Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Embedding graphs in Lorentzian spacetime

Geometric approaches to network analysis combine simply defined models with great descriptive power. In this work we provide a method for embedding directed acyclic graphs (DAG) into Minkowski spacetime using Multidimensional scaling (MDS). First we generalise the classical MDS algorithm, defined only for metrics with a Riemannian signature, to manifolds of any metric signature. We then use this general method to develop an algorithm which exploits the causal structure of a DAG to assign space and time coordinates in a Minkowski spacetime to each vertex. As in the causal set approach to quantum gravity, causal connections in the discrete graph correspond to timelike separation in the continuous spacetime. The method is demonstrated by calculating embeddings for simple models of causal sets and random DAGs, as well as real citation networks. We find that the citation networks we test yield significantly more accurate embeddings that random DAGs of the same size. Finally we suggest a number of applications in citation analysis such as paper recommendation, identifying missing citations and fitting citation models to data using this geometric approach.
Regulation of cadherin expression in the chicken neural crest by the Wnt/ β-catenin signaling pathway

In neural crest cell development, the expression of the cell adhesion proteins cadherin-7 and cadherin-11 commences after delamination of the neural crest cells from the neuroepithelium. The canonical Wnt signaling pathway is known to drive this delamination step and is a candidate for inducing expression of these cadherins at this time. This project was initiated to investigate the role of canonical Wnt signaling in the expression of cadherin-7 and cadherin-11 by treating neural crest cells with Wnt3a ligand. Expression of cadherin-11 was first confirmed in the neural crest cells for the chicken embryo. The changes in the expression level of cadherin-7 and -11 following the treatment with Wnt3a ligand were studied using real-time RT-PCR and immunostaining. Statistically significant up-regulation in the mRNA expression of cadherin-7 and cadherin-11 and in the amount of cadherin-7 and cadherin-11 protein found in cell-cell interfaces between neural crest cells was observed in response to Wnt, demonstrating that cadherin-7 and cadherin-11 expressed by the migrating neural crest cells can be regulated by the canonical Wnt pathway.
Anomalous Self-Experience in Adolescents at Risk of Psychosis

Background: In research and clinical settings, there is a growing interest in the prodromal state of psychosis. The condition is usually operationalized by the presence of weak positive symptoms. Some studies also point to disorders of self-awareness as a core characteristic of the schizophrenia spectrum detectable before the onset of psychosis. Combining the 2 approaches is a pragmatic solution to the investigation of the role of anomalous self-experience in developing psychosis. Methods: This clinical report describes disorders of self-experience in a small sample of 11 subjects fulfilling the Criteria of Prodromal Syndromes. All subjects were interviewed using the symptom checklist Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience. Through in-depth analysis of cases, interview excerpts have been selected for the purpose of illustrating the phenomena of anomalous self-experience. Results: Disorders of self-experience were found in all subjects who fulfilled the prodromal criteria. There was, however, a difference in the kind and numbers of single features. Examples of disorders of self-experience which differ from the attenuated positive symptoms are illustrated by selected interview excerpts. Conclusions: Anomalous self-experience should be further investigated in subjects at risk of psychosis and in a broader clinical population. The concept of anomalous self-experience should be further elaborated theoretically as well as empirically.
A 0.5V, 11.3-μW, 1-kS/s resistive sensor interface circuit with correlated double sampling

This paper presents a low-power resistive sensor interface circuit with correlated double sampling which reduces the effect of amplifier offset and enables time-interleaved single-to-differential sampling. The proposed sampling scheme, used with a 12b SAR-type analog-to-digital converter, effectively doubles the input signal and improves linearity. The fabricated chip in 0. 13μm CMOS demonstrates a sampling rate of 1-kS/s and a dynamic range of 117dB with a maximum conversion error of 0.32-percent while consuming only 11.3-μW from single supply voltage of 0.5V.
Eating disorders, body image, and dichotomous thinking among Japanese and Russian college women

This study explored cross-cultural differences between Japan and Russia in terms of women’s body images, proneness to eating disorders, and the effects of dichotomous thinking. Participants included 419 Japanese and 187 Russian college women who completed the Dichotomous Thinking Inventory (DTI), the 26-item version of the Eating Attitudes Test, and responses regarding nine figures representing female body shapes. The mean age of the participants was 19.8 years, with no significant age differences between the countries. The results showed that Japanese women have leaner ideal body images than Russian women, whereas there were no cross-cultural differences in the participants’ real body images. DTI scores among Russian participants were higher than DTI scores among Japanese participants, which indicated that Russian women think more dichotomously than Japanese. Structural equation modeling indicated a significantly negative effect of dichotomous thinking only on real body image in Russia; the ideal body image had greater effects on eating disorder in Russia than in Japan.
Functional morphology of the feedback pathway from area 17 of the cat visual cortex to the lateral geniculate nucleus

