Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unique Contributions of Metacognition and Cognition to Depressive Symptoms

ABSTRACT This study attempts to examine the unique contributions of “cognitions” or “metacognitions” to depressive symptoms while controlling for their intercorrelations and comorbid anxiety. Two-hundred-and-fifty-one university students participated in the study. Two complementary hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed, in which symptoms of depression were regressed on the dysfunctional attitudes (DAS-24 subscales) and metacognition scales (Negative Beliefs about Rumination Scale [NBRS] and Positive Beliefs about Rumination Scale [PBRS]). Results showed that both NBRS and PBRS individually explained a significant amount of variance in depressive symptoms above and beyond dysfunctional schemata while controlling for anxiety. Although dysfunctional attitudes as a set significantly predicted depressive symptoms after anxiety and metacognitions were controlled for, they were weaker than metacognitive variables and none of the DAS-24 subscales contributed individually. Metacognitive beliefs about ruminations appeared to contribute more to depressive symptoms than dysfunctional beliefs in the “cognitive” domain.
Close Association of Carbonic Anhydrase (CA2a and CA15a), Na+/H+ Exchanger (Nhe3b), and Ammonia Transporter Rhcg1 in Zebrafish Ionocytes Responsible for Na+ Uptake

Freshwater (FW) fishes actively absorb salt from their environment to tolerate low salinities. We previously reported that vacuolar-type H+-ATPase/mitochondrion-rich cells (H-MRCs) on the skin epithelium of zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio) are primary sites for Na+ uptake. In this study, in an attempt to clarify the mechanism for the Na+ uptake, we performed a systematic analysis of gene expression patterns of zebrafish carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoforms and found that, of 12 CA isoforms, CA2a and CA15a are highly expressed in H-MRCs at larval stages. The ca2a and ca15a mRNA expression were salinity-dependent; they were upregulated in 0.03 mM Na+ water whereas ca15a but not ca2a was down-regulated in 70 mM Na+ water. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated cytoplasmic distribution of CA2a and apical membrane localization of CA15a. Furthermore, cell surface immunofluorescence staining revealed external surface localization of CA15a. Depletion of either CA2a or CA15a expression by Morpholino antisense oligonucleotides resulted in a significant decrease in Na+ accumulation in H-MRCs. An in situ proximity ligation assay demonstrated a very close association of CA2a, CA15a, Na+/H+ exchanger 3b (Nhe3b), and Rhcg1 ammonia transporter in H-MRC. Our findings suggest that CA2a, CA15a, and Rhcg1 play a key role in Na+uptake under FW conditions by forming a transport metabolon with Nhe3b.
Exams disadvantage women in introductory biology

The gender gap in STEM fields has prompted a great deal of discussion, but what factors underlie performance deficits remain poorly understood. We show that female students underperformed on exams compared to their male counterparts across ten large introductory biology course sections in fall 2016 (N > 1500 students). Females also reported higher levels of test anxiety and course-relevant science interest. Results from mediation analyses revealed an intriguing pattern: for female students only, and regardless of their academic standing, test anxiety negatively impacted exam performance, while interest in the course-specific science topics increased exam performance. Thus, instructors seeking equitable classrooms can aim to decrease test anxiety and increase student interest in science course content. We provide strategies for mitigating test anxiety and suggestions for alignment of course content with student interest, with the hope of successfully reimagining the STEM pathway as one that is equally accessible to all.
Learning feature representations for an object recognition system

For humanoid robots to be part of our daily lives, not only mobility and their manipulation capability being essential, but their ability to represent and recognize objects in an adaptable manner is also crucial. To this end, we propose an object representation scheme that fits well with the view-based cortical representation of objects found in the primate inferotemporal cortex (IT). We derive our proposal from the simple observation that a single object may exhibit very different sets of visual features when transformed in space. Nonetheless, there are some fixed (object dependent) views of an object, which even with small transformations would not lead to large feature changes. We refer to these views as keyframes. With this in mind, an object is represented with a set of keyframes. The changes in the features around a keyframe are nullified with a neural network that learns to represent the keyframe, and its rotational variations in a compact and rotation invariant form. To evaluate the proposed representation scheme, 100 real life objects are tested in a recognition task. Furthermore, a method for minimizing the number of keyframes for a given object is proposed, which we suggest must yield optimal generalization and computational efficiency. The proposed representation scheme is ideal for building humanoid cognitive architectures as it is decoupled from the recognition system.
Sex and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Treatment and Control Among Individuals With Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

OBJECTIVE To examine sex and racial/ethnic differences in cardiovascular risk factor treatment and control among individuals with diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This study was an observational study examining mean levels of cardiovascular risk factors and proportion of subjects achieving treatment goals. RESULTS The sample included 926 individuals with diabetes. Compared with men, women were 9% less likely to achieve LDL cholesterol <130 mg/dl (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.91 [0.83–0.99]) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) <130 mmHg (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.91 [0.85–0.98]). These differences diminished over time. A lower percentage of women used aspirin (23 vs. 33%; P < 0.001). African American and Hispanic women had higher mean levels of SBP and lower prevalence of aspirin use than non-Hispanic white women. CONCLUSIONS Women with diabetes had unfavorable cardiovascular risk factor profiles compared with men. African American and Hispanic women had less favorable profiles than non-Hispanic white women.
Adiponectin and risk of coronary heart disease in older men and women.

