Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neural Correlates of Stimulus Reportability

Most experiments on the “neural correlates of consciousness” employ stimulus reportability as an operational definition of what is consciously perceived. The interpretation of such experiments therefore depends critically on understanding the neural basis of stimulus reportability. Using a high volume of fMRI data, we investigated the neural correlates of stimulus reportability using a partial report object detection paradigm. Subjects were presented with a random array of circularly arranged disc-stimuli and were cued, after variable delays (following stimulus offset), to report the presence or absence of a disc at the cued location, using variable motor actions. By uncoupling stimulus processing, decision, and motor response, we were able to use signal detection theory to deconstruct the neural basis of stimulus reportability. We show that retinotopically specific responses in the early visual cortex correlate with stimulus processing but not decision or report; a network of parietal/temporal regions correlates with decisions but not stimulus presence, whereas classical motor regions correlate with report. These findings provide a basic framework for understanding the neural basis of stimulus reportability without the theoretical burden of presupposing a relationship between reportability and consciousness.
Robust on-line computation of Reeb graphs: simplicity and speed

Reeb graphs are a fundamental data structure for understanding and representing the topology of shapes. They are used in computer graphics, solid modeling, and visualization for applications ranging from the computation of similarities and finding defects in complex models to the automatic selection of visualization parameters. We introduce an on-line algorithm that reads a stream of elements (vertices, triangles, tetrahedra, etc.) and continuously maintains the Reeb graph of all elements already reed. The algorithm is robust in handling non-manifold meshes and general in its applicability to input models of any dimension. Optionally, we construct a skeleton-like embedding of the Reeb graph, and/or remove topological noise to reduce the output size. For interactive multi-resolution navigation we also build a hierarchical data structure which allows real-time extraction of approximated Reeb graphs containing all topological features above a given error threshold. Our extensive experiments show both high performance and practical linear scalability for meshes ranging from thousands to hundreds of millions of triangles. We apply our algorithm to the largest, most general, triangulated surfaces available to us, including 3D, 4D and 5D simplicial meshes. To demonstrate one important application we use Reeb graphs to find and highlight topological defects in meshes, including some widely believed to be "clean. "
Arthropod Borne Disease: The Leading Cause of Fever in Pregnancy on the Thai-Burmese Border

Background Fever in pregnancy is dangerous for both mother and foetus. In the 1980's malaria was the leading cause of death in pregnant women in refugee camps on the Thai-Burmese border. Artemisinin combination therapy has significantly reduced the incidence of malaria in the population. The remaining causes of fever in pregnancy are not well documented. Methodology Pregnant women attending antenatal care, where weekly screening for malaria is routine, were invited to have a comprehensive clinical and laboratory screen if they had fever. Women were admitted to hospital, treated and followed up weekly until delivery. A convalescent serum was collected on day 21. Delivery outcomes were recorded. Principal Findings Febrile episodes (n = 438) occurred in 5.0% (409/8,117) of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics from 7-Jan-2004 to 17-May-2006. The main cause was malaria in 55.5% (227/409). A cohort of 203 (49.6% of 409) women had detailed fever investigations and follow up. Arthropod-borne (malaria, rickettsial infections, and dengue) and zoonotic disease (leptospirosis) accounted for nearly half of all febrile illnesses, 47.3% (96/203). Coinfection was observed in 3.9% (8/203) of women, mostly malaria and rickettsia. Pyelonephritis, 19.7% (40/203), was also a common cause of fever. Once malaria, pyelonephritis and acute respiratory illness are excluded by microscopy and/or clinical findings, one-third of the remaining febrile infections will be caused by rickettsia or leptospirosis. Scrub and murine typhus were associated with poor pregnancy outcomes including stillbirth and low birth weight. One woman died (no positive laboratory tests). Conclusion/Significance Malaria remains the leading cause of fever in pregnancy on the Thai-Burmese border. Scrub and murine typhus were also important causes of fever associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. Febrile pregnant women on the Thai-Burmese border who do not have malaria, pyelonephritis or respiratory tract infection should be treated with azithromycin, effective for typhus and leptospirosis.
Multifunctional Composite Microcapsules for Oral Delivery of Insulin

