Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Residual visual processing following real or virtual lesions to primary visual pathways

Lesions to the primary geniculo-striate visual pathway cause blindness in the contralesional visual field. Nevertheless, previous studies have suggested that patients with visual field defects may still be able to implicitly process the affective valence of unseen emotional stimuli (affective blindsight) through alternative visual pathways bypassing the striate cortex. These alternative pathways may also allow exploitation of multisensory (audio-visual) integration mechanisms, such that auditory stimulation can enhance visual detection of stimuli which would otherwise be undetected when presented alone (crossmodal blindsight). The present dissertation investigated implicit emotional processing and multisensory integration when conscious visual processing is prevented by real or virtual lesions to the geniculo-striate pathway, in order to further clarify both the nature of these residual processes and the functional aspects of the underlying neural pathways. The present experimental evidence demonstrates that alternative subcortical visual pathways allow implicit processing of the emotional content of facial expressions in the absence of cortical processing. However, this residual ability is limited to fearful expressions. This finding suggests the existence of a subcortical system specialised in detecting danger signals based on coarse visual cues, therefore allowing the early recruitment of flight-or-fight behavioural responses even before conscious and detailed recognition of potential threats can take place. Moreover, the present dissertation extends the knowledge about crossmodal blindsight phenomena by showing that, unlike with visual detection, sound cannot crossmodally enhance visual orientation discrimination in the absence of functional striate cortex. This finding demonstrates, on the one hand, that the striate cortex plays a causative role in crossmodally enhancing visual orientation sensitivity and, on the other hand, that subcortical visual pathways bypassing the striate cortex, despite affording audio-visual integration processes leading to the improvement of simple visual abilities such as detection, cannot mediate multisensory enhancement of more complex visual functions, such as orientation discrimination.
Saccade target selection in macaque during feature and conjunction visual search

To gain insight into how vision guides eye movements, monkeys were trained to make a single saccade to a specified target stimulus during feature and conjunction search with stimuli discriminated by color and shape. Monkeys performed both tasks at levels well above chance. The latencies of saccades to the target in conjunction search exhibited shallow positive slopes as a function of set size, comparable to slopes of reaction time of humans during target present/absent judgments, but significantly different than the slopes in feature search. Properties of the selection process were revealed by the occasional saccades to distractors. During feature search, errant saccades were directed more often to a distractor near the target than to a distractor at any other location. In contrast, during conjunction search, saccades to distractors were guided more by similarity than proximity to the target; monkeys were significantly more likely to shift gaze to a distractor that had one of the target features than to a distractor that had none. Overall, color and shape information were used to similar degrees in the search for the conjunction target. However, in single sessions we observed an increased tendency of saccades to a distractor that had been the target in the previous experimental session. The establishment of this tendency across sessions at least a day apart and its persistence throughout a session distinguish this phenomenon from the short-term (<10 trials) perceptual priming observed in this and earlier studies using feature visual search. Our findings support the hypothesis that the target in at least some conjunction visual searches can be detected efficiently based on visual similarity, most likely through parallel processing of the individual features that define the stimuli. These observations guide the interpretation of neurophysiological data and constrain the development of computational models.
An Access Control Model for Resource Sharing Based on the Role-Based Access Control Intended for Multi-Domain Manufacturing Internet of Things

Manufacturing Internet of Things (MIoT) represents the manufacturing oriented to Internet of Things with two important characteristics, resource sharing and process collaboration. Access control in resource sharing is very important for MIoT operation safety. This paper presents an access control model for resource sharing based on the role-based access control intended for multidomain MIoT. In multidomain systems, in order to response on the assigning request for permission for the certain role from the certain user, an authority action sequence named the authorization route is employed to determine an appropriate authorization state. In this paper, the best authorization route with the least spread of permissions is defined as an optimal authorization route. We employed an intelligent planning theory to model the authorization route problem and to develop a solution algorithm called PGAO*, which can support external evaluation of both single-goal-role authorization routes and multi-goal-role authorization routes. In addition, some simple policies for solving the authorization route problem are presented. The proposed access control model provides a quick and efficient authorization decision support for administrators in collaborative domain and ensures a secure access in resource sharing in MIoT.
CHRONIC STRESS, INFLAMMATION, AND PROGRESSION OF CAROTID ARTERY ATHEROSCLEROSIS: A MEDIATION MODEL

