Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model in Rodents: Methods and Potential Pitfalls

A variety of animal models have been developed for modeling ischemic stroke. The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model has been utilized extensively, especially in rodents. While the MCAO model provides stroke researchers with an excellent platform to investigate the disease, controversial or even paradoxical results are occasionally seen in the literature utilizing this model. Various factors exert important effects on the outcome in this stroke model, including the age and sex of the animal examined. This paper discusses emerging information on the effects of age and sex on ischemic outcomes after MCAO, with an emphasis on mouse models of stroke.
The Lateral Dynamical Analysis of the Magnetic Levitation System

The lateral dynamic character of the maglev system is investigated by constructing the model of it with the lateral tie. To analyze the relationship between vertical stability and lateral displacement of the electromagnet, the dynamic model is linearized at the equilibrium. Runge-Kutta numerical method is employed to obtain the numerical solution of the differential equations. The boundary curves are drawn, which can describe the ability of resisting the external disturbance. When lateral tie has different configuration, corresponding boundary curve is different either. Investigation of the curves shows that the lateral tie affects the system greatly to resist the lateral disturbance; properly configuring the lateral tie can improve the systems lateral robustness. On the maglev vehicle, slipway is installed between air spring and carriage; it allows air spring to glide beneath the car body laterally. The lateral tie can either be fixed on the car body or slipway. The ability to resist disturbance is also discussed here under above two conditions. Analysis of the boundary curve shows that when the lateral tie is configured on the car body, the system has the strongest ability to restrain disturbance.
Association of Gender with Clinical Expression, Quality of Life, Disability, and Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

Objectives To assess the association of gender with clinical expression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), disability, and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods SSc patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology and/or the Leroy and Medsger criteria were assessed for clinical symptoms, disability, HRQoL, self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety by specific measurement scales. Results Overall, 381 SSc patients (62 males) were included. Mean age and disease duration at the time of evaluation were 55.9 (13.3) and 9.5 (7.8) years, respectively. One-hundred-and-forty-nine (40.4%) patients had diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc). On bivariate analysis, differences were observed between males and females for clinical symptoms and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, however without reaching statistical significance. Indeed, a trend was found for higher body mass index (BMI) (25.0 [4.1] vs 23.0 [4.5], p = 0.013), more frequent dcSSc, echocardiography systolic pulmonary artery pressure >35 mmHg and interstitial lung disease in males than females (54.8% vs 37.2%, p = 0.010; 24.2% vs 10.5%, p = 0.003; and 54.8% vs 41.2%, p = 0.048, respectively), whereas calcinosis and self-reported anxiety symptoms tended to be more frequent in females than males (36.0% vs 21.4%, p = 0.036, and 62.3% vs 43.5%, p = 0.006, respectively). On multivariate analysis, BMI, echocardiography PAP>35 mmHg, and anxiety were the variables most closely associated with gender. Conclusions In SSc patients, male gender tends to be associated with diffuse disease and female gender with calcinosis and self-reported symptoms of anxiety. Disease-associated disability and HRQoL were similar in both groups.
Structural properties of proportional fairness: Stability and insensitivity

In this article we provide a novel characterization of the proportionally fair bandwidth allocation of network capacities, in terms of the Fenchel–Legendre transform of the network capacity region. We use this characterization to prove stability (i.e., ergodicity) of network dynamics under proportionally fair sharing, by exhibiting a suitable Lyapunov function. Our stability result extends previously known results to a more general model including Markovian users routing. In particular, it implies that the stability condition previously known under exponential service time distributions remains valid under socalled phase-type service time distributions. We then exhibit a modification of proportional fairness, which coincides with it in some asymptotic sense, is reversible (and thus insensitive), and has explicit stationary distribution. Finally we show that the stationary distributions under modified proportional fairness and balanced fairness, a sharing criterion proposed because of its insensitivity properties, admit the same large deviations characteristics. These results show that proportional fairness is an attractive bandwidth allocation criterion, combining the desirable properties of ease of implementation with performance and insensitivity.
Social enrichment by virtual characters - differential benefits

It is frequently held forth, within the area of virtual pedagogical characters, that such characters are beneficial for learning as they strengthen the social dimension of electronic learning environments. This article presents more details on this proposal together with a survey of corresponding empirical evidence. In addition, materials from a recently conducted empirical study are presented. Ninety school children, 12‐15-year-old, were asked (i) to grade the idea of virtual characters in electronic learning environments and (ii) to chose between a strictly task-oriented, socially ‘shallow’ and a more socially oriented pedagogical character. The participants were also asked to articulate the reasons behind their answers, and to share their thoughts and opinions on the issues. The results of the study, as well as of several of the studies reviewed, indicate that responses and attitudes towards social aspects of virtual pedagogical characters are highly divergent. In particular, the notion that social dimensions of virtual characters increase learners’ motivation and engagement may be less generally applicable in a student population than is sometimes hypothesized. An ensuing design guideline suggests interface solutions with an emphasis on flexibility regarding social orientation and communicative style in virtual characters.
Age and work – social support received by mature employees

