Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Encoding of Financial Signals in the Human Brain

Neuroeconomists investigate how the human brain analyzes and makes decisions about financial situations. They use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of subjects who participate in economic games. Here we present three such experiments. In the first experiment, we investigate how the brain recombines expected reward (ER) and risk. Recent fMRI results show that the brain decomposes a gamble in terms of these two metrics. However, economic theory predicts that the brain must recombine them in order to obtain an effective evaluation of the gamble. It was not clear what biological mechanism directs such recombination. Here we show that the brain uses the correlation of noise to recombine signals. We implement a new technique based on canonical correlation analysis and we show that ER is added to risk to form a metric that activates the medial prefrontal cortex. In the second experiment, we investigate how the brain encodes two gambles instead of one. The brain is likely to encode the utility of each gamble in a common area but in separate groups of neurons. However, it is unknown how the brain indexes the gambles. Indeed, which group of neuron encodes which gamble can be decided in many ways. We hypothesized that the brain would use either the physical position of the gambles or an idiosyncratic parameter, such as ER or risk. Here we introduce a new analysis technique based on Hotelling T-squared statistics and we show that the brain uses risk as an index. In the third experiment, we investigate a much more complex situation: a stock market. Contrary to what standard finance theory predicts, we hypothesize that the brain does not use mathematical models but instead heuristically uses a social cognition approach. Specifically, we posit that humans understand stock markets by using Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to attribute to others mental states different from one's own. Here we show that humans engage brain structures related to ToM (paracingulate cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and amygdala). Subsequent behavioral tests show that ToM, rather than mathematical, abilities are better predictors of success in forecasting stock markets.
Adjustment to Subtle Time Constraints and Power Law Learning in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation

We investigated whether attention could be modulated through the implicit learning of temporal information in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task. Participants identified two target letters among numeral distractors. The stimulus-onset asynchrony immediately following the first target (SOA1) varied at three levels (70, 98, and 126 ms) randomly between trials or fixed within blocks of trials. Practice over 3 consecutive days resulted in a continuous improvement in the identification rate for both targets and attenuation of the attentional blink (AB), a decrement in target (T2) identification when presented 200–400 ms after another target (T1). Blocked SOA1s led to a faster rate of improvement in RSVP performance and more target order reversals relative to random SOA1s, suggesting that the implicit learning of SOA1 positively affected performance. The results also reveal “power law” learning curves for individual target identification as well as the reduction in the AB decrement. These learning curves reflect the spontaneous emergence of skill through subtle attentional modulations rather than general attentional distribution. Together, the results indicate that implicit temporal learning could improve high level and rapid cognitive processing and highlights the sensitivity and adaptability of the attentional system to subtle constraints in stimulus timing.
Decoding Ability in French as a Foreign Language and Language Learning Motivation.

This study examined the relationships between decoding ability (the ability to relate graphemes to phonemes) in French as a foreign language, self-reported use of such decoding, and dimensions of motivation, specifically self-efficacy and attribution, among young-beginner learners in England. It investigated whether these factors were related to a desire to continue studying the language beyond the compulsory learning age of 14. Previous research has found low levels of motivation for learning the language after only a few years of instruction and a number of authors have called for research to discover why this should be. With a large stratified sample of participants aged 11-14, decoding ability was elicited via written rhyme and word segmentation tests. Self-efficacy, attribution, perceptions of learning French and use of decoding were elicited via self-reported statements. Findings suggest that, after 3 years of studying French, students were unable to decode accurately even though they claimed to use decoding regularly in a range of language learning tasks. At all stages of learning, students' ability to decode, together with their belief that they could do it, appeared to contribute to the likelihood of their continuing with French study. They attributed inability to decode not to the teacher or teaching method but to the 'strangeness' of French. Given the potential generalizability of these results, important implications for teaching and for curriculum review are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Separation and determination of carnosine‐related peptides using capillary electrophoresis with laser‐induced fluorescence detection

A capillary electrophoresis (CE) method with laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was developed for the separation and detection of carnosine‐related peptides (carnosine, anserine, and homocarnosine). A sensitive and fluorogenic regent, 3‐(4‐carboxybenzoyl) quinoline‐2‐carboxaldehyde (CBQCA) was selected as a precapillary labeling reagent for imidazole dipeptides to form isoindole derivatives. The optimized molar ratio between CBQCA and peptide was found to be 75:1, and 50 mmol/L borate buffer (pH 9.2) was used for the derivatization in order to achieve good efficiency. Three imidazole dipeptides were baseline‐separated within 20 min by using 112 mmol/L sodium borate (pH 10.4–10.8) as running buffer. Concentration detection limits (signal‐to‐noise ratios) for carnosine, anserine, and homocarnosine were 4.73, 4.37, and 3.94 nmol/L, respectively. This method has been applied to the analysis of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and meat dry powder of pig and sheep. Recoveries were in the range of 82.9–104.8% for homocarnosine in CSF. For carnosine and anserine, the recoveries are 98.3% and 80.2% in meat dry powder of pig and 111.2% and 112.8% in meat dry powder of sheep, respectively.
Dicer-dependent endothelial microRNAs are necessary for postnatal angiogenesis

