Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reconfiguration of Brain Network Architectures between Resting-State and Complexity-Dependent Cognitive Reasoning

Our capacity for higher cognitive reasoning has a measurable limit. This limit is thought to arise from the brain's capacity to flexibly reconfigure interactions between spatially distributed networks. Recent work, however, has suggested that reconfigurations of task-related networks are modest when compared with intrinsic “resting-state” network architecture. Here we combined resting-state and task-driven functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how flexible, task-specific reconfigurations associated with increasing reasoning demands are integrated within a stable intrinsic brain topology. Human participants (21 males and 28 females) underwent an initial resting-state scan, followed by a cognitive reasoning task involving different levels of complexity, followed by a second resting-state scan. The reasoning task required participants to deduce the identity of a missing element in a 4 × 4 matrix, and item difficulty was scaled parametrically as determined by relational complexity theory. Analyses revealed that external task engagement was characterized by a significant change in functional brain modules. Specifically, resting-state and null-task demand conditions were associated with more segregated brain-network topology, whereas increases in reasoning complexity resulted in merging of resting-state modules. Further increments in task complexity did not change the established modular architecture, but affected selective patterns of connectivity between frontoparietal, subcortical, cingulo-opercular, and default-mode networks. Larger increases in network efficiency within the newly established task modules were associated with higher reasoning accuracy. Our results shed light on the network architectures that underlie external task engagement, and highlight selective changes in brain connectivity supporting increases in task complexity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Humans have clear limits in their ability to solve complex reasoning problems. It is thought that such limitations arise from flexible, moment-to-moment reconfigurations of functional brain networks. It is less clear how such task-driven adaptive changes in connectivity relate to stable, intrinsic networks of the brain and behavioral performance. We found that increased reasoning demands rely on selective patterns of connectivity within cortical networks that emerged in addition to a more general, task-induced modular architecture. This task-driven architecture reverted to a more segregated resting-state architecture both immediately before and after the task. These findings reveal how flexibility in human brain networks is integral to achieving successful reasoning performance across different levels of cognitive demand.
A Critical HA1 Neutralizing Domain of H5N1 Influenza in an Optimal Conformation Induces Strong Cross-Protection

The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses, especially the laboratory-generated H5N1 mutants, have demonstrated the potential to cross the species barrier and infect mammals and humans. Consequently, the design of an effective and safe anti-H5N1 vaccine is essential. We previously demonstrated that the full-length hemagglutinin 1 (HA1) could induce significant neutralizing antibody response and protection. Here, we intended to identify the critical neutralizing domain (CND) in an optimal conformation that can elicit strong cross-neutralizing antibodies and protection against divergent H5N1 strains. We thus constructed six recombinant proteins covering different regions of HA1 of A/Anhui/1/2005(H5N1), each of which was fused with foldon (Fd) and Fc of human IgG. We found that the critical fragment fused with Fd/Fc (HA-13–263-Fdc, H5 numbering) that could elicit the strongest neutralizing antibody response is located in the N-terminal region of HA1 (residues 13–263), which covers the receptor-binding domain (RBD, residues 112–263). We then constructed three additional recombinants fused with Fd plus His tag (HA-13–263-Fd-His), Fc only (HA-13–263-Fc), and His tag only (HA-13–263-His), respectively. We found that the HA-13–263-Fdc, which formed an oligomeric conformation, induced the strongest neutralizing antibody response and cross-protection against challenges of two tested H5N1 virus strains covering clade 1: A/VietNam/1194/2004 (VN/1194) or clade 2.3. 4: A/Shenzhen/406H/06 (SZ/406H), while HA-13–263-Fc dimer and HA-13–263-Fd-His trimer elicited higher neutralizing antibody response and protection than HA-13–263-His monomer. These results suggest that the oligomeric form of the CND containing the RBD can be further developed as an effective and safe vaccine for cross-protection against divergent strains of H5N1 viruses.
Number : WUCSE-2006-61 2006-0101 Towards a Unified Radio Power Management Architecture for Wireless Sensor Networks

