Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional connectivity evidence of cortico–cortico inhibition in temporal lobe epilepsy

Epileptic seizures can initiate a neural circuit and lead to aberrant neural communication with brain areas outside the epileptogenic region. We focus on interictal activity in focal temporal lobe epilepsy and evaluate functional connectivity (FC) differences that emerge as function of bilateral versus strictly unilateral epileptiform activity. We assess the strength of FC at rest between the ictal and non‐ictal temporal lobes, in addition to whole brain connectivity with the ictal temporal lobe. Results revealed strong connectivity between the temporal lobes for both patient groups, but this did not vary as a function of unilateral versus bilateral interictal status. Both the left and right unilateral temporal lobe groups showed significant anti‐correlated activity in regions outside the epileptogenic temporal lobe, primarily involving the contralateral (non‐ictal/non‐pathologic) hemisphere, with precuneus involvement prominent. The bilateral groups did not show this contralateral anti‐correlated activity. This anti‐correlated connectivity may represent a form of protective and adaptive inhibition, helping to constrain epileptiform activity to the pathologic temporal lobe. The absence of this activity in the bilateral groups may be indicative of flawed inhibitory mechanisms, helping to explain their more widespread epileptiform activity. Our data suggest that the location and build up of epilepsy networks in the brain are not truly random, and are not limited to the formation of strictly epileptogenic networks. Functional networks may develop to take advantage of the regulatory function of structures such as the precuneus to instantiate an anti‐correlated network, generating protective cortico–cortico inhibition for the purpose of limiting seizure spread or epileptogenesis. Hum Brain Mapp 35:353–366, 2014. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pre-Columbian origins of Native American dog breeds, with only limited replacement by European dogs, confirmed by mtDNA analysis

Dogs were present in pre-Columbian America, presumably brought by early human migrants from Asia. Studies of free-ranging village/street dogs have indicated almost total replacement of these original dogs by European dogs, but the extent to which Arctic, North and South American breeds are descendants of the original population remains to be assessed. Using a comprehensive phylogeographic analysis, we traced the origin of the mitochondrial DNA lineages for Inuit, Eskimo and Greenland dogs, Alaskan Malamute, Chihuahua, xoloitzcuintli and perro sín pelo del Peru, by comparing to extensive samples of East Asian (n = 984) and European dogs (n = 639), and previously published pre-Columbian sequences. Evidence for a pre-Columbian origin was found for all these breeds, except Alaskan Malamute for which results were ambigous. No European influence was indicated for the Arctic breeds Inuit, Eskimo and Greenland dog, and North/South American breeds had at most 30% European female lineages, suggesting marginal replacement by European dogs. Genetic continuity through time was shown by the sharing of a unique haplotype between the Mexican breed Chihuahua and ancient Mexican samples. We also analysed free-ranging dogs, confirming limited pre-Columbian ancestry overall, but also identifying pockets of remaining populations with high proportion of indigenous ancestry, and we provide the first DNA-based evidence that the Carolina dog, a free-ranging population in the USA, may have an ancient Asian origin.
CNRS TELECOM ParisTech at ImageCLEF 2015 Scalable Concept Image Annotation Task: Concept Detection with Blind Localization Proposals

We introduce our participation at the ImageCLEF 2015 scal- able concept detection and localization task. This edition focuses on generating not only annotations (concept detections) but also localiz- ing concepts into a large image collection. Concept detection part of our runs is based on standard nonlinear sup- port vector machines (SVMs). The localization part is blind and based on a priori learned statistics that generate multiple localization propos- als. In spite of its blindness, the performance of this concept localization framework is promising.
Efficient, dense, object-based segmentation from RGBD video

