Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Functional Neuroimaging in Pre-Surgical Epilepsy Evaluation

The prevalence of epilepsy is about 1% and one-third of cases do not respond to medical treatment. In an eligible subset of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, surgical resection of the epileptogenic zone is the only treatment that can possibly cure the disease. Non-invasive techniques provide information for the localization of the epileptic focus in the majority of cases, whereas in others invasive procedures are required. In the last years, non-invasive neuroimaging techniques, such as simultaneous recording of functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalogram (EEG-fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), electric and magnetic source imaging (MSI, ESI), spectroscopy (MRS), have proved their usefulness in defining the epileptic focus. The combination of these functional techniques can yield complementary information and their concordance is crucial for guiding clinical decision, namely the planning of invasive EEG recordings or respective surgery. The aim of this review is to present these non-invasive neuroimaging techniques, their potential combination, and their role in the pre-surgical evaluation of patients with pharmaco-resistant epilepsy.
BAT1, a putative anti-inflammatory gene, is associated with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND It is not understood why only a subset of individuals infected with Trypanosoma cruzi develop chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC). Patients with CCC display high levels of circulating proinflammatory cytokines. Heart-infiltrating lymphocytes from patients with CCC also express proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor- alpha and interferon- gamma ) that are detectable in biopsy samples and surgical heart-tissue samples. BAT1, a putative anti-inflammatory gene, presents functional polymorphisms in its promoter region that influence its transcriptional level. METHODS We assessed, by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis, BAT1 variants in the promoter region at positions -22C/G and -348C/T in 154 patients with CCC and in 76 T. cruzi-infected but asymptomatic (ASY) patients. RESULTS Of the patients with CCC, 16% were homozygous for the -22C allele, compared with 4% of the ASY patients (P=.004; odds ratio [OR], 4.7 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.4-16]). A similar trend was observed for the -348C homozygotes (P=.01; OR, 1.9 [95% CI, 1.0-3.5]). Susceptibility to CCC was conferred by the C variants at nt -22 (P=.003; OR, 1.8 [95% CI, 1.2-2.8]) and at nt -348 (P=.02; OR, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.0-2.8]). CONCLUSIONS BAT1 variants previously associated with reduced expression of HLA-B-associated transcript 1 are predictive of the development of CCC. These variants may be less efficient in down-regulating inflammatory responses and may contribute to the elevated production of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with CCC.
Detection and segmentation of tables and math-zones from document images

We propose an algorithm to separate out tables and math-zones from document images. The algorithm relies on the spatial characteristics of tables and math-zones in a document. It has been observed that tables have distinct columns which imply that gaps between the fields are substantially larger than the gaps between the words in text lines and in math-zones the characters and symbols are less dense in comparison to normal text lines. These deceptively simple observations have led us to design a simple but powerful table and math-zone detection system with low computation cost.
International Journal of Copd Dovepress Rhinosinusitis in Copd: Symptoms, Mucosal Changes, Nasal Lavage Cells and Eicosanoids

The coexistence of upper airways disease with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not well documented. The aim of this research was to assess sino-nasal inflammation in COPD by various tools, and look for the impact on quality of life, relation to smoking, disease severity and systemic inflammation. Current and ex-smokers with COPD (n = 42) and healthy never-smokers (n = 21) were included in this study. COPD severity was assessed by GOLD criteria and BODE index. Markers of systemic inflammation were measured. Nasal symptoms and general quality of life were assessed using the questionnaires; sino-nasal questionnaire (SNAQ-11) and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Nasal endoscopy and saccharine test were performed. Nasal lavages were collected for cytological examination and eicosanoids (cysteinyl leukotrienes, leukotriene B4, 8-isoprostane). Symptoms and endoscopic scores were higher in COPD (P  0.0001). Only SGRQ symptoms subscore correlated with SNAQ-11 (r = 0.34, P = 0.035). Mucociliary clearance was impaired only in current smokers (9.91 ± 0.49 versus 13.12 ± 0.68 minutes, P  0.001). 8-isoprostane was higher in COPD smokers compared to the controls (0.17 ± 0.04 versus 0.34 ± 0.09 pg/g protein, P  0.05). Endoscopic score and mucociliary of impairment patients who currently smoked cigarettes correlated with concentrations of 8-isoprostane. None of the parameters correlated with disease severity and markers of systemic inflammation. We provide evidence of upper airways disease in COPD, which appears to be related more to patients who currently smoke than to disease severity.
Shape from Multiple Cues: Integrating Local Brightness Information

