Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inter-synaptic learning of combination rules in a cortical network model

Selecting responses in working memory while processing combinations of stimuli depends strongly on their relations stored in long-term memory. However, the learning of XOR-like combinations of stimuli and responses according to complex rules raises the issue of the non-linear separability of the responses within the space of stimuli. One proposed solution is to add neurons that perform a stage of non-linear processing between the stimuli and responses, at the cost of increasing the network size. Based on the non-linear integration of synaptic inputs within dendritic compartments, we propose here an inter-synaptic (IS) learning algorithm that determines the probability of potentiating/depressing each synapse as a function of the co-activity of the other synapses within the same dendrite. The IS learning is effective with random connectivity and without either a priori wiring or additional neurons. Our results show that IS learning generates efficacy values that are sufficient for the processing of XOR-like combinations, on the basis of the sole correlational structure of the stimuli and responses. We analyze the types of dendrites involved in terms of the number of synapses from pre-synaptic neurons coding for the stimuli and responses. The synaptic efficacy values obtained show that different dendrites specialize in the detection of different combinations of stimuli. The resulting behavior of the cortical network model is analyzed as a function of inter-synaptic vs. Hebbian learning. Combinatorial priming effects show that the retrospective activity of neurons coding for the stimuli trigger XOR-like combination-selective prospective activity of neurons coding for the expected response. The synergistic effects of inter-synaptic learning and of mixed-coding neurons are simulated. The results show that, although each mechanism is sufficient by itself, their combined effects improve the performance of the network.
Effect of Pile Parameters on the Noise Absorption Capacity of Tufted Carpets

This paper examines the effect of pile characteristics on the noise absorption capacity of tufted carpets in the audible frequency range (125 < f < 4000 Hz.) The parameters considered are fiber content and fiber denier, pile density, and average pile height. The noise absorption coefficients of sample carpets differing from each other in only one pile parameter were measured using the impedance tube technique. Results of the experiments are displayed and evaluated in terms of a heuristic physical picture based on the theory of sound transfer through porous media. One of the interesting results is that when there is an air gap behind tufted carpet used as a wall covering, noise absorption capacity increases significantly in the low and medium frequency range, 250 < f < 1000 Hz.
Inferences from Genomic Models in Stratified Populations

Unaccounted population stratification can lead to spurious associations in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and in this context several methods have been proposed to deal with this problem. An alternative line of research uses whole-genome random regression (WGRR) models that fit all markers simultaneously. Important objectives in WGRR studies are to estimate the proportion of variance accounted for by the markers, the effect of individual markers, prediction of genetic values for complex traits, and prediction of genetic risk of diseases. Proposals to account for stratification in this context are unsatisfactory. Here we address this problem and describe a reparameterization of a WGRR model, based on an eigenvalue decomposition, for simultaneous inference of parameters and unobserved population structure. This allows estimation of genomic parameters with and without inclusion of marker-derived eigenvectors that account for stratification. The method is illustrated with grain yield in wheat typed for 1279 genetic markers, and with height, HDL cholesterol and systolic blood pressure from the British 1958 cohort study typed for 1 million SNP genotypes. Both sets of data show signs of population structure but with different consequences on inferences. The method is compared to an advocated approach consisting of including eigenvectors as fixed-effect covariates in a WGRR model. We show that this approach, used in the context of WGRR models, is ill posed and illustrate the advantages of the proposed model. In summary, our method permits a unified approach to the study of population structure and inference of parameters, is computationally efficient, and is easy to implement.
Cholecalciferol in haemodialysis patients: a randomized, double-blind, proof-of-concept and safety study.

