Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Collision selective LGMDs neuron models research benefits from a vision-based autonomous micro robot

The developments of robotics inform research across a broad range of disciplines. In this paper, we will study and compare two collision selective neuron models via a vision-based autonomous micro robot. In the locusts' visual brain, two Lobula Giant Movement Detectors (LGMDs), i.e. LGMD1 and LGMD2, have been identified as looming sensitive neurons responding to rapidly expanding objects, yet with different collision selectivity. Both neurons have been modeled and successfully applied in robotic vision system for perceiving potential collisions in an efficient and reliable manner. In this research, we conduct binocular neuronal models, for the first time combining the functionalities of LGMD1 and LGMD2 neurons, in the visual modality of a ground mobile robot. The results of systematic on-line experiments demonstrated three contributions of this research: (1) The arena tests involving multiple robots verified the effectiveness and robustness of a reactive motion control strategy via integrating a bilateral pair of LGMD1 and LGMD2 models for collision detection in dynamic scenarios. (2) We pinpointed the different collision selectivity between LGMD1 and LGMD2 neuron models, which fulfill corresponding biological research. (3) The utilized micro robot may also benefit researches on other embedded vision systems as well as swarm robotics.
Biomechanical and energetic determinants of the walk–trot transition in horses

SUMMARY We studied nine adult horses spanning an eightfold range in body mass (Mb) (90–720 kg) and a twofold range in leg length (L) (0.7–1.4 m). We measured the horses' walk–trot transition speeds using step-wise speed increments as they locomoted on a motorized treadmill. We then measured their rates of oxygen consumption over a wide range of walking and trotting speeds. We interpreted the transition speed results using a simple inverted-pendulum model of walking in which gravity provides the centripetal force necessary to keep the leg in contact with the ground. By studying a large size range of horses, we were naturally able to vary the absolute walking speed that would produce the same ratio of centripetal to gravitational forces. This ratio, (Mbv2/L)/(Mbg), reduces to the dimensionless Froude number (v2/gL), where v is forward speed, L is leg length and g is gravitational acceleration. We found that the absolute walk–trot transition speed increased with size from 1.6 to 2.3 m s–1, but it occurred at nearly the same Froude number (0.35). In addition, horses spontaneously switched between gaits in a narrow range of speeds that corresponded to the metabolically optimal transition speed. These results support the hypotheses that the walk–trot transition is triggered by inverted-pendulum dynamics and occurs at the speed that maximizes metabolic economy.
Amino acids as a nitrogen source in temperate upland grasslands: the use of dual labelled ((13)C, (15)N) glycine to test for direct uptake by dominant grasses.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that soil amino acids are a principal source of nitrogen (N) for certain plants, and especially those of N-limited environments. This study of temperate upland grasslands used glycine-2-(13)C-(15)N and ((15)NH4)(2)SO(4) labelling techniques to test the hypothesis that plant species which dominate 'unimproved' semi-natural grasslands (Festuca-Agrostis-Galium) are able to utilise amino acid N for growth, whereas those plants which dominate 'improved' grasslands (Lolium-Cynosurus), that receive regular applications of inorganic fertiliser, use inorganic N forms as their main N source. Data from field experiments confirmed that 'free' amino acids were more abundant in 'unimproved' than 'improved' grassland and that glycine was the dominant amino acid type (up to 42% of total). Secondly, the injection of representative amounts of glycine-2-(13)C-(15)N (4.76 and 42.86 mM) into intact soil cores from the two grassland types provided evidence of direct uptake of glycine by plants, with both (15)N and (13)C being detected in plant material of both grasslands. Finally, a microcosm experiment demonstrated no preferential uptake of amino acid N by the grasses which dominate the grassland types, namely Holcus lanatus, Festuca rubra, Agrostis capillaris from the 'unimproved' grassland, and Lolium perenne from the 'improved' grassland. Again, both (13)C and (15)N were detected in all grass species suggesting uptake of intact glycine by these plants.
Innovation and Corporate Cash Holdings in the Era of Globalization

