Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Systemic Profile of Soluble Immune Mediators in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Introduction: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are characterized by bone marrow failure due to disturbed bone marrow maturation. MDS is associated with increased risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and features of immunological dysregulation. Materials and methods: Serum levels of 47 soluble immune mediators were examined in samples derived from 49 MDS patients (35 low-risk and 14 high-risk) and 23 healthy adults. Our patients represent an unselected population-based cohort. The mediators included cytokines, soluble adhesion proteins, matrix metalloproteases, and tissue inhibitors of proteases. Levels were determined using Luminex assays. Patients were classified as low- and high-risk based on the international prognostic scoring system (IPSS) score. Results: When comparing the serum levels of single mediators the MDS patients showed a relatively wide variation range for several mediators compared with healthy adults, especially interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8/CXCL8, CCL3, and CCL4. The high-risk patients had lower levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF), cluster of differentiation 40 ligand (CD40L), CCL5, CCL11, CXCL5, matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), MMP-9, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP-2) compared with low-risk patients. Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis visualized marked serum mediator profile differences between MDS patients; based on this analysis three patient subsets could be identified. The healthy adults were also included in this analysis and, as expected, they formed their own separate cluster, except for one outlier. Both low- and high-risk patients showed considerable heterogeneity with regard to serum profile, and this heterogeneity seems stable over time (one year follow-up). Finally, very few mediators differed between low- and high-risk patients, but hierarchical clustering based both on all mediators, as well as five selected mediators (EGF, CCL11, TIMP-2, MMP-1, and MMP-9) identified subsets of patients with significantly increased frequency of high-risk disease (χ-square test p = 0.0158 and p = 0.0148).
A Content Analysis of Content analyses in is Research: Purposes, Data Sources, and Methodological Characteristics

Qualitative research relies primarily on qualitative data in form of texts. The method of content analysis (CA) represents a scientifically well-founded and effective solution for making valid inferences from varied sources of textual information. This paper investigates the use of CA in the context of high-quality IS research with a focus on the underlying research questions, data sources, and methodological characteristics. Building on that, distinctive patterns, trends through time, and potentials will be discussed and compared with a reference discipline (organizational research). The results indicate that the general application of CA in high-quality IS research has steadily increased. In this context, CA is used in a very wide range of ways to understand and explain complex phenomena. Furthermore, CA is frequently used to categorize primary data collections, derived, for example, from transcribed interviews or open-ended surveys, and to transform qualitative data into quantitative outcomes. Besides other methodological issues, the increasing application of computational approaches seems to distinguish the IS discipline. Finally, this paper should also serve as an introduction to CA, bring transparency with respect to the methodological characteristics, and inspire researchers to carry out further CAs in the context of IS research.
Major in Information Technologies Measuring Robustness of Classifiers to Geometric Transformations Student

For many classification tasks, the ideal classifier should be invariant to geometric transformations such as changing the view angle. However, this cannot be said decisively for the state-of-the-art image classifiers, such as convolutional neural networks. Mainly, this is because there is a lack of methods for measuring the transformation invariance in them, especially for transformations with higher dimensions. In this project, we are proposing two algorithms to do such measurement. The first one, Manifool, uses the structure of the image appearance manifold for finding small enough transformation examples and uses these to compute the invariance of the classifier. Second one, the iterative projection algorithm, uses adversarial perturbation methods in neural networks to find the fooling examples in the given transformation set. We compare these methods to similar algorithms in the areas of speed and validity, and use them to show that transformation invariance increases with the depth of the neural networks, even in reasonably deep networks. Overall, we believe that these two algorithms can be used for analysis of different architectures and can help to build more robust classifiers.
Addressing Malicious Noise in Clickthrough Data

Clickthrough logs are becoming an increasingly used source of training data for learning ranking functions. Due to the large impact that the position in search results has on commercial websites, malicious noise is bound to appear in search engine click logs. We present preliminary work in addressing this form of noise, that we term click-spam. We analyze click-spam from a utility standpoint, and investigate the idea of whether personalizing web search results by partitioning the user population can reduce or eliminate the financial incentives for potential spammers. We formalize click-spam and analyze the incentives for malicious agents, then investigate the model with some examples.
Can Platelet-Rich Plasma Enhance Tendon Repair?

