Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visual rating method and tensor-based morphometry in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: a comparative magnetic resonance imaging study

Background Atrophy of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is the main structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) finding in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, evaluating the degree of atrophy is still demanding. Purpose The visual rating method (VRM) was compared with multi-template tensor-based morphometry (TBM), in terms of its efficacy in diagnosing of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. Material and Methods Forty-seven patients with MCI, 80 patients with AD and 84 controls were studied. Results TBM seems to be more sensitive than VRM at the early stage of dementia in the areas of MTL and ventricles. The methods were equally good in distinguishing controls and the MCI group from the AD group. At the frontal areas TBM was better than VRM in all comparisons. Conclusion A user-friendly VRM is still useful for the clinical evaluation of MCI patients, but multi-template TBM is more sensitive for diagnosing the early stages of dementia. However, TBM is currently too demanding to use for daily clinical work.
Renal Outcomes after up to 8 Years of Tenofovir Exposure in HIV–HBV-Coinfected Patients

Background Renal toxicity is a common side effect during tenofovir (TDF)-use in HIV-infected, but not necessarily HBV-infected, patients. Nevertheless, little is known regarding TDF-use on renal impairment during HIV–HBV coinfection. We aimed to evaluate the progression and determinants of renal impairment in coinfected patients undergoing TDF. Methods A total of 175 coinfected patients initiating TDF-containing antiretroviral therapy were prospectively followed. Estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) were calculated at baseline and every 6–12 months. Determinants of eGRF change from baseline (ΔeGFR) were evaluated using mixed-effect linear regression and progression towards renal impairment using proportional-hazards regression. Results At baseline, average eGFR was 96.7 ml/min per 1.73m2 (95% CI 93.8, 99.6). During a median 58.3 months (IQR 33.7–92.1) of treatment, eGFR decreased a monthly average of -0.14 ml/min per 1.73m2 (95% CI -0.16, -0.12). Significantly faster ΔeGFR was associated with baseline eGFR>90 (P=0.002), male gender (P=0.04), previous AIDS-defining illness at baseline (P=0.03), baseline liver cirrhosis (P=0.03) and concomitant protease inhibitor use (P=0.005). Between respective baseline and end of follow-up visits, the proportion of patients with renal impairment increased: normal function, 65.7% to 53.1%; mild impairment, 32.6% to 40.0%; moderate impairment, 1.7% to 6.9%. Higher age (P=0.01) and previous AIDS-defining illness (P=0.02) at baseline were independent risk-factors for developing impairment, while undetectable HBV DNA on-treatment was protective (P=0.006). Five (2.9%) patients permanently discontinued TDF after a renal event. Conclusions Severe HIV-related and HBV-related morbidity negatively affects renal function in coinfected patients undergoing long-term TDF. Although most patients only developed mild/moderate impairment, close renal monitoring is warranted for this particular population.
Performance Comparison of Register Allocation Algorithms in Dynamic Binary Translation

This paper presents performance comparison of register allocation algorithms in DBT (Dynamic Binary Translation). A group of register allocation algorithms including SRA(Simple Register Allocation), GRA(Global Register Allocation), NRA(Next-use Register Allocation) and SGRA(Simplified Graph-coloring Register Allocation) are implemented in a DBT system and evaluated. SGRA is a simplified version of graph-coloring register allocation method proposed by us. NRA and GRA are also an optimization versions based on the target platform. From the experimental result, SGRA has the best performance on all the six programs chosen from SPEC CINT2000. The improvement of SGRA is 7.3% on average over SRA. And based on comparison of the performance of DBT system with super block technique switching on or off, we find SGRA has better performance in big allocation scope, such as super blocks and traces.
Understanding variation in metabolic rate

ABSTRACT Metabolic rate reflects an organism's capacity for growth, maintenance and reproduction, and is likely to be a target of selection. Physiologists have long sought to understand the causes and consequences of within-individual to among-species variation in metabolic rates – how metabolic rates relate to performance and how they should evolve. Traditionally, this has been viewed from a mechanistic perspective, relying primarily on hypothesis-driven approaches. A more agnostic, but ultimately more powerful tool for understanding the dynamics of phenotypic variation is through use of the breeder's equation, because variation in metabolic rate is likely to be a consequence of underlying microevolutionary processes. Here we show that metabolic rates are often significantly heritable, and are therefore free to evolve under selection. We note, however, that ‘metabolic rate’ is not a single trait: in addition to the obvious differences between metabolic levels (e.g. basal, resting, free-living, maximal), metabolic rate changes through ontogeny and in response to a range of extrinsic factors, and is therefore subject to multivariate constraint and selection. We emphasize three key advantages of studying metabolic rate within a quantitative genetics framework: its formalism, and its predictive and comparative power. We make several recommendations when applying a quantitative genetics framework: (i) measuring selection based on actual fitness, rather than proxies for fitness; (ii) considering the genetic covariances between metabolic rates throughout ontogeny; and (iii) estimating genetic covariances between metabolic rates and other traits. A quantitative genetics framework provides the means for quantifying the evolutionary potential of metabolic rate and why variance in metabolic rates within populations might be maintained. Summary: Studying metabolic rate through a quantitative genetics approach provides a formal, predictive and comparative framework for understanding variation in metabolic rate.
Bound states in the Higgs model.

