Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intractable temporal lobe epilepsy: comparison of positron emission tomography with qualitative and quantitative MR.

PURPOSE To compare the ability of qualitative fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography (QPET), qualitative MR imaging (QMR), and quantitative MR imaging with hippocampal formation volumetric assessment (HV MR) to lateralize the seizure focus in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. METHODS Sixteen consecutive patients undergoing presurgical examination for temporal lobe seizures had QPET, QMR, and HV MR. The presence of temporal lobe epilepsy was confirmed by Engel class I or II outcomes at 1-year postoperative follow-up examinations. A QPET, QMR, or HV MR study was considered to be lateralizing if it matched the side of the seizure focus, nonlateralizing if it did not lateralize the seizure focus to either temporal lobe, or incorrectly lateralizing if it lateralized the seizure focus to the incorrect side. RESULTS Of 16 patients with proved temporal lobe seizures, QPET was correctly lateralizing in nine (56%), nonlateralizing in six (37.5%), and incorrectly lateralizing in one (6%). QMR was correctly lateralizing in six (37.5%), nonlateralizing in six (37.5%), and incorrectly lateralizing in four (25%). HV MR was correctly lateralizing in all 16 patients (100%). Age at onset, seizure duration, and total number of seizures did not correlate with QPET, QMR, and HV MR lateralization. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that each imaging technique yields useful information for seizure lateralization in temporal lobe epilepsy and that HV MR yields considerably more information that QPET or QMR.
VARIANTS OF Mta, THE MOUSE MATERNALLY TRANSMITTED ANTIGEN, DETERMINED BY THREE ALLELES OF THE EXTRACHROMOSOMAL GENE Mtf

Two new forms of Mta, the maternally transmitted antigen of the mouse, were defined by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. One is found in laboratory mice carrying the β allele of the maternally transmitted factor, Mtf, which were previously thought to be Mta‐negative. The other is associated with a new allele, Mtfγ, and is found in wild mice from Toulouse. Like the common form of Mta, determined by the extrachromosomal Mrfα, the new forms are also dependent on the α allele of Hmt, a chromosomal gene linked to H‐2. and are associated with β2‐microglobulin. Killers could be raised in all six combinations of a, β, and γ mice, showing that each form of Mtf determines a distinct (set of) epitope(s). We propose that the product of the Hmt gene, a class I MHC antigen, presents a peptide derived from a mitochondrial gene product on the cell surface and thereby creates the target antigen, Mta.
Cyber-physical attacks and defences in the smart grid: a survey

The smart grid is arguably one of the most complex cyber-physical systems (CPS). Complex security challenges have been revealed in both the physical and the cyber parts of the smart grid, and an integrative analysis on the cyber-physical (CP) security is emerging. This paper provides a comprehensive and systematic review of the critical attack threats and defence strategies in the smart grid. We start this survey with an overview of the smart grid security from the CP perspective, and then focuses on prominent CP attack schemes with significant impact on the smart grid operation and corresponding defense solutions. With an in-depth review of the attacks and defences, we then discuss the opportunities and challenges along the smart grid CP security. We hope this paper raises awareness of the CP attack threats and defence strategies in complex CPS-based infrastructures such as the smart grid and inspires research effort toward the development of secure and resilient CP infrastructures.
Spatial clustering of patent and sub-patent malaria infections in northern Namibia: Implications for surveillance and response strategies for elimination

Background Reactive case detection (RACD) around passively detected malaria cases is a strategy to identify and treat hotspots of malaria transmission. This study investigated the unproven assumption on which this approach is based, that in low transmission settings, infections cluster over small scales. Methods A prospective case-control study was conducted between January 2013 and August 2014 in Ohangwena and Omusati regions in north central Namibia. Patients attending health facilities who tested positive by malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) (index cases) were traced back to their home. All occupants of index case households (n = 116 households) and surrounding households (n = 225) were screened for Plasmodium infection with a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and interviewed to identify risk factors. A comparison group of 286 randomly-selected control households was also screened, to compare infection levels of RACD and non-RACD households and their neighbours. Logistic regression was used to investigate spatial clustering of patent and sub-patent infections around index cases and to identify potential risk factors that would inform screening approaches and identify risk groups. Estimates of the impact of RACD on onward transmission to mosquitoes was made using previously published figures of infection rates. Results Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection by LAMP was 3.4%, 1.4% and 0.4% in index-case households, neighbors of index case households and control households respectively; adjusted odds ratio 6.1 [95%CI 1.9–19.5] comparing case households versus control households. Using data from Engela, neighbors of cases had higher odds of infection [adjusted OR 5.0 95%CI 1.3–18.9] compared to control households. All infections identified by RDTs were afebrile and RDTs identified only a small proportion of infections in case (n = 7; 17%) and control (0%) neighborhoods. Based on published estimates of patent and sub-patent infectiousness, these results suggest that infections missed by RDTs during RACD would allow 50–71% of infections to mosquitoes to occur in this setting. Conclusion Malaria infections cluster around passively detected cases. The majority of infections are asymptomatic and of densities below the limit of detection of current RDTs. RACD using standard RDTs are unlikely to detect enough malaria infections to dramatically reduce transmission. In low transmission settings such as Namibia more sensitive field diagnostics or forms of focal presumptive treatment should be tested as strategies to reduce malaria transmission.
Biaxial phases in mineral liquid crystals

