Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
State-Dependent Entrainment of Prefrontal Cortex Local Field Potential Activity Following Patterned Stimulation of the Cerebellar Vermis

The cerebellum is involved in sensorimotor, cognitive, and emotional functions through cerebello-cerebral connectivity. Cerebellar neurostimulation thus likely affects cortical circuits, as has been shown in studies using cerebellar stimulation to treat neurological disorders through modulation of frontal EEG oscillations. Here we studied the effects of different frequencies of cerebellar stimulation on oscillations and coherence in the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex in the urethane-anesthetized rat. Local field potentials were recorded in the right lateral cerebellum (Crus I/II) and bilaterally in the prefrontal cortex (frontal association area, FrA) in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Stimulation was delivered to the cerebellar vermis (lobule VII) using single pulses (0.2 Hz for 60 s), or repeated pulses at 1 Hz (30 s), 5 Hz (10 s), 25 Hz (2 s), and 50 Hz (1 s). Effects of stimulation were influenced by the initial state of EEG activity which varies over time during urethane-anesthesia; 1 Hz stimulation was more effective when delivered during the slow-wave state (Stage 1), while stimulation with single-pulse, 25, and 50 Hz showed stronger effects during the activated state (Stage 2). Single-pulses resulted in increases in oscillatory power in the delta and theta bands for the cerebellum, and in frequencies up to 80 Hz in cortical sites. 1 Hz stimulation induced a decrease in 0–30 Hz activity and increased activity in the 30–200 Hz range, in the right FrA. 5 Hz stimulation reduced power in high frequencies in Stage 1 and induced mixed effects during Stage 2.25 Hz stimulation increased cortical power at low frequencies during Stage 2, and increased power in higher frequency bands during Stage 1. Stimulation at 50 Hz increased delta-band power in all recording sites, with the strongest and most rapid effects in the cerebellum. 25 and 50 Hz stimulation also induced state-dependent effects on cerebello-cortical and cortico-cortical coherence at high frequencies. Cerebellar stimulation can therefore entrain field potential activity in the FrA and drive synchronization of cerebello-cortical and cortico-cortical networks in a frequency-dependent manner. These effects highlight the role of the cerebellar vermis in modulating large-scale synchronization of neural networks in non-motor frontal cortex.
A Novel Mutation in an NPXY Motif of β Integrin Reveals Phenotypes Similar to him-4/hemicentin

Integrin, an αβ heterodimeric cell surface receptor for the extracellular matrix (ECM), carries two tyrosine phosphorylation motifs in the cytoplasmic tail of the β subunit. NPXY (Asn-Pro-x-Tyr) is a conserved tyrosine phosphorylation motif that binds to the phospho-tyrosine binding (PTB) domain. We generated a tyrosine to glutamic acid (E) mutation to modify tyrosine (Y) into a negatively charged amino NPXY in the βpat-3 integrin of Caenorhabditis elegans. The transgenic rescue animal displayed defects in gonad migration and tail morphology. Also, the mutant animals produced a high number of males, suggesting that the Y to E mutation in βpat-3 integrin causes a phenotype similar to that of Him mutant. Further analyses revealed that males of pat-3(Y804E) and him-4/hemicentin share additional phenotypes such as abnormal gonad and unsuccessful mating. A pat-3 transgenic rescue mutant with a non-polar phenylalanine (F) in NPXY, pat-3(Y792/804F), suppressed the high male number, defective mating, inviable zygote, and the abnormal gonad of him-4 mutants, indicating that Y to F mutation in both NPXY motifs suppressed the him-4 phenotypes. This finding supports the idea that the ECM determines the activation state in integrin NPXY motifs; him-4/hemicentin may directly or indirectly interact with integrins and maintain the NPXY non-charged. Our findings provide new insight into a suppressive role of an ECM molecule in integrin NPXY phosphorylation.
The use of drugs in food animals: benefits and risks.

