Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Topography of attention in the primary visual cortex

Previous research suggests that feedback circuits mediate the effect of attention to the primary visual cortex (V1). This inference is mainly based on temporal information of the responses, where late modulation is associated with feedback signals. However, temporal data alone are inconclusive because the anatomical hierarchy between cortical areas differs significantly from the temporal sequence of activation. In the current work, we relied on recent physiological and computational models of V1 network architecture, which have shown that the thalamic feedforward, local horizontal and feedback contribution are reflected in the spatial spread of responses. We used multifocal functional localizer and quantitative analysis in functional magnetic resonance imaging to determine the spatial scales of attention and sensory responses. Representations of 60 visual field regions in V1 were functionally localized and four of these regions were targets in a subsequent attention experiment, where human volunteers fixated centrally and performed a visual discrimination task at the attended location. Attention enhanced the peak amplitudes significantly more in the lower than in the upper visual field. This enhancement by attention spread with a 2.4 times larger radius (approximately 10 mm, assuming an average magnification factor) compared with the unattended response. The corresponding target region of interest was on average 20% stronger than that caused by the afferent sensory stimulation alone. This modulation could not be attributed to eye movements. Given the contemporary view of primate V1 connections, the activation spread along the cortex provides further evidence that the signal enhancement by spatial attention is dependent on feedback circuits.
The Evolution of the Auditory System: A Tutorial

A respectable body of work exists on the evolution of speech production, but little has been published on the evolution of the auditory system. Salient points in the evolution of the auditory system are presented here based on a review of the literature in paleontology, embryology, and comparative studies of extant organisms. Structural changes in the vertebrate ear are the central issue. Research methods and interpretive caveats are examined, followed by a discussion of evolution in relation to audition and the emergence of the auditory system. Findings from the fossil record, pertinent to aural structures, are noted, with comparative investigations of extant organisms in the evolution of the inner ear and central auditory structures. Discussion focuses on changes in structure and their benefits for evolutionary selection, with an overview of theories associated with these changes. In conclusion, the implications of ongoing evolution of the auditory system in higher primates are considered. lthough the understanding of evolution may not play an obvious part in the day-to-day functioning of the clinical speech-language pathologist or audiologist, deeper knowledge of the role of audition in humans, and of human auditory capabilities relative to other species, may serve as a basis for more informed practice in assessing and treating what we know as speech-language and hearing deficits. Little work has been published on the evolution of the auditory system until very recently, and most of this is highly specialized, focusing on very narrow aspects of evolutionary study. This relatively brief tutorial is intended to provide an overview of the evolution of the auditory system. The emphasis here reflects the weight of the literature on evolution with regard to hearing and the function of hearing in human evolution: The structural changes to the middle ear and associated changes in hearing are discussed in relative depth, with less attention to development of the outer and inner ear. The evolution of the ear as vertebrates emerged and moved from water onto land has been the central issue in this area. The study is approached through paleontology, embryology, and comparative studies of organisms that are alive today. This tutorial will begin with a brief discussion of evolution, theory and methods, and will proceed to an overview of recent research on evolution of the structure of the ear, based heavily on the fossil record and comparative anatomy. The discussion will proceed from peripheral to more central structure, with a brief look at auditory perception.
Fast but Not Intuitive, Slow but Not Reflective: Decision Conflict Drives Reaction Times in Social Dilemmas

