Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Figure-Ground Processing during Fixational Saccades in V1: Indication for Higher-Order Stability

In a typical visual scene we continuously perceive a “figure” that is segregated from the surrounding “background” despite ongoing microsaccades and small saccades that are performed when attempting fixation (fixational saccades [FSs]). Previously reported neuronal correlates of figure-ground (FG) segregation in the primary visual cortex (V1) showed enhanced activity in the “figure” along with suppressed activity in the noisy “background. ” However, it is unknown how this FG modulation in V1 is affected by FSs. To investigate this question, we trained two monkeys to detect a contour embedded in a noisy background while simultaneously imaging V1 using voltage-sensitive dyes. During stimulus presentation, the monkeys typically performed 1–3 FSs, which displaced the contour over the retina. Using eye position and a 2D analytical model to map the stimulus onto V1, we were able to compute FG modulation before and after each FS. On the spatial cortical scale, we found that, after each FS, FG modulation follows the stimulus retinal displacement and “hops” within the V1 retinotopic map, suggesting visual instability. On the temporal scale, FG modulation is initiated in the new retinotopic position before it disappeared from the old retinotopic position. Moreover, the FG modulation developed faster after an FS, compared with after stimulus onset, which may contribute to visual stability of FG segregation, along the timeline of stimulus presentation. Therefore, despite spatial discontinuity of FG modulation in V1, the higher-order stability of FG modulation along time may enable our stable and continuous perception.
FBK @ IWSLT-2008.

This paper reports on the participation of FBK at the IWSLT 2008 Evaluation. Main effort has been spent on the ChineseSpanish Pivot task. We implemented four methods to perform pivot translation. The results on the IWSLT 2008 test data show that our original method for generating training data through random sampling outperforms the best methods based on coupling translation systems. FBK also participated in the Chinese-English Challenge task and the ChineseEnglish and Chinese-Spanish BTEC tasks, employing the standard state-of-the-art MT system Moses Toolkit.
Dwindling groundwater resources in northern India, from satellite gravity observations

Northern India and its surroundings, home to roughly 600 million people, is probably the most heavily irrigated region in the world. Temporal changes in Earth's gravity field in this region as recorded by the GRACE satellite mission, reveal a steady, large‐scale mass loss that we attribute to excessive extraction of groundwater. Combining the GRACE data with hydrological models to remove natural variability, we conclude the region lost groundwater at a rate of 54 ± 9 km3/yr between April, 2002 (the start of the GRACE mission) and June, 2008. This is probably the largest rate of groundwater loss in any comparable‐sized region on Earth. Its likely contribution to sea level rise is roughly equivalent to that from melting Alaskan glaciers. This trend, if sustained, will lead to a major water crisis in this region when this non‐renewable resource is exhausted.
The Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-ATPase 2b Is an Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-inducible Protein*

The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase (SERCA) translocates Ca2+ from the cytosol to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. This Ca2+ storage is important for cellular processes such as calcium signaling and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated posttranslational protein modifications. We investigated the expression of the SERCA2 and SERCA3 isozymes in PC12 cells exposed to agents interfering with different aspects of the posttranslational protein processing within the ER, thereby activating the ER stress-induced unfolded protein response (UPR). All agents increased the SERCA2b mRNA level 3–4-fold, in parallel with increasing mRNA levels for the ER stress marker proteins BiP/GRP78 and CHOP/GADD153. In contrast, SERCA3 mRNA levels did not change. SERCA2b mRNA stability was not changed, indicating that the mechanism of its up-regulation was transcriptional, in accordance with the presence of ER stress response elements in the promoter region of the SERCA2 gene. SERCA2b was also increased at the protein level upon ER stress treatments. Induction of ER stress by tunicamycin, dithiothreitol, or l-azetidine 2-carboxylic acid did not result in depletion of ER calcium, showing that such depletion was not necessary for up-regulation of SERCA2b expression or UPR activation in general. We conclude that the SERCA2b expression can be controlled by the UPR pathway independently of ER Ca2+depletion.
213 Prevalence Sensitizing to Most Common Allergens in Elderly in Western Mexico

