Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cellular — Sensorless V2I — based traffic information and communications infrastructure: Case study for high class motorways

The paper proposes a simplified communication solution, employed in a traffic information management system with road side units acting as distributed processing nodes. Vehicles moving on a highway, in the so-called “floating car” technique, are used as moving sensors. Unlike classic applications, no infrastructure sensors are employed. Information is collected by road side units (RSUs) at established locations, via vehicle to infrastructure communications (V2I). Weather info, traffic management, warnings, recommended optimal speed etc. are parameters collected without the support of any infrastructure sensor. Local information processing ensures independency of road sectors and high reliability. The paper focuses on the communication process, which is analyzed from different points of view.
Human internal mammary artery organ culture model of coronary stenting: a novel investigation of smooth muscle cell response to drug-eluting stents.

Local drug delivery by coronary stents is of current research interest. Organ culture of human vascular tissue is a model of intimal hyperplasia. We report an ex vivo organ culture model of stented vessels. This allows stent-artery interactions to be studied in living tissue. The recognized anti-restenosis agent paclitaxel was chosen to test the organ culture model. Mammary artery specimens were cultured 'closed' (i.e. without opening them flat) for 72 h. Phosphocholine-coated stents, half of them loaded with the anti-restenosis drug paclitaxel, were implanted. The absorption and elution characteristics of paclitaxel were established. Artery tissue remained viable at 72 h when cultured closed, despite stent implantation. Specimens developed smooth muscle cell proliferation. The stents absorbed up to 127+/-29 microg of paclitaxel, with a biphasic elution curve. A mean of 13% of the absorbed paclitaxel remained after a 24 h perfusion. In mammary artery, these paclitaxel stents reduced or abolished smooth muscle cell proliferation compared with controls. This model allows the effects of stenting on human arterial tissue to be studied for at least 72 h, long enough to demonstrate effects on smooth muscle cell proliferation. Phosphocholine-coated stents absorb adequate doses of paclitaxel, which is eluted gradually, inhibiting muscle cell proliferation. Such an organ culture model of stented mammary artery will provide useful data in addition to that from animal or cell culture models of drug-eluting stents.
Time-Critical Action: Representations and Application

We review the problem of time-critical action and discuss a reformulation that shifts knowledge acquisition from the assessment of complex temporal probabilistic dependencies to the direct assessment of time-dependent utilities over key outcomes of interest. We dwell on a class of decision problems characterized by the centrality of diagnosing and reacting in a timely manner to pathological processes. We motivate key ideas in the context of trauma-care triage and transportation decisions.
Study of Hidden Markov Model in credit card fraudulent detection

The most accepted payment mode is credit card for both online and offline in today's world, it provides cashless shopping at every shop in all countries. It will be the most convenient way to do online shopping, paying bills etc. Hence, risks of fraud transaction using credit card has also been increasing. In the existing credit card fraud detection business processing system, fraudulent transaction will be detected after transaction is done. It is difficult to find out fraudulent and regarding loses will be barred by issuing authorities. Hidden Markov Model is the statistical tools for engineer and scientists to solve various problems. In this paper, it is shown that credit card fraud can be detected using Hidden Markov Model during transactions. Hidden Markov Model helps to obtain a high fraud coverage combined with a low false alarm rate.
Cryptococcus and Phagocytes: Complex Interactions that Influence Disease Outcome

Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii are fungal pathogens that cause life-threatening disease. These fungi commonly enter their host via inhalation into the lungs where they encounter resident phagocytes, including macrophages and dendritic cells, whose response has a pronounced impact on the outcome of disease. Cryptococcus has complex interactions with the resident and infiltrating innate immune cells that, ideally, result in destruction of the yeast. These phagocytic cells have pattern recognition receptors that allow recognition of specific cryptococcal cell wall and capsule components. However, Cryptococcus possesses several virulence factors including a polysaccharide capsule, melanin production and secretion of various enzymes that aid in evasion of the immune system or enhance its ability to thrive within the phagocyte. This review focuses on the intricate interactions between the cryptococci and innate phagocytic cells including discussion of manipulation and evasion strategies used by Cryptococcus, anti-cryptococcal responses by the phagocytes and approaches for targeting phagocytes for the development of novel immunotherapeutics.
Evaluation of MicroRNA Expression in Patient Bone Marrow Aspirate Slides

