Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PASS-GLM: polynomial approximate sufficient statistics for scalable Bayesian GLM inference

Generalized linear models (GLMs) -- such as logistic regression, Poisson regression, and robust regression -- provide interpretable models for diverse data types. Probabilistic approaches, particularly Bayesian ones, allow coherent estimates of uncertainty, incorporation of prior information, and sharing of power across experiments via hierarchical models. In practice, however, the approximate Bayesian methods necessary for inference have either failed to scale to large data sets or failed to provide theoretical guarantees on the quality of inference. We propose a new approach based on constructing polynomial approximate sufficient statistics for GLMs (PASS-GLM). We demonstrate that our method admits a simple algorithm as well as trivial streaming and distributed extensions that do not compound error across computations. We provide theoretical guarantees on the quality of point (MAP) estimates, the approximate posterior, and posterior mean and uncertainty estimates. We validate our approach empirically in the case of logistic regression using a quadratic approximation and show competitive performance with stochastic gradient descent, MCMC, and the Laplace approximation in terms of speed and multiple measures of accuracy -- including on an advertising data set with 40 million data points and 20,000 covariates.
Use of milk urea nitrogen in herd management.

Milk urea nitrogen (MUN) has been proposed as a management tool for nutritionists and dairy farmers to use as a monitor for protein feeding rates and nitrogen metabolism in lactating dairy cows. Dietary crude protein (CP) content has the greatest nutritional influence on MUN concentrations and has the potential to be used as a management tool for assessing dietary protein feeding. The MUN concentrations are also influenced by a number of other nutritional, cow, and environmental factors. Several statistical analyses of DHI data bases report mean MUN concentrations for Holstein cows ranged between 12.7 to 15.5 mg/dL and 14.1 to 14.4 mg/dL for Jersey cows. A number of milk marketing organizations test every farm’s bulk milk samples for MUN, and DHI organizations can test individual cow milk samples for MUN. Before reformulating a diet, the nutritionist and herd manager should investigate and consider all possible reasons why MUN concentrations are above or below what they regard as desirable for the herd or cow group. Basing diet reformulation solely on bulk tank or individual cow MUN concentrations may be too hasty and unwise. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role that monitoring MUN can have on herd management. Background Much of the CP a cow consumes is degraded by rumen microbes to ammonia and used
Pluripotent Stem Cell within the Prostate could be Responsible for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia in Human

Aim: Abnormal prostate growth is the most prevalent pathological sign in aged human males, reflected by high incidence of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and Prostate Cancer (PCa). The successful isolation and cultivation of prostate cells, is a prerequisite need for establishing model cell line for understanding the pathogenesis, unique biological properties and also various evidences suggest role of stem cells in pathogenesis of these conditions for therapeutic point of view. Methods and results: Here we isolate a candidate pluripotent stem cell population from BPH patients underwent TURP which include the isolation of an enriched population of prostate stem cells through cell culture techniques and the cultivation of prostate stem cells in vitro and characterization of these cells and their stem potential, including in-vivo teratoma generation. Cytogenetic analysis by G-banding assay demonstrated an aneuploid karyotype with a model chromosome number of 60 and normal Y chromosome. Characterization of isolated cells showed the presence of ONS pluripotency stem cell markers. Beside this these cells were also found positive for stem cell surface markers such as CD49b, CD44, CD117, CD34 and prostatic tissue specific markers like p63 and Androgen Receptor. In-vitro differentiation of the cells demonstrated formation of a tri-germinal layer into ectodermal, endodermal and mesodermal cell lineages with defined medium conditions and In-vivo teratoma formation in excised tumor in Balb/c mouse. Conclusion: we report here isolation, establishment and characterization of human prostate-derived pluripotent stem cell line. The cell line eventually serves as a potential tool for studies in prostate adult stem cell research, understanding etiopathophysiology and the regulation of BPH and PCa.
Lessons From a Crab: Molecular Mechanisms in Different Memory Phases of Chasmagnathus

Consolidation of long-term memory requires the activation of several transduction pathways that lead to post-translational modifications of synaptic proteins and to regulation of gene expression, both of which promote stabilization of specific changes in the activated circuits. In search of the molecular mechanisms involved in such processes, we used the context-signal associative learning paradigm of the crab Chasmagnathus. In this model, we studied the role of some molecular mechanisms, namely cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcription factor, and the role of synaptic proteins such as amyloid β precursor protein, with the object of describing key mechanisms involved in memory processing. In this article we review the most salient results obtained over a decade of research in this memory model.
Minimum-norm current formulation for MT-BCS inversion of scattering data

