Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determining the Number of Components in Mixture Models using Williams' Statistical Test

This paper presents a new approach which can be used to determine the optimum number of components in mixture models. The approach is developed using Williams’ statistical test for determining optimal drug doses. Three experimental examples demonstrate application of the proposed method to the number of components of the density functions using the Expectation Maximisation (EM) algorithm. It shown that the method can work but it is not perfect in all applications.
Amoebiasis Transmission And Life Cycle : A Continuous State Description by Virtue of Existence and Uniqueness

Amoebiasis is a contagious disease, triggered by the unicellular microorganism Entamoeba histolytica (in form of infective cysts), excreted at the end of its life cycle within human faecal of the infectious host. It is an endemic disease prevalent among the population living under critical hygienic conditions in developing countries. Recent progress made to characterize and distinguish Entamoeba histolytica and its homologous non pathogenic Entamoeba dispar, has motivated the desire to lay the foundations of a mathematical model for the transmission of amoebiasis on modeling underlying assumptions from the literature of amoebiasis and on the instantaneous rates of change in size of the five population epidemiological classes: susceptible (S), exposed (E), infective (I), carrier (C) and recovered (R) defining amoebiasis states. The variations of the size of each class are implicitly time dependent and they are initiated in accordance with the law of mass action by the transfer of a proportion of individuals of the same disease status from one class to another. The model is novel in this class of infectious disease and is built on a system of nonlinear differential equations embodied on the flowchart thoroughly commented. For the sake of the configuration of the dynamics of amoebiasis at any time during its course, the existence and uniqueness theory raises an issue about the solution to the Initial Value Problem (IVP) associated with the model. Indeed, under some conditions on the parameters of the IVP, the existance and uniqueness of the solution to 376 Fidele Hategekimana et al amoebiasis transmisson mathematical model are restricted to the minimum but extendable interval of time.
Computed tomography perfusion-based selection of endovascularly treated acute ischaemic stroke patients – Are there lessons to be learned from the pre-evidence era?

Introduction Some of the latest groundbreaking trials suggest that noncontrast cranial computed tomography and computed tomography-angiography are sufficient tools for patient selection within six hours of symptom onset. Before endovascular stroke therapy became the standard of care, patient selection was one of the most useful tools to avoid futile reperfusions. We report the outcomes of endovascularly treated stroke patients selected with a perfusion-based paradigm and discuss the implications in the current era of endovascular treatment. Material and methods After an interdisciplinary meeting in September 2012 we agreed to select thrombectomy candidates primarily based on computed tomography perfusion with a cerebral blood volume Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Scale (CBV-ASPECTS) of <7 being a strong indicator of futile reperfusion. In this study, we retrospectively screened all patients with an M1 thrombosis in our neurointerventional database between September 2012 and December 2014. Results In 39 patients with a mean age of 69 years and a median admission National Institute of Health Stroke Scale of 17 the successful reperfusion rate was 74% and the favourable outcome rate at 90 days was 56%. Compared to previously published data from our database 2007–2011, we found that a two-point increase in median CBV-ASPECTS was associated with a significant increase in favourable outcomes. Conclusion Computed tomography perfusion imaging as an additional selection criterion significantly increased the rate of favourable clinical outcome in patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy. Although computed tomography perfusion has lost impact within the six-hour period, we still use it in cases beyond six hours as a means to broaden the therapeutic window.
Homework Practices of General Education Teachers

The purpose of this study was to survey the homework practices of general education teachers who teach students with disabilities. A national sample of 441 elementary, middle, and senior high teachers were asked about their homework practices, including their use of adaptations for students with disabilities. The results highlight homework practices and adaptations that are used frequently and perceived by teachers as helpful for students with disabilities. Also discussed are the differences in practices and adaptations across elementary, middle, and high school teachers, as well as the instructional implications of the identified homework practices for students with disabilities and their general education teachers.
The eastern Asian and eastern and western North American floristic disjunction: congruent phylogenetic patterns in seven diverse genera.

