Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different Phenotypes at Onset in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients with Aquaporin-4 Autoimmunity

Background Although rare, brain abnormalities without optic neuritis (ON) or transverse myelitis (TM) diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have been reported in patients positive for the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody. Objective To analyze demographic and clinical differences among NMOSD patients without ON or TM, those with either ON or TM, and patients with simultaneous ON and TM at disease onset. Methods In this retrospective study, patients who were positive for the AQP4 antibody, as detected using a cell-based assay, at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University in China were recruited. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from each patient’s medical record. Results A total of 292 patients were included in this study and were divided into four subgroups based on their initial manifestations: (i) NMOSD without ON or TM (NMOSD-ON−TM−, n = 70); (ii) NMOSD with ON (NMOSD-ON+, n = 95); (iii) NMOSD with TM (NMOSD-TM+, n = 116); and (iv) simultaneous ON and TM [neuromyelitis optica (NMO), n = 11]. We found that age at onset was lower in the NMOSD-ON−TM− group than that in the other groups. The interval from the first episode to relapse was shorter in the NMOSD-ON−TM− group than that in NMOSD-TM+ group. Cerebral spinal fluid white cell counts and protein levels were significantly higher in the NMOSD-ON−TM− group than those in the other groups. Lower Expanded Disability Status Scale scores were observed in the NMOSD-ON−TM− group. Brain abnormalities, including in area postrema and hemisphere lesions, were more frequent in the NMOSD-ON−TM− group. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients in the NMOSD-ON−TM− group experienced earlier relapse than those in other groups. Conversion to NMO in the NMOSD-ON+ group was greater than that in the other groups. Only 14 patients (4.8%, 14/292) had pure brain abnormalities, of which 12 had disease duration of several more years and 8 (57.1%) experienced relapses. Conclusion NMOSD patients with different initial manifestations present with significant differences in clinical features during follow-up. Patients with long-term AQP4 autoimmunity in the brain in the absence of ON or TM are not common.
Employer Perceptions of Skill Deficiencies in the UK Labour Market: A Sub-Regional Analysis

Past research on labour market skill shortages indicates that whether respondents report skill shortages or hard-to-fill vacancies do so for widely different reasons. Nevertheless, there is some consensus that skill shortages analysis needs to examine such shortages within the context of the local labour market in order to understand the labour market dynamics and structural factors that affect the propensity for unemployed people to fill ‘skill shortage’ vacancies. The traditional approach has been to utilise qualitative analysis and case studies. This paper undertakes a multivariate logit analysis of employer perceptions of skill shortages utilising a sub-regional data set from a survey of Dorset employers undertaken in 1998. On a general level, the paper demonstrates the complexity involved in attempting to measure skill problems using the responses of employers to standard surveys. More specifically the results of the logit analysis find, amongst other findings, that: firm size is a significant determinant in skill deficiency perception, that growing firms have a higher skill shortage perception and that it is important to include respondent characteristics when analysing employer perceptions of skill deficiencies. JEL Classification: J240, Skill Shortages, Employer Perceptions, Logit Analysis. Lecturer in Economics, Department of Economics, James Callaghan Building, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK, SA2 8PP. Policy Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University, Bronte Hall, Beckett Park Campus, Leeds LS6 3QS, Corresponding author: Division of Risk, Glasgow Caledonian Business School, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA. The authors would like to thank Louise Parker and Matthias Beck for helpful comments on earlier drafts. The usual disclaimer applies. Employer Perceptions of Skill Deficiencies in the UK Labour Market: A Sub-Regional Analysis
The measurement errors in the Swift-UVOT and XMM-OM

The probability of photon measurement in some photon-counting instrumentation, such as the Optical Monitor (OM) on the XMM-Newton satellite, and the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) on the Swift satellite, does not follow a Poisson distribution due to the detector characteristics, but a binomial distribution. For a single-pixel approximation, an expression was derived for the incident count rate as a function of the measured count rate by Fordham, Moorhead & Galbraith. We show that the measured count rate error is binomial, and extend their formalism to derive the error in the incident count rate. The error on the incident count rate at large count rates is larger than the Poisson error of the incident count rate.
Extensions to system wellposedness and internal stability