Two approaches were adopted to study the pattern of connectivity between the cat visual cortex and lateral geniculate nucleus. Fourteen individual cortico-geniculate axons were labeled and reconstructed after intracellular or extracellular injection of biocytin into regions of known receptive-field position and ocular dominance preference, and the distribution of boutons from multi-axon clusters was mapped in three dimensions and compared with the locations of strategically placed geniculate recordings made in the same tissue. The results show that the feedback has an accurate retinotopic component but that individual axons are both more extensive and more selective than described previously. Area 17 feedback axons terminate primarily in layers A and A1, but the distribution of terminal boutons is strongly biased (3:1 ratio) toward the layer that matches their eye preference. Thus, those driven by the contralateral eye preferentially target layer A, and those driven by the ipsilateral eye target layer A1. Each axon also innervates the perigeniculate nucleus (PGN), but the pattern is otherwise variable, suggesting that there are different axonal classes. The terminal fields of individual axons are much larger than described previously, with a maximum spread of 500–1500 microns. Nevertheless, the projection from a given location in area 17 has a center of maximum terminal density 400–500 microns across, which is in retinotopic correspondence with the aggregate receptive field of the cortical cells of origin. The surrounding zone of relatively sparse boutons, however, must permit corticofugal cells to influence visual processing well beyond the regions over which their own responses summate. It follows that any geniculate cell receives corticofugal input covering an equally extensive area of visual space.
Homozygosity for the patatin‐like phospholipase‐3/adiponutrin I148M polymorphism influences liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Inherited factors play a major role in the predisposition to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the rs738409 C→G polymorphism of PNPLA3/adiponutrin, encoding for the isoleucine‐to‐methionine substitution at residue 148 (I148M) protein variant, has recently been recognized as a major determinant of liver fat content. However, the effect of the rs738409 polymorphism on the severity of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD is still unknown. In this study, we considered 253 Italian patients, 179 healthy controls, and 71 family trios with an affected child with NAFLD. Analyses were replicated in 321 patients from the United Kingdom. The rs738409 polymorphism was determined by TaqMan assays. Liver histology was scored according to Kleiner et al. Hepatic expression of genes regulating liver damage was assessed by real‐time polymerase chain reaction in 52 patients. The rs738409 GG genotype was more prevalent in patients than in controls (14% versus 3%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8‐6.9), and in the family study, the G allele was overtransmitted to affected children (P = 0.001). In Italian and United Kingdom patients, adiponutrin genotype influenced alanine aminotransferase levels and the severity of steatosis. Adiponutrin genotype was associated with the expression of genes involved in the steatosis‐related liver damage, including the proapoptotic molecule Fas ligand. In the whole series combined, adiponutrin genotype was associated with steatosis grade >1 (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.04‐1.76), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.12‐2.04), and fibrosis stage >1 (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.09‐2.12), independent of age, body mass index, and diabetes. Adiponutrin genotype demonstrated a dose effect with heterozygote risk intermediate between CC and GG homozygotes. Conclusion: In patients with NAFLD, adiponutrin rs738409 C→G genotype, encoding for I148M, is associated with the severity of steatosis and fibrosis and the presence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. (Hepatology 2010;51:1209–1217)
The Gastric Cardia Is Not a Target for Human Papillomavirus–Induced Carcinogenesis

Background: Thousands of people in central Asia die every year from gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA). GCA arises in the transformation zone between the esophagus and the stomach, similar to cervical and oropharyngeal carcinoma, which arise in areas with transformation zone characteristics. The analogous biology of the gastric cardia to the cervix and oropharynx, where human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to cause cancer, raises the possibility that GCA could be a HPV-associated cancer. Given the availability of an effective HPV vaccine and its potential to prevent HPV-associated cancer, we decided to evaluate the prevalence of HPV DNA in GCA. Methods: We collected tumor tissue from 144 histopathologically confirmed GCA patients at Yaocun Commune Hospital (Linxian, China), with rigorous attention to prevent DNA contamination. We tested for the presence of HPV DNA in fresh-frozen tumor specimens using PCR with sensitive L1-, E6-, and E7-based primers. Results: DNA was adequate, as indicated by β-globin positivity, in 108 cases. Of these, all (100%; 95% confidence interval, 97-100%) were negative for HPV DNA. Conclusions: These results suggest that HPV does not contribute to gastric cardia carcinogenesis in north central China. Impact: Because GCA does not seem to be a HPV-associated cancer, prophylactic HPV vaccination is unlikely to affect rates of GCA in China. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(4); 1137–9. ©2010 AACR.
Validation of a new tool for the assessment of study quality and reporting in exercise training studies: TESTEX

