Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of alternating current stimulation on the healthy and diseased brain

Cognitive and neurological dysfunctions can severely impact a patient's daily activities. In addition to medical treatment, non-invasive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been proposed as a therapeutic technique to improve the functional state of the brain. Although during the last years tACS was applied in numerous studies to improve motor, somatosensory, visual and higher order cognitive functions, our knowledge is still limited regarding the mechanisms as to which type of ACS can affect cortical functions and altered neuronal oscillations seem to be the key mechanism. Because alternating current send pulses to the brain at predetermined frequencies, the online- and after-effects of ACS strongly depend on the stimulation parameters so that “optimal” ACS paradigms could be achieved. This is of interest not only for neuroscience research but also for clinical practice. In this study, we summarize recent findings on ACS-effects under both normal conditions and in brain diseases.
Estimation of Search Frictions in the British Electricity Market

This paper studies consumer search and pricing behavior in the British domestic electricity market following its opening to competition in 1999. We develop a sequential search model in which an incumbent and an entrant group compete for consumers who find it costly to obtain information on prices other than from their current supplier. We use a large data set on prices and input costs to structurally estimate the model. Our estimates indicate that consumer search costs must be relatively high in order to rationalize observed pricing patterns. We confront our estimates with observed switching behavior and find they match well.
Hierarchical Segment Learning Method for Road Objects Extraction and Classification

In this paper, we propose a new hierarchical segment learning approach for extraction and classification of roadside objects. The proposed approach is based on hierarchical segment extraction and classification of segmented objects using a neural network. In this approach, we extract different road objects such as sky, road, sign and vegetation in hierarchical stages and classify them using a neural classifier. The approach improves the overall classification accuracy while extracting different road objects from the road images. The proposed approach has been applied to a set of images extracted from video data collected by Transport and Main Roads Queens land. The experimental results indicate that this approach can extract and classify road objects with a reasonable high accuracy.
A systematic review of drug therapy to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To systematically review the evidence for the prevention of type 2 diabetes by pharmacological therapies. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Randomized controlled trials and cohort studies examining the effect of oral hypoglycemic agents, antiobesity agents, antihypertensive agents, statins, fibrates, and estrogen on the incidence of type 2 diabetes were identified from MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry, and searches of reference lists. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion and performed data extraction. RESULTS Ten studies of oral hypoglycemic agents and 15 studies of nonoral hypoglycemic agents were found. Oral hypoglycemic agents and orlistat are the only drugs that have been studied in randomized controlled trials with diabetes incidence as the primary end point. In the largest studies of 2.5-4.0 years' duration, metformin (relative risk [RR] 0.69, 95% CI 0.57-0.83), acarbose (0.75, 0.63-0.90), troglitazone (0.45, 0.25-0.83), and orlistat (hazard ratio [HR] 0.63, 95% CI 0.46-0.86) have all been shown to decrease diabetes incidence compared with placebo; however, follow-up rates varied from 43 to 96%. Current evidence for statins, fibrates, antihypertensive agents, and estrogen is inconclusive. In addition, the critical question of whether drugs are preventing, or simply delaying, onset of diabetes remains unresolved. CONCLUSIONS Currently, no single agent can be definitively recommended for diabetes prevention. Future studies should be designed with diabetes incidence as the primary outcome and should be of sufficient duration to differentiate between genuine diabetes prevention as opposed to simple delay or masking of this condition.
Chronic Exposure to Everyday Discrimination and Coronary Artery Calcification in African-American Women: The SWAN Heart Study

