Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Volume-Based Morphometry of Brain MR Images in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and Healthy Control Subjects

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a spinal deformity with unknown cause. Previous studies have suggested that subclinical neurologic abnormalities are associated with AIS. The objective of this prospective study was to characterize systematically neuroanatomic changes in patients with left thoracic AIS vs right thoracic AIS and healthy control subjects by using volume-based morphometry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our current study involved 9 girls with left thoracic AIS and 20 girls with right thoracic AIS vs 11 and 17 matched female control subjects, respectively. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM), deformation-based morphometry (DBM), and tensor-based morphometry (TBM) were used to analyze the MR images aligned with a specific brain template of local adolescent girls. The statistical t test was used in VBM and TBM, and the Hotelling T2 test was applied in DBM. RESULTS: Using VBM, we found statistically significant differences (P < .05) in the white matter attenuation of the genu of the corpus callosum and left internal capsule (left thoracic AIS < control subjects). In contrast, no significant differences were observed between patients with right thoracic AIS and control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: White matter attenuation in the corpus callosum and left internal capsule, responsible for interhemispheric communication and conduit of the corticothalamic projectional fibers, respectively, were found to be significantly lower in left thoracic AIS compared with control subjects; however, this was not the case in right thoracic AIS. Confirmation of the findings is required in future research, which needs to evaluate the relationship of white matter abnormality to curve laterality, pathogenesis, and prognosis in patients with AIS, with biologic significance and possible therapeutic correction.
Reconstruction-classification method for quantitative photoacoustic tomography

Abstract. We propose a combined reconstruction-classification method for simultaneously recovering absorption and scattering in turbid media from images of absorbed optical energy. This method exploits knowledge that optical parameters are determined by a limited number of classes to iteratively improve their estimate. Numerical experiments show that the proposed approach allows for accurate recovery of absorption and scattering in two and three dimensions, and delivers superior image quality with respect to traditional reconstruction-only approaches.
3D remote interface for smart displays

The paper presents a novel user interface combining bare hands and the line of sight (LoS) by using a depth camera from far distance without any handheld devices; as well as a 3D GUI providing both stereoscopy and motion parallax for smart displays. The proposed user interface provides a precise and convenient manipulation which is applicable to browsing thousands of channels andor media files. Especially, the combined interaction methods of the two modalities achieve 120(x) × 70(y) × 5(z) manipulation resolution. And then various user tasks were performed so as to assess the proposed user interface.
PAC-Bayesian model averaging

PAC-Bayesian learning methods combine the informative priors of Bayesian methods with distribution-free PAC guarantees. Building on earlier methods for PAC-Bayesian model selection, this paper presents a method for PACBayesian model averaging. The method constructs an optimized weighted mixture of concepts analogous to a Bayesian posterior distribution. Although the main result is stated for bounded loss, a preliminary analysis for unbounded loss is also given.
Towards efficient access control in a mobile agent based wireless sensor network

Public key authorization credentials provide a flexible approach to implementing access control in open distributed systems. Wireless sensor networks, are examples of such systems; however, their low-power sensors have energy efficiency requirements that may mean it is not practical to carry out computationally intensive operations, such as public key operations. This paper describes a distributed access control system for a Wireless Sensor Network application that uses computationally efficient one-way hash-functions to implement authorization credentials.
Regulation of transmitter release at the squid giant synapse by presynaptic delayed rectifier potassium current.

1. The three‐microelectrode voltage clamp technique and pharmacological agents were used to examine the properties and functions of potassium currents in squid giant presynaptic terminals. 2. Outward currents consisted of two components: a slow component which activated over hundreds of milliseconds and was blocked by extracellular application of tetraethylammonium (TEA) ions and a more rapidly activating component which was relatively insensitive to extracellular TEA. 3. The more rapid component was studied in isolation by treating presynaptic terminals with extracellular TEA, as well as tetrodotoxin (to block sodium channel currents) and manganese (to block calcium channel currents). The magnitude of this current component was 1‐2 mA cm‐2 at 0 mV. Rates of activation and deactivation were voltage dependent and little evidence of inactivation was seen for depolarizations less than several seconds in duration. 4. The reversal potential of the current was ‐70 to ‐80 mV in normal saline and became more positive with elevated extracellular potassium concentrations, suggesting that potassium is the primary permeant ion. Accumulation of extracellular potassium appeared to be marked during depolarizations that produced significant activation of the current. 5. Extracellular application of 3,4‐diaminopyridine (DAP) blocked the current with an apparent dissociation constant of 7 microM at 0 mV. Intracellular applications of DAP and TEA also were effective in reducing this current. These treatments, but not extracellular TEA application, broadened presynaptic action potentials and increased the magnitude and time‐to‐peak of postsynaptic currents elicited by the broadened presynaptic action potentials. Postsynaptic currents were a sensitive and linear function of action potential duration; a 30% increase in action potential duration increased postsynaptic current amplitude by 190%. 6. Estimation of the magnitude and time course of the presynaptic calcium current, based on previous measurements of calcium channel gating, indicated that action potential broadening produces a large increase in calcium current magnitude. These calculations predict that a 30% increase in presynaptic action potential duration will increase the peak amplitude of the calcium current by approximately 170% and the total amount of calcium entry by approximately 230%. This implies a linear relationship between transmitter release and calcium entry during an action potential and can be explained by assuming that calcium co‐operatively triggers release within intracellular domains that do not overlap. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The effects of current and expected future income on stated preferences for environmental improvements

