Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Examination of Hippocampal and Prefrontal Contributions to Spatial Learning and Memory using Immediate Early Gene Imaging

The hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex are two brain regions which have repeatedly been linked to spatial learning and memory processing; however, the precise roles of individual sub-regions within these areas continue to be debated. The Morris water maze is a well-known behavioural task used to measure spatial memory. Despite its popularity, the type of spatial information animals encode and ultimately rely on for accurate navigation in this task remains unclear. Therefore, the primary objectives of this thesis were to conduct an in-depth investigation into the use of navigation strategies during memory encoding and retrieval in the water maze, and to characterise the specific contributions of the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex to these processes using Immediate Early Genes (IEG) imaging. In addition, we investigated the mechanisms underlying neuronal activation by inhibiting ionotropic glutamate receptors (NMDA and AMPA) during or after spatial learning. We found novel evidence that the salience (or noticeability) of environmental cues significantly impacted the type of learning strategy used (i.e. simple or complex), and that increased training led to more flexible responding (i.e. strategy switching). We also discovered that NMDA receptor-mediated activation in area CA1 (indexed by Zif268) was tightly linked to learning-related plasticity, and activation in CA3, prelimbic and anterior cingulate cortices was strongly associated with flexible spatial memory recall (i.e. pattern completion). Finally, we revealed that spatial memory deficits induced by NMDA receptor blockade could be partially prevented by extended environmental experience.
A study of the effects of preprocessing strategies on sentiment analysis for Arabic text

Sentiment analysis has drawn considerable interest among researchers owing to the realization of its fascinating commercial and business benefits. This paper deals with sentiment analysis in Arabic text from three perspectives. First, several alternatives of text representation were investigated. In particular, the effects of stemming, feature correlation and n-gram models for Arabic text on sentiment analysis were investigated. Second, the behaviour of three classifiers, namely, SVM, Naive Bayes, and K-nearest neighbour classifiers, with sentiment analysis was investigated. Third, the effects of the characteristics of the dataset on sentiment analysis were analysed. To this end, we applied the techniques proposed in this paper to two datasets; one was prepared in-house by the authors and the second one is freely available online. All the experimentation was done using Rapidminer. The results show that our selection of preprocessing strategies on the reviews increases the performance of the classifiers.
Responses to direction and transparent motion stimuli in area FST of the macaque

Abstract Motion transparency occurs when multiple object velocities are present within a local region of retinotopic space. Transparent signals can carry information useful in the segmentation of moving objects and in the extraction of three-dimensional structure from relative motion cues. However, the physiological substrate underlying the detection of motion transparency is poorly understood. Direction tuned neurons in area MT are suppressed by transparent stimuli, suggesting that other motion sensitive areas may be needed to represent this signal robustly. Recent neuroimaging evidence implicated two such areas in the macaque superior temporal sulcus. We studied one of these, FST, with electrophysiological methods and found that a large fraction of the neurons responded well to two opposite directions of motion and to transparent stimuli containing those same directions. A linear combination of MT-like responses qualitatively reproduces this behavior and predicts that FST neurons can be tuned for transparent motion containing specific direction and depth components. We suggest that FST plays a role in motion segmentation based on transparent signals.
The Cumulative Impact of Trauma Exposure and Recidivism After Incarceration Among Black Men

The Cumulative Impact of Trauma Exposure and Recidivism after Incarceration among Black Men by Johanna E. Elumn Madera Advisor: Dr. Michael Lewis The United States incarcerates people at a higher rate than any other nation in the world. It is estimated that 14 million people will be incarcerated at some point in their lives in the United States. Ninety-five percent of incarcerated people will return to the community. Persons who have been incarcerated often have experienced higher rates of trauma than the general population. The symptoms associated with exposure to trauma may interfere with a person’s ability to reconnect with family, interact with parole/probation, stay free from drugs/alcohol, or find and maintain stable housing and employment after they are released from prison. As increasing numbers of people are released from prison into the community, greater attention must be paid to their mental health needs after release in order to address the needs of the complete person rather than just focusing solely on their basic needs and the requirements of community supervision. Analyzing secondary data from baseline surveys and Connecticut Department of Corrections records during the two-year follow-up period of a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded longitudinal study of people recently released from jail or prison, this dissertation explores the relationship between self-reported exposure to trauma over the life course and recidivism after release from jail or prison. This study will examine a sample of previously incarcerated people and describe their exposure to trauma, with a focus on trauma and
The Narrative of Victimization and Deradicalization: An Expert View

