Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Randomized controlled trial on adjunctive cognitive remediation therapy for chronically hospitalized patients with schizophrenia

Background Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) is one of the promising new non-drug approaches to reducing cognitive deficits of patients with schizophrenia that has not yet been fully evaluated in China. Aim Assess the efficacy of CRT in improving the cognitive functioning, social functioning and insight of patients with chronic schizophrenia. Methods 126 clinically stable inpatients with chronic schizophrenia were randomly allocated to an intervention group (with CRT) and a treatment as usual group (TAU) (which used standard occupational and recreational therapy methods). The treatment frequency and duration were the same for the two groups: five times per week for three months. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) was used to evaluate before versus after changes in cognitive function, the Scale of Social Skills of chronic schizophrenia Inpatients (SSSI) was used to assess social functioning, and the Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire (ITAQ) was use to assess insight. Results Four patients dropped out during the study leaving 60 in the CRT group and 62 in the TAU group in the final analysis. Both groups showed significant improvement in WCST measures over the three-month trial but the improvement in the CRT group was significantly greater than that for the TAU group on all of the WCST measures assessed. The total SSSI score improved significantly in both groups over the three months, but the improvement in the two groups was not significantly different. The total ITAQ score also showed significant improvement in both groups over the three months and the degree of improvement was significantly greater in the CRT group than in the TAU group. Conclusion As an adjunctive treatment to antipsychotic medication, a three month course of CRT is more effective at improving the cognitive functioning and insight of hospitalized patients with chronic schizophrenia than routine occupational and recreational therapy.
Context based interesting tweet recommendation framework

Social media such as Twitter, Google+, Facebook, etc has an undeniable effect on the way information is stored and processed by us. The information available on the web is abound and hence it is essential to mine the important information and avoid the irrelevant details. Along with this, it is beneficial to consider information that is contextually similar to information related to a particular topic as it provides a big picture. Tweets contains keywords known as hashtags which provide useful information for the purpose of sentiment analysis, named entity recognition, event detection, etc. In this paper, we have analyzed Twitter data based on their hashtags, which is widely used nowadays. We have extracted tweets pertaining to a single keyword and to contextually similar keywords. For the purpose of finding similar words we have used word embeddings that capture contextual information successfully. We have used topic modeling to expose the latent structure of the documents based on probability distribution. The proposed framework helps user to find relevant tweets pertaining to a specific and to contextually similar hashtags.
Privacy Protection Mechanisms for Web Service Technology

The successful use of Web service technology in areas such as healthcare and government depends on its support to privacy preservation. As there is currently no privacy standard for Web services, several solutions have recently been proposed in the literature to deal with privacy in Web services. However, there is no solution that provides a suitable mechanism to describe privacy properties in Web services. When loosely-coupled components are involved, such as in Web service environments, a rich description of components is needed to determine whether they can interact in a manner that preserves privacy. The goal of this paper is to present privacy protection mechanisms for Web services, which use policies defined in the Web Services Policy Framework (WS-Policy) and an ontology defined in the Web Ontology Language (OWL) in order to support Web service interactions with suitable privacy preservation levels.
Distinct Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Underlie Functional Remodeling of Repolarizing K+ Currents With Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is associated with electric remodeling and increased arrhythmia risk, although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In the experiments here, functional voltage-gated (Kv) and inwardly rectifying (Kir) K+ channel remodeling was examined in a mouse model of pressure overload-induced LVH, produced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Action potential durations (APDs) at 90% repolarization in TAC LV myocytes and QTc intervals in TAC mice were prolonged. Mean whole-cell membrane capacitance (Cm) was higher, and Ito,f, IK,slow, Iss, and IK1 densities were lower in TAC, than in sham, LV myocytes. Although the primary determinant of the reduced current densities is the increase in Cm, IK,slow amplitudes were decreased and Iss amplitudes were increased in TAC LV cells. Further experiments revealed regional differences in the effects of LVH. Cellular hypertrophy and increased Iss amplitudes were more pronounced in TAC endocardial LV cells, whereas IK,slow amplitudes were selectively reduced in TAC epicardial LV cells. Consistent with the similarities in Ito,f and IK1 amplitudes, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, and KChIP2 (Ito,f), as well as Kir2.1 and Kir2.2 (IK1), transcript and protein expression levels were similar in TAC and sham LV. Unexpectedly, expression of IK,slow channel subunits Kv1.5 and Kv2.1 was increased in TAC LV. Biochemical experiments also demonstrated that, although total protein was unaltered, cell surface expression of TASK1 was increased in TAC LV. Functional changes in repolarizing K+ currents with LVH, therefore, result from distinct cellular (cardiomyocyte enlargement) and molecular (alterations in the numbers of functional channels) mechanisms.
A transmitter beamforming system for the localization of passive RFID tags

