Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probiotics and Prebiotics: Role in Prevention of Nosocomial Sepsis in Preterm Infants

Nosocomial sepsis is associated with increased mortality and morbidity including neurodevelopmental impairment and prolonged hospital stay. Prevention of sepsis especially in the preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit remains a major challenge. The gastrointestinal tract is an important source of potential pathogens causing nosocomial sepsis as the immature intestinal epithelium can permit translocation of bacteria and yeast. The intestinal tract and its microflora play an important role in the immunity. Altering the gut microflora has been extensively studied for immunomodulation in preterm infants. Probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Probiotics have been used for prevention and treatment of various medical conditions in children and adults. Studies on probiotics in premature infants have focused on normalizing intestinal flora, improvement in feeding intolerance, prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis. In this paper, we discuss the intestinal bacterial colonization pattern; the rational for probiotics and prebiotic therapy with special focus on the prevention of nosocomial sepsis in preterm infants.
Functional and clinical relevance of CD44 variant isoform expression on B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Recent studies have shown that expression of adhesion molecules of the Ig superfamily, of integrins and of selectins allows definition of high vs low risk B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). The proteoglycan CD44 is an adhesion molecule that may be expressed as a standard form of 85-95 KD or as several variant isoforms. The presence of certain CD44 variant (v) isoforms on neoplastic cells indicates poor prognosis in epithelial and lymphoid malignancies, as it is associated with tumor progression and metastasis. DESIGN AND METHODS The expression of CD44 v3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 was analyzed in cells from 85 B-CLL patients. Indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to identify CD44v. Functional studies were performed by analysis of adhesion to hyaluronate (HA), one CD44 ligand, and HA-induced Ca2+ influx. A variety of statistical methods were used to define phenotypic and functional differences between the various clones, to calculate survival curves, and for multivariate analyses. RESULTS In 17/85 B-CLL (20%), one or more CD44v were detectable by indirect immunofluorescence, whereas in 68/85 cases (80%) this technique yielded negative results. However, moAb "mixes" against CD44v and patching of surface molecules on B-CLL cells have shown that all B-CLL clones express CD44v. This has been confirmed by Western blot in a number of cases. Thus, two groups of patients whose cells bear CD44v at high or low density, are distinguished. Functions of the two clonotypes were investigated, namely their adhesion to a CD44 ligand and hyaluronate (HA), and effect on HA-induced Ca2+ influx. Cells expressing high density CD44v adhere to HA-coated substrates more efficiently than cells with low density CD44v. In all clones, HA-signaling via CD44 yields Ca2+ influx. This indicates that CD44 mediates activatory signals following interaction with the ligand. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS The clinical relevance of these findings has been ascertained. The 17/85 cases whose cells bore high density CD44v had significantly worse prognostic features than those of patients with low density CD44v, namely more advanced disease stage, LDT < 12 months and therapy requirement. Moreover, the median survival in the former group of patients was < 5 years as opposed to > 12 years in the latter. Therefore, analysis of CD44v expression provides indications of biological and clinical relevance also in low grade lymphoproliferative disorders.
Energy aware green spine switch management for Spine-Leaf datacenter networks

A significant proportion of the operational cost for datacenters is attributed to their energy consumption. Using advanced virtualization techniques in datacenters is enabling the control of electricity use in servers. However, as servers are becoming more energy-proportional, datacenter networks are starting to consume a greater portion of overall power although networks devices often remain under-utilized. This paper proposes an energy aware management technique for reducing the consumption of energy by the network for a Spine-Leaf topology-based datacenter. The main idea of the system is to keep track of the dynamic workload and enable only switches that are necessary for handling the current network traffic. We have developed an energy aware management system for dynamically controlling the number of Spine switches in Spine-Leaf datacenter networks and performed simulation using CloudSim for a number of scenarios. The simulation results show that the system can work effectively to save energy by as much as 63% of the energy consumed by a datacenter comprising a fixed static set of Spine switches.
2016 Ieee International Conference on Big Data (big Data) a Semantic Approach to Polystores

—In the database community Polystores is an emerging and promising approach for data federation that aims at designing a unified querying layer over multiple data models. In the Semantic Web community a similar in spirit approach of Ontology-Based Data Access (OBDA) has been recently proposed, attracted a lot of attention, and proved its success in several industrial scenarios. In this paper we discuss a semantic approach to building polystores using the OBDA paradigm. We also present our system Optique that is utilized in an industrial application of performing turbine diagnostics in Siemens.
Tests of the Tully-Fisher Relation.II.Scatter Using Optical Rotation Curves

