Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparing the main compositional activities in a study of eight composers

This article addresses the problem of comparing individual creative processes in music composition, across aesthetic visions, research concepts, data collection and analysis methods. Eight professional composers are studied in a real-world setting in search of broad compositional activities that are both common to the composers studied and that are meaningful for individual compositional processes. To compare individual creative processes, the analytic route, specifically the last analysis phases of the research process, is made as transparent as possible. The need for a synthesis phase is clarified by presenting two visual syntheses, apart from four textual synthesis themes: an “events time line” – a general chronological account of salient compositional activities – and a “music in progress” visualization, displaying the development of the new composition. To apply similar criteria in the analysis of eight creative processes, an analysis framework is proposed, consisting of four main compositional activities (planning, exploring, writing and rewriting) and three attributes (productivity, level of musical abstraction and creativity). The results of the study show how the eight processes are individually characterized by a specific configuration, that is, the four main compositional activities appear in a selective presence, chronological order and hierarchy. Although no activities or strategies common to all eight composers were found, some configurations were also recognized in creative processes outside the current study. Finally, indications are discussed that general models of compositional processes and actions, such as evaluating, may be related to specific configurations of the four main activities.
Attention-Induced Deactivations in Very Low Frequency EEG Oscillations: Differential Localisation According to ADHD Symptom Status

Background The default-mode network (DMN) is characterised by coherent very low frequency (VLF) brain oscillations. The cognitive significance of this VLF profile remains unclear, partly because of the temporally constrained nature of the blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal. Previously we have identified a VLF EEG network of scalp locations that shares many features of the DMN. Here we explore the intracranial sources of VLF EEG and examine their overlap with the DMN in adults with high and low ADHD ratings. Methodology/Principal Findings DC-EEG was recorded using an equidistant 66 channel electrode montage in 25 adult participants with high- and 25 participants with low-ratings of ADHD symptoms during a rest condition and an attention demanding Eriksen task. VLF EEG power was calculated in the VLF band (0.02 to 0.2 Hz) for the rest and task condition and compared for high and low ADHD participants. sLORETA was used to identify brain sources associated with the attention-induced deactivation of VLF EEG power, and to examine these sources in relation to ADHD symptoms. There was significant deactivation of VLF EEG power between the rest and task condition for the whole sample. Using s-LORETA the sources of this deactivation were localised to medial prefrontal regions, posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus and temporal regions. However, deactivation sources were different for high and low ADHD groups: In the low ADHD group attention-induced VLF EEG deactivation was most significant in medial prefrontal regions while for the high ADHD group this deactivation was predominantly localised to the temporal lobes. Conclusions/Significance Attention-induced VLF EEG deactivations have intracranial sources that appear to overlap with those of the DMN. Furthermore, these seem to be related to ADHD symptom status, with high ADHD adults failing to significantly deactivate medial prefrontal regions while at the same time showing significant attenuation of VLF EEG power in temporal lobes.
The effect of computer-enhanced learning through the use of Asynchronous discussion on Improving writing and student perception of technology-mediated Environment

This study dealt with the effect of computer – mediated instruction on improving Arabic language writing skills of university juniors in Arabic language classes. It also surveyed data concerning student perceptions about the technology – enhanced environment of learning. Objectives of the study were to determine: a) the effect of technology – enhanced instruction on developing students writing and communication skills. B) The effects of technology on student perceptions in language learning environment. C) Draw conclusions concerning online design. Computer – enhanced instruction and learning had a significant positive effect on improving learners' writing and communication skills. Students attributed important roles to instructor's plans. Independent learning skills were also enhanced. Implications for online design and other types of technology – enhanced learning and teaching were presented.
PHF-tau propagation in the presence of Amyloid ß pathology

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia characterised by a progressive cognitive decline. Pathologically, it is characterized by two hallmarks: amyloid plaques mostly consisting of β -amyloid peptide (A β ) derived from the successive cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) [6]. NFTs are formed by the aggregation of paired helical filaments (PHF), composed of abnormally phosphorylated and aggregated microtubules associated tau proteins [3]. NFTs correlate strongly with the cognitive decline and can also be found in a group of neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies [4]. The importance of tau in mediating the toxicity of A β peptides has been demonstrated in tau knock-out neurons being resistant to A β associated toxicity [11]. Deletion of murine tau expression rescues excitotoxicity in transgenic APP mice [8,12]. We have previously reported that tau deletion reduced A β load [9] in 5xFAD mice overexpressing human APP (K670N/M671L, I716V, and V717I) and PS1 (M146L and L286V) [10]. In contrary, crossing 5xFAD with Tg30 overexpressing human double mutant tau exacerbated
Immunohistochemistry and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Can Inform the Differential Diagnosis of Low-Grade Noninvasive Urothelial Carcinoma with an Inverted Growth Pattern and Inverted Urothelial Papilloma

