Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Individual white matter fractional anisotropy analysis on patients with MRI negative partial epilepsy

Background Conventional structural MRI fails to identify a cerebral lesion in 25% of patients with cryptogenic partial epilepsy (CPE). Diffusion tensor imaging is an MRI technique sensitive to microstructural abnormalities of cerebral white matter (WM) by quantification of fractional anisotropy (FA). The objectives of the present study were to identify focal FA abnormalities in patients with CPE who were deemed MRI negative during routine presurgical evaluation. Methods Diffusion tensor imaging at 3 T was performed in 12 patients with CPE and normal conventional MRI and in 67 age matched healthy volunteers. WM integrity was compared between groups on the basis of automated voxel-wise statistics of FA maps using an analysis of covariance. Volumetric measurements from high resolution T1-weighted images were also performed. Results Significant FA reductions in WM regions encompassing diffuse areas of the brain were observed when all patients as a group were compared with controls. On an individual basis, voxel based analyses revealed widespread symmetrical FA reduction in CPE patients. Furthermore, asymmetrical temporal lobe FA reduction was consistently ipsilateral to the electroclinical focus. No significant correlations were found between FA alterations and clinical data. There were no differences in brain volumes of CPE patients compared with controls. Conclusion Despite normal conventional MRI, WM integrity abnormalities in CPE patients extend far beyond the epileptogenic zone. Given that unilateral temporal lobe FA abnormalities were consistently observed ipsilateral to the seizure focus, analysis of temporal FA may provide an informative in vivo investigation into the localisation of the epileptogenic zone in MRI negative patients.
The UNC-112 Gene in Caenorhabditis elegansEncodes a Novel Component of Cell–Matrix Adhesion Structures Required for Integrin Localization in the Muscle Cell Membrane

Embryos homozygous for mutations in the unc-52, pat-2, pat-3, and unc-112 genes of C. elegans exhibit a similar Pat phenotype. Myosin and actin are not organized into sarcomeres in the body wall muscle cells of these mutants, and dense body and M-line components fail to assemble. The unc-52 (perlecan), pat-2 (α-integrin), and pat-3 (β-integrin) genes encode ECM or transmembrane proteins found at the cell–matrix adhesion sites of both dense bodies and M-lines. This study describes the identification of the unc-112 gene product, a novel, membrane-associated, intracellular protein that colocalizes with integrin at cell–matrix adhesion complexes. The 720–amino acid UNC-112 protein is homologous to Mig-2, a human protein of unknown function. These two proteins share a region of homology with talin and members of the FERM superfamily of proteins. We have determined that a functional UNC-112::GFP fusion protein colocalizes with PAT-3/β-integrin in both adult and embryonic body wall muscle. We also have determined that UNC-112 is required to organize PAT-3/β-integrin after it is integrated into the basal cell membrane, but is not required to organize UNC-52/perlecan in the basement membrane, nor for DEB-1/vinculin to localize with PAT-3/β-integrin. Furthermore, UNC-112 requires the presence of UNC-52/perlecan and PAT-3/β-integrin, but not DEB-1/vinculin to become localized to the muscle cell membrane.
PreCog: Improving Crowdsourced Data Quality Before Acquisition

Quality control in crowdsourcing systems is crucial. It is typically done after data collection, often using additional crowdsourced tasks to assess and improve the quality. These post-hoc methods can easily add cost and latency to the acquisition process--particularly if collecting high-quality data is important. In this paper, we argue for pre-hoc interface optimizations based on feedback that helps workers improve data quality before it is submitted and is well suited to complement post-hoc techniques. We propose the Precog system that explicitly supports such interface optimizations for common integrity constraints as well as more ambiguous text acquisition tasks where quality is ill-defined. We then develop the Segment-Predict-Explain pattern for detecting low-quality text segments and generating prescriptive explanations to help the worker improve their text input. Our unique combination of segmentation and prescriptive explanation are necessary for Precog to collect 2x more high-quality text data than non-Precog approaches on two real domains.
A pseudo-sound constitutive relationship for the dilatational covariances in compressible turbulence

