Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Manipulating Time Perception of Web Search Users

Time is an important factor in information retrieval studies including search evaluation, user behavior analysis and query understanding. In most of the previous works, time is usually an objective factor measured by timing devices. However, the time perceived by user seems more intuitive to describe the impact of time because search user's opinion is considered subjective. Psychological researches have reported that time perception can be affected by many physical and psychological factors. In this work, a laboratory study with 50 participants was adopted to investigate the impact of Temporal Relevance, e.g., the awareness of elapsed time, on time perception of Web search users. Experimental results show that participants in high temporal relevance environments tend to perceive significantly longer task durations than the actual ones. It shows that the perception of time can be manipulated in Web search scenario and reveals the necessity to take the factor of user perception into consideration in time-related Web search researches such as effort-based evaluation.
The use of word-reading to estimate “premorbid” ability in cognitive domains other than intelligence

Diagnostic neuropsychological assessment requires the clinician to estimate a patient's premorbid abilities. Word reading tests, such as the National Adult Reading Test–Revised (NART–R), provide reasonably accurate estimates of premorbid IQ, but their capacity to benchmark other premorbid cognitive abilities remains unclear. In this extension of an earlier report, we administered the NART–R, an abbreviated Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS–R or WAIS–III), and 26 other cognitive measures to 322 reasonably healthy adults. While NART–R performance correlated robustly (rs ≥ .72) with concurrent Verbal and Full Scale IQ, its correlation with all other cognitive measures was significantly lower. Thus, while it is appealing to use word reading as a proxy for premorbid functioning in other cognitive domains, the NART–R has limited utility for this because it does not predict current performance on other cognitive tests as well as it predicts IQ in healthy adults. (JINS, 2005, 11, 784–787.)
Activation of cytotoxic lymphocytes by interferon‐α: role of oxygen radical‐producing mononuclear phagocytes

A significant part of the therapeutic benefit of interferon‐α (IFN‐α) therapy in malignant diseases and in chronic viral infections is assumed to result from activation of lymphocytes with natural killer (NK) and T cell phenotype. In tumor tissue and in chronically infected tissue, the function and viability of these lymphocytes are frequently impaired. Mononuclear phagocyte (MP)‐derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been proposed to contribute to the lymphocyte suppression in these tissues. Here, we report that three types of human cytotoxic lymphocytes of relevance to immunoactivation by IFN‐α, CD3ɛ+/8+/56– T cells, CD3ɛ–/56+ NK cells, and CD3ɛ+/56+ NK/T cells became anergic to IFN‐α induction of the cell‐surface activation marker CD69 after exposure to autologous MPs in vitro. In addition to their incapacity to express CD69, cytotoxic lymphocytes acquired features characteristic of apoptosis after incubation with MPs. The lymphocyte apoptosis and nonresponsiveness to IFN‐α were prevented by two inhibitors of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase‐dependent formation of ROS in MPs, histamine dihydrochloride and diphenylene ionodonium, as well as by catalase, a scavenger of ROS. We conclude that MP‐derived ROS may negatively affect IFN‐α‐induced immunostimulation and propose that ROS inhibitors or scavengers may be useful to improve lymphocyte activation during treatment with IFN‐α.
Persistence of Gene Expression Profile in CD200 Transgenic Skin Allografts Is Associated With Graft Survival on Retransplantation to Normal Recipients

Background Expression of CD200 increases allograft survival by suppressing inflammation and acquired immunity. Increased allograft survival in transgenic mice overexpressing CD200 (CD200tg) occurs in association with increased intragraft expression of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for genes associated with altered T-cell differentiation. Methods We investigated whether donor CD200tg BL/6 skin grafts taken from primary control or CD200tg recipient BALB/c mice persisted after retransplantation at 14 days to control (nontransgenic) secondary BALB/c recipients, with or without transfer of splenocytes from autologous primary recipients. Splenocytes from primary and secondary recipients were analyzed 14 days after grafting, using in vitro mixed leukocyte cultures (MLCs) incubated with irradiated BL/6 (or third-party C3H/HeJ) stimulator cells and assayed for antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses were correlated with changes in the mRNA gene expression profile observed in the skin tissue harvested from primary or secondary recipients on day 14 after grafting, using real-time polymerase chain reaction to compare quantitative mRNA expression in the graft tissue of primary/secondary recipients. Results and Conclusions Adoptive transfer of tolerance in MLC to BL/6 grafts was most evident when both skin and splenocytes were transferred from primary BALB/c recipients, although there was an attenuation of MLC responses after graft transfer alone. Adoptive transfer of tolerance occurred concomitant with persistent overexpression of genes encoding Foxp3, transforming growth factor &bgr;, interleukin 10, and PD-1 (and PD-L1/PD-L2) in tolerant skin grafts and increased expression of mRNAs for indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and the subunits encoding interleukin 35. Infusion of anti-CD4 or anti–transforming growth factor &bgr; to secondary recipients on retransplantation abolished increased graft survival, suggesting the importance of each to the final outcome.
Feature extraction and classification of machined component texture images using wavelet and artificial intelligence techniques

