Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and measures of mental and emotional health in HCV patients treated with ledipasvir (LDV) and sofosbuvir (SOF) with or without ribavirin (RBV)

AbstractMental and emotional health (MEH) impairment is commonly encountered in hepatitis C patients. Although the exact mechanism remains unknown, alterations in neurotransmitter and cytokine levels maybe associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related MEH issues.The aim of the study was to assess association of serum biomarkers with self-reports of MEH in HCV patients before treatment and after achieving sustained virologic response (SVR). The HCV genotype-1-infected patients who achieved SVR at 12 weeks after treatment with ledipasvir (LDV)/sofosbuvir (SOF) ± ribavirin (RBV) were selected. Frozen serum samples from baseline, end of treatment (EOT), and posttreatment week 4 (PTW4) were used to assay 16 cytokines and monoamine neurotransmitters. Validated self-reports were used to assess MEH.Hundred patients were evaluated. Mean age was 53 years (57% male, 86% white). Compared with baseline, emotional well-being and emotional health significantly increased by EOT, and role emotional, emotional well-being, and emotional health significantly increased at PTW4 in the RBV-containing arm (P < 0.05). In patients taking LDV/SOF + RBV, serotonin levels were significantly decreased at PTW4 compared with baseline (P = 0.046). Compared with baseline, there were significant decreases in interleukin (IL)-10 levels at EOT and PTW4 in both treatment groups. The changes in IL-8 also differed significantly between LDV/SOF + RBV and LDV/SOF groups (P < 0.05). Changes in dopamine and tryptophan levels at EOT correlated with increasing emotional health scores, whereas changes in monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 at EOT and IL-8 at PTW4 correlated with increasing mental health scores. The neurotransmitters and cytokines were found to be independent predictors of MEH scores in multiple regression analysis.Cytokine and neurotransmitter changes are associated with mental and emotional health. Patient-reported outcome scores change during and after treatment.
A Survey on Wireless Broadcast Services

In a mobile wireless communication network, broadcast signaling can be transmitted to multiple (two or more) receivers simultaneously. In networking, a distinction is made between broadcasting and multicasting. Broadcasting sends a message to everyone on the network whereas multicasting sends a message to a select list of recipients. In this paper we mainly focus on different techniques and algorithms that are already known.
Multi-modality depth map fusion using primal-dual optimization

We present a novel fusion method that combines complementary 3D and 2D imaging techniques. Consider a Time-of-Flight sensor that acquires a dense depth map on a wide depth range but with a comparably small resolution. Complementary, a stereo sensor generates a disparity map in high resolution but with occlusions and outliers. In our method, we fuse depth data, and optionally also intensity data using a primal-dual optimization, with an energy functional that is designed to compensate for missing parts, filter strong outliers and reduce the acquisition noise. The numerical algorithm is efficiently implemented on a GPU to achieve a processing speed of 10 to 15 frames per second. Experiments on synthetic, real and benchmark datasets show that the results are superior compared to each sensor alone and to competing optimization techniques. In a practical example, we are able to fuse a Kinect triangulation sensor and a small size Time-of-Flight camera to create a gaming sensor with superior resolution, acquisition range and accuracy.
Bovine Papillomatosis and its Treatment under Farm Condition

Cutaneous papilomatosis is also known as warts, which is an epithelial cell over growth, infectious in nature and appears approximately eight weeks after exposure to the infectious virus. It is highly contagious disease that can be easily spread from one animal to other by close contact. The indirect transmission of these viruses is possible by contaminated feeders, waters, halters and even pen walls. Warts are caused by a highly contagious virus known as papillomas, these are small, cauliflower-shaped growths occur on very young animals. The warts are characterized by solid outgrowth of the epidermis with cauliflower like appearance. These are most commonly seen on the nose, chin, lips, neck, shoulder and brisket region of the body. The presence of warts on the different body parts diminishes the value and aesthetic quality of the animal. Once an animal acquires the disease, it usually develops immunity within three weeks to four weeks after the initial infection. Warts are commonly seen in all animal species (Radostits et al., 2007), and are highly species-specific (Borzacchiello and Roperto 2008). There are four major types of warts i.e. squat, pedunculated, flat and tags. Though warts are little harm and disappear spontaneously over long time, but recurrence of papilloma’s can be noticed under improper hygiene and care. Sharma et al., (2005) International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 04 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Periodizable motivic ring spectra

