Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recording Brain Waves at the Supermarket: What Can We Learn from a Shopper's Brain?

Communication and marketing campaigns have traditionally been divided into two lines: above the line (ATL) and below the line (BTL). ATL campaigns refer to communications such as TV, print, and outdoor displays that are intended to reach large audiences. The effects of ATL are inherently difficult to measure; we do not see the direct consequences of viewing an advertisement (i.e., a talking baby giving financial advice) and actual purchase of the product. ATL is intended to indirectly improve the impression of a brand. BTL campaigns refer to promotions and in-store displays and are designed to affect the point-of-purchase behavior. The effects of BTL are easier to measure; we see direct consequences of viewing a display (i.e., “Today Only, Two for the Price of One”) and eventual purchase of the product. BTL is intended to directly improve the impression of a brand. Neuroscience plays an important role in measuring the effects of marketing campaigns. Traditional methods of measurement (such as surveys and interviews) depend on the verbal ability of the consumer to articulate their motivations for purchasing a product. It is well known that participants are poor at introspective reasoning, leading to an eventual purchase that omits emotional elements. Recently, methods normally employed in cognitive neuroscience have been adapted for use in the evaluation of campaign effectiveness. These methods have increased our understanding of factors leading to economic decisions. The application of neuroscience in ATL campaigns is relatively straightforward. Participants view TV commercials, for example, seated in a comfortable setting with minimal movement while electroencephalogram (EEG) measures are monitored. These brain waves reveal cognitive events related to the media. Participants are exposed to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner to monitor changes in blood flow in various regions of the brain. Both of these methods are sensitive to underlying cognitive and emotional activity and are complimentary. EEG is more sensitive to time-locked events (i.e., story lines), whereas fMRI is more sensitive to the brain regions involved. The application of neuroscience in BTL campaigns is significantly more difficult to achieve. Participants move unconstrained in a shopping environment while EEG and eye movements are monitored. In this scenario, fMRI is not possible. fMRI can be used with virtual store mock-ups, but it is expensive and seldom used. We have developed a technology that allows for the measurement of EEG in an unobtrusive manner. The intent is to record the brain waves of participants during their day-to-day shop- ping experience. A miniaturized video recorder, EEG amplifiers, and eye-tracking systems are used. Digital signal processing is employed to remove the substantial artifact generated by eye movements and motion. Eye fixations identify specific viewings of products and displays, and they are used for synchronizing the behavior with EEG response. The location of EEG sources is determined by the use of a source reconstruction software.
Estimating effects of latent and measured genotypes in multilevel models

Multilevel modelling is a data analysis technique for analysing linear models in samples with a hierarchical or clustered structure. Clustered data are often present in genetic research where family members may either be required or serve a methodological purpose to study hereditary factors. These samples imply a natural hierarchy because genetically related individuals are grouped within families. We first demonstrate the use of multilevel modelling to study latent genetic and environmental components of variance in extended families where subjects may be related as twins, full siblings, half siblings, or cousins. Next, measured genotypes are included to estimate locus effects. Because the model accounts for the clustering of observations by estimating a random intercept at the family level, it tests for genotype effects on the phenotype within families so that possible population stratification effects cannot cause false positive results. Several extensions are discussed such as testing for genotype-environment interactions, analysing different types of response scales, or tailoring the model to other sample structures. To illustrate the approach we used birth weight data of 5562 children from 3643 fathers from 3186 mothers in 2873 extended families to which simulated genotypes of a hypothetical locus were added.
Feeding and growth of apple snail Pomacea lineata in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil--a stable isotope approach.

Apple snails Pomacea lineata (SPIX 1827) are widespread in the tropical regions of Brazil as well as in the Pantanal wetland of Mato Grosso in the western part of the country. They have a key position in the Pantanal food web and serve as food for many animals e.g. fishes, birds, and caimans. However, little is known about their feeding preferences and growth rates. Stable isotopes have been used successfully on numerous studies as food source indicator. Therefore, the delta15N and delta13C values of snails from 0.45 to 3.03 cm in length, which were collected in the rainy season from March through May, were analyzed. Snails signatures revealed ambiguous evidence for food preferences. Delta15N and delta13C values ranged between -2.8 and 12.4 per thousand and between -24.2 and -16.4, per thousand respectively. This range of values mirrors the highly variable isotope values of possible food sources comprising C3 and C4 macrophytes. To test whether all common food sources were similarly assimilated, feeding experiments with different diets were conducted. Snail eggs were reared in tanks and offered different but single plants. Snails fed different diets and delta13C values of the food were reflected in the animal tissue. Growth varied considerably in experiments with different diets indicating the preference for certain food sources. Also, the fractionation of nitrogen isotopes between food and animal varied from 0.1 to 17.0 per thousand. The results are explained by different feeding habits, and it is supposed that animals fed either on the plant itself or on bacteria mats growing in the tanks. In an additional experiment juvenile snails were offered one single food with a distinctive C4 grass signature. These snails did not grow detectably, but nevertheless isotope signatures approached to values of the diet.
F-actin distribution and function during sexual development in Eimeria maxima

