Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does heat stress provoke the loss of a continuous layer of cortical granules beneath the plasma membrane during oocyte maturation?

Summary The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of heat stress on bovine oocyte maturation. Both nuclear stage and distribution of cortical granules (CG) were simultaneously evaluated in each oocyte. Oocyte overmaturation under standard conditions of culture was also evaluated. For this purpose, logistic regression procedures were used to evaluate possible effects of factors such as heat stress, overmaturation, replicate, CG distribution and metaphase II (MII) morphology on oocyte maturation. Based on the odds ratio, oocytes on heat stressed (HSO) and overmaturated (OMO) oocyte group were, respectively, 14.5 and 5.4 times more likely to show anomalous MII morphology than those matured under control conditions (CO). The likelihood for an oocyte of showing the CG distribution pattern IV (aging oocyte) was 6.3 and 9.3 times higher for HSO and OMO groups, respectively, than for the CO group. The risk of undergoing anomalous oocyte maturation, considering both nuclear stage and distribution of CG was 17.1 and 18 times greater in oocytes cultured in HSO and OMO groups, respectively, than those in the CO group. In conclusion, heat stress proved to be valuable in aging oocytes. Heat stress advanced age for nuclear and cytoplasmic processes in a similar form to that of oocyte overmaturation.
Estimation of HIV incidence in the United States.

CONTEXT Incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States has not been directly measured. New assays that differentiate recent vs long-standing HIV infections allow improved estimation of HIV incidence. OBJECTIVE To estimate HIV incidence in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Remnant diagnostic serum specimens from patients 13 years or older and newly diagnosed with HIV during 2006 in 22 states were tested with the BED HIV-1 capture enzyme immunoassay to classify infections as recent or long-standing. Information on HIV cases was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through June 2007. Incidence of HIV in the 22 states during 2006 was estimated using a statistical approach with adjustment for testing frequency and extrapolated to the United States. Results were corroborated with back-calculation of HIV incidence for 1977-2006 based on HIV diagnoses from 40 states and AIDS incidence from 50 states and the District of Columbia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Estimated HIV incidence. RESULTS An estimated 39,400 persons were diagnosed with HIV in 2006 in the 22 states. Of 6864 diagnostic specimens tested using the BED assay, 2133 (31%) were classified as recent infections. Based on extrapolations from these data, the estimated number of new infections for the United States in 2006 was 56,300 (95% confidence interval [CI], 48,200-64,500); the estimated incidence rate was 22.8 per 100,000 population (95% CI, 19.5-26.1). Forty-five percent of infections were among black individuals and 53% among men who have sex with men. The back-calculation (n = 1.230 million HIV/AIDS cases reported by the end of 2006) yielded an estimate of 55,400 (95% CI, 50,000-60,800) new infections per year for 2003-2006 and indicated that HIV incidence increased in the mid-1990s, then slightly declined after 1999 and has been stable thereafter. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first direct estimates of HIV incidence in the United States using laboratory technologies previously implemented only in clinic-based settings. New HIV infections in the United States remain concentrated among men who have sex with men and among black individuals.
Noise and regeneration in semiconductor waveguides with saturable gain and absorption

We have modeled the noise properties of a novel waveguide device with regenerative properties. The device consists of alternating sections of saturable gain and absorption, which give a nonlinear power transfer function. We investigate the relative intensity noise spectra and signal-to-noise ratio after the device by both a small-signal analysis and large-signal simulation, and we show that the gain saturation gives noise redistribution at the mark level. We also examine the influence of the nonlinearity on the noise probability density function and show that the standard approximations of Gaussian and noncentral /spl chi//sup 2/ distributions do not give a satisfying description. The strength and weaknesses of the limiting cases of static transfer functions and linear noise transfer as well as the small-signal analysis are examined in the case of bit-error-rate estimation in a cascade of regenerators. The interplay between increased nonlinearity and noise is investigated and we show that the increased nonlinearity achieved by additional device sections can improve the cascadability although more amplified spontaneous emission noise is added.
Perturbation Corrections in Approximate Inference: Mixture Modelling Applications

