Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optical Measurements of Presynaptic Release in Mutant Zebrafish Lacking Postsynaptic Receptors

Differentiation of presynaptic nerve terminals is mediated, in part, through contact with the appropriate postsynaptic target cell. In particular, studies using dissociated nerve and muscle derived from Xenopus embryos have indicated that the properties of transmitter release from motor neurons are altered after contact with skeletal muscle. This maturation of presynaptic function has further been linked to retrograde signaling from muscle that involves activation of postsynaptic ACh receptors. Using FM1-43 optical determinants of exocytosis, we now compare calcium-mediated exocytosis at neuromuscular junctions of wild-type zebrafish to mutant fish lacking postsynaptic ACh receptors. In response to either high-potassium depolarization or direct electrical stimulation, we observed no differences in the rate or extent of FM1-43 destaining. These data indicate that the acquisition of stimulus-evoked exocytosis at early developmental stages occurs independent of both postsynaptic receptor and synaptic responses in zebrafish.
Resting-state connectivity of the amygdala is altered following Pavlovian fear conditioning

Neural plasticity in the amygdala is necessary for the acquisition and storage of memory in Pavlovian fear conditioning, but most neuroimaging studies have focused only on stimulus-evoked responses during the conditioning session. This study examined changes in the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the amygdala before and after Pavlovian fear conditioning, an emotional learning task. Behavioral results from the conditioning session revealed that participants learned normally and fMRI data recorded during learning identified a number of stimulus-evoked changes that were consistent with previous work. A direct comparison between the pre- and post-conditioning amygdala connectivity revealed a region of dorsal prefrontal cortex (PFC) in the superior frontal gyrus that showed a significant increase in connectivity following the conditioning session. A behavioral measure of explicit memory performance was positively correlated with the change in amygdala connectivity within a neighboring region in the superior frontal gyrus. Additionally, an implicit autonomic measure of conditioning was positively correlated with the change in connectivity between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The resting-state data show that amygdala connectivity is altered following Pavlovian fear conditioning and that these changes are also related to behavioral outcomes. These alterations may reflect the operation of a consolidation process that strengthens neural connections to support memory after the learning event.
Measurements of articulatory variation in expressive speech

This paper describes a method for acquiring data for facial movements to be analysed for implementation in an animated talking head. We will show preliminary data on how a number of articulatory parameters vary under the influence of expressiveness in speech and gestures. Primarily we focused on expressive gestures and emotions conveying information that is intended to make the animated agent more ''human-like'' as described in the objectives of the PF-Star project (Preparing future multisensorial interaction research).
Social learning in humans and other animals

Decisions made by individuals can be influenced by what others think and do. Social learning includes a wide array of behaviors such as imitation, observational learning of novel foraging techniques, peer or parental influences on individual preferences, as well as outright teaching. These processes are believed to underlie an important part of cultural variation among human populations and may also explain intraspecific variation in behavior between geographically distinct populations of animals. Recent neurobiological studies have begun to uncover the neural basis of social learning. Here we review experimental evidence from the past few decades showing that social learning is a widespread set of skills present in multiple animal species. In mammals, the temporoparietal junction, the dorsomedial, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, as well as the anterior cingulate gyrus, appear to play critical roles in social learning. Birds, fish, and insects also learn from others, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. We discuss the evolutionary implications of these findings and highlight the importance of emerging animal models that permit precise modification of neural circuit function for elucidating the neural basis of social learning.
Structuring of large scale distributed control programs with IEC 61499 subapplications and a hierarchical plant structure model

The automation of plants and machines is becoming more and more complex due to the extensive usage of intelligent field devices as for instance programmable actuators and sensors. The graphical programming languages used are typically for the automation domain, and control applications tend to be become increasingly complex which results in higher engineering costs for establishment and maintenance. The new IEC 61499 standard for distributed control systems provides an interesting engineering concept called subapplications. This concept has, in principle, the potential to provide a cost-effective solution for industrial automation applications, but is currently only being used in a few instances. The goal of this paper is to introduce a simpler, more effective, engineering approach to structure large scale distributed control programs based on a hierarchical plant structure model together with IEC 61499 subapplications.
Dynamic Changes in Regulatory T Cells Are Linked to Levels of Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia

