Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive dysfunction and prefrontal synaptic abnormalities in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome

Among the hallmark phenotypes reported in individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) are deficits in attentional function, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, a set of cognitive skills thought to be associated with the prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, despite substantial clinical research into these core deficits, the PFC has received surprisingly little attention in preclinical research, particularly in animal models of FXS. In this study, we sought to investigate the molecular, cellular, and behavioral consequences of the loss of the fragile X mental retardation protein in the PFC of Fmr1 KO mice, a mouse model of FXS. We identify a robust cognitive impairment in these mice that may be related to the deficits in cognitive flexibility observed in individuals with FXS. In addition, we report that levels of proteins involved in synaptic function, including the NMDA receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, and NR2B; the scaffolding proteins PSD-95 and SAPAP3; and the plasticity-related gene Arc, are decreased in the prefrontal cortex of Fmr1 KO mice and are partly correlated with behavioral performance. Finally, we report that expression of c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activity, is decreased in the PFC of Fmr1 KO mice. Together, these data suggest that Fmr1 KO mice may represent a valuable animal model for the PFC-associated molecular, cellular, and behavioral abnormalities in FXS and that this model may be useful for testing the efficacy of therapeutic strategies aimed at treating the cognitive impairments in FXS.
Shadow Penumbras for Complex Objects by Depth-Dependent Filtering of Multi-Layer Depth Images

This paper presents an efficient algorithm for filtering multi-layer depth images (MDIs) in order to produce approximate penumbras. The filtering is performed on a MDI that represents the view from the light source. The algorithm is based upon both ray tracing and the z-buffer shadow algorithm, and is closely related to convolution methods. The method's effectiveness is demonstrated on especially complex objects such as trees, whose soft shadows are expensive to compute by other methods. The method specifically addresses the problem of light-leaking that occurs when tracing rays through discrete representations, and the inability of convolution methods to produce accurate self-shadowing effects.
Community perceptions and home management of malaria in selected rural communities of Ogun State, Nigeria

Home Management of Malaria (HMM) is a component of the roll back malaria (RBM) programme being implemented for over a decade to reduce the malaria burden. This study examined the extent to which HMM has raised the ability in promptly recognising and treating malaria at home. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 262 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics and 233 mothers of under-five children using semi-structured questionnaire in Ijebu North and Yewa North local government areas of Ogun State. Data collection also involved focus group discussions. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using EpiInfo 6.04a and Textbase Beta softwares respectively. Only 32.7% of respondents knew about HMM. About 48% preferred analgesics unlike ACTs (0.6%) for malaria treatment. While 45.5% (61.1% Yewa North vs. 29.2% Ijebu North) knew LLIN, only 23.6% used it. Lack of awareness was the major reason for non-use of ACTs (86.1%) and LLINs (71.3%) in HMM. Locality, age, and education significantly determined awareness and use of ACTs and LLIN (p<0.05). Adequate information and stock of ACTs and LLINs should be made available and accessible for the RBM and MDG targets to be realised in the study communities.
Career plateauing and work attitudes: Moderating effects of mentoring others with Nigerian employees

This study examined the relation of career plateauing to job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intentions and the moderating effects of mentoring on the relationships between career plateauing and the three dependent variables. Data were collected from 280 government employees in Nigeria who were more than 30 years old and came from a wide variety of organizations. Results of this study showed that career plateauing was negatively correlated with job satisfaction and organizational commitment and positively correlated with turnover intentions. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that mentoring played a significant moderating role on the relationships between career plateauing and job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Based on the findings, the implications, limitations of this study and direction for future research are discussed.
Some acoustic and articulatory correlates of phrasal stress in Spanish

All spoken languages show rhythmic patterns. Recent work with a number of different languages (English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and French) suggests that metrically (hierarchically) assigned stress levels of the utterance show strong correlations with the amount of jaw displacement, and corresponding F1 values. This paper examines some articulatory and acoustic correlates of Spanish rhythm; specifically, we ask if there is a correlation between phrasal stress values metrically assigned to each syllable and acoustic/articulatory values. We used video recordings of three Salvadoran Spanish speakers to measure maximum jaw displacement, mean F0, mean intensity, mean duration, and mid-vowel F1 for each vowel in two Spanish sentences. The results show strong correlations between stress and duration, and between stress and F1, but weak correlations between stress and both mean vowel intensity and maximum jaw displacement. We also found weak correlations between jaw displacement and both mean vowel intensity and F1.
The Effect of DEM Raster Resolution on First Order, Second Order and Compound Terrain Derivatives

