Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Midface-lift patient satisfaction: A 5-year follow-up study

Context: Several studies showed, from the clinical point of view, the advantages of the various techniques and surgical approaches to obtain facial rejuvenation. A few studies have highlighted the satisfaction or not of patients who underwent a traditional facelift; however, a long-term follow-up study measuring patient satisfaction with midface-lift surgery has not been published yet. Aims: The aim of this study is to measure individual patient satisfaction with the midface lift, to find out from each patient his/her level of satisfaction 1 and 5 years after the operation and to compare the results to assess the benefits of the surgery. Background: Several studies showed, from a clinical point of view, the advantages of the various techniques and surgical approaches to obtain facial rejuvenation; however, a long-term follow-up study measuring patient satisfaction with midface-lift surgery has not been published yet. Materials and Methods: Between January 2005 and January 2010, 163 patients underwent a midface lift. All patients were asked to complete a standardised survey 1 and 5 years after surgery, in order to measure outcomes among facial aesthetic patients. Statistical Analysis Used: The paired t-test. Results: All patients reported an improvement as a result of the midface lift. Statistically significant differences in judgement criteria were found for malar eminence and nasojugal groove. Almost all of the patients turned out to be completely satisfied with their appearance with the new look. Conclusions: Patients were extremely satisfied with their decision to undergo a midface lift and with the outcomes and quality of life following the procedure.
Automatic Discovery and Optimization of Parts for Image Classification

Part-based representations have been shown to be very useful for image classification. Learning part-based models is often viewed as a two-stage problem. First, a collection of informative parts is discovered, using heuristics that promote part distinctiveness and diversity, and then classifiers are trained on the vector of part responses. In this paper we unify the two stages and learn the image classifiers and a set of shared parts jointly. We generate an initial pool of parts by randomly sampling part candidates and selecting a good subset using L1/L2 regularization. All steps are driven "directly" by the same objective namely the classification loss on a training set. This lets us do away with engineered heuristics. We also introduce the notion of "negative parts", intended as parts that are negatively correlated with one or more classes. Negative parts are complementary to the parts discovered by other methods, which look only for positive correlations.
Neocortical Tet3-mediated accumulation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine promotes rapid behavioral adaptation

Significance We have discovered a critical role for ten-eleven translocation 3-mediated hydroxylation of 5-methycytosine in the adult prefrontal cortex in mediating rapid behavioral adaptation. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) is highly dynamic in response to fear extinction training, and rather than simply reflecting a functional intermediary of active DNA demethylation, the learning-induced intergenic accumulation of 5-hmC creates an epigenetic state that promotes experience-dependent gene expression and behavioral adaptation. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) is a novel DNA modification that is highly enriched in the adult brain and dynamically regulated by neural activity. 5-hmC accumulates across the lifespan; however, the functional relevance of this change in 5-hmC and whether it is necessary for behavioral adaptation have not been fully elucidated. Moreover, although the ten-eleven translocation (Tet) family of enzymes is known to be essential for converting methylated DNA to 5-hmC, the role of individual Tet proteins in the adult cortex remains unclear. Using 5-hmC capture together with high-throughput DNA sequencing on individual mice, we show that fear extinction, an important form of reversal learning, leads to a dramatic genome-wide redistribution of 5-hmC within the infralimbic prefrontal cortex. Moreover, extinction learning-induced Tet3-mediated accumulation of 5-hmC is associated with the establishment of epigenetic states that promote gene expression and rapid behavioral adaptation.
Neurocortical mechanisms of comprehension in degraded speech

Comprehending speech is an astonishing faculty of the human brain, especially so under adverse listening conditions. How and by which neural mechanisms do we cope so well with the fleeting percepts of speech? In addition to “facilitating” influences such as semantic context, listeners also cope with challenging listening situation by fully exploiting their sensory and cognitive resources, e.g. their working memory capacities (“compensation”). We will propose a framework for studying neural signatures of facilitation and compensation, and discuss recent data from functional MRI (fMRI), magneto- and electroencephalography studies (M/EEG; with an emphasis on neural oscillations) that utilize acoustically degraded speech stimuli to study the neural underpinnings of these facilitation and compensation mechanisms in detail.
An Algebraic Theory of Complexity for Discrete Optimization

