Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activation likelihood estimation meta‐analysis of brain correlates of placebo analgesia in human experimental pain

Placebo analgesia (PA) is one of the most studied placebo effects. Brain imaging studies published over the last decade, using either positron emission tomography (PET) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), suggest that multiple brain regions may play a pivotal role in this process. However, there continues to be much debate as to which areas consistently contribute to placebo analgesia‐related networks. In the present study, we used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta‐analysis, a state‐of‐the‐art approach, to search for the cortical areas involved in PA in human experimental pain models. Nine fMRI studies and two PET studies investigating cerebral hemodynamic changes were included in the analysis. During expectation of analgesia, activated foci were found in the left anterior cingulate, right precentral, and lateral prefrontal cortex and in the left periaqueductal gray (PAG). During noxious stimulation, placebo‐related activations were detected in the anterior cingulate and medial and lateral prefrontal cortices, in the left inferior parietal lobule and postcentral gyrus, anterior insula, thalamus, hypothalamus, PAG, and pons; deactivations were found in the left mid‐ and posterior cingulate cortex, superior temporal and precentral gyri, in the left anterior and right posterior insula, in the claustrum and putamen, and in the right thalamus and caudate body. Our results suggest on one hand that the modulatory cortical networks involved in PA largely overlap those involved in the regulation of emotional processes, on the other that brain nociceptive networks are downregulated in parallel with behavioral analgesia. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Label-Free and Sensitive Fluorescent Qualitative Assay for Bisphenol A Based on Rolling Circle Amplification/Exonuclease III-Combined Cascade Amplification

Bisphenol A (BPA) detection in drinking water and food packaging materials has attracted much attention since the discovery that BPA can interfere with normal physiological processes and cause adverse health effects. Here, we constructed a label-free aptamer fluorescent assay for selective and sensitive detection of BPA based on the rolling circle amplification (RCA)/Exonuclease III (Exo III)-combined cascade amplification strategy. First, the duplex DNA probe (RP) with anti-BPA aptamer and trigger sequence was designed for BPA recognition and signal amplification. Next, under the action of BPA, the trigger probe was liberated from RP to initiate RCA reaction as primary amplification. Subsequently, the RCA products were used to trigger Exo III assisted secondary amplification with the help of hairpin probes, producing plenty of “G-quadruplex” in lantern-like structures. Finally, the continuously enriched “G-quadruplex lanterns” were lightened by zinc(II)-protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX) generating enhanced fluorescence signals. By integrating the primary RCA and secondary Exo III mediated cascade amplification strategy, this method displayed an excellent sensitivity with the detection limits of 5.4 × 10−17 M. In addition, the anti-BPA aptamer exhibits high recognition ability with BPA, guaranteeing the specificity of detection. The reporter signal probe (G-quadruplex with ZnPPIX) provides a label-free fluorescence signals readout without complicated labeling procedures, making the method simple in design and cost-effective in operation. Moreover, environmental samples analysis was also performed, suggesting that our strategy was reliable and had a great potential application in environmental monitoring.
A Nonlinear Control Design for Tracked Robots with Longitudinal Slip

Abstract This paper presents an adaptive control strategy for a tracked mobile robot, in which the longitudinal slip of the left and right tracks are described by two unknown parameters. It is assumed that the kinematic model of the tracked robot is approximated by the one of a differential wheeled robot. An adaptive nonlinear feedback control law that compensates for the longitudinal slip is proposed to achieve a given trajectory tracking objective. Asymptotic stability of the close-loop system is ensured using an appropriate Lyapunov function. Numerical results show the benefits of the proposed approach.
Examining the Relations of the Home Literacy Environments of Families of Low SES with Children’s Early Literacy Skills

Abstract This study examined variability of the home literacy environment (HLE) using multiple measures among families of low SES. The relations of the measures to each other and to children’s early oral language skills and print knowledge were reported. Considerable variability of the self-reported HLE items and the Children’s Title Checklist (CTC) but low correlations were found among items. Children’s expressive language skills were predicted by the CTC. The number of storybooks in the home predicted variance within children’s receptive vocabulary. Concepts about Print (CAP) scores were predicted by the primary caregivers’ frequency of shared reading and the age when parents began reading to children. Children’s letter name scores were not associated with any of the HLE measures in this study. The research provides additional information about the HLE within the homes of low SES using multiple measures and how they relate differentially to children’s early language and literacy skills.
Writing retreats for Japanese second-language graduate students: Beyond the language deficit model

