Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Model Parameters Estimating on Lyman–Kutcher–Burman Normal Tissue Complication Probability for Xerostomia on Head and Neck Cancer

The purpose of this study is to derive parameters estimating for the Lyman–Kutcher–Burman (LKB) normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model using analysis of scintigraphy assessments and quality of life (QoL) measurement questionnaires for the parotid gland (xerostomia). In total, 31 patients with head-and-neck (HN) cancer were enrolled. Salivary excretion factor (SEF) and EORTC QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires datasets are used for the NTCP modeling to describe the incidence of grade 4 xerostomia. Assuming that n= 1, NTCP fitted parameters are given as TD50= 43.6 Gy, m= 0.18 in SEF analysis, and as TD50= 44.1 Gy, m= 0.11 in QoL measurements, respectively. SEF and QoL datasets can validate the Quantitative Analyses of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC) guidelines well, resulting in NPV’s of 100% for the both datasets and suggests that the QUANTEC 25/20Gy gland-spared guidelines are suitable for clinical used for the HN cohort to effectively avoid xerostomia. Keywords—HN, NTCP, SEF, QoL, QUANTEC
A neural network approach to hyphenating Norwegian

This paper presents a method to automatically hyphenate Norwegian by a backpropagation neural network. The original database consists of about 67000 Norwegian words and is developed by the Norwegian Computing Centre for the Humanities at the University of Bergen. The experiments have been done on a PC-platform and on only a sample of words from the database. The hyphenation program has been developed in Cortex-Pro, a general purpose neural network simulation environment.
Reducing the Perceived Deception of Product Recommendation Agents: The Impact of Perceived Verifiability and Perceived Similarity

Product Recommendations Agents (PRAs) are software applications that augment consumers’ purchasing decisions by offering product recommendations based on elicited customers’ preferences. The underlying premise of PRAs is often grounded on the assumption that PRAs seek to optimize consumers’ utility by tailoring product recommendations to meet requisite expectations. Because the majority of commercial PRAs are implemented by parties with partisan interests in product sales, it is highly probable that recommendations are biased in favor of their providers and do not accurately reflect consumers’ interests. This in turn may possibly induce perceptions of deception among consumers. This study theorizes that the incorporation of IT-mediated components in PRAs, which induce high levels of perceived verifiability and perceived similarity, could mitigate consumers’ perceptions of deception towards product recommendations.
More than memory impairment in voltage‐gated potassium channel complex encephalopathy

Autoimmune encephalopathies (AEs) are a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders that affect cognition. Although memory difficulties are commonly endorsed, few reports of AEs inclusively assess all cognitive domains in detail. Our aim was to perform an unbiased cognitive evaluation of AE patients with voltage‐gated potassium channel complex antibodies (VGKCC‐Abs) in order to delineate cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
Structure of a covalently stabilized complex of a human αβ T‐cell receptor, influenza HA peptide and MHC class II molecule, HLA‐DR1

An αβ T‐cell receptor (αβTCR)/hemagglutinin (HA) peptide/human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐DR1 complex was stabilized by flexibly linking the HA peptide with the human HA1.7 αβTCR, to increase the local concentration of the interacting proteins once the peptide has been loaded onto the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule. The structure of the complex, determined by X‐ray crystallography, has a binding mode similar to that of the human B7 αβTCR on a pMHCI molecule. Twelve of the 15 MHC residues contacted are at the same positions observed earlier in class I MHC/peptide/TCR complexes. One contact, to an MHC loop outside the peptide‐binding site, is conserved and specific to pMHCII complexes. TCR gene usage in the response to HA/HLA‐DR appears to conserve charged interactions between three lysines of the peptide and acidic residues on the TCR.
Alternative Methods for Solving Heterogeneous Firm Models

I implement and compare five solution methods for a benchmark heterogeneous firms model with lumpy capital adjustment and aggregate uncertainty. The Krusell–Smith algorithm performs best within a group of methods using projection in the aggregate states. Another technique, Parameterization plus Perturbation, is much faster and performs best within a group of methods using perturbation in aggregates. However, projection and perturbation have nonoverlapping strengths and weaknesses. I highlight the resulting trade‐offs with several model extensions. I recommend that researchers apply projection methods to cases with large shocks or nonlinear dynamics, while cases with explicitly distributional channels at work favor perturbation.
Activation of sarX by Rbf Is Required for Biofilm Formation and icaADBC Expression in Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT A major constituent of many Staphylococcus aureus biofilms is a polysaccharide known as the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin, or poly N-acetylglucosamine (PIA/PNAG). PIA/PNAG is synthesized by the 4 gene products of the icaADBC operon, which is negatively regulated by the divergently transcribed icaR gene. We previously reported the identification of a gene, rbf, involved in the positive transcriptional regulation of icaADBC transcription by repressing icaR in S. aureus strain 8325-4. However, we were unable to show binding of Rbf to DNA upstream of icaR or icaA, suggesting that Rbf may control expression of an unknown factor(s) that, in turn, regulates ica expression. Here we report that the unknown factor is SarX protein. Results from epistasis assays and genetic complementation analyses suggest that Rbf upregulates SarX, which then downregulates IcaR, thereby activating icaADBC. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that SarX protein bound to a sequence upstream of icaR within the icaA coding region. Cross-linking and immunoprecipitation experiments further suggested that Rbf binds to the sarX promoter in S. aureus. These results demonstrate that Rbf and SarX represent a regulatory cascade that promotes PIA-dependent biofilm formation in S. aureus.
Improving the Jiles-Atherton model by introducing a full dynamic dependence of parameters

