Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The significance of cerebral white matter abnormalities 100 years after Binswanger's report. A review.

BACKGROUND Changes in the cerebral hemispheric white matter are detected with increasing frequency by CT and MRI among persons older than 60 years. The pathogenesis, clinical significance, and morphological substrate of these changes are incompletely understood. Patients who have such neuroimaging abnormalities are sometimes diagnosed with "Binswanger's disease," an eponym that has generated much confusion because of its imprecise meaning. The objectives of this study were to determine whether the term Binswanger's disease merits acceptance as a distinct clinicopathologic entity, to deduce the clinical significance of these white matter abnormalities from the analysis of appropriate publications, and to evaluate studies that correlate in vivo changes in the cerebral white matter with pathological features. SUMMARY OF REVIEW We evaluated Binswanger's original case description and, after conducting a Medline search, reviewed more than 160 publications, mostly in the English language, on the subject of white matter abnormalities detectable by currently used neuroimaging methods (ie, leukoaraiosis). CONCLUSIONS Binswanger's original description appears to be insufficient for the purpose of defining a new nosological entity. After evaluating the vaguely outlined pathological correlates described in a few of these subcortical cerebral leukoencephalopathies, we conclude that the clinical significance of leukoaraiosis remains incompletely defined. However, its frequency increases with age independent of other risk factors, and in nondemented subjects leukoaraiosis is associated with deficits in selected cognitive functions. Moreover, leukoaraiosis correlates with an increased risk for the subsequent development of strokes. We make specific suggestions for future studies that may help to clarify this topic.
Regulatory analysis of the mouse Hoxb3 gene: multiple elements work in concert to direct temporal and spatial patterns of expression.

The expression pattern of the mouse Hoxb3 gene is exceptionally complex and dynamic compared with that of other members of the Hoxb cluster. There are multiple types of transcripts for Hoxb3 gene, and the anterior boundaries of its expression vary at different stages of development. Two enhancers flanking Hoxb3 on the 3' and 5' sides regulate Hoxb2 and Hoxb4, respectively, and these control regions define the two ends of a 28-kb interval in and around the Hoxb3 locus. To assay the regulatory potential of DNA fragments in this interval we have used transgenic analysis with a lacZ reporter gene to locate cis-elements for directing the dynamic patterns of Hoxb3 expression. Our detailed analysis has identified four new and widely spaced cis-acting regulatory regions that can together account for major aspects of the Hoxb3 expression pattern. Elements Ib, IIIa, and IVb control gene expression in neural and mesodermal tissues; element Va controls mesoderm-specific gene expression. The most anterior neural expression domain of Hoxb3 is controlled by an r5 enhancer (element IVa); element IIIa directs reporter expression in the anterior spinal cord and hindbrain up to r6, and the region A enhancer (in element I) mediates posterior neural expression. Hence, the regulation of segmental expression of Hoxb3 in the hindbrain is different from that of Hoxa3, as two separate enhancer elements contribute to expression in r5 and r6. The mesoderm-specific element (Va) directs reporter expression to prevertebra C1 at 12.5 dpc, which is the anterior limit of paraxial mesoderm expression for Hoxb3. When tested in combinations, these cis-elements appear to work as modules in an additive manner to recapitulate the major endogenous expression patterns of Hoxb3 during embryogenesis. Together our study shows that multiple control elements direct reporter gene expression in diverse tissue-, temporal-, and spatially restricted subset of the endogenous Hoxb3 expression domains and work in concert to control the neural and mesodermal patterns of expression.
Development of a New Biofertilizer with a High Capacity for N2 Fixation, Phosphate and Potassium Solubilization and Auxin Production