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) comprises a heterogeneous group of epithelial neoplasms with diverse biological behaviors and variable clinical outcomes. Distinguishing UC histological subtypes has become increasingly important because prognoses and therapy can dramatically differ among subtypes. In clinical work, overlapping morphological findings between low-grade noninvasive UC (LGNUC), which exhibits an inverted growth pattern, and inverted urothelial papilloma (IUP) can make subclassification difficult. We propose a combination of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular cytogenetics for subtyping these clinical entities. In our study, tissue microarray immunohistochemical profiles of Ki-67, p53, cytokeratin 20 (CK20) and cyclinD1 were assessed. Molecular genetic alterations such as the gain of chromosomes 3, 7 or 17 or the homozygous loss of 9p21 were also assessed for their usefulness in differentiating these conditions. Based on our analysis, Ki-67 and CK20 may be useful for the differential diagnosis of these two tumor types. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) can also provide important data in cases in which the malignant nature of an inverted urothelial neoplasm is unclear. LGNUC with an inverted growth pattern that is negative for both Ki-67 and CK20 can be positively detected using FISH.
Molecular Characterization and Expression Pattern of Gene IGFBP-5 in the Cashmere Goat (Capra hircus)

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) is one of the six members of IGFBP family, important for cell growth, apoptosis and other IGF-stimulated signaling pathways. In order to explore the significance of IGFBP-5 in cells of the Inner Mongolian Cashmere goat (Capra hircus), IGFBP-5 gene complementary DNA (cDNA) was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from the animal’s fetal fibroblasts and tissue-specific expression analysis was performed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The gene is 816 base pairs (bp) in length and includes the complete open reading frame, encoding 271 amino acids (GenBank accession number JF720883). The full cDNA nucleotide sequence has a 99% identity with sheep, 98% with cattle and 95% with human. The amino acids sequence shares identity with 99%, 99% and 99%, respectively. The bioinformatics analysis showed that IGFBP-5 has an insulin growth factor-binding protein homologues (IB) domain and a thyroglobulin type-1 (TY) domain, four protein kinase C phosphorylation sites, five casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, three prenyl group binding sites (CaaX box). The IGFBP-5 gene was expressed in all the tested tissues including testis, brain, liver, lung, mammary gland, spleen, and kidney, suggesting that IGFBP-5 plays an important role in goat cells.
Impression formation in corporate people tagging

This research explores the relationship between self-presentation and perception by others as manifested explicitly through the use of tags in a people tagging system. The study provides insights relevant for the organizational context since it is based on a system implemented within IBM. We developed a detailed codebook and used it to categorize 9,506 tags assigned to a sample of taggers. Our analysis examines the use of self tags versus social tags (assigned by others) across different categories and sub-categories. While overlap exists, self tags tend to be more factual describing technology expertise, social tags augment the individual tags by adding a personal dimension.
Organizational Learning Culture, Learning Transfer Climate and Perceived Innovation in Jordanian Organizations

This paper examines the relationship between organizational learning culture, learning transfer climate, and organizational innovation. The objective was to test the ability of learning organization culture to account for variance in learning transfer climate and subsequent organizational innovation, and to examine the role of learning transfer climate as a mediator between learning organization culture and innovation. Results showed that organizational learning culture predicted learning transfer climate, and both these factors accounted for significant variance in organizational innovation.
External MPC Unit Discussion Paper No . 13 UK Consumers ' Habits

We follow Fuhrer (2000) in estimating via Maximum Likelihood a log-linear consumption function on UK data. In doing so we consider various habit formation assumptions. We show that a model of purely “external” habits as in Fuhrer (2000) fits the UK data remarkably well, and possibly in a superior way than US data where, according to our estimates, consumers’ habits look more “internal” in that they appear indexed to past average consumption of only a subset of (peer) consumers in the economy, rather than total past per capita consumption. We also find that for about one seventh of UK consumers, current consumption equals current income a strong violation of the permanent income hypothesis. Embedded in a sticky price-sticky inflation open-economy monetary model, the model that we estimate helps mimic the hump-shaped response of the output gap to income and interest rate shocks observed in the UK. Estimates of output Euler equations for the UK using a similar method agree with our general results. The consumption and output models that we estimate forecast significantly better than unrestricted open-economy VARs.
The Dwarf Galaxy DDO 47 as a Dark Matter Laboratory: Testing Cusps Hiding in Triaxial Halos