In this study, we designed and developed a new drug delivery system of multifunctional composite microcapsules for oral administration of insulin. Firstly, in order to enhance the encapsulation efficiency, insulin was complexed with functional sodium deoxycholate to form insulin-sodium deoxycholate complex using hydrophobic ion pairing method. Then the complex was encapsulated into poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles by emulsion solvent diffusion method. The PLGA nanoparticles have a mean size of 168 nm and a zeta potential of −29.2 mV. The encapsulation efficiency was increased to 94.2% for the complex. In order to deliver insulin to specific gastrointestinal regions and reduce the burst release of insulin from PLGA nanoparticles, hence enhancing the bioavailability of insulin, enteric targeting multifunctional composite microcapsules were further prepared by encapsulating PLGA nanoparticles into pH-sensitive hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose phthalate (HP55) using organic spray-drying method. A pH-dependent insulin release profile was observed for this drug delivery system in vitro. All these strategies help to enhance the encapsulation efficiency, control the drug release, and protect insulin from degradation. In diabetic fasted rats, administration of the composite microcapsules produced a great enhancement in the relative bioavailability, which illustrated that this formulation was an effective candidate for oral insulin delivery.
Foraging-Based Enrichment Promotes More Varied Behaviour in Captive Australian Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus)

During wild foraging, Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) encounter many different types of prey in a wide range of scenarios, yet in captive environments they are typically provided with a narrower range of opportunities to display their full repertoire of behaviours. This study aimed to quantitatively explore the effect of foraging-based enrichment on the behaviour and activity patterns displayed by two captive Australian fur seals at Melbourne Zoo, Australia. Food was presented as a scatter in open water, in a free-floating ball device, or in a static box device, with each treatment separated by control trials with no enrichment. Both subjects spent more time interacting with the ball and static box devices than the scatter feed. The total time spent pattern swimming was reduced in the enrichment treatments compared to the controls, while the time spent performing random swimming behaviours increased. There was also a significant increase in the total number of bouts of behaviour performed in all three enrichment treatments compared to controls. Each enrichment method also promoted a different suit of foraging behaviours. Hence, rather than choosing one method, the most effective way to increase the diversity of foraging behaviours, while also increasing variation in general activity patterns, is to provide seals with a wide range of foraging scenarios where food is encountered in different ways.
EFFECT OF PRODUCTION PARAMETERS ON THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF A BIOFUEL ENTERPRISE

Abstract In order to guarantee the success of the nascent cellulose-based biofuel industry, it is crucial to identify the most economically relevant components of the biofuel production path. To this aim, an original stochastic financial model is developed to estimate the impact that different feedstock production and biofuel conversion parameters have on the probability of economic success. Estimation of the model was carried out using Monte Carlo simulation techniques along with parametric maximum likelihood estimation procedures. Results indicate that operational efficiency strategies should concentrate on improving feedstock yields and extending the feedstock growing season.
Scenario Search on the Grid of Environmental Data Sources

We present the Environmental Scenario Search Engine (ESSE), a set of algorithms and software tools for distributed querying and mining large environmental data archives. The principal requirement of the ESSE system is to allow the user to query the data in meaningful “human linguistic” terms. The mapping between human language and computer systems involves fuzzy logic. We use a data resource web service abstraction layer to virtualize spatio-temporal databases, providing our search engine with time-series of environmental parameters. The data resource interface is implemented as a set of OGSA-DAI components with simple input and output XML schemes. Time-series selected from a data resource in XML format can be mined for environmental events by the ESSE or used after XSLT transformation by other clients, Microsoft Excel 2003 being one of the examples.
Sustainability and Indigenous tourism insights from social media: worldview differences, cultural friction and negotiation

ABSTRACT Indigenous tourism researchers have not fully embraced social media as fieldwork sites in their own right. This paper explores, from a social media perspective, the (online) engagement of Indigenous tour operators with tourists, the role of differences in tourist-Indigenous worldviews in the tour experience, and the sustainability implications. Data consisted of 588 tourist reviews and 137 operator responses, pertaining to four Indigenous tour experiences offered in Australia. Findings suggest that dissatisfied tourists expect tours to be run on Western management models, and in response, Indigenous tour operators have the opportunity to act as cultural negotiators online, explaining their own worldviews and cultural approaches. Three components of this cultural negotiation emerged: identifying and embracing worldview differences; delineating the larger cultural context of tours; and, rebuttal of misrepresentations in online tourist reviews. In addition, amongst themselves, tourists educate each other on cultural etiquette and interpretation. From a sustainability perspective it was found that Indigenous tour operator voices are minimally represented in tourism social media – a missed opportunity to correct cultural misconceptions and clarify differences, to “speak” for themselves, creating a stronger, more assertive online voice. Policy interventions to increase Indigenous operators’ participation in social media, including training and assistance, could help.
Developing of the Computer Method for Annotation of Bacterial Genes

