Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chimpanzee right-handedness reconsidered: Evaluating the evidence with funnel plots.

Evidence for population-level right-handedness in nonhuman primates seems inconsistent and contradictory, and many hypotheses have been advanced to account for this volatility. Funnel plots (scatter plots of percent right-hand use vs. sample size) offer a straightforward graphical technique for assessing: 1) the strength and consistency of handedness, 2) whether variability is consistent with normal sampling variation, and 3) how likely reports of statistically significant handedness might have arisen due to chance (i.e., type I error). They are informative for both within- and among-population variation. Reexamination of within-population variation from a detailed and widely cited study reporting significant population-level right-handedness in 140 individual captive chimpanzees (Hopkins [1994] Dev. Psychobiol. 27:395-407) revealed several puzzling patterns: 1) funnel plots showed higher percent right-hand use among individuals for which fewer observations were recorded, 2) when individuals with fewer than 25 observations were excluded, statistical support for population-level right-handedness either became marginal (P = 0.043, when computed as average percent use of the right hand) or disappeared (P = 0.62, when computed as proportion of individuals using the right hand more than the left, whether they did so significantly or not), and 3) the proportion of statistically ambilateral chimpanzees actually increased with increasing number of observations per individual, rather than decreased as would be expected for true population-level right-handedness. In addition, funnel plots of among-population variation from an earlier meta-analysis (McGrew and Marchant [1997] Yrbk. Phys. Anthropol. 40:201-232) suggested that the four reports of significant right-handedness, out of 37 estimates from 14 studies, were likely those that achieved statistical significance simply due to chance. Funnel plots, and the more refined statistical tests they suggest, confirm that the current evidence for population-level right-handedness in chimpanzees remains equivocal.
PERSONALITY PROCESSES AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Universal Features of Personality Traits From the Observer’s Perspective: Data From 50 Cultures

To test hypotheses about the universality of personality traits, college students in 50 cultures identified an adult or college-aged man or woman whom they knew well and rated the 11,985 targets using the 3rd-person version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. Factor analyses within cultures showed that the normative American self-report structure was clearly replicated in most cultures and was recognizable in all. Sex differences replicated earlier self-report results, with the most pronounced differences in Western cultures. Cross-sectional age differences for 3 factors followed the pattern identified in self-reports, with moderate rates of change during college age and slower changes after age 40. With a few exceptions, these data support the hypothesis that features of personality traits are common to all human groups.
Comparison of quick charge technologies for electric vehicle introduction in Netherlands

In this paper the Electric Vehicle (EV) charging demand on quick charge replenishment (QCR), by Fast Charging and Battery Switching, based on Dutch travel pattern is modeled and compared. A comparison between the QCR methods based on number of visits to these facilities and the time of service is obtained. The extra number of batteries to be introduced into the battery switching network is calculated. Using queuing theory the required number of charging points/ switching lanes per quick charge replenishment station is estimated. Based on this the potential peak power requirements of the two methods are obtained.
Design and kinematics analysis of a new 3CCC parallel mechanism

SUMMARY A CCC limb and a new 3CCC parallel mechanism have been designed in this paper based on geometry analysis. Their mobility and geometrical constraints are discussed by using screw theory and geometrical equations separately. Following that both the inverse and forward kinematics of the 3CCC parallel mechanism are proposed, in which Dixon's resultant is used to get the forward solutions for the orientation and a eighth-order polynomial equation in one unknown is obtained, leading to the results for the position analysis, numerical examples confirm these theoretical results. A short comparison with the traditional Stewart platforms is presented in terms of kinematics, workspace and trajectory planning.
Linear support for multi-objective coordination graphs

Many real-world decision problems require making trade-offs among multiple objectives. However, in some cases, the relative importance of these objectives is not known when the problem is solved, precluding the use of single-objective methods. Instead, multi-objective methods, which compute the set of all potentially useful solutions, are required. This paper proposes variable elimination linear support (VELS), a new multi-objective algorithm for multi-agent coordination that exploits loose couplings to compute the convex coverage set (CCS): the set of optimal solutions for all possible weights for linearly weighted objectives. Unlike existing methods, VELS exploits insights from POMDP solution methods to build the CCS incrementally. We prove the correctness of VELS and show that for moderate numbers of objectives its complexity is better than that of previous methods. Furthermore, we present empirical results showing that VELS can tackle both random and realistic problems with many more agents than was previously feasible. The incremental nature of VELS also makes it an anytime algorithm, i.e., its intermediate results constitute e-optimal approximations of the CCS, with e decreasing the longer it runs. Our empirical results show that, by allowing even very small e, VELS can enable large additional speedups.
Costly encounters of the empathic kind: a typology