CONTEXT Despite established insulin-sensitizing and antiatherogenic preclinical effects, epidemiological investigations of adiponectin have yielded conflicting findings, and its relationship with coronary heart disease (CHD) remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to investigate the relationship between adiponectin and CHD in older adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This was a case-control study (n = 1386) nested within the population-based Cardiovascular Health Study from 1992--2001. Controls were frequency-matched to cases by age, sex, race, subclinical cardiovascular disease, and center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Incident CHD was defined as angina pectoris, percutaneous or surgical revascularization, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), or CHD death. A more restrictive CHD endpoint was limited to nonfatal MI and CHD death. RESULTS Adiponectin exhibited significant negative correlations with baseline adiposity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, inflammatory markers, and leptin. After controlling for matching factors, adjustment for waist to hip ratio, hypertension, smoking, alcohol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatinine, and leptin revealed a modestly increased risk of incident CHD with adiponectin concentrations at the upper end [odds ratio = 1.37 (quintile 5 vs. 1-4), 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.84]. This association was stronger when the outcome was limited to nonfatal MI and fatal CHD (odds ratio = 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.23-2.32). The findings were not influenced by additional adjustment for weight change, health status, or cystatin C, nor were they abolished by adjustment for potential mediators. CONCLUSIONS This study shows an association between adiponectin and increased risk of first-ever CHD in older adults. Further research is needed to elucidate the basis for the concurrent beneficial and detrimental aspects of this relationship, and under what circumstances one or the other may predominate.
Advances in SLS Powder Characterization

This paper introduces a new Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) powder characterization methodology. A better understanding regarding powder flow processing range is targeted. Intrinsic properties of polymers are given from the basic chemical structure and non-intrinsic ones describe characteristics caused from pre-processing and production. The non-intrinsic ones are dedicated to the powder. Understanding the particle size distribution and shape coupled with its ability to flow under the particular SLS processing conditions is desired. In this direction, a system called Revolution Powder Analyzer is employed and the dynamic powder behavior is characterized in nearly roll spreading conditions. This allows a sensitive differentiation of powders regarding their flow-ability and predicts, to a certain extent, the behavior under SLS conditions.
Managing Web-Based Data: Database Models and Transformations

The paper considers the Araneus data model which employs database techniques and wrappers to extract data from and generate Web sites. The project features a logical model that abstracts physical aspects of Web sites. Araneus provides high-level descriptions of pages that let us both extract data from the Web and generate Web sites from databases.
A real-time feedback scheduler for environmental energy harvesting

The use of environmental energy such as solar energy has recently emerged as an option to increase the operating time of embedded systems (e.g. wireless sensors). It consists in converting ambient energy into electricity to power and lengthen battery life. Dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) is one of the most effective techniques for reducing energy consumption in embedded and real-time systems. However, traditional DVS algorithms have inherent limitations on their capability in energy saving since they rarely take into account the actual application requirements and often exploit fixed timing constraints of the real-time tasks. Some authors used feedback scheduling techniques in order to minimize the consumed energy by observing the actual usage of resources in the system. This paper combines the use of DVS and energy harvesting with the capabilities of a feedback scheduler. Our goal is to minimize the consumed energy, as well as to take the charging model into account.
Content-based retrieval applied to drawing-image databases

In this paper, a method of image information retrieval is presented. The method employs a new similarity measure between graph representations of images. The measure is effective for drawing images that describe logical meaning by their structure. Most of the currently available image database systems offer retrieval functions called key word retrieval, where users specify key words such as titles, attributes, and categories of themes. But it is not easy for the users to select suitable key words according to the purpose of retrieval. So recently some retrieval functions called similarity retrieval have been proposed, where users specify key images by means of examples, sketches, and icons. We are developing a drawing image database system that stores plant diagrams. The system scans, recognizes, and stores plant diagrams. Then users can refer to any parts of the diagrams according to their needs. The system is used as a help to plant observation and control. To realize similarity retrieval for logically structured drawings like plant diagrams, we introduced a graph representation of drawings, which is suitable to deal with their logical structure. Then we defined a similarity measure between them. In this paper, effectiveness of the similarity measure and applicability to plant diagrams are discussed and some experimental results are shown.
Dielectric metamaterial waveguide for optical interconnect and sensing

