Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Input to output transfer in neurons

Computational modelling is playing an increasing role in neuroscience research by providing not only theoretical frameworks for describing the activity of the brain and the nervous system, but also by providing a set of tools and techniques for better understanding data obtained using various recording techniques. The focus of this thesis was on the latter using computational modelling to assist with analyzing measurement results and the underlying mechanisms behind them. The first study described in this thesis is an example of the use of a computational model in the case of intracellular in vivo recordings. Intracellular recordings of neurons in vivo are becoming routine, yielding insights into the rich sub-threshold neural dynamics and the integration of information by neurons under realistic situations. In particular, these methods have been used to estimate the global excitatory and inhibitory synaptic conductances experienced by the soma. I first present a method to estimate the effective somatic excitatory and inhibitory conductances as well as their rate and event size from the intracellular in vivo recordings. The method was applied to intracellular recordings from primary motor cortex of awake behaving mice. Next, I studied how dendritic filtering leads to misestimation of the global excitatory and inhibitory conductances. Using analytical treatment of a simplified model and numerical simulations of a detailed compartmental model, I show how much both the mean, as well as the variation of the synaptic conductances are underestimated by the methods based on recordings at the soma. The influence of the synaptic distance from the soma on the estimation for both excitatory as well as inhibitory inputs for different realistic neuronal morphologies is discussed. The last study was an attempt to classify the synaptic location region based on the measurements of the excitatory postsynaptic potential at two different locations on the dendritic tree. The measurements were obtained from the in vitro intercellular recordings in slices of the somatosensory cortex of rats when exposed to glutamate uncaging stimulation. The models were used to train the classifier and to demonstrate the extent to which the automatic classification agrees with manual classification performed by the experimenter.
Which measurement scales should we use to measure breathlessness in palliative care? A systematic review

Introduction: There is no universally accepted measurement scale to assess breathlessness in adult palliative care patients. This significantly hampers clinical practice and research into effective interventions. The aim is to systematically identify and appraise breathlessness measurement scales, which are validated for use in palliative care or which show potential for use. Methods: We undertook systematic searches of electronic databases (Cochrane databases 2005, MEDLINE 1966-2005, OLDMEDLINE 1950-1965, EMBASE 1980-2005, PsycINFO 1872-2005, AMED 1985-2005, CINAHL 1982-2005, SIGLE 1980-2005) with follow-up searches (reference lists of included papers, hand-searches of relevant journals). The basic search strategy was 'breathlessness (etc.) AND measurement (scales, validation etc.) AND palliative care/cardiac failure/respiratory disease/ neoplasm etc.', modified for each database, without language restriction. Patient-based scales with evaluations of at least two psychometric characteristics were included. Exercise-based tests were excluded. Scales were appraised with particular emphasis on construct validity and responsiveness. Results: We identified 29 scales: six to measure breathlessness severity, four to assess breathlessness descriptions, and 19 to measure functional impact of breathlessness. Severity: The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and modified Borg Scale have been evaluated in COPD (the NRS has also been evaluated in cancer). Both require further assessment of responsiveness and test-retest reliability over time intervals relevant to palliative care. Visual Analogue Scales have also been evaluated, but require larger sample sizes than NRS for evidence of intervention effectiveness. Descriptions: The Japanese Cancer Dyspnoea Scale (CDS) has been evaluated in patients with cancer, but requires further assessment of construct validity and responsiveness. Functional impact: The Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire dyspnoea subscale (CRQ-D) has been evaluated in chronic lung diseases and heart failure; the MND Respiratory Scale is similar. CRQ-D has face and construct validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness, and shows promise for palliative care. Conclusion: The NRS, modified Borg, CRQ-D and CDS appear most suitable for use in palliative care, but further evaluation is required before adopting any scale as standard. This review has been registered with the Cochrane collaboration and will be published and updated as a Cochrane review. Palliative Medicine 2007; 21: 177-191
When Size Is Important

The accommodation of Mg2+ in the N-terminal domain of calmodulin was followed through amide1H and 15N chemical shifts and line widths in heteronuclear single-quantum coherence spectroscopy NMR spectra. Mg2+ binds sequentially to the two Ca2+-binding loops in this domain, with affinities such that nearly half of the loops would be occupied by Mg2+ in resting eukaryotic cells. Mg2+ binding seems to occur without ligation to the residue in the 12th loop position, previously proven largely responsible for the major rearrangements induced by binding of the larger Ca2+. Consequently, smaller Mg2+-induced structural changes are indicated throughout the protein. The two Ca2+-binding loops have different Mg2+ binding characteristics. Ligands in the N-terminal loop I are better positioned for cation binding, resulting in higher affinity and slower binding kinetics compared with the C-terminal loop II (k off = 380 ± 40 s–1compared with ∼10,000 s−1 at 25 °C). The Mg2+-saturated loop II undergoes conformational exchange on the 100-μs time scale. Available data suggest that this exchange occurs between a conformation providing a ligand geometry optimized for Mg2+ binding and a conformation more similar to that of the empty loop.
Upstream hop-by-hop congestion control in wireless sensor networks