Background— Regulatory T cells (Treg) are present in atherosclerotic lesions and can modulate disease. In this study we characterized changes in Treg responses associated with prolonged hypercholesterolemia and lesion progression. Methods and Results— Low-density lipoprotein receptor null mice in which Treg express green fluorescent protein were fed a control or cholesterol-rich diet, and green fluorescent protein–positive cells were enumerated in lymphoid tissues and in aorta. Splenic Treg numbers increased after 4, 8, and 20 weeks in cholesterol-diet–fed mice. However, the number of circulating and lesional Treg peaked at 4 weeks and decreased significantly at 8 and 20 weeks, concomitant with increased numbers of CD4+ effector T cells and increased lesion size over this period. Treg expression of selectin ligands and their ability to bind to aortic endothelium decreased after prolonged hypercholesterolemia, and apoptosis of lesional Treg increased. After 4 weeks of cholesterol-rich diet, a switch to a control diet for 4 weeks reduced serum cholesterol and stopped lesion growth, and the high aortic Treg content was maintained, compared with mice fed a cholesterol diet for 8 weeks. After the diet reversal, the splenic Treg retained the phenotype of Treg after 4 weeks of cholesterol diet. Conclusions— Prolonged hypercholesterolemia impairs Treg but not effector T cell accumulation in lesions, but reversal of hypercholesterolemia can prevent loss of lesional Treg. Therefore, cholesterol-lowering therapies may induce dynamic and beneficial changes in Treg:effector T cell ratios in atherosclerotic lesions.
Control of pneumatic five-fingered robot hand using antagonistic muscle ratio and antagonistic muscle activity

Recently, research into robots that coexist with people in areas such as the service and medical industries is active. Such robots need to be both safe and flexible. To satisfy this demand, a pneumatic actuator is appropriate because it has natural compliance and is lightweight. Our research focuses on a joint angle control method for a five-fingered robot hand using low-pressure driven pneumatic actuators. This robot imitates the structure of the human hand, which has antagonistic muscle pairs for each joint. We proposed a biologically-inspired control method using the following parameters: “antagonistic muscle ratio” and “antagonistic muscle activity”, and implemented the proposed method in a five-fingered robot hand.
Mobile Brains and the Question of ‘Deskilling’:

Abstract Based on two ethnographic studies on the experiences of high-skilled migrants in Denmark, we argue that it is problematic to presume a simple correlation between ‘deskilling’ and what is often regarded as low-status jobs. We claim that many of these migrants are, albeit discreetly, actively gaining new skills and knowledge through low-status jobs not related to their qualifications and/or utilising their existing knowledge and skills in their everyday lives. We approach skills as a social construct that differs according to context and under particular historical circumstances, not merely as a neutral, measurable and easily transferable human capital. The article offers critical analysis of simultaneous processes of skilling–deskilling–reskilling–upskilling linked to migration and generates new insights into debates on highly educated migrants in a Nordic context.
End-to-end evaluation of WWW and file transfer performance for UMTS-TDD

Wireless data is deemed as a major booster of next generation wireless networks. In this context, the support of Internet applications based on the TCP still presents several open issues. The aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of TCP data transfer over the UMTS TD-CDMA air interface, by means of a rather detailed simulation model. The evaluation includes both bulk FTP like data transfer and interactive client-server (WWW) traffic. The distinctive point of view is exploring the interaction between application and transport level protocol functions and lower layers protocols over the radio interface. The interplay of radio access and fixed core network impairments is analyzed as well. Major results deal with balancing the error recovery performance of the RLC against the radio channel correlation and the fixed network impairments.
An anthropomorphic navigation scheme for dynamic scenarios

This paper is concerned with the navigation of personal robots in human-populated environments. The behavior of a person among its peers is governed by a number of unspoken social rules, e.g. maintaining an appropriate distance. The primary contribution of this paper is a navigation scheme that is anthropomorphic, i.e. that emulates human behaviors and seeks to adhere to these social rules. Unlike previous works in this area, the focus herein is on dynamic scenarios. The navigation scheme proposed explicitly reasons on the future behavior of the people involved so as to produce better socially acceptable trajectories (not to mention safer trajectories as well). The navigation scheme relies upon a novel cost function called the social costmap that captures in a unified way the different social rules imposed by the people populating the robot's workspace.
Performance Comparison among (Star, Tree and Mesh) Topologies for Large Scale WSN based IEEE 802.15.4 Standard

This paper investigates the applicability of star, tree and mesh topology schemes for large scale Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) complying with IEEE 802.15. 4 standard. The main focus of this work is to evaluate the performance of such network through simulation which is carried out via the discrete event OPNET simulator (version 14.5). The performance metrics of interest include throughput, end to end delay and packet drop rates. Performance comparison and analyses of different topologies have been made, and it is concluded that the selection of topology scheme depends on the application context.
An implementation of a multiprocessing computer system