SUMMARY To determine the involvement of the actin cytoskeleton in macrogametocyte growth and oocyst wall formation, freshly purified macrogametocytes and oocysts were stained with Oregon Green 514 conjugated phalloidin to visualize F-actin microfilaments, while Evans blue staining was used to detect type 1 wall forming bodies (WFB1s) and the outer oocyst wall. The double-labelled parasites were then analysed at various stages of sexual development using three-dimensional confocal microscopy. The results showed F-actin filaments were distributed throughout the entire cytoplasm of mature Eimeria maxima macrogametocytes forming a web-like meshwork of actin filaments linking the type 1 WFBs together into structures resembling ‘beads on a string’. At the early stages of oocyst wall formation, F-actin localization changed in alignment with the egg-shaped morphology of the forming oocysts with F-actin microfilaments making direct contact with the WFB1s. In tissue oocysts, the labelled actin cytoskeleton was situated underneath the forming outer layer of the oocyst wall. Treatment of macrogametocytes in vitro with the actin depolymerizing agents, Cytochalasin D and Latrunculin, led to a reduction in the numbers of mature WFB1s in the cytoplasm of the developing macrogametocytes, indicating that the actin plays an important role in WFB1 transport and oocyst wall formation in E. maxima.
Effect of the Overlap Syndrome of Depressive Symptoms and Delirium on Outcomes in Elderly Adults with Hip Fracture: A Comment

To the Editor: We thank Safer and Kulcu for their valuable comments on our recent article. They made important points about measuring lean body mass using bioimpedance analysis (BIA). In the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging (KLoSHA), body composition of participants was measured on the same day that blood chemistries, including cholesterol and glucose, were measured after at least 10 hours of overnight fasting. Consequently, we believe that the possible influence on the difference in total body water status from fluid or food intake would have been attenuated. We could not fully investigate the longitudinal change of diuretic use in participants with hypertension, but few participants were taking diuretics for hypertensive monotherapy in the baseline study. Furthermore, a literature search showed that taking diuretics was not associated with a significant difference in water balance in individuals with hypertension, so it is less likely that the possible effect of change in water balance associated with medication could affect the results of our study. The longitudinal association between baseline frailty and change in lean mass was unchanged (odds ratio (OR) = 2.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03—7.44 for frail; OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 0.84—2.22 for prefrail) after adjusting for diuretics in Model 3 (table 3). Although BIA was previously cross-validated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Western populations, it has been validated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry rather than computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in older Koreans, as Safer and Kulcu noted. Thus, random error might be possible in measuring the lean body mass of individual participants, but this possible random error from measurement method would result in false-negative conclusions (bias toward the null) rather than false-positive conclusions. BIA has many advantages over other methods because it is safe, easy to use, readily reproducible, and appropriate for ambulatory and bedridden individuals. Accordingly, a European and Asian working group on sarcopenia suggested the use of BIA for the measurement of skeletal muscle mass in research and clinical practice. Therefore, ongoing larger community-based studies on frailty and sarcopenia could reinforce the possible longitudinal effect of frailty on lean mass and change in muscle strength.
Leptospira interrogans Binds to Human Cell Surface Receptors Including Proteoglycans

ABSTRACT Leptospirosis is a global public health problem, primarily in the tropical developing world. The pathogenic mechanisms of the causative agents, several members of the genus Leptospira, have been underinvestigated. The exception to this trend has been the demonstration of the binding of pathogenic leptospires to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and its components. In this work, interactions of Leptospira interrogans bacteria with mammalian cells, rather than the ECM, were examined. The bacteria bound more efficiently to the cells than to the ECM, and a portion of this cell-binding activity was attributable to attachment to glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains of proteoglycans (PGs). Chondroitin sulfate B PGs appeared to be the primary targets of L. interrogans attachment, while heparan sulfate PGs were much less important. Inhibition of GAG/PG-mediated attachment resulted in partial inhibition of bacterial attachment, suggesting that additional receptors for L. interrogans await identification. GAG binding may participate in the pathogenesis of leptospirosis within the host animal. In addition, because GAGs are expressed on the luminal aspects of epithelial cells in the proximal tubules of the kidneys, this activity may play a role in targeting the bacteria to this critical site. Because GAGs are shed in the urine, GAG binding may also be important for transmission to new hosts through the environment.
Exploiting Macrodiversity in Massively Distributed Antenna Systems: A Controllable Coordination Perspective