We show that the cellular objects in the module category over a motivic E infinity ring spectrum E can be described as the module category over a graded topological spectrum if E is strongly periodizable in our language. A similar statement is proven for triangulated categories of motives. Since MGL is strongly periodizable we obtain topological incarnations of motivic Landweber spectra. Under some categorical assumptions the unit object of the model category for triangulated motives is as well strongly periodizable giving motivic cochains whose module category models integral triangulated categories of Tate motives.
Evidence that methylphenidate enhances the saliency of a mathematical task by increasing dopamine in the human brain.

OBJECTIVE Methylphenidate is the most commonly prescribed drug for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet its therapeutic mechanisms are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to assess if methylphenidate, by increasing dopamine (neurotransmitter involved in motivation) in brain, would enhance the saliency of an academic task, making it more interesting. METHOD Healthy subjects (N=16) underwent positron emission tomography with [(11)C]raclopride (dopamine D(2) receptor radioligand that competes with endogenous dopamine for binding) to assess the effects of oral methylphenidate (20 mg) on extracellular dopamine in the striatum. The authors compared the effects of methylphenidate during an academic task (solving mathematical problems with monetary reinforcement) and a neutral task (passively viewing cards with no remuneration). In parallel, the effects of methylphenidate on the interest that the academic task elicited were also evaluated. RESULTS Methylphenidate, when coupled with the mathematical task, significantly increased extracellular dopamine, but this did not occur when coupled with the neutral task. The mathematical task did not increase dopamine when coupled with placebo. Subjective reports about interest and motivation in the mathematical task were greater with methylphenidate than with placebo and were associated with dopamine increases. CONCLUSIONS The significant association between methylphenidate-induced dopamine increases and the interest and motivation for the task confirms the prediction that methylphenidate enhances the saliency of an event by increasing dopamine. The enhanced interest for the task could increase attention and improve performance and could be one of the mechanisms underlying methylphenidate's therapeutic effects. These findings support educational strategies that make schoolwork more interesting as nonpharmacological interventions to treat ADHD.
Differential modulation by monoamine membrane receptor agonists of reticulospinal input to lamina VIII feline spinal commissural interneurons

Noradrenaline and serotonin have previously been demonstrated to facilitate the transmission between descending reticulospinal tracts fibres and commissural interneurons coordinating left–right hindlimb muscle activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the contribution of subclasses of monoaminergic membrane receptors to this facilitation. The neurons were located in Rexed lamina VIII in midlumbar segments and identified by their projections to the contralateral gastrocnemius–soleus motor nuclei and by lack of projections rostral to the lumbosacral enlargement. The effects of ionophoretically applied membrane receptor agonists [phenylephrine (noradrenergic α1), clonidine (noradrenergic α2), 8‐OH‐DPAT (5‐HT1A, 5‐HT7), 2‐me‐5‐HT (5‐HT3), 5‐me‐5‐HT (5‐HT2) and α‐me‐5‐HT (5‐HT2)] were examined on extracellularly recorded spikes evoked monosynaptically by electric stimulation of descending reticulospinal fibres in the medial longitudinal fascicle. Application of α1 and 5‐HT2 agonists resulted in a facilitation of responses in all investigated neurons while application of α2, 5‐HT1A/7 and 5‐HT3 agonists resulted in a depression. These opposite modulatory effects of different agonists suggest that the facilitatory actions of noradrenaline and serotonin on responses of commissural interneurons reported previously following ionophoretic application are the net outcome of the activation of different subclasses of monoaminergic membrane receptors. As these receptors may be distributed predominantly, or even selectively, at either pre‐ or postsynaptic sites their differential modulatory actions could be compatible with a presynaptically induced depression and a postsynaptically evoked enhancement of synaptic transmission between reticulospinal neurons and commissural interneurons.
Automatic generation of quadrilateral multi-block topology for FEA/CFD applications

