Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human, Nature, Dynamism: The Effects of Content and Movement Perception on Brain Activations during the Aesthetic Judgment of Representational Paintings

Movement perception and its role in aesthetic experience have been often studied, within empirical aesthetics, in relation to the human body. No such specificity has been defined in neuroimaging studies with respect to contents lacking a human form. The aim of this work was to explore, through functional magnetic imaging (f MRI), how perceived movement is processed during the aesthetic judgment of paintings using two types of content: human subjects and scenes of nature. Participants, untutored in the arts, were shown the stimuli and asked to make aesthetic judgments. Additionally, they were instructed to observe the paintings and to rate their perceived movement in separate blocks. Observation highlighted spontaneous processes associated with aesthetic experience, whereas movement judgment outlined activations specifically related to movement processing. The ratings recorded during aesthetic judgment revealed that nature scenes received higher scored than human content paintings. The imaging data showed similar activation, relative to baseline, for all stimuli in the three tasks, including activation of occipito-temporal areas, posterior parietal, and premotor cortices. Contrast analyses within aesthetic judgment task showed that human content activated, relative to nature, precuneus, fusiform gyrus, and posterior temporal areas, whose activation was prominent for dynamic human paintings. In contrast, nature scenes activated, relative to human stimuli, occipital and posterior parietal cortex/precuneus, involved in visuospatial exploration and pragmatic coding of movement, as well as central insula. Static nature paintings further activated, relative to dynamic nature stimuli, central and posterior insula. Besides insular activation, which was specific for aesthetic judgment, we found a large overlap in the activation pattern characterizing each stimulus dimension (content and dynamism) across observation, aesthetic judgment, and movement judgment tasks. These findings support the idea that the aesthetic evaluation of artworks depicting both human subjects and nature scenes involves a motor component, and that the associated neural processes occur quite spontaneously in the viewer. Furthermore, considering the functional roles of posterior and central insula, we suggest that nature paintings may evoke aesthetic processes requiring an additional proprioceptive and sensori-motor component implemented by “motor accessibility” to the represented scenario, which is needed to judge the aesthetic value of the observed painting.
Gender and business ownership: questioning “what” and “why”

Purpose – To date, comparisons of performance in male and female businesses show contradictory results, although the majority of evidence is drawn from Anglo‐Saxon countries. This study aims to explore the effects of gender on business performance in a sample of Spanish firms.Design/methodology/approach – This paper extends previous work with a quantitative analysis of effects of gender on performance. In‐depth interviews yield insights on how gender impacts performance.Findings – The quantitative analysis shows that gender has a simple effect on performance, but it is less robust when other factors are included in the model. Furthermore, this relationship is more complex, since gender has an indirect and moderating effect on performance. The results indicate possible sources of gender differences and suggest factors that require further investigation with a qualitative approach. This analysis expands our understanding in two ways: first, by suggesting that we have to make sense of businesses through anot.
Visualizing High-Dimensional Temporal Data Using Direction-Aware t-SNE

Many real-world data sets contain a temporal component or involve transitions from state to state. For exploratory data analysis, we can represent these high-dimensional data sets in two-dimensional maps, using embeddings of the data objects under exploration and representing their temporal relationships with directed edges. Most existing dimensionality reduction techniques, such as t-SNE and UMAP, do not take into account the temporal or relational nature of the data when constructing the embeddings, resulting in temporally cluttered visualizations that obscure potentially interesting patterns. To address this problem, we propose two complementary, direction-aware loss terms in the optimization function of t-SNE that emphasize the temporal aspects of the data, guiding the optimization and the resulting embedding to reveal temporal patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. The Directional Coherence Loss (DCL) encourages nearby arrows connecting two adjacent time series points to point in the same direction, while the Edge Length Loss (ELL) penalizes arrows - which effectively represent time gaps in the visualized embedding - based on their length. Both loss terms are differentiable and can be easily incorporated into existing dimensionality reduction techniques. By promoting local directionality of the directed edges, our procedure produces more temporally meaningful and less cluttered visualizations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on a toy dataset and two real-world datasets.
Consistency of JWST Black Hole Observations with NANOGrav Gravitational Wave Measurements

JWST observations have opened a new chapter in studies of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), stimulating discussion of two puzzles: the abundance of SMBHs in the early Universe and the fraction of dual AGNs. In this paper we argue that the answers to these puzzles may be linked to an interpretation of the data on the nHz gravitational wave (GWs) discovered by NANOGrav and other Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTAs) in terms of SMBH binaries losing energy by interactions with their environments as well as by GW emission. According to this interpretation, the SMBHs in low-$z$ AGNs are the tip of the iceberg of the local SMBH population, which are mainly in inactive galaxies. This interpretation would favour the observability of GW signals from BH binaries in LISA and deciHz GW detectors.
Personal assistance: what happens to the arrangement when the number of users increases and new user groups are included?