BACKGROUND The role of cholecalciferol supplementation in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients has been questioned. The objective of this randomized double-blinded study is to assess whether cholecalciferol therapy can increase serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in haemodialysed patients and the safety implications of this therapy on certain biological parameters and vascular calcifications score. METHODS Forty-three haemodialysis patients were randomized to receive placebo or cholecalciferol (25,000 IU) therapy every 2 weeks. The biological parameters, serum calcium, phosphorus, 25(OH)D and parathormone (PTH) levels, were monitored monthly for 12 consecutive months. Vascular calcifications were assessed by lateral X-ray radiography. RESULTS At baseline, the mean serum 25(OH)D levels were low and similar in both groups. Thirty patients (16 treated and 14 placebo) completed the study: 11 patients died (5 placebo and 6 treated), 1 patient dropped out and 1 patient was transplanted (both from the placebo group). After 1 year, the percentage of 25(OH)D deficient patients was significantly lower in the treated group. None of the patients developed hypercalcaemia. The PTH levels tended to increase over the study period under placebo and to decrease in the cholecalciferol group. The median changes in PTH levels from baseline to 1 year were statistically different between the two groups [+80 (-58 to 153) and -115 (-192 to 81) under placebo and cholecalciferol treatment, respectively, P=0.02]. The calcification scores increased equivalently in both groups (+2.3 per year). CONCLUSIONS Cholecalciferol is effective and safe, and does not negatively affect calcium, phosphorus, PTH levels and vascular calcifications. Additional studies are needed to compare the impacts of nutritional and active vitamin D agents on vascular calcification and mortality.
Selective degradation of E-cadherin and dissolution of E-cadherin-catenin complexes in epithelial ischemia.

Ischemic epithelial cells are characterized by disruption of intercellular junctions and loss of apical-basolateral protein polarity, which are normally dependent on the integrity of the adherens junction (AJ). Biochemical analysis of both whole ischemic kidneys and ATP-depleted Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells demonstrated a striking loss of E-cadherin (the transmembrane protein of the AJ) with the appearance and accumulation of an approximately 80-kDa fragment reactive with anti-E-cadherin antibodies on Western blots of ATP-depleted MDCK cells. This apparent ischemia-induced degradation of E-cadherin was not blocked by either inhibitors of the major proteolytic pathways (i.e., proteasome, lysosome, or calpain), or by chelation of intracellular calcium, suggesting the involvement of a protease capable of functioning at low ATP and low calcium levels. Immunocytochemistry revealed the movement of several proteins normally comprising the AJ, including E-cadherin and beta-catenin, away from lateral portions of the plasma membrane to intracellular sites. Moreover, rate-zonal centrifugation and immunoprecipitation with anti-E-cadherin and anti-beta-catenin antibodies indicated that ATP depletion disrupted normal E-cadherin-catenin interactions, resulting in the dissociation of alpha- and gamma-catenin from E-cadherin and beta-catenin-containing complexes. Because the generation and maintenance of polarized epithelial cells are dependent upon E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and normal AJ function, we propose that the rapid degradation of E-cadherin and dissolution of the AJ is a key step in the development of the ischemic epithelial cell phenotype. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the reassembly of the AJ after ischemia/ATP depletion may require a novel bioassembly mechanism involving recombination of newly synthesized and sorted E-cadherin with preexisting pools of catenins that have (temporally) redistributed intracellularly.
Passive Sampling of Ambient Nitrogen Dioxide Using Local Tubes

Traditional active and automated sampling of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) monitoring techniques require expensive instrumentation which is not easily adapted for large scale monitoring by resource limited countries. This paper presents the use of locally available relatively cheaper polyethylene tubes to be developed as passive diffusive sampler and use for monitoring of ambient nitrogen dioxide using Triethanolamine (TEA) as absorbent. After extraction with double distilled water, modified Griese-Saltzmann method is used for analysis of nitrite adduct formed due to reaction of NO2 with TEA using spectrophotometer. The results are compared with Ferm-Badge type passive samplers from IVL- Sweden and high volume sampling methods. The detection limits of the passive sampling methods were found to be suitable to be use in tested environment and precision of the method as expressed as Coefficient of variation are good enough for monitoring of NO2 in ambient air of Kathmandu. The method shows strong correlation with high volume sampler and no significant difference with Ferm-Badge—IVL samplers at p = 0.05.
Associations between somatic cell counts at calving or prior to drying-off and clinical mastitis in the remaining or subsequent lactation