We derive relativistic wave equations for the bound states of two Higgs bosons within the Higgs sector of the minimal standard model. The variational method and the Hamiltonian formalism of QFT are used to obtain the equations using a simple [vert bar][ital hh][r angle]+[vert bar][ital hhh][r angle] Fock-space ansatz. We present approximate solutions of these equations for a range of Higgs boson masses, and explore the parameter space which corresponds to the existence of two-Higgs-boson bound states.
“Keep in mind that I will be improving”: The Opening Post as a Request for Absolution

Creating, sharing, and critiquing user-generated content are increasingly common practices in online environments, as users become active producers, reviewers, and promoters, not just consumers, of content. This paper investigates the functions of the opening posts in an online discussion forum dedicated to user-generated game levels (i.e., mini-games) designed with the LittleBigPlanet digital game series. In the analyzed community, the first post of each thread plays a crucial role, as authors introduce themselves, present their work, and set the stage for discussion. Findings show that the opening post carries a variety of discursive functions: it serves as a creative presentation of content, a self-reflective disclosure of practices, and a passionate call to participation. Moreover, by artfully using these themes, participants construct the opening post as a “request for absolution. ” Through an ethnographic discourse analysis approach that draws on politeness theory, this study furthers the understanding of how users discursively construct and seek to increase opportunities for interaction, peer feedback, and social learning in a creative online space.
Nucleic Acids Research

The sequence of the distal end of the E. coli ribosomal RNA rrnE operon indicates conserved features are shared by rrn operons ABSTRACT The 1440 nucleotides of the distal region of the E.coli ribosomal RNA operon found on the XaroE transducing phage has been sequenced. We show that the xaroE hybrid rrn operon ends after a solitary 5S RNA gene with rrnE distal sequence. A single terminator structure of dyad symmetry followed by a run of six T's has been identified and compared to other sequenced rrn terminator hairpins. Immediately adjacent to the hairpin is a region of interrupted but conserved sequence tfat is shared by rrnE, rrnB and rrnD. An open reading frame of 127 amino acids abuts the terminator structure. Another open reading frame of 147 amino acids is found on the opposite strand several hundred nucleotides downstream.
Hybrid regularization method for the ill-posed inversion of multiwavelength lidar data in the retrieval of aerosol size distributions.

A specially developed method is proposed to retrieve the particle volume distribution, the mean refractive index, and other important physical parameters, e.g., the effective radius, volume, surface area, and number concentrations of tropospheric and stratospheric aerosols, from optical data by use of multiple wavelengths. This algorithm requires neither a priori knowledge of the analytical shape of the distribution nor an initial guess of the distribution. As a result, even bimodal and multimodal distributions can be retrieved without any advance knowledge of the number of modes. The nonlinear ill-posed inversion is achieved by means of a hybrid method combining regularization by discretization, variable higher-order B-spline functions and a truncated singular-value decomposition. The method can be used to handle different lidar devices that work with various values and numbers of wavelengths. It is shown, to my knowledge for the first time, that only one extinction and three backscatter coefficients are sufficient for the solution. Moreover, measurement errors up to 20% are allowed. This result could be achieved by a judicious fusion of different properties of three suitable regularization parameters. Finally, numerical results with an additional unknown refractive index show the possibility of successfully recovering both unknowns simultaneously from the lidar data: the aerosol volume distribution and the refractive index.
Taxonomic identification of algae (morphological and molecular): species concepts, methodologies, and their implications for ecological bioassessment

Algal taxonomy is a key discipline in phycology and is critical for algal genetics, physiology, ecology, applied phycology, and particularly bioassessment. Taxonomic identification is the most common analysis and hypothesis‐testing endeavor in science. Errors of identification are often related to the inherent problem of small organisms with morphologies that are difficult to distinguish without research‐grade microscopes and taxonomic expertise in phycology. Proposed molecular approaches for taxonomic identification from environmental samples promise rapid, potentially inexpensive, and more thorough culture‐independent identification of all algal species present in a sample of interest. Molecular identification has been used in biodiversity and conservation, but it also has great potential for applications in bioassessment. Comparisons of morphological and molecular identification of benthic algal communities are improved by the identification of more taxa; however, automated identification technology does not allow for the simultaneous analysis of thousands of samples. Currently, morphological identification is used to verify molecular taxonomic identities, but with the increased number of taxa verified in algal gene libraries, molecular identification will become a universal tool in biological studies. Thus, in this report, successful application of molecular techniques related to algal bioassessment is discussed.
Ultraviolet free-electron laser driven by a high-brightness 45-MeV electron beam.

