Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive efficiency beats top-down control as a reliable individual difference dimension relevant to self-control

Top-down control of responses is a key construct in cognitive science that is thought to be critical for self-control. It is typically measured by subtracting performance in experimental conditions in which top-down control is theoretically present against performance in matched conditions in which it is assumed to be absent. Recently, however, subtraction-based metrics of top-down control have been criticized for having low test-retest reliability, weak intercorrelations, and little relation to self-report measures of self-control. Concurrently, there is growing evidence that task-general cognitive efficiency, indexed by the drift rate parameter of the diffusion model (Ratcliff, 1978), constitutes a cohesive, reliable individual difference dimension relevant to self-control. However, no previous studies have directly compared latent factors for top-down control (derived from subtraction metrics) with factors for task-general efficiency “head-to-head” in the same sample in terms of their cohesiveness, temporal stability, and relation to self-control. In this re-analysis of a large open data set (Eisenberg et al., 2019; N=522), we find that top-down control metrics fail to form cohesive latent factors, that these factors have poor temporal stability, and they exhibit tenuous connections to questionnaire measures of self-control. In contrast, cognitive efficiency measures—drawn from conditions of the same tasks that both are, and are not, assumed to demand top-down control—form a robust, temporally stable factor that correlates with questionnaire measures of self-control. These findings suggest that task-general efficiency is a central individual difference dimension relevant to self-control. Moreover, they go beyond recent measurement-based critiques of top-down control metrics, and instead suggest problems with key theoretical assumptions that have long guided this research paradigm.
Evaluation of the Impact of Timber Truck Configuration and Tare Weight on Payload Efficiency: An Australian Case Study

The forest industry tends to plan, and model transportation costs based on the potential payload benefits of increased legal gross vehicle weight (GVW) by deploying different configurations, while payload benefits of a configuration can be significantly influenced by the vehicle design tare weight. Through this research the relative benefit of increased legal GVW of different configurations is compared across Australia over a 13-year period from 2006 to 2019, by examining data collected post operation across multiple operations. This approach is intended to offer realistic insight to real operations not influenced by observation and thus reflect long-term operating behaviour. The inclusion of the three most common configuration classes in Australian forestry over a 13-year period has also allowed the exploration of load management between configurations and potential trends over time. When considering the legal GVW and the tare weight impacts across the fleets, the semi-trailer has an 8 t payload disadvantage compared to B-Doubles and 19.6 t disadvantage compared to road trains.
Replay in minds and machines

Experience-related brain activity patterns reactivate during sleep, wakeful rest, and brief pauses from active behavior. In parallel, machine learning research has found that experience replay can lead to substantial performance improvements in artificial agents. Together, these lines of research suggest replay has a variety of computational benefits for decision-making and learning. Here, we provide an overview of putative computational functions of replay as suggested by machine learning and neuroscientific research. We show that replay can lead to faster learning, less forgetting, reorganization or augmentation of experiences, and support planning and generalization. In addition, we highlight the benefits of reactivating abstracted internal representations rather than veridical memories, and discuss how replay could provide a mechanism to build internal representations that improve learning and decision-making.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Autophagy Markers in Soleus Muscle Disuse-Induced Atrophy of Rats Treated with Fish Oil

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and autophagy pathways are implicated in disuse muscle atrophy. The effects of high eicosapentaenoic (EPA) or high docosahexaenoic (DHA) fish oils on soleus muscle ERS and autophagy markers were investigated in a rat hindlimb suspension (HS) atrophy model. Adult Wistar male rats received daily by gavage supplementation (0.3 mL per 100 g b.w.) of mineral oil or high EPA or high DHA fish oils (FOs) for two weeks. Afterward, the rats were subjected to HS and the respective treatments concomitantly for an additional two-week period. After four weeks, we evaluated ERS and autophagy markers in the soleus muscle. Results were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc test. Gastrocnemius muscle ω-6/ω-3 fatty acids (FAs) ratio was decreased by both FOs indicating the tissue incorporation of omega-3 fatty acids. HS altered (p < 0.05) the protein content (decreasing total p38 and BiP and increasing p-JNK2/total JNK2 ratio, and caspase 3) and gene expressions (decreasing BiP and increasing IRE1 and PERK) of ERS and autophagy (decreasing Beclin and increasing LC3 and ATG14) markers in soleus. Both FOs attenuated (p < 0.05) the increase in PERK and ATG14 expressions induced by HS. Thus, both FOs could potentially attenuate ERS and autophagy in skeletal muscles undergoing atrophy.
Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibitor, ABT888, Improved Cisplatin Effect in Human Oral Cell Carcinoma