Data from 350 herds enrolled in the Norwegian Dairy Herd Recording System (NDHRS) were used to investigate the associations between the first two cow-milk somatic cell counts (SCC) test-days’ results after calving or the three last SCC test-days prior to drying off in the first lactation and the hazard ratio (HR) of clinical mastitis (CM) during the remaining first or the subsequent second lactation respectively. Altogether, 9519 first lactations and 6046 second lactations were included. Cox regression analyses adjusted for herd frailty effect were used. In the first lactation, SCC>40000 cells/ml on the first or second test-day was significantly associated with an increased risk of a CM event in the remaining first lactation. HR, compared with 10000 cells/ml, increased from 1·6 (1·4) for SCC of 40000–60000 cells/ml to 6·9 (4·2) for SCC >800000 cells/ml, when using the first (second) SCC test-day in the first lactation. Cows with a geometric mean of the three last SCC test-days between 50000 and 100000 cells/ml and between 401000 and 800000 cells/ml in the first lactation had HR of CM during the second lactation of 1·3 and 2·8 respectively compared with a reference group of 10000–20000 cells/ml. If a CM episode in the first lactation occurred, the HR for having a CM event during the second lactation was 1·5. There was a significant frailty effect which disappeared if the incidence rate of CM at herd level was included in the model.
Characterization of the Burkholderia thailandensis SOS Response by Using Whole-Transcriptome Shotgun Sequencing

ABSTRACT The bacterial SOS response is a well-characterized regulatory network encoded by most prokaryotic bacterial species and is involved in DNA repair. In addition to nucleic acid repair, the SOS response is involved in pathogenicity, stress-induced mutagenesis, and the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Using high-throughput sequencing technology (SOLiD RNA-Seq), we analyzed the Burkholderia thailandensis global SOS response to the fluoroquinolone antibiotic, ciprofloxacin (CIP), and the DNA-damaging chemical, mitomycin C (MMC). We demonstrate that a B. thailandensis recA mutant (RU0643) is ∼4-fold more sensitive to CIP in contrast to the parental strain B. thailandensis DW503. Our RNA-Seq results show that CIP and MMC treatment (P < 0.01) resulted in the differential expression of 344 genes in B. thailandensis and 210 genes in RU0643. Several genes associated with the SOS response were induced and include lexA, uvrA, dnaE, dinB, recX, and recA. At the genome-wide level, we found an overall decrease in gene expression, especially for genes involved in amino acid and carbohydrate transport and metabolism, following both CIP and MMC exposure. Interestingly, we observed the upregulation of several genes involved in bacterial motility and enhanced transcription of a B. thailandensis genomic island encoding a Siphoviridae bacteriophage designated ϕE264. Using B. thailandensis plaque assays and PCR with B. mallei ATCC 23344 as the host, we demonstrate that CIP and MMC exposure in B. thailandensis DW503 induces the transcription and translation of viable bacteriophage in a RecA-dependent manner. This is the first report of the SOS response in Burkholderia spp. to DNA-damaging agents. We have identified both common and unique adaptive responses of B. thailandensis to chemical stress and DNA damage.
MIMO Networks: The Effects of Interference

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems are being considered as one of the key enabling technologies for future wireless networks. However, the decrease in capacity due to the presence of interferers in MIMO networks is not well understood. In this paper, we develop an analytical framework to characterize the capacity of MIMO communication systems in the presence of multiple MIMO co-channel interferers and noise. We consider the situation in which transmitters have no channel state information, and all links undergo Rayleigh fading. We first generalize the determinant representation of hypergeometric functions with matrix arguments to the case when the argument matrices have eigenvalues of arbitrary multiplicity. This enables the derivation of the distribution of the eigenvalues of Gaussian quadratic forms and Wishart matrices with arbitrary correlation, with application to both single-user and multiuser MIMO systems. In particular, we derive the ergodic mutual information for MIMO systems in the presence of multiple MIMO interferers. Our analysis is valid for any number of interferers, each with arbitrary number of antennas having possibly unequal power levels. This framework, therefore, accommodates the study of distributed MIMO systems and accounts for different spatial positions of the MIMO interferers.
Tyranny of distance and rural prehospital care: Is there potential for a national rural responder network?