In many wireless sensor networks, energy is an extremely limited resource. While many different power management strategies have been proposed to help reduce the amount of energy wasted, application developers still face two fundamental challenges when developing systems with stringent power constraints. First, existing power management strategies are usually tightly coupled with network protocols and other system functionality. This monolithic approach has led to standalone solutions that cannot easily be reused or extended to other applications or platforms. Second, different power management strategies make different and sometimes even conflicting assumptions about the rest of the system with which they need to interact. Without knowledge of which strategies are interoperable with which set of network stack protocols it is dificult for application developers to make informed decisions as to which strategy is most appropriate for their particular application. To address these challenges, we propose a Unified Power Management Architecture (UPMA) that supports the flexible composition of different power management strategies based on application requirements. We envision this architecture to consist of both low level programming interfaces, as well as high level modeling abstractions. Type of Report: Other Department of Computer Science & Engineering Washington University in St. Louis Campus Box 1045 St. Louis, MO 63130 ph: (314) 935-6160 Towards a Unified Radio Power Management Architecture for Wireless Sensor Networks Kevin Klues, Guoliang Xing∗, Chenyang Lu Department of Computer Science and Engineering Washington University in St. Louis {klueska, xing, lu}@cse.wust. edu
A saturation analysis of error-spectrum shaping quantizers

Error spectrum shaping (ESS) quantizers are analyzed in the context of realistic FIR reconstruction filters and nonzero probability of saturation. Conditions for stable operation are derived, and a suboptimal but effective and computationally efficient design method is proposed. Excellent agreement is obtained between the analysis and simulations. Even under these more stringent constraints, ESS quantizers are shown to achieve significant signal-to-quantization-noise ratio (SQNR) gains when quantizing oversampled Gaussian sources.
Perineal body length and lacerations at delivery.

OBJECTIVE To define normal perineal body length during labor and determine if a shortened perineal body is associated with perineal lacerations or operative vaginal delivery. STUDY DESIGN We reviewed charts of patients admitted for labor over a 4-month period. The perineal body was measured by the admitting physician and delivery outcomes obtained from inpatient records. Patients were excluded for malpresentation, multiple gestation, gestational age < 36 weeks, incomplete records and scheduled cesarean delivery. To determine if differences existed between patients with perineal body measurements available and those without, chi2 analysis was used, with P<. 05 considered significant. Multiple logistic regression was used to control for confounding variables and determine if a shortened perineal body affected the incidence of operative vaginal delivery and significant lacerations at vaginal delivery. RESULTS A total of 234 patients met our inclusion criteria; perineal body measurements were available for 133 (57%). The average perineal body length was 3.90 cm (+/-0.70). Patients with a perineal body of < or = 2.5 cm had a significantly higher chance of sustaining a third- or fourth-degree laceration (40% vs. 5.6%, P=.004). This risk remained after controlling for both operative vaginal delivery and episiotomy. The incidence of operative vaginal delivery was greater (28.5% vs. 9.2%, P =.006) for patients with a perineal body < or = 3.5 cm. CONCLUSION There is an increased risk of significant lacerations and operative vaginal delivery in patients with a shortened perineal body.
Application of Kekre's fast code book generation algorithm for face recognition

In this paper we propose fast face recognition system based on the Kekre's Fast Code book Generation (KFCG) method. This algorithm can be easily implemented and number of coefficients required for recognition reduces drastically compared to Eigen face approach. Thus computational burden decreases. We have compared the performance of KFCG with PCA. The algorithm is tested for different percentage of occlusion applied on various codebook sizes. Here we have tested proposed scheme on standard ORL database and locally generated unconstrained database of Indian faces. ORL database gave the accurate results and local database gave accuracy of 89% which is higher than PCA approach.
TBC-2 Regulates RAB-5/RAB-7-mediated Endosomal Trafficking in Caenorhabditis elegans

During endosome maturation the early endosomal Rab5 GTPase is replaced with the late endosomal Rab7 GTPase. It has been proposed that active Rab5 can recruit and activate Rab7, which in turn could inactivate and remove Rab5. However, many of the Rab5 and Rab7 regulators that mediate endosome maturation are not known. Here, we identify Caenorhabditis elegans TBC-2, a conserved putative Rab GTPase-activating protein (GAP), as a regulator of endosome to lysosome trafficking in several tissues. We show that tbc-2 mutant animals accumulate enormous RAB-7-positive late endosomes in the intestine containing refractile material. RAB-5, RAB-7, and components of the homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting (HOPS) complex, a RAB-7 effector/putative guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), are required for the tbc-2(-) intestinal phenotype. Expression of activated RAB-5 Q78L in the intestine phenocopies the tbc-2(-) large late endosome phenotype in a RAB-7 and HOPS complex-dependent manner. TBC-2 requires the catalytic arginine-finger for function in vivo and displays the strongest GAP activity on RAB-5 in vitro. However, TBC-2 colocalizes primarily with RAB-7 on late endosomes and requires RAB-7 for membrane localization. Our data suggest that TBC-2 functions on late endosomes to inactivate RAB-5 during endosome maturation.
Drought effects on litterfall, wood production and belowground carbon cycling in an Amazon forest: results of a throughfall reduction experiment

