Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maintaining a Cognitive Map in Darkness: The Need to Fuse Boundary Knowledge with Path Integration

Spatial navigation requires the processing of complex, disparate and often ambiguous sensory data. The neurocomputations underpinning this vital ability remain poorly understood. Controversy remains as to whether multimodal sensory information must be combined into a unified representation, consistent with Tolman's “cognitive map”, or whether differential activation of independent navigation modules suffice to explain observed navigation behaviour. Here we demonstrate that key neural correlates of spatial navigation in darkness cannot be explained if the path integration system acted independently of boundary (landmark) information. In vivo recordings demonstrate that the rodent head direction (HD) system becomes unstable within three minutes without vision. In contrast, rodents maintain stable place fields and grid fields for over half an hour without vision. Using a simple HD error model, we show analytically that idiothetic path integration (iPI) alone cannot be used to maintain any stable place representation beyond two to three minutes. We then use a measure of place stability based on information theoretic principles to prove that featureless boundaries alone cannot be used to improve localization above chance level. Having shown that neither iPI nor boundaries alone are sufficient, we then address the question of whether their combination is sufficient and – we conjecture – necessary to maintain place stability for prolonged periods without vision. We addressed this question in simulations and robot experiments using a navigation model comprising of a particle filter and boundary map. The model replicates published experimental results on place field and grid field stability without vision, and makes testable predictions including place field splitting and grid field rescaling if the true arena geometry differs from the acquired boundary map. We discuss our findings in light of current theories of animal navigation and neuronal computation, and elaborate on their implications and significance for the design, analysis and interpretation of experiments.
Age and gender dependent development of Theory of Mind in 6- to 8-years old children

The ability to attribute different mental states to distinct individuals, or Theory of Mind (ToM), is widely believed to be developed mostly during preschool years. How different factors such as gender, number of siblings, or coarse personality traits affect this development is not entirely agreed upon. Here, we introduce a computerized version of the scaled ToM suite of tasks introduced by Wellman and Liu (2004), which allows us to meaningfully test ToM development on children 6 to 8-years old. We find that kids this age are still not entirely proficient in all ToM tasks, and continue to show a progression of performance with age. By testing this new age range, too, we are able to observe a significant advantage of girls over boys in ToM performance. Other factors such as number of siblings, birth order, and coarse personality traits show no significant relation with the ToM task results. Finally, we introduce a novel way to quantify the scaling property of the suite involving a sequence of set inclusions on one hand and a comparison between specially tailored sets of logistic models on the other. These measures confirm the validity of the scale in the 6- to 8-years old range.
Cognitive, linguistic, and literacy development in young children learning English as an Additional Language

Extensive research with monolingual children has established the importance of early code-related skills, memory, and oral language for children’s future literacy attainment, but less is known about the development of these skills in children who learn English as an Additional Language (EAL) in school. As there has been a particular lack of longitudinal research with this population spanning development during preschool and into early education, the aim of this thesis was to examine the performance and development of EAL children on measures of phonological awareness, letter-sound knowledge, rapid automatized naming, verbal memory, and oral language during this time frame. Additionally, once EAL children reached school age, their skills on these measures were compared to those of their monolingual peers, and the role of these cognitive and linguistic abilities in explaining individual differences in literacy skills (reading accuracy, fluency, comprehension, and spelling) was compared across groups. EAL children from diverse linguistic backgrounds (N=96) were first recruited in Nursery (3;7 years), and were reassessed in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2. Monolingual children (N=53) from the same schools were recruited and assessed in Years 1 and 2. Comparisons to both norms and the monolingual groups suggested that although EAL children’s cognitive and linguistic skills in English were very limited during Nursery, these skills showed accelerated development during Nursery to Reception, and their code-related and memory skills were very similar to those of monolingual children by the time they reached Reception or Year 1. However, oral language remained an area of weakness for these children, even at the final testing point. Finally, there were group differences in the contributions of cognitive and linguistic predictors to explaining differences in literacy outcomes. The relevance of these findings for our understanding of bilingual literacy development and the practical implications of this work are discussed.
Computational modeling of hip replacement surgery: Total hip replacement vs. hip resurfacing

