Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computational neuroscience of vision

PREFACE 1. Introduction 2. The primary visual cortex 3. Extrastriate visual areas 4. The parietal cortex 5. Inferior temporal cortical visual areas 6. Visual attentional mechanisms 7. Neural network models 8. Models of invariant object recognition 9. The cortical neurodynamics of visual attention - a model 10. Visual search: Attentional neurodynamics at work 11. A computational approach to the neuropsychology of visual attention 12. Outputs of visual processing 13. Principles and conclusions INTRODUCTION TO LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR NEURAL NETWORKS INFORMATION THEORY References Index
Journal of Graph Algorithms and Applications an Incremental Layout Method for Visualizing Online Dynamic Graphs

Having the ability to draw dynamic graphs is key to better understanding evolving relationships and analyzing the patterns and trends in a network. Traditional force-directed methods are not suitable for laying out dynamic graphs because of their design for static graphs. An alternative is to create an incremental version of the force multilevel multi-pole method (FM 3); however, previous solutions are more susceptible to graph degradation, that is, graph illegibility due to long edges or edge crossings. This is typically caused when distant components are connected, resulting in long and overlapping edges. We present our incremental version of FM 3 with a refinement scheme, which solves this problem by " refining " the parts of the graph with high energy. Our resulting visualization maintains readability of the graph structure and is efficient in laying out these changing networks. We evaluate the effectiveness of our method by comparing it with two previous online dynamic graph methods.
A comparative study of the outcomes of primary and revision lumbar discectomy surgery.

The outcome of surgery for recurrent lumbar disc herniation is debatable. Some studies show results that are comparable with those of primary discectomy, whereas others report worse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome of revision lumbar discectomy with that of primary discectomy in the same cohort of patients who had both the primary and the recurrent herniation at the same level and side.A retrospective analysis of prospectively gathered data was undertaken in 30 patients who had undergone both primary and revision surgery for late recurrent lumbar disc herniation. The outcome measures used were visual analogue scales for lower limb (VAL) and back (VAB) pain and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). There was a significant improvement in the mean VAL and ODI scores (both p < 0.001) after primary discectomy. Revision surgery also resulted in improvements in the mean VAL (p < 0.001), VAB (p = 0.030) and ODI scores (p < 0.001). The changes were similar in the two groups (all p > 0.05). Revision discectomy can give results that are as good as those seen after primary surgery.
A State's Approach to Suicide Prevention Awareness: Gatekeeper Training in Kentucky

As part of Preventing Suicide: Kentucky's Plan, a gatekeeper training was implemented. The implementation of this brief educational intervention and changes in participants' suicide prevention attitudes were examined. Data were collected from 3,958 people in 213 sessions from May 2004 to August 2006. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the trainings. Immediately following the training, participants showed substantial increases in their perception of their suicide knowledge and their perceived efficacy to help someone who displays signs of suicide. QPR was widely disseminated across the state and shows promise to change immediate beliefs and feelings of efficacy.
The Werner syndrome protein operates in base excision repair and cooperates with DNA polymerase β

Genome instability is a characteristic of cancer and aging, and is a hallmark of the premature aging disorder Werner syndrome (WS). Evidence suggests that the Werner syndrome protein (WRN) contributes to the maintenance of genome integrity through its involvement in DNA repair. In particular, biochemical evidence indicates a role for WRN in base excision repair (BER). We have previously reported that WRN helicase activity stimulates DNA polymerase beta (pol β) strand displacement synthesis in vitro. In this report we demonstrate that WRN exonuclease activity can act cooperatively with pol β, a polymerase lacking 3′–5′ proofreading activity. Furthermore, using small interference RNA technology, we demonstrate that WRN knockdown cells are hypersensitive to the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate, which creates DNA damage that is primarily repaired by the BER pathway. In addition, repair assays using whole cell extracts from WRN knockdown cells indicate a defect in long patch (LP) BER. These findings demonstrate that WRN plays a direct role in the repair of methylation-induced DNA damage, and suggest a role for both WRN helicase and exonuclease activities together with pol β during LP BER.
FREQUENCY OF RISK FACTORS FOR CORONARY HEART DISEASE AMONG DIABETIC PATIENTS IN AL-RABWAH PHC CENTER IN RIYADH

