Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mixture designs to assess composition–structure–property relationships in SiO2–CaO–ZnO–La2O3–TiO2–MgO–SrO–Na2O glasses: Potential materials for embolization

Embolization with micron-sized particulates is widely applied to treat uterine fibroids. The objective of this work was to develop mixture designs to predict materials composition–structure–property relationships for the SiO2–CaO–ZnO–La2O3–TiO2–MgO–SrO–Na2O glass system and compare its fundamental materials properties (density and cytocompatibility), against a state-of-the-art embolic agent (contour polyvinyl alcohol) to assess the potential of these materials for embolization therapies. The glass structures were evaluated using 29Si MAS NMR to identify chemical shift and line width; the particulate densities were determined using helium pycnometry and the cell viabilities were assessed via MTT assay. 29Si MAS NMR results indicated peak maxima for each glass in the range of −82.3 ppm to −89.9 ppm; associated with Q2 to Q3 units in silicate glasses. All experimental embolic compositions showed enhanced in vitro compatibility in comparison to Contour PVA with the exceptions of ORP9 and ORP11 (containing no TiO2). In this study, optimal compositions for cell viability were obtained for the following compositional ranges: 0.095–0.188 mole fraction ZnO; 0.068–0.159 mole fraction La2O3; 0.545–0.562 mole fraction SiO2 and 0.042–0.050 mole fraction TiO2. To ensure ease of producibility in obtaining good melts, a maximum loading of 0.068 mole fraction La2O3 is required. This is confirmed by the desirability approach, for which the only experimental composition (ORP5) of the materials evaluated was presented as an optimum composition; combining high cell viability with ease of production (0.188 mole fraction ZnO; 0.068 mole fraction La2O3; 0.562 mole fraction SiO2 and 0.042 mole fraction TiO2).
Echo‐planar time course MRI of cat brain oxygenation changes

When deoxygenated, blood behaves as an effective susceptibility contrast agent. Changes in brain oxygenation can be monitored using gradient‐echo echo‐planar imaging. With this technique, difference images also demonstrate that blood oxygenation is increased during periods of recovery from respiratory challenge. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
An approximation for performance evaluation of stationary single server queues

A method for approximating the probability distributions of stationary statistics in first-in, first-out (FIFO) single server queues is provided. The method is based on the Wiener-Hopf factorization technique and is applied to semi-Markov queues with the underlying state space of unlimited size. A particularly important case is a model for a statistical multiplexer where the net input process forms a stationary ergodic Gaussian discrete-time stochastic process. <<ETX>>
A novel anti-Vpre-B antibody identifies immunoglobulin-surrogate receptors on the surface of human pro-B cells

Vpre-B and lambda 5 genes, respectively, encode V-like and C-like domains of a surrogate immunoglobulin light chain (psi L). Such psi L complex is expressed in early progenitor B (pro-B) cells, before conventional immunoglobulin heavy (microH) and light (L) chains are produced. We raised a wide panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against soluble recombinant Vpre-B proteins to study early events in human B cell development. One of these antibodies, B-MAD688, labeled surrogate Ig-complexes on the surface of microH- pro-B cell lines and normal bone marrow cells in immunofluorescence assays. Immunoprecipitations using surface-labeled pro-B cells and B-MAD688 mAb indicated that human psi L is associated with high molecular weight components homologous to the surrogate heavy (psi H) chains described in mouse. Using B-MAD688 and SLC2 mAbs, we were able to distinguish between psi H psi L and microH psi L complexes on the surface of human pro-B and later precursor, pre-B, cells. The finding of psi H psi L complexes in mouse and man lead us to hypothesize a role for psi H- containing receptors in B cell development.
tress disrupts the reconsolidation of fear memories in men hira

