Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and Implementation of a Virtual Environment for treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The aim of this report is to describe the process of designing and implementing a Virtual Environment (VE), which is to be used in the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The work was divided into three steps. First, a background study was made to see what previously been done in the field of Virtual Reality-based therapy of PTSD and other psychological conditions.Then a design of the VE was constructed based on the knowledge from the previous work, along with new ideas. Finally an application was developed based on the design. The application was limited to the treatment of people who have experienced a specific type of traumatic event. It is also to be used as a proof of concept of a new model of treatment. The result of this work is the application that has been developed. The application places the user in a fully immersive and interactive VE, and gives the therapist full control of the stimuli flow.Keywords: Virtual Reality, Design, Implementation, VR-based therapy.
Improving SNR for DSM Linear Systems Using Probabilistic Error Correction and State Restoration: A Comparative Study

Smaller feature sizes and lower supply voltages make DSM devices more susceptible to soft errors generated by alpha particles and neutrons as well as other sources of environmental noise. In this scenario, soft-error/noise tolerant techniques are necessary for maintaining the SNR of critical DSP applications. This paper studies linear DSP circuits and discusses two low cost techniques for improving the SNR of DSP filters. Both techniques use a single checksum variable for error detection. This gives a distance two code that is traditionally good for error detection but not correction. In this paper, such a code is used to improve SNR rather than perfectly remove the error. The first technique, 'checksum-based probabilistic error correction', uses the value indicated by the checksum variable to probabilistically correct the error and achieves up to 5 dB improvement in the SNR value. The second technique, 'state restoration', works well when the length of burst errors is small and the error magnitude is large. A general error statistics has been defined as a random process and the distribution of SNR is compared for the two proposed techniques
Comparative Utility of Technetium-99m Hexamethylpropylenamine Oxime Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) With Anatomic Neuroimaging and Electroencephalography (EEG) in Childhood Intractable Epilepsy

Intractable epilepsies pose a therapeutic challenge. Precise localization of the epileptic focus is imperative before planning surgical intervention. Functional imaging is an important component of presurgical work-up. Positron emission tomography is unavailable in developing countries; hence, the need to evaluate the available imaging modality, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), was felt. We investigated 61 children with intractable epilepsy, identified by predefined criteria, by performing electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ictal and interictal SPECT. The localizing value of ictal and interictal SPECT imaging for epileptic foci was correlated with clinical, electrophysiologic, and anatomic neuroimaging data. An ictal SPECT was obtained in 9, and interictal SPECT was performed in all (61). Ictal SPECT was localizing in 8 of 9 (88.8%). Interictal SPECT was localizing in a significantly higher proportion of patients (47.54%) than either the scalp EEG (16.39%) (P = .0003) or CT scan (21.56%) ( P = .0046). Our data demonstrated that interictal and ictal SPECT identified more focal changes in children with intractable epilepsy than interictal EEG, CT, and probably MRI. The definitive proof of the SPECT-based findings being epileptogenic foci awaits correlation with intraoperative monitoring and postoperative follow-up. (J Child Neurol 2001;16:257-263).
A generic knowledgebase for test generation

Nowadays a lot of various test generation tools are developed and applied to create tests for both software applications and hardware designs. Taking into account the size and complexity of modern projects, there is an urgent need for "smart" tools that would help maximize test coverage and keep the required effort and time to a minimum. Despite the fact that each project is unique in some sense, there is a set of common generation techniques that are applied in a wide range of projects (random tests, combinatorial tests, tests for corner cases, etc). In addition, projects belonging to specific domains tend to share similar test cases or use similar heuristics to generate them. A natural way to improve the quality of testing is to make the most of the experience gained working on different projects or performing testing at different stages of the same project. To achieve this goal, a knowledgebase holding information relevant to test generation would be of a great help. This would facilitate reuse of test cases and generation algorithms and would allow sharing knowledge of "interesting" situations that can occur in a system under test. The paper proposes a concept of a knowledgebase for test generation that can be used in a wide range of test generation tools. At ISPRAS, it is applied in test program generation tools that create test programs for microprocessors. The knowledgebase is designed to store information on widely used test generation techniques and test situations that can occur in a microprocessor design under verification.
Limits and Approximations for the Busy-Period Distribution in Single-Server Queues

Limit theorems are established and relatively simple closed-form approximations are developed for the busy-period distribution in single-server queues. For the M/G/l queue, the complementary busy-period c.d. f. is shown to be asymptotically equivalent as t → ∞ to a scaled version of the heavy-traffic limit (obtained as p → 1), where the scaling parameters are based on the asymptotics as t → ∞. We call this the asymptotic normal approximation, because it involves the standard normal c.d. f. and density. The asymptotic normal approximation is asymptotically correct as t → ∞ for each fixed p and as p → 1 for each fixed t and yields remarkably good approximations for times not too small, whereas the direct heavy-traffic (p → 1) and asymptotic (t → ∞) limits do not yield such good approximations. Indeed, even the approximation based on three terms of the standard asymptotic expansion does not perform well unless t is very large. As a basis for generating corresponding approximations for the busy-period distribution in more general models, we also establish a more general heavy-traffic limit theorem.
NKG2D function protects the host from tumor initiation

