Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Quest for Visual Interest

In this paper, we report on identifying the underlying factors that contribute to the visual interest in digital photos. A set of 1005 digital photos covering different topics and of different qualities was collected from Flickr. Images were annotated by a pool of diverse participants on a crowdsourcing platform. 12 bipolar ratings were collected for each photo on 7-point semantic differential scale, including dimensions related to interest, emotions and image quality. Every image received 20 annotations from unique participants. The most important appraisals and visual attributes for visual interest in photos was identified. We found that intrinsic pleasantness, arousal, visual quality and coping potential are the most important factors contributing to visual interest in digital photos. We developed a system that automatically detects the important visual attributes from low level visual features and demonstrated their significance in predicting interest at individual level.
Disaggregating Terrorist Offenders: Implications for Research and Practice

Far-right-inspired violence in the United States is on the rise (Perliger, 2013), and there is a growing realization within policy circles of the increasing threat from so-called "lone wolf" terrorists of different ideological hues (Simon, 2013). A more in-depth understanding of individual offenders and their behaviors (both antecedent and offense-commission) is therefore of great importance not only to the academic literature but also for practitioners tasked with countering the problem. The need for such research is also driven by the fact that a preponderance of studies have focused on violent Islamist organizations for more than a decade. Given the nature of the threat presented by al-Qaeda, this is understandable, but a side effect is that our understanding of the nature of far-right-inspired homicide lags behind our understanding of the behaviors associated with analogous movements. Recognizing these features of the existing literature and the current security environment, Gruenewald, Chermak, and Freilich (2013, this issue) provide an empirical assessment of the behavioral underpinnings of far-right-inspired homicide offenders and compare group-based offenders with lone offenders. Gruenewald et al. (2013) test 23 hypotheses, each of which is derived from a careful examination of the existing literature. Using inferential statistics, they find several significant differences between lone and group offenders. For example, the bivariate analysis suggests that compared with group offenders, far-right lone offenders are statistically more likely to be unmarried, have experience of the military, live alone, use firearms, select government targets, kill more people, and die in the commission of their offense. The multivariate analysis also suggests that age and mental illness also significantly distinguish lone offenders from group offenders (e.g., lone offenders are typically older and more likely to have a history of mental illness). For the remainder of this essay, we consider the salient issues in the available relevant literature in relation to Gruenewald et al.'s (2013) study by identifying and discussing specific and actionable next policy and research steps, as well as this study's potential impact on the current state of knowledge. Language: en
Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and Neonatal Behavior: A Large-Scale Community Study

OBJECTIVE. To investigate the influence of prospectively measured smoking during pregnancy on aspects of neonatal behavior in a large community sample. METHODS. Participants were mothers and infants from the Providence, Rhode Island, cohort of the National Collaborative Perinatal Project enrolled between 1960 and 1966. Mothers with pregnancy/medical complications and infants with medical complications and/or born premature or of low birth weight were excluded. The final sample included 962 mother-infant pairs, 23% of whom were black. Maternal smoking was measured prospectively at each prenatal visit. Neonatal behavior was assessed by using the Graham-Rosenblith Behavioral Examination of the Neonate. Items from the examination were reduced to 3 subscales: irritability, muscle tone, and response to respiratory challenge. RESULTS. Sixty-two percent of the sample reported smoking during pregnancy, with 24% of smokers reporting smoking 1 pack per day or more. We found a significant influence of maternal smoking exposure (none, moderate/less than 1 pack per day, heavy/1 pack per day or more) on irritability and muscle tone in the neonate, with exposed infants showing greater irritability and hypertonicity. Effects remained significant after controlling for significant covariates: maternal socioeconomic status, age, and race and infant birth weight and age. Posthoc tests suggested particular effects of heavy smoking on increased infant irritability and both moderate and heavy smoking exposure on increased muscle tone. CONCLUSIONS. In a large community sample, exposure to maternal smoking was associated with increased irritability and hypertonicity in neonates. Exposure to maternal smoking did not influence neonatal response to respiratory challenge. This study is the largest-scale investigation to date of the effects of maternal smoking (heavy and moderate) on examiner-assessed neonatal behavior. Given the associations between both maternal smoking and infant irritability and later behavioral dysregulation, results have important implications for early identification and intervention with at-risk offspring.
Molecular Cloning of Allene Oxide Cyclase

