Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Realization of a mixed-mode neural coprocessor for signal processing

A hybrid architecture for neural coprocessing is presented. A fixed set of analog multipliers and capacitors (analog memory) emulates multilayer perceptrons through digitally-controlled multiplexing. Parallelism is partially preserved, then, without direct analog implementation of the whole structure. Details of system VLSI implementation are given, along with simulation results that validate system cells design.
Real-Time Task Recognition in Cataract Surgery Videos Using Adaptive Spatiotemporal Polynomials

This paper introduces a new algorithm for recognizing surgical tasks in real-time in a video stream. The goal is to communicate information to the surgeon in due time during a video-monitored surgery. The proposed algorithm is applied to cataract surgery, which is the most common eye surgery. To compensate for eye motion and zoom level variations, cataract surgery videos are first normalized. Then, the motion content of short video subsequences is characterized with spatiotemporal polynomials: a multiscale motion characterization based on adaptive spatiotemporal polynomials is presented. The proposed solution is particularly suited to characterize deformable moving objects with fuzzy borders, which are typically found in surgical videos. Given a target surgical task, the system is trained to identify which spatiotemporal polynomials are usually extracted from videos when and only when this task is being performed. These key spatiotemporal polynomials are then searched in new videos to recognize the target surgical task. For improved performances, the system jointly adapts the spatiotemporal polynomial basis and identifies the key spatiotemporal polynomials using the multiple-instance learning paradigm. The proposed system runs in real-time and outperforms the previous solution from our group, both for surgical task recognition ( Az = 0.851 on average, as opposed to Az = 0.794 previously) and for the joint segmentation and recognition of surgical tasks ( Az = 0.856 on average, as opposed to Az = 0.832 previously).
Principles and Applications of Hyperspectral Imaging in Quality Evaluation of Agro-Food Products: A Review

The requirements of reliability, expeditiousness, accuracy, consistency, and simplicity for quality assessment of food products encouraged the development of non-destructive technologies to meet the demands of consumers to obtain superior food qualities. Hyperspectral imaging is one of the most promising techniques currently investigated for quality evaluation purposes in numerous sorts of applications. The main advantage of the hyperspectral imaging system is its aptitude to incorporate both spectroscopy and imaging techniques not only to make a direct assessment of different components simultaneously but also to locate the spatial distribution of such components in the tested products. Associated with multivariate analysis protocols, hyperspectral imaging shows a convinced attitude to be dominated in food authentication and analysis in future. The marvellous potential of the hyperspectral imaging technique as a non-destructive tool has driven the development of more sophisticated hyperspectral imaging systems in food applications. The aim of this review is to give detailed outlines about the theory and principles of hyperspectral imaging and to focus primarily on its applications in the field of quality evaluation of agro-food products as well as its future applicability in modern food industries and research.
Chronic Morphine Treatment Attenuates Cell Growth of Human BT474 Breast Cancer Cells by Rearrangement of the ErbB Signalling Network

Background There is increasing evidence that opioid analgesics may interfere with tumour growth. It is currently thought that these effects are mediated by transactivation of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-controlled ERK1/2 and Akt signalling. The growth of many breast cancer cells is dependent on hyperactive ErbB receptor networks and one of the most successful approaches in antineoplastic therapy during the last decade was the development of ErbB-targeted therapies. However, the response rates of single therapies are often poor and resistance mechanisms evolve rapidly. To date there is no information about the ability of opioid analgesics to interfere with the growth of ErbB-driven cancers. Methods and Principal Findings Here we demonstrate that ErbB2 overexpressing BT474 human breast cancer cells carry fully functional endogenous µ-opioid receptors. Most interestingly, the acute opioid effects on basal and Heregulin-stimulated ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation changed considerably during chronic Morphine treatment. Investigation of the underlying mechanism by the use of protein kinase inhibitors and co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed that chronic Morphine treatment results in rearrangement of the ErbB signalling network leading to dissociation of ERK1/2 from Akt signalling and a switch from ErbB1/ErbB3 to ErbB1/ErbB2-dependent cell growth. In chronically Morphine-treated cells Heregulin-stimulated ERK1/2 signalling is redirected via a newly established PI3K- and metalloproteinase-dependent feedback loop. Together, these alterations result in apoptosis of BT474 cells. A similar switch in Heregulin-stimulated ERK1/2 signalling from an ErbB2-independent to an ErbB2-, PI3K- and metalloproteinase-dependent mechanism was also observed in κ-opioid receptor expressing SKBR3 human mammary adenocarcinoma cells. Conclusions and Significance The present data demonstrate that the ErbB receptor network of human breast cancer cells represents a target for chronic Morphine treatment. Rearrangement of ErbB signalling by chronic Morphine may provide a promising strategy to enhance the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to ErbB-directed therapies and to prevent the development of escape mechanisms.
High power frequency multipliers to 330 GHz

