Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hippocampal and neocortical interactions during context discrimination: Electrophysiological evidence from the rat

There is substantial evidence that hippocampus plays an important role in the processing of contextual information. Its specific role, however, remains unclear. One possibility is that single hippocampal neurons represent context information so that local circuits can construct representations of the current context, and the context that is expected based on past experience. Population codes derived from input by multiple local circuits may then engage match–mismatch algorithms that compare current and expected context information to determine the extent to which an expected context has changed. The results of such match–mismatch comparisons can be used to discriminate contexts. When context changes are detected, efferent messages may be passed on to connected neocortical areas so that informed “decisions” regarding future behavioral and cognitive strategies can be made. Here, a brief review describes evidence that a primary consequence of hippocampal processing is the discrimination of meaningful contexts. Then, the functional significance of neocortical circuits that likely receive hippocampal output messages are described in terms of their contribution to the control of ongoing behavioral and cognitive strategy, especially during active navigation. It is clear from this systems view that studies of spatial navigation continue to provide researchers with an excellent model of hippocampal–neocortical interactions during learning. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Analysis and Augmented Spatial Processing for Uplink OFDMA MU-MIMO Receiver With Transceiver I/Q Imbalance and External Interference

This paper addresses receiver (RX) signal processing in multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems. We focus on uplink orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA)-based MU-MIMO communications under in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) imbalance in the associated radio frequency electronics. It is shown in the existing literature that transceiver I/Q imbalances cause cross-talk of mirror-subcarriers in OFDM systems. As opposed to typically reported single-user studies, we extend the studies to OFDMA-based MU-MIMO communications, with simultaneous user multiplexing in both frequency and spatial domains, and incorporate also external interference from multiple sources at RX input, for modeling challenging conditions in increasingly popular heterogeneous networks. In the signal processing developments, we exploit the augmented subcarrier processing, which processes each subcarrier jointly with its counterpart at the image subcarrier, and jointly across all RX antennas. Furthermore, we derive an optimal augmented linear RX in terms of minimizing the mean-squared error. The novel approach integrates the I/Q imbalance mitigation, external interference suppression, and data stream separation of multiple UEs into a single processing stage, thus avoiding separate transceiver calibration. Extensive analysis and numerical results show the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and symbol-error rate (SER) behavior of an arbitrary data stream after RX spatial processing as a function of different system and impairment parameters. Based on the results, the performance of the conventional per-subcarrier processing is heavily limited under transceiver I/Q imbalances, and is particularly sensitive to external interferers, whereas the proposed augmented subcarrier processing provides a high-performance signal processing solution being able to detect the signals of different users as well as suppress the external interference efficiently. Finally, we also extend the studies to massive MIMO framework, with very large antenna systems. It is shown that, despite the huge number of RX antennas, the conventional linear processing methods still suffer heavily from I/Q imbalances while the augmented approach does not have such limitations.
Publish or Patent: Bibliometric evidence for empirical trade-offs in national funding strategies

Multivariate linear regression models suggest a trade-off in allocations of national research and development (RD these results suggest much later dates for changes than previous forecasts because Chinese growth has been slowing down since 2003. Models for individual countries might be more successful than regression models whose parameters are averaged over a set of countries because nations can be expected to differ historically in terms of the institutional arrangements and funding schemes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ethical Issues in Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapies: An Empirical Study of Consumers

SUMMARY This study uses interviews with 150 consumers of sexual orientation conversion therapies to identify critical incidents of poor practice and ethical violations. We found that some licensed conversion therapists may be practicing in a manner inconsistent with the APA Ethics Code, similar professional codes, and recent guidelines on treatment of lesbians and gay men. Areas of ethical violations identified include: informed consent, confidentiality, coercion, pre-termination counseling, and provision of referrals after treatment failure.
A human case died by avian influenza A ( H 5 N 6 ) infection in Jiangxi province , China : an epidemiological and clinical survey

Background: After the first case was laboratory-confirmed, a total of 9 human avian influenza A (H5N6) infection index cases were reported and treated in China as of January 28, 2016. The aim of this study was to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the first fatal H5N6 case in Jiangxi province and provide scientific recommendations for control and prevention of this epidemic. Methods: Thereal-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was conducted to test for the presence of nucleic acid from the influenza A virus and its subtypes. RNA from throat swab specimens was extracted and reverse-transcribed to double-strand DNA. Embryonated chicken eggs were used to isolate the virus. Epidemiological and clinical information of this case were collected by the use of a standard questionnaire, which was recommended by the China Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: The onset of illness for this case began on December 12, 2014, where the patient then died from respiratory failure on December 21, 2014. On January 6, 2016, it was confirmed to be a case of human infection with the H5N6 virus. There were no secondary cases confirmed among the individual’s close contacts. There was a clear history of avian exposure for this case and the avian influenza A (H5) nucleic acid was found in the patient’s residence. Conclusion: The initial presentation of this case was similar to other avian influenza or influenza viruses, presenting as fever, cough, and other influenza-like illness symptoms. Similar to other human H5N6 infection cases reported previously, this case suffered from multiple organ failure and died from respiratory failure. A delay in initiating antiviral therapy was the main cause of death for this case. The epidemiological survey conducted in this case did not uncover any evidence to suggest human-to-human transmission of the infection.
Socializing Pedagogical Agents for Personalization in Virtual Learning Environments

