Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Post-Error Slowing as a Consequence of Disturbed Low-Frequency Oscillatory Phase Entrainment

A common finding across many reaction time tasks is that people slow down on trials following errors, a phenomenon known as post-error slowing. In the present study, we tested a novel hypothesis about the neural mechanism underlying post-error slowing. Recent research has shown that when task-relevant stimuli occur in a rhythmic stream, neuronal oscillations entrain to the task structure, thereby enhancing reaction speed. We hypothesized that under such circumstances post-error slowing results from an error-induced disturbance of this endogenous brain rhythm. To test this hypothesis, we measured oscillatory EEG dynamics while human subjects performed a demanding discrimination task under time pressure. We found that low-frequency neuronal oscillations entrained to the stimulus presentation rhythm, and that the low-frequency phase at stimulus onset predicted the speed of responding. Importantly, we found that this entrainment was disrupted following errors, and that the degree of phase disturbance was closely related to the degree of post-error slowing on the subsequent trial. These results describe a new mechanism underlying behavioral changes following errors.
The case for big government

Political conservatives have long believed that the best government is a small government. But if this were true, noted economist Jeff Madrick argues, the nation would not be experiencing stagnant wages, rising health care costs, increasing unemployment, and concentrations of wealth for a narrow elite. In this perceptive and eye-opening book, Madrick proves that an engaged government--a big government of high taxes and wise regulations--is necessary for the social and economic answers that Americans desperately need in changing times. He shows that the big governments of past eras fostered greatness and prosperity, while weak, laissez-faire governments marked periods of corruption and exploitation. The Case for Big Government considers whether the government can adjust its current policies and set the country right. Madrick explains why politics and economics should go hand in hand; why America benefits when the government actively nourishes economic growth; and why America must reject free market orthodoxy and adopt ambitious government-centered programs. He looks critically at today's politicians--at Republicans seeking to revive nineteenth-century principles, and at Democrats who are abandoning the pioneering efforts of the Great Society. Madrick paints a devastating portrait of the nation's declining social opportunities and how the economy has failed its workers. He looks critically at today's politicians and demonstrates that the government must correct itself to address these serious issues. A practical call to arms, The Case for Big Government asks for innovation, experimentation, and a willingness to fail. The book sets aside ideology and proposes bold steps to ensure the nation's vitality.
Serial Metabolic Measurements and Conversion to Type 2 Diabetes in the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study

