Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Big news from small world networks after stroke.

How does the brain accomplish any of its tasks? Each ‘bit’ of the brain receives a piece of information, performs a specific calculation on it, and forwards the processed information on to the next bit. Communication is crucial and needs to take place between different bits of the brain located near and far. Somehow, from local processing and functioning interconnections a thought, sensation or motor command emerges. The brain is a complex network comprising multiple ‘nodes’ and ‘links’, and the notion that only one place in the brain is responsible for anything amounts to phrenology. Nodes (also termed ‘vertices’) in large-scale neuronal networks usually represent anatomical regions. Links (also termed ‘edges’) represent functional or effective connections. The brain requires an optimal balance between regional segregation and inter-regional, global integration of neuronal activity. Measures are now available to give summary descriptions of the network structure. In order to understand pathological states of the brain therefore, it seems critical to determine what happens to brain network structure and function. In this issue of Brain, Wang et al. (2010) present an interesting set of data on reorganization of the motor executive network in patients suffering from subcortical stroke. This study is particular in that the authors focused on changes of network dynamics during the recovery process, rather than describing local activation phenomena only. Wang and colleagues used a longitudinal approach with follow-up testing at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and 1 year after stroke. The main finding is that the network does change, and the reorganized network gradually deviates more and more from what might be considered optimal network architecture. In the process of recovery, the global motor executive network with 21 predefined regions of interest becomes less ‘clustered’ and shows less functional segregation overall. However, within this less clustered …
Supporting Listening Comprehension and Vocabulary Acquisition with Multimedia Annotations: The Students' Voice

This study extends Mayer’s (1997, 2001) generative theory of multimedia learning and investigates under what conditions multimedia annotations can support listening comprehension in a second language. This paper highlights students’ views on the effectiveness of multimedia annotations (visual and verbal) in assisting them in their comprehension and acquisition of vocabulary from aural texts. English-speaking college students listened to a 2 min 20 sec historical account in French presented by a computer program. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four listening treatments: the aural text (a) with no annotations, (b) with only verbal annotations, (c) with only visual annotations, and (d) with both visual and verbal annotations. For purposes of this paper, 20 students were purposively selected to participate in interviews. Overall, students remembered word translations and recalled the passage best when they had selected both verbal and visual annotations while listening. Students’ voices reflected these results and revealed that they should have options for viewing material in both a visual mode and a verbal mode in a multimedia listening comprehension environment. This study provides qualitative evidence for a generative theory of multimedia learning that suggests that the availability and the choice of visual and verbal annotations in listening comprehension activities enhances students’ abilities to comprehend the material presented and to acquire vocabulary.
Multi-scale local binary patterns based on path integral for texture classification

Local binary pattern (LBP) is an effective image texture descriptor due to its high discrimination and easy computation. Moreover, as an extension, multi-scale LBP (MS-LBP) has also been explored for enhancing the conventional LBP and its miscellaneous variants by combining local image structures of different scales. However, since LBPs of different scales are simply combined in a concatenate or joint way, the cross-scale correlation is not fully utilized in MS-LBP. Based on this thought, we propose in this paper a new LBP variant named path integral based LBP (pi-LBP). Specifically, unlike MS-LBP which encodes local patterns individually in each scale, the different scales pixels along a specific path are filtered and then encoded in pi-LBP. In this way, by taking different paths and filters, pi-LBP can effectively encode the cross-scale correlation and provide a better texture description. Experimental results on Outex texture suites show that the proposed pi-LBP outperforms MS-LBP and some other LBP variants on texture classification.
Semi-Supervised Learning of Mixture Models

This paper analyzes the performance of semi-supervised learning of mixture models. We show that unlabeled data can lead to an increase in classification error even in situations where additional labeled data would decrease classification error. We present a mathematical analysis of this "degradation" phenomenon and show that it is due to the fact that bias may be adversely affected by unlabeled data. We discuss the impact of these theoretical results to practical situations.
Efficacy and safety of NEPA, an oral combination of netupitant and palonosetron, for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting following highly emetogenic chemotherapy: a randomized dose-ranging pivotal study

