Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Human Brain in Numbers: A Linearly Scaled-up Primate Brain

The human brain has often been viewed as outstanding among mammalian brains: the most cognitively able, the largest-than-expected from body size, endowed with an overdeveloped cerebral cortex that represents over 80% of brain mass, and purportedly containing 100 billion neurons and 10× more glial cells. Such uniqueness was seemingly necessary to justify the superior cognitive abilities of humans over larger-brained mammals such as elephants and whales. However, our recent studies using a novel method to determine the cellular composition of the brain of humans and other primates as well as of rodents and insectivores show that, since different cellular scaling rules apply to the brains within these orders, brain size can no longer be considered a proxy for the number of neurons in the brain. These studies also showed that the human brain is not exceptional in its cellular composition, as it was found to contain as many neuronal and non-neuronal cells as would be expected of a primate brain of its size. Additionally, the so-called overdeveloped human cerebral cortex holds only 19% of all brain neurons, a fraction that is similar to that found in other mammals. In what regards absolute numbers of neurons, however, the human brain does have two advantages compared to other mammalian brains: compared to rodents, and probably to whales and elephants as well, it is built according to the very economical, space-saving scaling rules that apply to other primates; and, among economically built primate brains, it is the largest, hence containing the most neurons. These findings argue in favor of a view of cognitive abilities that is centered on absolute numbers of neurons, rather than on body size or encephalization, and call for a re-examination of several concepts related to the exceptionality of the human brain.
The Mosaic Stage in Amodal Completion as Characterized by Magnetoencephalography Responses

We investigated the process of amodal completion in a same-different experiment in which test pairs were preceded by sequences of two figures. The first of these could be congruent to a global or local completion of an occluded part in the second figure, or a mosaic interpretation of it. We recorded and analyzed the magnetoencephalogram for the second figures. Compared to control conditions, in which unrelated primes were shown, occlusion and mosaic primes reduced the peak latency and amplitude of neural activity evoked by the occlusion patterns. Compared to occlusion primes, mosaic ones reduced the latency but increased the amplitude of evoked neural activity. Processes relating to a mosaic interpretation of the occlusion pattern, therefore, can dominate in an early stage of visual processing. The results did not provide evidence for the presence of a functional mosaic stage in completion per se, but characterize the mosaic interpretation as a qualitatively special one that can rapidly emerge in visual processing when context favors it.
Space-Vector State Model of Induction Machines Including Rotor Slotting Effects: Towards a New Category of Observers

This paper develops a new space vector dynamic model of the induction machine including stator and rotor slotting effects. With this approach, the slotting effect is considered only in the stator and rotor leakage variation. The model has been also re-written in a space vector state form useful for control applications, since it contains the information of the rotor position. This model works with both a low and a high frequency supply, differently from most control models including slotting effects which usually model only the high frequency behaviour of the machine. The model has been implemented in numerical simulation and verified experimentally on three motors with the same stator and three different rotor configurations. Experimental results confirm the goodness of the model and are in accordance with the results of literature
Decomposing the bony thorax in X-ray images

The identification and segmentation of target objects from medical images is often confused by other more salient objects in the image. This is a specific problem for X-ray projection images where the shadows of semi-transparent objects are overlaid. A bone shadow may confuse the automated detection of other crossing bones and of important soft tissue findings in the lung like lung nodules. We present a method to identify and remove such bone shadows from a chest radiograph for the purpose of suppressing all bone shadows overlapping with the lung field in a standard posterior-anterior view. In this context an elegant novel approach to the problem of identifying and segmenting overlaid objects is followed: Disturbing objects are identified first and literally removed from the image, therefore no longer confusing the detection of other more subtle objects. This method allowed the identification, segmentation, and suppression of the clavicles, the posterior and the anterior parts of the ribs - one after another. In a clinical study the detection of lung nodules by experienced radiologists was improved after bone suppression.
A protocol for evaluation of similarity measures for rigid registration

The accuracy and robustness of a registration method depend on a number of factors, such as imaging modality, image content and image degrading effects, the class of spatial transformation used for registration, similarity measure, optimization, and numerous implementation details. The complex interdependence of these factors makes the assessment of the influence of a particular factor on registration difficult, although it is often desirable to have some estimate of such influences prior to registration. The similarity measure used to create the cost function is one of the factors that most influences the quality of registration. Traditionally, limited information on the behavior of a similarity measure is obtained either by studying the quality of the final registration or by drawing plots of similarity measure values obtained by translating or rotating one image relative to the "gold standard. " In this paper, we present a protocol for a more thorough, optimization-independent, and systematic statistical evaluation of similarity measures. This protocol estimates a similarity measure's capture range, the number, location and extent of local optima, and the accuracy and distinctiveness of the global optimum. To show that the proposed evaluation protocol is viable, we have conducted several experiments with nine similarity measures and real computed tomography and magnetic resonance (MR) images of a spine phantom, MR brain images, and MR and positron emission tomography brain images, for which "gold standard" registrations were available. We have also studied the impact of histogram bin size on the behavior of nine similarity measures. The proposed evaluation protocol is useful for selecting the best similarity measure and corresponding optimization method for a particular application, as well as for studying the influence of sampling, interpolation, histogram bin size, partial image overlap, and image degradation, such as noise, intensity inhomogeneity, and geometrical distortions on the behavior of a similarity measure
Making secular and religious attributions: The availability hypothesis revisited.

