in the absence of glycosylation at Asn-33). Single channel recording revealed that α1β3(G32R)γ2L receptors had impaired gating with shorter mean open time. Homology modeling indicated that the mutation altered salt bridges at subunit interfaces, including regions important for subunit oligomerization. Our results suggest both a mechanism for mutation-induced hyperexcitability and a novel role for the β3 subunit N-terminal α-helix in receptor assembly and gating.
Challenges in personalized authority flow based ranking of social media

As the social interaction of Internet users increases, so does the need to effectively rank social media. We study the challenges of personalized ranking of blog posts. Web search techniques are inadequate since social media lack many of the characteristics of the Web such as rich document content and an extensive hyperlink graph. Further, user behavior in social media has moved beyond keyword based search and must support users who follow a particular blog or theme. In this research, we extend a social media dataset to exploit the associations between authors, blog posts, and categories (topics) of the posts. We then apply personalized authority flow based ranking algorithms based on the random surfer model. We evaluate our personalization approaches through an extensive study on a range of virtual users whose preferences are defined based on intuitive criteria. Our evaluation shows that the accuracy of our personalized recommendations ranges from good to very good for a majority of users, and outperforms reasonable baseline approaches.
Solving the Math Problem: Exploring Mathematics Achievement in Japanese and American Middle Grades

Assessments of national differences in middle-grades mathematics have shown that Japanese students score significantly higher on achievement exams than American students. The debate over what causes this has generated many hypotheses that have not fared well in empirical tests. Because of this we examine another set of causal factors. It is hypothesized that classroom mathematics achievement is produced differently in each system. It is also hypothesized that teachers' management of class time and methods of instruction are major reasons for the differences in American and Japanese achievement. Classroom-level analyses of data on mathematics knowledge, management of class time, and instructional methods in more than 400 mathematics classes including over 14,000 middle-grades students in Japan and the United States support these hypotheses. Compared with the United States, Japanese classroom achievement is less influenced by incoming ability of students and more influenced by variation in knowledge among students and in the ability of teachers to reduce variation between students. Japanese teachers tend to manage classes and use instructional methods that reduce differences between students in a class and yield higher mean classroom knowledge. American teachers teach this way less and have lower class means as a result. These results, from nationally representative samples, support recent observational studies of the different schooling processes in each country that could explain national achievement differences.
Phosphorylation of Tyrosine Residues 31 and 118 on Paxillin Regulates Cell Migration through an Association with Crk in Nbt-II Cells

Identification of signaling molecules that regulate cell migration is important for understanding fundamental processes in development and the origin of various pathological conditions. The migration of Nara Bladder Tumor II (NBT-II) cells was used to determine which signaling molecules are specifically involved in the collagen-mediated locomotion. We show here that paxillin is tyrosine phosphorylated after induction of motility on collagen. Overexpression of paxillin mutants in which tyrosine 31 and/or tyrosine 118 were replaced by phenylalanine effectively impaired cell motility. Moreover, stimulation of motility by collagen preferentially enhanced the association of paxillin with the SH2 domain of the adaptor protein CrkII. Mutations in both tyrosine 31 and 118 diminished the phosphotyrosine content of paxillin and prevented the formation of the paxillin–Crk complex, suggesting that this association is necessary for collagen-mediated NBT-II cell migration. Other responses to collagen, such as cell adhesion and spreading, were not affected by these mutations. Overexpression of wild-type paxillin or Crk could bypass the migration-deficient phenotype. Both the SH2 and the SH3 domains of CrkII are shown to play a critical role in this collagen-mediated migration. These results demonstrate the important role of the paxillin–Crk complex in the collagen-induced cell motility.
Unsupervised Verb Inference from Nouns Crossing Root Boundary

Inference about whether a word in one text has similar meaning to another word in the other text is an essential task in order to understand whether two texts have similar meaning. However, this inference becomes difficult especially when two words do not share a lexical root, do not have the same argument structure, or do not have the same part-of-speech. This paper presents an unsupervised approach for inferring verbs from nouns along with a new online resource PreDic (PREdicate DICtionary) that contains verbs inferred from nouns sharing similar concepts but not the root. The verbs in PreDic are categorized into three groups, enabling applications to target precision-oriented, recall-oriented, or harmony-oriented results as needed. The experiment results show that the proposed unsupervised approach performs similar to or better than WordNet and NOMLEX. Furthermore, a new domain-verb association measure is presented to show the association relationships between inferred verbs and domains to which the verbs are possibly applied.
Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase ( iNOS ) Is Expressed Similarly in Multiple Aberrant Crypt Foci and Colorectal Tumors from the Same Patients 1

Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are the earliest identified neoplastic lesions in the colon. Aberrant expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS or NOS2) has been documented in colorectal tumors, but expression of iNOS has not been reported in human ACF or multiple neoplastic lesions from the same patient. Immunohistochemical expression of iNOS was evaluated in 42 ACF, 14 adenomas, and 25 carcinomas and their adjacent normal mucosa. iNOS was strongly expressed in the normal colonic epithelial cells of all patients; it was markedly reduced in 21 of 42 (50%) ACF and in 14 of 25 (56%) carcinomas. The expression of iNOS was remarkably similar in multiple lesions from the same patient (P < 0.0001). These results suggest that the reduced expression of iNOS is a very early event in the development of some human colorectal tumors, and that host factors control the expression of iNOS similarly in premalignant and malignant colonic epithelial cells.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Contralesional Primary Motor Cortex Improves Hand Function After Stroke

Background and Purpose— A recent report has demonstrated that the contralesional primary motor cortex (M1) inhibited the ipsilesional M1 via an abnormal transcallosal inhibition (TCI) in stroke patients. We studied whether a decreased excitability of the contralesional M1 induced by 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) caused an improved motor performance of the affected hand in stroke patients by releasing the TCI. Methods— We conducted a double-blind study of real versus sham rTMS in stroke patients. After patients had well- performed motor training to minimize the possibility of motor training during the motor measurement, they were randomly assigned to receive a subthreshold rTMS at the contralesional M1 (1 Hz, 25 minutes) or sham stimulation. Results— When compared with sham stimulation, rTMS reduced the amplitude of motor-evoked potentials in contralesional M1 and the TCI duration, and rTMS immediately induced an improvement in pinch acceleration of the affected hand, although a plateau in motor performance had been reached by the previous motor training. This improvement in motor function after rTMS was significantly correlated with a reduced TCI duration. Conclusions— We have demonstrated that a disruption of the TCI by the contralesional M1 virtual lesion caused a paradoxical functional facilitation of the affected hand in stroke patients; this suggests a new neurorehabilitative strategy for stroke patients.
Fast Variational Segmentation using Partial Extremal Initialization

In this paper we consider region-based variational segmentation of two- and three-dimensional images by the minimization of functionals whose fidelity term is the quotient of two integrals. Users often refrain from quotient functionals, even when they seem to be the most natural choice, probably because the corresponding gradient descent PDEs are nonlocal and hence require the computation of global properties. Here it is shown how this problem may be overcome by employing the structure of the Euler-Lagrange equation of the fidelity term to construct a good initialization for the gradient descent PDE, which will then converge rapidly to the desired (local) minimum. The initializer is found by making a one-dimensional search among the level sets of a function related to the fidelity term, picking the level set which minimizes the segmentation functional. This partial extremal initialization is tested on a medical segmentation problem with velocity- and intensity data from MR images. In this particular application, the partial extremal initialization speeds up the segmentation by two orders of magnitude compared to straight forward gradient descent.