Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence of a Task-Independent Neural Signature in the Spectral Shape of the Electroencephalogram

Genetic and neurophysiological studies of electroencephalogram (EEG) have shown that an individual's brain activity during a given cognitive task is, to some extent, determined by their genes. In fact, the field of biometrics has successfully used this property to build systems capable of identifying users from their neural activity. These studies have always been carried out in isolated conditions, such as relaxing with eyes closed, identifying visual targets or solving mathematical operations. Here we show for the first time that the neural signature extracted from the spectral shape of the EEG is to a large extent independent of the recorded cognitive task and experimental condition. In addition, we propose to use this task-independent neural signature for more precise biometric identity verification. We present two systems: one based on real cepstrums and one based on linear predictive coefficients. We obtained verification accuracies above 89% on 4 of the 6 databases used. We anticipate this finding will create a new set of experimental possibilities within many brain research fields, such as the study of neuroplasticity, neurodegenerative diseases and brain machine interfaces, as well as the mentioned genetic, neurophysiological and biometric studies. Furthermore, the proposed biometric approach represents an important advance towards real world deployments of this new technology.
A Study of Relationship Between Creativity and Academic Achievement of Secondary School Pupils

A Study of Creativity and Academic Achievement of Secondary School Pupils has been dealt with in this paper. The sample consisted of 100 students of different High schools in Kollegala Taluk. The basis of was Government- 50 Unaided-50 students. Research tool used in the study was “Bekar mahadiyar creativity test” the research tool has 3 types of activities. Coefficient of correlation and‘t’-test’ technique was adopted for data analysis. There is slightly positive relationship between creativity and academic achievement of 8 th standard students and there is no significant difference creativity of 8th standard students between boys and girls, rural and urban students and government and aided school students.
Procaine administration and behavioral responsivity in post‐traumatic stress disorder: a pilot study of tolerability

Procaine, a local anesthetic, selectively activates the anterior limbic region of the brain, including the anterior cingulate, and may produce powerful emotional and other behavioral responses (including psychotic symptoms) in humans. In a pilot study, we administered intravenous procaine and placebo (saline) to nine combat veterans with PTSD at a dose of procaine known to produce significant behavioral responses in healthy subjects (1·38 mg/kg). All but one PTSD patient had mild to moderate, subjective responses to procaine that were statistically elevated on a procaine symptom rating scale (p<0·01) compared with saline. Symptoms that occurred only during the procaine infusion included anxiety or euphoria, auditory and visual hallucinations or illusions, and certain physical symptoms such as paresthesias. Two of the nine patients had specific PTSD reexperiencing symptoms. However, all patients tolerated the procedure well and, in eight of the patients, symptoms resolved within 5–10 min of procaine administration. One patient had possible dissociative symptoms up to 1 h after procaine that resolved without a recurrence. No patient had a persistent exacerbation of PTSD symptoms. This pilot study suggests that procaine may be a feasible pharmacologic probe to test anterior limbic function in PTSD. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predictors of Postsecondary Success.

The purpose of this brief is to provide information to state, district, and school personnel seeking support to determine whether their students are on a path to postsecondary success. The College and Career Readiness and Success Center (CCRS Center) has received technical assistance requests from a number of states regarding factors that predict postsecondary success, and this brief summarizes and expands on the information shared with these states. Specifically, we summarize early childhood through early postsecondary education research that identifies student skills, behaviors, and other characteristics that predict future academic and workplace success. We have attempted to focus on a variety of measures drawn from readily available data that schools, districts, and states are likely to have. Through this information, policymakers and practitioners can begin to inform the development and validation of factors to identify students who are not on a path to postsecondary success as early as prekindergarten and as late as their senior year of high school. These factors can inform practice and can be integrated into a longitudinal tracking mechanism to identify and monitor individual students who may need additional resources or supports at any point during their schooling. In addition, tracking and measuring factors of success across prekindergarten to early postsecondary education offer a prime opportunity to develop and evaluate systemwide improvement efforts. For example, these data may help identify particular grades, schools, or subgroups of students (e.g., English language learners) that need additional support, enabling both school and district personnel to develop and monitor the impact of policies, programs, or interventions designed to improve outcomes for targeted groups or for the system in general.
Genetic Control of Giant Perivascular Space Formation in the Thymus of NOD Mice

