Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunophenotypic analysis of B cells in PNH: insights into the generation of circulating naive and memory B cells.

Peripheral blood B cells in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) comprise variable mixtures of normal B cells produced before the onset of disease and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-deficient B cells derived from the PNH hematopoietic stem cell. In a detailed phenotypic analysis of 29 patients with PNH, this study shows consistent phenotypic differences between PNH B cells and residual normal B cells. In the majority of patients with active disease, PNH B cells comprised mainly naive cells with a CD27(-)IgM(+)IgD(strong+)IgG(-) phenotype. The proportion of CD27(+) memory cells within this compartment was related to disease duration (Spearman [r(s)] 0.403; P =. 030). In PNH patients with predominantly GPI-deficient hematopoiesis, that is, a large granulocyte PNH clone, the residual normal B cells had a predominantly memory (CD27(+)) phenotype. Furthermore, the majority of these memory B cells were not immunoglobulin (Ig) class switched and had an IgM(+)IgD(+)IgG(-) phenotype. Using PNH as a novel model with which to study B lymphopoiesis, this study provides direct evidence that production of new naive B cells occurs throughout life and that the major population of long-lived memory B cells are IgM(+)IgD(+). Moreover, studies of GPI(-) B cells in 2 patients in remission from PNH suggest that the life span of a B-cell clone can be more than 24 years.
Bits of History, Challenges for the Future and Autonomic Computing Technology

Over the past fifteen years, the software reverse engineering community has produced many software engineering methods, tools, and techniques that have had significant impact in the software industry. After a research area has evolved for 10-20 years, it can easily fade away due to narrow focus, overgrazing, or lack of impact. Trying to assess the impact of various approaches and results in a research area is difficult - but worthwhile. Taking a step back and looking at a research area from new perspectives is probably easier and can be invigorating. The lessons learned from such exercises may result in new research challenges, foster cross-fertilization among research areas, and shape the focus of the research communities. Inspired by several recent studies that assess the field of software engineering as a whole to define research agendas and funding policies, the author discuss several new perspectives on the problem of continuous software evolution that will hopefully inspire the reverse engineering community. The author then advocate that we need to push monitoring of evolving systems to unprecedented levels to be able to observe and possibly orchestrate their continuous evolution in a complex and changing environment. The author then suggest to instrument evolving software-intensive systems with autonomic elements, using reverse engineering techniques, to enhance their monitoring and assessment capabilities
Relationships of orientation discrimination threshold and visual acuity with macular lesions in age-related macular degeneration

Purpose To measure visual acuity and metamorphopsia in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to explore their relationship with macular lesions. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a total of 32 normal subjects (32 eyes) and 35 AMD patients (35 eyes) were recruited. They were categorized into 4 groups: normal, dry AMD, non-active wet AMD, and active wet AMD. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was measured using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study protocol. Metamorphopsia was quantified with the orientation discrimination threshold (ODT). Macular lesions, including drusen, sub-retinal fluid (SRF), intra-retinal fluid (IRF), pigmented epithelium detachment (PED), and scarring, were identified with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). A linear regression model was established to identify the relationships between the functional and structural changes. Results BCVA progressively worsened across the normal, dry AMD, non-active wet AMD, and active wet AMD groups (P < 0.001), and ODT increased across the groups (P < 0.001). The correlation between BCVA and ODT varied among the groups. The partial correlation between BCVA and ODT was −0.61 (P < 0.001). Linear regression showed that ODT significantly depended on IRF (β = 0.61, P < 0.001), SRF (β = 0.34, P = 0.003), and scarring (β = 0.26, P = 0.050), while BCVA significantly depended only on scarring (β = −0.52, P < 0.001), and IRF (β = −0.36, P = 0.016). Conclusions From dry AMD to active wet AMD, BCVA gradually worsened while ODT increased. The correlation between BCVA and ODT varied among these groups, indicating that AMD lesions affect them differently. ODT and BCVA should be used concurrently for better monitoring of the disease.
Multiple motifs regulate apical sorting of p75 via a mechanism that involves dimerization and higher-order oligomerization

The mechanisms that regulate the apical sorting of proteins are unclear, but clustering may play an important role. A role for dimerization and higher-order oligomerization in the biosynthetic transport of the model O-glycosylated protein p75 has been identified. This study also suggests that the O-glycans of p75 have a structural role in apical sorting.
Citrullination-dependent Differential Presentation of a Self-peptide by HLA-B27 Subtypes*