Like formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues, archived bone marrow aspirate slides are an abundant and untapped resource of biospecimens that could enable retrospective molecular studies of disease. Historically, RNA obtained from slides is limited in utility because of their low quality and highly fragmented nature. MicroRNAs are small (≈22 nt) non-coding RNA that regulate gene expression, and are speculated to preserve well in FFPE tissue. Here we investigate the use of archived bone marrow aspirate slides for miRNA expression analysis in paediatric leukaemia. After determining the optimal method of miRNA extraction, we used TaqMan qRT-PCR to identify reference miRNA for normalisation of other miRNA species. We found hsa-miR-16 and hsa-miR-26b to be the most stably expressed between lymphoblastoid cell lines, primary bone marrow aspirates and archived samples. We found the average fold change in expression of hsa-miR-26b and two miRNA reportedly dysregulated in leukaemia (hsa-miR-128a, hsa-miR-223) was <0.5 between matching archived slide and bone marrow aspirates. Differential expression of hsa-miR-128a and hsa-miR-223 was observed between leukaemic and non-leukaemic bone marrow from archived slides or flash frozen bone marrow. The demonstration that archived bone marrow aspirate slides can be utilized for miRNA expression studies offers tremendous potential for future investigations into the role miRNA play in the development and long term outcome of hematologic, as well as non-hematologic, diseases.
Multiple potential intragenic regulatory elements in the CFTR gene.

The CFTR gene exhibits a complex pattern of expression that shows temporal and spatial regulation though the control mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. We have mapped DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHS) flanking the CFTR gene to identify potential regulatory elements. We previously characterized DHS at -79.5 and -20.9 kb with respect to the CFTR translational start site, DHS 3' to the gene at 4574 + 5.4-7.4 and 4574 + 15.6 kb, and a regulatory element in the first intron of the gene at 185 + 10 kb. We generated a cosmid contig to provide probes to evaluate the whole of the CFTR gene for DHS and have now mapped novel sites in introns 2, 3, 10, 16, 17a, 18, 20, and 21. These DHS show different patterns of cell-specific expression.
Contribution of vaccines to our understanding of pneumococcal disease

Pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality in children in developing countries and is also the leading infectious cause of death in adults. The most important cause of pneumonia is the Gram-positive bacterial pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as the pneumococcus. It has thus become the leading vaccine-preventable cause of death and is a successful and diverse human pathogen. The development of conjugate pneumococcal vaccines has made possible the prevention of pneumococcal disease in infants, but has also elucidated aspects of pneumococcal biology in a number of ways. Use of the vaccine as a probe has increased our understanding of the burden of pneumococcal disease in children globally. Vaccination has also elucidated the clinical spectrum of vaccine-preventable pneumococcal infections; the identification of a biological niche for multiple pneumococcal serotypes in carriage and the differential invasiveness of pneumococcal serotypes; the impact of pneumococcal transmission among children on disease burden in adults; the role of carriage as a precursor to pneumonia; the plasticity of a naturally transformable pathogen to respond to selective pressure through capsular switching and the accumulation of antibiotic-resistance determinants; and the role of pneumococcal infections in hospitalization and mortality associated with respiratory viral infections, including both seasonal and pandemic influenza. Finally, there has been a recent demonstration that pneumococcal pneumonia in children may be an important cause of hospitalization for those with underlying tuberculosis.
From Testing to Teaching: The Use of Interim Assessments in Classroom Instruction

