Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Apolipoprotein C3 Polymorphisms, Cognitive Function and Diabetes in Caribbean Origin Hispanics

Background Apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) modulates triglyceride metabolism through inhibition of lipoprotein lipase, but is itself regulated by insulin, so that APOC3 represents a potential mechanism by which glucose metabolism may affect lipid metabolism. Unfavorable lipoprotein profiles and impaired glucose metabolism are linked to cognitive decline, and all three conditions may decrease lifespan. Associations between apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) gene polymorphisms and impaired lipid and glucose metabolism are well-established, but potential connections between APOC3 polymorphisms, cognitive decline and diabetes deserve further attention. Methods We examined whether APOC3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) m482 (rs2854117) and 3u386 (rs5128) were related to cognitive measures, whether the associations between cognitive differences and genotype were related to metabolic differences, and how diabetes status affected these associations. Study subjects were Hispanics of Caribbean origin (n = 991, aged 45–74) living in the Boston metropolitan area. Results Cognitive and metabolic measures differed substantially by type II diabetes status. In multivariate regression models, APOC3 m482 AA subjects with diabetes exhibited lower executive function (P = 0.009), Stroop color naming score (P = 0.014) and Stroop color-word score (P = 0.022) compared to AG/GG subjects. APOC3 m482 AA subjects with diabetes exhibited significantly higher glucose (P = 0.032) and total cholesterol (P = 0.028) compared to AG/GG subjects. APOC3 3u386 GC/GG subjects with diabetes exhibited significantly higher triglyceride (P = 0.004), total cholesterol (P = 0.003) and glucose (P = 0.016) compared to CC subjects. Conclusions In summary, we identified significant associations between APOC3 polymorphisms, impaired cognition and metabolic dysregulation in Caribbean Hispanics with diabetes. Further research investigating these relationships in other populations is warranted.
Rapid Long-Range Disynaptic Inhibition Explains the Formation of Cortical Orientation Maps

Competitive interactions are believed to underlie many types of cortical processing, ranging from memory formation, attention and development of cortical functional organization (e.g., development of orientation maps in primary visual cortex). In the latter case, the competitive interactions happen along the cortical surface, with local populations of neurons reinforcing each other, while competing with those displaced more distally. This specific configuration of lateral interactions is however in stark contrast with the known properties of the anatomical substrate, i.e., excitatory connections (mediating reinforcement) having longer reach than inhibitory ones (mediating competition). No satisfactory biologically plausible resolution of this conflict between anatomical measures, and assumed cortical function has been proposed. Recently a specific pattern of delays between different types of neurons in cat cortex has been discovered, where direct mono-synaptic excitation has approximately the same delay, as the combined delays of the disynaptic inhibitory interactions between excitatory neurons (i.e., the sum of delays from excitatory to inhibitory and from inhibitory to excitatory neurons). Here we show that this specific pattern of delays represents a biologically plausible explanation for how short-range inhibition can support competitive interactions that underlie the development of orientation maps in primary visual cortex. We demonstrate this statement analytically under simplifying conditions, and subsequently show using network simulations that development of orientation maps is preserved when long-range excitation, direct inhibitory to inhibitory interactions, and moderate inequality in the delays between excitatory and inhibitory pathways is added.
The effect of sexual dimorphism and perceived trustworthiness on attractiveness preferences: an evolutionary perspective

