Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neural correlates of moderate hearing loss: time course of response changes in the primary auditory cortex of awake guinea-pigs

Over the last decade, the consequences of acoustic trauma on the functional properties of auditory cortex neurons have received growing attention. Changes in spontaneous and evoked activity, shifts of characteristic frequency (CF), and map reorganizations have extensively been described in anesthetized animals (e.g., Noreña and Eggermont, 2003, 2005). Here, we examined how the functional properties of cortical cells are modified after partial hearing loss in awake guinea pigs. Single unit activity was chronically recorded in awake, restrained, guinea pigs from 3 days before up to 15 days after an acoustic trauma induced by a 5 kHz 110 dB tone delivered for 1 h. Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) audiograms indicated that these parameters produced a mean ABR threshold shift of 20 dB SPL at, and one octave above, the trauma frequency. When tested with pure tones, cortical cells showed on average a 25 dB increase in threshold at CF the day following the trauma. Over days, this increase progressively stabilized at only 10 dB above control value indicating a progressive recovery of cortical thresholds, probably reflecting a progressive shift from temporary threshold shift (TTS) to permanent threshold shift (PTS). There was an increase in response latency and in response variability the day following the trauma but these parameters returned to control values within 3 days. When tested with conspecific vocalizations, cortical neurons also displayed an increase in response latency and in response duration the day after the acoustic trauma, but there was no effect on the average firing rate elicited by the vocalization. These findings suggest that, in cases of moderate hearing loss, the temporal precision of neuronal responses to natural stimuli is impaired despite the fact the firing rate showed little or no changes.
Murine terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase: cellular distribution and response to cortisone

The mouse thymus contains two forms of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) which are distinguishable by the salt concentration necessary to elute them from a phosphocellulose column, by their distrubtion among the thymocyte subpopulations, and by their sensitivity to cortisone treatment. In the whole thymus the later eluting peak (peak II) is the predominant one with about 3-10% of the total activity appearing in peak I. Both peak I and peak II activities are most sensitively assayed by the polymerization of dGMP onto an oligo(dA) primer. The minor population of thymocytes which is less dense and cortisone-resistant contains a higher specific activity of peak I TdT. The majority of TdT activity is, however, found in the major population of thymocytes which occurs in the center region of a bovine serum albumin gradient and is cortisone-sensitive. A very low level of an activity indistinguishable from peak II TdT activity is also detected in the mouse bone marrow. Other tissues, such as spleen, liver, heart, and brain lack detectable amounts of TdT activity.
Technology mapping for SOI domino logic incorporating solutions for the parasitic bipolar effect

We present a technology mapping algorithm for implementing a random logic gate network in domino logic. The target technology of implementation is silicon on insulator (SOI). SOI devices exhibit an effect known as parasitic bipolar effect (PBE), which can lead to incorrect logic values in the circuit. Our algorithm solves the technology mapping problem by permitting several transformations during the mapping process in order to avoid the PBE, such as transistor reordering, altering the way transistors are organized into gates, and adding pmos discharge transistors. We minimize the total cost of implementation, which includes the discharge transistors required for correct functioning. Our algorithm generates solutions that reduce the number of discharge transistors needed by 44.23%, and reduces the size of the final solution by 11.66% on average.
Facial Attribute Space Compression by Latent Human Topic Discovery

Facial attribute is important information for a variety of machine vision tasks including recognition, classification, and retrieval. There arises a strong need for detecting various facial attributes such as gender, age and more which consume more computation and storage resources. Therefore, we propose a compression framework to find fewer significant Latent Human Topics (LHT) to approximate more facial attributes. LHT is a combination of attribute correlation by transferring facial attribute space to compressional space with Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). Using the proposed scheme, we can easily detect the facial attributes from a face image via fast reconstructing the compressed labels automatically detected by a few LHT classifiers. Experimental results show that our system can achieve similar performance with substantially fewer dimensions compared to the original number of facial attributes, and it even shows slight improvements because LHT carry informative attribute correlations learned from data.
A 3-Phase Resonant Switched Capacitor Converter Delivering 7.7 W at 85% Efficiency Using 1.1 nH PCB Trace Inductors

In recent years, there has been a push towards high-density and monolithic DC-DC converters to support applications such as performance and mobile computing, consumer electronics, and renewable energy. Switched capacitor (SC) converters have started to gain traction for a number of these applications, but are still subject to fundamental limitations that drive them towards expensive process options and high switching frequencies. Variable regulation is challenging with the SC approach, and comes at the cost of lower power density and efficiency. This work presents a resonant switched capacitor (ReSC) topology that addresses some of these challenges by introducing a small amount of inductance in series with the flying capacitor, eliminating charge-sharing losses and thus allowing efficient operation in a low-cost process option. The three-phase interleaved topology can deliver up to 7.7 W at 85% efficiency (power density of 0.91 W/mm 2 or 6.4 kW/in 3) using a bootstrapped n-channel power train and single-digit nH inductors embedded in a flip-chip assembly. We also present the first implementation of efficient, fully-variable conversion ratios in a silicon ReSC integrated circuit without reconfiguration or gain-hopping .
Analysis of Electronic Commerce Protocols Based on Extended Rubin Logic