The past ten years have witnessed an explosion in the use of interim assessments by school districts across the country. A primary reason for this rapid growth is the assumption that interim assessments can inform and improve instructional practice and thereby contribute to increased student achievement. Testing companies, states, and districts have become invested in selling or creating interim assessments and data management systems designed to help teachers, principals, and district leaders make sense of student data, identify areas of strengths and weaknesses, identify instructional strategies for targeted students, and much more. Districts are keeping their interim tests even under pressure to cut budgets (Sawchuk, 2009). The U.S. Department of Education is using its Race to the Top program to encourage school districts to develop formative or interim assessments as part of comprehensive state assessment systems. Much of the rhetoric around interim assessments paints a rosy picture, often with the ultimate claim that such measures will lead to increased student achievement. Much of the belief in the potential of interim assessments to improve student learning comes from the growing body of research on formative assessment. However, the majority of this research has not focused on interim assessments themselves, but rather practices that are embedded within classroom instruction. Very few studies exist on how interim assessments are actually used, by individual teachers in classrooms, by principals, and by districts. Furthermore, we know little about how teachers and other educators use the results from such assessments, the conditions that support their ability to use these data to improve instruction, or the interaction of interim assessments with other classroom assessment practices. Our study begins to fill that vacuum. Disciplines Curriculum and Instruction | Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Comments View on the CPRE website. This report is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/cpre_researchreports/58 The Consortium for Policy Research in Education includes: University of Pennsylvania Teachers College Columbia University Harvard University Stanford University University of Michigan University of Wisconsin-Madison Northwestern University From Testing to Teaching: The Use of Interim Assessments in Classroom Instruction
Thickness Mapping of the Cornea and Epithelium Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose. To measure corneal and epithelial thickness across four meridians using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and to compare these measurements between normal non-lens wearers (NLW), rigid gas permeable (RGP) lens wearers, and RGP-wearing keratoconics (KC). Methods. Both eyes of 60 subjects were measured (20 NLW, nine female:11 male, 27.6 ± 5.9 years; 20 RGP, 20 female, 23.9 ± 7.6 years; and 20 KC, seven female:13 male, 32.4 ± 8.1 years). A customized fixation target employing LEDs in eight directions of gaze was attached to the OCT and corneal images obtained. Raw OCT scans were analyzed to yield values for corneal and epithelial thickness and color-coded maps were compiled. Results. Central corneal thickness (CCT) was thinnest in KC (447 ± 68 &mgr;m) and similar between RGP (518 ± 32 &mgr;m; pKC < 0.001) and NLW (517 ± 21 &mgr;m) (pKC < 0.001 NLW pRGP > 0.05). Peripheral corneal thickness in NLW was thickest in the superior temporal and thinnest in the inferior (I) regions (superior temporalthickest vs. Ithinnest p < 0.001). Central epithelial thickness was thinnest in KC (44 ± 7 &mgr;m), followed by RGP (50 ± 4 &mgr;m), then NLW (54 ± 2 &mgr;m) (pKC < 0.001 NLW pRGP < 0.05). Central epithelial thickness in the KC group was significantly thinner than in the RGP group (p < 0.001). In the NLW group, peripheral epithelial thickness was thicker (63 ± 5 &mgr;m) than central (p < 0.001) and was thickest in the superior (S) region and thinnest in the inferior (I) region (Sthickest vs. Ithinnest p < 0.001). KC epithelium was thinnest in the inferior temporal meridian (42 ± 5 &mgr;m). Conclusions. Thickness of the normal cornea and epithelium was greatest in the superior region. In all groups, the inferior cornea and epithelium was thinnest, and to a greater extent in the KC group.
NF-κB-Inducing Kinase Is Involved in the Activation of the CD28 Responsive Element through Phosphorylation of c-Rel and Regulation of Its Transactivating Activity1

