Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dynamic Universality of Sigmoidal Neural Networks

We investigate the computational power of recurrent neural networks that apply the sigmoid activation function? (x)=2/(1+e? x)]? 1. These networks are extensively used in automatic learning of non-linear dynamical behavior. We show that in the noiseless model, there exists a universal architecture that can be used to compute any recursive (Turing) function. This is the first result of its kind for the sigmoid activation function; previous techniques only applied to linearized and truncated version of this function. The significance of our result, besides the proving technique itself, lies in the popularity of the sigmoidal function both in engineering applications of artificial neural networks and in biological modelling. Our techniques can be applied to a much more general class of “sigmoidal-like” activation functions, suggesting that Turing universality is a relatively common property of recurrent neural network models.
Computer-assisted methods to evaluate retinal vascular caliber: what are they measuring?

PURPOSE Computer-assisted methods to measure retinal vessel diameters have been incorporated into research, but it is not clear which component of the vessels they are measuring. This study was conducted to compare measurements of retinal vessel diameter by using imaging-processing software on color fundus photographs (FPs) and fluorescein angiographs (FAs). METHODS FP and FA images were taken simultaneously in 52 eyes of 31 patients referred for angiography for diagnosis of retinal disease. Arteriolar and venular calibers were measured in two concentric zones around the optic disc center. Pearson correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the agreement between the measurements made by FP and FA. RESULTS The differences between the diameters measured by the microdensitometric method from FP and FA were 2.59 ± 8.67 μm in the inner arteriola, 4.93 ± 7.47 μm in the outer arteriola, -1,58 ± 8.49 μm in the inner venula, and -1.80 ± 7.28 μm in the outer venula. The differences plotted by the Bland-Altman method were slight. The Pearson correlation coefficients of measurements by FP and FA were 0.84 for inner zone and 0.87 for outer zone arterioles and 0.93 and 0.94 for the inner and outer zone venules, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The very slight differences between measurements of retinal vessel diameter by the two methods demonstrate that the microdensitometric method mostly measures the vessel lumen. Differences in vessel diameters measured by the microdensitometric method observed in clinical conditions may therefore be ascribed to variation in wall thickness or vasoconstriction.
Convex and monotonic bootstrapped Kriging

Distribution-free bootstrapping of the replicated responses of a given discrete-event simulation model gives bootstrapped Kriging (Gaussian process) metamodels; we require these metamodels to be either convex or monotonic. To illustrate monotonic Kriging, we use an M/M/1 queueing simulation with as output either the mean or the 90% quantile of the transient-state waiting times, and as input the traffic rate. In this example, monotonic bootstrapped Kriging enables better sensitivity analysis than classic Kriging; i.e., bootstrapping gives lower MSE and confidence intervals with higher coverage and the same length. To illustrate convex Kriging, we start with simulation-optimization of an (s, S) inventory model, but we next switch to a Monte Carlo experiment with a second-order polynomial inspired by this inventory simulation. We could not find truly convex Kriging metamodels, either classic or bootstrapped; nevertheless, our bootstrapped “nearly convex” Kriging does give a confidence interval for the optimal input combination.
SUMO-1 conjugation in normal and stress conditions in vivo

5 YHTEENVETO . 7 ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONS . 9 ABBREVIATIONS . 10 INTRODUCTION . 12 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE . 13 1. Nuclear receptors as regulators of transcription . 13 1.1 Transcription factors and their coregulators . 13 1.2 The nuclear receptor superfamily . 15 1.3 Transcriptional activation and repression by NRs . 17 1.4 PPARs . 20 1.5 LXR . 21 1.6 LRH-1 . 22 2. SUMOylation pathway . 23 2.1 Sumo1-4 . 23 2.2 E3 enzymes . 25 2.3 SENPs . 27 2.4 Consensus motifs for SUMO conjugation and recognition . 27 2.5 Crosstalk with other modifications . 28 3. Functions of SUMOylation . 30 3.1 Regulation of transcription . 31 3.2 Regulation of inflammation . 35 3.3 Stress and SUMO . 36 3.4 SUMO and chromosomal stability . 37 3.5 SUMO and human diseases . 39 4. Adipose tissue . 40 4.1 White adipose tissue . 41 4.2 Brown adipose tissue . 42 4.3 Obesity . 43 5. Testis . 44 5.1 Development . 45 5.2 Spermatogenesis . 46 AIMS OF THE STUDY . 49 MATERIALS AND METHODS . 50 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION . 58
Acute effects of alcohol on trauma memories

