Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk related brain regions detection and individual risk classification with 3D image FPCA

Abstract Understanding how people make decisions from risky choices has attracted increasing attention of researchers in economics, psychology and neuroscience. While economists try to evaluate individual’s risk preference through mathematical modeling, neuroscientists answer the question by exploring the neural activities of the brain. We propose a model-free method, 3-dimensional image functional principal component analysis (3DIF), to provide a connection between active risk related brain region detection and individual’s risk preference. The 3DIF methodology is directly applicable to 3-dimensional image data without artificial vectorization or mapping and simultaneously guarantees the contiguity of risk related brain regions rather than discrete voxels. Simulation study evidences an accurate and reasonable region detection using the 3DIF method. In real data analysis, five important risk related brain regions are detected, including parietal cortex (PC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), lateral orbifrontal cortex (lOFC), anterior insula (aINS) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), while the alternative methods only identify limited risk related regions. Moreover, the 3DIF method is useful for extraction of subjective specific signature scores that carry explanatory power for individual’s risk attitude. In particular, the 3DIF method perfectly classifies both strongly and weakly risk averse subjects for in-sample analysis. In out-of-sample experiment, it achieves 73 -88 overall accuracy, among which 90 -100 strongly risk averse subjects and 49 -71 weakly risk averse subjects are correctly classified with leave-k-out cross validations.
In depression, bacterial translocation may drive inflammatory responses, oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), and autoimmune responses directed against O&NS‐damaged neoepitopes

Maes M, Kubera M, Leunis J‐C, Berk M, Geffard M, Bosmans E. In depression, bacterial translocation may drive inflammatory responses, oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), and autoimmune responses directed against O&NS‐damaged neoepitopes.
Inhibition of growth of Toxoplasma gondii in cultured fibroblasts by human recombinant gamma interferon

The growth of Toxoplasma gondii in cultured human fibroblasts was inhibited by recombinant human gamma interferon at concentrations of 8 to 16 U/ml. The interferon was titrated by observing a total inhibition of parasite plaque formation 7 days after infection. Inhibition of the growth of T. gondii in the early days after infection was measured by marked reductions in the incorporation of radioactive uracil, a precursor that can only be used by the parasites. This assay showed that when cells were pretreated with gamma interferon for 1 day and then infected, inhibition of T. gondii growth could be readily detected 1 or 2 days after infection. When the pretreatment was omitted and parasites and gamma interferon were added at the same time, no inhibition of parasite growth could be detected 1 day later, although it was apparent after 2 days. Cultures from which the gamma interferon had been removed by washing after a 1-day treatment showed inhibition of T. gondii growth. Gamma interferon had no effect on the viability of extracellular parasites, but it did inhibit the synthesis of host cell RNA and protein by ca. 50% 3 days after treatment. This degree of inhibition is unlikely, of itself, to compromise the growth of T. gondii. Recombinant alpha and beta interferons had no effect on the growth of T. gondii.
Have Households Under-Saved for Retirement?

There is a common perception that households are under-saving for retirement - indeed this has motivated many recent policy reforms in the UK. In this paper we use a structural model, specified to closely match the UK policy environment, to investigate this ‘fact’ for the cohort born in the 1940s. Using the model and administrative data linked with survey data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, an optimal level of wealth is calculated for each household. This is then compared to the levels of wealth observed in the data. Our results show that the vast majority of households in this cohort actually hold far greater wealth than is necessary to maintain their living standards into and through retirement.
The Major Role of the Rab Ypt7p in Vacuole Fusion Is Supporting HOPS Membrane Association*♦

Yeast vacuole fusion requires soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs), the Rab GTPase Ypt7p, vacuolar lipids, Sec17p and Sec18p, and the homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting complex (HOPS). HOPS is a multisubunit protein with direct affinities for SNAREs, vacuolar lipids, and the GTP-bound form of Ypt7p; each of these affinities contributes to HOPS association with the organelle. Using all-purified components, we have reconstituted fusion, but the Rab Ypt7p was not required. We now report that phosphorylation of HOPS by the vacuolar kinase Yck3p blocks HOPS binding to vacuolar lipids, making HOPS membrane association and the ensuing fusion depend on the presence of Ypt7p. In accord with this finding in the reconstituted fusion reaction, the inactivation of Ypt7p by the GTPase-activating protein Gyp1–46p only blocks the fusion of purified vacuoles when Yck3p is present and active. Thus, although Ypt7p may contribute to other fusion functions, its central role is to bind HOPS to the membrane.
Presence and localization of the 60 KD calicin in human spermatozoa presenting postacrosomal sheath defects: Preliminary results