Personalization in virtual learning environments is the system ability to provide individualization and a set of personalized services such as personalized content management, learner model, or adaptive instant interaction. The intelligent agent technology has potential regarding the creation of such personalized, adaptive and interactive e-learning applications. However, most of the available solutions have so far focused on porting existing courses with traditional teaching methods onto the virtual environments, making them available in an attractive animated interface without any fine-tuning and adaptation to the learner needs. This paper proposes a novel market-inspired collaboration model where the agents are self-interested autonomic elements collaborate to achieve a comprehensive learner model. Mentor agent makes decisions on top of a Dempster-Shafer belief accumulation to help student whenever she believes student has lost the clues and needs help. Proposed architecture is validated by applying on a sample agent augmented virtual environment designed to engage and motivate students at the lower secondary level in Singapore. Extensive experiments illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed interaction model where students have found the mentor agent as believable as a virtual teacher.
miR-125 potentiates early neural specification of human embryonic stem cells

The role of microRNAs (miRNAs) as coordinators of stem cell fate has emerged over the last decade. We have used human embryonic stem cells to identify miRNAs involved in neural lineage commitment induced by the inhibition of TGFβ-like molecule-mediated pathways. Among several candidate miRNAs expressed in the fetal brain, the two isoforms of miR-125 alone were detected in a time window compatible with a role in neural commitment in vitro. Functional analysis indicated that miR-125 isoforms were actively involved in the promotion of pluripotent cell conversion into SOX1-positive neural precursors. miR-125 promotes neural conversion by avoiding the persistence of non-differentiated stem cells and repressing alternative fate choices. This was associated with the regulation by miR-125 of SMAD4, a key regulator of pluripotent stem cell lineage commitment. Activation of miR-125 was directly responsive to the levels of TGFβ-like molecules, placing miR-125 at the core of mechanisms that lead to the irreversible neural lineage commitment of pluripotent stem cells in response to external stimuli.
Expression of Human Neurofilament‐light Transgene in Mouse Neurons Transplanted into the Brain of Adult Rats

To investigate the expression of nerve cell‐specific transgene products in neural transplants, we implanted into the hippocampus of immunosuppressed adult Sprague – Dawley rats cell suspensions obtained from the septal region of the fetal brain of mice that carry the human neurofilament‐light (hNF‐L) gene. In grafts examined between 3 weeks and 7 months after transplantation, axons and nerve cell somata immunoreacted to antibodies specific to the human NF‐L subunit. Thus, the hNF‐L protein appears to be a suitable marker of these grafted neurons. Transgenic mice bearing the hNF‐L gene may be a convenient source of donor tissue or be used as hosts for neural transplantation studies. Furthermore, the hNF‐L promoter/enhancer elements in this transgene may help direct neuronal expression of heterologous genes that could influence nerve cell responses in either the transplant or host tissues.
Object naming at multiple hierarchical levels: a comparison of preschoolers with and without word-finding deficits

According to the storage hypothesis (Kail & Leonard, 1986), word-finding deficits in young children are not the direct result of deficient retrieval strategies; they are a manifestation of a general delay in language development that affects lexical storage. In the current study, we explored one aspect of lexical storage, the hierarchical organization of the semantic system, in 13 preschoolers with word-finding deficits (WF) and 13 preschoolers with normal language abilities (ND), ranging in age from 3;3 to 6;7. The children named a series of objects at multiple levels of the noun hierarchy in response to contrast questions (e.g. for rose they were asked, ‘Is this an animal? ’ to elicit plant [superordinate]; ‘Is this a tree? ’ to elicit flower [basic]; ‘Is this a dandelion? ’ to elicit rose [subordinate]). Both groups readily named at multiple levels, providing evidence of hierarchical organization of the lexicon. However, there were several differences between WF and ND groups that suggested that WF children did not have enough stored information to discriminate between similar semantic neighbours. We conclude (1) that hierarchical organization of the semantic lexicon is a robust developmental phenomenon, apparent in both ND and WF preschoolers and (2) that the word-finding deficits of preschoolers appear to reflect insufficient depth and breadth of storage elaboration rather than deficits in hierarchical semantic organization.
Portfolio development for in‐service teachers to learn the new Chinese language teaching pedagogy in Hong Kong primary schools

