Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nicotinic Acid Accelerates HDL Cholesteryl Ester Turnover in Obese Insulin-Resistant Dogs

Aim Nicotinic acid (NA) treatment decreases plasma triglycerides and increases HDL cholesterol, but the mechanisms involved in these change are not fully understood. A reduction in cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity has been advanced to explain most lipid-modulating effects of NA. However, due to the central role of CETP in reverse cholesterol transport in humans, other effects of NA may have been hidden. As dogs have no CETP activity, we conducted this study to examine the specific effects of extended-release niacin (NA) on lipids and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesteryl ester (CE) turnover in obese Insulin-Resistant dogs with increase plasma triglycerides. Methods HDL kinetics were assessed in fasting dogs before and four weeks after NA treatment through endogenous labeling of cholesterol and apolipoprotein AI by simultaneous infusion of [1,2 13C2] acetate and [5,5,5 2H3] leucine for 8 h. Kinetic data were analyzed by compartmental modeling. In vitro cell cholesterol efflux of serum from NA-treated dogs was also measured. Results NA reduced plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), and very-low-density lipoprotein TG concentrations (p < 0.05). The kinetic study also showed a higher cholesterol esterification rate (p < 0.05). HDL-CE turnover was accelerated (p < 0.05) via HDL removal through endocytosis and selective CE uptake (p < 0.05). We measured an elevated in vitro cell cholesterol efflux (p < 0.05) with NA treatment in accordance with a higher cholesterol esterification. Conclusion NA decreased HDL cholesterol but promoted cholesterol efflux and esterification, leading to improved reverse cholesterol transport. These results highlight the CETP-independent effects of NA in changes of plasma lipid profile.
Comparative Analysis of Genome Diversity in Bullmastiff Dogs

Management and preservation of genomic diversity in dog breeds is a major objective for maintaining health. The present study was undertaken to characterise genomic diversity in Bullmastiff dogs using both genealogical and molecular analysis. Genealogical analysis of diversity was conducted using a database consisting of 16,378 Bullmastiff pedigrees from year 1980 to 2013. Additionally, a total of 188 Bullmastiff dogs were genotyped using the 170,000 SNP Illumina CanineHD Beadchip. Genealogical parameters revealed a mean inbreeding coefficient of 0.047; 142 total founders (f); an effective number of founders (fe) of 79; an effective number of ancestors (fa) of 62; and an effective population size of the reference population of 41. Genetic diversity and the degree of genome-wide homogeneity within the breed were also investigated using molecular data. Multiple-locus heterozygosity (MLH) was equal to 0.206; runs of homozygosity (ROH) as proportion of the genome, averaged 16.44%; effective population size was 29.1, with an average inbreeding coefficient of 0.035, all estimated using SNP Data. Fine-scale population structure was analysed using NETVIEW, a population analysis pipeline. Visualisation of the high definition network captured relationships among individuals within and between subpopulations. Effects of unequal founder use, and ancestral inbreeding and selection, were evident. While current levels of Bullmastiff heterozygosity, inbreeding and homozygosity are not unusual, a relatively small effective population size indicates that a breeding strategy to reduce the inbreeding rate may be beneficial.
Degradation of Misfolded Endoplasmic Reticulum Glycoproteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Is Determined by a Specific Oligosaccharide Structure

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, transfer of N-linked oligosaccharides is immediately followed by trimming of ER-localized glycosidases. We analyzed the influence of specific oligosaccharide structures for degradation of misfolded carboxypeptidase Y (CPY). By studying the trimming reactions in vivo, we found that removal of the terminal α1,2 glucose and the first α1,3 glucose by glucosidase I and glucosidase II respectively, occurred rapidly, whereas mannose cleavage by mannosidase I was slow. Transport and maturation of correctly folded CPY was not dependent on oligosaccharide structure. However, degradation of misfolded CPY was dependent on specific trimming steps. Degradation of misfolded CPY with N-linked oligosaccharides containing glucose residues was less efficient compared with misfolded CPY bearing the correctly trimmed Man8GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide. Reduced rate of degradation was mainly observed for mis- folded CPY bearing Man6GlcNAc2, Man7GlcNAc2 and Man9GlcNAc2 oligosaccharides, whereas Man8GlcNAc2 and, to a lesser extent, Man5GlcNAc2 oligosaccharides supported degradation. These results suggest a role for the Man8GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide in the degradation process. They may indicate the presence of a Man8GlcNAc2-binding lectin involved in targeting of misfolded glycoproteins to degradation in S. cerevisiae.
Colorectal liver metastases: recurrence and survival following hepatic resection, radiofrequency ablation, and combined resection-radiofrequency ablation.