Mesh generation is essential in many engineering analysis applications. In most analyses the use of hexahedral meshes will enable higher analysis accuracy for given computational resources, compared to the use of tetrahedral or hybrid meshes. Unfortunately, tools that are offered in current commercial mesh generation software packages cannot produce high-quality hexahedral meshes in the same near-automatic fashion as is available for producing tetrahedral meshes. We believe that a knowledge-based engineering approach, which relies on rules obtained from experts, can be used to automatically generate hexahedral meshes. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of automating the generation of surface meshes (quadrilateral elements) via the rule based approach. A software tool was developed, which imports part geometry from AutoCAD. In a few mouse clicks, the software automatically generates a multi-block topology, using specific sets of rules. The topology is then exported into GridPro az3000 (a commercial meshing software tool) using a special topology input language (TIL). GridPro is then used to optimize the shape of the grid blocks and to generate the final mesh.
Effects of increased heat on fluorescence and dinoflagellate density in the captive coral, Anthelia sp.

The obligate mutualistic relationship between corals and dinoflagellates is a classic example of symbiosis. Coral reefs have been devastated by warm water temperatures at a rapid pace and currently, there is no effective method to predict a mass bleaching event. Fluorescence is a potential indicator of coral health but very few studies have attempted to utilize it as a proxy for dinoflagellate density, which was the scope of the present research. Here, we determined the effects of elevated water temperatures on fluorescence, dinoflagellate density, and mitotic index in the captive coral, Anthelia sp. Over a six-week period, tanks filled with Anthelia sp. underwent gradual increases in water temperature beginning at 28ºC and ending at 34ºC . Coral samples were quantified for fluorescence, dinoflagellate density, and mitotic index by fluorescence microscopy of whole specimens and a maceration method to examine dinoflagellates. As a result of the gradual increase in water temperature, corrected fluorescence decreased over time. In contrast, dinoflagellate density first increased until reaching a thermal limit that was then followed by a decrease. This was driven by an increase in the rate of cell division before the limit and a decrease afterwards. These results suggest that symbionts may be increasing their mitotic rate in response to elevated water temperatures to compensate for the shortage of photosynthate supply for their host. Because fluorescence dropped simultaneously with the increase in dinoflagellate density and mitotic index, coral fluorescence may be utilized as a prognostic tool for coral bleaching in Anthelia sp.
Proper Orthogonal Decomposition in Optimal Control of Fluids

Abstract. In this article, we present a reduced order modeling approach suitable for active control of fluid dynamical systems based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). The rationalebehind the reduced order modeling is that numerical simulation of Navier-Stokes equations is stilltoo costly for the purpose of optimization and control of unsteady flows. We examine the possi-bility of obtaining reduced order models that reduce computational complexity associated with theNavier-Stokes equations while capturing the essential dynamics by using the POD. The POD allowsextraction of certain optimM set of basis functions, perhaps few, from a computationM or experimen-tal data-base through an eigenvalue analysis. The solution is then obtained as a linear combinationof these optimal set of basis functions by means of Galerkin projection. This makes it attractive foroptimM control and estimation of systems governed by partial differential equations. We here use itin active control of fluid flows governed by the Navier-Stokes equations. We show that the resultingreduced order model can be very efficient for the computations of optimization and control problemsin unsteady flows. Finally, implementationM issues and numericM experiments are presented forsimulations and optimal control of fluid flow through channels.
A General Methodology for Designing Eecient Traac Scheduling and Shaping Algorithms