The Amazon Basin experiences severe droughts that may become more common in the future. Little is known of the effects of such droughts on Amazon forest productivity and carbon allocation. We tested the prediction that severe drought decreases litterfall and wood production but potentially has multiple cancelling effects on belowground production within a 7-year partial throughfall exclusion experiment. We simulated an approximately 35–41% reduction in effective rainfall from 2000 through 2004 in a 1 ha plot and compared forest response with a similar control plot. Wood production was the most sensitive component of above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) to drought, declining by 13% the first year and up to 62% thereafter. Litterfall declined only in the third year of drought, with a maximum difference of 23% below the control plot. Soil CO2 efflux and its 14C signature showed no significant treatment response, suggesting similar amounts and sources of belowground production. ANPP was similar between plots in 2000 and declined to a low of 41% below the control plot during the subsequent treatment years, rebounding to only a 10% difference during the first post-treatment year. Live aboveground carbon declined by 32.5 Mg ha−1 through the effects of drought on ANPP and tree mortality. Results of this unreplicated, long-term, large-scale ecosystem manipulation experiment demonstrate that multi-year severe drought can substantially reduce Amazon forest carbon stocks.
[Effect of posterior nasal neurectomy combined with the inferior turbinate surgery for the patients with perennial allergic rhinitis or vasomotor rhinitis].

INTRODUCTION Until recently, Vidian neurectomy had been applied mainly in intractable vasomotor rhinitis and severe perennial allergic rhinitis. Although the results were excellent, the operation has not been applied recently because of the adverse events such as xerophthalmia and trigeminal neuralgia. To resolve these problems, a new surgical technique, posterior nasal neurectomy, was developed. In this report, we examined the effectiveness of posterior nasal neurectomy combined with the inferior turbinate surgery for severe perennial allergic rhinitis and intrinsic rhinitis by questionnaire. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty patients who had undergone posterior nasal neurectomy combined with the inferior turbinate surgery between April in 2005 and March in 2009 were enrolled. Numeric Rating Scale was used to evaluate clinical symptoms and quality of life (QOL) of pre- and postsurgery. Frequency of medication (oral administration and nasal spray) was also evaluated. RESULTS Questionnaires were collected from 17 patients. As for all patients but one, the surgery significantly reduced rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, and sneezing. Furthermore, QOL for many symptoms such as sleep disorder and malaise/feebleness was also significantly improved after the surgery. Eighty-one percent of patients were satisfied with the surgery. CONCLUSION Posterior nasal neurectomy combined with the inferior turbinate surgery is effective in alleviating clinical symptoms and improving QOL in the patients with severe perennial allergic rhinitis and intrinsic rhinitis, although a longer follow-up is needed.
Smart Monitoring of Userp s Health at Home: Performance Evaluation and Signal Processing of a Wearable Sensor for the Measurement of Heart Rate and Breathing Rate

Nowadays, the monitoring of usersâ health status is possible by means of smart sensing devices at low-cost and with high measuring capabilities. Wearable devices are able to acquire multiple physiological and physical waveforms and are equipped with on-board algorithms to process these signals and extract the required quantities. However, the performance of such processing techniques should be evaluated and compared to different approaches, e.g. processing of the raw waveforms acquired. In this paper, the authors have performed a metrological characterization of a commercial wearable monitoring device for the continuous acquisition of physiological quantities (e.g. Heart Rate - HR and Breathing Rate - BR) and raw waveforms (e.g. Electrocardiogram - ECG). The aim of this work is to compare the performance of the on-board processing algorithms for the calculation of HR and BR with a novel approach applied to the raw signals. Results show that the HR values provided by the device are accurate enough (±2.1 and ±2.8 bpm in static and dynamic tests), without the need of additional processing. On the contrary, the implementation of the dedicated processing technique for breathing waveform allows to compute accurate BR values (±2.1 bpm with respect to standard equipment).
The German SCREEN project--design and evaluation of the communication strategy.

