Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emotional-stimulus processing in trait anxiety is modulated by stimulus valence during neuroimaging of a working-memory task

Recent neuroimaging studies have examined the effects of anxiety on cognitive processing in the presence of emotional distractors. However, when the target stimuli themselves are emotional, it is unclear whether emotion acts as a distracting or enhancing influence. We predicted that anxiety levels would modulate the effect of emotion on neural activity in a valence-specific manner. In the current experiment, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine activity in brain regions associated with cognitive and affective control. Twenty-nine healthy adults, rated for trait anxiety, performed blocks of a 2-back working-memory task (using faces) in which facial expressions were either entirely neutral, mixed neutral and fearful, or mixed neutral and happy. Behavioural results showed no effects of anxiety on either accuracy or response time for any stimulus type. In event-related analyses, dorsal prefrontal regions tended to show reduced activation for emotional faces relative to neutral, suggesting possible neural facilitation, while the amygdala and ventrolateral regions linked to affective-interference showed increased activation to emotional faces. Moreover, in the left inferior frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 45), anxiety discriminated between the response to happy trials and fear trials. The higher the anxiety score, the greater the increase in activation for fear faces versus neutral. By contrast, the lower the anxiety score, the greater the increase in activation to happy faces. These results suggest that emotional content in target stimuli can both enhance and interfere with neural processing, and these effects may depend on emotional valence and participants' anxiety levels.
Identification of Power Line Outages Based on PMU Measurements and Sparse Overcomplete Representation

Efficient identification of power line outages is becoming increasingly important, not only for avoiding large-scale blackouts that might be caused by rather minor power line outages, but also for many critical tasks in the smart grid, such as real-time contingency analysis, state estimation and optimal power flow control. Existing approaches to identifying power line outages are, however, either challenged by the combinatorial complexity problem, limiting these approaches to be computationally tractable for only one or two line outages, or in need of impractical assumptions such as real-time phasor angle measurements are conditionally independent and available in the whole network. Considering only a subset of the network data can be collected from phasor measurement units, and the initial number of power line outages is only a small fraction of the total number of lines, this paper reformulates the DC power flow model as a sparse overcomplete expansion and utilizes two near real-time algorithms based on greedy steps and coordinate descent iterations to identify multiple line outages at affordable complexity. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach to identifying multiple line outages is validated by simulation tests on the IEEE 118 bus system.
Syntax Constrains the Acquisition of Verb Meaning

Abstract Can infants use the syntactic context of an unknown word to infer that it is a verb, and thus refers to an action? Twenty-three-month-old French infants watching a moving object were taught novel verbs, within sentences that contained only function words (e.g. “il poune par là” / “it's pooning there”). Infants then watched two instances of the object undergoing either the familiar or a novel action and were asked to point towards the screen matching the novel verb. Infants correctly pointed more often towards the familiar action. To check that they did not simply perseverate in pointing at the familiar scene, control infants were taught novel nouns on the same visual stimuli (e.g. “un poune est là”/ “a poon is here”). Contrary to verb-learning infants, noun-learning infants pointed more often to the novel action. These results confirm the hypothesis that function words, and more generally syntactic structure, support early lexical acquisition.
Retrieval Practice Fails to Insulate Episodic Memories against Interference after Stroke

Recent work in cognitive psychology showed that retrieval practice of previously studied information can insulate this information against retroactive interference from subsequently studied other information in healthy individuals. The present study examined whether this beneficial effect of interference reduction is also present in patients with stroke. Twenty-two patients with stroke, 4.6 months post injury on average, and 22 healthy controls participated in the experiment. In each of two experimental sessions, participants first studied a list of items (list 1) and then underwent a practice phase in which the list 1 items were either restudied or retrieval practiced. Participants then either studied a second list of items (list 2) or fulfilled an unrelated distractor task. Recall of the two lists’ items was assessed in a final criterion test. Results showed that, in healthy controls, additional study of list 2 items impaired final recall of list 1 items in the restudy condition but not in the retrieval practice condition. In contrast, in patients with stroke, list 2 learning impaired final list 1 recall in both conditions. The results indicate that retrieval practice insulated the tested information against retroactive interference in healthy controls, but failed to do so in patients with stroke. Possible implications of the findings for the understanding of long-term memory impairment after stroke are discussed.
Supplementation With Conjugated Linoleic Acid Causes Isomer-Dependent Oxidative Stress and Elevated C-Reactive Protein: A Potential Link to Fatty Acid-Induced Insulin Resistance

