Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Executive functions and the ability to sustain vigilance during sleep loss.

INTRODUCTION There is considerable individual variability in the ability to sustain performance during sleep loss. Preliminary evidence suggests that individuals with higher trait-like activation/functioning of the prefrontal cortex may be less vulnerable to fatigue. METHODS We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 54 healthy volunteers who were assessed bi-hourly on a variant of the Psychomotor Vigilance Test during 41 h of sleep deprivation. A subset of these subjects, representing the top and bottom 25% of the sample based on their ability to sustain vigilance performance during sleep deprivation, were compared with respect to baseline neurocognitive abilities. RESULTS The sleep deprivation Resistant group (N = 13) scored significantly higher than the sleep deprivation Vulnerable (N = 13) group on all three baseline tasks assessing prefrontal executive function abilities (letter fluency, Stroop Color-Word test, Color Trails Form 2), whereas no differences were found on non-executive function tasks. Similarly, groups showed no differences on demographic variables including age, education, hand preference, morningness-eveningness preference, global intellectual ability, or pre-study sleep history. DISCUSSION Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that greater prefrontal/executive functioning may be protective against the adverse effects of sleep deprivation and suggest that baseline executive function testing may prove useful for prediction of resilience during sleep loss.
Facebook: Use, personality, and well-being

As our society moves toward greater integration with technology we are seeing more social interactions conducted through electronic means. An understanding of how individual factors affect use of communication mediated by social networking platforms, and the role of this communication in our global social interactions, is important in assessing the impact of our changing options for social contact. Within the present study, a total of 270 participants were recruited through links posted on the social networking site Facebook. The age of participants ranged from 18 to 67, with a mean age of 25.6. The majority of participants reported residing in the United States (n=244), identified as female (n=189), White (n=222) and as students (n=196, ranging from high school to graduate school). Interactions were found between personality traits and content the user uploads to the site, motivations for using Facebook, and consumption of content on the site. Additionally associations between well-being and receiving directed communication from other users were found.
Computational Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Coordination of Polarized PI3K and Rac1 Activities in Micro-Patterned Live Cells

Polarized molecular activities play important roles in guiding the cell toward persistent and directional migration. In this study, the polarized distributions of the activities of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and the Rac1 small GTPase were monitored using chimeric fluorescent proteins (FPs) in cells constrained on micro-patterned strips, with one end connecting to a neighboring cell (junction end) and the other end free of cell-cell contact (free end). The recorded spatiotemporal dynamics of the fluorescent intensity from different cells was scaled into a uniform coordinate system and applied to compute the molecular activity landscapes in space and time. The results revealed different polarization patterns of PI3K and Rac1 activity induced by the growth factor stimulation. The maximal intensity of different FPs, and the edge position and velocity at the free end were further quantified to analyze their correlation and decipher the underlying signaling sequence. The results suggest that the initiation of the edge extension occurred before the activation of PI3K, which led to a stable extension of the free end followed by the Rac1 activation. Therefore, the results support a concerted coordination of sequential signaling events and edge dynamics, underscoring the important roles played by PI3K activity at the free end in regulating the stable lamellipodia extension and cell migration. Meanwhile, the quantification methods and accompanying software developed can provide a convenient and powerful computational analysis platform for the study of spatiotemporal molecular distribution and hierarchy in live cells based on fluorescence images.
Significant Remote Sensing Vegetation Indices: A Review of Developments and Applications

Vegetation Indices (VIs) obtained from remote sensing based canopies are quite simple and effective algorithms for quantitative and qualitative evaluations of vegetation cover, vigor, and growth dynamics, among other applications. These indices have been widely implemented within RS applications using different airborne and satellite platforms with recent advances using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Up to date, there is no unified mathematical expression that defines all VIs due to the complexity of different light spectra combinations, instrumentation, platforms, and resolutions used. Therefore, customized algorithms have been developed and tested against a variety of applications according to specific mathematical expressions that combine visible light radiation, mainly green spectra region, from vegetation, and nonvisible spectra to obtain proxy quantifications of the vegetation surface. In the real-world applications, optimization VIs are usually tailored to the specific application requirements coupled with appropriate validation tools and methodologies in the ground. The present study introduces the spectral characteristics of vegetation and summarizes the development of VIs and the advantages and disadvantages from different indices developed. This paper reviews more than 100 VIs, discussing their specific applicability and representativeness according to the vegetation of interest, environment, and implementation precision. Predictably, research, and development of VIs, which are based on hyperspectral and UAV platforms, would have a wide applicability in different areas.
Slant lightlike submanifolds of indefinite Hermitian manifolds

