Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aqueous humour-induced lens epithelial cell proliferation requires FGF-signalling

Abstract The eye lens grows by systematic proliferation of its epithelial cells and their differentiation into fibre cells. The anterior aqueous humour regulates lens epithelial cell proliferation whereas posteriorly, the vitreous stimulates lens fibre differentiation. Vitreous-derived members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family induce fibre differentiation, with added support for FGFs as putative regulators of aqueous-induced lens cell proliferation. To further characterize this, given FGFs’ known affinity for proteoglycans, we compared the effect of proteoglycan sulphation in growth factor- and aqueous-induced lens cell proliferation. Disruption of proteoglycan sulphation in lens cells specifically impacted on aqueous- and FGF-induced MAPK/ERK1/2-signalling, but not on that induced by other mitogens such as PDGF; however, cell proliferation was reduced in all treatment groups, regardless of the mitogen. Overall, by disrupting proteoglycan activity, we further highlight the significant role of FGFs in aqueous-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation leading to lens cell proliferation.
Cleaning inconsistencies in information extraction via prioritized repairs

The population of a predefined relational schema from textual content, commonly known as Information Extraction (IE), is a pervasive task in contemporary computational challenges associated with Big Data. Since the textual content varies widely in nature and structure (from machine logs to informal natural language), it is notoriously difficult to write IE programs that extract the sought information without any inconsistencies (e.g., a substring should not be annotated as both an address and a person name). Dealing with inconsistencies is hence of crucial importance in IE systems. Industrial-strength IE systems like GATE and IBM SystemT therefore provide a built-in collection of cleaning operations to remove inconsistencies from extracted relations. These operations, however, are collected in an ad-hoc fashion through use cases. Ideally, we would like to allow IE developers to declare their own policies. But existing cleaning operations are defined in an algorithmic way and, hence, it is not clear how to extend the built-in operations without requiring low-level coding of internal or external functions. We embark on the establishment of a framework for declarative cleaning of inconsistencies in IE, though principles of database theory. Specifically, building upon the formalism of document spanners for IE, we adopt the concept of prioritized repairs, which has been recently proposed as an extension of the traditional database repairs to incorporate priorities among conflicting facts. We show that our framework captures the popular cleaning policies, as well as the POSIX semantics for extraction through regular expressions. We explore the problem of determining whether a cleaning declaration is unambiguous (i.e., always results in a single repair), and whether it increases the expressive power of the extraction language. We give both positive and negative results, some of which are general, and some of which apply to policies used in practice.
Hypertension and arterial stiffness in heart transplantation patients

OBJECTIVES: Post-transplantation hypertension is prevalent and is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and subsequent graft dysfunction. The present study aimed to identify the factors associated with arterial stiffness as measured by the ambulatory arterial stiffness index. METHODS: The current study used a prospective, observational, analytical design to evaluate a group of adult heart transplantation patients. Arterial stiffness was obtained by monitoring ambulatory blood pressure and using the ambulatory arterial stiffness index as the surrogate outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to control confounding. RESULTS: In a group of 85 adult heart transplantation patients, hypertension was independently associated with arterial stiffness (OR 4.98, CI 95% 1.06-23.4) as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure averages and nighttime descent. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of ambulatory arterial stiffness index is a new, non-invasive method that is easy to perform, may contribute to better defining arterial stiffness prognosis and is associated with hypertension.
Effects of a comprehensive educational group intervention in older women with cognitive complaints: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: This study presents a new comprehensive educational group intervention that offers psycho-education about cognitive aging and contextual factors (i.e., negative age stereotypes, beliefs, health, and lifestyle), focuses on skills and compensatory behavior, and incorporates group discussion. Its effects were investigated in community-dwelling older women who report normal age-related cognitive complaints. Methods: A randomized controlled trial with an experimental and waiting-list control condition was carried out in a sample of 50 women aged 60–75 years. As the main problem of these individuals were perceived cognitive deficits without actual cognitive decrements, metacognition served as the primary outcome measure. Objective cognitive functioning and psychological well-being were secondary outcome measures. A double baseline and a follow-up assessment were carried out. Results: Participants in the experimental condition reported significantly fewer negative emotional reactions toward cognitive functioning (U = 164.500, p = 0.004). The reported effect size (δ = −0.473) could be interpreted as large. Conclusions: This new comprehensive educational group intervention reduces negative emotional reactions toward cognitive functioning, which seems a prerequisite for improved subjective cognitive functioning and well-being. It can potentially contribute the well-being of an important and large group of older adults.
Tunneling geometries: Analyticity, unitarity, and instantons in quantum cosmology.

