Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Substance P Passive Smoke Effects on Cough and Airways in Young Guinea Pigs : Role of Brainstem on the following

[Full Text] [Abstract] , February 15, 2000; 523 (1): 223-233. J. Physiol. T. Mutoh, J. P. Joad and A. C. Bonham nucleus tractus solitarii neurones and reflex output in young guinea-pigs Chronic passive cigarette smoke exposure augments bronchopulmonary C-fibre inputs to [Full Text] [Abstract] , October 1, 2000; 279 (4): R1215-1223. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol T. Mutoh, A. C. Bonham and J. P. Joad output Substance P in the nucleus of the solitary tract augments bronchopulmonary C fiber reflex [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , October 1, 2001; 91 (4): 1645-1654. J Appl Physiol D. R. Bergren tobacco smoke Enhanced lung C-fiber responsiveness in sensitized adult guinea pigs exposed to chronic [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , February 15, 2003; 167 (4): 557-562. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. T. Mutoh and H. Tsubone Pigs Hypersensitivity of Laryngeal C-Fibers Induced by Volatile Anesthetics in Young Guinea [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , February 15, 2004; 169 (4): 499-504. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. J. P. Joad, P. A. Munch, J. M. Bric, S. J. Evans, K. E. Pinkerton, C. -Y. Chen and A. C. Bonham Substance P Passive Smoke Effects on Cough and Airways in Young Guinea Pigs: Role of Brainstem
ON DEFERRED CONSTRAINTS IN DISTRIBUTED DATABASE SYSTEMS

An atomic commit protocol (ACP) is a distributed algorithm used to ensure the atomicity property of transactions in distributed database systems. Although ACPs are designed to guarantee atomicity, they add a significant extra cost to each transaction execution time. This added cost is due to the overhead of the required coordination messages and log writes at each involved database site to achieve atomicity. For this reason, the continuing research efforts led to a number of optimizations that reduce the aforementioned cost. The most commonly adopted optimizations in the database standards and commercial database management systems are those designed around the early release of read locks of transactions. In this type of optimizations, certain participating sites may start releasing the read locks held by transactions before they are fully terminated across all participants. Hence, greatly enhancing concurrency among executing transactions and, consequently, the overall system performance. However, this type of optimizations introduces possible “execution infections” in the presence of deferred consistency constraints; a devastating complication that may lead to non-serializable executions of transactions. Thus, this type of optimizations could be considered useless, given the importance of preserving the consistency of the database in presence of deferred constraints, unless this complication is resolved in a practical and efficient manner. This is the essence of the “unsolicited deferred consistency constraints validation” mechanism presented in this paper.
The Parties in Our Heads: Misperceptions about Party Composition and Their Consequences

We document a large and consequential bias in how Americans perceive the major political parties: people tend to considerably overestimate the extent to which party supporters belong to party-stereotypical groups. For instance, people think that 32% of Democrats are LGBT (vs. 6% in reality) and 38% of Republicans earn over $250,000 per year (vs. 2% in reality). Experimental data suggest that these misperceptions are genuine and party specific, not artifacts of expressive responding, innumeracy, or ignorance of base rates. These misperceptions are widely shared, though bias in out-party perceptions is larger. Using observational and experimental data, we document the consequences of this perceptual bias. Misperceptions about out-party composition are associated with partisan affect, beliefs about out-party extremity, and allegiance to one’s own party. When provided information about the out-party’s actual composition, partisans come to see its supporters as less extreme and feel less socially distant from them.
Estimating local optimums in EM algorithm over Gaussian mixture model

EM algorithm is a very popular iteration-based method to estimate the parameters of Gaussian Mixture Model from a large observation set. However, in most cases, EM algorithm is not guaranteed to converge to the global optimum. Instead, it stops at some local optimums, which can be much worse than the global optimum. Therefore, it is usually required to run multiple procedures of EM algorithm with different initial configurations and return the best solution. To improve the efficiency of this scheme, we propose a new method which can estimate an upper bound on the logarithm likelihood of the local optimum, based on the current configuration after the latest EM iteration. This is accomplished by first deriving some region bounding the possible locations of local optimum, followed by some upper bound estimation on the maximum likelihood. With this estimation, we can terminate an EM algorithm procedure if the estimated local optimum is definitely worse than the best solution seen so far. Extensive experiments show that our method can effectively and efficiently accelerate conventional multiple restart EM algorithm.
Wages, Profits and Rent-Sharing

The paper uses CPS data from 1964 to 1985 to test for the existence of rent-sharing in US tabor markets, Using an unbalanced panel from the manufacturing sector, and random-effects and fixed-effects specifications, the paper finds that changes in wages are explained by movements in lagged levels of profitability and unemployment. The results appear to be consistent with rent-sharing theory (or a labor contract framework with risk-averse firms) and to be inconsistent with the competitive labor market model. The paper estimates the unemployment elasticity of pay at approximately -0.03, and the profit elasticity of pay at between 0.02 and 0.05.
Hierarchical Human Action Recognition by Normalized-Polar Histogram

