Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multisensory Integration Impairment in Rodent Models of Schizophrenia: Converging Evidence for Remediation by Nicotinic Receptor Stimulation of the GABAergic System

MULTISENSORY INTEGRATION IMPAIRMENT IN RODENT MODELS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA: CONVERGING EVIDENCE FOR REMEDIATION BY NICOTINIC STIMULATION OF THE GABAERGIC SYSTEM Jacob Milton Cloke Advisor: University of Guelph, 2016 Professor B. D. Winters This thesis investigated the selective multisensory integration impairment in ketamine-treated rats, a rodent model of schizophrenia. Previous findings have shown that ketamine-treated rats are impaired on a crossmodal object recognition (CMOR) task, but not on similar tests that do not require multisensory binding. In the current thesis, this effect was replicated and extended using a novel multisensory object oddity (MSO) task, which directly assesses multisensory binding in the absence of significant memory demands; ketamine-treated rats were impaired on tactile-visual and olfactory-visual MSO, but not on similar unimodal oddity tasks. Systemic administration of nicotine reversed the CMOR and MSO impairments in ketamine-treated rats. This effect appears to be mediated by α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR), as the selective α4β2 agonist ABT-418, but not the selective α7 nAChR agonist GTS-21, restored CMOR and MSO performance in ketamine-treated rats. The involvement of nAChRs in remediating this cognitive impairment was explored in the orbitofrontal (OFC) and medial prefrontal (mPFC) cortices. Intra-OFC, but not intra-mPFC, ABT-418 restored multisensory cognition in ketamine-treated rats. Prompted by past research indicating dysfunctional GABAergic transmission in schizophrenia and ketamine-treated rats, we hypothesized that decreased OFC GABAergic function disrupts multisensory cognition and that OFC nAChRs restore performance in ketamine-treated rats by enhancing GABAergic release. Accordingly, the GABAA antagonist bicuculline blocked the remediating effect of intra-OFC ABT-418 on CMOR and MSO performance. Additionally, whole-cell electrophysiology revealed disrupted GABAergic transmission in the OFC of ketamine-treated rats, and activation of α4β2 nAChRs restored GABAergic function. Moreover, immunohistochemical analyses indicated that GABAergic parvalbumin (PV)-interneuron (PV-IN) expression was decreased in the OFC of ketamine-treated rats. Thus, DREADDS (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) were used to silence OFC PV-INs in PV-Cre mice, revealing a selective MSO deficit that could be reversed by ABT-418. This thesis therefore proposes that dysfunction of OFC PV-INs in ketamine-treated rats causes their multisensory impairment and that activation of α4β2 nAChR on PV-INs restores essential inhibitory transmission reversing the multisensory deficit. Given the parallels between schizophrenia and the current rodent model, pharmacological therapies targeting the GABAergic system and/or GABAergic-nicotinic interactions hold promise for treating specific cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia.
A Computer-Aided Diagnosis System for Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR Images Based on Level Set Segmentation and ReliefF Feature Selection

This study established a fully automated computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system for the classification of malignant and benign masses via breast magnetic resonance imaging (BMRI). A breast segmentation method consisting of a preprocessing step to identify the air-breast interfacing boundary and curve fitting for chest wall line (CWL) segmentation was included in the proposed CAD system. The Chan-Vese (CV) model level set (LS) segmentation method was adopted to segment breast mass and demonstrated sufficiently good segmentation performance. The support vector machine (SVM) classifier with ReliefF feature selection was used to merge the extracted morphological and texture features into a classification score. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity measurements for the leave-half-case-out resampling method were 92.3%, 98.2%, and 76.2%, respectively. For the leave-one-case-out resampling method, the measurements were 90.0%, 98.7%, and 73.8%, respectively.
C2i: A tool to gather medical indexed information

Choosing the appropriate diagnosis codes in a nomenclature is a non-intuitive task for the practitioner. Mistakes are frequent with severe consequences on healthcare evaluation and funding. As in many countries where the coding is accomplished in a decentralized way, most of the French physicians have to assign a code for everything they do and they are not spared with these kinds of errors and the coding-experts at the Medical Information Department supervise the making of the unit discharge abstracts, and their transmission to the HAS (High Authority in Health Care). The proposed system named C2i aims at supporting the medical coding task for the two involved actor types in order to ensure its completeness and to avoid errors without losing time The proposed approach consists in collecting useful and pertinent medical information in accordance with the physician activities and the patient medical context and, thus, in exploiting this data by a generic approach. The C2i platform is at the same time an inference system, a notification system and a tracking system. The C2i inference system gathers and applies the rules dedicated at each information source while the C2i notification system proposes the coding advices of each source independently or in a combined manner. The C2i tracking system conserves all the facts and applied rules as coding warrant for the retained codes by the physician and as an information source for patient further coding. A prototype of the C2i based on relational database is under development and already illustrates the potential of such a system but also the limits of the relational model to manage complex, highly interrelated information.
The characterization of the interfacial interaction between polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate and aluminum: a ToF‐SIMS and XPS study

Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been employed to study the interfacial interaction between polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI) and aluminum produced by the deposition of a thin PMDI layer on the aluminum, in order to improve adhesion and/or abhesion performance.
Pre-Bötzinger complex functions as a central hypoxia chemosensor for respiration in vivo.

