Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Meandering Mind: Vection and Mental Time Travel

Background The ability to travel mentally through time sets humans apart from many other species, yet little is known about this core cognitive capacity. In particular, what shapes the passage of the mind's journey through time? Guided by the viewpoint that higher cognitive activity can have a sensory-motor grounding, we explored the possibility that mental time travel is influenced by apparent movement through space. Methodology/Principal Findings Participants performed a mundane vigilance task, during which they were expected to daydream, while viewing a display that elicited an illusion of self-motion (i.e., vection). Afterwards, the contents of their mind wandering experiences were probed. The results revealed that the direction of apparent motion influenced the temporal focus of mental time travel. While backward vection prompted thinking about the past, forward vection triggered a preponderance of future-oriented thoughts. Conclusions/Significance Consistent with recent evidence that traveling mentally through time entails associated movements in space, the current results demonstrate the converse relationship—apparent movement through space influenced the temporal locus of mental activity. Together, these findings corroborate the viewpoint that mental time travel may be grounded in the embodiment of spatiotemporal information in a bidirectional manner.
Effects of Acute Exercise on Insulin Binding to Erythrocytes in Normal Men

Ten normal men were subjected to acute mild and moderate exercise tests, and the insulin binding to erythrocytes was determined before and immediately after exercise and also 10, 30 and 60 minutes after exercise in each test. The insulin binding significantly increased immediately after acute moderate exercise and did not increase immediately after acute mild exercise. In contrast, it decreased below the basal level at 30 and 60 minutes in each test. The changes in insulin receptor binding were due mainly to an alteration in insulin receptor affinity rather than a change in receptor number. These results suggest that isolated erythrocytes may be of some value for study of the effect of physical exercise on the insulin receptor.
An introduction to embodiment and digital technology research: Interdisciplinary themes and perspectives

Renewed interest in theories and perspectives of embodiment has emerged in conjunction with advances in ubiquitous computing and the development of technologies that inherently change the character of human computer interaction. The very nature of technologies such as tangible, multi-touch, sensor and mobile technologies offers opportunities for exploiting a wider range of perceptual-based experiences than traditional desktop computing. Primarily they offer opportunities to exploit more bodily-based physical experiences in new ways, for example, through manipulation of physical objects linked to a variety of digitally augmentations; enhancing contextually based experience in real world environments through mobile devices, fostering new forms interaction and new ways of thinking. These developments are important in explaining the contemporary interest in concepts of embodiment, in the context of digital technologies that foster more embodied forms of interaction and experiences. However, notions of embodiment have a long and complex history, with continued debate from various disciplinary perspectives. This working paper provides a brief history of theoretical approaches to embodiment, an introduction to ways in which embodiment is described within different disciplines, and outlines key ways in which these perspectives are of interest in the current context of digital technology research.
Physiological and psychological measures in anxious patients

SYSNOPSIS Thirty drug-free patients suffering from chronic anxiety states were compared with 30 normal controls matched for age, sex, and social class on a variety of physiological and psychological measures. The tests included the electroencephalogram, the auditory evoked response, and skin conductance recorded during a passive and an active condition and auditory reaction time, the digit symbol substitution test, and arithmetic. The patients showed increased EEG voltage, shorter latencies of the evoked response, higher skin conductance levels, higher pulse rate and less pupillary constriction, and they responded less to the increase in activation. They also showed impairment on complex psychological tests. It is concluded that pathological anxiety involves an increase in arousal irrelevant to the task and has a disorganizing rather than a facilitating effect on performance.
Ecological Dissimilarity Analysis: A Simple Method of Demonstrating Community-Habitat Correlations for Frequency Data

Abstract We introduce an analysis method to demonstrate correlation between biota and the physical habitats that they occupy. Using the same calculations as does Nei's genetic distance index, this method builds independent dissimilarity matrices for both habitat and fauna, which can then be compared in a common statistical framework. An important advantage of this method is that only frequency data are necessary to perform the analysis. We demonstrate the utility of this method using fish community and habitat data from the Eightmile and Pomperaug rivers in Connecticut. In both cases, there is a significant correlation between biota and habitat. Not only is ecological dissimilarity analysis a useful technique for testing community-to-habitat correlation, it is also an excellent tool for communicating this information to the many non-scientists who shape conservation policy.
A HYDRID OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHM FOR SOLVING CONSTRAINED ENGINEERING DESIGN PROBLEMS