Spatio-temporal cues offer a rich source of information for inferring structural and semantic scene properties. A particularly useful representation in computer vision is a spatio-temporal video segmentation. Together with motion, knowledge of depth can substantially improve superpixel segmentation. In this work we present a novel framework for spatio-temporal segmentation from RGBD video. The method employs both low-level (intensity, color) and high-level (deformable parts model) appearance features. Motion is incorporated through the use of optical flow to construct the temporal connections in the graph Laplacian. Depth cues are incorporated in the similarity metric to provide an informative cue for object boundaries at depth disparities. Naïve application of spectral clustering to dense spatio-temporal graphs leads to a high computational cost that is typically addressed through the use of GPUs or computer clusters. By contrast, we build upon a recently proposed Nyström approximation strategy for spatio-temporal clustering that enables computation on a single core. We further explore structured local connectivity patterns to give high performance at low computational cost. Also we propose a novel context-aware aggregation method that uses a deformable parts model to group the detected parts of the object as a single segment with an accurate boundary. Detailed experiments on the NYU Depth Dataset and TUM RGBD Dataset is performed to compare against previous large-scale graph-based spatio-temporal segmentation techniques which shows the substantial performance advantages of our framework.
15-853 Project : Parallel Callahan-Kosaraju Algorithm for All-Nearest-Neighbors

We implemented a parallel version of the Callahan-Kosarajun algorithm [1] for computing all-nearest-neighbors. Our C++/CILK implementation shows very good performance and decent parallel scalability. We also discuss challenges with parallel memory allocation which we had to overcome in order to gain any parallel speedup.
A dPIP5K Dependent Pool of Phosphatidylinositol 4,5 Bisphosphate (PIP2) Is Required for G-Protein Coupled Signal Transduction in Drosophila Photoreceptors

Multiple PIP2 dependent molecular processes including receptor activated phospholipase C activity occur at the neuronal plasma membranes, yet levels of this lipid at the plasma membrane are remarkably stable. Although the existence of unique pools of PIP2 supporting these events has been proposed, the mechanism by which they are generated is unclear. In Drosophila photoreceptors, the hydrolysis of PIP2 by G-protein coupled phospholipase C activity is essential for sensory transduction of photons. We identify dPIP5K as an enzyme essential for PIP2 re-synthesis in photoreceptors. Loss of dPIP5K causes profound defects in the electrical response to light and light-induced PIP2 dynamics at the photoreceptor membrane. Overexpression of dPIP5K was able to accelerate the rate of PIP2 synthesis following light induced PIP2 depletion. Other PIP2 dependent processes such as endocytosis and cytoskeletal function were unaffected in photoreceptors lacking dPIP5K function. These results provide evidence for the existence of a unique dPIP5K dependent pool of PIP2 required for normal Drosophila phototransduction. Our results define the existence of multiple pools of PIP2 in photoreceptors generated by distinct lipid kinases and supporting specific molecular processes at neuronal membranes.
On the schedulability analysis for distributed hard real-time systems

We investigate into the validity of the rate monotonic analysis techniques for distributed hard real time systems. A recent paper has shown that the algorithm developed by K. Tindell and J. Clark (1994) for the analysis of this kind of system was incomplete because it did not test all the possible cases. We prove that the algorithm is valid as it is stated and that it effectively obtains an upper bound for the worst case response times to external events in distributed systems, since the longest response always occurs within the cases that are currently tested by this algorithm. In addition, we extend the analysis technique to determine an upper bound for the local response times of particular actions in a response to an event, thus allowing the definition and verification of local deadlines for elementary actions in distributed systems.
Taking Aim at the Arms Trade: NGOS, Global Civil Society and the World Military Order

Taking Aim at The Arms Trade: NGOs, Global Civil Society and the World Military Order takes a critical look at the ways in which NGOs portray the arms trade as a problem of international politics and the strategies they use to effect change. NGOs have been pivotal in bringing the suffering caused by the arms trade to public attention, documenting its negative impact on human rights, conflict, security and development around the world, and pushing for measures to control or eradicate the trade. Overall, however, their activity has helped result in the sidelining of Northern military predominance from debate and facilitated intervention in the South based on liberal understandings of the arms trade, conflict, development and human rights. They thus contribute to the perpetuation of a hierarchical and asymmetrical world military order and to the construction of the South as a site of Northern benevolence and intervention. Stavrianakis exposes the tensions inherent in NGOs' engagement with the arms trade and argues for a re-examination of dominant assumptions about NGOs as global civil society actors.
GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS

This title takes an international and comparative approach to the crucial relationship between business and government, drawing on studies of developing countries, advanced capitalist economies and the relationship between business and imperialism. The first section looks at the role of government in promoting or slowing business development and in shaping the structures of business enterprise in countries including Japan, Germany, the US, Brazil, India. The second part looks at the interaction between government and the individual enterprise, considering both the impact of government on corporate strategies, on patterns of competition and the interaction of business and national politics in such contexts as depression, war, fascism and decolonization.
International Cooperative Venture Strategies: Outward Investment and Small Firms from NICs1

■ This study analyzes the preferred models of overseas outward investment in cooperative ventures for 340 small and medium sized Korean firms in 1987. ■ The analysis suggests that firms in the sample have strategic concerns that are different from those of the large MNCs typically studied in such research. Current models of the international firm and of cooperative ventures are shown to have a strong situational component and limited application to a sample of firms which are not large multinationals
Detection of pitch in random acoustic signals by neural networks

By means of a backpropagation neural network a model has been built which is able to distinguish between noises and tones endowed with a detectable pitch in a (computer simulated) random acoustic environment where the information carried by the signals is compressed to its essential part by the reduction of the Fourier transform into templates of 12 numbers used as inputs. It is found that a neural network able to detect a pitch is also able to recognize the presence of a residue pitch in the signals of complex tones where the first (or the first two) harmonic has been subtracted. Finally, the correlations between the concept of consonance and the presence of a detectable pitch in the superposition of pairs of complex tones are briefly investigated.
Biocompatibility and Effectiveness Evaluation of a New Hemostatic Embolization Agent: Thrombin Loaded Alginate Calcium Microsphere

Background. Until now, there has been no ideal embolization agent for hemorrhage in interventional treatment. In this study, the thrombin was encapsulated in alginate calcium microsphere using electrostatic droplet technique to produce new embolization agent: thrombin loaded alginate calcium microspheres (TACMs). Objectives. The present work was to evaluate the biocompatibility and hemostatic efficiency of TACMs. Methods. Cell cytotoxicity, hemolysis, and superselective embolization of dog liver arteries were performed to investigate the biocompatibility of TACMs. To clarify the embolic effect of TACMs mixed thrombus in vivo, hepatic artery injury animal model of 6 beagles was established and transcatheter artery embolization for bleeding was performed. Results. Coculture with VECs revealed the noncytotoxicity of TACMs, and the hemolysis experiment was negligible. Moreover, the histological study of TACMs in liver blood vessel showed signs of a slight inflammatory reaction. The results of transcatheter application of TACMs mixed thrombus for bleeding showed that the blood flow was shut down completely after the TACMs mixed thrombus was delivered and the postprocedural survival rate of animal models at 12 weeks was 100%. Conclusions. With their good biocompatibility and superior hemostatic efficiency, TACMs might be a promising new hemostatic agent with a wide range of potential applications.
Critical exponents of plane meanders