This study was designed to determine the appropriate clinical dose of netupitant (NETU), a new NK1 receptor antagonist (RA), to combine with the 5-HT3 RA, palonosetron (PALO) in a fixed-dose antiemetic combination (NEPA). All NEPA doses provided superior prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting compared with PALO, with NEPA300 (300mg NETU + 0.50 mg PALO) being the best dose studied.
The VMC survey - IV. The LMC star formation history and disk geometry from four VMC tiles

We derive the star formation history (SFH) for several regions of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), using deep near-infrared data from the VISTA near-infrared Y JKs survey of the Magellanic system (VMC). The regions include three almost-complete 1.4 deg 2 tiles located ∼ 3.5 ◦ away from the LMC centre in distinct directions. They are split into 21.0 ′ × 21.5 ′ (0.12 deg 2 ) subregions, and each of these is analysed independently. To this dataset, we add two 11.3 ′ × 11.3 ′ (0.036 deg 2 ) subregions selected based on their small and uniform extinction inside the 30 Doradus tile. The SFH is derived from the simultaneous reconstruction of two different colour‐magnitude diagrams (CMDs), using the minimization code StarFISH together with a database of “partial models” representing the CMDs of LMC populations of various ages and metallicities, plus a partial model for the CMD of the Milky Way foreground. The distance modulus (m− M)0 and extinction AV is varied within intervals∼ 0.2 and∼ 0.5 mag wide, respectively, within which we identify the best-fitting star formation rate SFR( t) as a function of lookback time t, age‐metallicity relation (AMR), (m− M)0 and AV. Our results demonstrate that VMC data, due to the combination of depth and little sensitivity to differential reddening, allow the derivation of the space-reso lved SFH of the LMC with unprecedented quality compared to previous wide-area surveys. In particular, the data clea rly reveal the presence of peaks in the SFR(t) at ages log(t/yr)≃ 9.3 and 9.7, which appear in most of the subregions. The most recent SFR(t) is found to vary greatly from subregion to subregion, with the general trend of being more intense in the innermost LMC, except for the tile next to the N11 complex. In the bar region, the SFR(t) seems remarkably constant over the time interval from log(t/yr)≃ 8.4 to 9.7. The AMRs, instead, turn out to be remarkably similar across the LMC. Thanks to the accuracy in determining the distance modulus for every subregion ‐ with typical errors of just∼ 0.03 mag ‐ we make a first attempt to derive a spatial model of the LMC disk. The fields studied so far are fit extremel y well by a single disk of inclination i = 26.2± 2.0 ◦ , position angle of the line of nodesθ0 = 129.1± 13.0 ◦ , and distance modulus of (m− M)0 = 18.470± 0.006 mag (random errors only) up to the LMC centre. We show that once the (m− M)0 values or each subregion are assumed to be identical to those derived from this best-fitting plane, systematic errors in t he SFR(t) and AMR are reduced by a factor of about two.
Information Literacy Skills and Social Media use by Students in Selected Private Secondary Schools in Ibadan, Nigeria

The study examined information literacy skills as determinants of social media use among private secondary school students at Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan, Nigeria. Survey design of the correlation type was used for the study in which questionnaire was the instrument employed to collect data from 210 Senior Secondary School 3 science students from the selected private secondary schools using multi-stage random sampling technique. Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software (SPSS) version 14 was used to analyse collected data while table, percentage and mean distributions were used for the presentation of findings. The findings revealed that most of the respondents were aware of Google+, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flicker to: upload and view pictures and photographs (mean = 3.10), for chatting (mean = 3.05), get information on politics and national development matters (mean = 3.04) and commenting on friends’ profile. Findings thus revealed that the respondents had a very high level of information literacy skills. The peculiar challenges faced by the respondents on use of social media were: shift of attention and disengagement from school educational activities, and cyber-bullying. Consequent on the result of findings, some recommendations were highlighted for private secondary schools in Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Cluster-based Cooperative Back Propagation Network Approach for Intrusion Detection in MANET

Mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET) are particularly vulnerable on account of its intrinsic characteristics of open medium, dynamic topology, absence of central authorities, distributed cooperation and constrained capability. These vulnerabilities create significant challenges for routing protocols operating in the entire network. In which, the reactive routing, i.e. AODV, bears the brunt of various kinds of attacks. In this paper, we try to build an efficient defense system based on a cooperative scheme to detect intrusions in AODV-based ad hoc networks using clustering technique and Back Propagation Network (BPN). A clustering architecture provides network scalability and fault tolerance, and results in more efficient use of network resources. Back-propagation neural networks is used for the purpose of anomaly detection and the feature is selected from the packets. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is illustrated by means of extensive simulations using NS-2 simulator. Specifically, the comparison between BPN and finite state machine (FSM) is given.
The DpnI/DpnII pneumococcal system, defense against foreign attack without compromising genetic exchange

Natural genetic transformation and restriction-modification (R–M) systems play potentially antagonistic roles in bacteria. R–M systems, degrading foreign DNA to protect the cell from bacteriophage, can interfere with transformation, which relies on foreign DNA to promote genetic diversity. Here we describe how the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is naturally transformable, yet possesses either of two R–M systems, DpnI or DpnII, accommodates these conflicting processes. In addition to the classic restrictase and double-stranded DNA methylase, the DpnII system possesses an unusual single-stranded (ss) DNA methylase, DpnA, which is specifically induced during competence for genetic transformation. We provide further insight into our recent discovery that DpnA, which protects transforming foreign ssDNA from restriction, is crucial for acquisition of pathogenicity islands.
Spectrum of large random asymmetric matrices.

The average eigenvalue distribution $\ensuremath{\rho}(\ensuremath{\lambda})$ of $N\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}N$ real random asymmetric matrices ${J}_{\mathrm{ij}} ({J}_{\mathrm{ji}}\ensuremath{\ne}{J}_{\mathrm{ij}})$ is calculated in the limit of $N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$. It is found that $\ensuremath{\rho}(\ensuremath{\lambda})$ is uniform in an ellipse, in the complex plane, whose real and imaginary axes are $1+\ensuremath{\tau}$ and $1\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\tau}$, respectively. The parameter $\ensuremath{\tau}$ is given by $\ensuremath{\tau}=N{[{J}_{\mathrm{ij}}{J}_{\mathrm{ji}}]}_{J}$ and $N{[{J}_{\mathrm{ij}}^{2}]}_{J}$ is normalized to 1. In the $\ensuremath{\tau}=1$ limit, Wigner's semicircle law is recovered. The results are extended to complex asymmetric matrices.
Does Overconfidence Affect Entrepreneurial Investment

This research examines the affect of overconfidence on the entrepreneurial investment choices of individuals. We argue that individual overconfidence is associated with more aggressive entrepreneurial investment decisions. We show that the propensity of an individual to begin startup activities is positively associated with the individual's level of overconfidence. Furthermore, overconfidence increases the likelihood of a nascent entrepreneur creating an operating business from her startup activity. These results are significant even when controlling for other known characteristics associated with the tendency to undertake entrepreneurial venturing. We investigated decisions related to venture funding and human capital investment in the venture, and investment risk but did not find that overconfidence was significantly related to these choices. This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/wharton_research_scholars/42 DOES OVERCONFIDENCE AFFECT ENTREPRENEURIAL INVESTMENT? Gavin Cassar Henry Friedman The Wharton School University of Pennsylvania
Relationship between perceptual ratings of nasality and nasometry in children/adolescents with cleft palate and/or velopharyngeal dysfunction.