When people have the chance to help others at a cost to themselves, are cooperative decisions driven by intuition or reflection? To answer this question, recent studies have tested the relationship between reaction times (RTs) and cooperation, reporting both positive and negative correlations. To reconcile this apparent contradiction, we argue that decision conflict (rather than the use of intuition vs. reflection) drives response times, leading to an inverted-U shaped relationship between RT and cooperation. Studies 1 through 3 show that intermediate decisions take longer than both extremely selfish and extremely cooperative decisions. Studies 4 and 5 find that the conflict between self-interested and cooperative motives explains individual differences in RTs. Manipulating conflictedness causes longer RTs and more intermediate decisions, and RTs mediate the relationship between conflict and intermediate decisions. Finally, Studies 6 and 7 demonstrate that conflict is distinct from reflection by manipulating the use of intuition (vs. reflection). Experimentally promoting reliance on intuition increases cooperation, but has no effects on decision extremity or feelings of conflictedness. In sum, we provide evidence that RTs should not be interpreted as a direct proxy for the use of intuitive or reflective processes, and dissociate the effects of conflict and reflection in social decision making.
Green Approach for Fabrication and Applications of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are known to be one of the multifunctional inorganic compounds which are widely used in everyday applications. This study aims to fabricate ZnO-NPs using grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) peel extract with particle size ranging from 12 to 72 nm. Structural, morphological, and optical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized by using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, TEM, DLS, and FTIR analysis. They show the significant photocatalytic degradation efficiency (>56%, 10 mg/L, 6 h) against methylene blue and antioxidant efficacy (≥80% for 1.2 mM) against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. From the results obtained it is suggested that green ZnO-NPs could be used effectively in environmental safety applications and also can address future medical concerns.
Change of Tropism of SL3-2 Murine Leukemia Virus, Using Random Mutational Libraries

ABSTRACT SL3-2 is a polytropic murine leukemia virus with a limited species tropism. We cloned the envelope gene of this virus, inserted it into a bicistronic vector, and found that the envelope protein differs from other, similar envelope proteins that also utilize the polytropic receptor (Xpr1) in that it is severely impaired in mediating infection of human and mink cells. We found that two adjacent amino acid mutations (G212R and I213T), located in a previously functionally uncharacterized segment of the surface subunit, are responsible for the restricted tropism of the SL3-2 wild-type envelope. By selection from a two-codon library, several hydrophobic amino acids at these positions were found to enable the SL3-2 envelope to infect human TE 671 cells. In particular, an M212/V213 mutant had a titer at least 6 orders of magnitude higher than that of the wild-type envelope for human TE 671 cells and infected human, mink, and murine cells with equal efficiencies. Notably, these two amino acids are not found at homologous positions in known murine leukemia virus isolates. Functional analysis and library selection were done on the basis of sequence and tropism analyses of the SL3-2 envelope gene. Similar approaches may be valuable in the design and optimization of retroviral envelopes with altered tropisms for biotechnological purposes.
CD 8 [ superscript + ] Dendritic Cells Are the Critical Source of Interleukin-12 that Controls Acute Infection by Toxoplasma gondii

Citation Mashayekhi, Mona, Michelle M. Sandau, Ildiko R. Dunay, Eva M. Frickel, Asis Khan, Romina S. Goldszmid, Alan Sher, et al. “CD8[superscript +] Dendritic Cells Are the Critical Source of Interleukin-12 That Controls Acute Infection by Toxoplasma Gondii Tachyzoites. ” Immunity 35, no. 2 (August 2011): 249–259. As Published http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.immuni. 2011.08. 008 Publisher Elsevier/Cell Press
Electronic compound-eye image sensor: construction and calibration

Compound eyes are a highly successful natural solution to the issue of wide field of view and high update rate for vision systems. Applications for an electronic implementation of a compound eye sensor include high-speed object tracking and depth perception. In this paper we demonstrate the construction and operation of a prototype compound eye sensor which currently consists of up to 20 eyelets, each of which forms an image of approximately 150 pixels in diameter on a single CMOS image sensor. Post-fabrication calibration of such a sensor is discussed in detail with reference to experimental measurements of accuracy and repeatability.
A pr 2 00 2 Brown Dwarfs and the TW Hya Association

