Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Behavioral and Cognitive Executive Disorders of Stroke: The GREFEX Study

Background Many studies have highlighted the high prevalence of executive disorders in stroke. However, major uncertainties remain due to use of variable and non-validated methods. The objectives of this study were: 1) to characterize the executive disorder profile in stroke using a standardized battery, validated diagnosis criteria of executive disorders and validated framework for the interpretation of neuropsychological data and 2) examine the sensitivity of the harmonization standards protocol proposed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Canadian Stroke Network (NINDS-CSN) for the diagnosis of Vascular Cognitive Impairment. Methods 237 patients (infarct: 57; cerebral hemorrhage: 54; ruptured aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery (ACoA): 80; cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT): 46) were examined by using the GREFEX battery. The patients’ test results were interpreted with a validated framework derived from normative data from 780 controls. Results Dysexecutive syndrome was observed in 88 (55.7%; 95%CI: 48–63.4) out of the 156 patients with full cognitive and behavioral data: 40 (45.5%) had combined behavioral and cognitive syndromes, 29 (33%) had a behavioral disorder alone and 19 (21.6%) had a cognitive syndrome alone. The dysexecutive profile was characterized by prominent impairments of initiation and generation in the cognitive domain and by hypoactivity with disinterest and anticipation loss in the behavioral domain. Cognitive impairment was more frequent (p = 0.014) in hemorrhage and behavioral disorders were more frequent (p = 0.004) in infarct and hemorrhage. The harmonization standards protocol underestimated (p = 0.007) executive disorders in CVT or ACoA. Conclusions This profile of executive disorders implies that the assessment should include both cognitive tests and a validated inventory for behavioral dysexecutive syndrome. Initial assessment may be performed with a short cognitive battery, such as the harmonization standards protocol. However, administration of a full cognitive battery is required in selected patients.
Mesenchymal stem cell secretes microparticles enriched in pre-microRNAs

Intercellular exchange of protein and RNA-containing microparticles is an increasingly important mode of cell–cell communication. Here we investigate if mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) known for secreting therapeutic paracrine factors also secrete RNA-containing microparticles. We observed that human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived MSC conditioned medium contained small RNAs (less than 300 nt) encapsulated in cholesterol-rich phospholipid vesicles as evidenced by their RNase sensitivity only in the presence of a sodium dodecyl sulfate-based cell lysis buffer, phospholipase A2 and a chelator of cholesterol, cyclodextrin and the restoration of their lower than expected density by detergent or phospholipase A2 treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) such as hsa-let-7b and hsa-let-7g were present in a high precursor (pre)- to mature miRNA ratio by microarray analysis and quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. The pre-miRNAs were cleaved to mature miRNA by RNase III in vitro. High performance liquid chromatography-purified RNA-containing vesicles have a hydrodynamic radius of 55–65 nm and were readily taken up by H9C2 cardiomyocytes. This study suggests that MSCs could facilitate miRNA-mediated intercellular communication by secreting microparticles enriched for pre-miRNA.
Sequential Correspondence Hierarchical Dirichlet Processes for Video Data Analysis

Multimedia data mining based on topic models as an emerging technique has become a very popular research topic in recent years. In this paper, we propose a novel topic model named sequential correspondence hierarchical Dirichlet Processes (Seq-cHDP) to learn the hidden structure within video data. The Seq-cHDP model can be considered as an extended hierarchical Dirichlet processes (HDP) model containing two important features: one is the time-dependency mechanism that connects neighboring video frames on the basis of a time dependent Markovian assumption, and the other is the data correspondence mechanism that provides a solution for dealing with the multimodal data such as the mixture of visual words and speech words extracted from video files. We present a comprehensive evaluation for Seq-cHDP through experimentation and finally demonstrate that our model outperforms than other baseline models.
Identify important spectrum bands for classification using importances of wrapper selection applied to hyperspectral data

Intermediate results of two state-of-the-art wrapper feature selection approaches (GA and SFFS) applied to hyperspectral data sets were used to derive information about band importance for specific land cover classification problems. Several feature selection performance scores (classification accuracies, Bhattacharyya separability) were tested. The impact of the number of selected bands on classification accuracy was obtained thanks to SFFS, while a band importance measure was derived from intermediate sets of bands tested by GA. Such results are a first step toward the identification of the most suitable spectral bands to design superspectral camera systems dedicated to specific applications (e.g. classification of urban land cover and material maps).
Efficient algorithm for feature extraction from oceanographic images

This paper presents a new computational scheme based on multiresolution decomposition for extracting the features of interest from oceanographic images by suppressing noise. The multiresolution analysis from the median presented by (Starck et al., 1994) is used for the noise suppression. A parallel approach is presented for this computationally intensive problem of infrared images.
Scaling and occlusion robust athlete tracking in sports videos

