Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eye Movement Analysis and Cognitive Assessment

Summary Background: An adequate behavioral response depends on attentional and mnesic processes. When these basic cognitive functions are impaired, the use of non-immersive Virtual Reality Applications (VRAs) can be a reliable technique for assessing the level of impairment. However, most non-immersive VRAs use indirect measures to make inferences about visual attention and mnesic processes (e.g., time to task completion, error rate). Objectives: To examine whether the eye movement analysis through eye tracking (ET) can be a reliable method to probe more effectively where and how attention is deployed and how it is linked with visual working memory during comparative visual search tasks (CVSTs) in non-immersive VRAs. Methods: The eye movements of 50 healthy participants were continuously recorded while CVSTs, selected from a set of cognitive tasks in the Systemic Lisbon Battery (SLB). Then a VRA designed to assess of cognitive impairments were randomly presented. Results: The total fixation duration, the number of visits in the areas of interest and in the interstimulus space, along with the total execution time was significantly different as a function of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that CVSTs in SLB, when combined with ET, can be a reliable and unobtrusive method for assessing cognitive abilities in healthy individuals, opening it to potential use in clinical samples.
Agonistic Autoantibodies to the AT1 Receptor in a Transgenic Rat Model of Preeclampsia

We used rats transgenic for the human angiotensinogen (hAogen) gene and the human renin (hRen) gene and crossed the strains to produce a model of preeclampsia in the dams. The female (n=9) hAogen × male hRen cross had severe (telemetry-measured) hypertension and albuminuria, which developed during the last trimester of pregnancy and subsided after delivery. The converse cross (n=9) and control (n=9) SD rats did not. We demonstrated that the female hAogen × male hRen cross had agonistic antibodies capable of activating the angiotensin (Ang) II AT1 receptor (AT1R-AA) and defined the epitope on the receptor’s second extracellular loop. The phenomenon also occurs in humans with preeclampsia. The rats displayed renal histology reminiscent of preeclampsia, including fibrin deposition confined to the glomeruli. The complement system was activated in glomeruli and IgG deposits were present that may represent AT1R-AA. Finally, we observed an atherosis-like lesion in the spiral arteries of the placental bed, which we called placental-bed arteriolosclerosis. Our model may be relevant to preeclampsia in humans.
Soft Information, Hard Sell: The Role of Soft Information in the Pricing of Intellectual Property - Evidence from Screenplays Sales

There is a growing literature on the differential impact of "soft" vs. "hard" information on organizational structure and behavior. This study is an attempt to empirically quantify the value of soft information, using a data-base on the market for screenplays. Script quality is difficult to estimate without subjective evaluation. Therefore soft information should be an integral part of the pricing of these intellectual assets. In
Poor Cognitive Flexibility in Eating Disorders: Examining the Evidence using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task

Background People with eating disorders (ED) frequently present with inflexible behaviours, including eating related issues which contribute to the maintenance of the illness. Small scale studies point to difficulties with cognitive set-shifting as a basis. Using larger scale studies will lend robustness to these data. Methodology/Principal Findings 542 participants were included in the dataset as follows: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) n = 171; Bulimia Nervosa (BN) n = 82; Recovered AN n = 90; Healthy controls (HC): n = 199. All completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), an assessment that integrates multiple measurement of several executive processes concerned with problem solving and cognitive flexibility. The AN and BN groups performed poorly in most domains of the WCST. Recovered AN participants showed a better performance than currently ill participants; however, the number of preservative errors was higher than for HC participants. Conclusions/Significance There is a growing interest in the diagnostic and treatment implications of cognitive flexibility in eating disorders. This large dataset supports previous smaller scale studies and a systematic review which indicate poor cognitive flexibility in people with ED.
Galaxy Bulge Formation: Interplay with Dark Matter Halo and Central Supermassive Black Hole

