Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effective Connectivity of Hippocampal Neural Network and Its Alteration in Mg2+-Free Epilepsy Model

Understanding the connectivity of the brain neural network and its evolution in epileptiform discharges is meaningful in the epilepsy researches and treatments. In the present study, epileptiform discharges were induced in rat hippocampal slices perfused with Mg2+-free artificial cerebrospinal fluid. The effective connectivity of the hippocampal neural network was studied by comparing the normal and epileptiform discharges recorded by a microelectrode array. The neural network connectivity was constructed by using partial directed coherence and analyzed by graph theory. The transition of the hippocampal network topology from control to epileptiform discharges was demonstrated. Firstly, differences existed in both the averaged in- and out-degree between nodes in the pyramidal cell layer and the granule cell layer, which indicated an information flow from the pyramidal cell layer to the granule cell layer during epileptiform discharges, whereas no consistent information flow was observed in control. Secondly, the neural network showed different small-worldness in the early, middle and late stages of the epileptiform discharges, whereas the control network did not show the small-world property. Thirdly, the network connectivity began to change earlier than the appearance of epileptiform discharges and lasted several seconds after the epileptiform discharges disappeared. These results revealed the important network bases underlying the transition from normal to epileptiform discharges in hippocampal slices. Additionally, this work indicated that the network analysis might provide a useful tool to evaluate the neural network and help to improve the prediction of seizures.
Management of severe asthma in childhood – State of the art and novel perspectives

The majority of children with asthma have mild or moderate disease and can obtain adequate control of symptoms through avoidance of triggering factors and/or with the help of medications. There is still a group of children with severe asthma in whom symptom control is poor depending either on identifiable aggravating factors or on true therapy resistance. These children have a poor quality of life and are limited by the severity of their disease. There is a need for a staged approach to the assessment and treatment of this small but vulnerable and resource‐consuming group. The current review will provide an overview of a possible standardized approach to characterize this heterogeneous group of severely sick children including some newly developed ways of assessing asthma severity and potentialities of new asthma therapies. Furthermore, the umbrella term ‘problematic severe asthma’ is described. The term encompasses children whose severe asthma is due to identifiable exacerbating factors, as well as children who are resistant to any conventional therapeutic approach. Characteristics of these two groups of children are described, as are possible biomarkers and current and emerging diagnostic tools for allergy evaluation. Some recent advances and future possibilities for treatment of severe asthma are also presented in this review.
Atypical Manifestations in Glut1 Deficiency Syndrome

Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome is a genetically determined, treatable, neurologic disorder that is caused by an insufficient transport of glucose into the brain. It is caused by a mutation in the SCL2A1 gene, which is so far the only known to be associated with this condition. Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome consists of a wide clinical spectrum that usually presents with cognitive impairment, epilepsy, paroxysmal exercise-induced dyskinesia, acquired microcephaly, hemolytic anemia, gait disturbance, and dyspraxia in different combinations. However, there are other clinical manifestations that we consider equally peculiar but that have so far been poorly described in literature. In this review, supported by a video contribution, we will accurately describe this type of clinical manifestation such as oculogyric crises, weakness, paroxysmal kinesigenic and nonkinesigenic dyskinesia in order to provide an additional instrument for a correct, rapid diagnosis.
Honor Among Thieves — A Source Coding Based Sharing Mechanism for the BitThief Client

In this thesis, the implementation of a peer-to-peer data distribution system called T4T is discussed. T4T is based on a truly fair tit-for-tat exchange of data blocks between peers. To circumvent the inherent problems of strict tit-for-tat, source coding of the original data is employed. As only linear combinations of blocks are ever transmitted, the block diversity in the network is greatly increased. In contrast to other network coding systems, we use modular addition in a finite field to encode the original blocks instead of the more typical XOR operation. Additionally, a mechanism to ensure data integrity of received blocks is proposed and analyzed. We discuss the homomorphic properties of different cryptography systems and outline the design of a hashing scheme that utilizes a homomorphic one-way function based on the discrete logarithm problem. Our scheme enable peers to compute expected hash values of received blocks out of the hashes of the original data. The existing freeriding BitTorrent client BitThief is extended to incorporate the discussed new functionality.
Modulation of DNA hypomethylation as a surrogate endpoint biomarker for chemoprevention of colon cancer