We report on experimental studies of an ultraviolet (UV) free-electron laser (FEL) oscillator driven by low-energy electrons from a radio-frequency linear accelerator. Previous UV FELs have been driven by 350--800-MeV electrons from storage rings. We verify the concept of driving an UV FEL with a low-energy, but high-current, low-emittance electron beam. This and other innovations allowed the FEL to lase at wavelengths from 369 to 380 nm using 45.9--45.2-MeV electrons, and to achieve a peak optical output power of 270 kW. The experimental results are in good agreement with simulations.
Estimation of plasma and saliva levels of coenzyme Q10 and influence of oral supplementation

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels in human saliva were measured by HPLC with a highly sensitive electrochemical detector (ECD) and a special concentration column. This HPLC system showed satisfactory analytical results within the standard range of 0.78–50 ng/ml. We also found a significant correlation between CoQ10 levels in plasma and in saliva from parotid glands, while this correlation was lacking between plasma CoQ10 and CoQ10 in whole saliva. Unlike in plasma, there are some fluctuations of saliva CoQ10 levels throughout the day. A good correlation was obtained by colleting parotid gland saliva at times between meals. The mean saliva CoQ10 level for 55 healthy volunteers was 17.0 ng/ml (S.D. 6.8 ng/ml); approximately one fiftieth of that in plasma.
Protein Kinase C Activates Human Lipocalin-type Prostaglandin D Synthase Gene Expression through De-repression of Notch-HES Signaling and Enhancement of AP-2β Function in Brain-derived TE671 Cells*

Here we investigated the regulatory mechanism of lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS) gene expression in human TE671 (medulloblastoma of cerebellum) cells. Reporter analysis of the promoter region from -730 to +75 of the human L-PGDS gene demonstrated that deletion or mutation of the N-box at -337 increased the promoter activity 220-300%. The N-box was bound by Hes-1, a mammalian homologue of Drosophila Hairy and enhancer of split, as examined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Functional expression of the Notch intracellular domain significantly increased Hes-1 expression and decreased L-PGDS expression level in TE671 cells. Moreover, knock-down of Hes-1 mRNA by RNA interference significantly enhanced the L-PGDS mRNA level, indicating that the L-PGDS gene expression is repressed by the Notch-Hes signaling. When the AP-2 element at -98 of the promoter region was deleted or mutated, the promoter activity was drastically decreased to ∼10% of normal. The AP-2 element was bound by AP-2β dominantly expressed in TE671 cells, according to the results of electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. L-PGDS expression was induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in TE671 cells, and this induction was inhibited by a protein kinase C inhibitor. Stimulation of TE671 cells with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate or transfection with protein kinase Cα expression vector induced phosphorylation of Hes-1, inhibition of DNA binding of Hes-1 to the N-box, and activation of the AP-2β function to up-regulate L-PGDS gene expression. These results reveal a novel transcriptional regulatory mechanism responsible for the high level expression of the human L-PGDS gene in TE671 cells.
Interfaces for Distributed Systems of Information Servers

Interfaces for information access and retrieval are a long way from the ideal of the electronic book that you can cuddle up with in bed. Nevertheless, today's interfaces are coming closer to supporting browsing, selection, and retrieval of remote information by nontechnical users. This article describes five interfaces to distributed systems of servers that have been designed and implemented: WAIStation for the Macintosh, XWAIS for X-Windows, GWAIS for Gnu-Emacs, SWAIS for dumb terminals, and Rosebud for the Macintosh. These interfaces talk to one of two server systems: the Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) system on the internet, and the Rosebud Server System, on an internal network at Apple Computer. Both server systems are built on Z39.50, a standard protocol, and thus support access to a wide range of remote databases. The interfaces described here reflect a variety of design constraints. Such constraints range from the mundane—coping with dumb terminals and limited screen space—to the challenging. Among the challenges addressed are how to provide passive alerts, how to make information easily scannable, and how to support retrieval and browsing by nontechnical users. There are a variety of other issues which have received little or no attention, including budgeting money for access to “for pay” databases, privacy, and how to assist users in finding out which of a large (changing) set of databases holds relevant information. We hope that the challenges we have identified, as well as the existence and public availability of source code for the WAIS system, will serve as a stimulus for further design work on interfaces for information retrieval. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Chemokine Platelet Factor-4 Variant (PF-4var)/CXCL4L1 Inhibits Diabetes-Induced Blood-Retinal Barrier Breakdown.

