Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Character segmentation and retrieval for learning support system of Japanese historical books

This paper proposes a character segmentation and retrieval method for a learning support system that analyzes digitized Japanese historical woodblock printed books. The proposed system detects text lines, segments characters, and retrieves similar characters from document images. The process includes background separation, text line extraction, rule-based character integration and segmentation, and similar character retrieval. The experimental results show that the proposed method segmented all text lines correctly and successfully extracted more than 79% of the complicated characters, as well as provided promising character retrieval results.
Carotid Chemoreceptor Modulation of Regional Blood Flow Distribution During Exercise in Health and Chronic Heart Failure

Previous work has shown sensitization of carotid chemoreceptor (CC) responsiveness during exercise as well as in chronic heart failure (CHF). Accordingly, we hypothesized that the CCs contribute to the sympathetic restraint of skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise and CHF. We examined the effect of transient CC inhibition on total (ConT) and hindlimb (ConL) conductance, and blood pressure at rest and during exercise (2.5 miles per hour, 5% grade) in chronically instrumented dogs. Via a carotid arterial catheter, CCs were inhibited using dopamine (5 to 10 &mgr;g/kg) or hyperoxic lactated Ringer’s solution. Although vasodilation did not occur with CC inhibition in resting healthy dogs, CC inhibition during exercise caused an immediate vasodilatory response (increase in ConT and ConL and decrease in blood pressure). When comparing the peak ConL response from CC inhibition versus &agr;-adrenergic blockade (phentolamine), we found that the CCs accounted for approximately one-third of the total sympathetic restraint during exercise. CHF was then induced by chronic rapid cardiac pacing and characterized by impaired cardiac function, enhanced chemosensitivity, and greater sympathetic restraint at rest and during exercise. In contrast to healthy dogs, CC inhibition in resting CHF dogs produced vasodilation, whereas a similar vasodilatory response was observed during exercise in CHF as compared with healthy dogs. The vasodilation following CC inhibition during exercise and in CHF was abolished with &agr;-adrenergic blockade and was absent in healthy exercising animals after carotid body denervation. These results establish an important role for the CCs in cardiovascular control in the healthy animal during exercise and in the CHF animal both at rest and during exercise.
High-intensity focused ultrasound and localized prostate cancer: efficacy results from the European multicentric study.

PURPOSE To describe the safety and efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of prostate cancer as assessed in a Phase II/III prospective multicentric clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients (N = 402) presenting with localized (stage T(1-2)N(0-x)M(0)) prostate cancer between 1995 and 1999 at six European sites who were not candidates for radical prostatectomy were treated with HIFU under general or spinal anesthesia. Their mean age was 69.3 +/- 7.1 (SD) years, the mean prostate volume 28.0 +/- 13.8 cc, and the mean serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration 10.9 +/- 8.7 ng/mL. Nearly all (92.2%) of the patients had one to four positive biopsy samples at baseline. The Gleason scores were 2 to 4 for 13.2% of the patients, 5 to 7 for 77.5%, and 8 to 10 for 9.3%. During the follow-up, random sextant biopsies and serum PSA measurements were performed. Any positive sample in biopsies performed after the last treatment session resulted in a "HIFU failure" classification. RESULTS The patients received a mean of 1.4 HIFU sessions. The mean follow-up duration was 407 days (quartile 1 135 days, median 321 days, quartile 3 598 days). The negative biopsy rate observed in the T1-2 primary-care population was 87.2%. These results were also stratified according to the usual disease-related risk classification, and as much as a 92.1% negative biopsy rate was observed in low-risk patients. Nadir PSA results correlated with prostate size and the clinical procedure. CONCLUSION These short-term results obtained on a large cohort confirm that HIFU is an option to be considered for the primary treatment of localized prostate cancer.
Detecting region-of-interest (ROI) in digital mammogram by using morphological bandpass filter

