Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
E-ERA: An energy-efficient reconfigurable architecture for RNNs using dynamically adaptive approximate computing

This paper proposes an Energy-Efficient Reconfigurable Architecture (E-ERA) for Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs). In E-ERA, reconfigurable computing arrays with approximate multipliers and dynamically adaptive accuracy controlling mechanism are implemented to achieve high energy efficiency. The E-ERA prototype is implemented on TSMC 45 nm process. Experimental results show that, comparing with traditional designs, the power consumption of E-ERA is reduced by 28.6%∼52.3%, with only 5.3%∼9.2% loss in accuracy. Compared with state-of-the-art architectures, E-ERA outperforms up to 1.78X in power efficiency and can achieve 304GOPS/W when processing RNNs for speech recognition.
Access to personalized medicine: factors influencing the use and value of gene expression profiling in breast cancer treatment.

UNLABELLED Genomic information is increasingly being used to personalize health care. One example is gene expression profiling (gep) tests, which estimate recurrence risk to inform chemotherapy decisions in breast cancer. Recently, gep tests were publicly funded in Ontario. We explored the perceived utility of gep tests, focusing on the factors influencing their use and value in treatment decision-making by patients and oncologists. METHODS We conducted interviews with oncologists (n = 14) and interviews and a focus group with early-stage breast cancer patients (n = 28) who underwent gep testing. Both groups were recruited through oncology clinics in Ontario. Data were analyzed using the content analysis and constant comparison techniques. RESULTS Narratives from patients and oncologists provided insights into various factors facilitating and restricting access to gep. First, oncologists are positioned as gatekeepers of gep, providing access in medically appropriate cases. However, varying perceptions of appropriateness led to perceived inequities in access and negative impacts on the doctor-patient relationship. Second, media attention facilitated patient awareness of gep, but also complicated gatekeeping. Third, the dedicated administration attached to gep was burdensome and led to long waits for results and also to increased patient anxiety and delayed treatment. Collectively, because of barriers to access, those factors inadvertently heightened the perceived value of gep for patients relative to other prognostic indicators. CONCLUSIONS Our study delineates the factors facilitating and restricting access to gep, and highlights the roles of media and organization of services in the perceived value and utilization of gep. The results identify a need for administrative changes and practice guidelines to support streamlined and standardized use of gep tests.
Population structure in the Atlantic salmon: insights from 40 years of research into genetic protein variation

Electrophoretic studies of proteins remain a primary source of insight into genetic diversity in many species including the Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, one of the most culturally and economically important fish species of the North Atlantic region. Since 1966, >350 scientific papers on protein variation have been published encompassing 25 000+ salmon from over 400 locations in >200 river systems across the species' distribution. Variation has been detected at 30% of the 110 protein loci screened, though most studies examine <40. The method has been applied largely to the investigation of population structure and differentiation, but work has also led to the systematic revision of the genus Salmo and remains the primary source of insight into hybridization in the wild with brown trout Salmo trutta. Spatial patterns of differentiation show temporal stability, both within and among river systems, and strongly support structuring of the species into river and tributary specific populations and the designation of European and North American populations as distinct sub-species. They also show widespread regional differentiation within both continents, beyond the marked subcontinental differences between Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean populations in Europe. Most of the differentiation probably reflects gene flow and founder events associated with colonization following the retreat of the glaciers from much of the species' modern range. However, variation at MEP-2* shows strong correlations with environmental temperature, both within and among rivers, and associations with phenotypic performance. This suggests selection is acting on the locus and provides compelling evidence for the local adaptation of populations. Protein studies have led to more population centred management of the species and have been exploited in the discrimination of regional stocks in mixed stock analysis in high seas fisheries, particularly in the Baltic Sea, and as markers for the assessment of stocking success. They have also advanced insight into how the genetic character of populations can be changed in cultivation and the potential impact of salmon aquaculture and stocking on wild populations. The method has been largely superseded by DNA based analyses, but the results remain highly relevant to Atlantic salmon management and conservation and are an irreplaceable data set for studying genetic stability of populations over time.
Protein biomarkers for subtyping breast cancer and implications for future research