Previous evidence suggested that NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) might regulate IL-2 synthesis. However, the molecular mechanism is not understood. In this study, we show that NIK is involved in CD3 plus CD28 activation of IL-2 transcription. Splenic T cells from aly/aly mice (that have a defective NIK protein) have a severe impairment in IL-2 and GM-CSF but not TNF secretion in response to CD3/CD28. This effect takes place at the transcriptional level as overexpression of alyNIK inhibits IL-2 promoter transcription. NIK activates the CD28 responsive element (CD28RE) of the IL-2 promoter and strongly synergizes with c-Rel in this activity. We found that NIK interacts with the N-terminal domain of c-Rel, mapping this interaction to aa 771–947 of NIK. Moreover, NIK phosphorylates the c-Rel C-terminal transactivation domain (TAD) and induces Gal4-c-Rel-transactivating activity. Anti-CD28 activated Gal4-c-Rel transactivation activity, and this effect was inhibited by a NIK-defective mutant. Deletion studies mapped the region of c-Rel responsive to NIK in aa 456–540. Mutation of several serines, including Ser471, in the TAD of c-Rel abrogated the NIK-enhancing activity of its transactivating activity. Interestingly, a Jurkat mutant cell line that expresses one of the mutations of c-Rel (Ser471Asn) has a severe defect in IL-2 and CD28RE-dependent transcription in response to CD3/CD28 or to NIK. Our results support that NIK may be controlling CD28RE-dependent transcription and T cell activation by modulating c-Rel phosphorylation of the TAD. This leads to more efficient transactivation of genes which are dependent on CD28RE sites where c-Rel binds such as the IL-2 promoter.
Rural Residence and Cancer Outcomes in the United States: Issues and Challenges

“Neighborhoods and health” research has shown that area social factors are associated with the health outcomes that patients with cancer experience across the cancer control continuum. To date, most of this research has been focused on the attributes of urban areas that are associated with residents' poor cancer outcomes with less focused on attributes of rural areas that may be associated with the same. Perhaps because there is not yet a consensus in the United States regarding how to define “rural,” there is not yet an accepted analytic convention for studying issues of how patients' cancer outcomes may vary according to “rural” as a contextual attribute. The research that exists reports disparate findings and generally treats rural residence as a patient attribute rather than a contextual factor, making it difficult to understand what factors (e.g., unmeasured individual poverty, area social deprivation, area health care scarcity) may be mediating the poor outcomes associated with rural (or non-rural) residence. Here, we review literature regarding the potential importance of rural residence on cancer patients' outcomes in the United States with an eye towards identifying research conventions (i.e., spatial and analytic) that may be useful for future research in this important area. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(10); 1657–67. ©2013 AACR.
Effectiveness of surgery for lumbar stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis in the octogenarian population: analysis of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) data.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine whether surgery is an effective option for the treatment of stenosis of the lumbar spine and degenerative spondylolisthesis in the octogenarian population. METHODS An as-treated analysis of patients with lumbar stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis enrolled in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) was performed. Patients who were at least eighty years of age (n = 105) were compared with those younger than eighty years (n = 1130). Baseline patient and clinical characteristics were noted, and the difference in improvement from baseline between operative and nonoperative treatment was determined for each group at each follow-up time period up to four years. RESULTS There were no significant baseline differences in the primary or secondary patient-reported clinical outcome measures between the two patient age groups. Patients at least eighty years of age had higher prevalences of multilevel stenosis, severe stenosis, and asymmetric motor weakness. Patients at least eighty years of age also had higher prevalences of hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis, and joint problems at baseline, but they had a lower body mass index and lower prevalences of depression and smoking. Fifty-eight of the 105 patients at least eighty years of age and 749 of the 1130 younger patients underwent operative management. There were no differences in the rates of intraoperative or postoperative complications, reoperation, or postoperative mortality between the older and younger groups. Averaged over a four-year follow-up period, operatively treated patients at least eighty years of age had significantly greater improvement in all primary and secondary outcome measures compared with nonoperatively treated patients. The treatment effects in patients at least eighty years of age were similar to those in younger patients for all primary and secondary measures except the SF-36 (Short Form-36) bodily pain domain and the percentage who self-rated their progress as a major improvement, in both of which the treatment effect was significantly smaller. CONCLUSIONS Operative treatment of lumbar stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis offered a significant benefit over nonoperative treatment in patients at least eighty years of age (p < 0.05). There were no significant increases in the complication and mortality rates following surgery in this patient population compared with younger patients (p > 0.05).
Deep Brain Stimulation Artifact Removal Through Under-Sampling and Cubic-Spline Interpolation

