Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reducing false positives in tractography with microstructural and anatomical priors

Tractography is a family of algorithms that use diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data to reconstruct the white matter pathways of the brain. Although it has been proven to be particularly effective for studying non-invasively the neuronal architecture of the brain, recent studies have highlighted that the large incidence of false positive connections retrieved by these techniques can significantly bias any connectivity analysis. Some solutions have been proposed to overcome this issue and the ones relying on convex optimization framework showed a significant improvement. Here we propose an evolution of the Convex Optimization Modeling for Microstructure Informed Tractography (COMMIT) framework, that combines basic prior knowledge about brain anatomy with group-sparsity regularization into the optimization problem. We show that the new formulation dramatically reduces the incidence of false positives in synthetic DW-MRI data.
Blackberry Propagation Limitations When Using Floricane Cuttings

Outdoor production of floricane-fruiting (FF) blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus) is problematic in the Northern Great Plains region of the United States because cane injury and plant death will occur from exposure to temperatures −15 °C and colder. An annual FF blackberry production system using hardwood floricane cuttings would overcome some of the existing limitations of traditional production methods. Several experiments were performed to induce adventitious root formation from one-node hardwood floricane blackberry cuttings taken in winter for the purpose of subsequent growth of a floral shoot. One-node hardwood cuttings of multiple blackberry cultivars (Apache, Arapaho, Kiowa, Osage, Ouachita, Siskiyou, and Triple Crown) were evaluated for rooting potential with and without auxin treatments. Root formation was virtually nonexistent for ‘Apache’, ‘Kiowa’, and ‘Triple Crown’ regardless of the auxin treatment. In general, lower auxin concentrations and the powder formulation produced more roots and had higher root ratings. However, rooting success of cuttings and plant development was low regardless of the rooting method used. Adventitious root production of one-node dormant hardwood FF blackberry cuttings for use in an annual production system had low success regardless of the cultivar, auxin application, rate, and formulation. The variable propagation success rates using single-node hardwood cuttings from ‘Apache’, ‘Arapaho’, ‘Kiowa’, ‘Osage’, ‘Ouachita’, ‘Siskiyou’, and ‘Triple Crown’ plants grown in containers in North Dakota suggested insufficient rooting success for the recommendation of this practice. Additionally, the results suggested these cultivars are not suitable using this method for an annual production system or as a means for large-scale propagation. Although this approach to developing plants from cuttings is of great interest, without a more effective FF blackberry cutting rooting method that can progress through fruit production, an annual blackberry production system in the Northern Great Plains region of the United States is unlikely.
Deafness and the Educational Rights: A Brief Review through a Brazilian Perspective

In some countries, the human rights involving a proper education are still a privilege for just a few. In some of these regions, the right for a living with dignity and access to the current knowledge is considered a luxury, especially for people with special needs (e.g. deaf children) as the governmental systems still struggle to provide proper conditions to the regular ones. Herein we showed a brief review on deafness, its history on Brazilian education, the Brazilian sign language and the current need of deaf people for teaching resources at the scholar context to. We have also discussed facts that contributed to the Brazilian deaf education and alternative methodologies for the generation of educational resources that can maximize the teaching-learning process by stimulating the interest of deaf students for the science and biotechnological context. The inclusive educational practice with development of proper educational materials and methods may facilitate the teaching and learning process for everyone, including those with hearing loss. This inclusive practice is of great importance for achieving the educational improvement of all people in any society as a whole. Therefore, this article revisited themes that must be considered in the education of people with special hearing needs to guarantee their right of having a proper education and attention.
OsBIRH1, a DEAD-box RNA helicase with functions in modulating defence responses against pathogen infection and oxidative stress

