Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of blood sampling, processing, and storage on the measurement of complement activation biomarkers.

OBJECTIVES Recent studies have shown that complement hyperactivation contributes to development of thrombotic microangiopathy. The evaluation of complement biomarkers is known to be influenced by inappropriate specimen handling. However, there has been no study fully addressing this topic. METHODS Blood from each donor was subjected to 62 different handling conditions prior to complement assays. RESULTS Complement biomarkers (C4d/C3a/factor Bb/C5a/C5b-9) are stable at room temperature (RT) for up to 4 hours in whole blood containing citrate or EDTA. However, under similar conditions, levels of C4d and C3a were significantly higher in serum than those in plasma. Thawing of the samples on ice or at RT had no significant effect on complement levels. In contrast, thawing at 37°C resulted in striking increases in levels of the complement system in serum and citrated plasma but not in EDTA plasma. Up to four freeze/thaw cycles on ice or RT did not substantially increase the levels of C3a, factor Bb, C5a, and C5b-9 but had a significant effect on C4d. Long-term storage of citrated plasma at -80°C for up to 6 years had no significant effect on levels of complement factors. CONCLUSIONS The results from this study thus provide crucial guidelines for future investigations using complement biomarkers to define the role of complement system in disease.
Design, optimization and evaluation of a q-learning HTTP adaptive streaming client

HTTP Adaptive Streaming (HAS) is becoming a key technology for audiovisual broadcasting, although the varying conditions of the networks imply an uneven video quality. So, there are currently many client players endowed with proprietary adaptation algorithms aiming at maximizing the perceived quality. Looking for the best user’s Quality of Experience (QoE), an adaptation algorithm based on the Q-Learning method is proposed. This analysis identifies the variables that best capture the system dynamics and establishes a formulation for the characteristic functions of this Reinforcement Learning method. In addition, suitable parameter configurations for the algorithm are analyzed together with its convergence. Experimental results confirm the ability of the proposed solution to control efficiently the selection of the segment qualities, so that quality switches are minimized and the occurrence of freezes is diminished. Moreover, a performance comparison with other strategies shows that this novel approach outperforms them. Finally, the adaptiveness of this strategy to changing environments is also assessed.
Single-Channel Online Enhancement of Speech Corrupted by Reverberation and Noise

This paper proposes an online single-channel speech enhancement method designed to improve the quality of speech degraded by reverberation and noise. Based on an autoregressive model for the reverberation power and on a hidden Markov model for clean speech production, a Bayesian filtering formulation of the problem is derived and online joint estimation of the acoustic parameters and mean speech, reverberation, and noise powers is obtained in mel-frequency bands. From these estimates, a real-valued spectral gain is derived and spectral enhancement is applied in the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) domain. The method yields state-of-the-art performance and greatly reduces the effects of reverberation and noise while improving speech quality and preserving speech intelligibility in challenging acoustic environments.
Experimental evolution of a sexually selected display in yeast

The fundamental principle underlying sexual selection theory is that an allele conferring an advantage in the competition for mates will spread through a population. Remarkably, this has never been demonstrated empirically. We have developed an experimental system using yeast for testing genetic models of sexual selection. Yeast signal to potential partners by producing an attractive pheromone; stronger signallers are preferred as mates. We tested the effect of high and low levels of sexual selection on the evolution of a gene determining the strength of this signal. Under high sexual selection, an allele encoding a stronger signal was able to invade a population of weak signallers, and we observed a corresponding increase in the amount of pheromone produced. By contrast, the strong signalling allele failed to invade under low sexual selection. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, the spread of a sexually selected allele through a population, confirming the central assumption of sexual selection theory. Our yeast system is a powerful tool for investigating the genetics of sexual selection.
Implementation of a Fully-Parallel Turbo Decoder on a General-Purpose Graphics Processing Unit

Turbo codes comprising a parallel concatenation of upper and lower convolutional codes are widely employed in the state-of-the-art wireless communication standards, since they facilitate transmission throughputs that closely approach the channel capacity. However, this necessitates high processing throughputs in order for the turbo code to support real-time communications. In the state-of-the-art turbo code implementations, the processing throughput is typically limited by the data dependences that occur within the forward and backward recursions of the Log-BCJR algorithm, which is employed during turbo decoding. In contrast to the highly serial Log-BCJR turbo decoder, we have recently proposed a novel fully parallel turbo decoder (FPTD) algorithm, which can eliminate the data dependences and perform fully parallel processing. In this paper, we propose an optimized FPTD algorithm, which reformulates the operation of the FPTD algorithm so that the upper and lower decoders have identical operation, in order to support single instruction multiple data operation. This allows us to develop a novel general purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) implementation of the FPTD, which has application in software-defined radios and virtualized cloud-radio access networks. As a benefit of its higher degree of parallelism, we show that our FPTD improves the higher processing throughput of the Log-BCJR turbo decoder by between 2.3 and 9.2 times, when employing a high-specification GPGPU. However, this is achieved at the cost of a moderate increase of the overall complexity by between 1.7 and 3.3 times.
Constrained simulated annealing with applications in nonlinear continuous constrained global optimization

