Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using surface electromyography to guide the activation during motor-evoked potential measurement: An activation control method for follow-up studies

Abstract Objective: This study evaluated the reliability and validity of a convenient method that uses the real-time feedback surface electromyography (sEMG) to control muscle activation while measuring the MEP recorded from the quadriceps muscle in patients with stroke. Methods: It measured the MEP parameters as well as the clinical assessment at initial test. Participants were directed to adjust their quadriceps contraction to extend the knee isometrically and maintain the EMG amplitude at 0.2 mV. MEPs were measured 2 weeks after the initial test again to assess the reliability of this measurement. Results: A good test–re-test reliability was demonstrated with an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) > 0.8 for the motor threshold and a moderate reliability (ICC > 0.6) for the MEP latency and MEP amplitude, for both paretic and non-paretic legs. Patients with present MEPs had significantly higher scores in muscle power, the Fugl-Meyer assessment, the balance sub-scale of performance-oriented mobility assessment and the Barthel index; and lower NIHSS scores than those of patients with absent MEPs (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: The sEMG-guided low level muscle activation is suitable for MEP assessment in patients with leg weakness after a stroke and may be used for long-term follow-up studies.
Reinforcement learning models of the dopamine system and their behavioral implications

This thesis aims to improve theories of how the brain functions and to provide a framework to guide future neuroscientific experiments by making use of theoretical and algorithmic ideas from computer science. The work centers around the detailed understanding of the dopamine system, an important and phylogenetically venerable brain system that is implicated in such general functions as motivation, decision-making and motor control, and whose dysfunction is associated with disorders such as schizophrenia, addiction, and Parkinson's disease. A series of influential models have proposed that the responses of dopamine neurons recorded from behaving monkeys can be identified with the error signal from temporal difference (TD) learning, a reinforcement learning algorithm for learning to predict rewards in order to guide decision-making. Here I propose extensions to these theories that improve them along a number of dimensions simultaneously. The new models that result eliminate several unrealistic simplifying assumptions from the original accounts; explain many sorts of dopamine responses that had previously seemed anomalous; flesh out nascent suggestions that these neurophysiological mechanisms can also explain animal behavior in conditioning experiments; and extend the theories' reach to incorporate proposals about the computational function of several other brain systems that interact with the dopamine neurons. Chapter 3 relaxes the assumption from previous models that the system tracks only short-term predictions about rewards expected within a single experimental trial. It introduces a new model based on average-reward TD learning that suggests that long-run reward predictions affect the slow-timescale, tonic behavior of dopamine neurons. This account resolves a seemingly paradoxical finding that the dopamine system is excited by aversive events such as electric shock, which had fueled several published attacks on the TD theories. These investigations also provide a basis for proposals about the functional role of interactions between the dopamine and serotonin systems, and about behavioral data on animal decision-making. Chapter 4 further revises the theory to account for animals' uncertainty about the timing of events and about the moment-to-moment state of an experimental task. These issues are handled in the context of a TD algorithm incorporating partial observability and semi-Markov dynamics; a number of other new or extant models are shown to follow from this one in various limits. Chapter 5 departs from the thesis' primary methodology of computational modeling to present a complementary attempt to address the same issues empirically. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Proteomic and Genomic Analyses of the Rvb1 and Rvb2 Interaction Network upon Deletion of R2TP Complex Components*