Surrogate end‐point biomarkers are being developed as indicators of the efficacy of chemopreventive agents. These biomarkers are molecular and biological end‐points that can be modulated by chemopreventive agents in accordance with their efficacy to prevent cancer. DNA hypomethylation is a common alteration found in colon tumors that has the potential of being modulated by chemopreventive agents and thus being useful as a surrogate end‐point biomarker. Agents that were either effective or ineffective in preventing colon cancer were evaluated for the ability to modulate DNA hypomethylation in azoxymethane‐induced colon tumors in male F344 rats. DNA methylation was determined by Dot Blot Analysis using a mouse monoclonal anti‐5‐methylcytosine antibody. Colon tumors had a 70% reduction in DNA methylation relative to normal colonic mucosa. DNA methylation in the tumors was increased by 7 days of treatment with agents that have been shown to prevent colon cancer (calcium chloride, α‐diflouromethylornithine [DFMO], piroxicam, and sulindac), whereas agents shown not to prevent colon cancer in rats (low dose aspirin, 2‐carboxyphenyl retinamide [2‐CPR], quercetin, 9‐cis retinoic acid, and rutin) did not increase DNA methylation. The results suggest that the ability to reverse the DNA hypomethylation in colon tumors could be useful as a surrogate end‐point biomarker for chemoprevention of colon cancer. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Trill: A High-Performance Incremental Query Processor for Diverse Analytics

This paper introduces Trill -- a new query processor for analytics. Trill fulfills a combination of three requirements for a query processor to serve the diverse big data analytics space: (1) Query Model : Trill is based on a tempo-relational model that enables it to handle streaming and relational queries with early results, across the latency spectrum from real-time to offline; (2) Fabric and Language Integration : Trill is architected as a high-level language library that supports rich data-types and user libraries, and integrates well with existing distribution fabrics and applications; and (3) Performance : Trill's throughput is high across the latency spectrum. For streaming data, Trill's throughput is 2-4 orders of magnitude higher than comparable streaming engines. For offline relational queries, Trill's throughput is comparable to a major modern commercial columnar DBMS. Trill uses a streaming batched-columnar data representation with a new dynamic compilation-based system architecture that addresses all these requirements. In this paper, we describe Trill's new design and architecture, and report experimental results that demonstrate Trill's high performance across diverse analytics scenarios. We also describe how Trill's ability to support diverse analytics has resulted in its adoption across many usage scenarios at Microsoft.
Factor's Influencing Individual's Knowledge Seeking Behaviour in Electronic Knowledge Repository

Among the recent challenges faced by managers is the ability to manage knowledge sharing effectively so that knowledge can be utilized strategically for the benefit of the organization. Since knowledge sharing cannot occur without contribution of knowledge, most research so far has been devoted to the contribution aspect of knowledge sharing. However, knowledge re-use, another important goal of knowledge sharing, is unattainable if motivators and inhibitors of knowledge seeking behaviour are overlooked. This study sheds light into this underdeveloped, but critical component of knowledge management, by investigating the determinants of individual's knowledge seeking behaviour in an Electronic Knowledge Repository (EKR) based on the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB). The results from the survey conducted on 192 EKR users reveal that an intention based model provides a much clearer understanding of the latent psychological processes that influence knowledge seeking behaviour in an EKR. As posited by established IS usage theories such as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Perceived Usefulness and Seeking Effort (i.e. Perceived ease of Seeking) have appeared as the primary antecedents of attitude. In addition, Trust has emerged as an important determinant of intentions and attitude towards knowledge seeking behaviour. The unexplored concept of Information Asymmetry has been identified as a valuable inhibiting factor in context of knowledge seeking behaviour in EKR.
Switched diversity receivers over generalized gamma fading channels

A versatile envelope distribution which generalizes several commonly used fading models is the generalized Gamma (GG) distribution. This letter deals with the performance analysis of switch and stay combining (SSC) receivers operating over not necessarily identical GG fading channels. For these receivers, novel analytical expressions for the moments of the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) (including average SNR and amount of fading), outage probability, average bit error probability (ABEP), and Shannon average spectral efficiency (ASE) are derived. Moreover, closed-form expressions are obtained for the optimal average SNR, ABEP, and ASE switching thresholds. Special cases of the derived expressions agree with known results.
Revisiting the horizontal redistribution of water in soils: Experiments and numerical modeling

A series of experiments and related numerical simulations were carried out to study one‐dimensional water redistribution processes in an unsaturated soil. A long horizontal Plexiglas box was packed as homogenously as possible with sand. The sandbox was divided into two sections using a very thin metal plate, with one section initially fully saturated and the other section only partially saturated. Initial saturation in the dry section was set to 0.2, 0.4, or 0.6 in three different experiments. Redistribution between the wet and dry sections started as soon as the metal plate was removed. Changes in water saturation at various locations along the sandbox were measured as a function of time using a dual‐energy gamma system. Also, air and water pressures were measured using two different kinds of tensiometers at various locations as a function of time. The saturation discontinuity was found to persist during the entire experiments, while observed water pressures were found to become continuous immediately after the experiments started. Two models, the standard Richards equation and an interfacial area model, were used to simulate the experiments. Both models showed some deviations between the simulated water pressures and the measured data at early times during redistribution. The standard model could only simulate the observed saturation distributions reasonably well for the experiment with the lowest initial water saturation in the dry section. The interfacial area model could reproduce observed saturation distributions of all three experiments, albeit by fitting one of the parameters in the surface area production term.
Caring for a person in advanced illness and suffering from breathlessness at home: Threats and resources