Microcalcifications are an early sign of breast cancer and appear as isolated bright spots in mammogram images, which are difficult to detect due to their small size. The paper introduces a morphological bandpass filter (MBF) to detect microcalcifications; it is implemented by opening the original image twice with two different structure elements, and subtracting one opened image using another one that can decompose the image into details of interest in the image domain where microcalcifications tend to appear. Series of MBFs are tuned for the detection task, and binary images containing microcalcification regions-of-interest (ROI) are obtained. Experimental results show that the proposed method with these bandpass filters can recognize ROI with a true positive of 93.07% and a false positive of 4.34%. Compared to the well-known discrete wavelet transform (DWT) method, this method is more accurate in position and size of microcalcifications
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Efficiency of Continuous Double Auctions under Individual Evolutionary Learning with Full or Limited Information

In this paper we explore how specific aspects of market transparency and agents’ behavior affect the efficiency of the market outcome. In particular, we are interested whether learning behavior with and without information about actions of other participants improves market efficiency. We consider a simple market for a homogeneous good populated by buyers and sellers. The valuations of the buyers and the costs of the sellers are given exogenously. Agents are involved in consecutive trading sessions, which are organized as a continuous double auction with order book. Using Individual Evolutionary Learning agents submit price bids and offers, trying to learn the most profitable strategy by looking at their realized and counterfactual or “foregone” payoffs. We find that learning outcomes heavily depend on information treatments. Under full information about actions of others, agents’ orders tend to be similar, while under limited information agents tend to submit their valuations/costs. This behavioral outcome results in higher price volatility for the M. Anufriev (B) CeNDEF, School of Economics, University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 11, 1018 WB Amsterdam, The Netherlands e-mail: m.anufriev@uva.nl J. Arifovic Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., V5A 1S6, Canada J. Ledyard Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, MC 228-77, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA V. Panchenko School of Economics, Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia 540 M. Anufriev et al. latter treatment. We also find that learning improves allocative efficiency when compared to outcomes Zero-Intelligent traders.
Using Trust to Establish a Secure Routing Model in Cognitive Radio Network

Specific to the selective forwarding attack on routing in cognitive radio network, this paper proposes a trust-based secure routing model. Through monitoring nodes’ forwarding behaviors, trusts of nodes are constructed to identify malicious nodes. In consideration of that routing selection-based model must be closely collaborative with spectrum allocation, a route request piggybacking available spectrum opportunities is sent to non-malicious nodes. In the routing decision phase, nodes’ trusts are used to construct available path trusts and delay measurement is combined for making routing decisions. At the same time, according to the trust classification, different responses are made specific to their service requests. By adopting stricter punishment on malicious behaviors from non-trusted nodes, the cooperation of nodes in routing can be stimulated. Simulation results and analysis indicate that this model has good performance in network throughput and end-to-end delay under the selective forwarding attack.
ETS Transcription Factors Control Transcription of EZH2 and Epigenetic Silencing of the Tumor Suppressor Gene Nkx3.1 in Prostate Cancer

Background ETS transcription factors regulate important signaling pathways involved in cell differentiation and development in many tissues and have emerged as important players in prostate cancer. However, the biological impact of ETS factors in prostate tumorigenesis is still debated. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed an analysis of the ETS gene family using microarray data and real-time PCR in normal and tumor tissues along with functional studies in normal and cancer cell lines to understand the impact in prostate tumorigenesis and identify key targets of these transcription factors. We found frequent dysregulation of ETS genes with oncogenic (i.e., ERG and ESE1) and tumor suppressor (i.e., ESE3) properties in prostate tumors compared to normal prostate. Tumor subgroups (i.e., ERGhigh, ESE1high, ESE3low and NoETS tumors) were identified on the basis of their ETS expression status and showed distinct transcriptional and biological features. ERGhigh and ESE3low tumors had the most robust gene signatures with both distinct and overlapping features. Integrating genomic data with functional studies in multiple cell lines, we demonstrated that ERG and ESE3 controlled in opposite direction transcription of the Polycomb Group protein EZH2, a key gene in development, differentiation, stem cell biology and tumorigenesis. We further demonstrated that the prostate-specific tumor suppressor gene Nkx3.1 was controlled by ERG and ESE3 both directly and through induction of EZH2. Conclusions/Significance These findings provide new insights into the role of the ETS transcriptional network in prostate tumorigenesis and uncover previously unrecognized links between aberrant expression of ETS factors, deregulation of epigenetic effectors and silencing of tumor suppressor genes. The link between aberrant ETS activity and epigenetic gene silencing may be relevant for the clinical management of prostate cancer and design of new therapeutic strategies.
Fingerprint image compression algorithm based on matrix optimization