The immune system of NOD mice exhibits several anomalies, one being the intrathymic formation of giant perivascular spaces (PVSs) filled with mature thymocytes and some B-cells, intermingled within a network of extracellular matrix. The abnormal retention of thymocytes on their way to the periphery could have a profound impact on the nature of the exported cells and the regulation of autoimmune events. In the present study, we evaluated the appearance of this defect into F1 hybrids, the association with some of the known diabetes susceptibility loci (Idd genes) in a panel of NOD and reciprocal C57BL congenic strains, and the relative contribution of epithelial versus hematopoietic stroma. The analysis of F1 hybrid thymuses reveals a dominant expression of thymic giant PVS that is only marginally influenced by the outcross strain. Moreover, giant PVS expression in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and Idd congenic mice is determined by the genetic background. All of the NOD congenics express the anomaly, irrespective of the Idd resistance alleles that have been introgressed, whereas none of the C57BL congenic mice present abnormal PVS. Finally, the expression of giant PVS in parental → F1 bone marrow chimeras is predominantly controlled by the thymic NOD-derived hematopoietic microenvironment. In conclusion, the giant PVS formation in the NOD mouse thymus is a dominantly inherited anomaly associated with hematopoietic-derived tissue and with non-MHC genes. The exact contribution of PVS to the autoimmune process remains to be definitively established.
Consensus in Networks of Nonidentical Euler–Lagrange Systems Using P+d Controllers

This paper presents a proportional plus damping controller that can asymptotically drive a network composed of N nonidentical Euler-Lagrange (EL) systems toward a consensus point. The agents can be fully actuated or can belong to a class of underactuated EL-systems. The network is modeled as a weighted and undirected static interconnection graph that can exhibit asymmetric variable time delays. Simulations, using a network with ten EL-systems, are reported to support the theoretical contributions of this study.
Exploration of Factors Related to the Development of Vocational Identity in Collegiate Student-Athletes.

iii Chapter I: Introduction 1 Statement of the Problem 1 Relevance of the Current Study 6 Purpose and Research Questions 7 Grounded Theory Approach 8 Chapter II: Review of the Literature 10 Career Development and the Student-Athlete 10 Professional Athletics Career Expectations 10 Psychosocial Development and Vocational Decision-Making 13 Career Maturity and Career Adaptability 16 Career and Academic Engagement During College: NSSE and NCAA Findings 17 Differences Across Gender and Sport 20 What’s Missing? 21 Transitioning into Adulthood 21 Transition from College and Sport to Work 24 Role Engulfment, Role Domination, and the Student-Athlete 25 Self-Complexity and Student-Athletes 27 Relevant Vocational Theory 29 Super’s Life Span, Life Space Theory 30 Theory of Career Adaptability 36 Trilateral Model and the Theory of Occupational Engagement 37 Social Cognitive Career Theory 40 Planned Happenstance 45 Summary of the Literature 46 Chapter III: Methods 48 Participants 48 Instruments 48 Procedure 50 Data Analysis 52 Chapter IV: Results 55 The Athletics Experience 56 Childhood Histories in Athletics 56 Changes from High School to College Athletics 56 Personality Traits and Attitudes held by Student-Athletes 58 Athletics as an Obstacle to Career and Vocational Identity Development 65 Athletics as a Benefit to Vocational Identity Development 73 The Role and Meaning of Being a Student-Athlete 77 Identity, Role Engulfment, and Role Imbalance in Student-Athletes 79
Oxytocin receptor gene expression in the rat uterus during pregnancy and the estrous cycle and in response to gonadal steroid treatment.

