Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Loss of Central Auditory Processing in a Mouse Model of Canavan Disease

Canavan Disease (CD) is a leukodystrophy caused by homozygous null mutations in the gene encoding aspartoacylase (ASPA). ASPA-deficiency is characterized by severe psychomotor retardation, and excessive levels of the ASPA substrate N-acetylaspartate (NAA). ASPA is an oligodendrocyte marker and it is believed that CD has a central etiology. However, ASPA is also expressed by Schwann cells and ASPA-deficiency in the periphery might therefore contribute to the complex CD pathology. In this study, we assessed peripheral and central auditory function in the AspalacZ/lacZ rodent model of CD using auditory brainstem response (ABR). Increased ABR thresholds and the virtual loss of waveform peaks 4 and 5 from AspalacZ/lacZ mice, indicated altered central auditory processing in mutant mice compared with Aspawt/wt controls and altered central auditory processing. Analysis of ABR latencies recorded from AspalacZ/lacZ mice revealed that the speed of nerve conduction was unchanged in the peripheral part of the auditory pathway, and impaired in the CNS. Histological analyses confirmed that ASPA was expressed in oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells of the auditory system. In keeping with our physiological results, the cellular organization of the cochlea, including the organ of Corti, was preserved and the spiral ganglion nerve fibres were normal in ASPA-deficient mice. In contrast, we detected substantial hypomyelination in the central auditory system of AspalacZ/lacZ mice. In summary, our data suggest that the lack of ASPA in the CNS is responsible for the observed hearing deficits, while ASPA-deficiency in the cochlear nerve fibres is tolerated both morphologically and functionally.
Personality Development in Emerging and Young Adulthood: A Study of Age Differences

Early adulthood is a time of substantial personality change characterized by large inter–individual diversity. To investigate the role of age in this diversity, the present study examined whether emerging adults differ from an older group of young adults in their Big Five personality development. By means of multi–group latent change modelling, two groups of 16– to 19–year–olds (n = 3555) and 26– to 29–year–olds (n = 2621) were tracked over the course of four years and compared regarding four aspects of personality change: mean–level change, rank–order change, inter–individual differences in change, and profile change. In addition, age–differential socialization effects associated with six first–time life events were investigated. Analyses revealed substantial age differences in all four aspects of change. As expected, emerging adults showed greater change and diversity in change than young adults. However, the six life events had no age–differential impact on change in single traits and Big Five profiles. Overall, the results indicate that age differences should be considered even in specific life stages to advance the understanding of personality development. © 2018 European Association of Personality Psychology
Black hole shadow image and visibility analysis of Sagittarius A

The compact dark objects with very large masses residing at the centres of galaxies are believed to be black holes. Due to the gravitational lensing effect, they would cast a shadow larger than their horizon size over the background; the shape and size of this shadow can be calculated. For the supermassive black hole candidate Sgr A*, this shadow spans an angular size of about 50 μas, which is under the resolution attainable with the current astronomical instruments. Such a shadow image of Sgr A* will be observable at about 1 mm wavelength, considering the scatter broadening by the interstellar medium. By simulating the black hole shadow image of Sgr A* with the radiatively inefficient accretion flow model, we demonstrate that analysing the properties of the visibility function can help us determine some parameters of the black hole configuration, which is instructive for the submillimetre Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of Sgr A* to be made in the near future.
Mapping Temporal Variables Into the NeuCube for Improved Pattern Recognition, Predictive Modeling, and Understanding of Stream Data

