Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association rules and collaborative filtering on sparse data of a leading online retailer

Personalized recommender systems are important for online shopping retailers to recommend items to potential customers. However, data sparsity is a key problem leading to poor recommendations. In this paper, we established two recommender models, i.e., the one based on association rules and the one based on collaborative filtering (CF), and tested them on a large set of sparse data obtained from a Chinese leading online shopping retailer. For the first model, only a limited number of reliable association rules were obtained due to data sparsity. For the second model, although collaborative filtering did not work well on the entire dataset, it performed significantly better when limiting the data to those associated with popular items. As retailers' majority of revenues coming from popular items, restricting the dataset to those associated with popular items can improve the effectiveness and maintain the usefulness at the same time.
Epithelial disruptions, but not immune cell invasion, induced secretory dysfunction following innate immune activation in a novel model of acute salivary gland injury

BACKGROUND Salivary gland (SG) injurious agents are all translated into loss of salivation (xerostomia). An association has been established between activation of innate immunity and SG injury and dysfunction. However, it remains unclear how the secretory epithelia respond by halting saliva production. METHODS C57BL/6 submandibular glands (SMGs) were acutely challenged using a single dose of the innate immune stimulant: polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly (I:C)). Secretory capacity of the infected SMGs was substantiated by assessing the flow rate in response to pilocarpine stimulation. Depletion of the acute inflammatory cells was achieved by pre-treating mice with RB6-8C5 depletion antibody. Flow cytometry, histology and immunohistochemistry were conducted to verify the immune cell depletion. Epithelial expression of saliva-driving molecules: muscarinic 3 receptor (M3R), aquaporin 5 water channel (AQP5), Na-K-CL-Cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) and transmembrane member 16A (TMEM16A), was characterized using RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Tight junction (TJ) protein; zonula occludens (ZO-1) and basement membrane (BM) protein; and laminin were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Innate immune challenge prompted dysfunction in the exocrine SGs. Dysregulated gene and protein expression of molecules that drive saliva secretion was substantiated. Aberrant expression of TJ and BM proteins followed innate immune activation. Hyposalivation in the current model was independent of myeloperoxidase (MPO)-positive, acute inflammatory cells. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we developed a novel injury model of the SGs, featuring acute secretory dysfunction and immediate structural disruptions. Our results ruled out the injurious role of aggressively infiltrating inflammatory cells.
Morbidity, mortality, and management of methicillin-resistant S. aureus bacteremia in the USA: update on antibacterial choices and understanding

ABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia is associated with significant healthcare costs, morbidity, and mortality in the United States. Complications of MRSA bacteremia include infective endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and sepsis, all of which are difficult to treat. Time to effective therapy and antibacterial choice greatly affect patient outcomes. Vancomycin and daptomycin remain first-line therapies; however, reports of vancomycin-associated treatment failure and reduced daptomycin susceptibility highlight the need to define alternative strategies for MRSA bacteremia treatment. In addition, several patient- and pathogen-specific factors influence the outcomes of MRSA bacteremia. It is, therefore, critical to explore the interaction between host- and pathogen-specific factors and its effect on MRSA bacteremia pathogenesis and mortality. This review discusses the factors that drive the development of MRSA bacteremia and examines alternative treatment strategies.
Overexpression of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Ameliorates Amyloid β-Induced Inflammatory Response in Human Primary Retinal Pigment Epithelium.

Purpose Amyloid-β (Aβ) is a major constituent of drusen, which is a hallmark of early AMD. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether enhancement of ACE2, an important component of the protective angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)/Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis of the renin angiotensin system (RAS), ameliorates Aβ-induced inflammatory response in human RPE cells. Methods Annexin-V FITC/propidium iodide assay for detecting apoptosis rate was used to determine the optimum concentration and incubation time of Aβ1-42. ACE2 plasmid was transfected into primary cultured human RPE (hRPE) and ARPE-19 cells for 6 hours followed by stimulation with Aβ1-42 at the concentration of 1 μM for 48 hours. Gene expression was detected by real-time PCR and protein levels were determined by Western blotting or ELISA. A779, an antagonist of Ang-(1-7), was used to further confirm the involvement of ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis. Results Flow cytometry showed that the optimal concentration of Aβ1-42 was 1 μM and the optimal incubation time was 48 hours. Aβ1-42 upregulated the expression of IL-1β and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. ACE2 plasmid significantly upregulated the expression of ACE2 and Ang-(1-7) in hRPE and ARPE-19 cells. Activation of ACE2 reduced the overproduction of inflammatory cytokines at both mRNA and protein levels in hRPE and ARPE-19 cells stimulated with Aβ1-42. Furthermore, an antagonist of Ang-(1-7), A779 reversed the anti-inflammatory effect of ACE2. Conclusions Overexpression of ACE2 ameliorates Aβ-induced inflammatory response by activating the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis in human RPE cells. Our data suggest that ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis may be a promising target for developing novel therapies for inflammation response in AMD.
Enhanced array manifold matrices for L-shaped microphone array-based 2-D DOA estimation