We present an analysis of high-resolution H I data of the dwarf galaxy DDO 47, aimed at testing the hypothesis that dark halo triaxiality might induce noncircular motions resulting in rotation curves best fitted by cored halos, even if the dark matter halo is intrinsically cuspy. This hypothesis could be invoked in order to reconcile the predictions of the standard ΛCDM theory with the rotation curves of disk galaxies. DDO 47 is an ideal case to test this hypothesis because it has a very regular velocity field, its rotation curve is best fitted by a cored halo, and an NFW halo is inconsistent with the data. We analyze the velocity field through the higher order harmonic terms in order to search for kinematical signatures of alleged noncircular motions needed to "hide" a cusp: the result is that globally noncircular motions are at a level of 2-3 km s-1, and they are more likely to be associated with the presence of some spiral structure than with a global elongated potential (e.g., a triaxial halo). These noncircular motions are far from being sufficient to account for the discrepancy with the ΛCDM predictions. We therefore conclude that the dark matter halo around the dwarf galaxy DDO 47 is truly cored and that a cusp cannot be hidden by noncircular motions.
Depression of Inhibitory Synaptic Transmission between Purkinje Cells and Neurons of the Cerebellar Nuclei

Neurons of the cerebellar nuclei have basal firing rates of 10–20 Hz, despite the convergence of many GABAergic Purkinje terminals onto cerebellar nuclear somata and the high spontaneous firing rate of Purkinje neurons. This persistence of firing during a constant barrage of inhibition raises the question of what patterns of Purkinje cell input inhibit nuclear cells most effectively. To explore the hypothesis that synaptic depression moderates inhibition at this synapse, we made whole-cell recordings from cerebellar nuclear neurons in mouse brain slices. IPSCs and IPSPs were elicited by electrically stimulating the corticonuclear tract at 10, 50, and 100 Hz. IPSCs evoked at the mean spontaneous firing rate of Purkinje cells (50 Hz) depressed by ∼60%. The onset of depression had a fast, frequency-dependent component, from which recovery was rapid (∼100 msec), and a slower, frequency-independent component, from which recovery was slow (∼10 sec). As stimulation rate increased, steady-state depression increased, but each IPSC decayed less completely between stimuli, producing a “tonic” IPSC. Changes in stimulation rate produced rapid changes in the level of depression. Under current clamp, cerebellar nuclear neurons fired spontaneously. During 50 Hz trains of IPSPs, firing was initially interrupted, but resumed coincident with the onset of depression. Low-frequency trains entrained postsynaptic firing, and high-frequency trains greatly slowed firing, primarily because of the tonic IPSC. Thus, the properties of depression at this synapse appear to limit the sensitivity of nuclear cells to basal inhibition, while allowing the cells to respond to increases and decreases in Purkinje cell activity.
The Variability of Aggregate Demand with (S, s) Inventory Policies

This paper develops a general theory of the aggregate implications of (S, s) inventory policies. It is shown that (S, s) policies add to the variability of demand, with the variance of orders exceeding the variance of sales. Overall, the (S, s) theory contradicts the widely held notion that retail inventories act as a buffer, protecting manufacturers from fluctuating sales. In 1951, Arrow, Harris, and Marschak [3] introduced the (S, s) form of inventory policy. The policies are designed for retailers of finished goods, who face economies of scale when placing orders with their suppliers. To pursue an (S, s) inventory policy, the retailer establishes a lower stock point s, and an upper stock point S. No order is placed until inventories fall to s or below, whereupon they are restored to the maximum of S. A general proof of the optimality of these (S, s) inventory policies was provided by Scarf [13]. At the microeconomic level, the model has been extensively investigated. Formulae are available to compute optimal policies (e.g., Ehrhardt [6]), and these policies are xidely used in industry (e.g., Schwartz (ed.) [14]). In addition, the model has been extended to increasingly complex demand environments (e.g., Karlin and Fabens [11]). In contrast, little is known about the macroeconomic implications of (S, s) policies. Several recent papers have begun to correct this deficiency. Akerlof has suggested that pursuit of constant threshold money holding policies of the (S, s) variety might be responsible for the observed low short-run income elasticity of the demand for money (Akerlof [1] and Akerlof and Milbourne [2]). In the operations research literature, Ehrhardt, Schultz, and Wagner [7] analyzed the demand environment of a wholesaler supplying several retailers. They required that the distinct retailers have independent sales, ruling out the analysis of common factors in sales. Finally, simulation results of Blinder [4] suggested a role for the (S, s) model in understanding retail sector inventories. However the theoretical difficulties with the model remained unresolved. Blinder commented: If firms have a technology that makes the S, s rule optimal, aggregation across firms is inherently difficult. Indeed it is precisely this difficulty which has prevented the S, s model from being used in empirical work to date (Blinder [4, p. 459]). In this paper we present a general theory of the aggregate implications of (S, s) policies. Our central finding is that (S, s) policies add to the variability of demand, with the variance of orders exceeding the variance of sales. This result holds even in the presence of common factors in retail sales. In addition, a close connection
A Linked Data platform for mining software repositories