Background Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) application appears to improve tendon healing in traumatic tendon injuries, but basic knowledge of how PRP promotes tendon repair is needed. Hypothesis Platelet-rich plasma has a positive effect on cell proliferation and collagen production and induces the production of matrix-degrading enzymes and endogenous growth factors by human tenocytes. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Human tenocytes were cultured 14 days in 2% fetal calf serum medium complemented with 0%, 10%, or 20% vol/vol platelet-rich clot releasate ([PRCR] the active releasate of PRP) or platelet-poor clot releasate (PPCR). At day 4,7, and 14, cell amount, total collagen, and gene expression of collagen Iα1 (COL1) and Mod (COL3), matrix metalloproteinases ([MMPs] MMP1, MMP3, and MMP13), vascular endothelial-derived growth factor (VEGF)-A, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 were analyzed. Results Platelet numbers in PRP increased to 2.55 times baseline. Growth-factor concentrations of VEGF and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB were higher in PRCR than PPCR. Both PRCR and PPCR increased cell number and total collagen, whereas they decreased gene expression of COL1 and COL3 without affecting the COL3/COL1 ratio. PRCR, but not PPCR, showed upregulation of MMP1 and MMP3 expression. Matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression was not altered by either treatment. PRCR increased VEGF-A expression at all time points and TGF-β1 expression at day 4. Conclusion In human tenocyte cultures, PRCR, but also PPCR, stimulates cell proliferation and total collagen production. PRCR, but not PPCR, slightly increases the expression of matrix-degrading enzymes and endogenous growth factors. Clinical Relevance In vivo use of PRP, but also of PPP to a certain extent, in tendon injuries might accelerate the catabolic demarcation of traumatically injured tendon matrices and promote angiogenesis and formation of a fibrovascular callus. Whether this will also be beneficial for degenerative tendinopathies remains to be elucidated.
Segmental differentiations of cell junctions in the vascular endothelium. The microvasculature

Small vascular units consisting of an arteriole, its capillaries, and the emerging venule (ACV units) were identified in the rat omentum and mesentery. They were fixed in situ and processed for electron microscopy either as whole units or as dissected segments. Systematic examination of the latter (in thin sections, as well as in freeze- cleaved preparations) showed that the intercellular junctions of the vascular endothelium vary characteristically from one segment to another in the microvasculature. In arterioles, the endothelium has continuous and elaborate tight junctions with interpolated large gap junctions. The capillary endothelium is provided with tight junctions formed by either branching or staggered strands; gap junctions are absent at this level. The pericytic venules exhibit loosely organized endothelial junctions with discontinuous low-profile ridges and grooves, usually devoid of particles. No gap junctions were found in these vessels. The endothelium of muscular venules has the same type of junctions (discontinuous ridges and grooves of low profile); in addition, it displays isolated gap junctions of smaller size and lower frequency than in arterioles. The term communicating junction (macula communicans) is proposed as a substitute for gap junctions, since the latter is inappropriate, in general, and confusing in the special case of the vascular endothelium.
Time trends in quality indicators of colonoscopy

Background There is considerable variation in the quality of colonoscopy performance. The Norwegian quality assurance programme Gastronet registers outpatient colonoscopies performed in Norwegian endoscopy centres. The aim of Gastronet is long-term improvement of endoscopist and centre performance by annual feedback of performance data. Objective The objective of this article is to perform an analysis of trends of quality indicators for colonoscopy in Gastronet. Methods This prospective cohort study included 73,522 outpatient colonoscopies from 73 endoscopists at 25 endoscopy centres from 2003 to 2012. We used multivariate logistic regression with adjustment for relevant variables to determine annual trends of three performance indicators: caecum intubation rate, pain during the procedure, and detection rate of polyps ≥5 mm. Results The proportion of severely painful colonoscopies decreased from 14.8% to 9.2% (relative risk reduction of 38%; OR = 0.92 per year in Gastronet; 95% CI 0.86–1.00; p = 0.045). Caecal intubation (OR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.94–1.04; p = 0.6) and polyp detection (OR = 1.03; 95% CI 0.99–1.07; p = 0.15) remained unchanged during the study period. Conclusions Pain at colonoscopy showed a significant decrease during years of Gastronet participation while caecal intubation and polyp detection remained unchanged – independent of the use of sedation and/or analgesics and level of endoscopist experience. This may be due to the Gastronet audit, but effects of improved endoscopy technology cannot be excluded.
Effect of Glycerol on Inner Ear Fluid Electrolytes and Osmolalities in Guinea Pigs

Endolymph of the scala media (SM) and perilymph of the scala vestibuli (SV) and scala tympani (ST) were collected from the basal turn of anesthetized guinea pigs before and after intravenous administration of glycerol (3 g/kg). Sound-evoked responses were recorded during the test periods. Blood, CSF, and perilymph of the ST were also collected continuously after the injection. The osmolalities and chloride concentrations of the collected samples were determined. In another experiment, the continuous changes of potassium and chloride concentrations in endolymph and perilymph of the ST before and after the injection were measured by ion-selective electrodes. The osmolalities in CSF and perilymph lagged behind the increase in serum osmolality. The osmolalities in endolymph and perilymph increased gradually after the injection, reached maximum values after 90 minutes, and then decreased. The changes in chloride and potassium concentrations in endolymph and perilymph had similar tendencies. But the increases in chloride concentrations in perilymph of the SV and ST were much less than that in endolymph. We propose that most of the osmolality increase in perilymph is due to glycerol or other osmotically active substances and that the osmolality increase in endolymph is due to water shift.
Low power decoder design for QC-LDPC codes