We present a novel approach to the removal of artifacts generated by deep brain stimulation equipment in neural recordings. We show it is possible to free a recording of its stimulation artifacts by under-sampling the data with a scheme which does not include any of the unwanted artifacts: using cubic-spline interpolation to up-sample the resulting signal. The whole process has been tested using simulated data and recordings made during periods of deep brain stimulation.
SiC Recession Caused by SiO2 Scale Volatility under Combustion Conditions: I, Experimental Results and Empirical Model

A high-pressure burner rig was developed to evaluate the response of chemical-vapor-deposited SiC material during exposure to simulated gas turbine combustor conditions. Linear weight loss and surface recession rates of SiC were observed in both fuel-lean and fuel-rich gas mixtures. This response was shown to result from SiO2 scale volatility. Arrhenius-type temperature dependence was demonstrated. In addition, the effects of pressure and gas velocity were defined in terms of a gaseous-diffusion-controlled process for volatile reaction products (such as SiO, Si(OH)4, and iO(OH)x). Accordingly, multiple linear regression was used to develop empirical recession relationships of the form exp(-DeltaQ/RT)Pxvyfor both lean and rich combustion conditions. Part II of this paper discusses the thermodynamics and gaseous-diffusion model of this recession. The empirical models discussed here enable prediction of SiC recession for any combination of T, P, and vin turbine environments. For typical combustion conditions, recession of 0.2-2 µm/h was predicted at 1200°-1400°C. Thus, long-term, high-temperature, high-velocity exposure may degrade silicon-based or SiO2-forming material by recession in combustion gas environments.
Isolation and Characterization of Neurogenic Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Human Scalp Tissue

Recent studies have shown that adult tissues contain stem/ progenitor cells capable of not only generating mature cells of their tissue of origin but also transdifferentiating themselves into other tissue cells. Murine skin‐derived precursor cells, for example, have been described as unique, nonmesenchymal‐like stem cells capable of mesodermal and ectodermal neurogenic differentiation. Human‐derived skin precursors are less well characterized.
Unsupervised Morpheme Analysis Evaluation by IR experiments - Morpho Challenge 2007

This paper presents the evaluation and results of Competition 2 (information retrieval experiments) in the Morpho Challenge 2008. Competition 1 (a comparison to linguistic gold standard) is described in a companion paper. In Morpho Challenge 2008 the goal was to search and evaluate unsupervised machine learning algorithms that provide morpheme analysis for words in dierent languages. The morpheme analysis can be important in several applications, where a large vocabulary is needed. Especially in morphologically complex languages, such as Finnish, Turkish and Arabic, the agglutination, inflection, and compounding easily produces millions of dierent word forms which is clearly too much for building an eective vocabulary and training probabilistic models for the relations between words. The benefits of successful morpheme analysis can be seen, for example, in speech recognition, information retrieval, and machine translation. In Morpho Challenge 2008 the morpheme analysis submitted by the Challenge participants were evaluated by performing information retrieval experiments, where the words in the documents and queries were replaced by their proposed morpheme representations and the search was based on morphemes instead of words. The results indicate that the morpheme analysis has a significant eect in IR performance in all tested languages (Finnish, English and German). The best unsupervised and language-independent morpheme analysis methods can also rival the best language-dependent word normalization methods. The Morpho Challenge was part of the EU Network of Excellence PASCAL Challenge Program and organized in collaboration with CLEF.