Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Minimizing minimality and maximizing utility

The principle of anonymization for data sharing has become a very popular paradigm for the preservation of privacy of the data subjects. Since the introduction of k-anonymity, dozens of methods and enhanced privacy definitions have been proposed. However, over-eager attempts to minimize the information lost by the anonymization potentially allow private information to be inferred. Proof-of-concept of this "minimality attack" has been demonstrated for a variety of algorithms and definitions [16]. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive analysis and study of this attack, and demonstrate that with care its effect can be almost entirely countered. The attack allows an adversary to increase his (probabilistic) belief in certain facts about individuals over the data. We show that (a) a large class of algorithms are not affected by this attack, (b) for a class of algorithms that have a "symmetric" property, the attacker's belief increases by at most a small constant, and (c) even for an algorithm chosen to be highly susceptible to the attack, the attacker's belief when using the attack increases by at most a small constant factor. We also provide a series of experiments that show in all these cases that the confidence about the sensitive value of any individual remains low in practice, while the published data is still useful for its intended purpose. From this, we conclude that the impact of such method-based attacks can be minimized.
Interventional radiological retrieval of a guide-wire entrapped in a greenfield filter - treatment of an avoidable complication of central venous access procedure.

Direct fluoroscopic guidance is one of the significant advantages of the placement of central venous access catheters by intraventional radiologists. We describe a case where attempted central venous catheterization, without radiographic assistance, resulted in entrapment of a guide-wire within an inferior vena caval Greenfield filter. The guide-wire was dislodged and removed percutaneously without detriment to the patient.
Creatine Kinase and Lactate Dehydrogenase Responses After Upper-Body Resistance Exercise With Different Rest Intervals

Rodrigues, BM, Dantas, E, de Salles, BF, Miranda, H, Koch, AJ, Willardson, JM, and Simão, R. Creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase responses after upper-body resistance exercise with different rest intervals. J Strength Cond Res 24(6): 1657-1662, 2010-The purpose of the current study was to compare serum creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentrations at multiple time points after resistance exercise sessions that incorporated different rest intervals between sets and exercises. Twenty untrained men (18.65 ± 0.49 years, 68.30 ± 7.98 kg, and 174.4 ± 4.80 cm) performed 2 resistance exercise sessions (i.e., 3 sets with 80% 1 repetition maximum for 5 upper-body exercises) with either 1-minute (SEQ1) or 3-minute (SEQ3) rest between sets and exercises. For each session, CK and LDH concentrations were measured before exercise (PRE) and 24, 48, and 72 hours after exercise (24P, 48P, and 72P). Subjects lifted a 24% greater (p < 0.05) volume load during SEQ3 than during SEQ1. Within SEQ1, significant differences in CK concentrations were demonstrated between most time points, except between 24P and 72P. Similarly, within SEQ3, significant differences in CK concentrations were demonstrated between most time points, except between 24P and 72P and between 48P and 72P. The CK concentrations were highest at 48P for both sessions. When the CK concentrations were compared between SEQ1 and SEQ3, no significant differences were demonstrated at any time point. Within SEQ1, a significant difference in LDH concentration was demonstrated between 48P and 72P. Within SEQ3, significant differences in LDH concentrations were demonstrated between PRE and 24P and between PRE and 48P. The LDH concentrations were highest at 72P for SEQ1 and at 24P for SEQ3. When the LDH concentrations were compared between SEQ1 and SEQ3, no significant differences were demonstrated at any time point. These results suggest that muscle damage was similar between rest intervals; however, the volume load completed to induce the muscle damage was significantly greater when 3-minute rest intervals were employed. Therefore, when considered relative to the volume load completed, 1-minute rest intervals during resistance exercise may invoke greater muscle damage.
Alcohol and food intake