I report the results of a survey for low-mass (0.030 & M & 0.013M⊙) brown dwarfs in the direction of the TW Hya association using 2MASS. Two late-M dwarfs show signs of low surface gravity and are strong candidates to be young, very-low-mass (M ≈ 0.025M⊙) brown dwarfs related to the TW Hya association. 2MASSW J1207334-393254 is particularly notable for its strong Hα emission. The numbers of detected brown dwarfs is consistent with the substellar mass function in richer star formation environments. Newly identified late-M and L dwarfs in the field are also discussed. Unusual objects include an L dwarf with strong Hα emission, a possible wide M8/M9 triple system, and a possible L dwarf companion to an LHS star. Subject headings: stars: low-mass, brown dwarfs — open clusters and associations: individual (TW Hya Association) — stars: activity
Printed Arabic Text Recognition using Linear and Nonlinear Regression

Arabic language is one of the most popular languages in the world. Hundreds of millions of people in many countries around the world speak Arabic as their native speaking. However, due to complexity of Arabic language, recognition of printed and handwritten Arabic text remained untouched for a very long time compared with English and Chinese. Although, in the last few years, significant number of researches has been done in recognizing printed and handwritten Arabic text, it stills an open research field due to cursive nature of Arabic script. This paper proposes automatic printed Arabic text recognition technique based on linear and ellipse regression techniques. After collecting all possible forms of each character, unique code is generated to represent each character form. Each code contains a sequence of lines and ellipses. To recognize fonts, a unique list of codes is identified to be used as a fingerprint of font. The proposed technique has been evaluated using over 14000 different Arabic words with different fonts and experimental results show that average recognition rate of the proposed technique is 86%.
Admissibility of a Wide Cluster Solution in "Anisotropic" Higher-Order Traffic Flow Models

We analytically investigate a wide cluster solution and show that it is not admitted in some of the traffic flow models in the literature. For those traffic flow models that admit the wide cluster solution, the relationship between two important control parameters and the critical densities that divide an equilibrium solution into stable and unstable regions is thoroughly discussed in detail. We find that such wide clusters exist with a free traffic density in an unstable region, and with one or three critical densities. These results are different from the cases in the well-known higher-order traffic flow models of Payne and Whitham (H. J. Payne, "Models of freeway traffic and control," in Mathematical Models of Public Systems, A. G. Bekey, ed., Simulation Council Proc. Ser. 1, La Jolla, CA, 1971, pp. 51-61), (G. B. Whitham, Linear and Nonlinear Waves, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1974), Kuhne (R. D. Kuhne, "Macroscopic freeway model for dense traffic-stop-start waves and incident detection," in Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Transportation and Traffic Theory, J. Volmuller and R. Hamerslag, eds., VNU Science Press, Utrecht, 1984, pp. 21-42), and Kerner and Konhauser (B. S. Kerner and P. Konhauser, Phys. Rev. E (3), 50 (1994), pp. 54-83).
Taking the Pulse of the Real Economy Using Financial Statement Analysis: Implications for Macro Forecasting and Stock Valuation

ABSTRACT: In this study, we hypothesize and find that financial statement analysis of firm profitability drivers applied at the aggregate level yields timely insights that are relevant for forecasting real economic activity. We first show that focusing on the 100 largest firms offers a cost-effective way to extract information embedded in accounting profitability data of the entire stock market portfolio. We then show that accounting profitability data aggregated across the 100 largest firms have predictive content for subsequent real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. We also show that stock market returns have predictive content for future real GDP growth, while their predictive power varies with the length of the measurement window with annual stock market returns being the most powerful. Importantly, we find that the predictive content of our indices of aggregate accounting profitability drivers is incremental to that of annual stock market returns. An in-depth investigation of consensus survey fore.
Play Matters

