Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms: Empirical Results

In this paper, we provide a systematic comparison of various evolutionary approaches to multiobjective optimization using six carefully chosen test functions. Each test function involves a particular feature that is known to cause difficulty in the evolutionary optimization process, mainly in converging to the Pareto-optimal front (e.g., multimodality and deception). By investigating these different problem features separately, it is possible to predict the kind of problems to which a certain technique is or is not well suited. However, in contrast to what was suspected beforehand, the experimental results indicate a hierarchy of the algorithms under consideration. Furthermore, the emerging effects are evidence that the suggested test functions provide sufficient complexity to compare multiobjective optimizers. Finally, elitism is shown to be an important factor for improving evolutionary multiobjective search.
Repression of the Desmocollin 2 Gene Expression in Human Colon Cancer Cells Is Relieved by the Homeodomain Transcription Factors Cdx1 and Cdx2

Desmosomes are intracellular junctions that provide strong cell-cell adhesion in epithelia and cardiac muscle. Their disruption causes several human diseases and contributes to the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition observed in cancer. Desmocollin 2 (DSC2) is a cadherin superfamily member and a critical component of desmosomes found in intestinal epithelium. However, the mechanism regulating DSC2 gene expression in intestinal cells is not known. Cdx1 and Cdx2 are homeodomain transcription factors that regulate intestine-specific gene expression. Cdx expression in the past has been associated with the induction of desmosomes. We now show that the DSC2 gene is a transcriptional target for Cdx1 and Cdx2. Colon cancer cell lines retaining Cdx2 expression typically express DSC2. Restoration of Cdx expression in Colo 205 cells induced DSC2 mRNA and protein and the formation of desmosomes. The 5′-flanking region of the DSC2 promoter contains two consensus Cdx-binding sites. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays show that Cdx1 and Cdx2 bind these sites in vitro, and chromatin immunoprecipitation confirmed Cdx2 binding in vivo. DSC2 promoter truncations established that these regions are Cdx responsive. The truncations also identify a region of the promoter in which potent transcriptional repressors act. This repressor activity is relieved by Cdx binding. We conclude that the homeodomain transcription factors Cdx1 and Cdx2 regulate DSC2 gene expression in intestinal epithelia by reversing the actions of a transcriptional repressor. The regulation of desmosomal junctions by Cdx contributes to normal intestinal epithelial columnar morphology and likely antagonizes the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition necessary for the metastasis of colon cancer cells in humans. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(9):1478–90)
Enhancement of verb retrieval: Neuromodulation, repetition priming, and aphasia rehabilitation

There is a need to increase the efficacy and efficiency of aphasia rehabilitation protocols. In order to do this, we may rely on knowledge about how the language system may be changed by experience, including it’s plasticity to behavioral training and to neuromodulation. In this thesis, I study mechanisms of language facilitation in healthy individuals and mechanisms of language recovery in individuals with aphasia. I use both behavioral modification techniques (repeated naming in healthy individuals, and linguistically motivated aphasia therapy in individuals with aphasia), and neuromodulation (transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS). The data in this thesis indicate that, in healthy individuals, language facilitation by repetition priming reflects changes in implicit processing of stimuli (at the level of lexical retrieval), and explicit episodic retrieval of the prior occurrence of the stimuli. In patients with aphasia, the data indicates that the observation of item-specific improvement after treatment depend on pre-treatment levels accessibility to the lexeme level via semantics, and also on short term memory skills and/or post-lexical processing skills. Generalization may occur when damage to abstract features is present(semantic and/or grammatical), and when knowledge of abstract features is engaged during treatment. tDCS has been successfully used in prior research to enhance language training and rehabilitation effects. However, our data from healthy individuals did not reveal effects of neuromodulation, and the data with patients was ambigous: it is not possible to discern whether tDCS indeed incrteased the effects of therapy or wether the data are better explained as reflecting a ceiling effect.
The Status of Interprofessional Education and Interprofessional Prevention Education in Academic Health Centers: A National Baseline Study

Purpose Given the emphasis on prevention in U.S. health care reform efforts, the importance of interprofessional education (IPE) that prepares health professions students to be part of effective health care teams is greater than ever. This study examined the prevalence and nature of IPE and interprofessional (IP) prevention education in U.S. academic health centers. Method The authors extracted a 10-item survey from the longer published IPE Assessment and Planning Instrument. In September 2010, they sent the survey to 346 health professions leaders in health sciences schools and colleges at 100 academic health centers. These institutions were identified via the online membership list of the Association of Academic Health Centers. The authors conducted descriptive statistical analysis and cross-tabulations. Results Surveys were completed by 127 contacts at 68 universities in 31 states and the District of Columbia. IPE was more prevalent than IP prevention education in all categories of measurement. Respondents affirmed existence of IPE in courses (85.0%) and in clinical rotations/internships (80.3%). The majority reported personnel with responsibility for IPE (68.5%) or prevention education (59.8%) at their institutional unit, and 59.8% reported an IPE office or center. Conclusions This study provides evidence that IPE and IP prevention education exist in academic health centers, but additional attention should be paid to the development of IP prevention education. Sample syllabi, job descriptions, and policies may be available to support adoption of IPE and IP prevention education. Further effort is needed to increase the integration of IP and prevention education into practice.
Notes on recursion elimination

