Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mood-Reactive Self-Esteem and Depression Vulnerability: Person-Specific Symptom Dynamics via Smart Phone Assessment

Cognitive theories of depression suggest that mood-reactive self-esteem, a pattern of cognitive reactivity where low self-esteem is temporally dependent on levels of sadness, represents vulnerability for depression. Few studies have directly tested this hypothesis, particularly using intensive data collection methods (i.e., experience sampling) required to capture the temporal dynamics of sadness and self-esteem as they unfold naturally, over time. In this study we used participants’ smartphones to collect multiple daily ratings of sadness and self-esteem over three weeks, in the real world. We then applied dynamic factor modeling to explore theoretically driven hypotheses about the temporal dependency of self-esteem on sadness (i.e., mood-reactive self-esteem) and its relationship to indices of depression vulnerability both contemporaneously (e.g., rumination, sad mood persistence) and prospectively (e.g., future symptomatology). In sum, individuals who demonstrated mood-reactive self-esteem reported higher levels of rumination at baseline, more persistent sad mood over three weeks, and increased depression symptoms at the end of three weeks above and beyond a trait-like index of self-esteem. The integration of smartphone assessment and person-specific analytics employed in this study offers an exiting new avenue to advance the study and treatment of depression.
CMOS op-amp circuit synthesis with geometric programming models for layout-dependent effects

This paper addresses CMOS analog circuit synthesis in the nanometer process based on geometric programming models. In the current era of electronic integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, the channel length modulation λ as well as the layout-dependent effects (LDE) such as the shallow trench isolation (STI) stress and the well proximity effect (WPE) must be considered in the circuit synthesis because of the more and more shrinking process. The STI is a popular isolation between active regions in advanced CMOS technologies but it causes stress and influences the mobility. The WPE is the characteristics variation for devices located near the edge of the well mask. In this paper, we provide the posynomial models of the analog circuit specification taking the λ into account as well as introducing the curve fitting to the STI stress and the WPE based on the BSIM model. In the design case of a typical CMOS op-amp, with these LDE-aware models, we optimized the circuit by the geometric programming (GP) and showed that the optimal results satisfied the specification by the simulation.
Plant and Fungal Food Components with Potential Activity on the Development of Microbial Oral Diseases

This paper reports the content in macronutrients, free sugars, polyphenols, and inorganic ions, known to exert any positive or negative action on microbial oral disease such as caries and gingivitis, of seven food/beverages (red chicory, mushroom, raspberry, green and black tea, cranberry juice, dark beer). Tea leaves resulted the richest material in all the detected ions, anyway tea beverages resulted the richest just in fluoride. The highest content in zinc was in chicory, raspberry and mushroom. Raspberry is the richest food in strontium and boron, beer in selenium, raspberry and mushroom in copper. Beer, cranberry juice and, especially green and black tea are very rich in polyphenols, confirming these beverages as important sources of such healthy substances. The fractionation, carried out on the basis of the molecular mass (MM), of the water soluble components occurring in raspberry, chicory, and mushroom extracts (which in microbiological assays revealed the highest potential action against oral pathogens), showed that both the high and low MM fractions are active, with the low MM fractions displaying the highest potential action for all the fractionated extracts. Our findings show that more compounds that can play a different active role occur in these foods.
X-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE YOUNG PULSAR J1357–6429 AND ITS PULSAR WIND NEBULA