Reconsolidation is a post-retrieval process of restabilization of the memory trace. Previous findings from our group suggest that cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone secreted in response to stress, enhances the reconsolidation of fear memories in healthy men. Cortisol effect was found to be very specific, enhancing only the fear memory that was reactivated (i.e. retrieved), but not the non-reactivated memory. In the current study we aimed to investigate the effects of psychosocial stress, a more ecologically valid intervention, on fear memory reconsolidation in men. Using a similar design, we expected stress induction to have comparable effects to those of cortisol intake. During the three testing days, the participants went through (1) fear acquisition, (2) stress induction and memory reactivation (or the corresponding control conditions), (3) fear extinction, reinstatement and reinstatement test. Salivary cortisol, blood pressure measures and subjective ratings confirmed the success of the stress induction. Skin conductance response, serving as a measure of conditioned fear, confirmed acquisition, fear retrieval, and extinction in all groups. In the three control groups (where either reactivation, stress, or both components were missing) reinstatement effects were seen as expected. Yet in contrast to the hypothesis, the target group (i.e. combining reactivation and stress) showed no reinstatement to any of the stimuli. Stress induction is thus suggested to have a general impairing effect on the reconsolidation of fear memories. The unique characteristic of the stress response and experience compared to a pharmacological intervention are proposed as possible explanations to the findings. This disruptive effect of stress on fear memory reconsolidation may have potential therapeutic implications. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Trading Data in Good Faith: Integrating Truthfulness and Privacy Preservation in Data Markets

As a significant business paradigm, many online information platforms have emerged to satisfy society's needs for person-specific data, where a service provider collects raw data from data contributors, and then offers value-added data services to data consumers. However, in the data trading layer, the data consumers face a pressing problem, i.e., how to verify whether the service provider has truthfully collected and processed data? Furthermore, the data contributors are usually unwilling to reveal their sensitive personal data and real identities to the data consumers. In this paper, we propose TPDM, which efficiently integrates Truthfulness and Privacy preservation in Data Markets. TPDM is structured internally in an Encrypt-then-Sign fashion, using somewhat homomorphic encryption and identitybased signature. It simultaneously facilitates batch verification, data processing, and outcome verification, while maintaining identity preservation and data confidentiality. We also instantiate TPDM with a profile-matching service, and extensively evaluate its performance on Yahoo! Music ratings dataset. Our evaluation results show that TPDM achieves several desirable properties, while incurring low computation and communication overheads when supporting a large-scale data market.
iVIEW: An Intelligent Video over InternEt and Wireless Access System

We describe the design and implementation of a digital video content management system, iVIEW, for intelligent searching and access of video contents over Internet and wireless devices. The iVIEW system allows full content indexing, searching and retrieval of multilingual text, audio and video material. iVIEW integrates image processing techniques for scenes and scene changes analyses, speech processing techniques for audio signal transcriptions, and multilingual natural language processing techniques for word relevance determination. iVIEW is composed of three subsystems: Video Information Processing (VIP) Subsystem for multimodal information processing of rich video media, Searching and Indexing Subsystem for constructing XML-based multimedia representation in enhancing multimodal indexing and searching capabilities, and Visualization and Presentation Subsystem for flexible and seamless delivery of multimedia contents in various browsing tools and devices. We present overall and detailed infrastructure of iVIEW, describe its system characteristics, and evaluate the customer view on its performance and functionality. Integrating image, speech, and natural language processing techniques into Web-based environments for friendly user interface and seamless browsing, iVIEW provides a unified, end-to-end management of video-based media contents, from their creation to delivery, over WWW and mobile Web designed for today and tomorrow.
Online Reliability Prediction via Motifs-Based Dynamic Bayesian Networks for Service-Oriented Systems

A service-oriented System of Systems (SoS) considers a system as a service and constructs a robust and value-added SoS by outsourcing external component systems through service composition techniques. Online reliability prediction for the component systems for the purpose of assuring the overall Quality of Service (QoS) is often a major challenge in coping with a loosely coupled SoS operating under dynamic and uncertain running environments. It is also a prerequisite for guaranteeing runtime QoS of a SoS through optimal service selection for reliable system construction. We propose a novel online reliability time series prediction approach for the component systems in a service-oriented SoS. We utilize Probabilistic Graphical Models (PGMs) to yield near-future, time series predictions. We assess the approach via invocation records collected from widely used real Web services. Experimental results have confirmed the effectiveness of the approach.
Language Adaptation for Extending Post-Editing Estimates for Closely Related Languages