We present a simple scenario where the formation of galactic bulges was regulated by the dark halo gravity and regulates the growth of the central supermassive black hole. Assuming the angular momentum is low, we suggest that bulges form in a runaway collapse due to the "gravothermal" instability once the central gas density or pressure exceeds a certain threshold. We emphasize that the threshold is nearly universal, set by the background NFW dark matter gravity gDM ~ 1.2 × 10-8 cm s-2 in the central cusps of halos. Unlike known thresholds for gradual formation of galaxy disks, we show that the universal "halo-regulated" star formation threshold for spheroids matches the very high star formation rate and star formation efficiency seen in high-redshift observations of central starburst regions. The starburst feedback also builds up a pressure shortly after the collapse. This large pressure could act both outward to halt further infall of gas from larger scales and inward to counter the Compton-thick wind launched from the central black hole in an Eddington accretion. Assuming the feedback balances inward and outward forces, our scenario naturally gives rise to the black hole-bulge relationships observed in the local universe.
Light and circadian regulation of clock components aids flexible responses to environmental signals

The circadian clock measures time across a 24 h period, increasing fitness by phasing biological processes to the most appropriate time of day. The interlocking feedback loop mechanism of the clock is conserved across species; however, the number of loops varies. Mathematical and computational analyses have suggested that loop complexity affects the overall flexibility of the oscillator, including its responses to entrainment signals. We used a discriminating experimental assay, at the transition between different photoperiods, in order to test this proposal in a minimal circadian network (in Ostreococcus tauri) and a more complex network (in Arabidopsis thaliana). Transcriptional and translational reporters in O. tauri primarily tracked dawn or dusk, whereas in A. thaliana, a wider range of responses were observed, consistent with its more flexible clock. Model analysis supported the requirement for this diversity of responses among the components of the more complex network. However, these and earlier data showed that the O. tauri network retains surprising flexibility, despite its simple circuit. We found that models constructed from experimental data can show flexibility either from multiple loops and/or from multiple light inputs. Our results suggest that O. tauri has adopted the latter strategy, possibly as a consequence of genomic reduction.
Hybrid C57BL/6J x FVB/NJ mice drink more alcohol than do C57BL/6J mice.

BACKGROUND From several recent strain surveys (28 strains: Bachmanov et al., personal communication; 22 strains: Finn et al., unpublished), and from data in >100 other published studies of 24-hr two-bottle ethanol preference, it is known that male C57BL/6 (B6) mice self-administer about 10-14 g/kg/day and that female B6 mice self-administer about 12-18 g/kg/day. No strain has been found to consume more ethanol than B6. In one of our laboratories (Texas), we noted a markedly greater intake of ethanol in an F1 hybrid of B6 and FVB/NJ (FVB) mice. METHODS To confirm and extend this finding, we repeated the study at another site (Portland) using concentrations up to 30% ethanol and also tested B6xFVB F1 mice in restricted access drinking procedures that produce high levels of alcohol intake. RESULTS At both sites, we found that B6xFVB F1 mice self-administered high levels of ethanol during two-bottle preference tests (females averaging from 20 to 35 g/kg/day, males 7-25 g/kg/day, depending on concentration). F1 hybrids of both sexes drank significantly more 20% ethanol than both the B6 and FVB strains. Female F1 hybrids also drank more 30% ethanol. In the restricted access tests, ethanol consumption in the F1 hybrids was equivalent to that in B6 mice. CONCLUSIONS These data show that this new genetic model has some significant advantages when compared to existing inbred strains, and could be used to explore the genetic basis of high ethanol drinking in mice.
Multiphase Image Segmentation via Modica-Mortola Phase Transition

We propose a novel multiphase segmentation model built upon the celebrated phase transition model of Modica and Mortola in material sciences and a properly synchronized fitting term that complements it. The proposed sine-sinc model outputs a single multiphase distribution from which each individual segment or phase can be easily extracted. Theoretical analysis is developed for the $\Gamma$-convergence behavior of the proposed model and the existence of its minimizers. Since the model is not quadratic nor convex, for computation we adopted the convex-concave procedure (CCCP) that has been developed in the literatures of both computational nonlinear PDEs and neural computation. Numerical details and experiments on both synthetic and natural images are presented.
Antibodies to S100 proteins have anxiolytic‐like activity at ultra‐low doses in the adult rat

