Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brane World Moduli and the CMB

Extra spatial dimensions appear naturally in models, which aim to combine the principles of Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity. Among the possible models, brane world scenarios have attracted a lot of attention recently. The cosmological evolution of brane worlds are of considerable interest, because some scenarios predict observable consequences, such as the variation of the fine structure constant, the gravitational coupling or masses of particles. This is due to the existence of massless scalar degrees of freedom (moduli fields), which couple to the matter sector in the theory. Variations of masses or Newton’s constant have an important impact in cosmology. In the following, the effects of moduli fields appearing in brane world scenarios on the anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background radiation are summarized. As we will show, cosmological observations put stringent constraints on parameters in the low energy effective theory. As such, cosmological observations can be used complementarily to local experiments, i.e. experiments in the solar system, in order to constrain the coupling of scalar degrees of freedom to matter.
Explaining the Success of AdaBoost and Random Forests as Interpolating Classifiers

There is a large literature explaining why AdaBoost is a successful classifier. The literature on AdaBoost focuses on classifier margins and boosting's interpretation as the optimization of an exponential likelihood function. These existing explanations, however, have been pointed out to be incomplete. A random forest is another popular ensemble method for which there is substantially less explanation in the literature. We introduce a novel perspective on AdaBoost and random forests that proposes that the two algorithms work for similar reasons. While both classifiers achieve similar predictive accuracy, random forests cannot be conceived as a direct optimization procedure. Rather, random forests is a self-averaging, interpolating algorithm which creates what we denote as a "spikey-smooth" classifier, and we view AdaBoost in the same light. We conjecture that both AdaBoost and random forests succeed because of this mechanism. We provide a number of examples and some theoretical justification to support this explanation. In the process, we question the conventional wisdom that suggests that boosting algorithms for classification require regularization or early stopping and should be limited to low complexity classes of learners, such as decision stumps. We conclude that boosting should be used like random forests: with large decision trees and without direct regularization or early stopping.
Diet and lifestyle factor associations with CpG island methylator phenotype and BRAF mutations in colon cancer

It has been proposed that dietary factors such as folate, alcohol and methionine may be associated with colon cancer because of their involvement in DNA methylation processes. Data from a large population‐based case‐control study of incident colon cancer were used to evaluate whether intake of dietary, obesity, physical activity and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are associated with a CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). The BRAF V600E mutation and 5 CpG island markers (MINT1, MINT2, MINT31, p16 and hMLH1) were assessed in 1154 cases of colon cancer. We hypothesized that dietary factors involved in DNA methylation, cruciferous vegetables and use of aspirin/NSAIDs would be associated with CIMP‐high tumors. Dietary folate, vitamins B6 and B12, methionine and alcohol were not associated with increased likelihood of colon tumors with the CIMP‐high (2 or more markers methylated) phenotype. Dietary fiber, physical activity and aspirin and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs were inversely associated with both CIMP‐low and CIMP‐high tumors. Our results also suggested non‐CIMP pathways as well. Obese individuals were at 2‐fold increased risk of having a CIMP‐low tumor. Alcohol was associated with an increased risk of tumors that were MSI+ and CIMP‐low. In the presence of smoking 20 or more cigarettes per day, use of NSAIDs did not protect against a BRAF mutation. Our data suggest multiple pathways to colon cancer. They do not support a unique role for dietary folate, alcohol, vitamins B6 and B12 and methionine in a CpG island methylator phenotype. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Solar power prediction using weather type pair patterns

Although solar power is one of the most widely used renewable energy sources, it is highly variable and needs accurate forecasting for its large-scale integration into the electricity grid. We propose WPP, a Weather type Pair Pattern approach, for directly and simultaneously predicting the solar power output for the next day at half-hourly intervals. WPP firstly partitions the days from the training data into clusters based on their weather characteristics and then uses the cluster label of the consecutive days to form pair patterns. A separate prediction model is built for each pair pattern group, which takes as an input the solar power output for the previous day and predicts the one for the next day. The performance of WPP is evaluated using two years of Australian data and compared with a number of state-of-the-art methods and baselines. The results show that WPP is the most accurate method, demonstrating the advantage of using the similarity between the weather characteristics of the consecutive days, in addition to clustering the days and building specialized prediction models for each group.
Reconstitution of the ERG Gene Expression Network Reveals New Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in ERG Positive Prostate Tumors

