Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advances in understanding stroke risk in children – a geneticist's view

The advent of the genomic era has provided novel insights into the genetic architecture of common complex diseases, such as thrombophilia and stroke. Since 2006, a growing number of genome wide association studies (GWAS) for common complex diseases have revealed new candidate loci and genomic regions that play an important role in disease aetiology and progression. While GWAS on the above mentioned traits are abundant in adults, similar studies in paediatric study cohorts are lagging behind. However, genetic research in this important clinical area has gained momentum and starts to provide us with exciting insights into the genetic underpinnings of stroke with paediatric onset. Here we review recent advances in genetic association studies underlying stroke in children and aim to translate the results to clinical utility. These studies comprise candidate gene approaches and GWAS, and represent the current status on what we have learnt about the genetic architecture underlying paediatric stroke, and how this may affect medical practice in the years to come.
Proliferative Pododermatitis Associated with Virus-like Particles in a Northern Gannet

Small multifocal lesions of proliferative pododermatitis were observed in an emaciated adult male northern gannet (Morus bassanus). Ultrastructurally, these lesions were associated with numerous virus-like particles with a size and morphology suggestive of Papovaviridae. DNA in situ hybridization with probes for avian polyomaviral and papillomaviral nucleic acid and an immunohistochemical test for the presence of papillomaviral antigen failed to identify this virus further. To our knowledge, papovavirus-like particles have not been recognized previously in this avian species.
An update on diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in inflammatory bowel disease

ABSTRACT Introduction: Diagnosis of the chronic inflammatory bowel diseases relies upon initial recognition of an inflammatory condition, followed by definitive endoscopic, histological and radiological investigations. Various biomarkers are available to assist with initial elucidation of an inflammatory process: these also have important roles after diagnosis in monitoring and ongoing assessment of progress. Areas covered: Various inflammatory markers, serological tests and genetic analyses may be helpful in predicting the course of disease in the coming months. This review provides an update on the current understanding and knowledge about these markers. It also highlights key gaps and identifies aspects that require further study. Expert commentary: Our current approach to the application of non-invasive biomarkers is rudimentary. Further work is required to elucidate the roles of the various markers.
Relationship between JAK2V617F mutation, allele burden and coagulation function in Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms

ABSTRACT Objectives: Our aim was to explore the relationship between JAK2V617F mutation allele burden and hematological parameters especially in coagulation function in Chinese population. Methods: This study included 133 Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) patients between 2013 and 2016. All the clinical and experimental data of patients were collected at the time of the diagnosis without any prior treatment, including blood parameters, coagulation function, splenomegaly, vascular events and chromosome karyotype. PCR and qPCR were used to detect JAK2V617F mutation and JAK2V617F mutation allele burden. Results: In polycythemia vera patients, a positive correlation between the allele burden of JAK2V617F mutation and PLT counts was found; in essential thrombocythemia (ET) patients, WBC counts, RBC counts, HB, and HCT were higher in mutated patients than in wild-type patients. Furthermore, PT-INR was higher in ET and PMF mutated patients. In addition, a positive correlation between the allele burden of JAK2V617F mutation and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) was observed in JAK2V617F mutated ET patients. Conclusions: Higher hematologic parameters including counts of WBC, RBC, and PLT are closely associated with JAK2V617F mutation and its burden in Ph-negative MPNs; importantly, PT-INR, APTT are also related to JAK2V617F mutation and allele burden. Thus, our data indicate that JAK2V617F mutation allele burden might not only represent the burden of MPN but also alter the coagulation function.
Generalization of the decremental performance analysis to differential analysis. (Généralisation de l'analyse de performance décrémentale vers l'analyse différentielle)