The highly conserved yeast R2TP complex, consisting of Rvb1, Rvb2, Pih1, and Tah1, participates in diverse cellular processes ranging from assembly of protein complexes to apoptosis. Rvb1 and Rvb2 are closely related proteins belonging to the AAA+ superfamily and are essential for cell survival. Although Rvbs have been shown to be associated with various protein complexes including the Ino80 and Swr1chromatin remodeling complexes, we performed a systematic quantitative proteomic analysis of their associated proteins and identified two additional complexes that associate with Rvb1 and Rvb2: the chaperonin-containing T-complex and the 19S regulatory particle of the proteasome complex. We also analyzed Rvb1 and Rvb2 purified from yeast strains devoid of PIH1 and TAH1. These analyses revealed that both Rvb1 and Rvb2 still associated with Hsp90 and were highly enriched with RNA polymerase II complex components. Our analyses also revealed that both Rvb1 and Rvb2 were recruited to the Ino80 and Swr1 chromatin remodeling complexes even in the absence of Pih1 and Tah1 proteins. Using further biochemical analysis, we showed that Rvb1 and Rvb2 directly interacted with Hsp90 as well as with the RNA polymerase II complex. RNA-Seq analysis of the deletion strains compared with the wild-type strains revealed an up-regulation of ribosome biogenesis and ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis genes, down-regulation of response to abiotic stimulus genes, and down-regulation of response to temperature stimulus genes. A Gene Ontology analysis of the 80 proteins whose protein associations were altered in the PIH1 or TAH1 deletion strains found ribonucleoprotein complex proteins to be the most enriched category. This suggests an important function of the R2TP complex in ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis at both the proteomic and genomic levels. Finally, these results demonstrate that deletion network analyses can provide novel insights into cellular systems.
Nitric oxide is a novel component of abscisic acid signaling in stomatal guard cells.

Stomatal closure in response to the hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is mediated by a complex signaling network involving both calcium-dependent and calcium-independent pathways ([Assmann and Shimazaki, 1999][1]; [Webb et al., 2001][2]), activated by several signaling intermediates ([Schroeder et al.,
Beyond Utilitarianism and Deontology: Ethics in Economics

This article starts from a methodological position that fact and value are mutually related, both in the real world and in economic analysis. It then discusses deontological ethics. This approach is concerned with equality and dignity, as expressed in right and norms, and how these rights and norms constrain individual choices. Deontology is thus different from the utility maximisation of utilitarian ethics, where ethics appears in utility functions as moral preferences. The paper then argues that, although deontology does better than utilitarianism in analysing ethics in economics, it has its own weaknesses. These weaknesses require another theory of ethics for economics, virtue ethics, which emphasises the interrelatedness of agents and commitment to shared values beyond the rules that a society has institutionalised. Virtue ethics internalises morality not as a preference or a constraint, but through the practices in which agents are related in their pursuit of value added.
Validation of the ActiGraph GT3X and activPAL Accelerometers for the Assessment of Sedentary Behavior

This study examined (a) the validity of two accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X [ActiGraph LLC, Pensacola, FL, USA] and activPAL [PAL Technologies Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland]) for the assessment of sedentary behavior; and (b) the variations in assessment accuracy by setting minimum sedentary bout durations against a proxy for direct observation using an automated wearable camera in free-living environments. Time spent in sedentary behavior estimated from the GT3X, with varying identification methods (i.e., a hybrid machine learning algorithm, Sojourn, and activity count thresholds), and the activPAL were compared to the criterion measure with and without applying minimum sedentary bout durations. The activPAL assessed sedentary behavior most accurately followed by GT3X with the Sojourn method. The performance of the GT3X is improved when identifying sedentary bouts ≥ 15 min with the Sojourn method or a threshold of < 150 cpm. The activPAL should be considered for studies focusing on sedentary behavior. The ability of the GT3X to assess sedentary behavior is improved when focusing on sedentary bouts ≥ 15 min using the Sojourn method or the threshold of < 150 cpm.
Instruction-Level Impact Comparison of RT- vs. Gate-Level Faults in a Modern Microprocessor Controller

