Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perception of Time in Music in Patients with Parkinson's Disease–The Processing of Musical Syntax Compensates for Rhythmic Deficits

Objective: Perception of time as well as rhythm in musical structures rely on complex brain mechanisms and require an extended network of multiple neural sources. They are therefore sensitive to impairment. Several psychophysical studies have shown that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have deficits in perceiving time and rhythms due to a malfunction of the basal ganglia (BG) network. Method: In this study we investigated the time perception of PD patients during music perception by assessing their just noticeable difference (JND) in the time perception of a complex musical Gestalt. We applied a temporal discrimination task using a short melody with a clear beat-based rhythm. Among the subjects, 26 patients under L-Dopa administration and 21 age-matched controls had to detect an artificially delayed time interval in the range between 80 and 300 ms in the middle of the musical period. We analyzed the data by (a) calculating the detection threshold directly, (b) by extrapolating the JNDs, (c) relating it to musical expertise. Results: Patients differed from controls in the detection of time-intervals between 220 and 300 ms (*p = 0.0200, n = 47). Furthermore, this deficit depended on the severity of the disease (*p = 0.0452; n = 47). Surprisingly, PD patients did not show any deficit of their JND compared to healthy controls, although the results showed a trend (*p = 0.0565, n = 40). Furthermore, no significant difference of the JND was found according to the severity of the disease. Additionally, musically trained persons seemed to have lower thresholds in detecting deviations in time and syntactic structures of music (*p = 0.0343, n = 39). Conclusion: As an explanation of these results, we would like to propose the hypothesis of a time-syntax-congruency in music perception suggesting that processing of time and rhythm is a Gestalt process and that cortical areas involved in processing of musical syntax may compensate for impaired BG circuits that are responsible for time processing and rhythm perception. This mechanism may emerge more strongly as the deficits in time processing and rhythm perception progress. Furthermore, we presume that top-down-bottom-up-processes interfere additionally and interact in this context of compensation.
Selective and direct inhibition of TRPC3 channels underlies biological activities of a pyrazole compound

Canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels control influxes of Ca2+ and other cations that induce diverse cellular processes upon stimulation of plasma membrane receptors coupled to phospholipase C (PLC). Invention of subtype-specific inhibitors for TRPCs is crucial for distinction of respective TRPC channels that play particular physiological roles in native systems. Here, we identify a pyrazole compound (Pyr3), which selectively inhibits TRPC3 channels. Structure-function relationship studies of pyrazole compounds showed that the trichloroacrylic amide group is important for the TRPC3 selectivity of Pyr3. Electrophysiological and photoaffinity labeling experiments reveal a direct action of Pyr3 on the TRPC3 protein. In DT40 B lymphocytes, Pyr3 potently eliminated the Ca2+ influx-dependent PLC translocation to the plasma membrane and late oscillatory phase of B cell receptor-induced Ca2+ response. Moreover, Pyr3 attenuated activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells, a Ca2+-dependent transcription factor, and hypertrophic growth in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes, and in vivo pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice. These findings on important roles of native TRPC3 channels are strikingly consistent with previous genetic studies. Thus, the TRPC3-selective inhibitor Pyr3 is a powerful tool to study in vivo function of TRPC3, suggesting a pharmaceutical potential of Pyr3 in treatments of TRPC3-related diseases such as cardiac hypertrophy.
Designing Ordering and Inventory Management Methodologies for Purchased Parts

This article presents a method for redesigning the ordering and inventory management methodologies for purchased parts in a manufacturing firm. The method takes the perspective of the purchasing and logistics manager, defines clusters of purchased items, and subsequently assigns each cluster to a suitable way of ordering and inventory management. An application of the method, resulting in an 11 percent overall supply costs reduction proposal, is presented. The application shows that the method is particularly suitable for a first, rough redesign of the existing - usually undifferentiated - way of ordering and managing inventory. In addition, the method may provide a clear format for collaboration among the various disciplines involved in the redesign process.
FP-NUCA: A Fast NOC Layer for Implementing Large NUCA Caches