The mathematical consequences of a few simple scaling assumptions regarding the effects of compressibility are explored using a singular perturbation idea and the methods of statistical fluid mechanics. Representations for the pressure–dilatation and dilatational dissipation appearing in single-point moment closures for compressible turbulence are obtained. The results obtained, in as much as they come from the same underlying procedure, represent a unified development for both dilatational covariances. While the results are expressed in the context of a statistical turbulence closure they provide, with very few phenomenological assumptions, an interesting and clear mathematical model for the ‘scalar’ effects of compressibility. For homogeneous turbulence with quasi-normal large scales the expressions derived are – in the small turbulent Mach number squared isotropic limit – exact. The expressions obtained contain constants that have a precise physical significance and are defined in terms of integrals of the longitudinal velocity correlation. The pressure–dilatation covariance is found to be a non-equilibrium phenomenon related to the time rate of change of the kinetic energy and internal energy of the turbulence; it is seen to scale with α2M2t εs [Pk/ε−1] (Sk/εs)2. Implicit in the scaling is a dependence on the square of a gradient Mach number, S[lscr ]/c. A new feature indicated by the analysis is the appearance of the Kolmogorov scaling coefficient, α, suggesting that large-scale quantities embodied in the well-established ε∼u˜3/[lscr ] relationship provide a link to the structural dependence of the effects of compressibility. The expressions for the dilatational dissipation are found to depend on the turbulent Reynolds number and scale as M4t (Sk/εs)4 R−1t. The scalings for the pressure–dilatation are found to produce an excellent collapse of the pressure–dilatation data from direct numerical simulation.
ANALYSIS OF THE SINGULAR VALUE DECOMPOSITION AS A TOOL FOR PROCESSING MICROARRAY EXPRESSION DATA

We give two informative derivations of a spectral algorithm for clustering and partitioning a bi-partite graph. In the first case we begin with a discrete optimization problem that relaxes into a tractable continuous analogue. In the second case we use the power method to derive an iterative interpretation of the algorithm. Both versions reveal a natural approach for re-scaling the edge weights and help to explain the performance of the algorithm in the presence of outliers. Our motivation for this work is in the analysis of microarray data from bioinformatics, and we give some numerical results for a publicly available acute leukemia data set.
Mode Estimation of Model-based Programs: Monitoring Systems with Complex Behavior

Deductive mode-estimation has become an essential component of robotic space systems, like NASA's deep space probes. Future robots will serve as components of large robotic networks. Monitoring these networks will require modeling languages and estimators that handle the sophisticated behaviors of robotic components. This paper introduces RMPL, a rich modeling language that combines reactive programming constructs with probabilistic, constraint-based modeling, and that offers a simple semantics in terms of hidden Markov models (HMMs). To support efficient realtime deduction, we translate RMPL models into a compact encoding of HMMs called probabilistic hierarchical constraint automata (PHCA). Finally, we use these models to track a system's most likely states by extending traditional HMM belief update.
Infliximab in ulcerative colitis

Infliximab, a monoclonal anti-TNF-α antibody, is commonly used for treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease (CD). Its role in the treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC) remains controversial. We review the role of TNF-α in the pathogenesis of UC and describe the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials and systematic reviews that assess the efficacy of infliximab in the treatment of moderate to severe UC.
Inhibitory interactions between interneurones in reflex pathways from group Ia and group Ib afferents in the cat.

A hypothesis has been verified that laminae V‐VI interneurones which mediate non‐reciprocal inhibition of motoneurones from group I muscle afferents have collateral actions on other laminae V‐VI interneurones. Stimulation within the areas of projection of these inhibitory interneurones in motor nuclei and in Clarke's column would be expected to give rise to monosynaptic i.p.s.p.s in interneurones with disynaptic i.p.s.p.s from group I afferents if the hypothesis were correct. Intracellular records were made from eighty‐five laminae V‐VI interneurones with input from group Ia muscle spindle and/or group Ib tendon organ afferents. Weak intraspinal stimuli applied in motor nuclei in L7 and S1 segments, or in the lateral funiculus just caudal to Clarke's column in L4, were found to evoke monosynaptic i.p.s.p.s in seventy‐two interneurones. These i.p.s.p.s were systematically correlated with disynaptic inhibition from group Ia or Ib afferents but not from other fibres. Such monosynaptic i.p.s.p.s evoked by intraspinal stimuli were seen in forty‐two interneurones which themselves projected to the level of Clarke's column and therefore (on the basis of previous evidence) should mediate inhibition of motoneurones. For seven of these interneurones it was also shown directly that they projected to motor nuclei. The inhibition of such interneurones demonstrates mutual interactions between those interneurones which are interposed in inhibitory pathways from group I afferents. Only indirect indications have been obtained for inhibition of interneurones in the excitatory pathways.
Cost-aware optimization models for communication networks with renewable energy sources

