Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The access to causal relations in semantic memory

In my dissertation I investigated the dissociation between the causal model view and the associationistic view of the representation of causal relations in semantic memory. The associationistic view postulates that causal relations as well as other relations are represented as association in the human mind. The causal model view on the other hand claims that causation and other relations are separately represented including all their specific features, especially causal directionality. I empirically tested these two views in six experiments where the retrieval process from semantic memory was manipulated. In the first three experiments I investigated the retrieval asymmetry for causal relations. I presented participants with pairs of words one after another either describing events that referred to a cause (e.g., spark) or an effect (e.g., fire). I manipulated the temporal order in which the words were presented, and the question participants had to respond. Moreover, the causal word pairs had a symmetric strength of association for the predictive (cause-effect) and for the diagnostic (effect-cause) causal direction to avoid a retrieval asymmetry based on associative asymmetry. The results show that questions referring to the existence of a causal relation are answered faster if the first word referred to a cause and the second word to its effect than vice versa. Then I extended the investigation of the causal retrieval asymmetry by testing a task specific access to causal relations. That is, the same causal relations had to be accessed via causation or via association. No asymmetry was observed if an association had to be determined between the causal word pair, but the afore mentioned asymmetry pattern was found for the causal access, indicating that participants were capable of accessing different types of relational knowledge in a task specific fashion. The distinction between the causal model and the associationistic view was further investigated in an exploratory function magnetic resonance imaging study (fMRI), where first evidence could be found that the task specific access to causal relations not only yields a difference in the behavioral data, but also exhibits different patterns of cerebral blood flow. The results from all experiments indicate that causation is stored as a separate relation in semantic memory including its directionality and it can be accessed as such. This view is postulated by the causal model theory.
Preliminary Results on Ontology-based Open Data Publishing

Despite the current interest in Open Data publishing, a formal and comprehensive methodology supporting an organization in deciding which data to publish and carrying out precise procedures for publishing high-quality data, is still missing. In this paper we argue that the Ontology-based Data Management paradigm can provide a formal basis for a principled approach to publish high quality, semantically annotated Open Data. We describe two main approaches to using an ontology for this endeavor, and then we present some technical results on one of the approaches, called bottom-up, where the specification of the data to be published is given in terms of the sources, and specific techniques allow deriving suitable annotations for interpreting the published data under the light of the ontology.
Atrial septal defect in patients over 45 years of age. Merits of surgical versus medical therapy.

sons in the eighth and ninth decades (Roesler, 1934; Colmers, 1958; Cherniack, 1963; Novack et al., 1963; Ellis, Brandenburg, and Swan, 1960; Rodstein, Zeman, and Gerber, 1961; Kelly and Lyons, 1958). There is little question about the advisability of surgery in younger patients. Several reports of successful closure of these defects in older patients are also available (McGoon et al., 1959; Ellis et al., 1960; Taylor, Sanger, and Robicsek, 1963). While the surgical mortality figures from the reporting institutions are impressively low, the numbers of older patients reported are small, and the reports do not compare the merits of surgery with the natural history of this disorder. Our investigation was undertaken to assess the experience at this institution with older patients both with and without surgery.
Chime-home: A dataset for sound source recognition in a domestic environment

For the task of sound source recognition, we introduce a novel data set based on 6.8 hours of domestic environment audio recordings. We describe our approach of obtaining annotations for the recordings. Further, we quantify agreement between obtained annotations. Finally, we report baseline results for sound source recognition using the obtained dataset. Our annotation approach associates each 4-second excerpt from the audio recordings with multiple labels, based on a set of 7 labels associated with sound sources in the acoustic environment. With the aid of 3 human annotators, we obtain 3 sets of multi-label annotations, for 4378 4-second audio excerpts. We evaluate agreement between annotators by computing Jaccard indices between sets of label assignments. Observing varying levels of agreement across labels, with a view to obtaining a representation of `ground truth' in annotations, we refine our dataset to obtain a set of multi-label annotations for 1946 audio excerpts. For the set of 1946 annotated audio excerpts, we predict binary label assignments using Gaussian mixture models estimated on MFCCs. Evaluated using the area under receiver operating characteristic curves, across considered labels we observe performance scores in the range 0.76 to 0.98.
Differential impact of the dual CCR2/CCR5 inhibitor cenicriviroc on migration of monocyte and lymphocyte subsets in acute liver injury