This paper presents certain generalisations to the classical concepts of wellposedness and internal stability. Input consistency and output uniqueness of the closed-loop system in the standard control feedback configurations are discussed. Based on this, a number of notions are introduced such as fully internal wellposedness, externally internal wellposedness, and externally internal stability, which characterize the rich input-output and stability features of general control systems in a general setting. The natural links between externally internal wellposedness and wellposedness, externally internal stability and internal stability are explored. The approach also leads to a generalization to the linear fractional transformation. Finally based on these notions an extended H∞ control problem is defined in a general setting. Key Words—H∞ control, ill-posed control system, externally internal wellposedness, externally internal stability, generalized linear fractional transformation. Corresponding Author: Telephone: Telefax: E-mail: Dr. A. C. Pugh Department of Mathematical Sciences Loughborough University Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK +44 (0)1509 223190 +44 (0)1509 223969 A.C. Pugh@lboro.ac. uk
ETS family transcriptional regulators drive chromatin dynamics and malignancy in squamous cell carcinomas

Tumor-initiating stem cells (SCs) exhibit distinct patterns of transcription factors and gene expression compared to healthy counterparts. Here, we show that dramatic shifts in large open-chromatin domain (super-enhancer) landscapes underlie these differences and reflect tumor microenvironment. By in vivo super-enhancer and transcriptional profiling, we uncover a dynamic cancer-specific epigenetic network selectively enriched for binding motifs of a transcription factor cohort expressed in squamous cell carcinoma SCs (SCC-SCs). Many of their genes, including Ets2 and Elk3, are themselves regulated by SCC-SC super-enhancers suggesting a cooperative feed-forward loop. Malignant progression requires these genes, whose knockdown severely impairs tumor growth and prohibits progression from benign papillomas to SCCs. ETS2-deficiency disrupts the SCC-SC super-enhancer landscape and downstream cancer genes while ETS2-overactivation in epidermal-SCs induces hyperproliferation and SCC super-enhancer-associated genes Fos, Junb and Klf5. Together, our findings unearth an essential regulatory network required for the SCC-SC chromatin landscape and unveil its importance in malignant progression. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.10870. 001
Performance comparison of the blind multi channel frequency domain normalized LMS and variable step-size LMS with noise

The paper provides a comparative performance analysis of the normalized multichannel frequency-domain least-mean-squares (MCFLMS) and variable step size MCFLMS (VSS-MCFLMS) algorithms used in blind channel identification. Both the algorithms eliminate the need of a priori estimation of the step size parameter for rapid convergence to the desired solution. We perform the convergence analysis of the normalized MCFLMS (NMCFLMS) and show that even for a moderate SNR, the algorithm fails to converge to the eigenvector corresponding to the minimum eigenvalue of the data correlation matrix and hence misconverge to a fictitious solution. On the other hand, we show that the VSS-MCFLMS algorithm converges, both in noise-free and noisy conditions, to the eigenvector corresponding to the minimum eigenvalue and therefore more noise robust as compared to the NMCFLMS. The enhanced noise robustness of the VSS-MCFLMS algorithm over the NMCFLMS algorithm was verified using computer simulation results for a wide range of SNRs.
Mac-1 Directly Binds to the Endothelial Protein C-Receptor: A Link between the Protein C Anticoagulant Pathway and Inflammation?