In this paper, a novel approach to shape from multiple cues is further refined and applied to the task of combining contours with local brightness information. The approach, furtheron called the sculptor's principle, does not attempt to construct an 'optimum' solution but rather finds an enclosing volume that must contain the true solution. Shape from contours algorithms only provide accurate results for points on the convex hull of object. The shape ambiguity at concave parts, however, has to be removed by integrating complementary shape cues. This is addressed by a new idea of how to exploit the local brightness information, the luminance, for reconstruction purposes. The shape from luminance algorithm is illustrated on the enclosing volume of a dummy.
Herpes simplex virus type 2: epidemiology and management options in developing countries

Genital herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2) is highly prevalent worldwide and an increasingly important cause of genital ulcer disease (GUD). Continued HSV2 transmission is facilitated by the large number of undiagnosed cases, the frequency of atypical disease and the occurrence of asymptomatic shedding. The lack of easy, affordable diagnostic methods and specific antiviral treatment in countries with low and middle income is of great concern, given the ability of GUD to enhance HIV transmission and acquisition. With rising HSV2 prevalence contributing to an increase in the proportion of GUD attributed to genital herpes in high-HIV prevalence settings, a safe and effective HSV vaccine is urgently needed. Meanwhile, multifaceted interventions are required to improve recognition of genital herpes, to prevent its spread and also to prevent its potential to promote HIV transmission in developing countries.
Democracy in Transition: A Micro perspective on System Change in Post-Socialist Societies

This paper examines how the system change following the collapse of socialism affected the political outlook of citizens by comparing the satisfaction with democracy among several generations of Eastern Europeans. I investigate whether people who were mainly influenced by a socialist upbringing have problems with adjusting to the circumstances of democratic regimes or, alternatively, whether the consolidation of democracy is driven by economic considerations. Using pooled cross-sectional data covering the period from 1990 to 2003, this study employs generalized additive models, which allow the separation of generational differences. The paper obtains strong support for the socialist socialization hypothesis, but also finds evidence that Eastern Europeans’ assessment of the economic situation reduces the impact of generational differences on democratic support. This research provides important insights into the micro mechanisms underlying system change from authoritarian regimes to democracy.
Iterated Consensus Clustering : A Technique We Can All Agree On

Cluster Analysis is a field of Data Mining used to extract underlying patterns in unclassified data. Many existing clustering algorithms are inadequate in that they require knowledge of how many clusters exist in the data, otherwise known as k, and that their underlying assumptions make them ineffective in certain situations. The method of Consensus Clustering seeks to rectify the latter problem by incorporating the results of multiple clustering algorithms to achieve one final grouping. We investigate a novel method of Iterative Consensus Clustering (ICC) which solves both issues. The iteration of the consensus clustering technique widens the eigengap associated with the Perron cluster, giving a more definitive, and more accurate, estimation of the number of clusters, k.
Multi-paradigm Logic Programming a Simple Operational Model for Concurrent Functional Logic Programming

In this paper we specify an operational semantics which combines the most important operational principles of functional logic languages, namely residuation and narrowing. Narrowing combines eecient evaluation principles of functional languages with the problem-solving capabilities of logic programming. Residuation restricts this combination but adds the possibility of concurrent computations. We show that it is possible to combine both principles in a simple and coherent way such that this combination ooers features of all three programming paradigms.
Food wastage footprint: Impacts on natural resources - Summary report

The Food Wastage Footprint model (FWF) is a project of the Natural Resources Management and Environment Department. Phase I of the project has been commissioned to BIO-Intelligence Service, France. This Summary Report presents the preliminary results of the FWF modeling, as related to the impacts of food loss and waste on climate, land, water and biodiversity. The full technical report of the FWF model is available upon request from FAO. Phase II of the FWF project is expanding the model to include modules on full-cost accounting of environmental and social externalities of food wastage, with also comparison with food wastage reduction investment costs and footprint scenarios for 2050. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate acknowledgement of FAO as the source and copyright holder is given and that FAO's endorsement of users' views, products or services is not implied in any way. All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be made via Executive summary 6 Introduction 8 Context and definitions 8 Scope and methodology 9 Food wastage volumes 11 Carbon footprint 16 Water footprint 26 Land use 36 Biodiversity 47 Economic assessment 55 Cross-analysis and key findings 57 Potential improvement areas 59 References 60 Figure 1: Sources of food wastage and sources of environmental impacts in the food life cycle 10 Figure 2: Total agricultural production (FBS) vs. food wastage volumes 12 Figure 3: Food wastage volumes, at world level by phase …
Causal considerations on alcohol and HIV/AIDS--a systematic review.

