Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Complete Skeleton of a Late Triassic Saurischian and the Early Evolution of Dinosaurs

Early Dinosaur Discovery Our understanding of the evolution of early dinosaurs is hampered by limited material, especially compared to the many Jurassic and Cretaceous samples. Nesbitt et al. (p. 1530) provide a complete view of a Late Triassic theropod based on several nearly complete skeletons from New Mexico. The dinosaur elucidates the likely relationships between early theropods and shows that some prominent features were already derived by this time. Comparison among Triassic dinosaur fauna and other early species suggests that Triassic North American fauna were diverse but not endemic, perhaps arising from earlier migrants from South America. A complete theropod from New Mexico implies that early dinosaurs dispersed widely, perhaps originating from South America. Characterizing the evolutionary history of early dinosaurs is central to understanding their rise and diversification in the Late Triassic. However, fossils from basal lineages are rare. A new theropod dinosaur from New Mexico is a representative of the early North American diversification. Known from several nearly complete skeletons, it reveals a mosaic of plesiomorphic and derived features that clarify early saurischian dinosaur evolution and provide evidence for the antiquity of novel avian character systems including skeletal pneumaticity. The taxon further reveals latitudinal differences among saurischian assemblages during the Late Triassic, demonstrates that the theropod fauna from the Late Triassic of North America was not endemic, and suggests that intercontinental dispersal was prevalent during this time.
A Multi-technology Approach to Identifying the Reasons for Lateral Drift in Professional and Recreational Darts

This work performs an extensive charterisation of precision targeted throwing in professional and recreational darts. The goal is to identify the contributing factors for lateral drift or throwing inaccuracy in the horizontal plane. A multi technology approach is adopted whereby a custom built body area network of wireless inertial measurement devices monitor tilt, force and timing, an optical 3D motion capture system provides a complete kinematic model of the subject, electromyography sensors monitor muscle activation patterns and a force plate and pressure mat capture tactile pressure and force measurements. The study introduces the concept of constant throwing rhythm and highlights how landing errors in the horizontal plane can be attributable to a number of variations in arm force and speed, centre of gravity and the movements of some of the bodies non throw related extremities.
Higher Education: The Online Teaching and Learning Experience

Globally, higher education, as well as K-12, utilizes online teaching to ensure that a wide array of learning opportunities are available for students in a highly competitive technological arena. The most significant influence in education in recent years is the increase and recognition of private for-profit adult distance and online education programs as legitimate institutions for quality learning. Online learning focuses on a wide range of technological based learning platforms, delivery methods, and the integration of educational technology components into the learning environment. The emergence of modern technology has allowed students at all levels, young and mature, the opportunity to participate in advancing their education in an environment that is diversified, rich in best practices, yet progressive enough to allow students to proceed in a self-paced manner. This article will address online education, its strengths, limitations, online teaching tools, professional development, best practices, and an evaluation of a personal online experience.
Total energy minimization through dynamic station-user connection in macro-relay network

In this paper, we investigate the energy efficiency problem in macro-relay network. Considering users with different locations and rate requirements, our objective is to serve all users with strict rate guarantee and meanwhile minimize the total energy consumption of the network. First, we formulate an integer optimization problem with the variables as stationuser connections. Then we analyze the complexity of the optimal brute-force search (BFS) method and propose a practical algorithm, i.e., serving station selection for energy minimization (SSSEM). The proposed SSSEM algorithm dynamically alters user's serving station according to both the radio frequency energy and the circuit energy, thus minimizing the total energy consumption of the network. Extensive simulations are conducted and the results show that, compared with existing schemes, the proposed SSSEM algorithm can significantly reduce the total energy consumption of the network, and meanwhile achieve the optimum of BFS.
Emotional Intelligence - why it can matter more than IQ [Review of: D. Goleman. Recensie]

The journey begins with new discoveries about the brain’s emotional architecture that offer an explanation of those most baffling moments in our lives when feeling overwhelms all rationality. Understanding the interplay of brain structures that rule our moments of rage and fear—or passion and joy—reveals much about how we learn the emotional habits that can undermine our best intentions, as well as what we can do to subdue our more destructive or self-defeating emotional impulses.
An adaptive learning control approach based on constructive function approximation

A constructive function approximation approach is proposed for adaptive learning control which handles finite interval tracking problems. Unlike the well established adaptive neural control which uses a fixed neural network structure as a complete system, in our method the function approximation network consists of a set of bases and the number of bases can be increased when learning repeats. The nature of basis allows the continuously adaptive tuning or learning of parameters when the network undergoes a structure change, consequently offers the flexibility in tuning the network structure. The expansibility of the basis ensures the function approximation accuracy, and removes the processes in pre-setting the network size. Two classes of system unknown nonlinear functions, either in L/sup 2/(R) or a known upperbound, are taken into consideration. With the help of Lyapunov method, the existence of solution and the convergence property of the proposed adaptive learning control system, are analyzed rigorously.
New Insights Into the BDD-Based Reliability Analysis of Phased-Mission Systems