The primary focus of this study is the use of portfolio development in an in‐service teacher education course that aimed to help primary school teachers develop a better understanding of, and ability to implement, an innovative teaching approach – namely, task‐based learning (TBL) – in Chinese language. It explores the impact of portfolio development on teachers' understanding of TBL and their views on portfolio development. The research employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, with data being collected through questionnaires and interviews. The findings showed that the portfolio development had a positive impact on teachers' understanding of, attitude to and confidence in applying TBL. The processes encouraged teachers to think through their practice, to become more conscious of their teaching. On the basis of the major results, this study suggests improvements for the future use of portfolio development for in‐service teacher education courses and for teachers' professional development.
Using metabolic syndrome traits for efficient detection of impaired glucose tolerance.

OBJECTIVE Efficient detection of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is needed to implement type 2 diabetes prevention interventions. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We assessed the capacity of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) to identify IGT in a cross-sectional analysis of 3,326 Caucasian Framingham Offspring Study (FOS), 1,168 Caucasian and 1,812 Mexican-American San Antonio Heart Study (SAHS), 1,983 Mexico City Diabetes Study (MCDS), and 452 Caucasian, 407 Mexican-American, and 290 African-American Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS) men and women aged 30-79 years who had a clinical examination and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) during 1987-1996. Those with diabetes treatment or fasting plasma glucose > or =7.0 mmol/l were excluded (MetS was defined by Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel criteria and IGT as 2-h postchallenge glucose [2hPG] > or =7.8 mmol/l). We calculated positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), population attributable risk percentages (PAR%), age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (ORs), and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AROCs) associated with MetS traits. RESULTS Among FOS, SAHS, and MCDS subjects, 24-43% had MetS and 15-23% had IGT (including 2-5% with 2hPG > or =11.1 mmol/l). Among those with MetS, OR for IGT were 3-4, PPV were 0.24-0.41, NPV were 0.84-0.91, and PAR% were 30-40%. Among subjects with MetS defined by impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and any two other traits, OR for IGT were 9-24, PPV were 0.62-0.89, NPV were 0.78-0.87, and PAR% were 3-12%. Among IRAS subjects, 24-34% had MetS and 37-41% had IGT. Among those with MetS, ORs for IGT were 3-6, PPVs were 0.57-0.73, and NPVs were 0.67-0.72. In logistic regression models, IFG, large waist, and high triglycerides were independently associated with IGT (AROC 0.71-0.83) in all study populations. CONCLUSIONS The MetS, especially defined by IFG, large waist, and high triglycerides, efficiently identifies subjects likely to have IGT on OGTT and thus be eligible for diabetes prevention interventions.
Was Thomas McKeown right for the wrong reasons?

Thomas McKeown was right in his primary claim that changing environments, rather than improved medical care, were responsible for much of the long wave of historical mortality decline in the UK since 1700. He was, however, apparently unaware that the beginning of the decline in infant and early-childhood mortality lagged behind that for adults by a few decades, and therefore that its causes might have been fundamentally different. In fact, current evidence indicates that his suggestion, that ‘improved nutrition’ was the underlying factor in the overall decline, now appears to have been essentially correct for the much earlier decline in adult mortality, especially due to tuberculosis. However, the current consensus is that changing reproductive patterns, occasioned by a changing socio-cultural and perhaps legal environment, related to child labor laws, lay behind the much later and very rapid decline in early-life mortality. One must therefore give McKeown great credit for his grasp of both the importance of nutrition, and of the environment, as basic determinants of health.
The national polyp study design, methods, and characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed polyps

The National Polyp Study (NPS) is a multicenter prospective randomized trial designed to evaluate follow‐up surveillance strategies in patients who have undergone polypectomy for the control of large bowel cancer. The study design was developed by a joint research committee from American Gastroenterological Association, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and the American College of Gastroenterology. Subjects who met the eligibility criteria were randomized into two different treatment arms. Eligibility criteria included: removal of one or more adenomas; complete colonoscopy; no prior polypectomy, inflammatory bowel disease, or familial polyposis; and no history of colon cancer. The treatment arms consisted of a frequent follow‐up (1 and 3 years after initial polypectomy) and a less frequent follow‐up (3 years). Follow‐up examinations included fecal occult blood tests, air‐contrast barium enema, and colonoscopy. The latter was done on 9112 referred patients at the seven participating centers from November 1980 until February 1990 who had no history of polypectomy, colon cancer, familial polyposis, or inflammatory bowel disease. Of these patients, 4763 (52.3%) had no polyps; 549 (6.0%) had an invasive cancer; 776 (8.5%) had nonadenomatous polyps; 208 (2.3%) had incomplete examinations; 184 (2.0%) had other findings; and 2632 (28.9%) had one or more adenomas, of which 1418 (53.9%) were randomized to one of the two treatment arms. This article reports the background, rationale, objectives, methods, and organization of this study and includes patient characteristics on initial presentation. Future data provided by the NPS may help in the development of recommendations for surveillance guidelines for such patients. This study also provides a framework to address questions regarding the natural history of adenomas and their relationship with colorectal cancer.
Occupational change what makes changers different?