A review is given of liquid crystals formed in colloidal dispersions, in particular those consisting of mineral particles. Starting with the historical development and early theory, the characteristic properties related to the colloidal nature of this type of liquid crystals are discussed. The possibility to find biaxial nematic and smectic phases is described for mixtures of rods and plates and recent examples are given of biaxial liquid crystal phases of mineral particles with inherent biaxial shape.
Cerebellar responses evoked by nociceptive leg withdrawal reflex as revealed by event-related FMRI.

The aim of the present study was to examine nociceptive leg withdrawal reflex-related areas in the human cerebellum using event-related functional brain imaging (fMRI). Knowledge about cerebellar areas involved in unconditioned limb withdrawal reflex control has some relevance in understanding data of limb withdrawal reflex conditioning studies. Sixteen healthy adult subjects participated. Nociceptive leg withdrawal reflexes were evoked by electrical stimulation of the left tibial nerve behind the medial malleolus. An event-related fMRI paradigm was applied with a total of 30 stimuli being delivered pseudorandomly during 500 consecutive MR scans. Surface electromyographic (EMG) recordings were performed from the left anterior tibial muscle. Only trials with significant reflex EMG activity were used as active events in fMRI statistical analysis. The specified contrasts compared the active event condition with rest. Leg withdrawal reflex-related areas were located within the vermis, paravermis, and lateral posterior cerebellar hemispheres bilaterally. Vermal and paravermal areas in lobules III/IV in the anterior lobe and in lobule VIII in the posterior lobe agree with the cerebellar representation of climbing and mossy fiber hindlimb afferents and voluntary leg movements. They are likely related to efferent modulation of the leg withdrawal reflex and/or sensory processing of afferent inputs from the reflex and/or the noxious stimulus. Additional activation within vermal lobule VI and hemispheral lobules VI/Crus I may be related to other pain-related processes (e.g., facial grimacing, fear, and startlelike reactions).
On the performance of cell-free massive MIMO with short-term power constraints

In this paper we consider a time-division duplex cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system where many distributed access points (APs) simultaneously serve many users. A normalized conjugate beamforming scheme, which satisfies short-term average power constraints at the APs, is proposed and analyzed taking into account the effect of imperfect channel information. We derive an approximate closed-form expression for the per-user achievable downlink rate of this scheme. We also provide, analytically and numerically, a performance comparison between the normalized conjugate beamforming and the conventional conjugate beamforming scheme in [1] (which satisfies long-term average power constraints). Normalized conjugate beamforming scheme reduces the beamforming uncertainty gain, which comes from the users' lack of the channel state information knowledge, and hence, it improves the achievable downlink rate compared to the conventional conjugate beam-forming scheme.
Location of alkali metal binding sites in endothelin A selective receptor antagonists, cyclo(D-Trp-D-Asp-Pro-D-Val-Leu) and cyclo(D-Trp-D-Asp-Pro-D-Ile-Leu), from multistep collisionally activated decompositions.

We previously showed by using mass spectrometry that endothelin A selective receptor antagonists BQ123 and JKC301 form novel coordination compounds with sodium ions. This property may underlie the ability of an ET(A) antagonist to induce net tubular sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule cells and reverse acute renal failure induced by severe ischemia. We have now defined the metal binding sites on BQ123 and JKC301 by subjecting the metal-containing peptides to multiple stages of collisionally activated decomposition (CAD) in an ion trap mass spectrometer. When submitted to low-energy CAD, the ring opens at the Asp-Pro amide bond. The metal ion, which bonds, inter alia, to the carbonyl oxygen of the proline residue, acts as a fixed charge site, and directs a charge-remote, sequence-specific fragmentation of the ring-opened peptide. Amino acid residues are sequentially cleaved from the C-terminal end, and the terminal aziridinone structure moves one step toward the N-terminus with each C-terminal amino acid residue removed. These observations are the basis of a new method to sequence cyclic peptides. Amino acid residues are observed as sets of three ions, a*(n)PD, b*(n)PD and c*(n)PD where n is the number of amino acid residues in the peptide.
Energy-Efficiency and Security Issues in the Cisco Nexus Virtual Distributed Switching