Posttranscriptional gene regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs) is important for many aspects of development, homeostasis, and disease. Here, we show that reduction of endothelial miRNAs by cell-specific inactivation of Dicer, the terminal endonuclease responsible for the generation of miRNAs, reduces postnatal angiogenic response to a variety of stimuli, including exogenous VEGF, tumors, limb ischemia, and wound healing. Furthermore, VEGF regulated the expression of several miRNAs, including the up-regulation of components of the c-Myc oncogenic cluster miR-17-92. Transfection of endothelial cells with components of the miR-17-92 cluster, induced by VEGF treatment, rescued the induced expression of thrombospondin-1 and the defect in endothelial cell proliferation and morphogenesis initiated by the loss of Dicer. Thus, endothelial miRNAs regulate postnatal angiogenesis and VEGF induces the expression of miRNAs implicated in the regulation of an integrated angiogenic response.
UIC at TREC 2007 Blog Track

In TREC 2007 Blog Track, we developed a three-step algorithm for the opinion retrieval task. An information retrieval step retrieves the query-relevant documents. A following opinion identification step identifies the opinionative texts in these documents. A ranking step identifies the query-related opinions in the documents and ranks them by calculating their opinion similarity scores. For the polarity task, our strategy is to find the positive and negative documents respectively, and then find the mixed opinionative documents in the intersection of the positive and negative document sets. We implemented our opinion retrieval algorithm in two special cases, one to retrieve the positive documents, and the other to retrieve the negative documents. A judging function labeled a subset of the documents, which were in the intersection of the positive and negative documents, as the mixed opinionative documents. We studied two parameters in our opinion retrieval algorithm, each of which had two values to compare. This resulted in four submitted opinion retrieval runs and their corresponding polarity runs.
HIV-1 Drug Resistance in the iPrEx Preexposure Prophylaxis Trial

Background. The iPrEx study demonstrated that combination oral emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (FTC/TDF) as preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) protects against HIV acquisition in men who have sex with men and transgender women. Selection for drug resistance could offset PrEP benefits. Methods. Phenotypic and genotypic clinical resistance assays characterized major drug resistant mutations. Minor variants with FTC/TDF mutations K65R, K70E, M184V/I were measured using 454 deep sequencing and a novel allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) diagnostic tolerant to sequence heterogeneity. Results. Control of primer-binding site heterogeneity resulted in improved accuracy of minor variant measurements by AS-PCR. Of the 48 on-study infections randomized to FTC/TDF, none showed FTC/TDF mutations by clinical assays despite detectable drug levels in 8 participants. Two randomized to FTC/TDF had minor variant M184I detected at 0.53% by AS-PCR or 0.75% by deep sequencing, only 1 of which had low but detectable drug levels. Among those with acute infection at randomization to FTC/TDF, M184V or I mutations that were predominant at seroconversion waned to background levels within 24 weeks after discontinuing drug. Conclusions. Drug resistance was rare in iPrEx on-study FTC/TDF-randomized seroconverters, and only as low-frequency minor variants. FTC resistance among those initiating PrEP with acute infection waned rapidly after drug discontinuation. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00458393.
Role of Self-Efficacy in the Constraints Negotiation Process: The Case of Individuals with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

This cross-sectional survey study examined the constraints negotiation process associated with participation in physically active leisure activities among individuals with fibromyalgia. A measure of negotiation-efficacy was developed. Four models were hypothesized, tested, and compared. The results were consistent with a model in which constraints decreased participation but also triggered the use of negotiation strategies that in turn increased participation. Higher levels of motivation increased efforts to negotiate and participate. Consistent with the main hypothesis, higher levels of negotiation-efficacy increased both motivation and negotiation efforts. A seventh proposition for constraints negotiation theory is proposed: The greater people's confidence in the successful use of negotiation resources to cope with constraints, the greater the motivation and effort to negotiate and the higher the level of participation.
Biomechanics of bird flight