Abstract This paper presents an open-source toolkit for predicting human post-editing efforts for closely related languages. At the moment, training resources for the Quality Estimation task are available for very few language directions and domains. Available resources can be expanded on the assumption that MT errors and the amount of post-editing required to correct them are comparable across related languages, even if the feature frequencies differ. In this paper we report a toolkit for achieving language adaptation, which is based on learning new feature representation using transfer learning methods. In particular, we report performance of a method based on Self-Taught Learning which adapts the English-Spanish pair to produce Quality Estimation models for translation from English into Portuguese, Italian and other Romance languages using the publicly available Autodesk dataset.
Strategies for Enzyme / Prodrug Cancer Therapy 1

The selective activation of prodrug(s) in tumor tissues by exogenous enzyme(s) for cancer therapy can be accomplished by several ways, including gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT), virus-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (VDEPT), and antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT). The central part of enzyme/prodrug cancer therapy is to deliver drug-activating enzyme gene or functional protein to tumor tissues, followed by systemic administration of a prodrug. Although each approach (GDEPT, VDEPT, and ADEPT) has been tested in clinical trials, there are some potential problems using the current delivery systems. In this article, disadvantages and advantages associated with each approach (GDEPT, VDEPT, and ADEPT) and future perspective for improving current systems are discussed.
Weight Loss Reduces C-Reactive Protein Levels in Obese Postmenopausal Women

Background—C-reactive protein (CRP) has been proposed as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and has been positively associated with body weight and body fatness. We examined the hypothesis that weight loss would reduce plasma CRP levels in obese postmenopausal women. Methods and Results—In a sample of 61 obese (body mass index, 35.6±5.0 kg/m2), postmenopausal women (age, 56.4±5.2 years), we found that plasma CRP levels were positively associated with dual x-ray absorptiometry–measured total body fatness (r =0.36, P <0.005) and CT-measured intra-abdominal body fat area (r =0.30, P <0.02). Significant correlations were also found between plasma CRP and triglyceride levels (r =0.33, P <0.009) and glucose disposal measured by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique (r =−0.29, P <0.03). Twenty-five of the 61 women tested at baseline completed a weight loss protocol. The average weight loss was 14.5±6.2 kg (−15.6%, P <0.0001), with losses of 10.4±5.4 kg fat mass (−25.0%, P <0.0001) and 2.8±1.4 kg fat-free mass (−6.0%, P <0.0001). Visceral and subcutaneous fat areas were reduced by −36.4% and −23.7%, respectively (P <0.0001). Plasma CRP levels were significantly reduced by weight loss: average −32.3%, from 3.06 (+0.69, −1.29) to 1.63 (+0.70, −0.75) &mgr;g/mL (P <0.0001, medians and interquartile differences). Changes in body weight and in total body fat mass were both positively associated with plasma CRP level reductions. Conclusions—Adiposity was a significant predictor of plasma CRP in postmenopausal women on a cross-sectional basis. Moreover, caloric restriction–induced weight loss decreased plasma CRP levels. Weight loss may represent an important intervention to reduce CRP levels, which may mediate part of its cardioprotective effects in obese postmenopausal women.
Cerebral hematocrit decreases with hemodynamic compromise in carotid artery occlusion: a PET study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study investigated whether in patients with internal carotid artery occlusion the regional cerebral hematocrit correlates with cerebral hemodynamics or metabolic state and, if so, how the regional cerebral hematocrit changes in the hemodynamically compromised region. METHODS We used positron emission tomography to study seven patients with unilateral internal carotid artery occlusion and no cortical infarction in the chronic stage. The distributions of red blood cell and plasma volumes were assessed using oxygen-15-labeled carbon monoxide and copper-62-labeled human serum albumin-dithiosemicarbazone tracers, respectively. The calculated hematocrit value was compared with the hemodynamic and metabolic parameters measured with the oxygen-15 steady-state technique. RESULTS In the cerebral cortex, the value of the cerebral hematocrit varied but was correlated with the hemodynamic and metabolic status. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the large vessel hematocrit, the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, and the cerebral blood flow or the oxygen extraction fraction accounted for a significant proportion of variance of the cerebral hematocrit. The oxygen extraction fraction and the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen negatively correlated with the cerebral hematocrit, whereas the cerebral blood flow correlated positively: patients with reduced blood supply relative to metabolic demand (decreased blood flow with increased oxygen extraction fraction) showed low hematocrit values. CONCLUSIONS In carotid artery occlusion in the chronic stage, regional cerebral hematocrit may vary according to cerebral hemodynamics and metabolic status. Regional cerebral hematocrit may decrease with hemodynamic compromise unless oxygen metabolism concomitantly decreases.
Transcriptional Analysis of Temporal Gene Expression in Germinating Clostridium difficile 630 Endospores

Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of hospital acquired diarrhoea in industrialised countries. Under conditions that are not favourable for growth, the pathogen produces metabolically dormant endospores via asymmetric cell division. These are extremely resistant to both chemical and physical stress and provide the mechanism by which C. difficile can evade the potentially fatal consequences of exposure to heat, oxygen, alcohol, and certain disinfectants. Spores are the primary infective agent and must germinate to allow for vegetative cell growth and toxin production. While spore germination in Bacillus is well understood, little is known about C. difficile germination and outgrowth. Here we use genome-wide transcriptional analysis to elucidate the temporal gene expression patterns in C. difficile 630 endospore germination. We have optimized methods for large scale production and purification of spores. The germination characteristics of purified spores have been characterized and RNA extraction protocols have been optimized. Gene expression was highly dynamic during germination and outgrowth, and was found to involve a large number of genes. Using this genome-wide, microarray approach we have identified 511 genes that are significantly up- or down-regulated during C. difficile germination (p≤0.01). A number of functional groups of genes appeared to be co-regulated. These included transport, protein synthesis and secretion, motility and chemotaxis as well as cell wall biogenesis. These data give insight into how C. difficile re-establishes its metabolism, re-builds the basic structures of the vegetative cell and resumes growth.
A Comparative Study on Approaches of Vector Space Model in Information Retrieval

The vector space model is one of the classical and widely applied information retrieval models to rank the web page based on similarity values. The retrieval operations consist of cosine similarity function to compute the similarity values between a given query and the set of documents retrieved and then rank the documents according to the relevance. In this paper, we are presenting different approaches of vector space model to compute similarity values of hits from search engine for given queries based on terms weight. In order to achieve the goal of an effective evaluation algorithm, our work intends to extensive analysis of the main aspects of Vector space model, its approaches and provides a comprehensive comparison for TermCount Model, Tf-Idf model and Vector space model based on normalization.
Perceptions of the Influence of Prescription Medicine Samples on Prescribing by Family Physicians