An improvement of the Jiles-Atherton model by introducing a dynamic dependence of all five parameters is presented. The values of parameters dynamically change as a function of the magnetic field excitation. The proposed model aims to improve the poor performance of the classic model Jiles-Atherton in generalizing both saturated and minor loops of a given material. Non-linear optimization techniques such as Genetic Algorithm (GA), Trust-Region-Reflective (TRR) and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) were used by a hybrid configuration for the parameter identification, using hysteresis loops generated with the Preisach model as target. Different cases of excitation trends are investigated and final validation and comparison results are presented.
In vitro evaluation of metallic coronary artery stents with 64-MDCT using an ECG-gated cardiac phantom: relationship between in-stent visualization, stent type, and heart rate.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of 64-MDCT in the visualization of different coronary artery stents and in the appraisal of in-stent stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five different coronary stent types with three diameters (2.5, 3.0, and 4.0 mm) were analyzed using anthropomorphic dynamic cardiac phantom. All stents were mounted on polyurethane sticks of defined outer diameter and contained a default concentric stenosis of 50% each. Imaging was performed at four different heart rates (no motion, 60 beats/min, 75 beats/min, and 90 beats/min). Apparent stent diameter, degree of stenosis, in-stent attenuation, and diagnostic accuracy were assessed. RESULTS A significant (p < 0.05) overestimation of the degree of stenosis (41.1% +/- 41.4%), underestimation of the stent lumen (-42.7% +/- 41.4%), and increase in in-stent attenuation (36.6 +/- 29.2 HU) were observed for all stents and heart rates. In-stent stenosis > 50% was detected with an overall sensitivity of 88.9% (95% CI, 75.9-96.3%) and an overall specificity of 51.1% (95% CI, 35.8-66.3%) by observer 1 and with an overall sensitivity of 86.7% (95% CI, 73.2-94.9%) and an overall specificity of 57.8% (95% CI, 42.2-72.3%) by observer 2. A trend toward higher specificity was observed for increasing stent diameter, however, without reaching statistical significance (p = 0.63). CONCLUSION In an experimental setting, 64-MDCT allows a reliable detection of instent stenosis but significantly overestimates the actual degree of stenosis. Within the range of physiologic heart rates, diagnostic accuracy is restricted by spatial, not temporal, resolution.
A case study analysis of a constructionist knowledge building community with activity theory

This article investigates how activity theory can help research a constructionist community. We present a constructionist activity model called CONstructionism Through ACtivity Theory (CONTACT) model and explain how it can be used to analyse the constructionist activity in knowledge building communities. We then illustrate the model through its application to analysing the Wiki-supported community associated with a computer game. Our analysis focuses mainly on two perspectives: individual and collective actions, as well as individual and collective mediations. Experiences and challenges from the analysis are reported to demonstrate how CONTACT is helpful in analysing such communities.
Attachment styles and affect regulation among outpatients with schizophrenia: relationships to symptomatology and emotional distress.

OBJECTIVES Using the model of activation and dynamics of the attachment system (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2002) and dynamic stress-vulnerability models of psychosis (Ingmar & Luxton, 2005) as the analytical frameworks, the authors tested the hypothesis that the insecure attachment styles are differentially associated with the severity of psychopathological symptoms and emotional distress among outpatients with International Classification of Diseases, Tenth edition (ICD-10) diagnosis of schizophrenia. METHODS Attachment styles were identified using the Relationship Questionnaire (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) among 100 outpatients with an ICD-10 schizophrenia diagnosis. Current symptom severity was measured by the Positive and Negative Syndromes Scale (Kay, Fiszbein, & Opler, 1987) and emotional distress by the General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg & Williams, 1988). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to test the hypotheses. RESULTS The preoccupied and fearful-avoidant attachment patterns were associated with higher scores of psychotic (delusions, suspiciousness/persecution, and hallucinatory behaviour) and affective (anxiety, tension, guilt feeling, and depression) symptoms, whereas the dismissing-avoidant style was associated with only anxiety. All the insecure attachment styles were associated with elevated emotional distress. CONCLUSIONS The findings support the hypothesis of a predisposing role of the preoccupied and fearful-avoidant styles in psychotic symptom formation and call for cognitive interpersonal interventions geared to reduce symptom and emotional distress severity.
Building Consumer Demand by using Viral Marketing Tactics within an Online Social Network