Using data from two representative surveys among the users of personal assistance in Norway carried out in 2002 and 2010, this paper examines developments and consequences of a strong increase of users and an extension of the target group. Users with mobility impairments still dominate, but the proportion of people with intellectual impairments, brain injuries, and sensory impairments have increased. The ‘new' users seem to be allocated fewer hours compared with those who received personal assistance at the early stages of the arrangement. Still, most users experience an increase in their welfare arrangements, as compared with the situation before they received personal assistance. The user control of the arrangement seems to be preserved, but it takes more different forms. For a higher proportion of users, one of their relatives or a guardian acts as a manager of the assistance.
A-Level Subject Choice, Systematic Bias and University Performance in the UK: The Case of Accounting

British students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to attend non-selective state schools and are therefore more likely to take a wider variety of A-level subjects including applied disciplines such as Accounting. This is attributed to the performative pressure subjected by school league tables that incentivise schools to encourage students to select subjects that will yield the highest grades. However, many leading universities have restricted the chances of applicants holding particular combinations of A-level subjects that, in some cases, include Accounting. Interviews held within a large English university reveal that few students are aware of such restrictions, whilst corresponding quantitative data indicates that students who enter university with two or more restricted A-level subjects perform no differently on average than other students. Those entering university with an Accounting A-level, however, perform, better in their first year but exhibit lower degree performance, on average, by the end of their studies.
Exploring Holistic HMI Design for Automated Vehicles: Insights from a Participatory Workshop to Bridge In-Vehicle and External Communication

Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) for automated vehicles (AVs) are typically divided into two categories: internal HMIs for interactions within the vehicle, and external HMIs for communication with other road users. In this work, we examine the prospects of bridging these two seemingly distinct domains. Through a participatory workshop with automotive user interface researchers and practitioners, we facilitated a critical exploration of holistic HMI design by having workshop participants collaboratively develop interaction scenarios involving AVs, in-vehicle users, and external road users. The discussion offers insights into the escalation of interface elements as an HMI design strategy, the direct interactions between different users, and an expanded understanding of holistic HMI design. This work reflects a collaborative effort to understand the practical aspects of this holistic design approach, offering new perspectives and encouraging further investigation into this underexplored aspect of automotive user interfaces.
Association of IGF-I gene polymorphisms with milk yield and body size in Chinese dairy goats

The association of IGF-I gene polymorphisms with certain traits in 708 individuals of two Chinese dairy-goat breeds (Guanzhong and Xinong Saanen) was investigated. Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing methods were employed in screening for genetic variation. Two novel mutations were detected in the 5'-flanking region and in intron 4 of IGF-I gene, viz., g.1617 G > A and g.5752 G > C (accession D26119.2), respectively. The associations of the g.1617 G > A mutation with milk yield and the body size were not significant (p > 0.05). However, in the case of g.5752 G > C, Xinong Saanen dairy goats with the CG genotype presented longer bodies (p < 0.05). Chest circumference (p < 0.05) was larger in Guanzhong goats with the GG genotype. In Xinong Saanen dairy goats with the CC genotype, milk yields were significantly higher during the first and second lactations (p < 0.05). Hence, the g.5752 G > C mutation could facilitate association analysis and serve as a genetic marker for Chinese dairy-goat breeding and genetics.
Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory.

1. Introducing the Problem: Individual and Group 2. Rediscovering the Social Group 3. A Self-Categorization Theory 4. The Analysis of Social Influence 5. Social Identity 6. The Salience of Social Categories 7. Social Identity and Group Polarization 8. Crowd Behaviour as Social Action 9. Conclusion.
Shyness and Loneliness among College Men and Women

This study examined the relationship between shyness and loneliness among 157 male and 155 female college students. A modified version of the Stanford Shyness Survey measured shyness, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale assessed loneliness. Correlations between shyness and loneliness were for males . 52 and for females . 56. These scales may be beneficial in counseling college students.
Surface-based parcellation and vertex-wise analysis of ultra high-resolution ex vivo 7 tesla MRI in neurodegenerative diseases

