Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards Semi-automated Assistance for the Treatment of Stress Disorders

People who suffer from a stress disorder have a severe handicap in daily life. In addition, stress disorders are complex and consequently, hard to define and hard to treat. Semi-automatic assistance was envisioned that helps in the treatment of a stress disorder. Speech was considered to provide an excellent tool for providing an objective, unobtrusive emotion measure. Speech from 25 patients suffering from a stress disorder was recorded while they participated in two storytelling sessions. As a subjective measure, the Subjective Unit of Distress (SUD) was determined, which enabled the validation of derived speech features. A regression model with four speech parameters (i.e., signal, power, zero crossing ratio, and pitch), was able to explain 70% of the variance in the SUD measure. As such it lays the foundation for semi-automated assistance for the treatment of patients with stress disorders.
An error resilient scheme for image transmission over noisy channels with memory

This correspondence addresses the use of a joint source-channel coding strategy for enhancing the error resilience of images transmitted over a binary channel with additive Markov noise. In this scheme, inherent or residual (after source coding) image redundancy is exploited at the receiver via a maximum a posteriori (MAP) channel detector. This detector, which is optimal in terms of minimizing the probability of error, also exploits the larger capacity of the channel with memory as opposed to the interleaved (memoryless) channel. We first consider MAP channel decoding of uncompressed two-tone and bit-plane encoded grey-level images. Next, we propose a scheme relying on unequal error protection and MAP detection for transmitting grey-level images compressed using the discrete cosine transform (DCT), zonal coding, and quantization. Experimental results demonstrate that for various overall (source and channel) operational rates, significant performance improvements can be achieved over interleaved systems that do not incorporate image redundancy.
Dynamic program instrumentation for scalable performance tools

Presents a new technique called 'dynamic instrumentation' that provides efficient, scalable, yet detailed data collection for large-scale parallel applications. Our approach is unique because it defers inserting any instrumentation until the application is in execution. We can insert or change instrumentation at any time during execution by modifying the application's binary image. Only the instrumentation required for the currently selected analysis or visualization is inserted. As a result, our technique collects several orders of magnitude less data than traditional data collection approaches. We have implemented a prototype of our dynamic instrumentation on the CM-5, and present results for several real applications. In addition, we include recommendations to operating system designers, compiler writers, and computer architects about the features necessary to permit efficient monitoring of large-scale parallel systems. <<ETX>>
A systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials of combination of clopidogrel and aspirin in transient ischemic attack or minor stroke

The use of antiplatelet agents in patients with ischemic stroke is recommended. In this study, we compared the efficacy and safety of the treatment of clopidogrel plus aspirin (ASA) and that of ASA alone in patients with mild stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA). Randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies of Clop + ASA vs. ASA therapy in the patients with minor stroke/TIA were identified by electronic bibliographic searches. The primary result was recurrent stroke, while myocardial infarction (MI) as well as vascular mortalities were the secondary result, and major hemorrhagic events were the safety result. A comparative analysis of binary outcomes was performed on the treatment groups, with the employment of fixed effect models and the measurement of risk ratios (95% CI). Five RCT studies involving 9,527 patients were included. Compared with the group with ASA treatment, there was significant reduction in the incidence of recurrent stroke in the group with Clop + ASA (RR=0.76, 95% CI=0.67–0.87, P<0.0001), and there was no significant increase in the incidence of vascular mortalities and MI (RR=1.08, 95% CI=0.83–1.41, P=0.56) and no significant change in major hemorrhagic events (RR=1.55, 95% CI=0.72–3.36, P=0.26). Therefore, the treatment with Clop + ASA seems safe as well as effective for decreasing stroke recurrence. In addition, this is related to a statistically insignificant trend in increasing vascular mortalities, MI, and primary hemorrhagic events. These findings need to be confirmed in prospective studies.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THINKING STYLE AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR

The current study investigated the relationship between maladaptive thinking st yles and delinquent behavior in a non-offender sample. Participants were 712 college students who completed a series of self-report questionnaires that assessed demographic q u lities, maladaptive thinking, and history of delinquent behavior. I hypothesized that level of maladaptive thinking style would significantly predict delinquent behavior. Results suggested that ma ladaptive thinking endorsed by the current college sample followed a pattern simila r to that of offender samples. In addition, univariate analyses in generalized linear modeling de monstrated that maladaptive thinking is a significant predictor of self-endorsed delinquent behavior.
Silencing of WNK2 is associated with upregulation of MMP2 and JNK in gliomas

