Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis associated with dengue fever

Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) is usually associated with neuromyelitis optica and other autoimmune and inflammatory disorders but this is the first report linking it with dengue fever. Dengue infection can cause a variety of neurological complications which may result in poor recovery and long-term disability. The authors report here a patient who developed LETM in the para-infectious stage of dengue fever. The patient had a complicated clinical course resulting in severe paraparesis and urinary retention. Treatment with immunoglobulins and antiviral agents supported by a spell of early intensive rehabilitation programme produced excellent results in terms of recovery.
HEVC-compliant viewport-adaptive streaming of stereoscopic panoramic video

Virtual reality (VR) provides unprecedented immersive experience using high-resolution spherical stereoscopic panoramic video. Such an experience is achieved by using head-mounted display (HMD) which has very strict latency bounds in order to respond promptly to user movements. Conventional streaming of VR video requires large bandwidth because the entire captured panorama is transmitted. However, only a limited field-of-view (FOV) is displayed by an HMD, resulting in wastage of bandwidth. To alleviate the problem, this paper proposes a High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) compliant approach for efficient coding and streaming of stereoscopic VR content. The proposed method is based on partitioning video pictures into tiles, where only the required tiles corresponding to the primary viewport are transmitted in high resolution, while the remaining parts are transmitted in low resolution. Furthermore, this method enables coding stereoscopic video contents using a conventional HEVC codec, while still achieving significant compression gain by means of adopting inter-view prediction only in intra random access point (IRAP) pictures. Using this method, the predicted view can be decoded independently of the main view, hence allowing simultaneous decoding instances. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach is able to substantially improve compression efficiency and streaming bitrate performance.
Effects of Tesamorelin, a Growth Hormone–Releasing Factor, in HIV-Infected Patients With Abdominal Fat Accumulation: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial With a Safety Extension

Background:HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy often demonstrate excess visceral fat. A growth hormone-releasing factor, tesamorelin, may selectively reduce visceral fat in this population. We investigated the effects of tesamorelin (GHRH1-44) in HIV-infected patients with central fat accumulation. Methods:A 12-month study of 404 HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat in the context of antiretroviral therapy was conducted between January 2007 and October 2008. The study consisted of 2 sequential phases. In the primary efficacy phase (months 0-6), patients were randomly assigned to receive tesamorelin [2 mg subcutaneous (SC) every day] or placebo in a 2:1 ratio. In the extension phase (months 6-12), patients receiving tesamorelin were rerandomized to continue on tesamorelin (2 mg SC every day) or switch to placebo. Patients initially randomized to placebo switched to tesamorelin. Patients and investigators were blinded to treatment assignment throughout the study. The primary endpoint was visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Secondary endpoints included body image, IGF-I, safety measures, including glucose, and other body composition measures. Results:VAT decreased by −10.9% (−21 cm2) in the tesamorelin group vs. −0.6% (−1 cm2) in the placebo group in the 6-month efficacy phase, P < 0.0001. Trunk fat (P < 0.001), waist circumference (P = 0.02), and waist-hip-ratio (P = 0.001) improved, with no change in limb or abdominal SC fat. Insulin-like growth factor-1 increased (P < 0.001), but no change in glucose parameters was observed. Patient rating of belly appearance distress (P = 0.02) and physician rating of belly profile (P = 0.02) were significantly improved in the tesamorelin vs. placebo-treated groups. The drug was well tolerated. VAT was reduced by approximately 18% (P < 0.001) in patients continuing tesamorelin for 12 months. The initial improvements over 6 months in VAT were rapidly lost in those switching from tesamorelin to placebo. Conclusions:Tesamorelin reduces visceral fat by approximately 18% and improves body image distress in HIV-infected patients with central fat accumulation. These changes are achieved without significant side effects or perturbation of glucose.
Creating software engineering student interaction profiles for discovering gamification approaches to improve collaboration