Critical illness intersects with the workload of rural doctors in Australia, mostly via their on‐call responsibilities to rural hospitals. A significant proportion of these are prehospital incidents – vehicle crashes, farming injuries, bushfire etc. Effective care for such patients requires an integration of prehospital ambulance services, retrieval services and tertiary level trauma services all the way through to rehabilitation. Ambulance services in rural areas are often volunteer based, and with increasing remoteness via the ‘tyranny of distance’ comes the likelihood of increased delay in arrival of specialist retrieval services. Potential exists to utilise rural clinicians to respond to prehospital incidents in certain defined circumstances, as suggested by a recent survey of rural doctors.
“We are the soul, pearl and beauty of Hindu Kush Mountains”: exploring resilience and psychological wellbeing of Kalasha, an ethnic and religious minority group in Pakistan

ABSTRACT The Kalasha are a marginalized ethnic and religious minority group in northern Pakistan. The Kalasha minority is known for their divergent polytheistic beliefs, and represents the outliers of the collectively monotheistic Muslim population of Pakistan. This study aimed to explore the psychological resilience beliefs and lived experiences of the Kalasha and to identify cultural protective factors and indigenous beliefs that help them maintain psychological wellbeing and resilience. Seven semi-structured interviews and two focus-group discussions were conducted. The total sample consisted of 6 women and 8 men, aged 20–58 years (Mage = 36.29, SD = 12.58). The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis qualitative method was chosen. Study findings identified that factors contributing to the wellbeing, happiness and resilience enhancement beliefs of Kalasha included five main themes, all influenced by their unique spirituality: contentment, pride in social identity, tolerance, gender collaboration and gratitude. The study also revealed the Kalasha’s perception of their marginalization related to challenges and threats. The Kalasha emphasized bringing these resilience enhancement beliefs into practice, as a mean to buffer against challenges. In conclusion, this study revealed Kalasha’s wellbeing and resilience enhancement factors, which they believed in and practiced as an element of their indigenous culture and religion.
Net-Generation Attributes and Seductive Properties of the Internet as Predictors of Online Activities and Internet Addiction

Born between 1977 and 1997, Net-generation is the first generation to grow up surrounded by home computers, video games, and the Internet. As children of the Baby Boomers, the Internet is the medium of choice for the Net-geners. Based on the assumption that Net-generation has unique characteristics, this study examined (1) how Net-geners addicted to the Internet differ from the non-addicted and (2) how these attributes, together with the seductive properties of the Internet, are related to Internet addiction. Data were gathered from a probability sample of 699 Net-geners between the ages of 16 and 24. Results show that Net-geners addicted to the Internet tend to be young female students. Being emotionally open on the Net and a heavy user of ICQ were most influential in predicting Net-geners' problematic use of the Internet. Addicted Net-geners are also strongly linked to the pleasure of being able to control the simulated world in online games. The finding reinforces previous research that "dependents" of the Internet spend most of their time in the synchronous communication environment engaging in interactive online games, chat rooms, and ICQ for pleasure-seeking or escape, while "non-dependents" use information-gathering functions available on the Internet. Furthermore, Internet addicts tend to watch television significantly less, indicating a displacement effect on traditional media use for the Net-generation.
Supersonic Laminar Flow Control on Swept Wings Using Distributed Roughness Stability Analysis and Computations

