Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transforming Growth Factor β and Insulin Signal Changes in Stromal Fibroblasts of Individual Keratoconus Patients

Keratoconus (KC) is a complex thinning disease of the cornea that often requires transplantation. The underlying pathogenic molecular changes in this disease are poorly understood. Earlier studies reported oxidative stress, metabolic dysfunctions and accelerated death of stromal keratocytes in keratoconus (KC) patients. Utilizing mass spectrometry we found reduced stromal extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in KC, suggesting ECM-regulatory changes that may be due to altered TGFβ signals. Here we investigated properties of stromal cells from donor (DN) and KC corneas grown as fibroblasts in serum containing DMEM: F12 or in serum-free medium containing insulin, transferrin, selenium (ITS). Phosphorylation of SMAD2/3 of the canonical TGFβ pathway, was high in serum-starved DN and KC fibroblast protein extracts, but pSMAD1/5/8 low at base line, was induced within 30 minutes of TGFβ1 stimulation, more so in KC than DN, suggesting a novel TGFβ1-SMAD1/5/8 axis in the cornea, that may be altered in KC. The serine/threonine kinases AKT, known to regulate proliferation, survival and biosynthetic activities of cells, were poorly activated in KC fibroblasts in high glucose media. Concordantly, alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (ADH1), an indicator of increased glucose uptake and metabolism, was reduced in KC compared to DN fibroblasts. By contrast, in low glucose (5.5 mM, normoglycemic) serum-free DMEM and ITS, cell survival and pAKT levels were comparable in KC and DN cells. Therefore, high glucose combined with serum-deprivation presents some cellular stress difficult to overcome by the KC stromal cells. Our study provides molecular insights into AKT and TGFβ signal changes in KC, and a mechanism for functional studies of stromal cells from KC corneas.
Identification of Poor-outcome Biliopancreatic Carcinoma Patients With Two-marker Signature Based on ATF6α and p-p38 “STARD Compliant”

AbstractBiliopancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive solid neoplasms, and incidence is rising worldwide. It is known that ATF6&agr; is one of the transmembrane proteins that acts crucially in endoplasmic reticulum stress response, and knockdown induces apoptosis of pancreatic cells. Apart from this, p-p38 has been previously correlated with better outcome in pancreatic cancer. Interestingly, ATF6&agr; knockdown pancreatic cells showed increased p-p38. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of these 2 proteins, p-p38 and ATF6&agr;, and their correlation with the outcome of biliopancreatic adenocarcinoma patients.Samples from patients with biliopancreatic adenocarcinoma that underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy from 2007 to 2013 were used to construct a tissue microarray to evaluate p-p38 and ATF6&agr; proteins by immunohistochemistry.We observed that both markers showed a tendency to impact in the time to recurrence; then a combination of these 2 proteins was analyzed. Combination of ATF6&agr;high and p-p38low was strongly associated with a higher risk of recurrence (hazard ratio 2.918, P = 0.013). This 2-protein model remained significant after multivariate adjustment.We proposed a 2-protein signature based on ATF6&agr;high and p-p38low as a potential biomarker of risk of recurrence in resected biliopancreatic adenocarcinoma patients.
Bayesian Logistic Gaussian Process Models for Dynamic Networks

Time-varying adjacency matrices encoding the presence or absence of a relation among entities are available in many research elds. Motivated by an application to studying dynamic networks among sports teams, we propose a Bayesian nonparametric model. The proposed approach uses a logistic mapping from the probability matrix, encoding link probabilities between each team, to an embedded latent relational space. Within this latent space, we incorporate a dictionary of Gaussian process (GP) latent trajectories characterizing changes over time in each team, while allowing learning of the number of latent dimensions through a specially tailored prior for the GP covariance. The model is provably exible and borrows strength across the network and over time. We provide simulation experiments and an application to the Italian soccer Championship.
Human tracking in video surveillance using particle filter

Automated human tracking is a task that has a wide area of applications and has become more important nowadays. This research proposes to investigate the use of Bayesian inference technique specifically particle filter for tracking human in video surveillance. Kalman filter which has been the de facto technique for real world tracking performs poorly for most of the problems because, the real world applications are often non-linear and non Gaussian. The particle filter on the other hand is a tool for estimating the posterior probability density of state of a dynamic model that includes non-linear and non-Gaussian real world applications. The filter uses random sample to estimate the possible location of the tracked object in the next immediate frame even in the presence of occlusion. In order to initialize the tracking process, humans are first detected using a pretrained human detection model in video. The detector utilize model fusing method which is the combination of histogram of oriented gradient based human detector model and Haar feature based upper body detector to locate position of moving person in video. The technique performed excellently well when evaluated on the publicly available CAVIAR dataset and outperformed the Kalman filter algorithm.
User Database Interaction : An Objective Abstraction Level Theory

