Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis & Interpretation of Biomedical Signals using component extraction techniques

Biomedical signals can arise from one or many sources including heart, brains and endocrine systems. Multiple sources poses challenge to researchers which may have contaminated with artifacts and noise. The analysis of these signals is important both for research and for medical diagnosis and treatment. Independent component analysis (ICA) is a technique capable of separating independent components (ICs) from complex electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. The applications of Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to biomedical signals is a rapidly expanding area of research and many groups are now actively engaged in exploring the potential of blind signal separation and signal deconvolution for revealing new information about the brain and body. The Biomedical time series signal like elctroencephalogram(EEG), electrocardiogram(ECG), etc. The morphology of the cardiac signal is very important in most of diagnostics based on the ECG. The immense scope in the field of biomedical-signal processing Independent Component Analysis( ICA ) is gaining momentum due to huge data base requirement for quality testing . The diagnosis of patient is based on visual observation of recorded ECG, EEG, etc. may not be accurate. To achieve better understanding PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and ICA algorithms helps in analyzing ECG signals. This paper describes some algorithms of ICA in brief, such as Fast-ICA, Kernel-ICA, MS –ICA, JADE, EGLD-ICA ,etc. The experimental results presented in the paper show that the SNR proposed here to indentify the various components with higher accuracy in the particular algorithm based on classifying biomedical data .
Understanding Individual Level ERP Assimilation from a Social Network Perspective: a Multi-Case Study

Prior research on ERP assimilation has primarily focused on influential factors at the organizational level. In this study, we attempt to extend our understanding of individual level ERP assimilation from the perspective of social network theory. We designed a multi-case study to explore the relations between ERP users’ social networks and their levels of ERP assimilation based on the three dimensions of the social networks. We gathered data through interviews with 26 ERP users at different levels in five companies. Qualitative analysis was used to understand the effects of social networks and individual interactive learning. We found that user social networks play a significant role in individual level ERP assimilation through interactive learning behaviours among users. We also found five key factors that facilitate users’ assimilation of ERP knowledge: homogeneity (age, position and rank), tie content (instrumental and expressive ties), tie strength, external ties, and centrality. Our research has significant implications for managing assimilation of ERP systems and improving users’ ERP assimilation level in organizations.
PQH: A Multithreaded Parallel NN Search Index for Content-based Image Retrieval

In this paper, we propose a NN search index method called Parallel Quantized Hashing (PQH) for relevant retrieval in Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) systems. Aiming at improving the performance of query, the PQH partitions the original dataset into several subsets and keeps the pointers to quantized vectors of each subset in a hashing like structure. It only needs to filter parts of the query space to get candidates via neighboring masks and accesses the corresponding real vectors for precise calculation. The neighboring masks are sets of mask vectors indicating cells close to the query point using different metrics. The PQH is multithreaded designed so that the construction and the query can be run in parallel upon multi-core processors. Our extensive experiments confirm that the sequential PQH is of high query efficiency and outperforms the existing methods such as VA+-file and LSH. The parallel run PQH achieves even higher performance and returns appropriate NN results. And more important it is simple for practical implement in real applications.
Efficient Region Based Indexing and Retrieval for Images with Elastic Bucket Tries

Retrieval and indexing in multimedia databases has been an active topic both in the information retrieval and computer vision communities for a long time. In this paper we propose a novel region based indexing and retrieval scheme for images. First we present our virtual textual description using which, images are converted to text documents containing keywords. Then we look at how these documents can be indexed and retrieved using modified elastic bucket tries and show that our approach is one order better than standard spatial indexing approaches. We also show various operations required for dealing with complex features like relevance feedback. Finally we analyze the method comparatively and validate our approach
A Self-Calibrating Runoff and Streamflow Remote Sensing Model for Ungauged Basins Using Open-Access Earth Observation Data

Due to increasing pressures on water resources, there is a need to monitor regional water resource availability in a spatially and temporally explicit manner. However, for many parts of the world, there is insufficient data to quantify stream flow or ground water infiltration rates. We present the results of a pixel-based water balance formulation to partition rainfall into evapotranspiration, surface water runoff and potential ground water infiltration. The method leverages remote sensing derived estimates of precipitation, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, Leaf Area Index, and a single F coefficient to distinguish between runoff and storage changes. The study produced significant correlations between the remote sensing method and field based measurements of river flow in two Vietnamese river basins. For the Ca basin, we found R2 values ranging from 0.88–0.97 and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values varying between 0.44–0.88. The R2 for the Red River varied between 0.87–0.93 and NSE values between 0.61 and 0.79. Based on these findings, we conclude that the method allows for a fast and cost-effective way to map water resource availability in basins with no gauges or monitoring infrastructure, without the need for application of sophisticated hydrological models or resource-intensive data.
A reactive behavioral system for the intelligent room