This paper proposes a new method for an optimized mapping of temporal variables, describing a temporal stream data, into the recently proposed NeuCube spiking neural network (SNN) architecture. This optimized mapping extends the use of the NeuCube, which was initially designed for spatiotemporal brain data, to work on arbitrary stream data and to achieve a better accuracy of temporal pattern recognition, a better and earlier event prediction, and a better understanding of complex temporal stream data through visualization of the NeuCube connectivity. The effect of the new mapping is demonstrated on three benchmark problems. The first one is the early prediction of patient sleep stage event from temporal physiological data. The second one is the pattern recognition of dynamic temporal patterns of traffic in the Bay Area of California and the last one is the Challenge 2012 contest data set. In all the cases, the use of the proposed mapping leads to an improved accuracy of pattern recognition and event prediction and a better understanding of the data when compared with traditional machine learning techniques or SNN reservoirs with an arbitrary mapping of the variables.
Symptom burden, quality of life, advance care planning and the potential value of palliative care in severely ill haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND There has been little research on the potential value of palliative care for dialysis patients. In this pilot study, we sought (i) to identify symptom burden, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and advance directives in extremely ill haemodialysis patients to determine their suitability for palliative care and (ii) to determine the acceptability of palliative care to patients and nephrologists. METHODS Nineteen haemodialysis patients with modified Charlson co-morbidity scores of > or =8 were recruited. Each completed surveys to assess symptom burden, HRQoL and prior advance care planning. Palliative care specialists then visited patients twice and generated recommendations. Patients again completed the surveys, and dialysis charts were reviewed to assess nephrologists' (i) compliance with recommendations and (ii) documentation of symptoms reported by patients on the symptom assessment survey. Patients and nephrologists then completed surveys assessing their satisfaction with palliative care. RESULTS Patients reported 10.5 symptoms, 40% of which were noted by nephrologists in patients' charts. HRQoL was significantly impaired. Thirty-two percent of patients had living wills. No differences were observed in symptoms, HRQoL or number of patients establishing advance directives as a result of the intervention. Sixty-eight percent of patients and 76% of nephrologists rated the intervention worthwhile. CONCLUSIONS Extremely ill dialysis patients have marked symptom burden, considerably impaired HRQoL and frequently lack advance directives, making them appropriate candidates for palliative care. Patients and nephrologists perceive palliative care favourably despite its lack of effect in this study. A more sustained palliative care intervention with a larger sample size should be attempted to determine its effect on the care of this population.
Autonomous boids

The classical work of bird‐like objects of Reynolds simulates polarized motion of groups of oriented particles, bird‐like objects, or simply boids. To do this, three steering vectors are introduced. Cohesion is the tendency of boids to stay in the center of the flock, alignment smoothes their velocities to similar values, and separation helps them to avoid mutual collisions. If no impetus is introduced the boids wander somewhat randomly so an external leading force is necessary for the correct flock behavior. As can be observed during the bird flocking in the fall, birds sometimes move in a way that is not captured by the above described framework. Some of the birds, typically the ones on the edge of the flock, suddenly shoot‐off. The flock then pursues this leader. In the original work by Reynolds the cohesion and separation are two complementary steers. We introduce a complementary force to the alignment that we call the change of leadership. This steer defines the chance of the boid to become a leader and try to escape. The leadership is derived from the boid position and the flock eccentricity. If a boid is on the front edge of the flock it has a higher chance to escape. Escaping from the flock is simulated as a sequence of velocity increases that are added to the current velocity of the boid. The entire system is easy to implement, is efficient, and runs simulations of hundreds of boids on a standard computer at 30 frames per second. Our system is aimed to real‐time simulations and has the potential to be used in games, crowd simulations, etc. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Changes in kinematics and aerodynamics over a range of speeds in Tadarida brasiliensis, the Brazilian free-tailed bat

To date, wake measurements using particle image velocimetry (PIV) of bats in flight have studied only three bat species, all fruit and nectar feeders. In this study, we present the first wake structure analysis for an insectivorous bat. Tadarida brasiliensis, the Brazilian free-tailed bat, is an aerial hunter that annually migrates long distances and also differs strikingly from the previously investigated species morphologically. We compare the aerodynamics of T. brasiliensis with those of other, frugivorous bats and with common swifts, Apus apus, a bird with wing morphology, kinematics and flight ecology similar to that of these bats. The comparison reveals that, for the range of speeds evaluated, the cyclical pattern of aerodynamic forces associated with a wingbeat shows more similarities between T. brasiliensis and A. apus than between T. brasiliensis and other frugivorous bats.
NONLINEAR GROUND RESPONSE AT LOTUNG LSST SITE

A fully nonlinear finite-element (FE) model is developed to investigate the impact of hysteretic and viscous material behavior on the downhole motion recorded by an array at a large-scale seismic test site in Lotung, Taiwan, during the earthquake of May 20, 1986. A stick model with the same spatial interpolation accuracy as a three-dimensional FE model is used for vertical wave propagation analysis. The constitutive model is based on a three-dimensional bounding surface plasticity theory with a vanishing elastic region, and accounts for shear stiffness degradation right at the onset of loading. The model is cast in a time-domain nonlinear FE code SPECTRA and is used to analyze the 1986 earthquake data. It is shown that the recorded downhole motion of Lotung was dominated by nonlinear response. Results of the fully nonlinear analysis are compared with the predictions of the program SHAKE so that the performance of the nonlinear model may be assessed relative to that of an equivalent linear model.
Are Hypothetical Referenda Incentive Compatible? A comment

