Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perception and estimation of time in long-term survivors of childhood posterior fossa tumors

We examined short duration perception (400 ms), long duration estimation (30 and 60 min), and spatiotemporal estimation in long-term survivors of childhood cerebellar tumors with a mean time since diagnosis of 14.2 years. Groups of individuals with tumors treated with surgery only (astrocytoma, N = 20) were compared to those with tumors treated with surgery, focal radiation, and craniospinal radiation (medulloblastoma, N = 20), and to age- matched controls (N = 40). Childhood lesions of the cerebellum produced enduring deficits in short-duration perception, but spared the ability to functionally estimate long durations, regardless of the pathology or treatment of the tumor. Evidence did not support any functional recovery over time of the cerebellar system that underlies short-duration perception. Younger age at treatment was not a protective factor. Although no group differences were present in the functional measures of long-duration estimation, tumor-related prospective memory deficits interfered with the ability to produce long-duration prospective estimates. The utilization of sensory and somatomotor information to refine real-world spatiotemporal estimates was compromised in the medulloblastoma group only. (JINS, 2000, 6, 682–692.)
Neuropathologic features associated with Alzheimer disease diagnosis

Objective: To examine whether the association between clinical Alzheimer disease (AD) diagnosis and neuropathology and the precision by which neuropathology differentiates people with clinical AD from those with normal cognition varies by age. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2,014 older adults (≥70 years at death) from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center database with clinical diagnosis of normal cognition (made ≤1 year before death, n = 419) or AD (at ≥65 years, n = 1,595) and a postmortem neuropathologic examination evaluating AD pathology (neurofibrillary tangles, neuritic plaques) and non-AD pathology (diffuse plaques, amyloid angiopathy, Lewy bodies, macrovascular disease, microvascular disease). We used adjusted logistic regression to analyze the relationship between clinical AD diagnosis and neuropathologic features, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (c statistic) to evaluate how precisely neuropathology differentiates between cognitive diagnoses, and an interaction to identify effect modification by age group. Results: In a model controlling for coexisting neuropathologic features, the relationship between clinical AD diagnosis and neurofibrillary tangles was significantly weaker with increasing age (p < 0.001 for interaction). The aggregate of all neuropathologic features more strongly differentiated people with clinical AD from those without in younger age groups (70–74 years: c statistic, 95% confidence interval: 0.93, 0.89–0.96; 75–84 years: 0.95, 0.87–0.95; ≥85 years: 0.83, 0.80–0.87). Non-AD pathology significantly improved precision of differentiation across all age groups (p < 0.004). Conclusion: Clinical AD diagnosis was more weakly associated with neurofibrillary tangles among the oldest old compared to younger age groups, possibly due to less accurate clinical diagnosis, better neurocompensation, or unaccounted pathology among the oldest old.
Description of a new polymer-secreting bacterium from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent, Alteromonas macleodii subsp. fijiensis, and preliminary characterization of the polymer

A deep-sea, aerobic, mesophilic, heterotrophic bacterium was isolated from fluid collected near an active hydrothermal vent. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses and DNA-DNA relatedness, strain ST716 could be assigned to the species Alteromonas macleodii as a new subspecies. This bacterium secreted an unusual high-molecular-weight polysaccharide in the presence of glucose in batch cultures. The viscosity of this exopolysaccharide is of the same order of magnitude as that of xanthan, another bacterial polysaccharide of industrial interest. This polysaccharide, produced during the stationary phase, contained glucose, mannose, pyruvated mannose, and galactose along with galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid.
The interactive roles of mastery climate and performance climate in predicting intrinsic motivation

This study examined the interplay between perceived mastery and performance climates in predicting increased intrinsic motivation. The results of a two‐wave longitudinal study comprising of 141 individuals from three military academies revealed a positive relationship between a perceived mastery climate and increased intrinsic motivation only for individuals who perceived a low performance climate. This finding suggests a positive relationship between a perceived mastery climate and increased intrinsic motivation only when combined with low perceptions of a performance climate. Hence, introducing a performance climate in addition to a mastery climate can be an undermining motivational strategy, as it attenuates the positive relationship between a mastery climate and increased intrinsic motivation. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
DIFFERENTIABLE DECISION TREES

