Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new synthesis of symmetric functions

A new approach to synthesizing totally symmetric Boolean functions is presented. First, a novel cellular array is introduced for synthesizing unate symmetric functions. Using this module, a general symmetric function is then realized following a unate decomposition method. The cellular structure is simple and universal - it uses only 2-input, 2-output AND-OR cells, and admits a recursive construction. The design provides a significant reduction in hardware cost compared to other existing techniques.
Ultrastructural distribution of 125I-toxin F binding sites on chick ciliary neurons: synaptic localization of a toxin that blocks ganglionic nicotinic receptors

Although alpha-bungarotoxin (BGT), a common probe for nicotinic ACh receptors from vertebrate skeletal muscle, binds tightly to many autonomic ganglia, it fails to block nicotinic transmission in most of these ganglia. Recently, we have isolated a second toxin, toxin F, that blocks transmission in several autonomic ganglia, including the chick ciliary ganglion. 125I-Toxin F binds to 2 sites in the ciliary ganglion: one site that is also recognized by BGT and one site that is not. Since the presence of BGT fails to prevent the blocking effect of toxin F, the toxin F site not recognized by BGT most likely represents the neuronal nicotinic receptor. Accordingly, we have localized the binding of 125I-toxin F to both sites, using electron-microscopic autoradiography. After a 45 min incubation, 125I-toxin F binding sensitive to BGT was primarily localized extrasynaptically on the neuronal plasma membranes; however, by 4 hr, much of this site had been internalized. In contrast, the 125I-toxin F binding site not recognized by BGT was highly concentrated near synaptic membranes at both times. Pretreatment of ganglia with the classic nicotinic antagonists dihydro- beta-erythroidine (DHBE) and d-tubocurarine (DTC) significantly reduced 125I-toxin F binding to the toxin F-specific site. The average density of these sites on synaptic membranes was approximately 600 sites/micron 2. We conclude that toxin F binds to 2 pharmacologically distinct sites in the ciliary ganglion and that these sites are distributed differently over the plasma membrane of ciliary neurons. On the basis of the density of the toxin F-specific binding sites at synaptic membranes, we infer that the density of synaptic nicotinic receptors on these neurons is at least 20-fold lower than the density of nicotinic receptors at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction, as determined by BGT binding. These findings are consistent with those of electrophysiological studies, which also suggest low nicotinic receptor densities on ganglionic neurons.
Once again on rapamycin-induced insulin resistance and longevity: despite of or owing to

Calorie restriction (CR), which deactivates the nutrient-sensing mTOR pathway, slows down aging and prevents age-related diseases such as type II diabetes. Compared with CR, rapamycin more efficiently inhibits mTOR. Noteworthy, severe CR and starvation cause a reversible condition known as “starvation diabetes. ” As was already discussed, chronic administration of rapamycin can cause a similar condition in some animal models. A recent paper published in Science reported that chronic treatment with rapamycin causes a diabetes-like condition in mice by indirectly inhibiting mTOR complex 2. Here I introduce the notion of benevolent diabetes and discuss whether starvation-like effects of chronic high dose treatment with rapamycin are an obstacle for its use as an anti-aging drug.
Encapsulated nitrate and cashew nut shell liquid on blood and rumen constituents, methane emission, and growth performance of lambs.

