Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
To Fall Or Not To Fall: A Visual Approach to Physical Stability Prediction

Understanding physical phenomena is a key competence that enables humans and animals to act and interact under uncertain perception in previously unseen environments containing novel object and their configurations. Developmental psychology has shown that such skills are acquired by infants from observations at a very early stage. In this paper, we contrast a more traditional approach of taking a model-based route with explicit 3D representations and physical simulation by an end-to-end approach that directly predicts stability and related quantities from appearance. We ask the question if and to what extent and quality such a skill can directly be acquired in a data-driven way bypassing the need for an explicit simulation. We present a learning-based approach based on simulated data that predicts stability of towers comprised of wooden blocks under different conditions and quantities related to the potential fall of the towers. The evaluation is carried out on synthetic data and compared to human judgments on the same stimuli.
Cytokines and Chemokines as Regulators of Skeletal Muscle Inflammation: Presenting the Case of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe inherited muscle disease that affects 1 in 3500 boys worldwide. Infiltration of skeletal muscle by inflammatory cells is an important facet of disease pathophysiology and is strongly associated with disease severity in the individual patient. In the chronic inflammation that characterizes Duchenne muscle, cytokines and chemokines are considered essential activators and recruiters of inflammatory cells. In addition, they provide potential beneficiary effects on muscle fiber damage control and tissue regeneration. In this review, current knowledge of cytokine and chemokine expression in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and its relevant animal disease models is listed, and implications for future therapeutic avenues are discussed.
Pervasive microRNA Duplication in Chelicerates: Insights from the Embryonic microRNA Repertoire of the Spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum

Abstract MicroRNAs are small (∼22 nt) noncoding RNAs that repress translation and therefore regulate the production of proteins from specific target mRNAs. microRNAs have been found to function in diverse aspects of gene regulation within animal development and many other processes. Among invertebrates, both conserved and novel, lineage specific, microRNAs have been extensively studied predominantly in holometabolous insects such as Drosophila melanogaster . However little is known about microRNA repertoires in other arthropod lineages such as the chelicerates. To understand the evolution of microRNAs in this poorly sampled subphylum, we characterized the microRNA repertoire expressed during embryogenesis of the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum . We identified a total of 148 microRNAs in P. tepidariorum representing 66 families. Approximately half of these microRNA families are conserved in other metazoans, while the remainder are specific to this spider. Of the 35 conserved microRNAs families 15 had at least two copies in the P. tepidariorum genome. A BLAST-based approach revealed a similar pattern of duplication in other spiders and a scorpion, but not among other chelicerates and arthropods, with the exception of a horseshoe crab. Among the duplicated microRNAs we found examples of lineage-specific tandem duplications, and the duplication of entire microRNA clusters in three spiders, a scorpion, and in a horseshoe crab. Furthermore, we found that paralogs of many P. tepidariorum microRNA families exhibit arm switching, which suggests that duplication was often followed by sub- or neofunctionalization. Our work shows that understanding the evolution of microRNAs in the chelicerates has great potential to provide insights into the process of microRNA duplication and divergence and the evolution of animal development.
Affect and learning: An exploratory look into the role of affect in learning with AutoTutor

The role that affective states play in learning was investigated from the perspective of a constructivist learning framework. We observed six different affect states (frustration, boredom, flow, confusion, eureka and neutral) that potentially occur during the process of learning introductory computer literacy with AutoTutor, an intelligent tutoring system with tutorial dialogue in natural language. Observational analyses revealed significant relationships between learning and the affective states of boredom, flow and confusion. The positive correlation between confusion and learning is consistent with a model that assumes that cognitive disequilibrium is one precursor to deep learning. The findings that learning correlates negatively with boredom and positively with flow are consistent with predictions from Csikszentmihalyi's analysis of flow experiences.
An efficiently regulated promoter system for Cryptococcus neoformans utilizing the CTR4 promoter