We investigate the amount of scatter in the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) when using optical long-slit H-alpha rotation curves to determine the velocity widths of spiral galaxies. We study a sample of 25 galaxies in the Coma region of the sky which were shown in Bernstein et al. (1994) to exhibit an extraordinarily low scatter of 0.10 mag RMS in the I magnitude vs 21-cm width TFR. Using the same I magnitudes with new widths derived from high-quality H-alpha rotation curves, we measure an RMS scatter of 0.14 mag in the TFR. This suggests that measurement errors and ``astrophysical errors'' (such as non-circular gas motion) on the H-alpha velocity widths are below 6%, and optical widths are nearly as good for TFR studies as 21-cm widths. The scatter and form of the TFR are found to be robust under choice of velocity width-extraction algorithm, as long as the central portions of the optical rotation curve are ignored and low-S/N points are not weighted too heavily. In this small sample there is no evidence that rotation curve shapes vary systematically with rotation velocity, nor that rotation curve shape can be used to reduce the scatter in the TFR.
Towards a software evolution benchmark

Case-studies are extremely popular in rapidly evolving research disciplines such as software engineering because they allow for a quick but fair assessment of new techniques. Unfortunately, a proper experimental set-up is rarely the case: all too often case-studies are based on a single small toy-example chosen to favour the technique under study. Such lack of scientific rigor prevents fair evaluation and has serious consequences for the credibility of our field. In this paper, we propose to use a representative set of cases as benchmarks for comparing various techniques dealing with software evolution. We hope that this proposal will launch a consensus building process that eventually must lead to a scientifically sound validation method for researchers investigating reverse- and re-engineering techniques.
A statistical model with hierarchical structure for predicting prosody in a mandarin text‐to‐speech system

Abstract In this paper we propose a statistical prosody model with hierarchical structure for Mandarin text‐to‐speech (TTS) systems. There are four levels in our model, namely syllable level, word level, breath group (prosodic phrase) level, and utterance level. Here “hierarchy” means that each lower level is a subset of its higher level. The prosodic information is first found in each level, and then they are combined to get the predicted prosody. The advantages of our model are as follows: (1) Our model can relieve the data sparsity problem. Since there are only a few parameters in each level, the size of our training corpus need not be very large. (2) It is easy to verify the appropriateness of the output values of each level. (3) Our model has low prediction error. The experimental results show that the predicted prosodic values and their original values match very well. (4) Our prosody generator can predict all prosodic information, namely syllable duration, pause length, energy, and pitch contours.
Phase II Study of Cyclophosphamide, Epirubicin, Vincristine, Prednisone, and Etoposide (CEOP-E) for Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

The main objectives of the current study were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a CEOP-E regimen for patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Fifty-one consecutive patients with newly diagnosed aggressive NHL were enrolled in the study. Median age of patients was 57 (range, 18-75) yr old, and male to female ratio was 1.32:1. Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (68.8%) was the most common histological subtype. Thirty patients (58.8%) had Ann Arbor stage III or IV diseases at diagnosis. One course of chemotherapy consisted of an intravenous combination of cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2, epirubicin 50 mg/m2, vincristine 2 mg, etoposide 80 mg/m2 on day 1 and oral administration of 100 mg prednisone on days 1 to 5 (CEOP-E). A complete response or unconfirmed complete response was achieved in 31 (63.3%) out of 49 evaluated patients. With a median follow-up of 16.3 months, 26 events including relapse and death were observed. The estimated 2-yr survival rate for all patients and disease free survival rate for patients achieving complete re-sponse was 58.9% and 57.1%, respectively. Episodes of febrile neutropenia occurred in 5 (10.2%) patients. Transient episodes of ECG abnormality (1st degree AV block) were observed in 2 patients. Accordingly, the CEOP-E regimen produced comparable results to those of other regimens, including CHOP, in terms of the response rate and overall survival. The current regimen seemed to minimize the cardiac toxicity due to an accumulated dose of anthracycline in the treatment of aggressive NHL.
Exploring the Motion Advantage: Evaluating the Contribution of Familiarity and Differences in Facial Motion

Seeing a face move can improve familiar face recognition, face matching, and learning. More specifically, familiarity with a face may facilitate the learning of an individual's “dynamic facial signature”. In the outlined research we examine the relationship between participant ratings of familiarity, the distinctiveness of motion, the amount of facial motion, and the recognition of familiar moving faces (Experiment 1) as well as the magnitude of the motion advantage (Experiment 2). Significant positive correlations were found between all factors. Findings suggest that faces rated as moving a lot and in a distinctive manner benefited the most from being seen in motion. Additionally findings indicate that facial motion information becomes a more important cue to recognition the more familiar a face is, suggesting that “dynamic facial signatures” continue to be learnt over time and integrated within the face representation. Results are discussed in relation to theoretical explanations of the moving face advantage.
The case for case studies of programming problems