Inflammatory processes are accompanied by the posttranslational modification of certain arginine residues within proteins to yield citrulline, although it is largely unknown how this modification influences antigen presentation. We employed crystallographic and functional studies to investigate whether the exchange of arginine to citrulline affects the display of a peptide by two human major histocompatibility antigen class I subtypes, HLA-B*2705 and HLA-B*2709. Both differ only in residue 116 within the peptide binding groove despite their differential association with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory rheumatic disorder. The crystal structures described here show that a modified self-peptide, pVIPR-U5 (RRKWURWHL; U = citrulline), is presented by the two HLA-B27 molecules in distinct conformations. These binding modes differ not only drastically from each other but also from the conformations exhibited by the non-citrullinated peptide in a given subtype. The differential reactivity of HLA-B27-restricted cytotoxic T cells with modified or unmodified pVIPR supports the structural findings and shows that the presentation of citrullinated peptides has the potential to influence immune responses.
Resonant Thickening of Disks by Small Satellite Galaxies

We study the vertical heating and thickening of galaxy disks due to accretion of small satellites. Our simulations are restricted to axial symmetry, which largely eliminates numerical evolution of the target galaxy, but which requires the trajectory of the satellite to be along the symmetry axis of the target. We find that direct heating of disk stars by the satellite is not important, because the satellite's gravitational perturbation has little power at frequencies resonant with the vertical stellar orbits. The satellite does little damage to the disk until its decaying orbit resonantly excites large-scale disk bending waves. Bending waves can damp through dynamical friction from the halo or internal wave-particle resonances; we find that wave-particle resonances dominate the damping. The principal vertical heating mechanism is therefore dissipation of bending waves at resonances with stellar orbits in the disk. Energy can thus be deposited some distance from the point of impact of the satellite. The net heating from a tightly bound satellite can be substantial, but satellites that are tidally disrupted before they are able to excite bending waves do not thicken the disk.
Histopathologic Validation of Angioscopy and Intravascular Ultrasound

BackgroundTo establish a histopathologic basis for angioscopic and ultrasound image interpretation we studied 70 postmortem human arterial segments in vitro. Methods and ResultsWe used 7- to 9-French fiber-optic angioscopes and 20- to 30-MHz intravascular ultrasound imaging catheters. Three observers assigned an angioscopic and ultrasound image classification to each vessel segment. The image and histological classification categories were then compared. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both methods separately or in combination for normal vessels were each greater than or equal to 95%. The predictive value was better for angioscopy than for ultrasound due to incorrect ultrasound interpretations of normal anatomy in the presence of thrombus. For stable atheroma the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the individual methods were each greater than 90o. However, both angioscopy and ultrasound had classification errors in that disrupted atheroma was identified and classified as stable atheroma. Consequently, the predictive value was 74% for angioscopy and 78%o for ultrasound. For disrupted atheroma the sensitivities for angioscopy and ultrasound were only moderate (73% and 81%, respectively), whereas the specificity, accuracy, and predictive value were each high (greater than 90%O). For thrombus detection, the specificity, accuracy, and predictive value were high (greater than 93%) for each method. The sensitivity of angioscopy was 100%. However, sensitivity was lower for ultrasound (57%) due to false-negative interpretation of laminar clots in normal vessels and an inability to distinguish disrupted or stable atheroma from intraluminal thrombus. ConclusionsContingency analyses showed that each imaging method alone or combined had significant agreement with the results obtained from histology (p < 0.001). When assessing all cases in which angioscopy and ultrasound were concordant, there was a 92% agreement with the histological classification. (Circulation 1991;84:109–117)
Measuring Community Success : One Size Does Not Fit All

We look at self-forming communities on one company’s externally-facing business networking tool to better understand factors contributing to the success of a community. We propose that there is no single measure of success of a community; success of different kinds of communities depends on a variety of factors, including the perspective of the stakeholders and the type of community established. Author
C/EBP regulates the promoter of the eosinophil‐derived neurotoxin/RNS2 gene in human eosinophilic cells

The eosinophil‐derived neurotoxin (EDN), a member of the mammalian ribonuclease family, is found in the large specific granules of human eosinophilic leukocytes. We have investigated the role of the C/EBP transcription factor family in the regulation of EDN promoter activity. Here we show that the C/EBP family is involved in intrinsic regulation of EDN promoter activity. We have identified a C/EBP binding site located at – 124 in the proximal promoter of the EDN gene. Mutation of this C/EBP site results in a decrease of promoter activity in HL‐60‐eos cells as well as in eosinophils differentiated in vitro from CD34+ cells. Different C/EBP proteins are able to bind to the C/EBP site as shown by gel shift assay. Our results indicate the importance of the C/EBP family in the regulation of the EDN gene in eosinophils. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 683–688; 1999.
ESSAYS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND BRANDING