DEAD-box proteins comprise a large protein family with members from all kingdoms and play important roles in all types of processes in RNA metabolism. In this study, a rice gene OsBIRH1, which encodes a DEAD-box RNA helicase protein, was cloned and characterized. The predicted OsBIRH1 protein contains a DEAD domain and all conserved motifs that are common characteristics of DEAD-box RNA helicases. Recombinant OsBIRH1 protein purified from Escherichia coli was shown to have both RNA-dependent ATPase and ATP-dependent RNA helicase activities in vitro. Expression of OsBIRH1 was activated in rice seedling leaves after treatment with defence-related signal chemicals, for example benzothiadiazole, salicylic acid, l-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, and jasmonic acid, and was also up-regulated in an incompatible interaction between a resistant rice genotype and the blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants that overexpress the OsBIRH1 gene were generated. Disease resistance phenotype assays revealed that the OsBIRH1-overexpressing transgenic plants showed an enhanced disease resistance against Alternaria brassicicola and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Meanwhile, defence-related genes, for example PR-1, PR-2, PR-5, and PDF1.2, showed an up-regulated expression in the transgenic plants. Moreover, the OsBIRH1 transgenic Arabidopsis plants also showed increased tolerance to oxidative stress and elevated expression levels of oxidative defence genes, AtApx1, AtApx2, and AtFSD1. The results suggest that OsBIRH1 encodes a functional DEAD-box RNA helicase and plays important roles in defence responses against biotic and abiotic stresses.
No Reduction in Total Hepatic Glucose Output by Inhibition of Gluconeogenesis With Ethanol in NIDDM Patients

Increased gluconeogenesis has been suggested to account for all of the increase in basal glucose production in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We studied the effect of inhibition of gluconeogenesis with ethanol on total hepatic glucose output (HGO) in patients with NIDDM. Fourteen patients with NIDDM (mean ± SE age 61 ± 2 yr, fasting plasma glucose 11.4 ± 0.8 mM; body mass index 27 ± 1 kg/m2) were studied twice after an overnight fast, once during ethanol administration (blood ethanol ∼12 mM) and once during saline administration. Total HGO rate was measured with [3H]glucose. Inhibition of gluconeogenesis by ethanol was followed qualitatively with [U-14C]lactate (n = 8) and [U-14C]glycerol (n = 6) as tracers. Ethanol inhibited gluconeogenesis from lactate by 71 ± 5% (0.5 ± 0.2 vs. 1.8 ± 0.1 μmol glucose · kg−1 · min−1, 240–300 min, P < 0.001; ethanol vs. saline, P < 0.001) and from glycerol by 65 ± 6% (0.8 ± 0.2 vs. 2.3 ± 0.6 μmol glucose · kg · min−1, P < 0.001). Total HGO rate remained unchanged and averaged 12.8 ± 1.8 and 11.8 ± 2.1 μmol · kg−1 · min−1 in the saline and ethanol studies, respectively (NS). We concluded that inhibition of gluconeogenesis by ethanol does not decrease total HGO in patients with NIDDM. Our results suggest the existence of a regulatory mechanism in the liver that maintains constant total HGO despite inhibition of gluconeogenesis.
Serum Uric Acid and Plasma Glucose Levels in Normal Pregnancy

There are existing reports of an association of uric acid with glucose metabolism and their impact on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Hyperuricemia is linked to glucose homeostasis and basically to all components of the metabolic syndrome in the general population. Based on this premise, our study aimed at determining the level of serum uric acid and plasma glucose in second and third-trimester normal pregnancies with a view of establishing cut off values in Makurdi, Nigeria. The hospital-based case-control study involved a total of 103 participants aged 18-35 years attending the antenatal and the general health check up clinics. The participants comprised of 81 normal pregnant females in their second and third trimesters compared with 22 non pregnant controls. Their fasting plasma glucose and serum uric acid levels were compared among age-matched non-pregnant women (n=22), second (n=38), and third (n=43) trimester pregnancies. Serum uric acid level in second (5.89±0.85mg/dl) and third (6.23±1.30mg/dl) trimester pregnancies were significantly (p=0.000) higher than the non-pregnant controls (3.80±1.11mg/dl). A significant (p<0.01) increase in plasma glucose was observed in third-trimester pregnancies (5.19±0.64mmol/l) compared to second-trimester pregnancies (4.87±0.79mmol/l) and controls (4.65±0.51mmol/l). The study provided cut-off values for uric acid, glucose, and further points the need for prenatal care in terms of screening and diagnosis of pregnancy complications in all pregnant women including those considered at low risk.
Standardised measurement of self-awareness deficits in FTD and AD