Purpose of reviewAlcohol is commonly consumed around mealtimes, and both the immediate pharmacological actions of ethanol and the energy generated by metabolism of alcohol have the potential to modify food intake. Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on food intake in humans will be reviewed, and potential mechanisms considered. Recent findingsUnlike other macronutrients, there is minimal evidence for any reduction in food intake to compensate for the potential energy in alcohol. In contrast, moderate alcohol consumption prior to a test meal leads to a short-term increase in food intake. This stimulatory effect of alcohol is not apparent beyond acute administration, but the inability to reduce voluntary energy intake in response to energy from alcohol metabolism is evident over extended periods. Alcohol suppresses fatty acid oxidation, increases short-term thermogenesis and stimulates a number of neurochemical and peripheral systems implicated in appetite control, including inhibitory effects on leptin, glucagon-like peptide-1, and serotonin, and enhancement of γ-aminobutyric acid, endogenous opioids and neuropeptide Y. All of these effects could lead to overeating, and mechanisms underlying appetite stimulation through alcohol require further substantiation. SummaryAlcohol is a complex component of the diet, and appears to have multiple effects on appetite. Failure to reduce food intake in response to energy from alcohol makes moderate alcohol consumption a risk factor for obesity. Further integration of evidence from nutrition and neuroscience will be crucial to our understanding of effects of alcohol on appetite.
The Processing of First- and Second-Order Motion in Human Visual Cortex Assessed by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

We have examined the activity levels produced in various areas of the human occipital cortex in response to various motion stimuli using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methods. In addition to standard luminance-defined (first-order) motion, three types of second-order motion were used. The areas examined were the motion area V5 (MT) and the following areas that were delineated using retinotopic mapping procedures: V1, V2, V3, VP, V3A, and a new area that we refer to as V3B. Area V5 is strongly activated by second-order as well as by first-order motion. This activation is highly motion-specific. Areas V1 and V2 give good responses to all motion stimuli, but the activity seems to be related primarily to the local spatial and temporal structure in the image rather than to motion processing. Area V3 and its ventral counterpart VP also respond well to all our stimuli and show a slightly greater degree of motion specificity than do V1 and V2. Unlike V1 and V2, the response in V3 and VP is significantly greater for second-order motion than for first-order motion. This trend is evident, but less marked, in V3A and V3B and absent in V5. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that first-order motion sensitivity arises in V1, that second-order motion is first represented explicitly in V3 and VP, and that V5 (and perhaps also V3A and V3B) is involved in further processing of motion information, including the integration of motion signals of the two types.
Prostaglandin dehydrogenase is a target for successful induction of cervical ripening

Significance Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a cervical ripening agent, mediates unique EP2 receptor signaling pathways in human cervical stromal cells targeting its own synthesis by increasing cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and PGE synthase (PTGES) expression and decreasing its metabolism by loss of its degradative enzyme 15-hydroxy prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH). Here, we show that down-regulation of 15-PGDH is crucial for PGE2-induced cervical ripening and preterm birth. This report details unique mechanisms of PGE2 action in the cervix and serves as a catalyst for (i) use of PGDH inhibitors to initiate, or amplify, PGE2-mediated cervical ripening and (ii) EP2 receptor antagonists, histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) inhibitors, or 15-PGDH activators to prevent preterm cervical ripening and preterm birth. The cervix represents a formidable structural barrier for successful induction of labor. Approximately 10% of pregnancies undergo induction of cervical ripening and labor with prostaglandin (PG) E2 or PGE analogs, often requiring many hours of hospitalization and monitoring. On the other hand, preterm cervical ripening in the second trimester predicts preterm birth. The regulatory mechanisms of this paradoxical function of the cervix are unknown. Here, we show that PGE2 uses cell-specific EP2 receptor-mediated increases in Ca2+ to dephosphorylate and translocate histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) to the nucleus for repression of 15-hydroxy prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH). The crucial role of 15-PGDH in cervical ripening was confirmed in vivo. Although PGE2 or 15-PGDH inhibitor alone did not alter gestational length, treatment with 15-PGDH inhibitor + PGE2 or metabolism-resistant dimethyl-PGE2 resulted in preterm cervical ripening and delivery in mice. The ability of PGE2 to selectively autoamplify its own synthesis in stromal cells by signaling transcriptional repression of 15-PGDH elucidates long sought-after molecular mechanisms that govern PG action in the cervix. This report details unique mechanisms of action in the cervix and serves as a catalyst for (i) the use of 15-PGDH inhibitors to initiate or amplify low-dose PGE2-mediated cervical ripening or (ii) EP2 receptor antagonists, HDAC4 inhibitors, and 15-PGDH activators to prevent preterm cervical ripening and preterm birth.
Laser Transfer and Firing of NiV Seed Layer for the Metallization of Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells by Cu‐Plating