The motivation of the present work is the computational simulation of hip replacement surgery by means of a finite element approach based on open system thermodynamics. Its key feature is a non-constant material density, which is allowed to adapt with respect to changes in the mechanical loading environment. From a computational point of view, the density is treated as an internal variable. Its evolution is governed by a first order rate equation, the balance of mass, which is enhanced by an additional mass production term to account for growth. An implicit Euler backward scheme is suggested for its time discretization. The algorithmic determination of the material density based on a local Newton iteration is presented. To ensure quadratic convergence of the global Newton Raphson solution scheme, a consistent linearization of the discrete algorithmic equations is carried out. Finally, two alternative medical techniques in hip arthritis are compared, the conventional total hip replacement strategy and the more recent hip resurfacing technology. The result of the suggested remodeling algorithm is shown to agree remarkably well with clinically observed phenomena. 1 Motivation Artificial joint replacement is a common surgical procedure with a relatively high success rate. In total hip replacement, the damaged upper end of the femur is replaced by a metal or ceramic ball attached to a metal stem fitted into the femur. In addition, a plastic or ceramic socket is implanted into the pelvis replacing the damaged socket. A typical prosthesis stem (DePuy Orthopaedics) is shown in figure 1. Depending on the age and activity of the patient, the prosthesis can either be anchored into the surrounding bone by a plastic bone cement or a cementless press fit implantation can be applied. Total hip replacement gives reasonably good results in elderly inactive people, but the long-term results are less promising in active young people. After surgical implantation, the muscle and joint loads are carried almost entirely by the stiff prothesis stem, while the remaining part of the femur exhibits stress shielding. As a result, the patient typically suffers from long-term changes in bone architecture. These include increased bone formation in some regions, while other regions are characterized through bone resorption. Severe bone loss may cause painful loosening of the implant and ten to fifteen years post-operatively, a revision might become unavoidable.
Pulling preK1 into a K-12 orbit: the evolution of preK in the age of standards

Abstract We might call this decade the era of early childhood. In the US, federal and state governments invest in the creation of public pre-kindergarten (preK) programs and create standards that articulate goals for practice and benchmarks that can be used to evaluate success. How have these trends provided a context for the evolution of preK curriculum? In this paper, we analyze the enactment of preK policy in New Jersey, a highly regulated preK program and Wisconsin, a local control state. We argue that standards-based practice is evolving into accountability in public preK programs, where outcomes set parameters for planning and teachers and children are increasingly regulated. As preK is more closely affiliated with the K-12 sector (elementary and secondary), preK programs are subject to the logic of alignment, benchmarks and assessments. Even when early learning standards support child-centered approaches to curriculum they are overruled by accountability discourse.
More Fraïssé Limits of Nilpotent Groups of Finite Exponent

The class of nilpotent groups of class c and prime exponent p > c with additional predicates Pc ⊆ Pc−1 ⊆ … ⊆P1 for suitable subgroups has the amalgamation property. Hence the Fraïssé limit D of the finite groups of this class exists. 〈1〉 ⊆ Pc(D) ⊆ … ⊆ P2(D) ⊆ P1(D) = D is the lower and the upper central series of D. In this extended language, D is ultrahomogeneous. The elementary theory of D allows the elimination of quantifiers and it is ℵ0‐categorical. For c = 2 this was proved by Baudisch in Bull. London Math. Soc. 33 (2001) 513–519. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification 03C60, 03C98.
Catechol O-methyltransferase val158-met genotype and individual variation in the brain response to amphetamine

Monamines subserve many critical roles in the brain, and monoaminergic drugs such as amphetamine have a long history in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and also as a substance of abuse. The clinical effects of amphetamine are quite variable, from positive effects on mood and cognition in some individuals, to negative responses in others, perhaps related to individual variations in monaminergic function and monoamine system genes. We explored the effect of a functional polymorphism (val158-met) in the catechol O-methyltransferase gene, which has been shown to modulate prefrontal dopamine in animals and prefrontal cortical function in humans, on the modulatory actions of amphetamine on the prefrontal cortex. Amphetamine enhanced the efficiency of prefrontal cortex function assayed with functional MRI during a working memory task in subjects with the high enzyme activity val/val genotype, who presumably have relatively less prefrontal synaptic dopamine, at all levels of task difficulty. In contrast, in subjects with the low activity met/met genotype who tend to have superior baseline prefrontal function, the drug had no effect on cortical efficiency at low-to-moderate working memory load and caused deterioration at high working memory load. These data illustrate an application of functional neuroimaging in pharmacogenomics and extend basic evidence of an inverted-“U” functional-response curve to increasing dopamine signaling in the prefrontal cortex. Further, individuals with the met/met catechol O-methyltransferase genotype appear to be at increased risk for an adverse response to amphetamine.
The relationship between theory of mind and generosity with home-based social involvement

