Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Associations between prefrontal cortex activation and H-reflex modulation during dual task gait

Walking, although a largely automatic process, is controlled by the cortex and the spinal cord with corrective reflexes modulated through integration of neural signals from central and peripheral inputs at supraspinal level throughout the gait cycle. In this study we used an additional cognitive task to interfere with the automatic processing during walking in order to explore the neural mechanisms involved in healthy young adults. Participants were asked to walk on a treadmill at two speeds, both with and without additional cognitive load. We evaluated the impact of speed and cognitive load by analyzing activity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) alongside spinal cord reflex activity measured by soleus H-reflex amplitude and gait changes obtained by using an inertial measuring unit. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that fNIRS Oxy-Hb concentrations significantly increased in the PFC with dual task (walking while performing a cognitive task) compared to a single task (walking only; p < 0.05). PFC activity was unaffected by increases of walking speed. H-reflex amplitude and gait variables did not change in response to either dual task or increases in walking speed. When walking under additional cognitive load participants adapted by using greater activity in the PFC, but this adaptation did not detrimentally affect H-reflex amplitude or gait variables. Our findings suggest that in a healthy young population central mechanisms (PFC) are activated in response to cognitive loads but that H-reflex activity and gait performance can successfully be maintained. This study provides insights into the mechanisms behind healthy individuals safely performing dual task walking.
APA's guidelines for test user qualifications: An executive summary.

At the direction of the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Task Force on Test User Qualifications (TFTUQ) was established in October 1996 to develop guidelines that inform test users and the general public of the qualifications that the APA considers important for the competent and responsible use of psychological tests. The TFTUQ reviewed the relevant literature related to test user qualifications (see, e.g., Eyde, Moreland, Robertson, Primoff, & Most, 1988, and Tyler, 1986), as well as policy statements developed by the APA (1950, 1992) and other groups both national (e.g., American Educational Research Association [AERA], APA, & National Council on Measurement in Education [NCME], 1999; American Association for Counseling and Development, 1988) and international (British Psychological Society, 1995, 1996; International Test Commission, 2000). The task force then developed a set of comprehensive guidelines and solicited comments from numerous individuals and groups involved with test use both within and outside the APA. The final report of the TFTUQ was approved by the APA Council of Representatives in August 2000. This article provides a brief summary of the Guidelines on Test User Qualification (APA, 2000) that are now APA policy. The TFTUQ was established in part because of evidence that some current users of psychological tests may not possess the knowledge and skill that the APA considers desirable for optimal test use (see, e.g., Aiken, West, Sechrest, & Reno, 1990). The phrase test user qualifications refers to the combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, training, experience, and, where appropriate, practice credentials that the APA considers desirable for the responsible use of psychological tests. The guidelines in the TFTUQ's report are intended to apply to persons who use psychological tests in a variety of settings and for diverse purposes. The APA's purpose in developing these guidelines is to inform test users as well as individuals involved with training programs, regulatory and credentialing bodies, and the public about the qualifications that promote high professional standards in the use of tests with the public. Historical Background
Balancing between heritage and host languages in bilingual kindergarten: viewpoints of Russian-speaking immigrant parents in Germany and in Israel

This study analyses Russian-speaking immigrant parents' beliefs and attitudes toward the education of their children in German and Israeli bilingual kindergartens. Why did the parents chose bilingual education? Which convergences and divergences exist in parents' beliefs, expectations and attitudes toward bilingual kindergartens in Germany and Israel? A quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the effect of the sociocultural context on how immigrant parents relate to their children's pre-school bilingual development. The main difference found between German and Israeli parents was their general representation of the optimal model of bilingual development. While German parents seem to be more oriented to a balanced development of both target languages, the Israeli parents prefer the ‘first language first’ approach. These findings are discussed in light of state and local language policies in Germany and Israel as well as in light of the language teaching models adopted by kindergarten policy makers.
Handset-dependent background models for robust text-independent speaker recognition

This paper studies the effects of handset distortion on telephone-based speaker recognition performance, resulting in the following observations: (1) the major factor in speaker recognition errors is whether the handset type (e.g., electret, carbon) is different across training and testing, not whether the telephone lines are mismatched, (2) the distribution of speaker recognition scores for true speakers is bimodal, with one mode dominated by matched handset tests and the other by mismatched handsets, (3) cohort-based normalization methods derive much of their performance gains from implicitly selecting cohorts trained with the same handset type as the claimant, and (4) utilizing a handset-dependent background model which is matched to the handset type of the claimant's training data sharpens and separates the true and false speaker score distributions. Results on the 1996 NIST Speaker Recognition Evaluation corpus show that using handset-matched background models reduces false acceptances (at a 10% miss rate) by more than 60% over previously reported (handset-independent) approaches.
Persisters and beyond: Mechanisms of phenotypic drug resistance and drug tolerance in bacteria

