Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Human Intruder Test: An Anxiety Assessment in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta)

DEDICATION To my parents for their endless encouragement To Colin for his patience and love & To all animals For teaching me to love behavior v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my great appreciation for my wonderful advisor Melinda Novak for guiding me through this project, for giving me the opportunity to discover my true passion for ethology, and providing me with the incredibly valuable experience of being part of her research team. I would like to thank the additional members of my committee Agnès Lacreuse and Christina Metevier for their feedback, support, and mentorship. I wish to acknowledge the many people who collaborated on this project. This would not have been possible without the help of many human intruders who stoically stood in front of monkey cages and to the video scorers who spent countless hours watching videos frame-by-frame. I would also like to recognize the animal care staff at all of the primate facilities for their great care of the animals. NIH Grant R24OD11180 supported this project. for their willingness to provide advice and assistance. Their influence on the Novak lab makes it a great work environment to be in. Finally I wish to thank my family and friends who have supported me, encouraged me, and provided me at times with some well-needed distractions from my work. I would not be where I am today without limitless love and support of my parents Fran and Scott Peterson. Special thanks to Olivia Forshtay who played a key role in the start of this project and who continues to be a friend to laugh and cry with even from across the country. I am particularly grateful to Colin Tincknell for his patience and continual love.
Compact Multi-Port Power Combination/Distribution With Inherent Bandpass Filter Characteristics

Compact multi-port power combiners and dividers with filter characteristics are introduced. These components advantageously combine the functions of power distribution and filtering in a single component, thus reducing the number of components in a system and improving overall system performance. The design principle, which is entirely based on filter theory, is first presented for a symmetric filtering four-port combiner/divider and is then extended to an eight-port network. Measurements on a symmetric all-metal waveguide four-port prototype show excellent agreement with simulations and validate the general design approach. The experimental response of an asymmetric substrate integrated waveguide eight-port network agrees reasonably well with simulations and demonstrates that the basic four-port element can be extended to very compact multi-port combiner/dividers to cope with a variety of systems requirements.
Seeding of thymic microenvironments defined by distinct thymocyte- stromal cell interactions is developmentally controlled

Seeding of distinct intrathymic microenvironments defined by direct thymocyte-stromal cell interactions was correlated with T cell development in situ using radiation and nonradiation chimeras of Thy- 1.1/1.2 congenic mice. The results identify associations of thymocytes with I-A- macrophages in the cortex as the earliest discernible cell- cell interactions during thymopoiesis. After a significant delay, this recognition stage is followed by concomitant interactions of T cells with I-A+ epithelial cells in the cortex and bone marrow-derived I-A+ dendritic cells in the medulla. All three types of T cell-stromal cell interactions occur after seeding of the intrathymic precursor cell subset and before development of mature medullary-type T cells. The seeding kinetics imply that recognition of cortical epithelial cells by thymocytes in situ represents a relatively late stage of cortical T cell development, whereas thymocyte-dendritic cell interactions denote a very early stage of T cell development in the medulla. The relative positioning of these cell-cell recognition stages during the course of T cell maturation pertains to a putative role of these microenvironments in selection and tolerization of the T cell repertoire.
Influences of Self-Regulated Learning Strategy Use on Self-Efficacy in Primary School Students' English Writing in Hong Kong

Abstract This study investigated the influences of the use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies on students’ self-efficacy in English writing. A total of 155 fourth graders from 1 government-funded primary school in Hong Kong completed a questionnaire on SRL strategy use and a questionnaire on self-efficacy in English writing. The students used planning strategies more frequently than the other strategy types (e.g., text generating). They had a higher level of self-efficacy in content than in the other aspects (e.g., language and grammar). The students with more SRL strategy use reported a higher level of self-efficacy. The use of SRL strategies had significant and positive relationships with the students’ self-efficacy. In particular, the use of planning and self-monitoring strategies had the strongest correlations with self-efficacy. This study opens a new window to understanding how students’ self-efficacy in English writing develops as a result of their SRL strategy use. We discuss practical implications for English as a second language/English as a foreign language classroom instruction.
The Impact of Distance Uncertainties on Local Luminosity and Mass Functions

In order to investigate discrepancies between recent published estimates of the H I mass function (HIMF), we explore the impact of distance uncertainties on the derivation of the faint-end slope of mass and luminosity functions of galaxies in the local volume by deriving HIMFs from mock H I surveys. We consider various survey geometries and depths and compare the HIMFs measured when using "real" distances, distances derived by assuming pure Hubble flow, and distances assigned from parametric models of the local velocity field. The effect is variable and dependent on the exact survey geometry but can easily lead to incorrect estimates of the HIMF, particularly at the low-mass end. We show that at least part of the discrepancies among recent derivations of the HIMF can be accounted for by the use of different methods to assign distances. We conclude that a better understanding of the local velocity field will be necessary for accurate determinations of the local galaxy luminosity and mass functions.
Coordination in software development