ABSTRACT While the study of victimology and radicalization mainly focuses on those who suffered from terrorist attacks, this article explores the role of victimological processes in deradicalization. Experts from different international deradicalization initiatives were interviewed. Using the narrative framework with its three key concepts—identity, emotion, and culture—as set forth by Pemberton and Aarten in this issue, the relationship between victimization and deradicalization is more thoroughly examined. Key findings include the delicacy of the term “victim” in radicals' narrative identity, the power of narrative in triggering and transmitting emotions, and the importance of a former radical that acknowledges the narratives of the radical and offers alternative narratives to their radicalized ideologies.
Young people and problem drug use : the role of attachment theory and family background

Attachment theory has been proposed as a potential framework from which to understand the variable effect of family of origin experiences on the problematic use of drugs in young people. The present study measured family experiences, attachment styles, hopelessness and drug use, drawing participants from both a drug treatment service and the general population of young people. The findings indicated that the young people with drug use problems differed from the control group in that they emphasised the positive consequences of drug use and were more likely to leave school early. Furthermore, aspects of the family experience, close relationships, and attachment anxiety were associated with higher levels of drug use. However, there was an absence of a direct relationship between family of origin experiences and attachment style. The number of close relationships the young person had experienced was directly related to higher levels of drug use, greater attachment anxiety and particular family experiences. It was concluded that, although attachment theory appears to be a promising framework from which to approach the influence of the family on subsequent drug use, the current research failed to identify a direct link between family experiences and measured attachment style. However, the role of romantic relationships appeared to be crucial for young people as they endeavour to create a secure close relationship. Lack of success in this domain of life may be viewed as either, a cause or a side effect of increased use of drugs. It is proposed that, irrespective of the causal instigator, poorer relationships and high levels of drug use will have an interacting effect. Therefore, close relationships are regarded as a legitimate target for therapeutic intervention when addressing the treatment needs of young people with drug use problems.
An exploration of authenticity : implications for clinical psychologists and their practice

The present study explored how authenticity is constructed by clinical psychologists and asked what might be the implications of these discourses. The study is concerned with offering a focus on the making of authenticity in discourse as well as providing an understanding of the complexity of authenticity within clinical psychology. The study used a discourse analytic approach known as critical discursive psychology to examine clinical psychologists’ talk of authenticity. Participants included twelve qualified clinical psychologists working in adult mental health services who took part in semi-structured interviews. Following a detailed critical discursive analysis of the texts, four discourses were identified with regard to the construction of authenticity. These discourses were commonly used to construct authenticity in extremely positive terms, however, some participants did draw attention to an ideological dilemma of authenticity versus professionalism. Participants used authenticity to establish their identity and manage their relationships with service users, colleagues and institutions. Drawing upon psychotherapeutic and professional discourses positioned participants as having power and being more authentic than others. Authenticity was problematised in relation to the participants need for professional boundaries. It is suggested that psychologists internalise dominant discourses of authenticity from the profession of clinical psychology, which is itself influenced by wider societal discourses around what it means to be authentic or inauthentic. Extra-discursive factors including institutions and embodiment were found to influence and constrain available discourses. The limitations of this study’s research findings are discussed as well as implications for future research and clinical psychology practice.
Aggregate modeling of semiconductor equipment using effective process times

Performance evaluation using queueing models is common practice in semiconductor manufacturing. Analytical closed-form expressions and simulation models are popular in capacity planning and the analysis of equipment configurations. However, the complexity of semiconductor processes complicates the modeling of the equipment. Analytical models lack the required accuracy, whereas simulation models require too many details, making them impractical. Aggregation is a way to overcome this difficulty. The various details are not modeled in detail, but their contribution is lumped in the aggregate model, which makes the model more appropriate for both analysis and simulation. This paper gives an overview of our efforts to develop a top-down aggregate modeling approach for semiconductor equipment, starting from the effective process time concept inspired by the Factory Physics book of Hopp and Spearman. The strong feature of our modeling approach is that the aggregate model parameters are estimated directly from industrial data (arrival and departure times), without the need to quantify the various details.
Disease activity and its correlation with anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin antibodies and other factors in rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives: Our aim was to determine the disease activity (DAS28) and its correlation with antiMutated Citrullinated Vimentin antibody (antiMCV) positivity and other factors in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients, Saudis and non-Saudis. And to compare Disease Activity measurements using ESR (DAS28-ESR) and CRP (DAS28-CRP). Patients and methods: Retrospectively, data were obtained by files’ reviewing, for a period of seven years (2007-2014), at king Abdulaziz university hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Disease Activity Scores were assessed by DAS28-ESR (104 patients), and together with DAS28CRP (36 patients). One hundred and four (104) files had complete data for our objectives. Results: DAS28-ESR was high [6 (SD=3)] among non-Saudi patients, moderate among Saudis [4.3 (SD=1.7)] and the total cohort [4.8(SD=2.3]); with significant differences (P=0.000; R=11.3%) between Saudi and non-Saudi patients for DAS28. In a linear regression and by correlation analysis; the variables (Sex, age, age-group, anti-MCV positivity) showed no correlations with DAS28, neither for Saudis nor for non-Saudis. Eighty one (81) patients had data concerning presence of comorbid conditions; 34/81(42%) were with comorbid conditions. There was no significant correlation between presence of comorbid condition and disease activity neither for the total cohort (P=0.75) nor for Saudis (P=0.65) and non-Saudis (P=0.70). Conclusion and recommendation: In both Saudi and non-Saudi RA-patients, disease activity can neither be assessed by anti-MCV positivity nor correlated with, comorbidity, sex, age and age groups. DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP were significantly correlated. A larger scale study is recommended. Medical Science RESEARCH The International Weekly journal ISSN 2321 – 7359 EISSN 2321 – 7367
Polymorphisms and Haplotypes in Candidate Genes Related to Angiogenesis and Endothelial Dysfunction in Preeclampsia