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard modality to understand human brain structure and function in vivo (antemortem). Decades of research in human neuroimaging has led to the widespread development of methods and tools to provide automated volume-based segmentations and surface-based parcellations which help localize brain functions to specialized anatomical regions. Recently ex vivo (postmortem) imaging of the brain has opened-up avenues to study brain structure at sub-millimeter ultra high-resolution revealing details not possible to observe with in vivo MRI. Unfortunately, there has been limited methodological development in ex vivo MRI primarily due to lack of datasets and limited centers with such imaging resources. Therefore, in this work, we present one-of-its-kind dataset of 82 ex vivo T2w whole brain hemispheres MRI at 0.3 mm isotropic resolution spanning Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. We adapted and developed a fast and easy-to-use automated surface-based pipeline to parcellate, for the first time, ultra high-resolution ex vivo brain tissue at the native subject space resolution using the Desikan-Killiany-Tourville (DKT) brain atlas. This allows us to perform vertex-wise analysis in the template space and thereby link morphometry measures with pathology measurements derived from histology. We will open-source our dataset docker container, Jupyter notebooks for ready-to-use out-of-the-box set of tools and command line options to advance ex vivo MRI clinical brain imaging research on the project webpage.
On Replication: Notes on the Notions of a Replicability Quotient and a Generalizability Quotient

Replication is not an automatic activity. Any replication involves decisions on the concepts, relationships, and contexts of the original and its re-examination. Two quotients can relate the two researches: a replicability quotient which considers the quality of the original and a generalizability quotient which focuses upon the replication. An account is given of a replication of Gouldner's cosmopolitanism thesis that illustrates the decisions entailed and suggests the important features of the two quotients.
Further Results on Monoids Acting on Trees

This paper further develops the theory of arbitrary semigroups acting on trees via elliptic mappings. A key tool is the Lyndon–Chiswell length function L for the semigroup S which allows one to construct a tree T and an action of S on T via elliptic maps. Improving on previous results, the length function of the action will also be L.
Risk factors for the evaluation of potential central nervous system metastasis in Burkitt's lymphoma: a case study and literature review

Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) is a malignancy of B lymphocytes. The rapid growth rate and frequent systemic spread result in most patients presenting with advanced disease at diagnosis. Cerebrospinal fluid cytology is the gold standard (with very high accuracy) for diagnosing BL central nervous system (CNS) metastasis; however, the low sensitivity of this method limits its clinical applications. Here, we report a case of BL with CNS metastasis. The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐A and VEGF‐C in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid were used to evaluate the status of BL remission and recurrence. Comparisons were made between VEGF and the other risk factors used in evaluating CNS metastasis. Although not in strict accordance, VEGF levels mirrored the disease course. Therefore, VEGF may reflect the status of BL CNS metastasis. Understanding the role of VEGF in CNS metastasis may help to improve the staging and risk classification of BL as well as the investigation of targeted therapy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Entrepreneurial intentions: Applying the theory of planned behaviour

Understanding and predicting new venture initiation requires research using theory-driven models that adequately reflect the complex perception-based processes underlying intentional, planned behaviours such as new venture initiation. We discuss exactly such a model, widely used in social psychology, and demonstrate its applicability to the entrepreneurship domain. Ajzen's intentions-centred ‘theory of planned behaviour’ is parsimonious, well grounded in theory, and robustly predicts a wide variety of planned behaviours. Intentions are the single best predictor of such behaviour, both conceptually and empirically. Intentions formation depends; on attitudes toward the target behaviour which, in turn, reflect beliefs and perceptions. Intentions-based models of entrepreneurial activity are compatible with existing research results and open new approaches to studying venture initiation. Intentions models allow us to better understand the impact of various antecedents of organizational emergence; identifying n.
BP4ER: Bootstrap Prompting for Explicit Reasoning in Medical Dialogue Generation

Medical dialogue generation (MDG) has gained increasing attention due to its substantial practical value. Previous works typically employ a sequence-to-sequence framework to generate medical responses by modeling dialogue context as sequential text with annotated medical entities. While these methods have been successful in generating fluent responses, they fail to provide process explanations of reasoning and require extensive entity annotation. To address these limitations, we propose the method Bootstrap Prompting for Explicit Reasoning in MDG (BP4ER), which explicitly model MDG's multi-step reasoning process and iteratively enhance this reasoning process. We employ a least-to-most prompting strategy to guide a large language model (LLM) in explicit reasoning, breaking down MDG into simpler sub-questions. These sub-questions build on answers from previous ones. Additionally, we also introduce two distinct bootstrapping techniques for prompting, which autonomously correct errors and facilitate the LLM's explicit reasoning. This approach eliminates the need for entity annotation and increases the transparency of the MDG process by explicitly generating the intermediate reasoning chain. The experimental findings on the two public datasets indicate that BP4ER outperforms state-of-the-art methods in terms of both objective and subjective evaluation metrics.
Coarticulation in early vocalizations by children with hearing loss: A locus perspective