To systematize software development, many process models have been proposed over the years. These models focus on the sequence of steps used by developers to create reliable software. Though these process- models have helped companies to gain certification and attain global standards, they don't take into account interpersonal interactions and various other social aspects of software development organizations. In this paper we tackle one crucial part of the Coordination problem in Software Development, namely the problem of task assignment in a team. We propose a methodology to test a hypothesis based on how social networks can be used to improve coordination in Software Industry. In a pilot case study based on 4 teams of Masters Student working in a globally distributed environment (Holland and India), the social network structures along with the task distribution in each of the teams were analyzed. In each case we observed patterns, which could be used to test many hypotheses on team coordination and task allocation between them.
Applying Hodge theory to detect Hamiltonian flows

We prove that when Hodge theory survives on non-compact symplectic manifolds, a compact symplectic Lie group action having fixed points is necessarily Hamiltonian, provided the associated almost complex structure preserves the space of harmonic one-forms. For example, this is the case for complete K\"ahler manifolds for which the symplectic form has an appropriate decay at infinity. This extends a classical theorem of Frankel for compact K\"ahler manifolds to complete non-compact K\"ahler manifolds.
Self-Forgiveness, Shame, and Guilt in Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Problems

Background People with drug and/or alcohol problems often experience feelings of shame and guilt, which have been associated with poorer recovery. Self-forgiveness has the potential to reduce these negative experiences. Methods The current study tested theorized mediators (acceptance, conciliatory behavior, empathy) of the relationships between shame and guilt with self-forgiveness. A cross-sectional sample of 133 individuals (74.4% male) receiving residential treatment for substance abuse completed self-report measures of shame, guilt, self-forgiveness, and the mediators. Results Consistent with previous research, guilt had a positive association with self-forgiveness, whereas shame was negatively associated with self-forgiveness. Acceptance mediated the guilt and self-forgiveness relationship and had an indirect effect on the shame and self-forgiveness relationship. Conclusions These findings emphasize the importance of targeting acceptance when trying to reduce the effects of shame and guilt on self-forgiveness.
Atorvastatin Enhance Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Treatment for Swine Myocardial Infarction via Activation of Nitric Oxide Synthase

Background In a swine model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), Statins can enhance the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) transplantation. However, the mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims at assessing whether atorvastatin (Ator) facilitates the effects of MSCs through activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), especially endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which is known to protect against ischemic injury. Methods and Results 42 miniswines were randomized into six groups (n = 7/group): Sham operation; AMI control; Ator only; MSC only, Ator+MSCs and Ator+MSCs+NG-nitrol-L-arginine (L-NNA), an inhibitor of NOS. In an open-heart surgery, swine coronary artery ligation and reperfusion model were established, and autologous bone-marrow MSCs were injected intramyocardium. Four weeks after transplantation, compared with the control group, Ator+MSCs animals exhibited decreased defect areas of both “perfusion” defined by Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (−6.2±1.8% vs. 2.0±5.1%, P = 0.0001) and “metabolism” defined by Positron Emission Tomography (−3.00±1.41% vs. 4.20±4.09%, P = 0.0004); Ejection fraction by Magnetic Resonance Imaging increased substantially (14.22±12.8% vs. 1.64±2.64%, P = 0.019). In addition, indices of inflammation, fibrosis, and apoptosis were reduced and survivals of MSCs or MSC-derived cells were increased in Ator+MSCs animals. In Ator or MSCs alone group, perfusion, metabolism, inflammation, fibrosis or apoptosis were reduced but there were no benefits in terms of heart function and cell survival. Furthermore, the above benefits of Ator+MSCs treatment could be partially blocked by L-NNA. Conclusions Atorvastatin facilitates survival of implanted MSCs, improves function and morphology of infarcted hearts, mediated by activation of eNOS and alleviated by NOS inhibitor. The data reveal the cellular and molecular mechanism for anti-AMI therapy with a combination of statin and stem cells.
Functional Imaging of Stimulus Convergence in Amygdalar Neurons during Pavlovian Fear Conditioning

