Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spike synchronization in a network of silicon integrate-and-fire neurons

Spike-event based computational processing by neuronal networks depends on a variety of spatio-temporal mechanisms that are distributed across neuronal synapses, dendrites, and somata. The overall processing of spatio-temporal patterns of spike requires global temporal coherence between all these processes both within a neuron, and across all neurons of the network. We are evaluating the use of networks of hybrid analog-digital integrate-and-fire neurons, fabricated using VLSI, for studying real-time event-based processing. These hardware networks have the advantages of real-time operation, and inherent global synchronization by their analog implementation. However, one of the technical challenges in the operation of such networks is the unavoidable fabrication related variance between the different neurons of the network. Here we show that despite this variance, an important behavior of neuronal networks, spike synchronization, can be obtained from a simple network of VLSI neurons interconnected by lateral excitation and global inhibition.
Analisis Penerapan Green Accounting Pada Industri Batik Laweyan

Industri batik adalah salah satu industri yang berkembang di indonesia dan mempunyai kontribusi besar terhadap limbah industri. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui penerapan green accounting pada industri batik di laweyan. Jumlah sampel adalah semua industri batik di laweyan yaitu 34 industri. Teknik pengumpulan data adalah kuesioner. Teknik pengambilan sampel dengan menggunakan convinience . Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa perhatian terhadap lingkungan hidup masuk rata-rata indeks 68,67 yang mempunyai kategori sedang, tanggungjawab lingkungan hidup mempunyai rata-rata indeks 63,20 sehingga masuk kategori sedang, persepsi manajemen terhadap keterlibatan perusahaan dalam masalah lingkungan hidup mempunyai rata- rata indeks 63,20 sehingga masuk kategori sedang, pelaporan akuntansi lingkungan mempunyai rata-rata indeks 70,32 sehingga masuk kategori sedang, dan audit lingkungan mempunyai rata- rata indeks 32,37 sehingga masuk kategori rendah. Desy Nur Pratiwi
Interspecies and intraspecies transmission of influenza A viruses: viral, host and environmental factors

Abstract Influenza A viruses are enveloped viruses belonging to the family Orthomyxoviridae that encompasses four more genera: Influenza B, Influenza C, Isavirus and Thogotovirus. Type A viruses belong to the only genus that is highly infectious to a variety of mammalian and avian species. They are divided into subtypes based on two surface glycoproteins, the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). So far, 16 HA and 9 NA subtypes have been identified worldwide, making a possible combination of 144 subtypes between both proteins. Generally, individual viruses are host-specific, however, interspecies transmission of influenza A viruses is not uncommon. All of the HA and NA subtypes have been isolated from wild birds; however, infections in humans and other mammalian species are limited to a few subtypes. The replication of individual influenza A virus in a specific host is dependent on many factors including, viral proteins, host system and environmental conditions. In this review, the key findings that contribute to the transmission of influenza A viruses amongst different species are summarized.
Perceptions and Experiences with Nursing Care: A Study of Pakistani (Urdu) Communities in the United Kingdom

The population of the United Kingdom reflects rich cultural diversity. Hence, nursing must respond to the challenges of meeting the needs of different ethnic groups and fulfil the requirements of the Code of Professional Conduct. This article presents the findings of a study using grounded theory to explore the lived experience of Pakistani (Urdu-speaking) communities that received nursing care in a hospital setting in the United Kingdom. The study reflects national initiatives toward “consumer led” health care delivery. The findings illustrate a lack of congruence between the group’s expectations and their experiences. Nurses were perceived to have a poor understanding of ethnic needs, portraying ethnocentric attitudes and behaviour. The participants attributed the lack of congruence mainly to the presence of racism in British health care systems. The author suggests possible changes at the strategic, managerial, and educational levels of health care delivery.
Image transmission quality analysis over adaptive Reed-Solomon coding

