Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fonctionnement exécutif et traitement émotionnel dans le syndrome Prader-Willi : études en neuropsychologie et psychophysiologie cognitives

Le syndrome de Prader-Willi (SPW) est une maladieneurodeveloppementale rare d’origine genetique dont les manifestationspsychologiques incluent une deficience intellectuelle legere a moderee, descomportements ritualises, une obsession pour la nourriture, des acces de colereet une labilite emotionnelle. Le premier objectif de ces etudes est d’appuyer lalitterature suggerant un deficit des fonctions executives dans le SPW. Ledeuxieme objectif est d’evaluer s’il existe un deficit du traitement emotionneldans le SPW. Le troisieme objectif est de determiner si les effets modulateurs dela valeur emotionnelle sur l’efficience du controle executif sont exprimesdifferentiellement dans le SPW comparativement a la population saine. Deuxpre-experiences et cinq experiences ont ete menees en utilisant des mesurescomportementales (pre-experiences 1, 2, experiences 1 a 5) et une associationentre mesures comportementales et mesures electrodermales (experiences 1, 2,3, 5). Les mesures comportementales montrent un ralentissement du traitementde l’information et une plus faible precision des reponses dans le SPW. Lesmesures physiologiques montrent des reponses de plus faible intensite et defacon surprenante, plus precoces dans le SPW. Dans la majorite des cas, letraitement emotionnel de l’information est identique dans les deux groupes auniveau des mesures objectives. En revanche, l’evaluation subjective d’images aconnotation emotionnelle montre un biais de positivite dans le SPW. Enfin,l’efficience de la capacite de mise a jour de l’information est singulierementalteree dans le SPW lorsque l’environnement comporte des references a lanourriture.
The Value of Staying Current when Beamforming

Beamforming is a widely used method of provisioning high quality wireless channels that leads to high data rates and simple decoding structures. It requires feedback of Channel State Information (CSI) from receiver to transmitter, and the accuracy of this information is limited by rate constraints on the feedback channel and by delay. It is important to understand how the performance gains associated with beamforming depend on the accuracy or currency of the Channel State Information. This paper quantifies performance degradation caused by aging of CSI. It uses outage probability to measure the currency of CSI, and to discount the performance gains associated with ideal beamforming. Outage probability is a function of the beamforming algorithm and results are presented for Transmit Antenna Selection and other widely used methods. These results are translated into effective diversity orders for Multiple Input Single Output (MISO) and Multiuser Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems.
Learning model-based F0 production through goal-directed babbling

How surface acoustics can be mapped to underlying articulatory commands is a central yet unsolved issue about speech acquisition. Previously, stochastic optimization has been shown to be proficient in learning underlying pitch targets of the quantitative Target Approximation (qTA) model. The present study tested whether it is possible to develop an acoustic-to-articulatory inverse model for qTA by taking advantages of a recent advance in inverse kinematics learning in the field of developmental robotics, known as goal babbling. By treating traditionally separated babbling and imitation stages of speech acquisition as a unified acoustic goal-directed babbling process, the inverse model implemented by a multilayer perceptron (MLP) can be bootstrapped rapidly without the necessity of exploring the whole articulatory command space. The MLP was trained in online mode with self-generated examples obtained after every production of the host learner. The results show that with this novel learning paradigm the inverse model can be improved in a progressive manner and underlying pitch targets can be obtained by querying the mature inverse model. Our findings also demonstrate that qTA is an intrinsically robust F0 production model that can be operated by various learning regimens.
A precision CMOS bandgap reference