Le sondage qui a ete opere sur un echantillon de 202 sujets, cherche a evaluer les conditions qui poussent ces gens a mettre en avant des causes religieuses plutot que profanes. Ces 202 personnes adherent de facons differentes aux preceptes du christianisme conservateur. Les auteurs leur ont donne des vignettes dont la figure centrale est soit un agent religieux (Dieu, Satan), soit un agent profane (chance). En general, les attributions profanes ont ete plus souvent citees que les religieuses. Les resultats de ce sondage entrent dans le cadre plus large de lavailability hypothesis
Stability and mobility of vacancy–H complexes in Al

The effect of hydrogen loading on the stability and mobility of vacancy–H complexes in aluminum is determined by applying DFT and the minimum-mode-following method. The binding energy per H-atom within a complex is found to range from −0.36 eV/atom to −0.34 eV/atom for an occupancy of, respectively, a single and eight H-atoms. When eight H-atoms are neighboring the vacancy the total binding energy becomes −2.72 eV. However, already at a load level of two H-atoms the total binding energy reaches −0.70 eV, which fully compensates the vacancy creation energy. It is observed that for complexes with four or more H-atoms the vacancy gets pinned, as the diffusion barrier increases by a factor of two, reaching a value of 1.03 eV or more. The explanation for the increased energy barrier is that at the higher hydrogen load levels the system must traverse an energetically unfavorable configuration where two or more H-atoms are separated from the vacancy. As a possible consequence of the decreased mobility and increased stability, highly loaded vacancy–H complexes are likely to act as nucleation sites for extended defects.
A Decentralized Privacy Preserving Reputation Protocol for the Malicious Adversarial Model

Users hesitate to submit negative feedback in reputation systems due to the fear of retaliation from the recipient user. A privacy preserving reputation protocol protects users by hiding their individual feedback and revealing only the reputation score. We present a privacy preserving reputation protocol for the malicious adversarial model. The malicious users in this model actively attempt to learn the private feedback values of honest users as well as to disrupt the protocol. Our protocol does not require centralized entities, trusted third parties, or specialized platforms, such as anonymous networks and trusted hardware. Moreover, our protocol is efficient. It requires an exchange of messages, where and are the number of users in the protocol and the environment, respectively.
A fast partial parse of natural language sentences using a connectionist method

The pattern matching capabilities of neural networks can be used to locate syntactic constituents of natural language. This paper describes a fully automated hybrid system, using neural nets operating within a grammatic framework. It addresses the representation of language for connectionist processing, and describes methods of constraining the problem size. The function of the network is briefly explained, and results are given.
Maximizing Data Credibility Under Budget Constraint for Participatory Sensing

Participatory sensing campaigns encourage ordinary people to collect and share sensing data by using their portable smart devices like smartphones, iPad and iWatch. However, compared with static sensors that are deployed in the particular places by people that can provide high-quality data, the quality of sensing data that are collected from smart devices is uncontrollable, and it is costly to pay data usage without knowing the credibility of the collected data. In this paper, we propose to leverage the participant's reputation to maximize total data credibility under budget constraint for participatory sensing systems. Specifically, we formally define a maximum sensing data credibility problem and present a trustable participants selection algorithm to obtain a near optimal solution. Provided the real data set, it has been shown by simulation results that our proposed algorithm selects more credible sensing data than that of the other two comparison algorithms.
Bayesian Cohort and Cross-Sectional Analyses of the PINCER Trial: A Pharmacist-Led Intervention to Reduce Medication Errors in Primary Care