10 We formulate and test the hypothesis that expectati ons regarding changes in future income 11 influences the WTP for environmental goods. For val uation of environmental goods in 12 forests and other habitats in Denmark, we find that both current income and expected 13 changes in future income are significant determinan ts for preferences. The effect of income 14 on WTP seems to be caused by changes in preferences for nvironmental attributes rather 15 than by marginal utility of income. The results sug gest that to evaluate the distributional 16 impacts of environmental improvements, researchers n ed a better measure of expected 17 future consumption options than current income. 18 19
Chronic and Sub-acute Effects of 3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) on Spatial Memory and Passive Avoidance Learning in Wistar Rats

Introduction: In the recent years, the use of several drugs such as cocaine and morphine has reduced, but the use of "club drugs" has increased in many countries. 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) which has known as ‘ecstasy’ among people has many harmful effects on serotonergic system in the brain. This system is responsible for learning and memory. In this study, we tested sub-acute and chronic effects of MDMA on spatial memory in the Morris water maze (MWM) task and passive avoidance tasks. Methods: 18 Adult male wistar rats (200-250 g) were given single or multiple injections of MDMA (10 mg/kg, IP) . Learning and spatial memory functions were assessed using passive avoidance and Morris water maze (MWM) tasks, respectively. Data was analyzed by SPSS 16 software and one- way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Results: The results showed that sub-acute and chronic administration of MDMA have adverse effects on escape latency, traveled distance and avoidance learning in the rats. The changes were more significant in sub-acute group. Conclusion: These data suggest that MDMA treatment impairs learning and memory performances that are more extensive in sub-acute group. A B S T R A C T
Tile-based Level of Detail for the Parallel Age

Today's PCs incorporate multiple CPUs and GPUs and are easily arranged in clusters for high-performance, interactive graphics. We present an approach based on hierarchical, screen-space tiles to parallelizing rendering with level of detail. Adapttiles, render tiles, and machine tiles are associated with CPUs, GPUs, and PCs, respectively, to efficiently parallelize the workload with good resource utilization. Adaptive tile sizes provide load balancing while our level of detail system allows total and independent management of the load on CPUs and GPUs. We demonstrate our approach on parallel configurations consisting of both single PCs and a cluster of PCs
JOB INSECURITY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IN THE CONTEXT OF AN ECONOMIC CRISIS

In the present climate, job insecurity has become one of the most relevant sources of stress for workers. It is especially serious in Spain due to the high unemployment rates in this period of crisis. An important body of research has been developed in an attempt to better understand this phenomenon. In recent years, the Institute of Human Resources Psychology, Organizational Development and Quality of Working Life (IDOCAL) has contributed to various of the most determinant dimensions of the research on job insecurity. The determinants have been identified as tenure, employability in the labor market, underemployment, and job self-efficacy. Furthermore, progress has been made in the research on the diversity of the types of contracts, job insecurity and the effects on workers. The studies that examine the role of the intervening factors are especially relevant. In this context, our research has identified that factors such as organizational justice, organizational justice climate, organizational support, employability, job dependence and psychological distancing explained the variability in job insecurity. Finally, IDOCAL’s contributions have been especially important in examining job insecurity as a collective phenomenon and showing how it can affect employees’ outcomes above and beyond their individual perceptions. On the basis of this research, a series of implications for professional practice has been presented in this article.
Quasar emission lines as probes of orientation: implications for disc wind geometries and unification