This paper proposes a novel approach to athlete tracking in sports videos. It follows the framework of Compressive Tracking (CT), but extends it by two manners, i.e. scale refinement as well as occlusion recovery. For the former, an objectness method, namely Edge Box (EB) is adopted to generate proposals, replacing the fixed sampling box in CT, which better fits the scales of the candidate objects. For the latter, a candidate obstruction based solution is presented, which makes use of additional trackers to detect possible obstructions especially the ones possessing highly similar appearances as the target one, and relocate the target as occlusion ends. Therefore, the proposed method inherits the advantage of CT in robust object modelling and fast processing speed, and embodies the tolerance to occlusion and scaling. We evaluate the proposed method on a collection of videos of beach volleyball games, and the experimental results and the comparison with recent advanced trackers highlight its effectiveness.
Formal user models and methods for reasoning about interactive behaviour

User models allow for usability decisions to be made about abstract system designs. Programmable User Models are one such approach to user modelling; they have been developed over the past decade so that they now cover a wide range of informal, semi-formal and fully formal approaches. In this paper we briefly review the approaches investigated, thus setting out a context for Programmable User Modelling and propose a formal model of the cognitive assumptions that underly the approach. In particular we contrast approaches taken in recent formal work performed by the PUMA project where a trade-off is made between clarity of cognitive assumptions and the level of abstraction of the models. This broad review allows us to discuss notions pertinent to the field of formal HCI in general, namely what role craft skill plays in formal HCI.
Corporate Governance Provisions, Family Involvement, and Firm Performance in Publicly Traded Family Firms

This study examines the moderation effects of corporate governance provisions on the link between family involvement ( i.e. , family ownership and family management) in publicly-traded firms and firm performance by drawing upon agency theory, with a focus on principal-principal agency issues, and the extant family governance literature. We develop and test the hypotheses on 386 of the S&P 500 firms longitudinally. Findings support the hypotheses suggesting the moderation effects of the use of provisions (a) protecting controlling owners in terms of their sustainability of controlling status, and (b) protecting management legally on the inverted U-shaped relationship between family ownership and firm performance. We also found support for the moderation effects of provisions (c) protecting controlling owners in terms of their voting rights, (d) protecting noncontrolling owners, and (e) protecting management monetarily on the inverted U-shaped relationship between family management and firm performance. By this, our study provides empirical support for the principal-principal agency perspective on the corporate governance in publicly-traded family firms. As such, it suggests new avenues of research for both the corporate governance literature, as well as for the theory of the family firm. Our study also offers insights to policy directed toward monitoring the actions of large shareholders such as family and enhancing the overall shareholder value in publicly-traded family firms.
Metaheuristic Design Pattern: Surrogate Fitness Functions

Certain problems have characteristics that present difficulties for metaheuristics: their objective function may be either prohibitively expensive, or they may only give a partial ordering over the solutions, lacking a suitable gradient to guide the search. In such cases, it may be more efficient to use a surrogate fitness function to replace or supplement the objective function. This paper provides a broad perspective on surrogate fitness functions, described in the form of a metaheuristic design pattern.
Herschel : the first science highlights Special feature L etter to the E ditor Silicon in the dust formation zone of IRC + 10216

The interstellar medium is enriched primarily by matter ejected from evolved low and intermediate mass stars. The outflows from these stars create a circumstellar envelope in which a rich gas-phase and dust-nucleation chemistry takes place. We observed the nearest carbon-rich evolved star, IRC+10216, using the PACS (55−210 μm) and SPIRE (194−672 μm) spectrometers on board Herschel. We find several tens of lines from SiS and SiO, including lines from the v = 1 vibrational level. For SiS these transitions range up to J = 124−123, corresponding to energies around 6700 K, while the highest detectable transition is J = 90−89 for SiO, which corresponds to an energy around 8400 K. Both species trace the dust formation zone of IRC+10216, and the broad energy ranges involved in their detected transitions permit us to derive the physical properties of the gas and the particular zone in which each species has been formed. This allows us to check the accuracy of chemical thermodynamical equilibrium models and the suggested depletion of SiS and SiO due to accretion onto dust grains.
A Generation Gap Model for a Human-Based Evolutionary Algorithm Using a Tag Cloud

We previously proposed a human-based evolutionary algorithm (human-based EA) that used a tag cloud, and in this paper, we propose a generation gap model for the human-based EA. In the previous model, people created candidate solutions, and the created candidate solutions were displayed as tags in a tag cloud. People then evaluated the candidate tags, and those with the greatest fitness were displayed using a larger font size. However, in the previous model, there was a limit on the number of tags that could be displayed in the tag cloud, and after that number had been reached, if new tags were created, they would not be included. Therefore, we propose a generation gap model for solving this problem by allowing each subsequent generation to include all of the tags from the previous generation that have a fitness level that is greater than a given threshold. The remainder in the tag cloud are replaced by tags in a queue for storage that were created before and have never displayed. We carried out an experiment using the human-based EA with the generation gap model, and the results showed that almost all participants believed the tags created by our system were better than those that they would have created by themselves.
Trust-based storage in a Kademlia network infected by Sybils