Background Diminished ability to perceive one's own impairments, whether cognitive or social, is common in dementia, in particular frontotemporal dementia (FTD), where ‘lack of insight’ is listed as a core diagnostic feature. Yet, there is no currently accepted method for measuring insight in dementia. The most commonly used methods, which involve comparing patients' opinions of their level of impairment with the opinions of care givers or close family members, are subjective and require the participation of a knowledgeable informant. Here, the authors introduce a new method that allows objective quantification of an individual's awareness of their cognitive abilities and relies upon objective bedside testing. Methods The authors administered several tests of everyday, real-world functions to patients with FTD (n=10) and Alzheimer's disease (AD, n=10) and to control subjects (n=10). Prior to the tasks, participants were asked to predict their performance using a percentile-based rating system. They were also asked to estimate their performance after task completion. Differences between their self-rated and actual performances were calculated. Results Whereas the control group showed very little discrepancy between pretest predictions, post-task estimates and actual performance (mean difference of 3.9 percentile points for prediction/3.0 percentile points for post-task estimate), both patient groups overpredicted and overestimated their performance, with a significantly greater discrepancy for FTD (49.0/54.3 percentile points) than AD (27.2/28.3 percentile points). Discussion Failures of insight and self-awareness of cognitive dysfunction can be objectively measured in dementia without the assistance of an informant, which will facilitate further study of this key component of higher cognitive functioning.
An LMS-based group sparse adaptive estimation in the case of impulsive noise

The online estimation utilizing the group sparse property is developed in the presence of the impulsive noise. The traditional algorithm, for example, least mean squares (LMS), cannot perform accurate estimation because its cost function is not well defined under the impulsive noise environment. Close inspecting the impulsive noise reveals that the noise is not only sparse because of its impulsive nature, but also has the group sparse property in the time domain since non-zero values occur in cluster. By utilizing this feature, the cost function of LMS is reformulated, and a joint group sparse online estimation approach is developed. The proposed approach explores advantage of this noise structure to better suppress the impulsive noise. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed methods perform well in terms of the estimation accuracy, convergence rate and steady state error than traditional estimation approaches.
Are Clickthroughs Useful for Image Labelling?

In this paper we look at how images can be labelled as a result of click throughs from searches. One approach acts as a filter on image searches specifically, while the other approach propagates labels to images from their containing pages, where those pages were labelled themselves using clickthrough as a filter on text search. Then the paper reports on an experiment where users ranked for relevance six methods for labelling images, comparing the two clickthrough-based methods with flickr's amateur explicit labelling, Getty's professional explicit labelling, Google's standard image search, and the new Google Image Labeller. As well as comparing the accuracy of the proposed image labelling methods and discovering that automatic methods outperform explicit human labelling methods, the experiment suggests clickthrough data is reliable with very few clicks for image classification purposes.
Roles of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in NECA-Induced Cardioprotection against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Objective This study aimed to investigate whether the nonselective A2 adenosine receptor agonist NECA induces cardioprotection against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury via glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) through inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). Methods and Results H9c2 cells were exposed to H2O2 for 20 minutes. NECA significantly prevented H2O2-induced TMRE fluorescence reduction, indicating that NECA inhibited the mPTP opening. NECA blocked H2O2-induced GSK-3β phosphorylation and GRP94 expression. NECA increased GSK-3β phosphorylation and decreased GRP94 expression, which were prevented by both ERS inductor 2-DG and PKG inhibitor KT5823, suggesting that NECA may induce cardioprotection through GSK-3β and cGMP/PKG via ERS. In isolated rat hearts, both NECA and the ERS inhibitor TUDCA decreased myocardial infarction, increased GSK-3β phosphorylation, and reversed GRP94 expression at reperfusion, suggesting that NECA protected the heart by inhibiting GSK-3β and ERS. Transmission electron microscopy showed that NECA and TUDCA reduced mitochondrial swelling and endoplasmic reticulum expansion, further supporting that NECA protected the heart by preventing the mPTP opening and ERS. Conclusion These data suggest that NECA prevents the mPTP opening through inactivation of GSK-3β via ERS inhibition. The cGMP/PKG signaling pathway is responsible for GSK-3β inactivation by NECA.
Developmental roles of tribbles protein family members