AIM The study aimed to explore the possible causal nature of the association between alcohol consumption and HIV/AIDS. METHODS A review based on meta-analyses and reviews was conducted according to standard epidemiological criteria to distinguish causality from association, examining (i) the potential impact of alcohol on the incidence of HIV and (ii) alcohol's impact on worsening the disease course. RESULTS In terms of incidence of HIV, although we found a consistent and strong association with consumption, there was not enough evidence for a causal connection. In particular, it is not clear whether personality traits such as sensation seeking or sexual compulsivity and psychiatric disorders such as antisocial personality disorder impact both alcohol consumption and risky sex, subsequently creating an association between both behaviors. In terms of worsening the disease course of HIV/AIDS, we found enough evidence for a causal impact of alcohol. Alcohol affects the immune system, thus contributing to a worsened course of HIV/AIDS. In addition, alcohol negatively impacts on behaviors that include support seeking and medication adherence. CONCLUSIONS A randomized controlled clinical trial targeted toward at-risk HIV-negative individuals who live in areas with high HIV prevalence is suggested to test the effects of proven effective alcohol interventions on HIV incidence.
How States are Meeting the Highly Qualified Teacher Component of NCLB

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Inverse dynamics of Hexa Parallel Robot based on the Lagrangian equations of first type

Based on the Lagrangian equations of first type, the coordinate system is constructed according to the mechanical characteristics of Hexa Parallel Robot. The generalized coordinates are composed of six actuated independent coordinates plus redundant coordinates denoting the position and three Euler angles of active platform. After formulating the Lagrangian function, combining the constraint equations, the dynamics model of Hexa Parallel Robot is established.
Hemisphere, a fully decoupled parallel 2-DOF spherical mechanism

This paper presents a fully decoupled parallel 2-DOF spherical mechanism, named HEMISPHERE. First, the design idea is introduced based on a general 2-DOF spherical mechanism. Then, a practical architecture is presented, which employs only two kinds of 1-DOF kinematic pairs: revolute joint and prismatic pair. Next, following the discussion about the limitation from the friction circle of the revolute joint, the modified mechanisms are given, which can provide a hemisphere workspace.
Depressive Cognitions May Affect Cingulate Neurochemistry in ADHD Patients

Objectives: The anterior cingulate is thought to be essentially involved in impulsivity and affect regulation and in the pathogenesis of depression as well as of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. At the same time alterations in glutamatergic neurotransmission in the frontal forebrain have been found in imaging studies in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and in depressive patients. Therefore we hypothesized that glutamate/glutamine (Glx) signals in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of depressed ADHD patients might differ from that in non-depressed patients. Methods: Fourteen male adult patients with ADHD were included into the study. Chemical Shift Imaging of ACC was performed. Subgroups were defined based on scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and ratios of metabolites were compared between groups. Additionally correlation analyses of BDI scores with metabolite ratios were calculated. Results: Significantly lower Glx signals and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) signals were found in the left anterior cingulate cortex of depressed ADHD patients. The Glx/Cr and NAAX/Cr ratios in the left ACC correlated significantly with BDI-scores. Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first report about a relationship between depressive symptoms and metabolite disturbances in ACC of adult patients with ADHD. Our preliminary data produce first evidence for a putative link between neurochemical alterations in the ACC and depressive symptoms. They should be controlled for in further studies.
Stable walking of a quadruped robot on uneven terrains with friction constraints

One of advantages of legged robots rather than wheeled robots is their mobilability on uneven terrains. To achieve reliable motion and improve performance characteristics of these robots in such environments, COG path planning is one of the main issues which must be taken into account. In this paper, a new stability criterion is introduced to ensure the robot stability on uneven terrains. To avoid feet slippage, the friction cone is approximated by a pyramid and is applied into optimization problem leading to a linear form. The validity of the proposed algorithm is performed by simulation analysis of a quadruped robot.
Democracy and Security: A Shotgun Marriage?