We discuss the results of an extensive fault simulation study involving the control logic of a modern Alpha-like microprocessor. In this comparative study, faults are injected in both the RT- and the Gate-Level description of the design and are simulated under actual workload of the microprocessor, which is executing SPEC2000 benchmarks. The objective of this study is to analyze and contrast the impact of RT- and Gate-Level faults on the instruction execution flow of the microprocessor. The key observation is a pronounced consistency in the type and frequency of Instruction Level Errors (ILEs) arising due to RT- vs. Gate-Level faults. The motivation for this work stems from the need to understand the relative importance of low-level faults based on their instruction-level impact, in order to appropriately allocate error detection and/or correction resources. Hence, the consistency revealed through this study implies that such decisions can be made equally effective based on RT-Level fault simulation results, as with their far more computationally-expensive Gate-Level equivalents.
Linear Pulse-Coupled Oscillators Model¬ - A New Approach for Time Synchronization in Wireless Sensor Networks

Mutual synchronization is a ubiquitous phenomenon that exists in various natural systems. The individual participants in this process can be modeled as oscillators, which interact by discrete pulses. In this paper, we analyze the synchronization condition of two- and multi-oscillators system, and propose a linear pulse-coupled oscillators model. We prove that the proposed model can achieve synchronization for almost all conditions. Numerical simulations are also included to investigate how different model parameters affect the synchronization. We also discuss the implementation of the model as a new approach for time synchronization in wireless sensor networks.
Iodine Supplementation throughout Pregnancy Does Not Prevent the Drop in FT4 in the Second and Third Trimesters in Women with Normal Initial Thyroid Function

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the evolution of thyroid tests throughout pregnancy and postpartum in healthy women with and without iodine supplementation. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, interventional study of iodine supplementation (150 μg/day) from the first trimester until 3 months postpartum versus controls. 111 pregnant women with normal initial thyroid tests were enrolled, undergoing comprehensive thyroid assessment at each trimester. We present results of longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses. Results: Initial ioduria suggested mild iodine deficiency in both groups, while third-trimester ioduria rose to levels of iodine sufficiency in the iodine-supplemented group. In the longitudinal study, free T4 (FT4) levels decreased in the second and third trimesters compared to the first trimester in both groups, with no change in TSH, and rose postpartum, though lower than the first trimester. FT3 levels and the total T4 (TT4)/thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) ratio followed the same evolution as FT4. TT4 levels rose due to TBG increase. Thyroglobulin (Tg) of iodine group remained stable, contrasting with the rise in the control group. In the cross-sectional study, there was no difference between the two groups in thyroid tests at any time-point, except for lower Tg in the second trimester and postpartum visits in the iodine group. Conclusions: In healthy, mildly iodine-deficient pregnant women, a ‘drop' of FT4 and TT4/TBG without TSH increase occurs between the first and second trimesters, and is not prevented by iodine supplementation, suggesting physiology. Therefore, FT4 is valuable to assess thyroid function in pregnancy in clinical practice with appropriate trimester-specific reference range. It brings up reflection on threshold for diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroxinemia.
Self-Selection in the Relationship between the Built Environment and Walking: Empirical Evidence from Northern California

Abstract Available evidence establishes correlations between the built environment and walking, but not a causal relationship, leading researchers to debate whether “self-selection” explains the observed correlations: do residents who prefer to walk choose to live in more walkable neighborhoods? Using data from a survey of residents of eight neighborhoods in Northern California, this article presents new evidence on the possibility of a causal relationship between the built environment and walking behavior. This work improves on most previous studies by incorporating travel attitudes and neighborhood preferences into the analysis of walking behavior, and by using a quasi-longitudinal design to test the relationship between changes in the built environment and changes in walking. Both analyses show that the built environment has an impact on walking behavior even after accounting for attitudes and preferences.
An accuracy-enhanced light stemmer for arabic text

Stemming is a key step in most text mining and information retrieval applications. Information extraction, semantic annotation, as well as ontology learning are but a few examples where using a stemmer is a must. While the use of light stemmers in Arabic texts has proven highly effective for the task of information retrieval, this class of stemmers falls short of providing the accuracy required by many text mining applications. This can be attributed to the fact that light stemmers employ a set of rules that they apply indiscriminately and that they do not address stemming of broken plurals at all, even though this class of plurals is very commonly used in Arabic texts. The goal of this work is to overcome these limitations. The evaluation of the work shows that it significantly improves stemming accuracy. It also shows that by improving stemming accuracy, tasks such as automatic annotation and keyphrase extraction can also be significantly improved.
Reframing public participation: strategies for the 21st century