ion levels that can be objectively distinguished and can be applied to smaller units. For example, current definitions of the conceptual level as a level for communications between user and analyst are not fully objective. Well-trained users and analysts may find the relational model easy for communication (Siau, 2004). Or people may simply have different opinions and preferences on the models that best provide ease of communication. Definitions of the conceptual level as a level independent of system implementation are dependent on technology. What is implemented is a moving criterion. These definitions apply to a model, and there is no way to further distinguish smaller units. Figure 1. Abstraction level view of user-database interaction A bs tr ac tio n le ve ls User-database tasks Modeling Query Update Comprehension Problem solving Conceptual level Conceptual modeling Conceptual query Conceptual update Conceptual comprehension Conceptual problem solving Logical level Logical modeling Logical query Logical update Logical comprehension Logical
younger people with dementia and family carers Tracing the successful incorporation of assistive technology into everyday life for

AbstractResearch shows that people with late-onset dementia and their relatives can benefit from usingassistive technology (AT). Few researchers have investigated the use and utility of AT in everydaylife for younger people with dementia (YPD) and their family carers. The aim of this study is toexplore what characterised the implementation process when the AT was experienced asbeneficial to the YPD and the family carer in their daily life. The qualitative longitudinal studyfollowed 12 younger people (i.e. those under 65 years of age), who had recently been diagnosedwith dementia and 14 of their family carers. In-depth interviews and observations during theprocess were conducted at the beginning, and were repeated every 3rd month for up to 12months. The data were analysed, and the participants’ experiences further discussed on the basisof embodied, social- and everyday life-situated approaches, in order to provide a deeperunderstanding of the interactive processes involved in the trajectory. Five elements in theprocess were identified as important for the experience of usefulness and successfulincorporation of AT. The AT had to: (1) be valuable by addressing practical, emotional, andrelational challenges; (2) fit well into, or be a better solution for, habitual practice andestablished strategies; (3) generate positive emotions, and become a reliable and trustworthytool; (4) be user-friendly, adaptable, and manageable; and (5) interest and engage the family carer.The study demonstrated the importance of understanding the use and utility of ATon the basis ofembodied and social participation in daily life. The family carers played a significant role in whetheror not, and in which ways, ATwas absorbed into the everyday life practice of YPD.
Ten top reasons for systems biology to get into model-driven engineering

Recent progresses in post-genomic biology allow addressing issues at the system level through the coupling of experimental and modeling approaches that constitute the core of Systems Biology (SB). The challenge for researchers is to integrate disparate data into models to infer useful biological knowledge. Problems which are questioning Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) deal with complexity, systems modeling (including modularity and structure/behavior relationships), models networking and integration, domain-specific language, etc. Among these issues, ten arguments are presented to consider the conceptual convergence and cross-fertilization of SB with MDE. Current models in SB are reviewed and the main requirements to conduct models integration are identified. Some perspectives are provided towards the translation of high-level SB descriptions into formal languages for performing static and dynamic analyses.
Maritime target multipath tracking using the Bernoulli filter

This paper studies the problem of maritime target tracking at the presence of multipath effect. We establish the multipath measurement model of maritime target with Pulse Doppler Radar (PD radar). And then, we propose a corresponding multipath Bernoulli filter and present its particle filter implementation to make the filter be applied to more situations, called multipath Bernoulli particle filter (M-BPF). Simulation results show that, the proposed M-BPF has better performance that tracking the target more quickly with a smaller error than ordinary Bernoulli filter in the presence of multipath effects, because of the use of multipath information. When the distance of various paths is large different or there is a large number of false alarms, the advantage become more obvious.
Towards a Belief-Theoretic Model for Collaborative Conceptual Model Development

Merging and integrating different conceptual models which have been developed by domain experts and analysts with dissimilar perspectives on the same issue has been the subject of tremendous amount of research. In this paper, we focus on the fact that human analysts' opinions possess a degree of uncertainty which can be exploited while integrating such information. We propose an underlying modeling construct which is the basis for transforming conceptual models into a manipulatable format. Based on this construct, methods for negotiating over and merging of conceptual models are proposed. The approach presented in this paper focuses on the formalization of uncertainty and expert reliability through the employment of belief theory.
Music removal by convolutional denoising autoencoder in speech recognition

Music embedding often causes significant performance degradation in automatic speech recognition (ASR). This paper proposes a music-removal method based on denoising autoencoder (DAE) that learns and removes music from music-embedded speech signals. Particularly, we focus on convolutional denoising autoencoder (CDAE) that can learn local musical patterns by convolutional feature extraction. Our study shows that the CDAE model can learn patterns of music in different genres and the CDAE-based music removal offers significant performance improvement for ASR. Additionally, we demonstrate that this music-removal approach is largely language independent, which means that a model trained with data in one language can be applied to remove music from speech in another language, and models trained with multilingual data may lead to better performance.
UREA-FORMALDEHYDE ADHESIVE RESINS

