Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early Monocular Defocus Disrupts the Normal Development of Receptive-Field Structure in V2 Neurons of Macaque Monkeys

Experiencing different quality images in the two eyes soon after birth can cause amblyopia, a developmental vision disorder. Amblyopic humans show the reduced capacity for judging the relative position of a visual target in reference to nearby stimulus elements (position uncertainty) and often experience visual image distortion. Although abnormal pooling of local stimulus information by neurons beyond striate cortex (V1) is often suggested as a neural basis of these deficits, extrastriate neurons in the amblyopic brain have rarely been studied using microelectrode recording methods. The receptive field (RF) of neurons in visual area V2 in normal monkeys is made up of multiple subfields that are thought to reflect V1 inputs and are capable of encoding the spatial relationship between local stimulus features. We created primate models of anisometropic amblyopia and analyzed the RF subfield maps for multiple nearby V2 neurons of anesthetized monkeys by using dynamic two-dimensional noise stimuli and reverse correlation methods. Unlike in normal monkeys, the subfield maps of V2 neurons in amblyopic monkeys were severely disorganized: subfield maps showed higher heterogeneity within each neuron as well as across nearby neurons. Amblyopic V2 neurons exhibited robust binocular suppression and the strength of the suppression was positively correlated with the degree of hereogeneity and the severity of amblyopia in individual monkeys. Our results suggest that the disorganized subfield maps and robust binocular suppression of amblyopic V2 neurons are likely to adversely affect the higher stages of cortical processing resulting in position uncertainty and image distortion.
A response to Cheriton and Skeen's criticism of causal and totally ordered communication

In a paper to be presented at the 1993 ACM Symposium on Operating Systems Principles, Cheriton and Skeen offer their understanding of causal and total ordering as a communication property. In this brief rebuttal. I present some responses to their criticism, and also explain why I find their discussion of causal and total communication ordering to be narrow and incomplete.
Recent Outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever in East Africa and the Middle East

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an important neglected, emerging, mosquito-borne disease with severe negative impact on human and animal health. Mosquitoes in the Aedes genus have been considered as the reservoir, as well as vectors, since their transovarially infected eggs withstand desiccation and larvae hatch when in contact with water. However, different mosquito species serve as epizootic/epidemic vectors of RVF, creating a complex epidemiologic pattern in East Africa. The recent RVF outbreaks in Somalia (2006–2007), Kenya (2006–2007), Tanzania (2007), and Sudan (2007–2008) showed extension to districts, which were not involved before. These outbreaks also demonstrated the changing epidemiology of the disease from being originally associated with livestock, to a seemingly highly virulent form infecting humans and causing considerably high-fatality rates. The amount of rainfall is considered to be the main factor initiating RVF outbreaks. The interaction between rainfall and local environment, i.e., type of soil, livestock, and human determine the space-time clustering of RVF outbreaks. Contact with animals or their products was the most dominant risk factor to transfer the infection to humans. Uncontrolled movement of livestock during an outbreak is responsible for introducing RVF to new areas. For example, the virus that caused the Saudi Arabia outbreak in 2000 was found to be the same strain that caused the 1997–98 outbreaks in East Africa. A strategy that involves active surveillance with effective case management and diagnosis for humans and identifying target areas for animal vaccination, restriction on animal movements outside the affected areas, identifying breeding sites, and targeted intensive mosquito control programs has been shown to succeed in limiting the effect of RVF outbreak and curb the spread of the disease from the onset.
xytocin receptor gene polymorphism modulates the effects of social upport on heart rate variability

A large body of empirical research has demonstrated stress-buffering effects of social support. However, recent studies suggest that genetic variation of the oxytocin system (specifically, a common single nucleotide polymorphism, rs53576, of the oxytocin receptor gene) modulates the efficacy of social support. The timing and neurobiological basis of this genetic modulation were investigated using a standardized, laboratory-based psychological stress procedure (Trier Social Stress Test for Groups, TSST-G). To index potential stress buffering effects of social support mediated by the oxytocin system, heart rate
Influence of fertilization , weed contra litter on loblolly pine growth and prod understory plant development throug seasons