ABSTRACT Objective: Little is known about the factors that mediate the caregiving experience of informal carers at home, which could inform about ways of supporting them in their caregiving role. Our objective was to investigate the caring experience of carers for patients with an advanced progressive illness (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], heart failure, cancer, or motor neuron diseases [MND]), who suffer from breathlessness. Methods: A purposive sample of 15 carers was selected. They were recruited via the patients they cared for (who suffered from COPD, cancer, MND, or heart failure) from the hospital and the community. Data were collected through semistructured, in-depth interviews. All were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The analysis used a Grounded Theory approach and NVivo software facilitated the management and analysis of the data. Results: Several key issues affected caring in a positive or a negative way. The threats to caring were uncertainty, carers' own health problems, an imploded world, negative reactions from outside, person loss, and acute exacerbations. Resources that carers drew on were acceptance, self-care, availability of support, feeling that caring is a shared responsibility with the patient, and “getting on with” caring in case of emergencies. Breathlessness was particularly challenging, and carers did not have any strategies to relieve the symptom. They were ill prepared for acute exacerbations. Significance of results: Carers need to be included in opportunities for support provision in advanced illness. Negotiated involvement of a health professional could buffer the heavy responsibilities related to home care. They could provide problem-solving skills and build on the resources that carers draw on in response to what they experience as most threatening to their caring role.
Redacting Information at the Initial Public Offering

Almost 40% of firms redact information from their IPO filings. These firms exhibit characteristics consistent with needing to protect proprietary information from rivals. Redacting firms experience seven percentage points greater underpricing and greater post-IPO idiosyncratic volatility, both of which are consistent with greater information asymmetry and uncertainty. Redacting firm insiders reduce underpricing-related wealth transfers by selling less of the firm at the IPO, and raising more equity financing in later seasoned equity offerings. The results illustrate tradeoffs in balancing firms’ capital needs, pre-IPO owners’ liquidity needs, investors’ needs for information to price securities, and firms’ needs to protect proprietary information.
A suite of metrics for quantifying historical changes to predict future change‐prone classes in object‐oriented software

Software systems are subject to series of changes during their evolution as they move from one release to the next. The change histories of software systems hold useful information that describes how artifacts evolved. Evolution‐based metrics, which are the means to quantify the change history, are potentially good indicators of the changes in a software system. The objective of this paper is to derive and validate (theoretically and empirically) a set of evolution‐based metrics as potential indicators of the change‐prone classes of an object‐oriented system when moving from one release to the next. Release‐by‐release statistical prediction models were built in different ways. The results indicate that the proposed evolution‐based metrics measure different dimensions from those of typical product metrics. Additionally, several evolution‐based metrics were found to be correlated with the change‐proneness of classes. Moreover, the results indicate that more accurate prediction of class change‐proneness is achieved when the evolution‐based metrics are combined with product metrics. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antarctic Moss Multiprotein Bridging Factor 1c Overexpression in Arabidopsis Resulted in Enhanced Tolerance to Salt Stress

Polytrichastrum alpinum is one of the moss species that survives extreme conditions in the Antarctic. In order to explore the functional benefits of moss genetic resources, P. alpinum multiprotein-bridging factor 1c gene (PaMBF1c) was isolated and characterized. The deduced amino acid sequence of PaMBF1c comprises of a multiprotein-bridging factor (MBF1) domain and a helix-turn-helix (HTH) domain. PaMBF1c expression was induced by different abiotic stresses in P. alpinum, implying its roles in stress responses. We overexpressed PaMBF1c in Arabidopsis and analyzed the resulting phenotypes in comparison with wild type and/or Arabidopsis MBF1c (AtMBF1c) overexpressors. Overexpression of PaMBF1c in Arabidopsis resulted in enhanced tolerance to salt and osmotic stress, as well as to cold and heat stress. More specifically, enhanced salt tolerance was observed in PaMBF1c overexpressors in comparison to wild type but not clearly observable in AtMBF1c overexpressing lines. Thus, these results implicate the evolution of PaMBF1c under salt-enriched Antarctic soil. RNA-Seq profiling of NaCl-treated plants revealed that 10 salt-stress inducible genes were already up-regulated in PaMBF1c overexpressing plants even before NaCl treatment. Gene ontology enrichment analysis with salt up-regulated genes in each line uncovered that the terms lipid metabolic process, ion transport, and cellular amino acid biosynthetic process were significantly enriched in PaMBF1c overexpressors. Additionally, gene enrichment analysis with salt down-regulated genes in each line revealed that the enriched categories in wild type were not significantly overrepresented in PaMBF1c overexpressing lines. The up-regulation of several genes only in PaMBF1c overexpressing lines suggest that enhanced salt tolerance in PaMBF1c-OE might involve reactive oxygen species detoxification, maintenance of ATP homeostasis, and facilitation of Ca2+ signaling. Interestingly, many salt down-regulated ribosome- and translation-related genes were not down-regulated in PaMBF1c overexpressing lines under salt stress. These differentially regulated genes by PaMBF1c overexpression could contribute to the enhanced tolerance in PaMBF1c overexpressing lines under salt stress.
Speaker verification based on the German veridat database