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to discrimination may be associated with atherosclerosis in African-American women, although research in this area focused on short-term rather than chronic exposure to discriminatory events. Methods: We examined the relationship between chronic exposure to multiple types of discrimination (self-reported and averaged over 5 years) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in a sample of 181 middle-aged African-American women. Discrimination was assessed at each time point, and the presence/absence of CAC was assessed at the fifth annual follow-up examination by electron beam tomography. We hypothesized that chronic discrimination would be more strongly associated with CAC than recent discrimination and that racial/ethnic discrimination would be more strongly associated with CAC than other types of discrimination. Results: Chronic exposure to discrimination was significantly associated with the presence of CAC in unadjusted logistic regression analyses (p = .007) and after adjustment for demographics (p = .01), standard cardiovascular risk factors (p = .02), and Body Mass Index (BMI) (p = .05). In contrast, recent discrimination was only marginally associated with the presence of CAC in both unadjusted (p = .06) and fully adjusted logistic regression models (p = .08). Persistent exposure to racial/ethnic discrimination was not more strongly associated with CAC compared with other types of discrimination in either unadjusted or adjusted models. Conclusion: Chronic exposure to discrimination may be an important risk factor for early coronary calcification in African-American women. This association appears to be driven by exposure to discrimination from multiple sources, rather than exposure to racial/ethnic discrimination alone. CVD = cardiovascular disease; CAC = coronary artery calcification; SWAN = Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation; EBT = electron beam tomographic; CES-D = Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression; BMI = body mass index; FRS = Framingham Risk score; HDL-c = high density lipoprotein cholesterol; CRP = C-reactive protein; OR = odds ratio; CI = confidence interval; IMT = intima-media thickness.
Trade Liberalization, Child Labor, and Schooling: Evidence from India *

Abstract: Can the short and medium term adjustment costs associated with trade liberalization have long term consequences through their impact on child labor and schooling? Tariff changes can influence child labor and schooling through their effect on family incomes via the return to capital or the adult labor market, the return to schooling, the return to work for children, and consumption prices. We consider the impact of India's 1991 trade tariff reforms on child labor and schooling in India. Overall, in the 1990s, India experienced a dramatic decline in child labor and increase in schooling. However, communities that were heavily protected before liberalization do not experience as large a decline in child labor or increase in schooling. The data suggest that this failure to follow the national trend of diminishing work and increasing schooling stems principally from difficulty in affording school costs. Hence, short term trade adjustment assistance targeted at children in affected communities may easily ameliorate these potentially long term consequences of the trade adjustment process.
Contextualizing the effects of job complexity on creativity and task performance: Extending job design theory with social and contextual contingencies

The dynamic nature of work underscores the necessity of reassessing the effect of job design by considering the role of employee proactive behaviour and distinct work contexts. This study identifies creativity as a critical proactive behaviour that differentially explains the effect of job complexity on task performance across varying levels of growth need strength (GNS), supervisor support for creativity (SSC), and task interdependence. Our analysis supports the mediating role of creativity in the relationship between job complexity and task performance. The tests of conditional indirect effects show that the moderating role of GNS is positive only when task interdependence is low. By contrast, SSC positively moderates the effect of job complexity only when task interdependence is high. These findings suggest the necessity of considering task interdependence in applying job design theory to explain the proactive behaviour and task performance of employees in emerging forms of work.
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK of NEW YORK

The Federal Reserve Bank ofNew respectfully submits this letter in the above-referenced matter in support of our emergency application for a protective order. The New York Fed's position is that portions ofthe complaint and attachments should not be publicly filed because they contain Confidential Supervisory Information ("CSI") under 12 C.F. R. Part 261 and must therefore be removed from public access. The New York Fed also requests that the Court order Plaintiff and her counsel not to publish any other CSI without further order ofthe Court.
Grade repetition as a consequence of school failures

The solution of repeating a school grade when learners do not achieve required level of knowledge or skills has as many proponents as opponents. Numerous educational systems support a grade retention as the method of obtaining better learning outcomes. In the same time, others do not allow to repeat a school year and recommend automatic promotion. The growing problem of school failures, among them repeating a school grade or even dropouts, is still present in the academic discourse. This article presents the impact of school failures and its range from the point of view of learners attending Polish secondary school for adults.
EMOTIONAL FACTORS IN FACE RENDERING