We document a broad-based trend in rising cash holdings of firms across major industrialized countries over the last two decades, a trend that is most pronounced for firms engaged strongly in R&D activities. Our contributions to the literature are twofold. First, we develop a simple model that brings together the insights from modern trade theory (Melitz, 2003) with those of contract theory in corporate finance (HolmstrA¶m and Tirole, 1998) to show that increased openness to trade can result in rising returns to innovation and in turn greater demand for cash as firms insure against innovation-induced liquidity risk. Second, we derive sharp empirical predictions and find supporting evidence for them using firm-level data across major G7 countries during 1995-2014, a period that saw an unprecedented rise in globalization and business innovation.
Exposure to Parenting by Lying in Childhood: Associations with Negative Outcomes in Adulthood

Parents around the world engage in the practice of parenting by lying, which entails lying to manipulate children’s emotional states and behavior. The current study is the first to examine whether exposure to parenting by lying in childhood is associated with later dishonesty and psychosocial maladjustment in adulthood. Female undergraduate adults retrospectively reported their experiences of parenting by lying during childhood, the current frequency at which they lie to their parents, and their current psychosocial functioning. We found that adults who recalled relatively high levels of parenting by lying during childhood both lie to their parents more often and experience greater psychosocial adjustments problems in adulthood than adults who recalled relatively low levels of parenting by lying during childhood. This study is the first to suggest that parenting by lying during childhood may be associated with negative moral and social outcomes later in life.
Matrilin-3 mutations that cause chondrodysplasias interfere with protein trafficking while a mutation associated with hand osteoarthritis does not

Several mutations in the extracellular matrix protein matrilin-3 cause a heterogeneous disease spectrum affecting skeletal tissues. We introduced three disease causing point mutations leading to single amino acid exchanges (R116W, T298M, C299S) in matrilin-3 and expressed the corresponding proteins in primary articular chondrocytes to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms at the cellular level. Expression levels, processing, and the secretion pattern of a mutation linked to hand osteoarthritis (T298M) were similar to the wildtype protein, whereas the two other mutants were poorly expressed and hardly detectable in supernatants of transiently transfected cells. Using immunofluorescence staining, we demonstrated that mutants R116W and C299S are retained and accumulate within the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER). Their further trafficking to the Golgi compartment seems to be disturbed, whereas T298M is secreted normally. In cells transfected with the wildtype and T298M constructs, a matrilin-3 containing filamentous network was formed surrounding the cells, whereas in the case of R116W and C299S such structures were completely absent. These observations are similar to those for mutations in the cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) leading to multiple epiphyseal dysplasia and pseudoachondroplasia suggesting that retention and accumulation of cartilage proteins in the ER might be a general mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of chondrodysplasias.
A Comparison of the Clean Surplus And Prospect Theory Valuation Models

This study investigates the explanatory power of the clean surplus versus prospect theory valuation models. Literature argues that prospect theory and traditional capital market approaches are consistent from a theoretical perspective (Levy, De Giorgi and Hens 2012) . A comprehensive empirical analysis investigates the model valuations by examining: the pre/post 2008 crash, growth options, and size/risk attributes. In the process, the study does contribute knowledge about firm behavior pre and post the 2008 crash. As mentioned above, the study investigates the alternative firm models in a theoretical framework that incorporates growth options and assets-in-place. In so doing, the analyses find that growth options (e.g. research and development (R&D), and capital expenditures) model formulations have incremental explanatory power over the null hypothesis of not including a growth option. Thus, the study explores the decision-usefulness of the model alternatives to the extent that they impact upon firm increasing/decreasing returns to scale according to the log of R&D and capital expenditures. As part of the analysis, this study reports an interaction effect of R&D and capital expenditures. In summary, both clean surplus and prospect theory models capture value in all of these empirical dimensions. The clean surplus model appears to be a better predictor of firm value than prospect theory. To the authors’ knowledge, this the first empirical study to compare comprehensively the clean surplus formulation versus an alternative prospect theory approach, in particular, before and after the 2008 financial crisis.
Liver transplantation for chronic hepatitis B with lamivudine‐resistant YMDD mutant using add‐on adefovir dipivoxil plus lamivudine