We introduce a general methodology for designing integrated shaping and scheduling algorithms for packet networks that provide fairness, low end-to-end delay, and low burstiness. The methodology is based on integrating a shaping mechanism with a scheduler from the class of Rate-Proportional Servers (RPS) deened in 10]. The resulting algorithms provide an end-to-end delay bound identical to that of Weighted Fair Queueing. Their worst-case fairness, in terms of minimizing the worst-case delay to empty the session backlog, is much superior to that of Weighted Fair Queueing, and equal to the best known for any scheduling algorithm. In addition, the algorithms achieve a level of fairness in the distribution of free bandwidth among competing sessions better than that of Weighted Fair Queue-ing. We show that, under this framework, even an unfair scheduling algorithm belonging to the RPS class, such as VirtualClock, can yield worst-case fairness identical to that obtained with Weighted Fair Queueing. We also develop an integrated shaper-scheduler that provides optimal output burstiness and is attractive for use in both network adapters and in switches that support traac reshaping. We describe an eecient implementation of this integrated shaping and scheduling algorithm with log 2 (V) complexity, where V is the number of sessions sharing the outgoing link.
Hierarchical Classification for Live Fish Recognition

Live fish recognition in the open sea is a challenging multi-class classification task. We propose a hierarchical classification approach to recognize live fish from underwater videos. However, the hierarchical method accumulates misclassified samples into deeper layers and these accumulated errors reduce the average accuracy. We propose a set of heuristics to help construct more accurate hierarchical trees and, therefore, control the error accumulation. We create an automatically generated tree based on these heuristics and compare it to a baseline tree on a live fish image dataset. The proposed hierarchical classification method achieves about 4% better accuracy compared to state-of-the-art techniques.
A network pruning algorithm for combined function and derivative approximation

This paper describes newly discovered types of overfitting that occur when simultaneously fitting a function and its first derivatives with multilayer feedforward neural networks. We analyze the overfitting and demonstrate how it develops. These types of overfitting occur over very narrow regions in the input space, thus a validation set is not helpful in detecting them. A new pruning algorithm is proposed to eliminate these types of overfitting. Simulation results show that the pruning algorithm successfully eliminates the overfitting, produces smooth responses and provides excellent generalization capabilities. The proposed pruning algorithm can be used with any single-output, two-layer network, which uses a hyperbolic tangent transfer function in the hidden layer.
Fixed Representative Colors Feature Extraction Algorithm for Moving Picture Experts Group-7 Dominant Color Descriptor

Problem statement: MPEG-7 has defined a set of color descriptors for the multimedia contents; one of these descriptors is the Dominant Color Descriptor (DCD). The DCD adopted the Generalized Lloyd Algorithm (GLA) as a feature extraction technique. However, using this algorithm in image retrieval systems may produce perceptually irrelevant images in the ranked results. Approach: In this study, we proposed a new technique for the extraction of the DCD called Fixed Representative Colors Feature Extraction Algorithm (FRCFE). This technique is based on converting the original image colors to a set of predefined co lors in the RGB color space. Also, we developed an image retrieval system to measure the effectives of this technique. Results: Experimental results revealed that FRCFE provides better accurate and perceptually relevant image retrieval for the MPEG- 7 DCD than GLA in the chosen dataset. Conclusion: Mapping the original image colors to a set of predefined colors preserved the main features of th e image and can produce more accurate results when used in image retrieval systems.
Regulation of Endosome Sorting by a Specific PP2A Isoform