A PDP-1 computer was donated (by the Digital Equipment Corporation) to the Electrical Engineering Department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in late 1961. In May, 1963 the first time-sharing system was operational. Since 1963 this PDP-1 has undergone substantial modifications (c.f. Appendix). Presently the machine has twelve thousand words (18-bit) of five microsecond memory arranged in pages of four thousand words. One of these pages is reserved for the system code and is protected from user references.
Population Genomic Analyses Based on 1 Million SNPs in Commercial Egg Layers

Identifying signatures of selection can provide valuable insight about the genes or genomic regions that are or have been under selective pressure, which can lead to a better understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships. A common strategy for selection signature detection is to compare samples from several populations and search for genomic regions with outstanding genetic differentiation. Wright's fixation index, FST, is a useful index for evaluation of genetic differentiation between populations. The aim of this study was to detect selective signatures between different chicken groups based on SNP-wise FST calculation. A total of 96 individuals of three commercial layer breeds and 14 non-commercial fancy breeds were genotyped with three different 600K SNP-chips. After filtering a total of 1 million SNPs were available for FST calculation. Averages of FST values were calculated for overlapping windows. Comparisons of these were then conducted between commercial egg layers and non-commercial fancy breeds, as well as between white egg layers and brown egg layers. Comparing non-commercial and commercial breeds resulted in the detection of 630 selective signatures, while 656 selective signatures were detected in the comparison between the commercial egg-layer breeds. Annotation of selection signature regions revealed various genes corresponding to productions traits, for which layer breeds were selected. Among them were NCOA1, SREBF2 and RALGAPA1 associated with reproductive traits, broodiness and egg production. Furthermore, several of the detected genes were associated with growth and carcass traits, including POMC, PRKAB2, SPP1, IGF2, CAPN1, TGFb2 and IGFBP2. Our approach demonstrates that including different populations with a specific breeding history can provide a unique opportunity for a better understanding of farm animal selection.
The Reliability and Convergent Validity of Field Tests of Body Composition in Young Adolescents

Background: Advances in BIA offer practical alternative approaches to assessing body composition in young adolescents and have not been studied for comparability. Methods: This study compared reliability and convergent validity of three field tests (2-site skinfold, Omron and Tanita BIA devices) on young adolescents. Reliability was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients, convergent validity was examined by computing correlations among the three estimates, differences in estimated body fat values were evaluated using repeated-measures ANOVA, and classification agreement was computed for achieving FITNESSGRAM® Healthy Fitness Zone. Results: ICC values of all three measures exceeded . 97. Correlations ranged from . 74 to . 81 for males and . 79 to . 91 for females. Classification agreement values ranged from 82.8% to 92.6%. Conclusions: Results suggest general agreement among the selected methods of body composition assessments in both boys and girls with the exception that percent body fat in boys.
and Transitions of Groups at Risk of Social Exclusion: Lone Parents

This study attempts to answer the following basic question: why do some lone parents escape low income or never enter spells of low income or social assistance (SA), while others remain in low income or on SA for many years? The analysis relies on the 1993-98 longitudinal panel of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID). The main focus is lone mothers, since they account for 93% of low income lone parents. Here are the main findings:
Contribution of the circadian pacemaker and the sleep homeostat to sleep propensity, sleep structure, electroencephalographic slow waves, and sleep spindle activity in humans

The role of the endogenous circadian pacemaker in the timing of the sleep-wake cycle and the regulation of the internal structure of sleep, including REM sleep, EEG slow-wave (0.75–4.5 Hz) and sleep spindle activity (12.75–15.0 Hz) was investigated. Eight men lived in an environment free of time cues for 33–36 d and were scheduled to a 28 hr rest-activity cycle so that sleep episodes (9.33 hr each) occurred at all phases of the endogenous circadian cycle and variations in wakefulness preceding sleep were minimized. The crest of the robust circadian rhythm of REM sleep, which was observed throughout the sleep episode, was positioned shortly after the minimum of the core body temperature rhythm. Furthermore, a sleep-dependent increase of REM sleep was present, which, interacting with the circadian modulation, resulted in highest values of REM sleep when the end of scheduled sleep episodes coincided with habitual wake-time. Slow-wave activity decreased and sleep spindle activity increased in the course of all sleep episodes. Slow-wave activity in non-REM sleep exhibited a low amplitude circadian modulation which did not parallel the circadian rhythm of sleep propensity. Sleep spindle activity showed a marked endogenous circadian rhythm; its crest coincident with the beginning of the habitual sleep episode. Analyses of the (nonadditive) interaction of the circadian and sleep-dependent components of sleep propensity and sleep structure revealed that the phase relation between the sleep-wake cycle and the circadian pacemaker during entrainment promotes the consolidation of sleep and wakefulness and facilitates the transitions between these vigilance states.
COMPARISON OF FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN METHODS IN LANDING

