Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interpreting Extreme Learning Machine as an Approximation to an Infinite Neural Network

Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) is a neural network architecture in which hidden layer weights are randomly chosen and output layer weights determined analytically. We interpret ELM as an approximation to a network with infinite number of hidden units. The operation of the infinite network is captured by neural network kernel (NNK). We compare ELM and NNK both as part of a kernel method and in neural network context. Insights gained from this analysis lead us to strongly recommend model selection also on the variance of ELM hidden layer weights, and not only on the number of hidden units, as is usually done with ELM. We also discuss some properties of ELM, which may have been too strongly interpreted in previous works.
Nonreproducible connectome changes hint at functional heterogeneity of Parkinson's Disease

Since anatomic MRI is presently not able to directly discern neuronal loss in Parkinson's Disease (PD), studying the associated functional connectivity (FC) changes seems a promising approach toward developing non-invasive and non-radioactive neuroimaging markers for this disease. While several groups have reported such FC changes in PD, there are also significant discrepancies between studies. Investigating the reproducibility of PD-related FC changes on independent datasets is therefore of crucial importance. We acquired resting-state fMRI scans for 43 subjects (27 patients and 16 normal controls, with 2 replicate scans per subject) and compared the observed FC changes with those obtained in two independent datasets, one made available by the PPMI consortium (91 patients, 18 controls) and a second one by the group of Tao Wu (20 patients, 20 controls). Unfortunately, PD-related functional connectivity changes turned out to be non-reproducible across datasets. This could be due to disease heterogeneity, but also to technical differences. To distinguish between the two, we compared two random splits of the same dataset, obtained either: (a) by placing different subjects in the two splits, or (b) by arranging that the two splits contain replicate scans of the same subjects. We observed reproducibility in (b), but not in (a), indicative of disease heterogeneity. Contrary to PD, we observed reproducibility in (a) for a different group contrast on a different rs-fMRI dataset (Beijing eyes open-eyes closed). This suggests that functional heterogeneity may be a dominating factor behind the lack of reproducibility of FC changes in different rs-fMRI studies of PD.
Examining the continuity of self-rated health.

BACKGROUND The study examines whether self-rated health forms a continuum from poor through average to good health in terms of two groups of health-related variables. METHODS The data come from the 1994 Finnish Survey on Living Conditions, a representative sample of Finnish men and women aged 25 years or older (n = 7290). Logistic regression analysis was used with two dependent variables: (1) average versus good/excellent self-rated health and (2) poor versus good/excellent self-rated health. Two groups of independent variables were used: (1) risk factors and (2) ill-health indicators. Separate analyses were made for men and women controlling for sociodemographic background variables. RESULTS Of the risk factors, BMI and physical exercise were associated both with average and poor self-rated health whereas frequency of drinking was only associated with poor health. All used indicators of ill health were strongly associated with average as well as poor self-rated health. With the exception of BMI, the associations of both risk factors and ill health were stronger with poor than with average health. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that self-rated health forms a continuum from poor to good health when risk factors and indicators of ill health are considered, and that there are only minor differences in the continuity of self-rated health between men and women.
An ℓ1-algorithm for underdetermined systems and applications

In this work, we consider a homotopic principle for solving large-scale and dense ℓ1 underdetermined problems and its applications. The idea consists of obtaining the solution of the problem by solving a sequence of linear equality constrained multiquadric problems that depends on a regularization parameter that converges to zero. The procedure generates a central path that converges to a point on the solution set of the ℓ1-underdetermined problem. This allows us to mimic the path-following methodology for primal-dual interior-point methods. We present a numerical experimentation showing the capability and effectiveness of our algorithm for recovering sparse signals, and its applications to MRI compressed sensing, seismic reflection and speech separation problems.
Communication and cooperation in wild chimpanzees(Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii)

Comparisons between animal and human communication are invaluable for understanding the evolution of language and, as our closest living relatives, chimpanzees can provide particularly important insights into this. Here I examined unimodal (UM) and multimodal (MM) communication in wild chimpanzees, in an integrated manner. I found that although MM signals were produced infrequently, and at lower rates compared to captivity, the vast majority of adult and sub-adult individuals did freely combine vocal, gestural and facial signals to produce MM signals. A total of 48 free MM signal combinations were observed, incorporating a wide range of different signal types from different modalities. Focusing on one specific vocalgestural MM signal, I found that MM combinations and UM gestural signals were more successful in eliciting responses compared to UM vocal signals. To investigate signal function more systematically I focused on one common grooming gesture, the big loud scratch (BLS), and tested several competing functional hypotheses. I found little evidence to support the hypotheses that this signal operates as an attention-getter, or as a referential signal. In contrast, my data suggested that in this community of chimpanzees, the BLS facilitates the negotiation of roles within a grooming bout. Groomers used BLSs to request grooming during grooming bouts and the BLS seemed to show willingness to groom, both to initiate a grooming bout, and potentially during a bout when groomees intend to start grooming their partner. Finally, to explore the theoretical link between the evolution of communication and cooperation I tested whether, on an individual level, there was a positive relationship between communicativeness and cooperativeness in chimpanzees. In contrast to theoretical predictions, I found a significantly negative relationship between these two domains, indicating that more communicative chimpanzees were less cooperative. I explore several potential explanations for this highly unexpected finding.
Indacaterol: a new once daily long-acting beta2 adrenoceptor agonist