In this paper, a new approach for estimating the position of a passive UHF RFID tag is presented. Instead of using well known angle-of-arrival (AoA) techniques, a transmitter beamforming method, called `Angle-of-Activation' (AoAct) is applied. By pivoting the main lobe of the interrogator's three element transmitter antenna array and utilizing the very sensitive response threshold of passive UHF RFID tags, the tag direction is estimated. This is performed by appropriately adjusting the I and Q components of the complex baseband phasor of each channel. In comparison to analog techniques, this new approach delivers a higher angular resolution and better direction accuracy. Applying this technique from different spatially distributed stations, the tag position can be estimated by triangulation. Experiments with the AoAct localization system were performed showing that an average localization accuracy of 10-20 cm even in a typical multipath environment can be achieved.
Large scale dynamos with helicity loss through boundaries

Dynamo action is investigated in simulations of locally isotropic and homogeneous turbulence in a slab between open boundaries. It is found that a \pseudo-vacuum" boundary condition (where the eld is vertical) leads to strong helicity fluxes which signicantly reduce the amplitude of the resulting large-scale eld. On the other hand, if there is a conducting halo outside the dynamo-active region, the large scale eld amplitude can reach larger values, but the time scale after which this eld is reached increases linearly with the magnetic Reynolds number. In both cases, most of the helicity flux is found to occur on large scales. From the variety of models considered we conclude that open boundaries tend to lower the saturation eld strength compared to the case with periodic boundaries. The rate at which this lower saturation eld strength is attained is roughly independent of the strength of the turbulence and of the boundary conditions. For dynamos with less helicity, however, signicant eld strengths could be reached in a shorter time.
Massively Parallel A* Search on a GPU

A* search is a fundamental topic in artificial intelligence. Recently, the general purpose computation on graphics processing units (GPGPU) has been widely used to accelerate numerous computational tasks. In this paper, we propose the first parallel variant of the A* search algorithm such that the search process of an agent can be accelerated by a single GPU processor in a massively parallel fashion. Our experiments have demonstrated that the GPU-accelerated A* search is efficient in solving multiple real-world search tasks, including combinatorial optimization problems, pathfinding and game solving. Compared to the traditional sequential CPU-based A* implementation, our GPU-based A* algorithm can achieve a significant speedup by up to 45x on large-scale search problems.
Identifying Regions of Non-Modal Phonation Using Features of the Wavelet Transform

The present study proposes a new parameter for identifying breathy to tense voice qualities in a given speech segment using measurements from the wavelet transform. Techniques that can deliver robust information on the voice quality of a speech segment are desirable as they can help tune analysis strategies as well as provide automatic voice quality annotation in large corpora. The method described here involves wavelet-based decomposition of the speech signal into octave bands and then fitting a regression line to the maximum amplitudes at the different scales. The slope coefficient is then evaluated in terms of its ability to differentiate voice qualities compared to other parameters in the literature. The new parameter (named here Peak Slope) was shown to have robustness to babble noise added with signal to noise ratios as low as 10 dB. Furthermore, the proposed parameter was shown to provide better differentiation of breathy to tense voice qualities in both vowels and running speech.
1.5-micron enhancement in active waveguides fabricated with femtosecond laser pulses

We report on single mode active waveguides at 1.5 μm in Er:Yb-doped glass substrates fabricated with femtosecond laser pulses. A new spatial beam shaping approach for fabrication of waveguides with circular transverse profile is discussed, which uses an astigmatic beam and controls both beam waist and focal position in tangential and sagittal planes. The experimental results are well described by a simple nonlinear absorption model. The waveguides realized with this technique provide a significant enhancement in the whole Er-band, becoming interesting candidates for the realization of many photonic devices.
What makes a code review trustworthy?