ABSTRACT Introduction: Breast cancer subtypes are currently defined by a combination of morphologic, genomic, and proteomic characteristics. These subtypes provide a molecular portrait of the tumor that aids diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment escalation/de-escalation options. Gene expression signatures describing intrinsic breast cancer subtypes for predicting risk of recurrence have been rapidly adopted in the clinic. Despite the use of subtype classifications, many patients develop drug resistance, breast cancer recurrence, or therapy failure. Areas covered: This review provides a summary of immunohistochemistry, reverse phase protein array, mass spectrometry, and integrative studies that are revealing differences in biological functions within and between breast cancer subtypes. We conclude with a discussion of rigor and reproducibility for proteomic-based biomarker discovery. Expert commentary: Innovations in proteomics, including implementation of assay guidelines and standards, are facilitating refinement of breast cancer subtypes. Proteomic and phosphoproteomic information distinguish biologically functional subtypes, are predictive of recurrence, and indicate likelihood of drug resistance. Actionable, activated signal transduction pathways can now be quantified and characterized. Proteomic biomarker validation in large, well-designed studies should become a public health priority to capitalize on the wealth of information gleaned from the proteome.
Age at First Birth, Health, and Mortality∗

The biodevelopmental view sees the readiness and soundness of the organism at the time of first birth as its prime link to health and survival years and decades later. It suggests an optimum age at first birth shortly after puberty. The biosocial view emphasizes social correlates and consequences of age at first birth that may influence health and survival many years later. It suggests that better health and survival come from delaying motherhood as long as possible, perhaps indefinitely. Analyses consistently find patterns more in keeping with the biosocial view in a U.S. national sample of women ages 25 through 95. The fitted curves show high levels of current health problems among women who first gave birth in or shortly after puberty. Problems drop steadily the longer that first birth was delayed, up to about age 34, then rise increasingly steeply, particularly after about age 40. For women currently of the same age, the ratio of health problems expected given first birth under age 18 versus around age 34 equals that from currently being 14 years older. Health problems rise steeply with length of having delayed beyond age 40. Mortality hazard also declines with having delayed first birth well beyond the end of puberty. The ratio of mortality hazard between mothers with teenage versus late first births equals that from a 10-year difference in current age. Comparison to nonmothers of similar age and race/ethnicity shows that the correlation of motherhood with health problems and mortality hazard switches from detrimental to beneficial with delay beyond about age 22.
Mid-Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials in 2 Meditative States

Mid-latency auditory evoked potentials (MLAEPs) were assessed in 60 participants during 4 mental states described in traditional yoga texts. These 4 mental states are random thinking, nonmeditative-focused thinking, meditative focusing, and meditation. Assessments were made before (5 minutes), during (20 minutes), and after (5 minutes) each of the 4 states, on 4 separate days. There were prolonged latencies of 2 MLAEPs components, the Na and Pa waves during meditation (P < .05, post hoc analyses following analysis of variance [ANOVA]), suggesting that auditory information transmission at the level of the medial geniculate and primary auditory cortex (ie, the neural generators corresponding to the Na and Pa waves) was delayed. Hence, meditation influenced MLAEPs, while meditative focusing did not.
1268 IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF INTERLEUKIN