Introduction: Indacaterol is a novel once daily long-acting beta agonist (LABA) developed for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Aims: This review summarizes preclinical and clinical data of indacaterol, including all data generated during the phase II trial program, and further discusses the outlook and potential of the drug in the future treatment of COPD and asthma. Evidence review: Clinical studies suggest that indacaterol produces rapid and sustained bronchodilation in COPD patients and asthmatics of different severities. Until now, clinical studies of up to 28 days’ duration have been published that have confirmed the suitability of indacaterol for once daily dosing, along with a favorable overall safety and tolerability profile. Outcomes summary: Indacaterol monotherapy has potential in COPD, where antiinflammatory treatment is not fully established and issues about a potential risk of LABA use causing excess mortality have not been raised. In addition, indacaterol represents an option for future combination therapies in both asthma and COPD. However, more data are required, particularly in COPD, to fully assess the therapeutic potential of indacaterol in improving symptoms, quality of life, exacerbation rates, disease progression, exercise capacity, and hyperinflation. The currently ongoing phase III clinical trial program will add knowledge in respect to many long-term efficacy outcomes and gather further safety and tolerability data in both asthma and COPD.
Exploring the Relationships Between Pornography Consumption, Relationship Satisfaction, Relationship Beliefs, and Masculinity

Pornography is widely available and consumed in the United States and worldwide. Despite pornography’s wide spread use and expansions since the advent of the Internet, the psychosocial problems related to its use are not fully delineated. Previous studies have explored the relationship between pornography consumption and psychosocial variables such as sexual and physical violence against women, misogynistic beliefs, sexual callousness, acceptance of rape myths, and other problematic sexual beliefs and behaviors. Fewer studies have explored pornography use and its impact on relationship variables such as relationship satisfaction and beliefs about relational constructs such as intimacy, passion, and equality/independence. Furthermore, there are limited studies on how pornography consumption relates to constructs such as masculinity and body satisfaction among male users. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between these constructs, as well as further delineate pornography consumption by examining frequency, duration, method, subgenre, and perceived harm. One hundred fifty-six males were recruited from various northeastern universities and through online advertisements. Results demonstrated a significant negative relationship between pornography consumption and relationship satisfaction. Alternatively, body dissatisfaction and masculinity did not relate to pornography use or relationship satisfaction. Exploratory analysis indicated that pornography consumption was not related to perceived harm or opinions about intimacy, passion, or equality/independence. Research and clinical implications of the findings and future directions are discussed.
Mad1p, a phosphoprotein component of the spindle assembly checkpoint in budding yeast

The spindle assembly checkpoint prevents cells from initiating anaphase until the spindle has been fully assembled. We previously isolated mitotic arrest deficient (mad) mutants that inactivate this checkpoint and thus increase the sensitivity of cells to benomyl, a drug that interferes with mitotic spindle assembly by depolymerizing microtubules. We have cloned the MAD1 gene and show that when it is disrupted yeast cells have the same phenotype as the previously isolated mad1 mutants: they fail to delay the metaphase to anaphase transition in response to microtubule depolymerization. MAD1 is predicted to encode a 90-kD coiled-coil protein. Anti-Mad1p antibodies give a novel punctate nuclear staining pattern and cell fractionation reveals that the bulk of Mad1p is soluble. Mad1p becomes hyperphosphorylated when wild-type cells are arrested in mitosis by benomyl treatment, or by placing a cold sensitive tubulin mutant at the restrictive temperature. This modification does not occur in G1- arrested cells treated with benomyl or in cells arrested in mitosis by defects in the mitotic cyclin proteolysis machinery, suggesting that Mad1p hyperphosphorylation is a step in the activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint. Analysis of Mad1p phosphorylation in other spindle assembly checkpoint mutants reveals that this response to microtubule- disrupting agents is defective in some (mad2, bub1, and bub3) but not all (mad3, bub2) mutant strains. We discuss the possible functions of Mad1p at this cell cycle checkpoint.
Reinterpreting the gender gap in household pro-environmental behaviour

