Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occurrence and measurement of transfer in cognitive rehabilitation: A critical review.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the occurrence of transfer of cognitive strategy training for persons with acquired brain injury, and to investigate the way in which transfer is measured. METHODS Electronic searches in PubMed, PsychINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL using combinations of search terms in the following categories: type of brain injury, transfer, type of disorder, type of intervention. A total of 39 papers was included in the review. The following aspects were judged: study design and participant characteristics, intervention characteristics and type of outcome measures used. RESULTS Transfer outcome measures could be classified into 3 groups: non-trained items, standardized daily tasks and daily life. Most studies reported at least one type of transfer; however, the methodological quality of the studies was low. Cognitive strategy training in the evaluated studies focused on 7 domains of functioning: information processing, problem solving/executive functioning, memory/attention, language, neglect, apraxia and daily activities. CONCLUSION Transfer of training effects of cognitive strategy training has been evaluated in a relatively small number of studies. Outcome measures used in these studies could be classified into 3 groups. Most studies reported the occurrence of transfer of training effects, although some serious remarks can be made concerning the methodological quality of the studies.
Effect of personality and presleep mood on dream recall.

The present investigation confirms and extends previously reported evidence of a predictable association between presleep mood and dream recall. Infrequent (but not frequent) dream recallers were more likely to recall dreams when presleep self-confidence was lowest than when it was highest for an individual subject. This result directly contradicts the repression hypothesis of dream recall. In addition, for habitually low self-confident and "sensitizer" subjects only, the lowest self-confidence rating during a five-day recording period was associated with unpleasant dream affect; the highest self-confidence rating was associated with pleasant dream affect. These findings support the hypothesis that the relationship between presleep mood and dream affect is modified by enduring subject characteristics that reflect coping effectiveness. The purpose of the present study was to obtain additional evidence that dream reporting and dream affect can more effectively be predicted from both situational (state) and dispositional (trait) factors than from either factor alone. The following results were obtained in a previous study of female subjects (Cohen, 1974a): For infrequent (but not frequent) dream recallers, home dream recall was more likely to occur when presleep selfconfidence was lowest compared to when selfconfidence was highest. The finding supported the hypothesis that the effect was due to an increase in the salience (vividness, emotionality) of dreams which for infrequent recallers is normally low (Cohen & MacNeilage, in
Is European M&A Regulation Protectionist?

Why do regulatory authorities scrutinize mergers and acquisitions? The authorities themselves claim to be combating monopoly power and protecting consumers, but the last two decades of empirical research has found little supporting evidence for such laudatory motives. An alternative is that M&A regulation is actually designed to protect privileged firms. In this paper, we provide a test of protectionism by studying whether European regulatory intervention is more likely when European firms are harmed by increased competition. Our findings are unambiguous: European regulation is protectionist. The results are robust to a variety of statistical difficulties, including endogeneity between investor valuations and regulatory actions.
Efficient Migration of Very Large Distributed State for Scalable Stream Processing

Any scalable stream data processing engine must handle the dynamic nature of data streams and it must quickly react to every fluctuation in the data rate. Many systems successfully address data rate spikes through resource elasticity and dynamic load balancing. The main challenge is the presence of stateful operators because their internal, mutable state must be scaled out while assuring fault-tolerance and continuous stream processing. Both rescaling, load balancing, and recovering demand state movement among work units. Therefore, how to guarantee those features in the presence of large distributed state with minimal impact on the performance is still an open issue. We propose an incremental migration mechanism for fine-grained state shards through periodic incremental checkpoints and replica groups . This enables moving large state with minimal impact on stream processing. Finally, we present a low-latency hand-over protocol that smoothly migrates tuples processing among work units.
Unbiased Light Transport Estimators for Inhomogeneous Participating Media

This paper presents a new stochastic particle model for efficient and unbiased Monte Carlo rendering of heterogeneous participating media. We randomly add and remove material particles to obtain a density with which free flight sampling and transmittance estimation are simple, while material particle properties are simultaneously modified to maintain the true expectation of the radiance. We show that meeting this requirement may need the introduction of light particles with negative energy and materials with negative extinction, and provide an intuitive interpretation for such phenomena. Unlike previous unbiased methods, the proposed approach does not require a‐priori knowledge of the maximum medium density that is typically difficult to obtain for procedural models. However, the method can benefit from an approximate knowledge of the density, which can usually be acquired on‐the‐fly at little extra cost and can greatly reduce the variance of the proposed estimators. The introduced mechanism can be integrated in participating media renderers where transmittance estimation and free flight sampling are building blocks. We demonstrate its application in a multiple scattering particle tracer, in transmittance computation, and in the estimation of the inhomogeneous air‐light integral.
Characterization of Mannose Receptor-Dependent Phagocytosis Mediated by Mycobacterium tuberculosisLipoarabinomannan