Silicon subwavelength grating metamaterial (SGM), formed by periodically interleaving two or more types of materials a pitch far less than the operating wavelength, has been attracting substantial interest in recent years. It provides an effective approach to tailor the optical properties of naturally existing materials and thereby develop integrated photonic devices with unprecedented applications. In this paper, we introduce silicon photonics SGM waveguide based devices for optical interconnect and sensing applications. Silicon provides high index contrast and thus device footprints can be made very small. However, high index contrast is a double-edged sword, which also leads to a few devastating limitations such as limited photon-matter interaction and high dispersion. SGM waveguide can potentially resolve these issues. For instance, silicon-organic hybrid SGM modulator demonstrates < 44 GHz 6 dB bandwidth and estimated energy consumption of 2.55 fJ/bit. SGM waveguide based refractive index sensors show eminent improvement on the sensitivity compared to conventional strip waveguide based resonators. In the meantime, unlike evanescent wave based sensors, the surface sensitivity of SGM sensors does not decrease as analytes accumulate on the waveguide surface. SGM waveguide based passive components demonstrate improved bandwidth due to the decrease of waveguide dispersion. Other potential applications of SGM waveguide will also be discussed.
Simulation of multipolar fiber selective neural stimulation using intrafascicular electrodes

A realistic, quantitative model for the excitation of myelinated nerve fibers by intrafascicular electrodes is presented. It predicts the stimulatory regions of any configuration of any number of electrodes, positioned anywhere inside the fascicle. The model has two parts. First, the nerve fiber is represented by a lumped electrical network and its response to an arbitrary extracellular potential field, is calculated. Second, assuming a cylindrical geometry of the nerve bundle and its surroundings, an analytical expression for this field is derived. With realistic parameters, the model is applied to two cases: monopolar stimulation by a single cathode and stimulation by a specific tripolar configuration. It is shown that tripolar stimulation has the better spatial conductivity of the medium surrounding the nerve and yields a more natural recruitment order. <<ETX>>
Design for an Optimal Probe

Given a Markov decision process (MDP) with expressed prior uncertainties in the process transition probabilities, we consider the problem of computing a policy that optimizes expected total (finite-horizon) reward. Implicitly, such a policy would effectively resolve the "exploration-versus-exploitation tradeoff" faced, for example, by an agent that seeks to optimize total reinforcement obtained over the entire duration of its interaction with an uncertain world. A Bayesian formulation leads to an associated MDP defined over a set of generalized process "hyperstates" whose cardinality grows exponentiaily with the planning horizon. Here we retain the full Bayesian framework, but sidestep intractability by applying techniques from reinforcement learning theory. We apply our resulting actor-critic algorithm to a problem of "optimal probing," in which the task is to identify unknown transition probabilities of an MDP using online experience.
Transient-free convective flow with heat generation/absorption in an annular porous medium: A semi-analytical approach

This article presents the impact of heat-generating/absorbing fluid on fully developed transient free convective flow of a viscous and an incompressible fluid bounded by two concentric vertical cylinders filled with isotropic porous materials and saturated with the same fluid. In the present model, the convective current is setup due to internally generated heat and either isothermal or isoflux heating of the outer surface of the inner cylinder. The transport equations concerned with the model under consideration are rendered nondimensional and transformed into ordinary diffferential equation using Laplace transform technique. The solution of the momentum and energy equation obtained separately in Laplace domain is transformed into time domain using the Riemann-sum approximation approach, this is later validated by numerical comparisons at large time with the closed form solution obtained for steady flow. The accuray of this approach has further been extablished by presenting a numerical solution using implicit finite difference method. The effect of the various physical parameters entering into the model is demostrated with the aid of tables and line graphs. During the course of numerical computations, it is found that the effect of heat generation/absorption can be controlled by increasing/decreasing the viscosity ratio. The system can also be maintained by varying the annular gap and applying approprate phenomenon of heating.
Cupreoboletus (Boletaceae, Boletineae), a new monotypic genus segregated from Boletus sect. Luridi to reassign the Mediterranean species B. poikilochromus

