Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is essential for the growth and functional development of the brain in infants. DHA is also required for maintenance of normal brain function in adults. The inclusion of plentiful DHA in the diet improves learning ability, whereas deficiencies of DHA are associated with deficits in learning. DHA is taken up by the brain in preference to other fatty acids. The turnover of DHA in the brain is very fast, more so than is generally realized. The visual acuity of healthy, full-term, formula-fed infants is increased when their formula includes DHA. During the last 50 years, many infants have been fed formula diets lacking DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids. DHA deficiencies are associated with foetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria, unipolar depression, aggressive hostility, and adrenoleukodystrophy. Decreases in DHA in the brain are associated with cognitive decline during aging and with onset of sporadic Alzheimer disease. The leading cause of death in western nations is cardiovascular disease. Epidemiological studies have shown a strong correlation between fish consumption and reduction in sudden death from myocardial infarction. The reduction is approximately 50% with 200 mg day(-1)of DHA from fish. DHA is the active component in fish. Not only does fish oil reduce triglycerides in the blood and decrease thrombosis, but it also prevents cardiac arrhythmias. The association of DHA deficiency with depression is the reason for the robust positive correlation between depression and myocardial infarction. Patients with cardiovascular disease or Type II diabetes are often advised to adopt a low-fat diet with a high proportion of carbohydrate. A study with women shows that this type of diet increases plasma triglycerides and the severity of Type II diabetes and coronary heart disease. DHA is present in fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) and mother's milk. DHA is present at low levels in meat and eggs, but is not usually present in infant formulas. EPA, another long-chain n-3 fatty acid, is also present in fatty fish. The shorter chain n-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, is not converted very well to DHA in man. These longchain n-3 fatty acids (also known as omega-3 fatty acids) are now becoming available in some foods, especially infant formula and eggs in Europe and Japan. Fish oil decreases the proliferation of tumour cells, whereas arachidonic acid, a longchain n-6 fatty acid, increases their proliferation. These opposite effects are also seen with inflammation, particularly with rheumatoid arthritis, and with asthma. DHA has a positive effect on diseases such as hypertension, arthritis, atherosclerosis, depression, adult-onset diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, thrombosis, and some cancers.
Discovery and prioritization of somatic mutations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) by whole-exome sequencing

To gain insight into the genomic basis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), we performed massively parallel whole-exome sequencing of 55 primary tumor samples from patients with DLBCL and matched normal tissue. We identified recurrent mutations in genes that are well known to be functionally relevant in DLBCL, including MYD88, CARD11, EZH2, and CREBBP. We also identified somatic mutations in genes for which a functional role in DLBCL has not been previously suspected. These genes include MEF2B, MLL2, BTG1, GNA13, ACTB, P2RY8, PCLO, and TNFRSF14. Further, we show that BCL2 mutations commonly occur in patients with BCL2/IgH rearrangements as a result of somatic hypermutation normally occurring at the IgH locus. The BCL2 point mutations are primarily synonymous, and likely caused by activation-induced cytidine deaminase–mediated somatic hypermutation, as shown by comprehensive analysis of enrichment of mutations in WRCY target motifs. Those nonsynonymous mutations that are observed tend to be found outside of the functionally important BH domains of the protein, suggesting that strong negative selection against BCL2 loss-of-function mutations is at play. Last, by using an algorithm designed to identify likely functionally relevant but infrequent mutations, we identify KRAS, BRAF, and NOTCH1 as likely drivers of DLBCL pathogenesis in some patients. Our data provide an unbiased view of the landscape of mutations in DLBCL, and this in turn may point toward new therapeutic strategies for the disease.
MENC in International Perspective

Arbor. She can be reached at mfmcc@umich.edu. his year, the music education profession celebrates the cenprofession ~t tennial of MENC: The National ~N Association for Music EduM cation-1907-2007. Anniversaries mark important milestones in the development of a professional association. They provide an occasion for remembering past achievements and envisioning future directions. In the small midwestern town of
On experiences of i2b2 (Informatics for integrating biology and the bedside) database with Japanese clinical patients’ data

Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) is a database system to facilitate sharing and reuse of clinical patients' data collected in individual hospitals. The i2b2 provides an ontology based object-oriented database system with highly simple and flexible database schema which enables us to integrate clinical patients' data from different laboratories and different hospitals. 392 patients' data including carcinoma and non-carcinoma specimens from cancer patients are transported from the Integrated Clinical Omics Database (iCOD) to the i2b2 database for a feasibility study to check applicability of i2b2 ontology and database schema on Japanese clinical patients’ data. No modification is required for the i2b2 data model to deal with Japanese characters. Some modification of ontology is required to integrate biomedical information extracted from the cancer patients’ data. We believe that the i2b2 system will be practical infrastructure to integrate Japanese clinical databases if appropriate disease ontology for Japanese patients is provided.
The Effect of Socio-Technical Enablers on Knowledge Sharing in Institutions of Higher Learning: A Proposed Model

this rapidly changing world towards a "Knowledge based economy", knowledge is gradually being considered as the most important key driver of this economy. Effective Knowledge management program that include acquire, use, and leverage within the organization will help the success of economies in the future. However, most organizations attempt to focus on systems and tools, rather than on the critical part which is knowledge sharing within the organization. Knowledge sharing is vital in university because the majority of the employees are knowledge workers. This is a conceptual study on the enablers of knowledge sharing based on the soci- technical theory with a view to suggest how the theory can be applied to improve higher education system. The role of knowledge delivery personnel has to be emphasized in addition to technology. Socio-technical approach are studied which recognize interaction between social and technologies. This paper studies to identify the major problems that hinder KS pract.ice focusing on leadership role in higher education to develop collaborative work towards a goal to help overcome problems using technical aspects, involving people and processes.
Low-dimensional models of neural population activity in sensory cortical circuits

Neural responses in visual cortex are influenced by visual stimuli and by ongoing spiking activity in local circuits. An important challenge in computational neuroscience is to develop models that can account for both of these features in large multi-neuron recordings and to reveal how stimulus representations interact with and depend on cortical dynamics. Here we introduce a statistical model of neural population activity that integrates a nonlinear receptive field model with a latent dynamical model of ongoing cortical activity. This model captures temporal dynamics and correlations due to shared stimulus drive as well as common noise. Moreover, because the nonlinear stimulus inputs are mixed by the ongoing dynamics, the model can account for a multiple idiosyncratic receptive field shapes with a small number of nonlinear inputs to a low-dimensional dynamical model. We introduce a fast estimation method using online expectation maximization with Laplace approximations, for which inference scales linearly in both population size and recording duration. We test this model to multi-channel recordings from primary visual cortex and show that it accounts for neural tuning properties as well as cross-neural correlations.
An application of Kullback-Leibler divergence to active SLAM and exploration with Particle Filters

Autonomous exploration under uncertain robot position requires the robot to plan a suitable motion policy in order to visit unknown areas while minimizing the uncertainty on its pose. The corresponding problem, namely active SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) and exploration has received a large attention from the robotic community for its relevance in mobile robotics applications. In this work we tackle the problem of active SLAM and exploration with Rao-Blackwellized Particle Filters. We propose an application of Kullback-Leibler divergence for the purpose of evaluating the particle-based SLAM posterior approximation. This metric is then applied in the definition of the expected gain from a policy, which allows the robot to autonomously decide between exploration and place revisiting actions (i.e., loop closing). The technique is shown to enhance robot awareness in detecting loop closing occasions, which are often missed when using other state-of-the-art approaches. Results of extensive tests are reported to support our claims.
A shift in the balance of vascular endothelial growth factor and connective tissue growth factor by bevacizumab causes the angiofibrotic switch in proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Introduction In proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) may cause blindness by neovascularisation followed by fibrosis of the retina. It has previously been shown that a shift in the balance between levels of CTGF and VEGF in the eye is associated with this angiofibrotic switch. This study investigated whether anti-VEGF agents induce accelerated fibrosis in patients with PDR, as predicted by this model. Methods CTGF and VEGF levels were measured by ELISA in 52 vitreous samples of PDR patients, of which 24 patients had received intravitreal bevacizumab 1 week to 3 months before vitrectomy, and were correlated with the degree of vitreoretinal fibrosis as determined clinically and intra-operatively. Results CTGF correlated positively, and VEGF correlated negatively with the degree of fibrosis. The CTGF/VEGF ratio was the strongest predictor of fibrosis. Clinically, increased fibrosis was observed after intravitreal bevacizumab. Conclusions These results confirm that the CTGF/VEGF ratio is a strong predictor of vitreoretinal fibrosis in PDR, and show that intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment causes increased fibrosis in PDR patients. These findings provide strong support for the model that the balance of CTGF and VEGF determines the angiofibrotic switch, and identify CTGF as a possible therapeutic target in the clinical management of PDR.
Adam Smith’s Concept of Self-Command as a Solution to Dynamic Inconsistency and the Commitment Problem