An innovative approach based on multi-task Bayesian Compressive Sensing (MT-BCS) for the solution of inverse scattering problems is presented. The minimum-norm current formulation is adopted to enable the use of the MT-BCS in the inversion procedure. Representative results are reported to show the potentialities and the effectiveness of the developed approach.
Asymptotic Gain Analysis of Cooperative Broadcast in Linear Wireless Networks

We analyze the maximum gain that can be achieved through cooperative broadcast with energy accumulation and memory. We consider a linear network, where a known number of nodes are placed on a line, and derive an upper bound on Gtot, the gain of cooperative broadcast over noncooperative broadcast with respect to total power consumption. Specifically, we prove that, in linear networks with path loss exponent α = 2, Gtot ≤ π2/12-π2 ≈ 4.64, irrespective of the number of devices, the size of the network, the node placement strategy, and the cooperative broadcast strategy. We extend this result to any path loss exponent α ≥ 2. We also show that the cooperation gain in shortrange transmissions, wherein the circuit energy consumption is nonnegligible, is smaller than that in long-range transmissions. We further study the cooperative broadcast gain when the objective is to reduce the maximum transmission power used by any node in the network. In this case, we show that, when nodes are distributed uniformly at random, the maximum cooperation gain will be O(log n), with high probability, where n is the number of nodes in the network. These are important observations that should be considered in designing power-efficient broadcast algorithms in future network-wide cooperative broadcast.
A comprehensive MATLAB — GUI based performance evaluation of three winding single phase SEIG

This paper deals with a Matlab- Graphical User Interface (GUI) based comprehensive performance analysis of a three winding single phase self excited induction generator (SEIG). There are different capacitor topologies proposed in the literature for three phase SEIG to feed single phase loads. Using this developed package, the theoretical performance of the generator has been evaluated by giving appropriate inputs of different topologies. This model is shown to be accurate, effective, and user friendly in estimating the generator performance. The validity of the application is also demonstrated by a critical comparison with test results.
The two biological activities of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpu protein involve two separable structural domains

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpu protein is an integral membrane phosphoprotein that induces CD4 degradation in the endoplasmic reticulum and enhances virus release from the cell surface. CD4 degradation is specific, requires phosphorylation of Vpu, and involves the interaction between Vpu and the CD4 cytoplasmic domain. In contrast, regulation of virus release is less specific and not restricted to HIV-1 and may be mechanistically-distinct from CD4 degradation. We show here that a mutant of Vpu, Vpu35, lacking most of its cytoplasmic domain has residual biological activity for virus release but is unable to induce CD4 degradation. This finding suggests that the N terminus of Vpu encoding the transmembrane (TM) anchor represents an active domain important for the regulation of virus release but not CD4 degradation. To better define the functions of Vpu's TM anchor and cytoplasmic domain, we designed a mutant, VpuRD, containing a scrambled TM sequence with a conserved amino acid composition and alpha-helical structure. The resulting protein was integrated normally into membranes, was able to form homo-oligomers, and exhibited expression levels, protein stability, and subcellular localization similar to those of wild-type Vpu. Moreover, VpuRD was capable of binding to CD4 and to induce CD4 degradation with wild-type efficiency, confirming proper membrane topology and indicating that the alteration of the Vpu TM domain did not interfere with this function of Vpu. However, VpuRD was unable to enhance the release of virus particles from infected or transfected cells, and virus encoding VpuRD had replication characteristics in T cells indistinguishable from those of a Vpu-deficient HIV-1 isolate. Mutation of the phosphorylation sites in VpuRD resulted in a protein which was unable to perform either function of Vpu. The results of our experiments suggest that the two biological activities of Vpu operate via two distinct molecular mechanisms and involve two different structural domains of the Vpu protein.
An Implicit Identity Authentication System Considering Changes of Gesture Based on Keystroke Behaviors

Smartphones have become ubiquitous personal devices so that much of sensitive and private information will be saved in the phone, and users have their own unique behavioral characteristics when using smartphones, so, to prevent private information from falling into the hands of impostors, there is a kind of identity authentication system based on user's behavioral features while the user is unlocking. However, due to the impact of environmental factors, changes of gesture will introduce bias into the feature data, which results in a diminishment of the system performance. To solve this problem, we propose an implicit identity authentication system based on keystroke behaviors, and it is the first attempt to consider the changes of a user's gesture. This system collects five keystroke features in the background and analyzes to identify different users without additional hardware supporting. We present our work with an experimental study, and our experiments show that the accuracy of identity authentication system we proposed is up to 99.1329%. Comparing with the identity authentication system without considering the impact of gesture changes, the EER of the system considering the impact of gesture changes is decreased by 1.2514%.
New protein kinase inhibitors in breast cancer: afatinib and neratinib

