Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Working Memory for Location and Time: Activity in Prefrontal Area 46 Relates to Selection Rather than Maintenance in Memory

The role of the dorsal prefrontal cortex in working memory remains controversial. Influential proposals include a role in the maintenance of domain-specific information, and the processes of executive functions on remembered information. We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate a functional dissociation within prefrontal cortex in terms of the components of complex working memory tasks. The maintenance in working memory of spatial locations and their temporal order was associated with activation of area 8 and intraparietal cortex. In contrast, the selection of one location, according to its order, was associated with a distinct frontoparietal network, including dorsolateral prefrontal area 46, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex and medial parietal cortex. The different contributions of these areas to selection are considered in the light of recent electrophysiological and lesion studies. We suggest a general role of the dorsolateral prefrontal area 46 in attentional selection, including selection from within working memory.
Effects of cannabinoids and novelty on hippocampal electrophysiology

Exposure to novel environments alters hippocampal cell and theta local field potential activity to support the formation of new or updated spatial representations. It induces remapping of place cell fields, a reduction in CA1 theta frequency and an increase in the spatial scale of entorhinal grid cell fields. A recent model proposes that a reduction in the slope of the theta frequency-running speed relationship (TFRSR) can account for these effects (Burgess, 2008, Hippocampus). In contrast, the model proposes that the Y-axis intercept of the TFRSR is unaffected by novelty but instead correlates with anxiety/arousal. Thus, the theta frequency reduction elicited by a wide range of anxiolytic drugs (Gray & McNaughton, 2000) is suggested to result from a decrease in the intercept. Cannabinoids are anxiolytic at low doses, reduce theta frequency and disrupt the theta-timescale dynamics of place cell firing. In contrast, environmental novelty elicits a coordinated shift in CA1 place cell firing to a later theta-phase. This thesis examines the electrophysiological effects of environmental familiarity or novelty in combination with a low, intraperitoneal dose of the cannabinoid agonist O-2545, or its vehicle, saline. It was found that exposure to novel environments reduced the slope of the TFRSR whereas the cannabinoid reduced the intercept, in agreement with the model. These effects were not due to decreased body temperature or changes in behaviour. Combining novelty and drug reduced both slope and intercept. Furthermore, the extent of novelty-induced place cell remapping correlated with the reduction in slope. The mean theta-phase of place cell firing shifted later in novelty, but this was disrupted by the cannabinoid. In contrast, the mean theta-phase of the interneuron population was stable across conditions, but novelty increased the dispersion of interneuron theta-phase preferences. These results help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying novelty processing and cannabinoid action in the hippocampus.
Optimal Short-Sighted Rules

The aim of this paper is to assess the relevance of methodological transfers from behavioral ecology to experimental economics with respect to the elicitation of intertemporal preferences. More precisely our discussion will stem from the analysis of Stephens and Anderson’s (2001) seminal article. In their study with blue jays they document that foraging behavior typically implements short-sighted choice rules which are beneficial in the long run. Such long-term profitability of short-sighted behavior cannot be evidenced when using a self-control paradigm (one which contrasts in a binary way sooner smaller and later larger payoffs) but becomes apparent when ecological patch-paradigms (replicating economic situations in which the main trade-off consists in staying on a food patch or leaving for another patch) are implemented. We transfer this methodology in view of contrasting foraging strategies and self-control in human intertemporal choices.
Genetics of sow efficiency in the Finnish landrace and large white populations

The results showed that the sow efficiency traits are generally lowly heritable. The only exceptions are buck kneed on fore legs (conformation trait), age at first farrowing and gestation length, which are moderately heritable. The most substantial unfavorable correlation among sow efficiency traits exists between litter size and piglet mortality. In general, there was a tendency for sow efficiency traits to be favorably correlated with performance traits, and unfavorably with carcass lean and fat percentages, whereas there was no clear association between sow efficiency and meat quality.
Learning Inductive Rules Using Hellinger Measure

Systems for inducing classification rules from databases are valuable tools for assisting in the task of knowledge acquisition for expert systems. This paper presents an information theoretic approach for extracting knowledge from databases in the form of inductive rules using Hellinger measure, an entropy function which is utilized as a criteria for selecting rules generated from databases. In order to reduce the complexity of rule generation, the characteristics of Hellinger measure are analyzed and used to prune the search space of hypothesis. The system is implemented and tested on some well-known machine-learning databases.
Extension of the hierarchical model of anxiety and depression to the personality domain