NUCA caches have traditionally been proposed as a solution for mitigating wire delays, and delays introduced due to complex networks on chip. Traditional approaches have reported significant performance gains with intelligent block placement, location, replication, and migration schemes. In this paper, we propose a novel approach in this space, called FP-NUCA. It differs from conventional approaches, and relies on a novel method of co-designing the last level cache and the network on chip. We artificially constrain the communication pattern in the NUCA cache such that all the messages travel along a few predefined paths (fast paths) for each set of banks. We leverage this communication pattern by designing a new type of NOC router called the Freeze router, which augments a regular router by adding a layer of circuitry that gates the clock of the regular router when there is a fast path message waiting to be transmitted. Messages along the fast path do not require buffering, switching, or routing. We incorporate a bank predictor with our novel NOC for reducing the number of messages, and resultant energy consumption. We compare our performance with state of the art protocols, and report speedups of up to 31 percent (mean: 6.3 percent), and ED2 reduction up to 46 percent (mean: 10.4 percent) for a suite of Splash and Parsec benchmarks. We implement the Freeze router in VHDL and show that the additional fast path logic has minimal area and timing overheads.
Factor Analysis in Itaconic Acid Fermentation using Filtered POME by Aspergillus terreus IMI 282743

The production of itaconic acid by Aspergillus terreus IMI 282743 from filtered Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) as an added supplement was investigated. The factor analysis method was applied to screen the most influential parameters for the production of itaconic acid. Through this analysis, the filtered POME was proven to be a significant parameter in the fermentation. In addition, the parameter could be considered as an inducer to the production of itaconic acid since the addition of filtered POME into the media was able to increase the itaconic acid concentration. The production of itaconic acid was achieved up to 5.76 g/L in shake flask fermentation from production medium consisted of 56 mL of filtered POME containing 51% of filtered POME. It is also believed that if POME formulated media is used with the industrial strain, higher concentration of itaconic acid could be attained since according to some researches, it has been shown that industrial type strain is capable to produce more of the acid. Other parameters that were found to have significant influence on the itaconic acid production include percentage of glycerol, pH , temperature, concentration of NH 4 NO 3 and agitation speed.
Near Maximum Sum-Rate Non-Zero-Forcing Linear Precoding with Successive User Selection

We investigate the problem of finding the linear precoder that maximizes the sum-rate for the vector broadcast channel. In contrast to previous work, we examine the dual uplink problem, where the optimal power allocation must be found. This point of view leads to the observation that considering only uniform power allocations on a user subset yields nearly optimal performance, simplifying the problem to a combinatorial problem. We furthermore present two algorithms with complexity growing only quadratically with the number of users in the system, but with performance comparable to more complex existing schemes.
Towards Quantitative Optical Cross Sections in Entomological Laser Radar – Potential of Temporal and Spherical Parameterizations for Identifying Atmospheric Fauna

In recent years, the field of remote sensing of birds and insects in the atmosphere (the aerial fauna) has advanced considerably, and modern electro-optic methods now allow the assessment of the abundance and fluxes of pests and beneficials on a landscape scale. These techniques have the potential to significantly increase our understanding of, and ability to quantify and manage, the ecological environment. This paper presents a concept whereby laser radar observations of atmospheric fauna can be parameterized and table values for absolute cross sections can be catalogued to allow for the study of focal species such as disease vectors and pests. Wing-beat oscillations are parameterized with a discrete set of harmonics and the spherical scatter function is parameterized by a reduced set of symmetrical spherical harmonics. A first order spherical model for insect scatter is presented and supported experimentally, showing angular dependence of wing beat harmonic content. The presented method promises to give insights into the flight heading directions of species in the atmosphere and has the potential to shed light onto the km-range spread of pests and disease vectors.
An investigation of memory deficits in long-term and short-term memory in dysphoric college students

Previous studies on depression have suggested that depression is accompanied by memory disturbances such as memory deficits (Hasher & Zacks, 1979; Ellis & Ashbrook, 1988; Hartlage, Alloy, Vazquez, & Dykman, 1993). The thesis aims to explore depressive memory deficits in terms of long-term and short-term memory, employing precision of elaboration and memory span tasks respectively. The long-term memory deficits focused on elaboration deficits using a subjectgenerated elaboration method (Stein, & Bransford, 1979). Regarding elaboration deficits in depression, several studies suggested that memory deficits in recall occur in tasks requiring elaborative processing such as in semantic processing within the depth of processing paradigm, and processing of elaborated sentences (Weingartner, Cohen, Murphy, Martello, & Gerdt, 1981, study 1; Ellis, Thomas, & Rodrigez, 1984, study 1). Recall deficits due to these elaboration deficits were attributed to inadequate allocation of cognitive effort expended on the current task. In addition Hasher and Zacks (1988) and Abramson, Alloy, and Rosoff (1981) suggested that depression interferes with elaborative processing. These elaborative processing deficits were inferred from reduced performance in overall recall. However, the purpose of the first three experiments was to examine directly this elaborative processing deficit through precision of elaboration, as well as recall, using a subjectgenerated elaboration method. The results showed that both recall and the extent of precise elaboration depends upon the task instructions. Consistent with this hypothesis, dysphoric students generated less precise elaboration in a more controlled task instruction, and greater depression is associated with less precise elaboration (experiment IC), while in a less controlled task instruction (experiment 1A), such a difference in the precision of elaboration disappears. Reduced recall performance was found in experiment 1A, but not in experiment IC. These results were discussed in terms of a cognitive effort account of depressive
The Effect of Sensory Room Intervention on Perceptual-Cognitive Performance and the Psychiatric Status of Schizophrenics