The simple circuit uses naturally occurring vertical n-p-n bipolar transistors as reference diodes. Use is made of p-tub diffusions as temperature-dependent resistors to provide current bias, and an op-amp is used for voltage gain. Only two reference diodes, three p-tube resistors, and one op-amp are necessary to produce a reference with fixed voltage of -1.3 V. An additional op-amp with two p-tub resistors will adjust the output to any desired value. The criteria for temperature compensation are presented and it is shown that the properly compensated circuit can in principle produce thermal drift which is less than 10 p.p.m. //spl deg/C. Process sensitivity analysis shows that in practical applications it is possible to control the output to better than 2%, while keeping thermal drift below 40 p.p.m. //spl deg/C. Test circuits have been designed and fabricated. The output voltage produced was -1.3/spl plusmn/0.025 V with thermal drift less than 7 mV from 0/spl deg/C to 125/spl deg/C. Significant improvements in performance, at modest cost in circuit complexity, can be achieved if the op-amp offset contribution to the output voltage is reduced or eliminated.
Stability of the human dystrophin transcript in muscle.

The human dystrophin gene has 79 exons spanning >2300 kb making it the largest known gene. In previous studies we showed that approximately 16 h are required to transcribe the gene in myogenic cultures [Tennyson, C.N. , Klamut, H.J. and Worton, R.G. (1995) Nature Genet. 9, 184-190]. To estimate the half-life of the dystrophin mRNA, the decay of the transcript was monitored by quantitative RT-PCR in cultured human fetal myotubes following exposure to actinomycin D. Results from this analysis indicated that the half-life of the dystrophin mRNA is 15.6 +/- 2.8 h in these cultures. Transcript accumulation profiles were predicted using a mathematical model which incorporated the measured half-life. The modeled accumulation profiles were consistent with observed profiles supporting the half-life measured using actinomycin D. The kinetic model was then used to predict the relative amount of nascent and mature dystrophin transcript at steady state. Measurements by quantitative RT-PCR indicated that in adult skeletal muscle tissue the concentration of mature dystrophin mRNA is 5-10 molecules per nucleus, demonstrating, as expected, that it is a low abundance transcript. Furthermore the ratio of nascent to mature dystrophin transcript indicated that dystrophin synthesis may not be at steady state in the adult skeletal muscle we tested. Alternatively, the kinetics of transcript production in skeletal muscle tissue may be different from those observed in cultured fetal myogenic cells.
Nascent Astrocyte Particles Differ from Lipoproteins in CSF

Abstract: Little is known about lipid transport and metabolism in the brain. As a further step toward understanding the origin and function of CNS lipoproteins, we have characterized by size and density fractionation lipoprotein particles from human CSF and primary cultures of rat astrocytes. The fractions were analyzed for esterified and free cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, albumin, and apolipoproteins (apo) E, AI, AII, and J. As determined by lipid and apolipoprotein profiles, gel electrophoresis, and electron microscopy, nascent astrocyte particles contain little core lipid, are primarily discoidal in shape, and contain apoE and apoJ. In contrast, CSF lipoproteins are the size and density of plasma high‐density lipoprotein, contain the core lipid, esterified cholesterol, and are spherical. CSF lipoproteins were heterogeneous in apolipoprotein content with apoE, the most abundant apolipoprotein, localized to the largest particles, apoAI and apoAII localized to progressively smaller particles, and apoJ distributed relatively evenly across particle size. There was substantial loss of protein from both CSF and astrocyte particles after density centrifugation compared with gel‐filtration chromatography. The differences between lipoproteins secreted by astrocytes and present in CSF suggest that in addition to delivery of their constituents to cells, lipoprotein particles secreted within the brain by astrocytes may have the potential to participate in cholesterol clearance, developing a core of esterified cholesterol before reaching the CSF. Study of the functional properties of both astrocyte‐secreted and CSF lipoproteins isolated by techniques that preserve native particle structure may also provide insight into the function of apoE in the pathophysiology of specific neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Estimating Mortality Derived from Indoor Exposure to Particles of Outdoor Origin