Background: Diabetes mellitus associated with high prevalence and incidence of CHD is a common problem in Saudi Arabia. Objectives: To assess the percentage of major modifiable risk factors for CHD among diabetic patients. Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted on 495 diabetic patients (292 males and 203 females) attending the Miniclinic at Al-Rabwah PHC center in Riyadh. Their records for the months of April and May 2001 were reviewed. Data collected from the patient's files included body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and smoking status. In addition, information on the duration of diabetes was obtained and fasting blood sugar was done. Results: The percentage of overweight males was 43.2% as against 22% females, the figure for males being highly significant (p<0.0001). Obesity which was 27.9% in males and 64.1% in females, was highly significant in females (p<0.0001). For cholesterol (≥ 5.2 mmol/l) was 49.5% in males versus 68.5% in females (p=0.0036). High triglyceride (≥ 1.7%) was 50% in both genders. 13.4% of males were hypertensive as against 44.3% female hypertensives which was highly significant in females (p<0.0001). 19.5% of the males smoked. There was no significant difference between risk factors for CHD and duration of diabetes except that there were more smokers among those who had had diabetes for less than 10 years. Most of the diabetics with poor glycemic control (FBS> 8.3mmol/l) tended to be smokers, were more obese, had high triglyceride and high total cholesterol. Conclusion: The findings indicated that diabetic patients have high percentage of risk factors for CHD and more females than males are at risk. Therefore, early intervention is required if the incidence of CHD among diabetic patients is to be reduced.
Integrated Weed Management Studies in Rabi Maize

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season of 2015-2016 at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam to study the effect of weed management on weeds and yield of maize. Weed management has positive influence on growth, yield attributes and yield of maize. Alachlor @ 1.5 kg a.i./ ha + HW at 30 DAS proved equally effective in increasing most of the growth parameters, yield attributes, yield and economic advantage. The effect due to different weed management practices on grain yield of maize was found statistically significant. Maximum highest grain yield were recorded under alachlor @ 1.5 kg a.i./ ha + HW at 30 DAS (7115 kg ha) and was statistically at par with grain yield obtained by two hand weedings at 15 and 30 DAS (6855 kg ha) and mechanical weeding with power weeder twice on 15 and 30 DAS (6714 kg ha). Yield advantages due to different weed management over weedy check were mainly attributed due to enhanced yield attributing parameters as a result of low weed population, biomass along with higher weed control efficiency. The highest net returns and highest benefit:cost ratio were obtained under alachlor @ 1.5 kg a.i./ ha + HW at 30 DAS followed by two hand weedings at 15 and 30 DAS.
Employee Reload Options: Pricing, Hedging, and Optimal Exercise

Reload options, call options granting new options on exercise, are popularly used in compensation. Although the compound option feature may seem complicated, there is a distribution-free dominant policy of exercising reload options whenever they are in the money. The optimal policy implies general formulas for numerical valuation. Simpler formulas for valuation and hedging follow from Black--Scholes assumptions with or without continuous dividends. Time vesting affects the optimal policy, but numerical results indicate that it is nearly optimal to exercise in the money whenever feasible. The results suggest that reload options produce similar incentives as employee stock options and share grants. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.
Lactococcus lactis, an Efficient Cell Factory for Recombinant Protein Production and Secretion

The use of Gram-positive bacteria for heterologous protein production proves to be a useful choice due to easy protein secretion and purification. The lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis emerges as an attractive alternative to the Gram-positive model Bacillus subtilis. Here, we review recent work on the expression and secretion systems available for heterologous protein secretion in L. lactis, including promoters, signal peptides and mutant host strains known to overcome some bottlenecks of the process. Among the tools developed in our laboratory, inactivation of HtrA, the unique housekeeping protease at the cell surface, or complementation of the Sec machinery with B. subtilis SecDF accessory protein each result in the increase in heterologous protein yield. Furthermore, our lactococcal expression/secretion system, using both PZnzitR, an expression cassette tightly controlled by environmental zinc, and a consensus signal peptide, SPExp4, allows efficient production and secretion of the staphylococcal nuclease, as evidenced by protein yields (protein amount/biomass) comparable to those obtained using NICE or P170 expression systems under similar laboratory conditions. Finally, the toolbox we are developing should contribute to enlarge the use of L. lactis as a protein cell factory.
Cortical Synaptic Arrangements of the Third Visual Pathway in Three Primate Species: Macaca mulatta, Saimiri sciureus, and Aotus trivirgatus