Biofertilizers that possess a high capacity for N2 fixation (Azotobacter tropicalis), and consist of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (Burkhoderia unamae), and potassium solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) and produce auxin (KJB9/2 strain), have a high potential for growth and yield enhancement of corn and vegetables (Chinese kale). For vegetables, the addition of biofertilizer alone enhanced growth 4 times. Moreover, an enhancement of growth by 7 times was observed due to the addition of rock phosphate and K-feldspar, natural mineral fertilizers, in combination with the biofertilizer.
Start-up Actions and Outcomes: What Entrepreneurs Do to Reach Profitability

Globally, hundreds of millions enter the firm creation process every year. About a third will actually develop a profitable new firm. Understanding how these successful efforts reach initial profits has been a major challenge for entrepreneurial scholars. A recently developed research protocol has involved systematic collection of data on the start-up activities of representative samples of nascent ventures and tracking their outcomes; a number of Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics [PSED] projects have been completed. Assembling data from five PSED cohorts in four countries has allowed for attention to the effect of start-up activities on the outcomes of a harmonized sample of 2,500 nascent ventures. There is no difference in outcomes related to the gender of the nascent entrepreneur, a small effect associated with age, and modest impacts associated with educational attainment, work history, and experience with other start-up initiatives. There is a systematic country effect; the U.S. has a lower proportion of profitable new firms than Australia, China, or Sweden. Many aspects of the start-up effort are related to the outcomes. A greater range of start-up activities early in the start-up process is associated with profitability, less terminations, and fewer with a long tenure in the start-up process. Activities emphasizing promotion of the nascent venture, assembling a firm infrastructure, and implementing a production process are associated with initial profitability and fewer terminations. Business planning increases the tendency to quit and reduces the proportion active in the start-up process. It may reduce the time to reach disengagement. Implementing of promotion, infrastructure development, and establishing a production process also reduces the time to reach initial profits. The results have implications for both aspiring entrepreneurs and policy development.
The cost of adapting to climate change: evidence from the US residential sector

Using household-level data from the American Housing Survey, this paper assesses the cost of adapting housing to temperature increases. The authors account for both energy use adjustments and capital adjustments through investments in weatherization and heating and cooling equipment. The authors’ best estimate of the present discounted value of the cost for adapting to the A2 ‘business-as-usual’ climate scenario by the end of the century is US$5,600 per housing unit, including both energy and investment costs. A more intense use of air conditioners will be compensated for by a reduction in heating need, leading to a shift from gas to electricity consumption.
Reaching agreement on trusting behavior - evidence on cultural differences from a public goods game with representatives (extended abstract)

Extended Abstract We study a public good game with representatives in three different countries with varying levels of individualism. Experimental treatments differ with respect to communication possibilities between representatives and their constituencies. Representatives can never communicate with the other representatives. Thus, depending on how much they can communicate with their constituencies, they have to make judgements about the intentions of not only the other representatives, but also their own group members, to be able to represent them well. We focus on interactions between representatives of groups. To take the risk to behave in a cooperative way towards the other representatives, representatives must be sure that their constituency accepts them taking this risk. This implies understanding the possible intentions of the others and to behave in a way that fits with these expectations. In an earlier paper (Iida & Schwieren, 2013) we have shown that for Spanish subjects it is indeed important for representatives ́ cooperation to know whether their constituency accepts (risky) cooperative behavior towards the other representatives or not. In this paper, we add the aspect of intercultural differences. Based on Yuki ́s (2003) framework for understanding group behavior in collectivist countries and Yamagishi ́s structural trust model (Yamagishi, Cook, & Watabe, 1998), we expect differences in trust towards strangers in general between individualistic and collectivistic countries, but also differences in the effect of communication between representative and constituency on cooperative behavior of representatives. We compare a rather individualistic, European country (Germany) with a rather collectivistic European country (Spain) and the classical example of a collectivistic country (Japan) (following Hofstede ́s (1980) categorization) 4 . We used a standard public good game as the basic tool for our experiment. The experiment was programmed and conducted with z-Tree (Fischbacher 2007). Based on our research questions, we used one Baseline treatment and various “Representative” treatments that differed in terms of the informational structure and the number of interactions between the subjects of one group. The Baseline treatment is a simple three-person public good game
OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLOMBIAN YOUTH IN VIOLENT PRONE URBAN AREAS: AN EXPLORATORY RESEARCH CONCERNING CAPABILITY SATISFACTION PROVIDED BY COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS

This thesis focusses on children in urban violent-prone areas and organizations that attempt to offer them chances to break the negative cycle of violence. I explored whether the organizations align with children concerning which capabilities and opportunities they deem most important for the children to stimulate their development. For this, I resorted to the capability approach as a theoretical framework and research methods which are in line with this theoretical framework. The capability approach aims to research how individual development and well-being is stimulated within a society in order for the whole society to improve through the individual skills of its people. In this thesis, I will focus on the thoughts of children who are beneficiaries in five organizations based in Bogota, Cali or Barrancabermeja. My exploratory research aims to pin down which capabilities are valued the most by children, how they relate their capability access to the organizations and how the organizations approach the children.
Mobile cloud computing & mobile battery augmentation techniques: A survey

Energy efficiency of mobile devices is paramount after the tremendous advancement in technology while the explosion of smart mobile applications such as, YouTube, Facebook, Twitters and Google maps makes Smart Internet Devices (SIDs) the first choice of communication. On the other hand, multiple sensors and wireless interfaces drain battery swiftly, thus reducing the operational time of SIDs. Therefore, extending battery life problem has become of crucial research importance, at hardware and software levels, both alike. This paper firstly, makes contribution by reviewing different techniques at software level used to enhance battery life of SIDs in particular Smartphones. At the end, suggestions and opinions related to energy efficiency of SIDs are given, based on the comparative studies.
Development of High ZT Thermoelectric Materials with Nanostructure for Energy Applications

Abstract : Three subtasks were performed in this research study and the respective findings are described here. A) Investigation of the system of surface modified nanostructured bulk: Our studies show that the CuFeSe2 thin film on Si (or SiO2) substrates exhibit large thermal power in the order of 1300 microvolt/K at approximately 300K. We conclude that the thinner films have the higher thermal conductivity. At 300K, the magnitude of thermal conductivity 8.8 W/m-K for 200 nm is about two times larger than 1.7 W/m-K of the 800 nm film. The consequence is attributed to the better crystallization in thinner films. This film thickness dependence of crystallization was confirmed by X-ray diffraction data. In this report, the thermal resistance of the interface boundaries in SiNx-CuFeSe2 was estimated to be 3.32 x 10(-8) Km2/W. We cannot give a clear estimate of the ZT value for these films at the moment. The major difficulty came from the exact value of the thermoelectric power of the thin film. B) Investigation of one-dimensional nanowires: Bismuth telluride film and nanowires array (embedded in alumina template) were fabricated by potentiostatically electrodeposition. The Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of a single nanowire provide an estimated thermoelectric figure of merit ZT = 0.45 at 300 K and likely to reach beyond 0.9 above 350 K, for Bi2Te3 nanowires. C) Directional dependent thermal conductivity and thermal rectifier: we cannot make a conclusive statement that there exists no rectification effect, as the narrowest section in our device is still too big compared with that observed in carbon and boron nitride nanotubes.
Elevated blood pressure and decreased cognitive function among school-age children and adolescents in the United States.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between elevated blood pressure (BP) and cognitive test performance in a nationally representative sample of children. Study design The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III provides cross-sectional data for children 6 to 16 years, including BP and cognitive test scores. Elevated BP was defined as systolic or diastolic BP >or=90th percentile. Cognitive tests were compared for children with elevated and normal BP. Linear regression was used to evaluate the relation between elevated BP and decreased test scores. RESULTS Among the 5077 children, 3.4% had systolic BP >or=90th percentile and 1.6% diastolic BP >or=90th percentile. Children with elevated systolic BP had lower average scores compared with normotensive children for digit span (7.9 vs 8.7, P=.01), block design (8.6 vs 9.5, P=.03), and mathematics (89.6 vs 93.8, P=.01). Elevated diastolic BP was associated with lower average scores on block design (9.5 vs 11, P=.01). Linear regression showed that elevated systolic BP was independently associated with lower digit span scores (P=.032). CONCLUSION Children with elevation of systolic BP are at risk for central nervous system end-organ damage, as manifested by decreased digit span test scores.
Prevalence and risk factors for self-reported non-communicable diseases among older Ugandans: a cross-sectional study

