Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experienced vs. Described Uncertainty: Do We Need Two Prospect Theory Specifications?

This paper reports on the results of an experimental elicitation at the individual level of all prospect theory components (i.e., utility, loss aversion, and weighting functions) in two decision contexts: situations where alternatives are described as probability distributions and situations where the decision maker must experience unknown probability distributions through sampling before choice. For description-based decisions, our results are fully consistent with prospect theory's empirical findings under risk. Furthermore, no significant differences are detected across contexts as regards utility and loss aversion. Whereas decision weights exhibit similar qualitative properties across contexts typically found under prospect theory, our data suggest that, for gains at least, the subjective treatment of uncertainty in experience-based and description-based decisions is significantly different. More specifically, we observe a less pronounced overweighting of small probabilities and a more pronounced underweighting of moderate and high probabilities for experience-based decisions. On the contrary, for losses, no significant differences were observed in the evaluation of prospects across contexts. This paper was accepted by George Wu, decision analysis.
Detection of p56lck Kinase Activity Using Scintillation Proximity Assay in 384-Well Format and Imaging Proximity Assay in 384- and 1536-Well Format

p56lck is a lymphocyte-specific tyrosine kinase that plays an important role in both T-cell maturation and activation. We have developed a homogeneous assay in which p56lck catalyzes the transfer of the γ-phosphate group from [γ-33P]ATP to a biotinylated peptide substrate. The labeled peptide is then captured on a streptavidin-coated scintillation proximity assay (SPA) bead or imaging proximity bead. The SPA is counted in a microplate scintillation counter and the imaging proximity assay is counted in a charge-coupled device-based imaging system called LEAD-seeker™, recently launched as a homogeneous imaging system by Amersham Pharmacia Biotech. We show, via time-dependence assays and inhibitor studies, that this assay can be performed in 1536-well microplate format using imaging proximity as the method of detection. The results compare favorably with the same assay performed in 384-well microplate format using both SPA and imaging proximity as the detection methods. From this study, we conclude that a kinase assay can be performed in 384- and 1536-well format using imaging as the detection method, with significant time savings over standard scintillation counting. In addition, we show cost saving advantages of 1536- over 384-well format in terms of reagent usage, higher throughput, and waste disposal.
Study of Tomlinson-Harashima Precoding Strategies for Physical-Layer Security in Wireless Networks

In this paper, we propose novel non-linear precoders for the downlink of a multi-user MIMO system with the existence of multiple eavesdroppers. The proposed non-linear precoders are designed to improve the physical-layer secrecy rate. Specifically, we combine the non-linear successive optimization Tomlinson-Harashima precoding (SO-THP) with generalized matrix inversion (GMI) technique to maximize the physical-layer secrecy rate. For the purpose of comparison, we examine different traditional precoders with the proposed algorithm in terms of secrecy rate as well as BER performance. We also investigate simplified generalized matrix inversion (S-GMI) and lattice-reduction (LR) techniques in order to efficiently compute the parameters of the precoders. We further conduct computational complexity and secrecy rate analysis of the proposed and existing algorithms. In addition, in the scenario without knowledge of channel state information (CSI) to the eavesdroppers, a strategy of injecting artificial noise (AN) prior to the transmission is employed to enhance the physical-layer secrecy rate. Simulation results show that the proposed non-linear precoders outperform existing precoders in terms of BER and secrecy rate performance.
Carotid stenting in high-risk patients: design and rationale of the SAPPHIRE trial.

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) was first proposed as a treatment for preventing stroke by C. Miller Fisher in the 1950s, and CEA was first performed in 1954 by Debakey in the United States and by Eastcott in England. Forty years were to pass, however, before there was any evidence that CEA was beneficial. The publication of the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) in 1991 provided the first definitive proof of the utility of endarterectomy in preventing stroke. Carotid artery stenting was first performed in 1994, and with the completion of the Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy (SAPPHIRE) trial in 2002, we had clear evidence that in selected patient groups protected carotid stenting was superior to CEA.
Information visualization techniques for exploring oil well trajectories in reservoir models

We present a set of interactive 3D visualizations, designed to explore oil/gas reservoir simulation post-processing models. With these visualizations we aim to provide reservoir engineers with better access to the data within their 3D models. We provide techniques for exploring existing oil well trajectories, and for planning future wells, to assist in decision making. Our approach focuses on designing visualization techniques that present the necessary details using concepts from information visualization. We created three new visualization variations - lollipop-up, information circles and path indicator, which present well trajectory specific information in different visual formats. Our paper describes these visualizations and discusses them in context of our exploratory evaluation.
Secrecy Analysis on Network Coding in Bidirectional Multibeam Satellite Communications

