Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Small-scale anomaly detection in panoramic imaging using neural models of low-level vision

Our understanding of sensory processing in animals has reached the stage where we can exploit neurobiological principles in commercial systems. In human vision, one brain structure that offers insight into how we might detect anomalies in real-time imaging is the superior colliculus (SC). The SC is a small structure that rapidly orients our eyes to a movement, sound or touch that it detects, even when the stimulus may be on a small-scale; think of a camouflaged movement or the rustle of leaves. This automatic orientation allows us to prioritize the use of our eyes to raise awareness of a potential threat, such as a predator approaching stealthily. In this paper we describe the application of a neural network model of the SC to the detection of anomalies in panoramic imaging. The neural approach consists of a mosaic of topographic maps that are each trained using competitive Hebbian learning to rapidly detect image features of a pre-defined shape and scale. What makes this approach interesting is the ability of the competition between neurons to automatically filter noise, yet with the capability of generalizing the desired shape and scale. We will present the results of this technique applied to the real-time detection of obscured targets in visible-band panoramic CCTV images. Using background subtraction to highlight potential movement, the technique is able to correctly identify targets which span as little as 3 pixels wide while filtering small-scale noise.
Relación entre búsqueda de sensaciones y la toma de decisiones pacientes con daño cerebral adquirido

En este trabajo se evaluo la influencia de la variable cognitiva “busqueda de sensaciones” en la toma de decisiones en 73 pacientes con dano cerebral adquirido (DCA) a traves de un estudio no experimental, transversal y correlacional, mediante la utilizacion de la Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) y la sub escala de busqueda de sensaciones de la UPPS-P. Como grupo control, se aplicaron las pruebas a 30 personas que cumplian con los criterios de inclusion y exclusion propuestos. Se utilizo la BART ya que permite una aplicacion mas rapida y ofrece una tarea de facil ejecucion y comprension, que a diferencia de otros instrumentos no requiriere que la persona evaluada presente una capacidad de comprension verbal compleja bien preservada. Ademas no existen estudios anteriores que correlacionen ambas pruebas. Como resultado se obtuvieron diferencias significativas entre el grupo clinico y el grupo control donde este ultimo mostro un nivel mayor de toma de riesgo en la BART y busqueda de sensaciones en la sub escala UPPS-P. Tomando en cuenta la literatura revisada, los resultados obtenidos y la observacion cualitativa del grupo clinico, podriamos sospechar que en la toma de decisionesse halla presente el componente de apatia, y motivacion, pudiendo concluir que la busqueda de sensaciones correlaciona positivamente con el desempeno y elaboracion de la toma de decisiones.
Low molecular weight chitosan-coated silver nanoparticles are effective for the treatment of MRSA-infected wounds

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are being widely applied as topical wound materials; however, accumulated deposition of silver in the liver, spleen, and other main organs may lead to organ damage and dysfunction. We report here that low molecular weight chitosan-coated silver nanoparticles (LMWC-AgNPs) are effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), have better biocompatibility, and have lower body absorption characteristics when compared with polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated silver nanoparticles (PVP-AgNPs) and silver nanoparticles without surface stabilizer (uncoated-AgNPs) in a dorsal MRSA wound infection mouse model. LMWC-AgNPs were synthesized by reducing silver nitrate with low molecular weight chitosan as a stabilizer and reducing agent, while PVP-AgNPs were synthesized using polyvinylpyrrolidone as a stabilizer and ethanol as a reducing agent. AgNPs with different surface stabilizers were identified by UV-visible absorption spectrometry, and particle size was determined by transmission electron microscopy. UV-visible absorption spectra of LMWC-AgNPs, PVP-AgNPs and uncoated-AgNPs were similar and their sizes were in the range of 10–30 nm. In vitro experiments showed that the three types of AgNPs had similar MRSA-killing effects, with obvious effect at 4 μg/mL and 100% effect at 8 μg/mL. Bacteriostatic annulus experiments also showed that all the three types of AgNPs had similar antibacterial inhibitory effect at 10 μg/mL. Cell counting kit-8 assay and Hoechst/propidium iodide (PI) staining showed that LMWC-AgNPs were significantly less toxic to human fibroblasts than PVP-AgNPs and uncoated-AgNPs. Treatment of mice with MRSA wound infection demonstrated that the three types of AgNPs effectively controlled MRSA wound infection and promoted wound healing. After continuous application for 14 days, LMWC-AgNPs-treated mice showed significantly reduced liver dysfunction as demonstrated by the reduced alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels and liver deposition of silver, in comparison to mice treated with uncoated-AgNPs or PVP-AgNPs. Our results demonstrated that LMWC-AgNPs had good anti-MRSA effects, while harboring a better biocompatibility and lowering the body’s absorption characteristics.
Activity-Dependent Trafficking and Dynamic Localization of Zipcode Binding Protein 1 and β-Actin mRNA in Dendrites and Spines of Hippocampal Neurons

