Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Natural versus Synthetic Stimuli for Estimating Receptive Field Models: A Comparison of Predictive Robustness

An ultimate goal of visual neuroscience is to understand the neural encoding of complex, everyday scenes. Yet most of our knowledge of neuronal receptive fields has come from studies using simple artificial stimuli (e.g., bars, gratings) that may fail to reveal the full nature of a neuron's actual response properties. Our goal was to compare the utility of artificial and natural stimuli for estimating receptive field (RF) models. Using extracellular recordings from simple type cells in cat A18, we acquired responses to three types of broadband stimulus ensembles: two widely used artificial patterns (white noise and short bars), and natural images. We used a primary dataset to estimate the spatiotemporal receptive field (STRF) with two hold-back datasets for regularization and validation. STRFs were estimated using an iterative regression algorithm with regularization and subsequently fit with a zero-memory nonlinearity. Each RF model (STRF and zero-memory nonlinearity) was then used in simulations to predict responses to the same stimulus type used to estimate it, as well as to other broadband stimuli and sinewave gratings. White noise stimuli often elicited poor responses leading to noisy RF estimates, while short bars and natural image stimuli were more successful in driving A18 neurons and producing clear RF estimates with strong predictive ability. Natural image-derived RF models were the most robust at predicting responses to other broadband stimulus ensembles that were not used in their estimation and also provided good predictions of tuning curves for sinewave gratings.
The great spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus micans Kug.) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in Lithuania: occurrence, phenology, morphology and communities of associated fungi

Abstract We studied the occurrence, morphology and phenology of Dendroctonus micans in Lithuania and the fungi associated with the beetle at different developmental stages. The occurrence of D. micans was assessed in 19 seed orchards (at least 40 years old) of Picea abies (L. Karst.) situated in different parts of the country. Bark beetle phenology was studied in two sites: a seed orchard of P. abies and a plantation of Picea pungens (Engelm.). D. micans morphology was assessed under the dissection microscope using individuals at different developmental stages that were sampled during phenology observations. Communities of fungi associated with D. micans were studied using both fungal culturing methods and direct high-throughput sequencing from D. micans. Results showed that the incidence D. micans was relatively rare and D. micans was mainly detected in central and eastern Lithuania. The life cycle included the following stages: adult, egg, I–V developmental stage larvae and pupa. However, development of D. micans was quicker and its nests larger under the bark of P. pungens than of P. abies, indicating the effect of the host species. Fungal culturing and direct high-throughput sequencing revealed that D. micans associated fungi communities were species rich and dominated by yeasts from a class Saccharomycetes. In total, 319 fungal taxa were sequenced, among which Peterozyma toletana (37.5% of all fungal sequences), Yamadazyma scolyti (30.0%) and Kuraishia capsulate (17.7%) were the most common. Plant pathogens and blue stain fungi were also detected suggesting their potentially negative effects to both tree health and timber quality.
The degree of short‐term synchrony between alpha‐ and gamma‐motoneurones coactivated during the flexion reflex in the cat.

Cross‐correlation analysis of unitary neuronal discharges has been used to study the linkage between alpha‐ and gamma‐motoneurones coactivated during the flexion reflex of the semitendinosus muscle in the decerebrated spinal cat. A flexion reflex was elicited by firm grip or squeeze of the ipsilateral heel, shank or foot. The stimulus excited the discharges of both alpha‐ and gamma‐motoneurones and increased the frequency of discharge of those gamma‐motoneurones that had shown a background discharge prior to intentional stimulation. Short‐term synchrony was present between a high proportion of semitendinosus gamma‐motoneurones both for background discharges (sixteen out of nineteen pairs) and during the flexion reflex (thirteen out of fifteen pairs). All nineteen pairs of alpha‐motoneurones examined during the flexion reflex showed short‐term synchrony of discharge. Few alpha‐motoneurones displayed background discharges but synchrony was observed in the two instances studied. The degree of synchrony was measured as the ratio (kappa) of the total counts contributing to the peak of the correlogram over the number expected by chance alone. The ratio was higher when the average frequency of motoneurone discharge was low. Kappa was generally higher for alpha‐motoneurone pairs than for gamma‐motoneurone pairs. The higher degree of synchrony for alpha‐motoneurones reflected their lower discharge rates. During the flexion reflex the degree of synchrony between gamma‐motoneurones was greater than expected for that same discharge rate in the absence of intentional stimulation. Only twenty‐seven out of forty pairings of an alpha‐ with a gamma‐motoneurone showed a significant degree of synchrony of discharge. On average, the degree of synchrony for alpha/gamma pairs was lower than that for either alpha/alpha or gamma/gamma pairings at the equivalent discharge rate. The results support the conclusion that coactivation of alpha‐ and gamma‐motoneurones during the flexion reflex occurs largely through independent sets of interneurones. The possibility is discussed that those alpha‐motoneurones which showed short‐term synchrony with gamma‐motoneurones were skeleto‐fusimotor (beta‐motoneurones) in nature.
Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector

Introduction From January 2013 STA Tutor Courses (Swimming, Aquacise, Lifesaving, First Aid and Pool Plant) will include the Level 3 PTLLS Award. National Tutors that deliver these courses will need to hold a formal teaching qualification or complete a Level 4 PTLLS Award; STA are offering this as a distance learning option. Listed below are:  Level 3 PTLLS assignment criteria with guidance  Level 4 PTLLS assignment criteria with guidance  PTLLS Distance Learning Assignment Completion Procedure  Marking Grade Guide
Relative Effects of Road Risk, Habitat Suitability, and Connectivity on Wildlife Roadkills: The Case of Tawny Owls (Strix aluco)

Background Despite its importance for reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, there is still incomplete understanding of factors responsible for high road mortality. In particular, few empirical studies examined the idea that spatial variation in roadkills is influenced by a complex interplay between road-related factors, and species-specific habitat quality and landscape connectivity. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study we addressed this issue, using a 7-year dataset of tawny owl (Strix aluco) roadkills recorded along 37 km of road in southern Portugal. We used a multi-species roadkill index as a surrogate of intrinsic road risk, and we used a Maxent distribution model to estimate habitat suitability. Landscape connectivity was estimated from least-cost paths between tawny owl territories, using habitat suitability as a resistance surface. We defined 10 alternative scenarios to compute connectivity, based on variation in potential movement patterns according to territory quality and dispersal distance thresholds. Hierarchical partitioning of a regression model indicated that independent variation in tawny owl roadkills was explained primarily by the roadkill index (70.5%) and, to a much lesser extent, by landscape connectivity (26.2%), while habitat suitability had minor effects (3.3%). Analysis of connectivity scenarios suggested that owl roadkills were primarily related to short range movements (<5 km) between high quality territories. Tawny owl roadkills were spatially autocorrelated, but the introduction of spatial filters in the regression model did not change the type and relative contribution of environmental variables. Conclusions Overall, results suggest that road-related factors may have a dominant influence on roadkill patterns, particularly in areas like ours where habitat quality and landscape connectivity are globally high for the study species. Nevertheless, the study supported the view that functional connectivity should be incorporated whenever possible in roadkill models, as it may greatly increase their power to predict the location of roadkill hotspots.
Facebooking It to the Polls: A Study in Online Social Networking and Political Behavior

ABSTRACT As Internet use continues to become integrated into the daily lives of average Americans, it becomes necessary to understand the implications of each aspect of that use. As the majority of adults now take advantage of social network sites, understanding how they make use of those sites and what that means for American politics is increasingly important. This study considers one such social network site, Facebook, and how engaging in specific behaviors that provide personalized information, create community engagement, and generate social capital within that realm impacted users' decision to participate politically in the presidential primary of 2008. It concludes that certain Facebook behaviors can be translated into participatory political behaviors, both online and offline. Moreover, it is not whether or how often one uses Facebook, but rather the specific set of activities one engages in during such time that drives the relationship between Facebook use and various types of political participation.
Compliance with eye patching in children and its psychosocial effects: A qualitative application of protection motivation theory

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore, from the parents' perspective, the psychological effects of eye patching children and issues affecting compliance with the treatment for amblyopia. Protection motivation theory (PMT; Rogers, 1983) was employed as a conceptual framework from which to formulate questions for semi-structured interviews. A total of 20 families attending outpatient appointments at an orthoptic clinic agreed to participate. The application of PMT played a useful role in delineating the dynamic relationship between parents' perceptions of amblyopia and their ability to undertake the treatment. Parents were cognisant of the efficacy of patching for their child's condition and this was linked to the perceived severity and consequences of the condition, with a high value placed on having good visual ability in both eyes. However, due to the level of psychological distress associated with patching for both the child and parents, regular compliance was often difficult to achieve. These issues require further exploration before decisions on the future of screening and treating amblyopia in pre-school children can be made.
Longitudinal study for sleep–wake behaviours of mothers from pre‐partum to post‐partum using actigraph and sleep logs