Using an indirect immunofluorescence technique, we studied the anticalicin antibody distribution in four teratozoospermic human sperm samples with a high rate of spermatozoa with incomplete postacrosomal sheath structure (PAS) detected at the ultrastructural level. The calicin distribution obtained in these samples is compared with the distribution obtained in two normal human sperm samples with a high proportion of normal PAS and in 3 human sperm samples without PAS (“round‐headed syndrome”). In contrast to the homogeneous calicin distribution found in the majority of the normal group, similar to that reported by Longo et al. (J Cell Biol 105:1105–1120, 1987) and Paranko et al. (Differentiation 38:21–27, 1988), and the absence of calicin in the three non‐PAS samples, we observed new patterns of calicin distribution in the four sperm samples studied. In the light of these preliminary results, the use of anticalicin antibody as a tool for human postacrosomal region evaluation is discussed.
Expression of hyaluronan synthase 2 or hyaluronidase 1 differentially affect the growth rate of transplantable colon carcinoma cell tumors

Advanced colorectal cancers are often associated with elevated amounts of hyaluronan. To investigate the importance of hyaluronan in colon carcinoma tumor progression, we have expressed by stable transfection hyaluronan synthase 2 (Has2) and hyaluronidase 1 (Hyal1) in the rat colon carcinoma cell line, PROb. We found that hyaluronan overproduction led to a higher growth rate of tumor cells in vitro, and to a faster development of transplantable tumors in syngeneic rats, compared to the mock‐transfectants. Has2 transfected PROb cells gave rise to tumors that were significantly less vascularized, but had a significantly larger viable tumor fraction compared to tumors generated from mock‐transfectants. In contrast, Hyal1 overexpression suppressed the growth rate of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, tumors derived from Hyal1‐transfected cells had a significantly larger necrotic area than tumors derived from mock‐ and Has2‐transfectants. Our study demonstrates that Has2 overproduction promotes tumorigenicity, whereas Hyal1 overexpression suppresses tumorigenicity in an experimental model for colon carcinoma. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Secure Gesture Based Authentication Scheme to Unlock the Smartphones

In the recent times, the smart phones have become versatile that they are used for sensitive applications such as m-banking, m-commerce, m-governance, m-health, digital marketing, SMS and have become a vital gadget to share posts in social networking applications such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and others. It is also used for online gaming, surfing, chatting and also used for storing the personal information like photos, videos, documents and other important files. In this scenario, it is no surprise that the basic demand for utilizing a smart phone is secure authentication. Though a number of authentication schemes have been proposed in the literature through PIN numbers, passwords and patterns, they are susceptible for shoulder surfing or smudging attacks. Thus, combing gestures with such authentication schemes prove to be more successful in the present times and hence a new kind of pattern has been proposed with essential gestures such as finger pressure and inclination of the phone while it is being unlocked. This work is different from the previous works in two dimensions. First, the proposed pattern is secure against both shoulder surfing and smudging attacks. Second, the computational complexity of authentication scheme has been reduced. Through extensive experiments it can be proved that this work outperforms many works in the recent literature and hence it would be an ideal candidate for the secure authentication of smart phones.
Update on patented cholesterol absorption inhibitors

Background: Atherosclerosis is one of the most life-threatening diseases primarily associated with hypercholesterolemia and is characterized by increased serum cholesterol level. Cholesterol originates from both its de novo synthesis within the hepatic cells and its absorption into the intestine in the form of dietary or bile cholesterol. Interventions influencing both of these processes are promising therapeutic options to lower the cholesterol level. Hydroxymethyl glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors, commonly known as statins, effectively block the rate determining step in the biosynthesis of cholesterol. Ezetimibe is the first new class of drugs used to treat hypercholesterolemia by inhibition of cholesterol absorption through Niemann Pick C1 Like 1 membrane of enterocytes. Therefore, combination therapy of ezetimibe and statins offers an efficacious new approach for the prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Objectives: The present review focuses on updates on ezetimibe and patented profile of novel cholesterol absorption inhibitors followed by critical analysis of different targets such as cholesterol esterase inhibitors, bile acid transport inhibitors or phospholipase-A2 inhibitors, etc.which play an important role in the lipid absorption. Conclusion: The discovery of ezetimibe has opened a new door for the management of hyper-cholesterolemia in combination with statins. There are newer analogues that are under clinical trials, among which darapladib, FM-VP4 and A-002 are promising compounds.
Identification of a second “French Canadian” LDL receptor gene deletion and development of a rapid method to detect both deletions