Recently, we identified a region located in the pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC; the proposed locus of respiratory rhythm generation) in which activation of ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptors using DL-homocysteic acid (DLH) elicits a variety of excitatory responses in the phrenic neurogram, ranging from tonic firing to a rapid series of high-amplitude, rapid rate of rise, short-duration inspiratory bursts that are indistinguishable from gasps produced by severe systemic hypoxia. Therefore we hypothesized that this unique region is chemosensitive to hypoxia. To test this hypothesis, we examined the response to unilateral microinjection of sodium cyanide (NaCN) into the pre-BötC in chloralose- or chloralose/urethan-anesthetized vagotomized, paralyzed, mechanically ventilated cats. In all experiments, sites in the pre-BötC were functionally identified using DLH (10 mM, 21 nl) as we have previously described. All sites were histologically confirmed to be in the pre-BötC after completion of the experiment. Unilateral microinjection of NaCN (1 mM, 21 nl) into the pre-BötC produced excitation of phrenic nerve discharge in 49 of the 81 sites examined. This augmentation of inspiratory output exhibited one of the following changes in cycle timing and/or pattern: 1) a series of high-amplitude, short-duration bursts in the phrenic neurogram (a discharge similar to a gasp), 2) a tonic excitation of phrenic neurogram output, 3) augmented bursts in the phrenic neurogram (i.e., eupneic breath ending with a gasplike burst), or 4) an increase in frequency of phrenic bursts accompanied by small increases or decreases in the amplitude of integrated phrenic nerve discharge. Our findings identify a locus in the brain stem in which focal hypoxia augments respiratory output. We propose that the respiratory rhythm generator in the pre-BötC has intrinsic hypoxic chemosensitivity that may play a role in hypoxia-induced gasping.
THE HYDRODYNAMICS OF GAMMA-RAY BURST REMNANTS

This paper reports on the results of a numerical investigation designed to address how the initially anisotropic appearance of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) remnant is modified by the character of the circumburst medium and by the possible presence of an accompanying supernova (SN). Axisymmetric hydrodynamical calculations of light, impulsive jets propagating in both uniform and inhomogeneous external media are presented, which show that the resulting dynamics of their remnants since the onset of the non-relativistic phase is different from the standard self-similar solutions. Because massive star progenitors are expected to have their close-in surroundings modified by the progenitor winds, we consider both free winds and shocked winds as possible external media for GRB remnant evolution. Abundant confirmation is provided here of the important notion that the morphology and visibility of GRB remnants are determined largely by their circumstellar environments. For this reason, their detectability is highly biased in favor of those with massive star progenitors; although, in this class of models, the beamed component may be difficult to identify because the GRB ejecta is eventually swept up by the accompanying SN. The number density of asymmetric GRB remnants in the local universe could be, however, far larger if they expand in a tenuous interstellar medium, as expected for some short GRB progenitor models. In these sources, the late size of the observable, asymmetric remnant could extend over a wide, possibly resolvable angle and may be easier to constrain directly.
Yaws in the Western Pacific Region: A Review of the Literature

Until the middle of the 20th century, yaws was highly endemic and considered a serious public health problem in the Western Pacific Region (WPR), leading to intensive control efforts in the 1950s–1960s. Since then, little attention has been paid to its reemergence. Its current burden is unknown. This paper presents the results of an extensive literature review, focusing on yaws in the South Pacific. Available records suggest that the region remains largely free of yaws except for Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Many clinical cases reported recently were described as “attenuated”; advanced stages are rare. A single intramuscular injection of benzathine penicillin is still effective in curing yaws. In the Pacific, yaws may be amenable to elimination if adequate resources are provided and political commitment revived. A mapping of yaws prevalence in PNG, Solomon, and Vanuatu is needed before comprehensive country-tailored strategies towards yaws elimination can be developed.
FEATUREWhat robotics can learn from HCI