Abstract One of the challenges in clinical infectious diseases is the problem of chronic infections, which can require long durations of antibiotic treatment and often recur. An emerging explanation for the refractoriness of some infections to treatment is the existence of subpopulations of drug tolerant cells. While typically discussed as “persister” cells, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is significant heterogeneity in drug responses within a bacterial population and that multiple mechanisms underlie the emergence of drug tolerant and drug-resistant subpopulations. Many of these parallel mechanisms have been shown to affect drug susceptibility at the level of a whole population. Here we review mechanisms of phenotypic drug tolerance and resistance in bacteria with the goal of providing a framework for understanding the similarities and differences in these cells.
seL4: formal verification of an operating-system kernel

We report on the formal, machine-checked verification of the seL4 microkernel from an abstract specification down to its C implementation. We assume correctness of compiler, assembly code, hardware, and boot code. seL4 is a third-generation microkernel of L4 provenance, comprising 8700 lines of C and 600 lines of assembler. Its performance is comparable to other high-performance L4 kernels. We prove that the implementation always strictly follows our high-level abstract specification of kernel behavior. This encompasses traditional design and implementation safety properties such as that the kernel will never crash, and it will never perform an unsafe operation. It also implies much more: we can predict precisely how the kernel will behave in every possible situation.
New insights into compliance with a mobile phone diary and pedometer use in sedentary women.

OBJECTIVES The purposes of this study were 1) to determine compliance with a pedometer and mobile phone- based physical activity diary, and 2) to assess concordance between self-reported daily steps recorded and transmitted by a mobile phone and pedometer-measured daily steps in sedentary women. METHODS In this 3-week pilot clinical study, 41 sedentary women who met all inclusion criteria were recruited from local communities. We asked the participants to wear a pedometer every day and to report their daily steps using a mobile phone diary each night before retiring. In the first week, women were asked to monitor their daily steps (baseline steps). In the second and third weeks, they were asked to increase their steps by 20% from the previous week. Although the pedometer can automatically store the most recent 41 days' performance, the participants were not informed of this function of the pedometer. RESULTS Overall compliance was 93.8% with pedometer use and 88.3% with the mobile phone physical activity diary. Bland Altman plots showed that the agreement between self-reported daily steps by mobile phone diary and pedometer-recorded daily steps from week 1 to week 3 was high. CONCLUSION The combination of a pedometer and a mobile phone diary may enhance the quality of self-reported data in clinical studies.
Robust face detection from still images

Facial recognition is one of the most studied topics in the field of biometrics because of its varied applications. Detection of dark colored faces and poorly illuminated faces are not well studied in the literature due to several challenges. The most critical challenge is that there is inadequate contrast among facial features. To overcome this challenge, a new face detection methodology, which consists of histogram analysis, Haar wavelet transformation and Adaboost learning techniques, is proposed. The extended Yale Face Database B is used to examine the performance of the proposed method and compared against commonly used OpenCV's Haar detection algorithm. The experimental results with 9,883 positive images and 10,349 negative images showed a considerable improvement in face hit rates without a significant change in false acceptance rates.
A Provably Secure Identity-Based Key Agreement Protocol from Key Encapsulation Scheme

In this paper, we present a two-party key agreement protocol, which is secure in standard model. By using the Goldreich-Levin hardcore predicate, we reduce the security of our scheme to Computational Bilinear Diffie-Hellman assumption, and a proof is given. Furthermore, with the consistency of messages exchanged publicly verifiable, our scheme achieves most of the known security attributes.
Realization of a 9-axis inertial measurement unit toward robotic applications

We report on the integration of a 9-axis IMU with a 2-axis inclinometer which yields precise body orientation with respect to the gravity. Thus, a pre-treatment of gravity compensation for accelerometers of the previously-developed 9-axis IMU can be done correctly in real-time. The integrated system is capable of delivering desired linear acceleration, angular acceleration, and angular velocity states in normal gravitational environment. In addition, the system also releases the requirement of accelerometer installation at the center of mass as in the traditional IMU, and it derives the angular acceleration via simple matrix operation. Thus, the proposed system can potentially be utilized in the legged robots where the COM moves due to motion of the limbs.
Roles of Disulfide Bonds in Bacterial Alkaline Phosphatase*

