Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of depression on coping strategies in mental arithmetic stress

It is well known that the patients of depression have lower performance in perception, planning, and execution in cognition relative to healthy controls. It remains controversial, however, whether any differences in basic cognitive functions between depression and healthy subjects. Furthermore, few studies have directly used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate neural activation and deactivation differences between depression and healthy subjects while performing stressful cognitive tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine possible differences in neural activation associated with mental arithmetic stress components in processing visuospatial information between depression and healthy subjects. To this end, we employed a Mental Arithmetic Task (MAT), which has a strong stress component. The results show that healthy subjects have stronger activation of pre-frontal cortex (BA9 / 6), dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus (BA32), the inferior parietal lobule (BA40) than depression subjects in tasks, while depression subjects have stronger activation of the right lateral prefrontal cortex (BA10), ventral anterior cingulate gyrus (BA24), the amygdala of limbic lobe, temporal lobe (BA21) and the lateral nucleus than healthy participants. Behavioral data showed that mathematics performance of healthy subjects is significantly better than that of depression subjects. The results show that the loops on regulation of attention and emotions are strengthened in healthy subjects during mental arithmetic task; and depression participants show the contrary mode that the control loops of attention and emotion are inhibited. This may be one reason for the difference of the mathematical abilities between depression and healthy subjects.
Combined Use of Mechanical Thrombectomy with Angioplasty and Stenting for Acute Basilar Occlusions with Underlying Severe Intracranial Vertebrobasilar Stenosis: Preliminary Experience from a Single Chinese Center

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acute basilar occlusions have a poor prognosis without recanalization. Many have underlying severe atherosclerotic intracranial stenosis coexisting with acute thrombosis, requiring treatment of both pathologies in the same session, though technical risks may be encountered. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the technical feasibility and safety of combined treatment by using stent retrievers for the thrombosis, together with angioplasty and stent placement for the underlying stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective review of 13 patients with basilar occlusions treated with thrombectomy by the Solitaire stent retriever and angioplasty and intracranial stent placement for underlying severe vertebrobasilar stenosis in the same session. Reperfusion was assessed in terms of the TICI score. Perioperative complications were recorded. Clinical outcomes were assessed by the NIHSS at discharge and the mRS on follow-up at 90 days. RESULTS: Of the 30 patients with acute basilar artery occlusions treated with stent retrievers during the study period, 18 had coexisting severe intracranial stenosis. Thirteen patients meeting the criteria for our study received combined mechanical thrombectomy and angioplasty with stent placement. The successful recanalization rate was 100%. Distal vessel embolizations occurred in 3 patients. There were 2 mortalities. On discharge, 10 patients (77%) had an improvement in NIHSS of ≥10 points. At 90 days, 6 patients (46%) had a good functional outcome with an mRS of ≤2. CONCLUSIONS: The combined use of mechanical thrombectomy with angioplasty and stent placement for acute basilar occlusions with underlying severe intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis is technically feasible and safe.
A Simple Method for Performing Type-2 Fuzzy Set Operations Based on Highest Degree of Intersection Hyperplane

Regarding the three dimensional nature of type-2 fuzzy sets their related operations are costly, in terms of time and computation, which is one of the main burdens among the popularity of type-2 fuzzy sets. In this paper we will provide a novel method for performing type-2 fuzzy set operations. We will prove that the operations would be simply performed based on the hyperplane of the highest degree of intersection of two type-1 fuzzy sets.
Cross-Category Adaptation: Objects Produce Gender Adaptation in the Perception of Faces

Adaptation aftereffects have been found for low-level visual features such as colour, motion and shape perception, as well as higher-level features such as gender, race and identity in domains such as faces and biological motion. It is not yet clear if adaptation effects in humans extend beyond this set of higher order features. The aim of this study was to investigate whether objects highly associated with one gender, e.g. high heels for females or electric shavers for males can modulate gender perception of a face. In two separate experiments, we adapted subjects to a series of objects highly associated with one gender and subsequently asked participants to judge the gender of an ambiguous face. Results showed that participants are more likely to perceive an ambiguous face as male after being exposed to objects highly associated to females and vice versa. A gender adaptation aftereffect was obtained despite the adaptor and test stimuli being from different global categories (objects and faces respectively). These findings show that our perception of gender from faces is highly affected by our environment and recent experience. This suggests two possible mechanisms: (a) that perception of the gender associated with an object shares at least some brain areas with those responsible for gender perception of faces and (b) adaptation to gender, which is a high-level concept, can modulate brain areas that are involved in facial gender perception through top-down processes.
Design, Synthesis, Toxicity Estimation and Molecular Docking Studies of N-(furan-2-yl)-1-(5-substituted) phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl) methanimine as Antitubercular Agents