Cisplatin is one of the chemotherapeutic drugs used for the management of oral carcinoma, in which combined therapies are estimated to exert superior therapeutic efficacy compared with monotherapy. It is known that poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is implicated in a multiplicity of cellular activities, such as DNA repair and cell death. Based on these, PARP inhibitors are used for the treatment of cancers; however, the capacity of PARP inhibitors associated to anti-cancer drugs have not been completely assessed in oral carcinoma. Here, we evaluated the effects of PARPi veliparib (ABT888) in combination with cisplatin on the survival of three human oral cancer cell lines HSC-2, Ca9-22 and CAL27 and we observed the effects of ABT888 alone or in combination with cisplatin on apoptosis and DNA damage repair mechanism. The results obtained showed that ABT888 induces a cytotoxicity effect on cell viability increasing the apoptotic pathway as well as DNA strand break; moreover, our results displayed the effects with cisplatin in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, our results indicate PARP inhibitors as adjuvants for therapeutic strategy of oral cancer.
GC-MS Metabolic Profile and α-Glucosidase-, α-Amylase-, Lipase-, and Acetylcholinesterase-Inhibitory Activities of Eight Peach Varieties

The inhibition of certain digestive enzymes by target food matrices represents a new approach in the treatment of socially significant diseases. Proving the ability of fruits to inhibit such enzymes can support the inclusion of specific varieties in the daily diets of patients with diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, etc., providing them with much more than just valuable micro- and macromolecules. The current study aimed atidentifying and comparing the GC-MS metabolic profiles of eight peach varieties (“Filina”, “Ufo 4, “Gergana”, “Laskava”, “July Lady”, “Flat Queen”, “Evmolpiya”, and “Morsiani 90”) grown in Bulgaria (local and introduced) and to evaluate the inhibitory potential of their extracts towards α-glucosidase, α-amylase, lipase, and acetylcholinesterase. In order to confirm samples’ differences or similarities, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were also applied to the identified metabolites. The results provide important insights into the metabolomic profiles of the eight peach varieties and represent a first attempt to characterize the peels of the peach varieties with respect to α-glucosidase-, α-amylase-, lipase-, and acetylcholinesterase-inhibitory activities. All of the studied peach extracts displayed inhibitory activity towards α-glucosidase (IC50: 125–757 mg/mL) and acetylcholinesterase (IC50: 60–739 mg/mL), but none of them affected α-amylase activity. Five of the eight varieties showed inhibitory activity towards porcine pancreatic lipase (IC50: 24–167 mg/mL). The obtained results validate the usefulness of peaches and nectarines as valuable sources of natural agents beneficial for human health, although further detailed investigation should be performed in order to thoroughly identify the enzyme inhibitors responsible for each activity.
Changes in Walkable Streets during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Suburban City in the Osaka Metropolitan Area

The purpose of this study was to identify the walkable streets where traffic behavior changed according to each residential cluster during the COVID-19 pandemic. By elucidating the changes, it is possible to identify streets that should be redesigned following the changes in traffic behavior in relation to human mobility. This study analyzed Ibaraki City, a suburban city located in the Osaka Metropolitan Area. The analysis compared the panel data of the GPS Location History for April 2020 and April 2019. The analysis method used was Empirical Bayesian kriging. The results show that the speed significantly increased in the dense, sprawl, mountain, and old NT clusters. It was also found that the number of cyclists increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest a need to design walkable streets according to each residential cluster for the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. For example, some car lanes need to be converted to bike lanes in the main neighborhood to create walkable streets in the clusters.
Influence of Moisture Content Variation on the Percentage Oil Yield of Soursop (Annona muricata) Seeds.