One of the most remarkable examples of intercontinental disjunction of the North Temperate Flora involves eastern Asia and eastern and western North America. Although there has been considerable interest in this phytogeographic pattern for over 150 years (e.g., Gray, 1859; Li, 1952; Graham, 1972; Boufford and Spongberg, 1983; Wu, 1983; Tiffney, 1985a, 1985b), relationships among taxa displaying the disjunction remain obscure. Understanding phylogenetic relationships is, however, a prerequisite for historical biogeographic analyses of this distributional pattern. To understand better the relationships of taxa displaying this intercontinental disjunction, phylogenetic analyses were conducted using a variety of DNA data sets for species of four genera (Cornus, Boykinia, Tiarella, and Trautvetteria) that occur in eastern Asia, eastern North America, and western North America. An area cladogram was constructed for each of the four genera, all of which show a similar pattern of relationship: the eastern Asian species are sister to all North American species. An identical phylogenetic pattern is also found in three other taxa exhibiting this disjunction (Aralia sect. Aralia, Calycanthus, and Adiantum pedatum). The congruent phylogenetic pattern found in these seven diverse genera raises the possibility of a common origin of the eastern Asia, eastern and western North America disjunction. The data are in agreement with the long-standing hypothesis that this well-known floristic disjunction represents the fragmentation of a once continuous Mixed Mesophytic forest community and suggest that the disjunction may have involved only two major vicariance events: an initial split between Eurasia and North America, followed by the isolation of floras between eastern and western North America. However, congruence between phylogenies and geographic distributions does not necessarily indicate an identical phytogeographic history. Taxa exhibiting the same phylogenetic pattern may have originated at different geological times. Analysis of divergence times using the molecular clock indicates that species of Cornus, Boykinia, and Calycanthus may have diverged at different geological times, suggesting that the floristic disjunction involving eastern Asia and North America may not be simple; it may have involved multiple historical events at very different geological times in different genera.
Nicotinic alpha 7 receptors protect against glutamate neurotoxicity and neuronal ischemic damage.

The alpha7 receptor agonist dimethoxybenzylidene anabaseine (DMXB) protected rat neocortical neurons against excitotoxicity administered 24 h before, but not concomitantly with, NMDA. This action was blocked by nicotinic but not muscarinic antagonists. DMXB (1 mg/kg i.p.) also reduced infarct size in rats when injected 24 h before, but not during, focal ischemic insults. In a mecamylamine-sensitive manner, alpha7 receptors appear neuroprotective in non-apoptotic model.
Single Mode Operation of Substrate Integrated Non-Radiative Dielectric Waveguide and an Excitation Scheme of ${\rm LSE}_{11}$ Mode

It is shown that a substrate integrated non-radiative dielectric (SINRD) waveguide supports only the fundamental longitudinal-section-electric mode (LSE11) over a frequency band determined by the radius of air holes. The single mode operation eliminates the need of a mode suppressor which is a potential advantage of using LSE11 mode compared to the use of the other fundamental mode, namely the longitudinal-section-magnetic mode (LSM11). The conditions for obtaining the maximum single mode operation bandwidth are investigated. An excitation scheme of the LSE11 mode using a rectangular waveguide is presented and the measurement results of a fabricated back-to-back transition at 94 GHz are provided.
Nomenclature of the desmosomal cadherins

Steinberg~§ * Laboratory of Eukaryotic Molecular Genetics, National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom; ~New York University Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, New York 10016; §Institut fiir Zell- und Tumorbiologie, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Postfach 10 19 49, D-6900 Heidelberg 1, Germany; II Department of Biological Sciences, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom; I Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008; ~Dermatology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; and §§Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544-1014
Circulating clonal cells in multiple myeloma do not express CD34 mRNA, as measured by single‐cell and real‐time RT‐PCR assays