On a silt loam soil in central Imuisiana, three cultural lreatments were applied to 3 seedling loblolly pine (Pi~rrs tnrcltr L.) plantation. The treatments were in a 2 x 2 x I? factorial design: (I) no fertilization or a ht'oadcast ap- plication of I77 kg N/ha and 15 I kg P/ha; (2) no herbicides applied or broadcast or spot applications of hcxazinone, sulfoniet~~ron inetliyl, or ~lyphosate herbicide5 and i'elling as required to control competing vcgctation during the first three growing scasolls: and (3) no litter applied or broadcast application of pine litter to form 3 IO to IS cm layer in the first growing SC;ISOII. Through I2 growing sea~ms, the fertiliaition or herbicide treatment significantly incrcascd stand growth (a = O.OS), and these two treatments had an additive effect (no treatments, 200 m'/ha; f'ertilimtion, 32X m'/ha; herbicide, 280 m'/ha; ii-rtilization and herbicide, 362 m'/h;~). However, because litter application probably had a minor t'ertilimtion eltisd. the fcrtili/cr and litter combinution produced the greatest yield (370 m'/ha). The herbi- cide and lilter combin;ition aciverscly aff'ectcd pine survival. and so applying iill three treatments was no more effective than f'ertililntion alone. TIIL' loblolly pine ova-story was the dominant factor influcncin g the long-ternt clevelopmcnt of
Too Young to Plead? Risk, Rationality, and Plea Bargaining’s Innocence Problem in Adolescents

The overwhelming majority of both adult and adolescent convictions occur as the result of guilty pleas rather than trial. This means that convictions are often the result of decisions made by defendants rather than jurors. It is therefore important to study decision making in defendants to ensure convictions are occurring in a fair and principled way. Research suggests that the current plea-bargaining system is leading innocent defendants to systematically plead guilty to crimes that they did not commit, and that this may be more widespread in adolescents than adults. The current study uses fuzzy-trace theory to develop and test an explanation of why adolescents are more likely than adults to plead guilty to crimes they did not commit. The authors show that, as predicted, adolescents are more likely than adults to plead guilty when they are innocent, and that this is due to developmental differences in the use of gist representations in decision making whereby values are unlikely to be retrieved and applied when making decisions. These results have implications for postconviction claims of innocence by adolescents, procedural rules governing adolescent plea bargaining, and the practice of adolescent plea bargaining more generally.
Bla Z Zupan Machine Learning Based on Function Decomposition Doctoral Dissertation

ii Abstract This dissertation proposes a new machine learning method that, given a set of training examples, induces a deenition of the target concept in terms of a hierarchy of intermediate concepts and their deenitions. This eeectively decomposes the problem into smaller, less complex problems, and decomposes an initial set of examples into smaller, more easily manageable sets. Since each example set partially represents a function, the process is called function decomposition. Two diierent approaches to decomposition are proposed. The minimal-complexity approach aims at deriving subsets of examples that represent functions of minimal complexity. The minimal-error approach aims to derive a hierarchy of concepts with minimal estimated classiication error. These approaches further diier in the type of data they can handle: the minimal-complexity decomposition requires consistent example sets, whereas the minimal-error variant can handle also inconsistent and noisy data, missing values, and uncertainty. Both decomposition approaches are implemented in program HINT (Hierarchy INduction Tool). They are experimentally evaluated using a set of artiicial and real-world learning problems. It is shown that decomposition performs well in terms of classiication accuracy and discovery of meaningful concept hierarchies. The experimental ndings further indicate that the decomposition may eeciently be used to support data structuring, hierarchical data analysis, and knowledge discovery. As such, the proposed decomposition method contributes to machine learning and to the related elds of knowledge discovery in databases, data mining, and intelligent data analysis. Within machine learning, it contributes an approach to structured induction and constructive induction.
Multimodal image fusion with joint sparsity model