Congestion in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) can lead to packet losses, delay, and energy waste due to a large number of retransmissions and packet drops. It is necessary to carry out congestion control which detects congestion precisely and regulates it fairly. To achieve this objective, an upstream hop-by-hop congestion control (UHCC) protocol based on cross-layer design is proposed. Unlike existing congestion control protocol, the UHCC protocol takes advantage of unoccupied buffer size and traffic rate at MAC layer of each node as congestion level indication, based on which, every upstream traffic rate is adjusted with its node priority (SP) to mitigate congestion hop by hop. Finally, simulation results show that the UHCC protocol achieves higher throughput, better priority-based fairness and lower packet loss ratio than both congestion control and fairness (CCF) and priority-based congestion control (PCCP) protocols.
Relationship between temperament, character and the autistic trait in parents of children with autistic spectrum disorder

Abstract Objective. Previous studies have revealed distinct features of autism, with higher harm avoidance and lower reward dependence and novelty seeking. It is assumed that high harm avoidance, and low novelty seeking, reward dependence, cooperativeness, and self-directedness are related with the broad autism phenotype, as seen in autistic individuals. Method. This study examined the association between the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), in parents of children with ASD. Result. There was significant correlation between total AQ and total harm avoidance, cooperativeness, and self-directedness (p < 0.05). In the stepwise analysis, self-directedness and education emerged significantly (F(2,67) = 19.71, p < . 005). This model modestly explained 35% of variance (Adjusted R2 = .350). Conclusion. Our findings suggest that self-directedness may be an autistic trait.
Sources of Strand Compositional Asymmetry in Microbial Chromosomes

Significant compositional biases in bacterial chromosomes have been explained by replication- and transcription-coupled repair mechanisms, the latter causing GC skew to indicate the direction of replication when gene polarity is correspondingly entrained. Correlations between indicators of replication direction, skew, and transcription polarity are computed for the complete nucleotide sequences of 20 microbial chromosomes and interpreted through statistical tests. A second quantitative method, previously applied to the first complete draft of the Escherichia coli K12 genome, characterizes the sequences by average skew and net skew due to replication. These methods generally agree in finding the coexistence of replication- and translation-coupled effects and in identifying atypical sequences in which one influence is clearly dominant. The replication-dominated class is exemplified by two chlamydial sequences and the transcription-dominated class by three archaea. The preference for leading-strand transcription in two mycoplasmas is stronger than the skew implies. These concordant methods provide an objective framework for comparing sources of strand compositional asymmetry and interpreting skew diagrams.
On the analysis of peak-to-average ratio (PAR) for IS95 and CDMA2000 systems

Peak-to-average ratio (PAR) of a signal is an important parameter to a linear amplifier because it determines the backoff factor needed to be applied to the amplifier in order to avoid clipping and hence spectral regrowth. In this paper, we analyzed the PAR of the downlink direct code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) signal for the IS-95 (2G) and the CDMA2000 (3G) systems. Both the single-carrier (SC) and the multi-carrier (MC) situations are considered. For MC systems, an analytical model is developed to describe the PAR distribution. Closed-form expressions are obtained. Results are compared with simulations, and a nearly exact match is found. This is very useful since simulations for PAR distribution are very costly. Finally, PAR control by synthesis methods are proposed, and their effectiveness are discussed.
Multiple sites of HOX‐7 expression during mouse embryogenesis: Comparison with retinoic acid receptor mRNA localization

We report results from a study of Hox‐7 expression during mouse embryonic and fetal development and compare the localization of Hox‐7 transcripts with those of the retinoic acid receptors. Transcripts were detected by in situ hybridization. Hox‐7 expression occurs in (1) cephalic neural crest and its derivatives, (2) sites of ectomesodermal interaction, (3) extraembryonic tissues, and (4) endocardial cells. Hox‐7 does not seem to be involved in defining rostrocaudal boundaries, but instead appears to be expressed along the proximodistal axes at these sites. We further investigated the active sites of morphogenesis, which involve an ectomesodermal interaction (e.g., limb buds, visceral arches), including genital tubercle and tail ridge. These are regions highly positive for Hox‐7 transcripts, and many are known to be sites for the expression of γ‐retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and cellular retinoic acid binding proteins. Most regions that express Hox‐7 are subregions of γ‐RAR expression. In the developing limb bud, expression of Hox‐7 takes place in the interdigital region, where it overlaps areas of β‐RAR expression.
opulation viability of the Siberian Tiger in a changing landscape : Going , oing and gone ?

