Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulation of visual processing by attention and emotion: windows on causal interactions between human brain regions

Visual processing is not determined solely by retinal inputs. Attentional modulation can arise when the internal attentional state (current task) of the observer alters visual processing of the same stimuli. This can influence visual cortex, boosting neural responses to an attended stimulus. Emotional modulation can also arise, when affective properties (emotional significance) of stimuli, rather than their strictly visual properties, influence processing. This too can boost responses in visual cortex, as for fear-associated stimuli. Both attentional and emotional modulation of visual processing may reflect distant influences upon visual cortex, exerted by brain structures outside the visual system per se. Hence, these modulations may provide windows onto causal interactions between distant but interconnected brain regions. We review recent evidence, noting both similarities and differences between attentional and emotional modulation. Both can affect visual cortex, but can reflect influences from different regions, such as fronto-parietal circuits versus the amygdala. Recent work on this has developed new approaches for studying causal influences between human brain regions that may be useful in other cognitive domains. The new methods include application of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) measures in brain-damaged patients to study distant functional impacts of their focal lesions, and use of transcranial magnetic stimulation concurrently with fMRI or EEG in the normal brain. Cognitive neuroscience is now moving beyond considering the putative functions of particular brain regions, as if each operated in isolation, to consider, instead, how distinct brain regions (such as visual cortex, parietal or frontal regions, or amygdala) may mutually influence each other in a causal manner.
Of the Significance of Business Relationships

The Industrial Network Theory aims to describe and explain the business relationships and networks in which the focal firm is deeply embedded. One of its major propositions is that business relationships somehow influence, to different extents and over time, the focal firm’s survival. This pertains to the diverse and time-varying significance of business relationships for the focal firm. It has often been implicitly sustained that such significance is strongly related to the role played by business relationships and consequently the relationship outcomes accruing to the focal firm. The logic underlying the relationship significance proposition is outwardly oriented, somewhat overlooking the focal firm’s inside and in particular the conspicuous influence of business relationships on what the focal firm does competently both within and across its vertical boundaries. Arguably, the (predominantly ‘functional’) network-based arguments currently advanced represent a necessary but not sufficient condition for relationship significance. This conceptual paper tentatively suggests that there may be missing a supplementary (essentially internal) explanation supported by Competence-based Theories of the Firm.
RAGAM PENELITIAN QUALITATIVE (Ethnografi, Fenomenologi, Grounded Theory,dan Studi Kasus)

Penelitian kualitatif itu berangkat dari fenomena yang ditemukan dilapangan kemudian dikembangkan pemahaman secara mendalam, alamiah, melibatkan konteks secara penuh, data dikumpulkan langsung dari partisipan langsung. Sehingga penelitian kualitatif secara memiliki beberapa tipe-tipe diantaranya adalah fenomenologi, etnografi, grounded teori, dan studi kasus.
AAV-Mediated Delivery of Zinc Finger Nucleases Targeting Hepatitis B Virus Inhibits Active Replication