Introduction: Human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2 is overexpressed in 20 – 25% of breast cancers, and has historically been a poor prognostic marker. The introduction of trastuzumab, the first fully humanized monoclonal antibody targeting HER2, has drastically changed the outcomes of metastatic breast cancers. However, despite initial response, most patients develop resistance. Recent data suggest that strategies targeting more than one member of HER family may circumvent trastuzumab resistance and confer synergistic effects. Areas covered: Following a literature search on PubMed, national meetings and clinicaltrials.gov using ‘afatinib’, ‘neratinib’, ‘HER2’ and ‘breast cancer’ as keywords, we critically analyzed the different HER2-targeted therapies for their drug development and evidence-based therapeutic strategies. Afatinib and neratinib, two second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that irreversibly inhibit more than one HER family member, are being actively investigated in clinical trials either as monotherapy or in combination. We reviewed the efficacy and optimal use of these agents in various settings, such as systemic therapy for advanced breast cancer including brain metastases, and neoadjuvant therapy in early-stage breast cancer. Expert opinion: HER2-targeted therapies have been widely used and greatly improved the outcome of HER2-positive breast cancer. Despite the accelerated advancement in recent years, several crucial questions remain unanswered, such as how to treat a prior resistance or affect a sanctuary site, that is, CNS metastasis. The novel next-generation TKIs, afatinib and neratinib, were rationally designed to overcome the resistance by targeting multiple HER family members and irreversibly binding the targets. In spite of the encouraging results of the afatinib and neratinib monotherapies, they have not been proven more efficacious in the combination therapies yet, even though multicenter international trials are still ongoing. The key tasks in the future are to study resistance pathways, design novel strategies to more efficiently test combinations for synergistic effects and identify biomarkers and novel imaging tools to guide individualized therapies.
A Comparitive Survey Of Various Segmentation Techniques

Segmentation or the delineation of object boundaries in medical images remains a necessary step to obtain qualitative and quantitative measurements. Among these images, Ultrasound images plays a crucial role because the acquisition of these images is non invasive, cheap and does not require ionizing radiations compared to other medical imaging techniques. Due to acoustic interferences and artifacts, the automatic segmentation of anatomical structures in ultrasound imagery becomes a real challenge. Thus, to enhance the capabilities of ultrasound as a qualitative tool in clinical medicine, here we discuss the ultrasound image segmentation methods, focusing on techniques developed for medical. First, we discuss the formation of ultrasound images and conventional methods of image segmentation. After that we present the formulated methods for ultrasound image segmentation concerning the three largest areas of ultrasound imaging. Next section explains the validation degree that has been done in different application areas of ultrasound. In last section we conclude by referencing some papers which have introduced original ideas that exhibited particular usefulness in clinical domain specific to the ultrasound segmentation problem.
Transcriptional effect of DEFB1 gene 5' untranslated region polymorphisms.

To the Editor: Human β-defensin-1 (hBD-1) has been shown to be a candidate tumor suppressor gene by Sun et al. ( [1][1]) who reported that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the DEFB1 gene are able to modify the transcriptional activity of hBD-1 promoter. In particular, the − 44C/G SNP was
Agomelatine in depression

Introduction: Agomelatine is a relatively new antidepressant with a mechanism of action that is different from other antidepressants: it is a melatonergic agonist and a 5-HT2C antagonist. It is an effective treatment for depression, with relatively mild side effects. It may be a valuable pharmacological alternative in the clinical approach on depression. Areas covered: The literature about agomelatine has been comprehensively reviewed. Agomelatine's efficacy, safety and tolerability are reviewed based on the studies undertaken in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BPD). Expert opinion: Agomelatine has shown an antidepressant effect in preclinical models, and the results of a large-scale clinical trial program, conducted in MDD, indicate both an antidepressant activity and a favorable tolerability profile. Agomelatine has no discontinuation syndrome, sexual discomfort is rare, and it is generally weigh neutral. The drug appears to be relatively safe in case of overdose. However, some cases of elevated hepatic transaminases are reported during treatment. As agomelatine has a mechanism of action that differs from other agents, it may represent a valuable additional treatment option in those patients who do not respond fully or who do not tolerate the side effects of other antidepressants.
Types of lymphoscintigraphy and indications for lymphaticovenous anastomosis