As deep learning-based classifiers are increasingly adopted in real-world applications, the importance of understanding how a particular label is chosen grows. Single decision trees are an example of a simple, interpretable classifier, but are unsuitable for use with complex, high-dimensional data. On the other hand, the variational autoencoder (VAE) is designed to learn a factored, low-dimensional representation of data, but typically encodes high-likelihood data in an intrinsically non-separable way. We introduce the differentiable decision tree (DDT) as a modular component of deep networks and a simple, differentiable loss function that allows for end-to-end optimization of a deep network to compress high-dimensional data for classification by a single decision tree. We also explore the power of labeled data in a supervised VAE (SVAE) with a Gaussian mixture prior, which leverages label information to produce a high-quality generative model with improved bounds on log-likelihood. We combine the SVAE with the DDT to get our classifier+VAE (C+VAE), which is competitive in both classification error and log-likelihood, despite optimizing both simultaneously and using a very simple encoder/decoder architecture.
Qualis: the quality of service component for the Globus metacomputing system

General computing over a widely distributed set of heterogeneous machines-typically called metacomputing-offers definite advantages. The notion of quality of service (QoS) for metacomputing is very important. This paper presents Qualis, the QoS component for the Globus metacomputing system. We present the Qualis architecture, how it is integrated into the Globus architecture, and how it addresses QoS in a metacomputing environment.
Factors associated with psychotic symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease

OBJECTIVES Many clinical and biological factors have been reported to be associated with the presence of psychosis in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, although the associations were variable. The aim of this study was to clarify factors associated with the presence of psychosis in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. METHODS Psychiatric functioning was studied in 228 patients with Alzheimer’s disease based on the results of the behavioural pathology in Alzheimer’s disease rating scale or the neuropsychiatric inventory. The effects of sex, education level, age, duration of illness, cognitive function, and apolipoprotein E genotype were investigated for dichotomous psychotic status with a multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Of the 228 patients with Alzheimer’s disease, 118 (51.8%) showed evidence of delusions or hallucinations. Of these, 94 had delusions only, three had hallucinations only, and 21 had both. Older age, female sex, longer duration of illness, and more severe cognitive impairment were the factors independently associated with the presence of psychosis. The presence of psychosis was not significantly related to either educational level or apolipoprotein E genotype. CONCLUSIONS Age, sex, and severity of illness were independent factors associated with the presence of psychosis in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The reason why some patients with Alzheimer’s disease develop psychosis remains unclear. There may be distinctive subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease or the presence of individual factors which affect the development of psychosis.
USO DEL HÁBITAT POR LA NUTRIA NEOTROPICAL LONTRA LONGICAUDIS (CARNÍVORA: MUSTELIDAE) EN LA ZONA BAJA DEL RÍO ROBLE, ALTO CAUCA, COLOMBIA

The use of the habitat by the neotropical river otter was studied using indirect evidence in the lower Roble river. From August 2006 until March 2007, walks were taken along a 5 kilometer stretch of river, and 5 m of the river bank were examined on each side, with repetition every 15 days, in search for signs of the neotropical river otter. The terrestrial and aquatic habitat was characterized every 400 m and a vegetation coverage map was elaborated. The landascape matrix is dominated by pasture used for cattle grazing, followed by secondary and mixed forests and Guadua angustifoli forests, which are the dominant species, presenting abundant shrubbery and fallen logs that provide camouflage and refuge for the otter. The otter prefers territory marking sites in the summer (dry) season (January- March), rocks emerging from the stream, and the determining characteristics for choosing such rocks was size, height, bank proximity, and vegetation coverage (r² = 20.44; cp = 2.151, n = 10). Whereas during the winter (wet) season (October - December), smaller rocks, yet high enough to avoid the stream during a rise in the water level, were chosen by the otter (r² = 24.64; cp = 0.196, n = 10). 36.8% of the total marked rocks were reused during the study period. The preference of the neotropical river otter for this type of habitat with well preserved riverside vegetation is remarked, concluding that the low basin of the Roble river is a important area for the conservation of the species.
An Analytical Approach to Harmonic Analysis and Controller Design of a STATCOM

An analytical approach to harmonic analysis of a static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) based on Bessel functions of the first kind is described and a novel STATCOM controller with a fixed modulation index reference to minimize voltage and current harmonics is presented in this paper. Harmonic analysis of the STATCOM using the proposed analytical approach reveals that the total harmonic distortion of the STATCOM output voltage is minimal as the modulation index is fixed at unity at steady state. Then, a STATCOM controller with an adjustable modulation index during the transient period is designed by the pole assignment method to regulate ac system bus voltage in a very efficient manner. By comparing results obtained from the analytical approach, the computer simulations, and the experiments, it is concluded that the proposed analytical approach gives harmonic spectra which are very close to those from simulations and experiments. In addition, the step load change testings demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed STATCOM controller in regulating ac bus voltage
Spatial characterization of electrical power consumption patterns over India using temporal DMSP‐OLS night‐time satellite data