Coping with multiple false identities, also known as a Sybil attack, is one of the main challenges in securing structured peer-to-peer networks. Poisoning routing tables through these identities may make the process for storing and retrieving resources within a DHT (Distributed Hash Table) extremely difficult and time consuming. We investigate current possible countermeasures and propose a novel adaptive method for making the storage and retrieval process, in a Kademlia-based network, more secure. This is done through the use of a trust-based storage algorithm, exploiting reputation techniques. Our solution shows promising results in thwarting a Sybil attack in a Kademlia network, also in comparison with similar methods.
A NOVEL ACTIVE ANTENNA BEAMFORMING NETWORKS USING BUTLER MATRICES

In this paper, a novel architecture of using cascaded Butler Matrices (BM) integrated with Low Noise Ampliflers (LNAs) is proposed. By using the narrow beams available from the Butler Matrix, it is possible for a receiver to increase the gain in the desired signal directions and reduce the gain in interference directions. Hence, high-gain narrowbeam signals for long-range application are produced. A novel technique is introduced which uses high linearity LNAs and a second Butler Matrix, acting as a mirror of the flrst Butler Matrix, reconstructing the antenna patterns of the individual radiating elements. The resulting outputs have high linearity and broad beam width that can be used for short-range communication. Design of the Butler Matrix, Low Noise Amplifler, Wilkinson Power Divider and High Linearity Low Noise Amplifler are presented in this paper. A flnal design of active antenna beamforming network using cascaded Butler Matrices integrated with LNAs is proposed. The beamforming network provides a method, which could be applicable in vehicle communication systems, where long-range communications with roadside beacons and short-range communications with the fast moving vehicle are both required.
Influence of ethnic origin on respiratory distress syndrome in very premature infants

AIM To determine whether the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is related to ethnic origin in very premature infants (⩽32 weeks of gestational age and birthweight ⩽2.0 kg). METHOD A retrospective cohort study was performed to determine the incidence of respiratory disorders in African, Caribbean, and caucasian infants. An African infant was matched with two infants (one of Caribbean and one of caucasian descent) for gestational age and birth order and, if several eligible matching infants were found, for gender and approximate birth date. Fifty African infants (median gestational age 28 weeks, range 23–32) were matched with an infant of Caribbean and one of caucasian descent. RESULTS Compared with the incidence of RDS in African infants (40%), that in caucasian infants (75%) was significantly higher (p<0.05), while the incidence in the Caribbean infants (54%) did not differ significantly. Regression analysis showed that ethnic origin was related to the occurrence of RDS independent of gestational age, size for dates, antenatal steroids, hypertension during pregnancy, premature rupture of membranes, maternal smoking, mode of delivery and infant gender. CONCLUSION The enhanced lung maturation found in certain ethnic groups, even when born prematurely, has implications for clinical management.
Extending Fuzzy Identity-Based Encryption with delegating capabilities

We propose an efficient and provably secure Fuzzy Identity-Based Encryption scheme with delegating capabilities, where the delegation algorithm allows an identity to generate private keys for some other identities. Compared to the Sahai-Waters Large Universe construction, our scheme supports arbitrary strings as attributes and identities can consist of variable numbers of attributes. Besides, our scheme is more efficient by using a hash function modeled as a random oracle. And we give the security proof of our scheme in the Fuzzy Selective ID model under the Decisional Bilinear Diffie-Hellman assumption in the random oracle.
A Comparison of Parallel Search-Based Algorithms for Multiprocessor Scheduling

† The objective of a multiprocessor scheduling algorithm is to minimize the completion time of a parallel program modeled by a directed acyclic graph. This problem is NP-complete even with highly simplifying assumptions. A large number of heuristics have been proposed in the literature with the objective of finding good solutions to the problem within a short time. However, when applied to problems of reasonably large sizes, these heuristics take long time to generate solutions making them impractical for many real-world applications. One possibility to lower the scheduling time is to parallelize the scheduling algorithm itself. Hitherto only a little work has been done on parallelizing the scheduling process. In this paper we present a qualitative and quantitative comparison of three recently reported parallel algorithms for multiprocessor scheduling. These algorithms are designed based on three different intelligent search paradigms: branch-and-bound, genetic algorithms, and neighborhood search. Based on our experimental results, the parallel branch-and-bound algorithm should be used if optimal solutions are absolutely required. If scheduling time allowed is tightly limited, the simple neighborhood search algorithm should be used due to its low time complexity. Under more general scheduling conditions in which some extra time is affordable, the genetic algorithm is the best choice because its performance is found to be near optimal.
The Struggle for Women's Equality in an Era of Economic Crisis: From the Morality of Reform to the Science of Revolution