Introduction:Several established tools are available to assess study quality and reporting of randomized controlled trials; however, these tools were designed with clinical intervention trials in mind. In exercise training intervention trials some of the traditional study quality criteria, such as participant or researcher blinding, are extremely difficult to implement. Methods:We developed the Tool for the assEssment of Study qualiTy and reporting in EXercise (TESTEX) – a study quality and reporting assessment tool, designed specifically for use in exercise training studies. Our tool is a 15-point scale (5 points for study quality and 10 points for reporting) and addresses previously unmentioned quality assessment criteria specific to exercise training studies. Results:There were no systematic differences between the summated TESTEX scores of each observer [H(2) = 0.392, P = 0.822]. There was a significant association between the summated TESTEX scores of the three observers, with almost perfect agreement between observers 1 and 2 [intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82–0.97, P < 0.001], observers 1 and 3 (ICC = 0.96, 95% CI 0.89–0.98, P < 0.001) and observers 2 and 3 (ICC = 0.91, 95% CI 0.75–0.96, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The TESTEX scale is a new, reliable tool, specific to exercise scientists, that facilitates a comprehensive review of exercise training trials.
Natural radionuclide and radiological assessment of building materials in high background radiation areas of Ramsar, Iran

Building materials, collected from different sites in Ramsar, a northern coastal city in Iran, were analyzed for their natural radionuclide contents. The measurements were carried out using a high resolution high purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometer system. The activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K content varied from below the minimum detection limit up to 86,400 Bqkg-1, 187 Bqkg-1, and 1350 Bqkg-1, respectively. The radiological hazards incurred from the use of these building materials were estimated through various radiation hazard indices. The result of this survey shows that values obtained for some samples are more than the internationally accepted maximum limits and as such, the use of them as a building material pose significant radiation hazard to individuals.
Computing network tolls with support constraints

Reducing traffic congestion via toll pricing has been a central topic in the operations research and transportation literature and, recently, it has been implemented in several cities all over the world. Since, in practice, it is not feasible to impose tolls on every edge of a given traffic network, we study the resulting mathematical problem of computing tolls on a predefined subset of edges of the network so as to minimize the total travel time of the induced equilibrium flow. We first present an analytical study for the special case of parallel edge networks highlighting the intrinsic complexity and nonconvexity of the resulting optimization problem. We then present algorithms for general networks for which we systematically test the solution quality for large‐scale network instances. Finally, we discuss the related optimization problem of computing tolls subject to a cardinality constraint on the number of edges that have tolls. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 65(3), 262–285 2015
A Model for Cross-Cultural Reciprocal Interactions through Mass Media

We investigate the problem of cross-cultural interactions through mass media in a model where two populations of social agents, each with its own internal dynamics, get information about each other through reciprocal global interactions. As the agent dynamics, we employ Axelrod's model for social influence. The global interaction fields correspond to the statistical mode of the states of the agents and represent mass media messages on the cultural trend originating in each population. Several phases are found in the collective behavior of either population depending on parameter values: two homogeneous phases, one having the state of the global field acting on that population, and the other consisting of a state different from that reached by the applied global field; and a disordered phase. In addition, the system displays nontrivial effects: (i) the emergence of a largest minority group of appreciable size sharing a state different from that of the applied global field; (ii) the appearance of localized ordered states for some values of parameters when the entire system is observed, consisting of one population in a homogeneous state and the other in a disordered state. This last situation can be considered as a social analogue to a chimera state arising in globally coupled populations of oscillators.
Allergen1 regulates polysaccharide structure in Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans is an important human, fungal pathogen that sheds polysaccharide (exo‐PS) into host tissues. While shed exo‐PS mediates numerous untoward effects (including promoting increased intracranial pressure), little is known about the regulation of this phenomenon. Since downregulation of the Allergen 1 (ALL1) gene is associated with high ICP, we investigated the relationship between ALL1 expression and exo‐PS structure using a variety of biophysical techniques. The Δall1 mutants of two serotypes produced a shorter exo‐PS with less branching and structural complexity than the parental strains. Consistent with lower branching, these exo‐PSs manifested higher intrinsic viscosity than the parental strains. The Δall1 mutant strains manifested differences in epitope expression and significant resistance to phagocytosis. Exo‐PS of Δall1 mutant exhibited anti‐phagocytic properties. Comparative transcriptome analysis of mutant and parental strain under iron‐deprived conditions indicated a role of ALL1 in iron homeostasis, characterized by differential regulation of genes that mediate iron reduction and transport. Together, our results demonstrate a role of ALL1 in regulating conformational aspects of PS structure and iron homeostasis. These findings provide a mechanism to explain how changes in ALL1 expression influence virulence of switch variants and suggest that structural changes and polymer length are epigenetically regulated.
Time-delay effect on load frequency control for microgrids