In recent years use of image processing techniques for texture analysis of machined surface is gaining importance in the field of manufacturing. This manuscript addresses texture identification methodology using Wavelet transform and artificial intelligence techniques. Captured images of machined surface using Electric discharge machining, milling, sand blasting and shaping is decomposed in to sub images and then discrete wavelet transform is applied on the sub images. To select the base wavelet minimum permutation entropy criterion is applied and statistical features were calculated from the base wavelet. Training and testing of feature vector is performed using two artificial intelligence techniques support vector machine and artificial neural network for identifying textured surface images.100 % training identification of textured images is obtained using support vector machine and artificial neural network and 87.5 % and 100 % testing identification of textured images is obtained using support vector machine and artificial neural network respectively. Results revealed that the present methodology identifies machined surface images with high accuracy.
The assessment of surface roughness and microleakage of eroded tooth-colored dental restorative materials

Objectives: To investigate the effect of acidic solution on surface roughness and microleakage of tooth-colored restorative materials. Materials and Methods: A 160 box-shaped cavities were prepared on the buccal surfaces of 160 human molars, and assigned to four groups: Group A restored with Ketac™ Molar Easymix, Group B with Fuji II™ LC, Group C with Ketac™ N100, and Group D with Filtek™ Z250, and subdivided into study and control groups (n = 20). Study groups were immersed in lemon juice (pH = 2.79) for 24 h, whilst controlgroups in deionized distilled water. All samples were immersed in 2% methylene blue dye, sectioned into two equal halves for surface roughness, and microleakage tests. Data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests at P < 0.05. Results: There was a significant difference in surface roughness of Ketac™ Molar, Fuji II™ LC, and Ketac™ N100. No significant difference was found in microleakage of Ketac™ Molar and Fuji II™ LC; however, there were significant differences in the gingival margin of Ketac™ N100, and the occlusal margin of Filtek™ Z250. Conclusions: All glass ionomer cements were eroded after exposure to the acidic drink. Filtek™ Z250 and Ketac™ Molar Easymix showed more microleakage. All materials showed more microleakage at the gingival margins.
Sampling for Nyström Extension-Based Spectral Clustering

Sampling is the key aspect for Nyström extension based spectral clustering. Traditional sampling schemes select the set of landmark points on a whole and focus on how to lower the matrix approximation error. However, the matrix approximation error does not have direct impact on the clustering performance. In this article, we propose a sampling framework from an incremental perspective, i.e., the landmark points are selected one by one, and each next point to be sampled is determined by previously selected landmark points. Incremental sampling builds explicit relationships among landmark points; thus, they work together well and provide a theoretical guarantee on the clustering performance. We provide two novel analysis methods and propose two schemes for selecting-the-next-one of the framework. The first scheme is based on clusterability analysis, which provides a better guarantee on clustering performance than schemes based on matrix approximation error analysis. The second scheme is based on loss analysis, which provides maximized predictive ability of the landmark points on the (implicit) labels of the unsampled points. Experimental results on a wide range of benchmark datasets demonstrate the superiorities of our proposed incremental sampling schemes over existing sampling schemes.
Antiinflammatory Activity of a Novel Folic Acid Targeted Conjugate of the mTOR Inhibitor Everolimus

Folate receptor (FR)-β has been identified as a promising target for antimacrophage and antiinflammatory therapies. In the present study, we investigated EC0565, a folic acid-derivative of everolimus, as a FR-specific inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Because of its amphiphilic nature, EC0565 was first evaluated for water solubility, critical micelle formation, stability in culture and FR-binding specificity. Using FR-expressing macrophages, the effect of EC0565 on mTOR signaling and cellular proliferation was studied. The pharmacokinetics, metabolism and bioavailability of EC0565 were studied in normal rats. The in vivo activity of EC0565 was assessed in rats with adjuvant arthritis, a “macrophage-rich” model with close resemblance to rheumatoid arthritis. EC0565 forms micellar aggregates in physiological buffers and demonstrates good water solubility as well as strong multivalent FR-binding capacity. EC0565 inhibited mTOR signaling in rat macrophages at nanomolar concentrations and induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in serum-starved RAW264.7 cells. Subcutaneously administered EC0565 in rats displayed good bioavailability and a relatively long half-life (∼12 h). When given at 250 nmol/kg, EC0565 selectively inhibited proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in thioglycollate-stimulated rat peritoneal cells. With limited dosing regimens, the antiarthritic activity of EC0565 was found superior to that of etanercept, everolimus and a nontargeted everolimus analog. The in vivo activity of EC0565 was also comparable to that of a folate-targeted aminopterin. Folate-targeted mTOR inhibition may be an effective way of suppressing activated macrophages in sites of inflammation, especially in nutrient-deprived conditions, such as in the arthritic joints. Further investigation and improvement upon the physical and biochemical properties of EC0565 are warranted.
Targets for cell cycle arrest by the immunosuppressant rapamycin in yeast