The work presented in this thesis aimed to investigate the impact of both sexual dimorphism and perceived trustworthiness on human attractiveness, considering the perspective of Evolutionary Psychology. Chapter 1 reviews the relevant literature in the field, acknowledging the main theories about what determines human attraction, the factors that contribute to an attractive appearance and the sources of individual differences in mate choice. Chapter 2 describes an ERP study that aimed to investigate the neurophysiological correlates of the perception of sexually dimorphic shape in faces. Faces that varied in masculinity/ femininity features elicited differentiated responses in P2, EPN, and LPP components. Faces of the opposite sex of participants elicited specific modulations on the P2 and EPN. Also, sex differences in both early, and later components revealed differences in visual processing that were not evident in behavioural results. Chapter 3 presents three experiments, in which we investigated the influence of sexually dimorphic skin colour, in addition to shape, on the perception of facial attractiveness. When allowed to manipulate male faces to make them as attractive as possible, female participants increased skin colour masculinity and decreased shape masculinity. Skin colour is proposed as a sexually dimorphic feature that plays a role in attractiveness perception by advertising mate value. Chapter 4 investigates the possibility of women preferring the odours of men with a more masculine skin colour. Female participants were asked to smell and rate the odours of several male donors, and results showed that the odours of donors with a more masculine skin colour were considered as more likeable and healthy, but scored lower in maleness. The results were discussed taking into account the effect of reproductive strategies with the simultaneous influence of cognitive stereotypes. In Chapter 5, the role of facial features of perceived trustworthiness on attractiveness was explored, along with the effect of individual differences in social interaction anxiety levels. By allowing participants of both sexes to manipulate faces as in Chapter 3, both males and females chose to increase perceived trustworthiness to rise facial attractiveness, especially when considering long-term relationships. Moreover, social interaction anxiety correlated positively with the preference for facial trustworthiness, possibly indicating an increased attraction for trustworthy secure mates in anxious individuals. Finally, Chapter 6 summarises the main findings, discusses their possible theoretical implications and presents some proposals for future studies.
Genetic algorithms for classifiers' training sets optimisation applied to human face recognition

Human face recognition is a multi-stage process within which many classification problems must be solved. This is performed by learning machines which elaborate classification rules based on a given training set. Therefore, one of the most important issues is selection of a training set which would properly represent the data that will be further classified. This paper presents an approach which utilizes genetic algorithms for selecting classifiers’ training sets. This approach was implemented for the Support Vector Machines which is applied in two areas of automatic human face recognition: face verification and feature vectors comparison. Effectiveness of the presented concept was confirmed with appropriate experiments which results are described in this paper.
CarNet: A Dual Correlation Method for Health Perception of Rotating Machinery

As a key component of rotating machinery, the health perception of bearings is essential to ensure the safe and reliable operation of industrial equipment. In recent years, research on equipment health perception based on data-driven methods has received extensive attention. Overall, most studies focus on several public datasets to verify the effectiveness of their algorithms. However, the scale of these datasets cannot completely satisfy the representation learning of deep models. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel method, called CarNet, to obtain a more robust model and ensure that the model is sufficiently trained on a limited dataset. Specifically, it is composed of a data augmentation method named equitable sliding stride segmentation (ESSS) and a hybrid-stacked deep model (HSDM). The ESSS not only amplifies the scale of the original dataset but also enables newly generated data with both spatial and temporal correlations. The HSDM can, therefore, extract shallow spatial features and deep temporal information from the strongly correlated 2-dimensional (2-D) sensor array using a CNN and a bi-GRU, respectively. Moreover, the integrated attention mechanism contributes to focusing limited resources on informative areas. The effectiveness of CarNet is evaluated on the CWRU dataset, and an optimal diagnostic accuracy of 99.92% is achieved.
Association between Parkinson’s Disease and Cigarette Smoking, Rural Living, Well-Water Consumption, Farming and Pesticide Use: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective Bradford Hill’s viewpoints were used to conduct a weight-of-the-evidence assessment of the association between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and rural living, farming and pesticide use. The results were compared with an assessment based upon meta-analysis. For comparison, we also evaluated the association between PD and cigarette smoking as a “positive control” because a strong inverse association has been described consistently in the literature. Methods PubMed was searched systematically to identify all published epidemiological studies that evaluated associations between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and cigarette smoking, rural living, well-water consumption, farming and the use of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or paraquat. Studies were categorized into two study quality groups (Tier 1 or Tier 2); data were abstracted and a forest plot of relative risks (RRs) was developed for each risk factor. In addition, when available, RRs were tabulated for more highly exposed individuals compared with the unexposed. Summary RRs for each risk factor were calculated by meta-analysis of Tier 1, Tier 2 and all studies combined, with sensitivity analyses stratified by other study characteristics. Indices of between-study heterogeneity and evidence of reporting bias were assessed. Bradford Hill’s viewpoints were used to determine if a causal relationship between PD and each risk factor was supported by the weight of the evidence. Findings There was a consistent inverse (negative) association between current cigarette smoking and PD risk. In contrast, associations between PD and rural living, well-water consumption, farming and the use of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or paraquat were less consistent when assessed quantitatively or qualitatively. Conclusion The weight of the evidence and meta-analysis support the conclusion that there is a causal relationship between PD risk and cigarette smoking, or some unknown factor correlated with cigarette smoking. There may be risk factors associated with rural living, farming, pesticide use or well-water consumption that are causally related to PD, but the studies to date have not identified such factors. To overcome the limitations of research in this area, future studies will have to better characterize the onset of PD and its relationship to rural living, farming and exposure to pesticides.
SyncDecor: communication appliances for virtual cohabitation