Background:The provision of free prescription medicine samples is a common and traditional marketing strategy used by pharmaceutical companies, but concerns have been raised about their influence on physician prescribing behavior and patient safety. Objective:We sought to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Australian family physicians regarding the use of sample prescription medications. Methods:Qualitative and quantitative techniques were used, including (1) mailed questionnaires to family physicians, (2) semistructured interviews with family physicians, and (3) sample cupboard inventories. Results:A number of issues about samples were identified by the questionnaires (208) and interviews (17 doctors), including insufficient labeling, poor record keeping, diversion of stock (personal use by doctors, their families, practice staff and pharmaceutical representatives), and wasting of expired stock. Prescription medicine samples also influenced prescribing behavior. Australian doctors were less likely to provide samples to patients on financial grounds compared with a previous study in the United States on medical residents. Six sample cupboards were inventoried. Median wholesale value of sample cupboards was AUD $4959 (range $2395–$8709), with 6% of stock expired. Very little generic medicine was included in the sample cupboards. Conclusions:Better methods are needed to meet legislative requirements and to ensure quality use of medicines (and optimal public health) with respect to prescription medicine samples. Doctors and practice staff require training on the appropriate handling and storage of prescription medications. Alternative ways for distribution of sample medications need to be investigated.
Quantitative Assessment of Intra-Patient Variation in CD4+ T Cell Counts in Stable, Virologically-Suppressed, HIV-Infected Subjects

Objectives Counts of absolute CD4+ T lymphocytes (CD4+ T cells) are known to be highly variable in untreated HIV-infected individuals, but there are no data in virologically-suppressed individuals. We investigated CD4+ T cell variability in stable, virologically-suppressed, HIV-1 infected adults on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Methods From a large hospital database we selected patients with stable virological suppression on cART for >3 years with >10 CD4+ T cell measurements performed over a further >2 years; and a control group of 95 patients not on cART. Results We identified 161 HIV-infected patients on cART without active HCV or HBV infection, with stable virological suppression for a median of 6.4 years. Over the study period 88 patients had reached a plateau in their absolute CD4+ T cell counts, while 65 patients had increasing and 8 patients had decreasing absolute CD4+ T cell counts. In patients with plateaued CD4+ T cell counts, variability in absolute CD4+ T cell counts was greater than in percent CD4+ T cells (median coefficient of variation (CV) 16.6% [IQR 13.8-20.1%] and CV 9.6% [IQR 7.4-13.0%], respectively). Patients with increasing CD4+ T cell counts had greater variability in absolute CD4+ T cell counts than those with plateaued CD4 T cell counts (CV 19.5% [IQR 16.1-23.8%], p<0.001) while there was no difference in percent CD4+ T cell variability between the two groups. As previously reported, untreated patients had CVs significantly higher than patients on cART (CVs of 21.1% [IQR 17.2-32.0%], p<0.001 and 15.2% (IQR 10.7-20.0%), p<0.001, respectively). Age or sex did not affect the degree of CD4+ variation. Conclusions Adults with stable, virologically-suppressed HIV infection continue to have significant variations in individual absolute CD4+ T cell and percent CD4+ T cell counts; this variation can be of clinical relevance especially around CD4+ thresholds. However, the variation seen in individuals on cART is substantially less than in untreated subjects.
Various approaches to text representation for named entity disambiguation

In this paper, we focus on the problem of named entity disambiguation. We disambiguate named entities on a very detailed level. To each entity is assigned a concrete identifier of a corresponding Wikipedia article describing the entity. For such a fine grained disambiguation a correct representation of a context is crucial. We compare various context representations: bag of words representation, linguistic representation and structured co-occurrence representation of the context. Models for each representation are described and evaluated.
Automorphism Groups of Graphical Models and Lifted Variational Inference

Using the theory of group action, we first introduce the concept of the automorphism group of an exponential family or a graphical model, thus formalizing the general notion of symmetry of a probabilistic model. This automorphism group provides a precise mathematical framework for lifted inference in the general exponential family. Its group action partitions the set of random variables and feature functions into equivalent classes (called orbits) having identical marginals and expectations. Then the inference problem is effectively reduced to that of computing marginals or expectations for each class, thus avoiding the need to deal with each individual variable or feature. We demonstrate the usefulness of this general framework in lifting two classes of variational approximation for MAP inference: local LP relaxation and local LP relaxation with cycle constraints; the latter yields the first lifted inference that operate on a bound tighter than local constraints. Initial experimental results demonstrate that lifted MAP inference with cycle constraints achieved the state of the art performance, obtaining much better objective function values than local approximation while remaining relatively efficient.