The activation NKG2D receptor has been shown to play an important role in the control of experimental tumor growth and metastases expressing ligands for NKG2D; however, a function for this recognition pathway in host protection from de novo tumorigenesis has never been demonstrated. We show that neutralization of NKG2D enhances the sensitivity of wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice to methylcholanthrene (MCA)-induced fibrosarcoma. The importance of the NKG2D pathway was additionally illustrated in mice deficient for either IFN-γ or tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand, whereas mice depleted of natural killer cells, T cells, or deficient for perforin did not display any detectable NKG2D phenotype. Furthermore, IL-12 therapy preventing MCA-induced sarcoma formation was also largely dependent on the NKG2D pathway. Although NKG2D ligand expression was variable or absent on sarcomas emerging in WT mice, sarcomas derived from perforin-deficient mice were Rae-1+ and immunogenic when transferred into WT syngeneic mice. These findings suggest an important early role for the NKG2D in controlling and shaping tumor formation.
Yield learning and the economics of photomasks

An empirical study, which examines the economic relationship between chip making and mask making, concludes that manufacturers of photomasks operate in a challenging economic environment. High capital cost that is difficult to amortize, pricing pressure, the need for high yield and rapid turn-around, accelerating time-to-market pressure and potential market segmentation present a threat of consolidation in the photomask industry. For photomask manufacturers, sustainable profitability is likely to depend upon transfer of yield-learning knowledge from wafer fobs to mask shops and the ability to develop technology concurrently and collaboratively with their customers and complementers. These factors give semiconductors manufacturers the incentive to invest in internal mask shops or joint ventures that produce leading-edge photomask technology.
Weld: Rethinking the Interface Between Data-Intensive Applications

Data analytics applications combine multiple functions from different libraries and frameworks. Even when each function is optimized in isolation, the performance of the combined application can be an order of magnitude below hardware limits due to extensive data movement across these functions. To address this problem, we propose Weld, a new interface between data-intensive libraries that can optimize across disjoint libraries and functions. Weld exposes a lazily-evaluated API where diverse functions can submit their computations in a simple but general intermediate representation that captures their data-parallel structure. It then optimizes data movement across these functions and emits efficient code for diverse hardware. Weld can be integrated into existing frameworks such as Spark, TensorFlow, Pandas and NumPy without changing their user-facing APIs. We demonstrate that Weld can speed up applications using these frameworks by up to 29x.
Handling missing data in longitudinal studies : an application to healthcare data

The presence of missing data in longitudinal datasets is a very common problem. In certain cases the missingness affects not only the accuracy of the estimates, but also can introduce bias, and therefore invalid conclusion. Therefore, we revise the most widely used methods of handling missing data evaluating and comparing their performance under different simulated scenarios of missingness. The simulated dataset was obtained using a real-life study conducted at a public hospital of Cali, Colombia, South America.
brand community

This article introduces the idea of brand community. A brand community is a specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relations among admirers of a brand. Grounded in both classic and contemporary sociology and consumer behavior, this article uses ethnographic and computer mediated environment data to explore the characteristics, processes, and particularities of three brand communities (those centered on Ford Bronco, Macintosh, and Saab). These brand communities exhibit three traditional markers of community: shared consciousness, rituals and traditions, and a sense of moral responsibility. The commercial and mass-mediated ethos in which these communities are situated affects their character and structure and gives rise to their particularities. Implications for branding, sociological theories of community, and consumer behavior are offered.
AN IMPROVED DIRECT SEARCH APPROACH FOR SOLVING MIXED-INTEGER NONLINEAR PROGRAMMING PROBLEMS

