Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Building up Analgesia in Humans via the Endogenous μ-Opioid System by Combining Placebo and Active tDCS: A Preliminary Report

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a method of non-invasive brain stimulation that has been frequently used in experimental and clinical pain studies. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying tDCS-mediated pain control, and most important its placebo component, are not completely established. In this pilot study, we investigated in vivo the involvement of the endogenous μ-opioid system in the global tDCS-analgesia experience. Nine healthy volunteers went through positron emission tomography (PET) scans with [11C]carfentanil, a selective μ-opioid receptor (MOR) radiotracer, to measure the central MOR activity during tDCS in vivo (non-displaceable binding potential, BPND) - one of the main analgesic mechanisms in the brain. Placebo and real anodal primary motor cortex (M1/2mA) tDCS were delivered sequentially for 20 minutes each during the PET scan. The initial placebo tDCS phase induced a decrease in MOR BPND in the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), precuneus, and thalamus, indicating activation of endogenous μ-opioid neurotransmission, even before the active tDCS. The subsequent real tDCS also induced MOR activation in the PAG and precuneus, which were positively correlated to the changes observed with placebo tDCS. Nonetheless, real tDCS had an additional MOR activation in the left prefrontal cortex. Although significant changes in the MOR BPND occurred with both placebo and real tDCS, significant analgesic effects, measured by improvements in the heat and cold pain thresholds, were only observed after real tDCS, not the placebo tDCS. This study gives preliminary evidence that the analgesic effects reported with M1-tDCS, can be in part related to the recruitment of the same endogenous MOR mechanisms induced by placebo, and that such effects can be purposely optimized by real tDCS.
SoftCell: scalable and flexible cellular core network architecture

Cellular core networks suffer from inflexible and expensive equipment, as well as from complex control-plane protocols. To address these challenges, we present SoftCell, a scalable architecture that supports fine-grained policies for mobile devices in cellular core networks, using commodity switches and servers. SoftCell enables operators to realize high-level service policies that direct traffic through sequences of middleboxes based on subscriber attributes and applications. To minimize the size of the forwarding tables, SoftCell aggregates traffic along multiple dimensions---the service policy, the base station, and the mobile device---at different switches in the network. Since most traffic originates from mobile devices, SoftCell performs fine-grained packet classification at the access switches, next to the base stations, where software switches can easily handle the state and bandwidth requirements. SoftCell guarantees that packets belonging to the same connection traverse the same sequence of middleboxes in both directions, even in the presence of mobility. We demonstrate that SoftCell improves the scalability and flexibility of cellular core networks by analyzing real LTE workloads, performing micro-benchmarks on our prototype controller as well as large-scale simulations.
A Simple Yet Effective Balanced Edge Partition Model for Parallel Computing

Graph edge partition models have recently become an appealing alternative to graph vertex partition models for distributed computing due to their flexibility in balancing loads and their performance in reducing communication cost [6, 16]. In this paper, we propose a simple yet effective graph edge partitioning algorithm. In practice, our algorithm provides good partition quality (and better than similar state-of-the-art edge partition approaches, at least for power-law graphs) while maintaining low partition overhead. In theory, previous work [6] showed that an approximation guarantee of O(dmax√ log n log k) apply to the graphs with m=Ω(k2) edges (k is the number of partitions). We further rigorously proved that this approximation guarantee hold for all graphs. We show how our edge partition model can be applied to parallel computing. We draw our example from GPU program locality enhancement and demonstrate that the graph edge partition model does not only apply to distributed computing with many computer nodes, but also to parallel computing in a single computer node with a many-core processor.
Optimal speedup on a low-degree multi-core parallel architecture (LoPRAM)

