Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reconstructing Three-Dimensional Hand Movements from Noninvasive Electroencephalographic Signals

It is generally thought that the signal-to-noise ratio, the bandwidth, and the information content of neural data acquired via noninvasive scalp electroencephalography (EEG) are insufficient to extract detailed information about natural, multijoint movements of the upper limb. Here, we challenge this assumption by continuously decoding three-dimensional (3D) hand velocity from neural data acquired from the scalp with 55-channel EEG during a 3D center-out reaching task. To preserve ecological validity, five subjects self-initiated reaches and self-selected targets. Eye movements were controlled so they would not confound the interpretation of the results. With only 34 sensors, the correlation between measured and reconstructed velocity profiles compared reasonably well to that reported by studies that decoded hand kinematics from neural activity acquired intracranially. We subsequently examined the individual contributions of EEG sensors to decoding to find substantial involvement of scalp areas over the sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the reaching hand. Using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA), we identified distributed current density sources related to hand velocity in the contralateral precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule. Furthermore, we discovered that movement variability negatively correlated with decoding accuracy, a finding to consider during the development of brain–computer interface systems. Overall, the ability to continuously decode 3D hand velocity from EEG during natural, center-out reaching holds promise for the furtherance of noninvasive neuromotor prostheses for movement-impaired individuals.
Predicting Post-Discharge Community Violence in England and Wales Using the HCR-20V3

Structured guidelines are fundamental for risk assessment, formulation and decision-making in medium secure forensic psychiatric services in the UK. The most commonly used guideline for violence risk assessment in the UK is the HCR-20, so it is important that the new version of the HCR-20 (HCR-20V3) is validated in UK samples. The aims of this study were to investigate if the HCR-20V3 has satisfactory interrater reliability and predictive validity for community violence. A prospective confidential inquiry design was used. The HCR-20V3 demonstrated very good inter-rater reliability and significantly predicted community violence at six and twelve months post-discharge, with ROC AUCs of . 73 and . 70 respectively. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Emergence of Cowpox: Study of the Virulence of Clinical Strains and Evaluation of Antivirals

The last years, cowpox infections are being increasingly reported through Eurasia. Cowpox viruses (CPXVs) have been reported to have different genotypes and may be subdivided in at least five genetically distinct monophyletic clusters. However, little is known about their in vitro and in vivo features. In this report, five genetically diverse CPXVs, including one reference strain (CPXV strain Brighton) and four clinical isolates from human and animal cases, were compared with regard to growth in cells, pathogenicity in mice and inhibition by antivirals. While all CPXVs replicated similarly in vitro and showed comparable antiviral susceptibility, marked discrepancies were seen in vivo, including differences in virulence with recorded mortality rates of 0%, 20% and 100%. The four CPXV clinical isolates appeared less pathogenic than two reference strains, CPXV Brighton and vaccinia virus Western-Reserve. Disease severity seemed to correlate with high viral DNA loads in several organs, virus titers in lung tissues and levels of IL-6 cytokine in the sera. Our study highlighted that the species CPXV consists of viruses that not only differ considerably in their genotypes but also in their in vivo phenotypes, indicating that CPXVs should not be longer classified as a single species. Lung virus titers and IL-6 cytokine level in mice may be used as biomarkers for predicting disease severity. We further demonstrated the potential benefit of cidofovir, CMX001 and ST-246 use as antiviral therapy.
Slice acquisition order and BOLD frequency content : an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Many event-related fMRI paradigms performed so far have been designed to study a limited part of the brain with high temporal resolution. However, event-related paradigms can be exploratory therefore requiring whole brain scans and so repetition times (TR) of several seconds. For these large TR values, the slice acquisition order may have an important effect on the detection of event-related activation. Indeed, when the scanning is interleaved, the temporal delay between the acquisition of two contiguous slices can reach a few seconds. During this time, the subject is likely to move, and the haemodynamic response (HR) will vary significantly. In this case, the interpolation applied between contiguous slices for motion correction induces a temporal smoothing between voxels that are spatially close but temporally sampled a few seconds apart. This should modify the frequency structure of the response and may impair the detection of short events. We therefore tested the effect of three acquisition schemes (sequential, sequential with gap and interleaved) at two repetition times (TR = 3 sec and TR = 6 sec on 6 and 7 subjects respectively) on activation detection and frequency content in a visual motion event-related paradigm. Unexpectedly, for large TR (6s), results were found in favour of the interleaved acquisition scheme (p < 0.05). For smaller TR, no strong bias could be found. Generally, intra-subject variability (across acquisition schemes) is found much smaller than inter-subject variability, confirming the importance of multi-subjects analyses. Our study also shows that important physiological information is carried by high frequency components that should not be filtered out.
Methods for the calculation of surface free energy of solids