While considerable attention is being accorded to emotions in International Relations, this article seeks to integrate empathy into these interdisciplinary debates. It counters the dominant assumption that empathy tends to be largely benign and beneficial by conceptualizing a typology of the costs of empathy. The dimensions of costs addressed are epistemological, cognitive, emotional, material, and embodied. I argue that these costs are frequently tangible for those who make the ethical-political choice to engage in empathy in situations of conflict and political violence. Drawing on social psychology approaches, empathy is located within a framework of collective narratives, emotions, and social structures shaped by both micro- and macro-political processes. A model of empathy, which acknowledges social influences and the psychological mechanisms through which these influences may be mediated, contributes to a deeper understanding of how politics, psychology, and culture shape empathy and, crucially, helps understand the conditions which may affect the successes, limitations, and failures of empathy in the (international) political sphere. The article offers empirical illustrations of the costs of empathy drawing on examples from Israel and Palestine.
Infant cry analysis of cry signal segments towards identifying the cry-cause factors

Infants communicate their physiological state and emotions mostly by crying. Identifying the cause of crying is natural and easy for human beings, but challenging for machines. Automatic identification of cry-cause factors has vast applications in assistive healthcare and timely remedial measures in critical situations. In this paper, Infant cry signals analysis is carried out to identify four cry-causes, namely, Environmental Change, Discomfort, Stranger's Anxiety and Pain. Different causes of infant crying are characterized by examining changes in the acoustic features that are extracted from acoustic signals in the cry segments. Mainly, the instantaneous fundamental frequency (F0) is extracted using auto-correlation of cry signal. Changes in F0 contours for different cry-causes are examined by deriving parameters mean, standard deviation and normalized standard deviation. A Infant Cry Signals Database (IIITS ICSD 2) is used, which was especially collected for this study. Results are validated by observing changes in the F0 and its harmonics in spectrograms, derived using short-time Fourier transform. Few distinct patterns of changes in the F0 contours are observed for different cry causes. Pain cry is characterized by higher standard deviation in F0, than for Discomfort. The standard deviation in F0 for Environmental Change is more than for Stranger's Anxiety. Normalized standard deviation is highest for Pain, than for Environmental Change, than for Discomfort and lowest for Stranger's Anxiety. These insights should be helpful towards automated identification of infant cry-causes and related numerous applications.
Optimization of Branch Metric Exponent and Quantization Range in MLSE Receivers for Duobinary Systems

We analyze by simulation the performance of an optically amplified uncompensated duobinary system using a 64-state maximum-likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) receiver (Rx) based on a Euclidean branch metric with variable postdetection nonlinear distortion exponent. We found that the optimum exponent depends on the accumulated dispersion, the Rx analog-to-digital converter (ADC) resolution, and signal clipping. On the other hand, we found performance to be weakly dependent on the exponent value. When using a finite number of ADC resolution bits, drastic signal clipping proved very beneficial in improving the performance of the MLSE processor. Assuming three resolution bits, with joint clipping and exponent optimization, uncompensated transmission at 10.7 Gb/s over 550 km of standard single-mode fiber could be achieved with essentially no penalty with respect to back-to-back.
Diagnosis of Testicular Adrenal Rest Tumors on Ultrasound

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate the imaging features of testicular adrenal rest tumors (TARTs) on baseline ultrasound (BUS). The imaging features of 30 TART lesions pathologically or clinically confirmed in 15 patients who had undergone BUS were evaluated, and the sonographic characteristics of the lesions were analyzed.All 15 cases were bilateral and located near the testicular mediastinum. Approximately 56.7% (17/30) of the TART lesions exhibited homogeneous hypoechogenicity, 36.7% (11/30) of the lesions exhibited heterogeneous hypoechogenicity, and 6.6% (2/30) of the lesions exhibited heterogeneous isoechogenicity. In addition, 76.7% (23/30) of the lesions exhibited a rich blood supply, whereas 23.3% (7/30) of the lesions exhibited a scarce blood supply.The sonographic characteristics of the TARTs were bilateral growth, location adjacent to the testicular mediastinum, hypoechogenicity, and rich blood supply, which may play important roles in early clinical diagnosis.
Ventral striatal dopamine reflects behavioral and neural signatures of model-based control during sequential decision making