W e have developed a number of programM a r c i a C, Li~ aJld ming case studies. Each includes (a) as ta tement Michael J. Clancy of the programming problem; (b) a narrative description of the process used by an expert to solve the problem, written so that a student can understand the expert's approach; (c) a listing of the expert's code; (d) study questions to provide practice in program design, problem solving, and analysis; and (e) test questions to assess students' understanding of the program solution. An example problem statement and summary of the design decisions for one of our case studies appears in Figure 1 and Sidebar 1.1 Our case studies explain and defend the decisions made by an expert to produce a solution to the problem at hand. Our narrative descriptions are similar to the discussions in the "Literate Programming" column in Communications (e.g., [21]). They contrast effective and ineffective strategies for solving this problem and related problems, and also describe how expert programmers organize their programming knowledge. Competent programmers need both well-organized knowledge of a programming language and problem-solving skills. We refer to programming-specific versions of more general problem-solving ap-
Advanced packaging materials for optical applications: bridging the gap between nm-size structures and large-area panel processing

During the last two decades, nano-materials have been intensively investigated due to their wide range of properties, resulting in a variety of applications. In order to serve as advanced packaging material, from an industrial point of view emphasis has also to be on cost reduction either for the materials, the processes, or for both. Materials are searched for which enable processing and integration from a nm up to a cm scale. A particular class of low-cost nanoscale materials fulfilling this requirement are inorganic-organic hybrid polymers (ORMOCER®)1 which are synthesized by catalytically controlled hydrolysis/polycondensation reactions, resulting in storage-stable resins. Due to the variety of chemical and physical parameters, the material and processing properties which directly influence the resulting structure and thus the physical properties, can be varied over wide ranges. Upon synthesis, functional organic groups are introduced into the material which allows one to photochemically pattern the resins. The materials are capable to be patterned on a nm up to a cm scale, employing a variety of different micro- and nanopatterning methods such as, UV lithography, UV replication/lithography, laser-direct writing, or two-photon polymerization, in order to generate micro- and nano-optical components. While for most of the techniques the patterning has to be repeated several times in order to achieve multi-functional layers, the latter method allows one to directly write arbitrary 3D structures into the hybrid polymer material. The combination of chemically designed low-cost materials with tunable material parameters such as low optical absorption, tunable refractive index, good processibility, and high chemical, thermal and mechanical stability, is very attractive for (integrated) optical applications. Examples for application of the materials for microoptics as well as for optical back-planes generated by large-area processing will be given.
Computational complexity of terrain mapping perception in autonomous mobility

For autonomously navigating vehicles, the automatic generation of dense geometric models of the environment is a computationally expensive process. Using first principles, it is possible to quantify the relationship between the raw throughput required of the perception system and the maximum safely achievable speed of the vehicle. We show that terrain mapping perception is of polynomial complexity in the response distance. To the degree that geometric perception consumes time, it also degrades real-time response characteristics. Given this relationship, several strategies of adaptive geometric perception arise which are practical for autonomous vehicles.
SIPTool: the 'Signal and Image Processing Tool'-an engaging learning environment

The 'Signal and Image Processing Tool' is a multimedia software environment for demonstrating and developing signal and image processing techniques. It has been used at CalPoly for three years. A key feature is extensibility via C/C++ programming. The tool has a minimal learning curve, making it amenable for weekly student projects. The software distribution includes multimedia demonstrations ready for classroom or laboratory use. SIPTool programming assignments strengthen the skills needed for life-long learning by requiring students to translate mathematical expressions into a standard programming language, to create an integrated processing system (as opposed to simply using canned processing routines).
Nononcologic use of human recombinant erythropoietin therapy in hospitalized patients.