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is the analysis of the most common methods for the calculation of the surface free energy (SFE) of solids, utilising the results of the contact angle measurements. The calculation deals also with the SFE at the interface, especially that at the surface of polymers and polymeric materials. The survey has been meant to ease the understanding of physical processes occurring at the solid-liquid interface and to help to find proper measuring methods with respect to various physical systems. Design/methodology/approach: The presented analysis has been based on the papers of the fundamental nature as well as on the specialised literature reports. The results of the experimental and theoretical studies of the author of this article are also considered. Findings: Different assumptions have been made in the individual methods for calculating the SFE of polymeric materials. Thus, the SFE values for a given material, obtained by various methods and with use of different measuring liquids, are not consistent. The method for the calculation of the SFE of porous or granulated materials, powders, and fibres, in which the Washburn equation is utilised, is very useful in practice. Currently, there is no appropriate alternative to this method. Research limitations/implications: The method for calculating the SFE with use of the equation of state requires further investigation, both experimental and theoretical. Further studies on the phenomena associated with penetration of the measuring liquids into the bulk of an examined material and on the relevant changes concerning this material, including the changes in its SFE, have also to be carried out. Practical implications: The presented results of the investigations may be applied in optimisation of the current and derivation of the new methods for calculating the SFE of solids and liquids, including mainly the SFE of polymers in the solid state. Originality/value: Because of differences in the assumptions made in most of the methods for the SFE calculation and of differences in the interactions between the individual measuring liquids and the examined material, the SFE values for various polymer materials may be compared with one another only when the contact angle measurements have been made using the same measuring liquids and when the SFE calculations have been performed by the same method.
Specific Regional and Age-Related Small Noncoding RNA Expression Patterns Within Superior Temporal Gyrus of Typical Human Brains Are Less Distinct in Autism Brains

Small noncoding RNAs play a critical role in regulating messenger RNA throughout brain development and when altered could have profound effects leading to disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We assessed small noncoding RNAs, including microRNA and small nucleolar RNA, in superior temporal sulcus association cortex and primary auditory cortex in typical and ASD brains from early childhood to adulthood. Typical small noncoding RNA expression profiles were less distinct in ASD, both between regions and changes with age. Typical micro-RNA coexpression associations were absent in ASD brains. miR-132, miR-103, and miR-320 micro-RNAs were dysregulated in ASD and have previously been associated with autism spectrum disorders. These diminished region- and age-related micro-RNA expression profiles are in line with previously reported findings of attenuated messenger RNA and long noncoding RNA in ASD brain. This study demonstrates alterations in superior temporal sulcus in ASD, a region implicated in social impairment, and is the first to demonstrate molecular alterations in the primary auditory cortex.
Cannabis causes schizophrenia? So does nicotine

The correlations between cannabis use and schizophrenia have to be considered as widely corroborated. Among the diverse hypotheses that can be formulated to account for the direction of causality (e.g. Degenhardt and Hall 2002), the one asserting that cannabis use can cause or trigger schizophrenia due to its acute hallucinogenic properties (‘‘the psychotogenic hypothesis’’) has received the most support. To uphold this hypothesis, however, the correlations found between cannabis and schizophrenia should contrast with those possibly measurable for substances which are not acutely ‘‘psychotogenic’’. The prevailing ‘‘psychotogenic hypothesis’’ can actually be challenged when the frequently presented arguments for a suggested role of cannabis in triggering schizophrenia are compared with the data from tobacco studies.
A new paradigm for the learning of a second or foreign language: the neurolinguistic approach

This article considers the contribution of research in neuroscience to resolving the question of how to develop communication skills in a second language in an institutional setting. The purpose of the article is to demonstrate how the findings of cognitive neuroscience can assist educators to understand the complexity of learning and, as a result, to develop more effective instructional practices. The article begins with a brief description of the two options for the learning of French as a second language currently offered in the Canadian school system and the deficiencies inherent in these programs for a country attempting to foster English-French bilingualism in its anglophone citizens. Secondly, the paradigm underlying the core French option, based on cognitive psychology, is examined and its limitations are discussed. The remainder of the article presents the Neurolinguistic Approach (NLA) as developed by the authors, explaining its bases in cognitive neuroscience, the ensuing five major principles of the approach, with the pedagogical consequences that each one entails. Reference is then made to two classroom applications of the NLA: intensive French implemented widely in Canada and another adaptation implanted in China. After comparing the approach briefly with French immersion, limitations of the NLA are presented, and the article concludes with some directions for future research. The positive results of the practical applications of the NLA indicate the important contribution research in cognitive neuroscience can make to improving learning in a classroom situation.
Being There: Putting Brain, Body, and World Together Again