Objective: Individuals with schizophrenia show perceptual-cognitive abnormalities. Moreover, depression and anxiety are integral components of the disease most of the times. Psychiatric patients under institutional care experience lack of control and choice-making in their daily lives. Sensory room is an environment in which individuals can choose, control and explore the stimuli around them. So, they can organize their responses to their environment and restore and develop their skills, interacting through it. Method: 48 people met the study’s inclusion criteria. They were evaluated with Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment, Mini Mental State examination, and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Then they were randomly and equally assigned to intervention and comparison groups. The Intervention group received sensory room intervention and the comparison group had its traditional therapies. After 32 treatment sessions, 14 participants in the intervention group and 7 participants in the comparison group were excluded from the study and the tests were repeated for the remaining ones. Results: Our findings did not show a significant effect of sensory room intervention on perceptualcognitive performance and psychiatric status of people with schizophrenia (p> 0.05). In the reminding domain, however, results indicated maintenance of the skill in the intervention group (p> 0.05), and its exacerbation in the comparison group (p<0.05). Conclusions: No significant change in perceptual-cognitive performance and psychiatric status of individuals with schizophrenia was found during the 3 month period of sensory room intervention, except for reminding which did not change significantly in the intervention group, but regressed in the comparison group after the intervention period.
Preference Identification.

An experimenter seeks to learn a subject's preference relation. The experimenter produces pairs of alternatives. For each pair, the subject is asked to choose. We argue that, in general, large but finite data do not give close approximations of the subject's preference, even when the limiting (countably infinite) data are enough to infer the preference perfectly. We provide sufficient conditions on the set of alternatives, preferences, and sequences of pairs so that the observation of finitely many choices allows the experimenter to learn the subject's preference with arbitrary precision. While preferences can be identified under our sufficient conditions, we show that it is harder to identify utility functions. We illustrate our results with several examples, including consumer choice, expected utility, and preferences in the Anscombe-Aumann model.
Glucose Induces ECF Sigma Factor Genes, sigX and sigM, Independent of Cognate Anti-sigma Factors through Acetylation of CshA in Bacillus subtilis

Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors have roles related to cell envelope and/or cell membrane functions, in addition to other cellular functions. Without cell-surface stresses, ECF σ factors are sequestered by the cognate anti-σ factor, leading to inactivation and the resultant repression of regulons due to the inhibition of transcription of their own genes. Bacillus subtilis has seven ECF σ factors including σX and σM that transcribe their own structural genes. Here, we report that glucose addition to the medium induced sigX and sigM transcription independent of their anti-σ factors. This induction was dependent on an intracellular acetyl-CoA pool. Transposon mutagenesis searching for the mutants showing no induction of sigX and sigM revealed that the cshA gene encoding DEAD-box RNA helicase is required for gene induction. Global analysis of the acetylome in B. subtilis showed CshA has two acetylated lysine residues. We found that in a cshA mutant with acetylation-abolishing K to R exchange mutations, glucose induction of sigX and sigM was abolished and that glucose addition stimulated acetylation of CshA in the wild type strain. Thus, we present a model wherein glucose addition results in a larger acetyl-CoA pool, probably leading to increased levels of acetylated CshA. CshA is known to associate with RNA polymerase (RNAP), and thus RNAP with acetylated CshA could stimulate the autoregulation of sigX and sigM. This is a unique model showing a functional link between nutritional signals and the basal transcription machinery.
Understanding and Applying the Concept of Community Disaster Resilience: A Capital-based Approach