Nitrate can be a source of NPN for microbial growth at the same time that it reduces ruminal methane production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 2 encapsulated nitrate products used as urea replacers on blood and rumen constituents, methane emission, and growth performance of lambs. Eighteen Santa Inês male lambs (27 ± 4.9 kg) were individually allotted to indoor pens and assigned to a randomized complete block design with 6 blocks and 3 dietary treatments: control (CTL) = 1.5% urea, ENP = 4.51% encapsulated nitrate product (60.83% NO3(-) in the product DM), and ENP+CNSL = 4.51% ENP containing cashew nut shell liquid (60.83% NO3(-) and 2.96% cashew nut shell liquid [CNSL] in the product DM). Diets were isonitrogenous with 60:40 concentrate:forage (Tifton 85 hay) ratio. The experiment lasted for 92 d and consisted of 28 d for adaptation (a weekly 33% stepwise replacement of CTL concentrate by nitrate-containing concentrates) and 64 d for data collection. The ENP and ENP+CNSL showed greater (P < 0.05) red blood cell counts than CTL. Blood methemoglobin (MetHb) did not differ (P > 0.05) among treatments, with mean values within normal range and remaining below 1.1% of total hemoglobin. There was an increase (P < 0.05) in total short-chain fatty acids concentration at 3 h postfeeding for ENP, with an additional increase (P < 0.05) observed for ENP+CNSL. No treatment effects (P > 0.05) were observed on acetate to propionate ratio. Methane production (L/kg DMI) was reduced (P < 0.05) with nitrate inclusion, recording 28.6, 19.1, and 19.5 L/kg DMI for CTL, ENP, and ENP+CNSL, respectively. Addition of CNSL did not result (P > 0.05) in further reduction of methane production when compared with ENP. Final BW, DMI, ADG, and feed efficiency were similar (P > 0.05) among treatments. Values for DMI were 1.11, 1.03, and 1.04 kg/d and for ADG were 174, 154, and 158 g for CTL, ENP, and ENP+CNSL, respectively. In conclusion, encapsulated nitrate products showed no risks of toxicity based on MetHb formation. The products persistently reduced methane production without affecting performance. Inclusion of cashew nut shell liquid in the product formulation had no additional benefits on methane mitigation.
Internet Addiction and Psychopathological Symptoms in Greek University Students

Internet Addiction and Psychopathological Symptoms in Greek University Students This study aimed to investigate the impact of Internet addiction on psychiatric symptoms among Greek university undergraduate students. The study was conducted among 1324 students. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, Internet Addiction Test and Symptom Checklist-90-Revision (SCL-90-R). Questionnaires were provided online. T-test and Logistic Regression Analysis were used to compare psychiatric symptoms between Internet addicted and non-addicted students. The prevalence of Internet addiction among Greek students is 4.5% and at risk population 66.1%. There were significant differences between the means of psychiatric symptoms in SCL-90-R subscales among addicted and non-addicted subjects. Depression and anxiety appeared to have the most consistent correlation with Internet addiction. Additionally, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, hostility/aggression, time in the Internet and quarrel with parents associated with Internet addiction.
Pareto Frontier Learning with Expensive Correlated Objectives

There has been a surge of research interest in developing tools and analysis for Bayesian optimization, the task of finding the global maximizer of an unknown, expensive function through sequential evaluation using Bayesian decision theory. However, many interesting problems involve optimizing multiple, expensive to evaluate objectives simultaneously, and relatively little research has addressed this setting from a Bayesian theoretic standpoint. A prevailing choice when tackling this problem, is to model the multiple objectives as being independent, typically for ease of computation. In practice, objectives are correlated to some extent. In this work, we incorporate the modelling of intertask correlations, developing an approximation to overcome intractable integrals. We illustrate the power of modelling dependencies between objectives on a range of synthetic and real world multi-objective optimization problems.
Profiling kinase activities by using a peptide chip and mass spectrometry.

Herein we describe a strategy that combines peptide chips with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) to evaluate kinase activities rapidly and semi-quantitatively. We have already shown that monolayers of alkanethiolates on gold are wellsuited as substrates for MALDI-TOF MS, and could be used to measure enzyme activities and to perform high-throughput screenings. 2] A significant aspect of this approach—which we term SAMDI (self-assembled monolayers for MALDI) MS—is that it avoids the use of labels, greatly simplifying the formatting of assays. Herein we establish two important
Two Immigrants with Tuberculosis of the Ear, Nose, and Throat Region with Skull Base and Cranial Nerve Involvement

