Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tinnitus, biomarkers and quality of life in an older population

Tinnitus is the conscious perception of a sound without a corresponding external acoustic stimulus, usually described as a phantom perception. One of the major challenges for tinnitus research is to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms triggering and maintaining the symptoms. Our objective was to synthesize the published literature in order to provide a comprehensive update on theoretical and experimental advances and to identify further research and clinical directions. We performed literature searches in three electronic databases, complemented by scanning reference lists from relevant reviews in our included records, citation searching of the included articles using Web of Science, and manual searching of the last six months of principal otology journals. One-hundred and thirty-two records were included in the review and the information related to peripheral and central mechanisms of tinnitus pathophysiology was collected in order to update on theories and models. A narrative synthesis examined the main themes arising from this information. Tinnitus pathophysiology is complex and multifactorial, involving the auditory and non-auditory systems. Recent theories assume the necessary involvement of extra-auditory brain regions for tinnitus to reach consciousness. Tinnitus engages multiple active dynamic and overlapping networks. We conclude that advancing knowledge concerning the origin and maintenance of specific tinnitus subtypes origin and maintenance mechanisms is of paramount importance for identifying adequate treatment.
Rehospitalization in the First Year Following Veteran and Service Member TBI: A VA TBI Model Systems Study

Objective:To determine the incidence and causes of rehospitalization following military or Veteran traumatic brain injury (TBI). Setting:Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers (VHA PRCs). Participants:Consecutive sample of VHA TBI Model System participants (N = 401). Design:Prospective observational cohort study. Main Measures:Number and type of rehospitalizations in first year post-TBI. Results:Forty-one percent of 401 participants were rehospitalized. Rehospitalization status was associated with greater injury severity and receipt of TBI while active duty. Of those rehospitalized, 30% had 2 or more readmissions. Participants experiencing multiple rehospitalizations (2+) were more likely to have sustained their TBI during deployment than those with none or single rehospitalization. This group also sustained more severe injuries and spent more time in VA PRC inpatient rehabilitation. Common reasons for rehospitalization included inpatient rehabilitation (33%), unspecified (26%), orthopedic (10%), seizures (8%), infection (8%), and psychiatric (7%). Conclusion:This is the first study examining military and Veteran rehospitalization following TBI requiring inpatient rehabilitation at a VA PRC. Findings indicate frequent rehospitalizations in the first year postinjury, suggesting the need for preventive models of health maintenance following inpatient rehabilitation discharge. Greater surveillance of those with deployment-related TBI or active duty at the time of injury and greater TBI severity may be warranted.
A fast pattern-match engine for network processor-based network intrusion detection system

Network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) are one of the latest developments in security. The matching of packet strings against collected signatures dominates signature-based NIDS performance. This work presents FNP/sup 2/, an efficient pattern-matching engine designed for Network Processor platform which conducts matching sets of patterns in parallel. This work shows that combining our string matching methodology, hashing engine supported by most network processors, and characteristics of current Snort signatures frequently improves performance and reduces number of memory accesses compared to current NIDS pattern matching algorithms. Another contribution is to highlight that, besides total number of searching patterns, shortest pattern length is also a major influence on NIDS multi-pattern matching algorithm performance.
Regional brain activation associated with different performance patterns during learning of a complex motor skill.

In understanding the brain's response to extensive practice and development of high-level, expert skill, a key question is whether the same brain structures remain involved throughout the different stages of learning and a form of adaptation occurs, or a new functional circuit is formed with some structures dropping off and others joining. After training subjects on a set of complex motor tasks (tying knots), we utilized fMRI to observe that in subjects who learned the task well new regional activity emerged in posterior medial structures, i.e. the posterior cingulate gyrus. Activation associated with weak learning of the knots involved areas that mediate visual spatial computations. Brain activity associated with no substantive learning indicated involvement of areas dedicated to the declarative aspects learning such as the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex. The new activation for the pattern of strong learning has alternate interpretations involving either retrieval during episodic memory or a shift toward non-executive cognitive control of the task. While these interpretations are not resolved, the study makes clear that single time-point images of motor skill can be misleading because the brain structures that implement action can change following practice.
Varieties of profinite graphs

Abstract We consider pro- graphs for certain categories of finite graphs which we call pseudovarieties. After exploring some of the general theory, we specialize to a particular pseudovariety, denoted by , that arises naturally in constructing end point compactifications of connected abstract graphs. The structure of Pro- graphs and their fundamental profinite groups are shown to be analogous in certain ways to that of abstract graphs and their fundamental groups.
A Polynomial Approximation Motion Estimation Model for Motion-Compensated Frame Interpolation