Herpesviruses isolated from cheetahs. Australian Veterinary Journal 47: 458 10. Truyen U, Stockhofe-Zurwieden N, Kaaden O R, Pohlenz J 1990 A case report: encephalitis in lions. Pathological and virological findings. Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 97: 89–91 11. Van Vuuren M, Stylianides E, Durand A 1997 The prevalence of viral infections in lions and leopards in southern Africa. Proceedings of a Symposium on Lions and Leopards as Game Ranch Animals, Onderstepoort, 23–24 October 1998: 168–173
The Password Literacy in North Macedonia: A Case Study

Following the repeated reports of high prevalence of functional illiteracy in the countries of the Western Balkans, we go on to study the password composition habits of cultural groups from this region. Ina password cracking experiment, we obtain and analyze a number of passwords composed for use in learning management systems (LMS) by recent high-school graduates from North Macedonia. We estimate the strength of these passwords and their crackability by methods adjusted to local cultural specifics. Our results indicate that high extent of general illiteracy is intertwined with low awareness about good password practices, which in turn may lead to creating various vulnerabilities to deployed systems and confidential data. We conclude that, in the studied region, there is an immediate need for educating the population of good password practices and good system and data security practices in general.
Prevalence of Stunting in Mozambique in 1997 and 2003 : Prevalence of Stunting in Children below three years of age in Mozambique in 1997 and 2003: A comparison between two cross-sectional studies from Demographic and Health Surveys

Background: There are 842 million people in the world suffering from undernourishment. Mozambique is one of the countries in the world with a high prevalence of different kinds of malnutrition, stunting being one of these.Aim: To investigate the prevalence of stunting among children below three years of age and determinants for stunting on a national level in Mozambique comparing data from 1997 and 2003 in order to find out what possibly could have contributed to an eventual change.Methods: Two cross-sectional studies, conducted by the DHS, in 1997 (n=3773) and in 2003 (n=5502) in Mozambique were compared. Numerous Pearson’s chi-squared tests, independent t-tests and descriptive calculations were made in order to achieve the results.Results: No significant difference was found in the prevalence of stunting between the years. Determinants such as residential area, wealth index, educational levels, time required to get to a source of drinking water, birth weight, having a health card, antenatal visits, prevalence of diarrhea and fever all showed a significant difference.Discussion: Only the mother’s height and duration of breastfeeding showed no significant differences out of the chosen determinants. An improvement was found for most of the determinants and as poverty decreased during the studied time period, naturally a decreased prevalence of stunting should have occurred.Conclusion: No significant difference in stunting among children below three years of age in Mozambique on a national level in 1997 and 2003 was found.Keywords: Mozambique, malnutrition, undernourishment, stunting, child health
The Welsh homelessness legislation review: delivering universal access to appropriate assistance?

The United Kingdom homelessness legislation was enacted in 1977 and since its inception it has been highly regarded across the world for the right to settled accommodation which it bestows upon homeless households deemed to be in priority need of assistance. However, many criticisms have been laid upon the legal framework, particularly in relation to its selectivity – households deemed not to be in ‘priority need’ are owed no meaningful assistance under the legislation. Until the devolution settlements of 1998/9, homelessness legislation remained fairly uniform across the UK nations. However, constitutional reform brought about the opportunity for significant divergence in housing and homelessness policy. In 2009 the Welsh Assembly Government made a bold commitment to review the legal framework in order to achieve universal access to appropriate assistance for households that are homeless or threatened with homelessness in Wales. This paper critically reflects on the findings of the review and considers whether the vision of universal access to appropriate assistance is likely to be achieved.
A Structured Analysis of Experience Management Techniques

As a field of study, Experience Management spans a set of technology that is becoming increasingly relevant in applications that aim to improve the experiences of their users. Given the youth of the field, however, few attempts have been made to identify and discuss the common elements of systems that manage user experiences as they occur. In this paper, we consider a subset of existing AI experience managers in the context of a shared conceptual framework. We offer directly comparable summaries of the managers that we discuss, and we highlight how some of them use different technologies to perform similar tasks. While many experience managers remain undiscussed, we nonetheless demonstrate that distinct, well-defined components exist across a diverse set of managers, and that a modular method for building new managers might well be within reach.
Plants Explored with Anti-diabetic Properties: A Review

