Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using auditory pre-information to solve the cocktail-party problem: electrophysiological evidence for age-specific differences

Speech understanding in complex and dynamic listening environments requires (a) auditory scene analysis, namely auditory object formation and segregation, and (b) allocation of the attentional focus to the talker of interest. There is evidence that pre-information is actively used to facilitate these two aspects of the so-called “cocktail-party” problem. Here, a simulated multi-talker scenario was combined with electroencephalography to study scene analysis and allocation of attention in young and middle-aged adults. Sequences of short words (combinations of brief company names and stock-price values) from four talkers at different locations were simultaneously presented, and the detection of target names and the discrimination between critical target values were assessed. Immediately prior to speech sequences, auditory pre-information was provided via cues that either prepared auditory scene analysis or attentional focusing, or non-specific pre-information was given. While performance was generally better in younger than older participants, both age groups benefited from auditory pre-information. The analysis of the cue-related event-related potentials revealed age-specific differences in the use of pre-cues: Younger adults showed a pronounced N2 component, suggesting early inhibition of concurrent speech stimuli; older adults exhibited a stronger late P3 component, suggesting increased resource allocation to process the pre-information. In sum, the results argue for an age-specific utilization of auditory pre-information to improve listening in complex dynamic auditory environments.
Strategic Responses to Competitive Pressure: The Case of Township and Village Enterprises in China

This study assesses the configuration between strategic orientation and industrial environment for Chinese township and village enterprises (TVEs), the organizational form which has played an increasingly important role in Chinese economic development and structural reform. We argue that the complexity, dynamism, and hostility of the industrial environment influence TVE managers' perception of competitive pressure, which in turn affects the firm's strategic orientations such as innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking, and analysis. Our analysis, based on a survey of TVE managers in Tinjin and Jiangsu, demonstrates that complexity and dynamism of industrial competition have a systematically positive impact on TVE's innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking, or analysis. Environmental hostility is not significantly associated with any strategic orientations adopted by Chinese TVEs. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Attachment theory and emotions in close relationships: Exploring the attachment-related dynamics of emotional reactions to relational events

Attachment theory is a powerful framework for understanding affect regulation. In this article, we examine the role played by attachment orientation in shaping emotional reactions to interpersonal transactions within close relationships. Using our recent integrative model of attachment-system activation and dynamics as a guide (M. Mikulincer & P. R. Shaver, 2003), we review relevant evidence, present new findings, and propose hypotheses concerning how people with different attachment styles are likely to react emotionally to relational events. Specifically, we focus on attachment-related variations in the emotional states elicited by a relationship partner’s positive and negative behaviors and by signals of a partner’s (relationship relevant or relationship irrelevant) distress or pleasure. In so doing, we organize existing knowledge and point the way to future research on attachment-related emotions in close relationships.
Water Chemistry Alters Gene Expression and Physiological End Points of Chronic Waterborne Copper Exposure in Zebrafish, <named-content content-type="genus-species" type="simple">Danio rerio</named-content>

This is the first study to implement a genomic approach to ascertain both transcriptional and functional end points of chronic Cu toxicity in fish associated with experimentally manipulated water chemistries. Over 21 d, zebrafish acclimated to softwater (Na+ ) 0.06 mM, Ca2+ ) 0.08 mM, Mg2+ ) 0.03 mM) were exposed to the following: soft-water (Ctrl); 12 μg L-1 Cu (Cu); 3.3 mM Na+ (Na); 3.3 mM Na+ + 12 μg L-1 Cu (Na + Cu); 3.3 mM Ca2+ (Ca); or 3.3 mM Ca2+ + 12 μg L-1 Cu (Ca + Cu). Although effective at reducing Cu load in all tissues, Na+ in the presence of Cu did not decrease the degree of oxidative damage, particularly in the gill and gut. In contrast, Ca + Cu treatment decreased Cu accumulation in gill, but not liver or gut, with no reduction in oxidative damage. Transcriptional analysis of candidate genes (atp7a, ctr1, ECaC, esr1) showed principally a down regulation of transcripts with the Cu only treatment, while Ca + Cu treatment restored some of the genes to control levels. Conversely, the Na + Cu treatment had a strong, opposing affect when compared to that of Cu alone. Zebrafish Affymetrix GeneChips revealed significantly clustered patterns of expression. Changes in expression induced by Cu appeared to be opposite to the majority of the other treatments. Our data on the preventative or enhancing effects of Na+ and Ca2+ both alone and in the presence of Cu, may, in the future, facilitate the incorporation of gene expression end points into a biotic ligand model predicting chronic Cu toxicity in this tropical model species of genomic importance.
Performance of a permanent-magnet helicon source at 27 and 13 MHz