Image fusion combines multiple images of the same scene into a single image which is suitable for human perception and practical applications. Different images of the same scene can be viewed as an ensemble of intercorrelated images. This paper proposes a novel mul- timodal image fusion scheme based on the joint sparsity model which is derived from the distributed compressed sensing. First, the source images are jointly sparsely represented as common and innovation components using an over-complete dictionary. Second, the common and innovations sparse coefficients are combined as the jointly sparse coeffi- cients of the fused image. Finally, the fused result is reconstructed from the obtained sparse coefficients. Furthermore, the proposed method is compared with some popular image fusion methods, such as multiscale transform-based methods and simultaneous orthogonal matching pursuit- based method. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in terms of visual effect and quantitative fusion evaluation indexes. C 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).
Instrumental work values and responses to HR practices: A study of job satisfaction in a Chinese manufacturer

Purpose Grounded in the theory of person-organisation fit, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which instrumental work values influence the relationship between HR practices and employee well-being (measured by job satisfaction) in a sample of Chinese workers. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire data for this cross-sectional, quantitative study were collected from 371 front-line workers in a Chinese manufacturer. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses. Findings The results show that work instrumentalism significantly reduces the positive effect of training on job satisfaction while boosting the positive effect of remuneration on job satisfaction. In contrast, there is no evidence for an interaction between instrumentalism and employee involvement. Practical implications The results imply that the degree to which HR practices are effective in promoting job satisfaction among these Chinese workers depends both on their work-value orientations and on the implications of the particular HR practice. Managers concerned about job satisfaction in China need to consider the impact of work values and the goals of particular HR practices. Originality/value China makes an enormously important contribution to world manufacturing output but the authors need a better understanding of how Chinese workers are likely to interpret and respond to HR practices if employee well-being in Chinese enterprises is to be fostered.
Ulnar nerve entrapment 2 Extended effective electrodiagnosis in ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow

Background: This study aimed to explore the value of extended motor nerve conduction studies in patients with ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow (UNE) in order to find the most sensitive and least time-consuming method. We wanted to evaluate the utility of examining both the sensory branch from the fifth finger and the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve. Further we intended to study the clinical symptoms and findings, and a possible correlation between the neurophysiological findings and pain. Patients and methods: The study was prospective, and 127 UNE patients who were selected consecutively from the list of patients, had a clinical and electrodiagnostic examination. Data from the most symptomatic arm were analysed and compared to the departments reference limits. Student’s t test, chi-square tests and multiple regression models were used. Two-side p-values < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Ulnar paresthesias (96%) were more common than pain (60%). Reduced ulnar sensitivity (86%) and muscle strength (48%) were the most common clinical findings. Adding a third stimulation site in the elbow mid-sulcus for motor conduction velocity (MCV) to abductor digiti minimi (ADM) increased the electrodiagnostic sensitivity from 80% to 96%. Additional recording of ulnar MCV to the first dorsal interosseus muscle (FDI) increased the sensitivity from 96% to 98%. The ulnar fifth finger and dorsal branch sensory studies were abnormal in 39% and 30% of patients, respectively. Abnormal electromyography in FDI was Ulnar nerve entrapment 3 found in 49% of the patients. Patients with and without pain had generally similar conduction velocity parameter means. Conclusions: We recommend three stimulation sites at the elbow for MCV to ADM. Recording from FDI is not routinely indicated. Sensory studies and electromyography do not contribute much to the sensitivity of the electrodiagnostic evaluation, but they are useful to document axonal degeneration. Most conduction parameters are unrelated to the presence of pain.
The composition of Jupiter: sign of a (relatively) late formation in a chemically evolved protosolar disc

