Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trial-by-Trial Variations in Subjective Attentional State are Reflected in Ongoing Prestimulus EEG Alpha Oscillations

Parieto-occipital electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha power and subjective reports of attentional state are both associated with visual attention and awareness, but little is currently known about the relationship between these two measures. Here, we bring together these two literatures to explore the relationship between alpha activity and participants’ introspective judgments of attentional state as each varied from trial-to-trial during performance of a visual detection task. We collected participants’ subjective ratings of perceptual decision confidence and attentional state on continuous scales on each trial of a rapid serial visual presentation detection task while recording EEG. We found that confidence and attentional state ratings were largely uncorrelated with each other, but both were strongly associated with task performance and post-stimulus decision-related EEG activity. Crucially, attentional state ratings were also negatively associated with prestimulus EEG alpha power. Attesting to the robustness of this association, we were able to classify attentional state ratings via prestimulus alpha power on a single-trial basis. Moreover, when we repeated these analyses after smoothing the time series of attentional state ratings and alpha power with increasingly large sliding windows, both the correlations and classification performance improved considerably, with the peaks occurring at a sliding window size of approximately 7 min worth of trials. Our results therefore suggest that slow fluctuations in attentional state in the order of minutes are reflected in spontaneous alpha power. Since these subjective attentional state ratings were associated with objective measures of both behavior and neural activity, we suggest that they provide a simple and effective estimate of task engagement that could prove useful in operational settings that require human operators to maintain a sustained focus of visual attention.
Function of a large biarticular hip and knee extensor during walking and running in guinea fowl (Numida meleagris)

SUMMARY Physiological and anatomical evidence suggests that in birds the iliotibialis lateralis pars postacetabularis (ILPO) is functionally important for running. Incorporating regional information, we estimated the mean sarcomere strain trajectory and electromyographic (EMG) amplitude of the ILPO during level and incline walking and running. Using these data and data in the literature of muscle energy use, we examined three hypotheses: (1) active lengthening will occur on the ascending limb of the length–tension curve to avoid potential damage caused by stretch on the descending limb; (2) the active strain cycle will shift to favor active shortening when the birds run uphill and shortening will occur on the plateau and shallow ascending limb of the length–tension curve; and (3) measures of EMG intensity will correlate with energy use when the mechanical function of the muscle is similar. Supporting the first hypothesis, we found that the mean sarcomere lengths at the end of active lengthening during level locomotion were smaller than the predicted length at the start of the plateau of the length–tension curve. Supporting the second hypothesis, the magnitude of active lengthening decreased with increasing slope, whereas active shortening increased. In evaluating the relationship between EMG amplitude and energy use (hypothesis 3), we found that although increases in EMG intensity with speed, slope and loading were positively correlated with muscle energy use, the quantitative relationships between these variables differed greatly under different conditions. The relative changes in EMG intensity and energy use by the muscle probably varied because of changes in the mechanical function of the muscle that altered the ratio of muscle energy use to active muscle volume. Considering the overall function of the cycle of active lengthening and shortening of the fascicles of the ILPO, we conclude that the function of active lengthening is unlikely to be energy conservation and may instead be related to promoting stability at the knee. The work required to lengthen the ILPO during stance is provided by co-contracting knee flexors. We suggest that this potentially energetically expensive co-contraction serves to stabilize the knee in early stance by increasing the mechanical impedance of the joint.
The Relationship Between Pre-Deployment Experiences of Interpersonal Violence and Moral Injury: The Moderating Role of Social Support

Initial research on moral injury has shown the construct to be associated with many negative mental health outcomes such as depression, suicidal ideation, reduced sense of belonging, anxiety, anger, and spiritual distress. In addition, moral injury among service members has also been shown to be related to experiences of interpersonal violence occurring pre-deployment. Given that social support has consistently been found to play a key role in moderating the relationship between experiences of interpersonal violence and stress and trauma related symptoms and disorders, this study will be the first to explore the relationship between experiences of interpersonal violence and moral injury, and the moderating role of social support. This study will examine secondary data collected from 935 U.S. military personnel primarily from the Army National Guard.
Intracellular pH modulates the availability of vascular L-type Ca2+ channels

