Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of RPE lysosomal and antioxidant activity by the age pigment lipofuscin.

PURPOSE To determine whether lipofuscin is detrimental to lysosomal and antioxidant function in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. METHODS Isolated lipofuscin granules were fed to confluent RPE cultures and the cells maintained in basal medium for 7 days. Parallel cultures were established that did not receive lipofuscin. Cultures were either exposed to visible light (390-550 nm) at an irradiance of 2.8 mW/cm(2) or maintained in the dark at 37 degrees C for up to 24 hours. Cells were subsequently assessed for cell viability, lysosomal enzyme activity, and antioxidant capacity. RESULTS There was no loss of cell viability during the first 3 hours of light exposure, whereas a 10% loss of viability was observed in lipofuscin-fed cultures after 6 hours' exposure to light. Activities of acid phosphatase, N-acetyl-beta-glucuronidase, and cathepsin D were decreased by up to 50% in lipofuscin-fed cells exposed to light compared with either unfed cells or cells maintained in the dark. There was also a decrease in the antioxidant potential of RPE cells. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities decreased by up to 60% and glutathione levels by 28% in light-exposed lipofuscin-fed cells compared with unfed cells or cells maintained in the dark. CONCLUSIONS Lipofuscin has the capacity to reduce the efficacy of the lysosomal and antioxidant systems in RPE cells that may play an important role in retinal ageing and the development of age-related macular degeneration.
Polarization-based brightness discrimination in the foraging butterfly, Papilio xuthus

The human eye is insensitive to the angular direction of the light e-vector, but several animal species have the ability to discriminate differently polarized lights. How the polarization is detected is often unclear, however. Egg-laying Papilio butterflies have been shown to see false colours when presented with differently polarized lights. Here we asked whether this also holds in foraging butterflies. After training individuals to feed on nectar in front of an unpolarized spectral light, we carried out three dual-choice tests, where the discrimination of (i) the spectral content, (ii) the light intensity, and (iii) the e-vector orientation were investigated. In the first test, the butterflies selected the trained spectrum irrespective of its intensity, and in the second test they chose the light with the higher intensity. The result of the e-vector discrimination test was very similar to that of the second test, suggesting that foraging butterflies discriminate differently polarized lights as differing in brightness rather than as differing in colour. Papilio butterflies are clearly able to use at least two modes of polarization vision depending on the behavioural context.
Noninteracting control of nonlinear systems based on relaxed control

In this paper, we propose methodology to solve noninteracting control problem for general nonlinear systems based on the relaxed control technique proposed by Artstein. For a class of nonlinear systems which cannot be stabilized by smooth feedback, a state-feedback relaxed control can be designed to decouple the system into several SISO or MIMO systems and simplify the controller design.
Reliable Posterior Probability Estimation for Streaming Face Recognition

Increasing access to large, non-stationary face datasets and corresponding demands to process, analyze and learn from this data. This has lead to a new class of online/ incremental face recognition problems. While it is advantageous to build large scale learning systems when resources permit, a counter problem of learning with limited resources in presence of streaming data arises. We present a budgeted incremental support vector learning method suitable for online learning applications. Our system can process one sample at a time and is suitable when dealing with large streams of data. We discuss multiple budget maintenance strategies and investigate the problem of incremental unlearning. We propose a novel posterior probability estimation model based on Extreme Value Theory (EVT) and show its suitability for budgeted online learning applications (calibration with limited data). We perform thorough analysis of various probability calibration techniques with the help of methods inspired from meteorology. We test our methods on Labeled Faces in the Wild dataset and show suitability of the proposed approach for face verification/recognition.
Functional and Patient‐Reported Outcomes in Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Following Percutaneous Decompression

Background: Neurogenic claudication due to symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a painful condition causing significant functional disability. While the cause of LSS is multifactorial, thickened ligamentum flavum (LF) accounts for up to 85% of spinal canal narrowing. mild percutaneous lumbar decompression allows debulking of the hypertrophic LF while avoiding the morbidities frequently associated with more invasive surgical procedures.
The NP-completeness column: Finding needles in haystacks

