Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal Balance in Competing Apparent Motion is Not Predicted from the Strength of the Single-Motion Percept

Apparent motion is useful for investigating how spatiotemporal cues are integrated to determine the identity of a moving object. To examine its spatiotemporal properties, a competing-motion paradigm has advantages in strict psychophysical evaluation, despite difficulty in object-identity determination, over a non-competing subjective-grading paradigm. The latter has been often used, whereas the former has not been fully investigated. Here, we compared these two paradigms. In the competing-motion experiment, a sample spot was followed by a far and a near test spot with onset asynchrony. We found that the onset asynchrony between the near and far test spots was directly related to the distance ratio between them. This spatial size-invariant relation was not predicted from the strength of the single-apparent-motion percept, estimated from the non-competing subjective-grading experiment in which a sample spot was followed by only one test spot. Moreover, the spatiotemporal balance in competing apparent motion was found not to be valid under negative interstimulus-interval conditions, although a single apparent motion is perceived in those conditions. These clear discrepancies suggest that competing and single apparent motions are processed in a different way according to the difficulty in object identification.
How does obstructive sleep apnoea evolve in syndromic craniosynostosis? A prospective cohort study

Objective To describe the course of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) in children with syndromic craniosynostosis. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Dutch Craniofacial Centre from January 2007 to January 2012. Patients A total of 97 children with syndromic craniosynostosis underwent level III sleep study. Patients generally undergo cranial vault remodelling during their first year of life, but OSAS treatment only on indication. Main outcome measures Obstructive apnoea-hypopnoea index, the central apnoea index and haemoglobin oxygenation-desaturation index derived from consecutive sleep studies. Results The overall prevalence of OSAS in syndromic craniosynostosis was 68% as defined by level III sleep study. Twenty-three patients were treated for OSAS. Longitudinal profiles were computed for 80 untreated patients using 241 sleep studies. A mixed effects model showed higher values for the patients with midface hypoplasia as compared to those without midface hypoplasia (Omnibus likelihood ratio test=7.9). In paired measurements, the obstructive apnoea-hypopnoea index (Z=−3.4) significantly decreased over time, especially in the first years of life (Z=−3.3), but not in patients with midface hypoplasia (Z=−1.5). No patient developed severe OSAS during follow-up if it was not yet diagnosed during the first sleep study. Conclusions OSAS is highly prevalent in syndromic craniosynostosis. There is some natural improvement, mainly during the first 3 years of life and least in children with Apert or Crouzon/Pfeiffer syndrome. In the absence of other co-morbid risk factors, it is highly unlikely that if severe OSAS is not present early in life it will develop during childhood. Ongoing clinical surveillance is of great importance and continuous monitoring for the development of other co-morbid risk factors for OSAS should be warranted.
Transcorneal electrical stimulation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa: results from the TESOLAUK trial

Objective To explore the impact of weekly transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES) over a 6-month period as a treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Methods and analysis A prospective open-label observational trial was carried out assessing weekly TES in participants with RP for a period of 6 months followed by observation for a further 6 months. Clinical examination and investigations were carried out at 3 monthly intervals for a total of 12 months. The primary outcome measure explored safety through a descriptive analysis of adverse effects with secondary outcome measures evaluating structural and functional efficacy. Results Seven male and seven female participants with RP aged 18–80 years were recruited. TES was well tolerated with no serious adverse events reported. Two participants reported transient foreign body sensation and one participant had discomfort underneath the skin electrode. Following 6 months of TES, best-corrected visual acuity increased by 1.1±1.4 letters in the control arm and 0.93±1.4 letters in the treated arm. Central microperimetry threshold sensitivity rose by 0.02±0.5 decibels (dB) and 0.37±0.4 dB and Goldmann visual field volume by 0.16±0.09 steradians (sr) vs 0.22±0.12 sr for the control and treated eye, respectively. There was no statistical significance seen between eyes following the treatment or observation period. Conclusion This small open-label clinical trial showed that TES was safe and well tolerated in patients with RP. Visual function measurements at 6 months demonstrated no significant difference between the control and treated eyes. The results justify a larger clinical trial over a longer period of time in order to identify any treatment effect.
Mining Twitter for Fine-Grained Political Opinion Polarity Classification, Ideology Detection and Sarcasm Detection

In this paper, we propose three models for socio-political opinion polarity classification of microblog posts. Firstly, a novel probabilistic model, Joint-Entity-Sentiment-Topic (JEST) model, which captures opinions as a combination of the target entity, sentiment and topic, will be proposed. Secondly, a model for ideology detection called JEST-Ideology will be proposed to identify an individual»s orientation towards topics/issues and target entities by extending the proposed opinion polarity classification framework. Finally, we propose a novel method to accurately detect sarcastic opinions by utilizing detected fine-grained opinion and ideology.
Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder a helpful concept for adults with intellectual disability?