The incidence of broad absorption lines (BALs) in quasar samples is often interpreted in the context of a geometric unification model consisting of an accretion disc and an associated outflow. We use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar sample to test this model by examining the equivalent widths (EWs) of C iv 1550 A, Mg ii 2800 A, [O iii] 5007 A and C iii] 1909 A. We find that the emission line EW distributions in BAL and non-BAL quasars are remarkably similar – a property that is inconsistent with scenarios in which a BAL outflow rises equatorially from a geometrically thin, optically thick accretion disc. We construct simple models to predict the distributions from various geometries; these models confirm the above finding and disfavour equatorial geometries. We show that obscuration, line anisotropy and general relativistic effects on the disc continuum are unlikely to hide an EW inclination dependence. We carefully examine the radio and polarization properties of BAL quasars. Both suggest that they are most likely viewed (on average) from intermediate inclinations, between type 1 and type 2 active galactic nuclei (AGN). We also find that the low-ionization BAL quasars in our sample are not confined to one region of the ‘Eigenvector 1’ parameter space. Overall, our work leads to one of the following conclusions, or some combination thereof: (i) the continuum does not emit like a geometrically thin, optically thick disc; (ii) BAL quasars are viewed from similar angles to non-BAL quasars, that is, low inclinations and (iii) geometric unification does not explain the fraction of BALs in quasar samples.
Prostate cancer detection using crawling wave sonoelastography

Crawling wave (CrW) sonoelastography is an elasticity imaging technique capable of estimating the localized shear wave speed in tissue and, therefore, can provide a quantitative estimation of the Young's modulus for a given vibration frequency. In this paper, this technique is used to detect cancer in excised human prostates and to provide quantitative estimations of the viscoelastic properties of cancerous and normal tissues. Image processing techniques are introduced to compensate for attenuation and reflection artifacts of the CrW images. Preliminary results were obtained with fifteen prostate glands after radical prostatectomy. The glands were vibrated at 100, 120 and 140Hz. At each frequency, three cross-sections of the gland (apex, mid-gland and base) were imaged using CrW Sonoelastography and compared to corresponding histological slices. Results showed good spatial correspondence with histology and an 80% accuracy in cancer detection. In addition, shear velocities for cancerous and normal tissues were estimated as 4.75±0.97 m/s and 3.26±0.87 m/s, respectively.
Features for factored language models for code-Switching speech

This paper presents investigations of features which can be used to predict Code-Switching speech. For this task, factored language models are applied and implemented into a state-of-the-art decoder. Di ﬀ erent possible factors, such as words, part-of-speech tags, Brown word clusters, open class words and open class word clusters are explored. We ﬁnd that Brown word clusters, part-of-speech tags and open-class words are most e ﬀ ective at reducing the perplexity of factored language models on the Mandarin-English Code-Switching corpus SEAME. In decoding experiments, the model containing Brown word clusters and part-of-speech tags and the model also including open class word clusters yield the best mixed error rate results. In summary, the factored language models can reduce the perplexity on the SEAME evaluation set by up to 10.8% relative and the mixed error rate by up to 3.4% relative.
Content caching at the wireless network edge: A distributed algorithm via belief propagation

Caching popular contents at the edge of wireless networks has recently emerged as a promising technology to improve the quality of service for mobile users, while balancing the peak-to-average transmissions over backhaul links. In contrast to existing works, where a central coordinator is required to design the cache placement strategy, we consider a distributed caching problem which is highly relevant in dense network settings. In the considered scenario, each Base Station (BS) has a cache storage of finite capacity, and each user will be served by one or multiple BSs depending on the employed transmission scheme. A belief propagation based distributed algorithm is proposed to solve the cache placement problem, where the parallel computations are performed by individual BSs based on limited local information and very few messages passed between neighboring BSs. Thus, no central coordinator is required to collect the information of the whole network, which significantly saves signaling overhead. Simulation results show that the proposed low-complexity distributed algorithm can greatly reduce the average download delay by collaborative caching and transmissions.
Prediction of phosphorylation sites using SVMs

MOTIVATION Phosphorylation is involved in diverse signal transduction pathways. By predicting phosphorylation sites and their kinases from primary protein sequences, we can obtain much valuable information that can form the basis for further research. Using support vector machines, we attempted to predict phosphorylation sites and the type of kinase that acts at each site. RESULTS Our prediction system was limited to phosphorylation sites catalyzed by four protein kinase families and four protein kinase groups. The accuracy of the predictions ranged from 83 to 95% at the kinase family level, and 76-91% at the kinase group level. The prediction system used-PredPhospho-can be applied to the functional study of proteins, and can help predict the changes in phosphorylation sites caused by amino acid variations at intra- and interspecies levels.
A SURVEY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE'S EMPOWERMENT: A STUDY AMONG IRANIAN HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES

Despite increasing attention to empowering employees, there is little understanding of how the process of empowering employees to happen. What cognitive and emotional processes that form the foundations of empowering employees and employee empowerment, organizational variables are set Rapysh nose. Although many scholars and writers have emphasized the critical role of leadership in the process of empowerment, but fewer studies have examined the effects of leader behaviors on employee empowerment. The research on the application of theory and literature to answer the question of how transformational leadership can empower employees? According to the data collected, this study shows that transformational leadership is very effective in empowering employees And significantly related to feelings of competence, perceived choice, perceived effectiveness, sense of meaning and sense of trust in others.
The optimal debt size under instability of financial markets

The present paper discusses the issue of the optimum capital structure under the conditions of the financial markets' ability to influence the borrower's bankruptcy probability. A model is built, in which a dual equilibria is created between the expected and the actual probability of bankruptcy. It is shown that destabilization of the situation in the financial markets leads to unexpected bankruptcy of an enterprise. To minimize this risk, the share of debt (D/V) should be reduced. The investigation allows for better understanding the causes of financial instability.
WaveMedic: Convolutional Neural Networks for Speech Audio Enhancement

—In 2016, DeepMind announced a deep neural network-based, generative model [1] of audio waveforms which led to never-before-seen text-to-speech (TTS) and speech recognition accuracy. The model, WaveNet, is a convolutional neural network framework which uses blocks of dilated causal convolutions with residual and skip connections to make learning from raw audio and generating waveforms tractable. Using the model, DeepMind was able to generate highly realistic speech from text and recognize words with unprecedented accuracy. In our project, we aim to utilize the WaveNet model toward speech audio enhancement by using the framework to build an application which can recover degraded speech audio. This is a novel approach to speech audio enhancement which we believe could rival other sophisticated techniques with sufﬁcient engineering and optimization. We build a prototype of the speech enhancer called WaveMedic by heavily re-purposing the TensorFlow-WaveNet implementation of the WaveNet waveform generator [2], and ﬁnd that our enhancer is able to learn to recover audio which has suffered a variety of degradations without ever being programmed explicitly to do so.
Measuring the Performance and Reliability of Production Computational Grids

In this work we report on data gathered via a deployment of a monitoring and benchmarking infrastructure on two production grid platforms, TeraGrid and Geon. Our result show that these production grids are rather unavailable, with success rates for benchmark and application runs between 55% and 80%. We also found that performance fluctuation was in the 50% range, expectedly mostly due to batch schedulers. We also investigate whether the execution time of a typical grid application can be predicated based on previous runs of simple benchmarks. Perhaps surprisingly, we find that application execution time can be predicted with a relative error as low as 9%
GPS navigation based autonomous driving system design for intelligent vehicles

The main objective of this paper is to design and implement a real-time autonomous navigation system for intelligent vehicles by integrating a real-time kinematics differential global position system (RTK-DGPS) and a laser range finder. Firstly, a fuzzy logic algorithm for target position tracking is proposed to achieve the human driving concept. In addition, an actuator is equipped in the experimental vehicle TAIWAN iTS-1 so that the steering wheel can be controlled to let the vehicle follows a desired trajectory in digital maps. A laser range finder is used to detect obstacles in front of the vehicle for warning announcement and collision avoidance. A human machine interface is also built up to provide information from sensors. The performance and accuracy of the proposed system is verified by real-time experimental results.
Quelle place accorder au tuteur système et au tuteur humain dans un processus d'industrialisation ?

Cette contribution presente une etude experimentale menee avec 120 sujets, dont l’objectif est d’evaluer l’impact de la presence/de l’absence d’un tuteur humain ou d’un tuteur systeme sur les performances des apprenants en termes de resultats au terme de la tâche, en cours de tâche et en termes de temps consacre a la tâche ainsi que sur la desorientation dans l’environnement d’apprentissage. Les analyses de variance realisees mettent en evidence de quelle maniere les differentes modalites s’averent complementaires.
First Imported Case of Skin Infection Caused by PVL-positive ST30 Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clone in a Returning Korean Traveler from the Philippines

Although pandemic community-associated (CA-) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ST30 clone has successfully spread into many Asian countries, there has been no case in Korea. We report the first imported case of infection caused by this clone in a Korean traveler returning from the Philippines. A previously healthy 30-yr-old Korean woman developed a buttock carbuncle while traveling in the Philippines. After coming back to Korea, oral cephalosporin was given by a primary physician without any improvement. Abscess was drained and MRSA strain isolated from her carbuncle was molecularly characterized and it was confirmed as ST30-MRSA-IV. She was successfully treated with vancomycin and surgery. Frequent international travel and migration have increased the risk of international spread of CA-MRSA clones. The efforts to understand the changing epidemiology of CA-MRSA should be continued, and we should raise suspicion of CA-MRSA infection in travelers with skin infections returning from CA-MRSA-endemic countries.