A small helicon source is used to create dense plasma and inject it into a large chamber. A permanent magnet is used for the dc magnetic field (B-field), making the system very simple and compact. Though theory predicts that better antenna coupling will occur at 27.12 MHz, it was found that 13.56 MHz surprisingly gives even higher density due to practical effects not included in theory. Complete density n and electron temperature Te profiles are measured at three distances below the source. The plasma inside the source is also measured with a special probe, even under the antenna. The density there is lower than expected because the plasma created is immediately ejected, filling the experimental chamber. The advantage of helicons over inductively coupled plasmas (with no B-field) increases with RF power. At high B-fields, edge ionization by the Trivelpiece-Gould mode can be seen. These results are useful for design of multiple-tube, large-area helicon sources for plasma etching and deposition because prob.
Functionally Similar Species Confer Greater Resistance to Invasion: Implications for Grassland Restoration

Plant community functional composition can be manipulated in restored ecosystems to reduce the establishment potential of invading species. This study was designed to compare invasion resistance among communities with species functionally similar or dissimilar to yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), a late‐season annual. A field experiment was conducted in the Central Valley of California with six experimental plant communities that included (1) six early‐season native annual forbs (AF); (2) five late‐season native perennials and one summer annual forb (NP); (3) a combination of three early‐season native annual forbs and three late‐season native perennials (FP); (4) six early‐season non‐native annual grasses (AG); (5) monoculture of the late‐season native perennial grass Elymus glaucus (EG); and (6) monoculture of the late‐season native perennial Grindelia camporum (GC). Following establishment, C. solstitialis seed was added to half of the plots, and a monoculture of C. solstitialis (CS) was established as a control. Over a 5‐year period, the AF and AG communities were ineffective at preventing C. solstitialis invasion. Centaurea solstitialis cover remained less than 10% in the FP and NP communities, except in year 1. By the fourth year, E. glaucus cover was greater than 50% in NP and FP communities and had spread to all other communities (e.g., 27% cover in CS in year 5). Communities containing E. glaucus, which is functionally similar to C. solstitialis, better resisted invasion than communities lacking a functional analog. In contrast, G. camporum, which is also functionally similar to C. solstitialis, failed to survive. Consequently, species selection for restored communities must consider not only functional similarity to the invader but also establishment success, competitiveness, and survivorship.
Testing for boy-girl discrimination with household expenditure data: results for Papua New Guinea

Discrimination in the allocation of goods between boys and girls is tested for, using expenditure data from households in Papua New Guinea. Deaton's (1989) method of identifying demographic effects on adult goods expenditure is used to indicate gender bias. Valid adult goods are found to be adult clothing, alcohol, gambling, meals eaten away from home, and tobacco. Adding a young boy to a household reduces expenditure on adult goods by as much as would a one-third reduction in total outlay per member, but young girls have no effect on adult goods expenditure. The difference in these point estimates is estimated imprecisely, and falls just outside conventional levels of statistical significance.
Role of biomarkers in understanding and treating children with asthma: towards personalized care

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting children. Despite publicized expert panels on asthma management and the availability of high-potency inhaled corticosteroids, asthma continues to pose an enormous burden on quality of life for children. Research into the genetic and molecular origins of asthma are starting to show how distinct disease entities exist within the syndrome of “asthma”. Biomarkers can be used to diagnose underlying molecular mechanisms that can predict the natural course of disease or likely response to drug treatment. The progress of personalized medicine in the care of children with asthma is still in its infancy. We are not yet able to apply stratified asthma treatments based on molecular phenotypes, although that time may be fast approaching. This review discusses some of the recent advances in asthma genetics and the use of current biomarkers that can help guide improved treatment. For example, the fraction of expired nitric oxide and serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE) (including allergen-specific IgE), when evaluated in the context of recurrent asthma symptoms, are general predictors of allergic airway inflammation. Biomarker assays for secondhand tobacco smoke exposure and cysteinyl leukotrienes are both promising areas of study that can help personalize management, not just for pharmacologic management, but also education and prevention efforts.
Structural transitions in the transcription elongation complexes of bacterial RNA polymerase during σ-dependent pausing

A transcription initiation factor, the σ70 subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) induces transcription pausing through the binding to a promoter-like pause-inducing sequence in the DNA template during transcription elongation. Here, we investigated the mechanism of σ-dependent pausing using reconstituted transcription elongation complexes which allowed highly efficient and precisely controlled pause formation. We demonstrated that, following engagement of the σ subunit to the pause site, RNAP continues RNA synthesis leading to formation of stressed elongation complexes, in which the nascent RNA remains resistant to Gre-induced cleavage while the transcription bubble and RNAP footprint on the DNA template extend in downstream direction, likely accompanied by DNA scrunching. The stressed complexes can then either break σ-mediated contacts and continue elongation or isomerize to a backtracked conformation. Suppressing of the RNAP backtracking decreases pausing and increases productive elongation. On the contrary, core RNAP mutations that impair RNAP interactions with the downstream part of the DNA template stimulate pausing, presumably by destabilizing the stressed complexes. We propose that interplay between DNA scrunching and RNAP backtracking may have an essential role in transcription pausing and its regulation in various systems.
Mindfulness And Relationship Health In Couples With Chronic Pain