We present a generalized analysis methodology for binary decision diagram-based fault tree analysis of a wide range of phased-mission systems, with various mission requirements, and structure characteristics. This methodology includes 1) four alternative variable ordering schemes: forward/backward phased dependent operations, and forward/backward concatenation; 2) a strategy to choose an adequate ordering scheme to process a new phased-mission system instance depending on its phase and mission configuration; and 3) efficient generation and evaluation algorithms for generalized phased-mission system binary decision diagrams adopting any arbitrary ordering scheme. The advantages of this methodology are in the low computational complexity, broad applicability, and easy implementation.
A Relative Variation-Based Method to Unraveling Gene Regulatory Networks

Gene regulatory network (GRN) reconstruction is essential in understanding the functioning and pathology of a biological system. Extensive models and algorithms have been developed to unravel a GRN. The DREAM project aims to clarify both advantages and disadvantages of these methods from an application viewpoint. An interesting yet surprising observation is that compared with complicated methods like those based on nonlinear differential equations, etc., methods based on a simple statistics, such as the so-called -score, usually perform better. A fundamental problem with the -score, however, is that direct and indirect regulations can not be easily distinguished. To overcome this drawback, a relative expression level variation (RELV) based GRN inference algorithm is suggested in this paper, which consists of three major steps. Firstly, on the basis of wild type and single gene knockout/knockdown experimental data, the magnitude of RELV of a gene is estimated. Secondly, probability for the existence of a direct regulation from a perturbed gene to a measured gene is estimated, which is further utilized to estimate whether a gene can be regulated by other genes. Finally, the normalized RELVs are modified to make genes with an estimated zero in-degree have smaller RELVs in magnitude than the other genes, which is used afterwards in queuing possibilities of the existence of direct regulations among genes and therefore leads to an estimate on the GRN topology. This method can in principle avoid the so-called cascade errors under certain situations. Computational results with the Size 100 sub-challenges of DREAM3 and DREAM4 show that, compared with the -score based method, prediction performances can be substantially improved, especially the AUPR specification. Moreover, it can even outperform the best team of both DREAM3 and DREAM4. Furthermore, the high precision of the obtained most reliable predictions shows that the suggested algorithm may be very helpful in guiding biological experiment designs.
Representation of tones in noise in the responses of auditory nerve fibers in cats. I. Comparison with detection thresholds

Rate and temporal responses evoked by 1-kHz or 8-kHz tones in continuous broadband noise are described for large populations of auditory nerve fibers in anesthetized cats. The signal-to-noise ratios (S/Ns) of the tone and noise stimuli were above behavioral detection thresholds. Stimulus combinations were presented (1) over a range of moderate to high noise intensities at a constant S/N and (2) using high intensity noise and varying S/N. Responses of low (less than 1 spike/sec) and medium (1 to 19 spikes/sec) spontaneous rate (SR) fibers were compared with those of high SR (greater than 19 spikes/sec) fibers. Low and medium SR fibers with best frequencies in the region of the test tone frequency exhibited tone-evoked rate changes at all sound levels tested. High SR fibers, in contrast, exhibited much weaker tone- evoked rate changes at the lowest noise level tested. In the presence of high intensity noise, high SR fibers did not exhibit tone-evoked rate changes due to saturation by the noise. Fibers with best frequencies in the region of 1 kHz also exhibited strong phase-locking to the 1 kHz tone which increased as the tone level increased but which did not differ for the various SR groups. Results suggest that information in the rate responses of low and medium SR fibers can account for the encoding of information about tones in noise by the nervous system.
HABILIDADES LINGÜÍSTICAS EN NIÑOS DE ESTRATO SOCIOCULTURAL BAJO, AL INICIAR LA PRIMARIA

The purpose of this study was to assess the linguistic skills of children from a low socioeconomic background who were beginning their elementary education. A total of 262 first-grade students with an average age of 5.7 years old and who were enrolled in 8 groups of public schools from Mexico State, participated in this project. The instrument used was the Precurrent Skills for Reading Assessment (PSRA) by Vega (1991), and was administered individually to each student at the beginning of the 2004-2005 school year. The statistical analysis using SPSS showed a mean score of 77 (SD=14), which corresponds to 57% of the total PSRA score. These results may indicate that first grade students have an unsatisfactory level of linguistic behaviour. Slight differences in the students’ performances were observed. A slightly better performance was shown by those first grade students who were 6 years old at the beginning of the school year and who had previously received pre-school education. The implications of the poor linguistic level shown by the participants are discussed, and some alternatives based on the behavioural research, are proposed.
Accurate Image-Guided Stereo Matching With Efficient Matching Cost and Disparity Refinement