Code review is an important step during the process of certifying safety-critical software because only code that passes review can be implemented. Reviews are performed by review boards composed of highly skilled and experienced computer scientists, engineers and analysts who generally rely upon a checklist of properties ranging from high-level requirements to minute language details. While many checklists and coding standards exist, the actual decision of which properties are most important is generally based on the experience of the person in charge. This paper addresses the questions: How can code review ensure certification of trustworthy code? and Is code review trustworthy? We surveyed technical leaders at NASA and the Aerospace industry to find out which properties are most important during the code review. To make analyze easier, the most common properties have been classified along different "views", ranging from a standards-oriented view (defined as the properties needed to satisfy a specific standard) to a tool-oriented view. In this paper, we present this classification together with a summary of findings and feed-back from the survey. We also discuss how a more uniform view on properties of code review and tool capabilities can result in increased trust for safety-critical software.
Large-scale evaluation of call-availability prediction

We contribute evidence to which extent sensor- and contextual information available on mobile phones allow to predict whether a user would pick up a call or not. Using an app publicly available for Android phones, we logged anonymous data from 31311 calls of 418 different users. The data shows that information easily available in mobile phones, such as the time since the last call, the time since the last ringer mode change, or the device posture, can predict call availability with an accuracy of 83.2% (Kappa = .646). Personalized models can increase the accuracy to 87% on average. Features related to when the user was last active turned out to be strong predictors. This shows that simple contextual cues approximating user activity are worthwhile investigating when designing context-aware ubiquitous communication systems.
On The Other Side of the Mean: The Perception of Dissimilarity in Human Faces

We created a ‘face space’ using a laser-scan representation of faces. In this space, a caricature can be made by moving a face away from the average face, along the line connecting the particular face to the average face. Here, we move the face along this line in the other direction, proceeding through the mean and ‘out the other side’. This results in a face that is ‘opposite’, in a computational sense, to the original face. We morphed several faces into their anti-faces and sampled the morph trajectory in five discrete steps. We then collected similarity ratings from human participants for all possible pairs of morphed faces to determine how the distances in the ‘physical face space’ related to the distances in the ‘psychological face space’. The data indicate that there is a perceptual discontinuity of face identity as the face crosses over to the ‘other side of the mean’. We consider these results in the context of face-space models of human face processing.
Fabrication of round channels using the surface tension of PDMS and its application to a 3D serpentine mixer

A novel fabrication technique was developed to fabricate round microchannels and applied to a micro mixer having a barrier structure using surface tension of PDMS. When the solidified PDMS layer (channel layer) contacts the liquid PDMS film (meniscus layer), a meniscus is formed around the sidewall in the microchannel due to surface tension. The external load pressure and contact area of the channel layer were adjusted to form various cross-sectional shapes such as a U shape, ellipse, semi-circle and circle. Since the width of the channel also determines the depth formed by the difference in capillary height, a multi-depth channel can be fabricated using a one-step process. It was applied to a dual-depth serpentine mixer, eliminating the aligned bonding of conventional soft lithography. The 3D-structure mixer enhanced mixing performance in the range of Re > 10 compared with a 2D-structure. It could fully mix phenolphthalein and sodium hydroxide when the Reynolds number was 80. The suggested fabrication method could be very useful in various microfluidic devices that need round corners and multi-depth channels.
Fabrication and characterisation of Si micropillar PV structures

Abstract Arrays of vertical silicon micropillar radial junction solar cells have been fabricated by diffusion of direct application spin on dopant and from the vapour phase through proximity rapid thermal diffusion. The micropillars were fabricated by optical lithography and deep reactive ion etching. The micropillar arrays show superior antireflective properties over the measured spectrum and good correlation to finite difference time domain modelling of identical geometry arrays. Junctions formed by a conventional spin on doping process of phosphorus containing dopant solution produced Suns-Voc values in the region of 0·3 V. This value is likely due to difficulties encountered in achieving an even distribution of dopant over the entire surface of the arrays. An alternative method utilising spin on dopant but employing an intermediate vapour phase diffusion step produced promising results with Suns-Voc values reaching 0·5 V following a post-diffusion drive-in step.
A Novel Marker of Human Endometrial Mesenchymal Stem-Like Cells

Coexpression of CD140b (PDGFRβ) and CD146 has been used to isolate endometrial mesenchymal stem-like cells (eMSCs), which have a perivascular location. This study aims to evaluate a single marker for purifying eMSCs. Using an antibody panel with novel specificities, we screened human endometrial tissues and stromal cell suspensions by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry to identify perivascular markers. Sorted subpopulations were examined for colony-forming unit (CFU), self-renewal, and differentiation assays for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) function. We also transplanted sorted eMSCs under the kidney capsule of superimmunodeficient NSG mice. Magnetic bead selection was compared with flow cytometry sorting (flow sorting) using CFU assay. One novel marker (W5C5) was particularly effective in selecting eMSCs. W5C5+ cells comprise 4.2 ± 0.6% (n = 34) of endometrial stromal cells and reside predominantly in a perivascular location in both basal and functional layers of endometrium. The clonogenicity of W5C5+ cells is significantly greater than W5C5- and unselected cells. W5C5+ cells differentiated into adipocytes, osteocytes, chondrocytes, myocytes, and endothelial cells. W5C5+ cells produce endometrial stromal-like tissue in vivo. In terms of clonogenicity, magnetic bead-selected W5C5+ cells gave rise to significantly higher CFU numbers compared to flow-sorted W5C5+ cells. This study identified W5C5 as a single marker capable of purifying eMSCs possessing MSC properties and reconstituting endometrial stromal tissues in vivo. W5C5 enriches eMSCs to high purity and provides a simple protocol for their prospective isolation using magnetic bead selection rather than flow sorting. W5C5 selection may provide an alternate, readily available autologous source of MSC, obtainable with minimal morbidity using an office endometrial biopsy procedure for future cell-based therapies.
Functional Outcome of Matrix-Associated Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation in the Ankle