This paper improves constrained simulated annealing (CSA), a discrete global minimization algorithm with asymptotic convergence to discrete constrained global minima with probability one. The algorithm is based on the necessary and sufficient conditions for discrete constrained local minima in the theory of discrete Lagrange multipliers. We extend CSA to solve nonlinear continuous constrained optimization problems whose variables take continuous values. We evaluate many heuristics, such as dynamic neighborhoods, gradual resolution of nonlinear equality constraints and reannealing, in order to greatly improve the efficiency of solving continuous problems. We report much better solutions than the best-known solutions in the literature on two sets of continuous optimization benchmarks.
Effects of perinatal exposure to low doses of tributyltin chloride on pregnancy outcome and postnatal development in mouse offspring

Tributyltin (TBT), an endocrine‐disrupting chemical, is well known to induce imposex in female gastropods. In this study, we assessed the effects of low doses of tributyltin chloride (TBTCl) on dams and their offspring. Pregnant mice were administered by gavage with 0, 1, 10, or 100 μg TBTCl/kg body weight/day from day 6 of pregnancy through the period of lactation. There were no TBT treatment‐related deaths or clinical signs of toxicity for dams, and no treatment‐related effects on body weight, litter sizes, gestational length of dams, and sex ratio, lactational body weight, postnatal survival, age at eruption of incisors, and eye opening of pups. However, at 100 μg/kg, TBTCl retarded the testes descent of male offspring. Behavioral tests showed a significant delay in cliff‐drop aversion response in offspring of 10 and 100 μg/kg groups, but no significant difference in the righting reflex between control and TBT‐exposed offspring was detectable. These results indicate that neurobehavioral toxicity seems to be one sensitive indicator to assess the risk of low doses of TBT. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2012.
A Mini-Review on Disposal of WEEE Plastics Containing PBDEs with a Special Focus on China

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), especially pentaBDE and decaBDE have been extensively used as flame retardants in plastics of most electronic equipment. However, PBDE congeners have been found in the environment, in wildlife and in human body worldwide with evidences that they pose risks both to human health and to the entire ecosystem. China has become an important pentaBDE and decaBDE production country because of the increasing domestic demand due to rapid development of electronic industry in recent years. Although pentaBDE was phased out in 2004, decaBDE still remains in production and is used in electrical industry. Additionally, large amounts of plastics containing these pollutants from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are generated in China each year and their disposal has been a vital environmental challenge. Machaniclal recycling, fedlock recycling and landfilling are three main means of disposal of WEEE plastics. This article reviews the production of PBDEs, the amounts of WEEE and the disposal of WEEE plastics worldwide, with a special focus on China. The state of the emission of PBDEs and highly toxic polybrominated dibenzo dioxins/furans in the process of disposal is summed up based on previous studies. This article recommends that mechanical recycling should be the main means of disposal of WEEE recycling with regards to the summaries, the current practices and the status in China.
Focal Treatment of Acne Scars With Trichloroacetic Acid: Chemical Reconstruction of Skin Scars Method

BACKGROUNDAcne scarring is a common complication of acne and yet no appropriate and effective single treatment modality has been developed. We suggest a technique consisting of the focal application of higher trichloroacetic acid (TCA) concentrations by pressing hard on the entire depressed area of atrophic acne scars. This technique is called chemical reconstruction of skin scars (CROSS) by the authors. OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effects of CROSS on atrophic acne scars in dark-complexioned patients. METHODSAn analysis was conducted of 65 patients with atrophic acne scars who were treated with CROSS in our hospitals between July 1996 and July 2001. Thirty-three patients were treated with 65% TCA CROSS and 32 patients were treated with 100% TCA CROSS. All patients had Fitzpatrick skin types IV–V. RESULTSPatient treatment data indicated that 27 of 33 patients (82%) (the 65% TCA group) and 30 of 32 patients (94%) (the 100% TCA group) experienced a good clinical response. All patients in the 100% TCA group who received five or six courses of treatment showed excellent results. Good satisfaction rates in the 65% and 100% TCA groups were recorded. There were no cases of significant complication. CONCLUSIONCROSS is a safe and very effective single modality for the treatment of atrophic acne scars with no significant complications.
The appropriate whole-body index on which to base standardized uptake value in 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fludeoxyglucose PET.