Benefits of collaborative learning are established and gamification methods have been used to motivate students towards achieving course goals in educational settings. However, different users prefer different game elements and rewarding approaches. We present an evidence-based method and a case study where interaction analysis and k-means clustering is used to create gamification preference profiles. These profiles can be used with an agent-based simulation to evaluate how computer supported collaboration system users react to the gamification elements and how the collaboration dynamics change.
2 7 M ay 2 00 2 Boundary layer variational principles : A case study

Considering the model heat conduction problem in the settin g of Grad’s moment equations, we demonstrate a crossover in the structure of mi nima of the entropy production within the boundary layer. Based on this observa tion, we formulate and compare variation principles for solving the problem of b undary conditions in nonequilibrium thermodynamics. 05.70. Ln, 47.45. -n, 51.10. +y Typeset using REVT EX ∗Corresponding author. E-mail: ikarlin@ifp.mat. ethz.ch 1
Releviz : Visualizing similar search results in two dimensions

We present Releviz, a system that provides a two-dimensional interface for selecting and displaying multivariate data records. Releviz describes a two-component system: A standardized constraint language for expressing search parameters specific to a particular data domain, and for evaluating those search parameters; and a two-dimensional display field of the search results, in linear or radial orientation, in which relevance maps to one of the major coordinate axes and a grouping function maps to the other. We provide two implemented grouping functions, weighted average, and a constraint-based clustering algorithm. We document and provide an internal evaluation of this system, including its sample implementation.
Reading the Ehud Story (Jdg 3:12-30) in the Light of Linguistic Playfulness

This study is to present a way of reading the Ehud story (Jdg 3:12-30) as humor in the light of linguistic playfulness. Though this story deals with a historical event, it may be read as humor, especially a political satire with ethnic antipathy. In order to discover the characteristics of a narrative, genre identification methods are helpful to disclose its characteristics. On the basis of three criteria to identify the genre of a story, the humorous nature of this story is examined: linguistic analysis, mood of the text, and historical background. The words such as “Eglon”, “Ehud”, “left” contrary to “right”, and “secret message” have double or implied meanings which may burst into laughter. The descriptions such as the offering of the tribute, the murder scene, the waiting servants, and the battle and the victory are full of disdain, ridicule, and mock against the Moabites. The investigation of the relations between the Israelites and the Moabites in the social and historical situations demonstrates that Israelites had antipathy and contempt against the Moabites. In consideration of wordplay, scornful mood, and historical circumstances, therefore, the Ehud story has the nature of humor, which can be read as a political satire with an ethnic contempt against the Moabite.
A potential resolution to the lek paradox through indirect genetic effects

Females often prefer males with elaborate traits, even when they receive no direct benefits from their choice. In such situations, mate discrimination presumably has genetic advantages; selective females will produce offspring of higher genetic quality. Over time, persistent female preferences for elaborate secondary-sexual traits in males should erode genetic variance in these traits, eventually eliminating any benefit to the preferences. Yet, strong female preferences persist in many taxa. This puzzle is called the lek paradox and raises two primary questions: do females obtain genetic benefits for offspring by selecting males with elaborate secondary-sexual characteristics and, if so, how is the genetic variation in these male traits maintained? We suggest that indirect genetic effects may help to resolve the lek paradox. Maternal phenotypes, such as habitat selection behaviours and offspring provisioning, often influence the condition and the expression of secondary-sexual traits in sons. These maternal influences are commonly genetic based (i.e. they are indirect genetic effects). Females choosing mates with elaborate traits may receive ‘good genes’ for daughters in the form of effective maternal characteristics. Recognizing the significance of indirect genetic effects may be important to our understanding of the process and consequences of sexual selection.
An Adaptive Background Modeling Method for Foreground Segmentation