ABSTRACT In this article, we examine social support received by mature employees in the context of intermediate labour market and outside working life. In our study the levels and forms of social support were analysed by applying data-led content analysis. The research data comprises thematic interviews of individuals aged 50 or above who have become employed in the intermediate labour market (n = 15). The social support received by mature employees took the form of primary support provided by the people closest to them and secondary support from colleagues, while relatively little support was provided by superiors. The observations included strong reciprocal social support on the primary and secondary levels. Reciprocal help and social support among mature employees was shown to be a significant resource in their social circles, with positive effects that extend to society in general. The research showed the strong role of mature employees as bearers of responsibility in both the local community and in the workplace community. One of the outcomes of this study was the discovery of a fourth dimension of collective, reciprocal support, taking the form of voluntary work carried out by the mature employees. Voluntary work, in its various forms, boosted their resilience as well as their ability to manage the obstacles of everyday life and the challenges arising from unemployment. These mature clients continue to be an unutilized resource in community-based social work.
Evaluation of HMM-Based Feature Compensation Applied to a Finite-State Grammar Speech Recognizer

In this paper, we describe a Hidden Markov Model (HMM)based feature-compensation method. The proposed method compensates for noise-corrupted features using the output probability density functions (pdfs) of clean acoustic HMMs provided to the recognizer in advance. In this way, the proposed method achieves model-based feature compensation without any extra parameters. In compensating for the features, the output pdfs are adaptively weighted according to forward path probabilities. Because of this, the proposed method can minimize degradation of feature compensation accuracy due to temporary changes in the noise environment. We applied the proposed feature compensation to a finite-state grammar speech recognizer and evaluated it by conducting hundred-word recognition experiments in noisy environments. The experimental results indicate that, compared with the baseline performance, the proposed feature compensation method achieved a 12.06 % improvement in accuracy on an overall average.
Portal Information Integration and Ownership Misfits: A Case Study in a Tourism Setting

Information portals are supposed to provide relevant and timely information to an intended target group. A challenge, however, is that the portal in it self does not have full information ownership, but relies on the content of its sub-domains. Poor information quality severely decreases the actual value of a portal, and the case described in this paper illustrates this problem. The Swedish Travel & Tourism Council provides an Internet portal that aims at being the easiest access point to the vast tourism offerings in Sweden. It could be seen as set of information services that tries to provide a simple taxonomy on top of several sub-sets of business-specific portals within tourism. The three-phase evolution of the site unmasks the core problem in portal information management, namely information ownership and clear business roles in the content provision process.
VR-Based Hand Rehabilitation using a Haptic-Based Framework

Haptic-based hand rehabilitation exercises set in virtual environments have not focused on analyzing the data captured during exercises to draw conclusions that relate to specific aspects of the hand. The framework proposed in this study implemented virtual reality exercises carried out with the use of haptic devices for use in stroke rehabilitation. The exercises were tested with healthy subjects to collect information pertaining to the hand performance; namely movements and grip kinematics. The collected information was extracted from data recorded during the exercise. By analyzing the data, the research effort deduced certain analysis patterns that would provide occupational therapists with a means to continuously evaluate a patient's performance, and hence provide him/her with adaptive recovery courses
Diagnostic criteria and follow-up in neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy: a case series*

OBJECTIVE: Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is a form of childhood interstitial lung disease characterized by tachypnea, retractions, crackles, and hypoxia. The aim of this study was to report and discuss the clinical, imaging, and histopathological findings in a series of NEHI cases at a tertiary pediatric hospital, with an emphasis on diagnostic criteria and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2011, 12 full-term infants were diagnosed with NEHI, based on clinical and tomographic findings. Those infants were followed for 1-91 months. Four infants were biopsied, and the histopathological specimens were stained with bombesin antibody. RESULTS: In this case series, symptoms appeared at birth in 6 infants and by 3 months of age in the remaining 6. In all of the cases, NEHI was associated with acute respiratory infection. The most common initial chest HRCT findings were ground-glass opacities that were in the middle lobe/lingula in 12 patients and in other medullary areas in 10. Air trapping was the second most common finding, being observed in 7 patients. Follow-up HRCT scans (performed in 10 patients) revealed normal results in 1 patient and improvement in 9. The biopsy findings were nonspecific, and the staining was positive for bombesin in all samples. Confirmation of NEHI was primarily based on clinical and tomographic findings. Symptoms improved during the follow-up period (mean, 41 months). A clinical cure was achieved in 4 patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of patients, the diagnosis of NEHI was made on the basis of the clinical and tomographic findings, independent of the lung biopsy results. Most of the patients showed clinical improvement and persistent tomographic changes during the follow-up period, regardless of the initial severity of the disease or type of treatment.
Two cell types in rat substantia nigra zona compacta distinguished by membrane properties and the actions of dopamine and opioids