Background Allergic diseases affect a great proportion of seniors. Our objective was to determine the prevalences of allergen sensitization in this age group. Methods Retrolective study was performed during 3 years follow-up at Hospital School in Guadalajara city, Mexico. The allergen sensitization with a common allergen panel by a prick test was evaluated in seniors of first consultation in an Allergology Service. Results We included 60 subjects, with an average of 67.7 years old; 83.3were women. Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was present in 60%, allergic rhinitis plus asthma in 30%, and asthma alone in 10%. Non atopic comorbidities were present in 56.7% of the cases. Median of serum IgE was 124.95 UI/mL, whereas for positive prick test was 4 (minimum-maximum, 1–21); 13.3% were sensitized to just 1 aeroallergen, and 55% were to more than 3 aeroallergens. Sensitization to pollens was predominant, even more to tree pollens. One by one, house-dust mite, Fraxinus sp and Amaranthus palmeri were the most common found. To have diabetes was associated to a minor positive prick test (P = 0.021). Conclusions It's recommendable to identify the allergen sensitization in seniors with allegic disease symptoms, as part of their evaluation. The most common sensitizing allergens are similar for other age groups proceeding from the same area. It's recommendable to search for more findings possibly associated between diabetes and number of positive prick tests.
Risk factors and causative organisms in microbial keratitis in daily disposable contact lens wear

1 School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2 Brien Holden Vision Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 3 Vision CRC, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 4 The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 5 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom, 6 The UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom, 7 IHBI, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
On performance of cooperative OFDM/TDM with frequency-domain equalization in a multipath wireless channel

Cooperative transmission, where spatially distributed users form a multi-antenna system and assist in forwarding the information from source to destination node, achieves the diversity gain of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system. Cooperative network based on OFDM has been proposed to cope with the channel frequency-selectivity but due to high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of OFDM, expensive power amplifier are required. In this paper, we present cooperative network based on OFDM combined with time division multiplexing (OFDM/TDM) using minimum mean square error frequency-domain equalization (MMSE-FDE) in a frequency-selective fading channel. We theoretically analyze the network performance with respect to the bit error rate (BER). The conditional signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) expressions are derived based on Gaussian approximation of the residual inter-slot interference (ISI) after MMSE-FDE for the given set of channel gains. The average BER performance for OFDM/TDM is evaluated by Monte-Carlo numerical computation method using the derived theoretical expressions and confirmed by computer simulation. The results show that the lower BER is achieved with cooperative OFDM/TDM in comparison with OFDM based cooperative network because OFDM/TDM exploits both cooperative and frequency diversity gains.
Disentangling spillover effects of antibiotic consumption: a spatial panel approach

Literature on socioeconomic determinants of antibiotic consumption in the community is limited to few countries using cross-sectional data. This article analyses regional variations in outpatient antibiotics in Italy using a balanced panel dataset covering the period 2000 to 2008. We specify an econometric model in which antibiotic consumption depends upon demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the population, the supply of health care services in the community, and antibiotic copayments. The model is estimated by means of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) techniques with Fixed Effects (FE). The implications of consumption externalities across geographical areas are investigated by means of Spatial-Lag and Spatial-Error models (SLFE and SEFE). We find significant and positive income elasticity and negative effects of copayments. Antibiotic use is also affected by the age structure of the population and the supply of community health care. Finally, we find evidence of spatial dependency in the use of antibiotics across regions. This suggests that regional policies (e.g. public campaigns) aimed at increasing efficiency in antibiotic consumption and controlling bacterial resistance may be influenced by policy makers in neighbouring regions. There will be scope for a strategic and coordinated view of regional policies towards the use of antibiotics.
Blood pressure, ethnicity, and psychosocial resources.