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic heterogeneous disorder; affecting the β-cells of endocrinal pancreatic gland, globally the numbers of cases of diabetes is increasing gradually. There are several medicines available in the market to treat diabetes mellitus but no drug is found to be fully effective and safe. However plants and plant-derived products have proven to be effective and safe in the treatment of various types of diabetes mellitus. In Indian system of medicine, several medicinal plants have found potential use as blood sugar lowering agents. Many of them have been scientifically explored for their usefulness in managing diabetes, the reports of which have been acknowledged and published in a number of scientific journals. At present most research work on diabetic drugs is targeted on plants and plants-derived products. Many natural products and their analogues have been identified as potent anti-diabetic agents. Here, an attempt is being made through this article to provide an in-depth and comprehensive review on various plant species that have been explored as anti-diabetic agents.
The Changing Epidemiology of HIV-Associated Adult Meningitis, Uganda 2015–2017

Abstract Background Central nervous system (CNS) infections remain a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, causing 15%–25% of AIDS-related deaths. With widespread availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the introduction of improved diagnostics, the epidemiology of infectious meningitis is evolving. Methods We prospectively enrolled adults presenting with HIV-associated meningitis in Kampala and Mbarara, Uganda, from March 2015 to September 2017. Participants had a structured, stepwise diagnostic algorithm performed of blood cryptococcal antigen (CrAg), CSF CrAg, Xpert MTB/RIF for tuberculous (TB) meningitis (TBM), Biofire multiplex polymerase chain reaction, and traditional microscopy and cultures. Results We screened 842 consecutive adults with HIV presenting with suspected meningitis: 57% men, median age 35 years, median CD4 26 cells/mcL, and 55% presented on ART. Overall, 60.5% (509/842) were diagnosed with first-episode cryptococcal meningitis and 7.4% (62/842) with second episode. Definite/probable TB meningitis was the primary diagnosis in 6.9% (58/842); 5.3% (n = 45) had microbiologically confirmed (definite) TB meningitis. An additional 7.8% (66/842) did not meet the diagnostic threshold for definite/probable TBM but received empiric TBM therapy. Bacterial and viral meningitis were diagnosed in 1.3% (11/842) and 0.7% (6/842), respectively. The adoption of a cost-effective stepwise diagnostic algorithm allowed 79% (661/842) to have a confirmed microbiological diagnosis at an average cost of $44 per person. Conclusions Despite widespread ART availability, Cryptococcus remains the leading cause of HIV-associated meningitis. The second most common etiology was TB meningitis, treated in 14.7% overall. The increased proportion of microbiologically confirmed TBM cases reflects the impact of new improved molecular diagnostics.
1416. Nocardia beijingensis: A Rare and Unusual Cause of Intracranial Abscess

Abstract Background Nocardia species are thin, aerobic, filamentous, gram-positive bacilli that are ubiquitous in soil worldwide. Nocardia infections are divided into three main categories: pulmonary nocardiosis, disseminated nocardiosis, and cutaneous nocardiosis. Methods We present a case of cerebral nocardiosis in an immunocompetent patient caused by Nocardia beijingensis (NB). Results A 60-year-old Caucasian lady from Florida with type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, presented to the emergency room with complaints of altered mentation. Per husband, she was having episodes of emesis and diarrhea 3 days prior to admission that resolved however, her mentation significantly deteriorated to where she was unable to perform simple chores around the house. Pertinently she had resection of lung mass 2 months prior to admission which found to be benign. Vital sign at admission was stable and on examination, the patient was alert and oriented, however, lethargic appearing. Neurological examination was pertinent for expressive aphasia; however, cranial nerves II-XII were grossly intact. The patient was also found to have a 3 cm by 4 cm, tender, cystic lesion on the left-sided occipital scalp. The remainder of the physical examination was unremarkable. Admission laboratories were remarkable for leukocytosis and hyperglycemia. MRI of the brain was completed that showed multiple areas of vasogenic edema and multiple nodules with the largest being 1.8 cm suggestive of abscesses. She was started empirically on vancomycin, ceftriaxone, metronidazole, and ampicillin. Cerebral spinal fluid showed neutrophilic pleocytosis, low glucose, and high protein. Initial cultures including CSF were negative. Left-sided occipital scalp lesion was excised and sent for pathology and culture. Initial cultures showed gram-positive bacilli, so antibiotics were de-escalated to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and ceftriaxone. Repeat imaging showed improving abscess, and final cultures resulted in NB. Conclusion NB is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia. NB has been associated mainly with infections in immunocompromised. In the United States, the two only other cases of NB described in immunocompetent hosts were interestingly from Florida as well. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.
Costo utilidad de dos técnicas de revascularización miocárdica