Abstract An algorithm called ACO-FA is proposed which incorporates concepts from ant colony optimization (ACO) and firefly algorithm (FA). The methodology of the proposed algorithm is introduced based on a refining mechanism of ACO and FA for updating the solutions of ACO-FA. Moreover, the evolutions of these solutions are performed by using feasibility rule that maintain the solutions with lower degrees of constraint violations. The proposed algorithm ACO-FA is tested on several benchmark functions. Numerical comparisons with different hybrid meta-heuristics demonstrate its effectiveness and efficiency. An algorithm called ACO-FA is proposed which incorporates concepts from ant colony optimization (ACO) and firefly algorithm (FA). The methodology of the proposed algorithm is introduced based on a refining mechanism of ACO and FA for updating the solutions of ACO-FA. Moreover, the evolutions of these solutions are performed by using feasibility rule that maintain the solutions with lower degrees of constraint violations. The proposed algorithm ACO-FA is tested on several benchmark functions. Numerical comparisons with different hybrid meta-heuristics demonstrate its effectiveness and efficiency. Index Terms Ant colony optimization; Firefly algorithm; constrained optimization
Heterogeneous data fusion for three-dimensional gait analysis using wearable MARG sensors

Gait analysis has become a research highlight. In this paper, we propose a computing method using wearable magnetic angular rate and gravity (MARG) sensor arrays with wireless network, which calculates absolute and relative orientation and position information of human foot motion during level walking and stair climbing process. Three-dimensional foot orientation and position were estimated by a Kalman-based sensor fusion algorithm and validated by ground truth provided by Vicon system. The repeatability of the alignment procedure and the measurement errors were evaluated on healthy subjects. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method has a good performance at both motion patterns. No significant drifts exist in the overall results presented in the paper. The measured and estimated information can be transmitted to remote server through internet. Moreover, this method could be applied to other cyclical activity monitoring.
Corneal Biomechanical Assessment Using Corneal Visualization Scheimpflug Technology in Keratoconic and Normal Eyes

Purpose. To compare the corneal biomechanical properties of keratoconic patients and age-matched controls using corneal visualization Scheimpflug technology (Corvis ST). Methods. Sixty keratoconic eyes from 47 keratoconus patients and 60 normal eyes from 60 controls were enrolled in this prospective study. Tomography and biomechanical parameters of all eyes were obtained with the Pentacam and Corvis ST, respectively. Intraocular pressure was measured using a Goldmann applanation tonometer. Results. The tomography and biomechanical parameters of the keratoconic corneas were significantly different from those of the normal corneas except for the anterior chamber angle, first applanation length, the highest concavity time, and peak distance. The deformation amplitude was the best predictive parameter (area under the curve: 0.882), with a sensitivity of 81.7%, although there was a significant overlap between keratoconic and normal corneas that ranged from 1.0 to 1.4 mm. In both the keratoconus and control groups, the deformation amplitude was negatively correlated with intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness, and corneal volume at 3 and 5 mm. Conclusions. Corvis ST offers an alternative method for measuring corneal biomechanical properties. The possibility of classifying keratoconus based on deformation amplitude deserves clinical attention.
Synthesis and phosphorylation of plasma membrane proteins of Friend erythroleukemia cells induced to differentiate.

Abstract Friend virus-transformed murine erythroleukemia (FL) cells, either untreated or induced to differentiate by treatment with hexamethylene bisacetamide, were fractionated and subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Analysis of the fractions of the treated cells revealed no changes in either the rate of synthesis or the accumulation of the membrane proteins, including protein bands comigrating with spectrin, actin, and Band 3, as compared to the fractions of the untreated cells. Only a small fraction of a protein band comigrating with spectrin was associated with the plasma membrane. The bulk of the spectrin was detected in the cytosol cross-linked via S—S bonds to form aggregates. Protein bands comigrating with actin and Band 3 were distributed equally between the plasma membrane and the cytosol fractions. However, differences between untreated and induced cells were observed in regard to the pattern of phosphorylation of the proteins. Dephosphorylation of the proteins of the differentiating cells, particularly those of the plasma membrane, could be detected shortly after treatment. Turnover of labeled phosphate in spectrin molecules from hexamethylene bisacetamide-induced, as well as uninduced, cells was very slow. Although actin from uninduced cells incorporated labeled phosphate very rapidly, in treated cells, the rate of incorporation decreased 24 hr after onset of differentiation. In addition, the plasma membrane proteins differed from those obtained from normal erythroid cells in several respects. ( a ) Turnover of phosphate in spectrin was more rapid in reticulocytes and mature erythrocytes as compared to the amount of label detected in the comigrating band of spectrin from induced or uninduced FL cells. ( b ) FL cell spectrin bands migrate with an apparent molecular weight of about 200,000 to 220,000, whereas normal erythrocyte spectrin bands migrate with a molecular weight of 200,000 to 240,000. And ( c ) Band 3, M.W. 100,000 protein, although comigrating with the mouse erythrocyte Band 3, was heterologous rather than homologous. These data suggest that the plasma membrane proteins of FL cells may be of an abnormal type.
Two Distinct Alcohol Dehydrogenases Participate in Butane Metabolism by Pseudomonas butanovora