A series of novel N-(furan-2-yl)-1-(5-substituted) phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl) methanimines (Fa-e) were synthesized and evaluated for antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Rv) strain by using alamar blue assay. The synthesized compounds were characterized based on IR, 1HMR and mass spectral analysis. The toxicity profile was predicted by organic chemistry portal, a web based application for predicting in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity, and the novel derivatives under study did not show any toxicity issues. The mechanism of action of the titled derivatives was predicted by docking on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Enoyl-ACP reductase enzyme. The docking study concluded that Fb and Fa possessed good binding energy indicating more prominent interaction towards the active sites NAD and TYR 158. The antitubercular studies showed that the both Fa and Fb possessed significant activity with the MIC as low as 3.125 μg/ml.
Optimal Scheduling for Real-Time Jobs in Energy Harvesting Computing Systems

In this paper, we study a scheduling problem, in which every job is associated with a release time, deadline, required computation time, and required energy. We focus on an important special case where the jobs execute on a uniprocessor system that is supplied by a renewable energy source and use a rechargeable storage unit with limited capacity. Earliest deadline first (EDF) is a class one online algorithm in the classical real-time scheduling theory where energy constraints are not considered. We propose a semi-online EDF-based scheduling algorithm theoretically optimal (i.e., processing and energy costs neglected). This algorithm relies on the notions of energy demand and slack energy, which are different from the well known notions of processor demand and slack time. We provide an exact feasibility test. There are no restrictions on this new scheduler: each job can be one instance of a periodic, aperiodic, or sporadic task with deadline.
An Adjustable Frequency Bat Algorithm Based on Flight Direction to Improve Solution Accuracy for Optimization Problems

An Adjustable Frequency Bat Algorithm (AFBA) is proposed to improve solution accuracy for optimization problem in this study. The conception is to employ the adjustable frequency determined by flight direction of bats to adapt the velocity toward the correct direction. The bats emit an ultrasound with various frequencies decided by flight direction to the current best bat. The adjustable frequency can provide the bats correct direction, proper velocity to move their position. And the bats can more systematical explore new possible better position in movement. Subsequently, there are many scenarios designed by different dimensions from low to high and benchmark functions with diverse modal to verify the performance of the proposed AFBA. The experimental numeric result shows that AFBA has better ability of search to improve the quality of the global optimal solution than BA. The fitness errors almost are less than 1.00E-6 for the unimodal function and multimodal function in tested dimensions.
Judicious Thread Migration When Accessing Distributed Shared Caches

Chip-multiprocessors (CMPs) have become the mainstream chip design in recent years; for scalability reasons, designs with high core counts tend towards tiled CMPs with physically distributed shared caches. This naturally leads to a Non-Uniform Cache Architecture (NUCA) design, where onchip access latencies depend on the physical distances between requesting cores and home cores where the data is cached. Improving data locality is thus key to performance, and several studies have addressed this problem using data replication and data migration. In this paper, we consider another mechanism, hardwarelevel thread migration. This approach, we argue, can better exploit shared data locality for NUCA designs by effectively replacing multiple round-trip remote cache accesses with a smaller number of migrations. High migration costs, however, make it crucial to use thread migrations judiciously; we therefore propose a novel, on-line prediction scheme which decides whether to perform a remote access (as in traditional NUCA designs) or to perform a thread migration at the instruction level. For a set of parallel benchmarks, our thread migration predictor improves the performance by 18% on average and at best by 2.3X over the standard NUCA design that only uses remote accesses.
Charon message-passing toolkit for scienti c computationsRob

The Charon toolkit for piecemeal development of high-eeciency parallel programs for scientiic computing is described. The portable toolkit, callable from C and For-tran, provides exible domain decompositions and high-level distributed constructs for easy translation of serial legacy code or design to distributed environments. Gradual tuning can subsequently be applied to obtain high performance, possibly by using explicit message passing. Charon also features general structured communications that support stencil-based computations with complex recurrences. Through the separation of partitioning and distribution , the toolkit can also be used for blocking of uni-processor code, and for debugging of parallel algorithms on serial machines. An elaborate review of recent parallelization aids is presented to highlight the need for a toolkit like Charon. Some performance results of parallelizing the NAS Parallel Benchmark SP program using Charon are given, showing good scalability.
A text-compression-based method for code size minimization in embedded systems