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen responsible for serious meningitis. Although many useful molecular tools have been developed for its study, there are currently few inducible promoters available for general use. To address this need, we have constructed expression plasmids incorporating upstream elements of the C. neoformans copper transporter gene CTR4, and tested them in C. neoformans serotypes A and D. In response to copper deprivation, these plasmids mediate high‐level expression of a reporter protein. This expression can be completely repressed using physiologically low concentrations of copper. Notably, this new family of copper‐sensing promoters demonstrates excellent expression in serotype A, contrasting with other available promoters. These plasmids therefore offer efficient and regulated expression for both serotypes A and D, and should be valuable tools for the C. neoformans research community. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reading Proficiency and Mathematics Problem Solving by High School English Language Learners

The study focused on the relationship of English proficiency and math performance in a sample of high school students, including 47% English language learners (ELLs). Data sources included state math test scores, study-specific pre- and posttest scores, problem solving in an online math tutorial, and responses to a self-report assessment of mathematics self-concept. English conversational and reading proficiency data were available for the ELLs. Results indicated that math performance for the ELLs increased with English-reading proficiency in a nonlinear manner. ELLs’ English-reading proficiency predicted math test scores, progress in the online math tutorial, and math self-concept.
The BSD Packet Filter: A New Architecture for User-level Packet Capture

Many versions of Unix provide facilities for user-level packet capture, making possible the use of general purpose workstations for network monitoring. Because network monitors run as user-level processes, packets must be copied across the kernel/user-space protection boundary. This copying can be minimized by deploying a kernel agent called a packet filter, which discards unwanted packets as early as possible. The original Unix packet filter was designed around a stack-based filter evaluator that performs sub-optimally on current RISC CPUs. The BSD Packet Filter (BPF) uses a new, register-based filter evaluator that is up to 20 times faster than the original design. BPF alson uses a straighforward buffering strategy that makes its overall performance up to 100 times faster than Sun's NIT running on the same hardware.
Sport for development and peace: a call for transnational, multi-sited, postcolonial feminist research

In this paper, I reflect upon and discuss findings from an empirical study that employed a postcolonial feminist approach to a multi-sited global ethnography of a sport for development and peace (SDP) initiative. Building on postcolonial feminist perspectives pertaining the importance of creating cross-border feminist solidarities anchored in struggles in the specificities of ‘the local’, in combination with recent work on research on transnational global activist research that explores issues of NGOization, I investigate two key methodological challenges and tensions that emerged in my research, including: (1) the politics and perils of translation in cross-cultural research; and (2) the technologies of aid evaluation and ethics of representation. I conclude by critically considering struggles of power, knowledge and social relations in local and transnational SDP, and discuss possibilities for mutual accountability and ethical responsibility in future SDP research, policy and practice.
Troxipide in the Management of Gastritis: A Randomized Comparative Trial in General Practice

Background. A trial of empirical acid-suppressive therapy is the usual practice for most patients with symptoms of gastritis in primary care. Aim. To assess the relative efficacy of Troxipide and Ranitidine in patients with endoscopic gastritis over a four-week period. Methods. In all, 142 patients were randomized to Troxipide (100 mg tid) or Ranitidine (150 mg bid) for a period of four weeks. The severity of the signs of endoscopic gastritis at baseline and week 4 using a four-point scale and the subjective symptom severity at baseline and week 2 & week 4 using a Visual analog scale (VAS) were documented. Results. Troxipide was found to be superior to Ranitidine for both, the complete resolution and improvement of endoscopic gastritis. Higher proportion of patients showed complete healing of erosions (88.14%), oozing (96.77%), and edema (93.88%) with Troxipide as compared to Ranitidine (P < .01). Patients receiving Troxipide also showed a greater improvement in the VAS scores for abdominal pain, bloating, and heartburn (P < .01). Both the drugs were found to be well tolerated. Conclusion. In patients with endoscopic gastritis, Troxipide, with its superior rate of improvement, resolution of signs, and subjective clinical symptoms, can be considered as an alternative to the commonly used antisecretory agents.
Supply Chain Resilience and Sustainability