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix (ECM), thus assisting invasion. Upregulation of MMPs, frequently reported in gliomas, is associated with aggressive behavior. WNK2 is a tumor suppressor gene expressed in normal brain, and silenced by promoter methylation in gliomas. Patients without WNK2 exhibited poor prognosis, and its downregulation was associated with increased glioma cell invasion. Here we showed that MMP2 expression and activity are increased in glioma cell lines that do not express WNK2. Also, WNK2 inhibited JNK, a process associated with decreasing levels of MMP2. Thus, WNK2 promoter methylation and silencing in gliomas is associated with increased JNK activation and MMP2 expression and activity, thus explaining in part tumor cell invasion potential.
Psychosocial Determinants of Young Athletes' Continued Participation over Time

The aim of this study was to examine the differences in psychosocial and motivational variables between persistent and dropout youth athletes and between groups with different years in training. Team and individual youth athletes completed questionnaires measuring autonomy support from parents and coaches, peer motivational climate, basic psychological needs satisfaction, and sport motivation. The results showed that athletes who dropped out perceived significantly less competence, relatedness, and autonomy need satisfaction, and they perceived less autonomy support from parents and were less intrinsically motivated than persistent athletes. Youth athletes with up to one year in training reported significantly lower effort and intra-team conflict with peers, relatedness need satisfaction, and external motivation than athletes with 1 to 3 years and > 3 years in training. Findings extend knowledge of the psychosocial determinants of sport continuation behaviour among young athletes.
Common Variation in Genes Related to Innate Immunity and Risk of Adult Glioma

Current evidence suggests that immune system alterations contribute to the etiology of adult glioma, the most common adult brain tumor. Although previous studies have focused on variation in candidate genes in the adaptive immune system, the innate immune system has emerged as a critical avenue for research given its known link with carcinogenesis. To identify genetic markers in pathways critical to innate immunity, we conducted an association study of 551 glioma cases and 865 matched controls of European ancestry to investigate “tag” single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 148 genetic regions. Two independent U.S. case-control studies included were as follows: a hospital-based study conducted by the National Cancer Institute (263 cases, 330 controls) and a community-based study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (288 cases, 535 controls). Tag SNPs (1,397) chosen on the basis of an r2 of >0.8 and minor allele frequency of >5% in Caucasians in HapMap1 were genotyped. Glioma risk was estimated by odds ratios. Nine SNPs distributed across eight genetic regions (ALOX5, IRAK3, ITGB2, NCF2, NFKB1, SELP, SOD1, and STAT1) were associated with risk of glioma with P value of <0.01. Although these associations were no longer statistically significant after controlling for multiple comparisons, the associations were notably consistent in both studies. Region-based tests were statistically significant (P < 0.05) for SELP, SOD, and ALOX5. Analyses restricted to glioblastoma (n = 254) yielded significant associations for the SELP, DEFB126/127, SERPINI1, and LY96 genetic regions. We have identified a promising set of innate immunity-related genetic regions for further investigation. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(5):1651–8)
An Overview of Speaker Identification: Accuracy and Robustness Issues

This paper presents the main paradigms for speaker identification, and recent work on missing data methods to increase robustness. The feature extraction, speaker modeling and system classification are discussed. Evaluations of speaker identification performance subject to environmental noise are presented. While performance is impressive in clean speech conditions, there is rapid degradation with mismatched additive noise. Missing data methods can compensate against arbitrary disturbances and remove environmental mismatches. An overview of missing data methods is provided and applications to robust speaker identification summarized. Finally combined approaches involving bottom-up estimation and top-down processing are reviewed, and their significance discussed.
Performance Of Cached Dram Organizations In Vector Supercomputers

DRAMs containing cache memory are studied in the context of vector supercomputers. In particular, we consider systems where processors have no internal data caches and memory reference streams are generated by vector instructions. For this application, we expect that cached DRAMs can provide high bandwidth at relatively low cost. We study both DRAMs with a single, long cache line and with smaller, multiple cache lines. Memory interleaving schemes that increase data locality are proposed and studied. The interleaving schemes are also shown to lead to non-uniform bank accesses, i.e. hot banks. This suggest there is an important optimization problem involving methods that increase locality to improve performance, but not so much that hot banks diminish performance. We show that for uniprocessor systems, both types of cached DRAMs work well with the proposed interleave methods. For multiprogrammed multiprocessors, the multiple cache line DRAMs work better.
SEEDING IN THE NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: WHEN IS A HIGHER SEED BETTER?