RNA binding proteins may be important mediators of the activity-dependent transport of mRNAs to dendritic spines of activated synapses. We used fluorescence microscopy and digital imaging techniques applied to both fixed and live cultured hippocampal neurons to visualize the localization of the mRNA binding protein, zipcode binding protein 1 (ZBP1), and its dynamic movements in response to KCl-induced depolarization at high spatial and temporal resolution. With the use of immunofluorescence, image deconvolution, and three-dimensional reconstruction, ZBP1 was localized in the form of granules that were distributed in dendrites, spines, and subsynaptic sites. KCl depolarization increased the dendritic localization of ZBP1 that was not attributed to an increase in ZBP1 expression. Live cell imaging of single cells before and after perfusion of KCl revealed the rapid and directed efflux of ZBP1 granules from the cell body into dendrites in a proximo-distal gradient. High-speed imaging of enhanced green fluorescence protein-ZBP1 granules revealed rapid anterograde and retrograde movements in dendrites as well as dynamic movements in dendritic spines. A population of ZBP1 granules colocalized with β-actin mRNA, and their spatial association in dendrites was increased by KCl depolarization. The NMDA receptor antagonist AP-5 impaired the dendritic localization of ZBP1 and β-actin mRNA and inhibited the KCl-induced transport of ZBP1. The activity-dependent trafficking of ZBP1 and its dynamic movements within dendritic spines provide new evidence to implicate RNA binding proteins as regulators of mRNA transport to activated synapses in response to synaptic activity.
A Probabilistic Semantics for Timed Automata

In this paper, we define two relaxed semantics (one based on probabilities and the other one based on the topological notion of largeness) for LTL over infinite runs of timed automata which rule out unlikely sequences of events. We prove that these two semantics coincide in the framework of single-clock timed automata (and only in that framework), and prove that the corresponding relaxed model-checking problems are PSPACE-Complete. Moreover, we prove that the probabilistic non-Zenoness can be decided for single-clock timed automata in NLOGSPACE.
Music/speech classification using high-level features derived from fmri brain imaging

With the availability of large amount of audio tracks through a variety of sources and distribution channels, automatic music/speech classification becomes an indispensable tool in social audio websites and online audio communities. However, the accuracy of current acoustic-based low-level feature classification methods is still rather far from satisfaction. The discrepancy between the limited descriptive power of low-level features and the richness of high-level semantics perceived by the human brain has become the 'bottleneck' problem in audio signal analysis. In this paper, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) which monitors the human brain's response under the natural stimulus of music/speech listening is used as high-level features in the brain imaging space (BIS). We developed a computational framework to model the relationships between BIS features and low-level features in the training dataset with fMRI scans, predict BIS features of testing dataset without fMRI scans, and use the predicted BIS features for music/speech classification in the application stage. Experimental results demonstrated the significantly improved performance of music/speech classification via predicted BIS features than that via the original low-level features.
Dynein dynamics at the microtubule plus-ends and cortex during division in the C. elegans zygote