In a recent article in this Journal, Cummings al. (1997) offer experimental evidence rejecting the hypothesis that a hypothetical referendum is an incentive‐compatible mechanism for obtaining the social value of, or willingness to pay for, changes in the allocation of environmental goods and services. While cautions in offering a blanket rejection of hypothetical referenda as a means of measuring economic values on the basis of their findings, the authors do suggest that at least in experimental settings respondents appear to behave differently when real money is changing hands. Wheather hypothetical situations adequately mimic real‐market situations has been debated in the contigent valuation literature since its inception (see Cummings, Brookshire, and Schulze 1986). Cummings et al.'s finding of incentive incompatibility appears to offer strong evidence for the critics of hypothetical referenda.
On agreement feature processing and representation *

Agreement is normally defined as an asymmetric dependency whose realization proceeds (i) in a subject-toverb direction and (ii) independently from the thematic and discourse functions of the elements involved. In this work, I review some experimental data from Spanish and Italian showing that the directionality of agreement is not as rigid as assumed in standard models and that the comprehension of these dependencies critically touches on the discourse component.
Proving Properties of Rich Internet Applications

We introduce application layer specifications, which allow us to reason about the state and transactions of rich Internet applications. We define variants of the state/event based logic UCTL* along with two example applications to demonstrate this approach, and then look at a distributed, rich Internet application, proving properties about the information it stores and disseminates. Our approach enables us to justify proofs about abstract properties that are preserved in the face of concurrent, networked inputs by proofs about concrete properties in an Internet setting. We conclude that our approach makes it possible to reason about the programs and protocols that comprise the Internet's application layer with reliability and generality.
Rethinking the digital divide Findings from a study of marginalised young people ’ s information communication

35 The mental health of young Australians is of concern as mental disorders account for almost half of the burden of disease and injury among 15-to 24-year-olds (Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2007). Although suicide rates among young people have declined by 46% since 1997 (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2005), levels of psychological distress have increased (Eckersley 2007). Approximately 14% of children and adolescents experience mental health problems, but few seek professional help (Sawyer et al. 2000). There is growing evidence that some of the major determinants of mental health lie within social and economic domains. Young people who experience social, economic or cultural marginalisa-tion are at increased risk of developing mental health problems (Herrman, Saxena & Moodie 2005). In Australia, this includes young people who are Indigenous (AIHW 2004, 2007), culturally and linguistically diverse (Gorman et al. 2003), same-sex attracted and/or gender diverse (Ministerial Advisory Committee on Gay and Lesbian Health (MACGLH) 2002), socioeconomically disadvantaged (Astbury 2001), carers or those living with a disability (McIntyre, Blacher & Baker 2002). This paper reports a study that investigated the role that information communication technologies (ICT), specifically the internet, may play in promoting mental health among young people at risk of, or experiencing, marginalisation. By mental health, we do not mean merely the absence of mental illness, but rather " a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope Rethinking the digital divide Findings from a study of marginalised young people's information communication technology (ICT) use This paper presents findings from a study which investigated young people's ICT use and the capacity of service providers to utilise these technologies in their practice. The results suggest that ICT may be an important resource for mental health promotion, particularly in relation to engaging young people. It was found that young people who experience marginalisation access and engage with ICT although the quality of the access available to them is often limited. The findings also suggest that there is a pressing need to provide training for service providers to increase their capacity to use ICT. with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community " (World Health Organization 2001). The findings presented are from a mixed-method study that forms the first phase of an action research project titled Bridging the Digital …
Prevalence of Depression among University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study

Introduction. Depression is one of the four major diseases in the world and is the most common cause of disability from diseases. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of depression among Iranian university students using meta-analysis method. Materials and Methods. Keyword depression was searched in electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, MAGIran, Medlib, and SID. Data was analyzed using meta-analysis (random-effects model). Heterogeneity of studies was assessed using the I 2 index. Data was analyzed using STATA software Ver.10. Results. In 35 studies conducted in Iran from 1995 to 2012 with sample size of 9743, prevalence of depression in the university students was estimated to be 33% (95% CI: 32–34). The prevalence of depression among boys was estimated to be 28% (95% CI: 26–30), among girls 23% (95% CI: 22–24), single students 39% (95% CI: 37–41), and married students 20% (95% CI: 17–24). Metaregression model showed that the trend of depression among Iranian students was flat. Conclusions. On the whole, depression is common in university students with no preponderance between males and females and in single students is higher than married ones.
Basic capacity calculation methods and benchmarking for MF‐TDMA and MF‐CDMA communication satellites