The requirement for second-language graduate students to publish in English demands a pedagogical response. Where those graduate students are using English as a second language, the focus has been on addressing presumed language deficiencies rather than developing the act of writing. This paper reports on an intervention that we led in a Japanese research university with graduate students aimed at developing writing practice that would support academic publication in English. We report here on the intervention, students’ feedback, follow-up discussions and a survey after eight months. We use containment theory to provide a theorized account of how the intervention supported participation in writing for publication in English. This work provides direction for pedagogy for second-language graduate students.
Variability of Southern T Tauri Stars. I. The Continuum and the Hβ Inverse P Cygni Profile of GQ Lupi

We present time series spectrophotometric observations of GQ Lupi, a typical representative of the YY Orionis subgroup of T Tauri stars that show conspicuous inverse P Cygni profiles. The data set consists of 32 exposures taken over five and eight consecutive nights of 1998 May and July, respectively, and covers the spectral range of 3100 Å < λ < 5100 Å. The region redward and next to the Balmer jump varies significantly on a night-to-night basis, and the amplitude of such variability decreases sharply at λ > 4600 Å. The Balmer continuum slope indicates that the spectral energy distribution is governed by a gas of temperature greater than that of the stellar photosphere. The variability of the Balmer continuum flux has the largest amplitude. Flux increases in the B band are accompanied by concurrent flux increases in the U band. The contrary is not always verified. The excess of continuum emission (veiling) for each exposure is computed throughout the spectral format. We find a tight anticorrelation between the veiling and the observed Balmer jump. We report the largest inverse P Cygni profile ever observed at this resolution: the depth of the Hβ absorption component is nearly twice the height of the peak emission. Surprisingly, this absorption vanishes a few nights later. The time series of the redward absorption component behaves similarly to the veiling time series: the progressive weakening of the redward absorption is closely followed by a similar weakening of the excess continuum emission. If the absorption component is deveiled, the correlation strengthens. Thus, large/small redward absorption = large/small veiling = small/large Balmer jump. We model the emitting region by a gas of uniform temperature and density, each of the 32 exposures acting as a snapshot of such a region for a given stellar rotational phase. We explore models of temperature greater than 5000 K and number of hydrogen atoms NH larger than 1013 cm-3, extending the gas spectral energy distribution up to the blackbody of a given temperature. The resulting models indicate that the gas densities and the respective temperatures are strongly anticorrelated. In addition, the model time series show that the increase in the gas density is mirrored by an increase of the projected emitting area (filling factor). Large/small gas densities and filling factors are characterized by high/low observed veiling. As the accretion rate fades from night to night, the observed veiling decreases, as does the gas density and the total projected emitting area.
Migration, Trade and Investment

By lowering the cost of trade between the country of residence and the country of birth, migrants appear to reduce trade with other countries, so that the overall effect on aggregate trade is small. The effects of migrants on foreign direct investment appear to be different. Bilateral investment patterns show that migrants increase investment between their country of residence and country of birth, but there is no strong evidence that this is accompanied by a reduction of the stock of investment in other countries The views expressed in this paper are those of the staff involved and do not necessarily reflect those of the Productivity Commission.
Promoting walking and cycling as an alternative to using cars: systematic review

Abstract Objectives To assess what interventions are effective in promoting a population shift from using cars towards walking and cycling and to assess the health effects of such interventions. Data sources Published and unpublished reports in any language identified from electronic databases, bibliographies, websites, and reference lists. Review methods Systematic search and appraisal to identify experimental or observational studies with a prospective or controlled retrospective design that evaluated any intervention applied to an urban population or area by measuring outcomes in members of the local population. Results 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. We found some evidence that targeted behaviour change programmes can change the behaviour of motivated subgroups, resulting (in the largest study) in a shift of around 5% of all trips at a population level. Single studies of commuter subsidies and a new railway station also showed positive effects. The balance of best available evidence about publicity campaigns, engineering measures, and other interventions suggests that they have not been effective. Participants in trials of active commuting experienced short term improvements in certain measures of health and fitness, but we found no good evidence on effects on health of any effective intervention at population level. Conclusions The best available evidence of effectiveness in promoting a modal shift is for targeted behaviour change programmes, but the social distribution of their effects is unclear and some other types of intervention have yet to be rigorously evaluated.
The interrelationship between choice of course of study abroad and participation in online social networks

This thesis examines how the choice of course of study abroad interrelates with participation in online social networks, and provides an application of semiotics to research in choice and decision making in higher education and information systems research. The study itself is justified by the increasing need to consider students’ choice of course of study as a separate phenomenon from their choice of institution or host country. Alongside the adoption of a more nuanced view of student selection, the author also recognises the need to understand the role of online social networks within the decision-making process for selecting higher education courses. This work adopts an interpretivist philosophy and utilises a comparative case study method, drawing upon semi-structured interviews with international MBA students in addition to relevant documentation. The thesis finds a strong interplay between the choice of course of study abroad and participation in online social networks.
Transcriptional Regulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in the Amygdala during Consolidation of Fear Memory

