Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Improved Technique for Measurement of Cold H I in Molecular Cloud Cores

The presence of atomic gas mixed with molecular species in a “molecular” cloud may significantly affect its chemistry, the excitation of some species, and can serve as probe of the cloud’s evolution. Cold neutral atomic hydrogen (H I) in molecular clouds is revealed by its self absorption of background galactic H I 21 cm emission. The properties of this gas can be investigated quantitatively through observation of H I narrow self-absorption (HINSA). In this paper we present a new technique for measuring atomic gas physical parameters from HINSA observations that utilizes molecular tracers to guide the HINSA extraction. This technique offers a significant improvement in the precision with which H I column densities can be determined over previous methods, and it opens several new avenues of study of relevance to the field of star formation.
Efficient BIST hardware insertion with low test application time for synthesized data paths

In this paper new and efficient BIST methodology and BIST hardware insertion algorithms are presented for RTL data paths obtained from high level synthesis. The methodology is based on concurrent testing of modules with identical physical information by sharing the test pattern generators in a partial intrusion BIST environment. Furthermore, to reduce the number of signature analysis registers and test application time the same type modules are grouped in test compatibility classes and n-input k-bit comparators are used to check the results. The test application time is computed using an incremental test scheduling approach. An existing test scheduling algorithm is modified to obtain an efficient trade-off between the algorithm complexity and testable design space exploration. A cost function based on both test application time and area overhead is defined and a tabu search-based heuristic capable of exploring the solution space in a very rapid time is presented. To reduce the computational time testable design space exploration is carried our in two phases: test application time reduction phase and BIST area reduction phase. Experimental results are included confirming the efficiency of the proposed methodology.
H-Ras Expression in Immortalized Keratinocytes Produces an Invasive Epithelium in Cultured Skin Equivalents

Background Ras proteins affect both proliferation and expression of collagen-degrading enzymes, two important processes in cancer progression. Normal skin architecture is dependent both on the coordinated proliferation and stratification of keratinocytes, as well as the maintenance of a collagen-rich basement membrane. In the present studies we sought to determine whether expression of H-ras in skin keratinocytes would affect these parameters during the establishment and maintenance of an in vitro skin equivalent. Methodology/Principal Findings Previously described cdk4 and hTERT immortalized foreskin keratinocytes were engineered to express ectopically introduced H-ras. Skin equivalents, composed of normal fibroblast-contracted collagen gels overlaid with keratinocytes (immortal or immortal expressing H-ras), were prepared and incubated for 3 weeks. Harvested tissues were processed and sectioned for histology and antibody staining. Antigens specific to differentiation (involucrin, keratin-14, p63), basement-membrane formation (collagen IV, laminin-5), and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT; e-cadherin, vimentin) were studied. Results showed that H-ras keratinocytes produced an invasive, disorganized epithelium most apparent in the lower strata while immortalized keratinocytes fully stratified without invasive properties. The superficial strata retained morphologically normal characteristics. Vimentin and p63 co-localization increased with H-ras overexpression, similar to basal wound-healing keratinocytes. In contrast, the cdk4 and hTERT immortalized keratinocytes differentiated similarly to normal unimmortalized keratinocytes. Conclusions/Significance The use of isogenic derivatives of stable immortalized keratinocytes with specified genetic alterations may be helpful in developing more robust in vitro models of cancer progression.
Second language acquisition of reflexives revisited

L'A. montre que l'acquisition des reflechis anglais par des apprenants chinois, japonais et coreens, est un test non-valide pour l'etude des parametres dans acquisition d'une L2, parce que les reflechis anglais partagent la meme organisation que les reflechis composes en chinois, japonais et coreen
3D Reconstruction of rough terrain for USARSim using a height-map method

In this paper, a process for a simplified reconstruction of rough terrains from point clouds acquired using laser scanners is presented. The main idea of this work is to build height-maps which are level gray-scale images representing the ground elevation. These height-maps are generated from step-fields which can be represented by a set of side-by-side pillars. Although height-maps are a practical means for rough terrain reconstruction, it is not possible to represent two different elevations for a given location with one height-map. This is an important drawback as terrain point clouds can show different zones representing surfaces above other surfaces. In this paper, a methodology to create several height-maps for the same terrain is described. Experimental results are shown using the high-fidelity physics-based framework for the Unified System for Automation and Robot Simulation (USARSim).
In vivo regulation of telomerase activity and telomere length