Discrete optimization problems arise in many different areas and are studied under many different names. In many such problems the quantity to be optimized can be expressed as a sum of functions of a restricted form. Here we present a unifying theory of complexity for problems of this kind. We show that the complexity of a finite-domain discrete optimization problem is determined by certain algebraic properties of the objective function, which we call weighted polymorphisms. We define a Galois connection between sets of rational-valued functions and sets of weighted polymorphisms and show how the closed sets of this Galois connection can be characterized. These results provide a new approach to studying the complexity of discrete optimization. We use this approach to identify certain maximal tractable subproblems of the general problem and hence derive a complete classification of complexity for the Boolean case.
A uniform model for almost convexity and rewriting systems

Abstract We introduce a topological property for finitely generated groups, called stackable, that implies the existence of an inductive procedure for constructing van Kampen diagrams with respect to a particular finite presentation. We also define algorithmically stackable groups, for which this procedure is an algorithm. This property gives a common model for algorithms arising from both rewriting systems and almost convexity for groups.
Reliability in Agile Software Engineering : A Dilemma

While agile software engineering methods have been successfully applied to many software application areas, their adoption in the domain of safety-critical and high-reliability systems has been hampered by a lack of appropriate reliability techniques. In contrast, traditional development approaches have relied on traceability-based techniques for the verification and certification of reliability of software systems. Traceability plays a vital role in the production, verification, and certification of highly dependable software-intensive systems that serve as the computational backbone for key human activities ranging from science and engineering to business and everyday services that support our social and civil infrastructures. Traceability is demanded or recommended by numerous standards including ISO 15504 [1], ISO 9001:2000 [2], Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model Integration (SEI-CMMI) [3], DoD std 2167A [4], IEEE std 830-1998 [5], IEEE std 1233 [6], IEEE std 1219-1988 [7], and IEEE std 982.2 [8]. In particular, IEEE Standard 982.1 [9] recognizes traceability as a measure of software reliability.
A method for Vietnamese text normalization to improve the quality of speech synthesis

Being necessary for a Text-To-Speech (TTS) system, text-normalization is general a challenging problem, especially for Vietnamese because of the local context. Recent researches in text-normalization in Vietnamese for TTS systems are still at the beginning with very simple sets of ad hoc rules for individual cases in spite of the ambiguity of real text. The purpose of this paper is to take some initial steps towards methodically normalizing input text in Vietnamese for a TTS system. This paper proposes a categorization and a normalization model for Vietnamese text based on related results for other languages. An experimental application is implemented to demonstrate the model, which uses several techniques including letter language model and decision trees for classifying NSWs and both supervised and unsupervised approaches for expanding abbreviations.
Chua's Circuit Topology Evolution Using Genetic Algorithm

In this paper, a novel approach of using genetic algorithm towards the realization of Chua's circuit is presented. The paper demonstrates the use of genetic algorithm to evolve Chua's circuit from a set of given passive and active components. More than a dozen of the evolved designs are demonstrated to work satisfactorily in simulation. The evolved designs are found to be competitive in a human environment and are also demonstrated to work in a laboratory set up.
Delay-guaranteed scheduling strategy in cyber-physical systems: a game-theoretic approach

The physical space and the cyber space are deeply coupled in Cyber-physical systems (CPS). The computing components and the physical components are connected via the communication network. In order to provide real-time and predictable communication, the paper combines CSMA-type scheduling algorithm with the game theory. A non-cooperative game is proposed to form the scheduling set in the contention-based multiple-access scenario. Each packet to be transmitted has an maximum-allowable delay. In the game, the player has only its delay knowledge. Each player makes decision without the delay knowledge of the other competing players. We design a utility function to encourage the players to cooperate and give the transmission chance to the urgent packet. We show that the game-theoretic CSMA(GT-CSMA) scheduling approach can improve the performance of delay-guaranteed compared with the existing scheduling algorithms.
Precise derating of three-phase induction motors with unbalanced voltages

Performance analysis of three-phase induction motors under supply voltage unbalance conditions is normally carried out using the well-known symmetrical components analysis. In this analysis, the voltage unbalance level at the terminals of machine is assessed by means of the NEMA or IEC definitions. Both definitions lead to a relatively large error in predicting the performance of a machine. A method has recently been proposed in which, in addition to voltage unbalance factor (VUF), the phase angle has been accounted. This means that the voltage unbalance factor is regarded as a complex value. This paper shows that although the use of the complex VUF reduces the computational error considerably, it is still high. This is proven by evaluating the derating factor of a three-phase induction motor. A method is introduced to determine the derating factor precisely using the complex unbalance factor for an induction motor operating under any unbalanced supply condition. A practical case for derating of a typical three-phase squirrel-cage induction motor supplied by an unbalanced voltage is studied in the paper.
Electronic Voting Using Identity Domain Separation and Hardware Security Modules