Research on the empirical structure of distress (mood and anxiety) disorders has yielded many valuable insights. These efforts have culminated in the integrative hierarchical model (Mineka, Watson, & Clark, 1998), which specified general, specific, and unique components of distress disorders. However, some components have not yet been identified, and the model cannot account for temporal relations among the syndromes. Clark, Watson, and Mineka (1994) suggested that personality traits may help us fill these gaps. Accordingly, I proposed a hierarchical-vulnerability model of distress disorders, which posits that psychiatric syndromes are products of interactions between personality traits and environmental stressors. This model is patterned after the integrative hierarchical model, as it specifies various levels of generality among personalitypsychopathology links. The aim of this study was to develop the personality component of the model by identifying traits relevant to four target syndromes: major depression, panic disorder, social phobia, and OCD. Building on previous research, I hypothesized several trait contributors for each of the disorders. I administered an extensive personality battery and an interview measure of the target syndromes to two samples: 385 undergraduates and 188 psychiatric patients. First, I evaluated the associations among the personality measures. Next, I tested study hypotheses using correlational and multiple regression analyses. I also examined the robustness of results across samples. The results confirmed the central role of negative emotionality as the shared trait vulnerability. I also identified two specific trait contributors (linked to two disorders each), and seven unique contributors. Notably, all unique associations involved either depression or social anxiety. The model was able to explain roughly half of variance in these two syndromes but only approximately a quarter of the variance in panic and OCD.
Psychological predictors of fitness to drive

In the state of New South Wales, standardised assessment procedures for the reexamination of the competence to drive for individuals with cognitive impairment are not available. This study aims to validate a neuropsychological test battery used by Port Kembla Rehabilitation Team and the Illawarra Brain Injury Service. It is proposed that validation of this battery of neuropsychological tests can represent the first step toward standardisation. The first aim of this study was to examine the relationship between neuropsychological tests and driving outcome by comparing the results of the neuropsychological tests to two on-road driving outcomes. The second aim was to investigate the role of executive functions in predicting driving performance. The third aim was to explore the role of anxiety on driving behaviour. Specifically, the hypotheses were: (i) a relationship exists between the neuropsychological test battery and driving test outcome, and that the results of the battery can predict the total number of interventions and pass/fail measures of the onroad driving test; (ii) executive function tests will significantly predict of the total number of interventions and pass/fail measures of the on-road driving test; (iii) anxiety is the consequence rather than the cause of poor driving performance for individuals with cognitive impairment. One hundred and four individuals with cognitive impairment were administered 10 neuropsychological tests, and 35 were given anxiety measures before and after an on-road driving test. Correlation analyses showed a relationship between most of the neuropsychological tests and the driving outcome measures. Standard multiple regression
On the uptake, metabolism and retention of [h] gibberellin a(1) by barley aleurone layers at low temperatures.

Barley (c.v. Himalaya) aleurone layers were incubated in [(3)H]gibberellin A(1) (GA(1)) at low temperatures. At 3 and 4 C, (3)H-activity was steadily accumulated in aleurone layers, and this accumulation was correlated with significant [(3)H]GA(1) metabolism. At 1 and 1.5 C, metabolism could not be detected, and at these temperatures aleurone layers equilibrated with the [(3)H]GA(1) concentration in the incubation medium. At equilibrium, the total amount of (3)H-activity per unit volume in the aleurone layers was higher than in the incubation medium. Aleurone layers incubated at 0.5 C for 72 hours with [(3)H]GA(1) in the presence of saturating levels of carrier GA(1) consistently retained lower levels of (3)H-activity than when incubated in [(3)H]GA(1) alone. The retention of [(3)H]GA(1) was unaffected by saturating levels of carrier GA(8). GA(1) retained by barley aleurone layers that were incubated at 0.5 C for 72 hours was able to induce alpha-amylase synthesis when aleurone layers were subsequently washed and transferred to a gibberellin-free medium at 25 C.
Arterialized Venous Flap Coverage for Skin Defects of the Hand or Foot

This is a report on 15 patients whose skin defects of the hand or foot were covered using an arterialized venous flap, with only arterial blood flowing through the vein of the flap. Success appeared to be influenced by the donor site and size of the flap. When a small-size flap from the forearm was used, the success rate was almost 100 percent; however, there was a 50 percent failure rate when a large flap from the leg was used. This technique provides not only flap coverage for exposed bone and tendon, but also provides one-stage procedures for digits in need of revascularization and skin coverage.
The Gut Entomotype of Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) and Their Effect on Host Nutrition Metabolism