During asymmetric cell division, dynein generates forces, which position the spindle to reflect polarity and ensure correct daughter cell fates. The transient cortical localization of dynein raises the question of its targeting. We found that it accumulates at the microtubule plus-ends like in budding yeast, indirectly hitch-hiking on EBP-2EB1 likely via dynactin. Importantly, this mechanism, which modestly accounts for cortical forces, does not transport dynein, which displays the same binding/unbinding dynamics as EBP-2EB1. At the cortex, dynein tracks can be classified as having either directed or diffusive-like motion. Diffusive-like tracks reveal force-generating dyneins. Their densities are higher on the posterior tip of the embryos, where GPR-1/2LGN concentrate, but their durations are symmetric. Since dynein flows to the cortex are non-polarized, we suggest that this posterior enrichment increases dynein binding, thus accounts for the force imbalance reflecting polarity, and supplements the regulation of mitotic progression via the non-polarized detachment rate.
Whites Aren’t Bad, Asian Americans Are Just Better: Asymmetrical Attributions for the White–Asian American Achievement Gap

ABSTRACT Previous research has shown that people often engage in cultural-deficit thinking when reasoning about racial/ethnic achievement gaps. However, it is unclear whether culture-blaming explanations are best thought of as group-level internal attributions, expressions of prejudice against a lower status group, or self-serving bias. In this study, White and Latino participants (N = 328) responded to items that were written to express either a White-critical or pro–Asian American perspective on the White–Asian American achievement gap. Results indicated that Latinos were more likely to engage in pro-Asian than White-critical culture blaming, whereas expressions of culture blaming did not vary across frames among White participants.
A pH-sensitive and voltage-dependent proton conductance in the plasma membrane of macrophages

Phagocytes generate large amounts of metabolic acid during activation. Therefore, the presence of a conductive pathway capable of H+ extrusion has been suggested (Henderson, L. M., J. B. Chappell, and O. T. G. Jones. 1987. Biochemical Journal. 246:325-329). In this report, electrophysiological and fluorimetric methods were used to probe the existence of a H+ conductance in murine peritoneal macrophages. In suspended cells, recovery of the cytosolic pH (pHi) from an acid-load in Na+ and HCO3(-)-free medium was detectable in depolarizing but not in hyperpolarizing media. The rate of alkalinization was potentiated by the rheogenic ionophore valinomycin. These findings are consistent with the existence of a conductive H+ (equivalent) pathway. This notion was confirmed by patch-clamping and fluorescence ratio measurements of single adherent cells. When voltage was clamped in the whole-cell configuration, depolarizing pulses induced a sizable outward current which was accompanied by cytosolic alkalinization. Several lines of evidence indicate that H+ (equivalents) carry this current: (a) the conductance was unaffected by substitution of the major ionic constituents of the intra-and/or extracellular media, (b) the reversal potential of the tail currents approached the H+ equilibrium potential; and (c) the voltage-induced currents and pHi changes were both Zn2+ sensitive and had similar time course and potential dependence. The peak whole-cell current displayed marked outward rectification and was exquisitely H+ selective. At constant voltage, the H+ permeability was increased by lowering pHi but was inhibited by extracellular acidification. Together with the voltage dependence of the conductance, these features ensure that H+ extrusion can occur during activation, while potentially deleterious acid uptake is precluded. The properties of the conductance appear ideally suited for pHi regulation during phagocyte activation, because these cells undergo a sustained depolarization and an incipient acidification when stimulated. Comparison of the magnitude of the current with the amount of metabolic acid generated during macrophage activation indicates that the conductance is sufficiently large to contribute to the H+ extrusion required for maintenance of pHi.
Towards Accurate and Fast Evaluation of Multi-Stage Log-structured Designs