This paper proposes a novel human action recognition approach which represents each video sequence by a cumulative skeletonized images (called CSI) in one action cycle. Normalized-polar histogram corresponding to each CSI is computed. That is the number of pixels in CSI which is located in the certain distance and angles of the normalized circle. Using hierarchical classification in two levels, human action is recognized. In first level, course classification is performed with whole bins of histogram. In the second level, the more similar actions are examined again employing the special bins and the fine classification is completed. We use linear multi-class SVM as the classifier in two steps. Real human action dataset, Weizmann, is selected for evaluation. The resulting average recognition rate of the proposed method is 97.6%.
O ct 2 00 1 On One-Loop Approximation to Tachyon Potentials

We compute the one-loop corrections to the tachyon potentials in both, bosonic and supersymmetric, cases by worldsheet methods. In fact, there is no contradiction between this approach and the Feynman diagram expansions arising from the tree level effective actions. In the process, we also get some insight on tachyon condensation from the viewpoint of closed string modes and show that there is an instability due to the closed string tachyon in the bosonic case. PACS : 11.25. -w
An Improved Fully Connected Hidden Markov Model for Rational Vaccine Design

Large-scale, in vitro vaccine screening is an expensive and slow process, while rational vaccine design is faster and cheaper. As opposed to the emperical ways to design vaccines in biology laboratories, rational vaccine design models the structure of vaccines with computational approaches. Building an effective predictive computer model requires extensive knowledge of the process or phenomenon being modelled. Given current knowledge about the steps involved in immune system responses, computer models are currently focused on one or two of the most important and best known steps; for example: presentation of antigens by major histo-compatibility complex (MHC) molecules. In this step, the MHC molecule selectively binds to some peptides derived from antigens and then presents them to the T-cell. One current focus in rational vaccine design is prediction of peptides that can be bound by MHC. Theoretically, predicting which peptides bind to a particular MHC molecule involves discovering patterns in known MHC-binding peptides and then searching for peptides which conform to these patterns in some new antigenic protein sequences. According to some previous work, Hidden Markov models (HMMs), a machine learning technique, is one of the most effective approaches for this task. Unfortunately, for computer models like HMMs, the number of the parameters to be determined is larger than the number which can be estimated from available training data. Thus, heuristic approaches have to be developed to determine the parameters. In this research, two heuristic approaches are proposed. The first initializes the HMM transition and emission probability matrices by assigning biological meanings to the states. The second approach tailors the structure of a fully connected HMM (fcHMM) to increase specificity. The effectiveness of these two approaches is tested on two human leukocyte antigens(HLA) alleles, HLA-A*0201 and HLAB*3501. The results indicate that these approaches can improve predictive accuracy. Further, the HMM implementation incorporating the above heuristics can outperform a popular profile HMM (pHMM) program, HMMER, in terms of predictive accuracy.
Strategies to Boost Standard Diffusion in Communication Networks Insights from Network Effect Theory

IT standards are subject to network effects which establish challenges concerning a successful diffusion of standards. A renowned example is a mobile service provider trying to establish a network of customers while potential user often wait until the network is sufficiently large in terms of other users (direct network effect) or content available (indirect effect). Despite the potential benefits to adopters and providers, there is still much uncertainty on the differential impact of direct and indirect network effects on the diffusion of standards and their impact on successful diffusion strategies to establish a user base. Our research questions thus are: (a) . what are the adoption drivers of IT standards and (b) . how can providers influence these drivers to develop an installed base? Based on network effect theory, we propose a formal model that simultaneously considers the different effects of direct and indirect network effects on the diffusion of communication standards. Using computer-based simulation we can show that IT providers could exploit the alternating impact of direct and indirect network effects at different diffusion stages to successfully establish an installed base. This has fundamental implications for the provider’s pricing and market strategy.
Dual-Band Circularly Polarized Transmitarray Antenna for Satellite Communications at (20, 30) GHz

A novel dual-band polarization-independent transmitarray is introduced in this paper for communication systems in <italic>Ka</italic>-band. Thanks to its unit-cell topology, the transmitarray antenna demonstrates almost complete independent performance at two design frequency bands of 20 GHz and 30 GHz. As a proof-of-concept, a transmitarray antenna prototype having a plate size of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$80 $ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times 80$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm has been fabricated using printed board technology. A dual-band circularly polarized ridged cavity antenna feeds this planar structure and the relative translational displacement between the feed and transmitarray allows beam steering. The antenna performance has been validated via experimental results, which demonstrate good agreement with the theoretical and simulation predictions carried out with commercial software packages.
Rule-based and Ontology-based Policies: Toward a Hybrid Approach to Control Agents in Pervasive Environments