From the Publisher: The old opposition of matter versus mind stubbornly persists in the way we study mind and brain. In treating cognition as problem solving, Andy Clark suggests, we may often abstract too far from the very body and world in which our brains evolved to guide us. Whereas the mental has been treated as a realm that is distinct from the body and the world, Clark forcefully attests that a key to understanding brains is to see them as controllers of embodied activity. From this paradigm shift he advances the construction of a cognitive science of the embodied mind.
Is Gender a Risk Factor for Pesticide Intoxications Among Farmers in Bolivia? A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT This study compares gender differences regarding knowledge, practice, and symptoms of intoxication when handling pesticides in farming. Data were gathered in La Paz County, Bolivia, in 2008 and 2009. Poor knowledge on safe handling, hazardous working practices, and use of very toxic pesticides were seen. Being a female and having a low educational level were risk factors for “poor knowledge on pesticides” and a “risky behavior when handling pesticides. ” Females reported more symptoms of intoxication. The gender differences on knowledge and handling practices might explain why females report more symptoms. To minimize this gap, education and agricultural services should be made more accessible to female farmers in Bolivia.
Synthesis of Circuits with Low-Cost Concurrent Error Detection Based on Bose-Lin Codes

This paper presents a procedure for synthesizing sequential machines with concurrent error detection based on Bose-Lin codes. Bose-Lin codes are an efficient solution for providing concurrent error detection as they are separable codes and have a fixed number of check bits, independent of the number of information bits. Furthermore, Bose-Lin code checkers have a simple structure as they are based on modulo operations. Procedures are described for synthesizing circuits in a way that their structure ensures that all single-point faults can only cause errors that are detected by a Bose-Lin code. This paper presents an efficient scheme for concurrent error detection in sequential circuits with no constraint on the state encoding. Concurrent error detection for both the state bits and the output bits is based on a Bose-Lin code and their checking is combined such that one checker suffices. Results indicate low area overhead. The cost of concurrent error detection is reduced significantly compared to other methods based on other codes.
Fracture dynamics in an unstable, deglaciating headwall,
Kitzsteinhorn, Austria

Abstract. Processes destabilising recently deglaciated rockwalls, driving cirque headwall retreat, and putting high alpine infrastructure at risk are poorly understood due to a lack of in situ monitoring data. Deglaciation initiates internal stress redistribution and drastically increases atmospheric forcing rendering cirque headwalls particularly prone for rock slope failure. Here we present quantitative data from an unstable, recently deglaciated cirque headwall. We monitor the dynamics of a fracture at the north face of the Kitzsteinhorn (3203 m a.s.l.) over a period of 2.5 years. Two crackmeters measure horizontal and vertical crack deformation with a resolution of ±0.003 mm and are complemented by crack top temperature measurements. To decipher thermo-mechanical from cryogenic forcing, thermal expansion coefficients for both horizontal and vertical directions are calculated to derive purely thermo-mechanical deformation. Our data shows that fracture dynamics are dominated by thermo-mechanical expansion and contraction of the inter-cleft rock mass during snow-covered and snow-free periods. Significant deviations from thermo-mechanical behavior occur due to freeze-thaw action during spring and autumn zero curtain periods. Exceptional vertical deformation during these periods is triggered by rainfall events providing liquid water into the fracture system. Subsequent refreezing rather than hydrostatic pressure build-up is to the most likely cause of the mechanical response. Lower magnitude horizontal deformation occurs in autumn and early winter due to ice segregation. Irreversible fracture opening was not observed, however, enhanced cryogenic deformation in spring and autumn may lead to shallow, low magnitude rock detachments. Our results highlight the importance of liquid water intake in combination with subzero-temperatures on the destabilisation of glacier headwalls. We conclude that intense frost action and ice segregation are common processes in randkluft systems, serving as important preparatory factors of paraglacial rock slope instability.
The Effect of the Time Interval Between Exposures on the Susceptibility of Chickens to Superinfection with Marek's Disease Virus