A hallmark of acute hepatic injury is the recruitment of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes, including natural killer (NK) or T cells, towards areas of inflammation. The recruitment of leukocytes from their reservoirs bone marrow or spleen into the liver is directed by chemokines such as CCL2 (for monocytes) and CCL5 (for lymphocytes). We herein elucidated the impact of chemokine receptor inhibition by the dual CCR2 and CCR5 inhibitor cenicriviroc (CVC) on the composition of myeloid and lymphoid immune cell populations in acute liver injury. CVC treatment effectively inhibited the migration of bone marrow monocytes and splenic lymphocytes (NK, CD4 T-cells) towards CCL2 or CCL5 in vitro. When liver injury was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in mice, followed by repetitive oral application of CVC, flow cytometric and unbiased t-SNE analysis of intrahepatic leukocytes demonstrated that dual CCR2/CCR5 inhibition in vivo significantly decreased numbers of monocyte derived macrophages in acutely injured livers. CVC also reduced numbers of Kupffer cells (KC) or monocyte derived macrophages with a KC-like phenotype, respectively, after injury. In contrast to the inhibitory effects in vitro, CVC had no impact on the composition of hepatic lymphoid cell populations in vivo. Effective inhibition of monocyte recruitment was associated with reduced inflammatory macrophage markers and moderately ameliorated hepatic necroses at 36h after CCl4. In conclusion, dual CCR2/CCR5 inhibition primarily translates into reduced monocyte recruitment in acute liver injury in vivo, suggesting that this strategy will be effective in reducing inflammatory macrophages in conditions of liver disease.
Sequences sufficient for correct regulation of Sgs‐3 lie close to or within the gene.

The Drosophila melanogaster 68C chromosomal locus is the site of a prominent polytene chromosome puff that harbors the genes Sgs‐3, Sgs‐7 and Sgs‐8. These genes code for proteins that are part of the salivary glue that Drosophila larvae secrete as a means of fixing themselves to an external substrate for the duration of the pre‐pupal and pupal period. The 68C glue genes are regulated by the steroid hormone ecdysterone, with the hormone required for both initiation and cessation of gene expression during the third larval instar. Previous work has defined sequences sufficient for expression of abundant levels of Sgs‐3 mRNA at the correct time and in the correct tissue. We show here that sequences sufficient for normal tissue‐ and stage‐specific accumulation of Sgs‐3 RNA, but adequate only for low levels of expression, lie within 130 bp of the 5′ end of the gene, or within the gene.
Robust Adaptive Control of MEMS Triaxial Gyroscope Using Fuzzy Compensator

In this paper, a robust adaptive control strategy using a fuzzy compensator for MEMS triaxial gyroscope, which has system nonlinearities, including model uncertainties and external disturbances, is proposed. A fuzzy logic controller that could compensate for the model uncertainties and external disturbances is incorporated into the adaptive control scheme in the Lyapunov framework. The proposed adaptive fuzzy controller can guarantee the convergence and asymptotical stability of the closed-loop system. The proposed adaptive fuzzy control strategy does not depend on accurate mathematical models, which simplifies the design procedure. The innovative development of intelligent control methods incorporated with conventional control for the MEMS gyroscope is derived with the strict theoretical proof of the Lyapunov stability. Numerical simulations are investigated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive fuzzy control scheme and demonstrate the satisfactory tracking performance and robustness against model uncertainties and external disturbances compared with conventional adaptive control method.
Bcl-2 inhibits the mitochondrial release of an apoptogenic protease

Bcl-2 belongs to a family of apoptosis-regulatory proteins which incorporate into the outer mitochondrial as well as nuclear membranes. The mechanism by which the proto-oncogene product Bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis is thus far elusive. We and others have shown previously that the first biochemical alteration detectable in cells undergoing apoptosis, well before nuclear changes become manifest, is a collapse of the mitochondrial inner membrane potential (delta psi m), suggesting the involvement of mitochondrial products in the apoptotic cascade. Here we show that mitochondria contain a pre-formed approximately 50-kD protein which is released upon delta psi m disruption and which, in a cell-free in vitro system, causes isolated nuclei to undergo apoptotic changes such as chromatin condensation and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. This apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is blocked by N- benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp.fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD.fmk), an antagonist of interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE)-like proteases that is also an efficient inhibitor of apoptosis in cells. We have tested the effect of Bcl-2 on the formation, release, and action of AIF. When preventing mitochondrial permeability transition (which accounts for the pre-apoptotic delta psi m disruption in cells), Bcl-2 hyperexpressed in the outer mitochondrial membrane also impedes the release of AIF from isolated mitochondria in vitro. In contrast, Bcl-2 does not affect the formation of AIF, which is contained in comparable quantities in control mitochondria and in mitochondria from Bcl-2- hyperexpressing cells. Furthermore, the presence of Bcl-2 in the nuclear membrane does not interfere with the action of AIF on the nucleus, nor does Bcl-2 hyperexpression protect cells against AIF. It thus appears that Bcl-2 prevents apoptosis by favoring the retention of an apoptogenic protease in mitochondria.
Discovering the Dark Side of Service Relationships… or Why Long-lasting and Exclusive Relationships are Self-destructing