Despite an existing effective vaccine, hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major public health concern. There are effective suppressive therapies for HBV, but they remain expensive and inaccessible to many, and not all patients respond well. Furthermore, HBV can persist as genomic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) that remains in hepatocytes even during otherwise effective therapy and facilitates rebound in patients after treatment has stopped. Therefore, the need for an effective treatment that targets active and persistent HBV infections remains. As a novel approach to treat HBV, we have targeted the HBV genome for disruption to prevent viral reactivation and replication. We generated 3 zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) that target sequences within the HBV polymerase, core and X genes. Upon the formation of ZFN-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSB), imprecise repair by non-homologous end joining leads to mutations that inactivate HBV genes. We delivered HBV-specific ZFNs using self-complementary adeno-associated virus (scAAV) vectors and tested their anti-HBV activity in HepAD38 cells. HBV-ZFNs efficiently disrupted HBV target sites by inducing site-specific mutations. Cytotoxicity was seen with one of the ZFNs. scAAV-mediated delivery of a ZFN targeting HBV polymerase resulted in complete inhibition of HBV DNA replication and production of infectious HBV virions in HepAD38 cells. This effect was sustained for at least 2 weeks following only a single treatment. Furthermore, high specificity was observed for all ZFNs, as negligible off-target cleavage was seen via high-throughput sequencing of 7 closely matched potential off-target sites. These results show that HBV-targeted ZFNs can efficiently inhibit active HBV replication and suppress the cellular template for HBV persistence, making them promising candidates for eradication therapy.
Human Fetal Brain-Derived Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells Grafted into the Adult Epileptic Brain Restrain Seizures in Rat Models of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Cell transplantation has been suggested as an alternative therapy for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) because this can suppress spontaneous recurrent seizures in animal models. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of human neural stem/progenitor cells (huNSPCs) for treating TLE, we transplanted huNSPCs, derived from an aborted fetal telencephalon at 13 weeks of gestation and expanded in culture as neurospheres over a long time period, into the epileptic hippocampus of fully kindled and pilocarpine-treated adult rats exhibiting TLE. In vitro, huNSPCs not only produced all three central nervous system neural cell types, but also differentiated into ganglionic eminences-derived γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic interneurons and released GABA in response to the depolarization induced by a high K+ medium. NSPC grafting reduced behavioral seizure duration, afterdischarge duration on electroencephalograms, and seizure stage in the kindling model, as well as the frequency and the duration of spontaneous recurrent motor seizures in pilocarpine-induced animals. However, NSPC grafting neither improved spatial learning or memory function in pilocarpine-treated animals. Following transplantation, grafted cells showed extensive migration around the injection site, robust engraftment, and long-term survival, along with differentiation into β-tubulin III+ neurons (∼34%), APC-CC1+ oligodendrocytes (∼28%), and GFAP+ astrocytes (∼8%). Furthermore, among donor-derived cells, ∼24% produced GABA. Additionally, to explain the effect of seizure suppression after NSPC grafting, we examined the anticonvulsant glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) levels in host hippocampal astrocytes and mossy fiber sprouting into the supragranular layer of the dentate gyrus in the epileptic brain. Grafted cells restored the expression of GDNF in host astrocytes but did not reverse the mossy fiber sprouting, eliminating the latter as potential mechanism. These results suggest that human fetal brain-derived NSPCs possess some therapeutic effect for TLE treatments although further studies to both increase the yield of NSPC grafts-derived functionally integrated GABAergic neurons and improve cognitive deficits are still needed.
Genetic modification of hearing in tubby mice: evidence for the existence of a major gene (moth1) which protects tubby mice from hearing loss.

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of genetic crosses has proven to be a useful tool for identifying loci associated with specific phenotypes and for dissecting genetic components of complex traits. Inclusion of a mutation that interacts epistatically with QTLs in genetic crosses is a unique and potentially powerful method of revealing the function of novel genes and pathways. Although we know that a mutation within the novel tub gene leads to obesity and cochlear and retinal degeneration, the biological function of the gene and the mechanism by which it induces its phenotypes are not known. In the current study, a QTL analysis for auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds, which indicates hearing ability, was performed in tubby mice from F(2)intercrosses between C57BL/6J- tub / tub and AKR/J-+/+ F(1)hybrids (AKR intercross) and between C57BL/6J- tub / tub and CAST/Ei.B6- tub / tub F(1)hybrids (CAST intercross). A major QTL, designated asmodifieroftubbyhearing1 ( moth1 ), was identified on chromosome 2 with a LOD score of 33.4 ( P < 10(-33)) in the AKR intercross (181 mice) and of 6.0 ( P < 10(-6)) in the CAST intercross (46 mice). This QTL is responsible for 57 and 43% of ABR threshold variance, respectively, in each strain combination. In addition, a C57BL/6J congenic line carrying a 129/Ola segment encompassing the described QTL region when made homozygous for tubby also exhibits normal hearing ability. We hypothesize that C57BL/6J carries a recessive mutation of the moth1 gene which interacts with the tub mutation to cause hearing loss in tub / tub mice. A moth1 allele from either AKR/J, CAST/Ei or 129/Ola is sufficient to protect C57BL/6J- tub / tub mice from hearing loss.
Conditioned Tolerance to Morphine Hypoalgesia: Compensatory Hyperalgesia in the Experimental Group or Conditioned Hypoalgesia in the Control Group?

Five experiments used rats to examine the role of noxious stimulation in the development of contextually controlled morphine hypoalgesic tolerance and in the mediation of this tolerance by an associated hyperalgesic response. There was evidence for contextually controlled tolerance to morphine's hypoalgesic effects and an associated hyperalgesic response in rats injected with morphine and trained with noxious stimulation, but not in rats repeatedly exposed to morphine in the absence of that stimulation (Experiments 1 and 5). Latent inhibition (Experiment 2) and extinction (Experiment 3) of tolerance also depended upon pairing drug-related cues with noxious stimulation. The level of sensitivity-reactivity to noxious stimulation in morphine-tolerant rats tested with the drug was related to the intensity of the noxious stimulation that had been paired with the test context (Experiment 4). The results were interpreted to mean that some of the evidence for a Pavlovian involvement in tolerance development can be explained in terms of morphine's interference with the acquisition, but not with the expression of the hypoalgesic response otherwise acquired by cues paired with noxious stimulation.
TRUE SHORT FIBER CONTENT: COMPLETE FIBER LENGTH DISTRIBUTIONS FROM TAPERED BEARDS