The time-delay effect on load frequency control (LFC) for power smart grids systems based on microgrids (MGs) is analyzed. A new cyber-physical modeling approach is used to identify system signals that are vulnerable to communication constraints. An analytic approach based on the Rekasius substitution and sum of squares decomposition is proposed to find the time-delay stability margin of LFC in microgrids. The cyber physical modeling and time-delay margin analysis approaches are applied to a microgrid example based on a distributed diesel generator and a photo-voltaic generator. In addition, the impact of time-delays for these class of systems is shown in simulation. The proposed approach can be used to analyze other cybernetic constraints in smart grid power systems and the methodology used to find delay stability margin can be extended to power systems of larger scale, as interconnected microgrids.
Management of malignant pleural effusion by an indwelling pleural catheter: A cost-efficiency analysis

Background: For patients that are expected to survive for longer, the risk of complications combined with the need for more vacuum drainage bottles have become barriers to the placement of indwelling pleural catheter (IPC), since these could increase costs. Objetives: The objective of the current article is to determine the cost and efficiency of treating malignant pleural effusion (MPE) with IPC in Spanish hospitals. Methods: We compared the cost associated with the use of IPC per outpatient and per inpatient. We analyzed the number of consultations, length of hospital stay, and outcome of the procedure. Results: Fifty-five patients were recruited. Spontaneous pleurodesis was achieved in 34.4% of the cases. Post-catheterization complications were observed in 7.2%. Supplementary procedures were unnecessary and 87.7% of the patients reported improved dyspnea. In 64.9% of the cases, the IPCs were inserted during hospitalization with a median hospitalization time of 4 days (1-7.5). There were differences in the number of visits with more consultations being observed in the outpatient group. There was no difference in the number of vacuum drainage bottles used. The complications supposed a cost increase of €1045.6 per outpatient and €432.54 per inpatient. The overall average cost of treatment per outpatient was €3310.2 and €5450.3 per inpatient. Conclusions: The treatment with IPC was effective, safe, without need of any more procedures and led to improved dyspnea in more than 85% of the patients. The cost is lower in the outpatient group, although complications represent an increased cost in both groups.
Language-independent OCR using a continuous speech recognition system

In this paper we show how continuous speech recognition methods can be used for character recognition resulting in a technology that is language independent and does not require presegmentation of the data at the character and word levels. In multifont experiments on the ARPA Arabic OCR Corpus an average character error rate of 1.9% is obtained using the BBN BYBLOS continuous speech recognition system with no modifications. A first experiment using the identical system and procedures, trained and tested on a subset of the English Univ. of Washington OCR corpus resulted in 1.4% character error.
Platelet rich fibrin - a novel acumen into regenerative endodontic therapy

Research into regenerative dentistry has added impetus onto the field of molecular biology. It can be documented as a prototype shift in the therapeutic armamentarium for dental disease. Regenerative endodontic procedures are widely being added to the current armamentarium of pulp therapy procedures. The regenerative potential of platelets has been deliberated. A new family of platelet concentrates called the platelet rich fibrin (PRF) has been recently used by several investigators and has shown application in diverse disciplines of dentistry. This paper is intended to add light on the various prospects of PRF and clinical insights to regenerative endodontic therapy.
Lentiviral Vector Gene Transfer Is Limited by the Proteasome at Postentry Steps in Various Types of Stem Cells

The isolation of human embryonic and somatic stem cells of different types has made it possible to design novel gene and cell replacement therapies. Vectors derived from retro/lentiviruses are used to stably introduce genes into stem cells and their progeny. However, the permissivity to retroviral infection varies among cell types. We previously showed that hematopoietic stem cells are poorly permissive to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐derived vectors and that pharmacological inhibition of the proteasome strongly enhances gene transfer. Here we report that the proteasome limits lentiviral gene transfer in all stem cell types tested, including embryonic, mesenchymal, and neural, of both human and mouse origin. Remarkably, this inhibitory activity was sharply reduced upon differentiation of the stem cells, suggesting that it represents a novel feature of the stem cell/immature progenitor phenotype. Proteasome‐mediated inhibition was specific for lentiviral vectors and occurred at a postentry infection step. It was not mediated by activation of nuclear factor‐κB, a major signaling pathway modulated by the proteasome, and did not correlate with high proteasome activity. Interaction of the virion core with cyclophilin A was required to maximize the effect of proteasome inhibitor on the infection pathway. These findings are relevant to uncover new mediators of HIV gene transfer and help in designing more effective protocols for the genetic modification of stem cells.