Virtualization technologies have brought with them the promise of increased security and energy saving. Such was the case with the Cisco Nexus virtual switching environment. However, possible security issues of this environment have not been evaluated and the achievable energy savings have not been quantified yet. In particular, it was necessary to investigate whether the security vulnerabilities existing in physical switches had persisted into the virtual environment. This paper provides an evaluation of the energy saving and an analysis of the security implications of the Cisco Nexus virtual distributed switching environment.
Improving transparency in passive teleoperation by combining cutaneous and kinesthetic force feedback

A novel idea for improving transparency of teleoperation systems with force feedback is presented. This approach is based on the idea of sensory subtraction presented in [12], and consists of providing the operator with independently controlled kinesthetic and cutaneous feedback to improve the realism of haptic rendering of the remote environment (i.e., transparency), while preserving stability. More specifically, cutaneous force feedback is employed to recover transparency when a lack of kinesthetic feedback has to be enforced to keep the teleoperation loop stable. The viability of this approach is demonstrated with two experiments of teleoperated needle insertion. Results showed improved performance with respect to common control techniques not employing the proposed cutaneous compensation.
The Semantic Information Method for Maximum Mutual Information and Maximum Likelihood of Tests, Estimations, and Mixture Models

It is very difficult to solve the Maximum Mutual Information (MMI) or Maximum Likelihood (ML) for all possible Shannon Channels or uncertain rules of choosing hypotheses, so that we have to use iterative methods. According to the Semantic Mutual Information (SMI) and R(G) function proposed by Chenguang Lu (1993) (where R(G) is an extension of information rate distortion function R(D), and G is the lower limit of the SMI), we can obtain a new iterative algorithm of solving the MMI and ML for tests, estimations, and mixture models. The SMI is defined by the average log normalized likelihood. The likelihood function is produced from the truth function and the prior by semantic Bayesian inference. A group of truth functions constitute a semantic channel. Letting the semantic channel and Shannon channel mutually match and iterate, we can obtain the Shannon channel that maximizes the Shannon mutual information and the average log likelihood. This iterative algorithm is called Channels' Matching algorithm or the CM algorithm. The convergence can be intuitively explained and proved by the R(G) function. Several iterative examples for tests, estimations, and mixture models show that the computation of the CM algorithm is simple (which can be demonstrated in excel files). For most random examples, the numbers of iterations for convergence are close to 5. For mixture models, the CM algorithm is similar to the EM algorithm; however, the CM algorithm has better convergence and more potential applications in comparison with the standard EM algorithm.
Influence of diffuse luminance flicker on choroidal and optic nerve head blood flow

Purpose. In the retina there is general agreement that blood flow adapts in response to different conditions of light and darkness including diffuse luminance flicker. By contrast, regulation of choroidal blood flow in response to different light conditions is still a matter of controversy. Thus, we investigated the effect of diffuse luminance flicker on choroidal and optic nerve head blood flow. Methods. In a group of 14 healthy volunteers, choroidal blood flow and ocular fundus pulsation amplitude were assessed with laser Doppler flowmetry and laser interferometry, respectively. Measurements were done before, during and after stimulation with diffuse luminance flicker. Furthermore, the response of optic nerve head blood flow (ONHBF) to flicker stimulation was measured. Flicker stimuli were generated by a Grass® PS2 photostimulator, stimulating at a frequency of 8 Hz. Flicker light consisted of light flashes at a wavelength below 550nm and produced a retinal irradiance of 140 µW/cm 2. Blood pressure and pulse rate were measured non-invasively. Paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results. ONHBF increased immediately after onset of flicker stimulation. The maximum increase in ONHBF was 30% ± 10% (mean ± SEM, p < 0.008). Both choroidal perfusion parameters were only slightly increased during flicker stimulation, by 2 ± 2% (laser Doppler flowmetry, p < 0.5) and by 4 ± 1% (laser interferometry, p < 0.12). After the end of stimulation all values returned to baseline levels. Conclusion. Our study clearly demonstrates that diffuse luminance flicker increases optic nerve head blood flow. In contrast, increased neural activity in the retina has no effect on choroidal blood flow. Thus, choroidal blood flow appears to be largely independent of alterations in retinal metabolism.
Do Predictive Factors for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Elucidate the Variable Prevalence Rates Between National Guard/Reserve Soldiers and Active Duty Soldiers?