Approximately 1 million metric tons of urea-formal-dehyde resin are produced annually. More than 70% of this urea-formaldehyde resin is used by the forest products in-*This information was written and prepared by a U.S. Government employee on official time and it is, therefore, in the public domain and not subject to copyright.
SAR moving targets processing for small airborne platforms

This paper presents a methodology to retrieve the full velocity vector of moving targets inducing Doppler-shifts beyond the Nyquist limit determined by the pulse repetition frequency (PRF ). The proposed approach exploits the linear dependence (not subject to PRF limitations) of the Doppler-shift with respect to the slant-range velocity, at each wavelength. By combining the developed scheme to retrieve the slant-range velocity with a methodology proposed earlier to estimate the velocity vector magnitude, the full velocity vector is unambiguously retrieved. The proposed approach is very efficient from the computational point of view and uses data from a single channel SAR channel, being therefore adequate for use in low resources platforms such as UAVs.
Modality-specific interference between action planning and perceptual processing

ABSTRACT This paper reports a study which examined an interaction between action planning and processing of perceptual information in two different sensory modalities. In line with the idea that action planning consists in representing the action’s sensory outcomes, it was assumed that different types of actions should be coupled with different modalities. A visual and auditory oddball paradigm was combined with two types of actions: pointing and knocking (unrelated to the perceptual task). Results showed an interactive effect between the action type and the sensory modality of the oddballs, with impaired detection of auditory oddballs for knocking (congruent) action, as compared to a pointing (incongruent) action. These findings reveal that action planning can interact with modality-specific perceptual processing and that preparing an action presumably binds the respective perceptual features with an action plan, thereby making these features less available for other tasks.
Interaction between the Drosophila heterochromatin proteins SUUR and HP1

SUUR (Suppressor of Under-Replication) protein is responsible for late replication and, as a consequence, for DNA underreplication of intercalary and pericentric heterochromatin in Drosophila melanogaster polytene chromosomes. However, the mechanism by which SUUR slows down the replication process is not clear. To identify possible partners for SUUR we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen using full-length SUUR as bait. This identified HP1, the well-studied heterochromatin protein, as a strong SUUR interactor. Furthermore, we have determined that the central region of SUUR is necessary and sufficient for interaction with the C-terminal part of HP1, which contains the hinge and chromoshadow domains. In addition, recruitment of SUUR to ectopic HP1 sites on chromosomes provides evidence for their association in vivo. Indeed, we found that the distributions of SUUR and HP1 on polytene chromosomes are interdependent: both absence and overexpression of HP1 prevent SUUR from chromosomal binding, whereas SUUR overexpression causes redistribution of HP1 to numerous sites occupied by SUUR. Finally, HP1 binds to intercalary heterochromatin when histone methyltransferase activity of SU(VAR)3-9 is increased. We propose that interaction with HP1 is crucial for the association of SUUR with chromatin.
Analysis and Assessments of Combined Cooling, Heating and Power Systems in Various Operation Modes for a Building in China, Dalian

Combined Cooling, Heating and Power (CCHP) systems have been widely used in different kinds of buildings to make better use of fuels because of their high overall efficiency. This paper presents a mathematical analysis of a CCHP system in comparison to a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. The operation strategies following electric load (FEL), thermal load (FTL) and a hybrid electric-thermal load (FHL) are proposed and investigated in this study. Criteria, namely primary energy saving (PES), exergy efficiency ( η exergy ), and CO 2 emission reduction (CER) are defined to evaluate the performances of CCHP systems for a hypothetical building located in Dalian (China). The results indicate that: (1) a new mathematical foundation is established to find whether the recovered thermal energy and the amount of electricity generated by the power generation unit (PGU) are enough to provide the energy required; (2) the CCHP system does not always perform better than a HVAC system from an instantaneous perspective, especially in FTL mode; (3) the CCHP system in FEL operation mode can be seen as a suitable energy system in Dalian from the annual performance perspective. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is presented in order to show how the performances vary due to the changes of various technical variables.
Impacts of the 2010 VA PTSD Rule Change on Veterans’ Disability Compensation and Reported Cognitive Disability

In July 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) simplified the process of obtaining veterans’ disability compensation (DC) for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who served in combat zones but not in combat roles. In this article, we use data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) Veterans Supplement to estimate the impacts of the change in the VA PTSD rule on DC benefit receipt and self-reported cognitive disability. We hypothesize that the easing of eligibility rules led to an increase in DC receipt among veterans who served in combat zones but not in combat roles. It may also have led to reduced stigma among veterans with regard to reporting cognitive disability. Our results are consistent with these hypotheses. Self-reported rates of VA disability and DC receipt increased significantly among combat zone veterans. Self-reported VA disability rating and experience of cognitive disability also increased, but these increases were not statistically significant. During the same period, the rate of self-reported disability other than cognitive disability remained the same.
Adelmidrol, a palmitoylethanolamide analogue, reduces chronic inflammation in a carrageenin-granuloma model in rats