Soursop (Annona muricata) is an exotic fruit grown in the tropics. It is a unique kind of fruit with a green slightly hard skin when unripe that turns yellowish green when ripe. The seeds of Soursop fruit were varied at 4.20%, 8.48%, 12.40%, 15.99% and 19.30% moisture contents (wet basis) and oil was extracted using solvent method. The solvent extraction method was employed using a soxhlet extractor, with normal hexane as the solvent. The soxhlet extractor was set up to run three extraction processes at the same time and the extraction was done in triplicates for each of the moisture contents. The percentage oil yields taking average of the three extracts at the five moisture contents were 23.41%, 33.87%, 30.02%, 33.82% and 23.05% respectively. Therefore it is recommended that to obtain optimum oil yield from soursop seeds, the seeds should be conditioned to 8.48% moisture content, however a range of 8.48% to 15.99% moisture content (wet basis) is suitable for high oil yield from sousop seeds.
Pathogenic Intronic Splice-Affecting Variants in MYBPC3 in Three Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Genetic variants in MYBPC3 are one of the most common causes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). While variants in MYBPC3 affecting canonical splice site dinucleotides are a well-characterised cause of HCM, only recently has work begun to investigate the pathogenicity of more deeply intronic variants. Here, we present three patients with HCM and intronic splice-affecting MYBPC3 variants and analyse the impact of variants on splicing using in vitro minigene assays. We show that the three variants, a novel c.927-8G>A variant and the previously reported c.1624+4A>T and c.3815-10T>G variants, result in MYBPC3 splicing errors. Analysis of blood-derived patient RNA for the c.3815-10T>G variant revealed only wild type spliced product, indicating that mis-spliced transcripts from the mutant allele are degraded. These data indicate that the c.927-8G>A variant of uncertain significance and likely benign c.3815-10T>G should be reclassified as likely pathogenic. Furthermore, we find shortcomings in commonly applied bioinformatics strategies to prioritise variants impacting MYBPC3 splicing and re-emphasise the need for functional assessment of variants of uncertain significance in diagnostic testing.
Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant and Sperm Viability of Nelumbo nucifera Petal Extracts

Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.; N. nucifera) is a common ingredient in traditional medicine and Thai recipes. Its petal is an agricultural waste from stamen production. There are limitations in the used and pharmacological data of the petals resulting in more petals waste. The aims of this study were to investigate the phytochemical contents, antioxidant activity, and potential effects on sperm viability of aqueous (NAE) and ethanolic extracts (NEE) of both red and white N. nucifera petals. The white NAE had the highest total phenolics content, total tannins content and maximal antioxidant activity. The white NEE had the highest concentration of total flavonoids. Quercetin was a major flavonoid and was found in the aqueous extracts. Both red and white of NAE in the range of 0.22 to 1.76 mg/mL increased sperm viability. The white NAE was prominent in phytochemical content, antioxidant activity, and both red and white NAE effectively increased rat sperm viability in the in vitro model. The white NAE enhanced sperm viability by decreasing oxidative stress. It might be suggested that the N. nucifera petals have benefits for sperm viability health promotion and may increase the economic value of agricultural waste.
Reaction Character and Influence Factor of CO_2 in Underground Coal Gasification

The reaction character of CO 2 in the process of underground coal gasification (UCG) was analyzed according to the thermodynamics as well as dynamics. The gasification factors influencing CO 2 reaction process were studied based on field tests. The influence of the amount of air blasting, water pouring, and the length of gasification tunnel on the CO 2 content was discussed.
Social Interactions of Dat-Het Epi-Genotypes Differing for Maternal Origins: The Development of a New Preclinical Model of Socio-Sexual Apathy