&NA; Research on psychosocial factors and cardiovascular disease has shown that psychosocial resources (including social supports and coping styles) help to protect individuals from the risk associated with psychosocial stressors. Some evidence indicates that this protective effect may extend to standard risk factors as well. This latter hypothesis was examined in greater detail in a study conducted in Brazil, in which it was found that psychosocial resources modified black‐white differences in blood pressure. Highest mean blood pressures were observed among mixed race and black Brazilians who had low psychosocial resources; Afro‐Brazilians with high psychosocial resources had lower blood pressures than white Brazilians. Implications of these results for the mechanisms linking ethnicity, psychosocial factors, and blood pressure are discussed.
Characterization of a Mouse Model for Thrombomodulin Deficiency

Mutations in the gene encoding thrombomodulin (TM), a thrombin regulator, are suspected risk factors for venous and arterial thrombotic disease. We have previously described the generation of TMPro/Pro mice carrying a TM gene mutation that disrupts the TM-dependent activation of protein C. Here, it is shown that inbred C57BL/6J TMPro/Pro mice exhibit a hypercoagulable state and an increased susceptibility to thrombosis and sepsis. Platelet thrombus growth after FeCl3-induced acute endothelial injury was accelerated in mutant mice. Vascular stasis after permanent ligation of the carotid artery precipitated thrombosis in mutant but not in normal mice. Mutant mice showed increased mortality after exposure to high doses of endotoxin and demonstrated altered cytokine production in response to low-dose endotoxin. The severity of the hypercoagulable state and chronic microvascular thrombosis caused by the TMPro mutation is profoundly influenced by mouse strain-specific genetic differences between C57BL/6 and 129SvPas mice. These data demonstrate that in mice, TM is a physiologically relevant regulator of platelet- and coagulation-driven large-vessel thrombosis and modifies the response to endotoxin-induced inflammation. The phenotypic penetrance of the TMPro mutation is determined by as-yet-uncharacterized genetic modifiers of thrombosis other than TM.
Tariff Choice with Consumer Learning and Switching Costs

Consumers choosing flat-rate contracts tend to have insufficient usage to warrant the cost, particularly for new products. We propose and estimate a Bayesian learning model of tariff and usage choice that explains this flat-rate bias without relying on behavioral misjudgments or tariff-specific preferences. For new products, consumers are uncertain about both their utility relative to the population mean and the mean itself. We show that this latter uncertainty inflates prior variances, which leads consumers to weight their private signals more heavily when updating beliefs. Posteriors are unbiased across products. For a given product, however, the unknown mean yields a “winner's curse”: Consumers with high posteriors tend to overestimate their utility. These consumers choose fixed-rate tariffs and lower their usage as they correct their beliefs. The flat-rate bias arises when switching costs deter them from changing tariffs. Using the estimated model, the authors find that tariff menus are ineffective screening devices for price discrimination by an online grocer. Predicted revenues increase by 20% when the per-use tariff is dropped, because more consumers choose and stay with the flat rate.
Cerebral and Peripheral Changes Occurring in Nitric Oxide (NO) Synthesis in a Rat Model of Sleeping Sickness: Identification of Brain iNOS Expressing Cells

Background The implication of nitric oxide (NO) in the development of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) using an animal model, was examined. The manner by which the trypanocidal activity of NO is impaired in the periphery and in the brain of rats infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei (T. b. brucei) was analyzed through: (i) the changes occurring in NO concentration in both peripheral (blood) and cerebral compartments; (ii) the activity of nNOS and iNOS enzymes; (iii) identification of the brain cell types in which the NO-pathways are particularly active during the time-course of the infection. Methodology/Principal Findings NO concentration (direct measures by voltammetry) was determined in central (brain) and peripheral (blood) compartments in healthy and infected animals at various days post-infection: D5, D10, D16 and D22. Opposite changes were observed in the two compartments. NO production increased in the brain (hypothalamus) from D10 (+32%) to D16 (+71%), but decreased in the blood from D10 (−22%) to D16 (−46%) and D22 (−60%). In parallel with NO measures, cerebral iNOS activity increased and peaked significantly at D16 (up to +700%). However, nNOS activity did not vary. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed iNOS activation in several brain regions, particularly in the hypothalamus. In peritoneal macrophages, iNOS activity decreased from D10 (−83%) to D16 (−65%) and D22 (−74%) similarly to circulating NO. Conclusion/Significance The NO changes observed in our rat model were dependent on iNOS activity in both peripheral and central compartments. In the periphery, the NO production decrease may reflect an arginase-mediated synthesis of polyamines necessary to trypanosome growth. In the brain, the increased NO concentration may result from an enhanced activity of iNOS present in neurons and glial cells. It may be regarded as a marker of deleterious inflammatory reactions.
Changing Psychological Contracts and their Effect on Control Modes in IT Offshore Outsourcing Projects - A Case from the Financial Services Industry