Motion-compensated frame interpolation (MCFI) usually finds the most matched blocks by minimizing pixel intensity discrepancies between neighboring frames along the motion trajectory. However, the quality of interpolated frames is susceptible to inaccurate motion vectors possibly for regions with complex texture patterns, irregularly shaped objects, repeated patterns, motion blurring or aliasing, and so on. It is believed that pixel intensity across adjacent frames varies gradually and smoothly, and therefore can be modeled mathematically by a continuous and differentiable function. Thus, the pixel intensity within one frame can be expressed as either a forward polynomial approximation (FWPA) or a backward polynomial approximation (BWPA) by the Taylor expansion in this paper. The discrepancy between the FWPA and BWPA is employed to find the best motion vector. In addition, a motion-aligned partial derivative is proposed to calculate the Taylor expansion along the motion trajectory. The proposed method is applicable to any existing MCFI schemes and achieve superior performance by consuming relatively more buffer memories and computational resources. Extensive experimentation with comparison with previous techniques validates our method in terms of both objective and subjective criteria.
Knowledge and practice towards care and maintenance of peripheral intravenous cannula among nurses in Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital, Nepal

The study is mainly concerned about the care and maintenance of peripheral intravenous cannulation: to determine the knowledge and practice of nurses towards care and maintenance of IV cannula and to find out the obstacles encountered in caring and maintaining IV cannula. Intravenous cannulation is a common procedure performed by nurses in every hospital and closely associated with the risk of nosocomial infections if standard care is not provided.
Correlations between heart rate and lactic acid during submaximal exercise in dog.

Five healthy Golden Retrievers aged from 1.5 to 3 years old, three males and two females, were studied during a normal “playing” time considered as submaximal exercise, under ordinary circumstances, preserving the usual routine (location, normal weather conditions, to the same group). From the medical history, it was excluded previous symptoms as fatigue or other cardiac related symptoms based on subjective observations. Each individual heart rate was measured ten minutes intervals, during 60 minutes exercises, using a heart rate monitor device. Blood lactate was measured with fast strip, at the beginning and at the end of the test. The results showed that heart rate was normal in 4 cases, ranging between 101 and 173 beats per minute( bpm), and abnormal in one dog reaching the maximal heart rate during a submaximal test, with four consecutive values between 215 and 245 bpm. The lactate values were normal for all the subjects, at the end of the test, none of the dogs achieving the superior lactate threshold. After performing a cardiac examination in all five subjects (including Doppler echocardiography and Holter electrocardiogram), a good correlation was observed between heart rate values of the dog that reached maximal heart rate and a suspicion of a cardiac problem (preclinical case of dilated cardiomyopathy), but no evidence of altered or a raise in blood lactate under this submaximal test.
Efficient in-network aggregation for wireless sensor networks with fine grain location-based cluster

Ambient data generated by sensor nodes must be forwarded to sink node and made available to central system for further processing. Additionally, in a densely deployed sensor network, data are correlated and redundancy may occur. To minimize energy consumption, data may be aggregated during forwarding process. Although clustering helps in eliminating redundancy and prolonging network lifetime, but the formation and maintaining of cluster heads is energy consuming. Utilizing fine-grain location-based cluster (enhanced Virtual Infrastructure - eVI) [2] we demonstrate that clustering without cluster heads can provide energy efficient in-network aggregation and offers inherent default aggregators for fault-tolerance. Centralized routing for eVI cannot be done implicitly as in Virtual Infrastructure (VI) [1]. Each fine grain clusters must be scheduled properly during data forwarding in reducing energy usage due to data collision. Exploitation of mobile sink requires non-centralized routing in minimizing delay and data loss. Hybrid routing is proposed in which dynamic destination cluster is determined as a data collection point. Simulation results demonstrate that the in-network processing of clustering without cluster head performs better than cluster with a head.
Broadcasting with an Energy Harvesting Rechargeable Transmitter

In this paper, we investigate the transmission completion time minimization problem in an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) broadcast channel, where the transmitter is able to harvest energy from the nature, using a rechargeable battery. The harvested energy is modeled to arrive at the transmitter during the course of transmissions. The transmitter has a fixed number of packets to be delivered to each receiver. The objective is to minimize the time by which all of the packets are delivered to their respective destinations. To this end, we optimize the transmit powers and transmission rates in a deterministic setting. We first analyze the structural properties of the optimal transmission policy in a two-user broadcast channel via the dual problem of maximizing the departure region by a fixed time T. We prove that the optimal total transmit power sequence has the same structure as the optimal single-user transmit power sequence in . In addition, the total power is split optimally based on a cut-off power level; if the total transmit power is lower than this cut-off level, all transmit power is allocated to the stronger user; otherwise, all transmit power above this level is allocated to the weaker user. We then extend our analysis to an M-user broadcast channel. We show that the optimal total power sequence has the same structure as the two-user case and optimally splitting the total power among M users involves M-1 cut-off power levels. Using this structure, we propose an algorithm that finds the globally optimal policy. Our algorithm is based on reducing the broadcast channel problem to a single-user problem as much as possible. Finally, we illustrate the optimal policy and compare its performance with several suboptimal policies under different settings.
Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Survivors’ Help-Seeking

Intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors often do not seek critically needed help. A good understanding of the relationship between the pattern of violence and help-seeking is critical to developing adequate services for the survivors, as well as for reaching out to those who do not seek help. This study used the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey to examine how IPV survivor’s help-seeking varies, depending on the characteristics of the survivors and the pattern of victimization. Logistic regression analyses were conducted, with the survivors’ help-seeking and use of formal or informal help as the dependent variables. The study results show that women are the primary victims of IPV, that the pattern of victimization is associated with both whether survivors seek help or not, and which help sources they utilize, if any. IPV consequences are also associated with survivors’ help-seeking, as are demographic factors such as age, gender, race, and immigration status.
Extended Experiments for Takeoff and Landing on Slopes via Inclined Hovering with a Tethered Aerial Robot.

This document is a technical attachment to [1], a paper which provides a study and a methodology for landing and takeoff using a passive tether attached to the aerial platform. This document includes a proof of the flatness of the output y_fL (in Section II) and extended results of the experiments not included in [1] because of page limits (in Section III). The reader interested in the analysis and control of tethered aerial vehicles is also referred to [2], [3], where flatness, controllability and observability is studied, to [4] where the case of a moving base is thoroughly analyzed, and to [5], [6] where the case of multiple tethered vehicles is investigated.
Influence of Na+, Dicarboxylic Amino Acids, and pH in Modulating the Low-Calcium Response of Yersinia pestis

ABSTRACT The virulence of yersiniae is promoted in part by shared ≈70-kb plasmids (pCD in Yersinia pestis and pYV in enteropathogenic Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica) that mediate a low-calcium response. This phenotype is characterized at 37°C by either bacteriostasis in Ca2+-deficient medium with expression of pCD/pYV-encoded virulence effectors (Yops and LcrV) or vegetative growth and repression of Yops and LcrV with ≥2.5 mM Ca2+ (Lcr+). Regulation of Yops and LcrV is well defined but little is known about bacteriostasis other than that Na+ plus l-glutamate promotes prompt restriction of Y. pestis. As shown here, l-aspartate substituted for l-glutamate in this context but only Na+ exacerbated the nutritional requirement for Ca2+. Bacteriostasis of Y. pestis (but not enteropathogenic yersiniae) was abrupt in Ca2+-deficient medium at neutral to slightly alkaline pH (7.0 to 8.0), although increasing the pH to 8.5 or 9.0, especially with added Na+ (but not l-glutamate), facilitated full-scale growth. Added l-glutamate (but not Na+) favored Ca2+-independent growth at acidic pH (5.0 to 6.5). Yops and LcrV were produced in Ca2+-deficient media at pH 6.5 to 9.0 regardless of the presence of added Na+ or l-glutamate, although their expression at alkaline pH was minimal. Resting Ca2+-starved Lcr+ cells of Y. pestis supplied with l-glutamate first excreted and then destroyed l-aspartate. These findings indicate that expression of Yops and LcrV is necessary but not sufficient for bacteriostasis of Ca2+-starved yersiniae and suggest that abrupt restriction of Y. pestis requires Na+ and the known absence of aspartate ammonia-lyase in this species.
Impossibility of Linear Two-Port Noise-Parameter Measurement with a Single Temperature Noise Source

The noise parameters of a linear two-port are usually evaluated through four measurements of the noise figure of the two-port, and the noise figure is in turn determined through the measurements of the noise power output of the two-port when a noise source is connected at its input. It is shown that if the noise power output is the only measured quantity, then the noise parameters cannot be calculated from measurements carried out with a single value of the source noise temperature. The minimum requirements for the determination of noise parameters are established.
Quantum computing: How far away is it?

Moore's law is pushing the technology to the scale where quantum phenonema, such as quantum tunneling, can no longer be ignored. Where in conventional CMOS one tries to avoid unwanted quantum behaviour, quantum computing actually embraces these phenomena for computational purposes. The famous physicist Richard Feyman was the first to describe the idea of using superposition and entanglement as a way to model and simulate quantum phenomena.
[Allergic conjunctival diseases].