I Master en Ciencias de la Salud. Profesor Auxiliar. Instituto de Cardilogía y Cirugía Cardiovascular. La Habana, Cuba. email: acastillo@icccv.sld. cu II Doctora en Ciencias de la Salud. Profesora Titular. Escuela Nacional de Salud Pública. La Habana, Cuba. III Especialista de II grado en Cardiología. Asistente. Instituto de Cardilogía y Cirugía Cardiovascular. La Habana, Cuba. IV Especialista de II grado en Epidemiología. Profesor auxiliar. Instituto de Cardilogía y Cirugía Cardiovascular. La Habana, Cuba. V Médico. Policlínico "Héroes del Moncada". La Habana, Cuba. VI Médico. Policlínico "27 de Noviembre". La Habana, Cuba.
Grand Challenge Pursuits: Insights from a Multi-year DSR Project Stream

We review a 30-year period of systems design efforts that have primarily focused on designing, implementing, and validating a decision support system (DSS) to help managers formulate problems. We do so with intimate knowledge of the projects given that we 1) directly participated in the projects ourselves, 2) directly participated as mentors to the principal researchers, or 3) indirectly participated as colleagues of the principal researchers and were in near proximity of the studies when they occurred. We identify prelude projects from which we define a broadly defined objective: the grand challenge. Foundation projects refine the capabilities and concepts needed to achieve the grand challenge. Realization projects follow that achieve the grand challenge. We argue that, with a grand challenge perspective, we can more clearly how individual DSR efforts contribute to a cumulative body of knowledge while simultaneously providing a context for evaluating individual projects. A grand challenge perspective can also guide design science research.
Readiness for e-health in the developing countries like Pakistan

Modern healthcare services are expanding beyond the traditional methods of physical contact with the patients to the virtual platforms of e-Health. Both biblical and new models are now serving the societies side by side around the planet but in the developing states like Pakistan the concept of e-Health is still alien to masses. Computer-based health information systems are becoming order of the day. It is argued that having a successful e-Health is not simply a purchase of hardware and software; rather it demands social treatment by addressing all the issues of technical, organizational, human and social nature. This paper extracts and juxtaposes the determinants of user-readiness using existing research from all over the world to determine the issue in the perspectives of e-Health in Pakistan.
Phage integration alters the respiratory strategy of its host

Temperate bacteriophages are viruses that can incorporate their genomes into their bacterial hosts, existing there as prophages that refrain from killing the host cell until induced. Prophages are largely quiescent, but they can alter host phenotype through factors encoded in their genomes (often virulence factors) or by disrupting host genes as a result of integration. Here we describe another mechanism by which a prophage can modulate host phenotype. We show that a temperate phage that integrates in Escherichia coli reprograms host regulation of an anaerobic respiratory system, thereby inhibiting a bet hedging strategy. The phage exerts this effect by upregulating a host-encoded signal transduction protein through transcription initiated from a phage-encoded promoter. We further show that this phenomenon occurs not only in a laboratory strain of E. coli, but also in a natural isolate that contains a prophage at this site.
Evaluierung von Liquorpunktion und PCR zur klinischen Diagnose der Enzephalitozoonose beim Kaninchen