ABSTRACT The macrophage mannose receptor (MR) along with complement receptors mediates phagocytosis of the M. tuberculosisvirulent strains Erdman and H37Rv. We have determined that the terminal mannosyl units of the M. tuberculosis surface lipoglycan, lipoarabinomannan (LAM), from the Erdman strain serve as ligands for the MR. The biology of the MR (receptor binding and trafficking) in response to phagocytic stimuli is not well characterized. This study analyzes the MR-dependent phagocytosis mediated by Erdman LAM presented on a 1-μm-diameter phagocytic particle. Erdman LAM microspheres exhibited a time- and dose-dependent rapid increase in attachment and internalization by human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs). In contrast, internalization of LAM microspheres by monocytes was minimal. Microsphere internalization by MDMs was visualized and quantitated by immunofluorescence and confocal and electron microscopy and resembled conventional phagocytosis. Phagocytosis of LAM microspheres by MDMs was energy, cytoskeleton, and calcium dependent and was mannan inhibitable. Trypsin treatment of MDMs at 37°C, which depleted surface and recycling intracellular pools of the MR, reduced the subsequent attachment of LAM microspheres. Trypsin treatment at 4°C allowed for subsequent recovery of LAM microsphere phagocytosis at 37°C by recycled MRs. Pretreatment of MDMs with cycloheximide influenced LAM microsphere phagocytosis to only a small extent, indicating that MR-dependent phagocytosis of the microspheres was occurring primarily by preformed recycled receptors. This study characterizes the requirements for macrophage phagocytosis of a LAM-coated particle mediated by the MR. This model will be useful in further characterization of the intracellular pathway taken by phagocytic particles coated with different LAM types in macrophages following ingestion.
Organization of suprachiasmatic nucleus projections in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus): An anterograde and retrograde analysis

Circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior are controlled by pacemaker cells located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The mammalian SCN can be classified into two subdivisions (core and shell) based on the organization of neuroactive substances, inputs, and outputs. Recent studies in our laboratory indicate that these subdivisions are associated with functional specialization in Syrian hamsters. The core region, marked by calbindin‐D28K (CalB)‐containing cells, expresses light‐induced, but not rhythmic, clock genes. In the shell compartment, marked by vasopressinergic cells and fibers, clock gene expression is rhythmic. Given these findings, an important question is how photic and rhythmic information are integrated and communicated from each of these regions to effector areas. The present study used localized, intra‐SCN iontophoretic injections of the anterograde tracer biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) to investigate intra‐SCN connectivity and the neural pathways by which information is communicated from SCN subregions to targets. Intra‐SCN connections project from the core to the shell compartment of the SCN, but not from the shell to the CalB region of the SCN. Retrograde tracing experiments were performed using cholera toxin‐β (CTB) to determine more specifically whether SCN efferents originated in the core or shell using neurochemical markers for the rhythmic (vasopressin) and light‐induced (CalB) SCN subregions. The combined results from anterograde and retrograde experiments suggest that all SCN targets receive information from both the light‐induced and rhythmic regions of the SCN (albeit to varying degrees) and indicate that light and rhythmic information may be integrated both within the SCN and at target effector areas. J. Comp. Neurol. 468:361–379, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Use of Protein-Protein Interactions for the Analysis of the Associations between PM2.5 and Some Diseases

Nowadays, pollution levels are rapidly increasing all over the world. One of the most important pollutants is PM2.5. It is known that the pollution environment may cause several problems, such as greenhouse effect and acid rain. Among them, the most important problem is that pollutants can induce a number of serious diseases. Some studies have reported that PM2.5 is an important etiologic factor for lung cancer. In this study, we extensively investigate the associations between PM2.5 and 22 disease classes recommended by Goh et al., such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases. The protein-protein interactions were used to measure the linkage between disease genes and genes that have been reported to be modulated by PM2.5. The results suggest that some diseases, such as diseases related to ear, nose, and throat and gastrointestinal, nutritional, renal, and cardiovascular diseases, are influenced by PM2.5 and some evidences were provided to confirm our results. For example, a total of 18 genes related to cardiovascular diseases are identified to be closely related to PM2.5, and cardiovascular disease relevant gene DSP is significantly related to PM2.5 gene JUP.
A Novel Approach for Reduction of Huffman Cost Table in Image Compression