This paper introduces the new German speaker verification (SV) database VeriDat as well as the system design, the baseline performance and the results of several experiments of our experimental speaker verification (SV) frame work. The main focus is how typical problems using real-world telephone speech can be avoided automatically by rejecting inputs to the enrollment or test material. Possible splittings of the data sets according to network type and acoustical environment are tested in cheating experiments.
The role of actin-binding proteins in the control of endothelial barrier integrity

Summary The endothelial barrier of the vasculature is of utmost importance for separating the blood stream from underlying tissues. This barrier is formed by tight and adherens junctions (TJ and AJ) that form intercellular endothelial contacts. TJ and AJ are integral membrane structures that are connected to the actin cytoskeleton via various adaptor molecules. Consequently, the actin cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in regulating the stability of endothelial cell contacts and vascular permeability. While a circumferential cortical actin ring stabilises junctions, the formation of contractile stress fibres, e. g. under inflammatory conditions, can contribute to junction destabilisation. However, the role of actin-binding proteins (ABP) in the control of vascular permeability has long been underestimated. Naturally, ABP regulate permeability via regulation of actin remodelling but some actin-binding molecules can also act independently of actin and control vascular permeability via various signalling mechanisms such as activation of small GTPases. Several studies have recently been published highlighting the importance of actin-binding molecules such as cortactin, ezrin/ radixin/moesin, Arp2/3, VASP or WASP for the control of vascular permeability by various mechanisms. These proteins have been described to regulate vascular permeability under various pathophysiological conditions and are thus of clinical relevance as targets for the development of treatment strategies for disorders that are characterised by vascular hyperpermeability such as sepsis. This review highlights recent advances in determining the role of ABP in the control of endothelial cell contacts and vascular permeability.
Using the Short Subscales of a Questionnaire to Assess Subcomponents with Low Reliabilities: A Cautionary Note

Some authors of personality questionnaires use factor analysis with the aim of constructing subcomponents to assess subsidiary traits within the broad domain tapped by the scale. However, these short subscales suffer from low reliabilities in most cases. The findings of using the Maudsley Obsessional–Compulsive Inventory in American (n = 73) and Kuwaiti (n = 87) college students justified the caution against using such short subscales with low reliabilities, inasmuch as 7 out of the 8 alpha reliabilities were less than . 69, ranged from . 35 to . 68, and the median was . 56.
Stability in Large Matching Markets with Complementarities

Labor markets can often be viewed as many-to-one matching markets. It is well known that if complementarities are present in such markets, a stable matching may not exist. We study large random matching markets with couples. We introduce a new matching algorithm and show that if the number of couples grows slower than the size of the market, a stable matching will be found with high probability. If however, the number of couples grows at a linear rate, with constant probability not depending on the market size, no stable matching exists. Our results explain data from the market for psychology interns.
Quantitative expression analysis in peripheral blood of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia: Correlation between HMGA2 expression and white blood cell count

The architectural transcription factor HMGA2 is highly expressed during embryogenesis but scarcely detectable in non-dividing adult cells. Previously, HMGA2 re-expression was detected in blood from CML patients by conventional RT-PCR, while blood samples from healthy volunteers were HMGA2 negative. Using the sensitive method of real-time quantitative RT-PCR, herein HMGA2 expression was detectable not only in peripheral blood from leukaemia patients but also in blood from healthy donors. Statistical analysis revealed a highly significant correlation between white blood cell count and HMGA2 transcript levels. The results indicate that up-regulation of HMGA2 expression is correlated to the undifferentiated phenotype of leukaemic cells accumulating during progression of chronic phase to blast crisis.