E-voting increasingly gains interest in e-Democracy and e-Government movements. Not only the technical security issues of electronic voting systems are of paramount importance, but also the necessity of following an all-embracing approach is challenging and needs to be addressed. This paper discusses e-voting as being a supreme discipline of e-Government. It introduces an innovative e-voting concept using the Internet as the voting channel. The concept introduced is based on Austrian e-Government elements and the Austrian identity management concept in particular. As a result, this paper presents a novel approach of building an e-voting system relying on two core principles: strong end-to-end encryption and stringent identity domain separation.
Dragon TF Association Miner: a system for exploring transcription factor associations through text-mining

We present Dragon TF Association Miner (DTFAM), a system for text-mining of PubMed documents for potential functional association of transcription factors (TFs) with terms from Gene Ontology (GO) and with diseases. DTFAM has been trained and tested in the selection of relevant documents on a manually curated dataset containing >3000 PubMed abstracts relevant to transcription control. On our test data the system achieves sensitivity of 80% with specificity of 82%. DTFAM provides comprehensive tabular and graphical reports linking terms to relevant sets of documents. These documents are color-coded for easier inspection. DTFAM complements the existing biological resources by collecting, assessing, extracting and presenting associations that can reveal some of the not so easily observable connections among the entities found which could explain the functions of TFs and help decipher parts of gene transcriptional regulatory networks. DTFAM summarizes information from a large volume of documents saving time and making analysis simpler for individual users. DTFAM is freely available for academic and non-profit users at http://research.i2r. a-star.edu. sg/DRAGON/TFAM/.
Chronic Graft Loss and Death in Patients With Post-Transplant Malignancy in Living Kidney Transplantation: A Competing Risk Analysis

Background: Malignancy is a common complication after renal transplantation. Death with functioning graft and chronic graft loss are two competing outcomes in patients with post-transplant malignancies. Objectives: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with cumulative incidence of these two outcomes. Patients and Methods: Fine-Gray model was used for 266 cases with post-transplant malignancy in Iran. These patients were followed-up from the diagnosis until the date of last visit, chronic graft loss, or death, subsequently. Results: At the end of the study, as competing events, chronic graft loss and death with functioning graft were seen in 27 (10.2%) and 53 cases (19.9%), respectively, while 186 cases (69.9%) were accounted as censored. The incidence rate of death was approximately two-time of the incidence rate of chronic graft loss (8.6 vs. 4.4 per 100 person-years). In multivariate analysis, significant risk factors associated with cumulative incidence of death included age (P < 0.007, subhazard ratio (SHR) = 1.03), type of cancer (P < 0.0001), and response to treatment (P < 0.0001, SHR = 0.027). The significant risk factors associated with cumulative incidence of chronic graft loss were gender (P = 0.05, SHR = 0.37), treatment modality (P < 0.0001), and response to treatment (P = 0.048, SHR = 0.47). Conclusions: Using these factors, nephrologists may predict the occurrence of graft loss or death. If the probability of graft loss was higher, physicians can decrease the immunosuppressive medications dosage to decrease the incidence of graft loss.
Getting to the roots of it: Genetic and hormonal control of root architecture

Root system architecture (RSA) – the spatial configuration of a root system – is an important developmental and agronomic trait, with implications for overall plant architecture, growth rate and yield, abiotic stress resistance, nutrient uptake, and developmental plasticity in response to environmental changes. Root architecture is modulated by intrinsic, hormone-mediated pathways, intersecting with pathways that perceive and respond to external, environmental signals. The recent development of several non-invasive 2D and 3D root imaging systems has enhanced our ability to accurately observe and quantify architectural traits on complex whole-root systems. Coupled with the powerful marker-based genotyping and sequencing platforms currently available, these root phenotyping technologies lend themselves to large-scale genome-wide association studies, and can speed the identification and characterization of the genes and pathways involved in root system development. This capability provides the foundation for examining the contribution of root architectural traits to the performance of crop varieties in diverse environments. This review focuses on our current understanding of the genes and pathways involved in determining RSA in response to both intrinsic and extrinsic (environmental) response pathways, and provides a brief overview of the latest root system phenotyping technologies and their potential impact on elucidating the genetic control of root development in plants.
Users' Opinions on Public Displays that Aim to Increase Social Cohesion