SUMMARY Power output is a unifying theme for bird flight and considerable progress has been accomplished recently in measuring muscular, metabolic and aerodynamic power in birds. The primary flight muscles of birds, the pectoralis and supracoracoideus, are designed for work and power output, with large stress (force per unit cross-sectional area) and strain (relative length change) per contraction. U-shaped curves describe how mechanical power output varies with flight speed, but the specific shapes and characteristic speeds of these curves differ according to morphology and flight style. New measures of induced, profile and parasite power should help to update existing mathematical models of flight. In turn, these improved models may serve to test behavioral and ecological processes. Unlike terrestrial locomotion that is generally characterized by discrete gaits, changes in wing kinematics and aerodynamics across flight speeds are gradual. Take-off flight performance scales with body size, but fully revealing the mechanisms responsible for this pattern awaits new study. Intermittent flight appears to reduce the power cost for flight, as some species flap–glide at slow speeds and flap–bound at fast speeds. It is vital to test the metabolic costs of intermittent flight to understand why some birds use intermittent bounds during slow flight. Maneuvering and stability are critical for flying birds, and design for maneuvering may impinge upon other aspects of flight performance. The tail contributes to lift and drag; it is also integral to maneuvering and stability. Recent studies have revealed that maneuvers are typically initiated during downstroke and involve bilateral asymmetry of force production in the pectoralis. Future study of maneuvering and stability should measure inertial and aerodynamic forces. It is critical for continued progress into the biomechanics of bird flight that experimental designs are developed in an ecological and evolutionary context.
Foundations of positional games

This is the third piece of a series of papers about a new, quasiprobabilistic theory of positional games (i.e., “combinatorial games”). The strange thing is that we wrote these papers in reverse order. Chronologically the first paper, “Deterministic Graph Games and a Probabilistic Intuition,” was a highly technical one, and can be considered as part III of the series. The next paper, “Achievement Games and the Probabilistic Method,” was a survey that attempted to explain the role of the subject in discrete mathematics. We felt, however, that we did not quite succeed, and somehow the foundations were not very solid. This is why we had to write this paper, which should be considered as part I of the series. Our main object here is to explain what the basic questions of positional game theory are. The well-known algebraic theory of Nim-like games (called “combinatorial game theory”) and the quasiprobabilistic theory represent two entirely different viewpoints, and they in some sense complement each other. Indeed, combinatorial game theory (i.e., Nim-like games) is an exact local theory in the sense how seemingly complicated games start out as composites, or quickly develop into composites of several simple local games. On the other hand, the quasi-probabilistic theory attempts to solve “hopelessly complicated” Tic-Tac-Toe-like games which usually remain as single coherent entities throughout play. It is an efficient global approach which, roughly speaking, evaluates via loss probabilities. Because of the intractable complexity of the exhausting search through the game-tree, an efficient evaluation method has to approximate. So one cannot really expect from the quasi-probabilistic theory to solve evenly balanced “head-to-head games,” where a single mistake could be fatal, but it can effectively recognize and solve large classes of difficult “one-sided games. ” Positional games are finite 2-player games of skill (i.e., no chance moves) with perfect information, and the payoff function has three values 1, 0, −1 only (“win,” “draw,” “loss”). These games, therefore, are deterministic, and because of the perfect information, the optimal strategies are deterministic. How can randomness then enter the story? To answer this, we very briefly summarize the simplest case of the quasi-probabilistic theory: the majority principle. The majority principle is in two parts. The first part is a probabilistic intuition that says in a nutshell that, in many complicated games, the outcome between two perfect players is the same as the “majority outcome” between two “random players” (random game). The point is that even relatively simple games are too hopelessly complicated to analyze in full depth, but to describe the “typical” behavior is usually a tractable problem to solve by using probability theory. However, the majority principle is more than merely predicting the outcomes of complicated games. The second part is to convert the probabilistic intuition, via potential techniques, into effective deterministic strategies, in fact, greedy algorithms. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Dhungana S, Sharrack B, Woodroofe N. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 121: 71–82. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard.
Nanoindentation of Si1−xGex thin films prepared by biased target ion beam deposition

The mechanical properties of Si<sub>1-x</sub>Ge<sub>x</sub> thin films are studied via nanoindentation. The Si<sub>1-x</sub>Ge<sub>x</sub> thin films are prepared with a biased target ion beam deposition (BTIBD) method. We investigate the effect of varying the Si to Ge composition ratio on the elastic modulus and hardness of the resulting alloyed films. In comparison to pure BTIBD Si (E<sub>si</sub> = 154GPa, H<sub>si</sub> = 9.9GPa), for Si<sub>1-x</sub>Ge<sub>x</sub> a decreasing trend in Young's modulus and hardness is observed to be associated with the increase in Ge content, and for Si<sub>0.5</sub>Ge<sub>0.5</sub> the values of 139 GPa and 8.4GPa are found to represent the Young's modulus and hardness, respectively.
Recent developments in the use of viability dyes and quantitative PCR in the food microbiology field