It is well established that uterine oxytocin receptors (OTRs) are strongly up-regulated immediately before parturition as well as in response to estrogen (E2) administration. Progesterone (P4), on the other hand, induces a rapid down-regulation. We recently cloned the rat OTR gene and characterized its expression in the rat uterus. In this study, we examined the regulation of OTR messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in rat uterus during pregnancy, the estrous cycle, and in response to gonadal steroid treatment. OTR mRNA levels increased more than 25-fold during gestation: 4.5-fold during the first 21 days and 6-fold within 24 h between day 21 and the onset of parturition. Uterine OTR mRNA levels fell rapidly by 85% within 24 h following parturition. By in situ hybridization, OTR mRNA was localized specifically to the longitudinal and circular layers of the myometrium but was not detected in the endometrium. During the estrous cycle, OTR mRNA levels increased 2-fold between metestrus and proestrus, whereas oxytocin (OT) binding rose more than 10-fold within this same interval. Treatment of ovariectomized rats with E2 lead to a significant increase in both OTR mRNA levels (4.4-fold) and OT binding (< 6-fold). Cotreatment with P4 strongly reduced OT binding by 75% (P < 0.01) but did not significantly affect the E2-induced rise in OTR mRNA (11% decrease, P > 0.1). Our data suggest that the increased expression of OT binding sites observed at the onset of labor and at proestrus is mediated, at least in part, by an E2-induced up-regulation of OTR gene expression. However, it also appears that OTR mRNA levels are not the sole determinants of uterine OT binding. Specifically, P4-mediated OTR down-regulation cannot be explained by an effect on OTR mRNA accumulation and may involve novel mechanisms acting at translational or posttranslational levels.
Matrix Nearness Problems with Bregman Divergences

This paper discusses a new class of matrix nearness problems that measure approximation error using a directed distance measure called a Bregman divergence. Bregman divergences offer an important generalization of the squared Frobenius norm and relative entropy, and they all share fundamental geometric properties. In addition, these divergences are intimately connected with exponential families of probability distributions. Therefore, it is natural to study matrix approximation problems with respect to Bregman divergences. This article proposes a framework for studying these problems, discusses some specific matrix nearness problems, and provides algorithms for solving them numerically. These algorithms apply to many classical and novel problems, and they admit a striking geometric interpretation.
The effect of season performance on male and female track and field athletes' self-identity

Although the “self” has generally been conceptualized as relatively stable in sport-specific research, events such as deselection, injury, and career termination have been found to negatively affect athletes’ levels of identification with the athlete role. Additionally, there has been limited research regarding competitive failure and its ability to negatively affect athletes’ levels of identification with the athlete role. The purpose of the present investigation was to provide additional evidence regarding the influence poor competitive seasons have on the malleability of athletes’ self-identity. Athletes were followed throughout the course of their season to determine whether athletes who encountered a poor competitive season reported lowered levels of athletic identity. Specifically, male and female NCAA Division I track and field athletes completed pre-indoor, post-indoor, and post-outdoor assessments of athletic identity. Contrary to previous research, the current study’s results indicated no identifiable relationship between male and female athletes’ season performance satisfaction and their level of post-indoor and post-outdoor athletic identity. Thus, the greatest predictor of athletes’ post-season level of athletic identity was their pre-season level of athletic identity, regardless of season performance. Given these results, future research should assess self-esteem as well as other potential coping strategies athletes might use in order to gain a better understanding of the effect encountering a poor competitive season may have on athletes’ self-identity.
Towards a Robust Metric of Opinion

This paper describes an automated system for detecting polar expressions about a topic of interest. The two elementary components of this approach are a shallow NLP polar language extraction system and a machine learning based topic classifier. These components are composed together by making a simple but accurate collocation assumption: if a topical sentence contains polar language, the system predicts that the polar language is reflective of the topic, and not some other subject matter. We evaluate our system, components and assumption on a corpus of online consumer messages. Based on these components, we discuss how to measure the overall sentiment about a particular topic as expressed in online messages authored by many different people. We propose to use the fundamentals of Bayesian statistics to form an aggregate authorial opinion metric. This metric would propagate uncertainties introduced by the polarity and topic modules to facilitate statistically valid comparisons of opinion across multiple topics.
A Voice of Reason in the Wilderness