The present work addresses a new technology development that can lead to drag reduction on supersonic aircraft by means of passive laminar flow control (LFC). Recent developments in the understanding of stability and transition in swept-wing flows in low-disturbance environments have offered the promise of controlling transition without the use of complicated systems. The principal control problem with highly swept wings concerns the crossflow instability. It has been demonstrated in a series of low-speed experiments that distributed roughness near the attachment line can control the crossflow instability and can laminarize a boundary layer, provided an induced roughness wavelength is below a critical value. The present work extends this idea to supersonic flow over highly swept wings. The combined computational and experimental work gives design criteria and demonstrates LFC on airfoils swept beyond the characteristic Mach angle i.e. subsonic leading edges.
Epoxy resin composites with surface‐modified silicon dioxide nanoparticles: A review

Surface-modified silica nanoparticles, 20 nm in size and with a very narrow particle size distribution, have been available as concentrates in epoxy resins in industrial quantities for the last 10 years. They can be used in epoxy resin formulations to improve many different properties, including the strength, modulus, toughness, and fatigue performance. In this review, I examine the literature published in the last decade, compare the results with a focus on the mechanical properties, and discuss the mechanisms responsible for property improvements. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1421–1428, 2013
Overview of Surgical Scar Prevention and Management

Management of incisional scar is intimately connected to stages of wound healing. The management of an elective surgery patient begins with a thorough informed consent process in which the patient is made aware of personal and clinical circumstances that cannot be modified, such as age, ethnicity, and previous history of hypertrophic scars. In scar prevention, the single most important modifiable factor is wound tension during the proliferative and remodeling phases, and this is determined by the choice of incision design. Traditional incisions most often follow relaxed skin tension lines, but no such lines exist in high surface tension areas. If such incisions are unavoidable, the patient must be informed of this ahead of time. The management of a surgical incision does not end when the sutures are removed. Surgical scar care should be continued for one year. Patient participation is paramount in obtaining the optimal outcome. Postoperative visits should screen for signs of scar hypertrophy and has a dual purpose of continued patient education and reinforcement of proper care. Early intervention is a key to control hyperplastic response. Hypertrophic scars that do not improve by 6 months are keloids and should be managed aggressively with intralesional steroid injections and alternate modalities. Graphical Abstract
Early Assessment of Pancreatic Infections and Overall Prognosis in Severe Acute Pancreatitis by Procalcitonin (PCT): A Prospective International Multicenter Study

Background:Pancreatic infections and sepsis are major complications in severe acute pancreatitis (AP) with significant impact on management and outcome. We investigated the value of Procalcitonin (PCT) for identifying patients at risk to develop pancreatic infections in severe AP. Methods:A total of 104 patients with predicted severe AP were enrolled in five European academic surgical centers within 96 hours of symptom onset. PCT was measured prospectively by a semi-automated immunoassay in each center, C-reactive protein (CRP) was routinely assessed. Both parameters were monitored over a maximum of 21 consecutive days and in weekly intervals thereafter. Results:In contrast to CRP, PCT concentrations were significantly elevated in patients with pancreatic infections and associated multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) who all required surgery (n = 10) and in nonsurvivors (n = 8) early after onset of symptoms. PCT levels revealed only a moderate increase in patients with pancreatic infections in the absence of MODS (n = 7), all of whom were managed nonoperatively without mortality. A PCT value of ≥3.5 ng/mL on 2 consecutive days was superior to CRP ≥430 mg/L for the assessment of infected necrosis with MODS or nonsurvival as determined by ROC analysis with a sensitivity and specificity of 93% and 88% for PCT and 40% and 100% for CRP, respectively (P < 0.01). The single or combined prediction of the two major complications was already possible on the third and fourth day after onset of symptoms with a sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 93% for PCT ≥3.8 ng/mL compared with 36% and 97% for CRP ≥430 mg/L, respectively (P = 0.002). Conclusion:Monitoring of PCT allows early and reliable assessment of clinically relevant pancreatic infections and overall prognosis in AP. This single test parameter significantly contributes to an improved stratification of patients at risk to develop major complications.