Image compression standard are sensitive to channel noise, so for noisy channels it is necessary to investigate in order to select the appropriate channel coding method as a trade-off between the image quality and the ability to control errors. Reed-Solomon (RS) codes which are described by Reed and Solomon in 1960[1] are powerful error correcting codes and are becoming more frequently used due to the availability of VLSI components. RS codes have a powerful random and burst correcting ability. The Reed-Solomon code can be adapted towards the burst error correcting capabilities and this will be shown in the contribution. This paper investigates the effects of noise on the performance of Reed-Solomon coding methods for different errors correction capability. First, the relations among the BER, SNR, and code lengths are analysed. Further, the transmission performance of RS codes association with different modem schemes are analysed. The results listed in this article denote the effects of the using RS codes in a selected method. Based on this analysis an adaptive RS scheme is proposed to decide on the correcting capabilities that offers the best reconstructed image quality.
A 1.2-V 250-mW 14-b 100-MS/s Digitally Calibrated Pipeline ADC in 90-nm CMOS

This paper describes a digitally calibrated pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC) implemented in 90 nm CMOS technology with a 1.2 V supply voltage. A digital background calibration algorithm reduces the linearity requirements in the first stage of the pipeline chain. Range scaling in the first pipeline stage enables a maximal 1.6 Vpp input signal swing, and a charge-reset switch eliminates ISI-induced distortion. The 14b ADC achieves 73 dB SNR and 90 dB SFDR at 100 MS/s sampling rate and 250 mW power consumption. The 73 dB SNDR performance is maintained within 3 dB up to a Nyquist input frequency and the FOM is 0.68 pJ per conversion-step.
Converging free and open source software tools for knowledge sharing in smallholder agricultural communities in Sri Lanka

In a world where the notion of ‘sharing of knowledge’ has been gained much prominence in the recent past, the importance of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to promote sustainable agriculture, especially when combined with mobile and open source software technologies is discussed critically. On this rationale, this study was carried out to explore the applicability of the concept of converging ‘Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)’ to promote sustainable knowledge sharing amongst the agricultural communities in Sri Lanka. A multi-stage community consultative process with a set of designated officials (“Sponsors”) and a series of semi-structured questionnaire survey with a cross section of smallholder agriculture farmers (n=246), were carried out in the Batticaloa, Kurunegala and Puttalam districts to gather the baseline data. This was followed by a number of field experiments (“Campaigns”) with the farmers (n=340) from same geographical areas. The two FOSS, namely: (1) “FrontlineSMS” for ‘Text Messaging’ and (2) “FreedomFone” for ‘Interactive Voice Responses’, were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of knowledge sharing within the farming communities. It was found that FOSS intervention increases the ‘Text messaging’ and ‘Voice Call’ usage in day-to-day agricultural communication by 26 and 8 percent, respectively. The demographic factors like age and income level of the farmers has positively influence on the knowledge sharing process. And also the ‘Mobile Telephony’ was the most extensive mode of communication within the communities. The outcome of analysis, as a whole, implies that, with a fitting mechanism in place, this approach can be promoted as a “drive for positive changes” in agriculture-based rural communities in developing countries like Sri Lanka, and those in South and East Asia with similar socio-economic and cultural perspectives.
Detection and tumor staging of malignancy in cystic, intraductal, and solid tumors of the pancreas by EUS.

BACKGROUND EUS can provide detailed imaging of pancreatic malignancies and direct fine needle aspiration (FNA) of pancreatic masses. The ability of EUS to detect and stage malignancy in cystic and intraductal lesions has not been investigated. Our aim was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of EUS imaging and FNA in detecting and staging of malignancy in solid, cystic, and intraductal lesions of the pancreas. METHODS The records of 96 patients (46 solid, 26 cystic, 24 intraductal lesions) who underwent EUS followed by surgical exploration over a 3-year period were reviewed. The accuracy of EUS for detecting and staging malignancy was calculated based on the results of surgery and histology. RESULTS EUS-guided FNA provided evidence of malignancy in solid, cystic, and ductal lesions with sensitivities of 59.5%, 50%, and 60%, respectively. The accuracy of staging by EUS was significantly less for intraductal lesions (47%), compared with cystic (100%) and solid lesions (85%) (p < 0. 05). CONCLUSIONS EUS can be used to detect malignancy in cystic and intraductal tumors of the pancreas.
The interpretation of clinical tests of peripheral vestibular function