Allene oxide cyclase (EC 5.3.99.6) catalyzes the stereospecific cyclization of an unstable allene oxide to (9S,13S)-12-oxo-(10,15Z)-phytodienoic acid, the ultimate precursor of jasmonic acid. This dimeric enzyme has previously been purified, and two almost identical N-terminal peptides were found, suggesting allene oxide cyclase to be a homodimeric protein. Furthermore, the native protein was N-terminally processed. Using degenerate primers, a polymerase chain reaction fragment could be generated from tomato, which was further used to isolate a full-length cDNA clone of 1 kilobase pair coding for a protein of 245 amino acids with a molecular mass of 26 kDa. Whereas expression of the whole coding region failed to detect allene oxide cyclase activity, a 5′-truncated protein showed high activity, suggesting that additional amino acids impair the enzymatic function. Steric analysis of the 12-oxophytodienoic acid formed by the recombinant enzyme revealed exclusive (>99%) formation of the 9S,13Senantiomer. Exclusive formation of this enantiomer was also found in wounded tomato leaves. Southern analysis and genetic mapping revealed the existence of a single gene for allene oxide cyclase located on chromosome 2 of tomato. Inspection of the N terminus revealed the presence of a chloroplastic transit peptide, and the location of allene oxide cyclase protein in that compartment could be shown by immunohistochemical methods. Concomitant with the jasmonate levels, the accumulation of allene oxide cyclase mRNA was transiently induced after wounding of tomato leaves.
Effect of Vertically Propagating Shear Waves on Seismic Behavior of Circular Tunnels

Seismic design loads for tunnels are characterized in terms of the deformations imposed on the structure by surrounding ground. The free-field ground deformations due to a seismic event are estimated, and the tunnel is designed to accommodate these deformations. Vertically propagating shear waves are the predominant form of earthquake loading that causes the ovaling deformations of circular tunnels to develop, resulting in a distortion of the cross sectional shape of the tunnel lining. In this paper, seismic behavior of circular tunnels has been investigated due to propagation of shear waves in the vertical direction using quasi-static analytical approaches as well as numerical methods. Analytical approaches are based on the closed-form solutions which compute the forces in the lining due to equivalent static ovaling deformations, while the numerical method carries out dynamic, nonlinear soil-structure interaction analysis. Based on comparisons made, the accuracy and reliability of the analytical solutions are evaluated and discussed. The results show that the axial forces determined using the analytical approaches are in acceptable agreement with numerical analysis results, while the computed bending moments are less comparable and show significant discrepancies. The differences between the analytical approaches are also investigated and addressed.
SATISFACTION WITH A MERGER, ITS IMPACT ON ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND TURNOVER INTENTIONS: CANADIAN EVIDENCE

SATISFACTION WITH A MERGER, ITS IMPACT ON ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND TURNOVER INTENTIONS: CANADIAN EVIDENCE This study was conducted to examine the impact employee post-merger satisfaction has on employee organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Employees of a Canadian financial institution (N=73) completed surveys approximately seven months after a merger between two comparably sized banks. Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach to structural equation modeling (SEM) (e.g., Wold, 1982) provided evidence for the relationship between satisfaction with a merger and the affective and normative components of organizational commitment. Support was also found for the hypotheses that proposed that affective and normative commitments are negatively correlated with turnover intentions. The implications of these relationships are offered. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are also included.
A new sphenodontian (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia) from the Late Triassic of Argentina and the early origin of the herbivore opisthodontians