Alkaline phosphatase of Escherichia coli (a homodimeric protein found in the periplasmic space) contains two intramolecular disulfide bonds (Cys-168-Cys-178 and Cys-286-Cys-336) that are formed after export to the periplasmic space. The location-specific folding character of this enzyme allowed its wide usage as a reporter of protein localization in prokaryotic cells. To study the roles of disulfide bonds in alkaline phosphatase, we eliminated each of them by Cys to Ser mutations. Intracellular stability of alkaline phosphatase decreased in the absence of either one or both of the disulfide bonds. The mutant proteins were stabilized in a DegP protease-deficient strain, allowing accumulation at significant levels and subsequent characterization. A mutant protein that lacked the N-terminally located disulfide bond (Cys-168-Cys-178) was found to have Cys-286 and Cys-336 residues disulfide-bonded, to have a dimeric structure, and to have almost full enzymatic activity. Nevertheless, the mutant protein lost the trypsin-resistant conformation that is characteristically observed for the wild-type enzyme. In contrast, mutants lacking Cys-286 and Cys-336 were monomeric and inactive. These results indicate that the Cys-286-Cys-336 disulfide bond is required and is sufficient for correctly positioning the active site region of this enzyme, but such an active conformation is still insufficient for the conformational stability of the enzyme. Thus, a fully active state of this enzyme can be formed without full protein stability, and the two disulfide bonds differentially contribute to these properties.
Middle School Students' Mathematical Problem Solving: An Analysis of Think-Aloud Protocols

Using a cognitive-metacognitive theoretical framework, this study examined the verbalizations of middle school students as they thought aloud while solving three mathematical word problems. Middle school subjects who had been identified as learning disabled, average achieving, and gifted were given demonstrations and practice in thinking aloud and were then instructed to solve one-step, two-step, and three-step word problems while thinking aloud. A priori categories were developed based on information-processing theory and a cognitive-metacognitive perspective of mathematical problem solving. Verbalizations were coded, and between-group and grade comparisons of the number of verbalizations within categories were conducted. The relationship between type of verbalization and overall performance was also analyzed. The findings support Ericcson and Simon's (1980) view of concurrent verbalization as a technique for assessing cognitive processes and Swanson's (1988) notion that students with learning disabilities may use a qualitatively different approach to problem solving than their nondisabled peers.
The Professional Landscape: The Historical Development of Professions in Sweden

This special issue of Professions & Professionalism seeks to explain the transition of occupations from non-professions to professions and the conditions and causes that generate professions (i.e., the bases of professionalization). Empirically, we use the histories of the Swedish professions, positing that these histories have several close similarities (and, of course, differences) with those of other nations, thus making this project of international interest. Theoretically, we define a number of general concepts that are employed to explain the processes of professionalization. The most general concept, which covers the professional layer, is called the professional landscape. It is divided into a number of professional fields and generations, creating a typology of professions. The fields that are presented, together with the professions assuming key positions in the fields, are technology, health, social integration, social regulation, education, and academia. The historical emergence of the fields and the transition from occupation and pre-profession to full profession are outlined.
In defense of statistical methods for detecting positive selection

In a highly publicized article, Nozawa et al. (1) claimed that the branch-site model (BSM) (2, 3) was unreliable because it produced excessive false positives in their simulation experiment. BSM uses a likelihood ratio test to detect positive selection that affects particular branches and codons in protein-coding genes, indicated by accelerated nonsynonymous substitution rates. The authors' conclusion, if true, would be important. But it is contradicted by their simulation results.
Highly Precise Dynamic Simulation Environment for Humanoid Robots