Significance Whether humans make choices based on a deliberative “model-based” or a reflexive “model-free” system of behavioral control remains an ongoing topic of research. Dopamine is implicated in motivational drive as well as in planning future actions. Here, we demonstrate that higher presynaptic dopamine in human ventral striatum is associated with more pronounced model-based behavioral control, as well as an enhanced coding of model-based signatures in lateral prefrontal cortex and diminished coding of model-free learning signals in ventral striatum. Our study links ventral striatal presynaptic dopamine to a balance between two distinct modes of behavioral control in humans. The findings have implications for neuropsychiatric diseases associated with alterations of dopamine neurotransmission and a disrupted balance of behavioral control. Dual system theories suggest that behavioral control is parsed between a deliberative “model-based” and a more reflexive “model-free” system. A balance of control exerted by these systems is thought to be related to dopamine neurotransmission. However, in the absence of direct measures of human dopamine, it remains unknown whether this reflects a quantitative relation with dopamine either in the striatum or other brain areas. Using a sequential decision task performed during functional magnetic resonance imaging, combined with striatal measures of dopamine using [18F]DOPA positron emission tomography, we show that higher presynaptic ventral striatal dopamine levels were associated with a behavioral bias toward more model-based control. Higher presynaptic dopamine in ventral striatum was associated with greater coding of model-based signatures in lateral prefrontal cortex and diminished coding of model-free prediction errors in ventral striatum. Thus, interindividual variability in ventral striatal presynaptic dopamine reflects a balance in the behavioral expression and the neural signatures of model-free and model-based control. Our data provide a novel perspective on how alterations in presynaptic dopamine levels might be accompanied by a disruption of behavioral control as observed in aging or neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and addiction.
A Multimethod Multitrait Validity Assessment of Self‐Construal in Japan, Korea, and the United States

A large number of previous studies have used self-construal to predict communication outcomes. Recent evidence, however, suggests that validity problems may exist in self-construal measurement. The current study conducted a multimethod multitrait (Campbell & Fiske, 1959) validation study of self-construal measures with data (total N = 578) collected in Korea (N = 200), Japan (N = 212), and the U.S. (N = 166). The data showed that the Singelis (1994) Self-Construal Scale, the Cross, Bacon, and Morris (2000) Relational Interdependent Self-Construal Scale (RISC), and the Kuhn and McPartland (1954) Twenty Statements Test (TST) lacked convergent and discriminant validity, both pan-culturally and within each of the three countries included in the study. Scores on the TST were not significantly related to scores on the self-construal scales, and the various self-construal measures correlated more highly with measures of communication directness than with alternative measures of the same type of self-construal. Substantial method effects were also observed. The results were tested for both 2- and 3-dimensional models of self-construal and for refined scales and scales with all items retained. The results of all analyses were inconsistent with the claim that selfconstrual measures are construct valid.
A study on VARK learning Styles of SJM Dental College and Hospital Students Chitradurga.

Introduction: Learning and the style of learning is a way of perceiving, processing and retaining new information. This is to encourage and to help the students to become capable and successful learners. It is important to evaluate the various preferred modes of learning. Aim :To understand this we aimed to determine the preferred learning styles of dental students Method: A cross sectional study was conducted on 70 dental students who were enrolled at SJM Dental college, Chitradurga Karnataka, India. The visual (V), auditory (A), read and write (R) and kinaesthetic (K) i.e VARK questionnaire version 7.1 was used to categorize the learning preferences/modes Results: The majority (74%) of the students had unimodal VARK preferences. Maximum respondents (25%) had read/write in the unimodal learning preference followed by kinesthetic, auditory and visual. 23%, 2% and 1% respectively preferred the bimodal, trimodal and the quadrimodal ways of information presentation. Conclusion: One single approach to teaching was the most preferred mode of learning of the students. However, awareness and usage of mixed modes of various learning styles would benefit the students and may
A Contourlet-domain Feature Extraction Scheme for Face Recognition

In this paper, a new multi-resolution tool, namely contourlet transform, is used to extract features for face recognition, which efficiently exploits the local spatial variations in a face image. Multi-resolution ideas, notably the wavelet transform, have been profusely employed for addressing the problem of face recognition. However, theoretical studies indicate that digital contourlet transform is an even better method than wavelets due to its directional properties. For the purpose of feature extraction, instead of considering the entire face image, an entropy-based local band selection criterion is developed, which selects highinformative horizontal segments from the face image. In order to capture the local spatial variations within these highinformative horizontal bands precisely, the horizontal band is segmented into several small spatial modules. Dominant contourlet transform coefficients corresponding to each local region residing inside those horizontal bands are selected as features. In the selection of the dominant coefficients, a threshold criterion is proposed, which not only drastically reduces the feature dimension but also provides high withinclass compactness and high between-class separability. Extensive experimentation is carried out upon standard face databases and a very high degree of recognition accuracy is achieved by the proposed method in comparison to those obtained by some of the existing methods.
Recent advances in understanding autoimmune thyroid disease: the tallest tree in the forest of polyautoimmunity

Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is often observed together with other autoimmune diseases. The coexistence of two or more autoimmune diseases in the same patient is referred to as polyautoimmunity, and AITD is the autoimmune disease most frequently involved. The occurrence of polyautoimmunity has led to the hypothesis that the affected patients suffer from a generalized dysregulation of their immune system. The present review summarizes recent discoveries unravelling the immunological mechanisms involved in autoimmunity, ranging from natural autoimmunity to disease-specific autoimmunity. Furthermore, the clinical grounds for considering AITD in a setting of polyautoimmunity are explored. A better understanding of these may pave the way for designing new treatment modalities targeting the underlying immune dysregulation when AITD appears in the context of polyautoimmunity.
Factorial experimental design application in modification of volcanic ash as a natural adsorbent with Fenton process for arsenic removal

This paper describes an experimental design technique for the modification of volcanic ash with Fenton reagent (FMVA) to be used as a natural adsorbent in the removal of As(III) and As(V) from aqueous solution. The influence of pH, contact time and Fe2+/H2O2 on arsenic removal by the modified volcanic ash was investigated. It was observed that the arsenic removal efficiency was influenced by two of these parameters. The Fe2+/H2O2 ratio is an important factor that affects both As(III) and As(V) adsorption (P=0.000). The pH affects As(V) adsorption (P=0.003) more significantly than As(III) adsorption (P=0.02). It was observed that the maximum As(III) adsorption by the FMVA was obtained at pH 2, Fe+2/H 2O 2=0.06 and 30 min of contact time (39 μg As(III) per mg FMVA), whereas the maximum As(V) adsorption was obtained under the conditions of pH 5, Fe+2/H 2O 2=0.06 and 30 min of contact time (41 μg As(V) per mg FMVA).
Adolescent Brain Development

The Adolescent Brain The Frontal Lobe, often called the “command center” of the brain, is the part of the brain that controls the decision making process for adults, including long-term planning, riskassessment, impulse control, and other behaviors associated with criminal culpability. It is also one of the last parts of the brain to fully mature (in the early 20s). This late maturation process suggests that adolescents are not as capable as adults of weighing long-term consequences, and evaluating risk-assessment.
Identification of Pin1-Binding Phosphorylated Proteins in the Mouse Brain

To determine the role of Pin1 in the neurotransmission pathway, Pin1-binding proteins in mouse brain extract were identified. The Pin1-binding proteins were extracted from mouse brain homogenate, and the trypsin-digested peptides were analyzed by nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Proteins that involve the neurotransmission pathway, such as synapsin I, synapsin II, and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II (CaMKII), were identified in a Mascot search. Pull-down and immunoprecipitation assay indicated that Pin1 binds CaMKII in a phosphorylation-specific manner. It was assumed that Pin1 participates in the neurotransmission pathway involving the phosphorylation signal by CaMKII.
Subjective responses to sprint interval exercise in adults with and without Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction

ABSTRACT Objective: Little is known of the subjective response to exercise that involves short “all out” bursts of effort, separated by recovery periods (sprint interval exercise (SPRINT)) among adults with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIBC). The purpose of this study was to compare subjective responses to SPRINT and moderate intensity continuous exercise (MOD) among adults with EIBC, and to compare these responses between adults with EIBC and those without EIBC. Methods: Eight adults (22.3 ± 3.0 years) with EIBC, and eight adults (22.3 ± 3.0 years) without EIBC completed a SPRINT (4 × 30 second sprints separated by 4.5 minutes of active recovery) and MOD (20 minutes at 65% peak power output) session in random order. Self-reported affect, perceived breathlessness, and perceived exertion were recorded throughout exercise using validated scales. Enjoyment was assessed following exercise. Results: Differences between SPRINT and MOD were observed such that affect and perceived breathlessness were worse during the initial stages of SPRINT than MOD; however, differences disappeared by the end of exercise. Enjoyment was similar for SPRINT and MOD in the EIBC group (SPRINT: 72.9 ± 20.0 vs. MOD: 79.5 ± 20.5, p = 0.25), and between groups for SPRINT and MOD. Conclusions: Perceived breathlessness may impact affect during the early stages of exercise among those with EIBC. Post-exercise enjoyment appears to be similar between SPRINT and MOD. Future research is needed to better understand the relationship between ventilation patterns, exercise intensity, and enjoyment of exercise among those with EIBC.