We observed the young pulsar J1357–6429 with the Chandra and XMM-Newton observatories. The pulsar spectrum fits well a combination of an absorbed power-law model (Γ = 1.7 ± 0.6) and a blackbody model (kT = 140+60− 40 eV, R ∼ 2 km at the distance of 2.5 kpc). Strong pulsations with pulsed fraction of 42% ± 5%, apparently associated with the thermal component, were detected in 0.3–1.1 keV. Surprisingly, the pulsed fraction at higher energies, 1.1–10 keV, appears to be smaller, 23% ± 4%. The small emitting area of the thermal component either corresponds to a hotter fraction of the neutron star surface or indicates inapplicability of the simplistic blackbody description. The X-ray images also reveal a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) with complex, asymmetric morphology comprised of a brighter, compact PWN surrounded by the fainter, much more extended PWN whose spectral slopes are Γ = 1.3 ± 0.3 and Γ = 1.7 ± 0.2, respectively. The extended PWN with the observed flux of ∼7.5 × 10−13 erg s−1 cm−2 is a factor of 10 more luminous then the compact PWN. The pulsar and its PWN are located close to the center of the extended TeV source HESS J1356–645, which strongly suggests that the very high energy emission is powered by electrons injected by the pulsar long ago. The X-ray to TeV flux ratio, ∼0.1, is similar to those of other relic PWNe. We found no other viable candidates to power the TeV source. A region of diffuse radio emission, offset from the pulsar toward the center of the TeV source, could be synchrotron emission from the same relic PWN rather than from the supernova remnant.
Osteogenic growth peptide effects on primary human osteoblast cultures: Potential relevance for the treatment of glucocorticoid‐induced osteoporosis

The osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) is a naturally occurring tetradecapeptide that has attracted considerable clinical interest as a bone anabolic agent and hematopoietic stimulator. In vivo studies on animals have demonstrated that the synthetic peptide OGP (10–14), reproducing the OGP C‐terminal active portion [H‐Tyr‐Gly‐Phe‐Gly‐Gly‐OH] increases bone formation, trabecular bone density and fracture healing. In vitro studies performed on cellular systems based on osteoblastic‐like cell lines or mouse stromal cells, have demonstrated that OGP (10–14) increases osteoblast proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) activity and matrix synthesis and mineralization. In view of a potential application of OGP (10–14) in clinical therapy, we have tested different concentrations of OGP (10–14) on primary human osteoblast (hOB) cultures. We have observed significant increases of hOB proliferation (+35%), ALKP activity (+60%), osteocalcin secretion (+50%), and mineralized nodules formation (+49%). Our experimental model based on mature hOBs was used to investigate if OGP (10–14) could prevent the effects on bone loss induced by sustained glucocorticoid (GC) treatments. A strong decrease in bone formation has been attributed to the effects of GCs on osteoblastogenesis and osteocyte apoptosis, while an increase in bone resorption was due to a transient osteoblastic stimulation, mediated by the OPG/RANKL/RANK system, of osteoclasts recruitment and activation. Moreover, GCs act on hOBs decreasing the release of osteoprotegerin (OPG) a regulator of the RANKL/RANK interaction. Here, we provide evidences that OGP (10–14) inhibits hOB apoptosis induced by an excess of dexamethasone (−48% of apoptotic cells). Furthermore, we show that OGP (10–14) can increase OPG secretion (+20%) and can restore the altered expression of OPG induced by GCs to physiological levels. Our results support the employment of OGP (10–14) in clinical trials addressed to the treatment of different bone remodeling alterations including the GC‐induced osteoporosis. J. Cell. Biochem. 98: 1007–1020, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Personalized expertise search at LinkedIn

Linkedln is the largest professional network with more than 350 million members. As the member base increases, searching for experts becomes more and more challenging. In this paper, we propose an approach to address the problem of personalized expertise search on LinkedIn, particularly for exploratory search queries containing skills. In the offline phase, we introduce a collaborative filtering approach based on matrix factorization. Our approach estimates expertise scores for both the skills that members list on their profiles as well as the skills they are likely to have but do not explicitly list. In the online phase (at query time) we use expertise scores on these skills as a feature in combination with other features to rank the results. To learn the personalized ranking function, we propose a heuristic to extract training data from search logs while handling position and sample selection biases. We tested our models on two products - LinkedIn homepage and LinkedIn recruiter. A/B tests showed significant improvements in click through rates - 31% for CTR@1 for recruiter (18% for homepage) as well as downstream messages sent from search - 37% for recruiter (20% for homepage). As of writing this paper, these models serve nearly all live traffic for skills search on LinkedIn homepage as well as LinkedIn recruiter.
Cervical Auscultation Of Suckle Feeding In Newborn Infants