This paper introduces basic capacity calculation methods for circuit switched, multiple‐beam, low earth orbit (LEO) communication satellites that use MF‐TDMA and MF‐CDMA schemes. Capacity is defined as the number of simultaneous duplex channels that a satellite can support for a given data rate and bit error rate. This paper integrates the bandwidth limit and the power limit on capacity, and derives the equations by which the capacity of a MF‐TDMA or a MF‐CDMA system can be calculated using key system parameters. Therefore, these methods enable system designers to quickly estimate the communication system capacity when key system parameters are known. The paper uses the Iridium and Globalstar systems for benchmarking by comparing the results obtained from the analytical methods with the 1100 and 2500 simultaneous channels reported by Iridium and Globalstar, respectively. The analytic capacity estimate matches reported single satellite capacities to within 6%, but the predictions are sensitive to various loss assumptions made in the link budget. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for predicting palliative chemotherapy outcomes in advanced pancreatic cancer patients

Several previous studies reported that the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could be a promising prognostic factor for patients with cancer. We aimed to determine the prognostic value of NLR in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) following palliative chemotherapy. We retrospectively reviewed 252 consecutive APC patients receiving palliative chemotherapy between January 2006 and December 2012. We classified the patients according to the pretreatment NLR values (≤5 or >5) into two groups and investigated the difference in treatment outcomes, including time to treatment failure (TTF) and overall survival (OS). A total of 212 patients had pretreatment NLR values of ≤5 (group A), while 40 patients had an NLR of >5 (group B). TTF and OS were significantly shorter in group B than in group A (3.1 vs. 8.7 months and 6.0 vs. 12.8 months, respectively; both P < 0.01). After adjustment for putative prognostic factors, including distant metastasis, status of recurrent/unresectable disease, pretreatment carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 levels, and carcinoembryonic antigen levels using the Cox regression model, elevated pretreatment NLR remained an independent poor prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio, 1.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.27–2.90; P < 0.01). In addition, patients in group B whose NLR dropped to ≤5 before the second cycle of chemotherapy showed longer TTF and OS compared with those whose NLR remained at >5. Our results support the idea that NLR can be a promising prognostic and predictive marker for APC patients receiving palliative chemotherapy.
Have Scientists Already Been Able to Surpass the Capabilities of Evolution

Over two millennia ago Socrates was pondering whether our Universe and all things in it are governed by randomness or by a regulating intelligence. This philosophical question has been alive till the present day, since the proponents of neither side have been able to convince their opponents. Scientists seldom express or recognize clearly their philosophical presuppositions and many think that there is no room for philosophy in science. Our view is that although science cannot determine which philosophical view is correct, it can show which one is wrong. Here we critically review the experimental results obtained during the past twenty years by Jack W. Szostak and his co-workers relating to functional information among random RNA and protein sequences. We explain in detail why their experiments with random or partially randomized protein sequences do not mimic the processes that take place in natural populations. Simple calculations show that in the laboratory scientists have searched much larger sequence space than could have been searched by random natural processes. We further argue that the discovery of singletons and of protein-protein-interaction networks has removed the randomness concept from biochemistry, and that neo-Darwinian view of the living world is false. We see faulty Hegelian logic as a major reason for the survival of the illusion that evolution is true, and the same logic is misleading many scientists into accepting empty phrases like “intrinsically disordered proteins” as existentially meaningful.
RESULTS ON CP VIOLATION FROM THE NA48 EXPERIMENT AT CERN

In this article the current status and latest results of the NA48 experiment at CERN are given. We present in more details the analysis performed for the Re(e′/e) measurement with the combined statistics accumulated during the 1998 and 1999 data periods. Reviewing the NA48 rare decay program, we select to underline the new results on the branching ratio and the aV factor for the decay KL → π0γγ and the KL → π+ π- e+ e- CP violating decay.
Leader-following consensus of multiple linear systems under switching topologies: an averaging method

The leader-following consensus of multiple linear time invariant (LTI) systems under switching topology is considered. The leader-following consensus problem consists of designing for each agent a distributed protocol to make all agents track a leader vehicle, which has the same LTI dynamics as the agents. The interaction topology describing the information exchange of these agents is time-varying. An averaging method is proposed. Unlike the existing results in the literatures which assume the LTI agents to be neutrally stable, we relax this condition, only making assumption that the LTI agents are stablizable and detectable. Observer-based leader-following consensus is also considered.