"How is rationality related to morality and the emotions? In response to Hume, Smith argues that sympathy is about the attenuation, rather than the escalation, of original emotions because sympathy involves judgment. Sympathy means that the spectator understands an emotion felt by the principal by placing him or herself in the principal's shoes. Such understanding would not take place unless the principal's emotion is proper in that the principal has attenuated the pitch of the emotion via self-command, that is, via rational choice. Smith's notion of sympathy solves the commitment problem: agents command their emotions, which include the temptation to cheat their future selves and others, in order to receive approval". ("JEL" B12, D01, D64) Copyright (c) 2008 Western Economic Association International.
An investigation into risk propensity in bull and bear markets

This paper addresses the primary contribution of prospect theory against the landscape of an individual’s self‐attributed risk propensity. Risk propensity is captured using the IPI psychometric questionnaire for a sample of 521 participants. Participants are also presented with probability‐based decisions, that are framed as both negative and positive prospects. Results show that personality constructs, specifically risk‐taking, become a consistent and emerging factor in decision‐making within the positive domain. In the negative domain, personality constructs associated with risk become more muted and are less likely to be a factor in decision‐making.
Plane-Based Optimization for 3D Object Reconstruction from Single Line Drawings

In previous optimization-based methods of 3D planar-faced object reconstruction from single 2D line drawings, the missing depths of the vertices of a line drawing (and other parameters in some methods) are used as the variables of the objective functions. A 3D object with planar faces is derived by finding values for these variables that minimize the objective functions. These methods work well for simple objects with a small number TV of variables. As N grows, however, it is very difficult for them to find the expected objects. This is because with the nonlinear objective functions in a space of large dimension , the search for optimal solutions can easily get trapped into local minima. In this paper, we use the parameters of the planes that pass through the planar faces of an object as the variables of the objective function. This leads to a set of linear constraints on the planes of the object, resulting in a much lower dimensional null space where optimization is easier to achieve. We prove that the dimension of this null space is exactly equal to the minimum number of vertex depths that define the 3D object. Since a practical line drawing is usually not an exact projection of a 3D object, we expand the null space to a larger space based on the singular value decomposition of the projection matrix of the line drawing. In this space, robust 3D reconstruction can be achieved. Compared with the two most related methods, our method not only can reconstruct more complex 3D objects from 2D line drawings but also is computationally more efficient.
No Effect of 5-Day Treatment with Acetylsalicylic Acid (Aspirin) or the Beta-Blocker Propranolol (Inderal) on Free Cortisol Responses to Acute Psychosocial Stress: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Background: The characterization of an individual’s hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis stress response is a main research topic in neuropsychobiology since alterations have been causally linked to several disease states. Over the last years, several studies focused on the identification of sources of inter- and intraindividual variability, but there is still a paucity of experimental data on the effect of different pharmaceuticals on cortisol responses to acute psychological stress. Therefore, in this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study, we investigated the effect of treatment with two popular and clinically used pharmaceuticals on stress-related cortisol responses, namely acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), a known prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, and the beta-blocker propranolol (Inderal), a nonselective beta-receptor antagonist. Methods: For 5 days, 73 healthy subjects (50 men, 23 women; mean age 47.3 ± 7.7 years) received either a daily oral dose of 100 mg aspirin, 80 mg propranolol (Inderal), aspirin + propranolol, or placebo. After treatment, subjects were confronted with the Trier Social Stress Test, a widely-used standardized psychosocial stress protocol. Cortisol responses were measured by six saliva samples taken before and after the stress exposure. Results: Subjects showed a significant cortisol increase after stress (p < 0.0001). The four treatment groups did not differ in their cortisol responses (group effect p > 0.44; interaction p > 0.97). Additionally, controlling for gender, age, smoking status, body mass index, mean arterial blood pressure or pre-stress cortisol levels yielded similar results in the total sample as well as in the male or female subgroups, respectively. Conclusion: Neither short-term treatment with aspirin nor propranolol altered the acute free cortisol response to psychological stress in healthy adults.
Intelligent Recognition of Lung Nodule Combining Rule-based and C-SVM Classifiers