Meanders form a set of combinatorial problems concerned with the enumeration of self-avoiding loops crossing a line through a given number of points, n. Meanders are considered distinct up to any smooth deformation leaving the line fixed. We use a recently developed algorithm, based on transfer matrix methods, to enumerate plane meanders. This allows us to calculate the number of closed meanders up to n = 48, the number of open meanders up to n = 43, and the number of semi-meanders up to n = 45. The analysis of the series yields accurate estimates of both the critical point and critical exponent, and shows that a recent conjecture for the exact value of the semi-meander critical exponent is unlikely to be correct, while the conjectured exponent value for closed and open meanders is not inconsistent with the results from the analysis.
Treatment Recommendations for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition that includes persistent widespread pain, fatigue, insomnia, non-restorative sleep, stiffness, cognitive disturbances, anxiety, and depressed mood. The disorder produces negative impacts on physical and social functioning, health related quality-of-life, emotional health and wellbeing, personal relationships, and the ability to complete daily work/life activities. It is considered to be a central sensitivity syndrome and a member of several overlapping conditions that produce diffuse pain such as chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, tension headache, myofascial pain syndrome, and restless legs syndrome. In order to address the illness and its related comorbidities, successful treatment plans are multidisciplinary, patient centered, individualized and multifaceted. Plans must be comprehensive and include disease education for patient and family members, lifestyle changes, aerobic exercise, dietary consults for weight reduction, sleep hygiene, strength training, cognitive behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, and perhaps complementary and alternative medicine-based therapies. There is good evidence to support the use of exercise to improve functioning and reduce symptoms. Amitriptyline, pregabalin, duloxetine, milnacipran, tramadol, and cyclobenzaprine have the best evidence for efficacy in reducing the symptoms and treating comorbidities. Some data exists supporting the use of acupuncture, mind-body interventions such mindfulness-based stress reduction, acceptance and commitment therapy, hypnosis, and biofeedback. Insufficient research is available for non-steroidal anti-inflammatories agents, acetaminophen and gabapentin. All other opioids, benzodiazepines, atypical psychotics and sedative hypnotics have no proven efficacy and are not a part of current FM treatment guidelines.
On the E ffi ciency of Generalized Likelihood Ratio Tests

The generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) test has been proposed by Fan, Zhang and Zhang (2001) as a generally applicable method to test parametric, semiparametric or nonparametric models against nonparametric alternatives. It is a natural extension of the maximum likelihood ratio test for a parametric model and fully inherits the advantages of classical likelihood ratio tests. Both true likelihood and pesudo likelihood functions can be used. Like classical likelihood ratio tests, the GLR test enjoys the appealing Wilk’s phenomena in the sense that its asymptotic distribution is independent of nuisance parameters and nuisance functions, and follows a χ2-distribution with a known large number of degree freedom. It achieves the asymptotically optimal rate of convergence for nonparametric testing problems formulated by Ingster (1993a, 1993b) and Spokoiny (1996). In this paper, we propose a class of new tests based on loss functions, which measure the discrepancies between the fitted values of the null and alternative models, and are more relevant to economic applications. Like the GLR test, the new tests are generally applicable and enjoy many appealing features of the GLR test, such as the Wilk’s phenomena. Most importantly, they are asymptotically more powerful than the GLR test in terms of Pitman’s relative efficiency criterion. This holds even when the true likelihood function is known.
Mechanical and Control Design Issues in Hydraulic Compliance Control

To be able to define a high-fidelity compliance characteristic to a legged robot using only software, with no change in the hardware, is a feature that greatly enhances the robot’s versatility. We present mechanical and control design aspects that can increase the performance of a hydraulic compliance controller. We also discuss the limitations that the load characteristics can impose to it.
Design of a Microstrip-Fed Hexagonal Shape UWB Antenna with Triple Notched Bands

In this paper, a microstrip-fed hexagonal shape ultra-wideband (UWB) monopole antenna with triple notched bands is presented. The antenna consists of a microstrip feed line, a regular hexagonal shape radiation patch with a complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) and a pair of inverted T-shaped conductor-backed planes embedded in the antenna backside. Notched bands can be easily controlled by geometry parameters of the CSRR and conductor-backed planes. The simulated and measured results show that this monopole UWB antenna can offer an operation frequency from 2.93 GHz to 10.04 GHz with −10 dB return loss bandwidth, except three notched bands at 3.31-3.78 GHz, 5.33- 5.77 GHz and 7.24-7.72 GHz for rejecting the WiMAX and downlink of X-band satellite communication system signals. A good agreement between the measured and simulated results is observed. The proposed antenna provides broadband impedance matching, appropriate gain and stable radiation patterns over its operating bandwidth and can be used in wireless UWB applications.
Euler ’ s Phi Function and Graph Labeling