Sphenodontians were a successful group of rhynchocephalian reptiles that dominated the fossil record of Lepidosauria during the Triassic and Jurassic. Although evidence of extinction is seen at the end of the Laurasian Early Cretaceous, they appeared to remain numerically abundant in South America until the end of the period. Most of the known Late Cretaceous record in South America is composed of opisthodontians, the herbivorous branch of Sphenodontia, whose oldest members were until recently reported to be from the Kimmeridgian–Tithonian (Late Jurassic). Here, we report a new sphenodontian, Sphenotitan leyesi gen. et sp. nov., collected from the Upper Triassic Quebrada del Barro Formation of northwestern Argentina. Phylogenetic analysis identifies Sphenotitan as a basal member of Opisthodontia, extending the known record of opisthodontians and the origin of herbivory in this group by 50 Myr.
Mitochondrial Mutations in Subjects with Psychiatric Disorders

A considerable body of evidence supports the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in psychiatric disorders and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are known to alter brain energy metabolism, neurotransmission, and cause neurodegenerative disorders. Genetic studies focusing on common nuclear genome variants associated with these disorders have produced genome wide significant results but those studies have not directly studied mtDNA variants. The purpose of this study is to investigate, using next generation sequencing, the involvement of mtDNA variation in bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and methamphetamine use. MtDNA extracted from multiple brain regions and blood were sequenced (121 mtDNA samples with an average of 8,800x coverage) and compared to an electronic database containing 26,850 mtDNA genomes. We confirmed novel and rare variants, and confirmed next generation sequencing error hotspots by traditional sequencing and genotyping methods. We observed a significant increase of non-synonymous mutations found in individuals with schizophrenia. Novel and rare non-synonymous mutations were found in psychiatric cases in mtDNA genes: ND6, ATP6, CYTB, and ND2. We also observed mtDNA heteroplasmy in brain at a locus previously associated with schizophrenia (T16519C). Large differences in heteroplasmy levels across brain regions within subjects suggest that somatic mutations accumulate differentially in brain regions. Finally, multiplasmy, a heteroplasmic measure of repeat length, was observed in brain from selective cases at a higher frequency than controls. These results offer support for increased rates of mtDNA substitutions in schizophrenia shown in our prior results. The variable levels of heteroplasmic/multiplasmic somatic mutations that occur in brain may be indicators of genetic instability in mtDNA.
Impaired Velocity Processing Reveals an Agnosia for Motion in Depth

Many individuals with normal visual acuity are unable to discriminate the direction of 3-D motion in a portion of their visual field, a deficit previously referred to as a stereomotion scotoma. The origin of this visual deficit has remained unclear. We hypothesized that the impairment is due to a failure in the processing of one of the two binocular cues to motion in depth: changes in binocular disparity over time or interocular velocity differences. We isolated the contributions of these two cues and found that sensitivity to interocular velocity differences, but not changes in binocular disparity, varied systematically with observers’ ability to judge motion direction. We therefore conclude that the inability to interpret motion in depth is due to a failure in the neural mechanisms that combine velocity signals from the two eyes. Given these results, we argue that the deficit should be considered a prevalent but previously unrecognized agnosia specific to the perception of visual motion.
The decision problem: Solvable classes of quantificational formulas

Solvable Classes of Quantificational Formulas Burton Dreben and Warren D. Goldfarb, Harvard Univ. Skolem and Herbrand addressed the decision problem by associating with each quantificational formula a set, usually infinite, of quantifier-free formulas. In this book, the authors build on that insight to illuminate the mathematical structures underlying solvability, and provide for the first time a unified treatment of the positive results of the decision problem for quantification theory. The results of this book, together with those of Lewis's Unsolvable Classes of Quantificational Formulas, delimit the boundary between solvable and unsolvable.
Dopamine Uptake Inhibitor-Induced Rotation in 6-Hydroxydopamine-Lesioned Rats Involves Both D1 and D2 Receptors but Is Modulated through 5-Hydroxytryptamine and Noradrenaline Receptors