Despite the fact that various means of communication such as mobile phones, instant messenger and e-mail are now widespread; many romantic couples separated by long distances worry about the health of their relationships. Likewise, these couples have a greater desire to feel a sense of connection and synchronicity with their partners than traditional inter-family bonds. In many prior research projects, unique devices were developed that required a level of interpretation which did not directly affect one's daily routine - and therefore were more casual in nature. However, this paper concentrates on the use of common, day-to-day items and modifying them to communicate everyday actions while maintaining a sustained and natural usage pattern for strongly paired romantic couples. For this purpose, we propose the "SyncDecor" system, which pairs traditional appliances and allow them to remotely synchronize and provide awareness or cognizance about their partners - thereby creating a virtual "living together" feeling. We present evidence, from a 3-month long field study, where traditional appliances provided a significantly more natural, varied and sustained usage patterns which ultimately enhanced communications between the couples.
Nitric oxide in primary ciliary dyskinesia

Nitric oxide is continually synthesised in the respiratory epithelium and is upregulated in response to infection or inflammation. Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is characterised by recurrent sinopulmonary infections due to impaired mucociliary clearance. Despite chronic infections, nasal nitric oxide in such patients is markedly reduced and is used as a screening test for this condition. These low levels were first described >15 yrs ago but the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. We review epithelial nitric oxide synthesis, release and measurement in the upper airways with particular reference to PCD. The key hypotheses that have been proposed to explain the low nitric oxide levels in this condition are explored and the potential benefits of augmenting airway nitric oxide levels are considered. Further work in these patients clarifying both whether the respiratory epithelium is able to biosynthesise normal levels of nitric oxide and the role played by abnormalities in the anatomy of the paranasal sinuses is essential. While nitric oxide augmentation is unlikely to be beneficial in common PCD phenotypes, it has potential in the treatment of secondary dyskinesias and may also improve treatment of bacterial infections, particularly where biofilms are implicated.
Review on Content Based Image Retrieval : From Its Origin to the New Age

Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) is a process in which for a given query image, similar images will be retrieved from a large image database based on their content similarity. The content of image refer to its features or attributes or parameters which are mathematically determined from a digital image. In this approach the images retrieved may not exactly match with the visually similar or semantically similar images. Semantic similarity refers how far the user expectation meets the retrieval. Content Based Image Retrieval gained its importance from early 1980's and still got lot of scope for the research community to find more sophisticated methods to improve the retrieval. Content Based Image Retrieval got its significance in domain specific applications such as biomedical and satellite imaging etc. In this paper we presented an exhaustive literature review of CBIR from its inception to till date, with all the new approaches that has included in this process. We present our review on benchmark image databases, color spaces which are used for implementation of CBIR process, image content as color, texture and shape attributes, and feature extraction techniques, similarity measures, feature set formation and reduction techniques, image indexing applied in the process of retrieval along with various classifiers with their effect in retrieval process, effect of relevance feedback and its importance in retrieval. This survey paper can be viewed as an exhaustive literature review of CBIR from its origin to the new age.
The Case for Testing Memory With Both Stories and Word Lists Prior to DBS Surgery for Parkinson's Disease

Patients seeking deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Parkinson's disease (PD) typically undergo neuropsychological assessment to determine candidacy for surgery, with poor memory performance interpreted as a contraindication. Patients with PD may exhibit worse memory for word lists than for stories due to the lack of inherent organization in a list of unrelated words. Unfortunately, word list and story tasks are typically developed from different normative datasets, and the existence of a memory performance discrepancy in PD has been challenged. We compared recall of stories and word lists in 35 non-demented PD candidates for DBS. We administered commonly used neuropsychological measures of word list and story memory (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Logical Memory), along with a second word list task that was co-normed with the story task. Age-corrected scores were higher for the story task than for both word list tasks. Compared to story recall, word list recall correlated more consistently with motor severity and composite measures of processing speed, working memory, and executive functioning. These results support the classic view of fronto-subcortical contributions to memory in PD and suggest that executive deficits may influence word list recall more than story recall. We recommend a multi-componential memory battery in the neuropsychological assessment of DBS candidates to characterize both mesial temporal and frontal-executive memory processes. One should not rely solely on a word list task because patients exhibiting poor memory for word lists may perform better with stories and therefore deserve an interdisciplinary discussion for DBS surgery.
Architecting Dynamic Systems Using Containment Units