ABSTRACT The involvement of two primary alcohol dehydrogenases, BDH and BOH, in butane utilization in Pseudomonas butanovora (ATCC 43655) was demonstrated. The genes coding for BOH and BDH were isolated and characterized. The deduced amino acid sequence of BOH suggests a 67-kDa alcohol dehydrogenase containing pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) as cofactor and in the periplasm (29-residue leader sequence). The deduced amino acid sequence of BDH is consistent with a 70.9-kDa, soluble, periplasmic (37-residue leader sequence) alcohol dehydrogenase containing PQQ and heme c as cofactors. BOH and BDH mRNAs were induced whenever the cell's 1-butanol oxidation activity was induced. When induced with butane, the gene for BOH was expressed earlier than the gene for BDH. Insertional disruption of bdh or boh affected adversely, but did not eliminate, butane utilization by P. butanovora. The P. butanovora mutant with both genes boh and bdh inactivated was unable to grow on butane or 1-butanol. These cells, when grown in citrate and incubated in butane, developed butane oxidation capability and accumulated 1-butanol. The enzyme activity of BOH was characterized in cell extracts of the P. butanovora strain with bdh disrupted. Unlike BDH, BOH oxidized 2-butanol. The results support the involvement of two distinct NAD+-independent, PQQ-containing alcohol dehydrogenases, BOH (a quinoprotein) and BDH (a quinohemoprotein), in the butane oxidation pathway of P. butanovora.
Pseudo-articulatory speech synthesis for recognition using automatic feature extraction from X-ray data

Describes a self-organising pseudo-articulatory speech production model (SPM) trained on an X-ray microbeam database, and present results when using the SPM within a speech recognition framework. Given a time-aligned phonemic string, the system uses an explicit statistical model of co-articulation to generate pseudo-articulator trajectories. From these, parametrised speech vectors are synthesised using a set of artificial neural networks (ANNs). We present an analysis of the articulatory information in the database used, and demonstrate the improvements in articulatory modelling accuracy obtained using our co-articulation system. Finally, we give results when using the SPM to re-score N-best utterance transcription lists as produced by the Cambridge University Engineering Department (CUED) HTK hidden Markov model (HMM) speech recognition system. Relative reductions of 18% in the phoneme error rate and 15% in the word error rate are achieved.
Finding approximate local minima faster than gradient descent

We design a non-convex second-order optimization algorithm that is guaranteed to return an approximate local minimum in time which scales linearly in the underlying dimension and the number of training examples. The time complexity of our algorithm to find an approximate local minimum is even faster than that of gradient descent to find a critical point. Our algorithm applies to a general class of optimization problems including training a neural network and other non-convex objectives arising in machine learning.
Customer Satisfaction within an Organization driven Aspect Oriented Business Component Model

The Component Based Software Development is an activity which saw its importance increase within time. However, limitations have been detected in classic approaches of components development; notably weakness in the ability to reuse components. It is in most cases caused by crosscutting concerns. We propose in this paper, an Aspect-Oriented Business Component Model based on the concepts of Aspect approaches to increase the reusability of these business components. It is constructed from knowledge bits of user requirements in an organization, enhanced by performance indicators related to customer satisfaction of that organization. Because we cannot predict the axes of the developer’s concerns, it advocates the gradual incorporation of these throughout the development process. This model's main advantage is that it allows the substitution of some modular integration units with the suitable one. The defined model integrates as basic concerns only concerns relative to business and those relating to the satisfaction of the organization’s service delivery. The obtained model offers the possibility to apply substitution among internal elements of a business component in order to reuse certain aspects of a model Keywords: Business Process Modeling, Requirement Engineering, Software Component, Software Development, Subject-Oriented Programming
Neurophysiological studies of harmaline-induced tremor in the cat.

Harmaline induces in the cat a generalized tremor, synchronous in all muscles, at a frequency of 8–12/s. This tremor has a central origin since motoneuronal rhythmic firing persists after paralysis or deafferentation. Intracellular recordings of lumbar motoneurons reveal spontaneous rhythmic EPSPs under harmaline; this rhythmic activity is not reset by antidromic stimulation. The cerebellum and the lower brain stem reticular formation appear to be primarily involved in the elaboration of supraspinal tremorogenic impulses, which are transmitted to segmental level by crossed and uncrossed reticulospinal fibers coursing on either side in the ventral half of the spinal cord.
[Incidence of joint-specific risk factors in patients with advanced cox- and gonarthroses in the Ulm Osteoarthrosis Study].