Over the last five years, major microprocessor manufacturers have released plans for a rapidly increasing number of cores per microprossesor, with upwards of 64 cores by 2015. In this setting, a sequential RAM computer will no longer accurately reflect the architecture on which algorithms are being executed. In this paper we propose a model of low degree parallelism (LoPRAM) which builds upon the RAM and PRAM models yet better reflects recent advances in parallel (multi-core) architectures. This model supports a high level of abstraction that simplifies the design and analysis of parallel programs. More importantly we show that in many instances it naturally leads to work-optimal parallel algorithms via simple modifications to sequential algorithms.
Cost estimate of hospital stays for premature newborns of adolescent mothers in a Brazilian public hospital

ABSTRACT Objective: To estimate the direct costs of hospital stay for premature newborns of adolescent mothers, in a public hospital. Methods: A cost estimate study conducted between 2009 and 2011, in which direct hospital costs were estimated for premature newborns of adolescent mothers, with 22 to 36 6/7 gestational weeks, and treated at the neonatal unit of the hospital. Results: In 2006, there were 5,180 deliveries at this hospital, and 17.8% (922) were newborns of adolescent mothers, of which 19.63% (181) were admitted to the neonatal unit. Out of the 181 neonates, 58% (105) were premature and 80% (84) of them were included in this study. These 84 neonates had a total of 1,633 days in-patient hospital care at a total cost of US$195,609.00. Approximately 72% of this total cost (US$141,323.00) accounted for hospital services. The mean daily costs ranged from US$97.00 to US$157.00. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the average cost of premature newborns from adolescent mothers was US$2,328.00 and varied according to birth weight. For those weighing <1,000g at birth, the mean direct cost was US$8,930.00 per stay as opposed to a cost of US$642.00 for those with birth weight >2,000g. The overall estimated direct cost for the 84 neonates in the study totaled US$195,609.00.
Revisit consensus problem on dual link failure modes

Traditionally, the consensus problem was solved in a fully connected network with node failure assumption. The link failure was unfairly treated as node failure. The paper revisits the consensus problem with the assumption of link failure on dormant faults and malicious faults. A simple and efficient protocol is proposed. The complexity of information exchange required by the protocol is O(n/sup 2/). The protocol uses a minimum number of rounds to achieve a consensus and can tolerate a maximum number of allowable faulty components.
Treating Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Structured Writing Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Writing assignments have shown promising results in treating traumatic symptomatology. Yet no studies have compared their efficacy to the current treatment of choice, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The present study evaluated the efficacy of structured writing therapy (SWT) and CBT as compared to a waitlist control condition in treating acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at an outpatient clinic. Participants (n = 125) (a) satisfied DSM-IV criteria for ASD or PTSD, (b) were 16 years or older, (c) were sufficiently fluent in Dutch or English, (d) had no psychiatric problems except ASD or PTSD that would hinder participation or required alternative clinical care, and (e) received no concurrent psychotherapy. Treatment consisted of five 1.5-hour sessions of CBT or SWT for participants with ASD or acute PTSD and ten 1.5-hour sessions for participants with chronic PTSD. Outcome measures included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Impact of Event Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Results: At posttest and follow-up, treatment was associated with improved diagnostic status and lower levels of intrusive symptoms, depression and state anxiety, while a trend was noted for the reduction of avoidance symptoms. Treatment did not result in lower levels of trait anxiety or dissociation. No differences in efficacy were detected between CBT and SWT. Conclusions: The present study confirmed the efficacy of CBT for ASD and PTSD and identified SWT as a promising alternative treatment.
Shear wave velocity is a useful marker for managing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