In this response to Dr. Robinson's essay, the arguments set forth are supported and elaborated upon from this author's personal experiences. Robinson has helped educators reconsider political correctness in order to reshape their vision of what the focus of the field should be. The argument is made that gifted educators must begin once again to lead with their heads instead of their hearts and emotions if the best services are to be provided to the heart of this field: the children themselves. Case studies that illustrate Robinson's statements, both in acknowledgement of the issues on which she has expounded and in trying to arrive at some solution for these issues, are provided.
Mediating effects of subordinates' competence on leadership styles and organisational citizenship behaviour

This paper seeks to examine the relationship between leadership styles and organisational citizenship behaviour within Malaysian companies. Although there have been several studies that explored the relationship between leadership styles and citizenship behaviour, hitherto, there has yet a study carried out to examine the mediating effects of subordinates’ competence on such relationship. Data from 347 respondents from various industries showed that transformational leadership is significantly related to the subordinates’ organisational citizenship behaviour. Subordinate competence by itself is not directly related to the organisational citizenship behaviour but it serves to mediate the relationship between transformational leadership style and the organisational citizenship behaviour. The paper concludes by highlighting the implications of the study for future research and practice. Key words: Leadership, competence, organisational citizenship behavior.
Spin–exciton interaction and related micro-photoluminescence spectra of ZnSe:Mn DMS nanoribbon

For their spintronic applications the magnetic and optical properties of diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) have been studied widely. However, the exact relationships between the magnetic interactions and optical emission behaviors in DMS are not well understood yet due to their complicated microstructural and compositional characters from different growth and preparation techniques. Manganese (Mn) doped ZnSe nanoribbons with high quality were obtained by using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Successful Mn ion doping in a single ZnSe nanoribbon was identified by elemental energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy mapping and micro-photoluminescence (PL) mapping of intrinsic d–d optical transition at 580 nm, i.e. the transition of 4T1(4G) → 6A1(6s),. Besides the d–d transition PL peak at 580 nm, two other PL peaks related to Mn ion aggregates in the ZnSe lattice were detected at 664 nm and 530 nm, which were assigned to the d–d transitions from the Mn2+–Mn2+ pairs with ferromagnetic (FM) coupling and antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling, respectively. Moreover, AFM pair formation goes along with strong coupling with acoustic phonon or structural defects. These arguments were supported by temperature-dependent PL spectra, power-dependent PL lifetimes, and first-principle calculations. Due to the ferromagnetic pair existence, an exciton magnetic polaron (EMP) is formed and emits at 460 nm. Defect existence favors the AFM pair, which also can account for its giant enhancement of spin–orbital coupling and the spin Hall effect observed in PRL 97, 126603(2006) and PRL 96, 196404(2006). These emission results of DMS reflect their relation to local sp-d hybridization, spin–spin magnetic coupling, exciton–spin or phonon interactions covering structural relaxations. This kind of material can be used to study the exciton–spin interaction and may find applications in spin-related photonic devices besides spintronics.
Homologous trans-editing factors with broad tRNA specificity prevent mistranslation caused by serine/threonine misactivation