Market needs, design objectives, principles of measurement and test results are given for a new, image-based method for measuring the important fiber quality of length. The complete fiber length distribution of a new form of tapered beard sample is provided, from which “true” long fiber content, LFC, and “true” short fiber content data products, SFC, are determined. These new length measurement technologies enable significant improvements in accuracy and precision and are part of the IsoTester® platform, a next generation high volume fiber quality testing instrument.
Training in community policing

The widespread acceptance of community policing necessitates the need for training of recruits into its philosophy and practices. We provide a suggested curriculum for such training after describing its three basic premises. This is followed by discussions of the rationale for the curriculum, and a promising training method that can be used in its implementation. All of the above are summarized in our conclusion.
Antipathogen genes and the replacement of disease-vectoring mosquito populations: a model-based evaluation

Recently, genetic strategies aimed at controlling populations of disease‐vectoring mosquitoes have received considerable attention as alternatives to traditional measures. Theoretical studies have shown that female‐killing (FK), antipathogen (AP), and reduce and replace (R&R) strategies can each decrease the number competent vectors. In this study, we utilize a mathematical model to evaluate impacts on competent Aedes aegypti populations of FK, AP, and R&R releases as well as hybrid strategies that result from combinations of these three approaches. We show that while the ordering of efficacy of these strategies depends upon population life history parameters, sex ratio of releases, and switch time in combination strategies, AP‐only and R&R/AP releases typically lead to the greatest long‐term reduction in competent vectors. R&R‐only releases are often less effective at long‐term reduction of competent vectors than AP‐only releases or R&R/AP releases. Furthermore, the reduction in competent vectors caused by AP‐only releases is easier to maintain than that caused by FK‐only or R&R‐only releases even when the AP gene confers a fitness cost. We discuss the roles that density dependence and inclusion of females play in the order of efficacy of the strategies. We anticipate that our results will provide added impetus to continue developing AP strategies.
Cognition at altitude: impairment in executive and memory processes under hypoxic conditions.

BACKGROUND The negative effect of hypoxia on cognitive function has been well described. However, less has been published regarding cognitive dysfunction resulting from hypoxia produced by exposure to different altitudes. METHODS We measured short-term and working memory capacity (Digit Span tasks), cognitive flexibility and selective attention (Word-Color Stroop Task), and executive functioning (Trailmaking A and B tests) at baseline and simulated altitudes equal to 17,500 ft (5334 m) and 25,000 ft (7620 m) in order to obtain more information about the role of altitude exposure on cognitive tasks important for optimal functioning in the aviation environment. RESULTS Behavioral observations indicated that hypoxia was induced at different simulated altitudes. Marked declines in cognitive performance were also observed for all tests at 25,000 ft, with scores indicating greater impairment in this condition relative to others. Subjects also showed greater impairment when scores obtained in the 17,500-ft condition were compared to baseline, although the effects were not as clearly defined relative to the 25,000 vs. baseline contrasts. DISCUSSION The results of this study suggest that electronic versions of these tests may be useful in screening for acute symptoms of hypoxia and could provide insight into how discrete cognitive processes become impaired with oxygen deprivation at various altitudes. Given that these tests also assess neuropsychological functioning, our results allow for inferences to be made about the effects of hypoxia on human brain functioning.
Streamlining the narrative elaboration technique: helping young children become better eyewitnesses

The Narrative Elaboration Technique (NET) is a forensic interview technique that has been shown to increase the amount of information provided by children in open-ended recall. Efforts have been made to streamline the technique for use in real-world settings. The present study examined the effectiveness of two streamlined NET interviews with three to seven year old children. It is the first study to completely omit the NET training session, without substituting a rapport building session, and to test the effectiveness of NET verbal prompts with children younger than six years old. Although NET was not found to be effective at increasing open-ended recall with the younger children in the sample, the streamlined NET interview with verbal prompts proved to be as effective as the full NET interview with five to seven year old children. These verbal prompts could be readily incorporated into forensic interviews.
Evaluation of constructable match cost measures for stereo correspondence using cluster ranking