Changes in electric power consumption patterns of a country over a period of time reflect on its socio‐economic development and energy utilization processes. In the present study, we characterized spatial and temporal changes in electric power consumption patterns over India during 1993 to 2002, using ‘night‐time lights’ data given by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program–Operational Line Scan System (DMSP‐OLS) over the Indian region. The OLS operates in two bands: visible (0.5–0.9 µm) and thermal (10.5–12.5 µm) and has a unique capability of picking up faint sources of visible–near infrared emissions (lights) at night on the Earth's surface including cities, towns and villages with a DN value ranging from 1 to 63. Night‐time light images for cloud‐free dates given by the DMSP‐OLS from 1993 to 2002 were segregated into respective years and were integrated to generate one ‘Stable light image’ per year. Changes in light scenarios over the Indian region in the decadal time frame were studied using stable lights datasets from 1993 to 2002. Information on changes in the light scenarios was integrated with demographic data to characterize developments in major cities and states of India. Results of the study suggested an increase in population by 170 million and power consumption from 44962 million kWh to 306355 million kWh over the country during 1993–2002, which was associated with an overall increase in number of night‐time lights of up to 26% in all states, indicating development in electric power consumption patterns. Correlation analysis between increase in population to the increase in night‐time lights and electric power consumption showed a coefficient of determination, R 2, of 0.59 and 0.56 respectively. Increase in light intensities along the peripheries of major Indian cities was observed, which indicated increased stress on the cities and corresponding development in power consumption patterns during the decadal time frame. Certain states, however, showed a decrease in night‐time lights in some areas, which are primarily attributed to the decreased economic growth trend and poverty and accounted to the scatter observed in the correlation analysis. Results are discussed in the paper.
Subtidal circulation over the upper slope to the west of Monterey Bay, California

Abstract : Moored current meters were used to describe currents over the continental slope off Monterey Bay, California, from March 1998 to March 2003. The water depth at this location was 1800 m and current observations included depths of 16-88 m, 210-290 m, 305 m and 1200 m although measurements at 16-88 m were not continuous. Poleward currents dominated the flow between 24 and 305 m. At 305 m the mean flow was 3.9 cm/s toward 334 deg. Surprisingly, at 1200 m the mean flow reversed and was 0.8 cm/s toward 169 deg. The principal axis for the flow at 305 m (1200 m) was 349 deg. (350 deg), the semi-major axis was 9.4 cm/s (5.8 cm/s) and the semi-minor axis 3.4 (2.0 cm/s). The direction of the principal axis and the mean flow at 1200 m was aligned with the bathymetry to the east of the mooring site. The seasonal cycle at 305 m was dominated by an acceleration of the poleward flow from a minimum near zero on April 15 to maximum, 25 cm/s on July 15. This flow resulted in an increase of temperature at 305 m of 1.2 deg. C due to geostrophic adjustment and a corresponding 10 cm increase in sea level due to steric effects. The acceleration of alongshore flow was out of phase with the alongshore pressure gradient which was greatest in mid-April. At 1200 m, the temperature increase (0.2 deg. C) only lasted from April 15 to June 1 after which equatorward flow increased and temperature decreased. Mesoscale variability dominated the velocity measurements with maximum variance at about 60-day periods. At 305 m, the eddy kinetic energy was greatest (smallest) in October (December), 40 /sq cm/s-sq. (4 cm sq./s-squared) while at 1200 m the maximum (minimum) occurred in July (February), 5 cm sq. /s-sq. (0.5 cm sq./s-sq.). Poleward events were stronger at 305 m while equatorward events were stronger at 1200 m. The three first empirical orthogonal functions explained 90% of the temporal variability of the horizontal currents.
Strain rates in northwestern Italy from spatially smoothed seismicity

[1] This work presents seismic strain rate maps for the Western Alps and Northern Apennines (northern Italy) as derived from an earthquake catalog collecting both historical and instrumental data. Strain rates are calculated on the basis of the rate of seismic moment release using the Anderson method. Unlike previous applications, which determined the total strain rate associated with specific seismogenic sources, we have employed an innovative zoneless approach based on a spatially smoothed seismicity method. In addition, a Monte Carlo simulation procedure is applied to allow for uncertainty in the input data (e.g., magnitude to moment conversion, seismogenic thickness, maximum earthquake magnitude). Strain rate maps are developed by summing the moments of the earthquakes reported in the catalog and by using two different earthquake recurrence relations. Our results indicate that deformation rates are quite high, ranging from about 2 to 12 × 10−9 yr−1 in the Northern Apennines and from 0.5 to 6 × 10−9 yr−1 in the Western Alps. These values, however, are ∼1 order less than those derived from Global Positioning System measurements, suggesting that a portion of the recent deformation in northwestern Italy is related to aseismic processes. The discrepancies between seismic and geodetic strain rates may also indicate that the record of seismicity may not provide a sufficient time window for assessment of secular rates of moment release (or secular deformation rates) and rates of recurrence of large magnitude earthquakes in the study area.
Community Isomorphism and Corporate Social Action