This paper presents an alternative and efficient two-dimensional direction-of-arrival method to estimate multi-narrowband source directions from L-shaped microphone arrays. The problem of estimating direction-of-arrival method of multi-narrowband is considered and resolved by declaring new terms of source and central frequency in array manifold matrices. This new matrices are compatible with most classical subspace-based methods, such as, multiple signal classification and the other cross-correlation based two-dimensional direction-of-arrival estimation method. The performance is evaluated in terms of the root-mean-squared error over a range of the signal-to-noise ratio. Furthermore, simulation results demonstrate that proposed array manifold matrices with the classical subspace-based methods can efficiently handle with acceptable noise levels. In conclusion, the modified method provides a potential alternative to intelligent local positioning systems in voice control applications.
Interannual variations in needle and sapwood traits of Pinus edulis branches under an experimental drought

Abstract In the southwestern USA, recent large‐scale die‐offs of conifers raise the question of their resilience and mortality under droughts. To date, little is known about the interannual structural response to droughts. We hypothesized that piñon pines (Pinus edulis) respond to drought by reducing the drop of leaf water potential in branches from year to year through needle morphological adjustments. We tested our hypothesis using a 7‐year experiment in central New Mexico with three watering treatments (irrigated, normal, and rain exclusion). We analyzed how variation in “evaporative structure” (needle length, stomatal diameter, stomatal density, stomatal conductance) responded to watering treatment and interannual climate variability. We further analyzed annual functional adjustments by comparing yearly addition of needle area (LA) with yearly addition of sapwood area (SA) and distance to tip (d), defining the yearly ratios SA:LA and SA:LA/d. Needle length (l) increased with increasing winter and monsoon water supply, and showed more interannual variability when the soil was drier. Stomatal density increased with dryness, while stomatal diameter was reduced. As a result, anatomical maximal stomatal conductance was relatively invariant across treatments. SA:LA and SA:LA/d showed significant differences across treatments and contrary to our expectation were lower with reduced water input. Within average precipitation ranges, the response of these ratios to soil moisture was similar across treatments. However, when extreme soil drought was combined with high VPD, needle length, SA:LA and SA:LA/d became highly nonlinear, emphasizing the existence of a response threshold of combined high VPD and dry soil conditions. In new branch tissues, the response of annual functional ratios to water stress was immediate (same year) and does not attempt to reduce the drop of water potential. We suggest that unfavorable evaporative structural response to drought is compensated by dynamic stomatal control to maximize photosynthesis rates.
Isolation and identification of compounds from Kalanchoe pinnata having human alphaherpesvirus and vaccinia virus antiviral activity

Abstract Context: Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. (Crassulaceae) is a succulent plant that is known for its traditional antivirus and antibacterial usage. Objective: This work examines two compounds identified from the K. pinnata plant for their antivirus activity against human alphaherpesvirus (HHV) 1 and 2 and vaccinia virus (VACV). Materials and methods: Compounds KPB-100 and KPB-200 were isolated using HPLC and were identified using NMR and MS. Both compounds were tested in plaque reduction assay of HHV-2 wild type (WT) and VACV. Both compounds were then tested in virus spread inhibition and virus yield reduction (VYR) assays of VACV. KPB-100 was further tested in viral cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition assay of HHV-2 TK-mutant and VYR assay of HHV-1 WT. Results: KPB-100 and KPB-200 inhibited HHV-2 at IC50 values of 2.5 and 2.9 μg/mL, respectively, and VACV at IC50 values of 3.1 and 7.4 μg/mL, respectively, in plaque reduction assays. In virus spread inhibition assay of VACV KPB-100 and KPB-200 yielded IC50 values of 1.63 and 13.2 μg/mL, respectively, and KPB-100 showed a nearly 2-log reduction in virus in VYR assay of VACV at 20 μg/mL. Finally, KPB-100 inhibited HHV-2 TK- at an IC50 value of 4.5 μg/mL in CPE inhibition assay and HHV-1 at an IC90 of 3.0 μg/mL in VYR assay. Discussion and conclusion: Both compounds are promising targets for synthetic optimization and in vivo study. KPB-100 in particular showed strong inhibition of all viruses tested.
High-Speed Beam Tracking Demonstrated Using a 28 GHz 5G Trial System