Memory disturbances following a trauma are a characteristic feature of posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite alcohol’s frequent involvement in real-life traumatic events, our understanding of its contribution to trauma-related symptoms is unclear. The research in this thesis aimed to determine the way in which alcohol intoxication during a traumatic experience might influence memory for the event. Experiment 1 showed that alcohol impaired recognition associated with recollection with greater reductions as dose increased (0, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8g/kg); in contrast, recognition associated with familiarity was preserved. Experiments 2 and 3 utilised an analogue trauma film to examine how low (0.4g\kg) and high (0.8g/kg) doses of alcohol affected intrusive imagery and explicit memory for the footage. Alcohol during encoding resulted in a dose-dependent inverted U-shaped curve on intrusive imagery, with increased intrusions only following a low dose. Explicit memory for the footage was reduced in a dose-dependent linear manner. In addition, experiment 3 concurrently assessed same- and shifted-view object location recognition to determine the mechanisms that might underpin alcohol’s effects on trauma memory. Results showed that a low dose of alcohol selectively impaired shifted-view recognition, thought to rely on an allocentric representation. However, same-view recognition was preserved, suggesting a spared egocentric representational system. In contrast, the high dose disrupted both same- and shifted-view recognition, suggesting a global disruption in both memory systems. Experiment 4 examined the effects of alcohol (0.4/kg) on contextual fear acquisition and extinction and both same- and shifted-view recognition. Fear acquisition was unaffected by alcohol, whilst extinction learning was impaired with persistent conditioned responses throughout extinction. Alcohol-induced reductions in extinction learning were highly correlated with decreases in shifted-view recognition, supporting the role of contextual encoding in extinction. The findings of these studies suggest that alcohol dose-dependently influences trauma memories and this could result in a distinct set of trauma-related symptoms.
HISTOCOMPATIBILITY STUDIES IN A CLOSELY BRED COLONY OF DOGS

17 Cooperstown beagles of known DL-A genotypes were exposed to supralethal total body irradiation and received a bone marrow allograft from a DL-A-identical donor; 11 littermate and 6 nonlittermate donor-recipient pairs were studied. The recipients are surviving uneventfully for 315, 364, 424, 440, 531, 531, 584, 605, 625, 635, and 649 days in the littermate group and for 211, 279, 280, 368, 479, and 480 days in the nonlittermate group. The radiation chimeras underwent bilateral nephrectomy and received a kidney allograft obtained from their respective marrow donor within 43–120 days after bone marrow transplantation. The renal allografts are surviving for 191, 200, 221, 234, 313, 349, 361, 377, 378, 405, 441, 444, 482, 557, 580, 581, and 586 days, respectively. 12 of 13 skin allografts obtained from the marrow donor are at present surviving in the recipients for 107, 110, 110, 110, 116, 122, 128, 143, 143, 162, 178, and 199 days, respectively; one graft was rejected at 84 days. In contrast, the radiation chimeras rejected 25 skin allografts obtained from DL-A-incompatible donors within 10.5–21 days (MST = 15.2 days). Skin transplants obtained from DL-A-identical siblings of the bone marrow donors were rejected within 20–36 days (MST = 25.8 days) in recipients of bone marrow cells obtained from littermate donors. Recipients of nonlittermate bone marrow transplants accorded such allografts a prolonged survival time of 27–76 days (MST = 56.2 days). Prospective selection of genotypically DL-A-identical donor-recipient pairs results in the regularly reproducible long-term survival of bone marrow allografts. The radiation chimeras produced in this manner have developed a donor-specific state of unresponsiveness to kidney and skin allografts. The results are consistent with the existence in the canine species of at least three closely linked genetic systems relevant to transplantation, including DL-A, MLC, and a possible bone marrow transplantation locus.
Proceedings of the Workshop on Intuitionistic Modal Logic and Applications (IMLA'08)