Network coding is an efficient means to improve the spectrum efficiency of satellite communications. However, its resilience to eavesdropping attacks is not well understood. This paper studies the confidentiality issue in a bidirectional satellite network consisting of two mobile users who want to exchange message via a multibeam satellite using the XOR network coding protocol. We aim to maximize the sum secrecy rate by designing the optimal beamforming vector along with optimizing the return and forward link time allocation. The problem is nonconvex, and we find its optimal solution using semidefinite programming together with a 1-D search. For comparison, we also solve the sum secrecy rate maximization problem for a conventional reference scheme without using network coding. Simulation results using realistic system parameters demonstrate that the bidirectional scheme using network coding provides considerably higher secrecy rate compared with that of the conventional scheme.
Central Core Domain of Retroviral Integrase Is Responsible for Target Site Selection*

Integration of retroviral DNA can occur into many sites on target DNA with a wide variation in preference. One factor known to affect target site selection is integrase, the viral protein required for the integration reaction. In this study, assays that measure the distribution and frequency of retroviral DNA integration showed that purified integrases of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) had different patterns of target site usage. The integrase domain involved in target site selection was mapped by analyzing the integration pattern of chimeric proteins formed between HIV-1 and FIV integrases and of deletion variants of the two wild-type integrases. The results indicate that the domain responsible for target site selection resides in the central core region of integrase.
MP3 / AAC audio decoder implementation based on hardware and software co-design

This paper presents a MP3 / AAC decoder with hardware and software co-design method. In this method, both the flexibility of the software design and the lower power consumption and higher speed of the hardware design are considered. Based on the analysis of algorithm complexity and the compatibility, the Huffman and the IMDCT hardware accelerator module are developed to accelerate the decoding process. At the same time, the fast algorithms adopted in the hardware accelerators have good expandability. The MP3 / AAC decoder is implemented and verified on Xilinx XUP VIIP board. The test results show that MP3 / AAC decoder could reach realtime processing when the Power PC runs at the frequency of 300MHz.
Molecular Pharmacology of Promiscuous Seven Transmembrane Receptors Sensing Organic Nutrients

A number of highly promiscuous seven transmembrane (7TM) receptors have been cloned and characterized within the last few years. It is noteworthy that many of these receptors are activated broadly by amino acids, proteolytic degradation products, carbohydrates, or free fatty acids and are expressed in taste tissue, the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands, adipose tissue, and/or kidney. These receptors thus hold the potential to act as sensors of food intake, regulating, for example, release of incretin hormones from the gut, insulin/glucagon from the pancreas, and leptin from adipose tissue. The promiscuous tendency in ligand recognition of these receptors is in contrast to the typical specific interaction with one physiological agonist seen for most receptors, which challenges the classic “lock-and-key” concept. We here review the molecular mechanisms of nutrient sensing of the calcium-sensing receptor, the G protein-coupled receptor family C, group 6, subtype A (GPRC6A), and the taste1 receptor T1R1/T1R3, which are sensing l-α-amino acids, the carbohydrate-sensing T1R2/T1R3 receptor, the proteolytic degradation product sensor GPR93 (also termed GPR92), and the free fatty acid (FFA) sensing receptors FFA1, FFA2, FFA3, GPR84, and GPR120. The involvement of the individual receptors in sensing of food intake has been validated to different degrees because of limited availability of specific pharmacological tools and/or receptor knockout mice. However, as a group, the receptors represent potential drug targets, to treat, for example, type II diabetes by mimicking food intake by potent agonists or positive allosteric modulators. The ligand-receptor interactions of the promiscuous receptors of organic nutrients thus remain an interesting subject of emerging functional importance.
Diversity of PspA: Mosaic Genes and Evidence for Past Recombination in Streptococcus pneumoniae

ABSTRACT Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is a serologically variable protein of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Twenty-four diverse alleles of the pspA gene were sequenced to investigate the genetic basis for serologic diversity and to evaluate the potential of diversity to have an impact on PspA's use in human vaccination. The 24pspA gene sequences from unrelated strains revealed two major allelic types, termed “families,” subdivided into clades. A highly mosaic gene structure was observed in which individual mosaic sequence blocks in PspAs diverged from each other by over 20% in many cases. This level of divergence exceeds that observed for blocks in the penicillin-binding proteins of S. pneumoniae or in many cross-species comparisons of gene loci. Conversely, because the mosaic pattern is so complex, each pair of pspA genes also has numerous shared blocks, but the position of conserved blocks differs from gene pair to gene pair. A central region of pspA, important for eliciting protective antibodies, was found in six clades, which each diverge from the other clades by >20%. Sequence relationships among the 24 alleles analyzed over three windows were discordant, indicating that intragenic recombination has occurred within this locus. The extensive recombination which generated the mosaic pattern seen in the pspA locus suggests that natural selection has operated in the history of this gene locus and underscores the likelihood that PspA may be important in the interaction between the pneumococcus and its human host.
DNA Extraction from Insects by Using Different Techniques: A Review