For invasive insects, the potential roles of gut microbiota in exploiting new food resources and spreading remain elusive. Red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, is an invasive destructive pest which feeds on nutrient-poor tender tissues and has caused extensive mortality of palm trees. The microbes associated with insects can improve their nutrition assimilation. However, experimental evidence on the interactions between RPW and its gut microbiota is still absent. The aim of this study is to determine the dynamics changes and the bacterial entomotype in the RPW gut and its potential physiological roles. Here, we confirmed RPW harbors a complex gut microbiota mainly constituted by bacteria in the families Enterobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Entomoplasmataceae, and Streptococcaceae. RPW gut microbiota exhibited a highly stable microbial community with low variance in abundance across different life stages and host plants. Furthermore, the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae was markedly increased but that of Acetobacteraceae was reduced significantly after administration of antibiotics. Although no significant effects were found on the body weight gain of RPW larvae, these alterations dramatically decreased the concentration of hemolymph protein and glucose while that of hemolymph triglyceride increased. In the gut of wild-caught RPW larvae, seven bacterial species in the genera Klebsiella, Serratia, Enterobacter, and Citrobacter were shown to have an ability to degrade cellulose. Together, RPW accommodate a stable gut microbiota which can degrade plant polysaccharides and confer their host optimal adaptation to its environment by modulating its metabolism.
First Passage Problems in Biology

Applications of stochastic models in biological settings are discussed and reviewed in the context of first passage problems. These applications arise across a wide range of length and time scales. Within models that are effectively Markovian, we review canonical examples of first passage problems spanning applications to molecular dissociation and selfassembly, molecular search, transcription and translation, cellular mutation and disease, and organismic evolution and population dynamics. After an initial technical overview, we survey representative applications and their corresponding models. Various approximation methods and the distinction between single particle and multiple particle exit times are discussed. Finally, potentially new applications and approaches are presented.
Comparison of the most common HRV computation algorithms from the systems designer point of view

In this paper we examine the most commonly used algorithms for the computation of heart rate variability as well as some other interesting approaches. The aim of the paper is to study the problem from a different point of view, that of the systems designer. The selected algorithms are compared to each other through experimental analysis and theoretical study. The comparison criteria are efficiency, complexity, size of the object code, memory requirements, power consumption, parallel complexity and speedup achieved, ability to response in real time, simplicity of the interface and implementation in hardware. The motivation is strong since heart rate variability is an interesting problem which finds application not only in conventional computing systems, but also in small, even wearable devices implemented using embedded systems technology or directly in hardware. The computation of heart rate variability for a set of signal recordings and the classification achieved for these signals with each examined method are also presented. Signals have been recorded from young and elderly subjects and the examined methods are used to classify them into these two distinct groups.
Nondestructive characterization of CMP pads using statistical design analysis

Chemical-mechanical planarization is a critical abrasive process in the production of semiconductor devices used for polishing the surface of wafers. The characterization of an IC wafer-polishing pad, in terms of its density, is crucial for planarization efficiency. Most of the currently available procedures for pad characterization are typically destructive in nature. This paper, however, demonstrates through statistical design of experiments the effectiveness of ultrasound technology to analyze the underlying pad structure in a nondestructive regime. Moreover, the impact that physical factors such as temperature and humidity could have on the structure and the ultrasonic characterization of the pad are studied. The results from a single factor and a multifactor analysis of the different sections of the pad are discussed.
Social Drivers of Aspirations Formation and Failure in Rural Nepal

The importance of aspirations for economic decision making has recently gained attention in the field of development economics. It’s been suggested that aspirations are formed from observing the status of one’s peers, and a failure of aspirations may result in a tendency to behave in a myopic and seemingly suboptimal manner. In this paper we provide the first known empirical test of the aspirations failure theory articulated in Appadurai (2004) and Ray (2006) using a unique dataset from rural Nepal. We ask two questions: (1) Does the current status of others in my aspirations window predict my own aspirations? (2) Is the aspirations gap correlated with future-oriented behavior? Our analysis suggests that the readily observable assets of one’s peers are quite important for one’s own wealth aspirations. However, the income of one’s peers, which is more readily hidden, is not important for one’s aspirational income. We also find evidence in support of Ray’s hypothesis that the aspirations gap is what ultimately drives future-oriented behavior, rather than aspirations or current standard of living.
Increased duodenal expression of divalent metal transporter 1 and iron‐regulated gene 1 in cirrhosis