We present a laser-based method for the metallization of silicon heterojunction solar cells by Cu-plating. It consists of first applying a dielectric layer on the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) as a plating mask. Then, a NiV seed is transferred by laser induced forward transfer (LIFT) from a plastic carrier foil onto the wafer. In the second laser step, the NiV layer is fired through the dielectric layer to form a contact to the TCO. After the laser process, Cu-fingers are produced by plating. The dielectric plating mask remains on the cell. Parasitic plating is prevented by using an advanced reverse pulse plating process. With the first solar cells we reach a maximum efficiency of 22.2% and an efficiency gain of 0.5%abs compared to low-temperature screen printing reference cells, due to a higher short circuit current and fill factor. The 30 μm wide fingers reach specific contact resistances down to 0.6 mΩ cm2 and also, pass a tape adhesion test. We further demonstrate that the laser process does not cause any measurable open circuit voltage loss and that a precise alignment of the two laser steps is not necessary.
Fabrication of metallic glass micro grooves by thermoplastic forming

Metallic glasses (MGs) are considered as ideal materials for miniature fabrication because of their excellent thermoplastic forming ability in the supercooled liquid region. We show that Pd-based MG micro grooves, which are essential for microdluidic devices, can be prepared by a highly efficient and precise fabrication method. The scanning electron microscope observation and surface profiler measurement show that the MG micro grooves have superior dimensional accuracy. The excellent corrosion resistance of MGs compared with silicon, which is the conventional microfluidic device material, is also proved by the weight-loss corrosion method. Our results indicate that MG can be a promising candidate material for the fabrication of microfluidic devices and may have broad applications in the biomedical areas.
Ferroelectret based flexible keyboards and tactile sensors

Ferroelectrets easily allow for the preparation of multilayer keyboards, where keys are digitally encoded with a ternary code. Contact electrode charging turned out to be a reliable way for the fast preparation of charge patterns on cellular polymers. A three layer keyboard, allowing for encoding 26 keys was fabricated to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed input device. Further work is necessary to better understand the underlying mechanisms during the preparation of charge patterns on cellular ferroelectrets.
Ultramarine, a Chromoprotein Acceptor for Förster Resonance Energy Transfer

We have engineered a monomeric blue non-fluorescent chromoprotein called Ultramarine (fluorescence quantum yield, 0.001; ε 585 nm, 64,000 M−1. cm−1) for use as a Förster resonance energy transfer acceptor for a number of different donor fluorescent proteins. We show its use for monitoring activation of caspase 3 in live cells using fluorescence lifetime imaging. Ultramarine has the potential to increase the number of cellular parameters that can be imaged simultaneously.
Fence Placement for Legacy Data-Race-Free Programs via Synchronization Read Detection

Shared-memory programmers traditionally assumed Sequential Consistency (SC), but modern systems have relaxed memory consistency. Here, the trend in languages is toward Data-Race-Free (DRF) models, where, assuming annotated synchronizations and the program being well-synchronized by those synchronizations, the hardware and compiler guarantee SC. However, legacy programs lack annotations, so even well-synchronized (legacy DRF) programs aren’t recognized. For legacy DRF programs, we can significantly prune the set of memory orderings determined by automated fence placement by automatically identifying synchronization reads. We prove our rules for identifying them conservatively, implement them within LLVM, and observe a 30% average performance improvement over previous techniques.
Altered signaling for mitochondrial and myofibrillar biogenesis in skeletal muscles of multiple sclerosis patients