Background There is limited evidence about the prevalence and risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among older Ugandans. Therefore, this article is aimed at investigating the prevalence of self-reported NCDs and their associated risk factors using a nationally representative sample. Design We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2010 Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) using a weighted sample of 2,382 older people. Frequency distributions for descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square tests to identify the association between self-reported NCDs and selected explanatory variables were done. Finally, multivariable complementary log–log regressions to estimate the risk factors for self-reported NCDs among older people in Uganda were done. Results About 2 in 10 (23%) older persons reported at least one NCD [including hypertension (16%), diabetes (3%), and heart disease (9%)]. Among all older people, reporting NCDs was higher among those aged 60–69 and 70–79; Muslims; and Pentecostals and Seventh Day Adventists (SDAs). In addition, the likelihood of reporting NCDs was higher among older persons who depended on remittances and earned wages; owned a bicycle; were sick in the last 30 days; were disabled; and were women. Conversely, the odds of reporting NCDs were lower for those who were relatives of household heads and were poor. Conclusions In Uganda, self-reported NCDs were associated with advanced age, being a woman, having a disability, ill health in the past 30 days, being rich, depended on remittances and earning wages, being Muslim, Pentecostal and SDAs, and household headship. The Ministry of Health should prevent and manage NCDs by creating awareness in the public and improving the supply of essential drugs for these health conditions. Finally, there is a need for specialised surveillance studies of older people to monitor the trends and patterns of NCDs over time.
Bandwidth Compression of Floating-Point Numerical Data Streams for FPGA-Based High-Performance Computing

Although computational performance is often limited by insufficient bandwidth to/from an external memory, it is not easy to physically increase off-chip memory bandwidth. In this study, we propose a hardware-based bandwidth compression technique that can be applied to field-programmable gate array-- (FPGA) based high-performance computation with a logically wider effective memory bandwidth. Our proposed hardware approach can boost the performance of FPGA-based stream computations by applying a data compression technique to effectively transfer more data streams. To apply this data compression technique to bandwidth compression via hardware, several requirements must first be satisfied, including an acceptable level of compression performance and a sufficiently small hardware footprint. Our proposed hardware-based bandwidth compressor utilizes an efficient prediction-based data compression algorithm. Moreover, we propose a multichannel serializer and deserializer that enable applications to use multiple channels of computational data with the bandwidth compression. The serializer encodes compressed data blocks of multiple channels into a data stream, which is efficiently written to an external memory. Based on preliminary evaluation, we define an encoding format considering both high compression ratio and small hardware area. As a result, we demonstrate that our area saving bandwidth compressor increases performance of an FPGA-based fluid dynamics simulation by deploying more processing elements to exploit spatial parallelism with the enhanced memory bandwidth.
Therapeutic silencing of miR‐652 restores heart function and attenuates adverse remodeling in a setting of established pathological hypertrophy