S100 proteins are small calcium‐binding proteins interacting with numerous intra‐ and extra cellular targets involved in diverse physiological functions. In particular, S100 proteins may be involved in the regulation of anxiety‐related behaviour. In the present study, the effects of affinity‐purified antibodies to S100 proteins administered orally at ultra‐low doses were evaluated in pre‐clinical tests for anxiolytic‐like activity in the adult rat. In the Vogel conflict test in the rat, antibodies to S100 proteins increased punished drinking (anti‐conflict effect) at 5 and 7.5 mL kg−1, but not at 2.5 or 10 mL kg−1. Antibodies to S100 proteins increased the percentage of entries into the open arms of an elevated plus‐maze at 10 mL kg−1, but not at lower doses. Taken together, these results indicate the presence of anxiolytic‐like activity for antibodies to S100 proteins over the dose range 5–10 mL kg−1 in the adult rat.
Minimizing the exposure of airborne pathogens by upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation: an experimental and numerical study

There has been increasing interest in the use of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) because of its proven effectiveness in disinfecting airborne pathogens. An improved drift flux mathematical model is developed for optimizing the design of indoor upper-room UVGI systems by predicting the distribution and inactivation of bioaerosols in a ventilation room equipped with a UVGI system. The model takes into account several bacteria removal mechanisms such as convection, turbulent diffusion, deposition and UV inactivation. Before applying the model, the natural die-off rate and susceptibility constants of bioaerosols were measured experimentally. Two bacteria aerosols, Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens, were tested for this purpose. It was found out that the general decay trend of the bioaerosol concentration predicted by the numerical model agrees well with the experimental measurements. The modelling results agree better with experimental observations for the case when the UVGI inactivation mechanism dominates at the upper-room region than for the case without UVGI. The numerical results also illustrate that the spatial distribution of airborne bacteria was influenced by both air-flow pattern and irradiance distribution. In addition to predicting the local variation of concentration, the model assesses the overall performance of an upper-room UVGI system. This model has great potential for optimizing the design of indoor an upper-room UVGI systems.
Modeling of Damage in Cement-Based Materials Subjected to External Sulfate Attack. II: Comparison with Experiments

A study is presented to predict the degradation of cement-based materials due to external sulfate attack. Parameters of the model are chosen based on the mix design parameters, degree of hydration, and exposure conditions of concrete. A solution of the diffusion equation with a term for a second-order chemical reaction is proposed to determine the sulfate concentration and calcium aluminate profile as a function of time and space. The crystallization pressure of hydration products such as ettringite can lead to internal stresses. Using the volumetric information, the model predicts the generation of internal stresses, evolution of damage, reduction in stiffness, and thus expansion of a matrix phase. The theoretical expansion-time responses are obtained and compared with a variety of available data in the literature. The most important parameters are the w/c ratio, internal porosity, diffusivity of the cracked and uncracked material, and available calcium aluminates. The importance of controlling the pH of the test solution is clearly observed. Model simulations indicate a reasonable agreement with experimental expansion-time data available in the literature.
Inter-task transfer of meaningful, functional skills following a cognitive-based treatment: Results of three multiple baseline design experiments in adults with chronic stroke