Recently, new clinical tests of canal and otolith function have been introduced. They rest on sound anatomical and physiological evidence; however, the interpretation of the results of these tests has only recently been clarified. This review summarizes the anatomical and physiological evidence underpinning the tests of both canal and otolith function to provide a full picture of the interpretation of the tests, which allow the clinician to assess the status of the peripheral vestibular function of a patient—all six canals and four otoliths. The present review does not document all the minute details associated with each test, but provides an overview of the interpretation of properly presented tests and shows typical response profiles of patients with various types of vestibular loss, based on published anatomical, physiological, and clinical evidence.
The Serum and Glucocorticoid Kinase sgk Increases the Abundance of Epithelial Sodium Channels in the Plasma Membrane of Xenopus Oocytes*

The serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase (sgk) is a serine and threonine kinase that stimulates amiloride-sensitive sodium transport in Xenopus oocytes. Because aldosterone induces phosphorylation on serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) residues in the carboxyl termini of β and γ subunits of epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs) and causes an increase in thesgk transcript in mammalian and amphibian renal epithelial cells, it seems likely that sgk mediates the action of aldosterone to stimulate sodium transport. Experiments were performed in Xenopus oocytes to determine the mechanism by whichsgk increases sodium conductance by examining its effect on phosphorylation, kinetics, and membrane abundance of ENaC. Our results demonstrate that deletions of the carboxyl termini of the three subunits do not inhibit sgk-induced sodium current, indicating that the effect of sgk is not mediated via phosphorylation within the carboxyl termini of ENaC. They also show no evidence that sgk reduces the removal of ENaC from the plasma membrane because mutations of tyrosine residues in the sequences necessary for endocytosis and degradation did not affect the response to sgk. Further studies performed with the patch-clamp technique indicated that sgk did not increase the open probability or changed the kinetics of ENaC. These studies, however, showed a 3-fold increase in the abundance of ENaC in the plasma membrane in the presence of sgk compared with control. Together, the experiments indicate that sgk stimulates electrogenic sodium transport by increasing the number of ENaCs at the cell surface and suggest that sgk may mediate the early increase in aldosterone-induced sodium current.
Supply networks in urban logistics– Which strategies for 3PL?

The paper examines the evolution of supply networks as influenced by urban logistics, from the point of view of third party logistics (3PL) companies. 3PL are the firms which have facilitated the development of large retailers for thirty years by offering them highly complex systems of warehouses and platforms to supply stores efficiently. 3PL also initiated sophisticated logistical techniques to reduce stocks in store while controlling order picking costs. Their major strength is the achievement of significant economies of scale through resource sharing for several large retailers, resulting in ever larger warehousing infrastructures. As they developed pooling expertise early on, 3PL could acquire a prominent position in the emerging market in city logistics, in which local authorities are highly involved, a perspective that can only be considered if 3PL are able to develop a first mover advantage.
Modulation of Spatial Orientation Processing by Mental Imagery Instructions: A MEG Study of Representational Momentum