Objective The endothelial protein C-receptor (EPCR) is an endothelial transmembrane protein that binds protein C and activated protein C (APC) with equal affinity, thereby facilitating APC formation. APC has anticoagulant, antiapoptotic and antiinflammatory properties. Soluble EPCR, released by the endothelium, may bind activated neutrophils, thereby modulating cell adhesion. EPCR is therefore considered as a possible link between the anticoagulant properties of protein C and the inflammatory response of neutrophils. In the present study, we aimed to provide proof of concept for a direct binding of EPCR to the β2 –integrin Mac-1 on monocytic cells under static and physiological flow conditions. Measurements and Main Results Under static conditions, human monocytes bind soluble EPCR in a concentration dependent manner, as demonstrated by flow cytometry. Binding can be inhibited by specific antibodies (anti-EPCR and anti-Mac-1). Specific binding was confirmed by a static adhesion assay, where a transfected Mac-1 expressing CHO cell line (Mac-1+ cells) bound significantly more recombinant EPCR compared to Mac-1+ cells blocked by anti-Mac-1-antibody and native CHO cells. Under physiological flow conditions, monocyte binding to the endothelium could be significantly blocked by both, anti-EPCR and anti-Mac-1 antibodies in a dynamic adhesion assay at physiological flow conditions. Pre-treatment of endothelial cells with APC (drotrecogin alfa) diminished monocyte adhesion significantly in a comparable extent to anti-EPCR. Conclusions In the present study, we demonstrate a direct binding of Mac-1 on monocytes to the endothelial protein C receptor under static and flow conditions. This binding suggests a link between the protein C anticoagulant pathway and inflammation at the endothelium side, such as in acute vascular inflammation or septicaemia.
The Effect of Budget Deficit on Investment in Nigeria: An Empirical Study

This study empirically analyzes the long-run and short-run effects of budget deficit on investment in Nigeria for the period 1975-2010. Employing error correction model and cointegration regression, the study argues that budget deficit has a significant inverse relationship with investment both in the short run and long run. Hence, there is evidence of crowding-out effect on investment. It further establishes the claim of debt overhang in the long run. Moreover, despite the debt forgiveness received by Nigeria in 2005, the study fails to find convincing evidence of investment accelerator effect in Nigeria.
Understanding health : a sociological introduction

Introduction The Sociology of Health and Illness Explaining and Theorizing The Development of Modern Medicine Delusions of Adequacy Medical Care and Medical Control? Challenging Medical Dominance Gender, Ethnicity, 'Race' and Mental Health Class, Capitalism and Health The Sociology of the Body Health in a Social Context The Challenge of Ageing Health Care Contexts
Learning Active Shape Models for Bifurcating Contours

Statistical shape models are often learned from examples based on landmark correspondences between annotated examples. A method is proposed for learning such models from contours with inconsistent bifurcations and loops. Automatic segmentation of tibial and femoral contours in knee X-ray images is investigated as a step towards reliable, quantitative radiographic analysis of osteoarthritis for diagnosis and assessment of progression. Results are presented using various features, the Mahalanobis distance, distance weighted K-nearest neighbours, and two relevance vector machine-based methods as quality of fit measure
Minimizing the number of iterations when computing a base pose for manipulation by mobile base inclusion in the inverse kinematics

One of the most fundamental skills of a domestic service robot is the ability to manipulate objects. Hereto, the end-effector must be positioned accurately in Cartesian space. To move the end-effector to its desired pose, a suitable end-pose for the mobile platform and a corresponding configuration of the manipulator and possibly torso must be found. To determine the optimal base pose, it is common to compute manipulator configurations corresponding to a large number of possible base poses, requiring a large number of IK computations with each a number of samples or iterations with corresponding time-consuming collision checks. This paper demonstrates how the total number of required iterations can be minimized by computing a single IK solution for the kinematic chain including the base kinematics and using the result as the base pose for manipulation. As a secondary objective, the distance to joint limits is maximized. A further reduction in the total number of iterations can be achieved by only constraining translations and rotations that need to be constrained for the task at hand.
Anti-Inflammatory and Antiarthritic Activity of Anthraquinone Derivatives in Rodents