Scope: Re-approaching the contemporary issue of a holistic re-engineering strategy in relation with the resilience in the value supply chain circuit. Increase in collective capabilities to overcome risks of increasing vulnerabilities and to improve business and economic sustainability. Research Methodology: Building-up an integrated methodology framework of mixed participatory interactive action. Systemic and process value chain analysis, collective use modern knowledge management combining multicriteria with proactive value creation process for sustainable competitiveness with the ‘power structure’ and ‘institutional flexibility’ to encompass physical and social technology infrastructure with modern cybernetics governance. Anticipated Results: Improve understanding and use of an operational R&D framework for enhancing collaboration, strengthening collective capacities and performing holistic re-engineering strategy in support of resilience and sustainable competitive advantage. Critical role of the institutional efficiency to combat power concentration and leverage the interfirm and interdisciplinary Supply Chain Re-engineering (SCR) to ensure resilience and sustainability. Originality/contribution: Contribution to better understanding the resilience to face the increasing trend of vulnerability and mitigate risks from globalization of markets, as cornerstone to company sustainability. Relation to the problem of world poverty, environment protection and development by collective intercompany and interdisciplinary value chain networks. Knowledge management by reengineering and building-up an interactive methodology framework of broader relevance, to fulfil the multicriteria of stability and sustainability (Sustainable Supply Chain Management, SSCM). Role of new collective culture and vision to align governance with human face and solidarity for maximization of collective capabilities and integration synergies. Rethinking of the roots of increasing of increasing vulnerability and crises, for resilience to ensure sustainability, development, progress in peace and saving the collective human civilization.
Systematic Participation in Folk Dance or Physical Activity? Effects in Quality of Life in the Elderly

Πeρίληψη O eλληνικός παραδοσιακός χορός αποτeλeί ένα eίδος φυσικής δραστηριότητας που συνeισφέρeι στη σω- ματική και πνeυματική υγeία των χορeυτών. ΢κοπός της παρούσας eργασίας ήταν να διαπιστωθeί eάν τα ηλικιωμένα άτομα, τα οποία συμμeτέχουν σe δραστηριότητeς που σχeτίζονται μe τον eλληνικό παραδοσιακό χορό, παρουσιάζουν διαφορeτικά eπίπeδα στην ποιότητα ζωής τους σe σχέση μe άλλα άτομα αντίστοιχης ηλικίας, που δeν eίναι φυσικά δραστήρια ή συμμeτέχουν συστηματικά σe άλλου eίδους φυσικές δραστηριό- τητeς. ΢την έρeυνα πήραν μέρος 150 άτομα (57 άντρeς, 93 γυναίκeς), 60-70 eτών, που eπιλέχθηκαν τυχαία από διαφορeτικές πeριοχές της Eλλάδας και eντάχθηκαν σe τρeις ομάδeς των 50 ατόμων η καθeμία: Παραδο- σιακού χορού, ασκουμένων και μe καθιστική ζωή. Oι συμμeτέχοντeς συμπλήρωσαν το eρωτηματολόγιο SF-36 για την ποιότητα ζωής. H one-way MANOVA έδeιξe σημαντική κύρια eπίδραση της ομάδας στους παράγο- ντeς Yυσική Λeιτουργικότητα (p<.001), Yυσικός Pόλος (p<.001), ΢ωματικός Πόνος (p<.001), Γeνική Tγeία (p<.001), Zωτικότητα (p<.001), Kοινωνική Λeιτουργικότητα (p<.001), ΢υναισθηματικός Pόλος (p<.001) και Πνeυματική Tγeία (p<.001), μe τους χορeυτές να έχουν υψηλότeρο σκορ σe όλους τους παράγοντeς σe σχέση μe τις άλλeς δύο ομάδeς. ΢υμπeρασματικά, ο eλληνικός παραδοσιακός χορός συγκeντρώνeι πολλαπλά οφέλη για τους συμμeτέχοντeς, αφού δeν eίναι απλώς ένα eίδος φυσικής δραστηριότητας που τους κάνeι να νιώ- θουν eυχάριστα, αλλά συμβάλλeι και στην βeλτίωση πολλών παραγόντων της ποιότητας της ζωής τους. Λέξeις κλeιδιά: ποιότητα ζωής, φυσική δραστηριότητα, άσκηση, παραδοσιακός χορός, ηλικιωμένοι Abstract The traditional Greek dance is a physical activity with many benefits for the psychological and physical health of dancers. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if older people who participate in ac- tivities related to Greek traditional dance show higher levels of quality of life compared with people of the same age, who follow sedentary life or participate in another type of physical activity. The participants were 150 people (57 men, 93 women) from 60 to 70 years old, randomly selected from different areas of Greece, so that to correspond to one of the three, equal in number, groups: traditional dancers, exercisers and sedenta- ry. The participants completed the SF-36 questionnaire for quality of life measures. According to one-way MANOVA analysis, there was a significant main effect of the group, with dancers scoring higher than the two other groups on the factors of Physical Functioning (p<.001), Physical Role (p<.001), Bodily Pain
The Effect of Market Segmentation and Illiquidity on Asset Prices: Evidence from Exchange Listings