The term IL-1 has been used to describe a family of monocyte derived polypeptides that have immunomodulatory and proinflammatory biological properties (1, 2). While most studies have focused on IL-1 activity that is found in monocyte/macrophage culture supernatants, early studies showed that high amounts of activity could also be recovered from cell lysates. These studies suggested that IL-1 may accumulate within mononuclear phagocytes in a precursor form before release into the surrounding medium (3-5). Recently it has been shown that there are at least two distinct human IL-1 molecules termed ILla and IL-13. Separate mRNAs for these IL-1 species each code for a precursor of ~31 kD, which is subsequently processed by still undefined mechanisms to a "mature" molecule of ~17.5 kD (6). The absence of a typical hydrophobic leader sequence in either of the IL-1 molecules identified to date suggests that they may not be typical secretory proteins. A 33-kD precursor for murine IL-1, which is ~62% homologous to human ILla (6), has been documented at the protein level in cell lysates of peritoneal macrophages, as well as in lysates of the murine macrophage line P388D~ (7). Comparable studies have not yet been reported for human monocytes and macrophages. The successful development of highly specific heterologous antisera (8) for the species of human IL-1 having a pI of 6.8 (IL-18) (6, 9) has allowed us to identify its precursor in the cytoplasm of activated human monocytes. In the present report, the intracellular accumulation of IL-1 is documented using indirect immunofluorescence performed on fixed and permeabilized cells, and immunoblot analysis of cell lysates. These studies show that it is possible to identify IL-1producing cells at the light microscopic level and suggest that anti-IL-1 antibodies may be useful for the in situ localization of IL-1 production in inflammed tissue.
IF-LCM: laser capture microdissection of immunofluorescently defined cells for mRNA analysis rapid communication.

BACKGROUND The next phase of the molecular revolution will bring functional genomics down to the level of individual cells in a tissue. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) coupled with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) can measure gene expression in normal, cancerous, injured, or fibrotic tissue. Nevertheless, targeting of specific cells may be difficult using routine morphologic stains. Immunohistochemistry can identify cells with specific antigens; however, exposure to aqueous solutions destroys 99% of the mRNA. Consequently, there is an overwhelming need to identify specific tissue cells for LCM without mRNA loss. We report on a rapid immunofluorescent LCM (IF-LCM) procedure that allows targeted analysis of gene expression. METHODS A LCM microscope was outfitted for epifluorescence and light level video microscopy. Heat filters were added to shield the image intensifier from the laser. Frozen sections were fluorescently labeled by a rapid one minute incubation with anti-Tamm-Horsfall antibody and an ALEXA-linked secondary antibody. Fluorescently labeled thick ascending limb (TAL) cells were detected by low light level video microscopy, captured by LCM, and mRNA was analyzed by RT-PCR for basic amino acid transporter, Tamm-Horsfall protein, and aquaporin-2. RESULTS The immunofluorescently identified TAL could be cleanly microdissected without contamination from surrounding tubules. The recovery of RNA following rapid immunofluorescence staining was similar to that obtained following hematoxylin and eosin staining, as assessed by RT-PCR for malate dehydrogenase. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the new apparatus and method for the immunofluorescent labeling of tissue cells targeted for LCM can isolate pure populations of targeted cells from a sea of surrounding cells with highly acceptable preservation of mRNA. Since the TAL is minimally injured following ischemia, identification of the different responses between TAL and surrounding tissue in damaged kidneys may provide new therapeutic targets or agents for the treatment of acute renal failure.
Prevalence of oral lichen planus in diabetes mellitus according to the type of diabetes.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of oral lichen planus (OLP) in a population of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) as compared with a control population. DESIGN A clinicopathologic study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS One hundred and thirty-nine patients with type I DM, 353 patients with type II DM and 274 controls were examined for clinical evidence of OLP. The clinical evidence of OLP in the diabetic and control patients was confirmed by histopathological examination. RESULTS The prevalence of OLP in type I diabetic patients was 5.76%, in type II 2.83%, and 1.82% in the controls. The prevalence of OLP was significantly higher in patients with type I DM and slightly higher in patients with type II DM in comparison to the prevalence in the control sample. CONCLUSIONS The above findings and the fact that type I diabetes and OLP are characterized by autoimmune phenomena and T cell immune responses respectively, suggest that the immune system may play a critical role in the appearance of OLP in patients with type I DM.
Pseudobacteremia Outbreak of Pseudomonas oryzihabitans in an Emergency Department of a Tertiary Hospital in Korea