Address correspondence: Dominique Hansen, PhD Hasselt University, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences Agoralaan, Building A, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium Dominique.hansen@uhasselt.be Tel 0032 (0)11 294978 Fax 0032 (0)11 269329
Best Practices for Data Visualization

Data visualizations incorporate effective data representation strategies to integrate, unify and standardize data coming from different sources. Welldesigned visual representations provide visual access to huge amounts of data in easily ingestible chunks. This promotes increased usage and enhanced learning, and facilitates better task performance. Our goal, therefore, was to provide business analytics stakeholders with a comprehensive report on what constitutes the best practices for data visualizations, so as to inform design strategies that foster insight and sense-making. Index Terms Best practices for data visualization, data representation strategies, visualization modalities
Object-Based Subcontracting for Parallel Programming on Loosely-coupled Distributed Systems

Several languages have been proposed to support concurrency in object-oriented programming. However, these languages do not address issues which are specific to parallel programming on loosely coupled distributed systems such as dynamic load variation, fault tolerance and scalability. We propose a new paradigm called object based subcontracting for parallel programming on loosely-coupled distributed systems. In this paradigm, a metaclass called Parclass is defined to create a metaobject. The metaobject aggregates objects belonging to a class. A member function of the class, which can be executed concurrently on all the objects, is invoked as a subcontract on the metaobject. The metaobject manages the subcontract by employing various nodes of the network. The subcontract invocation is made fault tolerant and scalable.
Associative Learning Through Acquired Salience

Most associative learning studies describe the salience of stimuli as a fixed learning-rate parameter. Presumptive saliency signals, however, have also been linked to motivational and attentional processes. An interesting possibility, therefore, is that discriminative stimuli could also acquire salience as they become powerful predictors of outcomes. To explore this idea, we first characterized and extracted the learning curves from mice trained with discriminative images offering varying degrees of structural similarity. Next, we fitted a linear model of associative learning coupled to a series of mathematical representations for stimulus salience. We found that the best prediction, from the set of tested models, was one in which the visual salience depended on stimulus similarity and a non-linear function of the associative strength. Therefore, these analytic results support the idea that the net salience of a stimulus depends both on the items' effective salience and the motivational state of the subject that learns about it. Moreover, this dual salience model can explain why learning about a stimulus not only depends on the effective salience during acquisition but also on the specific learning trajectory that was used to reach this state. Our mathematical description could be instrumental for understanding aberrant salience acquisition under stressful situations and in neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and addiction.
Perfil de Riesgo Cardiovascular entre la Yuventud Caribeña con Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: To assess the effect of diabetes mellitus type on conventional and novel cardiovascular risk factors in patients, diagnosed with diabetes from two major referral hospitals in Jamaica, before age 25 years and with diabetes duration < 6 years. Methods: Participants were classified based on the presence of GAD-65 and IA-2 autoantibodies, Cpeptide, leptin and clinical phenotype. Trained observers obtained anthropometric measurements and sitting blood pressure. Fasting blood was taken for glucose, A1c, lipids, high sensitivity C-reactive protein and lipoprotein profile. Results: Fifty-eight participants (21M; 37F, age 20 ± 8 [Mean ± SD] years, diabetes duration 2.6 ± 2 years) were enrolled. Thirty-six had Type 1 diabetes (T1D), thirteen Type 2 diabetes (T2D), six were not typed and three had lipoatrophic diabetes. Patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) were more obese with a higher systolic blood pressure but a lower A1c than those with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL, LDL and HDL particle numbers were similar in patients with T1D and T2D. HDL-cholesterol and LDL and HDL particle sizes were lower in patients with T2D but differences were no longer significant after adjusting for BMI. Conclusions: Risk factors for cardiovascular disease are common in patients with all forms of youth onset diabetes. Clinicians should therefore investigate these risk factors in their patients regardless of diabetes type. Perfil de Riesgo Cardiovascular entre la Yuventud Caribeña con Diabetes Mellitus MK Tulloch-Reid1, MS Boyne1, MF Smikle2, EG Choo-Kang3, RH Parkes4, RA Wright-Pascoe5, EN Barton5, RJ Wilks1, DE Williams6
Parallel Correlation Clustering on Big Graphs