It has been proposed that the enrichment in noble gases found by Galileo in the atmosphere of Jupiter can be explained by their delivery inside cold planetesimals. We propose instead that this is a sign that the planet formed in a chemically evolved disc and that noble gases were acquired mostly in gaseous form during the envelope capture phase of the planet. We show that the combined settling of grains to the disc mid-plane in the cold outer layers, the condensation of noble gases on to these grains at temperatures below 20–30 K, and the evaporation from high disc altitudes effectively lead to a progressive, moderate enrichment of the disc. The fact that noble gases are vaporized from the grains in the hot inner disc regions (e.g. Jupiter formation region) is not a concern because a negative temperature gradient prevents convection from carrying the species into the evaporating region. We show that the ∼2 times solar enrichment of Ar, Kr and Xe in Jupiter is hence naturally explained by a continuous growth of the planet governed by viscous diffusion in the protosolar disc in conjunction with an evaporation of the disc and its progressive enrichment on a million-year time-scale.
Happiness is the way

Directional associations between civic engagement and happiness were explored with longitudinal data from a community sample surveyed four times from age 22 to 43 (n = 690). Autoregressive cross-lagged models, controlling for cross-time stabilities in happiness and civic engagement, examined whether happiness predicted future civic engagement, civic engagement predicted future happiness, or the temporal ordering was bidirectional. Marital status, parental status, and recent unemployment experience were included as time-varying covariates of civic engagement, and analyses controlled for parent education, self-esteem, and self-rated physical health at age 18. Results indicated consistent cross-lagged associations from higher happiness to higher future civic engagement. There was no support for the path from civic engagement to future happiness, nor for bidirectional associations. Parenthood at age 22 predicted lower civic engagement, while parenthood at ages 32 and 43 predicted higher civic engagement. Recent unemployment experience was associated with less civic engagement at age 32 but more engagement at age 43, and marital status was linked with more civic engagement at age 43. Results support a broaden-and-build theoretical perspective in which happiness predicts future civic engagement across the transition to adulthood and into midlife.
Long-term efficacy and safety of lumiracoxib 100 mg: an open-label extension of a 13-week randomized controlled trial in patients with primary osteoarthritis of the knee.

OBJECTIVE Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition, accompanied by inflammation and pain, and it is therefore important to demonstrate long-term efficacy and safety of treatment. Here we present data from a 39-week open-label extension to a 13-week randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group core study. The objective was to assess the long-term safety and tolerability of lumiracoxib 100 mg once daily (od). METHODS Patients had originally received lumiracoxib 100 mg od, celecoxib 200 mg od or placebo in the core study. In the extension period, all patients received lumiracoxib 100 mg od. Efficacy variables, overall OA pain intensity (0-100 mm visual analogue scale [VAS]), patient's global assessment of disease activity and physician's global assessment of disease activity (0-100 mm VAS), were assessed at weeks 17, 26, 39 and 52. General safety and tolerability were evaluated by adverse event (AE) reporting and physical examinations and laboratory tests at each visit. RESULTS Of the 1182 patients completing the core study, 834 patients entered the extension study. Improvements in the three efficacy variables after 3 months were maintained for up to 1 year with lumiracoxib treatment. Lumiracoxib was well tolerated, with most AEs being of mild-to-moderate severity and of the type expected for this patient population and duration of exposure. CONCLUSION In conclusion, these data suggest that lumiracoxib 100 mg od was effective and well tolerated when treating OA pain of the knee for periods of up to 1 year, making it a useful option for the long-term treatment of OA pain.
Myoplasmic [ Ca 2 + ] Determines Myosin Phosphorylation in Agonist-Stimulated Swine Arterial Smooth Muscle