Une des etapes les plus cruciales dans le processus d’analyse des performances d’une application est la detection des goulets d’etranglement. Un goulet etant tout evenement qui contribue a l’allongement temps d’execution, la detection de ses causes est importante pour les developpeurs d’applications afin de comprendre les defauts de conception et de generation de code. Cependant, la detection de goulets devient un art difficile. Dans le passe, des techniques qui reposaient sur le comptage du nombre d’evenements, arrivaient facilement a trouver les goulets. Maintenant, la complexite accrue des micro-architectures modernes et l’introduction de plusieurs niveaux de parallelisme ont rendu ces techniques beaucoup moins efficaces. Par consequent, il y a un reel besoin de reflexion sur de nouvelles approches.Notre travail porte sur le developpement d’outils d’evaluation de performance des boucles de calculs issues d’applications scientifiques. Nous travaillons sur Decan, un outil d’analyse de performance qui presente une approche interessante et prometteuse appelee l’Analyse Decrementale. Decan repose sur l’idee d’effectuer des changements controles sur les boucles du programme et de comparer la version obtenue (appelee variante) avec la version originale, permettant ainsi de detecter la presence ou pas de goulets d’etranglement.Tout d’abord, nous avons enrichi Decan avec de nouvelles variantes, que nous avons concues, testees et validees. Ces variantes sont, par la suite, integrees dans une analyse de performance poussee appelee l’Analyse Differentielle. Nous avons integre l’outil et l’analyse dans une methodologie d’analyse de performance plus globale appelee Pamda.Nous decrirons aussi les differents apports a l’outil Decan. Sont particulierement detaillees les techniques de preservation des structures de controle du programme,ainsi que l’ajout du support pour les programmes paralleles.Finalement, nous effectuons une etude statistique qui permet de verifier la possibilite d’utiliser des compteurs d’evenements, autres que le temps d’execution, comme metriques de comparaison entre les variantes Decan
Excitation dependent photoluminescence measurements of the nonradiative lifetime and quantum efficiency in GaAs

The nonradiative lifetime and spontaneous emission quantum efficiency in molecular-beam epitaxy grown bulk GaAs is determined using injection level dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements. These measurements were performed at temperatures of 300, 230, 100, and 50K using a HeNe pump laser with powers ranging from 0.3to40mW. The quantum efficiency and lifetime is inferred from the power law relation linking pump power and integrated PL signal that is predicted by the rate equations. The nonradiative lifetime for bulk GaAs is determined to be 0. 3μs, with an additional temperature dependent component attributed to the AlGaAs barriers that rapidly reduces the nonradiative lifetime at temperatures above 230K. The peak quantum efficiency is >0.96 at 300K and >0.99 at temperatures below 230K.
Dynamic localization based on EKF for indoor mobile robots using discontinuous ultrasonic distance measurements

We present an efficient dynamic localization based on EKF (Extended Kalman Filter) for indoor autonomous mobile robots using multiple ultrasonic distance measurements, which is a fundamental technique to perform robots intended navigation tasks without human intervention. We present an EKF-based algorithm with a state/observation vector composed of the robot pose using odometric and ultrasonic distance measurements. Our ultrasonic localization system consists of several ultrasonic Txs fixed at ceiling (with known positions in global coordinates) and three Rxs on the top of the robot (with 2-D isotropic ultrasonic Rx array). We also propose a dynamic distance estimation method, which can compensate the ultrasonic distances from the odometric information traveled by the robot, from at the instant to obtain actual ultrasonic measurements to at the instant the localization to be performed. Our hybrid self-localization algorithm utilizes these distance estimation data, which enables accurate determination of the robots pose irrespective of its motion. Experimental results show that the proposed method is more accurate than the conventional method.
Level of Recall, Retrieval Speed, and Variability on the Cued-Recall Retrieval Speed Task (CRRST) in Individuals with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract Individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) show deficits on traditional episodic memory tasks and reductions in speed of performance on reaction time tasks. We present results on a novel task, the Cued-Recall Retrieval Speed Task (CRRST), designed to simultaneously measure level and speed of retrieval. A total of 390 older adults (mean age, 80.2 years), learned 16 words based on corresponding categorical cues. In the retrieval phase, we measured accuracy (% correct) and retrieval speed/reaction time (RT; time from cue presentation to voice onset of a correct response) across 6 trials. Compared to healthy elderly adults (HEA, n = 303), those with aMCI (n = 87) exhibited poorer performance in retrieval speed (difference = −0.13; p < .0001) and accuracy on the first trial (difference = −0.19; p < .0001), and their rate of improvement in retrieval speed was slower over subsequent trials. Those with aMCI also had greater within-person variability in processing speed (variance ratio = 1.22; p = .0098) and greater between-person variability in accuracy (variance ratio = 2.08; p = .0001) relative to HEA. Results are discussed in relation to the possibility that computer-based measures of cued-learning and processing speed variability may facilitate early detection of dementia in at-risk older adults. (JINS, 2012, 18, 260–268)
Efficient Team Building For On-Time Projects