Electronic commerce protocols are the basis of security in electronic commerce. Therefore, it is essential to ensure these protocols correctly. However, most current protocol analysis methods can only be used to analyze part of properties required by electronic commerce protocols. Rubin logic is a good method for analyzing security protocols. Rubin logic has been extended to analyze electronic commerce protocols. In this paper, Zhou-Gollman protocol is chosen to illustrate how an electronic commerce protocol is analyzed using the extended Rubin logic. Not only the basic security properties but also non-repudiation, accountability and fairness of Zhou-Gollman protocol are analyzed. These are stunning confirmations of the validity of the extended Rubin logic for analyzing electronic commerce protocols.
Sequential ultracentrifugation micromethod for separation of serum lipoproteins and assays of lipids, apolipoproteins, and lipoprotein particles.

We describe a fast sequential separation of very-low-density, low-density, and high-density lipoproteins from 400 microL of serum, using the Beckman TL100 ultracentrifuge. The cumulative centrifugation time is 9.5 h. The purity of lipoprotein fractions was verified by a gel-filtration procedure. The major contaminant is the serum albumin, which can be eliminated by a second centrifugation at the same density. Enzymatic measurement of lipids shows good recovery (> 91%) and weak within-sample variation (< 7%). In comparison with a density-gradient procedure, the deleterious effects on the lipoprotein structure appear to be limited, as shown by the low concentrations of apolipoprotein (apo) E and apo A-I in the fraction > 1.21 kg/L. Furthermore, the micro-ultracentrifugation also gives a better recovery rate. Finally, we have studied the distribution of lipids, apolipoproteins, and lipoprotein particles (LpA-I:A-II, LpB:C-III, LpB:E) in each fraction separated from 10 serum samples from healthy subjects.
Addressing Quality Issues: Theory and Practice. A Case Study on a Typical Software Project

This paper demonstrates the difference between theoretical quality design and practical quality issues and problems, as these were documented for a typical software project. The aim of this paper is to share with readers conclusions based on over ten years of experience in software projects management and research in the field of software quality assurance by presenting simple issues related to the design, implementation and delivery of a typical software project. The project presented in this paper serves as a model of a typical software project (case study), in an effort to offer specific practical examples for demonstrating the practical quality issues and problems arising in the majority of software projects. Both the initial design of the quality and the practical issues that arose during implementation affecting final product quality are discussed in this paper. Moreover, the gap existing, in some cases, between theory and practice is presented.
A Game Theoretic Design of Artificial-Noise Aided Transmissions in MIMO Wiretap Interference Network

The article considers the joint optimization of artificial noise (AN) and information signal precoders in a MIMO wiretap interference network where the transmission of each user may be overheard by several MIMO-capable eavesdroppers. We use the theory of non-cooperative games to propose a distributed framework to optimize the covariance matrices of the information signal and AN at each link. To tackle the non-convexity of each link/player's optimization problem, we recruit a relaxed equilibrium concept in game theory, called quasi-Nash equilibrium (QNE). Under the assumption of no coordination between links, we derive sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the resulting QNE. It turns out that the uniqueness of QNE is not always guaranteed, especially in the case of high interference. Hence, multiple QNEs might exist, and an ordinary updating process (e.g., Gauss-Seidel, Jacobi, or asynchronous update) does not guarantee the convergence to a QNE. Instead, by using the Tikhonov regularization method for variational inequality problems, we modify our algorithm to guarantee the game's convergence to a QNE even in the case of having multiple QNEs. The modified algorithm also allows the links to select between multiple QNEs so as to reduce the received interference at the legitimate receivers. Simulations are then used to confirm the above theoretical findings and the efficacy (in terms of secrecy sum-rate, convergence guarantee, and energy efficiency) of the latter algorithm.
A Logical Statement of Grammatical Theory: As Constained in Halliday's 'Categories of the Theory of Grammar'