The development of GaAs Schottky diodes using substrate transfer techniques is presented. It is argued that these devices are limited in power handling by the choice of substrate material. To mitigate against these thermal effects, the migration to CVD diamond substrates is a logical progression. A significant programme aimed at developing this technology is presented.
Biaxial mechanics and inter‐lamellar shearing of stem‐cell seeded electrospun angle‐ply laminates for annulus fibrosus tissue engineering

The annulus fibrosus (AF) of the intervertebral disk plays a critical role in vertebral load transmission that is heavily dependent on the microscale structure and composition of the tissue. With degeneration, both structure and composition are compromised, resulting in a loss of AF mechanical function. Numerous tissue engineering strategies have addressed the issue of AF degeneration, but few have focused on recapitulation of AF microstructure and function. One approach that allows for generation of engineered AF with appropriate (+/−)30° lamellar microstructure is the use of aligned electrospun scaffolds seeded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and assembled into angle‐ply laminates (APL). Previous work indicates that opposing lamellar orientation is necessary for development of near native uniaxial tensile properties. However, most native AF tensile loads are applied biaxially, as the disk is subjected to multi‐axial loads and is constrained by its attachments to the vertebral bodies. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biaxial mechanical response of engineered AF bilayers, and to determine the importance of opposing lamellar structure under this loading regime. Opposing bilayers, which replicate native AF structure, showed a significantly higher modulus in both testing directions compared to parallel bilayers, and reached ∼60% of native AF biaxial properties. Associated with this increase in biaxial properties, significantly less shear, and significantly higher stretch in the fiber direction, was observed. These results provide additional insight into native tissue structure–function relationships, as well as new benchmarks for engineering functional AF tissue constructs. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31: 864–870, 2013
Recovery of Stem Cells from Cryopreserved Periodontal Ligament

Human post-natal stem cells possess a great potential to be utilized in stem-cell-mediated clinical therapies and tissue engineering. It is not known whether cryopreserved human tissues contain functional post-natal stem cells. In this study, we utilized human periodontal ligament to test the hypothesis that cryopreserved human periodontal ligament contains retrievable post-natal stem cells. These cryopreserved periodontal ligament stem cells maintained normal periodontal ligament stem cell characteristics, including expression of the mesenchymal stem cell surface molecule STRO-1, single-colony-strain generation, multipotential differentiation, cementum/periodontal-ligament-like tissue regeneration, and a normal diploid karyotype. Collectively, this study provides valuable evidence demonstrating a practical approach to the preservation of solid-frozen human tissues for subsequent post-natal stem cell isolation and tissue regeneration. The present study demonstrates that human post-natal stem cells can be recovered from cryopreserved human periodontal ligament, thereby providing a practical clinical approach for the utilization of frozen tissues for stem cell isolation.
Aetiological Influences on Stability and Change in Emotional and Behavioural Problems across Development: A Systematic Review

Emotional and behavioural problems in childhood and adolescence can be chronic and are predictive of future psychiatric problems. Understanding what factors drive the development and maintenance of these problems is therefore crucial. Longitudinal behavioural genetic studies using twin, sibling or adoption data can be used to explore the developmental aetiology of stability and change in childhood and adolescent psychopathology. We present a systematic review of longitudinal, behavioural genetic analyses of emotional and behavioural problems between ages 0 to 18 years. We identified 58 studies, of which 19 examined emotional problems, 30 examined behavioural problems, and 9 examined both. In the majority of studies, stability in emotional and behavioural problems was primarily genetically influenced. Stable environmental factors were also widely found, although these typically played a smaller role. Both genetic and environmental factors were involved in change across development. We discuss the findings in the context of the wider developmental literature and make recommendations for future research.
Impaired CXCR4 Signaling Contributes to the Reduced Neovascularization Capacity of Endothelial Progenitor Cells From Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Transplantation of bone marrow cells as well as circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) enhances neovascularization after ischemia. The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is essential for migration and homing of hematopoietic stem cells. Therefore, we investigated the role of CXCR4 and its downstream signaling cascade for the angiogenic capacity of cultured human EPC. Ex vivo, differentiated EPC derived from peripheral blood abundantly expressed CXCR4. Incubation of EPC from healthy volunteers with neutralizing antibodies against CXCR4 profoundly inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor– and stromal-derived factor-1–induced migration as well as EPC-induced angiogenesis in an ex vivo assay. Preincubation of transplanted EPC with CXCR4 antibody reduced EPC incorporation and impaired blood-flow recovery in ischemic hindlimbs of nude mice (57±4% of normal perfusion versus untreated EPC: 80±11%, P<0.001). Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) or EPC of heterozygous CXCR4+/− mice displayed reduced CXCR4 expression and disclosed impaired in vivo capacity to enhance recovery of ischemic blood flow in nude mice (blood flow 27±11% versus 66±25% using wild-type cells, P<0.01). Importantly, impaired blood flow in ischemic CXCR4+/− mice was rescued by injection of wild-type BM-MNC. Next, we investigated the role of CXCR4 for functional capacities of EPC from patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Surface expression of CXCR4 was similar in EPC from patients with CAD compared with healthy controls. However, basal Janus kinase (JAK)-2 phosphorylation was significantly reduced and less responsive to stromal-derived factor-1 in EPC from patients with CAD compared with healthy volunteers, indicating that CXCR4-mediated JAK-2 signaling is dysregulated in EPC from patients with CAD. The CXCR4 receptor signaling profoundly modulates the angiogenic activity and homing capacity of cultured human EPC. Disturbance of CXCR4 signaling, as demonstrated by reduced JAK-2 phosphorylation, may contribute to functional impairment of EPC from patients with CAD. Stimulating CXCR4 signaling might improve functional properties of EPC and may rescue impaired neovascularization capacity of EPC derived from patients with CAD.
Covert visual attention modulates face-specific activity in the human fusiform gyrus: fMRI study.