PURPOSE To investigate the expression of platelet factor-4 variant (PF-4var/CXCL4L1) in epiretinal membranes from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and the role of PF-4var/CXCL4L1 in the regulation of blood-retinal barrier (BRB) breakdown in diabetic rat retinas and human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMEC). METHODS Rats were treated intravitreally with PF-4var/CXCL4L1 or the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent bevacizumab on the first day after diabetes induction. Blood-retinal barrier breakdown was assessed in vivo with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated dextran and in vitro in HRMEC by transendothelial electrical resistance and FITC-conjugated dextran cell permeability assay. Occludin, vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, VEGF, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), caspase-3 levels, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assessed by Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, or spectrophotometry. RESULTS In epiretinal membranes, vascular endothelial cells and stromal cells expressed PF-4var/CXCL4L1. In vitro, HRMEC produced PF-4var/CXCL4L1 after stimulation with a combination of interleukin (IL)-1β and TNF-α, and PF-4var/CXCL4L1 inhibited VEGF-mediated hyperpermeability in HRMEC. In rats, PF-4var/CXCL4L1 was as potent as bevacizumab in attenuating diabetes-induced BRB breakdown. This effect was associated with upregulation of occludin and VE-cadherin and downregulation of HIF-1α, VEGF, TNF-α, RAGE, and caspase-3, whereas ROS generation was not altered. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that increasing the intraocular PF-4var/CXCL4L1 levels early after the onset of diabetes protects against diabetes-induced BRB breakdown.
Towards a Lean Approach to Gamifying Education

Many university students struggle with motivational problems, and gamification has the potential to address these problems. However, using gamification currently is rather tedious and time-consuming for instructors because current approaches to gamification require instructors to engage in the time-consuming preparation of course contents (e.g., for quizzes or mini-games). In reply to this issue, we propose a “lean” approach to gamification, which relies on gamifying learning activities rather than learning contents. The learning activities that are gamified in the lean approach can typically be drawn from existing course syllabi (e.g., attend certain lectures, hand in assignments, read book chapters and articles). Hence, compared to existing approaches, lean gamification substantially lowers the time requirements posed on instructors for gamifying a given course. Drawing on research on limited attention and the present bias, we provide the theoretical foundation for the lean gamification approach. In addition, we present a mobile application that implements lean gamification and outline a mixed-methods study that is currently under way for evaluating whether lean gamification does indeed have the potential to increase students’ motivation. We thereby hope to allow more students and instructors to benefit from the advantages of gamification.
Stiffness and Damping Response Associated with Shock Attenuation in Downhill Running

Studies on shock attenuation during running have induced alterations in impact loading by imposing kinematic constraints, e.g., stride length changes. The role of shock attenuation mechanisms has been shown using mass-spring-damper (MSD) models, with spring stiffness related to impact shock dissipation. The present study altered the magnitude of impact loading by changing downhill surface grade, thus allowing runners to choose their own preferred kinematic patterns. We hypothesized that increasing downhill grade would cause concomitant increases in both impact shock and shock attenuation, and that MSD model stiffness values would reflect these increases. Ten experienced runners ran at 4.17 m/s on a treadmill at surface grades of 0% (level) to 12% downhill. Accelerometers were placed on the tibia and head, and reflective markers were used to register segmental kinematics. An MSD model was used in conjunction with head and tibial accelerations to determine head/arm/trunk center of mass (HATCOM) stiffness (K.
Does Hormone Replacement Normalize Bone Geometry in Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa?

Young women with anorexia nervosa (AN) have reduced secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and estrogen contributing to skeletal deficits. In this randomized, placebo‐controlled trial, we investigated the effects of oral DHEA + combined oral contraceptive (COC) versus placebo on changes in bone geometry in young women with AN. Eighty women with AN, aged 13 to 27 years, received a random, double‐blinded assignment to micronized DHEA (50 mg/day) + COC (20 µg ethinyl estradiol/0.1 mg levonorgestrel) or placebo for 18 months. Measurements of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at the total hip were obtained by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry at 0, 6, 12, and 18 months. We used the Hip Structural Analysis (HSA) program to determine BMD, cross‐sectional area (CSA), and section modulus at the femoral neck and shaft. Each measurement was expressed as a percentage of the age‐, height‐, and lean mass‐specific mean from an independent sample of healthy adolescent females. Over the 18 months, DHEA + COC led to stabilization in femoral shaft BMD (0.0 ± 0.5% of normal mean for age, height, and lean mass/year) compared with decreases in the placebo group (−1.1 ± 0.5% per year, p = 0.03). Similarly, CSA, section modulus, and cortical thickness improved with treatment. In young women with AN, adrenal and gonadal hormone replacement improved bone health and increased cross‐sectional geometry. Our results indicate that this combination treatment has a beneficial impact on surrogate measures of bone strength, and not only bone density, in young women with AN. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.