Given a similarity graph between items, correlation clustering (CC) groups similar items together and dissimilar ones apart. One of the most popular CC algorithms is KwikCluster: an algorithm that serially clusters neighborhoods of vertices, and obtains a 3-approximation ratio. Unfortunately, KwikCluster in practice requires a large number of clustering rounds, a potential bottleneck for large graphs. We present C4 and ClusterWild! , two algorithms for parallel correlation clustering that run in a polylogarithmic number of rounds and achieve nearly linear speedups, provably. C4 uses concurrency control to enforce serializability of a parallel clustering process, and guarantees a 3-approximation ratio. ClusterWild! is a coordination free algorithm that abandons consistency for the benefit of better scaling; this leads to a provably small loss in the 3-approximation ratio. We provide extensive experimental results for both algorithms, where we outperform the state of the art, both in terms of clustering accuracy and running time. We show that our algorithms can cluster billion-edge graphs in under 5 seconds on 32 cores, while achieving a 15x speedup.
Assessing disease progression with MRI in atypical parkinsonian disorders

During the last decade, novel MR techniques have become available to support the early differential diagnosis of Parkinsonism and also to generate MR surrogate markers of disease progression. The article reviews the current state of the art focusing on three atypical parkinsonian disorders: multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
Influence of Maternal and Postweaning Linseed Dietary Supplementation on Growth Rate, Lipid Profile, and Meat Quality Traits of Light Sarda Lambs

The effects of dietary extruded linseed (EL) on growth performance, meat quality, and lipid profile of Semimembranosus and Longissimus lumborum muscles of 81 Sarda lambs were studied in a 3 × 3 design: EL content (0%, 10%, and 20%) of maternal dietary concentrate fed from 20 d to parturition to 60 d of lactation and EL content (0%, 10%, 20%) of lamb concentrate fed after weaning for 30 d. The basal diet was composed of alfalfa and meadow hay during pregnancy and alfalfa hay during lactation. At slaughter, carcass and meat quality were evaluated. Sensory quality of Semimembranosus from 0% and 20% EL lambs was assessed. Both maternal and postweaning diets affected growth performance, with higher body weights recorded with the 10% EL concentrate. Carcass and meat quality were not affected by diet. Saturated and monounsaturated FA decreased and n-3 polyunsaturated FA increased with increasing EL content in lamb diet. An increase in vaccenic and rumenic acid was associated with the EL content of the maternal diet. Both diets increased the n-6/n-3 FA ratio. No differences in acceptability were detected by consumers among groups. It is concluded that EL supplementation and early life nutrition can influence performance and FA metabolism in growing lambs.
Furnace Operational Parameters and Reproducible Annealing of Thin Films

—Annealing of thin silver films on oxidized silicon substrates in different furnaces is studied. It is shown that identical temperatures and durations of thermal treatment do not guarantee reproducibility, i.e., the annealing provides different results, e.g., shape and size of nanostructures in different furnaces. To clarify the source of the variation, morphology and optical properties of the samples are analyzed. Spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to measure thickness and composition of the oxide layer before and after annealing. Reflectance spectra, obtained for different angles of incidence and polarizations, demonstrate the dependence of sample plasmonic properties on the furnace design. Additionally, a numerical simulation of the heating process in a diffusion furnace has been performed. It is concluded that uncontrollable overheating of silver film with regards to the substrate produced by thermal radiation of the environment leads to variation in annealing results.