I share with the other contributors to this volume a deep concern for the humanity and quality of life of the working class, especially its women of all colors and nationalities. I have, over the years, sought to develop a scientific understanding of the condition of the working class (through historical materialism). I have further sought to apply this understanding to a political practice and, in particular, to a participation in the struggle for class equality and socialism. This article is an effort to articulate this interconnection between science and revolution in the struggle for women's equality in a period in our personal and national histories which demands clarity and action.
Dizygotic twinning as a measure of human fertility.

There is widespread concern about a possible decline in human fertility in recent decades. The spontaneous dizygotic twinning rate provides a way of measuring a combination of male plus female fertility as it reflects the frequency of double ovulation, the probability of fertilization, and the survival of the zygote. There was a decline in dizygotic twinning rates in developed countries which began around 1960 and continued until the late 1970s. The exact cause of the fall remains unknown. We suggest that it could have been due to a depression in the twin ovulation rate in women who stopped taking the oral contraceptive pill. The rise in the dizygotic twinning rates which occurred from the 1980s onwards in developed countries is almost certainly due to increasing use of ovulation-inducing agents, but this rise may have masked a continuing decline in dizygotic twinning. Monozygotic twinning rates have remained remarkably constant or increased only very slightly in recent decades. This makes it possible to use the dizygotic:monozygotic twinning ratio to monitor dizygotic twinning in populations where true incidence rates cannot be calculated, e.g. in hospitals where there may be selective referral of twins.
Association of heteromorphism of chromosome 9 and recurrent abortion (ultrasound diagnosed blighted ovum): A case report

Background: Chromosomal disorders are the most common cause of first trimester spontaneous abortion. Among the human chromosomes, chromosome no.9 was the most common structural chromosomal variant and it is not thought to be of any functional importance, which often considers as a normal variation in structural polymorphisms, nevertheless there are some studies which claim that there is an association between heteromorphism of chromosome no.9 and some pregnancy complication. Case: To postulate any correlation between chromosome no. 9 heteromorphism and recurrent abortion, chromosomal analysis was performed on the basis of G-banding technique at high resolution for a couple with the history of 4 ultrasound diagnosed blighted ovum and Chromosome constitution appeared with chromosome no.9 heteromorphism in all 30 metaphases screened for both partners (9p11-q13). Conclusion: Observation of reproductive failure in couples with heteromorohic pattern of chromosome no.9 suggests that, although the heteromorphism of chromosome no.9 is not a rare condition which often consider as a normal variation with no evidence of any phenotypic effect of patient, nevertheless it seems as if the location of heteromorphic region maybe interfere with meiotic events like the phenomenon of crossing over or miotic segregation of fertilized egg that eventually lead to the development of fertilized eggs with chromosomal abnormalities leading to the possibility of anemberyonic pregnancy, therefore chromosomal analysis for detecting of chromosome no.9 heteromorphism for couples with the history of ultrasound diagnosed blighted ovum will be strongly suggested.
Diabetes and beta cell function: from mechanisms to evaluation and clinical implications

Diabetes is a complex, heterogeneous condition that has beta cell dysfunction at its core. Many factors (e.g. hyperglycemia/glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity, autoimmunity, inflammation, adipokines, islet amyloid, incretins and insulin resistance) influence the function of pancreatic beta cells. Chronic hyperglycaemia may result in detrimental effects on insulin synthesis/secretion, cell survival and insulin sensitivity through multiple mechanisms: gradual loss of insulin gene expression and other beta-cell specific genes; chronic endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress; changes in mitochondrial number, morphology and function; disruption in calcium homeostasis. In the presence of hyperglycaemia, prolonged exposure to increased free fatty acids result in accumulation of toxic metabolites in the cells (“lipotoxicity”), finally causing decreased insulin gene expression and impairment of insulin secretion. The rest of the factors/mechanisms which impact on the course of the disease are also discusses in detail. The correct assessment of beta cell function requires a concomitant quantification of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, because the two variables are closely interrelated. In order to better understand the fundamental pathogenetic mechanisms that contribute to disease development in a certain individual with diabetes, additional markers could be used, apart from those that evaluate beta cell function. The aim of the paper was to overview the relevant mechanisms/factors that influence beta cell function and to discuss the available methods of its assessment. In addition, clinical considerations are made regarding the therapeutical options that have potential protective effects on beta cell function/mass by targeting various underlying factors and mechanisms with a role in disease progression.