This paper applies a psychological contract perspective to analyze changing control modes in IT offshore outsourcing projects. The research question is: How do changing psychological contracts between client and vendor personnel influence the use and employment of formal and informal control modes in IT offshore outsourcing projects? The research design is an exploratory and interpretive single-case study. Our findings suggest that incidents like unfulfilled expectations from one party of an offshoring endeavor can lead to a change of the psychological contracts between both companies' project personnel, thus leading to different control modes employed.
Denoising techniques combined to Monte Carlo simulations for the prediction of high-resolution portal images in radiotherapy treatment verification

This work investigates the possibility of combining Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to a denoising algorithm for the accurate prediction of images acquired using amorphous silicon (a-Si) electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs). An accurate MC model of the Siemens OptiVue1000 EPID was first developed using the penelope code, integrating a non-uniform backscatter modelling. Two already existing denoising algorithms were then applied on simulated portal images, namely the iterative reduction of noise (IRON) method and the locally adaptive Savitzky–Golay (LASG) method. A third denoising method, based on a nonparametric Bayesian framework and called DPGLM (for Dirichlet process generalized linear model) was also developed. Performances of the IRON, LASG and DPGLM methods, in terms of smoothing capabilities and computation time, were compared for portal images computed for different values of the RMS pixel noise (up to 10%) in three different configurations, a heterogeneous phantom irradiated by a non-conformal 15 × 15 cm2 field, a conformal beam from a pelvis treatment plan, and an IMRT beam from a prostate treatment plan. For all configurations, DPGLM outperforms both IRON and LASG by providing better smoothing performances and demonstrating a better robustness with respect to noise. Additionally, no parameter tuning is required by DPGLM, which makes the denoising step very generic and easy to handle for any portal image. Concerning the computation time, the denoising of 1024 × 1024 images takes about 1 h 30 min, 2 h and 5 min using DPGLM, IRON, and LASG, respectively. This paper shows the feasibility to predict within a few hours and with the same resolution as real images accurate portal images, combining MC simulations with the DPGLM denoising algorithm.
Wideband and High-Gain Millimeter-Wave Antenna Based on FSS Fabry–Perot Cavity

A novel wideband and high-gain millimeter-wave antenna is presented. The wide 3 dB gain bandwidth is achieved by using Fabry–Perot cavity (FPC) and printed ridge-gap waveguide technologies. The FPC is formed by placing a dual-layer partially reflective surface (PRS) above a slot antenna operating at 60 GHz and fed by a printed ridge-gap waveguide for surface-wave suppression. The PRS is based on a 2-D printed unit cell, the unit cell composed of two different frequency-selective surfaces (FSS) provides a positive phase gradient over the desired frequency range. The impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna is 18.4%, from 55.4 to 66.6 GHz. Moreover, the 3 dB gain bandwidth is 12.5%, from 58.6 to 66.4 GHz. A maximum gain of 16.8 dB is achieved; this is about 12.2 dB over the gain of the slot antenna only. Consistent radiation patterns are achieved over the operating bandwidth. Experimental and numerical results are presented to justify the improved antenna performance. This communication, to the best of our knowledge, is the first one to utilize a dual-layer printed FSS-based superstrate at 60 GHz to enhance the radiation characteristics of a printed ridge-gap waveguide-fed slot antenna.
RMS-TM: a comprehensive benchmark suite for transactional memory systems