BACKGROUND Nasometry has supplemented perceptual assessments of nasality, using speech stimuli, which are devoid of nasal consonants. However, such speech stimuli are not representative of conversational speech. A weak relationship has been found in previous studies between perceptual ratings of hypernasality and nasalance scores for passages containing nasal consonants. AIMS This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between perceptual assessment and acoustic measurements of nasality using controlled speech stimuli. METHODS & PROCEDURE A perceptual scale (the Temple Street Scale) describing nasality was devised for this study. Fifty children presenting with nasality were assessed using the Temple Street Scale and nasalance scores were obtained for specified speech samples using the Nasometer (Kay Elemetrics 6200.3). The relationship between the perceptual ratings and the nasometry results was evaluated using correlation analysis, test sensitivity, specificity, and overall efficiency. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Correlation coefficients for perceptual ratings of nasality and nasalance scores ranged from 0.69 to 0.74. The sensitivity of the Nasometer ranged from 0.83 to 0.88; its specificity ranged from 0.78 to 0.95; while its overall efficiency was between 0.82 and 0.92. CONCLUSIONS The strong relationship between perceptual and acoustic assessments of nasality indicated that the Temple Street Scale and the Nasometer are both valid clinical tools for the evaluation of nasality when a carefully constructed speech sample is used. The need to use the Nasometer as a supplement to perceptual assessment is highlighted.
Stimulation of transit-peptide release and ATP hydrolysis by a cochaperone during protein import into chloroplasts

Three components of the chloroplast protein translocon, Tic110, Hsp93 (ClpC), and Tic40, have been shown to be important for protein translocation across the inner envelope membrane into the stroma. We show the molecular interactions among these three components that facilitate processing and translocation of precursor proteins. Transit-peptide binding by Tic110 recruits Tic40 binding to Tic110, which in turn causes the release of transit peptides from Tic110, freeing the transit peptides for processing. The Tic40 C-terminal domain, which is homologous to the C terminus of cochaperones Sti1p/Hop and Hip but with no known function, stimulates adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis by Hsp93. Hsp93 dissociates from Tic40 in the presence of adenosine diphosphate, suggesting that Tic40 functions as an adenosine triphosphatase activation protein for Hsp93. Our data suggest that chloroplasts have evolved the Tic40 cochaperone to increase the efficiency of precursor processing and translocation.
MUC1-Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in Cancer Therapy: Induction and Challenge

MUC1 glycoprotein is often found overexpressed and hypoglycosylated in tumor cells from numerous cancer types. Since its discovery MUC1 has been an attractive target for antitumor immunotherapy. Indeed, in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown T-cell-specific responses against MUC1 in an HLA-restricted and HLA-unrestricted manner, although some animal models have highlighted the possible development of tolerogenic responses against this antigen. These observations permit the development of new T-cell vaccine strategies capable of inducing an MUC1-specific cytotoxic T cell response in cancer patients. Some of these strategies are now being tested in clinical trials against different types of cancer. To date, encouraging clinical responses have been observed with some MUC1 vaccines in phase II/III clinical trials. This paper compiles knowledge regarding MUC1 as a promising tumor antigen for antitumor therapeutic vaccines applicable to numerous cancers. We also summarize the results of MUC1-vaccine-based clinical trials.
Coalescing the Theory of Roach and Other Truth-Seekers

This paper will attempt to coalesce Roach’s six attributes of caring with the descriptions of caring put forward by other truth-seekers. It is the aim of this essay to explain that however defined in many ways, caring shall boil down to: compassion, competence, confidence, conscience, commitment, and comportment. Compassion is demonstrated as the nurse attempts to understand what the patient may be experiencing. Competence is demonstrated by exquisite hands-on technical care of the patient. Confidence is the quality, which fosters trusting relationships. Conscience is a state of moral awareness. Commitment is staying with the family and the patient for the duration of care. Comportment requires that the nurse must look, sound, and act as the professional that he/she is.
Discrepancies in describing pain: is there agreement between numeric rating scale scores and pain reduction percentage reported by patients with musculoskeletal pain after corticosteroid injection?