Background: Despite a growing number of studies evaluating cancer of prostate (CaP) specific gene alterations, oncogenic activation of the ETS Related Gene (ERG) by gene fusions remains the most validated cancer gene alteration in CaP. Prevalent gene fusions have been described between the ERG gene and promoter upstream sequences of androgen-inducible genes, predominantly TMPRSS2 (transmembrane protease serine 2). Despite the extensive evaluations of ERG genomic rearrangements, fusion transcripts and the ERG oncoprotein, the prognostic value of ERG remains to be better understood. Using gene expression dataset from matched prostate tumor and normal epithelial cells from an 80 GeneChip experiment examining 40 tumors and their matching normal pairs in 40 patients with known ERG status, we conducted a cancer signaling-focused functional analysis of prostatic carcinoma representing moderate and aggressive cancers stratified by ERG expression. Results: In the present study of matched pairs of laser capture microdissected normal epithelial cells and well-to-moderately differentiated tumor epithelial cells with known ERG gene expression status from 20 patients with localized prostate cancer, we have discovered novel ERG associated biochemical networks. Conclusions: Using causal network reconstruction methods, we have identified three major signaling pathways related to MAPK/PI3K cascade that may indeed contribute synergistically to the ERG dependent tumor development. Moreover, the key components of these pathways have potential as biomarkers and therapeutic target for ERG positive prostate tumors.
Resistencia a cefalosporinas de tercera y cuarta generación en enterobacterias productoras de infecciones nosocomiales y caracterización preliminar de los plásmidos involucrados

68 strains of enterobacteria producing nosocomial infections were studied, most of them (63%) Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae. 40% of the strains were resistant to 3rd-generation cephalosporins, mostly to 2 or 3 of them. 24% were resistant to the single 4th-generation cephalosporin assayed. Almost all of the strains resistant to cefepime were also resistant to the 3 third-generation cephalosporins used. K. pneumoniae turned out to be the taxon with the highest frequency of resistant strains. In more than 50% of resistant strains resistance was transferable in vitro, but in most cases some resistance markers did not transfer. Each transconjugant strain showed a single plasmid and 7 of them were analyzed by endonuclease restriction, yielding similar electrophoretic profiles in spite of representing four different resistance marker patterns.
Self-Adaptation in Large-Scale Systems: A Study on Structured Overlays across Multiple Datacenters

With the recent focus on cloud computing a new type of system topology came up: clusters in geographically distributed datacenters that are connected by high-latency networks. Current structured overlay networks (SONs) are not well prepared for such environments with heterogeneous network performance and correlated node failures. We show how the beneficial features of SONs, namely self-management, scalability, adaptability, and fault tolerance can be exploited for multi-datacenter environments. We present self-adaptive replica placement policies and latency-optimized routing for SONs on multiple datacenters. Empirical results of our gossipbased ring maintenance protocol demonstrate its ability to cope with correlated node failures and network partitioning.
Lyapunov techniques for a class of hybrid systems and reset controller syntheses for continuous-time plants

Ce manuscrit presente des resultats de recherche concernant une certaine classe de systemes hybrides. Les systemes hybrides peuvent etre utilises pour la modelisation de systemes physiques complexes et heterogenes dont l'evolution dans le temps presente des phenomenes discrets, tels que les commutations des convertisseurs ou les impacts des systemes mecaniques. De la meme maniere, la theorie hybride peut etre utilisee pour concevoir des controleurs hybrides, en general plus performants par rapport aux controleurs a temps continu. Dans ce cadre, les resultats de ce manuscrit peuvent etre divises en trois parties. D'abord des resultats de stabilite par rapport a un indice de performance de type Hinfini sont presentes pour une classe plutot large de systemes hybrides. Ensuite, nous introduisons de nouvelles architectures de controleurs hybrides pour les systemes a temps continu, caracterisees par le fait que leur etat peut etre reinitialise en fonction de la trajectoire. Enfin, nous presentons une technique de synthese convexe pour la conception d'un controleur hybride multi-objectif. La comparaison avec les resultats classique met en evidence les avantages en termes de performance par rapport aux controleurs a temps continu classiques, tout en preservant la propriete de robustesse et la simplicite de conception. Bien que la theorie hybride soit en plein developpement, ces travaux generalisent certains resultats existants, en ameliorant la simplicite d'implementation des solutions grâce a l'utilisation de la programmation semi-definie. En plus les architectures de controleurs hybrides presentees ont l'avantage de simplifier la generalisation de quelques resultats classiques concernant la synthese optimale par rapport a des indices de performance communs.
Carpometacarpal joint of the human thumb.