Motivation: Inherent in the design of an Intelligent Space for Project Oxygen is the ability for the room to react to user behavior: anthropocentric computing requires human-computer interaction. This paper extends the work of the Metaglue system [2] in the Intelligent Room. The existing research in behaviors in the Intelligent Room has involved the establishment of a software and physical architecture to allow the Room to respond to specific user actions and commands on a one-to-one correspondence. If the Room were an intelligent robot, the past research can be likened to the creation of a “body” that can react to external commands. New research needs to internalize these commands; the Intelligent Room needs a “brain. ”
Rigidity of microtubules is increased by stabilizing agents

Microtubules are rigid polymers that contribute to the static mechanical properties of cells. Because microtubules are dynamic structures whose polymerization is regulated during changes in cell shape, we have asked whether the mechanical properties of microtubules might also be modulated. We measured the flexural rigidity, or bending stiffness, of individual microtubules under a number of different conditions that affect the stability of microtubules against depolymerization. The flexural rigidity of microtubules polymerized with the slowly hydrolyzable nucleotide analogue guanylyl-(alpha, beta)- methylene-diphosphonate was 62 +/- 9 x 10(-24) Nm2 (weighted mean +/- SEM); that of microtubules stabilized with tau protein was 34 +/- 3 x 10(-24) Nm2; and that of microtubules stabilized with the antimitotic drug taxol was 32 +/- 2 x 10(-24) Nm2. For comparison, microtubules that were capped to prevent depolymerization, but were not otherwise stabilized, had a flexural rigidity of 26 +/- 2 x 10(-24) Nm2. Decreasing the temperature from 37 degrees C to approximately 25 degrees C, a condition that makes microtubules less stable, decreased the stiffness of taxol-stabilized microtubules by one-third. We thus find that the more stable a microtubule, the higher its flexural rigidity. This raises the possibility that microtubule rigidity may be regulated in vivo. In addition, the high rigidity of an unstabilized, GDP-containing microtubule suggests that a large amount of energy could be stored as mechanical strain energy in the protein lattice for subsequent force generation during microtubule depolymerization.
Trade-Offs Related to Travel Techniques and Level of Display Fidelity in Virtual Data-Analysis Environments

Because effective navigation in 3D virtual environments (VEs) depends on the specifics of the travel techniques and the display system, we compared two travel techniques (steering and target-based) and two display conditions—a high-fidelity setup (a four-wall display with stereo and head-tracking) and a lower-fidelity setup (a single wall display without stereo or head-tracking). In a controlled experiment, we measured performance on travel-intensive data analysis tasks in a complex underground cave environment. The results suggest that steering may be better suited for high-fidelity immersive VEs, and target-based navigation may offer advantages for less immersive systems. The study also showed significantly worse simulator sickness with higher display fidelity, with an interaction trend suggesting that this effect was intensified by steering.
Stateless multi-stage dissemination of information: Source routing revisited

Large-scale information distribution has been increasingly attracting attention, be it through uptake in new services or through recent research efforts in fields like information-centric networking. The core issue to be addressed is the more efficient distribution of information to a large set of receivers. Avoiding state in the forwarding elements is crucial for any scheme to be successful. This paper addresses this challenge by revisiting the idea of in-packet Bloom filters and source routing. As opposed to the traditional in-packet Bloom filter concept which represent the trees flatly as sets, we build our filter by enclosing limited information about the structure of the tree, namely its stage decomposition, which helps to get rid of typical Bloom filter illnesses as infinite loops and false positive forwarding. Our analytical and simulation results show that by using this information we obtain more succinct tree representation while still maintaining forwarding efficiency.
Effect of Dynamic Recrystallization on Microstructural Evolution during Strip Rolling

In the absence of static recrystallization, dynamic recrystallization is the principal softening mechanism operating during strip rolling. This process takes place when the interpass time is short, there is little strain-induced precipitation, and the presence of alloying elements in solution retards static recrystallization. It can lead to austenite grain sizes below 5 μm and ferrite grain sizes of about 3 μm when cooling is carried out at 10°C/s. Increasing the roughing-to-finishing delay time or the delay time between successive passes leads to an increase in the density of Nb(CN) precipitates, which in turn promotes the formation of pancaked austenite. When the latter structure is cooled, 7 μm ferrite grain sizes are produced, which are coarser than the ferrite structures obtained from dynamically recrystallized austenite rolled over the same temperature range.
Synchronous oscillations and phase reorganization in the basal ganglia during akinesia induced by high‐dose haloperidol