Background Associative conditioning is a ubiquitous form of learning throughout the animal kingdom and fear conditioning is one of the most widely researched models for studying its neurobiological basis. Fear conditioning is also considered a model system for understanding phobias and anxiety disorders. A fundamental issue in fear conditioning regards the existence and location of neurons in the brain that receive convergent information about the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US) during the acquisition of conditioned fear memory. Convergent activation of neurons is generally viewed as a key event for fear learning, yet there has been almost no direct evidence of this critical event in the mammalian brain. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we used Arc cellular compartmental analysis of temporal gene transcription by fluorescence in situ hybridization (catFISH) to identify neurons activated during single trial contextual fear conditioning in rats. To conform to temporal requirements of catFISH analysis we used a novel delayed contextual fear conditioning protocol which yields significant single- trial fear conditioning with temporal parameters amenable to catFISH analysis. Analysis yielded clear evidence that a population of BLA neurons receives convergent CS and US information at the time of the learning, that this only occurs when the CS-US arrangement is supportive of the learning, and that this process requires N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation. In contrast, CS-US convergence was not observed in dorsal hippocampus. Conclusions/Significance Based on the pattern of Arc activation seen in conditioning and control groups, we propose that a key requirement for CS-US convergence onto BLA neurons is the potentiation of US responding by prior exposure to a novel CS. Our results also support the view that contextual fear memories are encoded in the amygdala and that the role of dorsal hippocampus is to process and transmit contextual CS information.
Cross-Sectional Associations Bet ween Abdominal and Thoracic Adipose Tissue Compartments and Adiponectin and Resistin in the Framingham Heart Study

OBJECTIVE To test the association of regional fat depots with circulating adiponectin and resistin concentrations and to assess the potential mediating effect of adipokines on associations between abdominal fat depots and cardiometabolic risk factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants from the Framingham Heart Study offspring cohort (n = 916, 55% women; mean age 59 years) free of cardiovascular disease underwent computed tomography measurement of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), pericardial fat, and intrathoracic fat volumes and assays of circulating adiponectin and resistin. RESULTS VAT, SAT, pericardial fat, and intrathoracic fat were negatively correlated with adiponectin (r = −0.19 to −0.34, P < 0.001 [women]; r = −0.15 to −0.26, P < 0.01 [men] except SAT) and positively correlated with resistin (r = 0.16–0.21, P < 0.001 [women]; r = 0.11–0.14, P < 0.05 [men] except VAT). VAT increased the multivariable model R2 for adiponectin from 2–4% to 10–13% and for resistin from 3–4% to 3–6%. Adjustment for adipokines did not fully attenuate associations between VAT, SAT, and cardiometabolic risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Adiponectin and resistin are correlated with fat depots cross-sectionally, but none of the adipokines can serve as surrogates for the fat depots. Relations between VAT, SAT, and cardiometabolic risk factors were not fully explained by adiponectin or resistin concentrations.
UPPER LIMITS ON PULSED RADIO EMISSION FROM THE 6.85 s X-RAY PULSAR XTE J0103−728 IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD

X-ray pulsations with a 6.85 s period were recently detected in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and were subsequently identified as originating from the Be/X-ray binary system XTE J0103−728. The recent localization of the source of the X-ray emission has made a targeted search for radio pulsations from this source possible. The detection of pulsed radio emission from XTE J0103−728 would make it only the second system after PSR B1259−63 that is both a Be/X-ray binary and a radio pulsar. We observed XTE J0103−728 in 2008 February with the Parkes 64 m radio telescope soon after the identification of the source of X-ray pulsations was reported in order to search for corresponding radio pulsations. We used a continuous 6.4 hr observation with a 256 MHz bandwidth centered at 1390 MHz using the center beam of the Parkes multibeam receiver. In the subsequent data analysis, which included a folding search, a Fourier search, a fast-folding algorithm search, and a single pulse search, no pulsed signals were found for trial dispersion measures (DMs) between 0 and 800 pc cm−3. This DM range easily encompasses the expected values for sources in the SMC. We place an upper limit of ∼45 mJy kpc2 on the luminosity of periodic radio emission from XTE J0103−728 at the epoch of our observation, and we compare this limit to a range of luminosities measured for PSR B1259−63, the only Be/X-ray binary currently known to emit radio pulses. We also compare our limit to the radio luminosities of neutron stars having similarly long spin periods to XTE J0103−728. Since the radio pulses from PSR B1259−63 are eclipsed and undetectable during the portion of the orbit near periastron, repeated additional radio search observations of XTE J0103−728 may be valuable if it is undergoing similar eclipsing and if such observations are able to sample the orbital phase of this system well.
A descriptive study on in-service English language teachers’ perceptions of the European portfolio for student teachers of languages (EPOSTL) in Turkish setting