BACKGROUND Skin cancer is the most common cancer in light-skinned populations worldwide. Primary and secondary preventive activities such as skin cancer screening are intended to reduce skin cancer burden. In 2003, a population-based skin cancer screening project [SCREEN (Skin Cancer Research to Provide Evidence for Effectiveness of Screening in Northern Germany)] was conducted in Northern Germany with more than 360,000 people screened. SCREEN was supported by a communication intervention that was aimed at informing the population about skin cancer, its risk factors and the screening intervention as well as preparing the health professionals for the project. Within SCREEN both physicians and practice nurses were educated in counselling. The aim of the present article is to describe and evaluate the communication strategy accompanying SCREEN. METHODS Two computer-assisted telephone interview surveys were performed in April/May 2003 and May 2004. Participants had to be members of the statutory health insurance and be aged 20 years. They were asked about knowledge of skin cancer, perception of physicians' performance and skin cancer screening in general. Data are mainly presented in a descriptive manner. For statistical analyses, Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson's chi-square test were used. RESULTS Knowledge about sunburn in childhood and high ultraviolet exposure as skin cancer risk factors increased during SCREEN. Simultaneously, the awareness for early detection of skin cancer increased significantly from 41.3 to 74.0% (P < 0.001). A total of 21.5% of the interviewees participated in the skin cancer screening project, similar to the population-based participation rate reached. CONCLUSION A comprehensive communication strategy accompanying a screening intervention improves the knowledge of potential screenees and may additionally increase the participation rate.
Book Review: Separate Societies: Poverty and Inequality in U.S. Cities

with, for example, panhandling. Blomley concedes how pedestrianism can clearly be used as shield, and thus allows for the avoidance of social justice and equity issues, but the rationality of pedestrianism is more complicated, it “cannot be reduced to other logics, such as capitalism, gentrification, neoliberalism or globalization” (p. 109). Blomley successfully teases out its differences and makes a compelling case for the study of pedestrianism on its own terms. In the final chapter (“Hidden in Plain View”), the author finally reveals his convictions: pedestrianism should be challenged because of its adverse effect on social justice. However, rather than challenge pedestrianism directly, as rights-based advocates have attempted, Blomley recommends challenging it “from within” (p. 111). Decisions pertaining to space cannot always be reduced to matters of circulation, and yet the history of pedestrianism, the court verdicts, laws, professions reared upon this philosophy—are all too robust and embedded in governance such that a frontal attack will likely fail. Although not part of this book’s scope, Blomley only touches upon what a challenge “from within” may entail. Questions could be raised, for example, about who is included when laws refer to “the public”; and so-called “obstructions” could be examined from the benefits they provide instead of from their negative aspects. This slim, but dense, book should appeal to a varied audience, from public administration and planning students to scholars of public space and urban historians. Rights of Passage focuses on sidewalks, but how the problem was framed and then analyzed is widely transferable to projects involving the nexus of space and society. A similar investigation could easily have been conducted on other spaces for the public, like parks or privately owned public spaces. Blomley should now apply the same creativity and methodical tenacity to pursue his next research question: how society might engage with pedestrianism on its own terrain in order to modify its negative impacts on social justice.
Multiple Sclerosis between Genetics and Infections: Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Monocytes and Macrophages

The etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) is still unknown, but there is strong evidence that genetic predisposition associated with environmental factors can trigger the disease. An estimated 30 million years ago, exogenous retroviruses are thought to have integrated themselves into human germ line cells, becoming part of human DNA and being transmitted over generations. Usually such human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are silenced or expressed at low levels, but in some pathological conditions, such as MS, their expression is higher than that in the healthy population. Three HERV families have been associated with MS: HERV-H, HERV-K, and HERV-W. The envelope protein of MS-associated retrovirus (MSRV) from the HERV-W family currently has the strongest evidence as a potential trigger for MS. In addition to expression in peripheral immune cells, MSRV is expressed in monocytes and microglia in central nervous system lesions of people with MS and, through the activation of toll-like receptor 4, it has been shown to drive the production of proinflammatory cytokines, reduction of myelin protein expression, and death of oligodendrocyte precursors. In conclusion, the association between HERVs and MS is well documented and a pathological role for MSRV in MS is plausible. Further studies are required to determine whether the presence of these HERVs is a cause or an effect of immune dysregulation in MS.
Propuestas para un enfoque transdiagnóstico de los trastornos mentales y del comportamiento: Evidencia, utilidad y limitaciones = Proposals for a transdiagnostic perspective of mental and behavioural disorders: Evidence, usefulness, and limitations

The high rates of comorbidity and cross-sectional covariation between disorders are oneof the main limitations of current psychiatric diagnostic approaches, which moreover are based oncategories defined by clinical features rather than assumptions about etiology. These limitations areespecially manifest as regards anxiety and depressive disorders, and also are evident in eating disorders.The accumulating evidence on symptom overlap has led several authors to suggest the existenceof common and shared pathology dimensions across anxiety and depressive disorders,postulating a transdiagnostic approach to these disorders. At the same time, transdiagnostic treatmentsfor emotional disorders have been proposed focusing on the observed commonalities insteadof the differences. This article examines some of the empirically supported common dimensions ofemotional disorders, their usefulness and limitations in further understanding the psychopathologyof those disorders, and the implications of a transdiagnostic treatment.