Summary: Telomeres are specialized DNA‐protein structures found at the ends of all linear chromosomes. In mammalian cells, they consist of hexanucleotide (TTAGGG) repeats and multiple associated proteins. Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes and prevent their recognition as DNA breaks. Loss of functional telomere length below a critical threshold can activate programs leading to cell senescence or death. Telomere length represents a balance between the loss of terminal telomeric repeats, which occurs during cell division with incomplete DNA replication, and the addition of telomeric repeats by the unique RNA‐dependent DNA polymerase telomerase. Although most somatic cells do not express telomerase, telomerase is induced in lymphocytes at critical stages of development and activation. Telomerase expression thus may prolong the replicative capacity of lymphocytes and thereby enhance their function in immune responses. We have used murine model systems to address two broadly defined questions about lymphocyte telomere biology: how is telomerase physiologically regulated in T cells responding to antigen challenge, and what is the effect of transcriptionally altered telomerase expression on telomere length and, consequently, on immune function?
Joint spectrum selection and radio resource management based on multi-objective portfolio optimization for cognitive radio networks

The advent of cognitive radio technology will enable user terminals with adaptive access to licensed and unlicensed portions of the spectrum. This will improve end-user satisfaction and will partially alleviate the bandwidth scarcity problem. However, different parts of the spectrum not only have different network (e.g. radio and load) conditions, but also different licensing and/or billing agreements. Therefore, in order for the operators to obtain the major profit and the most efficient use of radio resources, their allocation must now target both technical and economic performance metrics. This problem can be conveniently formulated as a multi-objective portfolio optimization problem, which has been studied in detail in the fields of economics and finance theory. This paper presents a joint spectrum selection and radio resource management algorithm for cognitive radio networks based on the optimization of a multi-objective portfolio function based on return and risk values per bit/second/Hz of transmitted information in primary and secondary frequency bands. Our approach intends to obtain the most convenient use of radio resources that simultaneously maximizes network and economic performance indicators. System-level simulation results suggest that an optimum throughput solution can be reached inside the Pareto optimal trade-off performance region of the problem given an appropriate trade-off between risk and return objective functions.
A Phase II Trial of Sorafenib in Metastatic Melanoma with Tissue Correlates

Background Sorafenib monotherapy in patients with metastatic melanoma was explored in this multi-institutional phase II study. In correlative studies the impact of sorafenib on cyclin D1 and Ki67 was assessed. Methodology/Principal Findings Thirty-six patients treatment-naïve advanced melanoma patients received sorafenib 400 mg p.o. twice daily continuously. Tumor BRAFV600E mutational status was determined by routine DNA sequencing and mutation-specific PCR (MSPCR). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for cyclin D1 and Ki67 was performed on available pre- and post treatment tumor samples. The main toxicities included diarrhea, alopecia, rash, mucositis, nausea, hand-foot syndrome, and intestinal perforation. One patient had a RECIST partial response (PR) lasting 175 days. Three patients experienced stable disease (SD) with a mean duration of 37 weeks. Routine BRAFV600E sequencing yielded 27 wild-type (wt) and 6 mutant tumors, whereas MSPCR identified 12 wt and 18 mutant tumors. No correlation was seen between BRAFV600E mutational status and clinical activity. No significant changes in expression of cyclin D1 or Ki67 with sorafenib treatment were demonstrable in the 15 patients with pre-and post-treatment tumor samples. Conclusions/Significance Sorafenib monotherapy has limited activity in advanced melanoma patients. BRAFV600E mutational status of the tumor was not associated with clinical activity and no significant effect of sorafenib on cyclin D1 or Ki67 was seen, suggesting that sorafenib is not an effective BRAF inhibitor or that additional signaling pathways are equally important in the patients who benefit from sorafenib. Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov NCT00119249
The Institutional Dynamics of International Political Orders

The history of international political orders is written in terms of continuity and change in domestic and international political relations. As a step toward understanding such continuity and change, we explore some ideas drawn from an institutional perspective. An institutional perspective is characterized in terms of two grand issues that divide students of international relations and other organized systems. The first issue concerns the basic logic of action by which human behavior is shaped. On the one side are those who see action as driven by a logic of anticipated consequences and prior preferences. On the other side are those who see action as driven by a logic of appropriateness and a sense of identity. The second issue concerns the efficiency of history. On the one side are those who see history as efficient in the sense that it follows a course leading to a unique equilibrium dictated by exogenously determined interests, identities, and resources. On the other side are those who see history as inefficient in the sense that it follows a meandering, path-dependent course distinguished by multiple equilibria and endogenous transformations of interests, identities, and resources. We argue that the tendency of students of international political order to emphasize efficient histories and consequential bases for action leads them to underestimate the significance of rule- and identity-based action and inefficient histories. We illustrate such an institutional perspective by considering some features of the coevolution of politics and institutions, particularly the ways in which engagement in political activities affects the definition and elaboration of political identities and the development of competence in politics and the capabilities of political institutions.
The tissue transglutaminase gene is not a primary factor predisposing to celiac disease

OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to determine whether the tissue transglutaminase (tTG) gene is a causal factor in the pathogenesis of celiac disease (CD). METHODS:A total of 147 Dutch families with at least one patient with biopsy-proven CD were available for this study. In all patients, CD was diagnosed according to the revised European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition criteria. A microsatellite marker in a noncoding region of the tTG gene was investigated for both linkage and association. Linkage was tested by determining the amount of allele sharing between affected brothers and sisters (affected sibling [sib] pair analysis). Association was determined by comparing transmission of certain tTG alleles from parents to CD patients to the nontransmitted alleles by the transmission/disequilibrium test.RESULTS:Linkage analysis did not show cosegregation of the tTG gene with celiac disease in our families, and there was no association between certain tTG alleles and celiac disease. Furthermore, the tTG gene could be excluded as a CD susceptibility gene.CONCLUSION:Our results indicate that the tTG gene can be excluded as a major primary genetic factor in CD pathogenesis.
Platform architecture for solar, thermal and vibration energy combining with MPPT and single inductor

A 0. 35µm CMOS energy processor with multiple inputs from solar, thermal and vibration energy sources is presented. Dual-path architecture for energy harvesting is proposed that has up to 13% higher conversion efficiency compared to the conventional two stage storage-regulation architecture. To minimize the cost and form factor, a single inductor has been time shared for all converters. A novel low power maximum power point tracking (MPPT) scheme with 95% tracking efficiency is also introduced.
Sensitivity of Small Cell Lung Cancer to BET Inhibition Is Mediated by Regulation of ASCL1 Gene Expression

The BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal) proteins bind acetylated histones and recruit protein complexes to promote transcription elongation. In hematologic cancers, BET proteins have been shown to regulate expression of MYC and other genes that are important to disease pathology. Pharmacologic inhibition of BET protein binding has been shown to inhibit tumor growth in MYC-dependent cancers, such as multiple myeloma. In this study, we demonstrate that small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells are exquisitely sensitive to growth inhibition by the BET inhibitor JQ1. JQ1 treatment has no impact on MYC protein expression, but results in downregulation of the lineage-specific transcription factor ASCL1. SCLC cells that are sensitive to JQ1 are also sensitive to ASCL1 depletion by RNAi. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies confirmed the binding of the BET protein BRD4 to the ASCL1 enhancer, and the ability of JQ1 to disrupt the interaction. The importance of ASCL1 as a potential driver oncogene in SCLC is further underscored by the observation that ASCL1 is overexpressed in >50% of SCLC specimens, an extent greater than that observed for other putative oncogenes (MYC, MYCN, and SOX2) previously implicated in SCLC. Our studies have provided a mechanistic basis for the sensitivity of SCLC to BET inhibition and a rationale for the clinical development of BET inhibitors in this disease with high unmet medical need. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(10); 2167–74. ©2015 AACR.
The Effects of Metaphoricity and Presentation Style on Brain Activation During Text Comprehension

Evidence from neuroimaging studies suggests that the right hemisphere contributes significantly to the processing of 2-word metaphoric expressions, whereas metaphoric sentences activate mainly left hemispheric areas. Yet the pattern of brain activation during the processing of metaphors at the text level, beyond simple word pairs or sentences, is still unknown. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activation patterns while 15 healthy participants read either 4-line metaphoric or nonmetaphorical texts. The findings indicate that both text types showed activation in the left and right posterior and anterior superior temporal gyri. Surprisingly, metaphoric texts resulted in significantly lower activation than nonmetaphoric texts in the anterior superior temporal gyri. The results are interpreted as indicating that presentation style affects brain activation, and that text processing may rely on a complicated interaction between metaphoricity (metaphoric, nonmetaphoric) and text presentation style (poetic, prosaic).
RFI in SMOS data detected by polarimetry

ESA's soil moisture and ocean salinity mission, SMOS, has been found to suffer much more from radio frequency interference (RFI) than expected, and methods for detecting RFI in SMOS data are of vital importance. This paper describes a method using the 3rd and 4th Stokes parameters for the purpose. Obvious hot-spots are detected, but also smaller, yet still detrimental RFI, spreading out over for example the ocean, is detected. It is also discussed how detected and flagged samples statistically deviate from their surroundings.
D-DIMER CUT-OFF ADJUSTED TO AGE PERFORMS BETTER FOR EXCLUSION OF PULMONARY EMBOLISM IN PATIENTS OVER 75 YEARS