To examine metabolic changes (lipids, liver enzymes, blood pressure, and weight) potentially associated with conversion to diabetes, we analyzed serial glucose and other metabolic measures obtained every 6 months within the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study trial. Changes in parameters for 86 men who converted to new-onset diabetes (“converters”: two consecutive glucose levels ≥7 mmol/l) were compared with 860 “nonconverters” matched for age and treatment allocation. Eighteen months before the diagnosis, converters to diabetes had elevated (P < 0.01) fasting glucose, weight, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood pressure, and white cell count and lower HDL cholesterol compared with nonconverters. The mean (SD) increase in fasting glucose over 18 months in converters was 1.80 (1.52) mmol/l, compared with 0.10 (0.57) in nonconverters. Of parameters measured, only ALT (P = 0.0005) and triglyceride (P = 0.030) increased significantly more over the 18 months in converters compared with nonconverters, but neither parameter increased significantly in nonconverters with high baseline glucose concentrations (>6.1 mmol/l). Finally, only sustained increases in ALT predicted a higher risk for diabetes. We conclude that a relatively rapid rise in fasting glucose levels is frequent in converters to diabetes and that associated increases over time in ALT and potentially triglyceride suggest hepatic fat accumulation as a contributing factor for conversion to diabetes in men at risk.
Evaluation of an algorithm for intensive subcutaneous insulin therapy in noncritically ill hospitalised patients with hyperglycaemia in a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Currently glycaemic targets of <7.8 mmol/l without hypoglycaemia are recommended for diabetic patients on general wards before meals. Efficient and safe strategies to achieve these targets with subcutaneous insulin injections outside the intensive care setting are not well established. The aim of this trial was to evaluate a subcutaneous insulin algorithm, which incorporates insulin resistance due to individual features and acute illness, for correction of hyperglycaemia in general medical wards. METHODS This was a two-centre, randomised controlled trial in two Swiss hospitals. Patients with initial plasma glucose levels >8 mmol/l were randomised to either an intervention group or a control group. The primary endpoint was the time in the glycaemic target range (5.5-7.0 mmol/l) within the first 48 hours. RESULTS Patients in the intervention group (n = 67) had significantly lower plasma glucose levels during the first 48 hours as compared with control patients (n = 63) (7.7 ± 3.0 mmol/l; mean ± standard deviation [SD]) vs 9.7 ± 3.9 mmol/l, p <0.0001). The intervention group reached the glycaemic target range earlier (median 9.5 vs 24.0 hours, p <0.0001) and remained longer in this range (difference: 9.5 hours, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.1, 13.9). There were more episodes of mild hypoglycaemia in the intervention group (19.4% vs 6.3%, absolute difference 13.5%, 95%CI 1.8, 24.3), with no difference in rates of severe hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSIONS Incorporation of insulin resistance factors into a subcutaneous insulin algorithm achieved early and sustained glycaemic control in noncritically ill patients admitted to general medical wards without apparent safety concerns. The overall clinical benefit of this strategy remains to be determined.
On the Complexity of the Diameter Constrained Reliability

Let G = (V,E) be a simple graph with |V | = n nodes and |E| = m links, a subset K ⊆ V of terminals, a vector p = (p1, . . . , pm) ∈ [0, 1] and a positive integer d, called diameter. We assume nodes are perfect but links fail stochastically and independently, with probabilities qi = 1 − pi. The diameter-constrained reliability (DCR for short), is the probability that the terminals of the resulting subgraph remain connected by paths composed by d links, or less. This number is denoted by R K,G(p). The general DCR computation is inside the class of NP-Hard problems, since it subsumes the complexity that a random graph is connected. In this paper, the computational complexity of DCR-subproblems is discussed in terms of the number of terminal nodes k = |K| and diameter d. Either when d = 1 or when d = 2 and k is fixed, the DCR is inside the class P of polynomial-time problems. The DCR turns NP-Hard when k ≥ 2 is a fixed input parameter and d ≥ 3. The cases where k = n or k is a free input parameter and d ≥ 2 is fixed are not studied in prior literature. Here, the NP-Hardness of the case k = n (or k free) and d ≥ 3 is established. The complexity of the case k = n and d = 2 requires further research.
A New Human Interactive Proof System Using Arbitrary and Fractal Polygon Image

A novice user is generally required to pass the Human Interactive Proof(HIP) before they are allowed to register web services, since there are so many automated software tools and automated scripts available in public web services. Thus there are many variations to help HIP. Text-based CAPTCHA is the most common method, where each user is asked to discern the hidden characters in noisy-images. Many image-based HIP were recently proposed and tested to overcome the weakness of text-based HIP. Though the image-based HIP problem is harder to solve compared to a conventional text-based puzzle, some powerful machine learning tools, such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), can easily break this problem. The authors have previously developed an image orientation-based CAPTCHA problem with polygonally cropped sub-images. In this paper, we address the more fundamental issue: what is the most important feature for a human to recognize the correct orientation of a partial image. We insist that the box-counting measure for an arbitrary polygon, which was already been devised to measure fractal objects, is a successful metric to measure the human perception of partial image orientation. This means that it is - easy for human to get the orientation of the high-box counted polygonal sub-image, but very hard for any machine learning tool due to the partialness of subject images. We also insist that a special polygon which has a high box-counting value, is a fractal shape, so an effective partial image for HIP is an empirically random fractal polygon. We found that irregularly recurring fractal polygons defeat SVM attack to decrease random attack accuracy.
Anonymous Multipath Routing Protocol Based on Secret Sharing in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