It is well known that the grid cell size of a raster digital elevation model has significant effects on derived terrain variables such as slope, aspect, plan and profile curvature or the wetness index. In this paper the quality of DEMs derived from the interpolation of photogrammetrically derived elevation points in Alberta, Canada, is tested. DEMs with grid cell sizes ranging from 100 to 5 m were interpolated from 100 m regularly spaced elevation points and numerous surface‐specific point elevations using the ANUDEM interpolation method. In order to identify the grid resolution that matches the information content of the source data, three approaches were applied: density analysis of point elevations, an analysis of cumulative frequency distributions using the Kolmogorov‐Smirnov test and the root mean square slope measure. Results reveal that the optimum grid cell size is between 5 and 20 m, depending on terrain com‐plexity and terrain derivative. Terrain variables based on 100 m regularly sampled elevation points are compared to an independent high‐resolution DEM used as a benchmark. Subsequent correlation analysis reveals that only elevation and local slope have a strong positive relationship while all other terrain derivatives are not represented realistically when derived from a coarse DEM. Calculations of root mean square errors and relative root mean square errors further quantify the quality of terrain derivatives.
Effect of Complete Syndesmotic Disruption and Deltoid Injuries and Different Reduction Methods on Ankle Joint Contact Mechanics

Background: Syndesmotic injuries can be associated with poor patient outcomes and posttraumatic ankle arthritis, particularly in the case of malreduction. However, ankle joint contact mechanics following a syndesmotic injury and reduction remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of a syndesmotic injury and reduction techniques on ankle joint contact mechanics in a biomechanical model. Methods: Ten cadaveric whole lower leg specimens with undisturbed proximal tibiofibular joints were prepared and tested in this study. Contact area, contact force, and peak contact pressure were measured in the ankle joint during simulated standing in the intact, injured, and 3 reduction conditions: screw fixation with a clamp, screw fixation without a clamp (thumb technique), and a suture-button construct. Differences in these ankle contact parameters were detected between conditions using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: Syndesmotic disruption decreased tibial plafond contact area and force. Syndesmotic reduction did not restore ankle loading mechanics to values measured in the intact condition. Reduction with the thumb technique was able to restore significantly more joint contact area and force than the reduction clamp or suture-button construct. Conclusion: Syndesmotic disruption decreased joint contact area and force. Although the thumb technique performed significantly better than the reduction clamp and suture-button construct, syndesmotic reduction did not restore contact mechanics to intact levels. Clinical Relevance: Decreased contact area and force with disruption imply that other structures are likely receiving more loads (eg, medial and lateral gutters), which may have clinical implications such as the development of posttraumatic arthritis.
Paradoxical effects of the opioid antagonist naltrexone on morphine analgesia, tolerance, and reward in rats.

Opioid agonists such as morphine have been found to exert excitatory and inhibitory receptor-mediated effects at low and high doses, respectively. Ultra-low doses of opioid antagonists (naloxone and naltrexone), which selectively inhibit the excitatory effects, have been reported to augment systemic morphine analgesia and inhibit the development of tolerance/physical dependence. This study investigated the site of action of the paradoxical effects of naltrexone and the generality of this effect. The potential of ultra-low doses of naltrexone to influence morphine-induced analgesia was investigated in tests of nociception. Administration of intrathecal (0.05 and 0.1 ng) or systemic (10 ng/kg i.p.) naltrexone augmented the antinociception produced by an acute submaximal dose of intrathecal (5 microg) or systemic (7.5 mg/kg i.p.) morphine in the tail-flick test. Chronic intrathecal (0.005 and 0.05 ng) or systemic (10 ng/kg) naltrexone combined with morphine (15 microg i.t.; 15 mg/kg i.p.) over a 7-day period inhibited the decline in morphine antinociception and prevented the loss of morphine potency. In animals rendered tolerant to intrathecal (15 microg) or systemic (15 mg/kg) morphine, administration of naltrexone (0.05 ng i.t.; 10 and 50 ng/kg i.p.) significantly restored the antinociceptive effect and potency of morphine. Thus, in ultra-low doses, naltrexone paradoxically enhances morphine analgesia and inhibits or reverses tolerance through a spinal action. The potential of naltrexone to influence morphine-induced reward was also investigated using a place preference paradigm. Systemic administration of ultra-low doses of naltrexone (16.7, 20.0, and 25.0 ng/kg) with morphine (1.0 mg/kg) extended the duration of the morphine-induced conditioned place preference. These effects of naltrexone on morphine-induced reward may have implications for chronic treatment with agonist-antagonist combinations.
A clustering-based approach for discovering flaws in requirements specifications