BACKGROUND Research using the concept of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with adults with intellectual disability (ID)assumes they perceive and react to traumatic events in a similar way to non-disabled adults. Reactions to trauma displayed by children may be relevant to adults with ID as well. METHODS Two focus groups were held with professionals and practitioners to explore the relevance of criteria from child as well as adult literature to adults with ID who experience trauma. Descriptive thematic analysis was carried out. RESULTS Abuse, parental bereavement, and having children removed were considered common sources of trauma. Similarities identified between disabled and non-disabled adults were flashbacks and nightmares; distressed by reminders; avoidance; hypervigilance and increased arousal. Differences were the frequent occurrence of multiple rather than single events, which were considered significant in generating chronic problems similar to those described as PTSD; also the occurrence of physical health problems and behavioural re-enactments. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Experienced professionals and practitioners considered most of the ideas from PTSD research with non-disabled adults to be relevant to adults with ID who experience trauma, but that some behaviour reported in research with children was also relevant. Topics and questions for use in clinical and research practice with individuals who have experienced trauma were proposed.
The Complexity of Communication in a Course Environment: A Case Study.

Communication is not a simple concept. On the contrary, it is one that entails multiple aspects of a complex process. It is interesting to see that there are many definitions of communication, some of which, in the authors’ opinion, fit better in the educational environment by considering the impact of communication as one that influences all disciplines in their search for academic excellence (Merriman-Webster, 2009). Under specific circumstances, for instance in a course environment, in a class project or assignment, communication takes a central role of clearly identifying the situation or problem at hand, providing guidelines that allow all parties involved— professor(s) and students—to have a clear perspective on the requirements and expectations on the part of the instructor(s) in terms of the final outcome, including the time frame for accomplishment (Frymier, 2005). It is in this area where the authors wanted to explore some of the intricacies of communication using a realistic case scenario. This preliminary study, as part of a larger effort to evaluate both ethical and communication aspects of the complex multifaceted interaction between the instructor(s) and students, will address communication issues related to specific project(s) or assignment(s) as part of course work.
Group III-A XTH Genes of Arabidopsis Encode Predominant Xyloglucan Endohydrolases That Are Dispensable for Normal Growth1[C][W][OA]

The molecular basis of primary wall extension endures as one of the central enigmas in plant cell morphogenesis. Classical cell wall models suggest that xyloglucan endo-transglycosylase activity is the primary catalyst (together with expansins) of controlled cell wall loosening through the transient cleavage and religation of xyloglucan-cellulose cross links. The genome of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) contains 33 phylogenetically diverse XYLOGLUCAN ENDO-TRANSGLYCOSYLASE/HYDROLASE (XTH) gene products, two of which were predicted to be predominant xyloglucan endohydrolases due to clustering into group III-A. Enzyme kinetic analysis of recombinant AtXTH31 confirmed this prediction and indicated that this enzyme had similar catalytic properties to the nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) xyloglucanase1 responsible for storage xyloglucan hydrolysis during germination. Global analysis of Genevestigator data indicated that AtXTH31 and the paralogous AtXTH32 were abundantly expressed in expanding tissues. Microscopy analysis, utilizing the resorufin β-glycoside of the xyloglucan oligosaccharide XXXG as an in situ probe, indicated significant xyloglucan endohydrolase activity in specific regions of both roots and hypocotyls, in good correlation with transcriptomic data. Moreover, this hydrolytic activity was essentially completely eliminated in AtXTH31/AtXTH32 double knockout lines. However, single and double knockout lines, as well as individual overexpressing lines, of AtXTH31 and AtXTH32 did not demonstrate significant growth or developmental phenotypes. These results suggest that although xyloglucan polysaccharide hydrolysis occurs in parallel with primary wall expansion, morphological effects are subtle or may be compensated by other mechanisms. We hypothesize that there is likely to be an interplay between these xyloglucan endohydrolases and recently discovered apoplastic exo-glycosidases in the hydrolytic modification of matrix xyloglucans.
Report from the Japanese registry of CPR for in-hospital cardiac arrest (J-RCPR).