Aloe emodin is isolated compound of aloe vera which is used traditionally as an anti-inflammatory agent. In vitro pharmacokinetic data suggest that glucuronosyl or sulfated forms of aloe emodin may provide some limitations in its absorption capacity. Aloe emodin was reported to have in vitro anti-inflammatory activity due to inhibition of inducible nitric oxide (iNO) and prostaglandin E2, via its action on murine macrophages. However, present work evidenced that molecular docking of aloe emodin modulates the anti-inflammatory activity, as well as expression of COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) in rodent. The AEC (4,5-dihydroxy-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracene-2 carboxylic acid) was synthesized using aloe emodin as starting material. The study was planned for evaluation of possible anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic activity in carrageenan rat induced paw oedema and complete Freund's adjuvant induced arthritis in rats. The AE (aloe emodin) and AEC significantly (P < 0.001) reduced carrageenan induced paw edema at 50 and 75 mg/kg. Complete Freund's adjuvant induced arthritis model showed significant (P < 0.001) decrease in injected and noninjected paw volume, arthritic score. AE and AEC showed significant effect on various biochemical, antioxidant, and hematological parameters. Diclofenac sodium 10 mg/kg showed significant (P < 0.001) inhibition in inflammation and arthritis.
Comparison Performance of MFFV2 and MVFactor for Factoring the Modulus

The aim of this research is to find the better modified integer factorization between two algorithms we recently proposed. These two algorithms are able to decrease time to search for two prime factors of the modulus. Factoring the modulus leads to breaking of RSA which the security is based on integer factorization. Both of these algorithms are called Modified Fermat Factorization Version 2 (MFFV2) and Modified VFactor (MVFactor) that can finish all value of the modulus. Furthermore, MFFV2 and MVFactor can factor the modulus very quickly whenever the difference between two large prime factors of the modulus is not too far. However, to find the better method, MFFV2 and MVFactor will be compared to each other. The experiments are divided into two parts. First is for the modulus with the same size of two prime factors. The results show that the speed of MVFactor is faster than MFFV2. Nevertheless, the computation speed of the bigger size modulus of MVFactor becomes lower than MFFV2, but not too much. The other part is for the modulus with the difference size of two prime factors. The experiment results show that MVFactor can factor the modulus very rapidly when compared with MFFV2 for all possible value of the modulus.
Precise Mappings between Business Process Models in Versioning Scenarios

In the development process of service-oriented systems, business process models are used at different levels. Typically, high-level business process models that describe business requirements and needs are stepwise refined to the IT level by different business modelers and software architects. As a result, different process model versions must be compared and merged by means of model version control. An important prerequisite for process model version control is an elaborated matching approach that results in precise mappings between different process model versions. The challenge of such an approach is to deal with syntactically different process models that are semantically equivalent. For that purpose, matching techniques must consider the semantics of process modeling languages. In this paper, we present a matching approach for process models in a versioning scenario. Based on a term formalization of process models, we enable an efficient and effective way to match syntactically different but semantically equivalent process models resulting in precise mappings.
Voting based Extreme Learning Machine with Accuracy based Ensemble Pruning

Extreme Learning Machine is a fast single layer feed forward neural network for real valued classification. It suffers from the problem of instability and over fitting. Voting based Extreme Learning Machine, VELM reduces this performance variation in Extreme Learning Machine by employing majority voting based ensembling technique. VELM improves the performance of ELM at the cost of increased redundancy. This problem can be reduced using ensemble pruning techniques. This work proposes and evaluates Voting based Extreme Learning Machine with Accuracy based ensemble Pruning, VELM_AP. VELM_AP generates component classifier in the same way as VELM.
A trust management system for ad-hoc mobile clouds

Most current cloud provisioning involves a data center model, in which clusters of machines are dedicated to running cloud infrastructure software. Ad-hoc mobile clouds, in which infrastructure software is distributed over resources harvested from machines already existed and used for other purposes, are gaining popularity. In this paper, a trust management system (TMC) for mobile ad-hoc clouds is proposed. This system considers availability, neighbors' evaluation and response quality and task completeness in calculating the trust value for a node. The trust management system is built over PlanetCloud which introduced the term of ubiquitous computing. EigenTrust algorithm is used to calculate the reputation trust value for nodes. Finally, performance tests were executed to prove the efficiency of the proposed TMC in term of execution time, and detecting node behavior.
Active contours driven by local probability distributions