We present the theory of tunneling geometries, which describes in the language of analytic continuation the nucleation of the Lorentzian universe from the Euclidean spacetime. We reformulate the underlying no-boundary wave function in the manifestly unitary representation of true physical variables and calculate it in the one-loop approximation. For this purpose a special technique of complex extremals is developed, which reduces the formalism of complex tunneling geometries to real ones, and also the method of collective variables is applied, separating the macroscopic degrees of freedom from the perturbative microscopic modes. The quantum distribution of Lorentzian universes on the space of collective variables incorporates the probability conservation and boils down to the partition function of quasi-de Sitter gravitational instantons weighted by their Euclidean effective action. The over-Planckian behavior of their distribution is determined by the anomalous scaling of the theory, which serves as a criterion for the high-energy normalizability of the cosmological wave function and the validity of the semiclassical expansion. It also provides a calculational scheme for obtaining the quantum scale of inflation which was recently shown to establish a sound link between quantum cosmology, inflation theory, and particle physics in the model with a nonminimally coupled inflaton field.
A Cryptosystem of Low Key Authentic Degree

This paper analyzes the meaning and significance of key authentic degree of cryptosystem under the threat of the rubber-hose attack and ciphertext only attack. A novel cryptosystem of low key authentic degree is designed. The inner encryption is an extension like multiple-choice questions with keywords similar and contrary to the keywords in the plaintext. The corresponding decryption is like doing multiplechoice questions and the answers are decided by key. It is easy to find pseudokeys of the cryptosystem that can confuse and mislead cryptanalysts.
Distributed under Creative Commons Cc-by 4.0 the First Dromaeosaurid (dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous Bayan Gobi Formation of Nei Mongol, China

The first dromaeosaurid theropod from the Lower Cretaceous Bayan Gobi Formation is identified based on an incompletely preserved partially-articulated left leg, increasing the known diversity of its understudied ecosystem. The leg belongs to specimen IVPP V22530 and includes a typical deinonychosaurian pedal phalanx II-2 with a distinct constriction between the enlarged proximal end and the distal condyle as well as a typical deinonychosaurian enlarged pedal phalanx II-3. It possesses a symmetric metatarsus and a slender and long MT V that together suggest it is a dromaeosaurid. Two anatomical traits suggest the leg is microraptorine-like, but a more precise taxonomic referral was not possible: metatarsals II, III and IV are closely appressed distally and the ventral margin of the medial ligament pit of phalanx II-2 is close to the centre of the rounded distal condyle. This taxonomic status invites future efforts to discover additional specimens at the study locality because—whether it is a microraptorine or a close relative—this animal is expected to make important contributions to our understanding of dromaeosaurid evolution and biology. IVPP V22530 also comprises of an isolated dromaeosaurid manual ungual, a proximal portion of a right theropod anterior dorsal rib and an indeterminate bone mass that includes a collection of ribs. Neither the rib fragment nor the bone mass can be confidently referred to Dromaeosauridae, although they may very well belong to the same individual to whom the left leg belongs.
Role of NFAT5 in Inflammatory Disorders Associated with Osmotic Stress

Nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5) is the most recently described member of the Rel family of transcription factors, including NF-κB and NFAT1-4, which play central roles in inducible gene expression during the immune response. NFAT5 was initially described to drive osmoprotective gene expression in renal medullary cells, which are routinely faced by high extracellular osmolalities. Recent data however indicate profound biological importance of the mammalian osmotic stress response in view of NFAT5 dependent gene regulation in non-renal tissues. In mononuclear cells and epithelial cells, NFAT5 stimulates the expression of various pro-inflammatory cytokines during elevated ambient tonicity. Accordingly, compared to plasma, the interstitial tonicity of lymphoid organs like spleen and thymus and that of liver is substantially hypertonic under physiological conditions. In addition, anisotonic disorders (hypernatremia, diabetes mellitus, dehydration) entail systemic hyperosmolality, and, in inflammatory disorders, the skin, intestine, and cornea are sites of local hyperosmolality. This article summarizes the current knowledge regarding systemic and local osmotic stress in anisotonic and inflammatory disorders in view of NFAT5 activation and regulation, and NFAT5 dependent cytokine production.
Pre-ovulation control of hatchling sex ratio in the Seychelles warbler

Females of some bird species have a high degree of control over the sex ratio of their offspring at laying. Although several mechanisms have been put forward to explain how females might control the sex of their eggs, virtually nothing is known. As females are the heterogametic sex in birds, adjustment of the clutch sex ratio could arise either by pre– or post-ovulation control mechanisms. The Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis) exhibits extreme adaptive egg sex ratio bias. Typically, warblers produce only single–egg clutches, but by translocating pairs to vacant habitat of very high quality, most females were induced to produce two–egg clutches. Overall, females skewed clutch sex ratios strongly towards daughters (86.6%). This bias was evident in the first egg, but critically, also in the second eggs laid a day apart, even when all absent, unhatched, or unsexed second eggs were assumed to be male. Although a bias in the first egg may arise through either pre– or post–ovulation mechanisms, the skew observed in second eggs could only arise through pre–ovulation control. Post–ovulation adjustment may also contribute to skewed hatchling sex ratios, but as sex–biased release of gametes is likely to be a more efficient process of control, pre–ovulation mechanisms may be the sole means of adjustment in this species. High fitness differentials between sons and daughters, as apparent in the Seychelles warblers, may be necessary for primary sex ratio adjustment to evolve.
Psychosocial Effects of Beryllium Sensitization and Chronic Beryllium Disease

The objective of this research was to describe the psychosocial effects of beryllium sensitization (BeS) and chronic beryllium disease (CBD) for a sample of current and former workers from U.S. Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge, TN. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 participants. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. The responses were coded and analyzed to identify patterns and themes and to learn about their experiences. The results were compared to a theoretical model developed by the authors. Participants described ambiguity, inconsistency, vagueness, unpredictability, lack of information, and unfamiliarity that was consistent with the Michel Uncertainty in Illness Scale. They also described how they adjusted to their illness in a manner aligned with Derogatis’ Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness theory. Based on the results of this study, it appears appropriate to apply Uncertainty in Illness and Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness theories to BeS and CBD. Uncertainty may be considered an independent variable and psychosocial adjustment an intermediate variable in the study of the psychosocial effects of BeS and CBD.
Performance Evaluation of LTE/LTE-A DRX: A Markovian Approach

Long-term evolution (LTE)/long-term evolution advanced (LTE-A) are emerging communication technologies on the way toward 5G telecommunication systems. Ubiquitous adoption of connectivity in between different kinds of sensors, wearable devices, and other low-power equipment raises an importance of the energy-efficient wireless communications. In LTE/LTE-A, the discontinuous reception mechanism (DRX) aims at power saving of user equipment (UE) devices. In this paper, we present an analysis of DRX, which is novel in two dimensions. First, our analytical approach is different from existing ones due to the use of Markov chain instead of the semi-Markov ones. Secondly, along with the generic traffic models, we also analyze the efficiency of DRX for military training application systems, what has not been done before. We suggest few practical recommendations regarding the DRX parameters tuning also.
Gefitinib and Luteolin Cause Growth Arrest of Human Prostate Cancer PC-3 Cells via Inhibition of Cyclin G-Associated Kinase and Induction of miR-630