Abstract - The coming 5G standard aims to support high mobility use cases where the user travels at high speeds in a car or a train. In this paper, measurement results are presented from high speed vehicle tests using a 5G radio access test system with beam tracking operating at a carrier frequency of 28 GHz. The tests were performed in a multi-transmission point deployment, where transmission point (TP) switching, beam tracking and operation at high vehicle speeds were successfully demonstrated. Beam tracking was demonstrated at a vehicle speed of 170 km/h while providing a downlink (DL) throughput of 3.6 Gbps. Furthermore, successful TP switching was demonstrated at vehicle speeds exceeding 160 km/h while maintaining a downlink bitrate of over 1 Gbps. Different user speeds show only a small impact in user throughput as long as the same beam is used.
Research on a new bidirectional DC-DC topology for space applications

In the spacecraft power supply system, due to the discontinuous working current, the traditional boost circuit has unstable operating points and leads to the depression of bus power quality and the module efficiency, which can't be directly applied to the space power system. With the advantages of high power density, high efficiency and continuous current, the Weinberg topology has been supplied in the practical space power system. In this paper, we improve the Weinberg topology, which combines the discharge and charge function in one converter, to achieve smaller volume, lighter weight and higher power density space power system. A detailed analysis is made on the bidirectional working principle of the proposed circuit topology, and the circuit gain of boost and buck processing is derived. The simulation model is built to show the feasibility of the proposed topology.
Extensible analysis tool for trajectory pattern mining

The capabilities of moving object data collection have been increasing parallel with the development pace of technologies. The mobility of various moving objects can be easily generated via technologies, such as satellite and GPS. With such facilities, studies about moving object data have been increasing these past few decades, for instance, studies about trajectory pattern mining. Trajectory pattern mining is a field in moving object data mining that focuses on finding patterns from the spatial trajectory data generated from moving object data. The purposed system is an analysis tool that can run various algorithms related to trajectory pattern mining to mine trajectory of moving objects. In addition, the user interface is provided to facilitate interactive exploration and analysis of mining results. The main purpose of this tool development is to produce an extensible tool so that a new algorithm related to trajectory pattern mining can be added to the tool. This ability is considered important because the study on related topics is still growing rapidly. Extensibility of the tool is obtained by analyzing the general process from various trajectory pattern mining algorithms. The results of the analysis are then transformed into designs by utilizing the template method pattern to ensure the extensibility aspect itself. From this study, an analysis tool that implements various algorithms trajectory pattern mining is successfully built. The tool is extensible so that new algorithms from three mining categories, i.e. trajectory preprocessing, moving together pattern mining, and trajectory clustering, can be implemented into the tool by following several rules and steps while minimizing impact on existing system functions.
Functional connectivity in amygdalar‐sensory/(pre)motor networks at rest: new evidence from the Human Connectome Project

The word ‘e‐motion’ derives from the Latin word ‘ex‐moveo’ which literally means ‘moving away from something/somebody’. Emotions are thus fundamental to prime action and goal‐directed behavior with obvious implications for individual's survival. However, the brain mechanisms underlying the interactions between emotional and motor cortical systems remain poorly understood. A recent diffusion tensor imaging study in humans has reported the existence of direct anatomical connections between the amygdala and sensory/(pre)motor cortices, corroborating an initial observation in animal research. Nevertheless, the functional significance of these amygdala‐sensory/(pre)motor pathways remain uncertain. More specifically, it is currently unclear whether a distinct amygdala‐sensory/(pre)motor circuit can be identified with resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI). This is a key issue, as rs‐fMRI offers an opportunity to simultaneously examine distinct neural circuits that underpin different cognitive, emotional and motor functions, while minimizing task‐related performance confounds. We therefore tested the hypothesis that the amygdala and sensory/(pre)motor cortices could be identified as part of the same resting‐state functional connectivity network. To this end, we examined independent component analysis results in a very large rs‐fMRI data‐set drawn from the Human Connectome Project (n = 820 participants, mean age: 28.5 years). To our knowledge, we report for the first time the existence of a distinct amygdala‐sensory/(pre)motor functional network at rest. rs‐fMRI studies are now warranted to examine potential abnormalities in this circuit in psychiatric and neurological diseases that may be associated with alterations in the amygdala‐sensory/(pre)motor pathways (e.g. conversion disorders, impulse control disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis).
All-optimized integrated RF photonic notch filter.