The peripheral blood (PB) mononuclear cells in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have been reported to include CD34‐expressing cells that are clonally related to the myeloma cells. To determine whether there were elevated levels of CD34 mRNA or whether CD34+ cells in the PB include myeloma‐related cells, we developed a quantitative real‐time and a competitive CD34 RT‐PCR assay working on single flow‐sorted cells. Myeloma‐specific cells were detected with allele‐specific oligonucleotides (ASO) IgH PCR. PBSC products and mononuclear cell fractions in blood from normal donors, untreated and treated myeloma patients were analysed.
Impact des restrictions d’utilisation des hydroxyéthylamidons sur la consommation des cristalloïdes et des colloïdes en réanimation : étude conduite dans le service de réanimation cardio-vasculaire et thoracique du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble

Le remplissage vasculaire est une technique medicale classiquement utilisee en reanimation, anesthesie et urgence, visant a augmenter le volume intravasculaire circulant et la pression arterielle grâce a l’utilisation de solutes de remplissage, les cristalloides et les colloides. En 2013, suite a la parution d’etudes concernant le risque notamment de nephrotoxicite, l’Agence Nationale de la Securite du Medicament publie des restrictions d’utilisation des hydroxyethylamidons, une sous-classe de colloides frequemment utilisee chez les patients de reanimation. Cette these resume dans une premiere partie les problematiques du remplissage vasculaire et presente en deuxieme partie une etude menee dans le service de reanimation cardio-vasculaire et thoracique du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble qui avait pour but d’evaluer l’impact et l’application des recommandations. Nous avons analyse les consommations annuelles et les prescriptions de solutes sur 2013 et 2014 puis mis en evidence une diminution marquee mais non totale de l’utilisation des HEA, malgre la contre-indication de leur utilisation chez les patients de reanimation. Une augmentation de l’utilisation des cristalloides a ete observee en parallele, notamment avec l’introduction de solutes balances en 2014. L’albumine a ete utilisee en alternative chez quelques patients, pour lesquels l’indication s’est revelee discutable suite a l’analyse des dossiers. Nous n’avons pas observe de modification de la frequence des effets indesirables, qui etaient tres peu nombreux.
Reducing the complexity order of position estimators with combined radiolocation measurements

As a growing attention is currently paid to low-cost energy-efficient radiolocation functionalities in a wide variety of wireless networks, one recurrent concern is to reduce the required processing time and the complexity of practical positioning estimators under deployment constraints (i.e. in terms of infrastructure, embedded computational capability and/or available measurements), while meeting simultaneously the best achievable accuracy. In this paper, we present a general method that reduces the complexity order of such position estimators with no noticeable performance degradation. The main idea consists in minimizing the number of observations that actually take part in the location computation. For this purpose, we propose to linearly combine available measurements into low-dimension observations that lead to the same Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) as that of more classical formulations (i.e. using measurements as direct observations). As an illustration, we show here how to apply this solution to two well-known position estimators, namely the linearized Least Squares (LS) estimator and the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF).
The 4th international workshop on social software engineering (SSE'11)

Software is created by people and for people. People are heterogeneous in their beliefs, backgrounds, and preferences. Accommodating and exploiting the social variety is crucial for successful engineering and usage of software. On the one hand, software engineering is a social activity, performed by different individuals and teams. This necessitates methodologies and tools to deal with issues such as communication, coordination, knowledge sharing, compensation, and reconciliation. On the other hand, Social Software (Internet Forums, Wikis, Social Networks, Blogs, etc.) is an expanding computing paradigm, which inherently incorporates intensive social interactions and implications. Engineering Social Software magnifies a spectrum of challenges like group requirements engineering, social-awareness, privacy, security, and trust. Both directions -- engineering Social Software and treating software engineering as a social activity -- require competency from other disciplines as diverse as psychology, sociology, and organizational science. While both directions receive considerable attention, research in both fields is fragmented, uncoordinated, and partially redundant. The goal of this workshop is to confluence the research on social aspects in software engineering and engineering of Social software into a new field of Social Software Engineering (SSE).
A Note on the GPU Acceleration of Eigenvalue Computations