AIM To investigate whether a noninvasive measurement of tissue strain has a potential usefulness for management of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). METHODS In total 26 patients, 23 NASHs and 3 normal controls were enrolled in this study. NASH was staged based on Brunt criterion. At a region of interest (ROI), a shear wave was evoked by implementing an acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), and the propagation velocity was quantified. RESULTS Shear wave velocity (SWV) could be reproducibly quantified at all ROIs in all subjects except for 4 NASH cases, in which a reliable SWV value was not calculated at several ROIs. An average SWV of 1.34 +/- 0.26 m/s in fibrous stage 0-1 was significantly slower than 2.20 +/- 0.74 m/s and 2.90 +/- 1.01 m/s in stages 3 and 4, respectively, but was not significantly different from 1.79 +/- 0.78 m/s in stage 2. When a cutoff value was set at 1.47 m/s, receiver operating characteristic analysis showed significance to dissociate stages 3 and 4 from stage 0-1 (P = 0.0092) with sensitivity, specificity and area under curve of 100%, 75% and 94.2%, respectively. In addition, the correlation between SWV and hyaluronic acid was significant (P < 0.0001), while a tendency toward negative correlation was observed with serum albumin (P = 0.053). CONCLUSION The clinical implementation of ARFI provides noninvasive repeated evaluations of liver stiffness at an arbitrary position, which has the potential to shed new light on NASH management.
NF-E2-Related Factor 1 (Nrf1) Serves as a Novel Regulator of Hepatic Lipid Metabolism through Regulation of the Lipin1 and PGC-1β Genes

ABSTRACT Hepatic lipid metabolism is under elaborate regulation, and perturbations in this regulatory process at the transcriptional level lead to pathological conditions. NF-E2-related factor 1 (Nrf1) is a member of the cap'n'collar (CNC) transcription factor family. Hepatocyte-specific Nrf1 gene conditional-knockout mice are known to develop hepatic steatosis, but it remains unclear how Nrf1 contributes to the lipid homeostasis. Therefore, in this study we examined the gene expression profiles of Nrf1-deficient mouse livers. A pathway analysis based on the profiling results revealed that the levels of expression of the genes related to lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and mitochondrial respiratory function were decreased in Nrf1-deficient mouse livers, indicating the profound effects that the Nrf1 deficiency conferred to various metabolic pathways. We discovered that the Nrf1 deficiency leads to the reduced expression of the transcriptional coactivator genes Lipin1 and PGC-1β (for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1β). Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses showed that Nrf1 binds to the antioxidant response elements (AREs) in regulatory regions of the Lipin1 and PGC-1β genes and the binding of Nrf1 to the AREs activates reporter gene transcription. These results thus identified Nrf1 to be a novel regulator of the Lipin1 and PGC-1β genes, providing new insights into the Nrf1 function in hepatic lipid metabolism.
Severe malaria in children in Yemen: two site observational study

Abstract Objectives To assess the burden of malaria on health services, describe the clinical presentation of severe malaria in children, and identify factors associated with mortality by means of a prospective observational study. Setting Two public hospitals in Taiz (mountain hinterland) and Hodeidah (coastal plain), Yemen. Participants Children aged 6 months to 10 years. Results Of 12 301 paediatric admissions, 2071 (17%) were for suspected severe malaria. The proportion of such admissions varied according to the season (from 1% to 40%). Falciparum malaria was confirmed in 1332 children; 808 had severe disease as defined by the World Health Organization. Main presentations were respiratory distress (322/808, 40%), severe anaemia (291/800, 37%), and cerebral malaria (60/808, 8%). Twenty two of 26 children who died had a neurological presentation. No deaths occurred in children with severe anaemia but no other signs of severity. In multivariate analysis, a Blantyre coma score ≤ 2, history of fits, female sex, and hyperlactataemia predicted mortality; severe anaemia, respiratory distress, and hyperparasitaemia were not significant predictors of mortality. Conclusions Severe malaria puts a high burden on health services in Yemen. Although presentation is similar to African series, some important differences exist. Case fatality is higher in girls.
Exploring professionalism: the professional values of Australian occupational therapists.