Following an extensive review of the literature, we further analyze the published data to examine the health effects of indoor exposure to particulate matter (PM) of outdoor origin. We obtained data on all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality per 10 μg/m3 increase in outdoor PM10 or PM2.5; the infiltration factors for buildings; and estimated time spent outdoors by individuals in the United States, Europe, China, and globally. These data were combined log-linear exposure–response model to estimate the all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality of exposure to indoor PM pollution of outdoor origin. Indoor PM pollution of outdoor origin is a cause of considerable mortality, accounting for 81% to 89% of the total increase in mortality associated with exposure to outdoor PM pollution for the studied regions. The findings suggest that enhancing the capacity of buildings to protect occupants against exposure to outdoor PM pollution has significant potential to improve public health outcomes.
IT Governance Practices in a Public Organization in Ghana

The strategic importance of information technology (IT) in today's organizations and dependence on IT to support e-government strategies has increased the interest in IT Governance (ITG) in public sector organizations. From this perspective, this paper examines ITG practices in a public organization in Ghana (that has a responsibility to mobilize revenue for national development) in order to gain an insight into IT governance structures, processes and relational mechanisms and understand how this contributes to adding value through IT. The findings have revealed that this public organization has a centralized approach to IT governance, with inadequate board involvement concerning how IT investments can bring value and improve organizational performance. Furthermore, there are no IT steering and strategy committees to oversee IT governance as best practice requires.
Interplay between BMP4 and IL-7 in human intrathymic precursor cells

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play a pivotal role during vertebrate embryogenesis and organogenesis, and have also been described to function in regulating cell fate and determination in self-renewing tissues in adults. Recent results have demonstrated that the different components of the BMP2/4 signaling pathway are expressed in the human thymus. In this study, we provide evidence that BMP4 and IL-7 interplay is important in the maintenance of the human thymic progenitor population. Intrathymic CD34+ cells express BMP receptors (BMPRIA, BMPRIB, ActRIA, BMPRII), signal transduction molecules (Smad1, 5, 8 and 4), and produce BMP4. Neutralization of endogenous BMP4 by treatment with the antagonist Noggin reduces thymic precursor cell survival, and the addition of exogenous BMP4 decreases their proliferation. The treatment of chimeric human-mouse fetal thymus organ cultures with BMP4 inhibits cell expansion, arrests thymocyte differentiation, and leads to the accumulation of human CD34+ precursor cells. This effect is mainly attributed to the ability of BMP4 to counteract the IL-7-induced proliferation and differentiation of CD34+ cells. BMP4 down-regulates in the precursor cell population the expression of CD127 and inhibits the IL-7-dependent STAT5 phosphorylation. In addition, BMP signaling is promoted by IL-7. Our results also demonstrate that in thymic progenitors BMPs act downstream of Sonic Hedgehog, previously described to function as a maintenance factor for human intrathymic CD34+ precursor cells.
Manganese provides antioxidant protection for sperm cryopreservation that may offer new consideration for clinical fertility

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated by sperm metabolism. While, ROS are required for maturation, capacitation and acrosome reaction, they also modify many peroxidable cellular compounds. There is production of ROS during cryopreservation and frozen spermatozoa are highly sensitive to lipid peroxidation (LPO). Antioxidants exert a protective effect on the plasma membrane of frozen bovine sperm preserving both metabolic activity and cellular viability. Manganese (Mn++) is proved to be a chain breaking antioxidant in biological system. Therefore, we examined the role of (Mn++) during cryopreservation of cattle bull semen. Semen was divided into four parts and cryopreserved in egg-yolk-citrate extender + glycerol (EYC-G), EYC-G + 100 µM of Mn++, EYC-G + 150 µM of Mn++ and EYC-G + 200 µM of Mn++. After four hours of cooling and 24 hrs of freezing, the spermatozoa were examined for percentage motility, Hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS), LPO and protein leakage. Addition of manganese to the semen during cryopreservation showed a protective effect and accounted for an increase in semen quality parameters [percentage motility, HOS percent and decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) production and protein leakage]. The effect of manganese on motility and HOS was non-significant (p < 0.05) in cooled spermatozoa but significant with 150 µM of Mn++ in frozen-thawed spermatozoa. MDA production and protein leakage decreased to a significant and maximum level (p < 0.05) on addition of 200 µM of manganese. The addition of manganese to EYC-G dilutor will improve the quality/fertility of semen, which will result in improvement of in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination success rate.
Urgency of Carotid Endarterectomy for Secondary Stroke Prevention: Results From the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network