Movement disorders such as tremor and akinesia observed in Parkinson's disease have been attributed to dopamine (DA) depletion in the basal ganglia. The changes in subcortical neuronal discharge patterns that follow DA depletion have been a matter of much discussion. Here, we implanted rats with chronic recording electrodes bilaterally in the striatum (CPu) and external globus pallidus (GPe), and induced both acute and repeated DA blockade by administration of high‐dose haloperidol. Recordings were made in baseline states, as well as before and after haloperidol injections, which rendered rats akinetic. The immediate physiological effect of pharmacological DA blockade was the development of prominent oscillatory firing in the 6–8 Hz range in both CPu and GPe. Importantly, this oscillatory pattern was not accompanied by consistent changes in the firing rate of either CPu or GPe neurons. Cross‐correlation analysis further indicated that neurons within the CPu and GPe fired synchronously after DA blockade. Furthermore, although phase lags between neuronal discharges in the GPe and CPu were uniformly distributed prior to haloperidol administration, CPu significantly lagged GPe discharges after repeated DA blockade. Our results demonstrate that acute DA blockade is sufficient to produce synchronous oscillatory activity across basal ganglia neuron populations, and that prolonged DA blockade results in phase lag changes in pallidostriatal synchrony.
Evaluation of Genome-Wide Expression Profiles of Blood and Sputum Neutrophils in Cystic Fibrosis Patients Before and After Antibiotic Therapy

In seeking more specific biomarkers of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung inflammatory disease that would be sensitive to antibiotic therapy, we sought to evaluate the gene expression profiles of neutrophils in CF patients before treatment in comparison with non-CF healthy individuals and after antibiotic treatment. Genes involved in neutrophil-mediated inflammation, i.e. chemotaxis, respiratory burst, apoptosis, and granule exocytosis, were the targets of this study. Microarray analysis was carried out in blood and airway neutrophils from CF patients and in control subjects. A fold change (log) threshold of 1.4 and a cut-off of p<0.05 were utilized to identify significant genes. Community networks and principal component analysis were used to distinguish the groups of controls, pre- and post-therapy patients. Control subjects and CF patients before therapy were readily separated, whereas a clear distinction between patients before and after antibiotic therapy was not possible. Blood neutrophils before therapy presented 269 genes down-regulated and 56 up-regulated as compared with control subjects. Comparison between the same patients before and after therapy showed instead 44 genes down-regulated and 72 up-regulated. Three genes appeared to be sensitive to therapy and returned to “healthy” condition: phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced protein 1 (PMAIP1), hydrogen voltage-gated channel 1 (HVCN1), and β-arrestin 1 (ARRB1). The up-regulation of these genes after therapy were confirmed by real time PCR. In airway neutrophils, 1029 genes were differentially expressed post- vs pre-therapy. Of these, 30 genes were up-regulated and 75 down-regulated following antibiotic treatment. However, biological plausibility determined that only down-regulated genes belonged to the gene classes studied for blood neutrophils. Finally, it was observed that commonly expressed genes showed a greater variability in airway neutrophils than that found in blood neutrophils, both before and after therapy. These results indicate more specific targets for future interventions in CF patients involving respiratory burst, apoptosis, and granule exocytosis.
FEM Simluations of Shear Waves in the Heart Wall

With knowledge of the stiffness of the heart wall, medical personnel can diagnose patients' heart condition. The stiffness of the heart can be altered, e.g. due to a heart attack. New ultrasound technology allows for in vivo observation of shear waves that propagate in the heart wall due to aortic-valve closure. Our main objective was to simulate this shear wave propagation along the heart wall with the help of the finite element method (FEM). We wanted to investigate whether we could obtain an estimate of the stiffness, based on measured shear wave speeds, in a heart wall modeled with a transversely isotropic material. To achieve this objective, we first made the following FEM models that we validated with plane wave theory: - Plane Wave Model - A simple two-dimensional model with the transversely isotropic material implemented, which simulates plane wave propagation. The results agreed excellently with theory (less than 2% discrepancy). - Finite-sized Wave Model - A two-dimensional transversely isotropic model that has a finite-sized source. We observed that plane wave theory gave satisfactory predictions for waves that propagate from the source (less than 6% discrepancy). Then models that can simulate wave propagation down the heart wall were made: - Curved Model - A three-dimensional model, which can represent a part of the heart wall. The model is made for investigation of the effect of curvature on wave speed, and we found that change in curvature only slightly affects the wave speed for both an isotropic and the transversely isotropic material. - Truncated Ellipsoid Model - A three-dimensional model, which is a simple representation of the left ventricle. It was observed that the shear wave speed varied (plus/minus 5% from an average value) through the thickness of the model because of the transversely isotropic material implemented. We argue that current ultrasound technology is probably not able to capture this variation due to relatively high measuring uncertainty. Furthermore, we suggest that an assumption of isotropy can be acceptable even when the transversely isotropic material is implemented. This allows us to make an estimate of the stiffness of the model. Other important results: - We present novel analytical expressions for the material displacement vectors for plane waves that propagate in transversely isotropic media. - A new type of characteristic surfaces that describe the relation between shear wave speed, propagation direction and stiffness is presented. In conclusion, we show how we can investigate details of the wave propagation with the aid of the finite element method.
Jagunal is required for reorganizing the endoplasmic reticulum during Drosophila oogenesis