HYPOTHESIS Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is increasingly an accepted option for patients with colorectal liver metastases, patients treated with resection vs RFA may have different tumor biology profiles, which might confound the relationship between choice of liver-directed therapy and outcome. DESIGN Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database. SETTING Major hepatobiliary center. PATIENTS Between January 1, 1999, and August 30, 2006, 258 patients with colorectal liver metastases underwent hepatic resection with or without RFA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Evaluation of outcome following resection alone, combined resection-RFA, and RFA alone using 3 statistical methods (paired-match control, Cox proportional hazards multivariate model, and propensity index) to identify and adjust for potential confounding variables. RESULTS The median number of hepatic lesions was 2, and the median size of the largest lesion was 3.0 cm. One hundred ninety-two patients (74.4%) underwent resection alone, 55 patients (21.3%) underwent resection-RFA, and 11 patients (4.3%) underwent RFA alone. Patients who underwent resection-RFA had significantly increased risk of extrahepatic failure at 1 year vs patients who underwent resection alone or RFA alone (P < .05). On matched control and multivariate analyses, patients who underwent RFA with or without resection had significantly worse disease-free and overall survival than patients who underwent resection alone. Propensity score methods revealed that the aggregate distribution of clinical risk factors for resection-RFA was markedly different from that for resection alone. This suggested a lack of comparability to allow for statistical comparisons in the assessment of causal inferences regarding the efficacy of RFA therapy. CONCLUSION Although results of matched control and multivariate analyses suggested that RFA with or without resection was associated with worse outcome, propensity score methods revealed that the resection-RFA and resection-alone groups were different with regard to baseline tumor and treatment-related factors, making causal inferences about the efficacy of RFA unreliable.
Effects of Process Parameters on the Surface Roughness of Stainless Steel 316L Parts Produced by Selective Laser Melting

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing method that is used to fabricate different types of complex components using a layer-by-layer approach. The parts are produced directly from three-dimensional computer-aided design data by melting the powdered material layer-by-layer with the aid of laser power. In this work, an experimental investigation of the process parameters of the SLM method using stainless steel 316L powder was conducted. The influence of laser power, scanning speed, and hatching distance on the surface roughness of the specimens was investigated. The design of experiment was conducted using Taguchi’s L16 orthogonal array. Furthermore, statistical analysis using signal-to-noise (S/N) response and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to obtain the optimal parameter combinations of the SLM process. From the experimental results, it was found that laser power has the greatest effect on the surface roughness relative to scanning speed and hatching distance. Moreover, using regression analysis, the predicted values of surface roughness and signal-to-noise ratios were obtained. The predicted values were then compared with the experimental values. Lastly, shot peening technique was used to improve the surface roughness of the manufactured components. The results show that the shot peening process offers about 33.28 % reduction in the surface roughness of the manufactured parts.
The projective invariants of ordered points on the line

The space of n (ordered) points on the projective line, modulo automorphisms of the line, is one of the most important and classical examples of an invariant theory quotient, and is one of the first examples given in any course. Generators for the ring of invariants have been known since the end of the nineteenth century, but the question of the relations has remained surprisingly open, and it was not even known that the relations have bounded degree. We show that the ideal of relations is generated in degree at most four, and give an explicit description of the generators. The result holds for arbitrary weighting of the points. If all the weights are even (e.g. in the case of equal weight for odd n), we show that the ideal of relations is generated by quadrics. The proof is by degenerating the moduli space to a toric variety, and following an enlarged set of generators through this degeneration.
Nonparametric Estimation of Infinite Order Regression and Its Application to the Risk-Return Tradeoff

This paper studies nonparametric estimation of the infinite order regression [see code in paper] with stationary and weakly dependent data. We propose a Nadaraya-Watson type estimator that operates with an infinite number of conditioning variables. The established theories are applied to examine the intertemporal risk-return relation for the aggregate stock market, and some new empirical evidence is reported. With a bandwidth sequence that shrinks the effects of long lags, the influence of all conditioning information is modelled in a natural and flexible way, and the issues of omitted information bias and specification error are effectively handled. Asymptotic properties of the estimator are shown under a wide range of static and dynamic regressions frameworks, thereby allowing various kinds of conditioning variables to be used. We establish pointwise/uniform consistency and CLTs. It is shown that the convergence rates are at best logarithmic, and depend on the smoothness of the regression, the distribution of the marginal regressors and their dependence structure in a non-trivial way via the Lambert W function. The empirical studies on S&P 500 daily data from 1950-2016 using our estimator report an overall positive risk-return relation. We also . find evidence of strong time variation and counter- cyclical behaviour in risk aversion. These conclusions are attributable to the inclusion of otherwise neglected information in our method.
SOLERO: Solar Powered Exploration Rover