Stereo correspondence research often involves the comparison of techniques to determine which are better under different circumstances. The methods of comparison employed often take the form of applying the techniques to a few stereo image pairs with the technique with the lowest error rate declared superior. However, the majority of these comparisons do not contain any discussion of statistical significance; making the declared superiority of a technique statistically unreliable. In this paper we present a new evaluation method called cluster ranking that yields a statistically significant comparison of the stereo techniques being compared. Cluster ranking leverages statistical inference techniques to first rank the performance of stereo techniques on a single stereo image pair and then combine the rankings from multiple stereo pairs into an over-all ranking; in both of these rankings, only stereo techniques that are statistically different are given different ranks. We demonstrate our framework with a comparison of constructable match cost measures (those that can be assembled from a base set of components) on a data set consisting of 30 synthetic stereo pairs, with varying amounts of noise, and 18 scenes from the 2005 and 2006 Middlebury data sets. Our analysis reveals match cost measures, and measure components, that are statistically superior to all other measures depending on amount of noise, illumination, or exposure time.
Nonlinear POMDPs for Active State Tracking with Sensing Costs

Active state tracking is needed in object classification, target tracking, medical diagnosis and estimation of sparse signals among other various applications. Herein, active state tracking of a discrete-time, finite-state Markov chain is considered. Noisy Gaussian observations are dynamically collected by exerting appropriate control over their information content, while incurring a related sensing cost. The objective is to devise sensing strategies to optimize the trade-off between tracking performance and sensing cost. A recently proposed Kalman-like estimator \cite{ZoisTSP14} is employed for state tracking. The associated mean-squared error and a generic sensing cost metric are then used in a partially observable Markov decision process formulation, and the optimal sensing strategy is derived via a dynamic programming recursion. The resulting recursion proves to be non-linear, challenging control policy design. Properties of the related cost functions are derived and sufficient conditions are provided regarding the structure of the optimal control policy enabling characterization of when passive state tracking is optimal. To overcome the associated computational burden of the optimal sensing strategy, two lower complexity strategies are proposed, which exploit the aforementioned properties. The performance of the proposed strategies is illustrated in a wireless body sensing application, where cost savings as high as $60\%$ are demonstrated for a $4\%$ detection error with respect to a static equal allocation sensing strategy.
Voting without ideology. Evidence from Spain (1979-2008)

Although non-ideological voters make up a considerable share of the electorate, the literature has systematically overlooked their voting behaviour. Using Spanish electoral data from the 1979-2008 electoral period, we seek to identify the alternative cues ? in the absence of ideology? these voters may use when casting their ballot. We do not find that evaluations of the incumbent? s performance have a greater influence on non-ideological voters, as the retrospective voting literature suggests. Nor do we find that other shortcuts such as candidate evaluations or party identification are used more by this group when they vote. Instead, our results indicate that non-ideological voters have exchanged the traditional ideological shortcut for simple proincumbent voting as a decision rule.
Monte Carlo simulation of Silicon Photomultiplier output in response to scintillation induced light

The response of a Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) to optical signals is affected by many factors including optical cross talk, afterpulsing, dark current, detector dead time, recovery time and gain. Many of these parameters vary with over-voltage. When used to detect scintillation light, it is difficult to relate the response of the SiPM with the incident light and the relationship can be highly nonlinear. In this paper, we propose a Monte Carlo (MC) model for simulating the response of the SiPM to scintillation induced light pulses, which can be used to relate the optical signal with the SiPM response. Developing further on the previous works in this field, the model simulates the various aspects of SiPM response, including photon detection efficiency, recovery time, gain variation and dead time while accounting for the temporal and statistical distribution of the incident light, optical cross-talk, afterpulsing and dark current. It also considers the variation of the different SiPM parameters with varying over-voltage. We have also derived analytic expressions for the single photon response and the voltage drop across the quenching resistance, that help in accurate simulation of the SiPM response. The model compares well with the measurements on a SiPM based scintillation detector. It is also in agreement with the expected mathematical response when the input is an instantaneous light pulse.
Burst-based scheduling algorithms for non-blocking ATM switches with multiple input queues

This letter quantitatively evaluates two alternative approaches to the scheduling of traffic streams in a high-speed ATM switch with multiple input queues. Specifically, we compare a previously proposed algorithm, called parallel iterative matching (PIM)-which is a cell-based scheduling algorithm-with our newly proposed algorithm-which is a burst-based variation of the PIM scheduling algorithm. Extensive simulation results demonstrate that burst-based PIM scheduling outperforms cell-based PIM scheduling under a variety of realistic parameters.