Since September 11th, 2001 The United States Arms has deployed a significantly larger percentage of National Guard and Reserve (NG/R) forces to combat zones in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The United States Office of Veterans Affairs has reported increased suicide rates and suicide risk for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for Soldiers deployed in support of these conflicts in particular. Few studies have assessed the relationship between military component (Active Duty (AD) vs. NG/R), and PTSD prevalence and risk factors but many of studies that exist have reported higher rates in NG/R Soldiers as compared to AD Soldiers. I sought to identify risk factors that make NG/R Soldiers more vulnerable to PTSD in a sample of 11 Army NG/R and AD OEF/OIF veterans. PTSD Prevalence rates were similar between components, but several predictive factors were significantly correlated with PTSD for NG/R veterans. In my thesis I identify and discuss the possible implications for these specific vulnerabilities. iii
Religious freedom and the ‘right to discriminate’ in the school admissions context: a neo-republican critique

In law and discourse, it has typically been assumed that the religious freedom of state-funded religious schools must trump any competing right to non-discrimination on grounds of belief. For example, the Irish Constitution has been interpreted as requiring the broad exemption of denominational schools from the statutory prohibition on religious discrimination in school admissions. This stance is mirrored in the UK Equality Act 2010. Thus, religious discrimination in the public education context has been rationalised with reference to a ‘liberty-equality dichotomy’, which prioritises the integrity of faith schools' ‘ethos’, as an imperative of religious freedom. We argue that this familiar conceptual dichotomy generates a novel set of absurdities in this peculiar context. We suggest that the construction of religious freedom and non-discrimination as separate and antagonistic values rests on a conceptually flawed definition of religious freedom itself, which overlooks the necessary dependence of religious freedom on non-discrimination. Furthermore, it overstates the necessity, to religious freedom, of religious schools' ‘right to discriminate’. We argue for an alternative ordering of the values of religious freedom and non-discrimination – which we locate within the neo-republican theory of freedom as non-domination.
Nerve ultrasound depicts peripheral nerve enlargement in patients with genetically distinct Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Objective To elucidate the ultrasound (US) features of peripheral nerves including nerve roots in patients with different types of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), and the association between US findings, clinical features and parameters of nerve conduction studies (NCS) in CMT1A. Methods US of median, sural and great auricular nerves and the C6 nerve root was performed in patients with CMT1A (n=20), MPZ-associated CMT (n=3), NEFL-associated CMT (n=4), EGR2-associated CMT (n=1), ARHGEF10-associated CMT (n=1) and in controls (n=30). In patients with CMT1A, we analysed the correlations between US findings and the following parameters: age, CMT Neuropathy Score (CMTNS) and NCS indices of the median nerve. Results Cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of all the nerves were significantly increased in patients with CMT1A compared with that in controls. In MPZ-associated CMT, increased CSAs were found in the median nerve at wrist and in the great auricular nerve, whereas it was not increased in patients with NEFL-associated CMT. In patients with CMT1A, there was a positive correlation between CMTNS and the CSAs in the median nerves or great auricular nerves. In median nerves in patients with CMT1A, we found a negative correlation between the nerve conduction velocity and the CSA. Conclusions Nerve US may aid in differentiating among the subtypes of CMT in combination with NCS. In CMT1A, the median nerve CSA correlates with the disease severity and peripheral nerve function.
A Novel Algorithm for Fast Sparse Image Reconstruction

A new technique for signal recovery and sampling is compressed sensing. It states that a sparse signal has relatively small number of linear measurements and it contains most of its information and these highly incomplete observations can exactly reconstruct that signal. The major challenge in practical applications of compressed sensing consists in providing efficient, stable and fast recovery algorithms which, in a few seconds evaluate a good approximation of compressible image from highly incomplete and noisy samples. In this paper compressed sensing image recovery problem using adaptive nonlinear filtering strategies in an iterative frame work and the resulting two-step iterative scheme convergence is proved. The several numerical experiments conform that he corresponding algorithm possesses the required properties of efficiency, stability and low computational cost and those of the state of the art algorithms are competitive to its performance.
Are There Necessary Conditions for Inducing a Sense of Sarcastic Irony?

This article investigates the contextual components utilized to convey sarcastic verbal irony, testing whether theoretical components deemed as necessary for creating a sense of irony are, in fact, necessary. A novel task was employed: Given a set of statements that out of context were not rated as sarcastic, participants were instructed to either generate discourse context that would make the statements sarcastic or meaningful (without further specification). In a series of studies, these generated contexts were shown to differ from one another along the dimensions presumed as necessary (failed expectation, pragmatic insincerity, negative tension, and presence of a victim) and along stylistic components (as indexed by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program). However, none of these components were found to be necessary. Indeed, in each case, the items rated as highest in sarcasm were often at the lowest levels on the putative “necessary” characteristic. These data are taken as consistent with constraint satisfaction models of sarcasm processing in which various linguistic and extralinguistic information provide probabilistic (but not necessary) support for or against a sarcastic interpretation.