Social interaction is essential for life but is impaired in many psychiatric disorders. We presently focus on rats with a truncated allele for dopamine transporter (DAT). Since heterozygous individuals possess only one non-mutant allele, epigenetic interactions may unmask latent genetic predispositions. Homogeneous “maternal” heterozygous offspring (termed MAT-HET) were born from dopamine-transporter knocked-out (DAT-KO) male rats and wild-type (WT) mothers; “mixed” heterozygous offspring (termed MIX-HET) were born from both DAT-heterozygous parents. Their social behavior was assessed by: partner-preference (PPT), social-preference (SPT) and elicited-preference (EPT) tests. During the PPT, focal MIX-HET and MAT-HET males had a choice between two WT females, one in estrous and the other not. In the SPT, they met as stimulus either a MIX-HET or a WT male. In the EPT, the preference of focal male WT rats towards either a MIX- or a MAT-HET stimulus was tested. MIX-HET focal males showed an abnormal behavior, seeming not interested in socializing either with a female in estrous or with another male if MIX-HET. Focal MAT-HET males, instead, were very attracted by the female in estrous, but totally ignored the MIX-HET male. We assessed the expression of noradrenaline transporter (NET) in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus, finding differences between the two offspring. MIX-HETs’ hypothalamus and hippocampus showed less NET than MAT-HETs, while the latter, in turn, showed higher NET than WTs. These behavioral differences between heterozygous groups may be attributed to different maternal cares received. Results allow preclinical understanding of epigenetic factors involved in social-behavior abnormalities, typical of many psychiatric disorders.
The Influence of Food Waste Rearing Substrates on Black Soldier Fly Larvae Protein Composition: A Systematic Review

Simple Summary The Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is a viable option for countering the environment detriments caused by food waste and can provide a sustainable protein source to feed the growing global population. This systematic literature review investigated the impacts of various foodstuffs and food waste rearing substrates on the protein and amino acid composition of BSF larvae. From the 23 articles included, BSF larvae fed ‘Fish waste Sardinella aurita’ for two days produced the highest total protein content at 78.8% and rearing substrates ‘Fruit and vegetables’ reported the lowest protein content at 12.9% of the BSF total mass. However, variation in rearing and analytical methodologies between each study potential undermines the extent to which the rearing substrates may have influenced the overall protein content of BSF larvae, their application in nutrition is still in its infancy. Abstract The Black Soldier Fly (BSF) offers the potential to address two global challenges; the environmental detriments of food waste and the rising demand for protein. Food waste digested by BSF larvae can be converted into biomass, which may then be utilized for the development of value-added products including new food sources for human and animal consumption. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies investigating the influence of food waste rearing substrates on BSF larvae protein composition. Of 1712 articles identified, 23 articles were selected for inclusion. Based on the results of this review, BSF larvae reared on ‘Fish waste Sardinella aurita’ for two days reported the highest total protein content at 78.8% and BSF larvae reared on various formulations of ‘Fruit and vegetable’ reported the lowest protein content at 12.9%. This review is the first to examine the influence of food waste on the protein composition of BSF larvae. Major differences in larval rearing conditions and methods utilized to perform nutritional analyses, potentially influenced the reported protein composition of the BSF larvae. While this review has highlighted the role BSF larvae in food waste management and alternative protein development, their application in nutrition is still in its infancy.
How hydromorphological constraints and regulated 1 flows govern macroinvertebrate communities along an 2 entire lowland river ? 3 4 5