This is the 26th edition of a column that covers new developments in the theory of NP-completeness. The presentation is modeled on that which M. R. Garey and I used in our book “Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness,” W. H. Freeman & Co., New York, 1979, hereinafter referred to as ““[G&J]. ”” Previous columns, the first 23 of which appeared in J. Algorithms, will be referred to by a combination of their sequence number and year of appearance, e.g., “Column 1 [1981]. ” Full bibliographic details on the previous columns, as well as downloadable unofficial versions of them, can be found at http://www.research. att.com/∼dsj/columns/. This column discusses the question of whether finding an object can be computationally difficult even when we know that the object exists.
Bni1p and Bnr1p: downstream targets of the Rho family small G‐proteins which interact with profilin and regulate actin cytoskeleton in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The RHO1 gene encodes a homologue of mammalian RhoA small G‐protein in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Rho1p is required for bud formation and is localized at a bud tip or a cytokinesis site. We have recently shown that Bni1p is a potential target of Rho1p. Bni1p shares the FH1 and FH2 domains with proteins involved in cytokinesis or establishment of cell polarity. In S.cerevisiae, there is an open reading frame (YIL159W) which encodes another protein having the FH1 and FH2 domains and we have named this gene BNR1 (BNI1 Related). Bnr1p interacts with another Rho family member, Rho4p, but not with Rho1p. Disruption of BNI1 or BNR1 does not show any deleterious effect on cell growth, but the bni1 bnr1 mutant shows a severe temperature‐sensitive growth phenotype. Cells of the bni1 bnr1 mutant arrested at the restrictive temperature are deficient in bud emergence, exhibit a random distribution of cortical actin patches and often become multinucleate. These phenotypes are similar to those of the mutant of PFY1, which encodes profilin, an actin‐binding protein. Moreover, yeast two‐hybrid and biochemical studies demonstrate that Bni1p and Bnr1p interact directly with profilin at the FH1 domains. These results indicate that Bni1p and Bnr1p are potential targets of the Rho family members, interact with profilin and regulate the reorganization of actin cytoskeleton.
Isolated internuclear ophthalmoplegia as a manifestation of an isolated inflammatory demyelinating lesion of the brainstem.

Thrombolytic therapy for the occlusion of the ICA should be started within 6 hours after the onset of stroke. 3 Intraarterial thrombolysis offers early recanalization with relatively low dose of t-PA. The direct application of thrombolytic drug allows a lower total dose, may reduce systemic effects and may reduce time to recanalization. 4 Intracranial thrombolysis has been performed using direct thrombolysis. Intra-arterial delivery of highly concentrated drug and mechanical disruption of the thrombus by the catheter and guidewire may have advantages over the intravenous administration. 1 Reopening of the occluded carotid arteries is controversial, and neither surgical nor endovascular treatment of complete ICA occlusion has become standard practice. For patients with chronic occlusions, successful reopening of the ICA is highly unlikely. However, in acute occlusion, emergency surgery to perform a thromboendarterectomy using Fogarty catheter to pull thrombus can yield good results. 5 Bellon et al have used a device to open occluded ICA to reach MCA occlusion to obtain flow. 6 PTA and stenting of the carotid arteries are associated with an obligatory release of particulate debris into the distal cerebral circulation. Although most of the emboli are small and do not cause symptomatic neurological deficit, some may be large enough to result in stroke. For this reason cerebral protection with occlusive balloon, filter, flow-reversal is used to decrease the risk of distal embolizastion during PTA and stenting. 2,7,8
Incidence, location, and cause of recovery of electrical connections between the pulmonary veins and the left atrium after pulmonary vein isolation.

AIMS The aim of this study was to reveal the incidence, location, and cause of recovery of the electrical connections (ECs) between the left atrium and the pulmonary veins (PVs) after the segmental ostial PV isolation (PVI). METHODS AND RESULTS Pulmonary vein mapping and successful PVI were performed using a computerized three-dimensional mapping system (QMS2trade mark) with a basket catheter in 167 PVs in 53 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). In 14 patients with recurrent AF after PVI, the same PV mapping and isolation as in the first procedure were performed, and the PV potential maps constructed by QMS2 in two different procedures were compared. Forty-nine recovered ECs were observed in 27 PVs, and all were eliminated by a few local radiofrequency (RF) applications. Thirty-four (69%) of those ECs recovered at the edge of original ECs, and another 15 (31%) recovered at the mid-portion of the continuous broad original ECs. CONCLUSION Electrical connection recovery occurred most commonly at the edges of original ECs and occasionally at the mid-portion of continuous broad original ECs after PVI probably due to tissue oedema neighbouring the segmental RF lesions. Further RF lesions at the edge of original ECs and linear ablation to the continuous broad ECs may help reduce AF recurrence.
Corrosion of Epoxy-Coated Rebar in Marine Bridges—Part 1: A 30-Year Perspective

