Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Holding Biological Motion in Working Memory: An fMRI Study

Holding biological motion (BM), the movements of animate entities, in working memory (WM) is important to our daily life activities. However, the neural substrates underlying the WM processing of BM remain largely unknown. Employing the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique, the current study directly investigated this issue. We used point-light BM animations as the tested stimuli, and explored the neural substrates involved in encoding and retaining BM information in WM. Participants were required to remember two or four BM stimuli in a change-detection task. We first defined a set of potential brain regions devoted to the BM processing in WM in one experiment. We then conducted the second fMRI experiment, and performed time-course analysis over the pre-defined regions, which allowed us to differentiate the encoding and maintenance phases of WM. The results showed that a set of brain regions were involved in encoding BM into WM, including the middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal sulcus, fusiform gyrus, and middle occipital gyrus. However, only the middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, and inferior parietal lobule were involved in retaining BM into WM. These results suggest that an overlapped network exists between the WM encoding and maintenance for BM; however, retaining BM in WM predominately relies on the mirror neuron system.
A DIGITAL IMAGE WATERMARKING TECHNIQUE USING MODULATED PASCAL'S TRIANGLES

A watermarking process introduces imperceptible changes to a digital image that can be next detected by a computer program. In this paper we present an algorithm that embeds a binary representation of a modulated Pascal's triangle into the blue channel of color images by modifying one of the Bit planes. The proposed technique aims at the protection of the rights of the image owner. The visual quality of the watermarked image has been measured with objective criteria (PSNR) and presented in this work along with subjective results. The proposed method is robust to common image processing operations like Filtering, and Cropping or even combined attacks.
Anther appendages of Incarvillea trigger a pollen-dispensing mechanism.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Anther appendages play diverse roles in anther dehiscence and pollen dispersal. This study aims to explore the pollen-dispensing mechanism triggered by special anther appendages in Incarvillea arguta. METHODS Field studies were conducted to record floral characteristics, pollinator visitations, and flower-pollinator interactions. Measurements of flowers and pollinators were analysed statistically. Pollen counts following a series of floral manipulations were used to evaluate pollen dispensing efficiency and function of the anther appendages. KEY RESULTS Field observations determined that two species of Bombus (bumble-bees) were the primary pollinators of I. arguta with a mean visiting frequency of 1.42 visitations per flower h(-1). The results display a diminishing pollen dispensing pattern; the proportion of remaining pollen removed by pollinators decreased from 27 % to 10 % and 7 % in subsequent visits. Anther appendages act as a trigger mechanism to dispense pollen. The arrangement of the anthers and appendages function to control pollen load and timing. Mechanical stimulation experiments revealed that one set of appendages is only triggered by stimulation in the direction moving into the flower, while the other set is only triggered by stimulation in the opposite direction (exiting the flower). CONCLUSIONS The anther appendage is a pollen-dispensing trigger mechanism. The configuration of the stamens and duel trigger system has evolved to allocate pollen in allotments to enhance male function.
Automated detection of sleep apnea and hypopnea events based on robust airflow envelope tracking

The paper presents a new approach to detection of apnea/hypopnea events, in the presence of artifacts and breathing irregularities, from a single-channel airflow record. The proposed algorithm identifies segments of signal affected by a high amplitude modulation corresponding to apnea/hypopnea events. It is shown that a robust airflow envelope-free of breathing artifacts-improves effectiveness of the diagnostic process and allows one to localize the beginning and the end of each episode more accurately. The performance of the approach, evaluated on 30 overnight polysomnographic recordings, was assessed using diagnostic measures such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and Cohen's coefficient of agreement; achieving 95%, 90%, 96%, and 0.82, respectively.
Stability Radii of Positive Discrete-Time Systems

In this note we study stability radii of positive linear discrete-time systems under real or complex parameter perturbations. A simple formula for the real stability radius is established and it is shown that the real and the complex stability radii of positive systems coincide. These results are derived for arbitrary perturbation norms induced by monotonic vector norms (e.g. p-norms, 1 p 1). Nonlinear and time-varying perturbations are also considered.
Shiga Toxin Subtypes of Non-O157 Escherichia coli Serogroups Isolated from Cattle Feces

Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important foodborne pathogens responsible for human illnesses. Cattle are a major reservoir that harbor the organism in the hindgut and shed in the feces. Shiga toxins (Stx) are the primary virulence factors associated with STEC illnesses. The two antigenically distinct Stx types, Stx1 and Stx2, encoded by stx1 and stx2 genes, share approximately 56% amino acid sequence identity. Genetic variants exist within Stx1 and Stx2 based on differences in amino acid composition and in cytotoxicity. The objective of our study was to identify the stx subtypes in strains of STEC serogroups, other than O157, isolated from cattle feces. Shiga toxin gene carrying E. coli strains (n = 192), spanning 27 serogroups originating from cattle (n = 170) and human (n = 22) sources, were utilized in the study. Shiga toxin genes were amplified by PCR, sequenced, and nucleotide sequences were translated into amino acid sequences using CLC main workbench software. Shiga toxin subtypes were identified based on the amino acid motifs that define each subtype. Shiga toxin genotypes were also identified at the nucleotide level by in silico restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Of the total 192 STEC strains, 93 (48.4%) were positive for stx1 only, 43 (22.4%) for stx2 only, and 56 (29.2%) for both stx1 and stx2. Among the 149 strains positive for stx1, 132 (88.6%) were stx1a and 17 (11.4%) were stx1c. Shiga toxin 1a was the most common subtype of stx1 among cattle (87.9%; 123/140) and human strains (100%; 9/9) of non-O157 serogroups. Of the total 99 strains positive for stx2, 79 were stx2a (79.8%), 11 (11.1%) were stx2c, 12 (12.1%) were stx2d. Of the 170 strains originating from cattle feces, 58 (34.1%) were stx2a subtype, 11 (6.5%) were stx2c subtype, and 11 were of subtype stx2d (6.5%). All but one of the human strains were positive for stx2a. Three strains of cattle origin were positive for both stx2a and stx2d. In conclusion, a number of non-O157 STEC serogroups harbored by cattle possess a wide variety of Shiga toxin subtypes, with stx1a and stx2a being the most predominant stx subtypes occurring individually or in combination. Cattle are a reservoir of a number of non-O157 STEC serogroups and information on the Shiga toxin subtypes is useful in assessing the potential risk as human pathogens.
A Populist Zeitgeist? The Communication Strategies of Western and Latin American Political Leaders on Facebook

By focusing on the Facebook activities of eighty-three political leaders from twenty-six Western and Latin American countries, we analyze their reliance on elements of populist communication for their competitive strategies. By integrating both a communication-centered and an actor-centered approach to the study of populism, we tackle four major research questions: Do populist and non-populist leaders adopt similar communication strategies on Facebook? Is there any evidence of the so-called populist zeitgeist in such arena? What different combinations between the so-called three “elements of populist communication” characterize the communication strategies of political leaders on Facebook? Are there major differences between Western and Latin American leaders? The results of our analysis provide an important contribution to the existing literature on populism and political communication in different respects. First, the populist zeitgeist “thesis” does not apply to the communication strategies of political leaders on Facebook. Second, the spread of elements of populist communication in Latin America is considerably lower in comparison with Western countries, irrespective of party ideological background. Finally, this paper identifies all the logical combinations that can occur between the interplay of the different elements of populist communication, thus enabling the classification of the communication strategies employed by political leaders on Facebook.
Appetite-Controlling Endocrine Systems in Teleosts

Mammalian studies have shaped our understanding of the endocrine control of appetite and body weight in vertebrates and provided the basic vertebrate model that involves central (brain) and peripheral signaling pathways as well as environmental cues. The hypothalamus has a crucial function in the control of food intake, but other parts of the brain are also involved. The description of a range of key neuropeptides and hormones as well as more details of their specific roles in appetite control continues to be in progress. Endocrine signals are based on hormones that can be divided into two groups: those that induce (orexigenic), and those that inhibit (anorexigenic) appetite and food consumption. Peripheral signals originate in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, adipose tissue, and other tissues and reach the hypothalamus through both endocrine and neuroendocrine actions. While many mammalian-like endocrine appetite-controlling networks and mechanisms have been described for some key model teleosts, mainly zebrafish and goldfish, very little knowledge exists on these systems in fishes as a group. Fishes represent over 30,000 species, and there is a large variability in their ecological niches and habitats as well as life history adaptations, transitions between life stages and feeding behaviors. In the context of food intake and appetite control, common adaptations to extended periods of starvation or periods of abundant food availability are of particular interest. This review summarizes the recent findings on endocrine appetite-controlling systems in fish, highlights their impact on growth and survival, and discusses the perspectives in this research field to shed light on the intriguing adaptations that exist in fish and their underlying mechanisms.
Go With the Flow: How young people define and practice good sex at techno parties