Huffman codes are being widely used as a very efficient technique for compressing image. To achieve a high compressing ratio, the cost table need to be reduced. A new approach has been defined which reduces the cost table of the traditional Huffman Algorithm. This paper presents a minor modification to the Huffman coding of the binary Huffman compression algorithm. A study and implementation of the traditional Huffman algorithm is studied. In this paper a new methodology has been proposed for the reduction of the cost table for the image compression using Huffman coding Technique. Compared with the traditional Huffman coding the proposed method yields the best results in the generation of cost tables. The advantages of new binary Huffman table are that the space requirement and time required to transmit the image is reduced significantly. I. I ntroduction
Correlates of Cognitive Flexibility in Veterans Seeking Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract This study examined the association between cognitive flexibility and variables that may be associated with treatment outcome for 579 veterans seeking Veterans Health Administration treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) secondary to combat or sexual trauma. Factors associated with severity of PTSD (level of PTSD symptoms and guilt cognitions) and with PTSD prognosis (posttraumatic growth and optimistic expectations for the future) were examined. Regression analyses revealed that cognitive flexibility was associated with lower levels of PTSD symptoms and fewer guilt cognitions. Cognitive flexibility was positively associated with posttraumatic growth and optimistic expectations for the future, even when controlling for PTSD severity. These results suggest that interventions designed to increase cognitive flexibility in veterans may be a worthwhile adjunct to treatment for PTSD as we continue efforts to improve treatment outcomes.
A Measure of Perceptual Aliasing in Image Descriptors

Researchers exploring problems in image matching tasks face the curse of perceptual aliasing that is originally used in characterizing a sensing process. Perceptual aliasing occurs when the one-to-one mapping relations between world states (objects) and their representations (descriptors) are not maintained. In this paper, we introduce a novel method for quantifying perceptual aliasing. Our method measures the discriminating power of an image descriptor in terms of its ability to distinguish between images of different objects and to match images of the same object. To illustrate our method, we apply it in the evaluation of popular global image descriptors that do not require local feature or keypoint detection. Specifically, our method runs spectral clustering on the similarity matrix computed with descriptors of known image clusters and measures the performance of an image descriptor by its ability to maintain the original clusters, using two indices, MRI-1 and MRI-2, that are based on Rand index.
Experiences u:;ing OpenMP based on Compiler Directed S ftware DSM on a PC Cluster

In this work we repo t on our experiences running OpenMP programs on a commodity cluster of PCs running a softw_,re distributed shared memory (DSM) system. We describe our test environment and report on the performance of a subset of the NAS Parallel Benchmarks that have been automaticaly parall elized for OpenMP. We compare the performance of the OpenMP implementations with that of tac_r message passing counterparts and discuss performance differences.
Pax6 Represses Androgen Receptor-Mediated Transactivation by Inhibiting Recruitment of the Coactivator SPBP

The androgen receptor (AR) has a central role in development and maintenance of the male reproductive system and in the etiology of prostate cancer. The transcription factor Pax6 has recently been reported to act as a repressor of AR and to be hypermethylated in prostate cancer cells. SPBP is a transcriptional regulator that previously has been shown to enhance the activity of Pax6. In this study we have identified SPBP to act as a transcriptional coactivator of AR. We also show that Pax6 inhibits SPBP-mediated enhancement of AR activity on the AR target gene probasin promoter, a repression that was partly reversed by increased expression of SPBP. Enhanced expression of Pax6 reduced the amount of SPBP associated with the probasin promoter when assayed by ChIP in HeLa cells. We mapped the interaction between both AR and SPBP, and AR and Pax6 to the DNA-binding domains of the involved proteins. Further binding studies revealed that Pax6 and SPBP compete for binding to AR. These results suggest that Pax6 represses AR activity by displacing and/or inhibiting recruitment of coactivators to AR target promoters. Understanding the mechanism for inhibition of AR coactivators can give rise to molecular targeted drugs for treatment of prostate cancer.
Change in olfaction after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer--a prospective study.