Under appropriate conditions, an observer's memory for the final position of an abruptly halted moving object is distorted in the direction of the represented motion. This phenomenon is called representational momentum (RM). We examined the effect of mental imagery instructions on the modulation of spatial orientation processing by testing for RM under conditions of picture versus body rotation perception and imagination. Behavioral data were gathered via classical reaction time and error measurements, whereas brain activity was recorded with the help of magnetoence-phalography (MEG). Due to the so-called inverse problem and to signal complexity, results were described at the signal level rather than with the source location modeling. Brain magnetic field strength and spatial distribution, as well as latency of P200m evoked fields were used as neurocognitive markers. A task was devised where a subject examined a rotating sea horizon as seen from a virtual boat in order to extrapolate either the picture motion or the body motion relative to the picture while the latter disappeared temporarily until a test-view was displayed as a final orientation candidate. Results suggest that perceptual interpretation and extrapolation of visual motion in the roll plane capitalize on the fronto-parietal cortical networks involving working memory processes. Extrapolation of the rotational dynamics of sea horizon revealed a RM effect simulating the role of gravity in rotational equilibrium. Modulation of the P200m component reflected spatial orientation processing and a non-voluntary detection of an incongruity between displayed and expected final orientations given the implied motion. Neuromagnetic properties of anticipatory (Contingent Magnetic Variation) and evoked (P200m) brain magnetic fields suggest, respectively, differential allocation of attentional resources by mental imagery instructions (picture vs. body tilt), and a communality of neural structures (in the right centro-parietal region) for the control of both RM and mental rotation processes. Finally, the RM of the body motion is less prone to forward shifts than that of picture motion evidencing an internalization of the implied mass of the virtual body of the observer.
GAP‐DEPENDENT RECRUITMENT, REALIZED VITAL RATES, AND SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS OF TROPICAL TREES

In closed-canopy forests, plant morphology and physiology determine shade tolerance and potential growth and mortality rates; potential vital rates and ongoing gap dependence determine realized vital rates; and realized vital rates determine individual size distributions. This hypothesis was evaluated for the 73 most abundant canopy tree species from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. The percentage of recruits located in tree-fall gaps (P), sapling growth (G), and mortality (M) rates, and the coefficient of skewness of size distributions (g1) were determined from censuses of all individuals . 10 mm dbh in a 50- ha plot. Seven qualitative, bivariate predictions relating g1, G, M, P, and wood density (W ) were evaluated. Six of the seven predictions were substantiated in pairwise analyses. A path analysis integrated all seven predictions and explained 51% of the interspecific var- iation in g1. Size distributions with many large individuals and a long tail of relatively rare, small individuals (g1 , 0) characterized gap-dependent species with large fecundity, seed mortality, seedling mortality, G, M, and P. Size distributions with many small individuals and a long tail of relatively rare, large individuals ( g1 . 0) characterized shade-tolerant species with the opposite traits. The percentage of tropical tree species that require tree- fall gaps to regenerate has been estimated to range from ,20% to . 70% for old-growth forests. Our analyses suggest that there are not large numbers of functionally equivalent species at either extreme of the regeneration continuum. Rather, there are very few extremely shade-tolerant and extremely light-demanding species. Most species have intermediate light requirements and lifestyles.
An Extended VIKOR Method Using Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets and Combination Weights for Supplier Selection

Supplier selection is a complex multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem, which considers a number of alternative suppliers as well as conflicting and noncommensurable criteria. Considering the fact that it is difficult to precisely determine criteria weights and the ratings of alternatives on each criterion in real-life situations, the VIKOR (VIsekriterijumska optimizacija i KOmpromisno Resenje) method has been modified for intuitionistic fuzzy data in this study for supplier evaluation and selection. Further, we take into account both subjective and objective weights of criteria in the decision-making process, as most supplier selection approaches consider only subjective criteria weights. Finally, two supplier selection examples are provided to illustrate the proposed intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid VIKOR (IFH-VIKOR) method, and its merits are highlighted by comparing it with other relevant approaches.
Long‐term inhibitory effects of a novel anti‐estrogen on the growth of ZR‐75‐1 and MCF‐7 human breast cancer tumors in nude mice