The way young people engage in the techno scene has been described in highly contrasting ways. On the one hand, the techno scene is portrayed as a place of risk, where partying becomes a vehicle for excessive sexual behavior. On the other hand, it has been attributed a culture of sexual avoidance. This ethnographic study demonstrates that neither of these two opposites are true. By conducting participant observations, interviews and an analysis of social media activity, this study provides an account on the definition and practice of good sex from the perspective of young people themselves. The results demonstrate that good sex at the techno party can evoke experiences of flow by addressing its autotelic nature. Due to the high level of self-determination and control perceived by its visitors, the techno party enables its visitors to engage with sex and sexuality in a way they experience as pleasurable. The open and friendly environment allows a fluid and elusive understanding of sexuality which leaves much room for individual interpretations of sexuality. Although this pleasure found in flow is experienced on an individual level, it does not mean that is not social. Even more so, in order for sex to transform into flow, it is necessary to have a social other who guarantees a socially safe space by eliminating feelings of insecurity, hesitation and awkwardness. This study therefore does not only provide an alternative view on the way young people engage with sexuality at techno parties, but also demonstrates that the experience of flow during good sex is autotelic, but requires a social other as well.
Cognitive processing in Chinese literate and illiterate subjects: An fMRI study

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) were used to map brain activation during language tasks. While previous studies have compared performance between alphabetic literate and illiterate subjects, there have been no such data in Chinese‐speaking individuals. In this study, we used fMRI to examine the effects of education on neural activation associated with silent word recognition and silent picture‐naming tasks in 24 healthy right‐handed Chinese subjects (12 illiterates and 12 literates). There were 30 single Chinese characters in the silent word recognition task and 30 meaningful road‐signs in the silent picture‐naming task. When we compared literate and illiterate subjects, we observed education‐related differences in activation patterns in the left inferior/middle frontal gyrus and both sides of the superior temporal gyrus for the silent word recognition task and in the bilateral inferior/middle frontal gyrus and left limbic cingulated gyrus for the silent picture‐naming task. These results indicate that the patterns of neural activation associated with language tasks are strongly influenced by education. Education appears to have enhanced cognitive processing efficiency in language tasks. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nicorandil prior to primary percutaneous coronary intervention improves clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background: Nicorandil prior to reperfusion by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been suggested to be beneficial. However, results of previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were not consistent. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the effect of periprocedural nicorandil in these patients. Methods: Related studies were obtained by searching PubMed, Embase and Cochrane’s Library. Effects of perioperative nicorandil on the incidence of no-reflow phenomenon (NRP), corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (CTFC), wall motion score (WMS), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), heart failure (HF) exacerbation of rehospitalization and incidence of major cardiovascular adverse events (MACE) were analyzed. Results: Eighteen RCTs with 2,055 patients were included. Treatment of nicorandil prior to PCI significantly reduced the incidence of NRP (risk ratio [RR]: 0.47, P<0.001), and reduced CTFC (weighed mean difference [WMD]: −4.54, P<0.001) immediately after PCI. Moreover, although nicorandil did not significantly affect WMS (WMD: 0.04, P=0.91), treatment of nicorandil significantly increased LVEF in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI (WMD: 1.89%, P<0.001). In addition, nicorandil significantly reduced the risk of HF exacerbation or rehospitalization (RR: 0.44, P=0.001) and the incidence of MACE (RR: 0.68, P<0.001). Further analyses showed that effects of nicorandil on LVEF, HF exacerbation and MACE were consistent within one month after PCI and during follow-up. Conclusions: Periprocedural nicorandil improves coronary blood flow, cardiac systolic function and prognosis in STEMI patients receiving primary PCI.
Leniency Bias in Performance Ratings: The Big-Five Correlates

Some researchers assume that employees' personality characteristics affect leniency in rating others and themselves. However, little research has investigated these two tendencies at the same time. In the present study we developed one index for other-rating leniency and another one for self-rating leniency. Based on a review of the literature, we hypothesized that a generous assessment of peers would more likely be made by those who are extroverted and agreeable than by those who are not. Furthermore, a generous assessment of oneself would more likely be made by people who are conscientious and emotionally stable, than by people who are not. We also investigated if the leniency in rating others and the leniency in rating oneself are part of a more general leniency tendency. Data collected from a sample of real estate dealers provided support for the above hypotheses. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Low-Vacuum Deposition of Glutamic Acid and Pyroglutamic Acid: A Facile Methodology for Depositing Organic Materials beyond Amino Acids

Thin layers of pyroglutamic acid (Pygl) have been deposited by thermal evaporation of the molten L-glutamic acid (L-Glu) through intramolecular lactamization. This deposition was carried out with the versatile handmade low-vacuum coater, which was simply composed of a soldering iron placed in a vacuum degassing resin chamber evacuated by an oil-free diaphragm pump. Molecular structural analyses have revealed that thin solid film evaporated from the molten L-Glu is mainly composed of L-Pygl due to intramolecular lactamization. The major component of the L-Pygl was in β-phase and the minor component was in γ-phase, which would have been generated from partial racemization to DL-Pygl. Electron microscopy revealed that the L-Glu-evaporated film generally consisted of the 20 nm particulates of Pygl, which contained a periodic pattern spacing of 0.2 nm intervals indicating the formation of the single-molecular interval of the crystallized molecular networks. The DL-Pygl-evaporated film was composed of the original DL-Pygl preserving its crystal structures. This methodology is promising for depositing a wide range of the evaporable organic materials beyond amino acids. The quartz crystal resonator coated with the L-Glu-evaporated film exhibited the pressure-sensing capability based on the adsorption-desorption of the surrounding gas at the film surface.
Volunteering, Income Support Programs and Persons with Disabilities

