Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Audiovisual temporal binding window narrows with age in autistic individuals

Atypical sensory perception has been recognized in autistic individuals since its earliest descriptions and is now considered a key characteristic of autism. Although the integration of sensory information (multisensory integration; MSI) has been demonstrated to be altered in autism, less is known about how this perceptual process differs with age. This study aimed to assess the integration of audiovisual information across autistic children and adolescents. MSI was measured using a non‐social, simultaneity judgment task. Variation in temporal sensitivity was evaluated via Gaussian curve fitting procedures, allowing us to compare the width of temporal binding windows (TBWs), where wider TBWs indicate less sensitivity to temporal alignment. We compared TBWs in age and IQ matched groups of autistic (n = 32) and neurotypical (NT; n = 73) children and adolescents. The sensory profile of all participants was also measured. Across all ages assessed (i.e., 6 through 18 years), TBWs were negatively correlated with age in the autistic group. A significant correlation was not found in the NT group. When compared as a function of child (6–12 years) and adolescent (13–18 years) age groups, a significant interaction of group (autism vs NT) by age group was found, whereby TBWs became narrower with age in the autistic, but not neurotypical group. We also found a significant main effect of age and no significant main effect of group. Results suggest that TBW differences between autistic and neurotypical groups diminishes with increasing age, indicating an atypical developmental profile of MSI in autism which ameliorates across development.
Characterization of the Integers of the Form (Z^n-Y^n)/(z-y) that Are Divisible by Some Perfect Nth Powers.

In this work, we show a sufficient and necessary condition for an integer of the form zn − yn z − y to be divisible by some perfectnth power pn, where p is an odd prime. We also show how to construct such integers. A link between the main result and Fermat’s last theorem is discussed. Other related ideas, examples and applications are provided. AMS Subj. Class. :11A07 ; 11D41
Electronic devices based upon Germanium nano-crystals with durability to strong neutron irradiation

In this paper we present the preliminary experimental characterization of electronic devices based upon Germanium nano-crystals (nc-Ge) embedded in thick SiO2 films grown on a Si substrate. The samples were prepared using Ge ion implantation followed by thermal annealing. Typical diameter of the nc-Ge is shown to be in the range of 4- 10nm. Gold (Au) contacts were deposited on the top of the oxide surface allowing measurements of the electronic properties. We present preliminary experimental results of electronic properties of the nc-Ge based devices including current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) curves of the nano-devices while illuminated by white light and an external laser at a wavelength of 532nm for various levels of intensity. The characterization curves were also obtained at different temperatures. The proposed technology of devices based on nc-Ge was proven to be insensitive to high doses of irradiation by neutrons in a research nuclear reactor, which suggests that these nc-Ge devices can be used under extreme working conditions such as strong cosmic radiation appearing in outer space.
The Possible Protective Effects of Ondansetron and Tropisetron on Optic Nerve Crush Injury in Rats

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the potential neuroprotective effect of cyclosporine – a calcineurin inhibitor–, ondansetron, and tropisetron-5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 3 receptor (5-HT3R) antagonists–, on optic nerve crush (ONC) injury in rats. Moreover, underlying signaling activities of their beneficial neuroprotective effects were studied. Methods Adult male rats were treated with the intravitreal administration of cyclosporine (1.6 mM), ondansetron (100 nM), and tropisetron (100 nM) immediately after the induction of ONC. Subsequently, on 7th day after surgery, the rats’ retinas were extracted, and the expression of apoptotic regulators (Bax and Bcl-2) and calcineurin were studied by western blot analysis. Results The induction of ONC injury was associated to higher expression of Bax and calcineurin, while Bcl-2 expression was considerably decreased in these animals. Intravitreal treatment with cyclosporine (1.6 mM), ondansetron (100 nM), and tropisetron (100 nM) significantly attenuated the increased expression of Bax and calcineurin. Moreover, the treatment with these agents resulted in an elevated expression of Bcl-2 in the retina. Conclusion Our findings indicate that cyclosporine, ondansetron, and tropisetron protect against ONC injury in rats, possibly via the suppression of apoptosis and modulation of calcineurin activity directly and via 5-HT3 receptors. Moreover, immunoblotting showed that tropisetron was more effective as opposed to ondansetron. Further studies are needed to evaluate the precise mechanism behind cyclosporine, ondansetron, and tropisetron activities.
A Novel Risk Factor for Para-Aortic Lymph Node Recurrence After Definite Pelvic Radiotherapy in Stage IIIB Cervical Cancer