AIM OF STUDY To determine the prevalence of joint specific risk factors in patients with different patterns of advanced hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS We performed a cross-sectional multicenter study in four orthopaedic hospitals in the southwest of Germany. A detailed medical history (date and nature of trauma, conservative and surgical treatment of congenital or acquired joint disorders known as secondary causes of OA) and radiographic evaluation (sequelae of hip dysplasia, slipped capital femoral epiphysis or other malformations) was obtained in 809 patients with advanced hip (n = 420) or knee (n = 389) osteoarthritis, which required unilateral total joint replacement. According to the presence or absence of joint specific risk factors, patients were classified as having secondary or primary (idiopathic) OA. RESULTS In 41.7% (25.5%) of patients with hip OA and 33.4% (11.1%) of patients with knee OA some predisposing abnormality of the operated (or contralateral) joint could be observed. In hip OA the underlying pathological conditions were mainly hip dysplasia (25.0% in the operated joint and 14.8% in the non-operated joint) and slipped capital femoral epiphysis (7.1% and 14.8%), while knee OA was most often associated with a history of severe trauma (28.6% and 8.3%) CONCLUSION While there is a lack of comparable investigations in patients with advanced knee OA, the presented data is somewhat contradictory to earlier reports of the prevalence of identified underlying risk factors in patients with hip OA. The reported differences, however, might be attributed to different methodological approaches and could also resemble recent changes in the multifactorial ethiopathologic concept of OA.
Drosophila multiplexin (Dmp) modulates motor axon pathfinding accuracy

Multiplexins are multidomain collagens typically composed of an N‐terminal thrombospondin‐related domain, an interrupted triple helix and a C‐terminal endostatin domain. They feature a clear regulatory function in the development of different tissues, which is chiefly conveyed by the endostatin domain. This domain can be found in proteolytically released monomeric and trimeric versions, and their diverse and opposed effects on the migratory behavior of epithelial and endothelial cell types have been demonstrated in cell culture experiments. The only Drosophila multiplexin displays specific features of both vertebrate multiplexins, collagens XV and XVIII. We characterized the Drosophila multiplexin (dmp) gene and found that three main isoforms are expressed from it, one of which is the monomeric endostatin version. Generation of dmp deletion alleles revealed that Dmp plays a role in motor axon pathfinding, as the mutants exhibit ventral bypass defects of the intersegmental nerve b (ISNb) similar to other motor axon guidance mutants. Transgenic overexpression of monomeric endostatin as well as of full‐length Dmp, but not trimeric endostatin, were able to rescue these defects. In contrast, trimeric endostatin increased axon pathfinding accuracy in wild type background. We conclude that Dmp plays a modulating role in motor axon pathfinding and may be part of a buffering system that functions to avoid innervation errors.
Effects of preservation method and β-glucanase supplementation on ileal amino acid digestibility and feeding value of barley for poultry

1. Effects of preservation method (drying or air-tight storage of whole grain and ensiling of rolled high-moisture grain) and β -glucanase supplementation (Econase®) on apparent ileal amino acid digestibilities and metabolisable energy content of barley were evaluated with Ross broiler chickens. In addition, the effect of barley preservation method was assessed using Leghorn cockerels. 2. Birds were given either a semi-purified soyabean meal basal diet or a mixture of the basal diet and barley (50:50 on dry matter basis). Apparent ileal digestibilities (AID) of nutrients were assessed using the slaughter technique. AID of nutrients and nutrient digestibility measured using excreta (AED) were determined using chromium mordanted straw as an indigestible marker. 3. In broilers, AID of amino acids, dry matter and organic matter were lower for dried than air-tight stored barley, particularly for diets based on ensiled barley. In cockerels, barley preservation method had no effect on amino acid AID. The AED of nutrients and nitrogen corrected apparent metabolisable energy content (AME n ) was highest for ensiled barley across both experiments. 4. β -glucanase supplementation increased nutrient digestibility, phosphorus retention and AME n content of airtight stored and dried barley diets in particular but had only negligible effects on ensiled barley. β -glucanase improved the AID of amino acids in dried barley but not in air-tight stored or ensiled barley. 5. Amino acid digestibilities were lower in broilers than cockerels and the effect of barley preservation on feeding value of barley was different for broilers and cockerels.
CONSTRUCTING VERIFIABLE MODELS FOR RF ABLATION SIMULATION

Modeling the process of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to support pre-interventional prediction of the treatment result has been desired for more than one decade by now. Still a correct description is mathematically demanding and needs further investigation into medical facts. The process is highly dependent on the patient specific anatomy and physiology. Descriptions from an engineering perspective explain many details, but are rarely integrated into one all encompassing model. None of the models dealing with realistic predictions has been verified. Therefore, none of them is suitable for use in clinical practice. This paper describes the details of the RFA process from an engineering perspective and presents the state of the art in computational prediction for the intervention. An approach towards verifiable models and which tasks have to be solved to gain them is discussed, and difficulties on the way pointed out.