Despite much interest in human thumb movements there is no agreement regarding their terminology or mechanics (for review see Gedda, 1954; Pieron, 1973 and recent French papers: Kapandji, 1972; Duparc, Caffiniere & Pineau, 1971). Possibly the position would be clarified if the three joints of the thumb were treated as a functional unit, for there is considerable variation in the contribution which each joint makes to the total movement in different subjects. However, it is beyond question that better understanding of the mechanism of thumb movements requires careful attention to the configurations of the articular surfaces involved. It was therefore decided to begin such an investigation with a detailed examination of the articular surfaces of the human carpometacarpal joint.
10: Privative Adjectives: Subsective Plus Coercion

This chapter argues that adjective meanings are more constrained than was appreciated at the time of the work of Montague, Kamp and Clark or at the time of the work of Kamp and Partee. It argues that some facts about the possibility of "NP-splitting" in Polish cast serious doubt on standard hierarchy, and that the data become much more orderly if privative adjectives like counterfeit, fake, and fictitious are re-analyzed as subsective adjectives. The chapter reviews the adjective classification familiar since the work of 1970s as summarized in Kamp and Partee and in Partee. It presents the Polish NP-splitting data and problem they pose for the familiar hierarchy. It then reviews some of the constraints on possible adjective meanings proposed in Kamp and Partee and proposes further constraints that exclude privative adjectives and accounts for the coercion of the noun meaning in cases that would otherwise come out as privative. Keywords: coercion; Kamp; Polish NP-splitting data; privative adjectives; subsective adjectives
Control of the optoelectronic tracking system with friction

Friction effect is a main factor which affects the tracking accuracy of the turntable of optoelectronic tracking system, especially when the system works at a low velocity. Researchers have been endeavoring to explore the characters of the friction, model and compensate it. In this paper, a classical friction model-LuGre model is introduced into the turntable system, and an entire nonlinear turntable system model is presented, according to this model, an identification method and integral feedback compensation strategy is used to estimate and compensate the friction effect, then the tracking stability is analyzed, and it proves that the strategy can achieve the semi-global asymptotic tracking results. And the simulation result is presented in this paper.
MOZ is fused to p300 in an acute monocytic leukemia with t(8;22)

We report on the fusion of the monocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (MOZ) gene to the adenoviral E1A‐associated protein p300 (p300) gene in acute monocytic leukemia M5 associated with a t(8;22)(p11;q13) translocation. We studied two patients with double‐color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using the yeast artificial chromosome 176C9 and the bacterial artificial chromosome clone H59D10 specific to the MOZ and p300 genes, respectively. Both probes were split in the patients' chromosome metaphase cells, and the two derivative chromosomes were each labeled with both probes. We showed by Southern blot the rearrangement of the MOZ gene, and cloned the fusion transcripts in one patient carrying the t(8;22) by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction using MOZ‐ and p300‐specific primers. Both fusion transcripts were expressed. This result defines a novel reciprocal translocation involving two acetyltransferases, MOZ and p300, resulting in an abnormal transcriptional co‐activator that could play a critical role in leukemogenesis. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 28:138–144, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Automated epileptic seizure onset detection

Epilepsy is a serious neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures due to abnormal or excessive neuronal activity in the brain. An estimated 50 million people around the world suffer from this condition, and it is classified as the second most serious neurological disease known to humanity, after stroke. With early and accurate detection of seizures, doctors can gain valuable time to administer medications and other such anti-seizure countermeasures to help reduce the damaging effects of this crippling disorder. The time-varying dynamics and high inter-individual variability make early prediction of the seizure state a challenging task. Many studies have shown that EEG signals do have valuable information that, if correctly analyzed, could help in the prediction of seizures in epileptic patients before their occurrence. Several mathematical transforms have been analyzed for its correlation with seizure onset prediction, and a series of experiments were done to certify their strengths. New algorithms are presented to help clarify, monitor, and cross-validate the classification of EEG signals to predict the ictal (i.e. seizure) states, specifically the preictal, interictal, and postictal states in the brain. These new methods show promising results in detecting the presence of a preictal phase prior to the ictal state.
CONDUCTION BLOCKS OF LIDOCAINE ON CRUSHED RAT SCIATIC NERVE: AN IN-VITRO STUDY

The effects of lidocaine on the action potential of crushed sciatic nerves were investigated. The sciatic nerves of the rats were removed 5, 15, 25, and 38 days after the crushing and the compound action potentials were recorded with sucrose gap technique. The nerves were treated with 1 mM lidocaine and the conduction blocks of nonfrequency dependent block (NFDB) and frequency depended block (FDB) at 10, 40, and 100 Hz were determined. In intact nerves, the NFDB effect of lidocaine was 38.4 ± 0.7 %. On the 15th day after the crush, the NFDB was increased to 60.1 ± 1.3%. On the 38th day NFDB was decreased to 46.0 ± 0.8%. The following days after the crushing, lidocaine caused a very high rate of FDB with 10, 40, and 100 Hz stimulation. The high NFDB ratios approached normal levels with the improvement of regeneration, but FDB ratios continued to stay at high levels. The results showed that the ratios of FDB and NFDB were increased on the crushed nerve. It was concluded that, in the regeneration conditions of crushed rat sciatic nerves, the sensitivity to local anesthetic increases more than in intact nerves.
TLS Tandem