We address the problem of code-size minimization in VLSI systems with embedded DSP processors. Reducing code size reduces the production cost of embedded systems we use data-compression methods to develop code-size minimization strategies. In our framework, the compressed program consists of a skeleton and a dictionary. We show that the dictionary can be computed by solving a set-covering problem derived from the original program. To execute the compressed code, we describe two methods that have different performance characteristics and different degrees of freedom in compressing the code. We also address performance considerations, and show that they can be incorporated easily into the set-covering formulation, and present experimental results obtained with Texas Instruments' optimizing TMS3220C25 compiler.
Challenges and Opportunities for Intelligibility and Control in Smart Homes

Several studies have reported on interaction challenges users face when confronted with proactive contextaware technologies that take actions on their behalf. To address these challenges, techniques have been proposed to improve intelligibility (understanding) of and control over context-aware systems for end-users. Proactive context-aware systems have not only been featured in several smart home visions, but are also common in current solutions within the smart home space. In this position paper, we outline a number of challenges and opportunities with respect to intelligibility and control in smart homes that take into account the diversity and evolving needs of inhabitants.
Implementation Opportunities of Green Accounting for Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in Romania

This article refers to implementation opportunities of green accounting for the Activity- Based Costing method. It shows why we choose Activity-Based Costing method and what must be done in this way. Green accounting observes the specific principles of the Activity-Based Costing method. It also represents the advantages and disadvantages of the green accounting into an enterprise in case of Activity-Based Costing implementation. The paper describes the stages we must follow in case of implementation of green accounting alongside Activity-Based Costing method into an enterprise.
Who Comes First? The Role of the Prefrontal and Parietal Cortex in Cognitive Control

Cognitive control processes enable us to adjust our behavior to changing environmental demands. Although neuropsychological studies suggest that the critical cortical region for cognitive control is the prefrontal cortex, neuro-imaging studies have emphasized the interplay of prefrontal and parietal cortices. This raises the fundamental question about the different contributions of prefrontal and parietal areas in cognitive control. It was assumed that the prefrontal cortex biases processing in posterior brain regions. This assumption leads to the hypothesis that neural activity in the prefrontal cortex should precede parietal activity in cognitive control. The present study tested this assumption by combining results from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) providing high spatial resolution and event-related potentials (ERPs) to gain high temporal resolution. We collected ERP data using a modified task-switching paradigm. In this paradigm, a situation where the same task was indicated by two different cues was compared with a situation where two cues indicated different tasks. Only the latter condition required updating of the task set. Task-set updating was associated with a midline negative ERP deflection peaking around 470 msec. We placed dipoles in regions activated in a previous fMRI study that used the same paradigm (left inferior frontal junction, right inferior frontal gyrus, right parietal cortex) and fitted their directions and magnitudes to the ERP effect. The frontal dipoles contributed to the ERP effect earlier than the parietal dipole, providing support for the view that the prefrontal cortex is involved in updating of general task representations and biases relevant stimulus-response associations in the parietal cortex.
Ghrelin and acyl ghrelin in preterm infants and maternal blood: relationship with endocrine and anthropometric measures.

OBJECTIVE The objective of the present study was to examine the association of acylated and total ghrelin levels at birth in preterm infants with anthropometric features and with related hormones in infants and their mothers. DESIGN Prospective, descriptive study. METHODS In total 23 pregnant women and their 26 preterm infants were involved in the study (3 twin pregnancies; gestational age, 25-35 weeks). Maternal and umbilical vein blood samples were taken after the delivery. Serum acylated and total ghrelin, leptin, cortisol, insulin, GH, and glucose were determined. RESULTS The mean level of acylated ghrelin concentration was higher in the maternal than in the cord blood (P<0.01) and there was a significant correlation between the fetal and maternal acylated ghrelin levels (P<0.01). The total ghrelin concentration was higher in neonates than in mothers (P<0.01), but there was no correlation between them. The multivariate regression analysis for fetal acylated and maternal total ghrelin as dependent variables shows that the fetal acylated ghrelin has two independent predictors, the maternal acylated ghrelin (P<0.01) and the fetal cortisol (P<0.05), whereas the maternal total ghrelin has only one independent predictor, the maternal glucose (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS These data provide the first evidence that umbilical cord acylated ghrelin concentrations are lower than in maternal blood and support the hypothesis that the acylation process in the fetus is partly affected by cortisol and the placenta may play a role in this process.
Arranjo Produtivo Local, formação de capital social e desenvolvimento na cidade de Imbituva-PR