The gene tribbles (trbl), identified 12 years ago in genetic screens for mutations that control both cell division and cell migration during embryonic Drosophila development, is the founding member of the Tribbles (Trib) family of kinase‐like proteins that have diverse roles in cell signaling, tissue homeostasis, and cancer. Trib proteins share three motifs: (1) a divergent kinase region (Trib domain) with undetermined catalytic activity, (2) a COP1 site used to direct key target proteins to the proteosome for degradation, and (3) a MEK1 site that binds and modulates MAPKK kinase activity. The notion that Tribs act as scaffolding proteins to balance signaling levels in multiple pathways retains an attractive simplicity, but given recent data showing that divergent kinases act by means of novel catalytic mechanisms, the enzymatic activity of Tribs remains untested. Here, we focus on the role of Tribs during development. Developmental analysis of Drosophila trbl phenotypes reveals tissue‐specific, sometimes contradictory roles. In mammals, multiple Trib isoforms exhibit overlapping and tissue‐specific functions. Recent data indicate the mechanism of Trib activity is conserved and requires the Trib domain. Finally, we discuss the connections between Tribs in disease and cancer that have implications for their normal roles during organogenesis. Developmental Dynamics 241:1239–1248, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Symptomatic recovery and pharmacological management in a clinical cohort with peripartum cardiomyopathy

Abstract Aim: We aimed to characterize the clinical course with focus on pharmacological management of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in Sweden. Methods: Twenty-four consecutive patients were retrospectively identified among women presenting with PPCM in Western Sweden. Of these, 14 had concomitant preeclampsia. There was only one fatality. The mean (standard deviation) left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at diagnosis was 35.0 ± 9.9%. Ten women, 47.6%, required intensive care unit (ICU) admission. All patients received β-blockers (BB) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ACE-I/ARB), which were tapered off over a mean/median period of 3.3/2.5 years with only one case of worsening heart failure. The mean follow-up for medication was 7.9 ± 2.6 years. Early and late/non-recovery was defined as New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I and NYHA II–IV at one year, respectively. Late recovery was associated with larger LVEDD at diagnosis (56.8 versus 62.4 mm) was associated with late recovery, p = . 02. Results and conclusions: PPCM had an overall good prognosis in this cohort. Left ventricular dilation at presentation was a predictor of worse prognosis. Concurrent preeclampsia was common, but was associated with better prognosis. Medication was safely discontinued in 75% of patients.
Prolonged Exposure to LPS Increases Iron, Heme, and p22phox Levels and NADPH Oxidase Activity in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells: Inhibition by Desferrioxamine