Bayesian inference is intractable for many interesting models, making deterministic algorithms for approximate inference highly desirable. Unlike stochastic methods, which are exact in the limit, the accuracy of these approaches cannot be reasonably judged. In this paper we show how low order perturbation corrections to an expectation-consistent (EC) approximation can provide the necessary tools to ameliorate inference accuracy, and to give an indication of the quality of approximation without having to resort to Monte Carlo methods. Further comparisons are given with variational Bayes and parallel tempering (PT) combined with thermodynamic integration on a Gaussian mixture model. To obtain practical results we further generalize PT to temper from arbitrary distributions rather than a prior in Bayesian inference.
Tight Bounds for Maximal Identifiability of Failure Nodes in Boolean Network Tomography

We study maximal identifiability, a measure recently introduced in Boolean Network Tomography to characterize networks' capability to localize failure nodes in end-to-end path measurements. Under standard assumptions on topologies and on monitors placement, we prove tight upper and lower bounds on the maximal identifiability of failure nodes for specific classes of network topologies, such as trees, bounded-degree graphs, d-dimensional grids, in both directed and undirected cases. Among other results we prove that directed d-dimensional grids with support n have maximal identifiability d using nd monitors; and in the undirected case we show that 2d monitors suffice to get identifiability of d-1. We then study identifiability under embeddings: we establish relations between maximal identifiability, embeddability and dimension when network topologies are modelled as DAGs. Through our analysis we also refine and generalize results on limits of maximal identifiability recently obtained in [12] and [1]. Our results suggest the design of networks over N nodes with maximal identifiability Ω(√log N) using 2√log N monitors and heuristics to place monitors and edges in a network to boost maximal identifiability.
Complexity Classification of Two-Qubit Commuting Hamiltonians

We classify two-qubit commuting Hamiltonians in terms of their computational complexity. Suppose one has a two-qubit commuting Hamiltonian H which one can apply to any pair of qubits, starting in a computational basis state. We prove a dichotomy theorem: either this model is efficiently classically simulable or it allows one to sample from probability distributions which cannot be sampled from classically unless the polynomial hierarchy collapses. Furthermore, the only simulable Hamiltonians are those which fail to generate entanglement. This shows that generic two-qubit commuting Hamiltonians can be used to perform computational tasks which are intractable for classical computers under plausible assumptions. Our proof makes use of new postselection gadgets and Lie theory.
Trust among SMEs in Digital Business Ecosystems : Theoretical and Methodological Foundations for Establishing Trust through a Knowledge Base of Regulatory Issues

The aim of this section is to summarise research on the factors contributing to the establishment of trust amongst smalland medium–sized enterprises (SMEs) in Digital Business Ecosystems. This section describes the development of a Knowledge Base of Regulatory Issues that are important in the context of the development of Free Software/Open Source (FS/OS) for commercial use within the European Union countries. The Knowledge Base of Regulatory Issues arising from SMEs’ participation in Digital Business Ecosystems is discussed in the wider context of the Digital Business Ecosystems initiative to indicate the results of initial research, to highlight aspects of the change of paradigm associated with ecosystems which involve trust, and to emphasise the need to confront conceptual research on technological change with empirical examination of the real-life contexts in which these ecosystems are developing. In order to achieve this aim, in section 1 the core theoretical issues are identified and examined in terms of the engagement and participation of SMEs in Business to Business (B2B) collaborations within ecosystems. Issues of trust were identified in the early phase of the research as having the potential to constrain SME participation in e-business initiatives. Section 1 presents a conceptual analysis of the layers of trust required for increasing SME participation. Section 2 presents an illustration of the rationale leading to the methodology used to establish a taxonomy framework for addressing the regulatory issues. In section 3 a three-dimensional taxonomy framework is presented, together with a discussion of the Knowledge Base of Regulatory Issues that emerged as being of critical importance for developing trust among SMEs involved in ecosystems, that is, privacy, e-signatures and security, jurisdiction and consumer protection. The conceptual framework was examined empirically by interviewing SMEs with respect to their views and concerns about the Digital Business Ecosystem vision and their experiences during the DBE project. The results of the interviews were used as a means of testing the validity of the taxonomy framework and the Knowledge Base that was developed. The validity of the Knowledge Base was verified and new insights into the importance of the Knowledge Base for SME engagement with Digital Business Ecosystems in the European Union were obtained. Section 4 summarizes the main empirical findings and overall conclusions are presented in section 5.
Antioxidants in pediatric sepsis: do not put the plough in front of the horses!.

