Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Separation of fiber tracts within the human cingulum bundle using single-shot STEAM DTI.

The cingulum bundle is a complex white matter fiber tract of the human brain that comprises long association fibers, commissural fibers, and various U-fibers. It is located above the corpus callosum and interconnects limbic structures. A decline of the cingulum fiber integrity has been observed in patients with mental disorders such as schizophrenia. In this work a separation of the bi-hemispheric lateral longitudinal striae and selected U-fibers was achieved by fiber tractography of the cingulum bundle based on diffusion tensor imaging at 1.8 mm isotropic spatial resolution. Anatomic accuracy without susceptibility-induced distortions was ensured by diffusion-weighted single-shot STEAM MRI with 24 gradient directions and b values of 0 and 1000 s mm -2 . Extending earlier versions, the STEAM sequence combined variable flip angles, centrically reordered phase encoding, partial Fourier encoding, and parallel imaging.
Co-encapsulation of Nigella sativa oil and plasmid DNA for enhanced gene therapy of Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract Alzheimer disease involves genetic and non-genetic factors and hence it is rational to be treated with genetic and non-genetic therapeutic agents. Nigella sativa has multiple therapeutic properties including neuroregeneration. Nigella sativa oil (NSO) was encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles and pDNA was loaded either by adsorption on chitosan-modified particles or encapsulation within PLGA nanoparticles. The particle size and zeta potential of NSO-pDNA-chitosan-PLGA nanoparticles were highly dependent on the medium and exhibited high burst release. Meanwhile, NSO-pDNA-PLGA nanoparticles were more consistent with lower burst release. The fabricated nanoparticles revealed the expected outcomes of both pDNA and NSO. The pDNA transfected N2a cell while the encapsulated NSO promoted neurite outgrowth that is crucial for neuroregeneration. Results from this study suggest that NSO could be added to the gene delivery carrier to enhance treatment benefits for Alzheimer disease.
Applications and physics of the tabletop storage ring

We are constructing the smallest electron storage ring for establishing hard/infrared/far-infrared beam facility. Physics subject to be studied are the study on a 2/3 resonance injection; the sub-pico second short electron bunch formation and the coherent synchrotron radiation; the photon storage ring (PhSR) lasing mechanism, the light pulse compression in the PhSR; the Compton backscattering under strong magnetic field; and characteristics of hard X-rays generated by a very thin wire target placed in the orbit.
Singular point detection in fingerprint images: An investigation on quantization approach

This paper presents a quantization approach to the detection of singular points in fingerprint images. Singular points in fingerprint images referred to the core and delta points. They are the global features found in the orientation field image of a fingerprint. A singular point is normally detected at the intersection of three gray levels of a quantized orientation field image at quantization level-3 but no study has been carried out for higher quantization level. In this paper, the singular point detection has been investigated up to quantization level-8 by employing two performance measures: sensitivity and precision. The performance at level-5 has been found to be optimal when both measures are combined.
Wavelet multi-resolution analysis on vortical structures of a dune wake based on large eddy simulation

The three-dimensional orthogonal wavelet multi-resolution technique was applied to analyze flow structures of various scales behind a dune model The three-dimensional dune wake flow was evaluated by using large eddy simulation (LES) at a Reynolds number of 5530. The instantaneous velocity and vorticity were decomposed into the large-, intermediate- and relatively small-scale components by the wavelet multi-resolution technique. The coherent structure are visualized by Q-criterion. It is found that the rollers and horse-shoe structure in the separation bubble are mainly contributed from large-scale structures, furthermore, some horse-shoe structures can be clearly identified by intermediate-scale structures, the coherent structures are the combined effect of large-scale and intermediate-scale structures. The velocity and vorticity of large-scale structure dominate the dune wake flow and the vorticity concentration makes main contribution, and the intermediate-scale as well as the relatively small-scale ones tends to become more active as the flow flows downstream.
Surface-state band structure of the Si(100)2 x 1 surface studied with polarization-dependent angle-resolved photoemission on single-domain surfaces.