The fingerprint database calls for the valid compression algorithm of the storage and transmission. Wavelet Scale Quantization (WSQ) is commonly adopted for the general image compression, however, it dose not sufficiently take account of the ridge texture character. Above all, this paper proposes a matrix optimization model for the image compression and reconstruction (MOMICR). In succession, we put forward a two-dimensional ridgelet non-negative matrix factorization (TDR-NMF) algorithm to find the optimal solution of fingerprint MOMICR. Experiments both on FVC2002 database and hundreds of latent fingerprints randomly chosen from the databank supplied by Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau show that the proposed method can get a good PSNR even without coding or other post-process, holding most minutiae.
Neonatal Imitation in Rhesus Macaques

The emergence of social behaviors early in life is likely crucial for the development of mother–infant relationships. Some of these behaviors, such as the capacity of neonates to imitate adult facial movements, were previously thought to be limited to humans and perhaps the ape lineage. Here we report the behavioral responses of infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to the following human facial and hand gestures: lip smacking, tongue protrusion, mouth opening, hand opening, and opening and closing of eyes (control condition). In the third day of life, infant macaques imitate lip smacking and tongue protrusion. On the first day of life, the model's mouth openings elicited a similar matched behavior (lip smacking) in the infants. These imitative responses are present at an early stage of development, but they are apparently confined to a narrow temporal window. Because lip smacking is a core gesture in face-to-face interactions in macaques, neonatal imitation may serve to tune infants' affiliative responses to the social world. Our findings provide a quantitative description of neonatal imitation in a nonhuman primate species and suggest that these imitative capacities, contrary to what was previously thought, are not unique to the ape and human lineage. We suggest that their evolutionary origins may be traced to affiliative gestures with communicative functions.
Salient iso-surface detection with model-independent statistical signatures

Volume graphics has not been accepted for widespread use. One of the inhibiting reasons is the lack of general methods for data-analysis and simple interfaces for data exploration. An error-and-trial iterative procedure is often used to select a desirable transfer function or mine the dataset for salient iso-values. New semi-automatic methods that are also data-centric have shown much promise. However, general and robust methods are still needed for data-exploration and analysis. In this paper, we propose general model-independent statistical methods based on central moments of data. Using these techniques we show how salient iso-surfaces at material boundaries can be determined. We provide examples from the medical and computational domain to demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods.
Identification of Novel Low-Dose Bisphenol A Targets in Human Foreskin Fibroblast Cells Derived from Hypospadias Patients

Background/Purpose The effect of low-dose bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on human reproductive health is still controversial. To better understand the molecular basis of the effect of BPA on human reproductive health, a genome-wide screen was performed using human foreskin fibroblast cells (hFFCs) derived from child hypospadias (HS) patients to identify novel targets of low-dose BPA exposure. Methodology/Principal Findings Gene expression profiles of hFFCs were measured after exposure to 10 nM BPA, 0.01 nM 17β-estradiol (E2) or 1 nM 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) for 24 h. Differentially expressed genes were identified using an unpaired Student's t test with P value cut off at 0.05 and fold change of more than 1.2. These genes were selected for network generation and pathway analysis using Ingenuity Pathways Analysis, Pathway Express and KegArray. Seventy-one genes (42 downregulated and 29 upregulated) were identified as significantly differentially expressed in response to BPA, among which 43 genes were found to be affected exclusively by BPA compared with E2 and TCDD. Of particular interest, real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression of matrix metallopeptidase 11 (MMP11), a well-known effector of development and normal physiology, was found to be inhibited by BPA (0.47-fold and 0.37-fold at 10 nM and 100 nM, respectively). Furthermore, study of hFFCs derived from HS and cryptorchidism (CO) patients (n = 23 and 11, respectively) indicated that MMP11 expression was significantly lower in the HS group than in the CO group (0.25-fold, P = 0.0027). Conclusions/Significance This present study suggests that an involvement of BPA in the etiology of HS might be associated with the downregulation of MMP11. Further study to elucidate the function of the novel target genes identified in this study during genital tubercle development might increase our knowledge of the effects of low-dose BPA exposure on human reproductive health.
Persistent hypertransaminasemia as the presenting feature of celiac disease