The relationship between democracy, security and development is at the heart of global liberal governance. It has been enshrined by the UN as a guiding principle of international cooperation1. At the same time it is hotly disputed. On the one hand by realists who argue that promotion of democracy conflicts with the requirements of security and unduly restrains the pursuit of national interest. On the other hand by radical critics who view it as an ideological fig-leaf for intervention by powerful international actors in the affairs of poor and vulnerable countries.
Wall clutter mitigation based on eigen-analysis in through-the-wall radar imaging

This paper presents an effective approach for mitigating the wall EM returns in through-the-wall radar imaging. The wall returns tend to obscure indoor targets, rendering target detection and classification difficult, if not impossible. The proposed approach recognizes the relative strength of the front wall returns compared to behind-the-wall targets, and uses eigen-structure methods to identify, and then remove the wall subspace that is typically associated with the dominant eigenvalues. The paper provides analyses of wall and target subspace characteristics, dwelling on the underlying property that the wall and target subspaces are, in most cases, spanned by complex sinusoidal components. It is shown that both the wall and the target subspaces can be of multiple dimensions. The paper demonstrates, using simulated and real data, the effectiveness of the proposed approach and compares its performance to that of background subtraction.
Haptic Gripper with Adjustable Inherent Passive Properties

This paper describes the design and implementation of an experimental teleoperation setup with adjustable inherent properties for both the master and the slave interface. With this setup certain aspects of biological inspired teleoperation can be explored. The system consists of two identical 1 degree of freedom devices with structural stiness adjustable between 0.2 and 100N/mm and a relative damping adjustable between 0 and 1.
Treatment of radiation-induced cystitis and vulvodynia via a ganglion impar block using a lateral approach under computed tomography guidance: a case report

Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) after colorectal cancer surgery can prevent local recurrence, but has several side effects. Precise injection of drugs into the affected areas is complicated by radiation-induced fibrosis of soft or connective tissue. A 48-year-old woman experienced severe intractable perineal pain, dysuria, urinary urgency, and frequent urination after rectal cancer surgery and adjuvant RT, and was diagnosed with radiation-induced cystitis and vulvodynia. Her symptoms persisted despite two fluoroscopy-guided ganglion impar blocks. Fluoroscopy revealed atypical needle tip positioning and radiolucent dye distribution, presumably due to radiation-induced fibrosis in the target region. We performed two computed tomography (CT)-guided ganglion impar blocks by using a lateral approach, which allowed more accurate po-sitioning of the needle tip. Her pain visual analog score decreased from 9 to 3, and she recently resumed sexual intimacy. CT guidance is a viable alternative to fluoroscopy guidance when performing ganglion impar blocks in fibrotic areas.
Quantifying qualitative features of Block Design performance among healthy older adults.

Block Design tasks are neuropsychologically valuable, but standard scoring sacrifices potentially useful information that could elucidate the cognitive processes underlying performance failures. Qualitative indices that were proposed in the WAIS-R-NI [Kaplan, E. , Fein, D. , Morris, R. , & Delis, D. (1991). The WAIS-R as a neuropsychological instrument [Manual]. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation] should help to remedy this situation but have received little research attention. We present WAIS-R Block Design data for 177 healthy older adults (aged 50-90) incorporating several qualitative measures, outlining normative ranges and examining age differences. Proportional scoring, counts of single-block placement and rotation errors, counts of parameter-violating errors such as breaking configuration, and availability of implicit grid information all offer potentially valuable supplementary data that can enrich clinical interpretation of Block Design protocols.
Evolution of Open Source Software Systems - A Large-Scale Investigation

– In this paper, the evolution of a large sample of open source software projects will be analysed. The evolution of commercial systems has been an issue that has long been a center of research, thus a coherent theoretical framework of software evolution has been developed and empirically tested. Therefore these results can be used to compare the situation in open source projects to the evolution of commercial projects. This allows to assess whether the underlying software process indeed significantly differs. The data collection methodology relying on a large software repository and the respective source code control systems is described, and an overview on the collected data on several thousand projects is given. The evolutionary behaviour is explored using both a linear and a quadratic model, with the quadratic model significantly outperforming the linear one. The most interesting fact is that while in the mean the growth rate is decreasing over time according to the laws of software evolution, especially larger projects with a higher number of participants might be more often able to sustain super-linear growth.