OBJECTIVE Pain intensity is commonly rated on an 11-point Numerical Pain Rating Scale which can be expressed as a calculated percentage pain reduction (CPPR), or by patient-reported percentage pain reduction (PRPPR). We aimed to determine the agreement between CPPR and PRPPR in quantifying musculoskeletal pain improvement at short-term follow-up after a corticosteroid injection. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Urban, academic, physical medicine, and rehabilitation outpatient interventional musculoskeletal and spine center. METHODS The agreement between CPPR and PRPPR was determined by concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) in subjects who had experienced improvement in musculoskeletal or radicular pain 3 weeks after a first-time injection at our clinic. Subjects who experienced unchanged pain (PRPPR = 0) were compared to CPPR with paired t-test. RESULTS We examined 197 subjects with greater than 3/10 pain who underwent first-time fluoroscopic-guided corticosteroid injections. Ninety-three subjects reported higher PRPPR than CPPR values, and 41 subjects reported higher CPPR values. The CCC between CPPR and PRPPR was 0.44 (95% CI 0.35-0.54), with a precision of 0.54 and an accuracy of 0.81, and 95% limits of agreement ranging between -41% and +73%. Values for CCC, precision, and accuracy were higher for males compared to females and were highest in the youngest age group (18-40) and lowest in the middle age group (41-60). CONCLUSIONS PRPPR may not agree with CPPR at 3 week follow-up, as these individuals tend to report a higher estimated percentage improvement compared to the value calculated from their pain scores.
Socioeconomic inequalities of suicide: Sociological and psychological intersections

Suicide is complex; yet suicide research is dominated by ‘psy’ disciplines which can falter when seeking to explain social patterning of suicide rates, and how this relates to individual actions. This article discusses a multidisciplinary report which aimed to advance understandings of socioeconomic inequalities in suicide rates in the UK. Contrasts are drawn between health psychology and sociology. Important intersections are highlighted, including a lack of attention to socioeconomic inequalities, and an emphasis on adverse life experiences and emotions to understand inequalities and suicide. There are also curious disconnects, both within and between relevant psychological and sociological perspectives. The article argues that there are significant gaps in existing theorization regarding suicide, which can only be addressed through meaningful inter-disciplinary collaborations between sociologists, psychologists and others. Current theorization in mainstream suicide research is limited by its failure to engage with enduring, yet vitally important sociological debates regarding structure and agency, nature and culture.
Prevention of pain on injection of propofol: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To systematically determine the most efficacious approach for preventing pain on injection of propofol. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, www.clinicaltrials. gov, and hand searching from the reference lists of identified papers. Study selection Randomised controlled trials comparing drug and non-drug interventions with placebo or another intervention to alleviate pain on injection of propofol in adults. Results Data were analysed from 177 randomised controlled trials totalling 25 260 adults. The overall risk of pain from propofol injection alone was about 60%. Using an antecubital vein instead of a hand vein was the most effective single intervention (relative risk 0.14, 95% confidence interval 0.07 to 0.30). Pretreatment using lidocaine (lignocaine) in conjunction with venous occlusion was similarly effective (0.29, 0.22 to 0.38). Other effective interventions were a lidocaine-propofol admixture (0.40, 0.33 to 0.48); pretreatment with lidocaine (0.47, 0.40 to 0.56), opioids (0.49, 0.41 to 0.59), ketamine (0.52, 0.46 to 0.57), or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (0.67, 0.49 to 0.91); and propofol emulsions containing medium and long chain triglycerides (0.75, 0.67 to 0.84). Statistical testing of indirect comparisons showed that use of the antecubital vein and pretreatment using lidocaine along with venous occlusion to be more efficacious than the other interventions. Conclusions The two most efficacious interventions to reduce pain on injection of propofol were use of the antecubital vein, or pretreatment using lidocaine in conjunction with venous occlusion when the hand vein was chosen. Under the assumption of independent efficacy a third practical alternative could be pretreatment of the hand vein with lidocaine or ketamine and use of a propofol emulsion containing medium and long chain triglycerides. Although not the most effective intervention on its own, a small dose of opioids before induction halved the risk of pain from the injection and thus can generally be recommended unless contraindicated.