This paper presents a low-power decoder design approach for generic quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check (QC-LDPC) codes based on the layered min-sum decoding algorithm. To reduce the energy consumption, a novel message length-shortening scheme is explored. The check node processing unit (CNU) is accordingly optimized using bit-serial architecture. This low cost design scheme can greatly lower the power consumption while maintaining the necessary throughput required by mobile applications. We further demonstrate the benefits of the proposed techniques by applying the new architecture to the QC-LDPC code in CMMB standard.
Deciduous Molar Hypomineralization and Molar Incisor Hypomineralization

This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life until young adulthood. This study focused on the relationship between Deciduous Molar Hypomineralization (DMH) and Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH). First permanent molars develop during a period similar to that of second primary molars, with possible comparable risk factors for hypomineralization. Children with DMH have a greater risk of developing MIH. Clinical photographs of clean, moist teeth were taken with an intra-oral camera in 6,161 children (49.8% girls; mean age 74.3 mos, SD ± 5.8). First permanent molars and second primary molars were scored with respect to DMH or MIH. The prevalence of DMH and MIH was 9.0% and 8.7% at child level, and 4.0% and 5.4% at tooth level. The Odds Ratio for MIH based on DMH was 4.4 (95% CI, 3.1-6.4). The relationship between the occurrence of DMH and MIH suggests a shared cause and indicates that, clinically, DMH can be used as a predictor for MIH.
License-exempt LTE deployment in heterogeneous network

Mobile broadband data usage in Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks is growing exponentially and capacity constraint is becoming an issue. Heterogeneous network, WiFi offload, and acquisition of additional radio spectrum can be used to address this capacity constraint. Licensed spectrum, however, is limited and can be costly to obtain. This paper investigates deploying LTE on a license-exempt band as part of the pico-cell underlay. Coexistence mechanism and other modifications to LTE are discussed. Performance analysis shows that LTE can deliver significant capacity even while sharing the spectrum with WiFi systems.
Decadal trends in phytoplankton communities along a rapidly changing West Antarctic Peninsula

The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is associated with large phytoplankton blooms that are dominated by large (<20 microns) diatoms however, nanoplankton (>20 microns) are also an important component in the phytoplankton community. The dominant nanoflagellate in the WAP has been suggested to be cryptomonad algae. Using a twenty-year time series collected by the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (Pal LTER) program, we assessed long-term patterns and stability in the coastal phytoplankton communities in the WAP. There was significant interannual variability in the integrated water column chlorophyll a (chl-a) concentrations, which varied by a factor of 5 over the 20-year time series. Within the time series the dominant phytoplankton taxa were diatoms, with the second most abundant phytoplankton taxa present being cryptophyes. While diatoms were observed over the full range of observed salinities (34.5 to 32) as well as over the full range of in situ temperatures (−1.5 to 2.5° C), the cryptophyte populations were observed in lower salinity (33.75 to 32.5) and colder water (−1 to 1° C) for the local time series at Palmer Station. This pattern was not observed for the ship spatial time series data, which might reflect the species diversity in the cryptophyte species between northern and southern waters of the WAP. Regardless, diatoms and cryptophytes were inversely related to each other across the entire WAP. Years when environmental factors favor water column stability, there are anomalously large summer diatom blooms. Consistent with modeling studies this suggests a potential shift to multivorous food web, which has significant ecological and biogeochemical implications, such as decreased efficiency of atmospheric carbon sequesteration.
Vision-aided Localization and Navigation Based on Trifocal Tensor

In this paper, a novel method for vision-aided navigation based on trifocal tensor is presented. The main goal of the proposed method is to provide position estimation in GPS-denied environments for vehicles equipped with a standard inertial navigation systems(INS) and a single camera only. We treat the trifocal tensor as the measurement model, being only concerned about the vehicle state and do not estimate the the position of the tracked landmarks. The performance of the proposed method is demonstrated using simulation and experimental data.
Action to Language via the Mirror Neuron System: The Mirror System Hypothesis on the linkage of action and languages

Introduction Our progress towards an understanding of how the human brain evolved to be ready for language starts with the mirror neurons for grasping in the brain of the macaque monkey. Area F5 of the macaque brain is part of premotor cortex, i.e., F5 is part of the area of cerebral cortex just in front of the primary motor cortex shown as F1 in Fig. 1.1 (left). Different parts of F5 contain neurons active during manual and orofacial actions. Crucially for us, an anatomically segregated subset of these neurons are mirror neurons . Each such mirror neuron is active not only when the monkey performs actions of a certain kind (e.g., a precision pinch or a power grasp) but also when the monkey observes a human or another monkey perform a more or less similar action. In humans, we cannot measure the activity of single neurons (save when needed for testing during neurosurgery) but we can gather comparatively crude data on the relative blood flow through (and thus, presumably, the neural activity of) a brain region when the human performs one task or another. We may then ask whether the human brain also contains a “mirror system for grasping” in the sense of a region active for both execution and observation of manual actions as compared to some baseline task like simply observing an object. Remarkably, such sites were found in frontal, parietal, and temporal cortex of the human brain.
Designing for vigilance during intermittent use