Abstract Introduction: A D-dimer (DD) test improves the diagnosis of PE (PE) when combined with clinical scores. However, as DD levels increase physiologically with age, this testing has less specificity in older patients. Douma et al. (1). proposed the use of an age adjusted DD cut-off to increase the specificity of this test. Methods: We performed chart reviews of patients, older than 75 years, hospitalized for suspicion of PE in 2010-2011 (n = 165). PE was assessed with either pulmonary scintigraphy (PS, n = 64) and/or pulmonary computed tomography (PC, n = 101). We compared the specificity, sensitivity and false negatives rates of an age adjusted DD cut-off level (“ADC“ = (patient’s age × 0.01) μg/ml) with those of the conventional cut off level (“CDC”= 0.5 μg/ml). Results: PE was confirmed in 45 cases. In the 120 patients with no PE (negative PS or PC), 7 cases had CDC below cut-off levels, while 28 cases had an ADC below cut-off level. The use of the ADC thus increased the specificity (ADC: 23% vs CDC: 6%, p = 0.0001), and this was obtained without significant loss of sensitivity (ADC: 96% vs CDC: 98%, ns). Patients were clinically assessed with the revised Geneva scores. In the negative PE group, the number of patients classified with low, moderate or high clinical probability of PE were 31, 81 and 8, respectively. The percentage of patients with DD values below cut-off values was 4%, 0.8% and 0.8%, respectively using the CDC and 9%, 12% and 2.5% using the ADC. Conclusions: In this age group, the specificity of ADC was found superior to that of the CDC. The clinical use of the ADC might be associated with less useless diagnosis procedures, without significant increase in rate of diagnosis failure.
Mutation in the S gene a determinant of the hepatitis B virus associated with concomitant HBsAg and anti‐HBs in a population in Northeastern Brazil

Mutations in the a determinant of S gene may develop co‐existence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to HBsAg (anti‐HBs) in the serum of infected hepatitis B virus (HBV) individuals. Mutations in this region may change the antigenicity of HBsAg, which in turn, lead to escape of neutralizing action of anti‐HBs antibodies. This study identified individuals with concomitant HBsAg and anti‐HBs serological markers in individuals of Maranhão, Northeastern Brazil. Samples from a population‐based study were evaluated for HBsAg, anti‐HBs, and anti‐HBc, and those that tested positive for simultaneous HBsAg and anti‐HBs were submitted to HBV DNA quantification and S gene characterization by Sanger sequencing. Mutations were investigated in the a determinant located in major hydrophilic region (MHR) of the S gene. Among 3,984 samples analyzed, 92 (2.3%) were positive for HBsAg and three had the atypical HBsAg and anti‐HBs‐positive profile (3.26%). The frequency of HBsAg and anti‐HBs co‐existence was similar to previous studies. Only one individual harbored mutation in the S gene a determinant associated with this profile. Little is known about this phenomenon; however, studies as ours may contribute for future enlightenment of this important issue. J. Med. Virol. 89:458–462, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The role of assumptions in knowledge engineering

Problem‐solving methods are means of describing the inference process of knowledge‐based systems. In recent years, a number of these problem‐solving methods have been identified that can be reused for building new systems. However, problem‐solving methods require specific types of domain knowledge and introduce specific restrictions on the tasks that can be solved by them. These requirements and restrictions are assumptions that play a key role in the reuse of problem‐solving methods, in the acquisition of domain knowledge, and in the definition of the problem that can be tackled by knowledge‐based systems. In this paper we discuss the different roles assumptions play in the development of knowledge‐based systems and provide a survey of assumptions used in diagnostic problem solving. We show how such assumptions introduce targets and bias for goal‐driven machine learning and knowledge discovery techniques. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A dynamic context shortening method for a minimum-context grapheme-to-phoneme data-driven transducer generator

Abstract We present an efficient way to learn automatically letter-to-phoneme mapping rules for Polish by using the concept of “dynamic context shortening method”. Attempts at reconstruction of transcription rules date back to 1987, when Sejnowski and Rosenberg applied a self-organizing neural network for “grapheme-to-phoneme” mapping. In the latter approaches decision tree based methods were applied. The trees for each letter were built starting from empty contexts. The left and right contexts were then alternately widened until the transcription ambiguity of the training data disappeared. We started in our approach from the symmetrical context wide enough to ensure unambiguous transcription in every context surroundings. Then both contexts, i.e., left and right, were shortened alternately until the ambiguity appeared. In all the cases where ambiguous transcriptions occurred, the previous context forms were restored and were not shortened further. Therefore at every step the cause of ambiguity, namely too short left or right context, was clearly known and removed. On the basis of the results obtained, the transcription tables for each letter were constructed. A 350,000 character corpus of Polish text transcribed into phonemic form was prepared and different-length training samples were taken from it at random and analysed. The remaining parts were used for verification. It turned out that it was enough to prepare a 30,000 character training sample to learn Polish grapheme-to-phoneme minimum-context mapping. We describe also three original generalization methods which we call rules coring, indeterminacies absorption and a guessing method. The last was invented to be applied in case of a limited acceptance of a context. The methods applied together allow the removal of about 70% of errors.