In this paper we study a version of constructive linear-time temporal logic (LTL) with the “next” temporal operator. The logic is originally due to Davies, who has shown that the proof system of the logic corresponds to a type system for binding-time analysis via the Curry-Howard isomorphism. However, he did not investigate the logic itself in detail; he has proved only that the logic augmented with negation and classical reasoning is equivalent to (the “next” fragment of) the standard formulation of classical linear-time temporal logic. We give natural deduction and Kripke semantics for constructive LTL with conjunction and disjunction, and prove soundness and completeness. Distributivity of the “next” operator over disjunction “©(A ∨ B) ⊃ ©A ∨ ©B” is rejected from a computational viewpoint. We also give a formalization by sequent calculus and its cut-elimination procedure.
A Language for Manipulating Arrays

This paper describes the Array Manipulation Language (AML), an algebra for multidimensional array data. AML is generic, in the sense that it can be customized to support a wide variety of domain-specific operations on arrays. AML expressions can be treated declaratively and subjected to rewrite optimizations. To illustrate this, several rewrite rules that exploit the structural properties of the AML operations are presented. Some techniques for efl’icient evaluation of AML expressions are also discussed.
Plasma microRNA panel to diagnose hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE More than 60% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) do not receive curative therapy as a result of late clinical presentation and diagnosis. We aimed to identify plasma microRNAs for diagnosing hepatitis B virus (HBV) -related HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS Plasma microRNA expression was investigated with three independent cohorts including 934 participants (healthy, chronic hepatitis B, cirrhosis, and HBV-related HCC), recruited between August 2008 and June 2010. First, we used microarray to screen 723 microRNAs in 137 plasma samples for diagnosing HCC. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay was then applied to evaluate the expression of selected microRNAs. A logistic regression model was constructed using a training cohort (n = 407) and then validated using an independent cohort (n = 390). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS We identified a microRNA panel (miR-122, miR-192, miR-21, miR-223, miR-26a, miR-27a and miR-801) that provided a high diagnostic accuracy of HCC (AUC = 0.864 and 0.888 for training and validation data set, respectively). The satisfactory diagnostic performance of the microRNA panel persisted regardless of disease status (AUCs for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages 0, A, B, and C were 0.888, 0.888, 0.901, and 0.881, respectively). The microRNA panel can also differentiate HCC from healthy (AUC = 0.941), chronic hepatitis B (AUC = 0.842), and cirrhosis (AUC = 0.884), respectively. CONCLUSION We found a plasma microRNA panel that has considerable clinical value in diagnosing early-stage HCC. Thus, patients who would have otherwise missed the curative treatment window can benefit from optimal therapy.
Computationally efficient single channel dereverberation based on complementary wiener filter

A single-channel dereverberation method with low computational complexity is proposed. We introduce the complementary Wiener filter which can suppress a late reverberation during silence intervals via theoretical analysis and numerical calculation. An implementation represents reductions both of memory consumption and operative calculations compared to a conventional method; each reduction is almost by half. Dereverberation performance is evaluated by an experimental simulation using speech signals and measured room impulse responses. The performance under several hundreds of msec of the reverberation time is similar to the conventional method: 6 [dB] reverberation reduction and 3 [dB] improvement of target-to-interference ratio.
Monovalent Permeability, Rectification, and Ionic Block of Store-operated Calcium Channels in Jurkat T Lymphocytes