Intracellular recordings were made from 475 rat substantia nigra zona compacta neurons in vitro. The region from which recordings were made was rich in catecholamine fluorescence. Two groups of neuron, termed principal neurons (95% of the total) and secondary neurons (5% of the total) were clearly distinguishable according to one or more of the following 4 electrophysiological properties. Secondary neurons (23 cells) (1) fired spontaneous action potentials at frequencies greater than 10 Hz, or were quiescent (30%); (2) had action potentials less than 1 msec in duration; (3) did not show time-dependent inward rectification with step hyperpolarization; and (4) had slope conductances of about 4 nS (between -75 and -90 mV). In contrast, principal neurons (1) fired spontaneous action potentials in the range 1–8 Hz, or were quiescent (33%); (2) had action potentials greater than 1 msec in duration; (3) showed pronounced time-dependent inward rectification; and (4) had steady-state membrane slope conductances of around 22 nS (between -75 and -90 mV). Secondary cells were not affected by dopamine but were hyperpolarized by baclofen, GABA, and the mu opioid receptor agonist Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-MePhe-Gly-ol (DAGO). On the other hand, dopamine and baclofen inhibited firing and/or hyperpolarized all principal cells tested, but mu or delta opioid receptor agonists had no effect. The properties of these 2 cell types broadly correspond with those described by electrophysiological studies in vivo, in which case the majority, or principal, cells are believed to be dopaminergic. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Assessing composition in modeling approaches

Modeling approaches are based on various paradigms, e.g., aspect-oriented, feature-oriented, object-oriented, and logic-based. Modeling approaches may cover requirements models to low-level design models, are developed for various purposes, use various means of composition, and thus are difficult to compare. However, such comparisons are critical to help practitioners know under which conditions approaches are most applicable, and how they might be successfully generalized and combined to achieve end-to-end methods. This paper reports on work done at the 2nd International Comparing Modeling Approaches (CMA) workshop towards the goal of identifying potential comprehensive modeling methodologies with a particular emphasis on composition: (i) an improved set of comparison criteria; (ii) 19 assessments of modeling approaches based on the comparison criteria and a common, focused case study.
Magnetic particle swarm optimization

In this paper, we propose a new particle swarm approach based on the idea of repulsion by a magnetic field. The structure of the method is presented and, using a number of well-known benchmark functions in a 30-dimension search space, its performance is compared to that of well-established algorithms of similar inspiration. The global search potential of the proposal is also analyzed with the aid of a simpler simulation setup.
Data Hiding in Audio Based on Audio-to-Image Wavelet Transform and Vector Quantization

This paper presents a new approach for hiding information in digital audio based on the audio-to-image wavelet transform (A2IWT) and vector quantization (VQ). In our scheme, the cover audio signal is first transformed into an image by utilizing the wavelet transform and re-sampling the coefficients, then the secret data are embedded in the obtained image using a VQ-based image steganographic scheme, and finally the image together with the remaining wavelet coefficients is inversely transformed back to a stego audio signal. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme is effective and efficient.
La financiarisation de l'économie et la création de valeur

Over the past twenty five years, the connection between the production process and the monetary and financial process have been modified up to the point to give credit to the idea that the financial field has become totally autonomous from the production field. The thematic of the « creation of value for the shareholder » has become uppermost and the pressure towards its permanent increase is the reflection of a double change in the forces strife : between the wage earners and the capitalists because the increase of capital profitability occurs to the detriment of employment and wages, and also among the very capitalists because the monopolizing of the surplus of value entails a centralization movement of the capital through mergers and takeovers. This paper tries to disprove the traditonal vision according to which the capital is able to self-reproduce as well as a more recent vision that the beliefs are themselves creative of value having no reference to the productive system. In fact, behind the « creation of value for the shareholder », lurks the process of modification of the distribution of value created by the work force. In order to prove this, the concept of confiscated value holds a central position. Thus, it enables one to see that if the distinction between the productive capital and the financial capital still has some pertinence, one cannot infer that the latter would have been able to value itsef globally, independently from the former. (Full text in French)
A novel near-field source localization algorithm

An estimation algorithm for three-dimensional frequency, DOA and range of near-field sources was proposed, which used second-order statistics (SOS) matrix to estimate frequency and DOA of each source. Then the range estimation was performed with the estimated DOA through finite one-dimensional searching. This algorithm improves the precision of range estimation compared to the SOS method. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was verified by computer simulation.
Effects of Benzo(e)Pyrene, a toxic component of cigarette smoke, on human retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro.