What do we think about when we think about play? A pastime? Games? Childish activities? The opposite of work? Think again: If we are happy and well rested, we may approach even our daily tasks in a playful way, taking the attitude of play without the activity of play. So what, then, is play? In Play Matters, Miguel Sicart argues that to play is to be in the world; playing is a form of understanding what surrounds us and a way of engaging with others. Play goes beyond games; it is a mode of being human. We play games, but we also play with toys, on playgrounds, with technologies and design. Sicart proposes a theory of play that doesn't derive from a particular object or activity but is a portable tool for being--not tied to objects but brought by people to the complex interactions that form their daily lives. It is not separated from reality; it is part of it. It is pleasurable, but not necessarily fun. Play can be dangerous, addictive, and destructive. Along the way, Sicart considers playfulness, the capacity to use play outside the context of play; toys, the materialization of play--instruments but also play pals; playgrounds, play spaces that enable all kinds of play; beauty, the aesthetics of play through action; political play -- from Maradona's goal against England in the 1986 World Cup to the hactivist activities of Anonymous; the political, aesthetic, and moral activity of game design; and why play and computers get along so well.
Complement C3a regulates Muc5ac expression by airway Clara cells independently of Th2 responses.

RATIONALE The factors that control the secretion of epithelial mucins are essential to understanding obstructive airway diseases such as asthma. Although the complement anaphylatoxin C3a and its receptor have been shown to promote many features of allergic lung inflammation, the contribution to mucin expression has not been elucidated. OBJECTIVES To determine if the C3a receptor with its ligand regulates airway epithelial mucin production. METHODS Mice deficient in the C3a receptor were examined in a model of allergic airway disease for the presence of goblet cells and the gel-forming secreted mucin Muc5ac. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Lungs from antigen-challenged C3a receptor-deficient mice revealed a dramatic decrease in goblet cells and Muc5ac compared with challenged wild-type control animals. These differences were dependent on C3a binding to its receptor since intranasal challenge with C3a induced the formation of goblet cells only in wild-type but not C3a receptor-deficient mice. Increased numbers of goblet cells were also found in C3a-stimulated RAG-1-deficient mice demonstrating a mechanism independent of T lymphocytes and Th2 cytokines, mediators which have been shown to regulate mucin expression. A direct physiological role for C3a in these models was further demonstrated in cultures of airway epithelial Clara cells, which not only express the C3a receptor but also produce Muc5ac in response to C3a. CONCLUSIONS These studies identify a novel C3a receptor-dependent mechanism in the development of airway epithelial goblet cells and regulation of Muc5ac production and implicate C3a as a mediator of airway obstruction in asthma.
Mismatch between teachers’ need for change and change in practice: what if what they see is not what they want?

Abstract Turkey launched what is known as the 12-Year Compulsory Education Act in the 2012–2013 Fall term. This initiative has received criticism from different stakeholders, specifically from educators, who are among the most affected. Criticism from teachers shows a discrepancy between what is being changed and what teachers believe should be changed. This study is an attempt to explore this discrepancy and analyse teachers’ opinions about recent reform efforts, in addition to what they propose to change in the Turkish education system. This mixed-method study was carried out in the 2014–2015 academic year. Three hundred and fifty-three teachers took part in the quantitative phase, while qualitative data were collected from 13 teachers working in Gaziantep province. Data were collected through a survey and semi-structured interviews. Results of the study have shown that a great majority of teachers think that there must be some kind of change in the system, but the changes, they proposed, were not in line with the changes that were initiated within the context of 12-Year Compulsory Education Act. It was also discovered that when teachers do not see implementation of the changes they propose, they tend to find little value in implemented changes.
A 62 GHz inductor-peaked rectifier with 7% efficiency

This paper presents the first 62 GHz fully onchip RF-DC rectifier in 65nm CMOS technology. The rectifier is the bottleneck in realizing on-chip wireless power receivers. In this paper, efficiency problems of the mm-wave rectifier are discussed and the inductor-peaked rectifier structure is proposed and realized. By using an inductor-peaked diode connected transistor, self-threshold voltage modulation, and an output filter, the measured rectifier reaches 7% efficiency with 1 mA current load. Compared to previous state-of-art 45 GHz rectifier with 1.2% efficiency [1], our solution achieves a higher efficiency at a higher frequency, providing a better solution for mm-wave wireless power receivers.
On Joint Modelling of Grapheme and Phoneme Information using KL-HMM for ASR