The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is a flagship species of the boreal forest ecosystem in northeastern China and Russia Far East. During the past century, the tiger population has declined sharply from more than 3000 to fewer than 600 individuals, and its habitat has become much smaller and greatly fragmented. Poaching, habitat degradation, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation have been widely recognized as the primary causes for the observed population decline. Using a population viability analysis tool (RAMAS/GIS), we simulated the effects of poaching, habitat degradation, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation on the population dynamics and extinction risk of the Amur tiger, and then explored the relative effectiveness of three conservation strategies involving improving habitat quality and establishing movement corridors in China and Russia. A series of controlled simulation experiments were performed based on the current spatial distribution of habitat and field-observed vital rates. Our results showed that the Amur tiger population could be viable for the next 100 years if the current habitat area and quality were well-maintained, with poaching strictly prohibited of the tigers and their main prey species. Poaching and habitat degradation (mainly prey scarcity) had the largest negative impacts on the tiger population persistence. While the effect of habitat loss was also substantial, habitat fragmentation per se had less influence on the long-term fate of the tiger population. However, to sustain the subpopulations in both Russia and China would take much greater conservation efforts. The viability of the Chinese population of tigers would rely heavily on its connectivity with the largest patch on the other side of the border. Improving the habitat quality of small patches only or increasing habitat connectivity through movement corridors alone would not be enough to guarantee the long-term population persistence of the Amur tiger in both Russia and China. The only conservation strategy that allowed for long-term persistence of tigers in both countries required both the improvement of habitat quality and the establishment of a transnational reserve network. Our study provides new insights into the metapopulation dynamics and persistence of the Amur tiger, which should be useful in landscape and conservation planning for protecting the biggest cat species in the world.
An efficient signal processing algorithm for accurate detection of characteristic points in Abnormal ECG signals

A lot of information on the normal and pathological physiology of heart can be obtained in the form of ECG. The irregularity of heart resembles the shape of ECG. One cardiac cycle of ECG signal consists of characteristic points P-QRS-T. The amplitudes and intervals values of P-QRS-T segment determine the functioning of heart of every human. If the electrical activity of the heart is irregular, faster, or slower than normal this is considered as abnormality in ECG signals. In this paper a Signal processing algorithm, which is the combination of both Frequency and Time analysis is used to identify P-QRS-T points. R-peak detection is the first step in characteristic points detection, for identifying R-peak, wavelet transform (sym4) decomposition method (Frequency domain) is used. After R-peak detection other characteristic points are detected by tracing to and fro from R-peak (Time domain). In this five cases of ECG signals are tested specifically for a Normal Person; Normal Sinus Rhythm (NSR), Atrial fibrillation (AF), Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB), Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB), Cardiac Ischemia (CI) and Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). A total of 73 Abnormal ECG signals are taken from MIT-BIH arrhythmias database and Results are evaluated using MATLAB R2014a software.
An Examination of the Relationship Between Subsidies on Production and Technical Efficiency in Agriculture: The Case of Cotton Producers in Greece

Subsidies on production have long been criticized for protecting producers from competition, and thus removing an incentive for efficient use of the resources. This study undertakes the examination of the impact of partially decoupled subsidies on the technical efficiency scores of cotton producers in Greece. The results indicate that compensatory area payments reduce the efficiency scores of the producers by diverting resources from products for which the subsidy is based on the area planted to the production of cotton, for which the aid is related to the volume of output.
Economic evaluation of continuous renal replacement therapy in acute renal failure