In this paper, we propose a novel local-based signed pressure force (SPF) function, which is defined by the probability distributions in a local region for each point along the evolution curve. We incorporate this novel SPF function into a generalized geometric active contour (GAC) model, forming a new segmentation model - Local Probability Distributions based Active Contour (LPDAC) model, which can deal with intensity inhomogeneity and weak boundaries efficiently. In addition, the spatially varying prior probabilities are introduced to assist the detection of the small scale details. Thus the boundaries detected by the proposed model appear to be more accurate. Experimental results on synthetic and real images demonstrate the superior performance of our model.
Exports, Domestic Demand, and Economic Growth in China: Granger Causality Analysis

This study examines Granger causality among exports, domestic demand, and economic growth in China using time-series data over the period from 1978 to 2002. This study uses three measures for domestic demand, namely household consumption, government consumption, and investment. The results show bidirectional Granger causality among these variables, namely exports, domestic demand, and economic growth. Thus, there is a dynamic relationship among exports, domestic demand, and economic growth. Exports and domestic demand are both important for economic growth in China. Moreover, economic growth in China has an impact on its exports and domestic demand. A successful and sustained economic growth requires growth in both exports and domestic demand.
Study of collaborative usability evaluation methods in transactional web area

Usability is a key quality feature to the success of interactive system. Usability includes a set of metrics and evaluation methods in order to obtain efficient systems, easy to use and easy to learn. Usability evaluation methods are quite diverse; its realization depends of variables like costs, time availability, among others. In that sense, this paper presents the analysis of the obtained results from the development of a set of usability evaluation methods designed collaboratively using a methodology provided by the Collaboration Engineering approach. The analisys is based on a set of metrics related to usability problems detection and time. This in order to identify the usability evaluation methods that obtain more appropriate results in transactional web area.
The very-long-chain hydroxy fatty acyl-CoA dehydratase PASTICCINO2 is essential and limiting for plant development

Very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) are synthesized as acyl-CoAs by the endoplasmic reticulum-localized elongase multiprotein complex. Two Arabidopsis genes are putative homologues of the recently identified yeast 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA dehydratase (PHS1), the third enzyme of the elongase complex. We showed that Arabidopsis PASTICCINO2 (PAS2) was able to restore phs1 cytokinesis defects and sphingolipid long chain base overaccumulation. Conversely, the expression of PHS1 was able to complement the developmental defects and the accumulation of long chain bases of the pas2–1 mutant. The pas2–1 mutant was characterized by a general reduction of VLCFA pools in seed storage triacylglycerols, cuticular waxes, and complex sphingolipids. Most strikingly, the defective elongation cycle resulted in the accumulation of 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA intermediates, indicating premature termination of fatty acid elongation and confirming the role of PAS2 in this process. We demonstrated by in vivo bimolecular fluorescence complementation that PAS2 was specifically associated in the endoplasmic reticulum with the enoyl-CoA reductase CER10, the fourth enzyme of the elongase complex. Finally, complete loss of PAS2 function is embryo lethal, and the ectopic expression of PHS1 led to enhanced levels of VLCFAs associated with severe developmental defects. Altogether these results demonstrate that the plant 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA dehydratase PASTICCINO2 is an essential and limiting enzyme in VLCFA synthesis but also that PAS2-derived VLCFA homeostasis is required for specific developmental processes.
Empirical likelihood approach to goodness of fit testing

Motivated by applications to goodness of fit testing, the empirical likelihood approach is generalized to allow for the number of constraints to grow with the sample size and for the constraints to use estimated criteria functions. The latter is needed to deal with nuisance parameters. The proposed empirical likelihood based goodness of fit tests are asymptotically distribution free. For univariate observations, tests for a specified distribution, for a distribution of parametric form, and for a symmetric distribution are presented. For bivariate observations, tests for independence are developed.