Lamivudine treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may improve clinical state and suppress viral replication before liver transplantation. Emergence of lamivudine‐resistant YMDD mutant is common. We report the results of liver transplantation in 16 patients with pretransplantation YMDD mutants after receiving lamivudine treatment for a median of 738 days (range, 400‐1799 days). Adefovir dipivoxil (10 mg daily) was added on to lamivudine for a median of 20 days (range, 8‐271 days) before (n = 11) or at (n = 5) liver transplantation, and the combination was continued indefinitely thereafter. Eight patients received additional intravenous hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) for a median of 24 months. Fifteen patients with known pre‐adefovir HBV DNA levels had a median titer of 14,200 × 103 copies/mL (2 × 103 to 4,690,000 × 103 copies/mL), and 14 had HBV DNA >105 copies/mL. All but 1 patient remained positive for HBV DNA (by quantitative polymerase chain reaction [qPCR]) at the time of liver transplantation, and the titer was greater than105 copies/mL in 8 patients. The median follow‐up after liver transplantation was 21.1 (range, 4.4‐68.9) months. One patient (6%) died of an unrelated cause 12.2 months after transplantation, and 15 patients (94%) were alive with the original graft. All patients cleared HBV DNA and had no detectable HBV DNA by qPCR at the latest follow‐up. Fourteen patients had cleared hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), but 2 patients who received only adefovir dipivoxil and lamivudine without HBIG remained HBsAg positive after 7.7 and 9.5 months. Serum HBV DNA, however, was negative, and there was no biochemical or histological evidence of recurrence. Adefovir dipivoxil was well tolerated with no significant renal toxicity. In conclusion, a combination of add‐on adefovir dipivoxil plus lamivudine therapy provides effective prophylaxis in patients with pretransplantation YMDD mutant that may be actively replicating. The cost effectiveness of additional passive immunoprophylaxis remains to be defined. (Liver Transpl 2005;11:807–813.)
Viral dynamics and response differences in HCV‐infected African American and white patients treated with IFN and ribavirin

Studies have suggested that African American patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) do not respond as well to treatment with interferon (IFN) as white patients. Here we analyzed the difference in the viral kinetic response between genotype 1 HCV‐infected African American patients (n = 19) and white patients (n = 16). Patients were treated with 10 mIU IFN‐α2b daily with or without ribavirin for 1 month followed by 3 mIU IFN‐α2b 3 times a week with ribavirin. The kinetic parameters (ϵ, treatment effectiveness at inhibiting virion production; δ, loss rate of virus‐producing cells; c, clearance rate of free virions; τ, delay until viral decline starts) were estimated from the viral load decay profiles using a previously described mathematical model. Differences in early kinetic parameters and viral negativity frequencies at weeks 4, 12, and 48 were compared. Ribavirin did not appear to enhance any of the viral kinetic parameters, although this may have been due to the high dose of IFN used. African American patients exhibited significantly (P = .005) lower drug effectiveness (88.6% vs. 98.2%) compared with white patients, accounting for a 0.8 log lower HCV RNA decrease in the first 24 hours of treatment. Significant differences (P = .006) were also noted for δ. There was no correlation between any of the viral kinetic parameters and either age, body mass index (BMI), or genotype 1 subtype. No patient achieved viral negativity at weeks 4, 12, or 48 without an ϵ greater than 90%. The mean viral decline and viral negativity rates were statistically different between the two races; however, when controlling for treatment effectiveness, these differences were no longer apparent. In conclusion, the failure of IFN response in African American patients infected with genotype 1 HCV is in part due to an impaired ability to inhibit viral production.
Exploring Active Participation in Virtual Communities and the Role of Community Benefits: An Empirical Study of University Students in India