This article deals with the respective roles of the two facets of relationship commitment (affective and calculative) and interpersonal trust (reliability and benevolence) in building a relational exchange of different types of customer (mono- vs. multi-loyal, longstanding vs. new). The study, conducted in retail banking (N = 1,999), shows that: 1) calculative commitment, which grows over time, prevents relational exchange; 2) in the long term, customer trust generally has a decreasing role while affective commitment becomes critical in the relational exchange; 3) contact persons' benevolence encourages — via a reciprocal effect — higher customer benevolence, especially when their vulnerability is high; 4) inversely, contact persons' reliability generates contrast effects and sways monogamous customers toward negative intentions. Implications for customer relationship management (longstanding/new, mono/multi) are highlighted.
BioC viewer: a web-based tool for displaying and merging annotations in BioC

BioC is an XML-based format designed to provide interoperability for text mining tools and manual curation results. A challenge of BioC as a standard format is to align annotations from multiple systems. Ideally, this should not be a major problem if users follow guidelines given by BioC key files. Nevertheless, the misalignment between text and annotations happens quite often because different systems tend to use different software development environments, e.g. ASCII vs. Unicode. We first implemented the BioC Viewer to assist BioGRID curators as a part of the BioCreative V BioC track (Collaborative Biocurator Assistant Task). For the BioC track, the BioC Viewer helped curate protein-protein interaction and genetic interaction pairs appearing in full-text articles. Here, we describe the BioC Viewer itself as well as improvements made to the BioC Viewer since the BioCreative V Workshop to address the misalignment issue of BioC annotations. While uploading BioC files, a BioC merge process is offered when there are files from the same full-text article. If there is a mismatch between an annotated offset and text, the BioC Viewer adjusts the offset to correctly align with the text. The BioC Viewer has a user-friendly interface, where most operations can be performed within a few mouse clicks. The feedback from BioGRID curators has been positive for the web interface, particularly for its usability and learnability. Database URL: http://viewer.bioqrator. org
Economic Crisis and Coping Strategies as Related to Attitude and Teaching Performance of Elementary School Teachers

Abstract This study ascertained the relationship between economic crisis and coping strategies as related to attitude and teaching performance of elementary school teachers. The quantitative descriptive method of research was used with attitude and teaching performance as dependent variables, experienced economic crisis as the independent variable, and coping strategy as moderator variable. The participants in the study were the 95 elementary school teachers in Buenavista I, Division of Guimaras, who were selected through stratified proportional sampling. Data were gathered through a researcher-made questionnaire-checklist and Performance Appraisal System for Teachers (PAST). The statistical tools used were frequency count, rank, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson's Product-Moment Coefficient of Correlation (Pearson's r). All statistical computations were availed of through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results revealed that the top economic crises experienced by teachers were limited cash and inability to buy goods, groceries, clothing, and other basic amenities. The topmost coping strategies employed by teachers were: buying only basic foods or things for household, borrowing money from co-teachers and other private persons or entity, making loans from private lending institutions/ persons, or government financial institutions like GSIS, PAG-IBIG, etc. to answer necessary expenses, loaning in advance the bonuses, monthly pay, clothing allowance, etc. and limiting the number of times of shopping, watching movies and malling together with the whole family. The elementary school teachers also experienced economic crisis to a “moderate extent. ” The public school teachers had a “positive attitude” towards work despite the experienced economic crisis. Nevertheless, the performance of the teachers was found to be “very satisfactory. ” Furthermore, no significant relationships existed between coping strategies and teaching performance, and attitude towards work of elementary school teachers.
A Standard Occupational Prestige Scale for Use with Historical Data

A Standard Occupational Prestige Scale for Use with Historical Data The growing interest among historians in social mobility and the process of status attainment has been accompanied by increasing concern with the problem of measuring occupational status, since occupational mobility has correctly been construed as the key element in social mobility. As yet, however, no fully adequate procedure for hierarchically ordering occupations has been proposed, with the result that conclusions about rates and patterns of mobility have remained tenuous.1
The University of Chicago Species Richness , Environmental Correlates , and Spatial Scale : A Test Using South African Birds