Eigenvalue computations for large sparse matrices such as the Lanczos method are commonly based on Krylov subspace techniques. One of the dominant operations in such algorithms are iterated computations of inner products with the same vector in order to preserve orthogonality of the Krylov basis. These operations can be accelerated by existing BLAS functionality using GPUs. However, this is not fully efficient due to unnecessary memory transfers. We present improved implementations in CUDA and OpenCL, which are now available in ViennaCL, PETSc and SLEPc, and demonstrate an up to two-fold performance gain over existing GPU vendor libraries.
Statistical theory of signal detection and parameter estimation

This paper represents an elegant presentation of a subject classic in Communication Theory. While the statistical theory of signal detection and estimation described here is to be found in several textbooks, this manuscript is noteworthy for its clear and concise style. Readers unacquainted with the subject will find the paper valuable because of its comparative brevity, but also because it serves as an excellent preparation for additional more-detailed study.
Alginate gene expression by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in host and non-host plants.

Pseudomonas syringae produces the exopolysaccharide alginate, a copolymer of mannuronic and guluronic acid. Although alginate has been isolated from plants infected by P. syringae, the signals and timing of alginate gene expression in planta have not been described. In this study, an algD : : uidA transcriptional fusion, designated pDCalgDP, was constructed and used to monitor alginate gene expression in host and non-host plants inoculated with P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. When leaves of susceptible collard plants were spray-inoculated with DC3000(pDCalgDP), algD was activated within 72 h post-inoculation (p.i.) and was associated with the development of water-soaked lesions. In leaves of the susceptible tomato cv. Rio Grande-PtoS, algD activity was lower than in collard and was not associated with water-soaking. The expression of algD was also monitored in leaves of tomato cv. Rio Grande-PtoR, which is resistant to P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Within 12 h p.i. , a microscopic hypersensitive response (micro-HR) was observed in Rio Grande-PtoR leaves spray-inoculated with P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000(pDCalgDP). As the HR progressed, histochemical staining indicated that individual bacterial cells on the surface of resistant tomato leaves were expressing algD. These results indicate that algD is expressed in both susceptible (e.g. collard, tomato) and resistant (Rio Grande-PtoR) host plants. The expression of algD in an incompatible host-pathogen interaction was further explored by monitoring transcriptional activity in leaves of tobacco, which is not a host for P. syringae pv. tomato. In tobacco inoculated with DC3000(pDCalgDP), an HR was evident within 12 h p.i. , and algD expression was evident within 8-12 h p.i. However, when tobacco was inoculated with an hrcC mutant of DC3000, the HR did not occur and algD expression was substantially lower. These results suggest that signals that precede the HR may stimulate alginate gene expression in P. syringae. Histochemical staining with nitro blue tetrazolium indicated that the superoxide anion () is a signal for algD activation in planta. This study indicates that algD is expressed when P. syringae attempts to colonize both susceptible and resistant plant hosts.
Quality of Life Assessment in Patients Undergoing Head and Neck Surgery As Evaluated by Lay Caregivers