Background modeling has played an important role in detecting the foreground for video analysis. In this paper, we presented a novel background modeling method for foreground segmentation. The innovations of the proposed method lie in the joint usage of the pixel-based adaptive segmentation method and the background updating strategy, which is performed in both pixel and object levels. Current pixel-based adaptive segmentation method only updates the background at the pixel level and does not take into account the physical changes of the object, which may result in a series of problems in foreground detection, e.g., a static or low-speed object is updated too fast or merely a partial foreground region is properly detected. To avoid these deficiencies, we used a counter to place the foreground pixels into two categories (illumination and object). The proposed method extracted a correct foreground object by controlling the updating time of the pixels belonging to an object or an illumination region respectively. Extensive experiments showed that our method is more competitive than the state-of-the-art foreground detection methods, particularly in the intermittent object motion scenario. Moreover, we also analyzed the efficiency of our method in different situations to show that the proposed method is available for real-time applications.
Haemodialysis patients longitudinally assessed by highly sensitive cardiac troponin T and commercial cardiac troponin T and cardiac troponin I assays

Background Elevated cardiac troponin (cTn) concentrations predict an increased mortality in patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study compares the performance of a precommercial high-sensitive cTnT assay (hs-cTnT) with two contemporary cTn assays in detecting cTn elevations in ESRD patients during a six-month follow-up. Methods Thirty-two ESRD patients were followed for six months, during which cTn concentrations were assessed every two months. Baseline biomarker concentrations were compared with those in a simultaneously measured reference population of 501 healthy subjects. Results During follow-up 26 (81%), 32 (100%) and 9 (28%) of the patients showed elevated cTn concentrations according to the current cTnT, the hs-cTnT and the cTnI assays, respectively. The range of concentrations measured in each patient had a median (interquartile range) magnitude of 0.03 μg/L (0.02–0.06), 0.017 μg/L (0.011–0.029) and 0.011 μg/L (0–0.017) according to the aforementioned assays. Conclusion According to the hs-cTnT assay, all of the ESRD patients had elevated cTnT concentrations at least once during the follow-up. As elevated cTn concentrations are highly prognostic of adverse events, the use of serial measurements has thus identified additional patients at risk for such events. The fact that we find cTn concentrations to be higher in patients with a history of cardiac disease is in line with this. Additional studies in ESRD patients are needed to investigate the added diagnostic and prognostic value of the very low cTnT concentrations and variations detected only by the hs-cTnT assay.
Electroretinogram of the parietal eye of lizards: Photoreceptor, glial, and lens cell contributions

Local electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded in the parietal eye of Xantusia vigilis. The responses to monochromatic light under dark- and light-adapted conditions were studied. We found that two antagonistic chromatic mechanisms dominate the overall response. With the electrode tip in the lumen of the eye, light stimulation under dark-adapted conditions evoked responses of negative polarity with maximum sensitivity to green light. Intense green background illumination saturated the green-sensitive mechanism, and superposition of a blue stimulus then elicited responses of opposite polarity, driving the potentials back toward the dark resting level. The spectral sensitivities of the two chromatic mechanisms were determined using chromatic adaptation. The lower threshold, green-sensitive mechanism has a maximum sensitivity at 495 nm while the antagonistic mechanism, with its maximal spectral sensitivity at 430 nm, is at least 2 log units less sensitive. The polarity of the ERG recording inverts as the electrode traverses the photoreceptor layer, suggesting that the photoreceptors are the major source of the ERG. This result was confirmed with intracellular recordings from photoreceptors, glial, and lens cells. The glial and lens cells of the parietal eye respond to local changes in [K+]o. Intracellular recordings of the responses of these cells to light stimuli follow time courses similar to changes in extracellular potassium concentrations measured with K+-specific electrodes. These results suggest that the glial and lens cell membranes are highly permeable to potassium and, therefore, the electrical responses of these cells are evoked by changes in [K+]o elicited by light stimulation of the photoreceptors. Nevertheless, the major component of the parietal eye ERG is the photoreceptor signal. A circuit model of the ERG sources is presented.
DiaView: Visualise Cultural Change in Diachronic Corpora