Abstract To understand the sleep–wake behaviours from the fifth pre‐partum week to the 15th post‐partum week by the number of actigraphic activities and sleep logs were evaluated in 10 women. It was found that total sleep time shortened, sleep efficiency decreased, and wake after sleep onset (WASO) increased in the weeks immediately after delivery. Compared with late pregnancy, total sleep time and sleep efficiency deteriorated significantly from the delivery week to the 12th post‐partum week and there was a longer period of WASO until the 11th postpartum week. The after‐delivery sleep parameters estimated by the actigraph were worse than those estimated from sleep logs.
SDSS J125637–022452: A HIGH PROPER MOTION L SUBDWARF

We report the discovery of a high proper motion L subdwarf (μ = 0.″617 yr−1) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectral database. The optical spectrum from the star SDSS J125637–022452 has mixed spectral features of both late-M spectral subtype (strong TiO and CaH at 7000 Å) and mid-L spectral subtype (strong wings of KI at 7700 Å, CrH, and FeH), which is interpreted as the signature of a very low-mass, metal-poor star (ultracool subdwarf) of spectral-type sdL. The near-infrared (NIR) (J − Ks) colors from 2MASS show the object to be significantly bluer compared to normal L dwarfs, which is probably due to a strong collision-induced absorption (CIA) from the H2 molecule. This is consistent with the idea that CIA from H2 is more pronounced at low metallicities. Proper motion and radial velocity measurements also indicate that the star is kinematically “hot” and probably associated with the Galactic halo population.
Relation of phonological and orthographic processing to early reading: Comparing two approaches to regression-based, reading-level-match designs.

K. E. Stanovich and L. Siegel (1994) introduced regression-based logic to the reading-level-match design by statistically matching children with reading disabilities, with and without discrepancies in IQ, to normal-reading children on the basis of grade-adjusted decoding scores. The authors replicated this approach but contrasted it with statistical matches using w scores, which are Rasch-scaled decoding scores based on a common metric regardless of age or grade. No differences were found in cognitive skills between children whose reading performance was discrepant and not discrepant with IQ, regardless of whether age-adjusted decoding scores or w scores were used. Matching on w scores did not result in the phonological and orthographic tradeoffs seen when standardized scores were used. The orthographic-decoding relationship was nonlinear, with little functional relation between the skills at low levels of decoding. These results question the conclusion that orthographic skills are compensatory for reading-disabled children.
Reflections on the Roles and Performance of International Organizations in Supporting Children Separated from their Families by War

During the 16-year civil war in Mozambique thousands of children were separated from their families as a direct or indirect result of conflict and displacement. International organizations lent support to a national family tracing and reunification programme coordinated by the government Department for Social Action. Drawing on the findings of an empirical study of the sustainability of substitute family care, this article describes the tensions associated with the involvement of international organizations during the emergency conditions of the war, in post-war rehabilitation and in longer term development. It explores the ethical dimensions of social welfare interventions across borders and continents and concludes by arguing a case for international humanitarian agencies to base their interventions to ‘help’ separated children on deeper knowledges of the social and political history, and the values, beliefs and normative practices of the populations with whom they work.
Routine use of ThinPrep® method in fine‐needle aspiration material as an adjunct to standard smears

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of routine use of ThinPrep® in fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) material as an adjunct to standard smears. We reviewed 50 consecutive, satisfactory‐for‐evaluation FNA materials in which ThinPrep® slides were obtained. In each case, Diff‐Quik‐stained and Papanicolaou‐stained smears were initially prepared, and the ThinPrep® slide was made from the needle/syringe rinse. Smears and ThinPrep® slides were evaluated for the presence of diagnostic material. In addition, the following questions were addressed: could the final diagnosis be made based on smears only, and did the ThinPrep® method add any additional information to the diagnosis? Smears were satisfactory for evaluation in 49/50 cases, and in one case diagnostic material was present on the ThinPrep® slide only. Thirty‐two out of 50 ThinPrep® slides contained material sufficient for evaluation. In 46/50 (92%) cases, final diagnoses could be made based on smears only. In 2 cases, ThinPrep® slides showed additional diagnostic material, and in another 2 cases were critical for the diagnosis. The routine use of ThinPrep® as an adjunct preparatory method to FNA material is not justified, and is associated with an additional, potentially nonreimbursable cost. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2001;25:101–103. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Self‐rated personality and intelligence: a multivariate genetic analysis

The present study investigated the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations between personality factors and measured intelligence. Twin pairs (92 monozygotic and 50 same sex dizygotic) completed 20 sets of personality adjectives in self‐report form as well as a group administered intelligence test, measuring general intelligence and verbal and performance composite scales. The personality adjectives were found to fit a five factor model. Personality aggregates were also created based on multiple regression analyses and used to predict each intelligence dimension. Triangular decompositions were computed to estimate the degree to which the phenotypic personality and intelligence relations were attributable to common genetic and/or environmental factors. Results of these analyses found small to moderate genetic and environmental correlations between intelligence and the personality factors, and moderate to high genetic correlations between intelligence and the personality aggregates, suggesting that intelligence is related to some personality traits at both the phenotypic and the genetic level. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards an Optimal Interest Point Detector for Measurements in Ultrasound Images