Internet usage is shifting towards a persistent and pervasive engagement through connected mobile devices. In Social Media, this engagement is mediated by an online profile, through which our interactions with online social worlds are framed. By adapting and mediating the embodied acts of Identify Performance and Impression Management, the online profile informs socialization and self-identity. This research posits that the particular use case for maintaining an online profile creates an unprecedented, technology-driven form of human vigilance during intermittent use. Scholarship into the nature of online profiles will be examined, as well as the instinctual basis for human vigilance. A review of Human Factors (HF) research concerning vigilance, and the Human-Computer Interactions (HCI) that support vigilance today, are also provided. A set of design principles is subsequently proposed in order to guide the design of more effective and sustainable interactions that support vigilance during cases of intermittent use. These principles can be generalized from social networking into numerous domains of HCI.
The Changing Role of Social Care

1. Introduction and Overview, Bob Hudson, Nuffield Institute for Health, University of Leeds. Part One: The Changing Role of Social Care. 2. New Approaches to Local Governance, John Stewart, Institute of Local Government Studies, University of Birmingham. 3. Changes in the Statutory Sector. Nirmala Rao, Goldsmith's College, University of London. 4. Changes in the Private Sector, Brian Hardy and Gerald Wistow, Nuffield Institute for Health, University of Leeds. 5. Changes in the Voluntary Sector, Jeremy Kendall, London School of Economics. 6. Human Resources in Social Care, Sue Balloch, National Institute for Social Work. 7. The Changing Role of Users and Carers, Julia Twigg, University of Kent. Part Two: Working Across Boundaries. 8. Social Care and Housing, Murray Hawtin, Policy Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University. 9. Social Care and Social Security, Geoff Fimister, Principal Welfare Rights Officer, Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council. 10. Central - Local Relations: The Changing Balance of Direction vs Discretion in Social Care, Melanie Henwood, Independent Policy Analyst and Visiting Fellow, Nuffield Institute for Health, University of Leeds. Part Three: Comparative Perspectives. 11. UK Variations in Social Care, Alison Petch, University of Glasgow. 12. Who Pays? Who Provides? Towards a Comparative Approach to the Study of Social Care, Michael Hill, Goldsmith's College, University of London. 13.Conclusion: 'Modernising Social Services': A Blueprint for the New Millennium? Bob Hudson. Index.
Food in the social order: studies of food and festivities in three American communities

First published in 1984, This work is a cross-cultural study of the moral and social meaning of food. It is a collection of articles by Douglas and her colleagues covering the food system of the Oglala Sioux, the food habits of families in rural North Carolina, meal formats in an Italian-American community near Philadelphia. It also includes a grid/group analysis of food consumption.
Perirhinal cortical inactivation impairs object-in-place memory and disrupts task-dependent firing in hippocampal CA1, but not in CA3

Objects and their locations can associatively define an event and a conjoint representation of object-place can form an event memory. Remembering how to respond to a certain object in a spatial context is dependent on both hippocampus and perirhinal cortex (PER). However, the relative functional contributions of the two regions are largely unknown in object-place associative memory. We investigated the PER influence on hippocampal firing in a goal-directed object-place memory task by comparing the firing patterns of CA1 and CA3 of the dorsal hippocampus between conditions of PER muscimol inactivation and vehicle control infusions. Rats were required to choose one of the two objects in a specific spatial context (regardless of the object positions in the context), which was shown to be dependent on both hippocampus and PER. Inactivation of PER with muscimol (MUS) severely disrupted performance of well-trained rats, resulting in response bias (i.e., choosing any object on a particular side). MUS did not significantly alter the baseline firing rates of hippocampal neurons. We measured the similarity in firing patterns between two trial conditions in which the same target objects were chosen on opposite sides within the same arm [object-in-place (O-P) strategy] and compared the results with the similarity in firing between two trial conditions in which the rat chose any object encountered on a particular side [response-in-place (R-P) strategy]. We found that the similarity in firing patterns for O-P trials was significantly reduced with MUS compared to control conditions (CTs). Importantly, this was largely because MUS injections affected the O-P firing patterns in CA1 neurons, but not in CA3. The results suggest that PER is critical for goal-directed organization of object-place associative memory in the hippocampus presumably by influencing how object information is associated with spatial information in CA1 according to task demand.