We have demonstrated previously that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in the amygdala is required for the consolidation of fear memory. This study is designed to characterize the signal cascades by which fear conditioning modulates transcriptional and translational expression of BDNF. Real-time reverse transcription-coupled polymerase chain reaction showed a significant increase in BDNF exon I- and III-containing mRNA in the amygdala of fear-conditioned rats, indicating that fear conditioning was capable of up-regulating BDNF mRNA. Bilateral administration of actinomycin D or anisomycin to the amygdala attenuated conditioning-induced increase in BDNF protein. Inhibitors for N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel (L-VDCC), adenylyl cyclase, cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), and calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase IV (CaMKIV) significantly reduced the increase. Moreover, DNA affinity precipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) binding activity in the proximal region of BDNF promoter I and III was significantly increased after fear conditioning. Intra-amygdala administration of cAMP response element decoy DNA before training impaired fear learning. Taken together, these results suggest that calcium influx through NMDA receptors and L-VDCCs during fear conditioning activates PKA and CaMKIV resulting in CREB phosphorylation. The phosphorylated CREB binds to BDNF promoter and up-regulates the expression of BDNF in the amygdala, which helps the consolidation of fear memory.
Full-Rank Maximum Correlation Portfolio Approach in Asset Pricing Tests

The usual cross-sectional tests of asset pricing models suffer from lack of power because they do not impose the null hypothesis of zero pricing errors on a full set of test assets. This paper proposes a simple remedy using full-rank maximum correlation portfolios obtained by adding extra return bases to test assets, allowing the cross-sectional tests to be performed with full degrees of freedom. I show that the resulting test statistic is equivalent to the Hansen-Jagannathan distance with an expanded set of returns. The statistical test has more power and rejects most of the recent asset pricing models in the literature.
42 variability bugs in the linux kernel: a qualitative analysis

Feature-sensitive verification pursues effective analysis of the exponentially many variants of a program family. However, researchers lack examples of concrete bugs induced by variability, occurring in real large-scale systems. Such a collection of bugs is a requirement for goal-oriented research, serving to evaluate tool implementations of feature-sensitive analyses by testing them on real bugs. We present a qualitative study of 42 variability bugs collected from bug-fixing commits to the Linux kernel repository. We analyze each of the bugs, and record the results in a database. In addition, we provide self-contained simplified C99 versions of the bugs, facilitating understanding and tool evaluation. Our study provides insights into the nature and occurrence of variability bugs in a large C software system, and shows in what ways variability affects and increases the complexity of software bugs.
Twin Deficits: Squaring Theory, Evidence and Common Sense

type="main" xml:lang="en"> Simple accounting suggests that shocks to the government budget move the current account in the same direction, and this ‘twin deficits’ intuition leads many observers to call for fiscal consolidation in the US as a necessary measure to reduce the large external imbalance of this country. The response of other macroeconomic variables to budget developments, however, has important implications for ‘twin deficits’ and for this policy prescription. Focusing on the international transmission of fiscal policy shocks via terms of trade changes, we show that the likelihood and magnitude of twin deficits increases with the degree of openness of an economy, and decreases with the persistence of fiscal shocks. We take this insight to the data and investigate the transmission of fiscal shocks in a vector autoregression (VAR) model estimated for Australia, Canada, the UK and the US. We find that in less open countries the external impact of shocks to either government spending or budget deficits is limited, while private investment responds in line with our theoretical prediction. These results suggest that a fiscal retrenchment in the US may have a limited impact on its current external deficit. — Giancarlo Corsetti and Gernot J. Muller
The Nature–Nurture Debates

Nature–nurture debates continue to be highly contentious in the psychology of gender despite the common recognition that both types of causal explanations are important. In this article, we provide a historical analysis of the vicissitudes of nature and nurture explanations of sex differences and similarities during the quarter century since the founding of the Association for Psychological Science. We consider how the increasing use of meta-analysis helped to clarify sex difference findings if not the causal explanations for these effects. To illustrate these developments, this article describes socialization and preferences for mates as two important areas of gender research. We also highlight developing research trends that address the interactive processes by which nature and nurture work together in producing sex differences and similarities. Such theorizing holds the promise of better science as well as a more coherent account of the psychology of women and men that should prove to be more influential with the broader public.
Streptococcal pharyngitis in children: a meta-analysis of clinical decision rules and their clinical variables