Objectives/Hypothesis: Rehabilitation following head and neck cancer surgery has steadily moved into the outpatient realm and become dependent on caregivers with no formal medical background (lay caregivers.) Satisfactory rehabilitation and quality of life (QOL) depend on successful relationships between patients and the lay caregivers. This study evaluates the QOL assessments of patients by themselves and their primary lay caregivers before head and neck surgery. Study Design: Institutional Review Board–approved study using validated QOL assessment instrument. Materials and Methods: The preoperative QOL status in 50 patients undergoing extensive head and neck surgery was evaluated using the self‐administered Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36 (SF‐36). The patient's primary lay caregiver (spouse, child, or friend) completed a similar questionnaire evaluating the patient's status. Results: Thirty‐three (66%) questionnaires were returned. Twenty‐five (50%) questionnaire sets were successfully completed by both parties and employable for comparison. Sixty percent of the caregivers were within the 90% confidence interval of the patient's assessment for six or more of the eight parameters evaluated by the SF‐36. Likewise, caregiver assessments for specific parameters were consistently congruent with patient evaluation, except for the parameters of bodily pain and general health, for which caregivers demonstrated a trend for overrating pain and underestimating general health. Caregivers of the same generation as the patient demonstrated significantly higher congruence (P = .007). Similarly, a trend for higher congruence was noted in patients with recurrent disease. Conclusions: The importance of the lay caregiver has increased in the era of greater outpatient rehabilitation. This pilot study indicates that QOL assessment by lay caregivers may be examined with existing instruments and highlights QOL parameters critical to both the head and neck surgery patient and his or her primary lay caregiver.
Involvement of SLC17A9-dependent Vesicular Exocytosis in the Mechanism of ATP Release during T Cell Activation

Recent reports have shown that T cell receptor (TCR)-dependent ATP release from T cells is involved in production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) through activation of P2 receptors. Stimulation of TCR induces ATP release from T cells through gap junction hemichannels and maxianion channels, at least in part. However, the mechanisms of ATP release from activated T cells are not fully understood. Here, we studied the mechanisms of ATP release during TCR-dependent T cell activation by investigating the effects of various inhibitors on TCR-dependent ATP release from murine T cells. We found that not only anion channel and gap junction hemichannel inhibitors, but also exocytosis inhibitors suppressed the ATP release. These results suggest that ATP release from murine T cells is regulated by various mechanisms, including exocytosis. An inhibitor of exocytosis, bafilomycin A, significantly blocked TCR signaling, such as Ca2+ elevation and IL-2 production. Furthermore, bafilomycin A, ectonucleotidase, and P2Y6 receptor antagonist significantly inhibited production of pro-inflammatory cytokines from external antigen-restimulated splenocytes, indicating that vesicular exocytosis-mediated purinergic signaling has a significant role in TCR-dependent cytokine production. We also detected vesicular ATP in murine T cells and human T lymphoma Jurkat cells, both of which also expressed mRNA of SLC17A9, a vesicular nucleotide transporter. Knockdown of SLC17A9 in Jurkat cells markedly reduced ATP release and cytosolic Ca2+ elevation after TCR stimulation, suggesting involvement of SLC17A9-dependent vesicular exocytosis in ATP release and T cell activation. In conclusion, vesicular exocytosis of ATP appears to play a role in T cell activation and immune responses.
Trayectorias de vulnerabilidad y peligrosidad

Una de las consecuencias mas duras del modelo economico neoliberal tiene que ver con sus implicancias a nivel social: Sectorizacion entre quienes se insertan en el mercado, la escuela, el circuito productivo, y quienes no pueden hacerlo. Poseedores y desposeidos: desigualdad social.Los jovenes en conflicto con la ley, desocupados, violentos, los “pibes chorros” aparecen como la punta del iceberg, la manifestacion visible de un proceso de amplio alcance atravesado por su pertenencia a un segmento social ubicado en los margenes.Los jovenes, en el marco de estas transformaciones y a pesar de la consagracion formal de sus derechos, son sujetos altamente vulnerabilizados y sometidos a estigmatizacion. Esto los pone luego en una mayor situacion de vulnerabilidad frente al sistema penal y los convierte en blanco facil de una selectividad penal altamente discriminatoria.Generalmente no se tiene en cuenta la trayectoria social de estos sujetos. Este escrito intenta reflexionar sobre el impacto de la exclusion como condicionante de sus primeros contactos con las instancias de control penal formal. Asi tratar la delincuencia juvenil como problema social y reconocer que sus raices son sociales, comprendiendo que frente a esto el mejor remedio es la prevencion en materia de politica social.