Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suspense As an Experience of Mixed Emotions: Feelings of Hope and Fear While Watching Suspenseful Commercials

Advertisers frequently use creative appeals in television commercials to elicit consumer attention. One such appeal that is designed to enhance consumer interest is suspense. We report the results of two experiments studying the constituent emotions comprising the experience of suspense. Consistent with appraisal theory, Study 1 provides evidence that hope and fear do indeed underpin the suspense experience. Study 2 also examines the independent contribution of hope and fear to suspense. However, instead of assessing each emotion retrospectively, we investigate in-situ suspense by measuring respondents’ moment-to-moment hope and fear reactions. Significant within-subject differences between suspenseful and nonsuspenseful commercials are reported for a variety of aggregate time-series measures.
Discriminative Learning of Local Image Descriptors

In this paper, we explore methods for learning local image descriptors from training data. We describe a set of building blocks for constructing descriptors which can be combined together and jointly optimized so as to minimize the error of a nearest-neighbor classifier. We consider both linear and nonlinear transforms with dimensionality reduction, and make use of discriminant learning techniques such as Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Powell minimization to solve for the parameters. Using these techniques, we obtain descriptors that exceed state-of-the-art performance with low dimensionality. In addition to new experiments and recommendations for descriptor learning, we are also making available a new and realistic ground truth data set based on multiview stereo data.
N Shortened Telomeres in Families With a Propensity to Autism 8

Objective: Shortened telomeres have been linked to poorer health outcomes. Exposure to psychological stress is associated with accelerated telomere shortening, and a well-established body of evidence indicates that families with a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience heightened levels of psychological stress. Also, alterations in a number of biological processes implicated in telomere length dynamics (i.e., oxidative stress, DNA methylation) have been linked to ASD susceptibility. We examined whether families of children with ASD who have an infant show shortened telomeres.
Motion planning for disc-shaped robots pushing a polygonal object in the plane

This paper addresses the problem of using three disc-shaped robots to manipulate a polygonal object in the plane in the presence of obstacles. The proposed approach is based on the computation of maximal discs (dubbed maximum independent capture discs, or MICaDs) where the robots can move independently while preventing the object from escaping their grasp. It is shown that, in the absence of obstacles, it is always possible to bring a polygonal object from any configuration to any other one with robot motions constrained to lie in a set of overlapping MICaDs. This approach is generalized to the case where obstacles are present by decomposing the corresponding motion planning task into the construction of a collision-free path for a modified form of the object, and the execution of this path by a sequence of simultaneous and independent robot motions within overlapping MICaDs. The proposed algorithm is guaranteed to generate a valid plan, provided a collision-free path exists for the modified form of the object. It has been implemented and experiments with Nomadic Scout mobile robots are presented.
Bifidobacterial Species Differentially Affect Expression of Cell Surface Markers and Cytokines of Dendritic Cells Harvested from Cord Blood

ABSTRACT The gut microbiota may be important in the postnatal development of the immune system and hence may influence the prevalence of atopic diseases. Bifidobacteria are the most numerous bacteria in the guts of infants, and the presence or absence of certain species could be important in determining the geographic incidence of atopic diseases. We compared the fecal populations of bifidobacteria from children aged 25 to 35 days in Ghana (which has a low prevalence of atopy), New Zealand, and the United Kingdom (high-prevalence countries). Natal origin influenced the detection of bifidobacterial species in that fecal samples from Ghana almost all contained Bifidobacterium infantis whereas those of the other children did not. Choosing species on the basis of our bacteriological results, we tested bifidobacterial preparations for their effects on cell surface markers and cytokine production by dendritic cells harvested from cord blood. Species-specific effects on the expression of the dendritic-cell activation marker CD83 and the production of interleukin-10 (IL-10) were observed. Whereas CD83 expression was increased and IL-10 production was induced by Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, B. infantis failed to produce these effects. We concluded that B. infantis does not trigger the activation of dendritic cells to the degree necessary to initiate an immune response but that B. bifidum, B. longum, and B. pseudocatenulatum induce a Th2-driven immune response. A hypothesis is presented to link our observations to the prevalence of atopic diseases in different countries.
Openness/Intellect in a 50-Item IPIP Instrument