Objective To identify the best clinical decision rules (CDRs) for diagnosing group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis in children. A combination of symptoms could help clinicians exclude GAS infection in children with pharyngitis. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of original articles involving CDRs in children. The Pubmed, OVID, Institute for Scientific and Technical Information and Cochrane databases from 1975 to 2010 were screened for articles that derived or validated a CDR on a paediatric population: 171 references were identified. Setting Any reference including primary care for children with pharyngitis. Data extraction The methodological quality of the articles selected was analysed according to published quality standards. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the statistical performance of the CDRs and their variables for the diagnosis of GAS pharyngitis. Primary outcome measure The main criterion was a false-negative rate in the whole population not any worse than that of a rapid diagnostic test strategy for all patients (high sensitivity and low negative likelihood ratio). Results 4 derived and 12 validated CDRs for this diagnosis in children. These articles involved 10 523 children (mean age, 7 years; mean prevalence of GAS pharyngitis, 34%). No single variable was sufficient for diagnosis. Among the CDRs, that of Joachim et al had a negative likelihood ratio of 0.3 (95% CI 0.2 to 0.5), resulting in a post-test probability of 13%, which leads to 3.6% false-negative rate among low-risk patients and 10.8% overall, equivalent to rapid diagnostic tests in some studies. Conclusions The rule of Joachim et al could be useful for clinicians who do not use rapid diagnostic tests and should allow avoiding antibiotic treatment for the 35% of children identified by the rule as not having GAS pharyngitis. Owing to its poor specificity, such CDR should be used to focus rapid diagnostic tests to children with high risk of GAS pharyngitis to reduce the antibiotic consumption.
Neural Spike-Train Analyses of the Speech-Based Envelope Power Spectrum Model

Diagnosing and treating hearing impairment is challenging because people with similar degrees of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) often have different speech-recognition abilities. The speech-based envelope power spectrum model (sEPSM) has demonstrated that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNRENV) from a modulation filter bank provides a robust speech-intelligibility measure across a wider range of degraded conditions than many long-standing models. In the sEPSM, noise (N) is assumed to: (a) reduce S + N envelope power by filling in dips within clean speech (S) and (b) introduce an envelope noise floor from intrinsic fluctuations in the noise itself. While the promise of SNRENV has been demonstrated for normal-hearing listeners, it has not been thoroughly extended to hearing-impaired listeners because of limited physiological knowledge of how SNHL affects speech-in-noise envelope coding relative to noise alone. Here, envelope coding to speech-in-noise stimuli was quantified from auditory-nerve model spike trains using shuffled correlograms, which were analyzed in the modulation-frequency domain to compute modulation-band estimates of neural SNRENV. Preliminary spike-train analyses show strong similarities to the sEPSM, demonstrating feasibility of neural SNRENV computations. Results suggest that individual differences can occur based on differential degrees of outer- and inner-hair-cell dysfunction in listeners currently diagnosed into the single audiological SNHL category. The predicted acoustic-SNR dependence in individual differences suggests that the SNR-dependent rate of susceptibility could be an important metric in diagnosing individual differences. Future measurements of the neural SNRENV in animal studies with various forms of SNHL will provide valuable insight for understanding individual differences in speech-in-noise intelligibility.
The Association Between Smoking Tobacco After a Diagnosis of Diabetes and the Prevalence of Diabetic Nephropathy in the Korean Male Population

Objectives: Smoking is known to be associated with nephropathy in patients with diabetes. The distinct effects of smoking before and after diabetes has been diagnosed, however, are not well characterized. We evaluated the association of cigarette smoking before and after a diagnosis of diabetes with the presence of diabetic nephropathy. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2011-2013 editions of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 629 male patients diagnosed with diabetes were classified as non-smokers (90 patients), former smokers (225 patients), or continuing smokers (314 patients). A “former smoker” was a patient who smoked only before receiving his diagnosis of diabetes. A “continuing smoker” was a patient who smoked at any time after his diabetes had been diagnosed. Diabetic nephropathy was defined as the presence of albuminuria (spot urine albumin/creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g) or low estimated glomerular filtration rate (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the independent association after adjusting for age, duration of diabetes, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, medication for hypertension, and medication for dyslipidemia. Female patients were excluded from the study due to the small proportion of females in the survey who smoked. Results: Compared to non-smokers, continuing smokers had significantly higher odds ratio ([OR], 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23 to 3.83) of suffering from diabetic nephropathy. The corresponding OR (95% CI) for former smokers was 1.26 (0.70 to 2.29). Conclusions: Smoking after diagnosis of diabetes is significantly associated with the presence of diabetic nephropathy in the Korean male population.