This abstract presents a perform study on SOLERO, a new and innovative rover concept for regional mobility on planetary surfaces. A rover is the most suited element to bring scientific instrument to a specific site in order to examine geology, mineralogy or exobiology on extraterrestrial planets. In contrast with the Mars Pathfinder mission, the actual need increases in terms of range and duration. These aspects lead to redesign many aspect of the past rovers, in particular the development of most suitable all terrain performances, autonomous navigation and a new power management concept. In this paper well focus on the locomotion and the energy utilization without contribution of batteries. To validate the SOLERO possibilities in these domains and its use for future planetary exploration missions, modelization, testing and Mars like mission simulation have been done. Due to extreme temperatures the use of batteries is a critical point and becomes too expensive in term of size and mass for long-time missions. In this case, a locomotion concept reducing power consumption with exclusive use of on board power generation has to be investigated. The SOLERO mechanical structure is an optimization of the Shrimp rover developed at EPFL. It has one wheel mounted on a fork in the front, one wheel in the rear and two bogies on each side. The parallel architecture of the bogies and the spring suspended fork provides a high ground clearance while keeping all its 6 motorized wheels in ground contact. This ensures excellent climbing capabilities over obstacles higher that the wheel diameter. Moreover, this original combination of wheeled locomotion and passive adaptation to help to reduce power consumption compared to active design such as legged rovers, without sensible reduction of climbing abilities. To remove the problems linked with energy storage, not only power reduction is important, but also the power management. SOLERO uses exclusively solar cells to generate the electrical power, because its currently the most adapted solution for local energy generation on a rover. However the use of solar power only, have several constraints linked with the incoming solar radiation (insolation). To determine SOLEROs power budget and performances, a Mars insolation and environment model has been chosen as reference. The integrated solar power generation restricts the operation time and power to specific daytime. The electrical power provided by a solar panel of 0.3m2 is over 14W during the four hours around noon, this is sufficient for locomotion. The 1kg scientific payload needs less that 8W power and can be used during a maximal time of height hours during daylight. However, the limited power storage capacities and the reduction of power consumption for locomotion allowed this rover to be small, light and operational during more that 100 sols (Martian days). The total mass is only 10kg and its locomotion performance, in comparison with actual rovers, leads SOLERO to become the perfect candidate for long range mission on near-sun planets
Identification of an effective nondestructive technique for bond defect determination in laminate composites—A technical review

Laminate composites are commonly used for the production of critical mechanical structures and components such as wind turbine blades, helicopter rotors, unmanned aerial vehicle wings and honeycomb structures for aircraft wings. During the manufacturing process of these composite structures, zones or areas with weak bond strength are always issues, which may affect the strength and performance of components. The identification and quantification of these zones are always challenging and necessary for the mass production. Non-destructive testing methods available, including ultrasonic A, B, and C-Scan, laser shearography, X-ray tomography, and thermography can be useful for the mentioned purposes. A comparison of these techniques concerning their capacity of identification and quantification of bond defects; however, still needs a comprehensive review. In this paper, a detailed comparison of several non-destructive testing techniques is provided. Emphasis is placed to institute a guideline to select the most suitable technique for the identification of zones with bond defects in laminated composites. Experimental tests on different composite based machined components are also discussed in detail. The discussion provides practical evidence about the effectiveness of different non-destructive testing techniques.
Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Risk

In 1996 a meta-analysis was published showing that an increase in plasma triglyceride (TG) levels was associated with an increase in CHD risk, even after adjustment for high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Very recently, two studies were published that further extent the early observation and showed the importance of nonfasting plasma triglyceride (TG) levels in the prediction of risk on coronary heart disease (CHD). In the current review we have summarized all available evidence obtained in clinical studies showing that treatment guidelines should reconsider to include nonfasting TG in their risk assessments as nonfasting TG levels may better predict CVD risk.
Congenital Aural Atresia

AbstractCongenital aural atresia is a spectrum of ear deformities present at birth that involves some degree of failure of the development of the external auditory canal. This malformation may be associated with other congenital anomalies; it occurs as a result of abnormal development of the first and second branchial arches and the first branchial cleft and most often occurs sporadically, although the disease may be manifested in different syndromes. Congenital aural atresia is considered one of the most difficult and challenging surgeries for the otologic surgeon. The goals of atresia surgery are to restore functional hearing, preferably without the requirement of a hearing aid, and to reconstruct a patent, infection-free external auditory canal. The repair is usually done at the age of 6 years, so children with bilateral atresia may need hearing amplification in the first few weeks of life until the age at surgery. To optimize the surgical outcome, careful audiological and radiological evaluation of the patient should be performed preoperatively. Also, postoperative frequent packing and regular follow-up are mandatory to avoid restenosis and infection of the newly created canal. With careful intraoperative dissection and regular follow-up, complications of surgery can be avoided.
PROMOTING PORTABILITY IN DIALOGUE MANAGEMENT