Background: Studies determining which patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIB disease benefit from prophylactic extended-field irradiation (EFRT), which can reduce para-aortic lymph node (PALN) failure rates, are limited. The study was designed to evaluate the value of the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score as a risk factor for predicting PALN recurrence and identifying potential indications of prophylactic EFRT. Methods: From 2010 to 2015, a retrospective review was conducted among patients with FIGO stage IIIB cervical cancer who were treated with definitive pelvic radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy. We analyzed para-aortic lymph node metastasis-free survival (PALNMFS) using Kaplan-Meier curves. Multivariate analyses were performed using Cox regression models. Results: A total of 116 patients with FIGO stage IIIB cervical cancer were included in the study and the median follow-up was 42.2 months (range: 3.5-104.2 months). Multivariate analysis revealed that the CONUT score (HR: 3.141; 95% CI: 2.321-5.436; P < .001) and ≥3 pelvic lymph node metastases (HR: 2.235; 95% CI: 1.428-11.242; P < .001) were independent risk predictors of PALNMFS. Compared with the low CONUT group (score<3), the high CONUT group (score≥3) was associated with a significantly worse 3-year disease-free survival rate (46.9 vs 69.5%, P = .001), a significantly lower 3-year overall survival rate (68.5 vs 79.7%, P = .016) and a significantly lower PALNMFS rate (74.8 vs 96.4%, P < .001). Conclusions: A high CONUT score (score≥3) and ≥3 pelvic metastatic lymph nodes were significant predictors of PALNMFS after pelvic radiation in FIGO stage IIIB cervical cancer patients. Patients with these risk factors might benefit from prophylactic EFRT.
Safety of an Intravenous Formulation of Voriconazole as an Intramuscular Injection in Pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica)

Abstract: Aspergillosis is a common disease in birds. Currently, avian aspergillosis is treated with voriconazole administered orally, although intramuscular (IM) administration increases bioavailability and is more effective in treating generalized aspergillosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of the intravenous formulation of voriconazole as an IM injection in the pectoral muscles of pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) as a model for other avian species. Sixteen healthy pigeons received IM injections of voriconazole (12.5 mg/kg) and sterile saline in the right and left pectoral muscles, respectively, twice a day for 7 days. Additionally, 4 birds acted as controls (no injections). Eight birds in the treatment group and 2 of the control pigeons were humanely euthanized 1 day (group 1) and 14 days (group 2) after the final injection. Hematologic and plasma biochemistry panels were performed prior to the birds being euthanized. Gross and histopathological evaluations of the pectoral muscles were completed postmortem. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in multiple parameters, including aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase, but all biochemical analytes remained within the reference intervals for the species. The group 1 birds had advanced gross and histopathological pectoral muscle lesions associated with the voriconazole injections compared with the contralateral side, the group 2 birds, and the negative controls. After 14 days, the pectoral muscles did not reveal any gross or histopathological changes associated with the voriconazole or sterile saline injections. These results indicate that the intravenous formulation is safe for IM use twice per day for 1 week in pigeons. Further investigation is needed to extrapolate these findings to other avian species and to evaluate the roles of longer treatment periods and higher doses of voriconazole.
The Fully Nonlinear Stochastic Impulse Control Problem