We address a traffic engineering problem where, given a communication network and a set of origin-destination demands, we have to select a single-path routing for each demand and decide which communication interfaces to switch off or run at partial load so as to minimize the total operational costs. We account for the presence of renewable energy plants at some nodes of the network, as well as feed-in-tariffs, rebates and variable energy prices. We also consider the related problem of deciding where renewable energy sources (photovoltaic modules in this case) have to be installed so as to maximize the profit, while respecting a maximum investment budget constraint. We propose mixed integer optimization models for these two problems and we report results for two different network topologies.
Automatic recognition of students' sorting algorithm implementations in a data structures and algorithms course

Computing educators often rely on black-box analysis to assess students' work automatically and give feedback. This approach does not allow analyzing the quality of programs and checking if they implement the required algorithm. We introduce an instrument for recognizing and classifying algorithms (Aari) in terms of white-box testing to identify authentic students' sorting algorithm implementations in a data structures and algorithms course. Aari uses machine learning techniques to classify new instances. The students were asked to submit a program to sort an array of integers in two rounds: at the beginning of the course before sorting algorithms were introduced, and after taking a lecture on sorting algorithms. We evaluated the performance of Aari with the implementations of each round separately. The results show that the sorting algorithms, which Aari has been trained to recognize, are recognized with an average accuracy of about 90%. When considering all the submitted sorting algorithm implementations (including the variations of the standard algorithms), Aari achieved an overall accuracy of 71% and 81% for the first and second round, respectively. In addition, we analyzed the students' implementations manually to gain a better understanding of the reasons of failure in the recognition process. This analysis revealed that students have many misconceptions related to sorting algorithms, which results in problematic implementations that are more inefficient compared with those of standard algorithms. We discuss these variations along with the application of the tool in an educational context, its limitations and some directions for future work.
To catch a predator? The MySpace moral panic

This paper discusses moral panics over contemporary technology, or “technopanics. ” I use the cyberporn panic of 1996 and the contemporary panic over online predators and MySpace to demonstrate links between media coverage and content legislation. In both cases, Internet content legislation is directly linked to media-fueled moral panics that concern uses of technology deemed harmful to children. This is of particular interest right now as a new internet content bill, the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA), is being debated in Congress. The technopanic over “online predators” is remarkably similar to the cyberporn panic; both are fueled by media coverage, both rely on the idea of harm to children as the justification for internet content restriction, and both have resulted in carefully crafted legislation to circumvent First Amendment concerns. Research demonstrates that legislation proposed (or passed) to curb these problems is an extraordinary response; it is misguided and in many cases masks the underlying problem.
Alternating-time temporal logic

Temporal logic comes in two varieties: linear-time temporal logic assumes implicit universal quantification over all paths that are generated by system moves; branching-time temporal logic allows explicit existential and universal quantification over all paths. We introduce a third, more general variety of temporal logic: alternating-time temporal logic offers selective quantification over those paths that are possible outcomes of games, such as the game in which the system and the environment alternate moves. While linear-time and branching-time logics are natural specification languages for closed systems, alternating-time logics are natural specification languages for open systems. For example, by preceding the temporal operator "eventually" with a selective path quantifier, we can specify that in the game between the system and the environment, the system has a strategy to reach a certain state. Also the problems of receptiveness, realizability, and controllability can be formulated as model-checking problems for alternating-time formulas.
Drugs and Revolution: The Effect of Narcotics Revenue on Rebel Group Goals

This thesis seeks to answer the broad question: how does drug funding affect rebel group goals? More specifically, it explores why rebel groups reliant upon substantial narcotics-related revenue tend to be non-separatist in nature. The thesis tests three cases against five hypotheses in order gain a better understanding of the mechanisms that produce non-separatist goals among drug-funded rebel groups. This includes an examination the development of narcoticsfueled war economies, the role of state weakness in civil war, the reasons for non-separatist conflict perpetuation, as well as the discipline problems that arise as a result of a rebel group’s involvement in the drug trade. The three cases analyzed in the thesis, that of the FARC in Colombia, the Shining Path in Peru, and the Free Aceh Movement in Indonesia, present comprehensive external validation of the paper’s theoretical framework. This paper finds that state weakness, the breakdown of discipline within rebel groups, and the tendency of rebels to perpetuate conflict for profit maximization provide strong evidence of the reasons for the non-separatist nature of most drug-funded civil conflicts.
A trial of a relapse prevention strategy in women with bulimia nervosa who respond to cognitive-behavior therapy.