In this paper, we introduce a new class, called slant lightlike submanifolds, of an indefinite Hermitian manifold. We provide a non-trivial example and obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a slant lightlike submanifold. As well, we give an example of minimal slant lightlike submanifolds of R2 and prove some characterization theorems. M.S.C. 2000: 53C15, 53C40, 53C50.
Carbon fluxes of surfaces vs. ecosystems: advantages of measuring eddy covariance and soil respiration simultaneously in dry grassland ecosystems

Abstract. An automated open system for measurement of soil CO2 efflux (Rsc) was developed and calibrated against known fluxes. The system was tested in the field, while estimating soil respiration simultaneously by the gradient method (Rsg) at a dry, sandy grassland site (Bugac, Hungary). Ecosystem respiration (Rego) was measured using the eddy covariance technique. The small chamber size (5 cm in diameter) made it possible to use the chambers in vegetation gaps, thereby avoiding the necessity of removing shoots and disturbing the spatial structure of vegetation and the upper soil layer. Low air flow rates associated with small chamber volume and chamber design allowed the overpressure range to stabilize between 0.05–0.12 Pa. The correlation between ecosystem and soil CO2 efflux rates as measured by the independent methods was significant, Reco rates were similar or even lower than Rsc in the low flux (up to 2 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) range but the differences were within the uncertainty limits for the two fluxes. Rsc from trenched and non-trenched plots amounted to 16 % and 44 % of Reco, respectively. The gradient method showed both up and downward CO2 fluxes originating from the main rooting zone after rains. Diffusive retardation played a smaller role than CO2 production considering the soil air CO2 concentration increase after rains in a given layer. Downward fluxes within the soil profile amounted to 15 % of the simultaneous upward fluxes and to ~7.6 % of the total (upward) effluxes during the 3-month study. The upper 5 cm soil layer contributed to ~50 % of the total soil CO2 efflux. Downward fluxes are expected to seriously affect (1) the Reco vs. temperature response functions and (2) the net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) vs. photon flux density response functions, therefore potentially affecting the gap filling procedures and to lead to a situation (3) when the measured surface and the real time ecosystem fluxes will necessarily differ in the short term. Simultaneous measurements of Reco and soil CO2 effluxes may reveal the timing and magnitude of the decoupling, thereby contributing to decreasing uncertainty associated with eddy flux measurements over flat terrains. While the correlations between CO2 effluxes measured by independent systems are strong, Rsg was generally larger than Rsc or Reco, mainly due to overestimation of effective diffusivity in the soil.
Multi-view latent variable discriminative models for action recognition

Many human action recognition tasks involve data that can be factorized into multiple views such as body postures and hand shapes. These views often interact with each other over time, providing important cues to understanding the action. We present multi-view latent variable discriminative models that jointly learn both view-shared and view-specific sub-structures to capture the interaction between views. Knowledge about the underlying structure of the data is formulated as a multi-chain structured latent conditional model, explicitly learning the interaction between multiple views using disjoint sets of hidden variables in a discriminative manner. The chains are tied using a predetermined topology that repeats over time. We present three topologies - linked, coupled, and linked-coupled - that differ in the type of interaction between views that they model. We evaluate our approach on both segmented and unsegmented human action recognition tasks, using the ArmGesture, the NATOPS, and the ArmGesture-Continuous data. Experimental results show that our approach outperforms previous state-of-the-art action recognition models.
Incomplete risk adjustment and adverse selection in the German public health insurance system

The German statutory health insurance market was exposed to competition in 1996. To avoid adverse selection, a prospective risk compensation scheme was introduced in 1994. Due to their low contribution rates, company-based sickness funds were able to attract a lot of new members. We analyze – using data from the German Socio- Economic Panel – the determinants of these transitions from 1995 to 2000. By estimating a simultaneous two equation system, we find that health status positively, and significantly, affects the probability of changing to a company-based sickness fund, especially after controlling for age. Thus the risk compensation scheme does not fully control for the health status of the changers. Consequently, the comparative advantages of company-based funds will increase over time. This observation provides evidence for the standard Rothschild-Stiglitz separating equilibrium.
Frontotemporal dementia: impact of P301L tau mutation on a healthy carrier

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second commonest form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, but its clinical and biological features are less well known. To uncover its earliest signs, we studied the main clinical, neuroimaging, and biochemical findings in an asymptomatic carrier from a three generation FTD family, bearing the P301L pathogenic mutation in the tau gene. Except for selective impairment on the Verbal Fluency Test for letters, all cognitive tests were normal. The brain computed tomography scan was normal, but the brain single photon emission computed tomography and statistical parametric mapping (SPECT-SPM) scan revealed bilateral frontal lobe hypoperfusion. Levels of total tau, 181P-tau, and Aβ1-42 in the cerebrospinal fluid were increased compared with control values. We conclude that detection of these distinctive abnormalities should improve early diagnostic accuracy for FTD and help distinguish it from Alzheimer’s disease.
Nontraditional Preservice Teacher Development: The Value of Clinical Experience.