BACKGROUND In-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) is an important issue, but data in Japan are limited. METHODS AND RESULTS To investigate in-hospital CPA, we conducted a prospective multicenter observational registry of in-hospital CPA and resuscitation in Japan (J-RCPR). During January 2008 to December 2009, patients were registered from 12 participating hospitals. All patients, visitors and employees within the facility campus who experience a cardiopulmonary resuscitation event defined as either a pulseless or a pulse with inadequate perfusion requiring chest compressions and/or defibrillation of ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT) were registered. Data were collected in 6 major categories of variables: facility data, patient demographic data, pre-event data, event data, outcome data, and quality improvement data. Data for 491 adults were analyzed. The prevalence of pulseless VT/VF as first documented rhythm was 28.1%, asystole was 29.5% and pulseless electrical activity was 41.1%. Immediate causes of event were arrhythmia 30.6%, acute respiratory insufficiency 26.7%, and hypotension 15.7%. Return of spontaneous circulation was 64.7%; the proportion of survival 24h after CPA was 49.8%, the proportion of survival to hospital discharge was 27.8% and proportion of favorable neurological outcome at 30 days was 21.4%. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of the registry for in-hospital CPA in Japan and shows that the registry provides important observational data.
EphB4 forward signalling mediates angiogenesis caused by CCM3/PDCD10‐ablation

CCM3, also named as PDCD10, is a ubiquitous protein expressed in nearly all tissues and in various types of cells. It is essential for vascular development and post‐natal vessel maturation. Loss‐of‐function mutation of CCM3 predisposes for the familial form of cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM). We have previously shown that knock‐down of CCM3 stimulated endothelial angiogenesis via impairing DLL4‐Notch signalling; moreover, loss of endothelial CCM3 stimulated tumour angiogenesis and promoted tumour growth. The present study was designed to further elucidate the inside signalling pathway involved in CCM3‐ablation‐mediated angiogenesis. Here we report for the first time that silencing endothelial CCM3 led to a significant up‐regulation of EphB4 mRNA and protein expression and to an increased kinase activity of EphB4, concomitantly accompanied by an activation of Erk1/2, which was reversed by treatment with the specific EphB4 kinase inhibitor NVP‐BHG712 (NVP), indicating that silencing CCM3 activates EphB4 kinase forward signalling. Furthermore, treatment with NVP rescued the hyper‐angiogenic phenotype induced by knock‐down of endothelial CCM3 in vitro and in vivo. Additional study demonstrated that the activation of EphB4 forward signalling in endothelial cells under basal condition and after CCM3‐silence was modulated by DLL4/Notch signalling, relying EphB4 at downstream of DLL4/Notch signalling. We conclude that angiogenesis induced by CCM3‐silence is mediated by the activation of EphB4 forward signalling. The identified endothelial signalling pathway of CCM3‐DLL4/Notch‐EphB4‐Erk1/2 may provide an insight into mechanism of CCM3‐ablation‐mediated angiogenesis and could potentially contribute to novel therapeutic concepts for disrupting aberrant angiogenesis in CCM and in hyper‐vascularized tumours.
ANCESTRAL INBREEDING REDUCES THE MAGNITUDE OF INBREEDING DEPRESSION IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Abstract The influence of natural selection on the magnitude of inbreeding depression is an important issue in conservation biology and the study of evolution. It is generally expected that the magnitude of inbreeding depression in small populations will depend upon the average homozygosity of individuals, as measured by the coefficient of inbreeding (F). However, if deleterious recessive alleles are selectively purged from populations during inbreeding, then inbreeding depression may differ among populations in which individuals have the same inbreeding coefficient. In such cases, the magnitude of inbreeding depression will partly depend on the ancestral inbreeding coefficient (fa), which measures the cumulative proportion of loci that have historically been homozygous and therefore exposed to natural selection. We examined the inbreeding depression that occurred in lineages of Drosophila melanogaster maintained under pedigrees that led to the same inbreeding coefficient (F = 0.375) but different levels of ancestral inbreeding (fa = 0.250 or 0.531). Although inbreeding depression varied substantially among individual lineages, we observed a significant 40% decrease in the median level of inbreeding depression in the treatment with higher ancestral inbreeding. Our results demonstrate that high levels of ancestral inbreeding are associated with greater purging effects, which reduces the inbreeding depression that occurs in isolated populations of small size.
Severe disturbance of higher cognition after bilateral frontal lobe ablation

After bilateral ablation of orbital and lower mesial frontal cortices, a patient had profound changes of behavior that have remained stable for 8 years. Although he could not meet personal and professional responsibilities, his “measurable” intelligence was superior, and he was therefore considered a “malingerer. ” Neurologic and neuropsychological examinations were otherwise intact. CT, MRI, and SPET revealed a localized lesion of the orbital and lower mesial frontal cortices. All other cerebral areas had normal structure and radioactivity patterns. Such impairments of motivation and complex social behavior were not seen in control cases with superior mesial or dorsolateral frontal lesions.
Placental Findings in Singleton Stillbirths