Dopamine uptake inhibitors may provide a means of sustaining endogenous and exogenous striatal dopamine levels in Parkinson's disease, but most are not selective and also inhibit the noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporters. To determine the involvement of the individual monoamine transporters in the production of motor activity, the effect of the nonselective monoamine uptake inhibitor BTS 74 398 1-([1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)cyclobutyl]-2-(3-diaminethylaminopropylthio) ethanone monocitrate) and the selective dopamine, GBR 12909 [1-(2-(bis-(4-fluorphenyl)-methyl)ethyl)-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine) dihydrochloride], noradrenaline (nisoxetine), and 5-HT (fluvoxamine) reuptake inhibitors on circling in the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat was investigated. GBR 12909 induced ipsilateral circling, but fluvoxamine and nisoxetine were without effect. However, when administered with GBR 12909, fluvoxamine enhanced rotation, whereas nisoxetine had no effect. The results suggest that 5-HT, but not noradrenaline, reuptake inhibition facilitates dopamine-mediated motor activity. To test this hypothesis, BTS 74 398 was administered in combination with selective dopamine, 5-HT, and noradrenaline receptor antagonists. Both D1 and D2 receptor antagonists, SCH 23390 [R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine] and raclopride, inhibited BTS 74 398-induced circling. In contrast, the 5-HT1A 5-HT1A/B antagonists, WAY 100635 (N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-2-pyridinyl-cyclohexane-carboxamide maleate) and pindolol, and the 5-HT2A antagonist, ketanserin, had no effect. The nonspecific 5-HT½ antagonists, methysergide and metergoline, and the specific 5-HT2C antagonist, N-desmethylclozapine, enhanced BTS 74 398-induced circling, as did the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan. Overall, the data suggest that inhibition of the 5-HT and noradrenaline transporters modulate dopamine uptake inhibitor-mediated motor activity. However, the mechanism of this interaction is complex, involving opposing effects of noradrenaline and 5-HT agonism and antagonism.
Emergence of naturally occurring melatonin isomers and their proposed nomenclature

Abstract: Melatonin was considered to be the sole member of this natural family. The emergence of naturally occurring melatonin isomers (MIs) has opened an exciting new research area. Currently, several MIs have been identified in wine, and these molecules are believed to be synthesized by either yeasts or bacteria. A tentative nomenclature for the MIs is proposed in this article. It will be important to explore whether all organisms have the capacity to synthesize MIs, especially under the conditions of environmental stress. These isomers probably share many of the biological functions of melatonin, but their activities seem to exceed those of melatonin. On basis of the limited available information, it seems that MIs differ in their biosynthetic pathways from melatonin. Especially in those compounds in which the aliphatic side chain is not attached to ring atom 3, the starting material may not be tryptophan. Also, the metabolic pathways of MIs remain unknown. This, therefore, is another promising area of research to explore. It is our hypothesis that MIs would increase the performance of yeasts and probiotic bacteria during the processes of fermentation. Therefore, yeasts producing elevated levels of these isomers might have a superior alcohol tolerance and be able to produce higher levels of alcohol. This can be tested by comparing existing yeast strains differing in alcohol tolerance. Selection for MIs may become a strategy for isolating more resistant yeast and Lactobacillus strains, which can be of interest for industrial alcohol production and quality improvements in bacterially fermented foods such as kimchi.
Carcass Composition and Cuts of Bulls and Steers Fed with Three Concentrate Levels in the Diets

In this paper, weight, carcass dressing, weights of the primary cuts, weights of the physical components of the primary cuts, and weights of the main commercial cuts of 66 Purunã animals, of which 33 were bulls and 33 were steers were evaluated. These animals, with an average age of 19 months at the beginning of the experiment, were finished in a feedlot system during 116 days, and were fed with diets containing three levels of concentrate (0.8%, 1.1%, and 1.4% of body weight). The concentrate was formulated with 25% soybean meal, 73% ground corn grain, 1% of a mineral mix, and 1% of limestone. The interaction between sexual groups and the concentrate level was not significant for any of the variables. Likewise, no effect of the concentrate level was detected on the same variable traits. The bulls demonstrated higher hot carcass weights (265.1 vs 221.7 kg) and a higher proportion of forequarter (38.4% vs 36.1%) however the steers presented with higher proportions of side (19.7% vs 18.5%) and hindquarter (44.2% vs 43.1%). The bulls produced higher yields of muscle in the three primary cuts, there by resulting in higher yields of edible portions of the carcass. The bulls also produced higher weights of tenderloin, knuckle, topside, flat, eye round, rump, and rump cover. The finishing of young bulls in feedlot is to be recommended, since the animals produce carcasses with higher amounts of edible meat and higher yields of commercial cuts, thus allowing for a better price for the carcass. Low concentrate level could be used due to the lower cost of production for farmers.
Factors Related to Prostaglandin‐Associated Periorbitopathy in Glaucoma Patients