Abstract Marek's disease virus (MDV) is ubiquitous within commercial poultry flocks because current vaccines do not prevent MDV infection or transmission. In order for newly-evolved MDV strains to become established within a flock, it seems inevitable that any new strain would need to infect and replicate in chickens previously infected with resident MDV strains. This phenomenon is difficult to detect and there is no clear evidence that it is even possible. Four experiments were performed to demonstrate superinfection and evaluate the effect of time between challenges on the effect of superinfection with the use of two pairs of fully virulent MDV strains that could be discriminated by novel technology: 1) JM/102W and rMd5//38CVI , and 2) rMd5 and rMd5//38CVI. Feather follicle epithelium (FFE), spleen, and tumor samples were collected at single or multiple time points from the same bird to determine the frequency and distribution of each virus present following superinfection, with the use of pyrosequencing and immunohistochemistry. Superinfection was observed in 82 of 149 (55%) FFE samples following short-interval challenge (24 hr) compared to only 6 of 121 (5%) samples following long-interval challenge (13 days), indicating a strong influence of challenge interval. In cases where the first inoculated virus was weak or delayed, the second inoculated virus was detected in 42 of 95 (44%) birds. In tumors from dually challenged birds, the second virus was again present much more often following short-interval challenge (68%) compared to long-interval challenge (11%). Virus mixtures in tumors were less common compared to those in FFE samples. Vaccination with turkey herpesvirus had no significant effect on the virus frequency for either virus pair or challenge time interval, suggesting these conclusions may be applicable to vaccinated chickens in the field. These studies demonstrated superinfection for the first time with two fully virulent MDV strains and suggest that short-interval challenge exposure and/or weak initial exposures may be important factors leading to superinfection—a prerequisite for the establishment of a second virus strain in the population. This model system should be useful to elucidate this important phenomenon further.
The impacts of Internet knowledge on college students' intention to continue to use the Internet

Introduction.Examines the effect of Internet knowledge on college students' intention to continue using the Internet. Method. Students at four public institutions in Wuhan, China, were surveyed. They completed a questionnaire during the class hours. Analysis. Psychometric analysis was performed to assess the internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity of the Internet knowledge construct. Path analysis was carried out with the structural equation program package EQS 6.1, to test the hypothesised causal paths among the constructs and the goodness of fit of the research model. Results. Internet knowledge is shown to be a reliable and valid construct, distinguished from Internet experience and Internet self-efficacy beliefs and has a significant effect on intention to continue to use the Internet. Conclusions. This study supplements the technology acceptance model with social learning theory and disentangles the relationships among Internet knowledge, experience and self-efficacy. The technology acceptance model is extended from a concern with adoption to continuous use of technology. The construct of Internet knowledge offers an opportunity to connect the technology acceptance model with knowledge gap and digital divide research, which are useful to inform future studies of technology acceptance.
Dating Turning Points for Austria: A Suggestion

The present paper proposes to use the information contained in a large panel data set, and to group those series together that display similar time series and business cycle properties, whereby the groups are also part of the estimation and not set a priori. Based on a dynamical structure which identifies a group of leading and a group of coincident series, we are able to date historical turning points and to make probabilistic forecasts on future ones. The results are consistent with common expectations, in particular the group of leading series includes Austrian confidence and sentiment indicators, German survey indicators, exports to G7 and to U.S. and interestingly, the Austrian and the German stock market indices.
Technical Supervision and Turnover Among Engineers and Technicians

In a study of engineering, scientific, and technical support personnel, factors in the immediate work environment which are influenced by the behavior of the technical manager were found to affect turnover propensities. Satisfaction with supervision, higher order need fulfillment, and unit morale were found to be more important influences on retention for technical support personnel. However, for the engineering and scientific personnel, factors such as autonomy, goal congruence, and higher order need fulfillment were found to have greater influence. The results suggest the importance of management training for technical managers as a potentially effective strategy to reduce turnover.
Optimal Vaccination Strategies of an SIR Epidemic Model with a Saturated Treatment

In the present work, we consider a mathe- matical model of an SIR epidemic model with saturated incidence rate and saturated treatment function. We use an optimal vaccination strategies to minimize the susceptible and infected individuals and to maximize the number of recovered individuals. We work in the nonlinear optimal control framework. Some results concerning the existence and the characterization of the optimal control will be given. Numerical simulations are also presented.