Over the last years a great number of bacterial genomes were sequenced. Now one of the most important challenges of computational genomics is the functional annotation of nucleic acid sequences. In this study we presented the computational method and the annotation system for predicting biological functions using phylogenetic profiles. The phylogenetic profile of a gene was created by way of searching for similarities between the nucleotide sequence of the gene and 1204 reference genomes, with further estimation of the statistical significance of found similarities. The profiles of the genes with known functions were used for prediction of possible functions and functional groups for the new genes. We conducted the functional annotation for genes from 104 bacterial genomes and compared the functions predicted by our system with the already known functions. For the genes that have already been annotated, the known function matched the function we predicted in 63% of the time, and in 86% of the time the known function was found within the top five predicted functions. Besides, our system increased the share of annotated genes by 19%. The developed system may be used as an alternative or complementary system to the current annotation systems.
Dynamic organization of search results using the UMLS

When people search the medical literature, they often are overwhelmed by the large number of documents retrieved. Many systems try to solve this problem by helping the user formulate a more specific search strategy. However, when users do not have a more specific question, they need tools to help them explore and understand the results, rather than to eliminate a portion of those results. This paper describes an approach that addresses this need by automatically grouping the results of a broad search into meaningful categories based on the user's query. This approach combines the main benefit of clustering techniques with the main benefit of classification techniques by taking advantage of the domain knowledge present in the UMLS. I present a preliminary evaluation that demonstrates that a categorization produced by this approach corresponds reasonably well to a physician's categorization.
Using a non-invasive assessment of lung injury in a murine model of acute lung injury

Arterial oxygen saturation has not been assessed sequentially in conscious mice as a direct consequence of an in vivo murine model of acute lung injury. Here, we report daily changes in arterial oxygen saturation and other cardiopulmonary parameters by using infrared pulse oximetry following intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (IT-LPS) for up to 9 days, and following IT-phosphate buffered saline up to 72 h as a control. We show that arterial oxygen saturation decreases, with maximal decline at 96 h post IT-LPS. Blood oxygen levels negatively correlate with 7 of 10 quantitative markers of murine lung injury, including neutrophilia and interleukin-6 expression. This identifies infrared pulse oximetry as a method to non-invasively monitor arterial oxygen saturation following direct LPS instillations.
Suboptimal sparse channel estimation for multicarrier underwater acoustic communications

Multipath channels often exhibit sparse structures in multicarrier underwater acoustic (MC-UWA) communication systems. Conventional linear channel estimators, such as least squares (LS) and minimum mean square error (MMSE) are considered as optimal solutions under the assumption of rich multipath. However, they often result in low spectral efficiency due to neglect of the sparsity in multipath channels. In this paper, we propose a novel sparse channel estimation method with compressive sensing. The proposed estimator has better estimation performance and low complexity when compared with the LS estimator. Simulations verified the proposed method with respect to the mean square error (MSE) and the computational complexity. Key words:
Acidosis-Induced Hypochloremic Alkalosis in Diabetic Ketoacidosis Confirmed by The Modified Base Excess Method.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is associated with a metabolic alkalosis, which is thought to be due to vomiting. However, alkalosis can occur in DKA without vomiting. We retrospectively reviewed the acid-base disturbances in DKA admissions without vomiting. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS We included admissions of the patients with blood glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate (βOHB) levels > 250 mg/dL and > 1.0 mmol/L, respectively. Admissions without vomiting were classified into a group with a βOHB > 3.0 mmol/L (DKA group) and a group with βOHB of 1.0-3.0 mmol/L (pre-DKA group). The acid-base status was analyzed by the modified base excess (BE) method. BE effects were calculated by changes in sodium (BE free water, [BEFW]), and chloride (BECl). Positive and negative values for each parameter suggested alkalosis and acidosis, respectively. RESULTS Forty-five included admissions were divided into DKA (n = 34) and pre-DKA (n =11) groups. Sodium-corrected chloride level and the chloride/sodium ratio were significantly lower in the DKA group than in the pre-DKA group. In both groups, BEFW values were modestly negative. The mean BECl values were positive in both groups, but significantly higher in the DKA group. The alkalinizing effects by hypochloremia diminished the base deficit in the DKA group by approximately 25%. The BECl value significantly correlated with serum total ketone levels (r = 0.66; P < .0001). CONCLUSION The modified BE method successfully proved the presence of hypochloremic alkalosis in DKA without vomiting. This suggests the direct participation of serum ketoacids in the pathogenesis of hypochloremic alkalosis.
Enabling View-based Programming with SCROLL: Using roles and dynamic dispatch for etablishing view-based programming