Asymptomatic persistent hypertransaminasemia unrelated to hepatitis viral infection is a common cause of referral to the hepatologist. Less frequent liver diseases should then be considered, as well as extrahepatic-origin hypertransaminasemia. Celiac disease, although it has repeatedly been reported as a cause of persistent hypertransaminasemia, is often not included in its differential diagnosis in the absence of the classic malabsorption syndrome. We present the cases of four patients sent to a liver unit for evaluation of persistent hypertransaminasemia in whom celiac disease was finally discovered. Our report highlights the importance of including celiac disease in list of conditions potentially responsible for chronic hypertransaminasemia of unknown cause.
Effects of free fatty acids on gluconeogenesis and autoregulation of glucose production in type 2 diabetes.

Effects of endogenously derived free fatty acids (FFAs) on rates of gluconeogenesis (GNG) (determined with 2H2O), glycogenolysis (GL), and endogenous glucose production (EGP) were studied in 18 type 2 diabetic patients and in 7 nondiabetic control subjects under three experimental conditions: 1) during an 8-h fast (from 16-24 h after the last meal), when plasma FFA levels increased slowly; 2) during 4 h (from 16-20 h) of nicotinic acid (NA) administration (fasting plus NA), when plasma FFAs decreased acutely; and 3) during 4 h (from 20-24 h) after discontinuation of NA (FFA rebound), when plasma FFAs increased acutely. During fasting, FFAs increased from 636 to 711 micromol/l in type 2 diabetic patients and from 462 to 573 micromol/l in control subjects (P < 0.04), but GNG did not change in diabetic patients (6.9 vs. 6.5 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), P > 0.05) or in control subjects (5.1 vs. 5.4 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), P > 0.05). During fasting plus NA, FFAs decreased in diabetic patients and control subjects (from 593 to 193 and from 460 to 162 micromol/l, respectively); GNG decreased (from 6.1 to 4.2 and from 4.7 to 3.5 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1)), whereas GL decreased in diabetic patients (from 5.3 to 4.4 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1)) but increased in control subjects (from 5.4 to 7.2 micromol x kg(-1) min(-1)). During the FFA rebound, FFAs increased in diabetic patients and control subjects (from 193 to 1,239 and from 162 to 1,491 micromol/l, respectively); GNG increased (from 4.2 to 5.4 and from 3.4 to 5.3 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1) respectively), and GL decreased (from 4.4 to 3.4 and from 7.3 to 4.3 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), respectively). In summary, during an extended overnight fast, increasing plasma FFA levels stimulated GNG, whereas decreasing FFA levels inhibited GNG in both diabetic and control subjects; 20 h after the last meal, approximately one-third of GNG in both diabetic and control subjects was dependent on FFAs; and autoregulation of EGP by GL in response to decreasing GNG was impaired in diabetic patients.
The formal execution semantics of SpecC

We present a rigorous but transparent semantics definition of the SpecC language that covers the execution of SpecC behaviors and their interaction with the kernel process. The semantics include wait, wait for, par, and try statements as they are introduced in SpecC. We present our definition in form of distributed abstract state machine (ASM) rules strictly following the lines of the SpecC Language Reference Manual. We mainly see our formal semantics in three application areas. First, it is a concise, unambiguous description for documentation and standardization. Second, it applies as a high-level, pseudo code-oriented specification for the implementation of a SpecC simulator. Finally, it is a first step for SpecC synthesis in order to identify similar concepts with other languages like VHDL and SystemC for the definition of common patterns and language subsets.
Defective B cell tolerance checkpoints in systemic lupus erythematosus