Background—Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs), a group of fatty acids shown to have beneficial effects in animals, are also used as weight loss supplements. Recently, we reported that the t 10 c 12 CLA-isomer caused insulin resistance in abdominally obese men via unknown mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to examine whether CLA has isomer-specific effects on oxidative stress or inflammatory biomarkers and to investigate the relationship between these factors and induced insulin resistance. Methods and Results—In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 60 men with metabolic syndrome were randomized to one of 3 groups receiving t 10 c 12 CLA, a CLA mixture, or placebo for 12 weeks. Insulin sensitivity (euglycemic clamp), serum lipids, in vivo lipid peroxidation (determined as urinary 8-iso-PGF2&agr; [F2-isoprostanes]), 15-ketodihydro PGF2&agr;, plasma vitamin E, plasma C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, and interleukin-6 were assessed before and after treatment. Supplementation with t 10 c 12 CLA markedly increased 8-iso-PGF2&agr; (578%) and C-reactive protein (110%) compared with placebo (P <0.0001 and P <0.01, respectively) and independent of changes in hyperglycemia or dyslipidemia. The increases in 8-iso-PGF2&agr;, but not in C-reactive protein, were significantly and independently related to aggravated insulin resistance. Oxidative stress was related to increased vitamin E levels, suggesting a compensatory mechanism. Conclusions—t 10 c 12 CLA supplementation increases oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in obese men. The oxidative stress seems closely related to induced insulin resistance, suggesting a link between the fatty acid-induced lipid peroxidation seen in the present study and insulin resistance. These unfavorable effects of t 10 c 12 CLA might be of clinical importance with regard to cardiovascular disease, in consideration of the widespread use of dietary supplements containing this fatty acid.
Evaluation of quality of life in Turkish patients with head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND In this study, our aim was to investigate the effect of factors, such as radiotherapy, the dose of radiotherapy, the region of radiotherapy, the age of the patient, performance, co-morbidity, the stage of the disease and the therapy modalities on the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty-two patients who were treated by either chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy, at the Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, between February 2007 and September 2010, for head and neck cancer were included. The quality of life European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Questionnaire module to be used in Quality of Life assessments in Head and Neck Cancer (EORTC QLQ-HandN35) questionnaire was conducted in all patients before starting the radiotherapy, in the middle, at the end, at 1 month and at 6 months after the treatment. RESULTS According to the questionnaires at the end and at the 6th month after the radiotherapy, it was found that the age of the patient, co-morbidity, ECOG performance state, localization, type of treatment, the stage of the disease, the dose and the region of radiotherapy affect some of the symptom scales for quality of life. CONCLUSIONS Quality of life was affected negatively during and after the radiotherapy. However, in the 6th month after the therapy, a significant improvement was observed in most symptoms.
On the Trade-Off between Relationship Anonymity and Communication Overhead in Anonymity Networks

Motivated by applications in industrial communication networks, in this paper we consider the trade-off between relationship anonymity and communication overhead in anonymity networks. We consider two anonymity networks; Crowds that provides unbounded communication delay and Minstrels, proposed in this paper, that provides bounded communication delay. While Crowds hides the sender's identity only, Minstrels aims to hide the receiver's identity as well. However, to achieve bounded message delay it has to expose the sender's identity to a greater extent than Crowds. We derive exact and approximate analytical expressions for the relationship anonymity for these systems. While Minstrels achieves close to optimal anonymity under certain conditions, our results show that, contrary to expectations, increased overhead does not always improve anonymity.
Meta-analysis of whole-transcriptome data for prediction of novel genes associated with autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder with typical symptoms such as impaired social interaction, language and communication abnormalities and stereotypical behavior. Since the genetics of ASDs is so diverse, information on genome function as provided by transcriptomic data is essential to further our understanding. This is transcriptome is a key link between measuring protein levels and genetic information. Transcriptome-based studies have been often performed by comparing ASD and control groups to identify which genes are dysregulated in the ASD group using statistical techniques. However, these statistical techniques can only find genes solely related to ASD, but cannot reflect relationship among genes which could be the etiology of ASD. In this study, we propose a novel method to find the ASD-associated genes, which are predictive for ASD. For this purpose, we metaanalyze whole-transcriptomic data of previous studies for ASD, which were performed using some expression profiling platforms on different issues of interest. These predictive genes, which can differentiate a sample into either ASD or non-ASD, are selected by an optimization process. Comparing subsets selected from different tissues/platforms, we conclude that tissues contain different gene sets associated with ASD. In addition, a platform can supply other ASD-associated genes of which other platforms cannot. Identified genes are then compared to those which have been well documented in SFARI, which is the most comprehensive and up-to-date data of ASD. Interestingly, we can find two novel genes with evidences from literature, which have not yet been recorded in this database. In summary, meta-analysis on whole-transcriptome data of ASD could shed light on the etiology of ASD.
Phase Transitions from Real Computational Problems