The massively distributed antenna system (MDAS) can offer a significant macrodiversity gain in comparison with traditional colocated massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO). Thus, it is a promising candidate for future network densification. Coordinated antenna selection (CAS), by harmoniously activating a subset of the antennas, can efficiently exploit the benefit of MDAS while reducing the number of radio-frequency chains. However, perfect CAS usually requires global channel state information (CSI), which consequently leads to a tremendous amount of system overhead. To control the cost of CAS, in this paper, we propose the use of visible antennas (VAs) for each mobile terminal (MT). Assuming that only the CSI between a given MT and its VAs is acquired, we use the number of VAs to quantitatively characterize a general partial-CSI condition. Then, we formulate the corresponding CAS problem as a nonconvex integer programming problem. By adopting variable relaxation and successive approximation, we derive a suboptimal solution to the problem based on geometric programming. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed CAS scheme can offer a near-optimal performance gain in terms of achievable sum rate for any randomly chosen number of VAs.
Identification of Central‐Pacific and Eastern‐Pacific types of ENSO in CMIP3 models

Much understanding of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has been obtained from the analyses of the climate simulations produced for World Climate Research Programme's Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3). However, most of these analyses do not consider the existence of the Eastern‐Pacific (EP) and Central‐Pacific (CP) types of ENSO events, which have been increasingly recognized as two distinct types of interannual sea surface temperature (SST) variation in the tropical Pacific. This study uses a regression‐Empirical Orthogonal Function method to identify how well these two ENSO types are captured in the pre‐industrial simulations of nineteen CMIP3 models. It is concluded that most CMIP3 models (13 out of 19) can produce realistically strong CP ENSOs, but only a few of them (9 out of 19) can produce realistically strong EP ENSOs. Six models that realistically simulate both the EP and CP ENSOs and their intensity ratio are identified. By separating the SST variability into these two types, it is further revealed that the leading periodicity of the simulated EP ENSO is linearly related to the latitudinal width of SST variability and varies from 1 to 5 years. As for the simulated CP ENSO, its leading periodicity is either 2 or 4 years depending on whether its SST variability is located to the east of the dateline or in the western‐Pacific warm pool, respectively. The identification produced in this study offers useful information to further understand the two types of ENSO using the CMIP3 models.
Ljungan virus present in intrauterine fetal death diagnosed by both immunohistochemistry and PCR.

OBJECTIVES Following up on prior evidence from animal and human studies of Ljungan virus (LV) in intrauterine fetal death (IUFD), we examine additional cases of IUFD using two standard assays of viral detection: immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real time RT-PCR. MATERIALS AND METHODS Frozen and formalin-fixed specimens from IUFD cases were tested for the presence of LV using real time RT-PCR and IHC, respectively. Formalin-fixed organs from terminated pregnancies diagnosed as trisomy 21 were used as controls in the IHC assay. RESULTS Presence of LV was demonstrated in all five IUFD cases by IHC and further confirmed in three of these cases by real time RT-PCR. Only one of 18 trisomy 21 controls was LV positive by IHC. CONCLUSION The presence of LV in IUFD patients has been confirmed by two different assays.
Timed test cases generation based on state characterization technique

Real time reactive systems interact with their environment, using inputs and outputs, within specified time constraints. For such systems, a functional misbehavior or a deviation from the specified time constraints may have catastrophic consequences. Therefore, ensuring the correctness of real time systems becomes very important. We introduce the potential faults which can be encountered in a timed system implementation. We adapt an existing test cases generation technique, based on state characterization set, to generate timed test cases from a timed system specification. We model a timed system with a Timed Input Output Automaton (TIOA), which is a variant of the Alur and Dill model (R. Alur and D. Dill, 1994). In order to generate the timed test suite, the TIOA is first transformed into a Nondeterministic Timed Finite State Machine (NTFSM) with a given granularity. We illustrate our method with an example.
Boost converter based on coupled inductor and voltage lift cell