Multi-stage log-structured (MSLS) designs, such as LevelDB, RocksDB, HBase, and Cassandra, are a family of storage system designs that exploit the high sequential write speeds of hard disks and flash drives by using multiple append-only data structures. As a first step towards accurate and fast evaluation of MSLS, we propose new analytic primitives and MSLS design models that quickly give accurate performance estimates. Our model can almost perfectly estimate the cost of inserts in LevelDB, whereas the conventional worst-case analysis gives 1.8- 3.5× higher estimates than the actual cost. A few minutes of offline analysis using our model can find optimized system parameters that decrease LevelDB's insert cost by up to 9.4-26.2%; our analytic primitives and model also suggest changes to RocksDB that reduce its insert cost by up to 32.0%, without reducing query performance or requiring extra memory.
Superposition Coding for Source Coding with Side Information at the Decoder

Problems of noisy channel coding with side information at the encoder and of lossy source coding with side information at the decoder have many practical applications. Unfortunately, the theoretical performance bounds are obtained by randomly partitioning a randomly generated source or channel code into an ensemble of channel or source codes, which is highly non-practical. A scheme has recently appeared for the problem of channel coding with side information where two random but independently generated codes lead to achievement of the cost-capacity function. Moreover, in practice, in this scheme the theoretical bounds are also achieved by using practical, more structured codes. In this paper, we investigate a similar approach for the problem of source coding with side information. We show that when the virtual correlation between the side information and the source is additive, a source encoder based on a codebook obtained as the superposition of two independent random codes achieves the rate-distortion function with side information. Finally, we discuss the challenges related with the practical application of this scheme.
A Novel Ontology-based Recommender System for Online Forums

Online forums enable users to discuss together around various topics. One of the serious problems of these environments is high volume of discussions and thus information overload problem. Unfortunately without considering the users interests, traditional Information Retrieval (IR) techniques are not able to solve the problem. Therefore, employment of a Recommender System (RS) that could suggest favorite’s topics of users according to their tastes could increases the dynamism of forum and prevent the users from duplicate posts. In addition, consideration of semantics can be useful for increasing the performance of IR based RS. Our goal is study of impact of ontology and data mining techniques on improving of content-based RS. For this purpose, at first, three type of ontologies will be constructed from the domain corpus with utilization of text mining, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Wordnet and then they will be used as an input in two kind of RS: one, fully ontologybased and one with enriching the user profile vector with ontology in vector space model (VSM) (proposed method). Afterward the results will be compared with the simple VSM based RS. Given results show that the proposed RS presents the highest performance
Petascale Parallelization of the Gyrokinetic Toroidal Code

The Gyrokinetic Toroidal Code (GTC) is a global, three-dimensional particle-in-cell application developed to study microturbulence in tokamak fusion devices. The global capability of GTC is unique, allowing researchers to systematically analyze important dynamics such as turbulence spreading. In this work we examine a new radial domain decomposition approach to allow scalability onto the latest generation of petascale systems. Extensive performance evaluation is conducted on three high performance computing systems: the IBM BG/P, the Cray XT4, and an Intel Xeon Cluster. Overall results show that the radial decomposition approach dramatically increases scalability, while reducing the memory footprint - allowing for fusion device simulations at an unprecedented scale. After a decade where high-end computing (HEC) was dominated by the rapid pace of improvements to processor frequencies, the performance of next-generation supercomputers is increasingly differentiated by varying interconnect designs and levels of integration. Understanding the tradeoffs of these system designs is a key step towards making effective petascale computing a reality. In this work, we examine a new parallelization scheme for the Gyrokinetic Toroidal Code (GTC) [? ] micro-turbulence fusion application. Extensive scalability results and analysis are presented on three HEC systems: the IBM BlueGene/P (BG/P) at Argonne National Laboratory, the Cray XT4 atmore » Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and an Intel Xeon cluster at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Overall results indicate that the new radial decomposition approach successfully attains unprecedented scalability to 131,072 BG/P cores by overcoming the memory limitations of the previous approach. The new version is well suited to utilize emerging petascale resources to access new regimes of physical phenomena. « less
Voltage Gated Ion Channels as Therapeutic Target for Drug Discovery