L-type Ca2+ channel currents were recorded from myocytes isolated from bovine pial and porcine coronary arteries to study the influence of changes in intracellular pH (pHi). Whole cell ICa fell when pHi was made more acidic by substituting HEPES/NaOH with CO2/bicarbonate buffer (pHo 7.4, 36 degrees C), and increased when pHi was made more alkaline by addition of 20 mM NH4Cl. Peak ICa was less pHi sensitive than late ICa (170 ms after depolarization to 0 mV). pHi-effects on single Ca2+ channel currents were studied with 110 mM BaCl2 as the charge carrier (22 degrees C, pHo 7.4). In cell-attached patches pHi was changed by extracellular NH4Cl or through the opened cell. In inside-out patches pHi was controlled through the bath. Independent of the method used the following results were obtained: (a) Single channel conductance (24 pS) and life time of the open state were not influenced by pHi (between pHi 6 and 8.4). (b) Alkaline pHi increased and acidic pHi reduced the channel availability (frequency of nonblank sweeps). (c) Alkaline pHi increased and acidic pHi reduced the frequency of late channel re- openings. The effects are discussed in terms of a deprotonation (protonation) of cytosolic binding sites that favor (prevent) the shift of the channels from a sleepy to an available state. Changes of bath pHo mimicked the pHi effects within 20 s, suggesting that protons can rapidly permeate through the surface membrane of vascular smooth muscle cells. The role of pHi in Ca2+ homeostases and vasotonus is discussed.
Revising Bayesian Network Parameters Using Backpropagation

The problem of learning Bayesian networks with hidden variables is known to be a hard problem. Even the simpler task of learning just the conditional probabilities on a Bayesian network with hidden variables is hard. In this paper, we present an approach that learns the conditional probabilities on a Bayesian network with hidden variables by transforming it into a multi-layer feedforward neural network (ANN). The conditional probabilities are mapped onto weights in the ANN, which are then learned using standard backpropagation techniques. To avoid the problem of exponentially large ANNs, we focus on Bayesian networks with noisy-or and noisyand nodes. Experiments on real world classi cation problems demonstrate the e ectiveness of our technique.
From Bench to Bedside: Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer

The mainstay therapeutic strategy for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) continues to be androgen deprivation therapy usually in combination with chemotherapy or androgen receptor targeting therapy in either sequence, or recently approved novel agents such as Radium 223. However, immunotherapy has also emerged as an option for the treatment of this disease following the approval of sipuleucel-T by the FDA in 2010. Immunotherapy is a rational approach for prostate cancer based on a body of evidence suggesting these cancers are inherently immunogenic and, most importantly, that immunological interventions can induce protective antitumour responses. Various forms of immunotherapy are currently being explored clinically, with the most common being cancer vaccines (dendritic-cell, viral, and whole tumour cell-based) and immune checkpoint inhibition. This review will discuss recent clinical developments of immune-based therapies for prostate cancer that have reached the phase III clinical trial stage. A perspective of how immunotherapy could be best employed within current treatment regimes to achieve most clinical benefits is also provided.
Functionalization effect on the thermal conductivity of graphene-polymer nanocomposites

Exploring thermal transport in graphene-polymer nanocomposite is significant to its applications with better thermal properties. Interfacial thermal conductance between graphene and polymer matrix plays a critical role in the improvement of thermal conductivity of graphene-polymer nanocomposite. Unfortunately, it is still challenging to understand the interfacial thermal transport between graphene nanofiller and polymer matrix at small material length scale. To this end, using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the interfacial thermal conductance of graphene-polyethylene (PE) nanocomposite. The influence of functionalization with hydrocarbon chains on the interfacial thermal conductance of graphene-polymer nanocomposites was studied, taking into account of the effects of model size and thermal conductivity of graphene. An analytical model is also used to calculate the thermal conductivity of nanocomposite. The results are considered to contribute to development of new graphene-polymer nanocomposites with tailored thermal properties. The of on both conductivity of and interfacial of systematically Our simulation results indicate that functionalization with grafted hydrocarbon chains can reduce the thermal conductivity of graphene. On the other hand, it can strengthen the coupling between graphene and polymer, and increase the corresponding interfacial thermal conductance. An analytical model was also utilized to predict the thermal conductivity of nanocomposite. It was found that there is a critical value of filler length, beyond which functionalization fails to enhance the overall thermal conductivity of nanocomposite. Furthermore, filler volume fraction of graphene fillers plays a governing role in dictating the overall thermal conductivity of graphene-polymer nanocomposites. Our studies provide an effective approach to enhance the thermal transport in graphene-polymer nanocomposite.
Overground locomotion in intact rats: interlimb coordination, support patterns and support phases duration.