The M5-50 is a five-factor theory instrument based on the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) that has had difficulties with the five-factor model fitting well. The openness domain’s factor structure has a history of concerns that might relate to the connected yet distinguishable facets of openness/intellect. This study explored the factor structure and interdomain correlations within the openness domain of the M5-50 in 255 college students. Results indicate that no significant interdomain correlations exist between Openness and the other M5-50 domains. In addition, results suggest that having one factor convey the aspects of the openness domain construct does not explain the structure of the domain as well as a three-factor solution; the three-factor solution in the M5-50 includes commonalities to the distinct IPIP facets of artistic interests and intellect while the third factor demonstrates less emergent facets of the domain. Implications of the findings include a suggested review of the openness domain in the M5-50 and interpretations of openness/intellect in vocational settings.
The Bureaucratization of a Voluntary Sport Organization

In most western industrialized societies voluntary organizations play a large role in the delivery of amateur sport programs. Despite their importance in this area, sport sociologists still know little about the structure and processes of these organizations. One process that is being increasingly used to describe the development of this type of organization is that of bureaucratization. This paper examines the process of bureaucratization and the emergence of its corresponding organizational form, bureaucracy, in a Canadian voluntary sport organization. The paper provides a chronological account and analysis of the emergence of bureaucratic characteristics.
Exploration in Model-based Reinforcement Learning by Empirically Estimating Learning Progress

Formal exploration approaches in model-based reinforcement learning estimate the accuracy of the currently learned model without consideration of the empirical prediction error. For example, PAC-MDP approaches such as R-MAX base their model certainty on the amount of collected data, while Bayesian approaches assume a prior over the transition dynamics. We propose extensions to such approaches which drive exploration solely based on empirical estimates of the learner's accuracy and learning progress. We provide a "sanity check" theoretical analysis, discussing the behavior of our extensions in the standard stationary finite state-action case. We then provide experimental studies demonstrating the robustness of these exploration measures in cases of non-stationary environments or where original approaches are misled by wrong domain assumptions.
Multi-core Interference-Sensitive WCET Analysis Leveraging Runtime Resource Capacity Enforcement

The performance and power efficiency of multi-core processors are attractive features for safety-critical applications, as in avionics. But increased integration and average-case performance optimisations pose challenges when deploying them for such domains. In this paper we propose a novel approach to compute an is WCET considering variable access delays due to the concurrent use of shared resources in multi-core processors, particularly focusing on shared interconnects and main memory. Thereby we tackle the problem of temporal partitioning as required by safety-critical applications. In particular, we introduce additional phases to state-of-the-art timing analysis techniques to analyse an application's resource usage and compute an interference delay. We further complement the offline analysis with a runtime monitoring concept to enforce resource usage guarantees. The concepts are evaluated on Free scale's P4080 multi-core processor in combination with SYSGO's commercial real-time operating system Pike OS and Abs Int's timing analysis framework aiT. We abstract real applications' behaviour using a representative task set of the EEMBC Auto bench benchmark suite. Our results show a reduction of up to 53% of the multi-core WCET, while implementing full transparency to the temporal and functional behaviour of applications, enabling the seamless integration of legacy applications.
Personal healthcare budgets: what can England learn from the Netherlands?

The English Department of Health proposes to allow people who need continuing care to purchase the services and equipment they think are most appropriate through personal budgets. Yet the Netherlands, which has had a similar system, is in the process of restricting it in the light of problems that have arisen. Ewout van Ginneken, Peter P Groenewegen, and Martin McKee examine what has gone wrong and how England could avoid the same mistakes
Energy Cost of the ACSM Single‐set Resistance Training Protocol

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was (a) to assess the energy cost and intensity of a single-set resistance training (RT) protocol conducted according to the recent ACSM guidelines and (b) to compare obtained values to those recently reported as eliciting health benefits via endurance-based physical activity (PA). Twelve subjects, mean age 26.7 6 3.8 years, performed 1 set of a 15 repetition maximum (15RM) for each of 8 RT exercises. Metabolic data were collected via a portable calorimetric system. Training intensity in metabolic equivalents (METS) was 3.9 ± 0.4 for men and 4.2 ± 0.6 for women (not significant). Total energy was 135.20 ± 16.6 kcal for men and 81.7 ± 11.1 kcal for women (p < 0.008). We concluded that the ACSM single-set, 8-exercise RT protocol is a feasible alternative for achieving moderate-intensity (3–6 METS) PA, but it is not sufficient to achieve a moderate amount (150–200 kcal) of PA.
Breaking the news: A survey of ALS patients and their caregivers