The authors recorded the sound signals during suckle feeding of six normal infants within the first two postnatal days. The sounds were recorded onto a cassette tape‐recorder from a small microphone attached to the infant's neck, then displayed on an oscilloscope and analysed by digital signal processing techniques. These displays demonstrated acoustic patterns and temporal relationships which are not otherwise audible. The method and findings are described in detail, and the method should be useful in the clinical investigation of feeding and swallowing problems associated with more subtle neurological impairment and preterm birth.
Role of the ABC Transporter MRPA (PGPA) in Antimony Resistance in Leishmania infantum Axenic and Intracellular Amastigotes

ABSTRACT Antimonial compounds are the mainstay for the treatment of infections with the protozoan parasite Leishmania. We present our studies on Leishmania infantum amastigote parasites selected for resistance to potassium antimonyl tartrate [Sb(III)]. Inside macrophages, the Sb(III)-selected cells are cross-resistant to sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam), the main drug used against Leishmania. Putative alterations in the level of expression of more than 40 genes were compared between susceptible and resistant axenic amastigotes using customized DNA microarrays. The expression of three genes coding for the ABC transporter MRPA (PGPA), S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, and folylpolyglutamate synthase was found to be consistently increased. The levels of cysteine were found to be increased in the mutant. Transfection of the MRPA gene was shown to confer sodium stibogluconate resistance in intracellular parasites. This MRPA-mediated resistance could be reverted by using the glutathione biosynthesis-specific inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine. These results highlight for the first time the role of MRPA in antimony resistance in the amastigote stage of the parasite and suggest a strategy for reversing resistance.
Nutrient recycling by coastal sediments : effects of added algal material

The deposition of a Skeletonerna bloom onto sediment collected in a coastal bay was simulated and the effects on 02, N and P fluxes were recorded. A comparison of calculated net production and observed net efflux of inorganic nitrogen (IN = ammonium + nitrate) for the period prior to the addition of algae, indicated that two-thirds of the produced ammonium was nitrified and subsequently denitrified. Algal additions induced a dramatic and persistent rise in oxygen consumption (1.6 X ) and release of IN (4.5 X) . DON (dissolved organic nitrogen, 2 X), and Pod3(3 X). Of the added algal N (76 mm01 N m-2) , 33 % was recycled as NH,' and DON during the 19 d of incubation and, according to Pod3measurements, the same was true for the algal P, giving a half-life of the algal biornass of ca 4 wk. Comparison of calculated net production and observed net efflux of IN indicated a considerably decreased denitrification/mineralisation ratio due to algal additions. Extrapolating to the size of Laholm Bay, SE Kattegat (sampling site), suggests that the settlement of algae (realistic amount used here) would make the sediment the most important nutrient source of this bay for a few weeks period. DON was a significant part of the released, non-gaseous nitrogen, both before (46 %) and after (27 %) the addition of algae. In cores subjected to anaerobic conditions, the concentrations of DON decreased considerably, suggesting that the production of DON was inhibited during such conditions and that much of the DON in this sediment was easily utilized.
Joint Factor Analysis for Speaker Recognition Reinterpreted as Signal Coding Using Overcomplete Dictionaries