We used whole-cell recording to characterize ion permeation, rectification, and block of monovalent current through calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channels in Jurkat T lymphocytes. Under physiological conditions, CRAC channels exhibit a high degree of selectivity for Ca2+, but can be induced to carry a slowly declining Na+ current when external divalent ions are reduced to micromolar levels. Using a series of organic cations as probes of varying size, we measured reversal potentials and calculated permeability ratios relative to Na+, P X/P Na, in order to estimate the diameter of the conducting pore. Ammonium (NH4 +) exhibited the highest relative permeability (P NH4/P Na = 1.37). The largest permeant ion, tetramethylammonium with a diameter of 0.55 nm, had P TMA/P Na of 0.09. N-methyl-d-glucamine (0.50 × 0.64 × 1.20 nm) was not measurably permeant. In addition to carrying monovalent current, NH4 + reduced the slow decline of monovalent current (“inactivation”) upon lowering [Ca2+]o. This kinetic effect of extracellular NH4 + can be accounted for by an increase in intracellular pH (pHi), since raising intracellular pH above 8 reduced the extent of inactivation. In addition, decreasing pHi reduced monovalent and divalent current amplitudes through CRAC channels with a pKa of 6.8. In several channel types, Mg2+ has been shown to produce rectification by a voltage-dependent block mechanism. Mg2+ removal from the pipette solution permitted large outward monovalent currents to flow through CRAC channels while also increasing the channel's relative Cs+ conductance and eliminating the inactivation of monovalent current. Boltzmann fits indicate that intracellular Mg2+ contributes to inward rectification by blocking in a voltage-dependent manner, with a zδ product of 1.88. Ca2+ block from the outside was also found to be voltage dependent with zδ of 1.62. These experiments indicate that the CRAC channel, like voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, achieves selectivity for Ca2+ by selective binding in a large pore with current–voltage characteristics shaped by internal Mg2+.
Identification and occurrence of the bioactive β-carbolines norharman and harman in coffee brews

Norharman and harman, two heterocyclic β-carboline alkaloids with biological activity, were found in brewed coffee. Identification and analysis were carried out by HPLC-MS and RP-HPLC-fluorescence, respectively. All tested samples of brewed coffee including ground coffee, decaffeinated coffee, instant coffee and espresso contained both norharman and harman in variable amounts. Norharman was the major β-carboline alkaloid in brewed coffee at levels up to 9.34 μg g-1 in instant ground coffee compared with harman, which had levels up to 1.67 μg g-1. The two β-carbolines appeared to be formed during roasting of the coffee beans. It is concluded that drinking coffee is a major exogenous dietary source of these bioactive β -carboline alkaloids previously reported as mild psychoactive compounds in animal studies and in vitro co-mutagens. These results support our previous conclusion that foods containing β -carbolines are an important exogenous source of these alkaloids in humans.
Blood lead at currently acceptable levels may cause preterm labour

Objectives Although occupational and environmental exposures to lead have been dramatically reduced in recent decades, adverse pregnancy outcomes have been observed at ‘acceptable’ levels of blood lead concentrations (≤10 μg/dl). Methodology Blood samples were collected from 348 singleton pregnant women, aged 16–35 years, during the first trimester of pregnancy (8–12 weeks) for lead measurement by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. Subjects were followed up and divided into two groups (preterm and full-term deliveries) according to duration of gestation. Results The average (range) and geometric means of blood lead levels were 3.8 (1.0–20.5) and 3.5 μg/dl, respectively. Blood lead level was significantly (p<0.05) higher in mothers who delivered preterm babies than in those who delivered full-term babies (mean±SD: 4.46±1.86 and 3.43±1.22 μg/dl, respectively). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that a 1 unit increase in blood lead levels led to an increased risk of preterm birth (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.84). Conclusion Adverse pregnancy outcomes may occur at blood lead concentrations below the current acceptable level.
Empirical Studies of a Two-Stage Data Preprocessing Approach for Software Fault Prediction