Tidal volume delivery during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Crit Care Med 2007; 35:1522–1529 10. Derdak S, Mehta S, Stewart TE, et al: Highfrequency oscillatory ventilation for acute respiratory distress syndrome in adults: A randomized, controlled trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002; 166:801–808 11. Mehta S, Lapinsky SE, Hallett DC, et al: Prospective trial of high-frequency oscillation in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Crit Care Med 2001; 29: 1360–1369 12. Ferguson ND, Chiche JD, Kacmarek RM, et al: Combining high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and recruitment maneuvers in adults with early acute respiratory distress syndrome: The Treatment with Oscillation and an Open Lung Strategy (TOOLS) Trial pilot study. Crit Care Med 2005; 33:479–486 13. Bollen CW, van Well GT, Sherry T, et al: High frequency oscillatory ventilation compared with conventional mechanical ventilation in adult respiratory distress syndrome: A randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN24242669]. Crit Care 2005; 9:R430–R439 14. The Oscillation for ARDS Treated Early (OSCILLATE) Trial Pilot Study. Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, NCT00474656 15. Sud S, Sud M, Friedrich JO, et al: High frequency oscillation in patients with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2010; 340:c2327 16. van Heerde M, Roubik K, Kopelent V, et al: Demand flow facilitates spontaneous breathing during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in a pig model. Crit Care Med 2009; 37:1068–1073 17. Solway J, Gavriely N, Slutsky AS, et al: Effect of bias flow rate on gas transport during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. Respir Physiol 1985; 60:267–276 18. High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilator 3100A Operator’s Manual. Viasys Healthcare, 2004 19. Turner DA, Adams DF, Gentile MA, et al: Bias flow does not affect ventilation during highfrequency oscillatory ventilation in a pediatric animal model of acute lung injury. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2012; 13:e108–e112 20. Hillman ND, Meliones JN, Black DR, et al: In acute lung injury, inhaled nitric oxide improves ventilation-perfusion matching, pulmonary vascular mechanics, and transpulmonary vascular efficiency. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1995; 110:593–599; discussion 599–600 21. Lachmann B, Robertson B, Vogel J: In vivo lung lavage as an experimental model of the respiratory distress syndrome. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1980; 24:231–236
EE-Grad: Exploration and Exploitation for Cost-Efficient Mini-Batch SGD

We present a generic framework for mitigating the tradeoff between fidelity and cost in computing stochastic gradients when the costs of acquiring stochastic gradients of different quality are not known a priori. We consider a mini-batch oracle that distributes a limited query budget over a number of stochastic gradients and aggregates them to estimate the true gradient. Since the optimal mini-batch size depends on the unknown cost-fidelity function, we propose an algorithm, EE-Grad, that sequentially explores the performance of mini-batch oracles and exploits the accumulated knowledge to estimate the one achieving the best performance in terms of cost-efficiency. We provide performance guarantees for EE-Grad with respect to the optimal mini-batch oracle, and illustrate these results in the case of strongly convex objectives. We also provide a simple numerical example that corroborates our theoretical findings.
The MBA: a learning system in need of rethinking?