A busca pelo desenvolvimento local e incessante. Sabe-se que para alcancar o desenvolvimento a regiao depende de fatores externos — sob os quais ela nao possui dominio —, e tambem de elementos endogenos sob os quais se tem algum controle. Este trabalho estuda o Arranjo Produtivo Local (APL) como estrategia de desenvolvimento para as regioes, focando o papel dos atores locais e a importância do capital social. E feito um estudo de caso no APL de malhas de Imbituva-PR, pois, alem de ser uma estrategia de sobrevivencia e competitividade das empresas, e uma fonte efetiva de fomento a elevacao do nivel de capital social dentro do APL e em seu entorno, ocasionando, assim, rebatimentos a comunidade, alem da geracao de emprego e renda.
HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE CO-DESIGN ISSUES IN H . 264 DECODER

In this paper we talk about mixed architectures of a H.264/AVC video decoder. Here software part of decoder was implemented in NIOS II processor on a FPGA prototyping board (Stratix III). Software and hardware architectures was proposed to increase the decoder output performance. Based upon the time execution parameters, data dependency constraints, the decoder partitioning is applied. Here the inverse 4x4 Intra process is implemented with hardware accelerator. It consists of inverse 4x4 Intra prediction, inverse transformation and inverse quantization. By implementing inter prediction as a hardware module the decoder through can be increased
Development and Validation of the Expectations of Aesthetic Rhinoplasty Scale

Background There is a growing concern in the field of aesthetic surgery about the need to measure patients' expectations preoperatively. The present study was designed to develop and validate the Expectations of Aesthetic Rhinoplasty Scale (EARS), and to compare expectations between rhinoplasty patients with and without body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Methods In total, 162 college students and 20 rhinoplasty candidates were recruited. The measures included the newly developed EARS, a measure of psychopathology, and demographics. The DSM-IV structured clinical interview for BDD was used to confirm the diagnosis in rhinoplasty patients. Results The EARS was constructed of six items based on their significant content validity. In the scale development phase, Cronbach's alpha was 0.87. The test-retest reliability coefficient of the scale was satisfactory (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.82–0.98) over a four-week period. Scores on the EARS were significantly positively correlated with psychopathological symptoms (r=0.16; P<0.05). Moreover, comparison of EARS scores between BDD (M=25.90, standard deviation [SD]=6.91) and non-BDD rhinoplastic patients (M=15.70, SD=5.27) suggested that BDD patients held significantly higher expectations (P<0.01). Conclusions The expectations of aesthetic rhinoplasty patients toward surgery may play a crucial role in their postoperative satisfaction. While the value of patients' expectations is clinically recognized, no empirical study has measured these expectations in a psychometrically sound manner. The current study developed and validated the EARS. It may be easily used as a valid and reliable instrument in clinical and research settings.
Hue-preserving color image enhancement in RGB color space with rich saturation

In many techniques of color image enhancement, processing intensity and saturation keeping hue unaltered is the transformation of the image data from RGB color space to other color space such HSI, YIQ, HSV, etc. Transforming from one space to another and processing in these spaces usually generate gamut problem. In this paper, we have proposed a new enhancement scheme that enables one to apply a class of grey scale image enhancement methods to color images with free from gamut problem since color images are processed within RGB color space. The proposed processing framework guarantees the preserving hue while increasing saturation of enhancement results. The grey scale histogram equalization is applied to our generic framework in order to realize 3-D histogram equalization.
Modulation of Fear Extinction by Stress, Stress Hormones and Estradiol: A Review

Fear acquisition and extinction are valid models for the etiology and treatment of anxiety, trauma- and stressor-related disorders. These disorders are assumed to involve aversive learning under acute and/or chronic stress. Importantly, fear conditioning and stress share common neuronal circuits. The stress response involves multiple changes interacting in a time-dependent manner: (a) the fast first-wave stress response [with central actions of noradrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), plus increased sympathetic tone and peripheral catecholamine release] and (b) the second-wave stress response [with peripheral release of glucocorticoids (GCs) after activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis]. Control of fear during extinction is also sensitive to these stress-response mediators. In the present review, we will thus examine current animal and human data, addressing the role of stress and single stress-response mediators for successful acquisition, consolidation and recall of fear extinction. We report studies using pharmacological manipulations targeting a number of stress-related neurotransmitters and neuromodulators [monoamines, opioids, endocannabinoids (eCBs), neuropeptide Y, oxytocin, GCs] and behavioral stress induction. As anxiety, trauma- and stressor-related disorders are more common in women, recent research focuses on female sex hormones and identifies a potential role for estradiol in fear extinction. We will thus summarize animal and human data on the role of estradiol and explore possible interactions with stress or stress-response mediators in extinction. This also aims at identifying time-windows of enhanced (or reduced) sensitivity for fear extinction, and thus also for successful exposure therapy.