In this paper we present results from a questionnaire on public displays that aim to increase social cohesion. The displays highlight unexpected social links between passers-by in urban areas, which might lead to the strengthening of existing links and even the creation of new links between people. The results from the questionnaire show that the majority of respondents believes that the proposed displays might increase social cohesion, and about half of them would use them. Some respondents however are afraid for their privacy, security, and being annoyed by strangers. For personal displays, which show information only about single persons, the most popular content are name, interests and contact options. For interpersonal displays, which show information about pairs of people, the most popular information are common friends and common interests. The popularity of the proposed displays however depended strongly on the social context where they would be used. We present a preliminary prototype of a personal display, which is deployed in a university context.
Blood Born miRNAs Signatures that Can Serve as Disease Specific Biomarkers Are Not Significantly Affected by Overall Fitness and Exercise

Blood born micro(mi)RNA expression pattern have been reported for various human diseases with signatures specific for diseases. To evaluate these biomarkers, it is mandatory to know possible changes of miRNA signatures in healthy individuals under different physiological conditions. We analyzed the miRNA expression in peripheral blood of elite endurance athletes and moderatly active controls. Blood drawing was done before and after exhaustive exercise in each group. After Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment we did not find any miRNA with significant p-values when comparing miRNA expression between the different groups. We found, however, 24 different miRNAs with an expression fold change of minimum 1.5 in at least one of the comparisons (athletes before vs after exercise, athletes before exercise vs controls and athletes after exercise vs controls). The observed changes are not significant in contrast to the expression changes of the blood born miRNA expression reported for many human diseases. These data support the idea of disease associated miRNA patterns useful as biomarkers that are not readily altered by physiological conditions.
Diffusion-Based Nanonetworking: A New Modulation Technique and Performance Analysis

In this letter, a new molecular modulation scheme for nanonetworks is proposed. To evaluate the scheme, a system model based on the Poisson distribution is introduced. The error probability of the proposed scheme as well as that of two previously known schemes, the concentration and molecular shift keying modulations, are derived for the Poisson model by taking into account the error propagation effect of previously decoded symbols. The proposed scheme is shown to outperform the previously introduced schemes. This is due to the fact that the decoding of the current symbol in the proposed scheme does not encounter propagation of error, as the decoding of the current symbol does not depend on the previously transmitted and decoded symbols. Finally, fundamental limits on the probability of error of a practical set of encoders and decoders are derived using information theoretical tools.
Stable Cohomotopy Seiberg-Witten Invariants of Connected Sums of Four-Manifolds with Positive First Betti Number

We shall prove a new non-vanishing theorem for the stable cohomotopy Seiberg-Witten invariant of connected sums of 4-manifolds with positive first Betti number. The non-vanishing theorem enables us to find many new examples of 4-manifolds with non-trivial stable cohomotopy Seiberg-Witten invariants and it also gives a partial, but strong affirmative answer to a conjecture concerning non-vanishing of the invariant. Various new applications of the non-vanishing theorem are also given. For example, we shall introduce variants $\bar{\lambda}_k$ of Perelman's $\bar{\lambda}$ invariants for real numbers $k$ and compute the values for a large class of 4-manifolds including connected sums of certain K{\"{a}}hler surfaces. The non-vanishing theorem is also used to construct the first examples of 4-manifolds with non-zero simplicial volume and satisfying the strict Gromov-Hitchin-Thorpe inequality, but admitting infinitely many distinct smooth structures for which no compatible Einstein metric exists. Moreover, we are able to prove a new result on the existence of exotic smooth structures.
Oxytocin enhances brain reward system responses in men viewing the face of their female partner

Significance Sexual monogamy is potentially costly for males, and few mammalian species along with humans exhibit it. The hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OXT) has been implicated in mediating pair bonds in various species, but as yet, we know little about neurobiological factors that might act to promote fidelity, especially in men. Here we provide evidence for a mechanism by which OXT may contribute to romantic bonds in men by enhancing their partner's attractiveness and reward value compared with other women. The biological mechanisms underlying long-term partner bonds in humans are unclear. The evolutionarily conserved neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is associated with the formation of partner bonds in some species via interactions with brain dopamine reward systems. However, whether it plays a similar role in humans has as yet not been established. Here, we report the results of a discovery and a replication study, each involving a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject, pharmaco-functional MRI experiment with 20 heterosexual pair-bonded male volunteers. In both experiments, intranasal OXT treatment (24 IU) made subjects perceive their female partner's face as more attractive compared with unfamiliar women but had no effect on the attractiveness of other familiar women. This enhanced positive partner bias was paralleled by an increased response to partner stimuli compared with unfamiliar women in brain reward regions including the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). In the left NAcc, OXT even augmented the neural response to the partner compared with a familiar woman, indicating that this finding is partner-bond specific rather than due to familiarity. Taken together, our results suggest that OXT could contribute to romantic bonds in men by enhancing their partner's attractiveness and reward value compared with other women.