Oar objective was to test the hypotheses that 1) myoplasmic [Ca] is the primary determinant of crossbridge phosphorylation and that 2) phosphorylation is the primary determinant of crossbridge interactions with the thin filament in swine carotid arterial smooth muscle. We tested these hypotheses by evaluating the relation between aequorin-estimated myoplasmic [Ca], myosin light chain phosphorylation, shortening velocity at zero load (Ve), and stress at various times after stimulation with histamine, phenylephrine, and depolarization with KC1. Agonist-induced changes in myoplasmic [Ca] were associated with predictable changes in myosin phosphorylation. Depolarization required proportionally higher changes in myoplasmic [Ca] for a given change In myosin phosphorylation. The relation between phosphorylation and Vo or steady-state stress was invariant with all tested stimuli. This suggests that Ca-dependent crossbridge phosphorylation is the primary determinant of the mechanical response. (Circulation Research 1988;63:593-603)
STEM educational activities and the role of the parent in the home education of high school students

Abstract This qualitative case study examined the homeschool STEM educational activities and the role of the parent in those activities. Twenty-nine homeschooling parents from within a purposefully selected homeschool cooperative learning group in a southern community in the United States participated in the study. Data were collected using an open-ended questionnaire, which was then followed up with observations, interviews, and collection of documents. Analysis of the data pointed to an eclectic mix of STEM educational activities including both curricular activities such as online courses, tutors, and self-study, as well as curriculum extensions such as field trips and local STEM clubs and teams. Parents in this case study depended heavily on community resources available to them to provide these educational activities for their students. Parents played multiple roles in their child’s education including the role of facilitator, the role of counsellor, and the role of presenter or lecturer.
Investigating the Predictive Relationship between Adult Reading Ability and Age, Ethnicity, Race, and Educational Attainment

The demand for literacy skills in today’s everchanging workforce is an issue that plagues our nation. With millions of Americans reading below basic levels of proficiency, adults are not equipped to meet the demands, and colleges and univeristies must identify ways to address the problem. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if any predictive relationship exists between the predictor variables age, ethnicity, race and educational attainment and the criterion variable, adult literacy, as measured by the Pearson MyReadingLab Pre-Assessment. The participants used in this study were non-traditional students enrolled in the Associate of Science Business program (ASB) at a Midwestern private Christian university. A simultaneous multiple linear regression analysis of the criterion and predictor variables was conducted to determine correlation.
Uniform Edge Distribution in Hypergraphs is Hereditary

Let $\alpha \in (0,1), l \ge 2$ and let ${\cal H}_n$ be an $l$-graph on $n$ vertices. ${\cal H}_n$ is $(\alpha, \xi)$-uniform if every $\xi n$ vertices of ${\cal H}_n$ span $(\alpha \pm\xi) {\xi n\choose l}$ edges. Our main result is the following. For all $\widetilde{\delta}$, there exist $\delta, r, n_0$ such that, if $n>n_0$ and ${\cal H}_n^{(l)}$ is $(\alpha, \delta)$-uniform, then all but $\exp\{-r^{1/l}/20\}{n\choose r}$ $r$-sets of vertices induce a subhypergraph that is $(\alpha,\widetilde{\delta})$-uniform. We also present the following application. Let ${\cal F}$ be a fixed $l$-graph, and $c>0$. Then there is an $n_0$ and $r'$ such that: If ${\cal H}$ is an $n$ vertex $l$-graph ($n>n_0$) such that the deletion of any $c n^l$ edges of ${\cal H}$ leaves an $l$-graph that admits no homomorphism into ${\cal F}$, then there exists ${\cal H}' \subset {\cal H}$ on $r'$ vertices, that also admits no homomorphism into ${\cal F}$. This extends a recent result of Alon and Shapira, who proved it when ${\cal F}$ is a complete graph.
A Simulation Analysis of Routing Misbehaviour in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) rely on the cooperation of all participating nodes to provide the fundamental operations such as routing and data forwarding. However, misbehaving nodes may not follow the cooperation paradigm and cause a serious affect on network performance. Nodes misbehave because they are malicious, selfish or malfunctioning. In this paper, we present a simulation study of the effects of misbehaving nodes on DSR routing protocol performances and discuss some countermeasures to mitigate misbehaving node effects.