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and some of its analogues have shown great efficacy in the treatment of pain and inflammation. Adelmidrol – the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) of the di‐amide derivative of azelaic acid – is one of these analogues. The anti‐inflammatory and analgesic effects of PEA and adelmidrol are hypothesized to be mediated, at least in part, by mast cell down‐modulation. Mast cell mediators released at early stage of the inflammatory process drive the inflammatory reaction to chronicity as it happens in X‐carrageenin‐induced granulomatous tissue formation. In the present study, the choice of testing adelmidrol depends upon the physicochemical properties of the compound, i.e. the amphipatic feature, that make it more easily soluble than PEA. In this study, we investigated the effect of adelmidrol on granuloma formation induced by λ‐carrageenin‐soaked sponge implant in rats. Our results show that the local administration of the compound under study significantly decreases weight and neo‐angiogenesis in granulomatous tissue. The anti‐inflammatory effect was due to the modulation of mast cells degranulation, as shown by histological analysis and by the inhibition of the release of several pro‐inflammatory and pro‐angiogenic enzymes (e.g. iNOS, chymase and metalloproteinase MMP‐9), and mediators (e.g. nitric oxide and TNF‐α). The results indicate that adelmidrol, given locally, may represent a potential therapeutic tool in controlling chronic inflammation.
Brief but efficient: acute HIV infection and the sexual transmission of HIV.

BACKGROUND We examined whether viral dynamics in the genital tract during the natural history of acute human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection could explain efficient heterosexual transmission of HIV. METHODS We measured HIV-1 concentration in blood and semen samples from patients with acute and long-term HIV-1 infection. We explored the effect of changes in viral dynamics in semen on the probability of transmission per coital act, using a probabilistic model published elsewhere. RESULTS Considered over time from infection, semen HIV-1 concentrations, in men with acute infection, increase and decrease in approximate parallel with changes occurring in blood. Modeling suggests that these acute dynamics alone are sufficient to increase probability of heterosexual transmission by 8-10-fold between peak (day 20 after infection, based on the model) and virologic set points (day 54 and later after infection). Depending on the frequency of coitus, men with average semen HIV-1 loads and without sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) would be expected to infect 7%-24% of susceptible female sex partners during the first 2 months of infection. The predicted infection rate would be much higher when either partner has an STD. CONCLUSIONS Empirical biological data strongly support the hypothesis that sexual transmission by acutely infected individuals has a disproportionate effect on the spread of HIV-1 infection. Acute hyperinfectiousness may, in part, explain the current pandemic in heterosexual individuals.
Rising of the lowest place on Earth due to Dead Sea water‐level drop: Evidence from SAR interferometry and GPS

[1] The Dead Sea water-level has been dropping at an exceedingly increasing rate since 1960, and between 1993 and 2001, the interval of the InSAR data examined in this study, it has dropped at an average rate of 0.88 m per year. Such a water-level change could potentially give rise to a resolvable lithospheric rebound and regional uplift, with spatial extent and amplitude that are controlled by the effective mechanical properties of the crust and upper mantle combined. We measure that deformation for the years 1993 to 2001, using 149 short baseline interferograms made of 31 ERS-1 and ERS-2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images and continuous GPS data from the Survey of Israel recorded between 1997 and 2011. The uplift rate at the Dead Sea is small (up to 4 mm/year), and the basin topography is almost a mirror of the displacement, introducing a strong trade-off between uplift and stratified atmosphere noise. To overcome this complication, we impose a linearity constraint on the satellite to ground Line Of Sight (LOS) phase changes based on the steady uplift observed by a continuous GPS station in the area of interest, and simultaneously solve for the LOS change rate, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) errors and the elevation-phase correlation. While the LOS rate and DEM errors are solved for each pixel independently, the elevation-phase correlation is solved for each SAR acquisition independently. Using this approach we separated the stratified atmospheric delay from the ground displacement. We observed a regional uplift around the Dead Sea northern basin, with maximum uplift close to the shorelines, and diminishing to zero by the Mediterranean coast. We modeled the effect of water load changes using a homogeneous elastic half-space, and found a good agreement between modeled and observed ground displacements using elastic properties that are compatible with seismic and gravity data down to a depth of 15 km below the Dead Sea basin, suggesting that the response of the crust to the sea level drop is controlled mainly by the elastic properties of the upper-crust immediately below the Dead Sea basin.