This article documents the effect on share value of listing on the New York Stock Exchange and reports the results of a joint test of Robert C. Merton's (1987) investor recognition factor and Yakov Amihud and Haim Mendelson's (1986) liquidity factor as explanations of the change in share value. The authors find that, during the 1980s, stocks earned abnormal returns of 5 percent in response to the listing announcement and that listing is associated with an increase in the number of shareholders and a reduction in bid-ask spreads. Cross-sectional regressions provide support for both investor recognition and liquidity as sources of value from exchange listing. Copyright 1994 by American Finance Association.
Do the Preferences of Healthcare Provider Selection Vary among Rural and Urban Patients with Different Income and Cause Different Outcome?

Background Equal access to healthcare facilities and high-level quality of care are important strategies to eliminate the disparity in outcome of care. However, the existing literature regarding how urban or rural dwelling patients with different income level select healthcare providers is insufficient. The purposes of this study were to examine whether differences of healthcare provider selection exist among urban and rural coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) patients with different income level. If so, we further investigated the associated impact on mortality. Methods A retrospective, multilevel study design was conducted using claims data from 2007–2011 Taiwan’s Universal Health Insurance Scheme. Healthcare providers’ performance and patients’ travelling distance to hospitals were used to define the patterns of healthcare provider selection. Baron and Kenny’s procedures for mediation effect were conducted. Results There were 10,108 CABG surgeries included in this study. The results showed that urban dwelling and higher income patients were prone to receive care from better-performance providers. The travelling distances of urban dwelling patients was 15 KM shorter, especially when they received better-performance provider’s care. The results also showed that the difference of healthcare provider selection and mortality rate existed between rural and urban dwelling patients with different income levels. After the procedure of mediation effect testing, the results showed that the healthcare provider selection partially mediated the relationships between patients’ residential areas with different income levels and 30-day mortality. Conclusion Preferences of healthcare provider selection vary among rural and urban patients with different income, and such differences partially mediated the outcome of care. Health authorities should pay attention to this issue, and propose appropriate solutions to eliminate the disparity in outcome of CABG care.
Macrophage Activation and Differentiation Signals Regulate Schlafen-4 Gene Expression: Evidence for Schlafen-4 as a Modulator of Myelopoiesis