This article aims to arrive at an understanding of in-service language teachers’ perceptions of the EPOSTL self-assessment descriptors in relation to Turkish Foreign Language Education context. More specifically, the researcher aims to reveal the categories of the EPOSTL self-assessment descriptors that have been regarded more important by in-service English language teachers who work for primary, secondary and tertiary level institutions as well as reviewing the suitability and applicability of the EPOSTL self-assessment descriptors for the Turkish context. Adopting a quantitative and quasi-qualitative research design, this study utilized the 195 self-assessment descriptors of the EPOSTL as the items of the questionnaire in the form of a ‘5 point Likert-type scale’ and an open-ended question has been added as the 196 th item to collect qualitative data. The means of the in-service English language teachers’ answers have been computed for the whole document and for the categories of the self-assessment descriptors via descriptive statistics involving mean and frequency analyses. As a second step, the distribution of the data has been analyzed via ‘Kolmogorov-Smirnov Goodness-of-Fit Test’. As the distribution of the data is not normal, a non-parametric test, rather than a parametric test, has been employed in order to find out the level of differences between and among the groups of in-service English language teachers. Additionally, ‘Kruskal-Wallis H Test’ has been conducted and ‘pairwise comparisons’ have been performed as a last step in order to reveal the self-assessment descriptors of the EPOSTL that have been attached meaningfully different importance by in-service English language teachers working for different levels of institutions. The findings of this study indicate that the self-assessment descriptors of the EPOSTL have largely been welcomed by in-service language teachers in Turkish context.
Neurons in Dorsal Visual Area V5/MT Signal Relative Disparity

Judgments of visual depth rely crucially on the relative binocular disparity between two visual features. While areas of ventral visual cortex contain neurons that signal the relative disparity between spatially adjacent visual features, the same tests in dorsal visual areas yield little evidence for relative disparity selectivity. We investigated the sensitivity of neurons in dorsal visual area V5/MT of macaque monkeys to relative disparity, using two superimposed, transparent planes composed of dots moving in opposite directions. The separation of the planes in depth specifies their relative disparity, while absolute disparity can be altered independently by changing the binocular depth of the two planes with respect to the monkey's fixation point. Many V5/MT neurons were tuned to relative disparity, independent of the absolute disparities of the individual planes. For the two plane stimulus, neuronal responses were often linearly related to responses to the absolute disparity of each component plane presented individually, but some aspects of relative disparity tuning were not explained by linear combination. Selectivity for relative disparity could not predict whether neuronal firing was related to the monkeys' perceptual reports of the rotation direction of structure-from-motion figures centered on the plane of fixation. In sum, V5/MT neurons are not just selective for absolute disparity, but also code for relative disparity between visual features. This selectivity may be important for segmentation and depth order of moving visual features, particularly the processing of three-dimensional information in scenes viewed by an actively moving observer.
Lightning protection modelling: Applications to revisited Electrogeometrical Model

The present paper aims to revisit the EGM and the rolling sphere method by introducing the upward leaders' contribution. Using simple assumptions on the conditions for upward leader inception and downward-upward leader junction, the position of the downward and upward leader tips, just before the final jump, are firstly computed and a Modified Rolling Sphere (MRS) radius is deduced. Afterwards, the MRS is rolled on the extreme position of upward leaders tips. If the MRS is in contact at any point with the upward leader tip locus, we consider that this part of the structure must be additionally protected. The main application of this study is the improvement of the interception efficiency of the Lightning Protection System.
Large Mammalian Animal Models of Heart Disease

Due to the biological complexity of the cardiovascular system, the animal model is an urgent pre-clinical need to advance our knowledge of cardiovascular disease and to explore new drugs to repair the damaged heart. Ideally, a model system should be inexpensive, easily manipulated, reproducible, a biological representative of human disease, and ethically sound. Although a larger animal model is more expensive and difficult to manipulate, its genetic, structural, functional, and even disease similarities to humans make it an ideal model to first consider. This review presents the commonly-used large animals—dog, sheep, pig, and non-human primates—while the less-used other large animals—cows, horses—are excluded. The review attempts to introduce unique points for each species regarding its biological property, degrees of susceptibility to develop certain types of heart diseases, and methodology of induced conditions. For example, dogs barely develop myocardial infarction, while dilated cardiomyopathy is developed quite often. Based on the similarities of each species to the human, the model selection may first consider non-human primates—pig, sheep, then dog—but it also depends on other factors, for example, purposes, funding, ethics, and policy. We hope this review can serve as a basic outline of large animal models for cardiovascular researchers and clinicians.
Towards the enhancement of e‐democracy: identifying the notion of the ‘middleman paradox’

Abstract. The challenge towards e‐democracy, through the electronic transformation of political systems, has become increasingly evident within developed economies. It is regarded as an approach for increased and better quality citizen participation in the democratic processes. E‐democracy forms a component of overall e‐government initiatives where technology adoption and diffusion, to enhance wider access to, and the delivery of, government services, are apparent. However, previous research demonstrates that very few e‐democracy proposals survive the stage of formal political decision‐making to become substantive e‐government projects within national or international agendas. Furthermore, the implementation of e‐democracy projects is undertaken at a much slower pace and with dramatically less support than the implementation of other, so‐called e‐administration, activities in the public sector.