Several lines of evidence demonstrate that faces undergo specialized processing within the primate visual system. It has been claimed that dedicated modules for such biologically significant stimuli operate in a mandatory fashion whenever their triggering input is presented. However, the possible role of covert attention to the activating stimulus has never been examined for such cases. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to test whether face-specific activity in the human fusiform face area (FFA) is modulated by covert attention. The FFA was first identified individually in each subject as the ventral occipitotemporal region that responded more strongly to visually presented faces than to other visual objects under passive central viewing. This then served as the region of interest within which attentional modulation was tested independently, using active tasks and a very different stimulus set. Subjects viewed brief displays each comprising two peripheral faces and two peripheral houses (all presented simultaneously). They performed a matching task on either the two faces or the two houses, while maintaining central fixation to equate retinal stimulation across tasks. Signal intensity was reliably stronger during face-matching than house matching in both right- and left-hemisphere predefined FFAs. These results show that face-specific fusiform activity is reduced when stimuli appear outside (vs. inside) the focus of attention. Despite the modular nature of the FFA (i.e., its functional specificity and anatomic localization), face processing in this region nonetheless depends on voluntary attention.
Prevention of bullying in early educational settings: pedagogical and organisational factors related to bullying

Research suggests that bullying behaviour begins at an early age (three to six years) and that preventive practices should target early educational settings. However, no previous studies focus on early educational settings (kindergartens) as an arena for bullying behaviour. The aim of this study was to find what kind of organisational and pedagogical practices used in kindergartens are related to bullying behaviour and the prevention of bullying. The data collected from a survey of day-care staff in the city of Vantaa (n = 771). The results of this study indicate that three factors explain 20% of bullying. First, the relative number of children with special educational needs in the group was highly significant in terms of the prevalence of bullying. Second, the use of methods of discipline was also significant. Third, if the staff evaluated that their expertise in intervening in bullying situations is high, the amount of bullying is less. In conclusion, the prevalence of bullying can be reduced by increasing support for children with special educational needs in their peer relationships. In addition, replacing strict discipline methods with more sensitive methods had several positive impacts on the child group, including a decrease in bullying behaviour.
Back Stepping Sliding Mode Control of Blood Glucose for Type I Diabetes

Abstract—Diabetes is a growing health problem in worldwide. Especially, the patients with Type 1 diabetes need strict glycemic control because they have deficiency of insulin production. This paper attempts to control blood glucose based on body mathematical body model. The Bergman minimal mathematical model is used to develop the nonlinear controller. A novel back-stepping based sliding mode control (B-SMC) strategy is proposed as a solution that guarantees practical tracking of a desired glucose concentration. In order to show the performance of the proposed design, it is compared with conventional linear and fuzzy controllers which have been done in previous researches. The numerical simulation result shows the advantages of sliding mode back stepping controller design to linear and fuzzy controllers.
Treatment of Chronic Hypertension for the Prevention of Stroke