In this paper, we propose a simple approach to jointly model both grapheme and phoneme information using Kullback-Leibler divergence based HMM (KL-HMM) system. More specifically, graphemes are used as subword units and phoneme posterior probabilities estimated at output of multilayer perceptron are used as observation feature vector. Through preliminary studies on DARPA Resource Management corpus it is shown that although the proposed approach yield lower performance compared to KL-HMM system using phoneme as subword units, this gap in the performance can be bridged via temporal modelling at the observation feature vector level and contextual modelling of early tagged contextual graphemes.
The Importance of Firm Cost Heterogeneity in Policy Design and Support: Differential Reaction to the Supreme Court's Rejection of New Deal Agricultural and Industrial Policies

An analyzer includes a test cell which contains a core of coal from a coal bed methane reservoir. A tomographic system is used for testing the core at different times and provides signals corresponding to the tests. While the earthen core is being tested, a fluid having the same size molecules as methane is provided to the earthen core as part of the testing. The signals from the tomographic system are used to determine the methane storage capacity of the core.
The Effects of the Social Structure of Digital Networks on Viral Marketing Performance

Viral marketing is a form of peer-to-peer communication in which individuals are encouraged to pass on promotional messages within their social networks. Conventional wisdom holds that the viral marketing process is both random and unmanageable. In this paper, we deconstruct the process and investigate the formation of the activated digital network as distinct from the underlying social network. We then consider the impact of the social structure of digital networks (random, scale free, and small world) and of the transmission behavior of individuals on campaign performance. Specifically, we identify alternative social network models to understand the mediating effects of the social structures of these models on viral marketing campaigns. Next, we analyse an actual viral marketing campaign and use the empirical data to develop and validate a computer simulation model for viral marketing. Finally, we conduct a number of simulation experiments to predict the spread of a viral message within different types of social network structures under different assumptions and scenarios. Our findings confirm that the social structure of digital networks play a critical role in the spread of a viral message. Managers seeking to optimize campaign performance should give consideration to these findings before designing and implementing viral marketing campaigns. We also demonstrate how a simulation model is used to quantify the impact of campaign management inputs and how these learnings can support managerial decision making.
Not all epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in lung cancer are created equal: Perspectives for individualized treatment strategy

Somatic mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene are present in approximately 20% (in Caucasians) to 40% (in East Asians) of adenocarcinomas of the lung. Targeted therapy for these lung cancers has been established based on evidence regarding mainly common mutations; that is, exon 19 deletions (Del19) and L858R. EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), gefitinib, erlotinib or afatinib showed high objective response rates (ORR) of approximately 60%. Several studies suggested that Del19 might be more sensitive to EGFR‐TKI than L858R. On the other hand, it has been difficult to establish evidence for other less common mutations, accounting for 12% of all EGFR mutations, because there are many variants and many studies have excluded patients with these uncommon mutations. However, recent studies revealed that these rare genotypes could be targetable if appropriate TKI are selected. For example, G719X (X denotes A, S, C and so on), Del18, E709K, insertions in exon 19 (Ins19), S768I or L861Q showed moderate sensitivities to gefitinib or erlotinb with ORR of 30%–50%. However, afatinib appeared to be especially effective for these tumors. Although Ins20s (except for insFQEA) have been regarded as resistant mutations, osimertinib may be effective for rare subtypes of them and nazartinib (EGF816) is promising for the majority of them. For the further development of targeted therapy in all EGFR mutations, it is important to precisely detect targetable mutations, to select the most appropriate TKI for each mutation, and to continue investigating in vitro studies and collecting clinical data on even rare mutations.