In this paper, we present the application of a clustering algorithm to exploit lexical and syntactic relationships occurring between natural language requirements. Our experiments conducted on a real-world data set highlight a correlation between clustering outliers, i.e., requirements that are marked as "noisy" by the clustering algorithm, and requirements presenting "flaws". Those flaws may refer to an incomplete explanation of the behavioral aspects, which the requirement is supposed to provide. Furthermore, flaws may also be caused by the usage of inconsistent terminology in the requirement specification. We evaluate the ability of our proposed algorithm to effectively discover such kind of flawed requirements. Evaluation is performed by measuring the accuracy of the algorithm in detecting a set of flaws in our testing data set, which have been previously manually-identified by a human assessor.
Gene expression profiles among murine strains segregate with distinct differences in the progression of radiation-induced lung disease

ABSTRACT Molecular mechanisms underlying development of acute pneumonitis and/or late fibrosis following thoracic irradiation remain poorly understood. Here, we hypothesize that heterogeneity in disease progression and phenotypic expression of radiation-induced lung disease (RILD) across murine strains presents an opportunity to better elucidate mechanisms driving tissue response toward pneumonitis and/or fibrosis. Distinct differences in disease progression were observed in age- and sex-matched CBA/J, C57L/J and C57BL/6J mice over 1 year after graded doses of whole-thorax lung irradiation (WTLI). Separately, comparison of gene expression profiles in lung tissue 24 h post-exposure demonstrated >5000 genes to be differentially expressed (P<0.01; >twofold change) between strains with early versus late onset of disease. An immediate divergence in early tissue response between radiation-sensitive and -resistant strains was observed. In pneumonitis-prone C57L/J mice, differentially expressed genes were enriched in proinflammatory pathways, whereas in fibrosis-prone C57BL/6J mice, genes were enriched in pathways involved in purine and pyrimidine synthesis, DNA replication and cell division. At 24 h post-WTLI, different patterns of cellular damage were observed at the ultrastructural level among strains but microscopic damage was not yet evident under light microscopy. These data point toward a fundamental difference in patterns of early pulmonary tissue response to WTLI, consistent with the macroscopic expression of injury manifesting weeks to months after exposure. Understanding the mechanisms underlying development of RILD might lead to more rational selection of therapeutic interventions to mitigate healthy tissue damage. Summary: Rational mouse model selection is crucial for identifying new therapeutic targets and screening medical interventions in acute pneumonitis and/or late fibrosis following thoracic irradiation.
FPGA realization of Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm using floating point arithmetic

Attraction towards Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm has grown rapidly in the recent times due to being a simple and efficient optimization technique able to solve many continuous multimodal and multidimensional problems. In this paper, we have attempted to realize the PSO algorithm in Xilinx™ Vertex V FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Standard benchmark functions such as Sphere, Rastrigin and Rosenbrock are considered to investigate the efficiency of the implementation. We have studied the effect of diverse swarm size to evaluate the performance of the PSO algorithm. IEEE 754 double precision floating point format is used to implement arithmetic modules. The results obtained in this work are compared with those reported in literature. Synthesis and simulation results demonstrate that FPGA implementation proposed in this paper converges faster compared to earlier reported work.
FAK-mediated Inhibition of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration by the Tetraspanin CD9

Summary Migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) towards the intima is a key event in vascular proliferative diseases. We investigated a potential role for the tetraspanin CD9 in this process in a wound migration assay. Aortic SMC from CD9 knock-out mice had higher migration rates and the presumably stimulatory anti-CD9 antibody ALMA-1 inhibited migration of human SMC. The signaling pathways responsible for this inhibitory effect were investigated. In migrating CD9−/− SMC, stress fiber formation was decreased and focal adhesions were smaller and more diffusely distributed, consistent with an inhibition of integrin clustering. In migrating mouse SMC expressing CD9, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) tyrosine phosphorylation was doubled. No differences in intracellular calcium signaling were observed between CD9+/+ and CD9−/− SMC during migration. We suggest that CD9 inhibits SMC migration by a stimulation of both stress fiber formation and integrin clustering, leading to a stimulation of FAK phosphorylation.
Cognitive behavioural group therapy to improve patients’ strategies for coping with restless legs syndrome: a proof-of-concept trial

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a usually chronic disorder accompanied by clinically relevant psychosocial impairment. To date, no psychologically based approach is available to improve the coping strategies and quality of life of RLS sufferers. Objective: To develop cognitive behavioural therapy tailored to this disorder (the RELEGS coping therapy programme) and present the results of this proof-of-concept study. Methods: Twenty-five patients (five men, 20 women; 15 medicated, 10 unmedicated; mean (SD) age 56.1 (12.3) years) with subjective psychosocial impairment due to RLS participated in one of three consecutive therapy groups. The severity scales (IRLS and RLS-6) indicated moderate to severe RLS symptoms at baseline. Exclusion criteria were secondary RLS, foreseeable change of RLS medication during the study period, serious physical or psychiatric comorbidity, and severe cognitive deficits. Each group took part in eight group sessions (90 min each with a break). Results: At the end of the treatment, both the RLS-related quality of life and the mental health status of the subjects had improved significantly (QoL-RLS scale: from 28.6 (12.8) to 23.4 (13.1); SCL-90-R: from 51.3 (37.0) to 45.9 (32.9)). The improvement remained at follow-up 3 months later. Subjective ratings of RLS severity had improved at the end of therapy and at follow-up. Psychometric scales not specific for RLS-related impairment remained unaffected by the treatment. Conclusions: The study establishes the feasibility and high acceptance of the newly devised therapy programme. The application of RLS-oriented specific psychological strategies is a step toward an integrated treatment approach in RLS.
P2X2 Receptor Mediates Stimulation of Parasensory Cation Absorption by Cochlear Outer Sulcus Cells and Vestibular Transitional Cells