Cupreoboletus is erected as a new monospecific genus of Boletaceae to accommodate the thermophilic southern European species Boletus poikilochromus, characterized by discoloration toward copper-red tints overall, hymenophore forming tiny crystals on drying, a pervasive and long lasting sweet odor and presence of pseudocystidia. Macro- and microscopic descriptions of the species based on re-examination of the type material and recent Italian collections including additional topotypical samples are provided and accompanied by photos and line drawings of the main anatomical structures. In addition, an epitype specimen is selected. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred from multigene molecular analysis based on partial sequences of the nuc rDNA 28S D1/D2 (28S) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and genes for ribosomal RNA polymerase II subunits 1 (rpb1) and 2 (rpb2) and translation-elongation factor 1-α (tef1α). Ecological context, geographical range and delimitation from closely allied taxa also were elucidated. B. martaluciae is treated as a synonym of C. poikilochromus according to the morphological and molecular comparative study.
Duplex Real-Time RT-PCR Assays for the Detection and Typing of Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease Virus

Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) may cause severe clinical episodes in some species of deer and sometimes in cattle. Laboratory diagnosis provides a basis for the design and timely implementation of disease control measures. There are seven distinct EHDV serotypes, VP2 coding segment 2 being the target for serotype specificity. This paper reports the development and validation of eight duplex real-time RT-PCR assays to simultaneously amplify the EHDV target (S9 for the pan-EHDV real-time RT-PCR assay and S2 for the serotyping assays) and endogenous control gene Beta-actin. Analytical and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, inter- and intra-assay variation and efficiency were evaluated for each assay. All were shown to be highly specific and sensitive.
PEEK (Polyether-ether-ketone) Based Cervical Total Disc Arthroplasty: Contact Stress and Lubrication Analysis

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the maximum contact stress and the lubrication regimes for PEEK (Polyether-ether-ketone) based self-mating cervical total disc arthroplasty. The NuNec® cervical disc arthroplasty system was chosen as the study object, which was then analytically modelled as a ball on socket joint. A non-adhesion Hertzian contact model and elastohydrodynamic lubrication theory were used to predict the maximum contact stress and the minimum film thickness, respectively. The peak contact stress and the minimum film thickness between the bearing surfaces were then determined, as the radial clearance or lubricant was varied. The obtained results show that under 150 N loading, the peak contact stress was in the range 5.9 – 32.1 MPa, well below the yield and fatigue strength of PEEK; the calculated minimum film thickness ranged from 0 to 0.042 µm and the corresponding lambda ratio range was from 0 to 0.052. This indicates that the PEEK based cervical disc arthroplasty will operate under a boundary lubrication regime, within the natural angular velocity range of the cervical spine.
Large-area fabrication of pyramidal plasmonic nanoprobes and their characterisation in tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy applications

In tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), plasmonically active structures are utilised to confine and enhance the Raman signal in the range of some ten nanometres by several orders of magnitude. Yet today, the reproducible batch fabrication of suitable nano-antennas is still a challenging task, and thus limits the routinely application of TERS. In this work, a batch process to fabricate nanostructures suitable for different scanning probe microscopy (SPM) feedback mechanisms as well as for the realisation of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates is investigated. Therefore, a finite element method simulation to investigate the influence of geometrical parameters of the projected structures as well as parameters of the experimental set-up on the TERS performance is presented. It is found that for pyramidal gold probes a tip apex angle between 30 to 70.5 as well as the smallest possible tip radius are beneficial. In contrast, the orientation of the probe relative to the excitation beam for side illumination is found to be less influential within the typical experimental parameter range. With this knowledge, the establishment of a known, batch fabrication compatible template stripping process is reported. This allows to fabricate metallic structures with smooth surfaces and nano-scale features which are suitable for TERS. As a result, pyramidal micro-cavities are achieved on the wafer-scale, and apex angles down to 30 as well as tip radii in the range of some nanometres are observed. Furthermore, a release process yielding individual nano-antennas suitable for scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) imaging and TER spectra acquisition is developed. The fabricated probes are characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their STM properties are compared to standard tungsten probes. It is found that pyramidal gold tips with tip radii in the range of 25 nm are reliably achieved. These are operated with STM feedback, and topography imaging comparable to standard STM tips is possible. Afterwards, the probes are utilised to collect tip-enhanced signals from clean gold surfaces, few dye molecules, ultra-thin layers of amorphous carbon and thin layers of PEDOT:PSS molecules, allowing to investigate their TERS properties. As a result, strong near-field signals are collected from all samples, and on suitable samples contrast factors of 10 and above are determined. Furthermore, it is found that a thin PEDOT:PSS layer provides a well-suited surface to verify near-field Raman spectroscopy due to a stable signal generation, sharp bands and compatibility to various SPM feedback mechanisms. Additionally, a process to realise soft, polymeric cantilevers with template-stripped tips is developed. The cantilevers are characterised by SEM as well as by acquiring atomic force microscopy images and collecting TER spectra. In the first applications, near-field signals along linescans on carbon structures are collected and