The transfer of skills learned in rehabilitation to new skills in the home has hitherto been notoriously difficult to achieve. The Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) treatment approach has been associated with improved performance in people living with stroke, but the specific impact on transfer to untrained skills has not been investigated. The objective of the study was to investigate the capacity of CO-OP treatment to improve performance in both trained and untrained self-selected skills in adults living with stroke. A single case experiment with multiple baselines across skills was conducted, with two replications. The participants self-selected four skills; three were trained using CO-OP; the fourth was not. Using video recording, data points were collected at multiple baselines, during intervention, post-intervention, and at follow-up. The Performance Quality Rating Scale (PQRS) was used by an independent rater to score performances. The two-standard deviation band method was used to determine the significance of improvements. At follow-up, significant performance improvements were seen in all three single case experiments in all trained and untrained skills. A cognitive-based approach was associated with improved performance in trained and untrained skills in three adults with chronic stroke; further controlled research is warranted.
Music recommendation for music learning: Hotttabs, a multimedia guitar tutor

Music recommendation systems built on top of music information retrieval (MIR) technologies are usually designed to provide new ways to discover and listen to digital music collections. However, they do not typically assist in another important aspect of musical activity, music learning. In this study we present the application Hotttabs, an online music recommendation system dedicated to guitar learning. Hotttabs makes use of The Echo Nest music platform to retrieve the latest popular or "hot" songs based on editorial, social and charts/sales criteria, and YouTube to find relevant guitar video tutorials. The audio tracks of the YouTube videos are processed with an automatic chord extraction algorithm in order to provide a visual feedback of the chord labels synchronised with the video. Guitar tablatures, a form of music notation showing instrument fingerings, are mined from the web and their chord sequences are extracted. The tablatures are then clustered based on the songs' chord sequences complexity so that guitarists can pick up those adapted to their performance skills.
No evidence supports vitamin E indiscriminate supplementation

For many years, the prevailing concept was that LDL oxidation plays the central role in atherogenesis. As a consequence, supplementation of antioxidants, particularly vitamin E, became very popular. Unfortunately, major randomized clinical trials yielded disappointing results and recent meta‐analyses concluded that indiscriminate, high dose vitamin E supplementation results in increased mortality. This conclusion raised (quite reasonable) criticism, much of which referred to the characteristics of meta‐analysis. In our recent study, we used a Markov‐model approach, which is free of most of the limitations of meta‐analyses. Our major finding was that the average quality‐adjusted life years (QALY) of vitamin E‐ supplemented individuals was 0.30 QALY (95%CI 0.21 to 0.39) less than that of untreated people. In our view, this supports the view that indiscriminate supplementation of high dose vitamin E can not be recommended to the general public.
Longitudinal Profiling of the Tissue-Specific Expression of Genes Related with Insulin Sensitivity in Dairy Cows during Lactation Focusing on Different Fat Depots

In dairy cows the milk associated energy output in early lactation exceeds the input via voluntary feed intake. To spare glucose for mammary lactose synthesis, peripheral insulin sensitivity (IS) is reduced and fat mobilization is stimulated. For these processes a link between IS and the endocrine functions of adipose tissue (AT) is likely; we thus aimed to characterise the mRNA expression from bovine AT derived proteins and receptors that are related to IS according to the literature in metabolically active tissues plus systemic IS throughout lactation. Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) reduce milk fat thus decreasing the milk drain of energy and potentially dampening lipolysis, but may also affect IS. Subcutaneous (s.c.) AT and liver from pluriparous cows receiving either control fat or CLA supplement (100 g/day from 1 to 182 days in milk each) were biopsied covering week −3 to 36 relative to parturition. In an additional trial with primiparous cows treated analogously and slaughtered on days in milk 1, 42 or 105, samples from liver, udder, skeletal muscle and 3 visceral and 3 s.c. AT were obtained and assayed for mRNA abundance of adiponectin, its receptors, leptin, leptin receptor, PPARγ, PPARγ2, IL-6, and TNF-α. In pluriparous animals, the mRNA abundance of most of the target genes decreased after parturition in s.c. AT but increased in liver. In primiparous cows, AT depot specific differences were mostly related to retroperitoneal AT; adiponectin receptor 1 and TNF-α were affected predominantly. CLA effects in primiparous cows were largely limited to decreased PPARγ2 mRNA abundance in udder tissue. In pluriparous cows, insulin secretion was increased by CLA resulting in decreased systemic IS but without consistent changes in tissue target mRNA abundance. The temporal gene expression profiles from the adipokines and related receptors support their coactive function in adapting to the needs of lactation.
Assessment of machining performance for solid wood moulding. Advances on trials running with sharp cutting edge.