ABSTRACT Research has identified a gender gap in household-level environmental protection, with women engaging more frequently than men. However, this gender gap is rarely seen as problematic; environmental sociologists have referred to household-level pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) as ‘low-hanging fruit’ in the pursuit of ecological sustainability – actions that are easy to adopt and reduce environmental impact. To date, environmental sociologists have neglected to ask how women’s higher rate of engagement in these behaviours relates to women’s outcomes more generally. In this article, we draw on past literature within and beyond environmental sociology to develop a theoretical approach for future research on the gender gap in PEB. We also use descriptive statistical analyses of cross-national survey data to demonstrate our argument. Not only do we show that women’s engagement in PEB is tied to her economic status in ways that are distinct from men’s engagement in PEB, we see that this difference persists across varying household arrangements of paid work. Understanding this as evidence of a gendered relationship between household PEB and economic status, we recommend future directions of research. Given that household environmental protection is a gendered practice, we feel environmental sociologists are poised to make important contributions to research on gender.
The effects of organizational learning culture and job satisfaction on motivation to transfer learning and turnover intention

Although organizational learning theory and practice have been clarified by practitioners and scholars over the past several years, there is much to be explored regarding interactions between organizational learning culture and employee learning and performance outcomes. This study examined the relationship of organizational learning culture, job satisfaction, and organizational outcome variables with a sample of information technology (IT) employees in the United States. It found that learning organizational culture is associated with IT employee job satisfaction and motivation to transfer learning. Turnover intention was found to be negatively influenced by organizational learning culture and job satisfaction. Suggestions for future study of learning organizational culture in association with job satisfaction and performance-related outcomes are discussed. With the current expansion of the global economy and the fast-changing evolution of technology and innovation, organizations are facing an ongoing need for employee learning and development. As knowledge increasingly becomes a key factor for productivity, it has also become a currency for competitive success. Understanding factors that contribute to organizational learning and the transfer of knowledge to the workplace environment are essential to
Brainspotting – the efficacy of a new therapy approach for the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in comparison to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

Objective: This study aims at determining the efficacy of the new therapy approach Brainspotting (BSP) in comparison to the established Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) approach for the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Method: The sample consisted of 76 adult seeking professional help after they have been affected by a traumatic event. Clients were either treated with three 60-minute sessions of EMDR (n=23) or BSP (n=53) according to a standard protocol. Primary outcomes assessed were self-reports of the severity of PTSD symptoms. Secondary outcomes included self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Assessments were conducted at pretreatment, posttreatment and 6 month after the treatment. Results: Participants in both conditions showed significant reductions in PTSD symptoms. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d ) from baseline to posttreatment concerning PTSD related symptoms were between 1.19 - 1.76 for clients treated with EMDR and 0.74 - 1.04 for clients treated with BSP. Conclusion: Our results indicate that Brainspotting seems to be an effective alternative therapeutic approach for clients who experienced a traumatic event and/or with PTSD.
ANTS VI: algorithmic number theory symposium poster abstracts

The Algorithmic Number Theory Symposium (ANTS) meetings are held bianually since 1994, and have become the premier international forum for the presentation of new research in Computational Number Theory. Previous ANTS conferences have been held as follows: ANTS I, 1994, Cornell University, USA, ANTS II, 1996, University of Bordeaux, France, ANTS III, 1998 Reed College, USA, ANTS IV, 2000, University of Leiden, Netherlands, ANTS V, 2002, University of Sydney, Australia. ANTS VI was held on June 13-18, 2004 at the University of Vermont in the United States, http://web.ew. usna.edu/~ants. ANTS VII is scheduled to be held in Berlin in the summer of 2006. Below are six poster abstracts presented during ANTS VI. We thank the organizers for the opportunity to publish the ANTS VI posters. We hope to help bring this work to a wider audience, not only to computational number theorists, but throughout the Symbolic Computation community.
Universal one-way hash functions and their cryptographic applications

We define a Universal One-Way Hash Function family, a new primitive which enables the compression of elements in the function domain. The main property of this primitive is that given an element x. We prove constructively that universal one-way hash functions exist if any 1-1 one-way functions exist. Among the various applications of the primitive is a One-Way based Secure Digital Signature Scheme, a system which is based on the existence of any 1-1 One-Way Functions and is secure against the most general attack known. Previously, all provably secure signature schemes were based on the stronger mathematical assumption that trapdoor one-way functions exist.
C-Reactive Protein Increases Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Expression and Activity in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells: Implications for the Metabolic Syndrome and Atherothrombosis