OBJECTIVE Tissue uptake of 2-deoxy-2-fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) is routinely quantified as standardized uptake value (SUV), which in general is the fraction (F) of administered activity per millilitre of tissue multiplied by an index of body size, usually weight (W), i.e. F/ml × W = SUV or F/ml = SUV × (1/W). Other indices have been suggested as preferable to W, especially lean body mass (LBM) and body surface area (BSA). The second equation mentioned above shows that the reciprocal of the ideal index should correlate closely with F/ml and give a regression line through the origin. The purpose of this study was to determine which of these three indices best meets these criteria. METHODS Data were evaluated from 49 males and 51 females undergoing routine (18)F-FDG positron emission tomography/CT. A 3 cm diameter region of interest was drawn over the liver and F/ml recorded. LBM and BSA were estimated from height and weight. RESULTS Based on all patients, the reciprocals of the three indices gave similar correlation coefficients with F/ml, but only 1/LBM gave regressions close to the origin. Intercepts were significantly higher for females for 1/W and 1/BSA, consistent with females having more body fat, but there was no significant difference with 1/LBM. CONCLUSION LBM is the best index on which to base SUV because adipose tissue accumulates less (18)F-FDG than other soft tissues. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE The value of this study lies in its use of a novel, more rational approach than previously to confirm that SUV should be based on LBM.
A review of the impact of processing on nutrient bioaccessibility and digestion of almonds

Summary Almond kernels contain phytochemicals and nutrients that potentially have positive health benefits in relation to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. One important mechanism associated with these benefits is an imposed limit on bioaccessibility (release) of nutrients, such as lipids, from almond tissue during mastication and digestion. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of food structure during the digestion of plant foods. In particular, in the almond kernel, depending on its structure and degree of processing, the amount of lipid released from the almond tissue matrix and the fatty acids produced from lipolysis has been found to vary substantially. This review aims at discussing the commercial methods of almond processing and the different almond forms produced for human consumption, mainly with respect to their impact on nutrient composition, digestion and metabolism.
Immunological Aspects of Malignant Gliomas

Abstract Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain neoplasm having a mean survival time of <24 months. This figure remains constant, despite significant progress in medical research and treatment. The lack of an efficient anti-tumor immune response and the micro-invasive nature of the glioma malignant cells have been explained by a multitude of immune-suppressive mechanisms, proven in different models. These immune-resistant capabilities of the tumor result in a complex interplay this tumor shares with the immune system. We present a short review on the immunology of GBM, discussing the different unique pathological and molecular features of GBM, current treatment modalities, the principles of cancer immunotherapy and the link between GBM and melanoma. Current knowledge on immunological features of GBM, as well as immunotherapy past and current clinical trials, is discussed in an attempt to broadly present the complex and formidable challenges posed by GBM. RÉSUMÉ Aspects immunologiques des gliomes malins. Le glioblastome multiforme (GBM) est le plus fréquent des néoplasmes cérébraux primaires malins. La survie moyenne est de moins de 24 mois et demeure inchangée malgré les progrès importants réalisés par la recherche médicale et les essais thérapeutiques. L’absence de réponse immunitaire anti-tumeur efficace et la nature micro-invasive des cellules malignes du gliome ont été expliquées par une multitude de mécanismes immunosuppresseurs, démontrés dans différents modèles expérimentaux. L’immunorésistance de la tumeur donne lieu à une interaction complexe entre la tumeur et le système immunitaire. Nous présentons une courte revue de l’immunologie du GBM et nous discutons de ses caractéristiques anatomopathologiques et moléculaires uniques, des modalités actuelles de traitement, des principes de l’immunothérapie du cancer et du lien entre le GBM et le mélanome. Nous exposons les connaissances actuelles sur les caractéristiques immunologiques du GBM ainsi que les essais thérapeutiques antérieurs et actuels d’immunothérapie, afin d’esquisser quels sont les défis considérables et complexes que pose le GBM.
Compressive Failure of Impacted NCF Composite Sandwich Panels - Characterisation of the Failure Process

In the present study, non-crimp fabric (NCF) composite face sheet sandwich panels have been tested in compression after impact (CAI). Damage in the face sheets was characterised by fractography. Compression after impact loaded panels were found to fail by plastic fibre microbuckling (kinking) in the damaged face sheet. Studies of panels for which loading was interrupted prior to failure revealed extensive stable kink band formation at several positions and in numerous plies. Kink bands initiated and propagated within a wide region close to the point of impact. In addition, kink bands initiated in zones with high shear stresses, away from the impact centre line. Consequently, the fractographic results from this investigation do not support the assumption of modelling the impact damage as an equivalent hole. To achieve accurate predictions of kink band initiation, the stress field must be known. The results from this study imply that bending effects caused by remaining dent or material eccentricities in the damaged region must be considered.
On the Impact of Building Attenuation Models in VANET Simulations of Urban Scenarios