The koniocellular (K) pathway is one of three pathways from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) to primate visual cortex (V1). K pathway projections to the cytochrome oxidase (CO) blobs of V1 suggest involvement in chromatic processing given reports that the CO blobs in diurnal primates contain cells selective for color. K LGN layers and CO blobs, however, are also well developed in nocturnal primates such as owl monkeys, which are likely to be color blind. Thus, the K pathway plays either different roles in different species or some as yet unidentified common role(s). Because synaptic arrangements underlie functional mechanisms, the purpose of this investigation was to compare the synaptic circuitry related to the K pathway within the CO blobs of two diurnal primates (macaque monkeys and squirrel monkeys) and one nocturnal primate (owl monkey). Presynaptic K axons were labeled with wheat germ agglutinin-HRP, and presynaptic and postsynaptic profiles in CO blobs were identified with post-embedding immunocytochemistry for GABA and glutamate. In all three species, K axon terminals are glutamatergic and larger than local axon terminals, suggesting that they have a greater impact on postsynaptic CO blob targets than signals arriving via layer IV from the P or M pathways. A greater proportion of K axons, however, synapse with larger glutamatergic shafts in the diurnal monkeys than in the nocturnal owl monkey, perhaps reflecting the importance of color within the K pathway of these diurnal species. Alternatively, the loss of color vision in the owl monkey could impact K pathway circuitry earlier in the pathway. The basic similarities between K axon circuitry within the CO blobs of the three primate species examined also could indicate that this pathway plays some common role or roles across species.
The Fall River Long-Term Site Productivity study in coastal Washington: site characteristics, methods, and biomass and carbon and nitrogen stores before and after harvest.

The Fall River research site in coastal Washington is an affiliate installation of the North American Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) network, which constitutes one of the world’s largest coordinated research programs addressing forest management impacts on sustained productivity. Overall goals of the Fall River study are to assess effects of biomass removals, soil compaction, tillage, and vegetation control on site properties and growth of planted Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco). Biomass-removal treatments included removal of commercial bole (BO), bole to 5-cm top diameter (BO5), total tree (TT), and total tree plus all legacy woody debris (TT+). Vegetation control (VC) effects were tested in BO, while soil compaction and compaction plus tillage were imposed in BO+VC treatment. All treatments were imposed in 1999. The preharvest stand contained similar amounts of carbon (C) above the mineral soil (292 Mg/ha) as within the mineral soil to 80-cm depth including roots (298 Mg/ha). Carbon stores above the mineral soil ordered by size were live trees (193 Mg/ha), old-growth logs (37 Mg/ha), forest floor (27 Mg/ha), old-growth stumps and snags (17 Mg/ha), coarse woody debris (11 Mg/ha), dead trees/snags (7 Mg/ha), and understory vegetation (0.1 Mg/ha). The mineral soil to 80-cm depth contained 248 Mg C/ha, and roots added 41 Mg/ha. Total nitrogen (N) in mineral soil and roots (13 349 kg/ha) was more than 10 times the N store above the mineral soil (1323 kg/ha). Postharvest C above mineral soil decreased to 129, 120, 63, and 50 Mg/ha in BO, BO5, TT, and TT+, respectively. Total N above the mineral soil decreased to 722, 747, 414, and 353 Mg/ha in BO, BO5, TT, and TT+, respectively. The ratio of total C above the mineral soil to total C within the mineral soil was markedly altered by biomass removal, but proportions of total N stores were reduced only 3 to 6 percent owing to the large soil N reservoir on site.
Water and salt balance in young male football players in training during the holy month of Ramadan

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess water and salt balance in young football players in training during Ramadan. Measurements were made in 92 young male football players before and during the month of Ramadan. Fifty-five participants were observing Ramadan fasting, while the other 37 participants were eating and drinking without restriction. In week 3 of Ramadan, water and salt balance measures were made during a training session of 60–70 min duration that was performed at an ambient temperature of 25–28°C and relative humidity of 50–53%. Body mass was recorded before and after training. Fluid intake was assessed in non-fasting players by weighing drink bottles before and after training, and the volume of any urine output was recorded. Sweat composition was estimated from absorbent patches applied to four skin sites for the duration of training. Mean sweat loss of players amounted to 1.41 litres (s = 0.36) in fasting players and 1.61 litres (s = 0.51) in non-fasting players (P = 0.038). Mean fluid intake during training in non-fasting players was 1.92 litres (s = 0.66). Sweat sodium concentration was 20 mmol · l−1 (s = 8) in fasting players and 17 mmol · l−1 (s = 7) in non-fasting players, and total sweat sodium loss during training was 0.67 g (s = 0.41) and 0.65 g (s = 0.37) [corresponding to a salt loss of 1.7 g (s = 1.1) and 1.7 g (s = 0.9)] respectively, with no difference between fasting and non-fasting players. Sweat sodium loss was not related to estimated dietary sodium intake (r = −0.07). These descriptive data show large individual variations in all measured parameters with relatively little difference in sweat parameters between fasting and non-fasting individuals.
Vascular instruction of pancreas development

Blood vessels course through organs, providing them with essential nutrient and gaseous exchange. However, the vasculature has also been shown to provide non-nutritional signals that play key roles in the control of organ growth, morphogenesis and homeostasis. Here, we examine a decade of work on the contribution of vascular paracrine signals to developing tissues, with a focus on pancreatic β-cells. During the early stages of embryonic development, blood vessels are required for pancreas specification. Later, the vasculature constrains pancreas branching, differentiation and growth. During adult life, capillaries provide a vascular niche for the maintenance of β-cell function and survival. We explore the possibility that the vasculature constitutes a dynamic and regionalized signaling system that carries out multiple and changing functions as it coordinately grows with the pancreatic epithelial tree.
Blind image restoration based on total variation regularization and shock filter for blurred images