Background—Inflammation plays a pivotal role in atherosclerosis. In addition to being a risk marker for cardiovascular disease, much recent data suggest that C-reactive protein (CRP) promotes atherogenesis via effects on monocytes and endothelial cells. The metabolic syndrome is associated with significantly elevated levels of CRP. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a marker of atherothrombosis, is also elevated in the metabolic syndrome and in diabetes, and endothelial cells are the major source of PAI-1. However, there are no studies examining the effect of CRP on PAI-1 in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Methods and Results—Incubation of HAECs with CRP results in a time- and dose-dependent increase in secreted PAI-1 antigen, PAI-1 activity, intracellular PAI-1 protein, and PAI-1 mRNA. CRP stabilizes PAI-1 mRNA. Inhibitors of endothelial NO synthase, blocking antibodies to interleukin-6 and an endothelin-1 receptor blocker, fail to attenuate the effect of CRP on PAI-1. CRP additionally increased PAI-1 under hyperglycemic conditions. Conclusions—This study makes the novel observation that CRP induces PAI-1 expression and activity in HAECs and thus has implications for both the metabolic syndrome and atherothrombosis. (Circulation. 2003;107:398-404.)
Urban African American Youth and Their Caregivers’ Perceptions of School Safety in Chicago

The purpose of this study is to examine multiple factors related to school safety perceptions of youth and parents. Study sample consisted of 131 low-income, urban African American youth and their parents. Females were more likely to perceive their school as unsafe. Parents who were close to their child reported schools as safe. Both youth and parents perceived school as safe when youth has a positive relationship with teachers. Youth whose school was far from their neighborhood reported feeling safe. Neighborhood satisfaction was associated with school safety perceptions among youth. Community violence exposure was related to school safety perceptions among parents.
The Beta-Binomial Mixture Model and Its Application to TDT Tracking and Detection

This paper describes a continuous-mixture statistical model for word occurrence frequencies in documents, and the application of that model to the TDT topic identification tasks. This model was originally proposed by Gillick [1] as a means to account for variation in word frequencies across documents more accurately than the binomial and multinomial models. Further mathematical development of the model will be presented, along with performance results on the DARPA TDT December 1998 Evaluation Tracking Task. Application to the Detection Task will also be discussed.
Differential Regulation of Thrombospondin-1 and Thrombospondin-2 After Focal Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion

Background and Purpose— Angiogenesis occurs after cerebral ischemia, and the extent of angiogenesis has been correlated with survival in stroke patients. However, postischemic angiogenesis is short-lived and may be completely terminated within a few weeks after ischemic insult. The molecular mechanism underlying the dissolution of postischemic angiogenic processes is poorly understood. Although the expression of angiogenic genes has been studied in ischemic stroke models, the activation of angiostatic genes after cerebral ischemia has not been investigated. Thrombospondin (TSP)-1 and TSP-2 are naturally occurring angiostatic factors, which inhibit angiogenesis in vivo. The aim of the present study was to explore the expression of TSP-1 and TSP-2 in relation to the evolution of angiogenic process in a focal ischemia model in rats. Methods— Rats underwent cortical ischemia in the middle cerebral artery territory for 60 minutes and reperfusion for up to 2 weeks. Northern and Western blot analysis were used to study the temporal profile of TSP-1 and TSP-2 expression at the mRNA and protein level, respectively. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical studies were used to examine the spatial expression patterns. Double immunostaining was applied to define the cellular origins of TSP-1 and TSP-2. Results— A biphasic expression of TSP-1 was noted after ischemia, peaking at 1 and 72 hours. Endothelial cells in the leptomeninges were the only source of the first TSP-1 peak, whereas endothelial, glial, neuronal, and macrophage cells contributed to the second peak of TSP-1 expression. TSP-2 expression occurred much later and in a monophasic manner, peaking 2 weeks after ischemia. TSP-2 immunoreactivity was observed in endothelial, neuronal, and macrophage, but not glial, cells. TSP-1 was expressed before the peak of angiogenesis, whereas robust TSP-2 expression occurred at the peak of angiogenesis and continued into the period when angiogenesis had completely resolved. Conclusions— Robust expression of TSP-1 and TSP-2, 2 major angiostatic factors, was noted in the ischemic brain with different temporal expression profiles from different cellular origins. The expression of these angiostatic factors, especially TSP-2, likely contributes to the spontaneous resolution of postischemic angiogenesis. Further studies are needed to explore the molecular mechanisms that regulate the balance of angiogenic and angiostatic factors in the ischemic brain.