1. Popovich KJ, Weinstein RA. The graying of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2009; 30:9-12. 2. Graham PL 3rd, Lin SX, Larson EL. A US population-based survey of Staphylococcus aureus colonization. Ann Intern Med 2006; 144:318-325. 3. Kuehnert MI, Kruszon-Moran D, Hill HA, et al. Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in the United States, 2001-2002. J Infect Dis 2006; 193:172-179. 4. Salgado CD, Farr BM, Calfee DP. Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a meta-analysis of prevalence and risk factors. Clin Infect Dis 2003; 36:131-139. 5. Gorwitz RJ, Kruszon-Moran D, McAllister SK, et al. Changes in the prevalence of nasal colonization with Staphylococcus aureus in the United States, 2001-2004. / Infect Dis 2008; 197:1226-1234. 6. Charlebois ED, Bangsberg DR, Moss NJ, et al. Population-based community prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the urban poor of San Francisco. Clin Infect Dis 2002; 34:425-433. 7. Zafar U, Johnson LB, Hanna M, et al. Prevalence of nasal colonization among patients with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection and their household contacts. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2007; 28:966-969. 8. Lowy F, Miller M. New methods to investigate infectious disease transmission and pathogenesis—Staphylococcus aureus disease in drug users. Lancet Infect Dis 2002; 2:605-612. 9. Aiello AE, Lowy FD, Wright LN, Larson EL. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among US prisoners and military personnel: review and recommendations for future studies. Lancet Infect Dis 2006; 6:335-341. 10. Haley CC, Mittal D, Laviolette A, Jannapureddy S, Parvez N, Haley RW. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection or colonization present at hospital admission: multivariable risk factor screening to increase efficiency of surveillance culturing. / Clin Microbiol 2007; 45:3031-3038.
Does Education Explain Ethnic Differences in Myopia Prevalence? A Population-Based Study of Young Adult Males in Singapore

Purpose. To study interethnic variation in myopia prevalence and severity in young adult males in Singapore and to determine whether these variations are related to differences in education level. Methods. A population-based survey of refractive errors in a cohort of 15,095 military conscripts between July 1996 and June 1997 using noncycloplegic autorefraction and a standard questionnaire. Prevalence rates of myopia (<−0.5D) and severe myopia (<−6.0 D) were determined for Chinese, Malay, and Indian men; prevalence rate ratios were compared after adjusting for education level. Results. Singapore has one of the highest prevalences of myopia (79.3%) and severe myopia (13.1%), with Chinese having higher rates (82.2%, 95% confidence interval 81.5, 82.9) compared with Indians (68.7%, 95% confidence interval 65.1, 67.1) and Malays (65.0%, 95% confidence interval 62.9, 67.1). Education was strongly associated with prevalence and severity of myopia. However, significant interethnic variation persisted after adjusting for education. Conclusions. There is a high prevalence of myopia in Singapore. Although prevalence and severity of myopia were strongly associated with education, interethnic variation observed was not fully explained by differences in education level.
Height references of CityGML LOD1 buildings and their influence on applications

The geometry of the LOD1 block model of CityGML may be represented in a multitude of valid variants, e.g. it may represent individual buildings or aggregated blocks. The geometric representations within each of these, such as the reference of the footprint of a building, are not standardised in CityGML and are not informed in the metadata. The lack of knowledge of the used representation may possibly cause errors when the models are used for spatial analysis. Further, the effect of using different variants is not investigated. In this paper we (1) discuss this known, but frequently overlooked topic; (2) overview the possible geometric references and show how employing them may cause drastic differences for a GIS operation and/or use-case; (3) focus on the vertical (height) references for the top surface in LOD1, and show how to determine the optimal variant within a use-case with experiments using the Monte Carlo method; and (4) discuss the adoption and extension of metadata in INSPIRE to CityGML to reflect the employed geometric reference.
A hidden break in the 28.0S rRNA from Diphyllobothrium dendriticum