Policies are being increasingly used for controlling the behavior of complex multi-agent systems. The use of policies allows administrators to regulate agent behavior without changing source code or requiring the consent or cooperation of the agents being governed. However, policy-based control can sometimes encounter difficulties when applied to agents that act in pervasive environments characterized by frequent and unpredictable changes. In such cases, we cannot always specify policies a priori to handle any operative run time situation, but instead require continuous adjustments to allow agents to behave in a contextually appropriate manner. To address these issues, some policy approaches for governing agents in pervasive environments specify policies in a way that is both context-based and semantically-rich. Two approaches have been used in recent research: an ontology-based approach that relies heavily on the expressive features of Description Logic (DL) languages, and a rule-based approach that encodes policies as Logic Programming (LP) rules. The aim of this paper is to analyze the emerging directions for the specification of semantically-rich context-based policies, highlighting their advantages and drawbacks. Based on our analysis we describe a hybrid approach that exploits the expressive capabilities of both DL and LP approaches.
Discordance in CD4+T-Cell Levels and Viral Loads with Co-Occurrence of Elevated Peripheral TNF-α and IL-4 in Newly Diagnosed HIV-TB Co-Infected Cases

Background Cytokines are the hallmark of immune response to different pathogens and often dictate the disease outcome. HIV infection and tuberculosis (TB) are more destructive when confronted together than either alone. Clinical data related to the immune status of HIV-TB patients before the initiation of any drug therapy is not well documented. This study aimed to collect the baseline information pertaining to the immune status of HIV-TB co-infected patients and correlate the same with CD4+T cell levels and viral loads at the time of diagnosis prior to any drug therapy. Methodology/Principal Findings We analyzed the cytokines, CD4+T cell levels and viral loads to determine the immune environment in HIV-TB co-infection. The study involved four categories namely, Healthy controls (n = 57), TB infected (n = 57), HIV infected (n = 59) and HIV-TB co-infected (n = 57) patients. The multi-partite comparison and correlation between cytokines, CD4+T-cell levels and viral loads prior to drug therapy, showed an altered TH1 and TH2 response, as indicated by the cytokine profiles and skewed IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio. Inadequate CD4+T cell counts in HIV-TB patients did not correlate with high viral loads and vice-versa. When compared to HIV category, 34% of HIV-TB patients had concurrent high plasma levels of IL-4 and TNF-α at the time of diagnosis. TB relapse was observed in 5 of these HIV-TB co-infected patients who also displayed high IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio. Conclusion/Significance With these studies, we infer (i) CD4+T-cell levels as baseline criteria to report the disease progression in terms of viral load in HIV-TB co-infected patients can be misleading and (ii) co-occurrence of high TNF-α and IL-4 levels along with a high ratio of IFN-γ/IL-10, prior to drug therapy, may increase the susceptibility of HIV-TB co-infected patients to hyper-inflammation and TB relapse.
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We propose a simplification algorithm that preserves the sur face’s shape features. In a pre-processing step, crest lines are ex tract d and used together with a quadric error metric to drive the sim plification. The error metric is utilized locally to ensure that eve ry mesh’s region is simplified in a similar rate. This algorithm attemp ts to minimize the creation of tiny or very large faces. A comparis on with Garland and Heckbert’s simplification algorithm is pre sented. The experimental results show a substantial improvement of the simplified surface’s quality both visually and numerically .
Patterns and trends in adolescents' contraceptive use and discontinuation in developing countries and comparisons with adult women.

CONTEXT The reproductive choices made by young women and men have an enormous impact on their health, schooling, employment prospects and overall transition to adulthood. As the largest cohort of young people in history enter their childbearing years, their reproductive behavior will determine the growth and size of the world's population for decades to come. METHODS Demographic and Health Survey data from more than 40 countries were used to examine the proportions of 15-19-year-old women who are currently married or are unmarried but sexually active; their rates of contraceptive adoption, current use, discontinuation, method switching and contraceptive failure; trends in these indicators; and comparisons with older women. RESULTS In many countries, the proportion of adolescent women using contraceptives increased substantially over the last two decades; prevalence among adolescents increased faster than among older women. Greater proportions of adolescents than of older women discontinued using a contraceptive method within a year or experienced contraceptive failure. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent contraceptive use is growing, and compared with adult use, is characterized by shorter periods of consistent use with more contraceptive failure and more stopping for other reasons. Use through the reproductive years is likely to grow, fueled further by growth in the numbers of young people. An expanded demand for contraceptive supplies, services and information can be expected to challenge the preparedness, capacity and resources of existing family planning programs and providers.
The Nature of the Host Galaxies for Gamma-Ray Bursts