Nowadays, the TLS protocol (transport layer security) is the de facto standard for securing transactions across the Internet. It provides end-to-end secure communications with one way or mutual authentication between two network nodes. However, this protocol suffers from serious vulnerabilities because classical software implementations are not trusted and allow the use of falsified credentials (e.g. revoked and false certificates) and provide an unsecured storage of credentials (private keys, passwords, etc.). In this paper, we introduce the TLS smart card to prevent those issues and we describe the TLS Tandem protocol, a TLS extension cohabiting between two TLS software installed in both a docking host and a smart card. The card of our architecture, after which the TLS authentication is successfully performed, derives secret keys from the master secret key, and transmits these values to the TLS software installed in the docking host. We discuss the performance and the efficiency of TLS Tandem. The implementation and performances analysis are performed using smart cards and Java Card libraries.
Important Role for Mycobacterium tuberculosis UvrD1 in Pathogenesis and Persistence apart from Its Function in Nucleotide Excision Repair

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium tuberculosis survives and replicates in macrophages, where it is exposed to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that damage DNA. In this study, we investigated the roles of UvrA and UvrD1, thought to be parts of the nucleotide excision repair pathway of M. tuberculosis. Strains in which uvrD1 was inactivated either alone or in conjunction with uvrA were constructed. Inactivation of uvrD1 resulted in a small colony phenotype, although growth in liquid culture was not significantly affected. The sensitivity of the mutant strains to UV irradiation and to mitomycin C highlighted the importance of the targeted genes for nucleotide excision repair. The mutant strains all exhibited heightened susceptibility to representatives of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) and reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI). The uvrD1 and the uvrA uvrD1 mutants showed decreased intracellular multiplication following infection of macrophages. Most importantly, the uvrA uvrD1 mutant was markedly attenuated following infection of mice by either the aerosol or the intravenous route.
Barriers to the diffusion of advanced surgical techniques

T he surgical management of renal cortical tumors has undergone a tectonic shift in recent decades. No longer does radical extirpative surgery rule the day. Early detection and stage migration have allowed for the introduction of organ-sparing, minimally invasive, yet oncologically sound surgery. Cancer control concerns are matched now by heightened demands to reduce the morbidity and disfigurement caused by our interventions. Justifiably, today, ‘‘less is more’’ is the force that drives us. It has been demonstrated clearly that nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) for renal cortical tumors that measure 4 cm offers improved renal functional outcomes, superior quality of life, and, at the same time, long-term oncologic efficacy. For patients with larger tumors who require radical nephrectomy, laparoscopy has replaced open surgery as the ‘‘gold standard’’ with a myriad of well established benefits that include shorter hospitalization, decreased pain, a more rapid convalescence, and equal long-term survival. However, the adoption of these advanced surgical techniques into widespread practice has occurred at an unexpectedly slow rate. What are the barriers to the ‘‘less is more’’ revolution? In this issue of Cancer, Miller et al. shed light on this matter. Previously, this group exposed the gross under-use of both NSS and laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) among urologists in the United States. Not surprisingly, those reports associated the use of laparoscopy and NSS with urban, high-volume, or teaching hospitals. This indirectly pointed the finger at surgeonor hospitalspecific practice patterns, rather than patient or tumor factors, as the underlying cause for this sluggish diffusion of modern, less morbid surgical techniques. However, the lack of data regarding tumor specifics and the indications for surgery limited past conclusions. In contrast, in their current study, Miller et al. employed linked data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and from Medicare, enabling them to distinguish the impact of patient/tumor factors versus surgeonattributable variance on the observed trends. After adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, tumor size, and surgeon volume, surgeon-attributable factors consistently outweighed the factors related to patient characteristics. The authors correctly concluded what we know from clinic experience: that the care surgeons provide See referenced original article on pages 1708–17, this issue.
The endometrium in assisted reproductive technology: How thin is thin?

A thin endometrium is encountered infrequently (2.4%) in assisted reproductive technology cycles. When it does occur it is a cause of concern as it is associated with lower implantation rate and pregnancy rate. Though pregnancies have been reported at 4 and 5 mm it is apparent that an endometrial thickness <6 mm is associated with a trend toward lower probability of pregnancy. Hormone replacement therapy – frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles appear to give better results due to an improvement in endometrial receptivity (ER). The etiology of thin endometrium plays a significant part in its receptivity. A number of treatments have been tried to improve endometrial growth, but none has been validated so far. Confirming ER of a thin endometrium by an ER array test before FET offers reassurance.