We study the propensity of persons with disabilities to engage in volunteer activity using the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS). Our principal focus is on the effects of various income support programs on persons with disabilities participation in volunteer activities because income support programs can differ with respect to their treatment of unpaid work. For example, workers’ compensation programs embody strong disincentives to volunteering while public disability insurance programs explicitly encourage unpaid work. We find that workers’ compensation is associated with decreases in the probability of volunteering while public disability insurance is associated with increases in the propensity to volunteer. The relevance of these results to both theories of volunteerism and public policy is discussed.
Conduta académica em estudantes de medicina: atitudes, perceções e fatores que influenciam

EnglishIntroduction. Academic honesty is an ethical requirement for any medical practitioner. However, dishonest academic behaviours are practiced around the world, increasing concern about the lack of skills of students in their professional future. Aims. To evaluate the academic conduct of the FCS medical students, and to analyse students’ perceptions about academic conduct. Subjects and methods. Questionnaires translated and adapted from previous studies were given to students from 1st to 6th grade. Statistical analysis was performed (descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation) and differences between groups were considered significant if p Results. 580 (68.3%) students completed the questionnaire. It was found that students claim to practice dishonest academic behaviour infrequently, with a mean value of all analysed behaviours less than 3 (‘sometimes’). However, the most common dishonest attitudes are ‘asking a colleague to sign for themselves the class attendance record’, ‘change a class attendance record’ and ‘copy answers by a colleague during an exam’. Students who participate in more dishonest behaviours are male, attending a more advanced academic year, have a lower final grade and are involved in extracurricular activities (p Conclusion. Despite the prevalence of dishonest behaviour that students declared to practice be very low, it is necessary to raise awareness among students for its consequences during the course and in their future professional activity. portuguesIntroducao. Comportamentos academicos desonestos sao praticados em todo o mundo, levantando a preocupacao crescente com a falta de competencias dos estudantes no seu futuro profissional. Objetivos. Avaliar a conduta academica dos estudantes de medicina da Faculdade de Ciencias da Saude; analisar a percecao dos estudantes quanto a pratica de comportamentos desonestos. Materiais e metodos. Foi aplicado um questionario aos estudantes do 1o ao 6o anos, traduzido e adaptado a partir de estudos anteriores, para avaliar quer a pratica de comportamentos desonestos, quer a percecao sobre a gravidade desses comportamentos. Foi realizada analise estatistica (estatistica descritiva, teste t de Student, ANOVA e correlacao de Pearson), tendo sido considerados significativos os valores de p Resultados. 580 estudantes completaram o questionario (68,3% da populacao). Os estudantes afirmam praticar comportamentos academicos desonestos com pouca frequencia, com um valor medio inferior a 3 (algumas vezes). Os estudantes que praticam mais atitudes desonestas sao do sexo masculino, frequentam um ano curricular mais avancado, tem menor media de curso e frequentam atividades extracurriculares (p Conclusao. Apesar da prevalencia de comportamentos desonestos que os estudantes declaram praticar ser muito baixa, e necessario consciencializar os estudantes para as suas consequencias durante o curso e na sua futura atividade profissional.
Viewpoint:: Suggestions for a Shift in Teaching Clinical Skills to Medical Students: The Reflective Clinical Examination

How medical students are taught physical examination (PE) skills appears to have changed little since the 1950s. Textbooks are organized according to organ systems and describe methods of eliciting and recording history and PE data using a routine format. In many medical schools, the preclinical teaching programs for clinical examination skills similarly emphasize an orderly collection of data. Teaching students to use diagnostic reasoning is postponed until students have learned history-taking and PE skills. The authors propose three modifications to this educational approach. First, rather than performing the clinical examination using a routine format, students should be encouraged to form diagnostic hypotheses early on while listening to the patient's narrative, and conduct the subsequent search for history and PE data in a reflective way in order to confirm or refute these hypotheses. Second, the authors propose that interviewing patients and conducting the PE be taught by one-on-one tutoring until students achieve mastery. Last, they suggest that the PE be guided not only by students' diagnostic hypotheses, but also by patients' expectations. These modifications are consistent with current trends in medical education that encourage a reflective practice and problem-based learning (PBL), and they also introduce medical students to the precepts of clinical reasoning. The authors suggest that challenging students to seek specific physical findings may increase the likelihood of detecting findings when they are present, and may transform patient interviewing and conducting the PE from routine activities into intellectually exciting experiences.