We examine phase transitions in problems derived from real computational problems using a wide variety of algorithms. These phase transitions resemble those observed with randomly generated problems. Real problems do, however, contain new features (e.g. large scale structures rare in random problems) which can make them signiicantly harder than random problems. Our results suggest a new methodology for benchmarking algorithms. In addition, they help to identify the location of the really hard real problems.
Rate Region of Gaussian Multiple Description Coding With Individual and Central Distortion Constraints

The rate region of Gaussian multiple description coding with individual and central distortion constraints is completely characterized. Specifically, a lower bound and an upper bound are derived for each supporting hyperplane of the rate region, where the lower bound is associated with a max-min game while the upper bound is associated with a min-max game; furthermore, it is shown that these two bounds coincide due to the existence of a saddle point.
The effects of high-intensity and low-intensity cycle ergometry in older adults with knee osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND People with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee experience pain and deconditioning that lead to disability. This study challenged the clinical belief that repetitive lower extremity exercise is not indicated in persons with knee OA. The effects of high-intensity and low-intensity stationary cycling on functional status, gait, overall and acute pain, and aerobic capacity were examined. METHODS Thirty-nine adults (71+/-6.9 years old) with complaints of knee pain and diagnosis of OA were randomized to either a high-intensity (70% heart rate reserve [HRR]) or low-intensity (40% HRR) exercise group for 10 weeks of stationary cycling. Participants cycled for 25 minutes, 3 times per week. Before and after the exercise intervention they completed the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2 for overall pain assessment, underwent timed chair rise, 6-minute walk test, gait, and graded exercise treadmill tests. Acute pain was reported daily with a visual analog scale and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scale. RESULTS Analysis of variance revealed that participants in both groups significantly improved in the timed chair rise, in the 6-minute walk test, in the range of walking speeds, in the amount of overall pain relief, and in aerobic capacity. No differences between groups were found. Daily pain reports suggested that cycling did not increase acute pain in either group. CONCLUSIONS Cycling may be considered as an alternative exercise modality for patients with knee OA. Low-intensity cycling was as effective as high-intensity cycling in improving function and gait, decreasing pain, and increasing aerobic capacity.
Note : Chemistry-climate model SOCOL : version 2 . 0 with improved transport and chemistry / microphysics schemes

We describe version 2.0 of the chemistry-climate model (CCM) SOCOL. The new version includes fundamental changes of the transport scheme such as transporting all chemical species of the model individually and applying a family-based correction scheme for mass conservation for species of the nitrogen, chlorine and bromine groups, a revised transport scheme for ozone, furthermore more detailed halogen reaction and deposition schemes, and a new cirrus parameterisation in the tropical tropopause region. By means of these changes the model manages to overcome or considerably reduce deficiencies recently identified in SOCOL version 1.1 within the CCM Validation activity of SPARC (CCMVal). In particular, as a consequence of these changes, regional mass loss or accumulation artificially caused by the semi-Lagrangian transport scheme can be significantly reduced, leading to much more realistic distributions of the modelled chemical species, most notably of the halogens and ozone.
A Globular, Not Asymmetric, Form of Acetylcholinesterase Is Expressed in Chick Motor Neurons: Down‐Regulation Toward Maturity and After Denervation

Abstract: In vertebrate neuromuscular junctions, the postsynaptic specializations include the accumulation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) at the synaptic basal lamina and the muscle fiber. Several lines of evidence indicate that the presynaptic motor neuron is able to synthesize and secrete AChE at the neuromuscular junctions. By using anti‐AChE catalytic subunit, anti‐butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) catalytic subunit, and anti‐AChE collagenous tail monoclonal antibodies, we demonstrated that the motor neurons of chick spinal cord expressed AChE in vivo and the predominant AChE was the globular form of the enzyme. Neither asymmetric AChE nor BuChE was detected in the motor neurons. The molecular mass of AChE catalytic subunit in the motor neuron was ∼105 kDa, which was similar to that of the globular enzyme from low‐salt extracts of muscle; both of them were ∼5 kDa smaller than the asymmetric AChE from high‐salt extracts of muscle. The level of AChE expression in the motor neurons decreased, as found by immunochemical and enzymatic analysis, during the different stages of the chick's development and after nerve lesion. Thus, the AChE activity at the neuromuscular junctions that is contributed by the presynaptic motor neurons is primarily the globular, not the asymmetric, form of the enzyme, and these contributions decreased toward maturity and after denervation.
Visual avoidance in phobia: particularities in neural activity, autonomic responding, and cognitive risk evaluations