Psychosocial stress might account for some of the variance in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk that is not explained by traditional risk factors. Most studies of stress and CVD have focused on (a) stress in a single life domain, and (b) clinical CVD outcomes. Few studies have examined physiologic mechanisms that might explain the association between stress and CVD. The primary aim of the present study was to examine whether: (1) chronic stress predicts changes in carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque; and (2) the association between chronic stress and changes in these surrogate CVD endpoints is mediated by inflammatory processes. A secondary aim was to investigate whether individual differences in cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) moderates the association between stress and changes in IMT and plaque. The sample (n=276; M age=60.5), was a subset of the Pittsburgh Healthy Heart Project, a longitudinal investigation of the effects of psychosocial and biological risk factors on surrogate CVD endpoints among healthy older adults. Chronic stress was assessed at baseline with the Chronic Stress Scale (CSS; Norris & Uhl, 1993), a self-report survey that measures stress in 7 life domains during the preceding 6 months. Chronic stress was computed in terms of (a) scores on the 7 CSS subscales and (b) average score across all 7 subscales. Ultrasound IMT measures were taken at baseline and 3 years later. Mean IMT was derived by taking the bilateral average of far wall common, internal and bulb measures. IMT change was computed as the arithmetic difference between follow-up and baseline values. Plaque change was computed as the number of visible lesions at follow-up less the number of lesions at baseline. Blood draws for inflammatory markers and CVR testing were conducted at separate baseline visits. Results failed to support the mediation model. Only the CSS physical stress subscale was an independent predictor of IMT change (b=.02, t=2.13, p=.03). CSS scores were unrelated to plaque, or to inflammatory marker levels. Results did not differ according to CVR. Findings question the importance of chronic stress, as measured by global self-report, as a predictor of change in IMT and plaque.
A Segment Transmission Secure Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

A new wireless sensor networks (WSNs) routing protocol which based on the classic flooding and gossiping is presented. When selecting the transmit route, the source sensor node uses the lightweight cryptography and lets several sensor nodes to encrypt and transmit data cooperatively, thus it can lighten the load of single sensor node, ensure the communication security, provide good load balancing and a higher lifetime of the network
Extension of the concept of random polytopes and robust stabilization synthesis

In this paper, we introduce families of what we call random polytopes, which are defined through random matrices. Then, we discuss robustly stabilizing state feedback synthesis for discrete-time plants whose dynamics are characterized by the families. Random polytopes enable us to deal with uncertainties in the distributions underlying stochastic systems. Through extending the concept of the polytopes (from the viewpoint of probability measures), we develop a framework of robust stabilization synthesis that can tackle larger classes of uncertainties in the distributions.
Mathematical Techniques for Efficient Record Segmentation in Large Shared Databases

It is possible to significantly reduce the average cost of information retrieval from a large shared database by partitioning data items stored within each record into a primary and a secondary record segment. An analytic model, based upon knowledge of data item lengths, transportation costs, and retrieval patterns, is developed to assist an analyst with this assignment problem. The model is generally applicable to environments in which a database resides in secondary storage, and is useful for both uniprogramming and multiprogramming systems. A computationally tractable record design algorithm has been implemented as a Fortran program and applied to numerous problems. Realistic examples are presented which demonstrate a potential for reducing total system cost by more than 65 percent.
Robust Bell Inequalities from Communication Complexity

The question of how large Bell inequality violations can be, for quantum distributions, has been the object of much work in the past several years. We say that a Bell inequality is normalized if its absolute value does not exceed 1 for any classical (i.e. local) distribution. Upper and (almost) tight lower bounds have been given for the quantum violation of these Bell inequalities in terms of number of outputs of the distribution, number of inputs, and the dimension of the shared quantum states. In this work, we revisit normalized Bell inequalities together with another family: inefficiency-resistant Bell inequalities. To be inefficiency-resistant, the Bell value must not exceed 1 for any local distribution, including those that can abort. This makes the Bell inequality resistant to the detection loophole, while a normalized Bell inequality is resistant to general local noise. Both these families of Bell inequalities are closely related to communication complexity lower bounds. We show how to derive large violations from any gap between classical and quantum communication complexity, provided the lower bound on classical communication is proven using these lower bound techniques. This leads to inefficiency-resistant violations that can be exponential in the size of the inputs. Finally, we study resistance to noise and inefficiency for these Bell inequalities.
An introduction to multiscale defined systems: self-organising IFS fractal networks

Deterministic multiscale defined representational forms have found a significant role in the theory and application of signal processing. The most widely important form for signal and system modelling is likely to be multiscale defined wavelets. Another class of multiscale representation which has attracted consistent interest is the group of signal models defined in terms of iterated function systems (IFS). This paper is concerned with widening the IFS application to include system modelling, particularly of neural network-like structures. We introduce an interpolating IFS model as a form of self-organising map with global fractal constraints. Symbolic addressing is employed to discretize the attractor into pseudo-network nodes. We present in detail an online gradient based algorithm for training. This particular model is intended for efficient pattern recognition in complex environments, for example, with multifractal sources such as those seen in network traffic and general turbulence.
Improved Embedding for Prediction-Based Reversible Watermarking