Hobbs et al. (N. Engl. J. Med. 317: 734–737, 1987) reported a large deletion of approximately 10 kilobases in the 5′ portion of the human low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. This deletion affects about 60% of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) heterozygotes in the French Canadian population. We have developed a rapid, convenient method for the detection of the deletion using double digestion with the restriction enzymes Xbal and EcoRV, or triple digestion with Xbal, EcoRV and XmnI, and a 650 bp cDNA probe, radio‐labeled using a random oligonucleotide primer technique. Eighty French Canadian FH heterozygotes were screened for the presence of the deletion. Forty‐seven (59%) of them were found to carry the 10 kb deletion. Using the same method, we also identified a new mutation which was found in four of the 80 (5%) FH patients. This mutation has been found to be a 5 kb deletion removing exons 2 and 3 of the LDL receptor gene, which correspond to the first two repeats of the LDL receptor binding domain. Cosegregation of the 5 kb deletion and the FH phenotype was observed in one family. Possible structure‐function relationship is discussed.
Risk-Averse Preventive Voltage Control of AC/DC Power Systems Including Wind Power Generation

Preventive voltage control (PVC) deals with the alert state of power systems, where the system operates in a stable regime but loading margin (LM) is insufficient or some operational constraints have been violated. Hence, the aim of PVC is to ensure a desired LM (i.e., restoration of normal operation state), while minimizing the corresponding control costs. This paper proposes a new stochastic PVC (SPVC) model for power systems operation, taking into account the uncertainties of wind power generation. The uncertainty of wind power generation is handled using a scenario-based modeling approach. The risk associated with each objective function (OF) is handled using conditional value at risk (CVaR). Voltage set-points of generation units, active power readjustment of predetermined generating units, load reduction of a predetermined load buses, along with the intermittent wind power generation, are employed as control measures in the proposed SPVC approach. Line-commutated converter high-voltage dc (LCC-HVDC) link constraints and doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) capability curves are also considered in the proposed SPVC approach. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, it is applied on the IEEE 39-bus test system. The obtained results substantiate the applicability of the proposed SPVC model to ensure secure operation of ac/dc power systems with high penetration of offshore wind farms.
Optimized detection of lactate at high fields using inner volume saturation

In localized proton MR spectroscopy (1H‐MRS) in vivo, the detection of lactate (Lac) is affected by modulation of its resonances due to homonuclear scalar couplings (J). A simple and convenient way to distinguish Lac from lipids is to set the TE to 1/J so that the Lac signal is inverted while other resonances (such as lipid) remain in‐phase. However, at high field strengths, such as 3 Tesla or above, the modulation of the Lac signal is complicated by chemical shift effects that cause modulation patterns to vary within different subregions of the localized volume. Under some conditions the Lac signal may even disappear completely. In this note we introduce the concept of inner volume saturation (IVS), which makes use of high bandwidth spatial pulses to remove the signal corresponding to the regions of the localized volume that contribute unwanted modulation patterns. The method is described theoretically and demonstrated experimentally at 3 Tesla in a phantom and a patient with acute stroke. The phantom measurements indicate that virtually 100% of the Lac signal can be recovered using this method. The method should be feasible at magnetic fields above 3 Tesla, and may also be applied to other coupled spin systems in which modulation effects are important. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dynamic network performance evaluation of general insurance companies: an insight into risk management committee structure

Nowadays, insurance companies are operating in a challenging and borderless business world. They should focus on improving their competitive advantages to secure increased profits and reduced costs. As fundamental elements of total quality management, performance measurement and risk management play important roles in ensuring sustainable operation. This study investigates the relationship between risk management committee structure and the operating efficiency of general insurance companies operating in Malaysia for the period 2008–2013. First, this research applies the dynamic network data envelopment analysis methodology, decomposing the typical two-stage operating process of general insurance companies. That is, we estimate the marketing efficiency and profitability efficiency. We find that the sample companies have to first improve their marketing efficiency, and then proceed to improve their profitability efficiency. Second, this study applies truncated regression to test the impact of risk management committee structure on general insurers’ operating efficiency. In today's business world, general life insurance companies have to manage risks well to gain a competitive advantage.
Improved Leakage Correction for Single-Echo Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Perfusion MRI Estimates of Relative Cerebral Blood Volume in High-Grade Gliomas by Accounting for Bidirectional Contrast Agent Exchange