We report a silicon nitride chip-based radio-frequency photonic notch filter with an unprecedented performance including an RF gain of 8 dB, a record-low noise figure of 15.6 dB, and a spurious-free dynamic range of 116 dB·Hz2/3, with a stop band rejection of 50 dB. This level of performance is achieved by using on-chip resonators' unique phase responses, and thorough optimizations of the photonic link. These record results will potentially stimulate future implementations of integrated microwave photonic subsystems for real-world applications.
Poly-Victimization and Peer Harassment Involvement in a Technological World

This article explores the ways poly-victimized youth (those experiencing multiple different types of victimization over the course of 1 year) use technology to interact with peers. Particular attention is given to the peer harassment victimization and perpetration experiences of poly-victimized youth compared with less victimized and non-victimized youth—both overall and through technology. Data were collected as part of the Technology Harassment Victimization (THV) study; a national survey of 791 youth, ages 10 to 20 across the United States. Study results document the heightened risks that poly-victimized youth experience when interacting with peers. Low and high poly-victimized youth were both at significantly greater risk of being dual victims and perpetrators of peer harassment when compared with non-victimized youth even after taking into account other potentially explanatory factors. This was not found to be the case for less victimized youth. This was true for high poly-victims and technology-involved harassment risk as well. There were indications that poly-victimized youth were interacting with peers in more intense and risky ways in general using new technology. The increase in attention to poly-victimization in recent years has importantly identified the detrimental role that experiencing different forms of victimization have on youth. This study not only adds to that literature but suggests that there is an opportunity to interrupt additional victimization by understanding how poly-victimized youth interact with peers before and during adolescence. Although preliminary, the differences in technology use by poly-victimized youth versus others suggest that more information is needed to understand how they are relating to peers in both positive and risky ways in this environment.
Toroidal Quadrupole Form Factor of the Deuteron

We calculate the toroidal quadrupole moment and form factor of the deuteron, which violate time-reversal symmetry but conserve parity, at leading order in two-flavor chiral effective field theory with perturbative pion exchange. We take into account time-reversal and parity violation owing to the QCD vacuum angle combined with parity violation resulting from the weak interaction in the Standard Model. We also consider time-reversal and parity violation that at the quark-gluon level results from effective dimension-six operators originating from physics beyond the Standard Model.
Role of the carotid body chemoreceptors in glucose homeostasis and thermoregulation in humans

The carotid bodies (CBs) are multi‐modal sensory organs located bilaterally at the bifurcation of the carotid artery and innervated by the carotid sinus nerve (Hering's nerve), a branch of the IX cranial nerve. While the CBs (or embryologically analogous structures) are well known as the dominant oxygen‐sensing organ in vertebrates, in mammals there is evidence that the CBs may also sense glucose and temperature, and respond to circulating hormones and other factors. Additionally, the CBs likely participate in regulating baseline levels of sympathetic tone. In this brief review, we focus on the evolution of our efforts to understand ‘what else’ beyond oxygen sensing the CBs do in humans.
Active Sensing with Operator Selection for a Mobile Manipulator in Object Search Tasks

In this paper we present an approach to object search tasks with a mobile manipulator. We introduce an active sensing system that plans actions appropriate for various target objects in different environmental conditions. The proposed method uses utility theory and Bayesian networks to decide the next sensor pose and the next sensing operator considering the cost of the action and the environmental context. Preliminary results in a simulated indoor environment show that our system adapts by changing visual operators and environmental contexts to find target objects efficiently.
Cystine knot growth factors and their functionally versatile proregions

Abstract The cystine knot disulfide pattern has been found to be widespread in nature, since it has been detected in proteins from plants, marine snails, spiders and mammals. Cystine knot proteins are secreted proteins. Their functions range from defense mechanisms as toxins, e.g. ion channel or enzyme inhibitors, to hormones, blood factors and growth factors. Cystine knot proteins can be divided into two superordinate groups. (i) The cystine knot peptides, also referred to – with other non-cystine knot proteins – as knottins, with linear and cyclic polypeptide chains. (ii) The cystine knot growth factor family, which is in the focus of this article. The disulfide ring structure of the cystine knot peptides is made up by the half-cystines 1-4 and 2-5, and the threading disulfide bond is formed by the half-cystines, 3-6. In the growth factor group, the disulfides of half-cystines 1 and 4 pass the ring structure formed by the half-cystines 2-5 and 3-6. In this review, special emphasis will be devoted to the growth factor cystine knot proteins and their proregions. The latter have shifted into the focus of scientific interest as their important biological roles are just to be unravelled.
Testing the Dimensionality of Integrated HRM Strategy among Malaysian Manufacturing Organizations

This paper aims to examine the dimensionality of the integrated HRM strategy in the Malaysian context. The effectiveness of the dimensional scale of HRM strategy was investigated with a sample of 113 manufacturing organizations. Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the 6-subscale structure of HRM strategy was valid. Furthermore, the results verified that the integrated HRM strategy scale has high internal reliability. These results indicated that the integrated HRM strategy scale can be used in research related to manufacturing organizations in Malaysia.