Significance A key step in protein synthesis is catalyzed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs), which attach specific amino acids to tRNAs. Errors caused by ARS amino acid misactivation require proofreading activities encoded in editing domains. Approximately half of the ARSs possess intrinsic editing functions, and single-domain editing proteins also are encoded in some organisms. The present study used an in vivo screen coupled with in vitro assays to elucidate the substrate specificity of two free-standing editing domains, revealing that they are multifunctional Ser/Thr-tRNA deacylases with the ability to prevent errors caused by a number of ARSs. Trans-editing proteins with broad substrate specificities provide a growth advantage to microbes under conditions in which amino acid pools are altered and may represent novel targets. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) establish the rules of the genetic code, whereby each amino acid is attached to a cognate tRNA. Errors in this process lead to mistranslation, which can be toxic to cells. The selective forces exerted by species-specific requirements and environmental conditions potentially shape quality-control mechanisms that serve to prevent mistranslation. A family of editing factors that are homologous to the editing domain of bacterial prolyl-tRNA synthetase includes the previously characterized trans-editing factors ProXp-ala and YbaK, which clear Ala-tRNAPro and Cys-tRNAPro, respectively, and three additional homologs of unknown function, ProXp-x, ProXp-y, and ProXp-z. We performed an in vivo screen of 230 conditions in which an Escherichia coli proXp-y deletion strain was grown in the presence of elevated levels of amino acids and specific ARSs. This screen, together with the results of in vitro deacylation assays, revealed Ser- and Thr-tRNA deacylase function for this homolog. A similar activity was demonstrated for Bordetella parapertussis ProXp-z in vitro. These proteins, now renamed “ProXp-ST1” and “ProXp-ST2,” respectively, recognize multiple tRNAs as substrates. Taken together, our data suggest that these free-standing editing domains have the ability to prevent mistranslation errors caused by a number of ARSs, including lysyl-tRNA synthetase, threonyl-tRNA synthetase, seryl-tRNA synthetase, and alanyl-tRNA synthetase. The expression of these multifunctional enzymes is likely to provide a selective growth advantage to organisms subjected to environmental stresses and other conditions that alter the amino acid pool.
On burst-and-coast swimming performance in fish-like locomotion

Burst-and-coast swimming performance in fish-like locomotion is studied via two-dimensional numerical simulation. The numerical method used is the collocated finite-volume adaptive Cartesian cut-cell method developed previously. The NACA00×× airfoil shape is used as an equilibrium fish-body form. Swimming in a burst-and-coast style is computed assuming that the burst phase is composed of a single tail-beat. Swimming efficiency is evaluated in terms of the mass-specific cost of transport instead of the Froude efficiency. The effects of the Reynolds number (based on the body length and burst time), duty cycle and fineness ratio (the body length over the largest thickness) on swimming performance (momentum capacity and the mass-specific cost of transport) are studied quantitatively. The results lead to a conclusion consistent with previous findings that a larval fish seldom swims in a burst-and-coast style. Given mass and swimming speed, a fish needs the least cost if it swims in a burst-and-coast style with a fineness ratio of 8.33. This energetically optimal fineness ratio is larger than that derived from the simple hydromechanical model proposed in literature. The calculated amount of energy saving in burst-and-coast swimming is comparable with the real-fish estimation in the literature. Finally, the predicted wake-vortex structures of both continuous and burst-and-coast swimming are biologically relevant.
Treatment of urinary tract infection with gentamicin once or three times daily

Aim: To examine the safety and efficacy of once‐daily (OD) gentamicin treatment compared with conventional 8‐hourly dosing (TDS) for urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial of children 1 mo to 13 y of age with presumed UTI. Children were randomly assigned to OD gentamicin 5 mg kg−1 d−1 or TDS gentamicin 6 mg kg−1 d−1 divided 8 hourly. Microbiological efficacy, nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity and renal scarring were assessed at the end of treatment. Results: 210 patients with presumed UTI were recruited, of whom 172 were analysable (OD 84, TDS 88). The median age was 7 mo, 50% were male and 74% (n= 127) of patients had pyelonephritis. The majority of infections were due to Escherichia coli (n= 153, 89%), of which 9 (5.2%) were bacteraemic. Comparing the two groups, there was no significant difference in age, gender, duration of fever before admission, pyuria, nitrite positivity or initial total white blood cell count. All patients had negative urine cultures after 2–3 d of treatment, demonstrating 100% microbiological efficacy. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of ototoxicity, nephrotoxicity, duration of gentamicin treatment or time to fever defervescence.