Various methods of recursion elimination are applied to the schematic recursive procedure: proc <italic>S</italic>(<italic>x</italic>); <italic>px</italic> then <italic>N</italic>(<italic>x</italic>); <italic>S</italic>(ƒ<italic>x</italic>); <italic>S</italic>(<italic>gx</italic>); <italic>M</italic>(<italic>x</italic>) fi. Procedures with this general form arise in connection with tree traversal and sorting algorithms. Each method of recursion removal involves the use of one or more stacks, and the solutions are compared on the basis of their running time.
An enhanced ILP design model for node-encircling p-cycle networks

We develop a new enhanced ILP design model that optimally designs a node-encircling p-cycle network. The new model takes advantage of the observation that NEPCs assigned solely for node-failure protection will inherently protect all two-hop segments of every multi-hop working lightpath. As a result, only single-hop working lightpaths need explicit span-failure protection in the conventional manner. The new ILP shows a significant reduction in capacity requirements.
Involvement of kinases in glucose and fructose uptake by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Uptake of glucose, fructose, and the nonmetabolizable analog 6-deoxyglucose was measured in wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae and two mutant strains, one (hxk1 hxk2) lacking both hexokinase A(P-I) and B(P-II) but containing glucokinase (and hence able to grow on glucose but not fructose) and the other (hxk1 hxk2 glk) also lacking glucokinase (and not able to grow on glucose either). Uptake of the nonmetabolized substances (i.e., 6-deoxyglucose in all three strains, fructose in the two mutants, and glucose in the triple mutant) reached a plateau at or below the external concentration. The kinetic characteristics of uptake were determined from 5-sec incubations by plotting velocity (V) vs. velocity/substrate concentration (V/S) curves. According to such plots, in the wild-type strain uptake had two components, "high affinity uptake" with Km values of ca. 1 mM for glucose and 6 mM for fructose and "low affinity uptake" with Km values of ca. 20 and 50 mM, respectively. The double kinase mutant showed both components for glucose but only the high Km component for fructose, while the triple kinase mutant showed only high Km uptake for both glucose and fructose. Genetic analysis showed that only in strains lacking both hexokinases (hxk1 hxk2) was the low Km system for fructose absent. Low Km uptake was restored to the triple mutant by introduction of the cloned wild-type genes: HXK1 or HXK2, for fructose uptake, and HXK1, HXK2, or GLK1, for glucose uptake. A phosphoglucose isomerase mutant had both low and high Km uptake for glucose. These results indicate the presence of two types of uptake mechanism for glucose and fructose in yeast, the functioning of one of which, the low Km system, is influenced by the cognate kinases.
Neural network interactions related to auditory learning analyzed with structural equation modeling

If learning is an emergent property of interacting brain regions, understanding it requires a network analysis of the patterns of interaction between brain regions. Brain mapping techniques have the potential of providing information about functional interactions within entire neural systems, but computational methods are needed to make sense of the complex interactions that take place in the brain. This review paper illustrates, with examples from auditory learning studies, the application of a computational method that quantifies the interactions among neural regions in terms of networks, and what is gained from this approach. The method is Structural Equation Modeling, and it computes network interactions by combining anatomical circuitry with the covariation in the activity between auditory structures. Activity was assessed by fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, and the functional strengths of auditory pathways were quantified by computing path coefficients representing the strength of the functional influence through each anatomical path. Changes in these values were used as indices of how learned information was processed and modified within the auditory system. Structural models of the auditory system revealed the patterns of network interactions related to habituation to a sound, as well as the patterns related to the opposite learned associative properties of the same sound. They illustrated how the functional interactions among parallel auditory neural pathways were modified as a result of auditory learning. This analysis supports the hypothesis that auditory learning is an emergent network property, distributed among connected brain regions showing specific patterns of interaction. ©1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Decisions from Experience: Adaptive Information Search and Choice in Younger and Older Adults