Journal o~’Career Deuelopmenl, Vol, 15(3), Spring 1989 Today’s computer age is characterized by rapidly advancing technology and accompanying economic and social change. These technological changes demand constant adaptation to new methods of work, and often to new occupations (O’Toole, 1981, 1983; Hoyt, 1987). As a result of these changes and adults’ increasing awareness that they will continue to grow and develop throughout the life cycle, the functions and meanings derived from work are shifting (Cahill & Salo-
Optimized supervised segmentation of MS lesions from multispectral MRIs

We present an optimized supervised segmentation method from multispectral MRIs. As MR images do not behave as natural images, using a spectral gradient based on a psycho-visual paradigm is sub-optimal. Therefore, we propose to create an optimized spectral gradient using multi-modalities MRIs. To that purpose, the algorithm learns the optimized parameters of the spectral gradient based on ground truth which are either phantoms or manual delineations of an expert. Using Dice Similarity Coefficient as a cost function for an optimization algorithm, we were able to compute an optimized gradient and to utilize it in order to segment MRIs with the same kind of modalities. Results show that the optimized gradient matrices perform significantly better segmentations and that the supervized learning of an optimized matrix is a good way to enhance the segmentation method.
Adaptive partitioned interference management in cellular networks

This paper proposes an adaptive and scalable approach to resource allocation in cellular networks. We introduce an adaptive strategy to form clusters of coordinating base stations, referred to as scheduling cells (SCs), based on the local traffic demand. A system parameter is proposed which adjusts the level of coordination between the base stations. A proportional fair coordinated resource allocation scheme is discussed which allows informed reuse of resources within each cluster. The performance is evaluated for a system with one frequency channel. The proposed framework can adaptively form clusters of coordinating base stations in an autonomous cellular network with an irregular deployment of base stations.
HiSIM-SOI: Complete surface-potential-based model valid for all SOI-structure types

The compact SOI-MOSFET model HiSIM-SOI based on the complete surface-potential description is presented. The model considers all possible charges induced in the device for the formulation of the Poisson equation, which is solved iteratively. Thus HiSIM-SOI is valid for any structural variations from thick to extremely thin SOI or BOX layers. The dynamic depletion between the fully and partially depleted conditions is well reproduced. It is also demonstrated that the floating-body effect can be accurately captured by considering the accumulated charge in the SOI layer for the solution of the Poisson equation. HiSIM-SOI is verified to correctly reproduce 2D-device simulation results automatically for different SOI-structure types without any additional option setting.
Gametocytaemia after Drug Treatment of Asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum

Objectives: Treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is followed by a sharp rise in the prevalence and density of gametocytes. We did a randomized trial to determine the effect of treatment of asymptomatic infections with SP or SP plus one dose of artesunate (SP+AS) on gametocyte carriage. Design: The study was a three-arm open-label randomized trial. We randomized asymptomatic carriers of P. falciparum to receive antimalarial treatment or placebo, and recorded the prevalence and density of gametocytes over the next 2 mo. Setting: The trial was conducted during the dry (low malaria transmission) season in four rural villages in Gambia. Participants: Participants were adults and children aged over 6 mo with asexual P. falciparum infection and confirmed free of clinical symptoms of malaria over a 2-d screening period. Interventions: Participants were randomized to receive a single dose of SP or SP+AS or placebo. Outcome Measures: The outcome measures were the presence of gametocytes 7 and 56 d after treatment, and the duration and density of gametocytaemia over 2 mo. Results: In total, 372 asymptomatic carriers were randomized. Gametocyte prevalence on day 7 was 10.5% in the placebo group, 11.2% in the SP group (risk difference to placebo 0.7%, 95% confidence interval −7.4% to 8.7%, p = 0.87), and 7.1% in the SP+AS group (risk difference to placebo 4.1%, 95% confidence interval −3.3% to 12%, p = 0.28). By day 56, gametocyte prevalence was 13% in the placebo group and 2% in both drug-treated groups. Gametocyte carriage (the area under the curve of gametocyte density versus time), was reduced by 71% in the SP group, and by 74% in the SP+AS group, compared to placebo. Gametocyte carriage varied with age and was greater among children under 15 than among adults. Conclusions: Treatment of asymptomatic carriers of P. falciparum with SP does not increase gametocyte carriage or density. Effective treatment of asexual parasitaemia in the dry season reduces gametocyte carriage to very low levels after 4 wk.