Background Medication errors are an important source of potentially preventable morbidity and mortality. The PINCER study, a cluster randomised controlled trial, is one of the world’s first experimental studies aiming to reduce the risk of such medication related potential for harm in general practice. Bayesian analyses can improve the clinical interpretability of trial findings. Methods Experts were asked to complete a questionnaire to elicit opinions of the likely effectiveness of the intervention for the key outcomes of interest - three important primary care medication errors. These were averaged to generate collective prior distributions, which were then combined with trial data to generate Bayesian posterior distributions. The trial data were analysed in two ways: firstly replicating the trial reported cohort analysis acknowledging pairing of observations, but excluding non-paired observations; and secondly as cross-sectional data, with no exclusions, but without acknowledgement of the pairing. Frequentist and Bayesian analyses were compared. Findings Bayesian evaluations suggest that the intervention is able to reduce the likelihood of one of the medication errors by about 50 (estimated to be between 20% and 70%). However, for the other two main outcomes considered, the evidence that the intervention is able to reduce the likelihood of prescription errors is less conclusive. Conclusions Clinicians are interested in what trial results mean to them, as opposed to what trial results suggest for future experiments. This analysis suggests that the PINCER intervention is strongly effective in reducing the likelihood of one of the important errors; not necessarily effective in reducing the other errors. Depending on the clinical importance of the respective errors, careful consideration should be given before implementation, and refinement targeted at the other errors may be something to consider.
Chapter 1 Basics on Tree Automata

The theory of tree automata was established in the late sixties by Thatcher and Wright [53] and Doner [19]. They showed that the basic logical and algorithmic properties of standard automata theory can be transferred from the domain of finite words to the domain of finite trees (or terms), leading to a theory of regular tree languages. Quoting from the introduction of [53], where the theory of tree automata is called generalized finite automata theory: “. the results presented here are easily summarized by saying that conventional finite automata theory goes through for the generalization – and it goes through quite neatly! ” In parallel, Rabin [44] developed a theory of automata on infinite trees, which serves as a basis for the analysis of specification logics in the context of the verification of state based systems with non-terminating behavior. The theory of automata on infinite trees is quite different from the one on finite trees and in this chapter we exclusively consider finite trees. Besides their application for showing the decidability of certain logical theories [19, 53], tree automata found their first applications in the area of term rewriting, e.g., for the automated termination analysis of certain rewriting systems, which are documented in the electronic book [16]. Nowadays, tree automata are used in various fields, e.g., in verification to model the state space of parametric systems [1] or as the underlying formalism for a logic that allows to specify properties of heap manipulating programs [38]. All these algorithmic applications of tree automata are based on the following two facts: The class of regular tree languages has strong closure properties (e.g., it is closed under boolean operations and projection), and the main algorithmic problems
A combination of two antibodies recognizing non‐overlapping epitopes of HER2 induces kinase activity‐dependent internalization of HER2

The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/ErbB2) is overexpressed in a number of human cancers. HER2 is the preferred heterodimerization partner for other epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family members and is considered to be resistant to endocytic down‐regulation, properties which both contribute to the high oncogenic potential of HER2. Antibodies targeting members of the EGFR family are powerful tools in cancer treatment and can function by blocking ligand binding, preventing receptor dimerization, inhibiting receptor activation and/or inducing receptor internalization and degradation. With respect to antibody‐induced endocytosis of HER2, various results are reported, and the effect seems to depend on the HER2 expression level and whether antibodies are given as individual antibodies or as mixtures of two or more. In this study, the effect of a mixture of two monoclonal antibodies against non‐overlapping epitopes of HER2 was investigated with respect to localization and stability of HER2. Individual antibodies had limited effect, but the combination of antibodies induced internalization and degradation of HER2 by multiple endocytic pathways. In addition, HER2 was phosphorylated and ubiquitinated upon incubation with the antibody combination, and the HER2 kinase activity was found to be instrumental in antibody‐induced HER2 down‐regulation.
The Smith cloud: H i associated with the Sgr dwarf?

ABSTRA C T The Smith high-velocity cloud (VLSR o 98 km s π1 ) has been observed at two locations in the emission lines [O III]l5007, [N II]l6548 and Ha. Both the [N II] and Ha profiles show bright cores due to the Reynolds layer, and red wings with emission extending to VLSR < 130 km s π1 . This is the first simultaneous detection of two emission lines towards a high-velocity cloud, allowing us to form the ratio of these line profiles as a function of local standard of rest (LSR) velocity. At both cloud positions, we see a clear distinction between emission at the cloud velocity, and the Reynolds layer emission (VLSR < 0). The [N II]/Ha ratio (<0:25) for the Reynolds layer is typical of the warm ionized medium. At the cloud velocity, this ratio is enhanced by a factor of 3‐4 compared to emission at rest with respect to the LSR. A moderately deep upper limit at [O III] (0.12R at 3j) was derived from our data. If the emission arises from dilute photoionization from hot young stars, the highly enhanced [N II]/Ha ratio, the [O III] non-detection and weak Ha emission (0.24‐0.30R) suggest that the Smith cloud is 26 6 4 kpc from the Sun, at a Galactocentric radius of 20 6 4 kpc. This value assumes that the emission arises from an optically thick slab, with a covering fraction of unity as seen by the ionizing photons, the orientation of which is either (a) parallel to the Galactic disc, or (b) such as to maximize the received flux from the disc. The estimated mass and size of the cloud are 4 〈 10 6 M( and 6 kpc. We discuss a possible association with the much larger Sgr dwarf, at a Galactocentric radius of 16 6 2 kpc, which lies within 358 (,12 kpc) of the Smith cloud.
Artificial Nutrition and Hydration for the Terminally Ill: A Reasoned Approach