For the intrinsic characteristics cause several vulnerabilities of MANET, anonymous routing protocol attracts much more attention in secure mobile ad hoc networks for the purposes of security and privacy concerns. Until recently, lots of anonymous routing protocols have been proposed. However, most of them are single path or use one path at a time or can not thwart both the passive attacks and active attacks simultaneously. Thus, we propose an anonymous multipath routing protocol based on secret sharing. The protocol provides identity anonymity, location anonymity, data and traffic anonymity based on cryptograph technology and secret sharing in MANET communication. Meanwhile, we also introduce hash function to detect active attacks in our data transmission process. The protocol can effectively thwart the various passive attacks and reduce the successful probability of active attacks such as intercept and physical destroy attacks. In addition, Simulation results show that our scheme provides a reasonably good level of security and performance.
Responsible lending: credit may precipitate firm failure in volatile macroeconomic environments

This article models firm survival in Kenyan manufacturing with a particular emphasis on the effect of credit on firm resilience. The article explores how firms coped with the challenging economic environment that prevailed in the 1990s particularly the effect of the dramatic increase in interest rates. The key finding is that the burden of loans precipitated firm failure in the 1990s but overdrafts did not seem to have had a significant impact on firm failure. Furthermore, older firms appear to have resisted better than younger ones, but there is no evidence that large firms had higher survival rates. These results are robust to different specifications, namely probit models, Cox proportional hazard models and exponential, Gompertz and Weibull parametric hazard models. The main contribution of the article is to highlight the role of responsible lending as credit may lead some categories of firms to failure in shock-prone developing economies. The study also shows that the key factors explaining firm survival in developed economies, namely size and age, are not necessarily the most relevant determinants of firm survival in developing economies. Methodologically, this article is one of the few that have applied hazard analysis to firms in developing economies.
Reporter Gene-Facilitated Detection of Compounds in Arabidopsis Leaf Extracts that Activate the Karrikin Signaling Pathway

Karrikins are potent germination stimulants generated by the combustion of plant matter. Treatment of Arabidopsis with karrikins triggers a signaling process that is dependent upon a putative receptor protein KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE 2 (KAI2). KAI2 is a homolog of DWARF 14 (D14), the receptor for endogenous strigolactone hormones. Genetic analyses suggest that KAI2 also perceives endogenous signal(s) that are not strigolactones. Activation of KAI2 by addition of karrikins to Arabidopsis plants induces expression of transcripts including D14-LIKE 2 (DLK2). We constructed the synthetic reporter gene DLK2:LUC in Arabidopsis, which comprises the firefly luciferase gene (LUC) driven by the DLK2 promoter. Here we describe a luminescence-based reporter assay with Arabidopsis seeds to detect chemical signals that can activate the KAI2 signaling pathway. We demonstrate that the DLK2:LUC assay can selectively and sensitively detect karrikins and a functionally similar synthetic strigolactone analog. Crucially we show that crude extracts from Arabidopsis leaves can also activate DLK2:LUC in a KAI2-dependent manner. Our work provides the first direct evidence for the existence of endogenous chemical signals that can activate the KAI2-mediated signaling pathway in Arabidopsis. This sensitive reporter system can now be used for the bioassay-guided purification and identification of putative endogenous KAI2 ligands or their precursors, and endogenous compounds that might modulate the KAI2 signaling pathway.
Quantitative analysis of tumor-derived methylated p16INK4a sequences in plasma, serum, and blood cells of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