The Theory of Mind is a complex construct that scholars have tried to explain in various researches. Even more complex is the relationship between having a Theory of Mind (the ability to read and understand people’s intentions) and sharing behavior. This research found that children who can read and understand other people’s intentions share less than children who do not, which implies that moral cognition is partially explained by a social intelligence component. This outcome clarifies differences in findings in previous researches and extends existing research by introducing home-based influences into the model.
Financial Variables and the Conduct of Monetary Policy

This paper analyses the role of financial variables in the conduct of monetary policy. In the baseline model for the analysis of interest rules, the inflation rate depends on the output gap, which is solely determined by its own lags and the lagged short-term real interest rate. However, from a theoretical point of view there are several other financial variables which may affect aggregate demand, and should therefore be taken into account in the estimation of an output gap equation. In order to assess the importance of financial variables such as asset prices and monetary aggregates for aggregate demand, we estimate a small structural model for 17 developed countries using quarterly data spanning 1973 - 1998. The results indicate that the effect of other financial variables, especially property and share prices, on the output gap is highly significant. It appears that in almost all of the countries in our data set it is necessary to control for the effect of other financial variables on the output gap in order to find a significant effect for monetary policy.
Biofilm Formation by Bacillus cereus Is Influenced by PlcR, a Pleiotropic Regulator

ABSTRACT The ΔplcR mutant of Bacillus cereus strain ATCC 14579 developed significantly more biofilm than the wild type and produced increased amounts of biosurfactant. Biosurfactant production is required for biofilm formation and may be directly or indirectly repressed by PlcR, a pleiotropic regulator. Coating polystyrene plates with surfactin, a biosurfactant from Bacillus subtilis, rescued the deficiency in biofilm formation by the wild type.
Converging Reform “Theories” in Urban Middle Schools: District-Guided Instructional Improvement in Small Schools of Choice

Purpose This paper explores an instructive case in which two potentially opposed reform theories converge on schools, in order to understand how productively or unproductively the two theories coexist. We attempt to answer the following questions: Can these two reform theories coexist, or do they get in each other's way? In what ways, if any, do the two complement each other? Separately, or together, how do they affect instructional practice and the school-level conditions that support teaching and learning? Finally, can policies and leadership, in this case reflecting two such different reform theories, provide mutually supporting conditions for teaching and learning in urban schools? Setting The theories are analyzed as they occurred over the 1990s and into this century in three middle schools in one New York City Community School District. Research Design The study utilized a qualitative multiple case study design. Three middle schools within one district were sampled using criteria related to student population, school structure, and configuration of resources such as time and staff. Data were collected over three years during three site visits per year and included extensive interviews, observations, and analysis of pertinent documents. Conclusions/Recommendations We argue that the reform theories primarily complemented one another in this case. In the schools, differences in steps taken by school leaders and staff to realize the first reform theory enabled schools to respond productively to, rather than resist, district initiatives based on the second theory. The sophistication of the district's vision for teaching and learning (both for students and adults), combined with a flexible approach to implementing the second reform theory, reduced the likelihood of conflicting reform messages.
Prediction of protein solvent accessibility using fuzzy k-nearest neighbor method

MOTIVATION The solvent accessibility of amino acid residues plays an important role in tertiary structure prediction, especially in the absence of significant sequence similarity of a query protein to those with known structures. The prediction of solvent accessibility is less accurate than secondary structure prediction in spite of improvements in recent researches. The k-nearest neighbor method, a simple but powerful classification algorithm, has never been applied to the prediction of solvent accessibility, although it has been used frequently for the classification of biological and medical data. RESULTS We applied the fuzzy k-nearest neighbor method to the solvent accessibility prediction, using PSI-BLAST profiles as feature vectors, and achieved high prediction accuracies. With leave-one-out cross-validation on the ASTRAL SCOP reference dataset constructed by sequence clustering, our method achieved 64.1% accuracy for a 3-state (buried/intermediate/exposed) prediction (thresholds of 9% for buried/intermediate and 36% for intermediate/exposed) and 86.7, 82.0, 79.0 and 78.5% accuracies for 2-state (buried/exposed) predictions (thresholds of each 0, 5, 16 and 25% for buried/exposed), respectively. Our method also showed slightly better accuracies than other methods by about 2-5% on the RS126 dataset and a benchmarking dataset with 229 proteins. AVAILABILITY Program and datasets are available at http://biocom1.ssu.ac.kr/FKNNacc/ CONTACT jul@ssu.ac.kr.
A systematic review of pneumatic compression for treatment of chronic venous insufficiency and venous ulcers.