Energy and habitat heterogeneity are important correlates of spatial variation in species richness, though few investigations have sought to determine simultaneously their relative influences. Here we use the South African avifauna to examine the extent to which species richness is related to these variables and how these relationships depend on spatial grain. Taking spatial autocorrelation and area effects into account, we find that primary productivity, precipitation, absolute minimum temperature, and, at coarser resolutions, habitat heterogeneity account for most of the variation in species richness. Species richness and productivity are positively related, whereas the relationship between potential evapotranspiration (PET) and richness is unimodal. This is largely because of the constraining effects of low rainfall on productivity in high-PET areas. The increase in the importance of vegetation heterogeneity as an explanatory variable is caused largely by an increase in the range of vegetation heterogeneity included at coarse resolutions and is probably also a result of the positive effects of environmental heterogeneity on species richness. Our findings indicate that species richness is correlated with, and hence likely a function of, several variables, that spatial resolution and extent must be taken into account during investigations of these relationships, and that surrogate measures for productivity should be interpreted cautiously.
Personality traits, usage patterns and information disclosure in online communities

Online communities of different types have become an important part of the daily internet life of many people within the last couple of years. Both research and business have shown interest in studying the possibilities and risks related to these relatively new phenomena. Frequently discussed aspects that are tightly bound to online communities are their implications and effects on privacy issues. Available literature has shown that users generally disclose very much (private) information on such communities, and different factors influencing this behaviour were identified and studied. However, the influence and predictive power of personality traits on information disclosure in online communities has not yet been the subject of analysis. In this paper we report the results of an online survey investigating the relations between personality traits (based on the Fife-Factor Model), usage patterns and information disclosure of participants in different types of online communities.
Psychometric Evaluation of Lexical Diversity Indices: Assessing Length Effects.

PURPOSE Several novel techniques have been developed recently to assess the breadth of a speaker's vocabulary exhibited in a language sample. The specific aim of this study was to increase our understanding of the validity of the scores generated by different lexical diversity (LD) estimation techniques. Four techniques were explored: D, Maas, measure of textual lexical diversity, and moving-average type-token ratio. METHOD Four LD indices were estimated for language samples on 4 discourse tasks (procedures, eventcasts, story retell, and recounts) from 442 adults who are neurologically intact. The resulting data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. RESULTS The scores for measure of textual lexical diversity and moving-average type-token ratio were stronger indicators of the LD of the language samples. The results for the other 2 techniques were consistent with the presence of method factors representing construct-irrelevant sources. CONCLUSION These findings offer a deeper understanding of the relative validity of the 4 estimation techniques and should assist clinicians and researchers in the selection of LD measures of language samples that minimize construct-irrelevant sources.
Metadata Harvesting for Content-Based Distributed Information Retrieval

We propose an approach to content-based Distributed Information Retrieval based on the periodic and incremental centralization of full-content indices of widely dispersed and autonomously managed document sources. Inspired by the success of the Open Archive Initiative’s (OAI) Protocol for metadata harvesting, the approach occupies middle ground between content crawling and distributed retrieval. As in crawling, some data move toward the retrieval process, but it is statistics about the content rather than content itself; this grants more efficient use of network resources and wider scope of application. As in distributed retrieval, some processing is distributed along with the data, but it is indexing rather than retrieval; this reduces the costs of content provision while promoting the simplicity, effectiveness, and responsiveness of retrieval. Overall, we argue that the approach retains the good properties of centralized retrieval without renouncing to costeffective, large-scale resource pooling. We discuss the requirements associated with the approach and identify two strategies to deploy it on top of the OAI infrastructure. In particular, we define a minimal extension of the OAI protocol which supports the coordinated harvesting of full-content indices and descriptive metadata for content resources. Finally, we report on the implementation of a proof-of-concept prototype service for multimodel content-based retrieval of distributed file collections. Introduction
Biology and therapy of inherited retinal degenerative disease: insights from mouse models

Retinal neurodegeneration associated with the dysfunction or death of photoreceptors is a major cause of incurable vision loss. Tremendous progress has been made over the last two decades in discovering genes and genetic defects that lead to retinal diseases. The primary focus has now shifted to uncovering disease mechanisms and designing treatment strategies, especially inspired by the successful application of gene therapy in some forms of congenital blindness in humans. Both spontaneous and laboratory-generated mouse mutants have been valuable for providing fundamental insights into normal retinal development and for deciphering disease pathology. Here, we provide a review of mouse models of human retinal degeneration, with a primary focus on diseases affecting photoreceptor function. We also describe models associated with retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction or synaptic abnormalities. Furthermore, we highlight the crucial role of mouse models in elucidating retinal and photoreceptor biology in health and disease, and in the assessment of novel therapeutic modalities, including gene- and stem-cell-based therapies, for retinal degenerative diseases.