Since 1989 the Open University has offered a distance learning MBA, designed to draw upon, and be applied to students’ professional practice. It is based upon the ‘reflective practitioner model’, and we believe we successfully combine practical relevance with academic rigour. In 2007 we realised that despite this, many students are not behaving as we assume, and instead learning in an instrumental way, with no ‘re-thinking of practice’ as intended. During 2008 we looked at why this was happening, with a view to influencing redesign of the MBA. The proposed workshop uses this project as a starting point for a more general collaborative reflection on how educators can best help managers to use concepts and theory to challenge and inform their work practice.
Effects of display position and control space orientation on user preference and performance

In many environments, it is often the case that input is made to displays that are positioned non-traditionally relative to one or more users. This typically requires users to perform interaction tasks under transformed input-display spatial mappings, and the literature is unclear as to how such transformations affect performance. We present two experiments that explore the impact of display space position and input control space orientation on user's subjective preference and objective performance in a docking task. Our results provide guidelines as to optimal display placement and control orientation in collaborative computing environments with one or more shared displays.
HLA Allele E*01:01 Is Associated with a Reduced Risk of EBV-Related Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma Independently of HLA-A*01/*02

Background An inefficient immune response against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is related to the pathogenesis of a subgroup of classical Hodgkin lymphomas (cHL). Some EBV immune-evasion mechanisms target HLA presentation, including the non-classical HLA-E molecule. HLA-E can be recognized by T cells via the TCR, and it also regulates natural killer (NK) cell signaling through the inhibitory CD94/NKG2A receptor. Some evidences indicate that EBV-infected B-cells promote the proliferation of NK subsets bearing CD94/NKG2A, suggesting a relevant function of these cells in EBV control. Variations in CD94/NKG2A-HLA-E interactions could affect NK cell-mediated immunity and, consequently, play a role in EBV-driven transformation and lymphomagenesis. The two most common HLA-E alleles, E*01:01 and E*01:03, differ by a single amino acid change that modifies the molecule function. We hypothesized that the functional differences in these variants might participate in the pathogenicity of EBV. Aim We studied two series of cHL patients, both with EBV-positive and-negative cases, and a cohort of unrelated controls, to assess the impact of HLA-E variants on EBV-related cHL susceptibility. Results We found that the genotypes with at least one copy of E*01:01 (i.e., E*01:01 homozygous and heterozygous) were underrepresented among cHL patients from both series compared to controls (72.6% and 71.6% vs 83%, p = 0.001). After stratification by EBV status, we found low rates of E*01:01-carriers mainly among EBV-positive cases (67.6%). These reduced frequencies are seen independently of other factors such as age, gender, HLA-A*01 and HLA-A*02, HLA alleles positively and negatively associated with the disease (adjusted OR = 0.4, p = 0.001). Furthermore, alleles from both HLA loci exert a cumulative effect on EBV-associated cHL susceptibility. Conclusions These results indicate that E*01:01 is a novel protective genetic factor in EBV-associated cHL and support a role for HLA-E recognition on the control of EBV infection and lymphomagenesis.
Intensified treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and overt nephropathy.

BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy is the single most common cause of chronic renal failure requiring dialysis. Effective treatment exists, but no clinical audit or large trial has reduced the rate of loss of renal function as effectively as in small groups of intensively managed patients. AIM To determine the effect of intensive vs. standard medical management on the rate of progression of renal failure in patients with diabetic nephropathy. DESIGN Prospective randomized controlled study. METHODS Patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy were randomly allocated to an intensive group (n = 47) or control group (n = 43). Treatment targets were the same for both groups, but the intensive group were seen as often as required to meet the targets; controls were seen at their normal clinics. The primary end-point was the rate of progression of renal disease in the second year. RESULTS The groups were well matched at baseline. During follow-up, the intensive group had lower mean SBP, DBP and cholesterol. Median rate of progression of renal failure in the intensive group fell from 0.44 ml/min/month in the first year to 0.14 ml/min/month in the second year, compared to 0.49 ml/min/month and 0.53 ml/min/month in the control group (p = 0.04 for second year). Patients in the intensive group spent significantly less time in hospital. DISCUSSION Intensive treatment slowed progression of renal disease within 2 years in patients with established diabetic nephropathy. Mean creatinine clearance at the start of the trial was 55 ml/min, so assuming that the rates of progression achieved at the end of the second year persisted, onset of dialysis would be delayed by 20 years in the intensive group compared with the control group.
The Retreat of Hemophilus Influenzae Type B Invasive Disease: Analysis of an Immunization Program and Implications for OTO-HNS

Hemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis among children under 5 years old. Hib is also responsible for other invasive diseases including epiglottitis, cellulitis, sepsis, pneumonia, and osteomyelitis. A child's cumulative risk of systemic Hib disease during the first 5 years of life is approximately 1 in 200. A polysaccharide Hib vaccine was first marketed in 1985, and newer, more effective conjugated vaccines have been licensed since 1987. Immunization schedules have Included Increasingly younger children. No studies have been published that analyze the effects of a vigorous immunization program on a sample population representative of the United States at large. Records of pediatric patients ages 5 years and younger who were treated for Hib meningitis or epiglottitis (N = 373) at all U.S. Army medical facilities between 1986 and 1991 were reviewed. The combined incidence of these diseases declined by more than 86% in the study group during this period. The largest decrease occurred in infants less than 1 year old, before vaccines were licensed for use in this group. Meanwhile, the number of cases of bacterial meningitis due to other organisms in this cohort remained unchanged. Economic modeling validates the cost-effectiveness of vaccination. The impact of these preliminary trends on health care systems and otolaryngology-head and neck surgery will be significant. Almost two thirds of Hib disease has involved infants under 15 months old, for whom a conjugated vaccine has been available only since October 1990. The change in disease frequency will have substantial bearing on training programs, because management of neurologic sequelae and the emergent airway require the expertise of otolaryngologists. In the face of medical onslaught, Hib invasive disease is in retreat
Natural Treg cells spontaneously differentiate into pathogenic helper cells in lymphopenic conditions

Induction of Forkhead‐box p3 (Foxp3) expression in developing T cells upon peptide‐MHC encountering has been proposed to define a lineage of committed Treg cells. However, sustained expression of Foxp3 is required for Treg function and what maintains Foxp3 expression in peripheral Treg remains obscure. To address this issue, we monitored natural Treg phenotype and function upon adoptive transfer into lymphocyte‐deficient mice. We first show that about 50% of Foxp3‐GFP+ Treg isolated from Foxp3gfp KI animals loose Foxp3 expression in severe lymphopenic conditions. We next evidence that the cytokine IL‐2, either produced by co‐transferred conventional T cells or administrated i.v. prevents Foxp3 downregulation. Moreover, we document that Treg that lost Foxp3 expression upon adoptive transfer produce IL‐2 are not suppressive and promote tissue infiltration and damage upon secondary transfer into alymphoid mice. Our findings that Treg convert into pathogenic Th cells in absence of IL‐2 provide new clues to the success of Treg‐based immune therapies.
Learning compiler construction by examples

In traditional compiler construction courses, each compiler phase is studied in detail before moving on to the next one. This not only places a great distance between theory and practice but also makes the students lose the big picture of the subject. We have been employing a different course format in which the subject is incrementally introduced through ten compilers of increasingly complexity. The first compiler is in fact just a syntax analyzer of a very simple language. The last one is a complete compiler of a Pascal-like language. Students of this course learn how to build compilers faster than the usual.
Designing an Open, Multidimensional Dialogue Act Taxonomy

This paper discusses issues in the design of a rich taxonomy of dialogue acts that is hierarchically structured in such a way that a notion of ‘dimension’ is reflected, corresponding to the intuition that communication is a complex activity, with multiple aspects that can be addressed simultaneously. The taxonomy is also ‘open’ in the sense that it is based on clear criteria for including dialogue act types and for how they fit into the taxonomy, allowing easy addition of other act types.