In real-world decision making, choice outcomes, and their probabilities are often not known a priori but must be learned from experience. The dopamine hypothesis of cognitive aging predicts that component processes of experience-based decision making (information search and stimulus–reward association learning) decline with age. Many existing studies in this domain have used complex neuropsychological tasks that are not optimal for testing predictions about specific cognitive processes. Here we used an experimental sampling paradigm with real monetary payoffs that provided separate measures of information search and choice for gains and losses. Compared with younger adults, older adults sought less information about uncertain risky options. However, like younger adults, older participants also showed evidence of adaptive decision making. When the desirable outcome of the risky option was rare (p = 0.10 or 0.20), both age groups engaged in more information search and made fewer risky choices, compared with when the desirable outcome of the risky option was frequent (p = 0.80 or 0.90). Furthermore, loss options elicited more sampling and greater modulation of risk taking, compared with gain options. Overall, these findings support predictions of the dopamine hypothesis of cognitive aging, but they also highlight the need for additional research into the interaction of age and valence (gain vs. loss) on experience-based choice.
A High Performance Application Representation for Reconfigurable Systems

Modern reconfigurable computing systems feature powerful hybrid architectures with multiple microprocessor cores, large reconfigurable logic arrays and distributed memory hierarchies. Mapping applications to these complex systems requires a representation that allows both hardware and software synthesis. Additionally, this representation must enable optimizations that exploit fine and coarse grained parallelism in order to effectively utilize the performance of the underlying reconfigurable architecture. Our work explores a representation based on the program dependence graph (PDG) incorporated with the static single-assignment (SSA) for synthesis to high performance reconfigurable devices. The PDG effectively describes control dependencies, while SSA yields precise data dependencies. When used together, these two representations provide a powerful, synthesizable form that exploits both fine and coarse grained parallelism. Compared to other commonly used representations for reconfigurable systems, the PDG+SSA form creates faster execution time, while using similar area.
Design, conduct and evaluation of a communication course for oncology fellows.

BACKGROUND Training in the communication components of cancer care is necessary for the practice of oncology. We conducted a communication course for oncology fellows. METHODS Teaching methods included lectures, role playing and simulated patient interviews. We used self-reports, knowledge questionnaires and course/faculty evaluations. RESULTS A total of 17 fellows participated. Skills in dealing with bad news, denial and end-of-life issues improved. We obtained information on communication tasks commonly performed during patient interactions, various aspects of the course and faculty performance. CONCLUSIONS Fellows' knowledge and self-efficacy improved postcourse. Information on challenges faced by trainees and their feedback may help focus the design of future courses.
Mapping of the quantum efficiency of a superconducting single electron detector

Superconducting NbN wires have recently received attention as detectors for visible and infrared photons [1]. We present experiments in which we use a NbN wire for high-efficiency (¿40%) detection of single electrons with keV energy. We use the beam of a scanning electron microscope as a focussed, stable, and calibrated electron source. Scanning the beam over the surface of the wire provides a map of the detection efficiency. This map shows features as small as 150 nm, revealing wire inhomogeneities. The intrinsic resolution of this mapping method, superior to optical methods, provides the basis of a characterization tool relevant for photon detectors.
Are Internet and Paper-and-Pencil Personality Tests Truly Comparable?

Recently, the use of technology in assessment for personnel selection has increased dramatically. An important consideration is whether test scores obtained via Internet administration are psychometrically equivalent to those obtained by the more traditional paper-and-pencil format. Our results suggest that there is comparability of scores for many personality constructs, including conscientiousness. However, invariance was not found for some scales between persons allowed to choose formats and those not given a choice of formats. As testing-format preference may be related to membership in federally protected demographic groups, this latter finding was somewhat troubling. Additionally, we illustrate the use of an experimental laboratory design to investigate possible causes of a lack of measurement invariance in Internet and paper-and-pencil comparisons.
Environmental and temperamental correlates of alcohol user patterns in grade 7 students

Aims We examined the effects of temperamental dispositions, friends using alcohol and parental monitoring on grade 7 students' alcohol use patterns. Design The analyses were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of 3710 grade 7 students (mean age =12.53) that participated in a large Norwegian school-based intervention study. Alcohol user patterns were measured through combining self-reported lifetime alcohol experience, heavy episodic drinking and any alcohol involvement in the previous 30 days. Behavioural inhibition/activation sensitivity (BIS/BAS), parental monitoring and the number of friends using alcohol were measured through the adolescents' self-report. Results As many as 68.8% of boys and 83.3% of girls were non-users of alcohol, whereas 9.1% of boys and 3.9% of girls reported use of alcohol last month. Heavy episodic drinking last month was reported by 3.1% of the boys and by 0.8 % of the girls. A multinomial regression analysis revealed strong associations between the number of friends using alcohol and alcohol user patterns, moderate inverse associations between parental monitoring and alcohol user patterns, and a weak association between BIS/BAS components and alcohol user patterns. Conclusion The results demonstrate the importance of socio-environmental factors in a period in which alcohol use is predictive of later negative outcomes.
FutureView: Enhancing Exploratory Image Search