BACKGROUND/AIM There has been limited research into the values of the Australian occupational therapy profession and as such, the values have not been made explicit. Explicit values provide insight into what professionalism means to a profession. They can be used by practitioners for self-reflection purposes, shaping the future practice of individuals. Clear values can also enable the recognition and management of value conflicts between health professions. This study aimed to make a preliminary identification of the values of the profession, by exploring the professional values of 15 Australian occupational therapists. METHODS A naturalistic approach and constructivist paradigm guided this study. Purposive sampling was employed to identify Australian occupational therapists who could contribute rich information to the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews that were recorded and analysed using an inductive data analysis method. RESULTS The professional values identified encompassed three main areas: the client and the client-therapist partnership; occupational therapy knowledge, skills and practice; and selfless values. The emerging values guided everyday practice, professional relationships and the responsibilities of being a professional. CONCLUSION This study provides insight into the professional values of Australian occupational therapists and contributes to research orientated towards identifying the values of the profession. The results also contribute to the understanding of what professionalism means to the Australian occupational therapy profession.
Observations of five little-known tubenoses from Melanesia in January 2017

Summary. We present observations of five little-known tubenoses made during a pelagic expedition from Vanuatu to New Ireland, Melanesia, in January 2017: Beck's Petrel Pseudobulweria becki, an all-dark Pseudobulweria, Magnificent Petrel Pterodroma (brevipes) magnificens, Vanuatu Petrel P. (cervicalis) occulta and Heinroth's Shearwater Puffinus heinrothi. Our observations provide some new insights into the following issues: Beck's Petrel—timing of breeding and search for the breeding grounds; all-dark Pseudobulweria—possible existence of an undescribed taxon in seas north-east of Papua New Guinea; Magnificent Petrel—sightings consistent with the argument for a distinct population; Vanuatu Petrel—variation in the underwing pattern and implications for its separation from White-necked Petrel Pterodroma (c.) cervicalis; and Heinroth's Shearwater—timing of breeding and search for the breeding grounds.
Identification of Conserved and Novel microRNAs from Liriodendron chinense Floral Tissues

Background Liriodendron chinense (L. chinense) is an endangered basal angiosperm plant in China because of its low reproductive efficiency. Recently, miRNAs have obtained great attention because they can play important roles. Through high throughput sequencing technique, large amount of miRNAs were identified from different plant species. But there were few studies about the miRNAs in the basal angiosperms especially in the sexual reproduction process. Results Deep sequencing technology was applied to discover miRNAs in L. chinense flowers at different stages. After bioinformatic analysis, 496 putative conserved miRNAs representing 97 families and 2 novel miRNAs were found. Among them, one is previously regarded as gymnosperm specific. Their expressions were further validated by Real-time PCR for 13 selected miRNAs. Putative targeting genes were predicted and categorized with gene ontology (GO) analysis. About ten percents of the targets are involved in the reproduction process. Further expressional analysis showed that many of these miRNAs were highly related to the reproductive growth. Conclusions This is the first comprehensive identification of conserved and novel miRNAs in L. chinense. The data presented here might not only help to fill the gap of miRNA registered about basal angiosperm plants but also contribute to understanding the evolution of miRNAs. The differential expression of some of the miRNAs and the prediction of their target genes are also helpful in understanding the regulation of L. chinense sexual reproduction.
A generic variational approach for demosaicking from an arbitrary color filter array

We propose a method to demosaick images acquired with a completely arbitrary color filter array (CFA). We adopt a variational approach where the reconstructed image has maximal smoothness under the constraint of consistency with the measurements. This optimization problem boils down to a large, sparse system of linear equations to solve, for which we propose an iterative algorithm. Although the approach is linear, it yields visually pleasing demosaicked images and provides a robust framework for comparing the performances of CFAs.
Extended Dominating Set and Its Applications in Ad Hoc Networks Using Cooperative Communication

We propose a notion of an extended dominating set where each node in an ad hoc network is covered by either a dominating neighbor or several 2-hop dominating neighbors. This work is motivated by cooperative communication in ad hoc networks whereby transmitting independent copies of a packet generates diversity and combats the effects of fading. We first show the NP-completeness of the minimum extended dominating set problem. Then, several heuristic algorithms, global and local, for constructing a small extended dominating set are proposed. These are nontrivial extensions of the existing algorithms for the regular dominating set problem. The application of the extended dominating set in efficient broadcasting is also discussed. The performance analysis includes an analytical study in terms of approximation ratio and a simulation study of the average size of the extended dominating set derived from the proposed algorithms
DC Proximal Newton for Nonconvex Optimization Problems