In this paper, we propose a novel blind image restoration method based on the total variation (TV) regularization and the shock filter. It involves alternate iteration of point spread function (PSF) estimation and deconvolution. Using this method, we can obtain clear images from blurred images without increasing noise and ringing. Experimental results show that our proposed method improves picture quality, especially dark portions, and the computation time of our method is almost 5 times faster than that of the conventional method.
Emergence of Compositional Representations in Restricted Boltzmann Machines

Extracting automatically the complex set of features composing real high-dimensional data is crucial for achieving high performance in machine-learning tasks. Restricted Boltzmann machines (RBM) are empirically known to be efficient for this purpose, and to be able to generate distributed and graded representations of the data. We characterize the structural conditions (sparsity of the weights, low effective temperature, nonlinearities in the activation functions of hidden units, and adaptation of fields maintaining the activity in the visible layer) allowing RBM to operate in such a compositional phase. Evidence is provided by the replica analysis of an adequate statistical ensemble of random RBMs and by RBM trained on the handwritten digits data set MNIST.
Towards a One Size Fits All Database Architecture

We propose a new type of database system coined OctopusDB. Our approach suggests a unified, one size fits all data processing architecture for OLTP, OLAP, streaming systems, and scan-oriented database systems. OctopusDB radically departs from existing architectures in the following way: it uses a logical event log as its primary storage structure. To make this approach efficient we introduce the concept of Storage Views (SV), i.e. secondary, alternative physical data representations covering all or subsets of the primary log. OctopusDB (1) allows us to use different types of SVs for different subsets of the data; and (2) eliminates the need to use different types of database systems for different applications. Thus, based on the workload, OctopusDB emulates different types of systems (row stores, column stores, streaming systems, and more importantly, any hybrid combination of these). This is a feature impossible to achieve with traditional DBMSs.
Impact of different aspects of social participation and social capital on smoking cessation among daily smokers: a longitudinal study

Objective: To investigate differences in different aspects of social participation and social capital among baseline daily smokers that had remained daily smokers, become intermittent smokers, or stopped smoking at one year follow up. Design/setting/participants/measurements: 12 507 individuals, aged 45–69 years, interviewed at baseline between 1992 and 1994 and at a one year follow up were investigated in this longitudinal study. The three groups of baseline daily smokers were compared to the reference population (baseline intermittent smokers and non-smokers) according to different aspects of social participation and social capital. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess differences in different aspects of social participation and social capital. Results: The baseline daily smokers that remained daily smokers at the one year follow up had significantly increased odds ratios of non-participation in study circles in other places than at work, meeting of organisations other than unions, theatre/cinema, arts exhibition, church, sports events, large gatherings of relatives, and private parties compared to the reference population. The baseline daily smokers that had become intermittent smokers at the one year follow up had significantly increased odds ratios of non-participation in church services. The baseline daily smokers that had stopped smoking had increased odds ratios of non-participation in having attended a meeting of organisations other than labour unions during the past year, having been to a theatre or cinema, and of having visited an arts exhibition during the past year. All three categories of baseline daily smokers had significantly decreased odds ratios of non-participation in night club/entertainment. Conclusions: The baseline daily smokers that had remained daily smokers at the one year follow up had particularly high rates of non-participation compared to the reference population in both activities specifically related to social capital, such as other study circles, meetings of organisations other than labour unions, and church attendance and cultural activities such as theatre/cinema and arts exhibition, although significantly lower participation in cultural activities and meetings of other organisations was also observed among daily smokers that had stopped smoking. All three baseline daily smoker groups had higher rates of having visited a night club during the past year.
Institutional Quality, Government Expenditure and Economic Growth Nexus in Nigeria

Low economic growth often correlates with the escalation of poverty, deindustrialization, unemployment, a decline in living standards, inadequate investments in human capital, and heightened social and economic disparities. Therefore, comprehending the factors that contribute to economic growth is essential for steering an economy in the correct direction. The economic literature has identified institutional quality and government expenditure as factors that drive economic growth. This study specifically examines the impact of government expenditure and institutional quality on economic growth. The study employed the Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) method to analyse time series data from 1990 to 2022. The findings indicate that government spending has a substantial and favourable effect on economic growth. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that the presence of institutions had a substantial and favourable impact on the economic development of Nigeria. According to these findings, the study suggests that government spending should be consistently increased, but this should be accompanied with fiscal discipline through the execution of the regulatory framework of the Nigerian government.