The purpose of the present study was the evaluation of the clinical utility of CSF analysis and PCR for the diagnosis of the neurological type of encephalitozoonosis in rabbits. A total of 46 rabbits with neurological symptoms due to encephalitozoonose were included in the study. CSF was examined in 21 rabbits with encephalitozoonosis and 20 healthy laboratory rabbits. In all rabbits collection of CSF was easy to perform. Few rabbits with vestibular disease showed short-term deterioration of neurological symptoms which were completely reversed after eight hours. CSF analysis of laboratory rabbits revealed WBC counts from 0 to 4 cells/µl (median 1.5 cells/µl). The protein level ranged from 0.13 to 0.31 g/l (median 0.24 g/l). In contrast to this, pet rabbits with the neurological type of encephalitozoonosis showed distinct monocytic-lymphocytic pleocytosis with WBC counts from 5 to 78 cells/µl (median 15.3 cells/µl) and increased protein levels from 0.31 to 1.54 g/l (median 0.69 g/l). Compared to healthy rabbits, distinction for both parameters was highly significant (p < 0.001). It was concluded that mononuclear pleocytosis and elevated protein is a regular feature of rabbit encephalitozoonosis. PCR for detection of E. cuniculi DNA as used in this study was based on an established protocol (Katzwinkel-Wladarsch et al. 1996). PCR-testing of CSF revealed positive results only in two of 19 samples (10.5 %), while for urine 15 of 38 samples (39.5 %) tested positive for E. cuniculi-DNA. With microscopy after trichrome stain, however, E. cuniculi spores were detected only in four out of 38 urine samples (10.5 %). All results of trichrome stain correlated with those of PCR. In conclusion, PCR of CSF is no help for diagnosis of encephalitozoonosis in rabbits. PCR for detection of E. cuniculi in urine on the other hand, was found to be far more sensitive than trichrome stain. To determine sensitivity and specificity of this PCR in urine, future studies should include larger numbers of rabbits and those with clinical renal disease.
Obfuscated Android Application Development

Obfuscation techniques help developers to hide their code when distributing an Android application. The used techniques are linked to the features provided by the programming language but also with the way the application is executed. Using obfuscation is now a common practice and specialized companies sell tools or services for automatizing the manipulation of the source code. In this paper, we present how to develop obfuscated applications and how obfuscation technique usage is evolving in the wild. First, using advanced obfuscation techniques requires some advanced knowledge about the development of Android applications. We describe how to build such applications for helping researchers to generate samples of obfuscated applications for their own research. Second, the use of obfuscation techniques is evolving for both regular applications or malicious ones. We aim at measuring the development of these usages by studying application and malware samples and the artifacts that indicate the use of obfuscation techniques.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Conventional-Dose vs Triple-Dose Oseltamivir in Severely Immunocompromised Children With Influenza

Abstract This randomized phase 1b study evaluated the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of conventional-dose (30–75 mg twice daily [BID]) vs triple-dose (90–225 mg BID; weight-adjusted) oseltamivir for treatment of influenza in severely immunocompromised children <13 years. Oseltamivir carboxylate (OC) Cmax and AUC0-12h were ~2-fold higher with triple-dose vs conventional-dose oseltamivir. Increased dose/exposure of oseltamivir/OC did not improve virological outcomes or reduce viral resistance. Median time to cessation of viral shedding was similar with triple-dose and conventional-dose oseltamivir (150.7 vs 157.1 hours, respectively); median time to alleviation of baseline fever was longer with conventional-dose oseltamivir (28.4 vs 11.3 hours). No new safety signals were identified.
Alignment of Player and Non-Player Character Assertiveness Levels

With the intent to broaden videogames’ audiences, and based on the Media Equation study on the law of similarity–attraction, we propose aligning the NPCs’ assertiveness level to the player’s own assertiveness level. We developed a testbed game, a 2D puzzle platformer with a companion NPC, with two versions of the NPC’s behavior, one for each end of the assertiveness scale. We conducted a 2x2, between-subjects experiment (n=48), in which Assertive and Non-Assertive subjects were randomly matched with one of the NPCs. Subjects recognized the NPC’s personality type, giving a significantly higher assertiveness score to the NPC endowed with assertive characteristics. Non-Assertive players reported significantly higher Tension scores when interacting with the Assertive NPC than when interacting with the Non-Assertive NPC. However, based on assertiveness level alignment, there was neither a significant difference in the enjoyment of the experience nor in the player’s affinity for the NPC.