When we think to software development projects we consider that a strong set of requirements is defined and team members always follow initial planning. Well, this was a specific orientation in traditional software developments methods and methodologies. In a current competitive business environment this attitude leads to fail in software development projects. This paper aims to highlight the importance of agile approach focused on meetings and team building and to give examples based on our experience in software development in industrial field for financial and energy sectors. This paper is the result of collaboration between university (business informatics, psychology, and finance) and business environment (internal software development projects).
AI as Evaluator: Search Driven Playtesting of Modern Board Games

This paper presents a demonstration of how AI can be useful in the game design and development process of a modern board game. By using an artiﬁcial intelligence algorithm to play a substantial amount of matches of the Ticket to Ride board game and collecting data, we can analyze several features of the gameplay as well as of the game board. Results revealed loopholes in the game’s rules and pointed towards trends in how the game is played. We are then led to the conclusion that large scale simulation utilizing artiﬁcial intelligence can offer valuable information regarding modern board games and their designs that would ordinarily be prohibitively expensive or time-consuming to discover manually.
Relaxed Dimensional Tolerance Whispering Gallery Microbends

A new class of highly compact photonic microbend exploiting whispering gallery propagation is analyzed. Critical design dimensions are relaxed by using multimode waveguiding. A small outer sidewall radius enables tight arbitrary angle of rotation for the guided light, and the inner radius is reduced beyond the caustic radius to minimize the impact of the microbend dimensions on losses. Whispering gallery operation is compared with single-mode microbend operation using a combination of full-vectorial wave-equation models and 2-D and 3-D finite-difference time domain models. The dependence of loss on fabricated dimension is shown to be reduced by an order of magnitude. Waveguide width variations of ±100 nm lead to loss variations of only ±0.01 dB in the whispering gallery regime, contrasting favorably with ±0.10 dB loss variations for the single-mode regime for a 20 μm radius and for 1.5 μm input waveguide widths. Smaller radius microbends show comparable trends albeit with higher losses and increased sensitivity to width variations. The sensitivity of microbend loss to small changes in narrow waveguide width is attributed to the excitation of a restricted mode group. Moving the inner sidewall beyond the caustic radius allows relaxed tolerance light propagation in the whispering gallery regime. Losses down to 0.2 dB/180° and polarization conversion of down to -25 dB/180 are predicted.
A High-Throughput Single-Flux Quantum Floating-Point Serial Divider Using the Signed-Digit Representation

We propose a floating-point serial divider for a single-flux quantum (SFQ) logic implementation based on a hardware algorithm of division using subtract and shift operations. Fast serial calculations are performed by utilizing the signed-digit representation. The divider is implemented with a regularly aligned pipeline structure called a systolic array. The processing element of the systolic array is designed using several logic gates unique to the SFQ circuits, to reduce the number of pipeline stages. As a result, high throughput and low latency is achieved with a small circuit size. The throughput approaches the maximum throughput of serial processing. A 4-bit divider was fabricated using the 2.5-kA/cm2 niobium process technology, and successful operation up to 19 GHz was demonstrated.
Methanotrophy in a Paleoproterozoic oil field ecosystem, Zaonega Formation, Karelia, Russia