The mining of software repositories involves the extraction of both basic and value-added information from existing software repositories. The repositories will be mined to extract facts by different stakeholders (e.g. researchers, managers) and for various purposes. To avoid unnecessary pre-processing and analysis steps, sharing and integration of both basic and value-added facts are needed. In this research, we introduce SeCold, an open and collaborative platform for sharing software datasets. SeCold provides the first online software ecosystem Linked Data platform that supports data extraction and on-the-fly inter-dataset integration from major version control, issue tracking, and quality evaluation systems. In its first release, the dataset contains about two billion facts, such as source code statements, software licenses, and code clones from 18 000 software projects. In its second release the SeCold project will contain additional facts mined from issue trackers and versioning systems. Our approach is based on the same fundamental principle as Wikipedia: researchers and tool developers share analysis results obtained from their tools by publishing them as part of the SeCold portal and therefore make them an integrated part of the global knowledge domain. The SeCold project is an official member of the Linked Data dataset cloud and is currently the eighth largest online dataset available on the Web.
Not quite as British as Finchley: the failed attempt to bring British Conservatism to Northern Ireland

In a previous issue of Irish Studies Review I examined the unanticipated emergence in the late 1980s of a series of Conservative associations in Northern Ireland. In this follow-up article, I will seek to account for the subsequent swift and ignominious decline in the early 1990s of the Northern Irish Conservatives. While the fortunes of the Ulster Tories were undermined by a number of contingencies – the vagaries of parliamentary arithmetic and their own lack of political judgement foremost among them – their fate was sealed primarily by certain rather more structural concerns. In particular, the rapid decline of the Conservative associations in Northern Ireland owes its origins to the historically “loveless marriage” between Ulster unionists and the British state. The unionist community simply refused to vote in meaningful numbers for a political party at the centre of a Westminster establishment deemed hostile to the cause of the Union. In addition, the Conservative hierarchy would inevitably prove unwilling to nurture their own party associations in Northern Ireland as this “integrationist” project ran precisely counter to their own longstanding political ambitions for the region. This conflict of interests and intentions would in short order ensure the demise in all but name of the Northern Irish Conservatives. There can be few more dramatic illustrations of the mutual distrust that conjoins Ulster unionists and the British state than the string of lost deposits incurred by Conservative candidates running for office in Northern Ireland.
Orientation-Tuned Surround Suppression in Mouse Visual Cortex

The firing rates of neurons in primary visual cortex (V1) are suppressed by large stimuli, an effect known as surround suppression. In cats and monkeys, the strength of suppression is sensitive to orientation; responses to regions containing uniform orientations are more suppressed than those containing orientation contrast. This effect is thought to be important for scene segmentation, but the underlying neural mechanisms are poorly understood. We asked whether it is possible to study these mechanisms in the visual cortex of mice, because of recent advances in technology for studying the cortical circuitry in mice. It is unknown whether neurons in mouse V1 are sensitive to orientation contrast. We measured the orientation selectivity of surround suppression in the different layers of mouse V1. We found strong surround suppression in layer 4 and the superficial layers, part of which was orientation tuned: iso-oriented surrounds caused more suppression than cross-oriented surrounds. Surround suppression was delayed relative to the visual response and orientation-tuned suppression was delayed further, suggesting two separate suppressive mechanisms. Previous studies proposed that surround suppression depends on the activity of inhibitory somatostatin-positive interneurons in the superficial layers. To test the involvement of the superficial layers we topically applied lidocaine. Silencing of the superficial layers did not prevent orientation-tuned suppression in layer 4. These results show that neurons in mouse V1, which lacks orientation columns, show orientation-dependent surround suppression in layer 4 and the superficial layers and that surround suppression in layer 4 does not require contributions from neurons in the superficial layers.
Intelligent Systems For Assessing Aging Changes: home-based, unobtrusive, and continuous assessment of aging.

OBJECTIVES To describe a longitudinal community cohort study, Intelligent Systems for Assessing Aging Changes, that has deployed an unobtrusive home-based assessment platform in many seniors homes in the existing community. METHODS Several types of sensors have been installed in the homes of 265 elderly persons for an average of 33 months. Metrics assessed by the sensors include total daily activity, time out of home, and walking speed. Participants were given a computer as well as training, and computer usage was monitored. Participants are assessed annually with health and function questionnaires, physical examinations, and neuropsychological testing. RESULTS Mean age was 83.3 years, mean years of education was 15.5, and 73% of cohort were women. During a 4-week snapshot, participants left their home twice a day on average for a total of 208 min per day. Mean in-home walking speed was 61.0 cm/s. Participants spent 43% of days on the computer averaging 76 min per day. DISCUSSION These results demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of engaging seniors in a large-scale deployment of in-home activity assessment technology and the successful collection of these activity metrics. We plan to use this platform to determine if continuous unobtrusive monitoring may detect incident cognitive decline.