OBJECTIVE This study examines a relapse prevention strategy for bulimia nervosa (BN). Subjects in a multicenter BN treatment trial who initially achieved abstinence after a course of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) were told to recontact the clinic if they had a recurrence of symptoms or feared such a reoccurrence so that they could receive additional therapy visits. METHOD At the end of CBT, subjects whose scores on the Eating Disorders Examination indicated that they were abstinent from binge eating and purging, and therefore considered to be treated successfully, were assigned randomly to follow-up only or to a crisis intervention model. With the crisis intervention model, subjects would receive additional visits if needed. RESULTS None of the 30 subjects who relapsed during the follow-up sought additional treatment visits. DISCUSSION Simply telling patients with BN who appear to have been successfully treated to come back if they have additional problems, or fear that they are developing such problems, may be an ineffective relapse prevention technique. Alternative strategies, such as planned return visits or phone calls, should be considered as alternative relapse prevention strategies.
Theoretical Analysis of the Capture Probability in Wireless Systems with Multiple Packet Reception Capabilities

In this paper, we address the problem of computing the probability that r out of n interfering wireless signals are "captured," i.e., received with sufficiently large Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) to correctly decode the signals by a receiver with multi-packet reception (MPR) and Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) capabilities. We start by considering the simpler case of a pure MPR system without SIC, for which we provide an expression for the distribution of the number of captured packets, whose computational complexity scales with n and r. This analysis makes it possible to investigate the system throughput as a function of the MPR capabilities of the receiver. We then generalize the analysis to SIC systems. In addition to the exact expressions for the capture probability and the normalized system throughput, we also derive approximate expressions that are much easier to compute and provide accurate results in some practical scenarios. Finally, we present selected results for some case studies with the purpose of illustrating the potential of the proposed mathematical framework and validating the approximate methods.
Changing mindsets: the attitude of pre-service teachers on technology for teaching

In a context where there has only been limited success with Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education, this paper explores attitudes towards the use of ICTs in South African pre-service teacher education. In particular, it looks at how cognitive and affective attitudes towards technology determine visions and scenarios of technology integration into teaching and learning practice. This note presents the results of an in-depth qualitative study involving exceptionally motivated pre-service teachers from two higher education institutions. Findings indicate strong intentions to integrate ICT in future teaching and the constant inclination to keep updated with technological evolution. Pre-service teachers view themselves as users of technology in order to keep up with what they perceive to be a technologisation of life and education. The integration scenarios envisioned by participants demonstrate a changing mindset where technology is not only an additional tool, but enables the advancement of new teaching and learning models centred on the active role of the student. A critical look at the study findings compels us to give accrued importance to how living and learning in a developing area determines meaningful articulations of pro-technology attitudes.
State Anti-Tobacco Advertising and Smoking Outcomes by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

Objective. This paper examines overall and gender- and racial/ethnic-specific relationships between exposure to state-sponsored anti-tobacco televised advertising and smoking-related outcomes among US middle and high school students using five years of cross-sectional nationally representative data. Design. Nationally representative 8th, 10th, and 12th grade student sample data for 1999–2003 were merged with commercial ratings data on mean potential audience exposure to network and cable television anti-tobacco advertising across the 74 largest US designated market areas, resulting in a final sample size for analysis of 122,340. Associations between state-sponsored anti-tobacco televised advertising exposure and youth smoking-related beliefs and behaviours were modelled while controlling for relevant individual and environmental factors as well as other televised tobacco-related advertising. Results. Higher potential for exposure to state anti-tobacco advertising within the previous four months was generally associated with decreasing odds of current smoking across groups. In addition, such exposure was related, to varying degrees, with decreased perceptions that most/all friends smoked, stronger five-year intentions not to smoke, and increased perceived harm of smoking. These relationships appeared possibly to be weaker for Asian students. Conclusions. The results from these analyses indicate that state anti-tobacco advertising significantly relates to beneficial outcomes—especially regarding current smoking behaviour—among US youth as a whole.
Text Summarization Techniques: A Brief Survey

In recent years, there has been a explosion in the amount of text data from a variety of sources. This volume of text is an invaluable source of information and knowledge which needs to be effectively summarized to be useful. In this review, the main approaches to automatic text summarization are described. We review the different processes for summarization and describe the effectiveness and shortcomings of the different methods.