The definition, classification, pathogenesis, test methods, clinical findings, criteria for diagnosis, and therapies of allergic conjunctival disease are summarized based on the Guidelines for Clinical Management of Allergic Conjunctival Disease (Second Edition) revised in 2010. Allergic conjunctival disease is defined as “a conjunctival inflammatory disease associated with a Type I allergy accompanied by some subjective or objective symp-toms. ” Allergic conjunctival disease is classified into allergic conjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, and giant papillary conjunctivitis. Representative subjective symptoms include ocular itching, hyperemia, and lacrimation, whereas objective symptoms include conjunctival hyperemia, swelling, follicu-losis, and papillae. Patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis, which is characterized by conjunctival proliferative changes called giant papilla accompanied by varying extents of corneal lesion, such as corneal erosion and shield ulcer, complain of foreign body sensation, ocular pain, and photophobia. In the diagnosis of allergic conjunctival diseases, it is required that type I allergic diathesis is present, along with subjective and objective symptoms accompanying allergic inflammation. The diagnosis is ensured by proving a type I allergic reaction in the conjunctiva. Given that the first-line drug for the treatment of allergic conjunctival disease is an antiallergic eye drop, a steroid eye drop will be selected in accordance with the severity. In the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis, an immunosuppressive eye drop will be concomitantly used with the abovementioned drugs.
A Tool for Interactive Data Visualization: Application to Over 10,000 Brain Imaging and Phantom MRI Data Sets

In this paper we propose a web-based approach for quick visualization of big data from brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans using a combination of an automated image capture and processing system, nonlinear embedding, and interactive data visualization tools. We draw upon thousands of MRI scans captured via the COllaborative Imaging and Neuroinformatics Suite (COINS). We then interface the output of several analysis pipelines based on structural and functional data to a t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) algorithm which reduces the number of dimensions for each scan in the input data set to two dimensions while preserving the local structure of data sets. Finally, we interactively display the output of this approach via a web-page, based on data driven documents (D3) JavaScript library. Two distinct approaches were used to visualize the data. In the first approach, we computed multiple quality control (QC) values from pre-processed data, which were used as inputs to the t-SNE algorithm. This approach helps in assessing the quality of each data set relative to others. In the second case, computed variables of interest (e.g., brain volume or voxel values from segmented gray matter images) were used as inputs to the t-SNE algorithm. This approach helps in identifying interesting patterns in the data sets. We demonstrate these approaches using multiple examples from over 10,000 data sets including (1) quality control measures calculated from phantom data over time, (2) quality control data from human functional MRI data across various studies, scanners, sites, (3) volumetric and density measures from human structural MRI data across various studies, scanners and sites. Results from (1) and (2) show the potential of our approach to combine t-SNE data reduction with interactive color coding of variables of interest to quickly identify visually unique clusters of data (i.e., data sets with poor QC, clustering of data by site) quickly. Results from (3) demonstrate interesting patterns of gray matter and volume, and evaluate how they map onto variables including scanners, age, and gender. In sum, the proposed approach allows researchers to rapidly identify and extract meaningful information from big data sets. Such tools are becoming increasingly important as datasets grow larger.
Brc1-Mediated DNA Repair and Damage Tolerance

The structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) proteins are key elements in controlling chromosome dynamics. In eukaryotic cells, three essential SMC complexes have been defined: cohesin, condensin, and the Smc5/6 complex. The latter is essential for DNA damage responses; in its absence both repair and checkpoint responses fail. In fission yeast, the UV-C and ionizing radiation (IR) sensitivity of a specific hypomorphic allele encoding the Smc6 subunit, rad18-74 (renamed smc6-74), is suppressed by mild overexpression of a six-BRCT-domain protein, Brc1. Deletion of brc1 does not result in a hypersensitivity to UV-C or IR, and thus the function of Brc1 relative to the Smc5/6 complex has remained unclear. Here we show that brc1Δ cells are hypersensitive to a range of radiomimetic drugs that share the feature of creating lesions that are an impediment to the completion of DNA replication. Through a genetic analysis of brc1Δ epistasis and by defining genes required for Brc1 to suppress smc6-74, we find that Brc1 functions to promote recombination through a novel postreplication repair pathway and the structure-specific nucleases Slx1 and Mus81. Activation of this pathway through overproduction of Brc1 bypasses a repair defect in smc6-74, reestablishing resolution of lesions by recombination.
Designing collaborative media: a challenge for CHI?

Collaborative media refers to digital media where people outside the traditional media industries participate in production as well as infrastructural design. We argue that (1) people's use of computers today increasingly comprise communicating in collaborative media, and that (2) designing collaborative media implies fundamental changes to design processes and designer roles, which in turn (3) forms a challenge to the proactive position of the CHI community in shaping future computer use.