MINDFULNESS AND RELATIONSHIP HEALTH IN COUPLES WITH CHRONIC PAIN by AMY WILLIAMS May 2010 Advisor: Dr. Annmarie Cano Major: Clinical Psychology Degree: Master of Arts Chronic pain is an important public health problem that is associated with a host of negative individual and relationship outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify mindfulness, empathy and perceived support in marital relationships, all characteristics of a healthy marital relationship, as important correlates of mental health, relationship health, and health-related quality of life in couples with chronic pain. Participants were contacted as the fourth phase of a longitudinal study on couples with chronic pain in the Metro Detroit Area. Both the patient and spouse individually completed questionnaires pertaining to their marriage, mood, pain and personality. The sample was diverse for both patients (52.1% Caucasian), and spouses (59.2% Caucasian). The gender of the patients was balanced with 52.9% male (n = 27). The average ages of patients and spouses were 58.16 years and 58.35 years, respectively. Patients reported an average pain duration of 14.04 years. Spouse’s and patient’s mindfulness was associated with a variety of spouse’s support behaviors, such as perceived partner responsiveness and negative spouse responses to patient’s pain, and patient’s psychological and marital health measures. Further, spouse’s support
UU Aqr from high to low state

In this paper we present Physical Parameter Eclipse Mapping (PPEM) of UBVRI eclipse light curves of UU Aqr from high to low states. We used a simple, pure hydrogen LTE model to derive the temperature and surface density distribution in the accretion disc. The reconstructed effective temperatures in the disc range between 9000 K and 15000 K in the inner part of the disc and below 7000 K in the outer parts. In the higher states it shows a more or less prominent bright spot with Teff between about 7000 K and 8000 K. The inner part of the disc (R < 0.3R) isL1 optically thick at all times, while the outer parts of the disc up to the disc edge (0.51 ± 0.04RL1 in the high state and 0.40 ± 0.03RL1 in the low state) deviate from a simple black body spectrum indicating that either the outer disc is optically thin or it shows a temperature inversion in the vertical direction. While during high state the disc is variable, it appears rather stable in low state. The variation during high state affects the size of the optically thick part of the disc, the white dwarf or boundary layer temperature and the uneclipsed component (originating in a disc chromosphere and/or cool disc wind), while the actual size of the disc remains constant. The difference between high and low state is expressed as a change in disc size that also affects the size of the optically thick part of the disc and the presence of the bright spot. Using the PPEM method we retrieve a distance for UU Aqr of 207±10 pc, compatible with previous estimates.
Probabilistic occlusion estimation in cluttered environments for active perception planning

This paper presents a probabilistic framework for scene modeling and active perception planning in complex environments. It tackles the problems of representing detection and transition uncertainties in multi-object scenes without knowledge of the total number of objects in the scenario. The correct association of observation data with scene information is essential for reasonable incorporation of sequencing measurements into the scene model. This work also deals with the probabilistic computation of object occlusions for probabilistic action planning in order to select the most profitable prospective viewpoint. Concepts from computer graphics and statistics are combined for the efficient and precise estimation of future observations. In an experimental setting this active perception system, integrated into an autonomous service robot, is evaluated in a kitchen scenario.
A Reinforcement Learning Approach to Automated GUI Robustness Testing

Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) can be found in almost all modern desktop, tablet and smartphone applications. Since they are the glue between an application’s components, they lend themselves to sys-tem level testing. Unfortunately, although many tools promise automation, GUI testing is still an inherently diﬃcult task and involves great manual labor. However, tests that aim at critical faults, like crashes and excessive response times, are completely automatable and can be very eﬀective. These robustness tests often apply random algorithms to select the actions to be executed on the GUI. This paper proposes a new approach to fully automated robustness testing of complex GUI applications with the goal to enhance the fault ﬁnding capabilities. The approach uses a well-known machine learning algorithm called Q-Learning in order to combine the advantages of random and coverage-based testing. We will explain how it operates, how we plan to implement it and provide arguments for its usefulness.
Green Households? Domestic Consumers, Environment and Sustainability