PURPOSE AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Using real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR (RTQ-MSP), we quantified methylated p16INK4a sequences and determined the fractional concentrations of circulating tumor DNA in plasma, serum, and peripheral blood cells collected preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively from 49 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RESULTS RTQ-MSP was sufficiently sensitive to detect down to 10 genome-equivalents of methylated p16INK4a sequences. Quantitative MSP data were expressed in terms of the methylation index, which was the percentage of bisulfite converted unmethylated and methylated p16INK4a sequences that consisted of methylated p16INK4a sequences. Quantities of methylated p16INK4a sequences were detected in peripheral circulation of 80% (23 of 29) of HCC patients. No significant difference was seen in the detectability and concentrations of methylated p16INK4a sequences (range: 10-4046 genome-equivalents/ml) between preoperative plasma and serum samples from HCC patients. Preoperatively, the p16INK4a methylation indices ranged from 0.2 to 100% and from 0.012 to 0.075% in the patients' plasma and buffy coat samples, respectively. After surgical resection, the median p16INK4a methylation indices in plasma and buffy coat concordantly decreased 12- and 15-fold, respectively. These results demonstrated the clinical usefulness and effectiveness of peripheral blood RTQ-MSP for detecting and monitoring HCC after treatment. Furthermore, none of the intraoperative plasma samples and only two of the intraoperative buffy coat samples were p16INK4a methylation positive. CONCLUSIONS Quantification of epigenetic changes in peripheral blood by RTQ-MSP is useful for the detection and monitoring of HCC.
Frontotemporal Network Connectivity during Memory Encoding Is Increased with Aging and Disrupted by Beta-Amyloid

Approximately 30% of cognitively normal older adults harbor brain β-amyloid (Aβ), a prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease associated with neural alterations and episodic memory decline. We examined how aging and Aβ deposition affect neural function during memory encoding of visual scenes using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans. Thirty-six cognitively normal older people underwent fMRI scanning, and positron emission tomography with [11C] Pittsburgh compound B to measure fibrillar brain Aβ; 15 young subjects were studied with fMRI. Older adults without Aβ deposition showed reduced regional brain activation (compared with young subjects) with decreased task-independent functional connectivity between parahippocampal gyrus and prefrontal cortex. In this network, task-related connectivity was increased compared with young subjects, and the degree of connectivity was related to memory performance. In contrast, older individuals with Aβ deposition showed no such increased task-related network connectivity, but did display increased regional activity unassociated with performance. These findings suggest that network connectivity plays a significant role in compensating for reduced regional activity during successful memory encoding in aging without Aβ deposition, while in those with Aβ this network compensation fails and is accompanied by inefficient regional hyperactivation.
Profile directed instruction cache tuning for embedded systems

Cache memories improve the performance due to the locality found within the loops of application. Because these loop characteristics are application dependent, the optimal cache hierarchy for performance and energy saving is also application dependent. Traditionally, cache simulations are employed to tune the cache hierarchy. In this paper we propose a simple yet effective loop profiler directed methodology for instruction cache hierarchy optimization. The proposed methodology utilizes the loop characteristics of the application which are readily available from the compiler making it easy to adopt the methodology in an existing design flow.
Design of Compact Tri-Band Bandpass Filters Using Assembled Resonators

A novel approach for designing tri-band bandpass filters with independently controllable center frequencies and improved stopband rejection characteristic is presented in this paper. The assembled resonator constructed by a stepped impedance resonator and a common half-wavelength resonator is employed to obtain tri-band response. The stepped impedance resonator is designed to operate at the first and third passbands and the other resonator is designed to operate at the second passband. Two kinds of filter configurations with cascaded and pseudointerdigital formats are proposed. Based on lossless lumped-element equivalent circuit, it is found that both filter structures can introduce transmission zeros between passbands. To verify the proposed approach, two filters are designed and fabricated, the measured results exhibit tri-band bandpass responses with high selectivity.
Simplified Tai Chi Program Training versus Traditional Tai Chi on the Functional Movement Screening in Older Adults