Etude de la structure electronique de la surface Si(100) 2×1 par photoemission a resolution angulaire dependante de la polarisation. Mesure des dispersions de bande de surface suivant les axes de symetrie Γ-J' et Γ-J dans la zone de Brillouin de la surface. Comparaison aux resultats d'etudes anterieures des surfaces a deux domaines, ainsi qu'aux calculs theoriques de structure de bande. En plus de l'etat de surface bien connu attribue aux liaisons pendantes, on observe cinq structures supplementaires relatives a l'etat de surface sur la surface monodomaine
Endocytosis of Synaptotagmin 1 Is Mediated by a Novel, Tryptophan‐Containing Motif

The rate at which a membrane protein is internalized from the plasma membrane can be regulated by revealing a latent internalization signal in response to an appropriate stimulus. Internalization of the synaptic vesicle membrane protein, synaptotagmin 1, is controlled by two distinct regions of its intracytoplasmic C2B domain, an internalization signal present in the 29 carboxyterminal (CT) amino acids and a separate regulatory region. We have now characterized the internalization motif by mutagenesis and found that it involves an essential tryptophan in the last beta strand of the C2B domain, a region that is distinct from the AP2‐binding site previously described. Internalization through the tryptophan‐based motif is sensitive to eps15 and dynamin mutants and is therefore likely to be clathrin mediated. A tryptophan‐to‐phenylalanine mutation had no effect on internalization of the CT domain alone, but completely inhibited endocytosis of the folded C2B domain. This result suggests that recognition of sorting motifs can be influenced by their structural context. We conclude that endocytosis of synaptotagmin 1 requires a novel type of internalization signal that is subject to regulation by the rest of the C2B domain.
Abstract: Model Conditioned Data Elasticity in Path Analysis: Assessing the “Confoundability” of the Data

Model Conditioned Data Elasticity in Path Analysis: Assessing the “Confoundability” of the Data Dustin A. Fife University of Oklahoma Joseph L. Rodgers Vanderbilt University Jorge L. Mendoza University of Oklahoma Much research has been directed at the validity of fit indices in Path Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (e.g., Heene, Hilbert, Draxler, Ziegler, & Bhner, 2011; Hu & Bentler, 1999; Marsh, Hau, & Wen, 2004). Recent developments (e.g., Preacher, 2006; Roberts & Pashler, 2000) have encouraged researchers to investigate other criteria for comparing models, including model complexity. What has not been investigated is the inherent ability of a particular data set to be fitted with random models, which we call Data Elasticity (DE). In this article we show how DE can be compared with the problem of equivalent models and a more general problem of the “confoundability” of the data (see MacCallum, Wegener, Uchino, & Fabrigar, 1993). We show how DE can be assessed through automated computer searches. Finally, we discuss how DE fits within the controversy surrounding the use of fit statistics. Heene, M. , Hilbert, S. , Draxler, C. , Ziegler, M. , & Bhner, M. (2011). Masking misfit in confirmatory factor analysis by increasing unique variances: A cautionary note on the usefulness of cutoff values of fit indices. Psychological Methods, 16(3), 319–336. Hu, L. , & Bentler, P. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. MacCallum, R. C. , Wegener, D. T. , Uchino, B. N. , & Fabrigar, L. R. (1993). The problem of equivalent models in applications of covariance structure analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 114(1), 185–199. Marsh, H. W. , Hau, K. -T. , & Wen, Z. (2004). In search of golden rules: Comment on hypothesis-testing approaches to setting cutoff values for fit indexes and dangers in overgeneralizing Hu and Bentler’s (1999) findings. Structural Equation Modeling, 11(3), 320–341. Preacher, K. J. (2006). Quantifying parsimony in structural equation modeling. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 41(3), 227–259. Roberts, S. , & Pashler, H. (2000). How persuasive is a good fit? A comment on theory testing. Psychological Review, 107(2), 358–367. We appreciate the following individuals for their feedback during the early stages of this project: Kristopher Preacher, Robert MacCallum, the anonymous referees, and Keith Widaman. Correspondence concerning this abstract should be addressed to Dustin A. Fife, Department of Psychology, 455 W. Lindsey St., Dale Hall Tower, Room 705, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019. E-mail: dfife@ou.edu
Subject omission/production in child bilingual English and child bilingual Spanish: the view from linguistic theory