A cardinal feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the development of autoantibodies. The first autoantibodies described in patients with SLE were those specific for nuclei and DNA, but subsequent work has shown that individuals with this disease produce a panoply of different autoantibodies. Thus, one of the constant features of SLE is a profound breakdown in tolerance in the antibody system. The appearance of self-reactive antibodies in SLE precedes clinical disease, but where in the B cell pathway tolerance is first broken has not been defined. In healthy humans, autoantibodies are removed from the B cell repertoire in two discrete early checkpoints in B cell development. We found these checkpoints to be defective in three adolescent patients with SLE. 25–50% of the mature naive B cells in SLE patients produce self-reactive antibodies even before they participate in immune responses as compared with 5–20% in controls. We conclude that SLE is associated with abnormal early B cell tolerance.
Molecular genetic analysis of the hepatocyte growth factor/MET signaling pathway in pediatric medulloblastoma

The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/MET pathway plays a critical role in the development of the nervous system and has been implicated in medulloblastoma pathogenesis. Recent studies have shown a role for gene amplification of activators of this pathway, as well as silencing of its inhibitors in medulloblastoma pathogenesis. We analyzed exon array data from a cohort of 103 primary medulloblastomas to show that HGF/MET pathway elements are dysregulated in tumors compared to normal cerebellum. To determine if mutation of HGF/MET pathway genes is a mechanism for pathway dysregulation, we conducted a mutational analysis by exon resequencing of three key components of this pathway, including serine protease inhibitor Kunitz‐type 1 (SPINT1), serine protease inhibitor Kunitz‐type 2 (SPINT2), and MET, in 32 primary human medulloblastoma specimens. From this analysis, we identified multiple coding synonymous and nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in these genes among the 32 tumor samples. Interestingly, we also discovered two unreported sequence variants in SPINT1 and SPINT2 in two tumors that resulted in Arginine to Histidine amino acid substitutions at codons 418 and 233, respectively. However, conservation assessment and functional assays of these two variants indicate that they involve nonconserved residues and that they do not affect the function of SPINT1 and SPINT2 as tumor suppressor genes. In conclusion, our data suggest that mutation alone plays a minor role in causing aberrancies of the HGF/MET pathway in medulloblastoma in comparison with other malignancies such as breast, hepatocellular, renal, and lung carcinomas. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Residues between the Two Transformation Effector Sites of Epstein-Barr Virus Latent Membrane Protein 1 Are Not Critical for B-Lymphocyte Growth Transformation

ABSTRACT Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is essential for EBV-mediated transformation of primary B lymphocytes. LMP1 spontaneously aggregates in the plasma membrane and enables two transformation effector sites (TES1 and TES2) within the 200-amino-acid cytoplasmic carboxyl terminus to constitutively engage the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-associated factors TRAF1, TRAF2, TRAF3, and TRAF5 and the TNFR-associated death domain proteins TRADD and RIP, thereby activating NF-κB and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). To investigate the importance of the 60% of the LMP1 carboxyl terminus that lies between the TES1-TRAF and TES2-TRADD and -RIP binding sites, an EBV recombinant was made that contains a specific deletion of LMP1 codons 232 to 351. Surprisingly, the deletion mutant was similar to wild-type (wt) LMP1 EBV recombinants in its efficiency in transforming primary B lymphocytes into lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). Mutant and wt EBV-transformed LCLs were similarly efficient in long-term outgrowth and in regrowth after endpoint dilution. Mutant and wt LMP1 proteins were also similar in their constitutive association with TRAF1, TRAF2, TRAF3, TRADD, and RIP. Mutant and wt EBV-transformed LCLs were similar in steady-state levels of Bcl2, JNK, and activated JNK proteins. The wt phenotype of recombinants with LMP1 codons 232 to 351 deleted further demarcates TES1 and TES2, underscores their central importance in B-lymphocyte growth transformation, and provides a new perspective on LMP1 sequence variation between TES1 and TES2.