User-generated content (UGC) forms an indispensable part of virtual community (VC) based on marketing. It not only makes the community information-rich, but is also instrumental in generating more interactions on the community platform, involving more number of members, both actively and passively. With this backdrop, the present study aims to explore active participation (AP) of members in a VC, which leads to the creation of UGC for the community. Social media (SM) use being context dependent, the main objective of this article is to study the role of VC benefits in inducing AP among users in the Indian context. The mediating role of member’s satisfaction with the community in the above relationship is also explored. The proposed model is tested on a convenience sample of 170 SM users using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that of the three benefit categories, selected, social and hedonic benefits, play an important role in inducing AP among community members. A bootstrap analysis is performed to check for mediation, wherein satisfaction is found to partially mediate the relationship between social benefits and AP, and indirect mediation is established between hedonic benefits and AP. The study offers useful insights to community managers, so as to strategically design their community content creating satisfied users and inducing AP.
Combination of Multicatheter Plus Stent or Balloon for Treatment of Complex Aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Coiling of complex aneurysms is still difficult even with current adjuvant techniques. This study sought to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a combination of multicatheter plus stent or balloon for the treatment of complex aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All complex aneurysms that underwent coiling with the combination technique were identified from prospectively maintained neurointerventional data bases. “Complex aneurysm” was defined as a wide-neck aneurysm with branch incorporation into or a deep lobulation of the sac. The clinical and angiographic outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-two complex aneurysms (12 ruptured, 50 unruptured) in 62 patients (mean age, 57 years; male/female ratio, 12:50) were treated with a combination technique by using a multicatheter plus stent (n = 42, 3 ruptured) or balloon (n = 20, 9 ruptured). Treatment-related morbidity (grade 3 hemiparesis) occurred in 1 patient (1.6%). Except for 1 patient who had treatment-related morbidity, none of the other patients with unruptured aneurysms developed new neurologic symptoms at discharge. Nine of the 12 patients with ruptured aneurysms had good outcomes (Glasgow Outcome Score, 4 or 5) at the latest follow-up (mean, 32 months; range, 6–72 months), and 1 patient died from an initial SAH. Posttreatment control angiograms revealed complete occlusion in 27, neck remnant in 34, and incomplete occlusion in 1 aneurysm. At least 1 follow-up catheter or MR angiogram was available in 80.6% (n = 50) (mean, 21 months; range, 6–65 months). There were 4 minor and 3 major recurrences (14.0%). CONCLUSIONS: In this case series, the combination technique by using multicatheter plus stent or balloon seemed safe and effective for the treatment of complex aneurysms.
The Influence of Organizational Justice on Job Commitment in the Jordanian Ministries

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of organizational justice on job commitment in Jordanian ministries. Data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to 450 employees in three Jordanian ministries, namely, the Ministry of Education; Ministry of Health; and Ministry of Awqaf Islamic Affairs and Holy Places. Data were analyzed via descriptive, simple linear regression analysis, and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. The hypotheses of the research were tested and the probabilities of their acceptance were rejection. Findings revealed a statistically significant impact between organizational justice and job commitimnt. Results also indicated that informational justice has the highest influential effect on employee job commitmint, while procedural justice had the lowest impact on it. Furthermore, this study reports differences between the dimensions of the (OJ) in their impacts on the dimensions of job commitment. Moreover, the study found that the three dimensions of organizational justice (information justice, personal justice, and distributive justice) combined had a higher predictive capacity of job commitment than that of any independent dimension or two dimensions of organizational justice. In view of the results, the researcher gives some recommendations to the decision makers in Jordanian ministries that may guide them to promote the concept and practice of organizational justice in their ministries such as the need for increasing the levels of organizational justice, especially the distributive justice, and focusing on compatibility of income of the employee with their academic level and practical experience, in addition to necessity of improving the system of rewards in the Jordanian ministries because the rewards have a significant impact on the employees' perception of justice and on her/his interest in supporting her/his colleagues when doing additional work in the ministry. In other respects, this study has practical implications for future research such as attracting attention to the need to study job satisfaction and job engagement as mediatingvariables of association of employee’s job commitment with organizational justice. This is in addition to conducting studies similar to the present one in different environments inside and outside Jordan.
Disability and Law Enforcement Personnel: Perceptions from the Rocky Mountain Region of the USA