A number of methods have been proposed for predicting game winners in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) annual men’s college basketball championship tournament. Since 1985, more than 70% of the teams in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds of the tournament have been high-seeded teams (i.e., teams assigned seeds of one, two, or three); a method that can accurately compare two such teams is often necessary to predict games in these rounds. This paper statistically analyzes tournaments from 1985 to 2009. A key finding is that there is an insignificant difference between the historical win percentages of high-seeded teams in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth tournament rounds, which implies that choosing the higher seed to win games between these seeds does not provide accurate predictions in these rounds, and alternate predictors or methods should be sought. Implications on gambling point spreads are discussed.
Cooperative power minimization for the coexistence of heterogeneous multi-hop networks

The paper investigates how to minimize cooperative power consumption for the coexistence of heterogeneous multi-hop networks. We formulate a multiobjective optimization problem for the total power consumption of the two heterogeneous multi-hop networks and reformulate the nonlinear constraint to be linear. The optimal power curve - the minimum power consumption for both two heterogeneous multi-hop networks is studied in-depth. Through a novel approach based on adaptive weighted sum method, we transform it into a single-objective optimization problem and find the Pareto-optimal points iteratively to construct the minimum power curve. It demonstrates that cooperative power control can save more energy than the case without cooperative power control.
spoIIQ, a forespore‐expressed gene required for engulfment in Bacillus subtilis

A crucial step in converting an actively growing Bacillus subtilis cell into a dormant spore is the formation of a cell within a cell. This unusual structure is created by a phagocytosis‐like process in which the larger mother cell progressively engulfs the adjacent smaller forespore. Only mutations blocking engulfment at an early stage and affecting genes expressed in the mother cell have been identified. Here we describe a new locus, spoIIQ, which is transcribed in the forespore and which encodes a membrane‐bound protein required at a late stage of engulfment. Immunofluorescence microscopy analysis have shown that SpoIIQ is initially targeted to the septum at the boundary between the two cells and then spreads around the entire membrane of the forespore. Septum targeting requires only the first 52 residues of SpoIIQ as well as unidentified forespore‐specific components. Electron‐microscopy studies of cells engineered to activate the mother‐cell program of gene expression independently of the forespore indicate that other as yet uncharacterized genes are involved in engulfment and that this morphological process is driven from both sides of the forespore envelope.
Use of adaptive linear algorithms for very short-term prediction of wind turbine power output

The paper proposes an efficient method for very short-term prediction of wind turbine power output. The method, which models the turbine as a Hammerstein system, exploits an adaptive linear filtering algorithm. The performance of the proposed method is examined by implementation of two linear adaptive algorithms, namely, least mean squares (LMS) and recursive least squares (RLS) filters. Using synthetic generation of turbine power output, it is shown that the RLS algorithm gives more accurate results with moderate computational burden as compared to the LMS algorithm and rival artificial neural networks.
A Nanopower Synchronous Charge Extractor IC for Low-Voltage Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting With Residual Charge Inversion

The paper presents a power converter for piezoelectric energy harvesting implementing a modified version of a synchronous electrical charge extraction with quiescent current as low as 160 nA. The input energy is increased of more than 200% for weak vibrations, by inverting the residual charge left on the capacitance of the transducer after each energy extraction. Moreover, a power management policy, named two-way energy storage, is introduced in order to improve significantly the efficiency of the energy harvesting system in battery-less systems during the startup phase, when the energy storage is fully depleted. The converter behaves as a buck-boost converter, and the measured peak efficiency is 85.3%. The IC has been designed in a 0.32-μm microelectronic technology from STMicroelectronics in an active area of 0.95 mm2.
dnc-1/dynactin 1 Knockdown Disrupts Transport of Autophagosomes and Induces Motor Neuron Degeneration

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons. We previously showed that the expression of dynactin 1, an axon motor protein regulating retrograde transport, is markedly reduced in spinal motor neurons of sporadic ALS patients, although the mechanisms by which decreased dynactin 1 levels cause neurodegeneration have yet to be elucidated. The accumulation of autophagosomes in degenerated motor neurons is another key pathological feature of sporadic ALS. Since autophagosomes are cargo of dynein/dynactin complexes and play a crucial role in the turnover of several organelles and proteins, we hypothesized that the quantitative loss of dynactin 1 disrupts the transport of autophagosomes and induces the degeneration of motor neuron. In the present study, we generated a Caenorhabditis elegans model in which the expression of DNC-1, the homolog of dynactin 1, is specifically knocked down in motor neurons. This model exhibited severe motor defects together with axonal and neuronal degeneration. We also observed impaired movement and increased number of autophagosomes in the degenerated neurons. Furthermore, the combination of rapamycin, an activator of autophagy, and trichostatin which facilitates axonal transport dramatically ameliorated the motor phenotype and axonal degeneration of this model. Thus, our results suggest that decreased expression of dynactin 1 induces motor neuron degeneration and that the transport of autophagosomes is a novel and substantial therapeutic target for motor neuron degeneration.
Seed Technology Research Output: A Scientometric Analysis on SCOPUS Database