Abstract This paper focuses on the comparison of different interest point detectors and their utilization for measurements in ultrasound (US) images. Certain medical examinations are based on speckle tracking which strongly relies on features that can be reliably tracked frame to frame. Only significant features (interest points) resistant to noise and brightness changes within US images are suitable for accurate long-lasting tracking. We compare three interest point detectors - Harris-Laplace, Difference of Gaussian (DoG) and Fast Hessian - and identify the most suitable one for use in US images on the basis of an objective criterion. Repeatability rate is assumed to be an objective quality measure for comparison. We have measured repeatability in images corrupted by different types of noise (speckle noise, Gaussian noise) and for changes in brightness. The Harris-Laplace detector outperformed its competitors and seems to be a sound option when choosing a suitable interest point detector for US images. However, it has to be noted that Fast Hessian and DoG detectors achieved better results in terms of processing speed.
How long does the protective effect on eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage last?

PURPOSE One bout of eccentric exercise produces an adaptation that reduces muscle damage in subsequent bouts. Because it is not known how long this adaptation lasts, the present study investigated the maximal length of the attenuated changes in muscle damage indicators after high-force eccentric exercise. METHODS Male students (N = 35) were placed into three groups and performed two bouts of eccentric exercise of the nondominant elbow flexors separated by either 6 (N = 14), 9 (N = 11), or 12 (N = 10) months. Maximal isometric force (MIF), range of motion (ROM), upper arm circumference (CIR), muscle soreness (SOR), and plasma creatine kinase activity (CK) were measured before and for 5 d after exercise. Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the transverse and longitudinal scans of the upper arm were taken 4 d after exercise. Changes in the criterion measures were compared between the first and second bouts and between groups by a two-way repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS A faster recovery in MIF was evident after a second bout performed at 6 or 9 months, and reduced SOR as well as smaller increases in CIR, CK, and T2 relaxation time of MR images also occurred after the second exercise bout at 6 months compared with initial responses. No significant differences between the bouts were found for ROM, and the 12-month group did not show any repeated bout effect. CONCLUSION These results show that the repeated bout effect for most of the criterion measures lasts at least 6 months but is lost between 9 and 12 months.
The Role of Lifestyle Factors in the Etiology of Stroke: A Population‐Based Case‐Control Study in Perth, Western Australia

Background and Purpose We sought to examine risk factors for all strokes and for ischemic stroke and primary intracerebral hemorrhage separately. Methods This was a population-based case-control study. Each case subject meeting World Health Organization criteria for stroke (n=536) from a population-based register of acute cerebrovascular events compiled in Perth, Western Australia, in 1989 to 1990 was matched for age and sex with up to five control subjects drawn from the same geographical area. Objective confirmation of the type of stroke was available from computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or necropsy for 86% of the case subjects. Data on medical history and lifestyle factors were collected from case and control subjects by interview of the subject or a proxy informant. Results Current smoking, consumption of meat more than four times weekly, and a history of hypertension or intermittent claudication were each associated with increased risk in multivariate models for all strokes and for all first-ever strokes. Consumption of 1 to 20 g/d alcohol in the preceding week was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of all strokes, all ischemic strokes, and of primary intracerebral hemorrhage, while eating fish more than two times per month appeared to protect against first-ever stroke and against primary intracerebral hemorrhage. Diabetes mellitus was associated with a significantly increased risk of ischemic stroke but a decreased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusions Risk factors for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke are not exactly the same. Changes in lifestyle relating to tobacco and diet might make important contributions to further reductions in the incidence of stroke.
Treinamento cognitivo da memória de trabalho em adultos idosos

A presente tese de doutorado aborda a temática treinamento da memória de trabalho em adultos idosos na interface da psicologia clínica e neurociência. Foi composta por dois estudos: um teórico e outro empírico. O estudo teórico teve como objetivo revisar a literatura dos últimos dez anos em busca de um panorama sobre estudos de intervenções neuropsicológicas da memória de trabalho em amostras com adultos. O estudo empírico visou a verificar se houve diferenças de desempenho em testes neuropsicológicos aplicados prée pós-intervenção entre um grupo de adultos saudáveis que participaram de um treinamento de memória da trabalho e um grupo de controles saudáveis que participaram de encontros de socializações.