Abstract In bilingual child language acquisition research, a recurrent learnability issue has been to investigate whether and how cross-linguistic influence would interact with the non-adult patterns of omission/production of functional categories. In this paper, we analyze the omission/production of subject pronouns in the earliest stage English grammar and the earliest stage Spanish grammar of two English–Spanish simultaneous bilingual children (FerFuLice corpus in CHILDES). We base this analysis on Holmberg’s (2005, Is there a little pro? Evidence from Finnish. Linguistic Inquiry 36. 533–564) and Sheehan’s (2006, The EPP and null subjects in Romance. Newcastle: Newcastle University PhD dissertation) formulation of the null subject parameter and on Liceras et al.’s (2012, Overt subjects and copula omission in the Spanish and the English grammar of English-Spanish bilinguals: On the locus and directionality of interlinguistic influence. First Language 32(1–2). 88–115) assumptions concerning the role of lexical specialization in cross-linguistic influence. We have conducted a comparative analysis of the patterns of production/omission of English and Spanish overt and null subjects in two bilingual children, on the one hand, versus the patterns of production/omission of one monolingual English child and one monolingual Spanish child, on the other. The results show that while there is no conclusive evidence as to whether or not English influences the higher production of overt subjects in child bilingual Spanish, the presence of null subjects in Spanish has a positive influence in the eradication of non-adult null subjects in bilingual English. We argue that in a bilingual situation, as compared to a monolingual one, lexical specialization in one of the languages of the bilinguals (the availability of an overt and a null realization of the subject in Spanish) facilitates the acquisition of the other language.
The PASTA server for protein aggregation prediction.

Many different proteins aggregate into amyloid fibrils characterized by cross-beta structure. beta-strands contributed by distinct protein molecules are generally found in a parallel in-register alignment. Here, we describe the web server for a novel algorithm, prediction of amyloid structure aggregation (PASTA), to predict the most aggregation-prone portions and the corresponding beta-strand inter-molecular pairing for a given input sequence. PASTA was previously shown to yield results in excellent agreement with available experimental observations, when tested on both natively unfolded and structured proteins. The web server and downloadable source code are freely accessible from the URL: http://protein.cribi. unipd.it/pasta/.
Constructing SSML Documents with Automatically Generated Intonation Information in a Combinatory Categorial Grammar Framework

As of now, Text-to-Speech (TTS) systems are widely used throughout the full spectrum of our activities, and various natural language processing techniques have been utilized to enhance the performance of such TTS systems. As TTS systems begin to play an important role for communication between human and machine, naturalness is considered the most crucial measure of performance for TTS systems, in addition to correctness. General statistical approaches, though widely adopted, are not appropriate for the phenomena as they assign the same intonation to the same sentence. We analyze various kinds of corpus to extract informative features for intonation generation in a Combinatory Categorial Grammar framework, and express intonation-annotated document using Speech Synthesis Markup Language for target system neutral application.
The Asymmetric Time-Variable Rings of Mars

Abstract In this paper, we investigate the dynamics and steady-state behavior of the hypothetical circumplanetary dust rings associated with the two tiny satellites of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. These moonlets are subject to a flux of micrometeoroids which erodes their surfaces and ejects material into orbit around Mars. We study the detailed orbital dynamics of ejected material between a micrometer and a millimeter in radius and find that these grains are significantly perturbed by solar radiation pressure and Mars' oblateness. The coupling between these two forces forms rings that are vertically and azimuthally asymmetric as well as time-variable. Our analytic and numerical results show that material of all sizes launched from Deimos forms a ring that is displaced away from the Sun. Grains with radii smaller than ≈270 μm launched from Phobos, however, form a ring that is displaced toward the Sun. This effect, as well as surprisingly large orbital changes for Phobos grains, is due to a near resonance between Mars' orbital motion and the precession of pericenter due to the oblateness force. When viewed from along Mars' vernal equinox (the intersection between Mars' orbital and equatorial planes), the ring formed by Deimos grains smaller than ≈100 μm is tilted out of the equatorial plane. We present a new analytical solution describing this vertical asymmetry and interpret it in terms of the Laplace plane. Finally, we suggest that the martian rings may be sustained through the ejecta produced by energetic collisions between ring particles in the 20–50 μm range and the small moonlets Phobos and Deimos.
An Empirical Evaluation of Test Data Generation Techniques