Cyclin G-associated kinase (GAK), a key player in clathrin-mediated membrane trafficking, is overexpressed in various cancer cells. Here, we report that GAK expression is positively correlated with the Gleason score in surgical specimens from prostate cancer patients. Embryonic fibroblasts from knockout mice expressing a kinase-dead (KD) form of GAK showed constitutive hyper-phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In addition to the well-known EGFR inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib, the dietary flavonoid luteolin was a potent inhibitor of the Ser/Thr kinase activity of GAK in vitro. Co-administration of luteolin and gefitinib to PC-3 cells had a greater effect on cell viability than administration of either compound alone; this decrease in viability was associated with drastic down-regulation of GAK protein expression. A comprehensive microRNA array analysis revealed increased expression of miR-630 and miR-5703 following treatment of PC-3 cells with luteolin and/or gefitinib, and exogenous overexpression of miR-630 caused growth arrest of these cells. GAK appears to be essential for cell death because co-administration of gefitinib and luteolin to EGFR-deficient U2OS osteosarcoma cells also had a greater effect on cell viability than administration of either compound alone. Taken together, these findings suggest that GAK may be a new therapeutic target for prostate cancer and osteosarcoma.
Saarland: Vector-based models of semantic textual similarity

This paper describes our system for the Semeval 2012 Sentence Textual Similarity task. The system is based on a combination of few simple vector space-based methods for word meaning similarity. Evaluation results show that a simple combination of these unsupervised data-driven methods can be quite successful. The simple vector space components achieve high performance on short sentences; on longer, more complex sentences, they are outperformed by a surprisingly competitive word overlap baseline, but they still bring improvements over this baseline when incorporated into a mixture model.
Critérios de Divisão Espacial para a Rede Neural T-CombNET aplicada ao Reconhecimento de Gestos

A neural network structure dedicated to the time series recognition, T-CombNET, is presented. The model is developed from the large scale Neural Network CombNet-II, designed to deal with very large vocabulary for Chinese and Japanese character recognition. Our specific modifications of the original CombNet-II model allows it to do temporal analysis and to be used in large set of human movements recognition systems. In T-CombNET structure, one important setting is to define the input spaces that optimize the network performance. In this work a Biologically Motivated Criterion and an Interclass Distance Measurement based criterion are analyzed and applied to select the input spaces in the T-CombNET. The obtained results show that the use of JIDM based criterion improves the classification capability of the network. The TCombNET is applied in a Japanese finger spelling recognition system, obtaining 99.4% in a user dependent hand gesture recognition system and 96.5% for a user independent.
Power to Choose? An Analysis of Consumer Inertia in the Residential Electricity Market

Many jurisdictions around the world have deregulated utilities and opened retail markets to competition. However, inertial decisionmaking can diminish consumer benefits of retail competition. Using household-level data from the Texas residential electricity market, we document evidence of consumer inertia. We estimate an econometric model of retail choice to measure two sources of inertia: (1) search frictions/inattention, and (2) a brand advantage that consumers afford the incumbent. We find that households rarely search for alternative retailers, and when they do search, households attach a brand advantage to the incumbent. Counterfactual experiments show that low-cost information interventions can notably increase consumer surplus.
NanoCMOS and steep switch technologies for ultimate nanoelectronics devices