This paper aims at reducing the embedding distortion of prediction error expansion reversible watermarking. Instead of embedding the entire expanded difference into the current pixel, the difference is split between the current pixel and its prediction context. The modification of the context generates an increase of the following prediction errors. Global optimization is obtained by tuning the amount of data embedded into context pixels. Prediction error expansion reversible watermarking schemes based on median edge detector (MED), gradient-adjusted predictor (GAP), and a simplified GAP version, SGAP, are investigated. Improvements are obtained for all the predictors. Notably good results are obtained for SGAP-based schemes. The improved SGAP appears to outperform GAP-based reversible watermarking.
Cope's Rule and Romer's theory: patterns of diversity and gigantism in eurypterids and Palaeozoic vertebrates

Gigantism is widespread among Palaeozoic arthropods, yet causal mechanisms, particularly the role of (abiotic) environmental factors versus (biotic) competition, remain unknown. The eurypterids (Arthropoda: Chelicerata) include the largest arthropods; gigantic predatory pterygotids (Eurypterina) during the Siluro-Devonian and bizarre sweep-feeding hibbertopterids (Stylonurina) from the Carboniferous to end-Permian. Analysis of family-level originations and extinctions among eurypterids and Palaeozoic vertebrates show that the diversity of Eurypterina waned during the Devonian, while the Placodermi radiated, yet Stylonurina remained relatively unaffected; adopting a sweep-feeding strategy they maintained their large body size by avoiding competition, and persisted throughout the Late Palaeozoic while the predatory nektonic Eurypterina (including the giant pterygotids) declined during the Devonian, possibly out-competed by other predators including jawed vertebrates.
Dissection of Z-disc myopalladin gene network involved in the development of restrictive cardiomyopathy using system genetics approach

AIM To investigate the regulation of Myopalladin (Mypn) and identify its gene network involved in restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). METHODS Gene expression values were measured in the heart of a large family of BXD recombinant inbred (RI) mice derived from C57BL/6J and DBA/2J. The proteomics data were collected from Mypn knock-in and knock-out mice. Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping methods and gene enrichment analysis were used to identify Mypn regulation, gene pathway and co-expression networks. RESULTS A wide range of variation was found in expression of Mypn among BXD strains. We identified upstream genetic loci at chromosome 1 and 5 that modulate the expression of Mypn. Candidate genes within these loci include Ncoa2, Vcpip1, Sgk3, and Lgi2. We also identified 15 sarcomeric genes interacting with Mypn and constructed the gene network. Two novel members of this network (Syne1 and Myom1) have been confirmed at the protein level. Several members in this network are already known to relate to cardiomyopathy with some novel genes candidates that could be involved in RCM. CONCLUSION Using systematic genetics approach, we constructed Mypn co-expression networks that define the biological process categories within which similarly regulated genes function. Through this strategy we have found several novel genes that interact with Mypn that may play an important role in the development of RCM.
A Cookbook for Temporal Conceptual Data Modelling with Description Logics

We design temporal description logics (TDLs) suitable for reasoning about temporal conceptual data models and investigate their computational complexity. Our formalisms are based on DL-Lite logics with three types of concept inclusions (ranging from atomic concept inclusions and disjointness to the full Booleans), as well as cardinality constraints and role inclusions. The logics are interpreted over the Cartesian products of object domains and the flow of time (ℤ, <), satisfying the constant domain assumption. Concept and role inclusions of the TBox hold at all moments of time (globally), and data assertions of the ABox hold at specified moments of time. To express temporal constraints of conceptual data models, the languages are equipped with flexible and rigid roles, standard future and past temporal operators on concepts, and operators “always” and “sometime” on roles. The most expressive of our TDLs (which can capture lifespan cardinalities and either qualitative or quantitative evolution constraints) turns out to be undecidable. However, by omitting some of the temporal operators on concepts/roles or by restricting the form of concept inclusions, we construct logics whose complexity ranges between NLogSpace and PSpace. These positive results are obtained by reduction to various clausal fragments of propositional temporal logic, which opens a way to employ propositional or first-order temporal provers for reasoning about temporal data models.
Antemortem MRI findings correlate with hippocampal neuropathology in typical aging and dementia