Unlike most previous studies of teacher development, the present study sought to examine the professional growth and development of 18 nontraditional preservice teachers as they progressed through a 12-month teacher certification program. The teachers were successful, degreed professionals who elected to change careers and commit to teach in public schools for at least 3 years. Semistructured interviews and guided written reflections were used to gather data throughout the program, which included an extensive program of on-campus clinical experiences. The results suggest that nontraditional preservice teachers' development is similar to that of traditional preservice teachers, but seems to progress more quickly; that their conceptions of good teaching and of themselves as teachers begin and develop in highly predictable ways; and that on-campus clinical experiences seem to provide unique and valuable opportunities for self reflection and professional growth.
Trabectedin: the evidence for its place in therapy in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma

Introduction: Soft tissue sarcoma accounts for less than 1% of all malignant neoplasms and is comprised of a very heterogeneous group of tumors with over 50 different subtypes. Due to its diversity and rarity, developing new therapeutics has been difficult, at best. The standard of care in the treatment of advanced and metastatic disease over the last 30 years has been doxorubicin and ifosfamide, either alone or in combination. There has been significant focus on developing new therapeutics to treat primary and metastatic disease. Trabectedin (ecteinascidin-743) is a tetrahydroiso-quinoline alkaloid which has been evaluated in the treatment of metastatic soft tissue sarcoma. Aims: To review the current evidence for the therapeutic use of trabectedin in patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Evidence review: Five phase I studies in patients with solid tumors, all of which include sarcoma patients, evaluating the dosing and toxicity of trabectedin were performed with efficacy being evaluated as a secondary endpoint. Additionally, there are four phase I trials evaluating trabectedin in combination with frontline therapeutic drugs in soft tissue sarcoma. Four phase II studies were performed in soft-tissue sarcoma patients with objective response rates ranging from 3.7% to 17.1%. Additionally, in two compassionate use trials, objective response rates between 14% and 51% were seen, the largest response resulting from a study specifically focusing on liposarcoma. Place in therapy: Trabectedin is a potential therapeutic option for the management of soft-tissue sarcoma. It appears to have specific activity in a select group of histologies, most notably myxoid/round cell liposarcoma. Although it would be helpful to study the use of trabectedin in a randomized, controlled fashion, the relative rarity of soft-tissue sarcoma, and heterogeneity of the histologic subtypes, makes phase III trials a difficult prospect.
Comparison Between SMOS, VUA, ASCAT, and ECMWF Soil Moisture Products Over Four Watersheds in U.S.

As part of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) validation process, a comparison of the skills of three satellites [SMOS, Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) or Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer, and Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT)], and one-model European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) soil moisture products is conducted over four watersheds located in the U.S. The four products compared in for 2010 over four soil moisture networks were used for the calibration of AMSR-E. The results indicate that SMOS retrievals are closest to the ground measurements with a low average root mean square error of 0.061 m3·m-3 for the morning overpass and 0.067 m3·m-3 for the afternoon overpass, which represents an improvement by a factor of 2-3 compared with the other products. The ECMWF product has good correlation coefficients (around 0.78) but has a constant bias of 0.1-0.2 m3·m-3 over the four networks. The land parameter retrieval model AMSR-E product gives reasonable results in terms of correlation (around 0.73) but has a variable seasonal bias over the year. The ASCAT soil moisture index is found to be very noisy and unstable.
Vascular Risk Factors and Cognitive Functions in Nondemented Elderly Individuals

Background: The brain-at-risk stage is the earliest phase of the vascular cognitive impairment continuum and includes individuals with vascular risk factors (VRF). However, there is still no clear definition of this concept. The aim of the study is to characterize the neuropsychological profile of elderly individuals by 3 levels of VRF. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging baseline data; 577 nondemented elderly individuals ≥65 years old were divided into 3 groups: reference group (0 VRF; n = 82); intermediate brain-at-risk group (1-2 VRF; n = 360); high brain-at-risk group (≥3 VRF; n = 135). A principal component analysis (PCA) and univariate/multivariate analyses of variance were performed to examine the relationships between the groups and various cognitive measures. Main findings: The PCA produced a 2-component solution (1) executive/psychomotor functions including measures of abstraction and (2) verbal memory. The high brain-at-risk group performed significantly worse than the reference group on the first component. Conclusions: Elderly individuals presenting with ≥3 VRF are more impaired on measures of executive functions/ processing speed than participants without any VRF.
Cognitive impairment, all-cause and cause-specific mortality among non-demented older adults.