The special class of a nonlinear mathematical programming problem which is addressed in this paper has a structure characterized by a subset of variables restricted to assume discrete values, which are linear and separable from the continuous variables. The strategy of releasing non-basic variables from their bounds, combined with the “active constraint” method and the notion of super-basics, has been developed for efficiently tackling the problem. After solving the problem by ignoring the integrality requirements, this strategy is used to force the appropriate non-integer basic variables to move to their neighborhood integer points. A study of criteria for choosing a non-basic variable to work with in the integer zing strategy has also been made. Successful implementation of these algorithms was achieved on various test problems. The results show that the proposed integer zing strategy is promising in tackling certain classes of mixed integer nonlinear programming problems.
Incidence trends of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attacks in a well-defined French population from 1985 through 1994.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The changing incidence of ischemic stroke is of major concern in view of its public health impact, to define the population concerned, to identify risk factors, and to set up health-care systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the time trends associated with the incidence of all the subtypes of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attacks in a well-defined population for 10 years. METHODS Since 1985, a population registry has recorded each patient living in Dijon (France) who suffered from a cerebrovascular disease (CVD) regardless of the type of management. This study involved all patients suffering from their first ischemic stroke and their first transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) during 1 calendar year between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 1994. The incidence changes according to age, sex, and type of cerebral ischemic event (cortico-subcortical infarct, lacunar infarct, and TIA) were studied on the basis of their annual variations. RESULTS During the 10-year study period, 834 cortico-subcortical infarcts (52.1%), 296 lacunar infarcts (18.5%), 369 TIAs (23.1%), and 101 undetermined ischemic strokes (6.3%) were collected. The incidence of all ischemic events was relatively stable in both sexes over the 10-year period. However, the incidence rates differed according to age and type of ischemia. An increased incidence of cerebral cortico-subcortical infarct was observed in patients older than 75 years of age (+5.45% annual change [AC] in men, P<0.05; +5. 09% AC in women, NS). In parallel, a higher proportion of emboligenic cardiac arrhythmias was observed in these patients (P<0. 001). The incidence of lacunar infarcts tended to decrease, regardless of age but mainly in men under younger than 75 years of age (-12.74% AC in men, NS; +0.31% AC in women, NS). The incidence of TIAs was relatively stable in both sexes. Because our population consisted of a large number of elderly subjects, the increase in cardioembolic causes could partially explain the increased incidence of cerebral cortico-subcortical infarcts in patients older than 75 years of age. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary data emphasize the importance of stroke surveillance in considering the variations of the different mechanisms of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Although the incidence of TIA is stable and the incidence of lacunes tends to decrease in men, mainly before 75 years of age, we emphasize the rise of the crude incidence of cortico-subcortical infarcts in men older than 75 years of age, induced by an increase in cardioembolic causes.
Panoramic Appearance Map (PAM) for Multi-camera Based Person Re-identification

This paper proposes a concept of panoramic appearance map to perform reidentification of a people who leave the scene and reappear after some time. The map is a compact signature of appearance information of a person extracted from multiple cameras. The person is detected and tracked in multiple cameras and triangulation is used to accurately localize the person in 3-D. A virtual cylinder is formed around the person's location and mapped onto an image with the horizontal axis representing the azimuth angle and vertical axis representing the height. Each bin in the map image gets the appearance information from all the cameras which can observe it. The maps between different tracks are matched using a weighted metric. Experimental results showing person matching and reidentification show the effectiveness of the approach.
Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Amaç Tarzlarının ve Öğretmenlerinin Özerklik Destekleyici Davranışlarına İlişkin Algılarının Öğrenci Motivasyonu ve Akademik Davranışlarıyla İlişkisi

Relations of University Students' Goal Orientations and Perception of Teacher's Autonomy Support to Students' Motivation and Academic Behaviors This study explored the relation of college student' achieve ment goal orientations and perception of teacher's autonomy support to students' motivation and academic behaviors includ ing instrinsic motivation, deep strategy use, test anxiety and memorization. Perception of teachers' autonomy support was best predictive of instrinsic motivation and deep strategy use. When the variances accounted by goal orientations were taken into consideration in order to compare and constrast the ef fect of perception of autonomy support and goal orientations on achievement behaviors, college students' personal goal ori entation remained as the best predictor of all four academic be haviors. There was also interaction between perception of au tonomy support and goal orientaions. Each of these interactions and their implications were discussed.
Increased ACE 2 and Decreased ACE Protein in Renal Tubules From Diabetic Mice: A Renoprotective Combination?

Abstract—Unlike the ubiquitous angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), the ACE-related carboxypeptidase 2 (ACE 2) is predominantly expressed in the heart, kidney, and testis. ACE 2 degrades angiotensin (Ang) II to Ang (1–7) and Ang I to Ang (1–9). We investigated the expression of ACE and ACE 2 in a rodent model of type 2 diabetes. ACE and ACE 2 were measured in kidney and heart from 8-week-old no diabetic control (db/m) mice and diabetic (db/db) mice, which at this young age have obesity and hyperglycemia without nephropathy. In renal cortical tissue, ACE mRNA was reduced (db/db 0.31±0.06 versus db/m 0.99±0.05; P <0.005), whereas ACE 2 mRNA was not (db/db 0.94±0.05 versus db/m 1.03±0.11, NS). ACE protein was markedly reduced in kidney cortex of db/db mice (db/db 0.24±0.13 versus db/m 1.02±0.12; P <0.005), and this was associated with a corresponding decrease in renal ACE activity (db/db 12.7±3.7 versus db/m 61.6±4.4 mIU/mg protein; P <0.001). ACE 2 protein, by contrast, was increased in kidneys from diabetic mice (db/db 1.39±0.14 versus db/m 0.53±0.04; P <0.005). An increase in ACE 2 protein and a decrease in ACE protein, respectively, were also seen by immunostaining of renal cortical tubules from the db/db mice. In heart tissue, there were no significant differences between db/db and db/m mice in either ACE mRNA and protein or ACE 2 mRNA and protein. We conclude that in young db/db mice, ACE 2 protein in renal cortical tubules is increased, whereas ACE protein is decreased. We propose that the pattern of low ACE protein coupled with increased ACE 2 protein expression may be renoprotective in early stages of diabetes.
Rapid Detection of Emotion from Human Vocalizations