Transactional Memory (TM) has been proposed as an alternative concurrency mechanism for the shared memory parallel programming model. Its main goal is to make parallel programming for Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs) easier than using the traditional lock synchronization constructs, without compromising the performance and the scalability. This topic has received substantial research attention and several TM designs have been proposed using various TM benchmarks. We believe that the evaluation of TM proposals would be more solid if it included realistic applications, that address on-going TM research issues, and that provide the potential for straightforward comparison against locks. In this paper, we introduce RMS-TM, a Transactional Memory benchmark suite composed of seven real-world applications from the Recognition, Mining and Synthesis (RMS) domain. In addition to featuring current TM research issues such as nesting and I/O and system calls inside transactions, the RMS-TM applications also provide a mix of short and long transactions with small/large read and write sets with low/medium/high contention rates. These characteristics, as well as providing lock-based versions of the applications, make RMS-TM a useful TM tool. Current TM benchmarks do not explore all these features. In our evaluation with selected STM and HTM systems, we find that our benchmark suite is also scalable, which is useful for evaluating TM designs on high core counts.
Acute diverticulitis of the terminal ileum: ultrasonography and CT findings

We describe a rare case of terminal ileal diverticulitis in a 68-year-old female with a day of history Epub ahead of print of right lower quadrant pain and tenderness, mimicking acute appendicitis. Ultrasonography revealed small sac-like out-pouching lesions with increased echogenicity of surrounding fat in thickened terminal ileum, suggesting inflamed diverticula. We diagnosed terminal ileal diverticulitis primarily by ultrasonography. The diagnosis was confirmed by subsequent computed tomography.
Routing around decoys

Decoy Routing is a new approach to Internet censorship circumvention that was recently and independently proposed at FOCI'11, USENIX Security'11 and CCS'11. Decoy routing aims to hamper nation-state level Internet censorship by having routers, rather than end hosts, relay traffic to blocked destinations. We analyze the security of these schemes against a routing capable adversary, a censoring authority that is willing to make routing decisions in response to decoy routing systems. We explore China, Syria, Iran, and Egypt as routing capable adversaries, and evaluate several attacks that defeat the security goals of existing decoy routing proposals. In particular, we show that a routing capable adversary can enumerate the participating routers implementing these protocols; can successfully avoid sending traffic along routes containing these routers with little or no adverse effects; can identify users of these schemes through active and passive attacks; and in some cases can probabilistically identify connections to targeted destinations.
Efficacy and Safety of an Herbal Therapy in Patients with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A 24-Week Randomized Phase III Trial

Objective In the 24-week randomized, double-blind, double-placebo, parallel-controlled trial, we aimed to test the effects of herbal therapy with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Methods A total of 324 patients with aMCI entered a 2-week placebo run-in period followed by 24 weeks' treatment of either (a) herbal capsule (5 shenwu capsules/administration, 3 times/day) and placebo identical to donepezil tablets (n = 216) or (b) donepezil (5 mg/day) and placebo identical to herbal capsule (n = 108). Results Herbal therapy showed a significant improvement on the primary efficacy measure, measured by Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog), and showed a mean decrease from baseline of 4.23 points at the endpoint, without a significant difference from the donepezil group. Secondary efficacy measurement of the Logical Memory II Delayed Story Recall subtest (DSR) showed modest improvement in those taking herbal capsule compared to baseline, and there was no significant difference from donepezil group. The frequency of adverse events was much less in the herbal therapy group than the donepezil. Conclusion Herbal therapy demonstrated a significant improvement in cognition and memory, which were similar to the donepezil in patients with aMCI. Herbal therapy was safe and well tolerated. Trial Registration This study is registered with clinicaltrials.gov NCT01451749.