Online social networks in general and Facebook, as the biggest network, in particular, became a very attractive platform for many companies in the last couple of years. Most companies are using today traditional push strategies in order to distribute their advertisement messages to the social networkers. These approaches are not very successful as the networkers perceive the social network space to be vendor-free.The use of viral marketing and electronic word of mouth is the main strength of the social networks as members are connected to each other in a way that increase the trustworthiness of the messages that are transferred among friends. In this paper, an experiment of the usage of viral marketing in Facebook was used in order to analyze the possibility of generating demand using this approach. The experiment included a promotion of a restaurant group page to a pre-defined group of 20 Facebook users and measurement of the development of this group within a month after the initial promotion. The results indicated a very strong virality of the message that was mostly reactively distributed between the Facebook members and as a result generated 80 members to the restaurant group with a tree that was seven-levels deep.
Therapeutic Potential of Turmeric in Alzheimer's Disease: Curcumin or Curcuminoids?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. There is limited choice in modern therapeutics, and drugs available have limited success with multiple side effects in addition to high cost. Hence, newer and alternate treatment options are being explored for effective and safer therapeutic targets to address AD. Turmeric possesses multiple medicinal uses including treatment for AD. Curcuminoids, a mixture of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin, are vital constituents of turmeric. It is generally believed that curcumin is the most important constituent of the curcuminoid mixture that contributes to the pharmacological profile of parent curcuminoid mixture or turmeric. A careful literature study reveals that the other two constituents of the curcuminoid mixture also contribute significantly to the effectiveness of curcuminoids in AD. Therefore, it is emphasized in this review that each component of the curcuminoid mixture plays a distinct role in making curcuminoid mixture useful in AD, and hence, the curcuminoid mixture represents turmeric in its medicinal value better than curcumin alone. The progress in understanding the disease etiology demands a multiple‐site‐targeted therapy, and the curcuminoid mixture of all components, each with different merits, makes this mixture more promising in combating the challenging disease. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impulsivity in Borderline Personality Disorder: Impairment in Self-Report Measures, but Not Behavioral Inhibition

Background: Impulsivity is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, previous clinical and experimental studies investigating impulsivity in BPD rendered mixed results. In this study, impulsivity was assessed by self-report scales and behavioral inhibition tasks to compare different data levels. Sampling and Methods: Fifteen women with BPD and 15 matched healthy control subjects (HC) completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Eysenck’s Impulsivity Questionnaire and the UPPS (Urgency, Lack of Perseverance, Lack of Premeditation and Sensation Seeking) scale, and participated in a Stroop task, an antisaccade task and a stop signal task. Results: Patients with BPD scored significantly higher on self-report measures as compared to HC, but not in behavioral tests. In BPD patients, but not in HC, behavioral inhibition errors were correlated with more intense emotional state. Conclusion: We found a discrepancy between self-report and behavioral data. Further studies need to assess additional possible mechanisms underlying increased impulsivity, their relation to emotional instability, and their neurobiological underpinnings.
An environment adaptive ZigBee-based indoor positioning algorithm

Lately, there has been significant progress in the field of wireless communications and networking. Furthermore, the number of applications that require context information as the user's location will increase in the coming years. However, this issue still has not been solved indoors due to the RF (Radio Frequency) signals' behaviour in this kind of scenarios. In this paper, we present a robust, easy to deploy and flexible indoor localization system based on ZigBee Wireless Sensor Networks. It is important to mention that our localization system is based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) level measurements since this information can be obtained directly from the messages exchanged between nodes, so no extra hardware is required. Our localization system consists of two phases: calibration and localization. Anytime a blind node needs to be located, our system performs calibration using a matrices system, so that the environment can be characterized, taking into account possible changes on it since the last request. Then, in the localization phase, the central server processes all the information and calculates the blind node's position with the new iterative algorithm we present. With this indoor positioning algorithm we can estimate the blind node's position with a good resolution (3 m average error), so we can say that this ZigBee localization algorithm provides very promising results.
Pericardium segmentation in non-contrast cardiac CT images using convolutional neural networks