Background. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the effect of two different types of Tai Chi programs on the Functional Movement Screening (FMS) in older adults. Methods. Ninety older adults (65.5 ± 4.6 years old) who met the eligibility criteria were randomized into three different groups based on a ratio of 1 : 1 : 1: a traditional Tai Chi exercise (TTC), a simplified Tai Chi exercise (TCRT), or a control group (routine activity). The FMS consisted of the deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg rise, trunk stability push-up, and rotatory stability, which was used to measure physical function before the present study and after six months of Tai Chi interventions. Results. Seventy-nine participants completed the present study (control = 27, TTC = 23, and TCRT = 29). Significant improvement on the FMS tests between the baseline and after the six-month intervention was observed in both Tai Chi programs, whereas no significant improvement was observed in the control group. In addition, participants in the TCRT group demonstrated greater improvement than those in the TTC group. Conclusions. The TCRT is more effective in improving the physical function in older adults when compared to the traditional Tai Chi modality, particularly for improving balance.
An Efficient SAT Solving Algorithm Using Pseudo-Conflict Learning and Heterogeneous Computing

The Propositional Satisfiability Problem (SAT) is one of the most fundamental NP-complete problems. In this paper, a high-performance and heterogeneous SAT solving algorithm is presented. This algorithm, called CUDA-WSat-PcL, uses Pseudo-conflict Learning with a WalkSAT algorithm and exploits a massively parallel architecture on a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) together with a conventional CPU on NVIDIA's Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) platform. Our experimental results reveal that the heterogeneous and parallelized implementation finds the results up to 25 times faster than our sequential implementation. Additionally, our profiling results show that the improvements depend solely on instance size.
University of Groningen The Relationship of the Anti-Oxidant Bilirubin with Free Thyroxine Is Modified by Insulin Resistance in Euthyroid Subjects

Background: The strong anti-oxidative properties of bilirubin largely explain its cardioprotective effects. Insulin resistance is featured by low circulating bilirubin. Thyroid hormone affects both bilirubin generation and its biliary transport, but it is unknown whether circulating bilirubin is associated with thyroid function in euthyroid subjects. Aim is to determine relationships of bilirubin with TSH, free T4 and free T3 in euthyroid subjects without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to assess whether such a relationship would be modified by the degree of insulin resistance. Methods: Total bilirubin, TSH, free T4, free T3, glucose, insulin, lipids and transaminases were measured in 1854 fasting euthyroid subjects without T2DM, recruited from the general population (PREVEND cohort). Insulin resistance was assessed by homeostasis model assessment. Results: Bilirubin was positively related to free T4 (b= 0.116, P,0.001) and free T3 (b= 0.078, P = 0.001), but bilirubin was unrelated to TSH. The relationship of bilirubin with free T4 was modified by insulin resistance with a larger effect in more insulin resistant individuals (adjusted for age and sex: b= 0.043, P = 0.056 for interaction; additionally adjusted for smoking, alcohol intake, transaminases and total cholesterol (b= 0.044, P = 0.044 for interaction). The association of bilirubin with free T4 was also modified by high density lipoprotein cholesterol (ageand sex-adjusted: b= 0.040, P = 0.072). Conclusions: Low bilirubin relates to low free T4 in euthyroid non-diabetic subjects. Low normal free T4 may particularly confer low bilirubin in more insulin resistant individuals. Editor: Harpal Singh Randeva, University of Warwick – Medical School, United Kingdom Received November 1, 2013; Accepted February 5, 2014; Published March 3, 2014 Copyright: 2014 Deetman et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: The Dutch Kidney Foundation supported the infrastructure of the PREVEND program from 1997 to 2003 (Grant E.033). The University Medical Center Groningen supported the infrastructure from 2003 to 2006. Dade Behring, Ausam, Roche, and Abbott financed laboratory equipment and reagents by which various laboratory determinations could be performed. The Dutch Heart Foundation supported studies on lipid metabolism (Grant 2001–005). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: p.e. deetman@umcg.nl " Membership of the PREVEND Study Group is provided in the Acknowledgments.