ObjectivesTo assess the diagnostic specificity of MRI-defined hippocampal atrophy for AD among individuals with a variety of pathologically confirmed conditions associated with dementia as well as changes attributable to typical aging, and to measure correlations among premortem MRI measurements of hippocampal atrophy, mental status examination performance, and the pathologic stage of AD. MethodsAn unselected series of 67 individuals participating in the Mayo Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center/Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Registry who had undergone a standardized antemortem MRI study and also postmortem examination were identified. Hippocampal volumes were measured from antemortem MRI. Each postmortem specimen was assigned a pathologic diagnosis and in addition, the severity of AD pathology was staged using the method of Braak and Braak. ResultsIndividuals with an isolated pathologic diagnosis of AD, hippocampal sclerosis, frontotemporal degeneration, and neurofibrillary tangle–only degeneration usually had substantial hippocampal atrophy, while those with changes of typical aging did not. Among all 67 subjects, correlations (all p < 0.001) were observed between hippocampal volume and Braak and Braak stage (r = −0.39), between hippocampal volume and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score (r = 0.60), and between MMSE score and Braak and Braak stage (r = −0.41). ConclusionsHippocampal atrophy, while not specific for AD, was a fairly sensitive marker of the pathologic AD stage (particularly among subjects with isolated AD pathology [r = −0.63, p = 0.001]) and consequent cognitive status.
MiniMesh: an opportunistic transmission protocol for the IEEE 802.15.3 MAC

This paper proposes MiniMesh, an opportunistic transmission mechanism for the IEEE 802.15. 3 medium access control (MAC) protocol; a key technology to realizing wireless personal area networks (WPANs). MiniMesh exploits the varying channel conditions to devices in a WPAN, thereby enabling the sender and receiver of a flow to transmit at high data rates when the channel condition is favorable. In addition, MiniMesh addresses the coverage problem that limits peer-to-peer communications and is backward compatible with the IEEE 802.15. 3 specification. We have implemented MiniMesh and the DS-UWB physical layer that offers data rates ranging from 28 Mbps to 1 Gbps in the ns-2 simulator. Our results show devices obtain at least a three fold increase in throughput when only the piconet controller is serving as a relay; further increases are possible with additional relays. Moreover, a flow experiences faster recovery from packet loss and is able to maintain a high throughput even when channel conditions worsen.
Risk Factors for Lung Cancer among Northern Thai Women: Epidemiological, Nutritional, Serological, and Bacteriological Surveys of Residents in High‐ and Low‐incidence Areas

Lung cancer incidence among Northern Thai women is one of the highest in Asia (an annual age‐adjusted incidence rate of 37.4 per 100,000), and the incidence rate significantly differs by geographical districts. Therefore, we conducted a comparative study of women living in the Sarapee area, which showed the highest (crude incidence rate, 40.9), and the Chom Tong area, which had one of the lowest incidence rates (8.5) in Chiang Mai Province, despite the two areas' geographical and cultural closeness. The women in this study were either family members of lung cancer patients or their neighbors. To find clues to the etiology of lung cancer, this study used various epidemiological and biochemical approaches: interviewing on lifestyle factors, duplicate meals, chemical examination of drinking water, biochemical analysis of sera, mutagenicity test of urine, and monitoring of fungi and bacteria in the living environment. We found that tobacco smoking (Khiyo, local cigars) was less frequently observed in Sarapee (high incidence), compared with Chom Tong (low incidence), and that the history of chronic benign respiratory diseases was the most distinct event among women in Sarapee, resulting in a significantly increased percentage of those with a history of both benign respiratory diseases and tobacco smoking. This population revealed increased levels of serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, an endogenous tumor promoter. Furthermore, significantly increased urine mutagenicity was found to be closely associated with history of benign respiratory disease in Sarapee. The fungus which was most commonly found in the air inside houses in Sarapee was identified as Microsporum canis. Additionally, significantly increased serum concentrations of a constituent of the fungus were found in Sarapee women, compared with those in Chom Tong. Our results suggest that tobacco (Khiyo) smoking alone may not be able to explain the very high incidence of female lung cancer in Northern Thailand, and that chronic benign respiratory disease, possibly caused by the infection of fungi such as M. canis, is likely to be involved in the etiology of female lung cancer in North Thailand.
Alternation as a programming paradigm

Alternation is a common tool in complexity theory, where it has been used to prove various complexity classifications. In this work, we show that it can also be used to enhance the expressive power of the imperative part of a programming language. In particular, we present Alter-Java -- an extension of Java by language constructs to express alternation, i.e., a sequence of "there exists" and "for all" statements. Moreover, we show that many practical problems have a very natural and succinct description in terms of alternation. In order to guarantee an efficient execution of such programs, we have introduced several optimizations. We also report on experiments with our implementation of Alter-Java. The results thus obtained illustrate that our alternation framework leads to competitive running times while the code to be written is significantly shorter than without this new language feature.