Several authors have reported the usefulness and benefits of lymphoscintigraphy. However, it is insufficient to indicate microvascular treatment based on lymphedema. Here, we present the relationships between lymphoscintigraphic types and indications for lymphatic microsurgery. Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy was performed in 142 limbs with secondary lymphedema of the lower extremity. The images obtained were classified into five types. Type I: Visible inguinal lymph nodes, lymphatics along the saphenous vein and/or collateral lymphatics. Type II: Dermal backflow in the thigh and stasis of an isotopic material in the lymphatics. Type III: Dermal backflow in the thigh and leg. Type IV: Dermal backflow in the leg. Type V: Radiolabeled colloid remaining in the foot. Lymphaticovenous anastomosis was performed in 35 limbs. The average number of anastomoses per limb was 3.3 in type II, 4.4 in type III, 3.6 in type IV, and 3 in type V. The highest number of anastomosis was performed in type III. In conclusion, type III is suggested to be the best indication for anastomosis compared with types IV and V. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 30:437–442, 2010.
Image resolution and deconvolution in optical tomography

Abstract: We present a frequency domain analysis of the image resolution of optical tomography systems. The result of our analysis is a description of the spatially-variant resolution in optical tomographic image after reconstruction as a function of the properties of the imaging system geometry. We validate our model using optical projection tomography (OPT) measurements of fluorescent beads embedded in agarose gel. Our model correctly describes both the radial and tangential resolution of the measured images. In addition, we present a correction of the tomographic images for the spatially-varying resolution using a deconvolution algorithm. The resulting corrected tomographic reconstruction shows a homogeneous and isotropic pixellimited resolution across the entire image. Our method is applied to OPT measurements of a zebrafish, showing improved resolution. Aside from allowing image correction and providing a resolution measure for OPT systems, our model provides a powerful tool for the design of optical tomographic systems.
Medicare Reimbursement for Preventive Care: Changes in Performance of Services, Quality of Life, and Health Care Costs

A randomized, controlled trial was conducted to assess the effects of a financial and office systems intervention to increase preventive care in physicians' offices for patients aged 65 years or older. A total of 1,914 patients from 10 primary-care medical practices in central North Carolina were randomized within practices to an intervention and a usual-care control group. The intervention consisted of full Medicare reimbursement to physicians for preventive care and health promotion packages (thus making these services free for patients), regular prompting of physicians to routinely schedule preventive care visits, a new office system in which nurses carried out many preventive procedures, and a form for charting preventive care. The performance of screening tests dramatically increased in the intervention group relative to control (P < 0.001), but there was evidence of lack of follow-up of abnormal findings by physicians. At the 2-year follow-up, there were minimal differences between intervention and control groups in health-related quality-of-life indicators. Relative to the $294 per patient 3-year cost to Medicare for waivered services, the intervention was reimbursed-cost neutral or slightly cost reducing ($190 over 3 years) for Medicare. It is concluded that adding reimbursement for preventive services to Medicare—even with the office systems changes made in this study—will not by itself lead to effective implementation of preventive services in community medical practices. To enhance patient benefit from preventive services, greater attention needs to be focused on an organized approach to patient follow-up.
Pharmacologic interventions in nuclear radiology: indications, imaging protocols, and clinical results.

Nuclear radiology is valuable in assessing pathophysiology of a variety of organ systems. Pharmacologic interventions are often employed in radionuclide imaging to monitor the physiologic changes, which in turn facilitate the diagnosis. Metoclopramide, erythromycin, and cisapride have been used for gastric emptying studies. To overcome false-negative results, cimetidine, pentagastrin, and glucagon have been used in imaging of Meckel diverticula. Pharmacologic intervention with either cholecystokinin-8 or morphine is used primarily for the assessment of diseases of the gallbladder, common bile duct, and sphincter of Oddi. Pharmacologic interventions performed during renography include diuretic administration, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition, and aspirin renography. Recombinant thyrotropin can be used in patients with previously treated thyroid carcinoma who require lifelong follow-up for recurrent disease. Cardiac pharmacologic stress agents fall into two categories: coronary vasodilating agents, such as dipyridamole and adenosine, and cardiac positive inotropic agents, such as dobutamine and arbutamine. Measurement of hemodynamic responses to pharmacologic flow augmentation with carbon dioxide or acetazolamide is valuable in cerebrovascular perfusion studies.
Admission Control for LTE-Advanced Relay Systems

Relaying is a feature proposed for the LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) system with the aim of enhancing both network coverage and capacity at cell-edge or in heavily shadowed areas. The LTE-A radio frame structure, while properly designed for the presence of relay nodes, needs to be adequately configured to guarantee the QoS of the ongoing sessions and the fulfillment of the accepted sessions. This paper contributes with an admission control algorithm which leverages the knowledge of the available resources on the specific link and an appropriate resource sharing policies to admit or reject a connection request of new users. Supported by a simulation study, we show that our algorithm improves the performance of the whole cellular system in terms of number of admitted users and blocking probability.