As the robotics field grows and becomes competitive, robotics companies are beginning to inject user-centered design methods into their processes. Applying HRI methods to industrial and commercial products introduces new challenges and a focus on cheap, proven methods. The specialty of human-robot interaction (HRI) is a growing group of roboticists, social scientists, and designers, but the field of industrial practitioners is still small. Robotics has yet to reach the transition point that Don Norman talks about in The Invisible Computer, where the level of performance exceeds users’ needs [1]. For that reason, the robotics industry to this point has focused on technology rather than user experience. As we see robots become ubiquitous consumer products, that focus is starting to change. At iRobot we have one practitioner of HRI (that’s me). iRobot has begun the transition from a technology-centered company to a user-centered company, as we grow from research robots toward commercial products. As we focus more on product development, we transform many research methods from the HCI and HRI fields into practice. Additionally, robotics companies provide a good opportunity to put HCI principles into practice. What Robotics Can Learn from HCI
Performance evaluation of similarity-based link prediction schemes for social network

Social network is a platform where people can share their information, make new connections, and explore the information about the different events occurring in society. In recent year, prediction for new link in the social network has been attracted many researchers. Link Prediction in social network refers to finding new connections that will occur between people in the future. It finds the absence and presence of edge in a social network. In this paper, we have explored well known similarity based link prediction algorithms and discuss their performance in terms of accuracy, precision, and recall. The experimental results show that common neighbours and Jaccard coefficient based algorithms perform better than other algorithms in term of accuracy.
Perceived Vertical and Lateropulsion: Clinical Syndromes, Localization, and Prognosis

We present a clinical classification of central vestibular syndromes according to the three major planes of action of the vestibulo-ocular reflex: yaw, roll, and pitch. The plane-specific syndromes are determined by ocular motor, postural, and percep tual signs. Yaw plane signs are horizontal nystagmus, past pointing, rotational and lat eral body falls, deviation of perceived straight-ahead to the left or right. Roll plane signs are torsional nystagmus, skew deviation, ocular torsion, tilts of head, body, and perceived vertical in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Pitch plane signs are upbeat/downbeat nystagmus, forward/backward tilts and falls, deviations of the per ceived horizon. The thus defined vestibular syndromes allow a precise topographic analysis of brainstem lesions according to their level and side. Special emphasis is placed on the vestibular roll plane syndromes of ocular tilt reaction, lateropulsion in Wallenberg's syndrome, thalamic and cortical astasia and their association with roll plane tilt of perceived vertical. Recovery is based on a functionally significant central compensation of a vestibular tone imbalance, the mechanism of which is largely un known. Physical therapy may facilitate this central compensation, but this has not yet been proven in prospective studies. Key Words: Visual vertical—Lateropulsion— Vestibulo-ocular reflex—Central vestibular syndromes.
Unfolding various security brawls and concerns of cloud computing

The cloud computing is a discreet system which provides a lade system for the users in which a user can surf the online software facility. The cloud system is considered as the hosted service in which a particular user can access the cloud system remotely by using mobile applications or by using the browsers. Though the cloud computing provides so many utilities but there are also some holes in the service. Amongst all the security issues of the service come on the top. The security is the most important thing whenever you design any hardware or software. If the system is not secure then it will not be worth to use it. So this paper is emphasising on some security issues and their solutions to make the cloud system better.
Encephalomyelitis : A New Paradigm for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis Endogenous Opioids Regulate Expression of Experimental Autoimmune

Preclinical investigations utilizing murine experimental auto-immune encephalomyelitis (EAE), as well as clinical observations in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), may suggest alteration of endogenous opioid systems in MS. In this study we used the opioid antagonist naltrexone (NTX) to invoke a continuous (High Dose NTX, HDN) or intermittent (Low Dose NTX, LDN) opioid receptor blockade in order to elucidate the role of native opioid peptides in EAE. A mouse model of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-induced EAE was employed in conjunction with daily treatment of LDN (0.1 mg/kg, NTX), HDN (10 mg/kg NTX), or vehicle (saline). No differences in neurological status (incidence, severity, disease index), or neuropathological assessment (activated astrocytes, demyeli-nation, neuronal injury), were noted between MOG-induced mice receiving HDN or vehicle. Over 33% of the MOG-treated animals receiving LDN did not exhibit behavioral signs of disease, and the severity and disease index of the LDN-treated mice were markedly reduced from cohorts injected with vehicle. Although all LDN animals demonstrated neuropathological signs of EAE, LDN-treated mice without behavioral signs of disease had markedly lower levels of activated astrocytes and demyelination than LDN-or vehicle-treated animals with disease. These results imply that endogenous opioids, evoked by treatment with LDN and acting in the rebound period from drug exposure, are inhibitory to the onset and progression of EAE, and suggest that clinical studies of LDN are merited in MS and possibly in other autoimmune disorders.
Free flight in 2000: games on Lie groups