Locus equations derived from productions by three children with hearing loss revealed sensory and motor influences on anticipatory coarticulation. Participants who received auditory access to speech via hearing aids and cochlear implants at different ages (5–39 months) were recorded at approximately 6 and 12 months after hearing technology fitting. One was also recorded 1 month pre-implantation. Locus equations were compared with data from typically developing children: (1) chronological age peers, and (2) peers with equivalent duration of audition, or hearing age. Anticipatory coarticulation followed typical trajectory in the child fit with hearing aids at 5 months. Anticipatory coarticulation by children with profound hearing loss using cochlear implants was closer to typically developing children with the same chronological age in syllables present pre-implantation and closer to children with equivalent hearing age in syllables emerging post-implantation. Results are discussed regarding interactions among sensory input, general motor development and specific motor experience.
Can we consider the Arctic Oscillation independently from the Barents Oscillation?

An EOF analysis of a constructed time series mimicking the Northern Hemisphere SLP variability of the last 50 years shows that the Barents Oscillation (BO) appears as a means to represent the sudden eastward shift of the northern center of action associated with the Arctic Oscillation (AO) observed in the mid‐seventies. This sudden shift (non‐stationarity) appears in an EOF analysis as a step change in the relative phase between the principal components associated with the EOFs of the AO and BO. The results also show that an EOF analysis of a constant amplitude signal can produce artificial trends and/or amplitude changes in the principal component associated with a given mode (eg. AO) when such non‐stationarities are present in the signal. In this case, different modes of variability represented by EOF's cannot be considered independently from one another. In the example presented, although the principal components are completely uncorrelated from one another, perfect correlation and anti‐correlation are present in the first and second parts of the time series respectively.
Attachment Theory Applied to Juvenile Sex Offending

ABSTRACT This paper proposes the application of attachment theory to the interaction between juvenile sex offenders and society, including helping systems of professionals. Basic concepts on parent-child attachment are discussed, including the relationship of early attachments to juvenile delinquency and sex offending. Helping systems can often be involved in perpetuating cycles of abuse through destructive reactions to offending youths. Attachment-related approaches to treatment are noted. A conceptualization of healthy and unhealthy helping system interaction is offered to promote family integrity as a primary priority of treatment. Professionals who connect with juvenile offenders through safe and secure working relationships can aid in repairing earlier destructive emotional attachments which seem to further sex offending.
Experimental validation of TRNSYS model of an indirect solar water heater with forced circulation in various weather: Application to Rabat (Morocco)

In this work, we validated a TRNSYS (TRaNsient SYstem Simulation tool) for forced circulation solar heating systems with flat collectors under different weather and operating conditions using data from a field trial to Rabat, Morocco. Our result shows that the system heated water only using solar energy and was tested for four days. A comparison of modeled and measured data resulted in percentage mean absolute errors for collector temperature, the usefully collected energy by FPC, the average temperature of the tank, and the energy stored in the tank of 12.5%,2.6%, 1.96%, and 9.19%1 respectively. The model overestimated the energy stored in the tank by 4.4% and underestimated the collector temperature, the usefully collected energy by FPC, and the average temperature of the tank by −2%, −2.2%, and −1.9%, respectively.
Water-stress-induced ethylene production in wheat : a fact or artifact?

Effects of water stress on ethylene evolution from excised leaf segments and intact plants of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Katepwa) were studied. Excised leaf segments of 8 day or 6 week old plants were dried until they lost 8% of their fresh weight (water potential about -2.3 megapascals). These and nondried control leaf segments (water potential about -1.0 megapascal) were sealed in glass tubes, and their ethylene production rates were compared by head space analysis via gas-chromatography. The dried leaves of both ages produced significantly more ethylene than the corresponding controls. However, when 6 week old intact plants were water-stressed by withholding water supply, and their ethylene production measured using a continuousflow system, no increase in ethylene was deteceted despite a drop in water potential to -2.9 megapascals over 6 days. Even the leaf segments excised from plants that had been subjected to water stress for 2, 4, or 6 days produced no more ethylene (in sealed tubes) than the leaves from well-watered plants. In fact, the ethylene production by these segments decreased with the increase in the severity of stress experienced by the plants. The results show that the commonly reported overproduction of ethylene by excised leaves subjected to rapid drying represents an artifact, which has little relevance to the water stress responses of intact wheat plants.