1. Introductory. 'If we regard language activity, in its formal aspect, as the repeated selection of one from among a number of possible events-or, so as to formulate it more simply, of items from sets of items which are "at risk" under certain conditions, the total selection situation (items and conditions) varies along a cline. At one end of the scale, there are a very large number of sets, in very complex interrelations, but with very few items in each: this is grammar. At the other end, there are few sets, in simple relations, but with large inventories of items making them up: this is lexis. There is no sharp line between them, though the extremes are clearly distinct. Since patterning of the first type lends itself to much greater abstraction, we can make the theory of grammar much more powerful than the theory of lexis. So the linguist tries to bring as much as possible of linguistic form into his grammatical statements-though there is a theory of lexis too, which has a part in the total description. '1 Thus, of the two demi-levels at the level of form, grammar can be supplied with a theory which is more compact and more intricately structured than any possible theory of lexis. And so a fully descriptive theory of grammar must be fairly complex. For this reason the methods and procedures of symbolic and other types of logic can be usefully employed in the statement of such a theory. In this way a statement can be made which is concise, complete and, most important, fully explicit. The nature of such a statement precludes any possible ambiguities which might be present in the reader's interpretation of a more discursive statement. This paper,2 then, presents a logical statement of the General Theory of Grammar which is described in M. A. K. Halliday's 'Categories of the theory of grammar', Word 17.241-92 (1961); sections 3 to 7 of that paper contain the nucleus of the theory and correspond to the present statement. Thus this statement is merely a rephrasing of the theory. Both Halliday's paper and the present one are concerned with the identical theory of grammar; it is only the methods of description which differ. The two statements will in fact complement each
QoS considerations for DMT-based ADSL and VDSL systems

Thanks to their high bandwidth capability, asymmetric digital subscriber lines (ADSL) and very high speed DSL (VDSL) are access technologies that permit the transmission of several applications simultaneously on telephone subscriber lines. Considering that these applications may require a different quality of service (QoS), and particularly different bit error rates (BER), for transmission, this paper addresses the problem of providing simultaneously two BERs for transmission over a DMT-based ADSL or VDSL link. Both coded and uncoded systems are considered.
Evaluating Retrieval over Sessions: The TREC Session Track 2011-2014

Information Retrieval (IR) research has traditionally focused on serving the best results for a single query - so-called ad hoc retrieval. However, users typically search iteratively, refining and reformulating their queries during a session. A key challenge in the study of this interaction is the creation of suitable evaluation resources to assess the effectiveness of IR systems over sessions. This paper describes the TREC Session Track, which ran from 2010 through to 2014, which focussed on forming test collections that included various forms of implicit feedback. We describe the test collections; a brief analysis of the differences between datasets over the years; and the evaluation results that demonstrate that the use of user session data significantly improved effectiveness.
Design and Analysis of a Portable Indoor Localization Aid for the Visually Impaired

In this paper, we present the design and analysis of a portable position and orientation (pose) estimation aid for the visually impaired. Our prototype navigation aid consists of a foot-mounted pedometer and a white cane-mounted sensing package, which comprises a three-axis gyroscope and a two-dimensional (2D) laser scanner. We introduce a two-layered estimator that tracks the 3D orientation of the white cane in the first layer, and the 2D position of the person holding the cane in the second layer. Our algorithm employs a known building map to update the person’s position, and exploits perpendicularity in the building layout as a 3D structural compass. We analytically study the observability properties of the linearized dynamical system, and we provide sufficient observability conditions. We evaluate the real-world performance of our localization aid, and demonstrate its reliability for accurate, real-time human localization.
RoamWare: towards an integrated environment for PDA use and seamless ongoing interaction in mobile CSCW

This paper reports the final step of a research project that has aimed at developing novel in between meeting support for mobile CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work). The underlying idea was to integrate spontaneous meetings with in between meeting support and split the use between different situations rather than users attention. We propose a novel system called RoamWare that illustrates the concept of split use and invisible computer support. We then report on some initial use results and relate it to other research attempts near us before concluding the paper.
Determination of Acylated Anthocyanin in Human Urine after Ingesting a Purple-Fleshed Sweet Potato Beverage with Various Contents of Anthocyanin by LC-ESI-MS/MS

Eighty-seven healthy volunteers ingested a purple-fleshed sweet potato beverage with various contents of anthocyanin (beverage A; 22.1 mg/250 ml, B; 107.8, C; 84.9). An acylated anthocyanin, peonidin 3-caffeoylsophoroside-5-glucoside, was detected in the urine 2 h after ingestion. The concentrations were 15.1±2.2 μg/l of urine (mean±SEM), 46.6±5.3, and 53.3±2.2 for beverages A, B, and C respectively.
Environment Institute Lays Plans for Gene Hunt

HUMAN GENETICSBETHESDA, MARYLAND-- Toxicologists have found dozens of genes that they think make some individuals more susceptible to pollutants and other environmental chemicals, contributing to everything from cancer to birth defects and Parkinson's disease. Hoping to ferret out dozens more of these "environmental susceptibility" gene variants, National Institutes of Health scientists are putting together a major effort to sequence DNA from perhaps 1000 people to try to demonstrate a link between certain genes and patterns of disease, thereby making it possible to identify and protect people susceptible to environmental hazards.
Visualizing Software Architecture Evolution Using Change-Sets