Valenzuela and colleagues have recently reviewed some polymorphisms in important candidate genes involved in different pathogenic mechanisms related to preeclampsia (PE) and concluded that various studies in different populations have identified maternal polymorphisms associated with PE. However, we would like to contribute to some studies regarding candidate genes related to angiogenesis and endothelial dysfunction in PE performed in the Brazilian population. Specifically, genotypes and haplotypes formed by polymorphisms of VEGF, eNOS and MMP-9, along with an example of the interaction among these genes in the prediction of PE. Our suggestions may provide additional information with clinical relevance to PE susceptibility.
ADAPTACIÓN PARA BUENOS AIRES DE LA ESCALA DE INTOLERANCIA A LA INCERTIDUMBRE ADAPTATION TO BUENOS AIRES OF THE INTOLERANCE OF UNCERTAINTY SCALE

Este articulo informa la adaptacion linguistica y el analisis de las propiedades psicometricas de la Escala de Intolerancia a la Incertidumbre (EII) en poblacion de Buenos Aires. La EII evalua la intolerancia a la incertidumbre (II) que es uno de los componentes principales del trastorno de ansiedad generalizada (TAG) segun el modelo teorico de Dugas. La intolerancia a la incertidumbre se define como una disposicion ca racteristica que re sulta de un conjunto de pensamientos negativos sobre la incertidumbre. La Escala de Intolerancia a la Incertidumbre (EII) esta compuesta por 27 itemes que se responden con un formato tipo Likert de cinco opciones de respuesta. Se analizaron los datos obtenidos de una muestra de 320 participantes, residentes de la Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires y el Gran Buenos Aires (Republica Argentina). Se obtuvieron correlaciones significativas con medidas criterio de preocupacion (r = .44; p = .000) y ansiedad como estado (r = .36; p = .000) y como rasgo (r = .58; p = .000). Se estudio la estructura de la escala con el analisis de componentes principales y se obtuvieron dos factores que explican el 41.07% de la variancia total. Con respecto a la fiabilidad, los resultados indican una excelente consistencia interna de los itemes igual a . 93 y una estabilidad test-retest luego de cinco semanas, igual a . 47. No se registraron diferencias significativas en las puntuaciones de la escala segun la edad y el sexo. En su conjunto, los resultados obtenidos en la investigacion realizada son concordantes con los hallazgos de investigaciones anteriores. Dado que la II constituye un factor de vulnerabilidad para el TAG, es de utilidad contar con un cuestionario adaptado a la poblacion local.
Statistical Phrases in Automated Text Categorization

In this work we investigate the usefulness of {\em $n$-grams} for document indexing in text categorization (TC). We call $n$-gram a set $t_k$ of $n$ word stems, and we say that $t_k$ occurs in a document $d_j$ when a sequence of words appears in $d_j$ that, after stop word removal and stemming, consists exactly of the $n$ stems in $t_k$, in some order. Previous researches have investigated the use of $n$-grams (or some variant of them) in the context of specific learning algorithms, and thus have not obtained general answers on their usefulness for TC. In this work we investigate the usefulness of $n$-grams in TC independently of any specific learning algorithm. We do so by applying feature selection to the pool of all $\alpha$-grams ($\alpha\leq n$), and checking how many $n$-grams score high enough to be selected in the top $\sigma$ $\alpha$-grams. We report the results of our experiments, using several feature selection functions and varying values of $\sigma$, performed on the {\sf Reuters-21578} standard TC benchmark. We also report results of making actual use of the selected $n$-grams in the context of a linear classifier induced by means of the Rocchio method.
Empathy Manipulation Impacts Music-Induced Emotions: A Psychophysiological Study on Opera