With growth of air traffic worldwide, revolutionary new architectures for air traffic management called "free flight" and "user preferred routing" are being considered by the Federal Aviation Administration as possible ways to ease the increasing congestion in the skies. The basic analytical and control theoretic breakthrough needed to enable free flight is airborne conflict resolution, that is, decentralized algorithms for preventing aircraft from losing separation with one another. Motivated by this problem, we explore special features of the dynamical games solution when the underlying dynamics correspond to left-invariant control systems on a Lie group. We show that the motion of an aircraft may be modeled as a control system on the Lie groups SE(2) (horizontal motion only) and SE(3) (full 3-dimensional motion). In this formulation, some simplification in the derivation of saddle and Nash strategies follows from the use of Marsden-Weinstein reduction techniques: we give an outline for the solution of N-aircraft conflict resolution using Nash type strategies. This simplification allows us to efficiently compute optimal solutions to complex conflict resolution problems for more than 2 aircraft, using numerical techniques which could be programmed into the flight management computers on board each aircraft.
Optical Spectroscopy of 2MASS Color-selected Ultracool Subdwarfs

We present Gemini GMOS and Magellan LDSS-3 optical spectroscopy for seven ultracool subdwarf candidates color-selected from the Two Micron All Sky Survey. Five are identified as late-type subdwarfs, including the previously reported sdM9.5 SSSPM 1013-1356 and L subdwarf 2MASS 1626+3925, and a new sdM8.5 2MASS 0142+0523. 2MASS 1640+1231 exhibits spectral features intermediate between a late-type M dwarf and subdwarf, similar to the previously identified high proper motion star SSSPM 1444-2019, and we classify both sources as mild subdwarfs, d/sdM9. 2MASS 1227-0447 is a new ultracool extreme subdwarf, spectral type esdM7.5. Spectral model fits yield metallicities that are consistent with these metallicity classifications. Effective temperatures track with numerical subtype within a metallicity class, although they are not equivalent across metallicity classes. As a first attempt to delineate subtypes in the L subdwarf regime we classify 2MASS 1626+3925 and the previously identified 2MASS 0532+8246 as sdL4 and sdL7, respectively, to reflect their similarity to equivalently classified, solar metallicity L-type field dwarfs over the 7300-9000 Å region. We also detail preliminary criteria for distinguishing L subdwarf optical spectra as a road map for defining this new spectral class. The strong TiO bands and Ca I and Ti I lines in the spectrum of 2MASS 1626+3925 provide further evidence that condensate formation may be inhibited in metal-deficient L subdwarfs. We conclude with a compendium of currently known, optically classified ultracool subdwarfs.
Model-space vs . data-space normalization for recursive depth migration

Illumination problems caused by finite-recording aperture and lateral velocity lensing can lead to amplitude fluctuations in migrated images. I calculate both model and data-space weighting functions that compensate for these illumination problems in recursive depth migration results based on downward-contination. These weighting functions can either be applied directly with migration to mitigate the effects of poor subsurface illumination, or used as preconditioning operators in iterative least-squares ( L2) migrations. Computational shortcuts allow the weighting functions to be computed at about the cost of a single migration. Results indicate that model-space normalization can significantly reduce amplitude fluctuations due to illumination problems. However, for the examples presented here, data-space normalization proved susceptible to coherent noise contamination.
A new transference theorem and applications to Ajtai's connection factor

We prove a new transference theorem in the geometry of numbers, giving optimal bounds relating the successive minima of a lattice with the minimal length of generating vectors of its dual. It generalizes the transference theorem due to Banaszczyk. We also prove a stronger bound for the special class of lattices possessing n-unique shortest lattice vectors. The theorems imply consequent improvement of the Ajtai connection factors in the connection of average-case to worst-case complexity of the shortest lattice vector problem. Our proofs are non-constructive, based on methods from harmonic analysis.
The in Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy of PDT against Periodontopathogenic Bacteria

Periodontitis, an inflammatory disease, is caused by biofilms with a mixed microbial etiology and involves the progressive destruction of the tooth-supporting tissues. A rising number of studies investigate the clinical potential of photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an adjunct during active therapy. The aim of the present review was to evaluate the available literature for the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of photodynamic therapy focusing on the periodontopathogenic bacteria Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum. The focused question was: “Is it possible to decrease (at least 3 log steps or 99.9%) or even eliminate bacterial growth by photodynamic therapy in vitro when compared to untreated control groups or control groups treated by placebo? ” In general, PDT resulted in a substantial reduction of surviving bacteria. However, not all studies showed the desired reduction or elimination. The ranges of log10-reduction were 0.38 (58%) to a complete eradication (100%) for P. gingivalis, 0.21 (39%) to 100% for A. actinomycetemcomitans and 0.3 (50%) to 100% for F. nucleatum. In conclusion, further and particularly more comparable studies are needed to evaluate if PDT can be clinically successful as an adjuvant in periodontal therapy.