ABSTRACT Nondenatured and denatured total RNA from the tapeworm Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Cestoda) was analysed by agarose gel electrophoresis. It was found that the large subunit ribosomal RNA (lrRNA) is 28.0S and the small subunit ribosomal RNA (srRNA) is 19.5S. Following denaturation the 28.0S rRNA was disrupted into a 19.5S subfragment and a 20.7S subfragment due to the presence of a centrally located hidden break. By hybridization of Northern blot membranes with oligonucleotide probes specific for the 5′- and 3′-ends of the lrRNA respectively, we have shown that the 19.5S sub-fragment is from the 5′-end (the α-subfragment) and the 20.7S subfragment from the 3′-end (the β-subfragment) of the 28.0S rRNA of D. dendriticum.
Ecological Causes for the Evolution of Sexual Dimorphism: A Review of the Evidence

Can sexual dimorphism evolve because of ecological differences between the sexes? Although several examples of this phenomenon are well known from studies on birds, the idea has often been dismissed as lacking general applicability. This dismissal does not stem from contradictory data so much as from the difficulties inherent in testing the hypothesis, and its apparent lack of parsimony, in comparison to the alternative explanation of sexual selection. The only unequivocal evidence for the evolution of sexual dimorphism through intersexual niche partitioning would be disproportionate dimorphism in trophic structures (e.g., mouthparts). This criterion offers a minimum estimate of the importance of ecological causes for dimorphism, because it may fail to identify most cases. A review of published literature reveals examples of sexually dimorphic trophic structures in most animal phyla. Many of these examples seem to be attributable to sexual selection, but others reflect adaptations for niche divergence between the sexes. For example, dwarf non-feeding males without functional mouthparts have evolved independently in many taxa. In other cases, males and females differ in trophic structures apparently because of differences in diets. Such divergence may often reflect specific nutritional requirements for reproduction in females, or extreme (sexually selected? ) differences between males and females in habitats or body sizes. Ecological competition between the sexes may be responsible for intersexual niche divergence in some cases, but the independent evolution of foraging specializations by each sex may be of more general importance. If ecological causation for dimorphism can be demonstrated in so many cases, despite the inadequacies of the available criteria, the degree of sexual size dimorphism in many other animal species may well also have been influenced by ecological factors. Hence, it may be premature of dismiss this hypothesis, despite the difficulty of testing it.
Low-Threshold Continuous-Wave Operation of Distributed-Feedback Quantum Cascade Laser at $\lambda \sim 4.6\ \mu$m

Room-temperature continuous-wave (CW) operation of distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL) emitting at 4.6 μm is presented. Strain-compensation combined with two-phonon resonance in active region design promises low-threshold current density. A record low-threshold current density of 1 kA/cm2 for DFB-QCL operated in CW mode at 30°C is realized without a high-reflectivity coating on the rear facet. Reliable dynamic single-mode emission with a sidemode suppression ratio of about 30 dB is achieved from 10 to 50°C.
A novel semantic knowledge engine using automated knowledge extraction from World Wide Web

It is extremely difficult for the existing search engines (such as Google and Bing) to crawl, index, rank, and manage huge amount of data and locate information. Semantic web technology (such as Google Knowledge Graph and Wolfram Alpha) is emerging into the answer engine market in order to transform the unstructured data into more structured useful information. However, the existing engines suffer due to the fact that curators and volunteers feed these systems manually. In this paper, we introduce a semantic knowledge engine, where we transform the unstructured data into more useful data using an automation technique. We implement the proposed system in 20 different categories including university, car, and movie. According to the experimental results, the proposed knowledge engine is about 450 times faster and requires about 660 times less storage than the existing search engines. The proposed knowledge engine is very user-friendly and produces right-to-the-point answers very fast.