Individuals with disabilities report being less satisfied with law enforcement services compared with the general population, and most law enforcement jurisdictions often lack protocols and report training and resource barriers to effective interaction and communication with individuals with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of law enforcement personnel regarding interaction and communication with individuals with disabilities in order to enhance training and technical assistance. Data were collected from 19 law enforcement personnel who participated in focus groups in the Rocky Mountain region. Four main themes emerged from the data. The first three described professional interactions with individuals with disabilities: (1) interpersonal skills, (2) complex responsibilities, and (3) conflicting expectations. The final theme represents actionable recommendations for training and practice: (4) improvement opportunities. Implications for further assessment and training opportunities, along with future research, are provided.
Molecular imaging with endogenous substances

Dynamic nuclear polarization has enabled hyperpolarization of nuclei such as 13C and 15N in endogenous substances. The resulting high nuclear polarization makes it possible to perform subsecond 13C MRI. By using the dynamic nuclear polarization hyperpolarization technique, 10% polarization was obtained in an aqueous solution of 100 mM 13C-labeled urea, ready for injection. The in vivo T1 relaxation time of 13C in the urea solution was determined to 20 ± 2 s. Due to the long relaxation time, it is possible to use the hyperpolarized substance for medical imaging. A series of high-resolution (≈1-mm) magnetic resonance images were acquired, each with a scan time of 240 ms, 0-5 s after an i.v. injection of the hyperpolarized aqueous [13C]urea solution in a rat. The results show that it is possible to perform 13C angiography with a signal-to-noise ratio of ≈275 in ≈0.25 s. Perfusion studies with endogenous substances may allow higher spatial and/or temporal resolution than is possible with current proton imaging techniques.
Atrophic and Regenerative Changes in Rabbit Mimic Muscles after Lidocaine and Bupivacaine Application

Destruction and denervation atrophy in skeletal muscles caused by the injection of local anaesthetics was investigated by injecting lidocaine or bupivacaine around the rabbit facial nerve to produce facial paralysis. Animals were then sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks post‐injection, and changes in mimic muscle tissue were assessed at each stage by light microscopy and electron microscopy. Atrophic changes were observed at 2–6 weeks after injection, and regeneration started at 6–8 weeks. Compared to bupivacaine, lidocaine caused more dramatic atrophic changes and was associated with slower muscle regeneration.
Ketamine as a new treatment for depression: A review of its efficacy and adverse effects

Objective: Narrative review of the literature on the efficacy and safety of subanaesthetic doses of ketamine for the treatment of depression. Method: Medline and PubMed databases were searched up to October 2012 using appropriate keywords. Results: The studies consistently report substantial efficacy with high response and remission rates from 4 to 72 hours (averages 77% and 43%, respectively) from single doses, though not all patients respond to ketamine. Early relapse is common. While the usual procedure involves the administration of intravenous ketamine at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg over 40 minutes, some preliminary evidence suggests other dosing regimens and routes of administration may be useful or even better. Repeated doses and maintenance pharmacological treatments have been investigated in order to prolong the antidepressant effects, with only modest success. Conclusions: Current research on the antidepressant effects of ketamine has consistently shown rapid and substantial improvement in mood in the majority of patients. However, these effects have often been found to be short-lived. Future research should focus on identifying predictors of response (e.g. clinical, genetic, pharmacokinetic, environmental), examining different dosing regimens and routes of administration, and strategies to maintain the antidepressant response.