Organic carbon rich rocks in the c. 2.0 Ga Zaonega Formation (ZF), Karelia, Russia, preserve isotopic characteristics of a Paleoproterozoic ecosystem and record some of the oldest known oil generation and migration. Isotopic data derived from drill core material from the ZF show a shift in δ13Corg from c. −25‰ in the lower part of the succession to c. −40‰ in the upper part. This stratigraphic shift is a primary feature and cannot be explained by oil migration, maturation effects, or metamorphic overprints. The shift toward 13C‐depleted organic matter (δ13Corg < −25‰) broadly coincides with lithological evidence for the generation of oil and gas in the underlying sediments and seepage onto the sea floor. We propose that the availability of thermogenic CH4 triggered the activity of methanotrophic organisms, resulting in the production of anomalously 13C‐depleted biomass. The stratigraphic shift in δ13Corg records the change from CO2‐fixing autotrophic biomass to biomass containing a significant contribution from methanotrophy. It has been suggested recently that this shift in δ13Corg reflects global forcing and progressive oxidation of the Earth. However, the lithologic indication for local thermogenic CH4, sourced within the oil field, is consistent with basinal methanotrophy. This indicates that regional/basinal processes can also explain the δ13Corg negative isotopic shift observed in the ZF.
Passage through the rumen and the large intestine of sheep estimated from faecal marker excretion curves and slaughter trials

External digesta markers (Yb-labelled diets and Co-EDTA) were given orally as a pulse dose to four pairs of Rasa Aragonesa twin ewe lambs, fed on either chopped or ground and pelleted lucerne hay, in order to estimate slow (k1) and fast (k2) rates of passage of liquid and solid phase from faecal marker excretion curves. After the faecal sampling period daily doses of the same markers were infused continuously for 5 d and the animals slaughtered. Concentrations of markers in the different compartments of the gut were determined and used to calculate mean retention times. The results showed that the rumen and the large intestine were the two main mixing compartments of the gut, accounting for more than 95% of total mean retention time. Rates of passage estimated from faecal marker excretion did not accurately represent marker kinetics in the compartments of the gut derived from slaughter data. Accuracy in the estimation of fractional outflow rate from rumen (kR) by k1 was higher for low values of kR whereas k2consistently overestimated large intestine outflow rate (kLI), especially for high values of kR. The relationship between outflow rates from the main two mixing compartments was important in influencing the accuracy of prediction of faecal estimates.
Comparative Analysis and Survey of Ant Colony Optimization based Rule Miners

In this research study, we analyze the performance of bio inspired classification approaches by selecting Ant-Miners (Ant-Miner, cAnt_Miner, cAnt_Miner2 and cAnt_MinerPB) for the discovery of classification rules in terms of accuracy, terms per rule, number of rules, running time and model size discovered by the corresponding rule mining algorithm. Classification rule discovery is still a challenging and emerging research problem in the field of data mining and knowledge discovery. Rule based classification has become cutting edge research area due to its importance and popular application areas in the banking, market basket analysis, credit card fraud detection, costumer behaviour, stock market prediction and protein sequence analysis. There are various approaches proposed for the discovery of classification rules like Artificial Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithm, Evolutionary Programming, SVM and Swarm Intelligence. This research study is focused on classification rule discovery by Ant Colony Optimization. For the performance analysis, Myra Tool is used for experiments on the 18 public datasets (available on the UCI repository). Data sets are selected with varying number of instances, number of attributes and number of classes. This research paper also provides focused survey of Ant-Miners for the discovery of classification rules.
A strategy to achieve donor-specific hyporesponsiveness in cadaver renal allograft recipients by donor haematopoietic stem cell transplantation into the thymus and periphery.