Vesicular traffic in the Drosophila melanogaster oocyte occurs actively during vitellogenesis. Although endocytosis in the oocyte has been well characterized, exocytic vesicular traffic is less well understood. We show that the oocyte endoplasmic reticulum (ER) becomes concentrated into subcortical clusters during vitellogenesis. This ER reorganization requires Jagunal, which is an evolutionarily conserved ER membrane protein. Loss of Jagunal reduces vesicular traffic to the oocyte lateral membrane, but does not affect posterior polarized vesicular traffic, suggesting a role for Jagunal in facilitating vesicular traffic in the subcortex. Reduced membrane traffic caused by loss of Jagunal affects oocyte and bristle growth. We propose that ER reorganization is an important mechanism used by cells to prepare for an increased demand for membrane traffic, and Jagunal facilitates this process through ER clustering.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fmri) Was Used to Compare Brain Activation to Static Facial Displays versus Dynamic Changes in Facial Identity or Emotional Expression. Static Images Depicted Prototypical Fearful, Angry and Neutral Expressions. Identity Morphs Depicted Identity Changes from On

implicated in processing facial affect, including the amygdala and fusiform gyrus, showed greater responses to dynamic versus static emotional expressions, especially for fear. Identity morphs activated a dorsal fronto-cingulo-parietal circuit and additional ventral areas, including the amygdala, that also responded to the emotion morphs. Activity in the superior temporal sulcus discriminated emotion morphs from identity morphs, extending its known role in processing biologically relevant motion. The results highlight the importance of temporal cues in the neural coding of facial displays.
and rats changes associated with erectile dysfunction in diabetic Microarray analysis reveals novel gene expression

rats changes associated with erectile dysfunction in diabetic Microarray analysis reveals novel gene expression You might find this additional info useful. 24 times a year (twice monthly) by the American Physiological Society, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD systems with techniques linking genes and pathways to physiology, from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. It is published publishes results of a wide variety of studies from human and from informative model Physiological Genomics
Tales of Software Updates: The process of updating software

Updates alter the way software functions by fixing bugs, changing features, and modifying the user interface. Sometimes changes are welcome, even anticipated, and sometimes they are unwanted leading to users avoiding potentially unwanted updates. If users delay or do not install updates it can have serious security implications for their computer. Updates are one of the primary mechanisms for correcting discovered vulnerabilities, when a user does not update they remain vulnerable to an increasing number of attacks. In this work we detail the process users go through when updating their software, including both the positive and negative issues they experience. We asked 307 survey respondents to provide two contrasting software update stories. Using content analysis we analysed the stories and found that users go through six stages while updating: awareness, deciding to update, preparation, installation, troubleshooting, and post state. We further detail the issues respondents experienced during each stage and the impact on their willingness to update.
Mass-spectrometric analysis of glycerophospholipid metabolism

This thesis consists of five parts. In the first part, an automated method for quantitative analysis of phospholipid compositions of cells and tissues by liquid chromatographymass spectrometry was developed. In the second part, this method was applied to investigate brain lipid compositions of patients with progressive epilepsy with mental retardation (EPMR), caused by mutations in the CLN8 gene. We were able to show major progressive alterations in brain lipid profiles of EPMR patients which may contribute to disease pathogenesis in those patients. In the third part, a novel approach to investigate the metabolism of single glycerophospholipid molecular species in living cells was developed. This approach was applied to study mechanisms of acyl chain remodeling, i.e. the exchange of fatty acyl residues, of aminophospholipids in BHK and HeLa cells. In the fourth part a novel mass-spectrometric approach was developed to investigate the substrate specificity of phospholipases and was utilized to elucidate the specificities of secretory A-type phospholipases in unprecedented detail. We showed that the specificity of those phospholipases depended mainly on the propensity of the substrates to efflux from the membrane and interactions between the substrate and the enzyme catalytic site are secondary. In the fifth part of this thesis, mechanisms of mammalian glycerophospholipid homeostasis were reviewed and novel theoretical considerations presented.
Integrated Tunable Quantum Dot Laser for Optical Coherence Tomography in the 1.7?m Wavelength Region

We have designed and fabricated a monolithically integrated continuously tunable laser source for frequency domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) in the 1.6 to 1. 8µm wavelength region. The InP-based laser consists of two 8mm long quantum dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifiers and two electro-optically (EO) tunable filters in a 43.5 mm long ring laser cavity. An 8mm long output amplifier is used to boost the output signal. A picture of the mask is given in Fig. 1a.