45 Macroinvertebrates’ response to hydromorphological alterations and regulated flows along lowland 46 rivers is still poorly known despite ecohydrology’s fundamental role in river science. Along the 47 Oglio River (Northern Italy), several water abstractions and dams break it into segments with 48 varying hydraulic and morphological properties. Three types of a priori different environments 49 were identified (dammed, downstream and free flowing sections) and macroinvertebrate 50 communities were sampled from each zone. This study aimed: I) to investigate patterns of 51 macroinvertebrate communities along a regulated lowland river by testing the a priori zones; II) to 52 find macroinvertebrate taxa that served as indicators of the various hydrological conditions and III) 53 to verify hydromorphological control over ecological macroinvertebrate traits resulting in different 54 trait values in each identified zone. Macroinvertebrate community was characterised in a total of 63 55 stations by means of two distinct[sf1] quantitative approaches, each exploring a surface of 0.5 m. 56 The lowest richness values were found in dammed sites that tended toward lentic conditions. 57 Ecnomidae (dammed zones), Limoniidae (downstream zones) and Heptageniidae (free flowing 58 section) were identified as the best indicators of varying hydrological conditions. As suggested by 59 the results of 4th Corner Method environmental constraints define communities with different 60 ecological traits. These results highlight hydromorphological control over macroinvertebrate 61 community structure and reflect how regulated flows affect the Oglio River in terms of biodiversity, 62 indicator taxa and ecological traits. The authors wish to stress the importance of considering the 63 ecological effects of dams and impoundments on river systems in upstream areas as well as 64
Light emission from halide perovskite semiconductors: bulk crystals, thin films, and nanocrystals

Halide perovskites are attracting attentions as a novel class of semiconductor materials for devices such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes, lasers, and photodetectors. High-quality perovskite crystals can be fabricated with different forms such as bulk crystals, thin films and nanocrystals. These different geometries influence photoluminescence (PL) properties, and the characteristic differences of PL spectra between bulk single crystals and polycrystalline thin films are originated from the carrier diffusion and PL reabsorption. Nanocrystals exhibit optical properties different from their bulk counterparts due to size effects. Furthermore, the bandgap energies of perovskites can be tuned over a wide range by controlling the constituents. Unique anti-Stokes PL and high-order harmonic generation have also been demonstrated in nanocrystals in addition to bulk crystals and thin films. In this review article, we provide a brief summary of the PL and nonliear light emission properties of perovskite semiconductors. We first discuss the influence of the carrier diffusion and PL reabsorption on the PL spectra and dynamics of thick samples, and then the impact of the electron–phonon interactions on PL spectra in bulk crystals and nanocrystals. The last part of this review is devoted to the light emission phenomena induced by nonlinear optical processes in perovskites.
Low-power threshold gas discharge by enhanced local electric field in electromagnetically-induced-transparency like metamolecules

To realize efficient nonlinear metamaterials, we investigate a method for enhancing the local electric field in a metamolecule composed of two radiatively coupled cut-wire resonators where resonance of the cut-wire resonators and low-group-velocity propagation of an incident electromagnetic wave simultaneously occurs. Numerical analysis shows that the local electric field in the metamolecule can be enhanced by decreasing the electrode size and the gap of the capacitor structure of the cut-wire resonators while keeping the equivalent electrical circuit parameters of the metamolecule constant. We measure and compare the threshold incident power for a gas discharge in a metamolecule fabricated in our previous study and that in a metamolecule with shrunken capacitor structures. The experiment reveals that shrinking the capacitor structure while keeping the resonance frequency of the metamolecule decreases the threshold incident power for a gas discharge and may increase the gas pressure where the threshold incident power is minimum. Further development of this work will enable us to realize efficient nonlinear metamaterials that have atmospheric-pressure gas as a nonlinear element.
Cartel Activity and Recidivism

The existence and extent of recidivism have been highly debated in the last few years. This chapter examines the current theoretical, experimental and empirical literature on recidivism and related issues. It also presents novel evidence on: (i) the amount of recidivism in the EU between 1998 and December 2020 (up to 19% of cartel members, depending on how recidivism is defined); (ii) the trend of EU “leniency inflation” noticed by Marvão and Spagnolo (2018b), which is even steeper for multiple offending firms; and (iii) the ability of recidivists to use leniency programs strategically by rotating reports and using multi-market contact. While “true recidivism” seems to have been eliminated in the US (Werden et al., 2011), it appears to be on the rise in the EU. Although it represents only 2% of the cartel members, it should be interpreted as a lower bound estimate since many cartels may remain undeterred and undetected (Ormosi, 2013).