The interlimb coordination during overground locomotion was analysed in intact rats, using the method of contact electrodes (Górska et al. 1998). It was found that in animals moving with a speed ranging from 10 to 78 cm/s (step cycles 685 to 215 ms, respectively) the interlimb coordination was characterized by homologous phase shifts close to 0.5 and much shorter diagonal than lateral phase shifts. These features corresponded to symmetrical gait with diagonal sequence and diagonal couplets (Hildebrandt 1976). Shortening the step cycle changed the gait from a walking trot (duty factor > 0.5) into a running trot (duty factor < 0.5). Correspondingly, the support patterns in the four-legged step cycles, i.e., the sequence of phases of support on various limbs changed: the support on diagonal limbs persisted but the three-limb support was replaced by one-limb support and the support on homolateral limbs by phases of flight. For each phase of support the relationship between its absolute and relative durations and the step cycle duration is being described. The paper explains the variability of support patterns described in the literature. The picture of locomotion obtained in intact rats will be used as a template for studying locomotor control deficits after CNS lesions.
Parent Experiences of Raising a Young Child with Multiple Disabilities: The Transition to Preschool

Families raising young children diagnosed with multiple disabilities encounter experiences that are often unique and extend well beyond the early childhood years due to the intensity and severity of their child’s needs. The contexts of these families must be understood to provide meaningful services and supports, particularly during the child’s transition from early intervention to preschool services. In this transcendental phenomenological inquiry, 10 parents of young children with multiple disabilities who transitioned from early intervention into preschool services participated in a brief survey and a semistructured interview. Findings highlight two thematic categories experienced by participants: (a) the transition from early intervention to preschool services, and (b) the importance of social contexts. Implications emphasizing effective partnerships with families, teacher preparation program enrichment, and development of accessible community supports are discussed.
Past exposure to sun, skin phenotype, and risk of multiple sclerosis: case-control study

Abstract Objective To examine whether past high sun exposure is associated with a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis. Design Population based case-control study. Setting Tasmania, latitudes 41-3°S. Participants 136 cases with multiple sclerosis and 272 controls randomly drawn from the community and matched on sex and year of birth. Main outcome measure Multiple sclerosis defined by both clinical and magnetic resonance imaging criteria. Results Higher sun exposure when aged 6-15 years (average 2-3 hours or more a day in summer during weekends and holidays) was associated with a decreased risk of multiple sclerosis (adjusted odds ratio 0.31, 95% confidence interval 0.16 to 0.59). Higher exposure in winter seemed more important than higher exposure in summer. Greater actinic damage was also independently associated with a decreased risk of multiple sclerosis (0.32, 0.11 to 0.88 for grades 4-6 disease). A dose-response relation was observed between multiple sclerosis and decreasing sun exposure when aged 6-15 years and with actinic damage. Conclusion Higher sun exposure during childhood and early adolescence is associated with a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis. Insufficient ultraviolet radiation may therefore influence the development of multiple sclerosis.
Sharing, Liking, Commenting, and Distressed? The Pathway Between Facebook Interaction and Psychological Distress

Studies on the mental health implications of social media have generated mixed results. Drawing on a survey of college students (N=513), this research uses structural equation modeling to assess the relationship between Facebook interaction and psychological distress and two underlying mechanisms: communication overload and self-esteem. It is the first study, to our knowledge, that examines how communication overload mediates the mental health implications of social media. Frequent Facebook interaction is associated with greater distress directly and indirectly via a two-step pathway that increases communication overload and reduces self-esteem. The research sheds light on new directions for understanding psychological well-being in an increasingly mediated social world as users share, like, and comment more and more.
Space missions to detect the cosmic gravitational-wave background

It is thought that a stochastic background of gravitational waves was produced during the formation of the universe. A great deal could be learned by measuring this cosmic gravitational-wave background (CGB), but detecting the CGB presents a significant technological challenge. The signal strength is expected to be extremely weak, and there will be competition from unresolved astrophysical foregrounds such as white dwarf binaries. Our goal is to identify the most promising approach to detecting the CGB. We study the sensitivities that can be reached using both individual, and cross-correlated pairs of space-based interferometers. Our main result is a general, coordinate-free formalism for calculating the detector response that applies to arbitrary detector configurations. We use this general formalism to identify some promising designs for a gravitational background interferometer mission. Our conclusion is that detecting the CGB may not be out of reach.
The evolution of labile traits in sex‐ and age‐structured populations