We introduce a novel algorithm for solving learning problems where both the loss function and the regularizer are nonconvex but belong to the class of difference of convex (DC) functions. Our contribution is a new general purpose proximal Newton algorithm that is able to deal with such a situation. The algorithm consists in obtaining a descent direction from an approximation of the loss function and then in performing a line search to ensure a sufficient descent. A theoretical analysis is provided showing that the iterates of the proposed algorithm admit as limit points stationary points of the DC objective function. Numerical experiments show that our approach is more efficient than the current state of the art for a problem with a convex loss function and a nonconvex regularizer. We have also illustrated the benefit of our algorithm in high-dimensional transductive learning problem where both the loss function and regularizers are nonconvex.
The Role of PAR2 in TGF-β1-Induced ERK Activation and Cell Motility

Background: Recently, the expression of proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) has been shown to be essential for activin receptor-like kinase 5 (ALK5)/SMAD-mediated signaling and cell migration by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. However, it is not known whether activation of non-SMAD TGF-β signaling (e.g., RAS–RAF–MEK–extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling) is required for cell migration and whether it is also dependent on PAR2. Methods: RNA interference was used to deplete cells of PAR2, followed by xCELLigence technology to measure cell migration, phospho-immunoblotting to assess ERK1/2 activation, and co-immunoprecipitation to detect a PAR2–ALK5 physical interaction. Results: Inhibition of ERK signaling with the MEK inhibitor U0126 blunted the ability of TGF-β1 to induce migration in pancreatic cancer Panc1 cells. ERK activation in response to PAR2 agonistic peptide (PAR2–AP) was strong and rapid, while it was moderate and delayed in response to TGF-β1. Basal and TGF-β1-dependent ERK, but not SMAD activation, was blocked by U0126 in Panc1 and other cell types indicating that ERK activation is downstream or independent of SMAD signaling. Moreover, cellular depletion of PAR2 in HaCaT cells strongly inhibited TGF-β1-induced ERK activation, while the biased PAR2 agonist GB88 at 10 and 100 µM potentiated TGF-β1-dependent ERK activation and cell migration. Finally, we provide evidence for a physical interaction between PAR2 and ALK5. Our data show that both PAR2–AP- and TGF-β1-induced cell migration depend on ERK activation, that PAR2 expression is crucial for TGF-β1-induced ERK activation, and that the functional cooperation of PAR2 and TGF-β1 involves a physical interaction between PAR2 and ALK5.
A highly directive dipole antenna embedded in a Fabry-Perot type cavity

We investigate the origin of the directivity of a dipole antenna embedded in a dielectric slab Fabry-Perot cavity. It is shown that the focusing effect is due to the angular selection rules in the Bragg-type mirror and is directly correlated to the frequency selectivity of the cavity. For a 6 GHz resonant device, having a quality factor of 100, the aperture of the beam pattern (E-H plane) is close to 12/spl deg/ in agreement with the arguments based on frequency and angular selectivities. Hence, this kind of cavity could be used in free-space based communication links.
Autism, Hypersystemizing, and Truth

Evidence is reviewed suggesting that, in the general population, empathizing and systemizing show strong sex differences. The function of systemizing is to predict lawful events, including lawful change, or patterns in data. Also reviewed is the evidence that individuals on the autistic spectrum have degrees of empathizing difficulties alongside hypersystemizing. The hypersystemizing theory of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) proposes that people with ASC have an unusually strong drive to systemize. This can explain their preference for systems that change in highly lawful or predictable ways; why they become disabled when faced with systems characterized by less lawful change; and their “need for sameness” or “resistance to change”. If “truth” is defined as lawful patterns in data then, according to the hypersystemizing theory, people with ASC are strongly driven to discover the “truth”.