Software fault prediction is a valuable exercise in software quality assurance to best allocate limited testing resources. Classification is one of the effective methods for software fault prediction. The classification models are trained based on the datasets obtained by mining software historical repositories. However, the performance of the models depends on the quality of datasets. In this paper, we propose a novel two-stage data preprocessing approach which incorporates both feature selection and instance reduction. Specifically, in the feature selection stage, we first perform relevance analysis, and then propose a threshold-based clustering method, called novel threshold-based clustering algorithm, to conduct redundancy control. In the instance reduction stage, we apply random under-sampling to keep the balance between the faulty and non-faulty instances. In empirical studies, we chose datasets from real-world software projects, such as Eclipse and NASA. Then we compared our approach with some classical baseline methods, and further investigated the influencing factors in our approach. The final results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, and provide a guideline for achieving cost-effective data preprocessing when using our two-stage approach.
From seed to cooked pasta: influence of traditional and non-conventional transformation processes on total antioxidant capacity and phenolic acid content

Abstract The aim of this work was to compare the traditional with a non-conventional (i.e. kernel micronisation) durum wheat milling process by monitoring the content of bound, conjugated and free phenolic acids (PAs) and the level of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) occurring in the durum wheat pasta production chain, from seed to cooked pasta. The traditional transformation processes negatively influenced TAC and PA content (40% and 89% decrease from seed to cooked pasta, respectively), mainly during the milling process (25% and 84% decrease of TAC and PA, respectively), which has been related to the removal of external layers of kernels. Conversely, the micronisation applied on durum wheat kernels allowed to obtain whole-wheat pasta that preserved the seed endowment of antioxidant compounds even in cooked pasta. These results indicate the micronisation as a valuable approach to produce pasta with improved nutritional value and potential health-promoting effects compared to the traditional pasta.
Real time assuring QoE in the lowest OSI/ISO layers during delivering of IPTV services

This paper compares the values of data link layer QoS (Quality of Service) indicators of several access lines, which can serve as a measure of the physical link quality or QoPh (Quality of Physical Layer), in real environment without reference video signal (No Reference), during the delivering of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) multicast services to multiple users. It also focuses on the fact that an increase in channel capacity reduces the number of signal degradation indicators in the data link layer, because it increases the resistance of useful information on the interference. The paper proves the fact that at the same time, improving the physical layer conditions, the values of network QoS indicators, such as packet loss or delay, is reduced which affects the final grade at the end-user QoE (Quality of Experience) of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) services.
Chloridobis(ethane-1,2-diamine)(4-methylaniline)cobalt(III) dichloride monohydrate

In the title compound, [CoCl(C2H8N2)2(C7H9N)]Cl2·H2O, the CoIII ion has a distorted octahedral coordination environment and is surrounded by four N atoms in an equatorial plane, with the other N and Cl atoms occupying the axial positions. The crystal packing is stabilized by N—H⋯O, N—H⋯Cl and O—H⋯Cl interactions.
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS CLINICAL REPORT

The prevention of unintended adolescent pregnancy is an important goal of the American Academy of Pediatrics and our society. Although adolescent pregnancy and birth rates have been steadily decreasing, many adolescents still become pregnant. Since the last statement on adolescent pregnancy was issued by the Academy in 1998, efforts to prevent adolescent pregnancy have increased, and new observations, technologies, and prevention effectiveness data have emerged. The purpose of this clinical report is to review current trends and issues related to adolescent pregnancy, update practitioners on this topic, and review legal and policy implications of concern to pediatricians. Pediatrics 2005; 116:281–286; pregnancy, contraceptives, childbearing, adolescent parents. ABBREVIATIONS. AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics; STD, sexually transmitted disease.
The Case for Unpredictability and Deception as OS Features

The conventional wisdom is that OS APIs should behave predictably, facilitating software development. From a system security perspective, this predictability creates a disproportionate advantage for attackers. Could making OSes behave unpredictably create a disproportionate advantage for system defenders, significantly increasing the effort required to create malware and launch attacks without too much inconvenience for “good” software? This article explores the potential benefits and challenges of unpredictable and deceptive OS behavior, including preliminary measurements of the relative robustness of malware and production software to unpredictable behavior. We describe Chameleon, an ongoing project to implement OS behavior on a spectrum of unpredictability and deceptiveness.