Abstract The corrosion performance over a nearly 30-year service period of epoxy-coated rebar (ECR) in Florida marine bridges is presented. Severe ECR corrosion was noted earlier in several of those bridges, built with relatively high permeability concrete. Corrosion development took place later in some other structures with less permeable concrete, with instances where the corrosion was associated with preexisting cracks. Corrosion was found to be associated with coating imperfections and coating disbondment. Laboratory experiments and modeling indicated that macrocell coupling with remote cathodes was an aggravating factor. Quantitative damage functions relating the observed deterioration with service time of the affected bridges are presented. A predictive corrosion initiation-propagation model was developed and the model output is compared with the field results to identify suitable parameters for forecasting future rehabilitation needs. The prognosis for future corrosion development is discussed, wit.
Thermodynamics and kinetics of protein folding under confinement

Understanding the effects of confinement on protein stability and folding kinetics is important for describing protein folding in the cellular environment. We have investigated the effects of confinement on two structurally distinct proteins as a function of the dimension dc and characteristic size R of the confining boundary. We find that the stabilization of the folded state relative to bulk conditions is quantitatively described by R−γc, where the exponent γc is ≈5/3 independent of the dimension of confinement dc (cylindrical, planar, or spherical). Moreover, we find that the logarithm of the folding rates also scale as R−γc, with deviations only being seen for very small confining geometries, where folding is downhill; for both stability and kinetics, the dominant effect is the change in the free energy of the unfolded state. A secondary effect on the kinetics is a slight destabilization of the transition state by confinement, although the contacts present in the confined transition state are essentially identical to the bulk case. We investigate the effect of confinement on the position-dependent diffusion coefficients D(Q) for dynamics along the reaction coordinate Q (fraction of native contacts). The diffusion coefficients only change in the unfolded state basin, where they are increased because of compaction.
A comparison of cross-entropy and variance minimization strategies

The variance minimization (VM) and cross-entropy (CE) methods are two versatile adaptive importance sampling procedures that have been successfully applied to a wide variety of difficult rare-event estimation problems. We compare these two methods via various examples where the optimal VM and CE importance densities can be obtained analytically. We find that in the cases studied both VM and CE methods prescribe the same importance sampling parameters, suggesting that the criterion of minimizing the CE distance is very close, if not asymptotically identical, to minimizing the variance of the associated importance sampling estimator.
Using the CS decomposition to compute the 8-point DCT

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the cosine-sine (CS) decomposition as a means for computing the 8-point Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT). By iteratively decomposing matrices after reordering their columns or rows, novel factorizations of the DCT matrix have been obtained that describe interesting algorithms for computing the transform. Some of them are only characterized by regular, symmetric data-flows, whereas others require a few computations. This suggests that our method can be used to search for innovative algorithms for other block transforms and to optimize hardware implementations.
Faces in Places: compound query retrieval

The goal of this work is to retrieve images containing both a target person and a target scene type from a large dataset of images. At run time this compound query is handled using a face classifier trained for the person, and an image classifier trained for the scene type. We make three contributions: first, we propose a hybrid convolutional neural network architecture that produces place-descriptors that are aware of faces and their corresponding descriptors. The network is trained to correctly classify a combination of face and scene classifier scores. Second, we propose an image synthesis system to render high quality fully-labelled face-and-place images, and train the network only from these synthetic images. Last, but not least, we collect and annotate a dataset of real images containing celebrities in different places, and use this dataset to evaluate the retrieval system. We demonstrate significantly improved retrieval performance for compound queries using the new face-aware place-descriptors.
Best practices, innovation and development: Experiences from five living lab innovation environments

The Living Lab concept is based on open innovation and serves as a platform for different stakeholders in the innovation system (cities, companies, universities). There is a strong emphasis on user participation. The aim of this paper is to study in depth the experiences of Living Lab innovation environment/platform by qualitative case study method to gain more understanding of the best practices they have found in their activities, areas that need improvement and innovations coming out of these Living Labs. From the 14 Living Labs existing in Finland today, five were chosen for this stud. These represent different areas of industry and have a University of Applied Sciences involved.
Comparative evaluation of the diagnostic potential of recombinant envelope proteins and native cell culture purified viral antigens of Chikungunya virus