This paper presents a reinterpretation of Joint Factor Analysis as a signal approximation methodology―based on ridge regression―using an overcomplete dictionary learned from data. A non-probabilistic perspective of the three fundamental steps in the JFA paradigm based on point estimates is provided. That is, model training, hyperparameter estimation and scoring stages are equated to signal coding, dictionary learning and similarity computation respectively. Establishing a connection between these two well-researched areas opens the doors for cross-pollination between both fields. As an example of this, we propose two novel ideas that arise naturally form the non-probabilistic perspective and result in faster hyperparameter estimation and improved scoring. Specifically, the proposed technique for hyperparameter estimation avoids the need to use explicit matrix inversions in the M-step of the ML estimation. This allows the use of faster techniques such as Gauss-Seidel or Cholesky factorizations for the computation of the posterior means of the factors �� ,�� and �� during the E-step. Regarding the scoring, a similarity measure based on a normalized inner product is proposed and shown to outperform the state-of-the-art linear scoring approach commonly used in JFA. Experimental validation of these two novel techniques is presented using closed-set identification and speaker verification experiments over the Switchboard database.
Empowerment in a Religious Setting

Abstract This study examines the correlates and contexts of empowerment among members of a Christian, nondenominational religious setting. The research approach combines participant-observation and measurement development methodology to capture the empowering aspects of religious experience in a form which lends itself to quantitative analysis, without excessive loss of the phenomenological meaning ofthat experience. The criterion of empowerment is progress toward a salient goal of members-interpersonal behavior change in the direction of group ideals (i.e., in the direction of becoming more like Jesus). Present and retrospective past measurement of perceived interpersonal behavior yielded eight predictor variables from member peer, self-report, and interviewer sources. These variables include religious orientation, locus of control. spiritual experience, group involvement, and religious history. The relationship of the predictors to interpersonal behavior change was assessed in canonical correlation anal.
Clinical Validation of the Quick Dynamic Insulin Sensitivity Test

The quick dynamic insulin sensitivity test (DISTq) can yield an insulin sensitivity result immediately after a 30-min clinical protocol. The test uses intravenous boluses of 10 g glucose and 1 U insulin at t = 1 and 11 min, respectively, and measures glucose levels in samples taken at t = 0, 10, 20, and 30 min. The low clinical cost of the protocol is enabled via robust model formulation and a series of population-derived relationships that estimate insulin pharmacokinetics as a function of insulin sensitivity ( SI). Fifty individuals underwent the gold standard euglycaemic clamp (EIC) and DISTq within an eight-day period.SI values from the EIC and two DISTq variants (four-sample DISTq and two-sample DISTq30) were compared with correlation, Bland-Altman and receiver operator curve analyses. DISTq and DISTq30 correlated well with the EIC [R = 0.76 and 0.75, and receiver operator curve c-index = 0.84 and 0.85, respectively]. The median differences between EIC and DISTq/DISTq30 SI values were 13% and 22%, respectively. The DISTq estimation method predicted individual insulin responses without specific insulin assays with relative accuracy and thus high equivalence to EIC SI values was achieved. DISTq produced very inexpensive, relatively accurate immediate results, and can thus enable a number of applications that are impossible with established SI tests.
Lifetime Occupational Physical Activity and Musculoskeletal Aging in Middle-Aged Men and Women in Denmark: Retrospective Cohort Study Protocol and Methods

Background Physical function is essential for performing most aspects of daily life and musculoskeletal aging leads to a decline in physical function. The onset and rate of this process vary and are influenced by environmental, genetic, and hormonal factors. Although everyone eventually experiences musculoskeletal aging, it is beneficial to study the factors that influence the aging process in order to prevent disability. The role of occupational physical activity in the musculoskeletal aging process is unclear. In the past, hard physical work was thought to strengthen the worker, but current studies in this field fail to find a training effect in jobs with a high level of occupational physical activity. Objective The aim of this study is to examine the influence of lifetime occupational physical activity on physical function in midlife. The study follows the “occupational life-course perspective,” emphasizing the importance of occupational exposures accumulated throughout life on the musculoskeletal aging process taking socioeconomic and lifestyle factors into consideration. Methods This study is a retrospective cohort study including a cross-sectional measurement of physical function in 5000 middle-aged Danes. Data was obtained from the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) which is based on three existing Danish cohorts. Using questionnaire information about the five longest-held occupations, the job history was coded from the Danish version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (D-ISCO 88) and a job exposure matrix containing information about occupational physical activity in Danish jobs was applied to the dataset. The primary outcomes are three tests of physical function: handgrip strength, balance, and chair rise. In the analyses, we will compare physical function in midlife according to accumulated exposure to high levels of occupational physical activity. Conclusions We have a unique opportunity to study the influence of work on early musculoskeletal aging taking other factors into account. In this study, the “healthy worker effect” is reduced due to inclusion of people from the working population and people who are already retired or have been excluded from the labor market. However, low participation in the physical tests can lead to selection bias.
Robust speaker recognition through acoustic array processing and spectral normalization