BACKGROUND Human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO) is widely used to stimulate red blood cell production in patients with anemia due to cancer, renal disease, and other medical conditions, but concern has grown about its overuse and potential for harm. Little is known about the nature of rHuEPO use in hospitalized patients who receive rHuEPO therapy for nononcologic indications. METHODS We reviewed the drug utilization data from a large academic medical center for all patients admitted during 3 years to identify all patients without cancer who received at least 1 dose of rHuEPO, including their age and sex; diagnoses; hematocrit and hemoglobin and iron levels; and use of supplemental iron. We also compared the rates of laboratory testing and iron supplementation in patients with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD). RESULTS A total of 1360 distinct patients with 3094 hospitalizations received at least 1 dose of rHuEPO. In 2959 admissions for which hematocrit was determined within 14 days before rHuEPO use, mean values were less than 33% in 1792 (61%) and greater than 36% in 553 (19%). Patients with CKD were more likely than patients without CKD to receive rHuEPO with hematocrit greater than 36% (22% vs 8%; P<.001). Monitoring of iron status was more common in patients with CKD than in those without CKD (64% vs 45%; P <.001). Almost one fourth (23%) of rHuEPO recipients in whom iron levels were measured had absolute iron deficiency (serum ferritin concentration <100 ng/mL). In patients with CKD, only about half (54%) had adequate iron stores at the time of rHuEPO administration; this rate was even lower in patients without CKD (33%; P<.001). Only 66% of patients with documented iron deficiency who were receiving rHuEPO also received concomitant iron supplementation; this rate did not differ between patients with or without CKD. CONCLUSIONS There is significant variability in the degree of anemia, completeness of iron measurement, and use of iron supplementation in hospitalized patients without cancer who are prescribed rHuEPO. Our results identify potential targets for quality improvement in patients both with and without CKD.
Uniform renewal theory with applications to expansions of random geometric sums

Consider a sequence X = (X n : n ≥ 1) of independent and identically distributed random variables, and an independent geometrically distributed random variable M with parameter p. The random variable S M = X 1 + ∙ ∙ ∙ + X M is called a geometric sum. In this paper we obtain asymptotic expansions for the distribution of S M as p ↘ 0. If EX 1 > 0, the asymptotic expansion is developed in powers of p and it provides higher-order correction terms to Renyi's theorem, which states that P(pS M > x) ≈ exp(-x/EX 1). Conversely, if EX 1 = 0 then the expansion is given in powers of √p. We apply the results to obtain corrected diffusion approximations for the M/G/1 queue. These expansions follow in a unified way as a consequence of new uniform renewal theory results that are also developed in this paper.
Trust and electronic commerce-more than a technical problem

It is argued that the building of trust in electronic commerce depends only partly on technical security, and the knowledge of security gaps and ways of closing them. It is not only a technical system which is trusted but rather a socio-technical system, including users, business practices and related institutions. We take a closer look at the concept of trust and its relation to knowledge, describe the current situation in electronic commerce, and analyse different technical approaches, that aim at providing security, and nontechnical possibilities to enhance security and trust through institutions.
Loose Coupling of Wearable-Based INSs with Automatic Heading Evaluation

Position tracking of pedestrians by means of inertial sensors is a highly explored field of research. In fact, there are already many approaches to implement inertial navigation systems (INSs). However, most of them use a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) attached to the pedestrian’s body. Since wearable-devices will be given items in the future, this work explores the implementation of an INS using two wearable-based IMUs. A loosely coupled approach is proposed to combine the outputs of wearable-based INSs. The latter are based on a pocket-mounted IMU and a foot-mounted IMU. The loosely coupled fusion combines the output of the two INSs not only when these outputs are least erroneous, but also automatically favoring the best output. This approach is named smart update. The main challenge is determining the quality of the heading estimation of each INS, which changes every time. In order to address this, a novel concept to determine the quality of the heading estimation is presented. This concept is subject to a patent application. The results show that the position error rate of the loosely coupled fusion is 10 cm/s better than either the foot INS’s or pocket INS’s error rate in 95% of the cases.
Electric-field resonance coupling between human and transmitter for human position estimation system

In this paper, a novel human position estimation system using electric-field resonance coupling is proposed. There are various advantages of using electric-field for human position estimation system. The system is robust to illumination change, body-worn tags are not required and sensors could be hidden since electric-field can path through an insulator. Tags are not required because the system estimates the position by measuring the electric field transmitted along the human body which acts as an electric-field coupler. Moreover, the proposed system has wider sensing range and higher expandability to position estimation of multiple humans compared to the current system. Unlike the current system which only measures the electric-field coupled between human and transmitter, the proposed system measures the electric-field amplified by the resonance occurring inside the human (equivalent to giant antenna) to achieve wider sensing range. Meanwhile, the proposed system is also designed carefully to maintain the expandability to multiple humans position estimation. Based on the simulation results, it is verified that the sensing range could be up to 50[cm] with less than 5[cm] error. In the future, the proposed system could be a powerful alternative for the current system.