Recent studies show that the epicardial fat volume is an important indicator for many cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary atherosclerosis. The epicardial fat is the visceral fat that is located between the heart and the pericardium. The pericardium structure, i.e. the heart sack, is a thin layer that covers the heart and is barely visible in cardiac CT images. This thesis proposes a method for automatic pericardium segmentation in noncontrast 3D CT images. The thesis can be divided into two main parts. The first part focuses on pericardium ground truth creation. Given a set of labelled contrast CT images, image registration methods are used to generate an estimated pericardium ground truth for unlabeled non-contrast CT images needed in the second part. Given this estimated labelling, the second part of the thesis concentrates on pericardium segmentation using machine learning algorithms. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are trained to classify the voxels in the non-contrast CT images. Multiatlas techniques are combined with the generated probability map in order to define the regions of interest. Graph cuts is applied to obtain the final segmentation. The results present an average dice coefficient larger than 0.95 on the test images, a comparable number to similar algorithms for contrast CT images.
The influence of theories on factors affecting knowledge sharing and its relationship with innovation and organizational performance

Knowledge is an essential resource for organization. While knowledge sharing is an important human daily activity to create opportunities in maximizing employees innovation in organization to achieve performance.Knowledge sharing is the process of transferring knowledge from a person to another in organization.However, previous studies have indicated that employees are refused to share knowledge.Many factors influencing knowledge sharing were identified to solve the problem.A critical reviews on factors affecting knowledge sharing; individual, organization and technology factors are frequent mentioned in literature. Thus,this study proposes a conceptual model that takes into consideration the three factors and related theories to support the constructs in developing a fit knowledge sharing model.This study will be followed by an empirical study to test the hypothesis and to validate the model.This study will improve the understanding on theories, factors affecting knowledge sharing and its relationship with innovation and organizational performance.
The Muni Bond Spread: Credit, Liquidity, and Tax

Municipal (muni) bonds are risky and trade in illiquid markets, and both effects serve to raise muni yields relative to Treasuries. On the other hand, the tax exemption of muni bonds tends to lower their yields. We decompose the muni yield spread into credit, liquidity, and tax components. Before 2008, muni yields are reliably lower than Treasuries. After the 2008 financial crisis, the muni-Treasury spread flips sign to, on average, 0.87%, comprising credit, liquidity, and tax components of 0.57%, 2.14%, and -1.84%, respectively. Muni credit and liquidity components exhibit strong covariation with credit and liquidity factors prevailing in other asset classes.
Chemical characterization of ambient aerosol collected during the southwest monsoon and intermonsoon seasons over the Arabian Sea: Labile-Fe(II) and other trace metals

Atmospheric deposition of iron (Fe) to certain regions of the oceans is an important nutrient source of Fe to the biota, and the ability of the biota to uptake Fe is dependent on the speciation of the Fe. Therefore understanding the speciation of Fe in the atmosphere is critical to understanding the role of Fe as a nutrient source in surface ocean waters. Labile ferrous iron (Fe(II)) concentrations as well as total concentrations for Fe and other important trace metals, cations, and anions were determined over the Arabian Sea for two nonconsecutive months during 1995. Ambient aerosol samples were collected during the Indian Ocean intermonsoon and southwest monsoon seasons over the Arabian Sea. Sampling took place aboard the German research vessel Meteor in the months of May (leg M32/3; intermonsoon) and July/August (leg M32/5; southwest monsoon). Both cruise tracks followed the 65th east meridian, traveling for 30 days each (from north to south during leg M32/3 and from south to north during leg M32/5). A high-volume dichotomous virtual impactor with an aerodynamic cutoff size of 3 μm was used to collect the fine and coarse aerosol fractions for metal analysis. A low volume collector was used to collect aerosol samples for anion and cation analysis. The analysis for labile-Fe(II) was done immediately after sample collection to minimize any possible Fe redox reactions which might occur during sample storage. The analytical procedure involved filter extraction in a formate/formic acid buffered solution at pH 4.2 followed by colorimetric quantification of soluble Fe(II). Metals, anions, and cations were analyzed after the cruise. Total atmospheric aqueous-labile-Fe(II) concentrations during the intermonsoon were between 4.75 and 80%) was present in the fine fraction (<3.0 μm). During the southwest monsoon, atmospheric aqueous-labile-Fe(II) concentrations were consistently below the detection limit (<0.34 to <0.089 ng m^(−3), depending on the volume of air sampled). Air mass back trajectories (5 day, three dimensional) showed that air masses sampled during the southwest monsoon had advected over the open Indian Ocean, while air masses sampled during the intermonsoon had advected over northeast Africa, the Saudi Arabian peninsula, and southern Asia. These calculations were consistent with the results of the statistical analysis performed on the data set which showed that the variance due to crustal species during the intermonsoon samples was greater than the variance due to crustal species during the southwest monsoon. The factor scores for the crustal components were also greater when the back trajectories had advected over the nearby continental masses. Principal component analysis was also performed with the intermonsoon samples where aqueous labile Fe(II) was above the detection limit. Aqueous labile Fe(II) did not correlate well with other species indicating possible atmospheric processing of the iron during advection.