A graph G(V,E) with vertex set V is said to have a prime labeling if there exist a bijection f : V (G) → {1, 2, . , |V |} such that for each edge xy ∈ E(G), f(x) and f(y) are relatively prime. It becomes an interesting problem to investigate the maximum possible edges that can be constructed in a graph with n vertices having prime labeling property. We interpret this problem in number theory to find total number of relatively prime pair of integers in the set {1, 2, 3, . , n} and prove an interesting result connecting with Euler’s phi function φ(n). Further an algorithmic approach is established for prime labeling for the class of maximal planar graph Pln using the number theory techniques. Mathematics Subject Classification: 05C78
A Visual Interface Design Method for Virtual Heritage Based on User Participation

The visual appearance of product and system is very important nowadays. However, the phase of visual interface design was often ignored in system development lifecycle in the past, and designers conceived visual interface mainly based on their intuitive knowledge and experiences. In this study, the visual interface design domain is especially discussed, a visual interface design method based on user participation is developed, applicable techniques are adopted to support the design process. Finally, a sample application named Chinese Sports system is carried out, which is validated the practicability and effectiveness of this method.
O Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - FNDCT e a Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos - FINEP

Mesmo considerando as acoes sendo desenvolvidas pelo Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas – CNPq, cujo titular, a epoca, do ponto de vista formal, respondia diretamente ao Presidente da Republica, pela Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento do Pessoal de Nivel Superior – CAPES do Ministerio da Educacao e Cultura – MEC e pelo Fundo de Desenvolvimento Tecnico-Cientifico – FUNTEC, do entao Banco Nacional do Desenvolvimento Economico – BNDE, vinculado ao Ministerio do Planejamento e Coordenacao Geral – MPCG e por outras agencias federais, ou talvez ate pelo contrario, como consequencia dessas acoes, percebia-se, no final da decada de 1960, a carencia de apoio a: “um sistema de pesquisas cientificas e tecnologicas que refletisse as necessidades efetivas e potenciais da economia brasileira e que passasse a * Este texto e, com poucos ajustes, uma transcricao do capitulo homonimo de Jose Pelucio Ferreira e a Pos-Graduacao no Brasil/Amilcar Figueira Ferrari Brasilia Paralelo 15, Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior, 2001. 152 Revista Brasileira de Inovacao conduzir o processo de expansao de seu aparelho produtivo sincronizado com a revolucao cientifica e tecnologica”.
IS LOW INFLATION A PRECONDITION FOR FASTER GROWTH? THE CASE OF SOUTH AFRICA

In a recent article, Weeks (1999) identifies excessively high real interest rates as one of the reasons why the South African government's GEAR (Growth, Employment and Redistribution) programme has thus far been unsuccessful. This paper examines a related issue, namely whether inflation, at any given level, is always harmful to growth. The methodology employed presents a departure from standard time series case studies. In an attempt to study the costs and benefits of inflation, South Africa's inflationary experience over the last four decades is divided into four inflationary episodes. The empirical results suggest that inflation within the single-digit zone may beneficial to growth, while inflation in the double-digit zone appears to impose costs in terms of slower growth. However, further results indicate that even during periods when deflationary policy yielded growth benefits as a result of a more stable economic environment, the costs of deflation outweighed the benefits.
Version 8 . 0 – to appear in Complexity Perspectives in Innovation and Social Change -

This chapter introduces an agent-based model designed to investigate the dynamics of some aspects of exaptation (chapters 1, 9). It is strongly related to model introduced in the previous chapter. Indeed, in the model described here cognitive categories represent the main tools that the producers and users of artifacts employ in order to interpret their environment, like in the case discussed in chapter 14. The main addition provided by the current model, however, is the explicit introduction of artifacts.