The effects of the novel anti‐estrogen EM‐343 on the growth of 2 hormone‐responsive human breast cancer tumors have been examined in athymic nude mice. At the low daily dose of 5 μg, EM‐343 administered subcutaneously for 6 months completely blocked the stimulatory effect of endogenous estrogens on the growth of ZR‐75‐1 and MCF‐7 tumors implanted in nude mice. In addition, uterine weight decreased by 60% while ovarian weight increased by 37%. Estrogen receptor (ER) levels measured by [3H]‐labeled estrogen binding were markedly reduced (by 96%, 96% and 92%) in ZR‐75‐1 and MCF‐7 tumors, and in the mouse uterus, respectively. Accompanying the decrease in ER, progesterone receptor levels were reduced by 79%, 87% and 76%, respectively, in the above‐mentioned tissues following EM‐343 treatment. Our data show the pure anti‐estrogenic properties of EM‐343 and its high potency as an inhibitor of growth of human ZR‐75‐1 and MCF‐7 breast tumors in nude mice. Int. J. Cancer 73:735–739, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A new chlamydia-like 16S rDNA sequence from a clinical sample.

Most of us feel, from time to time, that other authors have not acknowledged the work of our own or other groups or have omitted to interpret important aspects of their own data. Perhaps we have observations that, although not sufficient to merit a full paper, add a further dimension to one published by others. In other instances we may have a useful piece of methodology that we would like to share.
MicroRNA in Glioblastoma: An Overview

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain tumor and, even with the current multimodal therapy, is an invariably lethal cancer with a life expectancy that depends on the tumor subtype but, even in the most favorable cases, rarely exceeds 2 years. Epigenetic factors play an important role in gliomagenesis, are strong predictors of outcome, and are important determinants for the resistance to radio- and chemotherapy. The latest addition to the epigenetic machinery is the noncoding RNA (ncRNA), that is, RNA molecules that are not translated into a protein and that exert their function by base pairing with other nucleic acids in a reversible and nonmutational mode. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of ncRNA of about 22 bp that regulate gene expression by binding to complementary sequences in the mRNA and silence its translation into proteins. MicroRNAs reversibly regulate transcription through nonmutational mechanisms; accordingly, they can be considered as epigenetic effectors. In this review, we will discuss the role of miRNA in glioma focusing on their role in drug resistance and on their potential applications in the therapy of this tumor.
Inverse procedural Street Modelling: from interactive to automatic reconstruction. (Modélisation et synthèse 3D procédurale à partir de données urbaines)

World urban population is growing fast, and so are cities, inducing an urgent need for city planning and management.Increasing amounts of data are required as cities are becoming larger, "Smarter", and as more related applications necessitate those data (planning, virtual tourism, traffic simulation, etc.). Data related to cities then become larger and are integrated into more complex city model.Roads and streets are an essential part of the city, being the interface between public and private space, and between urban usages.Modelling streets (or street reconstruction) is difficult because streets can be very different from each other (in layout, functions, morphology) and contain widely varying urban features (furniture, markings, traffic signs), at different scales.In this thesis, we propose an automatic and semi-automatic framework to model and reconstruct streets using the inverse procedural modelling paradigm.The main guiding principle is to generate a procedural generic model and then to adapt it to reality using observations.In our framework, a "best guess" road model is first generated from very little information (road axis network and associated attributes), that is available in most of national databases.This road model is then fitted to observations by combining in-base interactive user edition (using common GIS software as graphical interface) with semi-automated optimisation.The optimisation approach adapts the road model so it fits observations of urban features extracted from diverse sensing data.Both street generation (StreetGen) and interactions happen in a database server, as well as the management of large amount of street Lidar data (sensing data) as the observations using a Point Cloud Server.We test our methods on the entire Paris city, whose streets are generated in a few minutes, can be edited interactively (<0.3 s) by several concurrent users.Automatic fitting (few m) shows promising results (average distance to ground truth reduced from 2.0 m to 0.5m). In the future, this method could be mixed with others dedicated to reconstruction of buildings, vegetation, etc., so an affordable, precise, and up to date City model can be obtained quickly and semi-automatically.This will also allow to such models to be used in other application areas.Indeed, the possibility to have common, more generic, city models is an important challenge given the cost an complexity of their construction