This paper will introduce and demonstrate DiaView1, a new tool to investigate and visualise word usage in diachronic corpora. DiaView highlights cultural change over time by exposing salient lexical items from each decade or year, and providing them to the user in an effortless visualisation. This is made possible by examining large quantities of diachronic textual data, in this case the Google Books corpus (Michel et al., 2010) of one million English books. This paper will introduce the methods and technologies at its core, perform a demonstration of the tool and discuss further possibilities.
Javarifier : Inferring Reference Immutability for Java ∗ 6 . 883 : Program Analysis-Course Project

Reference immutability constraints restrict certain references in a program from modifying objects. These constraints, such as those provided by the Javari programming language, have been shown to increase the expressiveness of a language and to prevent and detect errors. Unfortunately, annotating existing code, including libraries, with reference immutability constraints is a tedious and error prone task. We propose an algorithm for inferring the references in a program that can be declared as read-only (or romaybe). Additionally, to gain additional precision, we introduce heuristics that suggest assignable and mutable fields. To evaluate our algorithm, we have implemented a tool, Javarifier, to aid programmers in converting Java programs to Javari. We also demonstrate the practicality of our algorithm by using Javarifier to annotate an existing program.
Self-concealment, Social Network Sites Usage, Social Appearance Anxiety, Loneliness of High School Students: A Model Testing

This study was tested a model for explain to social networks sites (SNS) usage with structural equation modeling (SEM). Using SEM on a sample of 475 high school students (35% male, 65% female) students, model was investigated the relationship between self-concealment, social appearance anxiety, loneliness on SNS such as Twitter and Facebook usage. It was hypothesized that SNS usage was predicted directly by self-concealment, was predicted indirectly by loneliness and social appearance anxiety. The SEM showed that SNS usage was significantly predicted directly by self-concealment and was significantly predicted indirectly by social appearance anxiety and loneliness. It was revealed that the fit indicies of the SEM created (x 2 : 6.18, df: 2, x 2 /df: 3.09, p=.04558, RMSEA=.065, GFI=.99, AGFI=.97, NFI=.98, NNFI=.95, CFI=.98, IFI=.98, RMR=.049; SRMR=.028) in fit values. Based on the results social appearance anxiety, self-concealment and loneliness of high school students are remarkable predictors in terms of SNS usage.
Dose-escalation and pharmacodynamic study of topotecan in combination with cyclophosphamide in patients with refractory cancer.

PURPOSE Based on preclinical data that demonstrated synergy between alkylating agents and topoisomerase (topo) I poisons, we determined the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of topotecan, using a 5 day bolus schedule, that could be given in combination with a single, fixed dose of cyclophosphamide. Pharmacodynamics of this combination were explored by analyzing biochemical effects of treatment in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with refractory cancer were treated with cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 on day 1, followed by topotecan given as a 30-minute infusion for 5 consecutive days. Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks. Once the MTD was defined, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was added to the regimen in an attempt to escalate further the dose of topotecan. Plasma concentrations of topotecan were determined during the first treatment cycle by high-performance liquid chromatography. PBMCs were sampled at baseline and throughout the 5-day treatment period for analysis of topo I protein concentrations and to determine drug-induced DNA fragmentation. RESULTS Twenty-six patients were treated with topotecan at doses that ranged from 0.5 mg/m2/d to 1.2 mg/ m2/d for a total of 74 cycles. Reversible neutropenia was dose-limiting, with mild to moderate suppression of the other blood-cell elements commonly occurring. Transfusions of RBCs and platelets were required in 24% and 7% of treatment cycles, respectively. The most prominent nonhematologic toxicities were fatigue and weight loss. Compared with previously published data in which topotecan was administered alone, cyclophosphamide did not appear to alter the pharmacokinetics of topotecan. Significant increases in topo I concentration were identified in PBMCs following the administration of cyclophosphamide on day 1 and there was a significant decrease in topo 1 during the 5-day course of treatment (P < .01, sign test). DNA fragmentation as a result of drug treatment was identified in 11 of 15 (73%) cycles analyzed. CONCLUSION For previously treated patients, the recommended dose of topotecan in this schedule is 0.75 mg/m2/d without growth factor support and 1.0 mg/ m2/d if it is administered with G-CSF. Biochemical changes in cells induced by exposure to camptothecins can be measured in vivo and these effects may have important implication in the design of combination therapies and the optimal scheduling of this class of agents.
N4BP1 is a newly identified nucleolar protein that undergoes SUMO-regulated polyubiquitylation and proteasomal turnover at promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies

A number of proteins can be conjugated with both ubiquitin and the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO), with crosstalk between these two post-translational modifications serving to regulate protein function and stability. We previously identified N4BP1 as a substrate for monoubiquitylation by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Nedd4. Here, we describe Nedd4-mediated polyubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of N4BP1. In addition, we show that N4BP1 can be conjugated with SUMO1 and that this abrogates N4BP1 ubiquitylation. Consistent with this, endogenous N4BP1 is stabilized in primary embryonic fibroblasts from mutants of the desumoylating enzyme SENP1, which show increased steady-state sumoylation levels. We have localized endogenous N4BP1 predominantly to the nucleolus in primary cells. However, a small fraction is found at promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies (NBs). In cells deficient for SENP1 or in wild-type cells treated with the proteasome inhibitor MG132, there is considerable accumulation of N4BP1 at PML NBs. These findings suggest a dynamic interaction between subnuclear compartments, and a role for post-translational modification by ubiquitin and SUMO in the regulation of nucleolar protein turnover.
Scalable data management for map-reduce-based data-intensive applications: a view for cloud and hybrid infrastructures

As map-reduce emerges as a leading programming paradigm for data-intensive computing, today’s frameworks which support it still have substantial shortcomings that limit its potential scalability. In this paper, we discuss several directions where there is room for such progress: they concern storage efficiency under massive data access concurrency, scheduling, volatility and fault-tolerance. We place our discussion in the perspective of the current evolution towards an increasing integration of large-scale distributed platforms (clouds, cloud federations, enterprise desktop grids, etc.). We propose an approach which aims to overcome the current limitations of existing map-reduce frameworks, in order to achieve scalable, concurrency-optimised, fault-tolerant map-reduce data processing on hybrid infrastructures. This approach will be evaluated with real-life bio-informatics applications on existing Nimbus-powered cloud testbeds interconnected with desktop grids.
Effects of mutations in the Exo III motif of the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase gene on enzyme activities, viral replication, and replication fidelity

The herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase catalytic subunit, which has intrinsic polymerase and 3'-5' exonuclease activities, contains sequence motifs that are homologous to those important for 3'-5' exonuclease activity in other polymerases. The role of one such motif, Exo III, was examined in this study. Mutated polymerases containing either a single tyrosine-to-histidine change at residue 577 or this change plus an aspartic acid-to-alanine at residue 581 in the Exo III motif exhibited defective or undetectable exonuclease activity, respectively, yet retained substantial polymerase activity. Despite the defects in exonuclease activity, the mutant polymerases were able to support viral replication in transient complementation assays, albeit inefficiently. Viruses replicated via the action of these mutant polymerases exhibited substantially increased frequencies of mutants resistant to ganciclovir. Furthermore, when the Exo III mutations were incorporated into the viral genome, the resulting mutant viruses displayed only modestly defect in replication in Vero cells and exhibited substantially increased mutation frequencies. The results suggest that herpes simplex virus can replicate despite severely impaired exonuclease activity and that the 3'-5' exonuclease contributes substantially to the fidelity of viral DNA replication.