In this paper we present different aspects of rendering character emotions, as well as the outcome of an experimental study to find out whether considering skin changes can help improving perception of certain emotions. While posture and mimics has been subject of extensive research, we are focusing on dynamic skin changes in order to express strong emotions. To get there, we also consider psycho-physiological processes. Additionally, we shortly discuss rendering techniques for skin color changes like blushing and pallor, methods to simulate sweating and weeping in real-time, and last but not least a parameterizable model to classify and control such emotions consistently with other behavior.
Trafficking protein particle complex 6A delta (TRAPPC6AΔ) is an extracellular plaque-forming protein in the brain

Tumor suppressor WWOX is involved in the progression of cancer and neurodegeneration. Here, we examined whether protein aggregation occurs in the brain of nondemented, middle-aged humans and whether this is associated with WWOX downregulation. We isolated an N-terminal internal deletion isoform, TPC6AΔ, derived from alternative splicing of the TRAPPC6A (TPC6A) gene transcript. TPC6AΔ proteins are present as aggregates or plaques in the extracellular matrix of the brain such as in the cortex. Filter retardation assays revealed that aggregate formation of TPC6AΔ occurs preceding Aβ generation in the hippocampi of middle-aged postmortem normal humans. In a Wwox gene knockout mouse model, we showed the plaques of pT181-Tau and TPC6AΔ in the cortex and hippocampus in 3-week-old mice, suggesting a role of WWOX in limiting TPC6AΔ aggregation. To support this hypothesis, in vitro analysis revealed that TGF-β1 induces dissociation of the ectopic complex of TPC6AΔ and WWOX in cells, and then TPC6AΔ undergoes Ser35 phosphorylation-dependent polymerization and induces caspase 3 activation and Aβ production. Similarly, knockdown of WWOX by siRNA resulted in dramatic aggregation of TPC6AΔ. Together, when WWOX is downregulated, TPC6AΔ is phosphorylated at Ser35 and becomes aggregated for causing caspase activation that leads to Tau aggregation and Aβ formation.
Zoledronic Acid Treatment in Children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Background: Intravenous disodium pamidronate has become an established treatment in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Another bisphosphonate, zoledronic acid, has been indicated for the treatment of adult osteoporosis. We studied its efficacy and safety in children with mild OI. Methods: Patients were treated for 1.0–3.2 years with 0.05 mg/kg zoledronic acid intravenously every 6 months as part of their clinical care. They were carefully followed for clinical and biochemical parameters, side effects, bone mineral densities (BMD) and compression fractures. Results: The study included 17 patients (age 1.5–16.8 years) with type I OI. They had sustained altogether 73 fractures; 9 had compression fractures. During the treatment, 6 patients suffered in total 10 new long-bone fractures. The median lumbar spine areal BMD z-score increased from –2.0 to –0.7 during 2 years of treatment. The infusions were associated with a transient decrease in serum calcium and phosphate and a significant increase in serum PTH. Two patients developed symptomatic hypocalcemia. Bone turnover markers decreased during the treatment. Conclusions: Intravenous zoledronic acid is an effective mode of treatment in children with OI. The treatment response is comparable to pamidronate but the infusion protocol is more convenient. Further studies are needed to establish optimal dosing and long-term safety.
MS_Regress - The MATLAB Package for Markov Regime Switching Models

Markov state switching models are a type of specification which allows for the transition of states as an intrinsic property of the econometric model. Such type of statistical representations are well known and utilized in different problems in the field of economics and finance. This paper gives an overview of MS_Regress, a Matlab toolbox specially designed for the estimation, simulation and forecasting of a general markov regime switching model. The package was written in an intuitive manner so that the user have at its reach a large number of different markov switching specifications, without any change in the original code. This document introduces the main functionality of the package with the help of several empirical examples.
Alpha 1 beta 1 integrin on neural crest cells recognizes some laminin substrata in a Ca(2+)-independent manner