Breaking the news of the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a formidable task. To evaluate the process from the perspective of patients and caregivers, we surveyed 94 patient‐caregiver pairs, as well as 50 unpaired patients and 19 unpaired caregivers. We asked respondents to evaluate the physician who first broke the news of the diagnosis based on the time spent discussing the diagnosis, and six attributes of effective communication of bad news derived from the SPIKES protocol (setting, perception, invitation, knowledge, empathy, strategy). Fifty‐six percent of patients rated the way the physician who broke the news as average (30.7), below average (8.6) or poor (16.4). Forty‐eight percent of caregivers rated the physician as poor (14.4), below average (4.8) or average (28.8). Better performance on all attributes of effective communication as well as greater time spent discussing the diagnosis was correlated with higher patient/caregiver satisfaction. Our results suggest that there is room for improvement in breaking the news of the diagnosis of ALS. Greater adherence to certain attributes of effective communication of bad news may improve the way physicians perform this difficult task.
Exhaled Breath Temperature as a Novel Marker of Future Development of COPD: Results of a Follow-Up Study in Smokers

ABSTRACT Although only less than one-third of smokers develop COPD, early marker(s) of COPD development are lacking. The aim of this research was to assess the ability of an average equilibrium exhaled breath temperature (EBT) in identifying susceptibility to cigarette smoke so as to predict COPD development in smokers at risk. The study was a part of a multicenter prospective cohort study in current smokers (N = 140, both sexes, 40–65 years, ≥20 pack-years) with no prior diagnosis of COPD. Diagnostic workup includes history, physical, quality of life, hematology and highly sensitive CRP, EBT before and after smoking a cigarette, lung function with bronchodilator test, and 6-minute walk test. Patients without a diagnosis of COPD and in GOLD 1 stage at initial assessment were reassessed after 2 years. COPD was additionally diagnosed based on lower level of normal (LLN) lung function criteria. Utility of EBT for disease progression was analyzed using receiver operator curve (ROC) and logistic regression analyses. Change in EBT after smoking a cigarette at initial visit (ΔEBT) was significantly predictive for disease progression (newly diagnosed COPD; newly diagnosed COPD + severity progression) after 2 years (p < 0.05 for both). ΔEBT had an AUC of 0.859 (p = 0.011) with sensitivity of 66.7% and specificity of 98.1% for newly diagnosed COPD using LLN criteria. We conclude that EBT shows potential for predicting the future development of COPD in current smokers. This was best seen using LLN to diagnose COPD, adding further evidence to question the use of GOLD criteria for diagnosing COPD.
Lasting Differential Effects on Plasticity Induced by Prenatal Stress in Dorsal and Ventral Hippocampus

Early life adversaries have a profound impact on the developing brain structure and functions that persist long after the original traumatic experience has vanished. One of the extensively studied brain structures in relation to early life stress has been the hippocampus because of its unique association with cognitive processes of the brain. While the entire hippocampus shares the same intrinsic organization, it assumes different functions in its dorsal and ventral sectors (DH and VH, resp.), based on different connectivity with other brain structures. In the present review, we summarize the differences between DH and VH and discuss functional and structural effects of prenatal stress in the two sectors, with the realization that much is yet to be explored in understanding the opposite reactivity of the DH and VH to stressful stimulation.
A Conversational Agent Powered by Online Learning ( Extended Abstract )

In this work, we improve the performance of a dialogue engine, Say Something Smart, using online learning. Given a request by a user, this engine selects an answer from a corpus of movie subtitles, weighting the quality of each candidate answer according to several criteria and selecting the one that is chosen by the most representative criteria. We contribute with an online approach, using sequential learning, that adjusts the weights of the different criteria using a reference corpus of actual dialogues as input to simulate user feedback. This approach effectively allowed Say Something Smart to improve its performance at each interaction, as shown in an experiment performed in a test corpus.
Factoring a Polynomial with Multiple-Roots

Abstract — A given polynomial, possibly with multiple roots, is factored into several lower-degree distinct-root polynomials with natural-order-integer powers. All the roots, including multiplicities, of the original polynomial may be obtained by solving these lower-degree distinct-root polynomials, instead of the original high-degree multiple-root polynomial directly. The approach requires polynomial Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) computation. The very simple and effective process, “Monic polynomial subtractions” converted trickily from “Longhand polynomial divisions” of Euclidean algorithm is employed. It requires only simple elementary arithmetic operations without any advanced mathematics. Amazingly, the derived routine gives the expected results for the test polynomials of very high degree, such as px x () ( 1)=+ 1000 . Keywords — Polynomial roots, greatest common divisor, Longhand polynomial division, Euclidean GCD Algorithm. I. I NTRODUCTION given polynomial, possibly with several multiple roots, is factored into several lower-degree distinct-root polynomials with power set of natural-order integers. All of the roots with corresponding multiplicities are then found by individually solving these lower-degree distinct-root polynomials, instead of directly solving the original high-degree multiple-root polynomial. It shows that the more root multiplicities the polynomial has, the more efficient this algorithm becomes. This is contrary to the usual issue that the most difficult part of solving a polynomial is calculating the roots with high multiplicities [1]. The approach requires the greatest common divisor (GCD) computation. The simple and efficient process developed by Chang [2] is applied for polynomial GCD. It requires only simple elementary arithmetic operations such as subtractions and divisions. A MATLAB code is provided, along with a typical numerical example. Amazingly, this routine gives the expected results for test polynomials of very high degree. II. FORMULATION A given polynomial
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Enhance CD4 T Cell Susceptibility to NK Cell Killing but Reduce NK Cell Function