The rapid detection of affective signals from conspecifics is crucial for the survival of humans and other animals; if those around you are scared, there is reason for you to be alert and to prepare for impending danger. Previous research has shown that the human brain detects emotional faces within 150 msec of exposure, indicating a rapid differentiation of visual social signals based on emotional content. Here we use event-related brain potential (ERP) measures to show for the first time that this mechanism extends to the auditory domain, using human nonverbal vocalizations, such as screams. An early fronto-central positivity to fearful vocalizations compared with spectrally rotated and thus acoustically matched versions of the same sounds started 150 msec after stimulus onset. This effect was also observed for other vocalized emotions (achievement and disgust), but not for affectively neutral vocalizations, and was linked to the perceived arousal of an emotion category. That the timing, polarity, and scalp distribution of this new ERP correlate are similar to ERP markers of emotional face processing suggests that common supramodal brain mechanisms may be involved in the rapid detection of affectively relevant visual and auditory signals.
Comparison of the in vitro tolerance and in vivo efficacy of traditional timolol maleate eye drops versus new formulations with bioadhesive polymers.

PURPOSE To assess the in vitro tolerance and in vivo efficacy of new unpreserved formulations of timolol maleate (TM) in aqueous solutions of bioadhesive polymers used for dry eye treatment and to compare them with three traditional TM formulations: unpreserved Timabak (Thea, Madrid, Spain), benzalkonium chloride (BAK)-preserved Timoftol (Frosst Laboratories, Madrid, Spain), and BAK-preserved Timolol Sandoz (Frosst Laboratories). METHODS New formulations were composed of TM (0.5%) and carboxymethyl cellulose (0.5%), hyaluronic acid (0.2%), or hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (0.3% or 0.5%). In vitro tolerance was determined in human corneal-limbal epithelial cells and normal human conjunctival cells. The ocular hypotensive effect was evaluated measuring IOP in rabbit eyes for 8 hours. RESULTS In all cases, cell survival after exposure to the formulations was greater in the new unpreserved TM formulations than in the traditional TM solutions (BAK-preserved and unpreserved). In addition, the new formulations were demonstrated to maintain the hypotensive effect of TM in different magnitudes. The maximum hypotensive effect was reached by TM 0.5% in carboxymethyl cellulose 0.5% (32.37%). CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrated that new unpreserved formulations of TM with bioadhesive polymers decreased IOP in rabbits and reached values closer to those reached by traditional solutions. Furthermore, new formulations presented a significantly higher in vitro tolerance than the same compound in traditional formulations. Although unpreserved formulations are usually more expensive, preservative-free antiglaucoma eye drops should improve compliance and adherence in the medical treatment of glaucoma. Bioadhesive polymers could be part of antiglaucoma formulations to reduce ocular toxicity, improve drug efficacy, and protect the ocular surface in long-term therapies.
Phase Locking Below Rate Threshold in Noisy Model Neurons

The property of a neuron to phase-lock to an oscillatory stimulus before adapting its spike rate to the stimulus frequency plays an important role for the auditory system. We investigate under which conditions neurons exhibit this phase locking below rate threshold. To this end, we simulate neurons employing the widely used leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) model. Tuning parameters, we can arrange either an irregular spontaneous or a tonic spiking mode. When the neuron is stimulated in both modes, a significant rise of vector strength prior to a noticeable change of the spike rate can be observed. Combining analytic reasoning with numerical simulations, we trace this observation back to a modulation of interspike intervals, which itself requires spikes to be only loosely coupled. We test the limits of this conception by simulating an LIF model with threshold fatigue, which generates pronounced anticorrelations between subsequent interspike intervals. In addition we evaluate the LIF response for harmonic stimuli of various frequencies and discuss the extension to more complex stimuli. It seems that phase locking below rate threshold occurs generically for all zero mean stimuli. Finally, we discuss our findings in the context of stimulus detection.