Software modification can require as much time, human effort, and expense as the original development, so considerable software engineering research has been directed toward identifying ways in which software can be developed to facilitate subsequent change. One highly successful approach is to develop software using modules, or objects, each of which seals within itself decisions or secrets that are key to successfully addressing its requirements. When one of these requirements changes, it should be expected that the need to meet this changed requirement is to be satisfied by making appropriate changes to the module intended to satisfy that requirement. These changes are usually done manually and off-line. In our work we are exploring an approach where software systems make changes to themselves while executing. Our approach is based on Containment Units, which are modules able to selfdiagnose the need for changes based on their operational characteristics and then to make a limited set of changes aimed at meeting these needs.
The Impact of Central Bank Announcements on Asset Prices in Real Time

This paper examines the effect of European Central Bank (ECB) communication on the price discovery process in the Euribor futures market using a new tick-by-tick data set. First, we show that two pieces of news systematically hit financial markets on Governing Council meeting days: the ECB policy rate decision and the explanation of its monetary policy stance. Second, we find that the unexpected component of ECB explanations has a significant and sizable impact on futures prices. Third, we investigate how communication interacts with learning by the public about the credibility of the central bank: financial market participants needed around three years, from 1999 through 2001, to learn how to interpret and believe ECB announcements. Finally, our results suggest that the Euribor futures market is efficient.
Goal Orientation and Academic Performance in Adult Distance Education

Research has shown the importance of goal orientation in predicting academic performance for children, adolescents, and college students in traditional educational settings. Studies on this relationship within adult distance education, however, are lacking. To fill this gap, the present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between goal orientation and academic performance in adult distance learners. A sample of N = 1128 distance university students (age 18-75 years) filled out an online questionnaire. Their exam grades were collected from the files of the Open University of the Netherlands (OUNL). A mixed model regression showed performance approach goal orientation to be a positive predictor of academic performance, whereas performance avoidance and work avoidance were negative predictors of academic performance. Non-significant results were found for mastery approach as well as for mastery avoidance. Implications of these results are discussed.
Effect of the adult pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine on cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Animal models and clinical studies suggest a mechanistic link between the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) and a cardiovascular protective effect. However, conflicting results exist from several large observational studies in humans. We set out to systematically review current literature and conduct meta-analyses of studies on PPV and cardiovascular outcomes. Medline, Embase and CENTRAL were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies in adults, using PPV as the intervention, up to 30 April 2014. Studies that compared PPV with a control (another vaccine, no vaccine or placebo) and recorded ischaemic events were included in this review. Two investigators extracted data independently on study design, baseline characteristics and summary outcomes. Study quality was examined using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Pooled estimates using random effects models and their 95% CIs were calculated separately for the outcomes of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) events and stroke. No RCT data were available. A total of 230 426 patients were included in eight observational studies and recorded as ACS events. PPV was associated with significantly lower odds of ACS events in patients 65 years and older (pooled OR=0.83 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.97), I2=77.0%). However, there was no significant difference in ACS events when younger people were included (pooled OR=0.86 (95% CI 0.73 to 1.01), I2=81.4%). Pooling of four studies, covering a total of 192 210 patients, did not find a significantly reduced risk of stroke in all patients (pooled OR=1.00 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.12), I2=55.3%), or when restricted to those 65 years and older (pooled OR=0.96 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.05), I2=22.5%). In this meta-analysis of observational studies, the use of PPV was associated with a significantly lower risk of ACS events in the older population, but not stroke. An adequately powered and blinded RCT to confirm these findings is warranted.
Development of evidence-based guidelines and critical care nurses ' knowledge of enteral feeding.

Enteral nutrition in critically ill patients has been widely debated. Some of the questions include optimal time to begin enteral feeding, gastric versus small-bowel tube placement, and what markers should be used to measure intolerance to enteral nutrition. Although some of these questions are yet to be answered, more evidence has become available since the 1990s to guide practice. For critically ill patients who cannot consume an oral diet, enteral nutrition is recommended rather than parenteral nutrition because the incidence of infectious complications and costs are lower with enteral nutrition. Enteral feeding should be started within the first 24 to 48 hours of admission in