FK506 and rapamycin are related immunosuppressive compounds that block helper T cell activation by interfering with signal transduction. In vitro, both drugs bind and inhibit the FK506-binding protein (FKBP) proline rotamase. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells treated with rapamycin irreversibly arrested in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. An FKBP-rapamycin complex is concluded to be the toxic agent because (i) strains that lack FKBP proline rotamase, encoded by FPR1, were viable and fully resistant to rapamycin and (ii) FK506 antagonized rapamycin toxicity in vivo. Mutations that conferred rapamycin resistance altered conserved residues in FKBP that are critical for drug binding. Two genes other than FPR1, named TOR1 and TOR2, that participate in rapamycin toxicity were identified. Nonallelic noncomplementation between FPR1, TOR1, and TOR2 alleles suggests that the products of these genes may interact as subunits of a protein complex. Such a complex may mediate nuclear entry of signals required for progression through the cell cycle.
Testing the Reliability and Validity of the Risk, Sophistication-Maturity, and Treatment Amenability Instrument (RST-i): An Assessment Tool for Juvenile Offenders

The current study investigated the reliability and validity of the Risk, Sophistication-Maturity, and Treatment Amenability Instrument, (RST-i) in a sample of 126 incarcerated adolescent males. Raters completed the RST-i, the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV) and a reactive/proactive aggression form. In addition, data were gathered on treatment compliance and other relevant treatment variables. Intraclass correlation coefficients were high and convergent validity analyses yielded moderate coefficients with theoretically related constructs. Importantly, the RST-i was predictive of transfer to adult court. These results provide preliminary empirical support of the RST-i in relation to theoretically related clinical constructs and transfer decisions. Further research examining the interface of psychological and legal criteria considered in juvenile transfer cases is indicated.
Mentally Retarded Sex Offenders

The coexistence of mental retardation and sex-related criminality among retarded criminal offenders creates substantial difficulties to the criminal justice system in determining the defendant's criminal responsibility and to human service professionals in designing effective treatment programs. Regardless of criminal charges, sex-related or not, this study shows that offenders are more likely to be diagnosed as having severe mental retardation if they have a severe deficit in adaptive behavior or a low IQ score. This study's results also indicate that mentally retarded sex offenders are rarely distinguishable from other retarded offenders in terms of mental retardation, IQ, and deficits in adaptive behavior.
Intestinal Absorption and First-Pass Metabolism of Polyphenol Compounds in Rat and Their Transport Dynamics in Caco-2 Cells

Background Polyphenols, a group of complex naturally occurring compounds, are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom and are therefore readily consumed by humans. The relationship between their chemical structure and intestinal absorption, transport, and first-pass metabolism remains unresolved, however. Methods Here, we investigated the intestinal absorption and first-pass metabolism of four polyphenol compounds, apigenin, resveratrol, emodin and chrysophanol, using the in vitro Caco-2 cell monolayer model system and in situ intestinal perfusion and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in rats, so as to better understand the relationship between the chemical structure and biological fate of the dietary polyphenols. Conclusion After oral administration, emodin and chrysophanol exhibited different absorptive and metabolic behaviours compared to apigenin and resveratrol. The differences in their chemical structures presumably resulted in differing affinities for drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as glucuronidase and sulphatase, and transporters, such as MRP2, SGLT1, and P-glycoprotein, which are found in intestinal epithelial cells.
Restoration of contractile function in isolated cardiomyocytes from failing human hearts by gene transfer of SERCA2a.

BACKGROUND Failing human myocardium is characterized by abnormal relaxation, a deficient sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) uptake, and a negative frequency response, which have all been related to a deficiency in the SR Ca(2+) ATPase (SERCA2a) pump. METHODS AND RESULTS To test the hypothesis that an increase in SERCA2a could improve contractile function in cardiomyocytes, we overexpressed SERCA2a in human ventricular myocytes from 10 patients with end-stage heart failure and examined intracellular Ca(2+) handling and contractile function. Overexpression of SERCA2a resulted in an increase in both protein expression and pump activity and induced a faster contraction velocity (26.7+/-6.7% versus 16.6+/-2.7% shortening per second, P<0.005) and enhanced relaxation velocity (32. 0+/-10.1% versus 15.1+/-2.4%, P<0.005). Diastolic Ca(2+) was decreased in failing cardiomyocytes overexpressing SERCA2a (270+/-26 versus 347+/-30 nmol/L, P<0.005), whereas systolic Ca(2+) was increased (601+/-38 versus 508+/-25 nmol/L, P<0.05). In addition, the frequency response was normalized in cardiomyocytes overexpressing SERCA2a. CONCLUSIONS These results support the premise that gene-based therapies and targeting of specific pathways in human heart failure may offer a new modality for the treatment of this disease.
Gill Marcus : Issues for consideration in mergers and takeovers from a regulatory perspective