Knowledge about evidence-based research findings on the physiologic effects of artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) can be used as a framework for assisting patients and families with decision making at the end of life. This article provides a review of the credible evidence related to ANH obtained through scientifically sound research, supplies a framework for discussion about ANH with patients and families, and lists basic educational recommendations and resources that both home health and hospice nurses can use to assist with patient and family supportive efforts. The charge to nurses caring for dying patients and their families is consistently to honor patient beliefs about life—their goals and values—in a supportive, unbiased, and informational manner, which will improve the quality of life—at the end of life.
Linking Temporal Changes in Bacterial Community Structures with the Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Neutral Metalloprotease Genes in the Sediments of a Hypereutrophic Lake

We investigated spatial and temporal variations in bacterial community structures as well as the presence of three functional proteolytic enzyme genes in the sediments of a hypereutrophic freshwater lake in order to acquire an insight into dynamic links between bacterial community structures and proteolytic functions. Bacterial communities determined from 16S rRNA gene clone libraries markedly changed bimonthly, rather than vertically in the sediment cores. The phylum Firmicutes dominated in the 4–6 cm deep sediment layer sample after August in 2007, and this correlated with increases in interstitial ammonium concentrations (p < 0.01). The Firmicutes clones were mostly composed of the genus Bacillus. npr genes encoding neutral metalloprotease, an extracellular protease gene, were detected after the phylum Firmicutes became dominant. The deduced Npr protein sequences from the retrieved npr genes also showed that most of the Npr sequences used in this study were closely related to those of the genus Bacillus, with similarities ranging from 61% to 100%. Synchronous temporal occurrences of the 16S rRNA gene and Npr sequences, both from the genus Bacillus, were positively associated with increases in interstitial ammonium concentrations, which may imply that proteolysis by Npr from the genus Bacillus may contribute to the marked increases observed in ammonium concentrations in the sediments. Our results suggest that sedimentary bacteria may play an important role in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle of freshwater lakes.
Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin-Activated Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Induce the Generation of FOXP3+ Regulatory T Cells in Human Thymus

Human thymus contains major dendritic cell (DC) subsets, myeloid DCs (mDCs), and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs). We previously showed that mDCs, educated by thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) produced by the epithelial cells of the Hassall’s corpuscles, induced differentiation of CD4+CD25− thymocytes into Forkhead Box P3+ (FOXP3+) regulatory T cells (TR) within the medulla of human thymus. In this study, we show that pDCs expressed the TSLP receptor and IL-7 receptor α complexes upon activation and became responsive to TSLP. TSLP-activated human pDCs secrete macrophage-derived chemokine CCL-22 and thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine CCL-17 but not Th1- or Th2-polarizing cytokines. TSLP-activated pDCs induced the generation of FOXP3+ TR from CD4+CD8−CD25− thymocytes, which could be strongly inhibited by Th1-polarizing cytokine IL-12 or Th2-polarizing cytokine IL-4. Interestingly, the FOXP3+ TR induced by the TSLP-pDCs expressed more IL-10 but less TGF-β than that induced by the TSLP-mDCs. These data suggest that TSLP expressed by thymic epithelial cells can activate mDCs and pDCs to positively select the FOXP3+ TR with different cytokine production potential in human thymus. The inability of TSLP to induce DC maturation without producing Th1- or Th2-polarizing cytokines may provide a thymic niche for TR development.
An Efficient Source Allocation Approach for QoS Support in P2PTV Systems

Due to the increasing volume of multimedia traffic on the Internet nowadays, the traditional client-server architecture may face scalability and deployment cost problems when the number of subscribers grows large. To tackle these problems, more and more media streaming services, such as IPTV are deployed based on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) architecture. According to the current Internet infrastructure, most of subscribers are behind Network Address Translator (NAT) and using asymmetric access link, so they can not directly share their data with other NATed peers. This situation can easily lead to insufficient upload bandwidth and result in video stuck. Further, the improper selection of peers to download video data may also slow down the video delivery. Both above situations degrade the quality of services of P2PTV system. In this article, we propose approaches to deal with peer grouping and source peer selection, the former is to restrict connection to certain peer groups for improving the share rate of NATed peers, and the latter is to probe partner resource status for optimizing data scheduling. Simulation results show that our proposed approach is able to increase the share rate of NATed peers as well as to reduce video downloading time significantly.