PURPOSE To better understand the cellular and molecular basis for the epidemiologic association between cigarette smoke and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the authors examined the effects of Benzo(e)Pyrene (B(e)P), a toxic element in cigarette smoke, on human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19). METHODS ARPE-19 cells were cultured in Dulbecco modified Eagle medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Cells were treated for 24 hours with 1000 microM, 400 microM, 200 microM, and 100 microM B(e)P. Cell viability was determined by a trypan blue dye-exclusion assay. Activities of caspase-3/7, caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-12 were measured by a fluorescence image scanner, and DNA laddering was evaluated by electrophoresis on 3% agarose gel. RESULTS The mean percentage of cell viabilities of ARPE-19 cells was decreased in a dose-dependent manner after exposure to B(e)P at the higher concentrations of 1000 microM (20.0 +/- 0.4; P < 0.001), 400 microM (35.6 +/- 6.4; P < 0.001), and 200 microM (58.7 +/- 2.3; P < 0.001) but not at 100 microM (95.9 +/- 0.7; P > 0.05) compared with the equivalent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-treated control cultures. There were significant increases in caspase-3/7, -8, -9, and -12 activities compared with the DMSO-treated controls (P < 0.001). DNA laddering revealed bands at 200-bp intervals. CONCLUSIONS These results show that B(e)P is a toxicant to human retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro. It causes cell death and induces apoptosis by the involvement of multiple caspase pathways.
An Analysis of Time-Dependent Planning

This paper presents a framework for exploring issues in time-dependent planning: planning in which the time available to respond to predicted events varies, and the decision making required to formulate effective responses is complex. Our analysis of time-dependent planning suggests an approach based on a class of algorithms that we call anytime algorithms. Anytime algorithms can be interrupted at any point during computation to return a result whose utility is a function of computation time. We explore methods for solving time-dependent planning problems based on the properties of anytime algorithms.
Vertigo and imbalance in children: a retrospective study in a Helsinki University otorhinolaryngology clinic.

OBJECTIVE To determine medical characteristics of children with vertigo who visited an otorhinolaryngology (ENT) clinic during a 5-year period. DESIGN A retrospective chart review carried out between 2000 and 2004. SETTING Helsinki University Central Hospital tertiary referral center ENT clinic. SUBJECTS A total of 119 children (63 girls and 56 boys), ranging in age from 7 months to 17 years (mean age, 10.9 years at examination). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Patients were identified from the ENT clinic database based on hospital discharge codes, with data stored in the database and the SPSS program applied for statistical analysis. RESULTS Only 0.7% of children visiting the hospital during the 5-year period had vertigo. Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood, migraine-associated dizziness, vestibular neuronitis, and otitis media-related dizziness accounted for vertigo in most of the children. CONCLUSIONS Vertigo is a rare primary complaint of children in an ENT clinic. In achieving a diagnosis, the most valuable tools are medical history, an otoneurologic examination, electronystagmography, and audiography.
SECOND-ORDER VARIATIONAL ANALYSIS AND CHARACTERIZATIONS OF TILT-STABLE OPTIMAL SOLUTIONS IN FINITE AND INFINITE DIMENSIONS

The paper is devoted to developing second-order tools of variational analysis and their applications to characterizing tilt-stable local minimizers of constrained optimization problems in finite-dimensional and infinite-dimensional spaces. The importance of tilt stability has been well recognized from both theoretical and numerical aspects of optimization. Based on second-order generalized differentiation, we obtain qualitative and quantitative characterizations of tilt stability in general frameworks of constrained optimization and establish its relationships with strong metric regularity of subgradient mappings and uniform second-order growth. The results obtained are applied to deriving new necessary and sufficient conditions for tilt-stable minimizers in problems of nonlinear programming with twice continuously differentiable data in Hilbert and Euclidean spaces.
Categorizations and Annotations of Citation in Research Evaluation

Scientific evaluation is based for the most part on citation analysis. The phenomena of citation is not yet well studied. The use of the Contextual Exploration technique that allows the automatic semantic annotation of the relations between authors, gives some new possibilities in this area. New bibliosemantic indicators can be considered in order to provide a better perception of citations through the study of semantic categories. The computer implementation proposed in this article raises the question of the evaluation of this approach.