Preface * Acknowledgements * Contributors * Household Metabolism and Sustainability: Some Introductory Remarks * Household Metabolism in the Context of Sustainability and Environmental Quality * Analysis of Household Metabolic Flows * Household Energy Requirements * Developments in Household Composition in Europe * Spatial Aspects of Housing * From Household to Urban Metabolism: Ecological Renewal of Neighbourhoods * Household Consumption, Quality of Life, and Environmental Impacts: a Psychological Perspective and Empirical Study * Economics Aspects of Household Metabolism * The Effects of Public Policies on Household Metabolism * Diagnosing and Evaluating Household Metabolism * Index
Suppressive Effects of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-B on Tumor Growth in a Mouse Model of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumorigenesis

Background The family of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) contains key regulators of blood and lymph vessel development, including VEGF-A, -B, -C, -D, and placental growth factor. The role of VEGF-B during physiological or pathological angiogenesis has not yet been conclusively delineated. Herein, we investigate the function of VEGF-B by the generation of mouse models of cancer with transgenic expression of VEGF-B or homozygous deletion of Vegfb. Methodology/Principal Findings Ectopic expression of VEGF-B in the insulin-producing β-cells of the pancreas did not alter the abundance or architecture of the islets of Langerhans. The vasculature from transgenic mice exhibited a dilated morphology, but was of similar density as that of wildtype mice. Unexpectedly, we found that transgenic expression of VEGF-B in the RIP1-Tag2 mouse model of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumorigenesis retarded tumor growth. Conversely, RIP1-Tag2 mice deficient for Vegfb presented with larger tumors. No differences in vascular density, perfusion or immune cell infiltration upon altered Vegfb gene dosage were noted. However, VEGF-B acted to increase blood vessel diameter both in normal pancreatic islets and in RIP1-Tag2 tumors. Conclusions/Significance Taken together, our results illustrate the differences in biological function between members of the VEGF family, and highlight the necessity of in-depth functional studies of VEGF-B to fully understand the effects of VEGFR-1 inhibitors currently used in the clinic.
Incidence, Reversal, and Prevention of Opioid-induced Respiratory Depression

Opioid treatment of pain is generally safe with 0.5% or less events from respiratory depression. However, fatalities are regularly reported. The only treatment currently available to reverse opioid respiratory depression is by naloxone infusion. The efficacy of naloxone depends on its own pharmacological characteristics and on those (including receptor kinetics) of the opioid that needs reversal. Short elimination of naloxone and biophase equilibration half-lives and rapid receptor kinetics complicates reversal of high-affinity opioids. An opioid with high receptor affinity will require greater naloxone concentrations and/or a continuous infusion before reversal sets in compared with an opioid with lower receptor affinity. The clinical approach to severe opioid-induced respiratory depression is to titrate naloxone to effect and continue treatment by continuous infusion until chances for renarcotization have diminished. New approaches to prevent opioid respiratory depression without affecting analgesia have led to the experimental application of serotinine agonists, ampakines, and the antibiotic minocycline.
BOXES: AN EXPERIMENT IN ADAPTIVE CONTROL

BOXES is the name of a computer program. We shall also use the word boxes to refer to a particular approach to decision-taking under uncertainty which has been used as the basis of a number of computer programs. Fig. 1 shows a photograph of an assemblage of actual boxes—matchboxes to be exact. Although the construction of this Matchbox Educable Noughts and Crosses Engine (Michie 1961, 1963) was undertaken as a 'fun project', there was present a more serious intention to demonstrate the principle that it may be easier to learn to play many easy games than one difficult one. Consequently it may be advantageous to decompose a game into a number of mutually independent sub-games even if much relevant information is put out of reach in the process. The principle is related to the method of subgoals in problem-solving (see Newell et al. 1960) but differs in one fundamental respect: subgoals are linked in series, while sub-games are played in parallel, in a sense which will become apparent.
Accreting neutron star spins and the equation of state

X‐ray timing of neutron stars in low‐mass X‐ray binaries (LMXBs) with the Rossi X‐ray Timing Explorer has since 1996 revealed several distinct high‐frequency phenomena. Among these are oscillations during thermonuclear (type‐I) bursts, which (in addition to persistent X‐ray pulsations) are thought to trace the neutron star spin. The recent discoveries of 294 Hz burst oscillations in IGR J17191–2821, and 182 Hz pulsations in Swift J1756.9–2508, brings the total number of measured LMXB spin rates to 22. An open question is why the majority of the ≈100 known neutron stars in LMXBs show neither pulsations nor burst oscillations.Recent observations suggest that persistent pulsations may be more common than previously thought, although detectable intermittently, and in some cases at very low duty cycles. For example, the 377.3 Hz pulsations in HETE J1900.1–2455 were only present in the first few months of it's outburst, and have been absent since (although X‐ray activity continues). Intermittent (persistent) pu.