Intelligent control theory usually involves the subjects of neural control and fuzzy logic control. The great potential of intelligent control in control designs has recently been realized in the literature. In this survey paper, we attempt to employ this subject and provide the reader with an overview of related topics, such as conventional, fuzzy logic‐based, neural net‐based adaptive control techniques. Practical control schemes realistically applicable in the area of control system design are introduced. The control laws are demonstrated on a three‐degree‐of‐freedom simulation with linearized aerodynamic and engine models. This paper deals the issue of aircraft landing maneuvers. Generally this part of flight needs to be strongly assisted by human pilot.
Deadbeat-Direct Torque and Flux Control of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines With Discrete Time Stator Current and Stator Flux Linkage Observer

This paper presents a discrete time deadbeat-direct torque and flux controller (DB-DTFC) for interior permanent magnet synchronous machines (IPMSMs). A Gopinath-style discrete time flux linkage observer is developed which contains two different flux estimation methods based on current and voltage models for flux linkage. This observer produces correctly estimated flux linkages needed for accurate DB-DTFC implementation. In order to eliminate the sampling delay due to a characteristic of digital control computation, a complex vector model-based rotor reference frame current observer is also developed. Combining the discrete time current and flux linkage observers, the correct single time step (deadbeat) air-gap torque and stator flux linkage control at the (constant) switching frequency is achieved and experimentally evaluated.
Accurate Temperature Estimation Using Noisy Thermal Sensors for Gaussian and Non-Gaussian Cases

Multicore system-on-chips (SOCs) rely on runtime thermal monitoring using on-chip thermal sensors for dynamic thermal management (DTM). However, on-chip sensors are highly susceptible to noise due to fabrication randomness, VDD fluctuations, etc. This causes discrepancy between the actual temperature and the one observed by thermal sensor. In this paper, we address the problem of estimating the accurate temperature of on-chip thermal sensor when the sensor reading has been corrupted by noise. We present statistical techniques for the following: 1) when the underlying randomness exhibits jointly-Gaussian characteristics we present the optimal solution for temperature estimation; 2) for close to Gaussian cases we give a heuristic based on Moment Matching; 3) when the underlying randomness is non-Gaussian a hypothesis testing framework is used to predict the sensor temperatures. The previous three techniques are investigated in both single sensor and multisensor scenarios, respectively. The latter tries to estimate the actual temperatures for several sensors simultaneously while exploiting the correlations in temperature and circuit parameters among different sensors. The experiments showed that using our estimation schemes the root mean square (RMS) error can be reduce (with very small runtime overhead) by 71.5% as compared to blindly trusting the sensors to be noise-free.
Key Topics in Cloud Computing Security: A Systematic Literature Review

Based on a systematic literature review (hereafter SLR), this paper identifies the key themes and topics in cloud computing security. Findings from an analysis of 275 peer-reviewed publications show that cloud security solutions and cloud security challenges are the two most dominant themes. The other themes identified include guiding frameworks and methodologies and general security requirement. Topics related to each of these themes were also identified and ranked, hence providing a comprehensive map of the research on cloud security. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Pharmacological Management of Post-thoracotomy Pain

Thoracotomy is widely recognised as one of the most painful surgical procedures. The combination of extensive tissue dissection and dynamic respiratory movement postoperatively makes post-thoracotomy pain control particularly challenging. In the short term, inadequate analgesia is associated with respiratory complications, poor mobilisation, delayed discharge and respiratory infections. More importantly, poorly controlled postoperative pain is associated with developing chronic post-thoracotomy pain, also known as post-thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS). The reported incidence is between 25-60% and can be debilitating and difficult to treat. Increasing understanding of complex nociceptive pathways and neuropathic mechanisms has generated interest in the use of new therapeutic agents termed as adjuncts to post-operative opioid analgesia. In the area of thoracic surgery, the use of analgesic adjuncts has been subjected to a number of studies in recent years. In this article, we present a literature review of current treatment strategies for management of post-thoracotomy pain with evidence of effectiveness.
A Fast and Trend-Sensitive Function for the Estimation of Near-Future Data Network Traffic Characteristics

Computer networking applications often have to adapt to different conditions of the network to guarantee smooth operation. Since events such as network congestion happen at remote locations there is a significant delay until applications notice condition changes. In case the network behaviour is hard to model mathematically, applications often use simple estimation methods such as exponential averaging to react to changing conditions. However, this function is not appropriate for extrapolation because it reacts too slow to trends. We propose an alternative that is also simple and assumes little knowledge aboout the event sources, but which extrapolates better.