In this paper we present a simulation environment for humanoid robots with a precise and efficient method of handling ground contact, and experiments empirically validating the simulator. Highly accurate dynamic simulation is an essential tool for research and development in humanoid robotics, and a simulator should ideally provide a transparent interface with pathways for control and sensing information identical to those of the actual robot(s) it models. We identified ground contact as the chief source of divergence from reality in work to date and have tackled this problem by developing an algorithm for resolving ground contact for humanoid robots. Our objective was to produce an algorithm that is accurate, efficient and easy to implement. The algorithm is general with respect to the complexity of the foot model; is based on empirically measurable characteristics of the foot–ground interaction, i.e., friction, which we have obtained using experiments described; provides an exact implementation of the Coulomb friction model (avoiding polyhedral approximation of the friction cone); runs in real-time; is also amenable to a straightforward accuracy–speed trade-off; and is relatively easy to implement as a constraint selection method. The simulation environment embodies generality, and we have applied it to two different humanoid robots, Hoap-2 and CB. We present experiments comparing the results of simulation with identical motions performed by real robots, and comparing the full contact resolution algorithm, the modification trading accuracy for computational speed and a penalty-based method.
Comparison of the long-term effects of high-fat v. low-fat diet consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors in subjects with abnormal glucose metabolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the long-term effects ( ≥ 12 months) of high-fat (HF) v. low-fat (LF) diet consumption on the indicators of glycaemic control as well as cardiovascular risk factors in pre-diabetic and diabetic individuals. Literature search was carried out using the electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Trial Register until November 2013. Study-specific weighted mean differences (MD) were pooled using a random-effects model of the Cochrane software package Review Manager 5.1 and Stata 12.0 was used for meta-regressions. A total of fourteen trials met the inclusion criteria and a maximum of 1753 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. HF regimens were found to result in a significant decrease in TAG levels (MD − 0·19 mmol/l, 95 % CI − 0·23, − 0·14, P< 0·001; I 2= 0 %, P= 0·58) and diastolic blood pressure (MD − 1·30 mmHg, 95 % CI − 1·73, − 0·87, P< 0·001; I 2= 0 %, P= 0·60) and a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol levels (MD 0·05 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·08, P= 0·01; I 2= 57 %, P= 0·01). In addition, MD in the reductions of fasting glucose levels ( − 0·41 mmol/l, 95 % CI − 0·74, − 0·08, P= 0·01; I 2 = 56 %, P= 0·02) were significantly high in patients with type 2 diabetes adhering to a HF diet. HF and LF diets might not be of equal value in the management of either pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, leading to emphasis being placed on the recommendations of HF diets.
Espins Are Multifunctional Actin Cytoskeletal Regulatory Proteins in the Microvilli of Chemosensory and Mechanosensory Cells

Espins are associated with the parallel actin bundles of hair cell stereocilia and are the target of mutations that cause deafness and vestibular dysfunction in mice and humans. Here, we report that espins are also concentrated in the microvilli of a number of other sensory cells: vomeronasal organ sensory neurons, solitary chemoreceptor cells, taste cells, and Merkel cells. Moreover, we show that hair cells and these other sensory cells contain novel espin isoforms that arise from a different transcriptional start site and differ significantly from other espin isoforms in their complement of ligand-binding activities and their effects on actin polymerization. The novel espin isoforms of sensory cells bundled actin filaments with high affinity in a Ca2+-resistant manner, bound actin monomer via a WASP (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein) homology 2 domain, bound profilin via a single proline-rich peptide, and caused a dramatic elongation of microvillus-type parallel actin bundles in transfected epithelial cells. In addition, the novel espin isoforms of sensory cells differed from other espin isoforms in that they potently inhibited actin polymerization in vitro, did not bind the Src homology 3 domain of the adapter protein insulin receptor substrate p53, and did not bind the acidic, signaling phospholipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. Thus, the espins constitute a family of multifunctional actin cytoskeletal regulatory proteins with the potential to differentially influence the organization, dimensions, dynamics, and signaling capabilities of the actin filament-rich, microvillus-type specializations that mediate sensory transduction in various mechanosensory and chemosensory cells.
Electronic mail as a coalition-building information technology

One of the most intriguing lines of research within the literature on diffusion of information technologies (IT) is the study of the power and politics of this process. The major objective of this article is to build on the work of Kling and Markus on power and IT, by extending their perspective to email. To demonstrate how email can be used for political purposes within an organizational context, a case study is presented. The case study describes a series of events which took place in a university. In the case, email was used by a group of employees to stage a rebellion against the university president. The discussion demonstrates that email features make it amenable to a range of political uses. The article is concluded with a discussion of the implications from this case to email research and practice.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Why Mutual Mate Choice Should Have Been Found Sooner

The idea of mutual mate choice (MMC) as an alternative to the males compete, females choose (MCFC) model should have been obvious long ago, but it has been obscured by a limited interpretation of evolutionary theory and by ignoring obvious data. Furthermore, by focusing on our closest relatives, the great apes, rather than on primate species with similar breeding and child care systems, many have concluded that humans are fundamentally different from other primates. We are not, and I provide examples later.
Book Review: Academic Controversy: Enriching College Instruction through Intellectual Conflict

"Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. If investigates invention. It shocks us out of sheeplike passivity and sets us at nothing and contriving.Conflict is a sine qua non of reflection and ingenuity. " -- John Dewey. Conflict - the opposition of contraries - has long served as an essential component of learning and understanding in higher education. The deepest learning is almost always a confrontation between established beliefs and new ways of knowing, a friction of minds meeting.