BACKGROUND cognitive impairment is widespread among older adults even in the absence of dementia, but very little is known about the association between cognitive impairment not due or not yet converted to dementia and mortality. The association between cognitive impairment and mortality contributes to assessing cognitive impairment-related risk constellation in old age in the absence of manifest dementia. OBJECTIVE to assess the impact of cognitive impairment on all-cause and cause-specific mortality among non-demented older adults and to explore the nature of the association between cognitive impairment and mortality. DESIGN an observational cohort study (ESTHER study; 2000-present). SETTING German state of Saarland. SUBJECTS a subsample of 1,622 participants aged ≥70 with measurement of cognitive function through the Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument (COGTEL) and exclusion of a possible dementia diagnosis at both COGTEL baseline (2005-08) and over the mortality follow-up (2005-13). RESULTS during an average follow-up of 6.1 years, 231 participants (14.2%) died. Participants with low COGTEL total scores had ∼60% increased mortality compared with participants with higher COGTEL total scores in Cox regression models adjusting for a wide range of possible confounders (hazard ratio = 1.62; confidence interval 1.13-2.33). Dose-response analyses with restricted cubic splines indicate a monotonic inverse relationship between cognitive function and mortality. CONCLUSION cognitive impairment in the absence of manifest dementia is an important independent predictor of mortality, especially among men. The administration of cognitive tests among older adults may provide relevant information for patient care and treatment decisions. SOURCES OF FUNDING financial sponsors played no role in the design, execution, analysis and interpretation of data.
Access to serials: integrating SFX with Evergreen open source ILS

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the integration of SFX link resolver with Evergreen open source integrated library system (ILS). It also aims to describe a method to incorporate print serials into SFX.Design/methodology/approach – A print serials project has been proposed and implemented to integrate print and electronic serials at University of Windsor Leddy Library. It contains two sub‐projects: to incorporate all forms of serials in SFX; and to integrate SFX with the Evergreen library catalogue for serials access. Various issues associated with print serials and open source software were also investigated.Findings – A unified view of print and electronic serials is desired and well received by librarians and patrons. There is no technical difficulty uploading print serials data into SFX, but the process can be time‐consuming and challenging. Open source software is flexible in terms of customization and interoperability with other library systems though it presents challenges to syste.
NAPman: network-assisted power management for wifi devices

WiFi radios in smart-phones consume a significant amount of power when active. The 802.11 standard allows these devices to save power through an energy-conserving Power Save Mode (PSM). However, depending on the PSM implementation strategies used by the clients/Access Points (APs), we find competing background traffic results in one or more of the following negative consequences: a significant increase, up to 300%, in a client's energy consumption, a decrease in wireless network capacity due to unnecessary retransmissions, and unfairness. In this paper, we propose NAPman: Network-Assisted Power Management for WiFi devices that addresses the above issues. NAPman leverages AP virtualization and a new energy-aware fair scheduling algorithm to minimize client energy consumption and unnecessary retransmissions, while ensuring fairness among competing traffic. NAPman is incrementally deployable via software updates to the AP and does not require any changes to the 802.11 protocol or the mobile clients. Our prototype implementation improves the energy savings on a smart-phone by up to 70% under varied settings of background traffic, while ensuring fairness.
A Model for Random Student Drug Testing.

The purpose of this case study was to examine random student drug testing in one school district relevant to: (a) the perceptions of students participating in competitive extracurricular activities regarding drug use and abuse; (b) the attitudes and perceptions of parents, school staff, and community members regarding student drug involvement; (c) the perceptions of high school parents regarding random student drug testing and its impact on drug and alcohol use; and (d) the patterns and analyses of data collected regarding the use of random student drug testing as a preventative tool. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for inclusion in an analysis of the study in order to strengthen the results. The findings indicated that during a period of grant funding, the use of drugs decreased during a program of random student drug testing in the public school district studied. Furthermore, the random student drug-testing program initiated discussion among parents, school staff, community members, and students regarding drug use, community resources, and the importance of early intervention.