Present-day software systems have to fulfill an increasing number of requirements rendering them more and more complex. Many systems need to anticipate changing contexts (self-adaptive systems) or need to adapt to changing business rules or requirements (self-optimizing systems). The challenge of 21th century software development will be to cope with these aspects. We believe that the role concept offers a simple way to adapt object-oriented programs to their changing contexts. In a role-based language, an object plays multiple roles during its lifetime. If the contexts are represented as first-class entities, they provide dynamic views to the object-oriented program, and if the context changes, the dynamic views can be switched easily, and the software system adapts automatically. However, the concepts of roles and dynamic contexts have been discussed for a long time in many areas of computer science. So far, their implementation in an existing object-oriented language requires a specific runtime environment. Also, classical object-oriented languages and their runtime systems are not able to cope with essential role-specific features, such as true delegation or dynamic binding of roles. As a solution, this work presents a simple implementation pattern for role-based objects that does not require a specific runtime system, SCROLL (SCala ROles Language). The implementation pattern is demonstrated on the basis of the Scala language. As technical support from Scala, the pattern requires dynamic mixins, compiler-translated function calls, and implicit conversions. The implementation details of the pattern are hidden in a Scala library and therefore transparent to Scala programmers. The SCROLL library supports roles embedded in structured contexts, so-called compartments. We show that they are specific, hierarchic runtime views, which enables hierarchic view-based programming for free in Scala. We also discuss how to apply the implementation pattern of SCROLL for other languages, in particular for behavioral modeling languages in MDSD. This discussion shows that the SCROLL pattern can be embedded into the generated code, so that it still is hidden to the developer, but does not require a specific runtime system. Using the pattern in model-driven code generation enables dynamic views for all kinds of modeling languages. And therefore, this paper shows a way how to realize dynamic views for all modeling languages in MDSD.
Metrics Are Needed for Collaborative Software Development

There is a need for metrics for inter-organizational collaborative software development projects, encompassing management and technical concerns. In particular, metrics are needed that are aimed at the collaborative aspect itself, such as readiness for collaboration, the quality and/or the costs and benefits of collaboration in a specific ongoing project. We suggest questions and directions for such metrics, spanning the full lifespan of a collaborative project, from considering the suitability of collaboration through evaluating ongoing projects to final evaluation of the collaboration.
Prediction update algorithms for XCSF: RLS, Kalman filter, and gain adaptation

We study how different prediction update algorithms influence the performance of XCSF. We consider three classical parameter estimation algorithms (NLMS, RLS, and Kalman filter) and four gain adaptation algorithms (K1, K2, IDBD, and IDD). The latter have been shown to perform comparably to the best algorithms (RLS and Kalman), but they have a lower complexity. We apply these algorithms to update classifier prediction in XCSF and compare the performances of the seven versions of XCSF on a set of real functions. Our results show that the best known algorithms still perform best: XCSF with RLS and XCSF with Kalman perform significantly better than the others. In contrast, when added to XCSF, gain adaptation algorithms perform comparably to NLMS, the simplest estimation algorithm, the same used in the original XCSF. Nevertheless, algorithms that perform similarly generalize differently. For instance: XCSF with Kalman filter evolves more compact solutions than XCSF with RLS and gain adaptation algorithms allow better generalization than NLMS.
Psychographic Profiling of Professional Women:Development and Factor Analysis of Items for a Questionnaire

Purpose: As a part of a larger study to profile women online shoppers of FMCG /grocery in Bangalore city it was found that there were no instruments available to profile professional women psychographically. The purpose of this study is to develop a set of items for a self administered questionnaire to profile professional women along psychographic attributes. Research design and methods: Attributes of personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles were derived from a focus group discussion with group of eight professional women to arrive at a 28 item questionnaire. Each item was analysed on a five-point Likert scale so as that higher item scores indicated a higher disposition towards that particular attribute. Responses were solicited online through email and also by administering questionnaires to randomly selected professional women. A total of 151(68 online and 83 offline) were evaluated and subjected to an exploratory factor analysis. Meaningful factors were retained and interpreted based on their psychometric properties. Results: Exploratory factor analysis suggested a five factor solution accounting for 59.9% of the cumulative variance and all the sub scales had 'acceptable 'reliability (Cronbach alpha greater than 0.6) Practical Implications :The study has practical implications for grocery/FMCG online retailers for better understanding the shopper behavior in the context of changing consumer psychographic characteristics in an emerging Indian online grocery/FMCG market. The findings may help the online retailers to segment and target the grocery/FMCG consumers and as a consequence, to undertake more effective online retail marketing and advertising strategies for competitive advantage. Originality/value-Given the absence of published academic literature and empirical findings relating to psychographic profiling of women professions, this study may serve as a departure point for future studies in this area of concern. The research is also relevant to online marketers in terms of format development and reorientation of marketing strategies in the fast growing consumer segment Indian online grocery/FMCG market.