The study analyses the seed technology research publications during 2008-2017 based on the Scopus database. The objective of the study was to perform a scientometric analysis of all seed technology research publication. Data for a study is total of 8576 have been downloaded and analyzed according to objectives. The study reveals that the growth of literature follows the liner growth pattern, journal articles are the most published form of literature (73.83%), International Journal Of Food Science and Technology followed by Nongye Gongcheng Xuebao Transactions Of The Chinese Society Of Agricultural Engineering are top journals, China and Chinese Academy of Sciences are top research contributing country and institution. The highly productive subject areas are Agricultural and Biological Sciences . Collaborating authorship pattern analysis shows that degree of collaboration (92%) significantly high. Overall, the paper presents an informed account of seed technology research performance.
Trajectories of Change Across Outcomes in Intensive Treatment for Adolescent Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia

Much remains to be learned about typical and individual growth trajectories across treatment for adolescent panic disorder with and without agoraphobia and about critical treatment points associated with key changes. The present study examined the rate and shape of change across an 8-day intensive cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescent panic disorder with and without agoraphobia (N = 56). Participants ranged in age from 12 to 17 (M = 15.14, SD = 1.70; 58.9% female, 78.6% Caucasian). Multilevel modeling evaluated within-treatment linear and nonlinear changes across three treatment outcomes: panic severity, fear, and avoidance. Overall panic severity showed linear change, decreasing throughout treatment. In contrast, fear and avoidance ratings both showed cubic change, peaking slightly at the first session of treatment, starting to decrease at the second session of treatment, and with large gains continuing then plateauing at the fourth session. Findings are considered with regard to the extent to which they may elucidate critical treatment components and sessions for adolescents with panic disorder with and without agoraphobia.
Imaging Appetite-Regulating Pathways in the Central Nervous System Using Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The global increase in obesity has led to a redoubling of efforts directed at understanding the control of energy homeostasis. Insight into the mechanisms which govern appetite regulation is central to understanding the pathophysiology of obesity and the design of effective therapeutic interventions. Exploitation of hormonal satiety signals secreted by the gut requires greater insight into their interaction with central nervous system (CNS) circuits of appetite control. Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is a novel technique, recently adapted to investigate the effects of gut peptides on CNS appetite circuits. Using manganese ion accumulation as a marker of neuronal activity, changes in signal intensity in key appetite centres within the hypothalamus following peripheral injection of gut hormones have been demonstrated. Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging offers several advantages over methodologies currently used for the study of gut hormone interactions with the CNS and has the potential for application in fields beyond appetite regulation.
Chord Based Identity Management for e-Healthcare Cloud Applications

Increase in healthcare awareness has raised the number of subscriptions for e-Healthcare applications. Consequently e-Healthcare application providers are adopting Cloud computing to handle immense processing load and to reduce service delivery cost. Identity management has been an issue which hinders in adoption of e-Healthcare applications, due to sensitivity of the data involved in it. Existing Cloud based e-Healthcare applications provide access to their services though Single-Sign-On (SSO) protocols. Traditional SSO uses asymmetric encryption, thus increasing the execution load on Cloud gateway and on Identity Provider as well. In this paper we propose a methodology of SSO for Cloud applications by utilizing Peer-to-Peer concepts to distribute processing load among computing nodes within Cloud. The proposed scheme, called Chord for Cloud (C4C), decreases the number of authentication request send to Identity Provider and disseminates the authentication process within the federated environment of Cloud, through Chord algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed technique has been shown through argumentation scenarios.
Handwriting Fluency in Children

This cross-sectional study aimed to (1) construct a model of handwriting fluency in children and (2) explore the impact of fluent handwriting and visual-motor integration on orthographic skills. In a Swiss sample of 93 fourth graders (mean age = 10 years, 7 months; SD = 6.58 months), handwriting speed and legibility were assessed by means of a copying task. Furthermore, automaticity of handwriting, stroke pressure, and stroke frequency were measured on a digitizing tablet, while visual-motor integration and orthographic skills were assessed by means of standardized tests. SEM modeling revealed that automaticity of handwriting, which is associated with both stroke frequency and stroke pressure, predicts handwriting speed as well as orthographic skills. The latter association remained significant even when visual-motor integration, which also proved to be a predictor of orthographic skills, was included in the model. The results are discussed with respect to theories that assume that the automaticity of han.