Despite the fact that Chikungunya resurgence is associated with epidemic of unprecedented magnitude, there are challenges in the field of its clinical diagnosis. However, serological tests in an ELISA format provide a rapid tool for the diagnosis of Chikungunya infection. Indeed, ELISAs based on recombinant proteins hold a great promise as these methods are cost effective and are free from the risk of handling biohazardous material. In this study, the performance of recombinant CHIKV antigens was compared in various ELISA formats for the diagnosis of Chikungunya. Two recombinant antigens derived from the envelope proteins of Chikungunya virus were prepared and evaluated by comparing their competence for detecting circulating antibodies in serum samples of patients infected with CHIKV using MAC‐ELISA and indirect IgM‐ELISA. The efficacy of the recombinant antigens was also compared with the native antigen. The indirect antibody capture IgM microplate ELISA revealed ≥90% concordance with the native antigen in detecting the CHIKV specific IgM antibodies whereas the recombinant antigen based MAC‐ELISA showed 100% specificity. The recombinant antigens used in this study were effective and reliable targets for the diagnosis of CHIKV infection and also provide an alternative for native antigen use which is potentially biohazardous. J. Med. Virol. 86:1169–1175, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterisation and modelling of erosion wear of powder composite materials and coatings

In erosion wear of composite materials at solid particle impact against the surface, plastic deformation, brittle fracture or combined mechanisms are dominating, depending on the properties of target material surface. Soft metal-matrix of composite materials requires a model of plastic deformation and the ceramic hard phase needs both of the models: the plastic deformation and the brittle fracture model of wear. In this paper, an attempt is made to model the erosion wear of composite materials, to characterise them using indentation method and to correlate calculated erosion rates with experimental results and material parameters.
Dynamical Simulations of Magnetically Channeled Line-driven Stellar Winds. I. Isothermal, Nonrotating, Radially Driven Flow

We present numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the effect of stellar dipole magnetic fields on line-driven wind outflows from hot, luminous stars. Unlike previous fixed-field analyses, the simulations here take full account of the dynamical competition between field and flow and thus apply to a full range of magnetic field strength and within both closed and open magnetic topologies. A key result is that the overall degree to which the wind is influenced by the field depends largely on a single, dimensionless "wind magnetic confinement parameter" η* (= BR/Ṁv∞), which characterizes the ratio between magnetic field energy density and kinetic energy density of the wind. For weak confinement, η* ≤ 1, the field is fully opened by the wind outflow, but nonetheless, for confinements as small as η* = 1/10 it can have a significant back-influence in enhancing the density and reducing the flow speed near the magnetic equator. For stronger confinement, η* > 1, the magnetic field remains closed over a limited range of latitude and height about the equatorial surface, but eventually is opened into a nearly radial configuration at large radii. Within closed loops, the flow is channeled toward loop tops into shock collisions that are strong enough to produce hard X-rays, with the stagnated material then pulled by gravity back onto the star in quite complex and variable inflow patterns. Within open field flow, the equatorial channeling leads to oblique shocks that are again strong enough to produce X-rays and also lead to a thin, dense, slowly outflowing "disk" at the magnetic equator. The polar flow is characterized by a faster-than-radial expansion that is more gradual than anticipated in previous one-dimensional flow tube analyses and leads to a much more modest increase in terminal speed (less than 30%), consistent with observational constraints. Overall, the results here provide a dynamical groundwork for interpreting many types of observations—e.g., UV line profile variability, redshifted absorption or emission features, enhanced density-squared emission, and X-ray emission—that might be associated with perturbation of hot-star winds by surface magnetic fields.
“Drug Dependencexy2 and Death: Survival Analysis of the Baltimore ECA Sample from 1981 to 1995

Aims: Illicit drug use and dependence often are associated with premature death, but available evidence comes mainly from clinical samples. The present paper examines drug-related mortality experience over 14 years in a United States community sample. Participants: Following probability sampling, 3,481 adult community household residents were recruited for the 1981 NIMH Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area survey. Follow-up occurred in 1993-1996. Methods: Survival analyses were used to estimate median age at death and relative risk of dying in relation to drug use and dependence as assessed in 1981 using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Findings: Cases with DIS “drug dependence” were more likely to have died and to have a younger median age at death (p. 05), with and without statistical adjustment for confounding variables. Higher levels of drug involvement also were associated with increased age-adjusted mortality. Conclusions: The evidence favors the hypothesis that DIS-elicited “drug dependence” as well as subthreshold drug use. help to account for premature death in this community sample.
Higher Prices from Entry: Pricing of Brand-Name Drugs

When a new firm enters a market and starts selling a spatially-differentiated product, the prices of existing products may rise due to a better match between consumers and products. Entry may have three unusual effects. First, the new price is above the monopoly price if the two firms collude and may be above the monopoly price even if the firms play Bertrand. Second, the Bertrand and collusive price may be identical. Third, prices, combined profits, and consumer surplus may all rise with entry. Consistent with our theory, the real prices of some anti-ulcer drugs rose as new products entered the market.