INTRODUCTION As part of a reconsideration of coverage policy, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requested a systematic review of the evidence on the use of pneumatic compression devices in the home environment for treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and venous ulcers. METHODS Articles were found with a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine) databases, hand searches of reference lists, and suggestions of experts. RESULTS Eight trials that met the inclusion criteria, including several randomized control trials, were found. Most studies were small and may have been underpowered. However, several were well-designed randomized controlled trials. Three studies showed that the devices could alleviate symptoms of CVI. No studies directly measured whether the devices could prevent the occurrence of venous ulcers. Some studies on the treatment of venous ulcers did not show a benefit for pneumatic compression, but other studies showed a benefit for the devices in healing long-standing chronic ulcers that had not healed with other methods. No studies directly compared single-chamber and multiple-chamber devices or studied whether the effectiveness of the pump was dependent on types of treatment used concurrently with the pump. Few adverse events were reported in the trials. Patients generally expressed satisfaction with the pneumatic compression devices, and several studies reported higher compliance than with other compression methods. CONCLUSION The available data cannot be relied on to inform the optimal choice of compression therapy or optimal protocol for patients with CVI or venous ulcers. Methodologically rigorous research designed to answer these questions would be useful for treatment decisions. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services considered the results of this study and issued a decision that pneumatic compression will only be covered for patients with refractory edema with significant ulceration of the lower extremities after a 6-month trial of standard therapies, such as compression stockings, has failed.
Potential Antifungal Targets against a Candida Biofilm Based on an Enzyme in the Arachidonic Acid Cascade—A Review

Candida is an important opportunistic fungal pathogen, especially in biofilm associated infections. The formation of a Candida biofilm can decrease Candida sensitivity to antifungal drugs and cause drug resistance. Although many effective antifungal drugs are available, their applications are limited due to their high toxicity and cost. Seeking new antifungal agents that are effective against biofilm-associated infection is an urgent need. Many research efforts are underway, and some progress has been made in this field. It has been shown that the arachidonic acid cascade plays an important role in fungal morphogenesis and pathogenicity. Notably, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can promote the formation of a Candida biofilm. Recently, the inhibition of PGE2 has received much attention. Studies have shown that cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and indomethacin, combined with fluconazole can significantly reduce Candida adhesion and biofilm development and increase fluconazole susceptibility; the MIC of fluconazole can be decrease from 64 to 2 μg/ml when used in combination with ibuprofen. In addition, in vivo studies have also confirmed the antifungal activities of these inhibitors. In this article, we mainly review the relationship between PGE2 and Candida biofilm, summarize the antifungal activities of COX inhibitors and analyze the possible antifungal activity of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (MPGES-1) inhibitors; additionally, other factors that influence PGE2 production are also discussed. Hopefully this review can disclose potential antifungal targets based on the arachidonic acid cascade and provide a prevailing strategy to alleviate Candida albicans biofilm formation.
Auditory processing disorder and auditory/language interventions: an evidence-based systematic review.

PURPOSE In this systematic review, the peer-reviewed literature on the efficacy of interventions for school-age children with auditory processing disorder (APD) is critically evaluated. METHOD Searches of 28 electronic databases yielded 25 studies for analysis. These studies were categorized by research phase (e.g., exploratory, efficacy) and ranked on a standard set of quality features related to methodology and reporting. RESULTS Some support exists for the claim that auditory and language interventions can improve auditory functioning in children with APD and those with primary spoken language disorder. There is little indication, however, that observed improvements are due to the auditory features of these programs. Similarly, evidence supporting the effects of these programs on spoken and written language functioning is limited. CONCLUSION The evidence base is too small and weak to provide clear guidance to speech-language pathologists faced with treating children with diagnosed APD, but some cautious skepticism is warranted until the record of evidence is more complete. Clinicians who decide to use auditory interventions should be aware of the limitations in the evidence and take special care to monitor the spoken and written language status of their young clients.
The Preprojective Algebra of a Quiver

The preprojective algebra P k (Q) of a quiver Q plays an important role in mathematics. We are going to present some descriptions of these algebras and their module categories which seem to be well-accepted by the experts, but for which we were unable to nd complete proofs in the literature. In particular, we determine the bre of the forgetful functor from the category of P k (Q)-modules to the category of kQ-modules in terms of the orbit algebra of a kQ-module with respect to the Auslander-Reiten translation. The aim of the present paper is to outline in which way the representation theory of kQ can be used in order to deal with varieties studied by Lusztig.