Social media have changed the way individuals interact with each other, with corporations and with brands; and thus, the context for brand management. Recognizing the potential of social media to reach massive audiences, brands have become more “social” and embraced the new media; however, many are still struggling to effectively harness their potential. Research has aimed to offer some insights into the emerging social media challenges and have established some differentiated streams of research that serve as a general framework for these dissertation manuscripts. Specifically, we identify WOM communications, online reviews, media channels comparisons, online community influence, and co-creation as research areas within the social media literature. The two manuscripts in this dissertation investigate distinct aspects of social media and contribute to the emerging literature in the field. Manuscript I contributes to the evolving “Media channel comparisons” stream of research by investigating the diagnosticity of traditional and social media channels. Manuscript II expands the current social media research framework to the visual communication context. Specifically, it investigates how visuals characteristics and the responses they generate (i.e. ‘shares’) influence brand interpretation. A current challenge is to understand how media channel influences consumer’s judgments about brands. The first manuscript addresses this research gap and explores the diagnosticty of traditional media versus social media as a function of corporate message type. In two studies, we show that social media are more diagnostic than traditional media in forming attitudes and intentions towards corporate brands, independently of corporate message type. Media credibility is identified as the driver of these results. On the other hand, we find that social and traditional media are not distinctively diagnostic in forming beliefs about corporate brands. Changes in brand beliefs are dependent on the content of a message but independent from the communication channel. Another challenge is to understand how users interpret images in social media and make judgments about brands. In three studies in the second manuscript, we show that social media users integrate associations from multiple images when making sense of a brand. The weight given to each image when integrating multiple visual stimuli varies as a function of the online community opinion. That is, the interpretation of a brand is anchored on the most popular image in the social media profile.
Certificates of Non-Membership for Classes of Read-Once Functions

A certificate of non-membership for a Boolean function f with respect to a class C, f ∉ C, is a set S of input strings such that the values of f on strings from S are inconsistent with any function h ∈ C. We study certificates of non-membership with respect to several classes of read-once functions, generated by their bases. For the basis {&, ∨, $\neg$}, we determine the optimal certificate size for every function outside the class and deduce that 6 strings always suffice. For the same basis augmented with a function x1. xs ∨ ${\bar x}_1$. ${\bar x}_s$, we show that there exist n-variable functions requiring Ωns-1 strings in a certificate as n → ∞. For s = 2, we show that this bound is tight by constructing certificates of size On for all functions outside the class.
An evaluation of the effects of broken cryptographic primitives on Bitcoin

The Bitcoin cryptocurrency relies heavily on a variety of cryptographic functions and operations, which are currently assumed to be secure, but will inevitably be broken in the future. As Bitcoin tries to compete against traditional currencies, it remains to be seen how the Bitcoin protocol will need to change in response to weakened cryptography. To this end, this study systematically evaluates the effects of broken cryptographic primitives on the operation of the Bitcoin network, and the changes to the Bitcoin protocol that will be necessary in response. We conclude that a broken hash function only requires switching over to a new hash function, without the need to re-write the blockchain, and is well serviced by the “checkpoint” mechanisms already built into Bitcoin. However, a vulnerability of the signature scheme cannot be dealt with in the same manner without side-e.ects, as it may lead to lost or stolen coins, even if the process is gradual and is conducted before the cryptographic primitive is broken. We conclude that solving this problem either requires some degree of centralization, or the use of Zero-Knowledge Proofs along or on top of Bitcoin.
Acquired Gitelman Syndrome in an Anti-SSA Antibody-positive Patient with a SLC12A3 Heterozygous Mutation

A 36-year-old woman developed hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis after anti SS-A antibody was found to be positive. Diuretic loading test results were compatible with Gitelman syndrome (GS). The patient had a heterozygous mutation in SLC12A3, which encodes for thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter (NCCT). While the mutation may be responsible for a latent hypofunction of NCCTs, the underlying anti-SSA antibody-associated autoimmunity induced the manifestation of its hypofunction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate that anti SS-A antibody-associated autoimmunity may induce GS in a patient with a SLC12A3 heterozygous mutation.
Accurate and Computationally-inexpensive Recovery of Ego-Motion using Optical Flow and Range Flow with Extended Temporal Support

Recovering the ego-motion of a moving camera within a static scene supports many applications in robotics and computer vision. The presented work is motivated by pre-vis applications in the film industry; specifically the ability to render digital assets into the scene during production in real-time. A low-cost commodity depth camera can be easily mounted on and calibrated to a high quality production cameras and used to extract changes in sensor pose from the induced motion of the rigid scene. This work explores the effectiveness of the computationally efficient range flow technique to generate this real time pose information directly from the depth stream of a Kinect sensor. A number of challenges within the approach are addressed. First, an iterative version of the small rotationsmotion estimator is developed to ensure the most accurate inter-frame estimates. Second, the substantial issue of drift is addressed the accumulated error between true and estimated sensor pose as motion estimates are temporally integrated. Anchor frames which enjoy significant overlap with subsequent frames are stored and used to provide additional temporal range flow constraint within the estimation process. Where there are loops in the data sequence, it is advantageous to select anchors from previously seen parts of the scene. Finally, in some scene configurations, there is insufficient constraint from the depth images. We exploit the availability of registered intensity images to further constrain the sensor motion using the optical flow framework. Analogous to optical flow, range flow is a per-pixel constraint on the 3D displacement of an imaged 3D point given its local spatio-temporal depth derivatives. These must be combined across a region or an image to provide sufficient constraint to extract 3D motion[1, 2].
A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Susceptibility Variants for Type 2 Diabetes in Han Chinese