Despite the recent popularity and frequent use of the disaster resilience concept in the academic, research, and policy programs, there is a limited theoretical understanding of this concept. For instance, it is not clear how this concept should be operationalized and what its determinant factors are or how they can be measured. Although the recent literatures on hazard and disaster frequently refer to resilience concept as a guiding principle behind an effective hazard risk management, making it operational for policies raises critical challenges in terms of its assessment. This paper is an attempt to develop a conceptual and methodological framework for the analysis, measurement, and mapping of community disaster resilience. The paper specifically intends to archive three objectives. Firstly, it examines the general definitional issues of the concept of resilience with a focus on community disaster resilience. Secondly, it reviews the frameworks that are currently used to measure community resilience. Thirdly, it evaluates the existing methods that are used to develop resilience indices, and based on this review, a methodology on how to measure community disaster resilience is proposed. Finally, it summarizes the limitations and recommendations for further improvement of the methodology.
High dynamic range 2-TFT amplified pixel sensor architecture for digital mammography tomosynthesis

On-pixel amplifiers in amorphous silicon (a-Si) technology are an attractive replacement for industry standard on-pixel switch architectures in active matrix flat panel imagers in order to meet the low noise requirements of low-dose digital imaging modalities such as x-ray fluoroscopy and, more recently, 3D mammography tomosynthesis. However, implementing a-Si pixel amplifiers requires high-performance thin film transistors (TFTs) that are relatively large in size. In this research, a novel high dynamic range amplified pixel architecture using only two TFTs is introduced that is capable of amplifying the sensor value with a user controllable gain over a wide input range. Circuit operation and driving circuits required for on-pixel amplifier arrays are investigated, and simulation results are presented that indicate the feasibility of this pixel architecture for high resolution, low noise and x-ray tomosynthesis applications.
Hemodialysis arteriovenous access: detection of stenosis and response to treatment by vascular access blood flow.

BACKGROUND Hemodialysis access to the circulation is best provided by native and synthetic arteriovenous fistulae (AVF and AVG). Thromboses caused by venous outflow stenoses prevent the long-term use of AV access. This pilot study was performed to evaluate the ability of ultrasound dilution-derived access blood flows to detect AV access stenosis and to evaluate the response to treatment. METHODS This pilot study was a single-center, prospective observational intervention trial. The monitoring technique used was ultrasound dilution access blood flow measurements performed monthly and after any intervention. Screening criteria for interventions were decrements in access flow of 20% when the flow value fell under 1000 mL/min or absolute flow of <600 mL/min. The primary intervention when flow criteria were met was biplanar venography of the access with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of detected stenoses. Stenoses unresponsive to PTA were sent for surgical revision. Access thrombosis was considered a study ending event. RESULTS Baseline access flow at study entry for AVF was 919 and 1237 mL/min for AVG. Sequential measurement of AV access flow detected AV access stenosis. PTA and surgical revision significantly restored AV access flow back toward the baseline flow measurement. Failure to restore access flow by at least 20% following intervention occurred in 14% of AVF and 21% of AVG PTA attempts. Transluminal angioplasty, once successfully performed, was required at a mean of 5.8-month intervals in order to maintain AVG flow. In contrast, AVF flow was restored for a much longer period of time following angioplasty (11.4 month follow-up at the time of study end). Compared with historic controls, which used venous dialysis pressure as the primary monitoring technique, the overall (AVF-AVG) thrombosis rates improved from 25 to 16% per patient year, and AVF thrombosis rates improved from 16 to 7% per patient year. When flow was not successfully restored, thrombosis ensued. Eight of 10 thrombosis episodes were predicted based on inability to improve access flow either as a result of stenosis treatment failure or unsuccessful referral for treatment. CONCLUSION Sequential measurement of AV access flow is an acceptable means of both monitoring for the development of access stenoses and assessing response to therapy. PTAs of AVF are more durable than PTAs of AV grafts.
Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Helicobacter pylori Infection in Greenlanders

Background. In contrast to most populations worldwide, the incidence of gastric cancer increases among Inuit in Greenland. Contributing factors to this increase are unknown, but Helicobacter pylori may be involved. However, little is known regarding the epidemiology of H. pylori in Arctic communities. With the aim of determining age‐specific prevalence, risk factors, and association with clinical conditions of H. pylori infection, we carried out a population‐based study of H. pylori in Sisimiut, the second biggest town of Greenland.
Dissemination of an Internet-Based Treatment for Chronic Insomnia Into Primary Care

This study evaluated the effectiveness of two strategies (provider-targeted, consumer-targeted) in the dissemination of an insomnia treatment into primary care. Results of the study indicated that more patients from the provider-targeted, than the consumer-targeted, clinic followed up on the referral for insomnia treatment, but that overall there was limited uptake. These results did not seem to be associated with low levels of provider interest, although providers expressed need for more education about the insomnia program. Implications of these results are that future research efforts would benefit from expanding upon the education of providers in terms of treatment offered, perhaps teaching providers how to better motivate their patients for behavior change.