This study investigated the effects of voluntarily empathizing with a musical performer (i.e., cognitive empathy) on music-induced emotions and their underlying physiological activity. N = 56 participants watched video-clips of two operatic compositions performed in concerts, with low or high empathy instructions. Heart rate and heart rate variability, skin conductance level (SCL), and respiration rate (RR) were measured during music listening, and music-induced emotions were quantified using the Geneva Emotional Music Scale immediately after music listening. Listening to the aria with sad content in a high empathy condition facilitated the emotion of nostalgia and decreased SCL, in comparison to the low empathy condition. Listening to the song with happy content in a high empathy condition also facilitated the emotion of power and increased RR, in comparison to the low empathy condition. To our knowledge, this study offers the first experimental evidence that cognitive empathy influences emotion psychophysiology during music listening.
An Optimization-Based Econometric Framework for the Evaluation of Monetary Policy: Expanded Version

This paper considers a simple quantitative model of output, interest rate and inflation determination in the United States, and uses it to evaluate alternative rules by which the Fed may set interest rates. The model is derived from optimizing behavior under rational expectations, both on the part of the purchasers of goods and upon that of the sellers. The model matches the estimates responses to a monetary policy shock quite well and, once due account is taken of other disturbances, can account for our data nearly as well as an unrestricted VAR. The monetary policy rule that most reduces inflation variability (and is best on this account) requires very variable interest rates, which in turn is possible only in the case of a high average inflation rate. But even in the case of a constrained-optimal policy, that takes into account some of the costs of average inflation and constrains the variability of interest rates so as to keep average inflation low, inflation would be stabilized considerably more and output stabilized considerably less than under our estimates of current policy. Moreover, this constrained-optimal policy also allows average inflation to be much smaller. This version contains additional details of our derivations and calculations, including three technical appendices, not included in the version published in NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1997.
The Origin and Activities of IgA1-Containing Immune Complexes in IgA Nephropathy

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis, frequently leading to end-stage renal disease, as there is no disease-specific therapy. IgAN is diagnosed from pathological assessment of a renal biopsy specimen based on predominant or codominant IgA-containing immunodeposits, usually with complement C3 co-deposits and with variable presence of IgG and/or IgM. The IgA in these renal deposits is galactose-deficient IgA1, with less than a full complement of galactose residues on the O-glycans in the hinge region of the heavy chains. Research from the past decade led to the definition of IgAN as an autoimmune disease with a multi-hit pathogenetic process with contributing genetic and environmental components. In this process, circulating galactose-deficient IgA1 (autoantigen) is bound by antiglycan IgG or IgA (autoantibodies) to form immune complexes. Some of these circulating complexes deposit in glomeruli, and thereby activate mesangial cells and induce renal injury through cellular proliferation and overproduction of extracellular matrix components and cytokines/chemokines. Glycosylation pathways associated with production of the autoantigen and the unique characteristics of the corresponding autoantibodies in patients with IgAN have been uncovered. Complement likely plays a significant role in the formation and the nephritogenic activities of these complexes. Complement activation is mediated through the alternative and lectin pathways and probably occurs systemically on IgA1-containing circulating immune complexes as well as locally in glomeruli. Incidence of IgAN varies greatly by geographical location; the disease is rare in central Africa but accounts for up to 40% of native-kidney biopsies in eastern Asia. Some of this variation may be explained by genetically determined influences on the pathogenesis of the disease. Genome-wide association studies to date have identified several loci associated with IgAN. Some of these loci are associated with the increased prevalence of IgAN, whereas others, such as deletion of complement factor H-related genes 1 and 3, are protective against the disease. Understanding the molecular mechanisms and genetic and biochemical factors involved in formation and activities of pathogenic IgA1-containing immune complexes will enable the development of future disease-specific therapies as well as identification of non-invasive disease-specific biomarkers.
How Software Aging affects SDN: A view on the controllers

Software-Defined Networking proposes a new paradigm by separating the control plane from the data plane. The control plane's main responsibility is deployed in a centralized component called SDN controller. Therefore, the SDN based network becomes dependent on a single functional entity (although it may have multiple instances) in order to accomplish its routing and policy rules. The SDN controller is vulnerable to degradation due to a well-known phenomenon called Software Aging. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first that assesses the impacts of software aging on current implementation of SDN controllers. We show that such a phenomenon must not be neglected in future software architecture designs and implementations.
Selfdual solutions of (2+1) Einstein gravity with a negative cosmological constant

All the causally regular geometries obtained from (2+1)-anti-de Sitter space by identifications by isometries of the form $P \rightarrow (\exp \pi\xi) P$, where $\xi$ is a self-dual Killing vector of $so(2,2)$, are explicitely constructed. Their remarkable properties (Killing vectors, Killing spinors) are listed. These solutions of Einstein gravity with negative cosmological constant are also invariant under the string duality transformation applied to the angular translational symmetry $\phi \rightarrow \phi+a$ The analysis is made particularly convenient through the construction of {\em global} coordinates adapted to the identifications. }