PURPOSE To evaluate the changes in olfactory function in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who have received radiation to the head and neck. MATERIALS AND METHODS Olfactory function of consecutive patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma was assessed prospectively before irradiation and serially up to 1 year after radiotherapy by the Sniffin' Sticks (Erlangen, Germany) olfactory function test and by a patient symptom visual analogue scale. RESULTS Fifty-eight patients were recruited before radiotherapy was commenced. Three patients could not give a reliable response to the Sniffin' Sticks test even in this first assessment, and 7 patients did not return for evaluation after irradiation. Forty-eight patients were available for follow-up assessment. Mean olfactory threshold scores by the Sniffin' Sticks test were found to deteriorate significantly at 12 months when compared with the scores before irradiation (8.3 at 12 months vs 11.5 before irradiation; P =.001). Scores for olfactory discrimination and for identification did not exhibit any significant changes when assessed at 12 months (P >.05 for both). Subjective patient assessment of olfactory function with the visual analogue scale at 12 months did not demonstrate any significant differences when compared with patients' assessment before irradiation (P =.90). An increase in discharge was the only nasal symptom that demonstrated a significant change at 12 months when compared with the assessment before irradiation (P < 001). CONCLUSIONS Deterioration in olfactory threshold scores was found at 12 months after irradiation and was not noticed by the patients.
Mining Changes of Classification by Correspondence Tracing

We study the problem of mining changes of classification characteristics as the data changes. Available are an old classifier, representing previous knowledge about classification characteristics, and a new data. We want to find the changes of classification characteristics in the new data. An example of such changes is “members with a large family no longer shop frequently, but they used to”. Finding this kind of changes holds the key for the organization to adopt to the changed environment and stay ahead of competitors. The challenge is that it is difficult to see what has really changed from comparing the old and new classifiers that could be very large and different. In this paper, we propose a technique to identify such changes. The idea is tracing the characteristics, in the old and new classifiers, that correspond to each other by classifying the same examples. We describe several ways to present changes so that the user can focus on a small number of important ones. We evaluate the proposed method on real life data sets.
Toll-Like Receptor Expression in the Blood and Brain of Patients and a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Background: Accumulating evidence supports a role for the immune system in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Importantly, recent preclinical studies are now suggesting a specific contribution of inflammation to the α-synuclein-induced pathology seen in this condition. Methods: We used flow cytometry and western blots to detect toll-like receptor 2 and 4 expression in blood and brain samples of Parkinson’s disease patients and mice overexpressing human α-synuclein. To further assess the effects of α-synuclein overexpression on the innate immune system, we performed a longitudinal study using Thy1.2-α-synuclein mice that expressed a bicistronic DNA construct (reporter genes luciferase and green fluorescent protein) under the transcriptional control of the murine toll-like receptor 2 promoter. Results: Here, we report increases in toll-like receptors 2 and 4 expression in circulating monocytes and of toll-like receptor 4 in B cells and in the caudate/putamen of Parkinson’s disease patients. Monthly bioluminescence imaging of Thy1.2-α-synuclein mice showed increasing toll-like receptor 2 expression from 10 months of age, although no change in toll-like receptor 2 and 4 expression was observed in the blood and brain of these mice at 12 months of age. Dexamethasone treatment starting at 5 months of age for 1 month significantly decreased the microglial response in the brain of these mice and promoted functional recovery as observed using a wheel-running activity test. Conclusion: Our results show that toll-like receptors 2 and 4 are modulated in the blood and brain of Parkinson’s disease patients and that overexpression of α-synuclein leads to a progressive microglial response, the inhibition of which has a beneficial impact on some motor phenotypes of an animal model of α-synucleinopathy.
An efficient algorithm for one-step planar complaint motion planning with uncertainty

Uncertainty in the execution of robot motion plans must be accounted for in the geometric computations from which plans are obtained, especially in the case where position sensing is inaccurate. We give an &Ogr;(n2 log n) algorithm to find a single commanded motion direction which will guarantee a successful motion in the plane from a specified start to a specified goal whenever such a one-step motion is possible. The plans account for uncertainty in the start position and in robot control, and anticipate that the robot may stick on or slide along obstacle surfaces with which it comes in contact. This bound improves on the best previous bound by a quadratic factor, and is achieved in part by a new analysis of the geometric complexity of the backprojection of the goal as a function of commanded motion direction.
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: More Diverse than Meets the Eye, and the Ecological Tale of Why

Presents research on the ecology of interactions between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Discovery that the underground world is diverse and dynamic; Process of discovery; Mechanisms that might maintain fungal diversity; Implications of this diversity for ecology as a whole; Importance of AM fungi in the facilitation of plants' uptake of phosphorus.