This review paper was prepared at Department of Zoology, University of Gujrat, Pakistan during 2014-2015. The data for the two decades, DNA Extraction from Insects by Using Different Techniques was compiled through a thorough review of many research articles published in various journals of international repute. Insects are very important economically and ecologically for human due to their various roles, as pests, decomposer in nutrition cycle, vector for the transmission of certain diseases and a source of medically and economically important products. To identify insect, and for research on their role, different molecular techniques are used. For each molecular technique, high quality DNA is required, which is extracted from the insects by different techniques. The selection of DNA extraction technique is depended upon specimen under study, time required for extraction, economical stander of technique due to reagents and equipment used for extraction and most importantly extracted DNA quality. In this paper, most frequently used techniques for DNA extraction from insect with different size and condition are outlined. This paper is only a guide for these techniques and we describe them briefly.
Investigating the application of FDM 3D printing pattern in preparation of patient-tailored dosage forms

Aim: The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of printing pattern on physical attributes and dissolution of fused deposition modeling 3D printed caplets. Methods: Hydrochlorothiazide-loaded polyvinyl alcohol filaments were prepared by hot melt extrusion. Caplets printed in hexagonal (HexCap), diamond infill (DiaCap) in three different sizes using fused deposition modeling 3D printer and evaluated for hardness, disintegration and dissolution. Results: DiaCaps exhibited higher hardness than HexCaps. Disintegration time for HexCaps was <20 mins. while DiaCaps took 25–40 mins. DiaCaps showed 20–30% lower release at all time points compared with HexCaps. Conclusion: Although composition, processing parameters were same, mere change in printing pattern alters disintegration and dissolution. Findings of this study can be invaluable in developing patient-tailored medicines.
Effects of land use on bird populations and pest control services on coffee farms

Significance How land use can support both natural and agricultural resources is a key sustainability question. This question is more complicated when nature and agriculture support each other; here, birds consume pest insects, and coffee provides bird habitat. We used a model based on field research to study the effects of agricultural and natural land uses on birds, the pest control services that birds provide, and crop production on Jamaican coffee farms. Our conclusions address whether small forest-like areas are more valuable for pest control than large intact forest, how the size and number of natural patches affect birds and crop production, and whether replacing sun coffee (a monoculture) with more diverse and tree-rich shade coffee increases pest consumption to a degree sufficient to offset the reduced yield. Global increases in both agriculture and biodiversity awareness raise a key question: Should cropland and biodiversity habitat be separated, or integrated in mixed land uses? Ecosystem services by wildlife make this question more complex. For example, birds benefit agriculture by preying on pest insects, but other habitat is needed to maintain the birds. Resulting land use questions include what areas and arrangements of habitat support sufficient birds to control pests, whether this pest control offsets the reduced cropland, and the comparative benefits of “land sharing” (i.e., mixed cropland and habitat) vs. “land sparing” (i.e., separate areas of intensive agriculture and habitat). Such questions are difficult to answer using field studies alone, so we use a simulation model of Jamaican coffee farms, where songbirds suppress the coffee berry borer (CBB). Simulated birds select habitat and prey in five habitat types: intact forest, trees (including forest fragments), shade coffee, sun coffee, and unsuitable habitat. The trees habitat type appears to be especially important, providing efficient foraging and roosting sites near coffee plots. Small areas of trees (but not forest alone) could support a sufficient number of birds to suppress CBB in sun coffee; the degree to which trees are dispersed within coffee had little effect. In simulations without trees, shade coffee supported sufficient birds to offset its lower yield. High areas of both trees and shade coffee reduced pest control because CBB was less often profitable prey. Because of the pest control service provided by birds, land sharing was predicted to be more beneficial than land sparing in this system.
Rapid identification of ocular dominance columns in macaques using cytochrome oxidase, Zif268, and dark-field microscopy