Purpose: To determine factors related to prostaglandin‐associated periorbitopathy (PAP) and its prevalence in glaucoma or ocular hypertension (OHT) patients using prostaglandins analogs (PGAs). Design: A cross‐sectional study. Methods: A study of glaucoma or OHT patients, using topical PGAs for at least 3 months, was performed. Eyes treated with PGAs were photographed and independently evaluated for PAP by 2 glaucoma specialists using at least 4 out of 7 clinical appearances. The factors of interest were sex, age, body mass index (BMI), types of glaucoma, types of PGAs, duration of PGA use, and concurrent 0.5% timolol. Univariate (&khgr;2 test) and multivariate (multiple logistic regression) analyses assessing risk factors for PAP were performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: One hundred thirty‐four eyes from 134 patients were included. Seventy (52.2%), 21 (15.7%), and 43 (32%) eyes received components of latanoprost, travoprost, and bimatoprost, respectively. Prevalence of PAP was 44.8% (95% CI, 36.3 to 53.3). Older age > 60 years (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.2 to 7.8), bimatoprost (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.6 to 9.5), travoprost (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 10.1), and timolol (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3 to 6.8) were at risk of PAP development. In addition, BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2 (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.7) was reversely associated with PAP. Conclusions: Older age, bimatoprost, or travoprost were associated with PAP, whereas high BMI was found as a protective factor. Interestingly, timolol possibly precipitated periorbital change when in use with prostaglandins.
A Deep Learning Approach for Joint Video Frame and Reward Prediction in Atari Games

Reinforcement learning is concerned with identifying reward-maximizing behaviour policies in environments that are initially unknown. State-of-the-art reinforcement learning approaches, such as deep Q-networks, are model-free and learn to act effectively across a wide range of environments such as Atari games, but require huge amounts of data. Model-based techniques are more data-efficient, but need to acquire explicit knowledge about the environment. In this paper, we take a step towards using model-based techniques in environments with a high-dimensional visual state space by demonstrating that it is possible to learn system dynamics and the reward structure jointly. Our contribution is to extend a recently developed deep neural network for video frame prediction in Atari games to enable reward prediction as well. To this end, we phrase a joint optimization problem for minimizing both video frame and reward reconstruction loss, and adapt network parameters accordingly. Empirical evaluations on five Atari games demonstrate accurate cumulative reward prediction of up to 200 frames. We consider these results as opening up important directions for model-based reinforcement learning in complex, initially unknown environments.
Identification of Pathotypes and Physiological Races in Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Labr., The Agent of Ascochyta Blight in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) in Algeria

Pathogenic determination of sixteen Ascochyta rabiei isolates obtained from 7 different provinces of western north of Algeria. The pathotypes and physiological races were determinated using 7 differential chickpea lines (ILC1929, F8, ICC1903, ILC 247, ILC 249, ILC 482, ILC 3279 and ICC 3996). All isolates were classified into 3 pathotypes and 6 physiological races according to their aggressiveness and virulence, respectively. We found only 1 isolate (6.25%) from pathotype I (least aggressive), 12 isolates (75%) from pathotype II (moderate aggressive) and 3 isolates (18.75%) from pathotype III (highly aggressive). Just 4 races of A. rabiei were determinated in this region (races 1, 4, 5 and 6). Races 1 and 2 were established in pathotype I, race 4 was represented by the pathotype II and pathotype III included the two races 5 and 6, which were virulent isolates.