Hepatic hemosiderosis and increased iron absorption are common findings in cirrhosis. It has been proposed that a positive relation exists between intestinal iron absorption and the development of hepatic hemosiderosis. The current study investigated the duodenal expression of the iron transport molecules divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1 [IRE]), iron‐regulated gene 1 (Ireg1 [ferroportin]), hephaestin, and duodenal cytochrome b (Dyctb) in 46 patients with cirrhosis and 20 control subjects. Total RNA samples were extracted from duodenal biopsy samples and the expression of the iron transport genes was assessed by ribonuclease protection assays. Expression of DMT1 and Ireg1 was increased 1.5 to 3‐fold in subjects with cirrhosis compared with iron‐replete control subjects. The presence of cirrhosis per se and serum ferritin (SF) concentration were independent factors that influenced the expression of DMT1. However, only SF concentration was independently associated with Ireg1 expression. In cirrhosis, the expression of DMT1 and Ireg1 was not related to the severity of liver disease or cirrhosis type. There was no correlation between the duodenal expression of DMT1 and Ireg1 and the degree of hepatic siderosis. In conclusion, the presence of cirrhosis is an independent factor associated with increased expression of DMT1 but not Ireg1. The mechanism by which cirrhosis mediates this change in DMT1 expression has yet to be determined. Increased expression of DMT1 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis‐associated hepatic iron overload. (HEPATOLOGY 2004;39:492–499.)
Perception of Filtered Speech by Children with Developmental Dyslexia and Children with Specific Language Impairments

Here we use two filtered speech tasks to investigate children’s processing of slow (<4 Hz) versus faster (∼33 Hz) temporal modulations in speech. We compare groups of children with either developmental dyslexia (Experiment 1) or speech and language impairments (SLIs, Experiment 2) to groups of typically-developing (TD) children age-matched to each disorder group. Ten nursery rhymes were filtered so that their modulation frequencies were either low-pass filtered (<4 Hz) or band-pass filtered (22 – 40 Hz). Recognition of the filtered nursery rhymes was tested in a picture recognition multiple choice paradigm. Children with dyslexia aged 10 years showed equivalent recognition overall to TD controls for both the low-pass and band-pass filtered stimuli, but showed significantly impaired acoustic learning during the experiment from low-pass filtered targets. Children with oral SLIs aged 9 years showed significantly poorer recognition of band pass filtered targets compared to their TD controls, and showed comparable acoustic learning effects to TD children during the experiment. The SLI samples were also divided into children with and without phonological difficulties. The children with both SLI and phonological difficulties were impaired in recognizing both kinds of filtered speech. These data are suggestive of impaired temporal sampling of the speech signal at different modulation rates by children with different kinds of developmental language disorder. Both SLI and dyslexic samples showed impaired discrimination of amplitude rise times. Implications of these findings for a temporal sampling framework for understanding developmental language disorders are discussed.
Cognitive Prototypes of the Mentor and Protégé Roles

Organizational mentoring is associated with positive events and experiences for proteges, mentors, and their organizations. Research on what makes those relationships successful – and potentially replicable with formal programs – has looked at the structure of the mentorship (e.g., formal vs. informal), the demographic make up of the mentoring dyad (e.g., race, gender), and attitudinal similarity between the mentor and protege. Generally, results have been mixed and it appears that these factors do not account for a great deal of mentorship success. Cognitive prototypes of the mentor and protege roles may be one as yet unexplored factor that might help us better understand successful mentorships. Since no research to date has been conducted in this area, the current study investigates the nature of those cognitive prototypes by identifying their content, examining the extent to which these prototypes may be gender-typed, and how prior mentoring experiences might be related to prototype gender-typing. Results suggest that strong performance and high potential are important aspects of the prototypical protege, and that elements of organizational power and interpersonal skills are important aspects of the prototypical mentor. There was no evidence of prototype gender-typing. Implications for research and practice also are discussed.
Link analysis for Web spam detection

We propose link-based techniques for automatic detection of Web spam, a term referring to pages which use deceptive techniques to obtain undeservedly high scores in search engines. The use of Web spam is widespread and difficult to solve, mostly due to the large size of the Web which means that, in practice, many algorithms are infeasible. We perform a statistical analysis of a large collection of Web pages. In particular, we compute statistics of the links in the vicinity of every Web page applying rank propagation and probabilistic counting over the entire Web graph in a scalable way. These statistical features are used to build Web spam classifiers which only consider the link structure of the Web, regardless of page contents. We then present a study of the performance of each of the classifiers alone, as well as their combined performance, by testing them over a large collection of Web link spam. After tenfold cross-validation, our best classifiers have a performance comparable to that of state-of-the-art spam classifiers that use content attributes, but are orthogonal to content-based methods.