Neural crest cells migrate along pathways containing laminin and other extracellular matrix molecules. In the present study, we functionally and biochemically identify an alpha 1 beta 1 integrin heterodimer which bears the HNK-1 epitope on neural crest cells. Using a quantitative cell adhesion assay, we find that this heterodimer mediates attachment to laminin substrata prepared in the presence of Ca2+. Interestingly, neural crest cells bind to laminin-Ca2+ substrata in the presence or absence of divalent cations in the cell attachment medium. In contrast, the attachment of neural crest cells to laminin substrata prepared in the presence of EDTA, heparin, Mg2+, or Mn2+ requires divalent cations. Interactions with these laminin substrata are mediated by a different integrin heterodimer, since antibodies against beta 1 but not alpha 1 integrins inhibit neural crest cell attachment. Thus, the type of laminin substratum appears to dictate the choice of laminin receptor used by neural crest cells. The laminin conformation is determined by the ratio of laminin to Ca2+, though incorporation of heparin during substratum polymerization alters the conformation even in the presence of Ca2+. Once polymerized, the substratum appears stable, not being altered by soaking in either EDTA or divalent cations. Our findings demonstrate: (a) that the alpha 1 beta 1 integrin can bind to some forms of laminin in the absence of soluble divalent cations; (b) that substratum preparation conditions alter the conformation of laminin such that plating laminin in the presence of Ca2+ and/or heparin modulates its configuration; and (c) that neural crest cells utilize different integrins to recognize different laminin conformations.
Capacity Analysis of a Multi-Cell Multi-Antenna Cooperative Cellular Network with Co-Channel Interference

Characterization and modeling of co-channel interference is critical for the design and performance evaluation of realistic multi-cell cellular networks. In this paper, based on alpha stable processes, an analytical co-channel interference model is proposed for multi-cell multiple-input multi-output (MIMO) cellular networks. The impact of different channel parameters on the new interference model is analyzed numerically. Furthermore, the exact normalized downlink average capacity is derived for a multi-cell MIMO cellular network with co-channel interference. Moreover, the closed-form normalized downlink average capacity is derived for cell-edge users in multi-cell multiple-input single-output (MISO) cooperative cellular networks with co-channel interference. From the new co-channel interference model and capacity formulas, the impact of cooperative antennas and base stations on cell-edge user performance in the multi-cell multi-antenna cellular network is investigated by numerical methods. Numerical results show that cooperative transmission can improve the capacity performance of multi-cell multi-antenna cooperative cellular networks, especially in a scenario with a high density of interfering base stations. The capacity performance gain is degraded with the increased number of cooperative antennas or base stations.
Multiple polymorphic loci determine basal hepatic and splenic iron status in mice

Polymorphisms of genes linked to iron metabolism may account for individual variability in hemochromatosis and iron status connected with liver and cardiovascular diseases, cancers, toxicity, and infection. Mouse strains exhibit marked differences in levels of non‐heme iron, with C57BL/6J and SWR showing low and high levels, respectively. The genetic basis for this variability was examined using quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis together with expression profiling and chromosomal positions of known iron‐related genes. Non‐heme iron levels in liver and spleen of C57BL/6J × SWR F2 mice were poorly correlated, indicating independent regulation. Highly significant (P < .01) polymorphic loci were found on chromosomes 2 and 16 for liver and on chromosomes 8 and 9 for spleen. With sex as a covariate, additional significant or suggestive (P < 0.1) QTL were detected on chromosomes 7, 8, 11, and 19 for liver and on chromosome 2 for spleen. A gene array showed no clear association between most loci and differential iron‐related gene expression. The gene for transferrin and a transferrin‐like gene map close to the QTL on chromosome 9. Transferrin saturation was significantly lower in C57BL/6J mice than in SWR mice, but there was no significant difference in the serum level of transferrin, hepatic expression, or functional change in cDNA sequence. β2‐Microglobulin, which, unlike other loci, was associated with C57BL/6J alleles, is a candidate for the chromosome 2 QTL for higher iron. In conclusion, the findings show the location of polymorphic genes that determine basal iron status in wild‐type mice. Human equivalents may be pertinent in predisposition to hepatic and other disorders. (HEPATOLOGY 2006;44:174–185.)
Developmental and neural regulation of a subsarcolemmal component of the rat neuromuscular junction