Search algorithms in image retrieval tend to focus on giving the user more and more similar images based on queries that the user has to explicitly formulate. Implicitly, such systems limit the users exploration of the image space and thus remove the potential for serendipity. As a response, in recent years there has been an increased interest in developing content based image retrieval systems that allow the user to explore the image space without the need to type specific search queries. However, most of the research focuses on designing new algorithms and techniques, while little research has been done in designing interfaces allowing the user to actively engage in directing their image search. We present an interactive FutureView interface that can be easily combined with most existing exploratory image search engines. The interface gives the user a view of possible future search iterations. A task-based user study demonstrates that our interface enhances exploratory image search by providing access to more images without increasing the time required to find a specific image.
Comparison of Droplet Digital PCR and Seminested Real-Time PCR for Quantification of Cell-Associated HIV-1 RNA

Cell-associated (CA) HIV-1 RNA is considered a potential marker for assessment of viral reservoir dynamics and antiretroviral therapy (ART) response in HIV-infected patients. Recent studies employed sensitive seminested real-time quantitative (q)PCR to quantify CA HIV-1 RNA. Digital PCR has been recently described as an alternative PCR-based technique for absolute quantification with higher accuracy compared to qPCR. Here, a comparison was made between the droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and the seminested qPCR for quantification of unspliced (us) and multiply spliced (ms) CA HIV-1 RNA. Synthetic RNA standards and CA HIV-1 RNA from infected patients on and off ART (N = 34) were quantified with both methods. Correlations were observed between the methods both for serially diluted synthetic standards (usRNA: R2 = 0.97, msRNA: R2 = 0.92) and patient-derived samples (usRNA: R2 = 0.51, msRNA: R2 = 0.87). Seminested qPCR showed better quantitative linearity, accuracy and sensitivity in the quantification of synthetic standards than ddPCR, especially in the lower quantification ranges. Both methods demonstrated equally high detection rate of usRNA in patient samples on and off ART (91%), whereas ddPCR detected msRNA in larger proportion of samples from ART-treated patients (p = 0.13). We observed an average agreement between the methods for usRNA quantification in patient samples, albeit with a large standard deviation (bias = 0.05±0.75 log10). However, a bias of 0.94±0.36 log10 was observed for msRNA. No-template controls were consistently negative in the seminested qPCR, but yielded a positive ddPCR signal for some wells. Therefore, the false positive signals may have affected the detection power of ddPCR in this study. Digital PCR is promising for HIV nucleic acid quantification, but the false positive signals need further attention. Quantitative assays for CA HIV RNA have the potential to improve monitoring of patients on ART and to be used in clinical studies aimed at HIV eradication, but should be cross-validated by multiple laboratories prior to wider use.
Document-level adverse drug reaction event extraction on electronic health records in Spanish

We outline an Adverse Drug Reaction (ADRs) extraction system for Electronic Health Records (EHRs) written in Spanish. The goal of the system is to assist experts on pharmacy in making the decision of whether a patient suffers from one or more ADRs. The core of the system is a predictive model inferred from a manually tagged corpus that counts on both semantic and syntactically features. This model is able to extract ADRs from disease-drug pairs in a given EHR. Finally, the ADRs automatically extracted are post-processed using a heuristic to present the information in a compact way. This stage reports the drugs and diseases of the document together with their frequency, and it also links the pairs related as ADRs. In brief, the system not only presents the ADRs in the text but also provides concise information on request by experts in pharmacy (the potential users of the system). Keywords: Event Extraction; Adverse Drug Reactions; Text Mining.
Insulin can block apoptosis by decreasing oxidative stress via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase- and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase-dependent signaling pathways in HepG2 cells.

OBJECTIVE Insulin has well-known activities in controlling energy metabolism, cellular proliferation and biosynthesis of functional molecules to maintain a biological homeostasis. Recently, several studies have suggested that insulin may protect cells from apoptosis in different cell lines; however, little is known about the nature of its anti-apoptotic activity. In many clinical disorders, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, oxidative stress and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is increased. With these facts as a background, we examined here whether insulin protects HepG2 cells from apoptosis by decreasing oxidative stress and, if so, which signaling steps are involved in this process. METHODS Intracellular DNA content, the degree of nuclear condensation or poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase hydrolysis was measured to verify the occurrence of apoptotic events. Caspase-3 activity and ROS accumulation within cells were also measured. Western blot analysis was performed to identify signaling molecules activated in response to insulin. RESULTS Serum starvation resulted in a marked accumulation of ROS, activation of caspase-3, and subsequent apoptotic cell death which were, in turn, markedly blocked by the addition of insulin. The anti-apoptotic activity of insulin was sensitive to blockade of two different signaling steps, activations of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3 kinase) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK). CONCLUSION Insulin exerts an anti-apoptotic activity by suppressing the excessive accumulation of ROS within cells through signaling pathways including stimulation of PI3 kinase and ERK in HepG2 cells.