The authors' hypothesis is that incorporating bidirectional contrast agent transport into the DSC MR imaging signal model will improve rCBV estimates in brain tumors. A unidirectional contrast agent extravasation model (Boxerman-Weisskoff) was compared with a bidirectional contrast agent exchange model. For both models, they compared the goodness of fit with the parent leakage-contaminated relaxation rate curves and the difference between modeled interstitial relaxation rate curves and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging in 21 patients with glioblastoma. The authors conclude that the bidirectional model more accurately corrects for the T1 or T2* enhancement arising from contrast agent extravasation due to blood-brain barrier disruption in high-grade gliomas by incorporating interstitial washout rates into the DSC MR imaging relaxation rate model. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Contrast agent extravasation through a disrupted blood-brain barrier potentiates inaccurate DSC MR imaging estimation of relative CBV. We explored whether incorporation of an interstitial washout rate in a leakage-correction model for single-echo, gradient-echo DSC MR imaging improves relative CBV estimates in high-grade gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We modified the traditional model-based postprocessing leakage-correction algorithm, assuming unidirectional contrast agent extravasation (Boxerman-Weisskoff model) to account for bidirectional contrast agent exchange between intra- and extravascular spaces (bidirectional model). For both models, we compared the goodness of fit with the parent leakage-contaminated relaxation rate curves by using the Akaike Information Criterion and the difference between modeled interstitial relaxation rate curves and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging by using Euclidean distance in 21 patients with glioblastoma multiforme. RESULTS: The bidirectional model had improved Akaike Information Criterion versus the bidirectional model in >50% of enhancing tumor voxels in all 21 glioblastoma multiformes (77% ± 9%; P < .0001) and had reduced the Euclidean distance in >50% of enhancing tumor voxels for 17/21 glioblastoma multiformes (62% ± 17%; P = .0041). The bidirectional model and dynamic contrast-enhanced-derived kep demonstrated a strong correlation (r = 0.74 ± 0.13). On average, enhancing tumor relative CBV for the Boxerman-Weisskoff model exceeded that for the bidirectional model by 16.6% ± 14.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of the bidirectional exchange in leakage-correction models for single-echo DSC MR imaging improves the model fit to leakage-contaminated DSC MR imaging data and significantly improves the estimation of relative CBV in high-grade gliomas.
Adaptive Resource Allocation and Provisioning in Multi-Service Cloud Environments

In the current cloud business environment, the cloud provider (CP) can provide a means for offering the required quality of service (QoS) for multiple classes of clients. We consider the cloud market where various resources such as CPUs, memory, and storage in the form of Virtual Machine (VM) instances can be provisioned and then leased to clients with QoS guarantees. Unlike existing works, we propose a novel Service Level Agreement (SLA) framework for cloud computing, in which a price control parameter is used to meet QoS demands for all classes in the market. The framework uses reinforcement learning (RL) to derive a VM hiring policy that can adapt to changes in the system to guarantee the QoS for all client classes. These changes include: service cost, system capacity, and the demand for service. In exhibiting solutions, when the CP leases more VMs to a class of clients, the QoS is degraded for other classes due to an inadequate number of VMs. However, our approach integrates computing resources adaptation with service admission control based on the RL model. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt that facilitates this integration to enhance the CP's profit and avoid SLA violation. Numerical analysis stresses the ability of our approach to avoid SLA violation while maximizing the CP's profit under varying cloud environment conditions.
Detection of proximal adenomatous polyps with screening sigmoidoscopy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of screening colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND The relative effectiveness of flexible sigmoidoscopy compared with colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer depends on the magnitude of the association between findings in the proximal and distal colon and the false-negative rate of screening sigmoidoscopy for proximal neoplasia. To address this, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of screening colonoscopy studies. METHODS Published studies through July 31, 2000, of asymptomatic patients undergoing screening colonoscopy were identified from the MEDLINE database. We generated pooled estimates of the odds ratio for the association between findings in the distal and proximal colon and the prevalence of isolated proximal adenomatous neoplasia. RESULTS Using the sigmoid-descending colon junction to identify the beginning of the distal colon, the pooled odds ratio for the association between distal adenomatous polyps and any proximal neoplasia was 2.40 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42-4.05). Diminutive distal adenomatous polyps were also associated with proximal neoplasia (odds ratio, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.30-4.29). Distal hyperplastic polyps were not associated with proximal neoplasia (odds ratio, 1.44; 95% CI, 0.79-2.62). The prevalence of isolated advanced proximal neoplasia in the 3 studies was 2%, 3%, and 5%. Using the sigmoid-descending colon junction to identify the beginning of the distal colon yields a pooled estimate of isolated proximal neoplasia of 16.3% (95% CI, 13.6%-19.1%). CONCLUSIONS Distal adenomatous polyps, including diminutive distal adenomatous polyps, are associated with an increased prevalence of synchronous proximal neoplasia. Two percent to 5% of patients undergoing screening colonoscopy may have isolated advanced proximal neoplasia. Even more patients may have isolated nonadvanced proximal neoplasia.
Effects of solar radiation on convection and internal waves in ice-covered lake

Early-spring under-ice convection was investigated as part of an interdisciplinary research project in Lake Onego (Russia). We investigated temperature dynamics in the convectively-mixed and stratified layers of the lake with a thermistor chain and vertical profiling sensors. Radiative transfer through the ice led to a well developed convective mixed layer. Convective velocity was evaluated using two different methods and we showed that convective velocity is completely damped during the restratifying night time. We observed internal waves in the thermocline below the convective mixed layer with strong daily variations. Maximum of internal wave energy started in the afternoon and continued long after the end of solar radiation forcing. Our analysis indicates that local convective processes are key forcing mechanisms for the generation of internal waves in ice-covered lakes.