Stereo matching is a challenging problem, and high-accuracy stereo matching is still required in various computer vision applications, e.g., 3-D scanning, autonomous navigation, and 3-D reconstruction. Therefore, we present a novel image-guided stereo matching algorithm, which employs the efficient combined matching cost and multistep disparity refinement, to improve the accuracy of existing local stereo matching algorithms. Different from all the other methods, we introduce a guidance image for the whole algorithm. This filter-based guidance image is generated by extracting the enhanced information from the raw stereo image. The combined matching cost consists of the novel double-RGB gradient, the improved lightweight census transform, and the image color. This cost measurement is robust against image noise and textureless regions in computing the matching cost. Furthermore, a new systemic multistep refinement process, which includes outlier classification, four-direction propagation, leftmost propagation, and an exponential step filter, is proposed to remove the outliers in the raw disparity map. Experiments on the Middlebury benchmark demonstrate our algorithm's superior performance that it ranks first among the 158 submitted algorithms. Moreover, the proposed method is also robust on the 30 Middlebury data sets and the real-world Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Toyota Technological Institute benchmark.
Sub‐lethal effects of imidacloprid on bumblebees, Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae), during a laboratory feeding test

A laboratory feeding test was conducted on queenless micro-colonies of three bumblebee workers (Bombus terrestris L) to study the effects of low doses of imidacloprid on pollen and syrup consumption, worker survival, brood size and larval development. Two doses were used: D1 = 10 µg AI kg−1 in syrup and 6 µg AI kg−1 in pollen; D2 was 2.5 times higher in syrup and 2.7 higher in pollen. During 85 days 27, 30 and 29 micro-colonies were reared for control, D1 and D2 treatments respectively. Food consumption was not affected by either dose. During the 5-day pre-oviposition period the mean insecticide intake was 4.8 ng per day per worker in treatment D2. Both doses slightly but significantly affected worker survival rate by 10% during the first month, without any dose-effect relationship. Brood production was significantly reduced in D1 treatment and larval ejection by workers was significantly lower in D1 and D2 than in control. No significant effect of D1 and D2 treatments on the duration of larval development was revealed. No residue could be detected in workers still alive after 85 days. It was concluded that the survival rate and reproductive capacity of B terrestris was not likely to be affected by prolonged ingestion of nectar produced by sunflower after seed-dressing treatment with imidacloprid (Gaucho), since honey or pollen collected by honeybees foraging treated sunflower never revealed concentrations of imidacloprid higher than 10 µg kg−1. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry
The demands of comorbidity: Implications for the explanation and classification of mental disorder

A central goal of psychiatric classification is to assist in the assessment and treatment of those who experience mental disorder. This challenge takes on greater significance in complex cases, especially given the high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity. High rates of comorbidity also challenge the validity of current psychiatric nosology. Etiological classification has been promoted as an alternative to improve the state of psychiatric diagnosis. However, comorbidity makes specific conceptual, explanatory and methodological demands of any such classification strategy. In this thesis, a demand for coherent and integrative explanation of comorbidity acts as a standard by which to assess the strength of different causal models of mental disorder and their resultant concepts. Integrative pluralism is presented as an epistemological framework well-suited to the complexity of this scientific challenge.
Temporal Dynamics of the Interaction between Reward and Time Delay during Intertemporal Choice

Intertemporal choice involves the processes of valuation and choice. Choice is often the result of subjective valuation, in which reward is integrated with time delay. Here, using event-related potential (ERP) signals as temporal hallmarks, we aim to investigate temporal dynamics of how reward interacts with time delay during a delayed discounting task. We found that participants preferred immediate rewards when delayed rewards were small or over long-term delays. Our ERP results suggested that the P200 component reflected an initial valuation of reward and time delay, while the frontal N2 component correlated with individual choices of immediate option of rewards. The LPP component was modulated by the N2 component. These findings demonstrate that the N2 component is the key component in temporal dynamics of the interaction between reward and time valuation.
Randomized Clinical Trial of Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viral Load in Gay Men Treated With Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Objective: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)–positive individuals treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may experience psychological burdens and negative mood states, which could impair their ability to derive maximum benefits from their medical treatment. We tested whether a cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention in combination with antiretroviral medication adherence training (MAT) from a clinical pharmacist influences HIV viral load more than MAT alone. Methods: HIV-positive men who have sex with men were randomized to either a 10-week CBSM + MAT intervention (n = 76) or a MAT-Only condition (n = 54). Data were collected at baseline immediately following the 10-week intervention period, at 9 months postrandomization, and at 15 months postrandomization. Results: We found no differences in HIV viral load among the 130 men randomized. However, in the 101 men with detectable viral load at baseline, those randomized to CBSM + MAT (n = 61) displayed reductions of 0.56 log10 units in HIV viral load over a 15-month period after controlling for medication adherence. Men in the MAT-Only condition (n = 40) showed no change. Decreases in depressed mood during the intervention period explained the effect of CBSM + MAT on HIV viral load reduction over the 15 months. Conclusions: A time-limited CBSM + MAT intervention that modulates depressed mood may enhance the effects of HAART on suppression of HIV viral load in HIV+ men with detectable plasma levels. AIDS = acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; ACTG = Adherence to Combination Therapy Guide; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; CBSM = cognitive behavioral stress management; CET = coping effectiveness training; EDTA = ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; HAART = highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; MAT = medication adherence training; MEMS = medication event monitoring system; POMS = Profile of Mood States.
Learning Processes , Mixed Equilibria andDynamical Systems Arising fromRepeated