We report two immigrants with tuberculosis of the skull base and a review of the literature. A Somalian man presented with bilateral otitis media, hearing loss, and facial and abducens palsy. Imaging showed involvement of both mastoid and petrous bones, extending via the skull base to the nasopharynx, suggesting tuberculosis which was confirmed by characteristic histology and positive auramine staining, while Ziehl-Neelsen staining and PCR were negative. A Sudanese man presented with torticollis and deviation of the uvula due to paresis of N. IX and XI. Imaging showed a retropharyngeal abscess and lysis of the clivus. Histology, acid-fast staining, and PCR were negative. Both patients had a positive Quantiferon TB Gold in-tube result and improved rapidly after empiric treatment for tuberculosis. Cultures eventually yielded M. tuberculosis. These unusual cases exemplify the many faces of tuberculosis and the importance to include tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of unexplained problems.
Post-surgical treatment of thyroid carcinoma in dogs with retinoic acid 9 cis improves patient outcome

The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of isotretinoin 9-cis (RA9-cis) as a post-surgery treatment of thyroid carcinoma to a traditional treatment (doxorubicin) and no treatment. Owners who did not want their dogs to receive treatment were placed into the control group A (GA; n=10). The remaining dogs were randomly placed into either group B (GB; n=12) and received doxorubicin at a dose of 30 mg/m2 every three weeks, for six complete cycles or group C (GC; n=15) and treated with RA9-cis at a dose of 2 mg/kg/day for 6 months. The time of the recurrence was significantly shorter in the GA and GB compared to GC (P=0.0007; P=0.0015 respectively), while we did not detect differences between GA and GB. The hazard ratio of recurrence between GA and GB compared to GC were 7.25 and 5.60 times shorter, respectively. We did not detect any differences between the other groups. The risk ratio of recurrence was 2.0 times higher in GA compared to GC and 2.1 times higher in GB compared to GC. The type of carcinoma had an effect on time of survival with follicular carcinomas having an increased mean survival time than follicular-compact carcinomas (P<0.0001) and follicular-compact carcinomas had a longer mean survival time than compact carcinomas. The interaction among treatment and type was significant, but survival time in follicular carcinomas did not differ between treatments. In follicular-compact carcinomas the survival time of GC was greater than GB (P<0.05), but we did not detect a difference between GA and GB. In conclusion, this study shows that the use of surgery in combination with RA9-cis treatment significantly increases survival rate and decreases the time to tumor recurrence when compared to doxorubicin treated or untreated dogs. The histological type of carcinoma interacted with treatment for time to recurrence and survival time, with more undifferentiated carcinomas having a worse prognosis than differentiated carcinomas.
Joint Narrowband Interference Detection and Channel Estimation for Wideband OFDM

Narrowband interference reduces performance of present transmission systems, and will do so in the future to an even higher extent. The interference mainly hinders a correct data signal detection. But it may already have distorted the channel estimation, even for more carriers than the one, actually containing the carrier of the narrowband interferer. Therefore it is substantial to correctly detect the interferer power and its position in the frequency grid. This paper discusses an interference detection scheme in interaction with a preamble based channel estimation for the MB-OFDM standard. It covers the fact that due to large subcarrier channel power fluctuations, either detection probability is poor because of high thresholds, or reduced thresholds make rise to the false alarm probability.
WebGeneKFCA: an On-line Conceptual Analysis Tool for Genomic Expression Data

In this paper we introduce a Web-based tool for the analysis of Genomic Expression (GE) data based in K-Formal Concept Analy- sis (KFCA). First we present the task of analysing GE data and then we describe the tool implementing KFCA. As a second contribution, we present a mechanism to visualise a sequence of concept lattices by fixing the intents against the concept lattice of the contranominal scale of at- tributes B(M,M,6 . Derived from this we also propose a mechanism to explore the scope of objects in such sequences.
Transcription factors COUP-TFI and COUP-TFII are required for the production of granule cells in the mouse olfactory bulb