The final quality of solid wood moulding depends on several factors, being the raw material one of the most important, but the choice of cutting conditions are a key point when processing this type of material. One of the main problems is to achieve an adequate monitoring of the cutting conditions in order to detect and correct in-time operational problems or prevent the loss of productivity due to an over chute in quality at a level that is below the required standards. The main objective of this research is to understand and limit the tool wear when appearance grade products are being produced, mainly to detect and prevent the loss of quality, but also the need to monitor the process considering different factors such as the cutting forces and the sound emitted during the process, then correlate them with surface roughness. The main findings of this study allow to conclude that the relationship between cutting speed and feed rate reflects well the changes in cutting forces, surface roughness and sound pressure. When the chip thickness increases it correlates very well with increasing cutting forces, as well as surface roughness (good levels of coefficients of determination were observed for both response parameters), rougher surfaces produced with thicker chip (higher feed rate); but it is believed that in the present state of tool wear, the results of cutting forces have not a fully appropriate behaviour; further studies are needed on this variable at different levels of wear. Also, the change of rake angle is clearly reflected on the surface roughness and sound pressure. The RMS sound pressure provides adequate results when the signals were processed using a digital high-pass filter with a cut-off frequency of 1000 Hz.
Partial characterization of the factor in theca‐cell conditioned medium that inhibits the progression of FSH‐induced meiosis of bovine oocytes surrounded by cumulus cells connected to the membrana granulosa

A factor, secreted by theca cells, inhibits FSH induced resumption of meiosis in bovine oocytes that are surrounded by cumulus cells which are attached to a piece of the membrana granulosa (COCGs). In order to characterize this factor, theca cell conditioned medium (CMt) was heat‐treated, filtered through a 5 kD spin off filter, charcoal treated, chloroform extracted and protease treated. To investigate whether the meiosis inhibiting factor produced by theca cells was also present in follicular fluid (FF), the same traetments were done with 50% bovine follicular fluid (bFF). COCGs, originating from 2 to 8 mm follicles of bovine ovaries collected at a slaughterhouse, were cultured in groups of 15 per 600 µl medium supplemented with 0.05 IU ml FSH for 22 hr at 39°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2. After culture the oocytes were denuded, stained with orcein, and the nuclear status assessed. Heat treatment did not affect the meiosis arresting capacity of CMt since a similar proportion of the oocytes remained at the GV stage after 22 hr of culture in heat treated CMt as compared to the proportion of oocytes in the GV stage after culture in untreated CMt. Filtering through a 5 kD spin‐off filter revealed that the meiosis inhibiting action was maintained in the <5 kD fraction, although there was a significant (P < 0.05) loss of inhibiting activity compared to nonfiltered CMt. No significant decrease was observed in the meiosis arresting capacity of the <5 kD fraction after charcoal or protease treatment. Extraction of the <5 kD fraction with chloroform also did not affect the theca cell produced factor. The effect of the theca cell factor on the progression of meiosis of the oocytes that resumed meiosis, as demonstrated by a very low percentage of the oocytes that matured up to the M2 stage, was not affected following any of the treatments. With regard to bFF, the results show a lower percentage of the oocytes in the GV stage after culture in 50% bFF as compared to culture in CMt, but progression of meiosis was clearly inhibited as demonstrated by a significant higher proportion of the oocytes blocked in the M1 stage after resumption of meiosis. In general, with regard to meiotic inhibition, bFF showed the same pattern as CMt following the various treatments. It is concluded that the theca cell secreted factor which inhibits the FSH‐induced resumption of meiosis in COCGs is a small, stable, polar molecule which is not a peptide. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 60:418‐424, © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.