A high-gain non-isolated DC-DC converter is proposed with a inversely coupled inductor and a voltage lift cell. Energy stored in the leakage inductance of the coupled inductor is recycled through a voltage lift cell to obtain high voltage conversion ratio. The operation of the proposed converter is explained using its equivalent circuits which are used to derive static gain expression. The operation of the proposed converter is analyzed with non-ideal components to predict their influence on voltage conversion ratio and the efficiency. The operation of the proposed converter is validated using software simulation under ideal and non-ideal conditions.
Drug and Device Effects on Peak Oxygen Consumption, 6-Minute Walk Distance, and Natriuretic Peptides as Predictors of Therapeutic Effects on Mortality in Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background— Although peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2), 6-minute walk distance (6MW), and natriuretic peptides (BNP and NT-proBNP) are predictors of mortality in heart failure (HF) patients, it is not known whether therapy-induced changes in these measures can predict therapeutic effect on mortality. The objective of this analysis is to quantitatively assess the relationship between therapeutic effects on commonly proposed short-term markers in HF trials and therapeutic effects on long-term outcome in patients with HF and left ventricular dysfunction. Methods and Results— We identified drug or device therapies for which there exists at least 1 randomized, controlled trial (RCT) assessing mortality over at least 6 months in at least 500 patients. For each of these therapies, we identified RCTs assessing the short-term changes in VO2, 6MW, BNP, and NT-proBNP (few of the mortality RCTs assessed the short-term changes in markers). For each intervention, we calculated the odds ratio for mortality (using random effect meta-analysis when necessary), as well as the trial level average drug- or device-induced change in the markers. We assessed the correlation between the odds ratio for death with the placebo-corrected change in the functional parameter or biomarker across the interventions. We identified mortality RCTs of 27 distinct therapies (n=73 267 patients) with a median follow-up of 19 months, that directed the search for RCTs of the effect of those interventions on the functional markers and biomarkers. There were 54 peak VO2 trials (n=4646 patients), 34 6MW trials (n=6995 patients), 15 BNP trials (n=7233), and 6 NT-proBNP trials (n=1946) included in this analysis. There was no significant correlation between the average therapy-induced placebo-corrected change in peak VO2 and the odds ratio for mortality (r=0.158, P=0.26). Increased drug or device-induced average change in 6MW was correlated with increased odds ratio for mortality (r=0.373, P=0.036). There was no significant correlation between the average therapy-induced, placebo-corrected change in the natriuretic peptides and the odds ratio for mortality (BNP: r=−0.065, P=0.82, NT-proBNP: r=−0.667, P=0.15). There was no apparent relation between change in the functional parameter or biomarker and categorical effect on mortality. Conclusions— This analysis, limited to trial level data from different therapeutic eras, suggests that drug- or device-induced effects on peak VO2, 6MW, and natriuretic peptides found in short-term trials do not predict the corresponding average long-term therapeutic effects on mortality for patients with HF and left ventricular dysfunction.
How artefacts mediate small-group co-creation activities in a mobile-assisted seamless language learning environment?

The rich learning resources and contexts learners experience in their everyday life could play important roles in complementing formal learning, but are often neglected by learners and teachers. In this paper, we present an intervention study in ‘Move, Idioms! ’, a mobile-assisted Chinese language learning approach that emphasizes contextualized learner content creation and meaning (sense) making with their daily encounters. In the study, students used smart phones on a 1:1 basis to take photos of the real-life contexts pertaining to Chinese idioms or conjunctions, made sentences with the idioms/conjunctions, and then posted them onto a wiki space for peer reviews. This paper focuses on analysing students’ on-campus face-to-face collaborative learning process. Inspired by the notions of mediation by artefacts and distributed cognition, we derived a novel visualization approach for descriptive analysis of the small-group activities to provide a synoptic view of the process of student artefact co-creation in such collaborative activities. Through our artefact-oriented analysis, we foreground the significance and the potential impact in fostering learners’ habit of mind and skills in identifying and appropriating in situ resources to mediate their learning activities in any learning space, rather than always being ‘dictated’ by the resources that the teacher provides with fixed roles to play. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Parallel verification of temporal properties using dynamic analysis

Verification methods can be classified according to two kinds of criteria: static or not - i.e. dynamic - and formal or not. This paper follows a work about verification of temporal properties using dynamic analysis. The approach proposes to transform an LTL property into a Büchi automaton and to run the automaton on an execution trace to be verified. Because traces are finite, the end of trace problem can be bypassed with computation of statistical information about the verified trace if and only if the property follows a predefined given pattern. For very big traces, this approach is well-adapted, but traces have to be sequentially verified. This paper proposes to parallelize the verification approach by splitting the execution trace and executing the Büchi automaton on each sub-trace separately analysable, which allows a significant time saving.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Is Diffusion Imaging Ready for Primetime in Forensic Medicine?

Abstract Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is difficult to accurately assess with conventional imaging because such approaches usually fail to detect any evidence of brain damage. Recent studies of MTBI patients using diffusion-weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging suggest that these techniques have the potential to help grade tissue damage severity, track its development, and provide prognostic markers for clinical outcome. Although these results are promising and indicate that the forensic diagnosis of MTBI might eventually benefit from the use of diffusion-weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging, healthy skepticism and caution should be exercised with regard to interpreting their meaning because there is no consensus about which methods of data analysis to use and very few investigations have been conducted, of which most have been small in sample size and examined patients at only one time point after injury.