Summary Many quantitative traits are labile (e.g. somatic growth rate, reproductive timing and investment), varying over the life cycle as a result of behavioural adaptation, developmental processes and plastic responses to the environment. At the population level, selection can alter the distribution of such traits across age classes and among generations. Despite a growing body of theoretical research exploring the evolutionary dynamics of labile traits, a data‐driven framework for incorporating such traits into demographic models has not yet been developed. Integral projection models (IPMs) are increasingly being used to understand the interplay between changes in labile characters, life histories and population dynamics. One limitation of the IPM approach is that it relies on phenotypic associations between parents and offspring traits to capture inheritance. However, it is well‐established that many different processes may drive these associations, and currently, no clear consensus has emerged on how to model micro‐evolutionary dynamics in an IPM framework. We show how to embed quantitative genetic models of inheritance of labile traits into age‐structured, two‐sex models that resemble standard IPMs. Commonly used statistical tools such as GLMs and their mixed model counterparts can then be used for model parameterization. We illustrate the methodology through development of a simple model of egg‐laying date evolution, parameterized using data from a population of Great tits (Parus major). We demonstrate how our framework can be used to project the joint dynamics of species' traits and population density. We then develop a simple extension of the age‐structured Price equation (ASPE) for two‐sex populations, and apply this to examine the age‐specific contributions of different processes to change in the mean phenotype and breeding value. The data‐driven framework we outline here has the potential to facilitate greater insight into the nature of selection and its consequences in settings where focal traits vary over the lifetime through ontogeny, behavioural adaptation and phenotypic plasticity, as well as providing a potential bridge between theoretical and empirical studies of labile trait variation.
OPTIMAL PSYCHOLINGUISTIC ENVIRONMENTS FOR DISTANCE FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Rational choices among the numerous technological options available for foreign language teaching need to be based, in part, on psycholinguistic considerations. Which technological advances help create an optimal psycholinguistic environment for language learning, and which may be innovative but relatively unhelpful? One potential source of guidance is offered by the 10 methodological principles of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT; Long, 1985, and elsewhere), each realizable by a variety of pedagogic procedures. Interest in TBLT derives from several sources, including its responsiveness to learners' precisely specified communicative needs, the potential it offers for developing functional language proficiency without sacrificing grammatical accuracy, and its attempt to harmonize the way languages are taught with what SLA research has revealed about how they are learned. TBLT's 10 methodological principles are briefly defined and motivated, and illustrations provided of how the principles can inform choices among technological options in the particular case of distance learning for the less commonly taught languages.
Statistical consequences of using bone mineral density to pair cadaver femurs in comparative ex vivo hip fracture studies

Objective In ex vivo hip fracture studies femoral pairs are split to create two comparable test groups. When more than two groups are required, or if paired femurs cannot be obtained, group allocation according to bone mineral density (BMD) is sometimes performed. In this statistical experiment we explore how this affects experimental results and sample size considerations. Methods In a hip fracture experiment, nine pairs of human cadaver femurs were tested in a paired study design. The femurs were then re-matched according to BMD, creating two new test groups. Intra-pair variance and paired correlations in fixation stability were calculated. A hypothetical power analysis was then performed to explore the required sample size for the two types of group allocation. Results The standard deviation (sd) of the mean paired difference in fixation stability increased from 2 mm in donor pairs to 5 mm in BMD-matched pairs. Intra-pair correlation was 0.953 (Pearson’s r) in donor pairs and non-significant at -0.134 (Pearson’s r) in BMD-matched pairs. Required sample size to achieve a statistical power of 0.8 increased from ten pairs using donor pairs to 54 pairs using BMD-matched pairs. Conclusion BMD cannot be used to create comparable test groups unless sample size is increased substantially and paired statistics are no longer valid. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:317–20.
Triggered instructions: a control paradigm for spatially-programmed architectures

In this paper, we present triggered instructions, a novel control paradigm for arrays of processing elements (PEs) aimed at exploiting spatial parallelism. Triggered instructions completely eliminate the program counter and allow programs to transition concisely between states without explicit branch instructions. They also allow efficient reactivity to inter-PE communication traffic. The approach provides a unified mechanism to avoid over-serialized execution, essentially achieving the effect of techniques such as dynamic instruction reordering and multithreading, which each require distinct hardware mechanisms in a traditional sequential architecture. Our analysis shows that a triggered-instruction based spatial accelerator can achieve 8X greater area-normalized performance than a traditional general-purpose processor. Further analysis shows that triggered control reduces the number of static and dynamic instructions in the critical paths by 62% and 64% respectively over a program-counter style spatial baseline, resulting in a speedup of 2.0X.
Considerations for the Design of Mini-games Integrating Hints for Puzzle Solving ICT-Related Concepts

Educational games have been proved to be learning environments that are more in correspondence with new generation of students since they can provide successful learning and motivate students in their learning process. In this line, several studies describe the main factors that games should have in order to design engaging learning experiences. Taking into account these factors, this paper presents the design of three different game-based learning environments providing hints for puzzle solving different tasks within the area of computer architecture, programming fundamentals, and computing networks. An evaluation carried out with secondary and higher education students provides further considerations regarding the design of hints, score, and supportive learning material that should be taken into account when creating such kind of games.