We present a model of how institutional pressures at the community level shape corporate social action—behaviors and practices that extend beyond immediate profit maximization goals and are intended to increase social benefits or mitigate social problems for constituencies external to the firm—within the metropolitan area where firms are headquartered. We propose that community isomorphism influences the nature and level of corporate social action within communities and conclude with theoretical implications emphasizing the community as the focal unit of analysis for understanding corporate social action.
Determining aquifer characteristics by the tidal method

If ground-water levels of a confined aquifer fluctuate with sea tides, individual values of hydraulic conductivity and specific storage can then be determined. Apparent tidal efficiency and time lag are first calculated from the water level data recorded at an observational device situated inland from the sea, taking into account the response characteristics of the observational device according to criteria established by Hvorslev [1951]. The true tidal efficiency of the aquifer at the seacoast is then determined from the apparent tidal efficiency and used to obtain the specific storage. This and the tidal time lag are utilized to calculate the hydraulic conductivity. The method was tested in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and yielded results compatible with pump test data. This is a simple and inexpensive way to test a confined aquifer in the coastal environment.
Comparing different methods for assessing ground truth of rover data analysis for the 2005 season of the Life in the Atacama Project

[1] The scientific success of a remote exploration rover mission depends on the right combination of technology, teamwork and scientific insight. In order to quantitatively evaluate the success of a rover field trial, it is necessary to assess the accuracy of scientific interpretations made during the field test. This work compares three structured approaches to assessing the ground truth of scientific findings from a science team conducting a remote investigation of a locale using an autonomous rover. For the first approach, independent assessment, the daily science summaries were analyzed and reduced to a series of 1082 factual statements, which were treated as hypotheses. An independent scientist traveled to the field area to assess these hypotheses. For the second approach, guided self-study, the mission scientists themselves traveled to the field area and evaluated their own scientific interpretations. The third approach, discrepancy investigation, searched for the root causes of differences between the scientific interpretations made in the control room and those made in the field. The independent investigation provided sensitive, quantitative data, but suffered from the lack of context and continuity developed in the mission control room. The guided evaluation benefited from the context of the mission, but lacked clarity and consistency. The discrepancy investigation provided insight into the root causes behind the discrepancies, but was expensive and time consuming. The independent investigation method yielded particularly compelling results, but each method offers advantages and a comprehensive rover field trial assessment should include a combination of all three.
Real-Time Risk Management: An AAD-PDE Approach

We apply adjoint algorithmic differentiation (AAD) to the risk management of securities when their price dynamics are given by partial differential equations (PDE). We show how AAD can be applied to forward and backward PDEs in a straightforward manner. In the context of one-factor models for interest rates or default intensities, we show how price sensitivities are computed reliably and orders of magnitude faster than with a standard finite-difference (FD) approach. This significantly increased efficiency is obtained by combining (i) the adjoint forward PDE for calibrating model parameters, (ii) the adjoint backward PDE for derivatives pricing, and (iii) the implicit function theorem to avoid iterating the calibration procedure.
Evaluation of the ACSM submaximal ergometer test for estimating VO2max.

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the reliability and validity of maximal oxygen uptake estimates (ESTmax) from the ACSM submaximal cycle ergometer test. Subjects included 15 men and 15 women aged 21-54 yr who performed two submaximal tests and one maximal cycle ergometer test to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). During the submaximal tests, heart rates (HR) were recorded from a radio telemetry monitor. ESTmax was predicted for both submaximal trials by extrapolating HR to an age-predicted maximal HR. Correlation coefficient and standard error of measure (SEmeas) for ESTmax between submaximal trials were r = 0.863 and SEmeas = 0.40 l.min-1, while a t-test revealed no significant difference between trials. Although trial means were not significantly different, large variation in individual cases was evident by the high SEmeas (0.40 l.min-1) and by a large SEmeas expressed as a percentage of the mean (13%). The mean of the two ESTmax significantly overestimated measured VO2max with percent error, total error, and mean error equal to 25.7%, 0.89 l.min-1, and 0.63 l.min-1, respectively. The standard error of estimate expressed as a percentage of the mean was equal to 16% and 15% for both ESTmax. In summary, the ACSM protocol failed to be reliable as represented by the large differences found between submaximal trials. Furthermore, the protocol significantly overestimates VO2max and should not be used when an accurate assessment of VO2max is required.