We investigated the neural mechanisms and the autonomic and cognitive responses associated with visual avoidance behavior in spider phobia. Spider phobic and control participants imagined visiting different forest locations with the possibility of encountering spiders, snakes, or birds (neutral reference category). In each experimental trial, participants saw a picture of a forest location followed by a picture of a spider, snake, or bird, and then rated their personal risk of encountering these animals in this context, as well as their fear. The greater the visual avoidance of spiders that a phobic participant demonstrated (as measured by eye tracking), the higher were her autonomic arousal and neural activity in the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and precuneus at picture onset. Visual avoidance of spiders in phobics also went hand in hand with subsequently reduced cognitive risk of encounters. Control participants, in contrast, displayed a positive relationship between gaze duration toward spiders, on the one hand, and autonomic responding, as well as OFC, ACC, and precuneus activity, on the other hand. In addition, they showed reduced encounter risk estimates when they looked longer at the animal pictures. Our data are consistent with the idea that one reason for phobics to avoid phobic information may be grounded in heightened activity in the fear circuit, which signals potential threat. Because of the absence of alternative efficient regulation strategies, visual avoidance may then function to down-regulate cognitive risk evaluations for threatening information about the phobic stimuli. Control participants, in contrast, may be characterized by a different coping style, whereby paying visual attention to potentially threatening information may help them to actively down-regulate cognitive evaluations of risk.
Unifying visual saliency with HOG feature learning for traffic sign detection

Traffic sign detection is important to a robotic vehicle that automatically drives on roads. In this paper, an efficient novel approach which is enlighten by the process of the human vision is proposed to achieve automatic traffic sign detection. The detection method combines bottom-up traffic sign saliency region with learning based top-down features of traffic sign guided search. The bottom-up stage could obtain saliency region of traffic sign and achieve computational parsimony using improved Model of Saliency-Based Visual Attention. The top-down stage searches traffic sign in these traffic sign saliency regions based on the feature Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) and the classifier Support Vector Mechine (SVM). Experimental results show that, the proposed approach can achieve robustness to illumination, scale, pose, viewpoint change and even partial occlusion. The samllest detection size of traffic sign is 14×14, the average detection rate is 98.3% and the false positive rate is 5.09% in test image data set.
Effect of nanoparticle treatment on expression of a key gene involved in thymoquinone biosynthetic pathway in Nigella sativa L.

Abstract Thymoquinone is the most important secondary metabolite in black Cumin, which has several pharmaceutical applications. In this study, effect of TiO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles as new elicitors, on expression of Geranyl diphosphate synthase gene (GPPS gene), as a key gene involved in thymoquione biosynthesis pathway was investigated in two Iranian accessions. Plants were treatment in the early flowering stage and after 24 h of 50 and 100 mg/L of each nanoparticle, separately. After RNA extraction, GPPS gene expression was analysed by qRT-PCR method. The results showed that the TiO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles, generally stimulates the GPPS expression. The TiO2 nanoparticles were more effective than SiO2 for the induction of GPPS expression. Also, 100 mg/L treatment of nanoparticles raised gene expression more than 50 mg/L concentration. It can be concluded these nanoparticles can be used as robust elicitors to enhance the production of Thymoquinone in black cumin through up-regulation of related metabolic pathway genes.
Does Exchange Rate Stability Increase Trade and Welfare

We develop a simple general equilibrium framework to study the effect of the exchange rate system on trade and welfare. An important feature of the model is deviations from purchasing power parity, caused by rigid price setting in buyers' currency. We find the following. First, exchange rate stability is not necessarily associated with more trade.In a simple benchmark model with separable preferences and only monetary shocks, trade is unaffected by the exchange rate system, consistent with most evidence. Second, both trade and welfare can be higher under either exchange rate system, depending on preferences and on the monetary policy rules followed under each system. Finally, in general there is no one-to-one relationship between the levels of trade and welfare across exchange rate systems.
Public Trauma after the Sewol Ferry Disaster: The Role of Social Media in Understanding the Public Mood

The Sewol ferry disaster severely shocked Korean society. The objective of this study was to explore how the public mood in Korea changed following the Sewol disaster using Twitter data. Data were collected from daily Twitter posts from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013 and from 1 March 2014 to 30 June 2014 using natural language-processing and text-mining technologies. We investigated the emotional utterances in reaction to the disaster by analyzing the appearance of keywords, the human-made disaster-related keywords and suicide-related keywords. This disaster elicited immediate emotional reactions from the public, including anger directed at various social and political events occurring in the aftermath of the disaster. We also found that although the frequency of Twitter keywords fluctuated greatly during the month after the Sewol disaster, keywords associated with suicide were common in the general population. Policy makers should recognize that both those directly affected and the general public still suffers from the effects of this traumatic event and its aftermath. The mood changes experienced by the general population should be monitored after a disaster, and social media data can be useful for this purpose.