Background and Purpose— The benefit of carotid endarterectomy for preventing recurrent stroke is maximal when surgery is performed within 2 weeks after ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack; the benefit is reduced when surgery is delayed >2 weeks and essentially lost if delayed >3 months. Guidelines recommend endarterectomy within 2 weeks poststroke/transient ischemic attack for patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis. This study examined time to endarterectomy at designated stroke centers as a measure of evidence-based best practices for stroke prevention. Methods— From the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network, we identified all consecutive patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack at 12 provincial stroke centers (Ontario, Canada, 2003 to 2006) and selected those with unilateral symptomatic carotid stenosis of moderate (50% to 69%) or severe (70% to 99%) degree. Using linkages to administrative databases, we identified patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy within 6 months after the symptomatic event and calculated the time intervals between the index event and surgery. We compared the timing of surgery according to age, sex, degree of stenosis, index event, geographic region, and year. Logistic regression assessed variables associated with early surgery. Results— One hundred five patients underwent endarterectomy for unilateral symptomatic carotid stenosis (50% to 99%) within 6 months of the index event. The median time from index event to surgery was 30 days (interquartile range, 10 to 81). Only one third (38 of 105) received endarterectomy within the recommended 2-week target timeframe, and in one fourth (26 of 105), surgery was delayed >3 months. Surgery within 2 weeks was more likely if the index event was a transient ischemic attack rather than a stroke. Access to early endarterectomy varied markedly between hospitals across the province and improved over time from 2003 to 2006. Conclusions— In this hospital-based cohort, the majority of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy after a transient ischemic attack or stroke had surgery delayed well beyond the period of maximum effectiveness. To enhance secondary stroke prevention, greater efforts are needed to minimize delays to diagnosis and surgical treatment for patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis.
QT dispersion and P wave dispersion in patients with fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease characterized by widespread pain. Somatic complaints associated with the cardiovascular system, such as chest pain and palpitations, are frequently seen in FM patients. P and QT dispersions are simple and inexpensive measurements reflecting the regional heterogeneity of atrial and ventricular repolarization, respectively. QT dispersion can cause serious ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of the present study was to evaluate QT dispersion and P wave dispersion in patients with FM. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study involved 48 FM patients who fulfilled the established criteria and 32 healthy controls (HC). A standard 12-lead electrocardiogram was performed on all participants. QT dispersion was defined as the difference between the longest and the shortest QT intervals. Similarly, the differences between the shortest and longest P waves were defined as P wave dispersion. RESULTS The QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion were shorter in the FM group compared with the HC group (p<0.001 for both). In terms of the P wave dispersion value, there was no significant difference between the FM and HC groups (p=0.088). CONCLUSION Longer QT and P wave dispersions are not problems in patients with FM. Therefore, it may be concluded that fibromyalgia does not include an increased risk of atrial and/or ventricular arrhythmias.
Deep Wet and Dry Etching of Pyrex Glass : a Review

This paper is a review of wet and dry etching of one of the most common types of glass: Pyrex. The paper analyzes the methods for increasing the glass etch rate in HF solutions, namely, annealing, concentration, ultrasonic agitation and temperature. The limitations of the wet etching of glass are also presented. Mashing layers commonly used for deep wet etching of glass are analyzed, in terms of the process time required until the defects are generated in the masking layer. The improvement of the surface roughness for deep wet etching of Pyrex glass is another subject that will be explored. The highest etch depth – 500 μm – of annealed Pyrex glass is achieved by wet etching in highly concentrated HF solution, using Cr/Au with the assistance of photoresist as a masking layer. The paper also reports a new technique of dry etching of Pyrex glass in C4F8 using bulk silicon mask.
Influence of the stimulus on verbal and nonverbal responses by individuals with and without aphasia