Software testing cost can be reduced if the process of testing is automated. However, the test data generation task is still performed mostly by hand although numerous theoretical works have been proposed to automate the process of generating test data and even commercial test data generators appeared on the market. Despite prolific research reports, few attempts have been made to evaluate and characterize those techniques. Therefore, a lot of works have been proposed to automate the process of generating test data. However, there is no overall evaluation and comparison of these techniques. Evaluation and comparison of existing techniques are useful for choosing appropriate approaches for particular applications, and also provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of current methods. This paper conducts experiments on four representative test data generation techniques and discusses the experimental results. The results of the experiments show that the genetic algorithm (GA)-based test data generation performs the best. However, there are still some weaknesses in the GA-based method. Therefore, we modify the standard GA-based method to cope with these weaknesses. The experiments are carried out to compare the standard GA-based method and two modified versions of the GA-based method.
Anticandidal effect of berry juices and extracts from Ribes species

The biological activities of fruit juices and pomace (skin, seeds) extracts from blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum), gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) and their hybrid plant (jostaberry, Ribes × nidigrolaria) were evaluated against the most frequently isolated twelve human pathogenic Candida species by broth dilution tests. The phenolic content of juice, water and methanol extracts were measured and the relationship with antifungal activity was assessed. Growth of the most Candida species was inhibited, with the exception of C. albicans, C. krusei, C. lusitaniae and C. pulcherrima. R. nigrum, with the highest phenol content, was observed to have the highest anticandidal activity, indicating a positive correlation between phenol content and antifungal activity.
Terminal distribution of spinoreticular fibers in the cat.

Fibers ascending in the spinal cord and terminating in the reticular formation of the brain stem were demonstrated around the turn of the century in experimental animals,22,23,30,31,40as well as in man.15,37After the discovery of the ascending reticular activating system by Moruzzi and Magoun,29renewed attention was directed to the pathways mediating spinal impulses to the reticular formation, and recent experimental anatomical investigations6,20,21, 26-28have confirmed and extended the findings made in studies with the Marchi method by the classical workers. In a previous study12we have shown that long ascending fibers, passing beyond the mesencephalon, take origin particularly from certain regions of the brain stem reticular formation. From a functional point of view it would be of interest to know whether these regions receive the majority of the spinoreticular fibers. The studies of the spinoreticular fibers found in the literature indicate that this
A Millimeter-Wave Antenna Amplitude and Phase Measurement System

We describe the design and application of a system for measuring the magnitude and phase of antenna radiation patterns in the 182-194 GHz frequency range. A heterodyne receiver comparing antenna and reference signals is designed from readily available components and incorporated into a 12-m anechoic chamber. The chamber is used with or without a compact-range reflector for compact-range or far-field measurement of antennas up to 0.6 m in diameter. The measured phase variation of the system, when idle, averages 0.3° over 227 s and 4.5° over 30 min. The amplitude stability is better than ±0.15 dB over a 63-h period. Verification of the system is obtained through comparison with other measurements and calculated results on horn and pillbox antennas. The applications of the system are illustrated through its use in characterizing the magnitude and phase radiation patterns of a new beam-scanning pillbox antenna for a 186-GHz imaging system.
Ligand‐induced down‐regulation of the cannabinoid 1 receptor is mediated by the G‐protein‐coupled receptor‐associated sorting protein GASP1

The cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) is one of the most abundant seven transmembrane (7TM) spanning/G‐protein‐coupled receptors in the central nervous system and plays an important role in pain transmission, feeding, and the rewarding effects of cannabis. Tolerance to cannabinoids has been widely observed after long‐term use, with concomitant receptor desensitization and/or down‐regulation depending on the brain region studied. Several CB1R agonists promote receptor internalization after activation, but the postendocytic sorting of the receptor has not been studied in detail. Utilizing human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells stably expressing the CB1R and primary cultured neurons expressing endogenous CB1R, we show that treatment with cannabinoid agonists results in CB1R degradation after endocytosis and that the G‐protein‐coupled receptor‐associated sorting protein GASP1 plays a major role in the postendocytic sorting process. Thus, these results may identify a molecular mechanism underlying tolerance and receptor down‐regulation after long‐term use of cannabinoids. —Martini, L. , Waldhoer, M. , Pusch, M. , Kharazia, V. , Fong, J., Lee, J. H. , Freissmuth, C. , Whistler, J. L. Ligand‐induced down‐regulation of the cannabinoid 1 receptor is mediated by the G‐protein‐coupled receptor‐associated sorting protein GASP1. FASEB J. 21, 802–811 (2007)
Priamos: a middleware architecture for real-time semantic annotation of context features

This paper proposes a middleware architecture for the automated, real-time, unsupervised annotation of low-level context features and their mapping to high-level semantics. The distinguishing characteristic of this architecture is that both low level components such as sensors, feature extraction algorithms and data sources, and high level components such as application-specific ontologies are pluggable to the middleware architecture thus facilitating application development and system configuration to different real-world scenarios. A prototype implementation based on semantic Web tools is presented in depth, while the benefits and drawbacks of this approach are underlined. We argue that the use of semantic Web provides powerful answers to context awareness challenges. Furthermore, it enables the composition of simple rules through human-centric interfaces, which may launch a context-aware system that will annotate content without the need for user technical expertise. A test case of system operation in a laboratory environment is presented. Emphasis is given, along with the theoretical justification, to practical issues that arise in real-world scenarios.
Surface area analysis in edentulous jaws of patients with skeletal class I

Introduction. The surface area of edentulous jaw has been considered as an important functional and anthropometric parameter. The aim of this study was to assess the surface area of supporting tissue in edentulous jaws of patients with the skeletal class I. Material and Methods. Thin aluminum foils (0.5 mm of thickness) were adapted on plaster surfaces of 139 pairs of edentulous jaws casts. Foils were positioned on a millimeter-paper in order to measure their areas. Additionally, surface areas were measured using a mechanic plan-meter (G. Coradi, Zurich, Switzerland, serial no. 49823). The measurement error was 1%. Skeletal class of edentulous jaws was determined by analysis of lateral cephalometric radiographs, and assessing the ANB (SNA, SNB) angle. Results. The average surface area of edentulous upper jaws was 4654±407 mm2 in males, and 4212±368 mm2 in females. Edentulous lower jaws had average surface area of 2843±339 mm2 in males, and 2334±295 mm2 in females. Statistically significant difference (p<0.001) was found in comparison of surface areas and dimensions of upper and lower edentulous jaws in male and female. ANB values ranged from 2 to 4 degrees. Conclusion. The surface area is an important parameter in the analysis of edentulous jaws. Edentulous jaws in males had greater surface areas and dimensions as compared to females. Edentulous areas on the right side were not absolutely symmetric to areas on the left side.
Energy-efficient dynamic resource control for buffer-aided hybrid sensor networks

Energy-efficient dynamic resource control problem in buffer-aided hybrid sensor networks is investigated, where each sensor with one buffer is introduced for data storage. The considered problem is formulated as a stochastic optimization problem, which jointly considers the quality-of-service requirements and dynamic characteristics. The Lyapunov optimization theory is applied to transform the intractable stochastic optimization problem into a tractable deterministic optimization problem, which can be further decomposed into two separate subproblems. A dynamic resource control algorithm is proposed to efficiently solve the original stochastic optimization problem. Finally, we conduct simulations to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm and provide some insights.