We have recently begun an effort to develop a domain-independent dialogue manager that can be used as part of a mixed-initiative spoken dialogue system to construct more complex systems without modifying underlying code. Inside a generic dialogue manager, the developer would select from a suite of self-contained dialogue flow functions, and tailor them in accordance with the specifics of the application. We have also developed grammars catered to semantic concepts such as dates/times, and prices, along with a server that interprets and canonicalizes these concepts. These grammars can be used by developers in the SPEECHBUILDER framework [1] to obtain precompiled meaning representations for commonly used concepts, and embed them into their applications, drastically reducing the work required to configure a conversational system. The generic dialogue manager and functions supporting common semantic concepts have been applied to several new domains including a Hotel Information Domain.
Psychological Dissection of Patients Having Dissociative Disorder: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Patients present with dissociative disorders as a decompensation to underlying stressful situation. It is clinically important to evaluate the presence, type, and temporal relation of the stressors resulting in dissociation. Further knowing the sociodemographic and psychological profile of the dissociative patient helps in better management. Materials and Methods: The study included 55 dissociative patients aged between 5 to 45 years. Psychiatric diagnosis was made using ICD-10 DCR. Psychosocial stressors and stressful life events were assessed using presumptive stressful life events scale/life events scale for Indian children and clinical interview. Personality and temperament traits were assessed using medico psychological questionnaire and temperament measurement schedule, respectively. Intelligence quotient (IQ) was assessed using standard progressive matrices and colored progressive matrices. Statistical analysis was done using Epi Info 7 software. Results: All patients had significant psychosocial stressors preceding dissociation. Precipitating factor with temporal association was observed in only 83.64%. Family disharmony (41.82%) followed by education-related problems (29.09%) was the most common psychosocial stressors. 61.82% of the dissociative patients had psychiatric comorbidity. Mean IQ of study sample was 92.47. Dissociative children had high emotionality and energy levels but low sociability, rhythmicity, and distractibility. 50% of the adults were neurotic and had emotionally unstable personality. Conclusion: Dissociative disorders are commonly seen in females, adolescents, and in those from lower socioeconomic status and rural areas. They are always preceded by psychosocial stressors. Most of them have comorbid psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. Neuroticism and emotionally unstable personality traits are common in adult patients while temperamental traits such as low sociability, low rhythmicity, low distractibility, high emotionality, and high energy levels are common in children.
Stable isotope biogeochemistry of methane formation in profundal sediments of Lake Kinneret (Israel)

Methane production in profundal sediments of Lake Kinneret was recently found to be, to a large extent, syntrophically coupled to the oxidation of acetate, an apparently unique feature of CH4 biogeochemistry in lake sediments. Our measurements of the conversion of 14CO2 and of [2‐14C]acetate to CH4 at both 15 and 30°C were in agreement with this observation. Measurement of the fraction of 14CO2‐derived CH4 together with δ13CH4 and δ13CO2 allowed the calculation of δ13CH4 values originating from either CO2 ( δmc) or acetate ( δma). Assuming α‐values for 13C fractionation during CO2 reduction to CH4 of 1.06–1.07, CH4 production from acetate required a relatively large fractionation factor that increased with depth and resulted in a dma from ‐50 to ‐60‰. This result is consistent with syntrophic acetate conversion to CH4 rather than acetoclastic methanogenesis. The apparent fractionation factor ( α) between CO2 and CH4 increased with depth from 1.045 to 1.065. The δ13C of sedimentary particulate organic matter increased with depth from ‐28 to ‐24‰. Incubation of sediment samples from layers in the upper 5 cm resulted in a steady increase of α, both at 15 and 30°C. Unlike deeper sediment layers, it remained constant, with δ13CH4 decreasing with incubation time. This behavior is indicative of sediments in which methanogenesis is extremely limited by substrate. Collectively, our experiments demonstrate the usefulness of 13C data to elucidate the pathway of CH4 production and confirm the unique biogeochemical features of CH4 biogeochemistry in Lake Kinneret.
Human Decision Making in Recommender Systems ( Decisions @ RecSys ’ 12 )

Many factors that influence users’ decision making processes in Recommender Systems (RSs) have been investigated by a relatively vast research of empirical and theoretical nature, mostly in the field of e-commerce. In this paper, we discuss some aspects of the user experience with RSs that may affect the decision making process and outcome, and have been marginally addressed by prior research. These include the nature of users’ goals and the dynamic characteristics of the resources space (e.g., availability during the search process). We argue that these subjective and objective factors of the user experience with a RS call for a rethinking of the decision making process as it is normally assumed in traditional RSs, and raise a number or research challenges. These concepts are exemplified in the application domain of on-line services, specifically, hotel bookinga field where we are carrying on a number of activities in cooperation with a large stakeholder (Venere.com – a company of Expedia Inc.). Still, most of the arguments discussed in the paper can be extended to other domains, and have general implications for RS design and evaluation.