OBJECTIVE: To compare placental lesions for stillbirth cases and live birth controls in a population-based study. METHODS: Pathologic examinations were performed on placentas from singleton pregnancies using a standard protocol. Data were analyzed overall and within gestational age groups at delivery. RESULTS: Placentas from 518 stillbirths and 1,200 live births were studied. Single umbilical artery was present in 7.7% of stillbirths and 1.7% of live births, velamentous cord insertion was present in 5% of stillbirths and 1.1% of live births, diffuse terminal villous immaturity was present in 10.3% of stillbirths and 2.3% of live births, inflammation (eg, acute chorioamnionitis of placental membranes) was present in 30.4% of stillbirths and 12% of live births, vascular degenerative changes in chorionic plate were present in 55.7% of stillbirths and 0.5% of live births, retroplacental hematoma was present in 23.8% of stillbirths and 4.2% of live births, intraparenchymal thrombi was present in 19.7% of stillbirths and 13.3% of live births, parenchymal infarction was present in 10.9% of stillbirths and 4.4% of live births, fibrin deposition was present in 9.2% of stillbirths and 1.5% of live births, fetal vascular thrombi was present in 23% of stillbirths and 7% of live births, avascular villi was present in 7.6% of stillbirths and 2.0% of live births, and hydrops was present in 6.4% of stillbirths and 1.0% of live births. Among stillbirths, inflammation and retroplacental hematoma were more common in placentas from early deliveries, whereas thrombotic lesions were more common in later gestation. Inflammatory lesions were especially common in early live births. CONCLUSIONS: Placental lesions were highly associated with stillbirth compared with live births. All lesions associated with stillbirth were found in live births but often with variations by gestational age at delivery. Knowledge of lesion prevalence within gestational age groups in both stillbirths and live birth controls contributes to an understanding of the association between placental abnormality and stillbirth. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Continuous vs. Interval Aerobic Training in 8- to 11-Year-Old Children

Baquet, G, Gamelin, F-X, Mucci, P, Thévenet, D, Van Praagh, E, and Berthoin, S. Continuous vs. interval aerobic training in 8- to 11-year-old children. J Strength Cond Res 24(5): 1381-1388, 2010-The aim of the present study was to show if the use of continuous-running training vs. intermittent-running training has comparable or distinct impact on aerobic fitness in children. At first, children were matched according to their chronological age, their biological age (secondary sexual stages), and their physical activity or training status. Then, after randomization 3 groups were composed. Sixty-three children (X 9.6 ± 1.0 years) were divided into an intermittent-running training group (ITG, 11 girls and 11 boys), a continuous-running training group (CTG, 10 girls and 12 boys), and a control group (CG, 10 girls and 9 boys). Over 7 weeks, ITG and CTG participated in 3 running sessions per week. Before and after the training period, they underwent a maximal graded test to determine peak oxygen uptake (peak &OV0312;o2) and maximal aerobic velocity (MAV). Intermittent training consisted of short intermittent runs with repeated exercise and recovery sequences lasting from 5/15 to 30/30 seconds. With respect to continuous training sessions, repeated exercise sequences lasted from 6′ to 20′. Training-effect threshold for statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. After training, peak &OV0312;o2 was significantly improved in CTG (+7%, p < 0.001) and ITG (+4.8%, p < 0.001), whereas no difference occurred for the CG (−1.5%). Similarly, MAV increased significantly (p < 0.001) in both CTG (+8.7%) and ITG (+6.4%) with no significant change for CG. Our results demonstrated that both continuous and intermittent-running sessions induced significant increase in peak &OV0312;o2 and MAV. Therefore, when adequate combinations of intensity/duration exercises are offered to prepubertal children, many modalities of exercises can successfully be used to increase their aerobic fitness. Aerobic running training is often made up of regular and long-distance running exercises at moderate velocity, which causes sometimes boredom in young children. During the developmental years, it seems therefore worthwhile to use various training modalities, to make this activity more attractive and thus create conditions for progress and enhanced motivation.
Strategies for Building Successful Company-University Research Collaborations

Company strategies for building and leveraging industry-university research collaborations are many and varied. This paper reports on strategies observed at North American technology companies including BNR, Northern Telecom, Qualcomm, Cisco, Bell Labs, Lucent, and Alcatel-Lucent. Strategies included a range of tactics focused on leveraging intellectual property portfolios, benchmarking processes and products, recruiting experienced technical talent, cost avoidance and reduction, and philanthropy. The strategies reported here build on the tactics reported in a paper presented by the first author at the second ICSE Workshop on Software Engineering Research and Industrial Practice held in Florence, 2015.