Aphasia influences performance in multiple response modalities. Models of lexical access, pantomime, and drawing production suggest that performance may be influenced by the mode of stimulus presentation. In this study, twelve individuals with aphasia and twelve individuals without aphasia completed a set of experimental conditions in which one of three stimulus modes (pictorial, auditory, printed) were paired with one of four response modalities (speaking, writing, pantomime, drawing). Significant differences were found between aphasic and nonaphasic performance. Individuals with aphasia demonstrated superior performance in speaking and pantomime compared to writing and drawing. In general, performance was superior in the pictorial condition.
The neuroscience of morality : emotion, brain disorders, and development

For much of the twentieth century, philosophy and science went their separate ways. In moral philosophy, fear of the so-called naturalistic fallacy kept moral philosophers from incorporating developments in biology and psychology. Since the 1990s, however, many philosophers have drawn on recent advances in cognitive psychology, brain science, and evolutionary psychology to inform their work. This collaborative trend is especially strong in moral philosophy, and these three volumes bring together some of the most innovative work by both philosophers and psychologists in this emerging interdisciplinary field. The neuroscience of morality is in its infancy, with the first brain imaging studies of moral development undertaken only in 2001. The contributors to volume 3 sample the best work in this very new field, discussing a variety of approaches, including functional imaging, lesion studies, abnormal psychology, and developmental neuroscience. Each chapter includes an essay, comments on the essay by other scholars, and a reply by the author(s) of the original essay. Topics include the neural basis of moral emotions and moral judgments as well as comparisons of normal adult moral judgments with those made by children, adolescents, and people with psychopathy, brain damage, and autism. Contributors to Volume 3 Abigail Baird, William Casebeer, Cordelia Fine, Nathan Fox, Uta Frith, Jordan Grafman, Joshua Greene, Catherine Hynes, Fatima Azavedo Ignacio, Richard Joyce, Jerome Kagan, Leonard Katz, Kent Kiehl, Jeanette Kennett, Melanie Killen, Daniel Lapsley, Heidi Maibom, Victoria McGeer, John Mikhail, Jorge Moll, Shaun Nichols, Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza, Adina Roskies, Jana Schaich Borg, Katrina Sifferd, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Michael Smith, Mark Timmons, Frederick de Vignemont, Paul Whalen, Roland Zahn
The unexpected road to spirituality via volunteer tourism.

This paper explores the volunteer tourist experience that unexpectedly led to a long-lasting spiritual experience. The paper fills a gap in the tourism literature in linking international volunteering and the spiritual experience. Empirical data is presented in the form of narratives from six volunteer tourists who participated in three-to four-week overseas volunteering project in their youth. Their stories and experiences are being passed on a number of years after participating in the project. The nature of the projects was welfare/development work, organised by secular NGOs in marginalised and poor communities in Asia and the Pacific. The researcher has been associated with volunteer tourism participants and projects for the past 18 years. The researcher knew the narrators personally and they were invited to relate their experiences because they had little or no exposure to religion and would not have called themselves spiritual prior to their volunteering experience. The narratives focus on the spiritual experiences, epiphany, the search for meaning and transcendence, the impact of the experiences and their lasting effects. The paper examines what is meant by the constructs spiritual and religious, how these terms have come to be used in tourism literature, and how the findings in this study have implications for future research in this area and the postmodern paradigm. It concludes that the spiritual experience can be complex, intimate and personal, and researchers may need to develop relationships with subjects based on mutual trust if they are seeking to identify particular experiences rather than general spiritual experiences.