When trying to understand the evolution of a software system it can be useful to visualize the evolution of the system's architecture. Existing tools for viewing architectural evolution assume that what a user is interested in can be described in an unbroken sequence of time, for example the changes over the last six months. We present an alternative approach that provides a lightweight method for examining the net effect of any set of changes on a system's architecture. We also present Motive, a prototype tool that implements this approach, and demonstrate how it can be used to answer questions about software evolution by describing case studies we conducted on two Java systems.
Synechococcus in the Atlantic Gateway to the Arctic Ocean

Increasing temperatures, with pronounced effects at high latitudes, have raised questions about potential changes in species composition, as well as possible increased importance of small-celled phytoplankton in marine systems. In this study, we mapped out one of the smallest and globally most widespread primary producers, the picocyanobacterium Synechococcus, within the Atlantic inflow to the Arctic Ocean. In contrast to the general understanding that Synechococcus is almost absent in polar oceans due to low temperatures, we encountered high abundances (up to 21,000 cells mL-1) at 79 °N, and documented their presence as far north as 82.5 °N. Covering an annual cycle in 2014, we found that during autumn and winter, Synechococcus was often more abundant than picoeukaryotes, which usually dominate the picophytoplankton communities in the Arctic. Synechococcus community composition shifted from a quite high genetic diversity during the spring bloom to a clear dominance of two specific operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in autumn and winter. We observed abundances higher than 1,000 cells mL-1 in water colder than 2 °C at seven distinct stations and size-fractionation experiments demonstrated a net growth of Synechococcus at 2 °C in the absence of nano-sized grazers at certain periods of the year. Phylogenetic analysis of petB sequences demonstrated that these high latitude Synechococcus group within the previously described cold-adapted clades I and IV, but also contributed to unveil novel genetic diversity, especially within clade I.
MITRE: Description of the Alembic System Used for MUC-6

As with several other veteran MUC participants, MITRE's Alembic system has undergone a major transformation in the past two years. The genesis of this transformation occurred during a dinner conversation at the last MUC conference, MUC-5. At that time, several of us reluctantly admitted that our major impediment towards improved performance was reliance on then-standard linguistic models of syntax. We knew we would need an alternative to traditional linguistic grammars, even to the somewhat non-traditional categorial pseudo-parser we had in place at the time. The problem was, which alternative?
Annotate and Identify Modalities, Speech Acts and Finer-Grained Event Types in Chinese Text

Discriminating sentences that denote modalities and speech acts from the ones that describe or report events is a fundamental task for accurate event processing. However, little attention has been paid on this issue. No Chinese corpus is available by now with all different types of sentences annotated with their main functionalities in terms of modality, speech act or event. This paper describes a Chinese corpus with all the information annotated. Based on the five event types that are usually adopted in previous studies of event classification, namely state, activity, achievement, accomplishment and semelfactive, we further provide finer-grained categories, considering that each of the finer-grained event types has different semantic entailments. To differentiate them is useful for deep semantic processing and will thus benefit NLP applications such as question answering and machine translation, etc. We also provide experiments to show that the different types of sentences are differentiable with a promising performance.
Transcriptional Regulation of Programmed Hypertension by Melatonin: An Epigenetic Perspective

Melatonin is an endogenously produced indoleamine and secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin has pleiotropic bioactivities and is involved in epigenetic regulation. Suboptimal conditions during maternal and perinatal phases can elicit epigenetic regulation of genes for nephrogenesis and reset physiological responses to develop programmed hypertension. This review discusses the early utility of melatonin to prevent programmed hypertension in later life by epigenetic regulation in the kidney, with an emphasis on: (1) the role of melatonin in epigenetic regulation; (2) the beneficial effects of melatonin on programmed hypertension; (3) epigenetic regulation of maternal melatonin therapy in different developmental windows of offspring kidneys analyzed by whole-genome RNA next-generation sequencing; and (4) current blocks in the application of melatonin in preventing programmed hypertension.
Transgenes and knockout mutations in animal models of type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis

Summary: In this article, we will examine the roles of transgenic and knockout animals that aid us in understanding two autoimmune diseases ‐ type 1 (insulin‐dependent) diabetes and multiple sclerosis. The first sections will focus on studies in type 1 diabetes to show how genetically altered animals have given insight into the role of various immune cell types, autoantigens, co‐stimulatory molecules, cytokines and, finally, the role of various effector pathways in the pathogenesis of diabetes. The second section concentrating on the animal model of multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). will show how animals that express a T‐cell receptor derived from a clone able to cause disease have given insight into the pathogenesis of EAE.