Because current therapies for acute stroke are limited, attention must be paid to primary and secondary prevention of stroke. This article focuses on the treatment of chronic hypertension in particular. There is no “one-size-fits-all” treatment, although recent randomized trials have shown that certain agents may be more helpful. Although an exhaustive review would require a textbook, this article reviews some major recent trials and provides evidence-based guidelines for treatment of hypertension for both primary and secondary prevention of stroke.
Cost-effectiveness of malaria diagnostic methods in sub-Saharan Africa in an era of combination therapy.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness in different sub-Saharan African settings of presumptive treatment, field-standard microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to diagnose malaria. METHODS We used a decision tree model and probabilistic sensitivity analysis applied to outpatients presenting at rural health facilities with suspected malaria. Costs and effects encompassed those for both patients positive on RDT (assuming artemisinin-based combination therapy) and febrile patients negative on RDT (assuming antibiotic treatment). Interventions were defined as cost-effective if they were less costly and more effective or had an incremental cost per disability-adjusted life year averted of less than US$ 150. Data were drawn from published and unpublished sources, supplemented with expert opinion. FINDINGS RDTs were cost-effective compared with presumptive treatment up to high prevalences of Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia. Decision-makers can be at least 50% confident of this result below 81% malaria prevalence, and 95% confident below 62% prevalence, a level seldom exceeded in practice. RDTs were more than 50% likely to be cost-saving below 58% prevalence. Relative to microscopy, RDTs were more than 85% likely to be cost-effective across all prevalence levels, reflecting their expected better accuracy under real-life conditions. Results were robust to extensive sensitivity analysis. The cost-effectiveness of RDTs mainly reflected improved treatment and health outcomes for non-malarial febrile illness, plus savings in antimalarial drug costs. Results were dependent on the assumption that prescribers used test results to guide treatment decisions. CONCLUSION RDTs have the potential to be cost-effective in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Appropriate management of malaria and non-malarial febrile illnesses is required to reap the full benefits of these tests.
Synaptic Plasticity and Memory

Changing synaptic connections between neurons is widely assumed to be the mechanism by which memory traces are encoded and stored in the central nervous system. In its most general form, the " synaptic plasticity and memory hypothesis " states that during formation of memories appropriate synapses undergo activity­dependent alterations, and that synaptic plasticity is both necessary and sufficient for the storage of information underlying the type of memory mediated by the brain area in which that plasticity is observed. This hypothesis has been formulated mainly from theoretical reasoning about the computational power of neural networks. Very recently, experimental evidence on this hypothesis has accumulated to an amount that can now be considered as increasingly evidential. Nevertheless, the question of how memories can persist despite ongoing synaptic plasticity is still unresolved. This " plasticity­ stability dilemma " is lately becoming an important focus of research on synaptic physiology.
Translating TED speeches by recurrent neural network based translation model

This paper presents our recent progress on translating TED speeches1, a collection of public lectures covering a variety of topics. Specially, we use word-to-word alignment to compose translation units of bilingual tuples and present a recurrent neural network-based translation model (RNNTM) to capture long-span context during estimating translation probabilities of bilingual tuples. However, this RNNTM has severe data sparsity problem due to large tuple vocabulary and limited training data. Therefore, a factored RNNTM, which takes bilingual tuples in addition to source and target phrases of the tuples as input features, is proposed to partially address the problem. Our experimental results on the IWSLT2012 test sets show that the proposed models significantly improve the translation quality over state-of-the-art phrase-based translation systems.
Partner support and gender: Contexts for coping with job loss

This study examines the ways in which partner support and gender mediate the individual's experience of active coping in unemployment. The results revealed the impact of gender and partner support upon the meaning, value and impact of purposive activity in a sample of 75 unemployed women and men with dependent children. In particular, respondents with supportive partners reported better relationship quality, lower severity of problems, and a lower incidence of use of both active and avoidance coping strategies and less reliance on the support of professionals. Overall, women reported poorer relationship quality; while lack of support from the partner had a much greater effect on women than on men. Unsupported women reported higher problem severity and a greater need for practical help outside the family. The results are discussed in the light of the need to elaborate the conceptual and relational underpinnings of proactivity in unemployment research.
A clustering approach for anonymizing distributed data streams

Privacy preserving data mining have been studied widely on static data. Static algorithms are not suitable for streaming data. This imposes the study of new algorithms for privacy preserving that cope with data streams characteristics. Recently, effective anonymization algorithms have been studied on centralized data streams. In this paper we propose an approach for anonymizing distributed data streams based on clustering. First, anonymization is performed locally at each site by clustering a single stream, then local clusters are exchanged between sites through a global server to construct global clusters. The algorithm is shown to be effective when compared to a centralized algorithm and to the case where no communication is exchanged between sites. In addition, empirical results on real and synthetic data sets have shown that the proposed algorithm gives better information loss when compared to the without communication case and close results to the centralized case. Moreover, the algorithm is shown to be efficient in terms of communication and scalable with increasing number of sites.