The ultimate objectives of a financial services institution whether it be a bank, insurance company or securities firm, are, firstly, to be financially safe and sound; secondly, to obtain the confidence of and show fairness to the users of its financial services; and, finally, to be efficient and effective. These objectives should always be consistent with the objectives of the regulatory authorities.
The Impact of Mode 4 on Trade in Goods and Services

This paper estimates the impact of liberalization of temporary movements of individual service suppliers on trade in goods and services. In particular, the paper looks at the impact of the so-called forth mode to provide a service on trade in services under the other three modes: cross-border service supply (Mode 1), consumption abroad (Mode 2) and commercial presence abroad (Mode 3). Estimates are obtained using a gravity model of trade augmented for a measure of temporary movements of service suppliers. Estimates of the size of a country's Mode 4 trade in services are based on specific information regarding the number of temporary foreign workers occupied in the service sector and their estimated average earnings, thus overcoming the limitations of traditional measures of Mode 4 based on remittances or compensation for employees. We find a positive and significant effect of temporary movements of service providers on merchandise trade and services trade under Mode 1 and 3. No significant relationship is found between services trade under Mode 2 and Mode 4.
Regional Technology Assets and Opportunities: The Geographic Clustering of High-Tech Industry, Science and Innovation in Appalachia.

We use a triangulation strategy and a series of complementary indicators and measures of spatial association for varying geographic units to identify and document sub-regional concentrations of technology-related employment, research, and applied innovation within and immediately adjacent to the 406 county service area of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The analysis reveals a set of technology clusters— defined as joint spatial concentrations of high-tech employment and innovative activity—within and adjacent to the ARC region. The clusters, which span eight general technology areas, vary significantly in size, depth, and overall competitive strength. Analysis of the characteristics of the clusters offers a detailed picture of the intra-regional distribution and depth of technology-related activity in Appalachia. Prepared for the 49th Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International San Juan, Puerto Rico, 14-16 November 2002 AN ELECTRONIC COPY OF THIS PAPER IS AVAILABLE AT: www.planning. unc.edu/facstaff/faculty/feserDocs.htm
Morphine treatment enhances glutamatergic input onto neurons of the nucleus accumbens via both disinhibitory and stimulating effect

Drug addiction is a chronic brain disorder characterized by the compulsive repeated use of drugs. The reinforcing effect of repeated use of drugs on reward plays an important role in morphine‐induced addictive behaviors. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is an important site where morphine treatment produces its reinforcing effect on reward. However, how morphine treatment produces its reinforcing effect on reward in the NAc remains to be clarified. In the present study, we studied the influence of morphine treatment on the effects of DA and observed whether morphine treatment could directly change glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the NAc. We also explored the functional significance of morphine‐induced potentiation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the NAc at behavioral level. Our results show that (1) morphine treatment removes the inhibitory effect of DA on glutamatergic input onto NAc neurons; (2) morphine treatment potentiates glutamatergic input onto NAc neurons, especially the one from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to the NAc; (3) blockade of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the NAc or ablation of projection neurons from BLA to NAc significantly decreases morphine treatment‐induced increase in locomotor activity. These results suggest that morphine treatment enhances glutamatergic input onto neurons of the NAc via both disinhibitory and stimulating effect and therefore increases locomotor activity.
Deadlock-free dynamic reconfiguration over InfiniBand™ NETWORKS

InfiniBand Architecture (IBA) is a newly established general-purpose interconnect standard applicable to local area, system area and storage area networking and I/O. Networks based on this standard should be capable of tolerating topological changes due to resource failures, link/switch activations, and/or hot swapping of components. In order to maintain connectivity, the network's routing function may need to be reconfigured on each topological change. Although the architecture has various mechanisms useful for configuring the network, no strategy or procedure is specified for ensuring deadlock freedom during dynamic network reconfiguration. In this paper, a method for applying the Double Scheme over InfiniBand networks is proposed. The Double Scheme provides a systematic way of reconfiguring a network dynamically while ensuring freedom from deadlocks. We show how features and mechanisms available in IBA for other purposes can also be used to implement dynamic network reconfiguration based on the Double Scheme. We also propose new mechanisms that may be considered in future versions of the IBA specification for making dynamic reconfiguration and other subnet management operations more efficient.