Epilepsy is a disorder of central nervous system characterized by spontaneous seizures. The seizures result from neuronal hyperexcitability and hypersynchronus neuronal firing. Inspite of number of drugs available for the treatment of epilepsy approximately 30% patients continue to have seizure episodes and the rest suffer from drug related side effects. This underlines the need for development of safer and effective antiepileptic drugs. Voltage gated ion channel (VGIC) governs the excitability of neurons and perform various function ranging from initiation of action potential, synaptic transmission, neurotransmitter release, termination of action potential to stabilization of neuronal membrane around resting potential. Channelopathies of these ion channels is known to be associated with epileptic seizures. Various drugs either available in the market or in the experimental use have been known to act on these VGICs. This review focuses on the physiological role and selective targeting of these ion channels (sodium, potassium, calcium and Hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide gated (HCN) channels) for design and development of potent and safer efficacious antiepileptic drugs.
Modeling Reciprocal Behavior in Human Bilateral Negotiation

Reciprocity is a key determinant of human behavior and has been well documented in the psychological and behavioral economics literature. This paper shows that reciprocity has significant implications for computer agents that interact with people over time. It proposes a model for predicting people's actions in multiple bilateral rounds of interactions. The model represents reciprocity as a tradeoff between two social factors: the extent to which players reward and retaliate others' past actions (retrospective reasoning), and their estimate about the future ramifications of their actions (prospective reasoning). The model is trained and evaluated over a series of negotiation rounds that vary players' possible strategies as well as their benefit from potential strategies at each round. Results show that reasoning about reciprocal behavior significantly improves the predictive power of the model, enabling it to outperform alternative models that do not reason about reciprocity, or that play various game theoretic equilibria. These results indicate that computers that interact with people need to represent and to learn the social factors that affect people's play when they interact over time.
Reproductive hormone-induced, STAT3-mediated interleukin 6 action in normal and malignant human ovarian surface epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND Reproductive hormones are associated with risk for epithelial ovarian cancer. To determine the effect of such hormones on the activation of interleukin 6 (IL-6)/STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription-3) signaling, which may be involved in ovarian cancer, we investigated the status of STAT3, IL-6, and its receptor in immortalized human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE) and ovarian cancer (OVCA) cell lines. METHODS Two immortalized HOSE cell lines and two OVCA cell lines were cultured with gonadotropins, sex steroid hormones, and/or IL-6, alone or with specific inhibitors or IL-6-neutralizing antibodies. Expression of IL-6, the IL-6 receptor alpha chain (IL-6Ralpha), and phosphorylated and unphosphorylated STAT3 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and proteins in all cells was determined. Cell proliferation and soft-agar colony formation were assessed. STAT3 activity was investigated in OVCA cells transfected with a dominant negative STAT3 (Dn-STAT3), wild-type STAT3, or an empty control vector. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Levels of IL-6 mRNA and protein increased in all cells treated with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), 17beta-estradiol, or estrone but increased only in OVCA cells treated with testosterone and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone. For all lines, IL-6 antibodies partially inhibited hormone-stimulated cell proliferation but completely inhibited IL-6-enhanced cell proliferation. IL-6 induced STAT3 phosphorylation and activation in HOSE cells; STAT3 was constitutively activated in OVCA cells. Higher levels of IL-6Ralpha and STAT3 transcription factors were observed in OVCA cells than in HOSE cells. After transfection, Dn-STAT3 suppressed endogenous STAT3 and inhibited all forms of IL-6-stimulated OVCA cell proliferation (OVCA 429 cells, P<.001; OVCA 432 cells, P<.006), whereas wild-type STAT3 enhanced HOSE cell proliferation (wild-type STAT3 at 0.5 microg/mL in HOSE 306 cells, P<.002; STAT3 at 1.0 microg/mL in HOSE 306 or both concentrations of wild-type STAT3 in HOSE 642 cells, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS The IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway may mediate FSH-, LH-, and estrogen-stimulated HOSE cell proliferation. Increased IL-6Ralpha expression and constitutive STAT3 activation may be associated with ovarian cancer.