Objectives: Controversy exists regarding the optimal method of providing dialysis in critically ill patients with acute renal failure. We sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of treatment strategies. Methods: Adult subjects requiring renal replacement therapy in a critical care setting who are candidates for intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) or continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) were considered within a Markov model. Alternative strategies including IHD, and standard or high dose CRRT were compared. The model considered relevant clinical and economic outcomes, and incorporated data on clinical effectiveness from a recent systematic review and high quality micro-costing data. Results: In the base-case analysis, CRRT was associated with similar health outcomes but higher costs by ($3,679 more than IHD per patient). In scenarios considering alternate cost sources, and higher intensity of IHD (including daily and longer duration IHD), CRRT remained more costly. Sensitivity analysis indicated that even small differences in the risk of mortality or need for long-term chronic dialysis therapy among surviving patients benefits led to dramatic changes in the cost-effectiveness of the modalities considered. Conclusions: Given the higher costs of providing CRRT and absence of demonstrated benefit, IHD is the preferred modality in critically ill patients who are candidates for either IHD or CRRT, although this conclusion should be revisited if future clinical trials establish differences in clinical effectiveness between modalities. Future interventions that are proven to improve renal recovery after acute renal failure are likely to be cost-effective, even if very resource intensive.
E-voting system using biometric testament and cloud storage

Every field is emerged into automation and this has to be brought into the current electoral system. The voting system that ensures the ballotters with trust and confidence is accuracy which does not allow false voting, the scalability that does not affect process, the mobility that allows the ballotter to vote from any location and the efficiency that reduces the consumption of time due to manual verification of the ballotter. The voting system should be groomed in an evident way by employing Aadhar card and biometric sensor that assures the ballotters trust and confidence. A biometric device makes use of automated approach of verifying and recognizing the identity. There are situations where the ballotters can't vote in the booth; in such a situation the ballotter can make use of their mobile to cast his/her vote. To overcome such difficulties a mobile application is developed. So far, the result announcement requires man power for counting which can be reduced using cloud storage that gathers votes from all the polling booth. The gathered votes are encrypted from the polling booth and the decryption of data is done by the electoral commission. Arduino is a board that combines the Wi-Fi shield and the functionality of the appliance. Accessing the cloud and processing the data can be done with Arduino boards. The proposed work combines the concepts of cloud storage, biometric verification, and security to ensure trustworthy voting.
What Is a Geriatrician? American Geriatrics Society and Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs End‐of‐Training Entrustable Professional Activities for Geriatric Medicine

Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) describe the core work that constitutes a discipline's specific expertise and provide the framework for faculty to perform meaningful assessment of geriatric fellows. This article describes the collaborative process of developing the end‐of‐training American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (ADGAP) EPAs for Geriatric Medicine (AGS/ADGAP EPAs). The geriatrics EPAs describes a geriatrician's fundamental expertise and how geriatricians differ from general internists and family practitioners who care for older adults.
Customer Churn Prediction in Telecommunication Sector using Rough Set Approach

Customer churn is a critical and challenging problem affecting business and industry, in particular, the rapidly growing, highly competitive telecommunication sector. It is of substantial interest to both academic researchers and industrial practitioners, interested in forecasting the behavior of customers in order to differentiate the churn from non-churn customers. The primary motivation is the dire need of businesses to retain existing customers, coupled with the high cost associated with acquiring new ones. A review of the field has revealed a lack of efficient, rule-based Customer Churn Prediction (CCP) approaches in the telecommunication sector. This study proposes an intelligent rule-based decision-making technique, based on rough set theory (RST), to extract important decision rules related to customer churn and non-churn. The proposed approach effectively performs classification of churn from non-churn customers, along with prediction of those customers who will churn or may possibly churn in the near future. Extensive simulation experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of our proposed RST based CPP approach using four rule-generation mechanisms, namely, the Exhaustive Algorithm (EA), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Covering Algorithm (CA) and the LEM2 algorithm. Empirical results show that RST-GA is the most efficient technique for extracting implicit knowledge in the form of decision rules from the publicly available, benchmark telecom dataset. Further, comparative results demonstrate that our proposed approach offers a globally optimal solution for CCP in the telecom sector, when benchmarked against several state-of-the-art methods. Finally, we show how attribute-level analysis can pave the way for developing a successful customer retention policy that could form an indispensable part of strategic decision making and planning process in the telecom sector.
What the Obstetrician/Gynecologist Should Know About Thyroid Disorders

Thyroid disease is a common disorder faced by women of all ages. Because of its high incidence in women, recognizing and treating thyroid dysfunction often becomes the responsibility of the obstetrician/gynecologist. It is important that women's healthcare providers understand how the thyroid's function changes as a woman enters her reproductive years, as well as during pregnancy and menopause. Current guidelines for diagnosing and managing thyroid dysfunction and recommended treatment strategies are discussed in this review. Target Audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After completion of this educational activity, the obstetrician/gynecologist should be better able to evaluate normal thyroid physiology and pathophysiology of thyroid dysfunction; assess appropriate screening options for their patients; and diagnose and manage thyroid disorders common among reproductive-aged women.