In the search for a cure for HIV-1 infection, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are being investigated as activators of latently infected CD4 T cells to promote their targeting by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL). However, HDACi may also inhibit CTL function, suggesting different immunotherapy approaches may need to be explored. Here, we study the impact of different HDACi on both Natural Killer (NK) and CTL targeting of HIV-1 infected cells. We found HDACi down-regulated HLA class I expression independently of HIV-1 Nef which, without significantly compromising CTL function, led to enhanced targeting by NK cells. HDACi-treated HIV-1-infected CD4 T cells were also more effectively cleared than untreated controls during NK co-culture. However, HDACi impaired NK function, reducing degranulation and killing capacity. Depending on the HDACi and dose, this impairment could counteract the benefit gained by treating infected target cells. These data suggest that following HDACi-induced HLA class I down-regulation NK cells kill HIV-1-infected cells, although HDACi-mediated NK cell inhibition may negate this effect. Our data emphasize the importance of studying the effects of potential interventions on both targets and effectors.
Monitoring of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level is predictive of EGFR mutation and efficacy of EGFR-TKI in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has an inverse association with the incidence of lung cancer. However, whether it can be used as a predictive factor in advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients treated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) still remains undefined. This research aimed at studying the relationship of serum HDL-C baseline level and HDL-C kinetics to EGFR mutation, the efficacy of EGFR-TKI, and the predictive value of PFS. The presence of mutation rate in the 192 patients with lung adenocarcinoma was compared within stratified groups. Levels of baseline HDL-C and kinetics of HDL-C were analyzed retrospectively in patients treated with EGFR-TKI harboring EGFR mutation. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the prognostic value of HDL-C. EGFR mutation rate of HDL-C high-level group was significantly higher than that of low-level group (59.0% vs 35.6%, P=0.001). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that high-level HDL-C was an independent predictive factor for EGFR gene mutation (P=0.005; odds ratio =0.417; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.227–0.768). Patients with a low level of HDL-C before therapy showed a progression of disease in most cases (P<0.001). According to HDL-C kinetics, patients who received EGFR-TKI treatment harboring EGFR mutation were divided into four groups. Univariate analysis showed that patients in nondecreased group had longer progression-free survival (P<0.001; hazard ratio =0.003; 95% CI, 0.001–0.018). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analyses showed the same result (P<0.001; hazard ratio =0.003; 95% CI, 0.001–0.018). Current results suggest that HDL-C seems to be a good independent predictive biomarker for advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients treated with the first-line EGFR-TKI. Roles of this biomarker include indicating EGFR mutation, assessing the efficacy of EGFR-TKI, and predicting the progression-free survival.
Dicer1 and MiR‐9 are required for proper Notch1 signaling and the Bergmann glial phenotype in the developing mouse cerebellum

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important roles in the development of the central nervous system (CNS). Several reports indicate that tissue development and cellular differentiation in the developing forebrain are disrupted in the absence of miRNAs. However, the functions of miRNAs during cerebellar development have not been systematically characterized. Here, we conditionally knocked out the Dicer1 gene under the control of the human glial fibrillary acidic protein (hGFAP) promoter to examine the effect of miRNAs in the developing cerebellum. We particularly focused on the phenotype of Bergmann glia (BG). The hGFAP‐Cre activity was detected as early as embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5) at the rhombic lip (RL) in the cerebellar plate, and later in several postnatal cerebellar cell types, including BG. Dicer1 ablation induces a smaller and less developed cerebellum, accompanied by aberrant BG morphology. Notch1 signaling appears to be blocked in Dicer1‐ablated BG, with reduced expression of the Notch1 target gene, brain lipid binding protein (BLBP). Using neuronal co‐culture assays, we showed an intrinsic effect of Dicer1 on BG morphology and Notch1 target gene expression. We further identified miR‐9 as being differentially expressed in BG and showed that miR‐9 is a critical, but not the only, miRNA component of the Notch1 signaling pathway in cultured BG cells. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.