Strabismus induces an abnormal pattern of alternating light and dark columns of cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity in macaque striate cortex. This pattern may arise because visual perception is suppressed in one eye to avoid diplopia. To test whether CO activity is reduced in the ocular dominance columns of the suppressed eye, we performed monocular enucleation to co-label the ocular dominance columns with Zif268 immunohistochemistry in seven exotropic adult Macaca fascicularis. This approach was unsuccessful, for two reasons. First, Zif268 yielded inconsistent labelling, that was usually greater in the enucleated eye's ocular dominance columns, but was sometimes greater in the intact eye's columns. Therefore, Zif268 was not a reliable method for identifying the ocular dominance columns serving each eye. Second, in three control animals we found that a brief survival period following monocular enucleation (needed for Zif268 levels to change) was long enough to alter CO staining. For example, a survival time of only 3 h was sufficient to induce CO columns, indicating that the activity of this enzyme fluctuates more rapidly than realized previously. Independent of these findings, we have also discovered that acute monocular enucleation produces a vivid pattern of ocular dominance columns visible in unstained or CO-stained sections under dark-field illumination. The ocular dominance columns of the acutely enucleated eye appear dark. This was verified by labelling the ocular dominance columns with [3H]proline. Dark-field illumination of the cortex after acute monocular enucleation offers a new, easy method for identifying the ocular dominance columns in macaques.
DNA microarray analysis using Equalized Orthogonal Mapping

Gene expression data obtained from DNA microarray experiments consists of expression levels of thousands of genes of only a few samples. Thus, accurate analysis of these datasets for classification of cancer is a big challenge. In this paper, we apply a novel Equalized Orthogonal Map (EOM) as a dimension reduction technique to produce topologically correct map of DNA microarray data for visualization and classification of cancer types. Effectiveness of the EOM has been investigated for visualization and self organization using a benchmark microarray dataset [1] and its performance was compared with the Kohonen's Self Organizing Map (SOM) [7]. EOM was able to produce 100% accuracy for both FL and CLL samples of the lymphoma dataset. Furthermore, EOM is computationally more efficient, e.g., it took only 3 seconds for training of FL-CLL samples of Alizadeh et al. dataset [1], whereas SOM took more than 8 seconds. With extensive simulation results we have illustrated superiority of the EOM over SOM in terms of quality of maps, classification accuracy and computational complexity.
The use of acoustically detected filled and silent pauses in spontaneous speech recognition

In recognizing spontaneous speech, the performance of typical speech recognizers tends to be degraded by filled and silent pauses, which are hesitation phenomena frequently occurred in such speech. In this paper, we present a method for improving the performance of a speech recognizer by detecting and handling both filled pauses (lengthened vowels) and silent (unfilled) pauses. Our method automatically detects these pauses by using a bottom-up acoustical analysis in parallel with a typical speech decoding process, and then incorporates the detected results into the decoding process. From the results of experiments conducted using the CIAIR spontaneous speech corpus, the effectiveness of the proposed method was confirmed.
Semantic-based intelligent data clean framework for big data

In order to overcome the limitation of existing data cleansing methods working on massive data, in this paper, we propose a generic semantic-based framework using parallelized processing model for effective big data cleansing. We also use an improved Semantic-Based Keyword Matching Algorithm to deal with duplicate data. Experimental results show that this parallelized framework with improved Semantic-Based Keyword Matching Algorithm can identify duplicates with high recall and precision and have a good performance for big data cleansing.
Scurvy in the developed world

See related practice article by Dube at [www.cmaj. ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.080505][1]. A previously well 54-year-old woman was admitted to hospital for investigation of bilateral pain in her legs that prevented her from walking. She had a three-week history of pain, which started in the knees
Effect of Nutrient Availability on Progenitor Cells in Zebrafish (Danio Rerio)

In zebrafish brains, populations of continuously proliferating cells are present during an entire life span. Under normal conditions, stem cells give rise to rapidly proliferating progenitors that quickly exit the cell cycle and differentiate. Hence fish are favorable models to study what regulates postembryonic neurogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine if optic tectum (OT) cell proliferation is halted during nutritional deprivation (ND) and whether or not it can be restored with refeeding. We examined the effect of ND on the proliferation of Neuroepithelial/Ependymal Progenitor cell (NeEPC) and transitory‐amplifying progenitors (TAPs). Following ND, no PCNA immunostaining was found in OT of starved fish, while positive cell populations of PCNA positive progenitors are found at its periphery in control fish. This indicated that active proliferation stopped. To label retaining progenitor cells, BrdU was applied and a chase‐period was accompanied by ND. Positive NeEPCs were detected in the external tectum marginal zone of starved fish suggesting that these progenitors are relatively immune to ND. Moreover in the internal tectum marginal zone labeled retaining cells were observed leaving the possibility that some arrested TAPs were present to readily restart proliferation when nutrition was returned. Our results suggest that neurogenesis was maintained during ND and that a normal proliferative situation was recovered after refeeding. We point to the mTOR pathway as a necessary pathway in progenitors to regulate their mitosis activity. Thus, this study highlights mechanisms involved in neural stem and progenitor cell homeostatic maintenance in an adverse situation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 26–38, 2017