Neural stem cells (NSCs) persist in the adult mammalian subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle. Primary NSCs generate rapidly dividing intermediate progenitor cells, which in turn generate neuroblasts that migrate along the rostral migratory stream (RMS) to the olfactory bulb (OB). Here, we have examined the role of the COUP-TFI and COUP-TFII orphan nuclear receptor transcription factors in mouse OB interneuron development. We observed that COUP-TFI is expressed in a gradient of low rostral to high caudal within the postnatal SVZ neural stem/progenitor cells. COUP-TFI is also expressed in a large number of migrating neuroblasts in the SVZ and RMS, and in mature interneurons in the OB. By contrast, very few COUP-TFII-expressing (+) cells exist in the SVZ-RMS-OB pathway. Conditional inactivation of COUP-TFI resulted in downregulation of tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the OB periglomerular cells and upregulation of COUP-TFII expression in the SVZ, RMS and OB deep granule cell layer. In COUP-TFI/COUP-TFII double conditional mutant SVZ, cell proliferation was increased through the upregulation of the proneural gene Ascl1. Furthermore, COUP-TFI/II-deficient neuroblasts had impaired migration, resulting in ectopic accumulation of calretinin (CR)+ and NeuN+ cells, and an increase in apoptotic cell death in the SVZ. Finally, we found that most Pax6+ and a subset of CR+ granular cells were lost in the OB. Taken together, these results suggest that COUP-TFI/II coordinately regulate the proliferation, migration and survival of a subpopulation of Pax6+ and CR+ granule cells in the OB. Summary: The proliferation, migration and survival of a subpopulation of olfactory bulb interneurons is regulated by COUP-TFI and COUP-TFII, two transcription factors expressed in the SVZ-RMS-OB system.
Deep Spitzer Spectroscopy of the “Flying Saucer” Edge-on Disk: Large Grains beyond 50 AU

We present deep Spitzer IRS low-resolution (λ/Δλ ~ 100) 5-35 μm spectroscopy of the edge-on disk the "Flying Saucer" (2MASS J16281370-2431391) in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. The SED exhibits the characteristic two-peak shape predicted for a circumstellar disk viewed very close to edge-on. The short-wavelength peak is entirely due to photons scattered off the surface of the disk, while the long-wavelength peak is due to thermal emission from the disk itself. The Spitzer spectrum represents the first spectroscopic detection of scattered light out to 15 μm from a bona fide, isolated edge-on disk around a T Tauri star. The depth and the wavelength of the mid-infrared "valley" of the SED give direct constraints on the size distribution of large grains in the disk. Using a 2D continuum radiative transfer model, we find that a significant amount of 5-10 μm-sized grains is required in the surface layers of the disk at radii of 50-300 AU. The detection of relatively large grains in the upper layers implies that vertical mixing is effective, since grain growth models predict that the grains would otherwise settle deep in the disk on short timescales. Additionally, we tentatively detect the 9.66 μm S(3) line of H2 and the 11.2 μm emission feature due to PAHs.
Facilitating multi-modal locomotion in a quadruped robot utilizing passive oscillation of the spine structure

An important topic in robotics is the design of a robot body using passive mechanical properties, such as viscoelasticity, to obtain energy-efficient locomotion at low computational costs. To achieve this aim, this study examines adopting a spinal structure with variable viscoelasticity and multiple joints. In order to investigate the effect of this spinal structure, a physical model of the spinal structure and a quadruped robot incorporating this design were developed, and the relationship between the gait pattern of the legs of the robot and viscoelasticity as a source of passive oscillation of the spinal structure was observed. The experimental results indicate that there are several interactions between the gait pattern and the viscoelasticity that can achieve one of various types of successful locomotion. These results suggest that the proposed spinal structure is a suitable body design for facilitating multi-modal locomotion at low computational costs.
Fault Detection and Diagnosis Based on Modeling and Estimation Methods

This paper investigates the problem of fault detection and diagnosis in a class of nonlinear systems with modeling uncertainties. A nonlinear observer is first designed for monitoring fault. Radial basis function (RBF) neural network is used in this observer to approximate the unknown nonlinear dynamics. When a fault occurs, another RBF is triggered to capture the nonlinear characteristics of the fault function. The fault model obtained by the second neural network (NN) can be used for identifying the failure mode by comparing it with any known failure modes. Finally, a simulation example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
An investigation and analysis of the continuous professional development and coaching supervision needs of newly qualified and experienced coaches: a small-scale practitioner-based study