Expression of microRNA‐652 (miR‐652) increases in the diseased heart, decreases in a setting of cardioprotection, and is inversely correlated with heart function. The aim of this study was to assess the therapeutic potential of inhibiting miR‐652 in a mouse model with established pathological hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction due to pressure overload. Mice were subjected to a sham operation or transverse aortic constriction (TAC) for 4 wk to induce hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction, followed by administration of a locked nucleic acid (LNA)‐antimiR‐652 (miR‐652 inhibitor) or LNA control. Cardiac function was assessed before and 8 wk post‐treatment. Expression of miR‐652 increased in hearts subjected to TAC compared to sham surgery (2.9‐fold), and this was suppressed by ~95% in LNA‐antimiR‐652‐treated TAC mice. Inhibition of miR‐652 improved cardiac function in TAC mice (fractional shortening:29±1% at 4 wk post‐TAC compared to 35±1% post‐treatment) and attenuated cardiac hypertrophy. Improvement in heart function was associated with reduced cardiac fibrosis, less apoptosis and B‐type natriuretic peptide gene expression, and preserved angiogenesis. Mechanistically, we identified Jagged1 (a Notch1 ligand) as a novel direct target of miR‐652. In summary, these studies provide the first evidence that silencing of miR‐652 protects the heart against pathological remodeling and improves heart function. —Bernardo, B. C. , Nguyen, S. S. , Winbanks, C. E. , Gao, X. ‐M. , Boey, E. J. H. , Tham, Y. K. , Kiriazis, H. , Ooi, J. Y. Y. , Porrello, E. R. , Igoor, S. , Thomas, C. J., Gregorevic, P., Lin, R. C. Y. , Du, X. ‐J., McMullen, J. R. Therapeutic silencing of miR‐652 restores heart function and attenuates adverse remodeling in a setting of established pathological hypertrophy. FASEB J. 28, 5097–5110 (2014). www.fasebj. org
Do Islamic banks lead or lag conventional banks? Evidence from Malaysia

This paper explores the causal relationship between Islamic banks’ non-performing financing (NPF) and conventional banks’ non-performing loans (NPL) for the banking industry in Malaysia. To further understand these asset quality variables, we added domestic macroeconomic variables namely domestic credit, real lending rate and exchange rate for the period January 2007 to January 2017. Using time series cointegrating VAR models, coupled with the Long Run Structural Modelling (LRSM), Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) and Variance Decompositions (VDC), the results tend to suggest that NPF leads NPL. Contrary to expectation, the VDC results suggest that NPF and NPL variables are leading and lagging respectively. This unexpected result gives rise to many interesting arguments especially within the Islamic banking perspectives. Apart from providing important insights into the causality between NPF and NPL, our results contribute to the policy implications. Interest rate variable being the most leading variable may be used to affect both NPFs and NPLs.
FPGA implementation of 4-channel ICA for on-line EEG signal separation

Blind source separation of independent sources from their mixtures is a common problem for multi-sensor applications in real world, for example, speech or biomedical signal processing. This paper presents an independent component analysis (ICA) method with information maximization (Infomax) update applied into 4-channel one-line EEG signal separation. This can be implemented on FPGA with a fixed-point number representation, and then the separated signals are transmitted via Bluetooth. As experimental results, the proposed design is faster 56 times than soft performance, and the correlation coefficients at least 80% with the absolute value are compared with off-line processing results. Finally, live demonstration is shown in the DE2 FPGA board, and the design is consisted of 16,605 logic elements.
Associations Between Particulate Sulfate and Organic Carbon Exposures and Heart Rate Variability in Patients With or at Risk for Cardiovascular Diseases

Objective: It is still unknown whether specific components in fine particles are associated with heart rate variability (HRV) reduction. Methods: We recruited 46 patients with or at risk for cardiovascular diseases to measure 24-hour HRV by ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. Fixed-site air-monitoring stations were used to represent participants’ exposures to particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 10 &mgr;m (PM10) and 2.5 &mgr;m (PM2.5), and particulate components of sulfate, nitrate, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon, and gaseous pollutants. Results: We found that HRV reduction was associated with sulfate, OC, and PM2.5 but not with the other five pollutants in single-pollutant models. Sulfate was found to remain in significant association with HRV reduction adjusting for OC and PM2.5 in three-pollutant models. Conclusions: Exposures to sulfate and OC in PM2.5 were associated with HRV reduction in patients with or at risk for cardiovascular diseases.