The development of a robust speaker recognition system obtained through the joint use of acoustic array processing and spectral normalization as input to a Gaussian mixture model speaker recognition system is described. Results obtained with these techniques have been reported previously by the authors, but operational problems appear if extensive testing with different configurations and testing conditions are intended. We describe an open system that has been developed to cope with this problem. The number and geometry of the microphones, the time delay estimation method, the array processing structure and the spectral normalization technique together with the room size, noise type and SNR are some of the options that can be easily changed. It will also allow testing with real multichannel databases and any new algorithm can easily be incorporated to the system.
Expression of macrophage migration-inhibitory factor is correlated with progression in oral cavity carcinomas.

BACKGROUND We have previously reported that macrophage migration-inhibitory factor (MIF) is associated with an unfavorable prognosis in hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Here, we quantified MIF expression in oral cavity carcinomas and looked for possible correlations with clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS MIF expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 154 oral cavity carcinomas and was compared to eight specimens of tumor-free epithelia, 32 cases of low-grade dysplasia and 137 cases of high-grade dysplasia. RESULTS Marked increases in MIF-immunostaining intensity and MIF-positive tissue areas were seen in carcinomas as compared to dysplasia (p<10(-6)). MIF expression showed no correlation with recurrence, but was significantly higher (p=0.01) when a second primary tumor occurred. In addition, HPV(+) malignancies exhibited lower MIF expression. CONCLUSION Our study revealed an association between tissue MIF levels and tumor progression in oral cavity carcinomas. Of note, high-level MIF expression was found in patients developing a second tumor during the follow-up period.
Fast Message Passing Algorithm Using ZDD-Based Local Structure Compilation

Compiling Bayesian Networks (BNs) into secondary structures to implement efficient exact inference is a hot topic in probabilistic modeling. One class of algorithms to compile BNs is to transform the BNs into junction tree structures utilizing the conditional dependency in the network. Performing message passing on the junction tree structure, we can calculate marginal probabilities for any variables in the network efficiently. However, the message passing algorithm does not consider the local structure in the network. Since the ability to exploit local structure to avoid redundant calculations has a significant impact on exact inference, in this article, we propose a fast message passing algorithm by exploiting local structure using Zero-suppressed Binary Decision Diagrams (ZDDs). We convert all the components used in message passing algorithm into Multi-linear Functions (MLFs), and then compile them into compact representation using ZDDs. We show that message passing on ZDDs can work more efficient than the conventional message passing algorithm on junction tree structures on some benchmark networks although it may be too memory consuming for some larger instances.
ACCUSE: Helping Users to Minimize Android App Privacy Concerns

System permissions play a crucial role in the Android security architecture. They are used to restrict app operations only to resources (e.g., file system, network) that the user has agreed to share. In this paper, we present ACCUSE (Android Confidentiality Concern User Support Environment),an approach aimed at helping Android users and developers to compare and contrast the risk level of a set of Android apps. First, ACCUSE assigns to each app risk factors based on the Android classification of permissions. Then, such factors are combined with the app rating and downloading information to produce a new, overall risk factor. ACCUSE has been evaluated on a realworld dataset of 11,576 android apps as well as on a baseline of around 1000 known malware apps. Our results show that ACCUSE always assigns high risk to known malware apps, and outperforms the state-of-the-art.