To investigate the underlying mechanisms of T2D pathogenesis, we looked for diabetes susceptibility genes that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a Han Chinese population. A two-stage genome-wide association (GWA) study was conducted, in which 995 patients and 894 controls were genotyped using the Illumina HumanHap550-Duo BeadChip for the first genome scan stage. This was further replicated in 1,803 patients and 1,473 controls in stage 2. We found two loci not previously associated with diabetes susceptibility in and around the genes protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type D (PTPRD) (P = 8.54×10−10; odds ratio [OR] = 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.36–1.82), and serine racemase (SRR) (P = 3.06×10−9; OR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.18–1.39). We also confirmed that variants in KCNQ1 were associated with T2D risk, with the strongest signal at rs2237895 (P = 9.65×10−10; OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.19–1.40). By identifying two novel genetic susceptibility loci in a Han Chinese population and confirming the involvement of KCNQ1, which was previously reported to be associated with T2D in Japanese and European descent populations, our results may lead to a better understanding of differences in the molecular pathogenesis of T2D among various populations.
Kids Mobile Gaming: Mobiles Spielen bei Kindern im Alter von 6 bis 13 Jahren

The media behaviour of today’s children is increasingly informed by an orientation towards digital media, especially towards gaming on mobile devices. Therefore, children are actively participating in a change within society and the media landscape, in which mobility is taking a central position. As of now, there are very few national or international studies in the fields of social science and psychology that deal with children‘s use and their psychological processing of mobile games. In the context of educational science, all available studies mainly focus on aspects of learning. This article provides initial data on the use and relevance of digital games on mobile devices among 6- to 13-year-old children and especially focuses on the significance of mobility in digital gaming. It encompasses the first results of a two-year research project that uses the method of triangulation and is being conducted by the University of Cologne and the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. The central findings are that Mobile Gaming is a consistent part of the environment of today’s children and that within children’s digital gaming, mobility has an important status.
PRIVACY CONSERVING APPROACH toANONYMOUS DATABASE

Suppose bank has some private data which has important details of every employee of the bank. Now bank wants to send these details to its head office for some specific purpose with a primary concern that privacy of each employee should not violate by disclosing his data to other people. If we permit each employee to add data directly into the database then database confidentiality will be broken and if we permit database owner to read every stuff of employee then privacy of employee will break. So to preserve privacy and confidentiality we have proposed approach named as suppression based method so as to maintain the privacy of the employee. The meaning of anonymity is to remove identifying entity from the database.
Measures for clustering and anomaly detection in sets of higher dimensional ellipsoids

One of the applications that motivates this research is a system for detection of the anomalies in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Individual sensor measurements are converted to ellipsoidal summaries; a data matrix D is built using a dissimilarity measure between pairs of ellipsoids; clusters of ellipsoids are suggested by dark blocks along the diagonal of an iVAT (improved Visual Assessment of Tendency) image of D; and finally, the single linkage algorithm extracts clusters from D, using the iVAT image as a guide to the selection of an optimal partition. We illustrate this model for higher dimensional data with synthetic, real and benchmark data sets. Our examples show that two of the four measures, viz, Focal distance and Bhattacharyya distance, provide very similar and reliable bases for estimating cluster structures in sets of higher dimensional ellipsoids, that single linkage can successfully extract the indicated clusters, and that our model can find both first and second order anomalies in WSN data.
Design of enhanced arithmetic logical unit for hardware genetic processor

Genetic Algorithm is based on natural evolution. The genetic algorithm is a probabilistic search algorithm that iteratively transforms a set (called a population) of mathematical objects (typically fixed-length binary character strings), each with an associated fitness value, into a new population of offspring objects using the Darwinian principle of natural selection. The research in genetic algorithm mainly concentrates on the software implementation, which is lagging in term of speed. Genetic algorithm, processor consists lots of sub-modules like ALU unit, memory unit and control unit. From all the sub-module, ALU module is responsible of bringing the genetic variation. In this paper, Enhanced ALU unit consisting of Mutation Operator like Flap, Uniform, Virus mutation and Crossover operators like One point, Multi Point, Uniform crossover was designed using VHDL language and was implemented using Spartan 3E FPGA.