We are facing many challenges for future nanoelectronic devices in the next two decades dealing with scaling, power consumption and computing performance. This paper presents the most promising solutions for the end of the roadmap in the More Moore and Beyond-CMOS fields, including innovative nanomaterials such as ultra-thin Si-Ge-III–V/OI, 2D layers (graphene, phosphorene, various transition-metal dichalcogenides), 1D semimetals, heterostructures using strained Si, Ge, III–V (InAs, GaSb, AlGaSb, graded layers, quantum wells, …), combined with advanced nanodevice architectures, especially ultimate multigate nanoCMOS and Nanowire FETs, Tunnel FETs and FeFET, and combinations of these nanoscale transistors such as FeTFET or TMOSFET.
A behavior-based scheme using reinforcement learning for autonomous underwater vehicles

This paper presents a hybrid behavior-based scheme using reinforcement learning for high-level control of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Two main features of the presented approach are hybrid behavior coordination and semi on-line neural-Q/spl I.bar/learning (SONQL). Hybrid behavior coordination takes advantages of robustness and modularity in the competitive approach as well as efficient trajectories in the cooperative approach. SONQL, a new continuous approach of the Q/spl I.bar/learning algorithm with a multilayer neural network is used to learn behavior state/action mapping online. Experimental results show the feasibility of the presented approach for AUVs.
CHARGED SECTORS, SPIN AND STATISTICS IN QUANTUM FIELD THEORY ON CURVED SPACETIMES

The first part of this paper extends the Doplicher-Haag-Roberts theory of superselection sectors to quantum field theory on arbitrary globally hyperbolic spacetimes. The statistics of a superselection sector may be defined as in flat spacetime and each charge has a conjugate charge when the spacetime possesses non-compact Cauchy surfaces. In this case, the field net and the gauge group can be constructed as in Minkowski spacetime. The second part of this paper derives spin-statistics theorems on spacetimes with appropriate symmetries. Two situations are considered: First, if the spacetime has a bifurcate Killing horizon, as is the case in the presence of black holes, then restricting the observables to the Killing horizon together with "modular covariance" for the Killing flow yields a conformally covariant quantum field theory on the circle and a conformal spin-statistics theorem for charged sectors localizable on the Killing horizon. Secondly, if the spacetime has a rotation and PT symmetry like the Schwarzschild-Kruskal black holes, "geometric modular action" of the rotational symmetry leads to a spin-statistics theorem for charged covariant sectors where the spin is defined via the SU(2)-covering of the spatial rotation group SO(3).
Neutral Networks of Interacting RNA Secondary Structures

RNA molecules interact by forming inter-molecular base pairs that compete with the intra-molecular base pairs of their secondary structures. We investigate the patterns of neutral mutations in RNAs whose function is the interaction with other RNAs, i.e. the co-folding with one or more other RNA molecules. We find that (i) the degree of neutrality is much smaller in interacting RNAs compared to RNAs that just have to coform to a single externally prescribed target structure, and (ii) strengthening this contraint to the conservation of the co-folded structure with two or more partners essentially eliminates neutrality. It follows that RNAs whose function depends on the formation of a specific interaction complex with a target RNA molecule will evolve much more slowly than RNAs with a function depending only on their own structure.
XBitTorrent: Localized latency-driven bittorrent

Peer-to-Peer systems was developed to compensate limitations of the internet and to reduce traffic among the nodes. In this way data transmission will be quicker and data distribution will be faster. One of the famous P2P distribution systems is BitTorrent. BitTorrent has gained reputation by its remarkable performance in distributing large files over the internet. Since BitTorrent and other P2P systems were usually established at the user level, they do not perceive information from the network. We investigated and demonstrated here an approach of improving the BitTorrent by integrating network information in the protocol. We consider here latency. This can be very useful for network applications since it provides a way for higher level protocols to infer states and problems within the network. High latency values would mean congestion and instability of a node, in which we can perform decisions to handle traffic effectively in the network. We integrated latency as an indicator in the selection of neighbors in the peerset. Also, we conducted experiments with several network scenarios to validate our approach. Results show that with our method, 86% reduction in the download time can be achieved, thus indicating highly significant improvement in performance.