It has been suggested recently that the rate of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is proportional to the star formation rate in the universe. In this paper, we study the nature of GRB hosts expected in this scenario. We improve upon previous studies by incorporating a luminosity function for the GRBs, as required by observations. This model provides a good match to the observed number counts of GRBs as a function of peak-count rate. The model predicts that the host galaxies have their redshift distribution peaked around z~1, and about 15 percent have z>2.5. This high-redshift fraction have the same properties as the star-forming galaxies recently discovered by the Lyman-break technique. At z<~1, many of the GRBs may be hosted by faint blue galaxies. Using a photometric redshift sample of galaxies from the Hubble Deep Field, we find that the host galaxies have magnitudes in the range from 21.5 to 28 in the I-band, and about 90 percent of them have semi-major axis smaller than 1.3 arcsec. Assuming isotropic emission, the typical peak-luminosity and total energy of GRBs are in an Einstein-de Sitter universe with H_0=100km/s/Mpc. We also discuss further observational tests of this scenario.
Comparison of 85Krypton and 133Xenon Cerebral Blood Flow Measurements before, during, and following Focal, Incomplete Ischemia in the Squirrel Monkey

A comparison of regional cerebral blood flow measurements made with beta-and gamma-emitting isotopes revealed good correspondence in areas of normal perfusion and reactive hyperemia but poor correspondence in areas of focal ischemia. After middle cerebral artery occlusion at normocapnia, there was a 65% reduction in regional cerebral blood flow from 1.40 ± 0.27 ml/g min−1 to 0.49 ± 0.10 ml/g min−1 in monkeys studied with 85Kr but only a 27% reduction in regional cerebral blood flow from 0.84 ± 0.09 ml/g min−1 to 0.61 ± 0.08 ml/g min−1 in monkeys studied with 133Xe. The lack of correlation within areas of focal, incomplete ischemia was attributed to an impairment of isotope delivery to the area of ischemia coupled with the inherent lack of spatial resolution of determinations made with 133Xe. This finding may partly explain the numerous discrepancies in experimental and clinical studies of the effects of alterations in the arterial partial pressure of CO2 on regional cerebral blood flow in areas of ischemia; it may also explain the failure of such studies to reflect the true severity of focal ischemia.
A Causal Classification of Orthography Errors in Web Texts

Errors, even at the spelling level, can provide useful insight into the nature of a written text. This paper presents a classification of spelling errors in Web texts based on their causes (misspellings, typos and intentional deviations), linking them to the attitudes of their authors and the circumstances of their writing. Examples are drawn from blog and forum entries in English and Italian.
Microalbuminuria in Normal Korean Children

Purpose Although microalbuminuria is known as a predictor of clinical nephropathy and cardiomyopathy, few studies have investigated the incidence and reference range of microalbuminuria in healthy children. This study aimed to establish a reference range and to study the age-related trend for spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio in a Korean pediatric population. Materials and Methods 352 healthy children were studied from July 2007 through March 2010. Height, weight, serum creatinine, spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were obtained for each subject. We divided the study population into 5 groups according to age, and compared the spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio with other variables using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis. Results In this study, the data showed that the spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio decreased with age: 1-12 months, 22.72±13.80 mg/mmol (2SD: 3.33-54.40 mg/mmol); 13-28 months, 16.34±9.58 mg/mmol (2SD: 3.16-35.19 mg/mmol); 29-48 months, 13.12±9.74 mg/mmol (2SD: 3.01-41.57 mg/mmol); 4-6 years, 10.58±8.13 mg/mmol (2SD: 0.00-30.19 mg/mmol); and 7-19 years, 5.13±5.44 mg/mmol (2SD: 0.45-14.45 mg/mmol). The spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio showed correlation with age, height, height z-score, weight, weight z-score, GFR, body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA). Conclusion The spot urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio in normal Korean children decreased with age. This ratio could potentially be used to establish reference ranges and cutoff values for Korean children and to predict nephropathy and cardiomyopathy.
Viewing Assignment of Moral Status to Service Robots from the Theological Ethics of Paul Tillich: Some Hard Questions

This paper initially addresses the possibility that expanding human-robot interaction (HRI) – particularly HRI involving humanoid service robots – may increasingly encourage de facto assignment of some measures of moral status to such artifacts. Finding reasons to believe that emergence of a social phenomenon of this kind is plausible, it then examines such assignment from the perspective of a specific example of contemporary Christian theology – viz., the theological ethics of Paul Tillich. Results of the examination raise questions strongly encouraging continued multidisciplinary attention to implications of expanding HRI wherever understandings of morality resembling those of Tillich are meaningful.