In this paper, motivated by a problem in stochastic impulse control theory, we aim to study solutions to a free boundary problem of obstacle-type. We obtain sharp estimates for the solution using nonlinear tools which are independent of the modulus of semi-convexity of the obstacle. This allows us to state a general estimate for solutions to free boundary problems of obstacle-type admitting obstacles with a general modulus of semi-convexity. As an application we prove sharp estimates for the solution to a fully nonlinear stochastic impulse control problem.
Spectacles with highly aspherical lenslets for myopia control do not change visual sensitivity in automated static perimetry

Purpose Spectacle lenses with arrays of lenslets have gained popularity in myopia control due to their high efficacy, low impact on visual performance, and non-invasiveness. One of the questions regarding their impact on visual performance that still remain is that: do the lenslets impact visual field sensitivity? The current study aims to investigate the impact of wearing spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL) on the visual field sensitivity. Methods An automated static perimetry test (Goldman perimeter target III) was employed to measure the detection sensitivity in the visual field. Targets were white light dots of various luminance levels and size 0.43°, randomly appearing at 76 locations within 30° eccentricity. Twenty-one adult subjects (age 23–61, spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) −8.75 D to +0.88 D) participated in the study. Sensitivities through two lenses, HAL and a single vision lens (SVL) as the control condition, were measured in random order. Results The mean sensitivity differences between HAL and SVL across the 76 tested locations ranged between −1.14 decibels (dB) and 1.28 dB. Only one location at 30° in the temporal visual field reached statistical significance (p < 0.00065) whereby the sensitivity increased by 1.1 dB with HAL. No significant correlation was found between the difference in sensitivity and age or SER. Such a difference is unlikely to be clinically relevant. Conclusion Compared to the SVL, the HAL did not change detection sensitivity to static targets in the whole visual field within 30° eccentricity.
PPA1, an energy metabolism initiator, plays an important role in the progression of malignant tumors

Inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPA1) encoded by PPA1 gene belongs to Soluble Pyrophosphatases (PPase) family and is expressed widely in various tissues of Homo sapiens, as well as significantly in a variety of malignancies. The hydrolysis of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) to produce orthophosphate (Pi) not only dissipates the negative effects of PPi accumulation, but the energy released by this process also serves as a substitute for ATP. PPA1 is highly expressed in a variety of tumors and is involved in proliferation, invasion, and metastasis during tumor development, through the JNK/p53, Wnt/β-catenin, and PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathways. Because of its remarkable role in tumor development, PPA1 may serve as a biological target for adjuvant therapy of tumor malignancies. Further, PPA1 is a potential biomarker to predict survival in patients with cancer, where the assessment of its transcriptional regulation can provide an in-depth understanding. Herein, we describe the signaling pathways through which PPA1 regulates malignant tumor progression and provide new insights to establish PPA1 as a biomarker for tumor diagnosis.
Monsoon intensification in East Asia triggered the evolution of its flora

Introduction East Asia (EA), which falls within the region of the Asian monsoon that is composed of the East Asia monsoon (EAM) and the Indian monsoon (IM), is known for its high species diversity and endemism. This has been attributed to extreme physiographical heterogeneity in conjunction with climate and sea-level changes during the Pleistocene, this hypothesis has been widely proven by phylogeographic studies. Recently, dated phylogenies have indicated that the origins (stem age) of the flora occurred after the Oligocene–Miocene boundary and are related to the establishment of the EAM. Methods Hence, this study further examined whether the strengthening of the monsoons triggered floral evolution via a meta-analysis of the tempo-spatial pattern of evolutionary radiation dates (crown ages) of 101 endemic seed plant genera. Results Taxonomic diversification began during the late Eocene, whereas the accumulated number of diversifications did not significantly accelerate until the late Miocene. The distribution of the weighted mean and the average divergence times in the EAM, IM, or transitional regions all fall within the mid-late Miocene. Fossils of the Tertiary relict genera are mostly and widely distributed outside EA and only half of the earliest fossils in the EA region are not older than Miocene, while their divergence times are mostly after the late Miocene. The pattern of divergence time of monotypic and polytypic taxa suggest the climatic changes after the late Pliocene exert more influence on monotypic taxa. Discussion The two key stages of floral evolution coincide with the intensifications of the EAM and IM, especially the summer monsoon which brings a humid climate. An integrated review of previous studies concerning flora, genus, and species levels further supports our suggestion that monsoon intensification in EA triggered the evolution of its flora.
Marked distinctions in syntactic complexity: A case of second language university learners’ and native speakers’ syntactic constructions