Background: The technique of Matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) is well established with satisfactory outcomes up to 5 years in the knee. Fewer series describe the outcomes of this technique in the ankle. We present the functional outcomes of the technique for a single surgeon series in a general hospital setting. Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven patients, mean age 41, were reviewed at 3.7 (range, 1 to 5) years. Patients were assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot scale, Tegener activity score and University of California lower extremity activity scale. MRI findings were also reviewed. Results: While most patients report a significant improvement in symptoms with full return to activities of daily living, 36% of those under 40 and 78% of those over 40 reported restricted recreational activity. Of the patients under 40 years of age, 86% were able to run compared with 23% of those over 40. Of patients over 40, 64% continued to have moderate or severe pain. Conclusion: Careful preoperative counseling is required for patients of all ages regarding likely outcomes. In patients over 40, the procedure is unlikely to give good pain relief and alternative options should be considered. Level of Evidence: IV, Case Series
Enhanced Macrophage Uptake of Low Density Lipoprotein after Self‐Aggregation

Incubation of mouse peritoneal macrophages with native human low density lipoprotein (LDL) did not cause any significant storage of Intracellular cholesteryl esters. However, when the LDL was subjected to brief (30-second) vortexlng, It formed self-aggregates that were rapidly Ingested and degraded by macrophages, converting them to cholesteryl ester-rich foam cells. Such aggregates were as potent as acetyt-LDL In stimulating cholesterol esterlflcatlon in the macrophages. The degradation of LDL aggregates was strongly inhibited by cytochalasln B (85%), whereas degradation of native LDL was only weakly Inhibited (23%), suggesting that uptake occurred by phagocytosis rather than plnocytosls. Several lines of evidence suggest that the phagocytlc uptake depends, in part, upon the LDL receptor and not the acetyl-LDL receptor: 1) soluble, native LDL and 0-VLDL (but not acetyl-LDL) competed for uptake and degradation of LDL aggregates; 2) reductive methylatlon of LDL before vortexlng reduced the effect of the aggregates on degradation and cholesterol esterlflcatlon; 3) heparln, which Inhibits binding of native LDL to Its receptor, reduced the degradation of LDL aggregates. These studies show that self-aggregation of LDL markedly enhances Its uptake by macrophages, probably by phagocytosis and at least, In part, via the LDL receptor. Aggregates of LDL in the artery wall–either self-aggregates or mixed aggregates Including matrix components–may Induce foam cell formation and favor the formation of the fatty streak.
Skull-closed autonomous development: WWN-6 using natural video

While a physical environment interacts with a human individual through the brain's sensors and effectors, internal representations inside the skull-closed brain autonomously emerge and adapt throughout the lifetime. By “skull-closed”, we mean that the brain inside the skull is off limit to all teachers in the external physical environment, except the brain's sensory ends and motor ends. We present the Where-What Network 6 (WWN-6), which has realized our goal of skull-closed autonomous development. This means that the human programmer is not allowed to handcraft the internal representations for any fixed extra-body concepts. For example, the meanings of specific values of the location or type concept are not known during the programming time. Such meanings emerge through associations imbedded in “postnatal” experience. This capability is especially challenging when one considers the fact that most elements in the sensory ends are irrelevant to the signals at the effector ends (e.g., many background pixels). How does each output (usually expressed in vector) in the effectors find its corresponding existing pattern in the correct patch of the sensory image? We outline this autonomous learning theory for the brain and present how the developmental program (DP) of WWN-6 enables the network to perform for attending and recognizing objects in complex backgrounds using natural video. The inputs to the agent (i.e., the network) are not artificially synthesized images as WWNs used before, but drawn from continuous video taken from natural settings where, in general, everything is moving.