The increase in foodborne outbreaks highlights the need for rapid, sensitive and specific methods for food safety monitoring, enabling specific detection and quantification of viable foodborne pathogens. Real‐time PCR (qPCR) combined with the use of viability dyes, recently introduced, fulfils all these requirements. The strategy relies on the use of DNA‐binding molecules such as propidium monoazide (PMA) or ethidium monoazide (EMA) as sample pretreatment previous to the qPCR. These molecules permeate only membrane‐compromised cells and have successfully been applied for different types of foodborne pathogens, including bacteria and viruses. Moreover, those dyes have been explored to monitor different food manufacturing processes as an alternative to classical cultural methods. In this review, state‐of‐the‐art information regarding viability PCR (v‐PCR) is compiled.
Load Balance Routing Protocol in Wireless Mesh Network Based on Cross-Layer Knowledge

Wireless mesh network (WMN) is a new kind of distributed broadband network and has drawn great attention since it has good scalability, robustness and self-organization. However, routing protocols in traditional wireless networks such as wireless sensor network (WSN) and Ad Hoc network cannot be directly used in WMN, such as those minimum hops based routing protocols that have poor performance in WMN. To provide a routing protocol suitable for WMN, a load balance routing protocol in WMN is proposed based on crosslayer knowledge and takes Ad Hoc On-demand Distance Vector Routing (AODV) as a prototype, namely Load Balance Cross Layer based AODV (LBCL-AODV). In this protocol, not only the hop counts in AODV are considered, but also cross-layer information is used as metric to optimize route selection through using node load and packet delivery rate performance parameters. WMN always suffers from the load unbalance problem which degrades the network performance. To solve this problem, a load dynamically migration method is proposed which can migrate the traffic from busy routes to empty paths. The simulation results show that LBCL-AODV can reduce the end-to-end delay, increase the delivery rate and achieve the load balance.
On the philosophy of time

The concept of time has always played a dominant role in philosophy and science. In modern physics, and also in philosophy of physics, it is the anisotropy of time that attracts particular attention. Taking up work by Grünbaum and others, the thermodynamic arrow of time is considered in detail, and this discussion is then extended to other time-asymmetric processes, whose relation to this arrow of time remains controversial. After that, some remarks are made about experienced time. It is the gestalt-like character of time that, in contrast to the arrow of time, reflects time in the everyday world.
A Pilot Study to Evaluate Ethnic/Racial Differences in Depressive Symptoms, Self-Esteem, and Sexual Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at risk for certain physical and psychological health conditions. Ethnic minority MSM are at an increased risk related to the combination of sexual minority and ethnic minority status. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the levels of depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and sexual behaviors by ethnicity in a sample of MSM (N = 70) residing in South Florida. More than one-third of the sample (N = 26; 37%) had high levels of depressive symptoms. Using non-parametric statistics, statistically significant differences were noted in the levels of depressive symptoms as African-American MSM had higher levels of depressive symptoms when compared to the other ethnic groups. Statistically significant differences were not found when self-esteem and sexual behaviors were compared by ethnicity. Regardless of ethnicity, MSM in this study were at risk for the sequela of depressive symptoms and infections with HIV and/or sexually transmitted infections because of the high levels of unsafe sexual behaviors. More research is needed to explore the relationship of mental health and sexual behaviors among the various ethnic groups of MSM.
Dependence of Resistivity in Low-Density Polyethylene on Space EnvironmentParameters

The conductivity of high-resistivity polymer films is dependent on the magnitude of applied electric field, repeated electric field exposure, and sample temperature. A traditional constant voltage method was used, maintained under vacuum to more closely resemble the space environment. Both the strength of the applied voltage and the thickness of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) samples were varied to determine the electric field dependence of internal polarization and the leakage current most appropriate in calculating the resistivity. Repetition of same field strength measurements determined the influence of sample history and charging memory. Measuring the resistivity from cryogenic temperatures to well above the glass transition temperature of LDPE allowed for separation of hopping conductivity regimes and correlation with internal morphology. In combination, these measurements provide a picture of the resistivity behavior of LDPE.
An efficient optimal planning and control framework for quadrupedal locomotion

In this paper, we present an efficient Dynamic Programing framework for optimal planning and control of legged robots. First we formulate this problem as an optimal control problem for switched systems. Then we propose a multi-level optimization approach to find the optimal switching times and the optimal continuous control inputs. Through this scheme, the decomposed optimization can potentially be done more efficiently than the combined approach. Finally, we present a continuous-time constrained LQR algorithm which simultaneously optimizes the feedforward and feedback controller with O(n) time-complexity. In order to validate our approach, we show the performance of our framework on a quadrupedal robot. We choose the Center of Mass dynamics and the full kinematic formulation as the switched system model where the switching times as well as the contact forces and the joint velocities are optimized for different locomotion tasks such as gap crossing, walking and trotting.