Background The ten mouse and six human members of the Schlafen (Slfn) gene family all contain an AAA domain. Little is known of their function, but previous studies suggest roles in immune cell development. In this report, we assessed Slfn regulation and function in macrophages, which are key cellular regulators of innate immunity. Methodology/Principal Findings Multiple members of the Slfn family were up-regulated in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) by the Toll-like Receptor (TLR)4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the TLR3 agonist Poly(I∶C), and in disease-affected joints in the collagen-induced model of rheumatoid arthritis. Of these, the most inducible was Slfn4. TLR agonists that signal exclusively through the MyD88 adaptor protein had more modest effects on Slfn4 mRNA levels, thus implicating MyD88-independent signalling and autocrine interferon (IFN)-β in inducible expression. This was supported by the substantial reduction in basal and LPS-induced Slfn4 mRNA expression in IFNAR-1−/− BMM. LPS causes growth arrest in macrophages, and other Slfn family genes have been implicated in growth control. Slfn4 mRNA levels were repressed during macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1)-mediated differentiation of bone marrow progenitors into BMM. To determine the role of Slfn4 in vivo, we over-expressed the gene specifically in macrophages in mice using a csf1r promoter-driven binary expression system. Transgenic over-expression of Slfn4 in myeloid cells did not alter macrophage colony formation or proliferation in vitro. Monocyte numbers, as well as inflammatory macrophages recruited to the peritoneal cavity, were reduced in transgenic mice that specifically over-expressed Slfn4, while macrophage numbers and hematopoietic activity were increased in the livers and spleens. Conclusions Slfn4 mRNA levels were up-regulated during macrophage activation but down-regulated during differentiation. Constitutive Slfn4 expression in the myeloid lineage in vivo perturbs myelopoiesis. We hypothesise that the down-regulation of Slfn4 gene expression during macrophage differentiation is a necessary step in development of this lineage.
Unsupervised learning in noise

The structural stability of real-time unsupervised learning in feedback dynamical systems is demonstrated with the Ito-Stratonovich stochastic calculus. Structural stability allows globally stable feedback systems to be perturbed without changing their qualitative equilibrium behavior. This increases the reliability and biological plausibility of large-scale hardware implementations of such networks. These structurally stable dynamical systems are called random adaptive bidirectional associative memory (RABAM) models. RABAM models include several popular nonadaptive and adaptive feedback models, such as the Hopfield circuit and the ART-2 model. A new hybrid unsupervised-learning law, called the differential competitive law, which uses the signal velocity as a local unsupervised reinforcement mechanism, is introduced, and its coding and stability behavior in feedforward and feedback networks is studied. <<ETX>>
Empirical Articles Sleep and the Social Matrix : Determinants of Health Status BeyondObjective Social Status

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between subjective social status (SSS) and objective socioeconomic status (SES) on sleep status (sleep duration and daytime sleepiness). Method: The study sample included 73 primary care patients from a free medical clinic in which low-income individuals are primarily treated. Subjective social status was measured using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status which uses a pictorial format (social ladder) in order to assess current social status. Socioeconomic status was measured by assessing highest level of education and current income level. Results: Community SSS did not significantly predict sleep duration or daytime sleepiness. Additional regression analyses were conducted and it was found that an overall model of U.S. SSS and community SSS significantly predicted perceived stress. Community SSS was found to be significantly associated with perceived stress. Regression results also indicated that an overall model of U.S. SSS and community SSS significantly predicted perceived health status. Conclusion: It may be beneficial for clinicians working with low-income primary care populations to include measures of SSS in addition to the traditional measures of SES for multidimensional patient care.
Local-Circuit Phenotypes of Layer 5 Neurons in Motor-Frontal Cortex of YFP-H Mice

Layer 5 pyramidal neurons comprise an important but heterogeneous group of cortical projection neurons. In motor-frontal cortex, these neurons are centrally involved in the cortical control of movement. Recent studies indicate that local excitatory networks in mouse motor-frontal cortex are dominated by descending pathways from layer 2/3 to 5. However, those pathways were identified in experiments involving unlabeled neurons in wild type mice. Here, to explore the possibility of class-specific connectivity in this descending pathway, we mapped the local sources of excitatory synaptic input to a genetically labeled population of cortical neurons: YFP-positive layer 5 neurons of YFP-H mice. We found, first, that in motor cortex, YFP-positive neurons were distributed in a double blade, consistent with the idea of layer 5B having greater thickness in frontal neocortex. Second, whereas unlabeled neurons in upper layer 5 received their strongest inputs from layer 2, YFP-positive neurons in the upper blade received prominent layer 3 inputs. Third, YFP-positive neurons exhibited distinct electrophysiological properties, including low spike frequency adaptation, as reported previously. Our results with this genetically labeled neuronal population indicate the presence of distinct local-circuit phenotypes among layer 5 pyramidal neurons in mouse motor-frontal cortex, and present a paradigm for investigating local circuit organization in other genetically labeled populations of cortical neurons.