Cochlear outer sulcus cells (OSC) and vestibular transitional cells (VTC) are part of the parasensory epithelium in the inner ear and are located in homologous positions between the sensory hair cells and the cation secretory epithelial cells in the cochlea and the vestibular labyrinth. OSC are known to sustain a reabsorptive transepithelial current and to contain an immunoreactivity for P2X2purinergic receptors. This study addresses whether OSC and VTC share functional similarities and extends this hypothesis to the question of whether both cell types contain functional P2X2 receptors. The current density (Isc) was recorded with the vibrating probe technique and was found to be similar in VTC and OSC. Both gadolinium and flufenamic acid reducedIsc in VTC, as reported previously for OSC.Isc was stimulated by extracellular ATP but not by selective agonists of P2Y receptors. Purinergic receptor agonists increased Isc with a potency order of ATP > 2′- and 3′-O-(4-benzoyl-benzoyl)adenosine 5′-triphosphate ≫ α,β-methyleneadenosine 5′-triphosphate in both OSC and VTC. In the presence of suramin (100 μm) or gadolinium (100 μm), the responses of ATP were inhibited significantly in both OSC and VTC. This pharmacological profile is consistent with that of the P2X2receptor. These results demonstrate that VTC participate in vestibular parasensory cation absorption and that both OSC and VTC regulate their parasensory cation flux via P2X2 receptors, which would regulate the endolymphatic concentration of the current-carrying ion species in auditory and vestibular transduction.
Assessing the Problem-Solving Strategies of Linear Function Using Blended Learning: The Effectiveness of Educational Social Network

Learning processes of Mathematics have been facing historical difficulties when the study object is an abstract issue such as Linear Function (LF). In this context, mixture approach for teaching has been adopted: Blended Learning (BL). Thus, the goal of this study is to assess problem-solving strategies concerning LF when a BL approach is applied. The methodological steps were composed by face-to-face observations, virtual observations, and questionnaire application. The research was conducted at a public school with 02 teachers and 84 students. As result, 08 learning strategies were identified, and it was possible to observe evidences of the effectiveness of the BL when it was adopted in the described context.
The effect of supportive educative program on the quality of life in family caregivers of hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND: Previous studies showed that family caregivers of hemodialysis patients have low level of quality of life. However, these caregivers are mostly neglected, and no studies are available on improving their quality of lives. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of supportive educative program on the quality of life in family caregivers of hemodialysis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 76 family caregivers of hemodialysis patients referred to Shahid Hasheminejad Hemodialysis Center in Tehran, Iran in 2015. The subjects were equally allocated into two groups of 38. Caregivers of patients were randomly assigned into the intervention group and the control group. The intervention group received six training sessions on supportive educative program. Both groups answered demographic information and short form-36 questionnaires before and 6 weeks after the intervention. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Fisher exact tests, independent samples t-test, and t-couple, was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the baseline mean scores of “quality of life” of the intervention and the control groups (P = 0.775). However, the mean scores of quality of life of the intervention group increased at the end of the study, and the two groups were significantly different in this regard (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Supportive educative program improved the quality of life in caregivers of hemodialysis patients. Therefore, it is suggested that health system managers encourage their staff to implement such programs for improving the health status of the caregivers.
Node Compromise in Sensor Networks: The Need for Secure Systems ; CU-CS-990-05

While sensor network deployment is becoming more commonplace in environmental, business, and military applications, security of these networks emerges as a critical concern. Without proper security, it is impossible to completely trust the results reported from sensor networks deployed outside of controlled environments. Much of the current research in sensor networks has focused on protocols and authentication schemes for protecting the transport of information. However, all of those schemes are useless if an attacker can obtain a node from the network and extract the appropriate information, such as security keys, from it. We focus our research on the area of secure systems. In this paper we demonstrate the ease with which nodes can be compromised as well as show exactly what information can be obtained and how it can be used to disrupt, falsify data within, or eavesdrop on sensor networks. We then suggest mechanisms to detect intrusions into individual sensor nodes. Finally, we come up with security measures that can be implemented in future generation nodes to improve security.