INTRODUCTION We designed a prospective, randomized clinical trial to evaluate the immune response to thymic and peripheral infusions of donor haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to create tolerance in recipients of cadaver renal allografts. METHOD We divided 24 patients into two equal groups. For group A, 350 ml of unfractionated bone marrow (BM) was aspirated from the anterior iliac crests of donor cadavers. A 2 ml aliquot of concentrated marrow was infused into the thymus of the subject and 100 ml into the BM before surgery; the remaining 250 ml was infused peripherally post-transplantation. The mean nucleated cell count inoculated into the thymus was 3.3 x 10(4) cells/cm(3) and into the periphery 8.6 x 10(7) cells/kg body weight. Group B (controls) underwent renal transplantation directly. Recipients were lymphocytotoxicity cross-match negative in both groups. Group A received low dose prednisolone and cyclosporin; controls also received azathioprine. RESULTS Over a mean follow-up of 703 days for both groups, group A had significantly better graft function with minimum acute rejection episodes or cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections, a mean serum creatinine (SCr) of 1.23 mg/dl and no graft or patient loss. Group B, with a mean SCr of 2.19 mg/dl had three patients with single acute rejection episodes, two of whom died following uncontrolled rejection-associated infections. The third patient maintained an SCr of 2.5 mg%. Actuarial graft survival was 87.5% in controls at the end of 2 years compared with group A with 100% graft survival at the end of 2 years. CONCLUSION This novel approach of introducing unfractionated HSCs into the thymus and periphery to create tolerance is safe and efficacious and gives significantly better graft function, minimum acute rejection and no CMV disease with monotherapy.
Change in the Characteristics of EEG Color Noise in Alzheimer’s Disease

Neurophysiological experiments support the hypothesis of the presence of critical dynamics of brain activity. This is also manifested by power law of electroencephalography (EEG) power spectra, which can be described by the relation 1/fα. This dependence is a result of internal interactions between parts of the brain and is probably required for optimal processing of information. In Alzheimer’s disease, changes in the functional organization of the brain occur, which may be manifested by changes in the α coefficient. We compared the average values of α for 19 electrodes in the resting EEG record in 110 patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] score = 10-19) with 110 healthy controls. Statistically, the most significant differences are present in the prefrontal areas. In addition to the prefrontal and frontal areas, the largest separation value in the evaluation of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was recorded in the temporal area. The coefficient alpha has few false-positive results in the optimal operating point of the ROC curve, and is thereby highly specific for Alzheimer’s disease.
Progress toward a precision measurement of the helion magnetic moment in Bohr magnetons

We describe progress on a measurement of the magnetic moment of the helion in units of the Bohr magneton. An apparatus has been constructed which allows the exchange of helium-3 for atomic hydrogen in situ. Both helium-3 NMR and hydrogen atom ESR have been observed at a flux density of 0.6 T.
Structure of heparin-derived tetrasaccharides.

The structure of heparin was examined by characterizing a disaccharide and five of the more than a dozen tetrasaccharide components obtained by its depolymerization with flavobacterial heparinase. Enzymic depolymerization of porcine mucosal heparin results in a mixture of di-, tetra-, hexa- and higher oligo-saccharides. The di- and tetra-saccharide components represent 75mol/100mol of these heparin fragments. Ion-exchange chromatography indicates the presence of only one disaccharide, deltaIdu2S(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcNS6S (where Idu is iduronic acid, deltaIdu is 4-deoxy-alpha-L-threo-hex-4-enopyranosyluronic acid, GlcN is glucosamine, GlcA is glucuronic acid and S is sulphate), but results in the isolation of five major and at least seven minor tetrasaccharide components. The structures of the disaccharide and five major tetrasaccharides were determined by chemical, enzymic, electrophoretic and spectroscopic methods, including 13C, 1H n.m. r. and fast atom bombardment-m.s. The structure of these five tetrasaccharides are: delta Idu2S(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcNS6S(1---4)-alpha-L-Idu2S(1-- --4)-alpha -D-GlcNS6S; delta Idu2S(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcNS6S(1----4)-beta-D-GlcA(1--- -4)- alpha-D-GlcNS6S; delta Idu2S(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcNS(1----4)-beta-D-GlcA delta Idu2S(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcNAc(1----4)-beta-D-GlcA(1----4)- alpha-D-GlcNS6S; and delta Idu2S(1----4)-alpha- D-GlcNAc(1----4)-alpha-L-Idu(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcNS6S. Biological activity for the disaccharide and the five major tetrasaccharides was examined, and none of them were found to possess significant anticoagulant activity.