We have generated a monoclonal antibody, designated mAb 3G2, which reacts with a subsarcolemmal component of the neuromuscular junction in adult rats. mAb 3G2 immunoreactivity lies beneath and between the ACh receptor-rich synaptic gutters, around the sole plate nuclei, and at/near sarcomeric Z-disks in the vicinity of the synapse. Localization of mAb 3G2 immunoreactivity to neuromuscular junctions begins postnatally and gradually increases to adult levels. The establishment of this synaptic localization is neurally regulated, as neonatal denervation prevents its occurrence. In adults, denervation results in a loss of synaptic immunoreactivity that returns upon reinnervation. The antigen is also found at the myotendinous junction; its localization here is innervation independent. mAb 3G2 recognizes a 41 kDa protein on immunoblots of extracts of newborn muscle. Based on its distribution within muscle fibers, its developmental and neural regulation, and its molecular weight, the protein recognized by mAb 3G2 can be distinguished from other known postsynaptic proteins. Its neural dependence and developmental regulation suggest that it may participate in synaptic stabilization, perhaps as the intracellular component in a chain of proteins that serve to tether the nerve terminal to the perijunctional region of the muscle fiber.
Variability in the reported energy, total fat and saturated fat contents in fast-food products across ten countries

Abstract Objective Fast foods are often energy dense and offered in large serving sizes. Observational data have linked the consumption of fast foods to an increased risk of obesity and related diseases. Design We surveyed the reported energy, total fat and saturated fat contents, and serving sizes, of fast-food items from five major chains across ten countries, comparing product categories as well as specific food items available in most countries. Setting MRC Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, UK. Subjects Data for 2961 food and drink products were collected, with most from Canada (n 550) and fewest from the United Arab Emirates (n 106). Results There was considerable variability in energy and fat contents of fast foods across countries, reflecting both the portfolio of products and serving size variability. Differences in total energy between countries were particularly noted for chicken dishes (649–1197 kJ/100 g) and sandwiches (552–1050 kJ/100g). When comparing the same product between countries variations were consistently observed in total energy and fat contents (g/100 g); for example, extreme variation in McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets with 12 g total fat/100 g in Germany compared with 21·1 g/100 g in New Zealand. Conclusions These cross-country variations highlight the possibility for further product reformulation in many countries to reduce nutrients of concern and improve the nutritional profiles of fast-food products around the world. Standardisation of serving sizes towards the lower end of the range would also help to reduce the risk of overconsumption.
Monte Carlo method based precision analysis of deep convolution nets

Convolution Neural Networks today provide the best results for many image detection and image recognition problems. The network accuracy increase in the past years is obtained through an increase in complexity of the structure and amount of parameters of the deep networks. Memory bandwidth and power consumption constraints are limiting the deployment of such state-of-the-art architecture in low power embedded applications. Reduced coefficient bit depth is one of the most frequently used approach to bring the deep learning neural networks into low power embedded hardware accelerators. In this paper we propose a reduced precision, fixed point implementation that can reduce bandwidth and power consumption significantly. The results show that with an 8bit representation for more than 64% of the parameters less than 0.5% accuracy is lost. As expected, the error resilience varies from layer to layer and convolution kernel to convolution kernel. To cope with this variability and understand what parameter need what type of precision we have developed a Monte Carlo simulation tool that explores the decision space.