Buildings are important elements of cities for VANETs, since these obstacles may attenuate communications between vehicles. Consequently, the impact of buildings has to be considered as part of the attenuation model in VANET simulations of urban scenarios. However, the more elaborated the model, the more information needs to be processed during the simulation, which implies longer processing times. This complexity in simulations is not always worth it, because simplified channel models occasionally offer very accurate results. We compare three approaches to model the impact of buildings in the channel model of simulated VANETs in two urban scenarios. The simulation results for our evaluation scenarios of a traffic-efficiency application indicate that modeling the influence of buildings in urban areas as the total absence of communication between vehicles gives similar results to modeling such influence in a more realistic fashion and could be considered a conservative bound in the performance metrics.
On the Solution of the 3D Crack Surface Contact Problem Using the Boundary Element Method

The efficient solution of the 3D crack surface contact problem utilizing the boundary element method (BEM) is presented. The dual discontinuity method (DDM), a special formulation of the BEM, is applied. This method deals directly with the relative displacements and the discontinuities of the tractions at the crack. For the normal behavior a unilateral contact is assumed and for the description of the tangential behavior Coulomb’s frictional law is utilized. The hard contact formulation is regularized by the application of the penalty method. An incremental iterative procedure based on a radial return mapping algorithm is applied for the solution of this non-linear problem. Based on the stress field the fracture mechanical parameters are determined by an extrapolation method for all increments of a characteristic load cycle. By the analysis of this load cycle the cyclic fracture mechanics values are obtained. Due to the non-linear nature of crack growth the simulation is implemented in the framework of a predictor-corrector scheme. For the investigation of the influence of the crack surface roughness on the behavior of cracks two numerical examples are presented.
Space-Time Memory: A Parallel Programming Abstraction for Dynamic Vision Applications

Commercial MIMD computers promise cost-effective parallel processing for computer vision applications, but programming them is time-consuming and obtaining good performance is often difficult. We describe a class of vision applications which are well-suited to multi-threaded implementation on MIMD computers, using the example of a Smart Kiosk. We present a novel parallel programming abstraction called Space-Time Memory (STM) which is designed to support the dynamic data and control flow requirements of multithreaded computer vision applications. The STM model provides high-level primitives for memory management and synchronization which simplify software development on MIMD computers. We demonstrate significant speed-ups for two vision applications, color-based tracking and image-based rendering, using an implementation of the STM on a four processor AlphaServer 4100. These experimental results confirm the potential of the STM to provide convenient access to parallel computing resources. Rehg, Joerg, Kontothanassis, Nikhil, and Kang are with the Cambridge Research Laboratory. Email: frehg,cfj,kthanasi,nikhil,kangg@crl.dec.com Address for Ramachandran: College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta GA 30332, USA. Email: rama@cc.gatech. edu Address for Halstead: Curl Corporation, 4 Cambridge Center, 7th floor, Cambridge MA 02142, USA. Email: rhh@curl.com The work described in this report took place at the Cambridge Research Laboratory. c Digital Equipment Corporation, 1997 This work may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part for any commercial purpose. Permission to copy in whole or in part without payment of fee is granted for nonprofit educational and research purposes provided that all such whole or partial copies include the following: a notice that such copying is by permission of the Cambridge Research Laboratory of Digital Equipment Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts; an acknowledgment of the authors and individual contributors to the work; and all applicable portions of the copyright notice. Copying, reproducing, or republishing for any other purpose shall require a license with payment of fee to the Cambridge Research Laboratory. All rights reserved. CRL Technical reports are available on the CRL’s web page at http://www.crl. research.digital. com. Digital Equipment Corporation Cambridge Research Laboratory One Kendall Square, Building 700 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 USA
Collagen‐Induced Arthritis

Collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) is an experimental autoimmune disease that can be elicited in susceptible strains of rodents (rat and mouse) and nonhuman primates by immunization with type II collagen (CII), the major constituent protein of articular cartilage. Because of the important similarities between CIA and rheumatoid arthritis, this experimental model of autoimmune arthritis has been the subject of extensive investigation in several laboratories. Protocols for CIA are described in this unit for both the mouse model and the rat model. In addition, protocols are included for the purification of CII from bovine articular joints and chicken sternums, for the purification of collagen a1(II) chains, and for the purification of fragments of these chains following cyanogen bromide (CNBr) digestion. The preparation of CII is a time‐consuming procedure but is usually required because of the scarcity and expense of commercial sources of purified native CII. In addition, support protocols are provided for assessing the severity of inflammation following CIA and for measuring B and T cell responses to CII.