Fudenberg and Kreps (1993) consider adaptive learning processes, in the spirit of ctitious play, for innnitely repeated games of incomplete information having randomly perturbed payoos. They proved the convergence of the adaptive process for 22 games with a unique completely mixed Nash equilibrium. Kaniovski and Young (1995) proved the convergence of the process for generic 2 2 games subjected to small perturbations. We extend their result to 22 games with several equilibria| possibly innnitely many, and not necessarily completely mixed. For a broad class of such games we prove convergence of the adaptive process; stable and unstable equilibria are characterized. For certain 3-player, 2-strategy games we show that almost surely the adaptive process does not converge. We analyze coordination and anticoordination games. The mathematics is based on a general result in stochastic approximation theory. Long term outcomes are shown to cluster at an attractor-free set for the dynamics of a vector eld F canonically associated to an innnitely repeated-player game with randomized payoos, subject to the long-run adaptive strategy of ctitious play. The phase portrait of F can in some cases be explicitly described in suucient detail to yield information on convergence of the learning process, and on stability and location of equilibria.
THE IMPACT OF NONPHOTOCHEMICAL QUENCHING OF FLUORESCENCE ON THE PHOTON BALANCE IN DIATOMS UNDER DYNAMIC LIGHT CONDITIONS 1

The nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) of fluorescence is an important photoprotective mechanism in particular under dynamic light conditions. Its photoprotective potential was suggested to be a functional trait of algal diversity. In the present study, the influence of the photoprotective capacity on the growth balance was investigated in two diatoms, which possess different NPQ characteristics. It was hypothesized that under fluctuating light conditions Cyclotella meneghiniana Kütz. would benefit from its large and flexible NPQ potential, whereas the comparably small NPQ capacity in Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve should exert an unfavorable impact on growth. The results of the study clearly falsify this hypothesis. Although C. meneghiniana possesses a fast NPQ component, this diatom was not able to recover its full NPQ capacity under fluctuating light. On the other hand, the induction of NPQ at relatively low irradiance in S. costatum resulted in rather small differences in the fraction of energy dissipation by the NPQ mechanism in the comparison of both diatoms. Larger differences were found in the metabolic characteristics. Both diatoms differed in their biomass composition, with a higher content of lipids in C. meneghiniana but higher amounts of carbohydrates in S. costatum. Finally, the lower degree of reduction in the biomass compensated for the higher respiration rates in S. costatum and resulted in a higher quantum efficiency of biomass production. An indirect correlation between the photoprotective and the metabolic capacity is discussed.
Improving hypertension control in patients at cardiovascular risk: the case for telmisartan-based therapy

Strategies to improve hypertension control are clearly warranted in light of the frequently expressed view that only 50% of treated hypertensive patients are able to meet their target blood pressure levels. While data from the USA has shown improved control over recent years (Table 1), a study in 2008 of South African general medical practice (private sector) showed that 61% of patients reached their target blood pressure levels. If the even-stricter target blood pressure levels of 130/80 mmHg were applied to those patients with co-morbidities who needed to reach and maintain these lower levels, only 40% of patients were successfully treated. In primary-care, public-sector facilities in South Africa, special efforts to improve hypertension management have shown that 68% of patients treated for their hypertension can achieve their targeted blood pressure levels. Without these intensive programmes, however, hypertension control in the South African public sector is likely to be much less effective and lower than in the wellserviced private sector. Reducing the cardiovascular and renal consequences of hypertension is dependent on sustained, long-term blood pressure control, implying that patient compliance is also a key factor for success. The physician’s choice of effective therapy will take this aspect fully into account and he/she will adopt approaches that will sustain patient compliance. Modern therapeutic agents that block the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) and protect target organs without causing compliance-reducing symptoms should be the first choice in at-risk patients with hypertension.