Existing research on syntactic complexity tends to examine diversity and complexity embedded in grammatical employments which may well be witnessed in formulations of different syntactic structures. Conceivably, the subject syntactic complexity seems to be exercised mostly by non-native speakers and writers. The present study employs pseudo-longitudinal data: essays written by undergraduate students in different levels collected at the same time. Hence, it aims at investigating the mechanism involved in the L2 production of L2 learners in terms of syntactic complexity by analyzing a corpus of non-native English-speaking learners. The research inquiry is mainly focused on investigation of significant differences in terms of syntactic complexity between writing of Japanese university students and that of native speakers, probing further into the particular dimension and level of difference. The study also traces marked variations in syntactic complexity employed by Japanese university students in different grades. Nagoya Interlanguage Corpus of English (NICE) developed by Sugiura in 2015 was employed to conduct the entire research proceedings. The corpus of the subject study comprises 339 essays written by L2 EFL learners studying in a Japanese university employing a judicious selection of quantitative measures of syntactic complexity. The results exhibited a considerable statistical difference between the writing of Japanese learners and native English writers. The findings of this study provide meaningful pedagogical implications for English teachers and textbook compilers. Japanese university students in higher grades are found to be employing more complicated and diverse syntactic structures. Conforming to the already conducted research studies with almost similar objectives, this study demonstrates the significance of using both general and more particular complexity metrics to assess syntactic development in L2.
$\mathbb{A}^1$-curves on log smooth varieties

In this paper, we study $\mathbb{A}^1$-connected varieties from log geometry point of view, and prove a criterion for $\mathbb{A}^1$-connectedness. As applications, we provide many interesting examples of $\mathbb{A}^1$-connected varieties in the case of complements of ample divisors, and the case of homogeneous spaces. We also obtain a logarithmic version of Hartshorne's conjecture characterizing projective spaces and affine spaces.
Development of two microbial source tracking markers for detection of wastewater-associated Escherichia coli isolates

Escherichia coli has been used as an indicator of fecal pollution in environmental waters. However, its presence in environmental waters does not provide information on the source of water pollution. Identifying the source of water pollution is paramount to be able to effectively reduce contamination. The present study aimed to identify E. coli microbial source tracking (MST) markers that can be used to identify domestic wastewater contamination in environmental waters. We first analyzed wastewater E. coli genomes sequenced by us (n = 50) and RefSeq animal E. coli genomes of fecal origin (n = 82), and identified 144 candidate wastewater-associated marker genes. The sensitivity and specificity of the candidate marker genes were then assessed by screening the genes in 335 RefSeq wastewater E. coli genomes and 3,318 RefSeq animal E. coli genomes. We finally identified two MST markers, namely W_nqrC and W_clsA_2, which could be used for detection of wastewater-associated E. coli isolates. These two markers showed higher performance than the previously developed human wastewater-associated E. coli markers H8 and H12. When used in combination, W_nqrC and W_clsA_2 showed specificity of 98.9% and sensitivity of 25.7%. PCR assays to detect W_nqrC and W_clsA_2 were also developed and validated. The developed PCR assays are potentially useful for detecting E. coli isolates of wastewater origin in environmental waters, though users should keep in mind that the sensitivity of these markers is not high. Further studies are needed to assess the applicability of the developed markers to a culture-independent approach.
An independent method for determining the age of the universe