ABSTRACT This small-scale practitioner study attempted to identify the perceived learning needs of coaches, in terms of continuous professional development (CPD) and coaching supervision. Research was UK based and conducted during May–September 2013. This paper combines findings from questionnaires, interviews and a focus group conducted with newly qualified and experienced coaches. The study found that although the overwhelming majority of coaches valued CPD, a significant proportion were still not practising regular CPD. The various barriers encountered by coaches in accessing CPD were explored. It established that barriers to accessing CPD varied between in-house and external coaches, which demonstrates that more research is needed to understand the barriers in relation to the context coaches operate in. The study concluded that learning and development needs of coaches were different, depending on the nature, extent and frequency of coaching they do.
Remodeling of the connective tissue microarchitecture of the lamina cribrosa in early experimental glaucoma.

PURPOSE To characterize the trabeculated connective tissue microarchitecture of the lamina cribrosa (LC) in terms of total connective tissue volume (CTV), connective tissue volume fraction (CTVF), predominant beam orientation, and material anisotropy in monkeys with early experimental glaucoma (EG). METHODS The optic nerve heads from three monkeys with unilateral EG and four bilaterally normal monkeys were three dimensionally reconstructed from tissues perfusion fixed at an intraocular pressure of 10 mm Hg. A three-dimensional segmentation algorithm was used to extract a binary, voxel-based representation of the porous LC connective tissue microstructure that was regionalized into 45 subvolumes, and the following quantities were calculated: total CTV within the LC, mean and regional CTVF, regional predominant beam orientation, and mean and regional material anisotropy. RESULTS Regional variation within the laminar microstructure was considerable within the normal eyes of all monkeys. The laminar connective tissue was generally most dense in the central and superior regions for the paired normal eyes, and laminar beams were radially oriented at the periphery for all eyes considered. CTV increased substantially in EG eyes compared with contralateral normal eyes (82%, 44%, 45% increases; P<0.05), but average CTVF changed little (-7%, 1%, and -2% in the EG eyes). There were more laminar beams through the thickness of the LC in the EG eyes than in the normal controls (46%, 18%, 17% increases). CONCLUSIONS The substantial increase in laminar CTV with little change in CTVF suggests that significant alterations in connective and nonconnective tissue components in the laminar region occur in the early stages of glaucomatous damage.
Magnetic Resonance Findings of the Corpus Callosum in Canine and Feline Lysosomal Storage Diseases

Several reports have described magnetic resonance (MR) findings in canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases such as gangliosidoses and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Although most of those studies described the signal intensities of white matter in the cerebrum, findings of the corpus callosum were not described in detail. A retrospective study was conducted on MR findings of the corpus callosum as well as the rostral commissure and the fornix in 18 cases of canine and feline lysosomal storage diseases. This included 6 Shiba Inu dogs and 2 domestic shorthair cats with GM1 gangliosidosis; 2 domestic shorthair cats, 2 familial toy poodles, and a golden retriever with GM2 gangliosidosis; and 2 border collies and 3 chihuahuas with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, to determine whether changes of the corpus callosum is an imaging indicator of those diseases. The corpus callosum and the rostral commissure were difficult to recognize in all cases of juvenile-onset gangliosidoses (GM1 gangliosidosis in Shiba Inu dogs and domestic shorthair cats and GM2 gangliosidosis in domestic shorthair cats) and GM2 gangliosidosis in toy poodles with late juvenile-onset. In contrast, the corpus callosum and the rostral commissure were confirmed in cases of GM2 gangliosidosis in a golden retriever and canine neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses with late juvenile- to early adult-onset, but were extremely thin. Abnormal findings of the corpus callosum on midline sagittal images may be a useful imaging indicator for suspecting lysosomal storage diseases, especially hypoplasia (underdevelopment) of the corpus callosum in juvenile-onset gangliosidoses.