The regulated sorting of proteins within the trans-Golgi network (TGN)/endosomal system is a key determinant of their biological activity in vivo. For example, the endoprotease furin activates of a wide range of proproteins in multiple compartments within the TGN/endosomal system. Phosphorylation of its cytosolic domain by casein kinase II (CKII) promotes the localization of furin to the TGN and early endosomes whereas dephosphorylation is required for efficient transport between these compartments (Jones, B.G., L. Thomas, S.S. Molloy, C.D. Thulin, M.D. Fry, K.A. Walsh, and G. Thomas. 1995. EMBO [Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.] J. 14:5869–5883). Here we show that phosphorylated furin molecules internalized from the cell surface are retained in a local cycling loop between early endosomes and the plasma membrane. This cycling loop requires the phosphorylation state-dependent furin-sorting protein PACS-1, and mirrors the trafficking pathway described recently for the TGN localization of furin (Wan, L., S.S. Molloy, L. Thomas, G. Liu, Y. Xiang, S.L. Ryback, and G. Thomas. 1998. Cell. 94:205–216). We also demonstrate a novel role for protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in regulating protein localization in the TGN/endosomal system. Using baculovirus recombinants expressing individual PP2A subunits, we show that the dephosphorylation of furin in vitro requires heterotrimeric phosphatase containing B family regulatory subunits. The importance of this PP2A isoform in directing the routing of furin from early endosomes to the TGN was established using SV-40 small t antigen as a diagnostic tool in vivo. The role of both CKII and PP2A in controlling multiple sorting steps in the TGN/endosomal system indicates that the distribution of itinerant membrane proteins may be acutely regulated via signal transduction pathways.
Object Recognition and Pose Estimation by means of Cross-Correlation of Mixture of Projected Gaussian

In this work we present a novel approach for object recognition and pose estimation suited for a personal robot environment. The described technique addresses the peculiar requirements of this field, such as the system responsiveness and the capability of learning new object models online. Our method makes use of a novel variant of the Mixture of Gaussian in order to learn the spatial distribution of the object features. Such distribution is trained online while the robot moves in the environment. The resulting models are then compared through a fast cross-correlation based method, thus obtaining at the same time the optimal registration point.
Estimating credit constraints among US households

Households are constrained if they want to borrow, but banks restrict their lending. This paper separately identifies (using appropriate exclusion restrictions) the demand for debt, and the maximum amount agents can borrow when it is unknown which consumers are constrained. Using data from the CEX, it estimates that between 26 percent and 31 percent of households are constrained: and that poorly educated, ethnic minority, low income, men, and (among the educated) older households are less often constrained. On average, households would like to borrow up to $4,000 dollars more. But it does not test whether constraints are never binding
Understanding Microbial Divisions of Labor

Divisions of labor are ubiquitous in nature and can be found at nearly every level of biological organization, from the individuals of a shared society to the cells of a single multicellular organism. Many different types of microbes have also evolved a division of labor among its colony members. Here we review several examples of microbial divisions of labor, including cases from both multicellular and unicellular microbes. We first discuss evolutionary arguments, derived from kin selection, that allow divisions of labor to be maintained in the face of non-cooperative cheater cells. Next we examine the widespread natural variation within species in their expression of divisions of labor and compare this to the idea of optimal caste ratios in social insects. We highlight gaps in our understanding of microbial caste ratios and argue for a shift in emphasis from understanding the maintenance of divisions of labor, generally, to instead focusing on its specific ecological benefits for microbial genotypes and colonies. Thus, in addition to the canonical divisions of labor between, e.g., reproductive and vegetative tasks, we may also anticipate divisions of labor to evolve to reduce the costly production of secondary metabolites or secreted enzymes, ideas we consider in the context of streptomycetes. The study of microbial divisions of labor offers opportunities for new experimental and molecular insights across both well-studied and novel model systems.
An Integrated Wideband Power Amplifier for Cognitive Radio

This paper presents the development of the wideband power amplifier (PA) for application to intelligent cognitive radios. The load-tracking based on the frequency-varied load-pull technique is proposed for the PA design. The load impedance tracking is realized by filter network synthesis. A 3-7.5-GHz broadband PA is demonstrated in 0.15-mum InGaAs pseudomorphic HEMT technology. Operated at 3.5 V, the P1 dB and power-added efficiency of the PA are better than 21.4 dBm and 20%, respectively.