Abstract Computer-aided detection(CAD) system for lung nodules plays the important role in the diagnosis of lung cancer. In this paper, an improved intelligent recognition method of lung nodule in HRCT combing rule-based and cost-sensitive support vector machine(C-SVM) classifiers is proposed for detecting both solid nodules and ground-glass opacity(GGO) nodules(part solid and nonsolid). This method consists of several steps. Firstly, segmentation of regions of interest(ROIs), including pulmonary parenchyma and lung nodule candidates, is a difficult task. On one side, the presence of noise lowers the visibility of low-contrast objects. On the other side, different types of nodules, including small nodules, nodules connecting to vasculature or other structures, part-solid or nonsolid nodules, are complex, noisy, weak edge or difficult to define the boundary. In order to overcome the difficulties of obvious boundary-leak and slow evolvement speed problem in segmentatioin of weak edge, an overall segmentatio.
Soft Cardinality in Semantic Text Processing: Experience of the SemEval International Competitions

Soft cardinality is a generalization of the classic set cardinality (i.e., the number of elements in a set), which exploits similarities between elements to provide a "soft" counting of the number of elements in a collection. This model is so general that can be used interchangeability as cardinality function in resemblance coefficients such as Jaccard's, Dice's, cosine and others. Beyond that, cardinality-based features can be extracted from pairs of objects being compared to learn adaptive similarity functions from training data. This approach can be used for comparing any object that can be represented as a set or bag. We and other international teams used soft cardinality to address a series of natural language processing (NLP) tasks in the recent SemEval (semantic evaluation) competitions from 2012 to 2014. The systems based on soft cardinality have always been among the best systems in all the tasks in which they participated. This paper describes our experience in that journey by presenting the generalities of the model and some practical techniques for using soft cardinality for NLP problems.
Expressive Qualities in Music Perception and Music Education

This paper seeks to extend the significance of musical expressiveness in music education through the consideration of Gestalt perceptual concepts. The concept of expressive quality is discussed and two defining characteristics identified. First, the presence of expressive qualities, as phenomenal attributes, is indicated when emotional terms are applied to perceptions. Second, expressive qualities are determined by the structure of the percept to which they belong and are thus products of perceptual organization. The theoretical implications of the concept for music are explored and the classic objections of Hanslick reconsidered. The empirical support for extending the concept to music draws on studies showing listener agreement on emotional attributions to music and work on melodic perception that shows that music does have the kind of perceptual structure required by the concept. An expressive method, based on the relation of expressive qualities to music structure, is suggested as an educational device. An illustration of the method is given and its advantages for the student are summarized.
Current and Future Trends in Internet-Supported Mental Health Interventions

Despite growing research in the past two decades involving Internet-supported or online mental health interventions, there has been only a few attempts to provide a synthesis of the research findings and future trends. The Internet has grown exponentially during this time, providing greater access to a wider population than ever before. Consequently, online mental health interventions have the potential to be cost-effective, convenient, and reach a more diverse population than traditional, face-to-face interventions. This paper reviews and summarizes the current research for online mental health interventions and discusses future trends. These interventions range from psychoeducational static webpages and complex, personalized, interactive cognitive-behavioral-based self-help programs, to videoconferencing, self-help support groups, blogging, and professional-led online therapy. Future trends in online interventions include the greater prevalence of online therapy and the use of video chat and videoconferencing technologies to enhance and extend the therapeutic relationship. The use of texting or short message service (SMS), mobile communications, smart phone applications, gaming, and virtual worlds extends the intervention paradigm into new environments not always previously considered as intervention opportunities. We find that there is strong evidence to support the effective use and future development of a variety of online mental health applications.
A comparison of TCP automatic tuning techniques for distributed computing

Rather than painful, manual, static, per-connection optimization of TCP buffer sizes simply to achieve acceptable performance for distributed applications, many researchers have proposed techniques to perform this tuning automatically. This paper first discusses the relative merits of the various approaches in theory, and then provides substantial experimental data concerning two competing implementations-the buffer autotuning already present in Linux 2.4. x and "dynamic right-sizing. " The paper reveals heretofore unknown aspects of the problem and current solutions, provides insight into the proper approach for different circumstances, and points toward ways to further improve performance.
Fast Efficient Fixed-Size Memory Pool: No Loops and No Overhead

-In this paper, we examine a ready-to-use, robust, and computationally fast fixed-size memory pool manager with no-loops and no-memory overhead that is highly suited towards time-critical systems such as games. The algorithm achieves this by exploiting the unused memory slots for bookkeeping in combination with a trouble-free indexing scheme. We explain how it works in amalgamation with straightforward step-by-step examples. Furthermore, we compare just how much faster the memory pool manager is when compared with a system allocator (e.g., malloc) over a range of allocations and sizes. Keywords-memory pools; real-time; memory allocation; memory manager; memory de-allocation; dynamic memory