An age of 9.3 + or - 2.0 Gyr is derived for the Galactic disk on the basis of comparisons between the sudden drop in the observed luminosity distribution and theoretical evolutionary white dwarf models and allowance for a mean prewhite-dwarf lifetime of 0.3 Gyr. To obtain the age of the universe, the time between the big bang and the first appearance of stars in the Galactic disk is added. The age of the universe is estimated to be 10.3 + or - 2.2 Gyr. 39 references.
Managing cloud resource scarcity

According to the Infrastructure-as-a-Service conceptualization of cloud computing, Infrastructure Providers offer utility-like pay-as-you-go access to computing resources (e.g., data processing, networks, and storage) to Service Providers, who use those resources to host applications for the benefit of end users. The quantity of resources available to Infrastructure Providers at any given moment is limited, as is the quantity of resources allocated to the applications of each Service Provider. This thesis examines the management of cloud resource scarcity from the perspectives of both Infrastructure and Service Providers, with the aim of finding ways to ensure that the end user experience is minimally affected. We consider three main strategies for managing cloud resource scarcity. First, we explore ways to efficiently construct collaborative federations of autonomous and independent Infrastructure Providers that allow local resource scarcity to be masked by extension using capacity from remote sites. Second, we consider how scheduling both within a cloud site and across a federation can be made aware of restrictions imposed by Service Providers for, e.g., performance or legal reasons. Third, we suggest ways of making applications conscious of resource availability so that they can apply quality elasticity under resource constraints. The thesis is the culmination of 11 years of work within academia and industry. Based on the unique perspective granted by this long experience, the introductory chapters present a historical view of each subtopic mentioned above. Specifically, they discuss how cloud computing has evolved in conjunction with ways of developing applications to the symbiotic benefit of both, leading to the emergence of cloud-native software that allows Infrastructure Providers to use their infrastructure more efficiently and offer it more affordably while simultaneously granting Service Providers improved availability and performance in cloud-based environments.
Sustainable eGovernance? : decision making, coordination and continuity in Swedish eGov practice

This thesis focuses on eGovernance – the use of ICT as a means to improve public sector practice. Previous research has shown that there is a lack of long-term discussion on the purposes and directions of eGovernance development, often outlining it as unequivocally positive, while missing to consider the complexities and conflicts involved in this process. In order to understand the complexities of eGovernance a future-oriented perspective is needed. In other words a perspective that not only focuses on using ICT to be responsive to present needs but also making it possible to discuss which goals public sector ICT initiatives should strive for and how these correspond to goals and means in the public sector as a whole. In order to do this I employ a sustainability perspective.The aim of this thesis is to understand how eGovernance can be sustainable in such a complex organizational environment. This is approached in four papers; based on two case studies, situated in the public sector of Sweden, and a structured literature review of the use of the sustainability concept in eGovernance research.The findings of this thesis include a framework of sustainable eGovernance, including an outline of the different dimensions of sustainability: social, economic, environmental and technical. These dimensions are seen as carriers of different values and goals which are in a process of continuous dialogue and conflict. Cutting across these four dimensions are two themes: decision making and information infrastructure, which make up the backbone of how ICT can be used in order to improve public practice. The theoretical lens of sustainability widens our understanding and helps in the questioning of motivations, directions and implications of eGovernance initiatives. This thesis thus contributes with a theoretically and empirically founded framework, which is suitable as a foundation for sustainable eGovernance development and further research into that area.
A commentary on Teichmüller's paper "Extremale quasikonforme Abbildungen und quadratische Differentiale"

We provide a commentary on Teichmuller's paper "Extremale quasikonforme Abbildungen und quadratische Differentiale" (Extremal quasiconformal mappings of closed oriented Riemann surfaces), Abh. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. , Math.-Naturw. Kl. 1940, No.22, 1-197 (1940). The paper is quoted in several works, although it was read by very few people. Some of the results it contains were rediscovered later on and published without any reference to Teichmuller. In this commentary, we highlight the main results and the main ideas contained in that paper and we describe some of the important developments they gave rise to.