Objective—Vascular oxidative stress and inflammation are contributing factors in atherosclerosis. We recently found that the iron chelator, desferrioxamine (DFO), suppresses NADPH oxidase-mediated oxidative stress and expression of cellular adhesion molecules in mice treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The objective of the present study was to investigate whether and how LPS and iron enhance, and DFO inhibits, NADPH oxidase activity in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Methods and Results—Incubation of HAECs for 24 hours with 5 &mgr;g/mL LPS led to a 4-fold increase in NADPH oxidase activity, which was strongly suppressed by pretreatment of the cells for 24 hours with 100 &mgr;mol/L DFO. Incubating HAECs with LPS also significantly increased cellular iron and heme levels and mRNA and protein levels of p22phox, a heme-containing, catalytic subunit of NADPH oxidase. All of these effects of LPS on HAECs were strongly inhibited by DFO. Exposing HAECs to 100 &mgr;mol/L iron (ferric citrate) for 48 hours exerted similar effects as LPS, and these effects were strongly inhibited by coincubation with DFO. Furthermore, neither LPS nor DFO affected mRNA and protein levels of p47phox a nonheme-containing, regulatory subunit of NADPH oxidase, or the mRNA level of NOX4, an isoform of the principal catalytic subunit of NADPH oxidase in endothelial cells. In contrast, heme oxygenase-1 was strongly suppressed by DFO, both in the absence and presence of LPS or iron. Conclusions—Our data indicate that prolonged exposure to LPS or iron increases endothelial NADPH oxidase activity by increasing p22phox gene transcription and cellular levels of iron, heme, and p22phox protein. Iron chelation by DFO effectively suppresses endothelial NADPH oxidase activity, which may be helpful as an adjunct in reducing vascular oxidative stress and inflammation in atherosclerosis.
Heterogeneous Integration in Switchmode Electronics

Heterogeneous Integration in Switchmode Power Electronics Kevin Tien This dissertation looks closely at deployment of thin-film integrated inductors within power electronics, including details on the state-of-the-art technology for such inductors and related packaging techniques. Design challenges for systems using these inductors are discussed in detail, including the current outlook on magnetics development and the impact of these nonlinearities on system design. In particular, this work looks closely at effects often left behind in modern discrete-component-based power module design, such as soft core saturation and significant high-frequency losses. In conjunction with the magnetics, a well-known non-linear controller for buck converters is analyzed in-depth for the first time, using frameworks from variable structure and slidingmode control. This allows for development of a more profound rationale for the heuristic design guidelines that have been heretofore provided for this class of controllers. To verify the theoretical development, a testbench integrated CMOS front-end for a switchedinductor step-down, or buck converter is used to investigate departures of system behavior from the general wisdom around buck converter performance. Two packaging methodologies are explored for integration, and their impact on the design cycle and module lifetimes are discussed in some detail.
Complexity of ITL Model Checking: Some Well-Behaved Fragments of the Interval Logic HS

Model checking has been successfully used in many computer science fields, including artificial intelligence, theoretical computer science, and databases. Most of the proposed solutions make use of classical, point-based temporal logics, while little work has been done in the interval temporal logic setting. Recently, a non-elementary model checking algorithm for Halpern and Shoham's modal logic of time intervals HS over finite Kripke structures (under the homogeneity assumption) and an EXPSPACE model checking procedure for two meaningful fragments of it have been proposed. In this paper, we show that more efficient model checking procedures can be developed for some expressive enough fragments of HS.
HIGHLY VARIABLE OBJECTS IN THE PALOMAR-QUEST SURVEY: A BLAZAR SEARCH USING OPTICAL VARIABILITY

We identify 3113 highly variable objects in 7200 deg2 of the Palomar-QUEST (PQ) Survey, which each varied by more than 0.4 mag simultaneously in two broadband optical filters on timescales from hours to roughly 3.5 years. The primary goal of the selection is to find blazars by their well-known violent optical variability. Because most known blazars have been found in radio and/or X-ray wavelengths, a sample discovered through optical variability may have very different selection effects, elucidating the range of behavior possible in these systems. A set of blazars selected in this unusual manner will improve our understanding of the physics behind this extremely variable and diverse class of active galactic nucleus (AGN). The object positions, variability statistics, and color information are available using the PQ CasJobs server. The time domain is just beginning to be explored over large sky areas; we do not know exactly what a violently variable sample will hold. About 20% of the sample has been classified in the literature; over 70% of those objects are known or likely AGNs. The remainder largely consists of a variety of variable stars, including a number of RR Lyrae and cataclysmic variables.