This article makes the case that legally required participation methods in the US not only do not meet most basic goals for public participation, but they are also counterproductive, causing anger and mistrust. Both theory and practice are dominated by ambivalence about the idea of participation itself. Both struggle with dilemmas that make the problems seem insoluble, such as the conflict between the individual and collective interest or between the ideal of democracy and the reality that many voices are never heard. Cases are used to draw on an emerging set of practices of collaborative public engagement from around the world to demonstrate how alternative methods can better meet public participation goals and how they make moot most of the dilemmas of more conventional practice. Research shows that collaborative participation can solve complex, contentious problems such as budget decision making and create an improved climate for future action when bitter disputes divide a community. Authentic dialogue, networks and institutional capacity are the key elements. The authors propose that participation should be understood as a multi‐way set of interactions among citizens and other players who together produce outcomes. Next steps involve developing an alternative practice framework, creating forums and arenas, adapting agency decision processes, and providing training and financial support.
USING XML AS A MEDIUM FOR DESCRIBING , MODIFYING AND QUERYING AUDIOVISUAL CONTENT STORED IN RELATIONAL DATABASE SYSTEMS

The digitization and annotation of audiovisual programs results in a huge amount of information that becomes useful only if it is properly organized and if the appropriate query mechanisms exist. Usually audiovisual information and meta-information is stored in relational database schemata that consist of decades of tables, relationships and constraints that complicate the information querying tasks. The PANORAMA* platform has been developed to cover needs for manipulating video information, by attaching meta-information for both audio and visual content of video sources. This paper presents this meta-information model and the database interface developed in terms of the PANORAMA platform. The model works as keystone in the creation of the database and the database interface implements a mechanism for converting XML documents to relational data. This mechanism allows information users to use a more understandable way to communicate with the database.
Conversion of sorghum stover into animal feed with white-rot fungi: Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus pulmonarius

Treatment of crop residues with some species of white-rot fungi can enhance the nutritive value. After the fungal treatment of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) stover with two white-rot fungi in a solid state fermentation, the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of the resultant substrate was determined. The results show a significant (p < 0.05) increase in crude protein contents from 2.54% for the control to 4.51% for Pleurotus ostreatus (POS) and 4.59% for Pleurotus sajor pulmonarius (PPT). The nitrogen free extract (NFE) content also increased significantly (p < 0.05). The crude fibre decreased significantly from 31.65% for the control to 27.49% for POS and 23.54% for PPS. There were also consistent significant decreases (p < 0.05) in the values obtained for NDF, ADF ADL. Significant differences were also observed in the hemicellulose and cellulose contents. Fermentation of the insoluble fraction (b) was enhanced by the fungal treatment. Wide variations were also observed in the mineral contents of the different substrates The estimated organic matter digestibility (OMD) ranged from 42.99 to 57.75%, short chain fatty acid ranged from 0.56 to 0.94 iM and metabolisable energy (ME) ranged from 5.97 to 8.21 MJ/Kg DM. This result suggests that fungal treatment of sorghum stover resulted in improved CP and digestibility, hence its potential in ruminant nutrition.
On Browser-Level Event Logging

In this paper we offer an initial sketch of a new vantage point we are developing to study “the Web” and users' interactions with it: we have instrumented the Web browser itself. The Google Chrome browser provides an API to developers that allows the building of extensions to the base functionality. As part of this system, Chrome allows developers to add listeners to various browser events. Our extension adds listeners that log these events. We discuss the data we obtain from Chrome, our method for addressing privacy issues in the collected data, and initial findings from observing a small set of real users' Web browsing activities. The findings are modest in absolute terms, but serve to show the efficacy of our monitoring approach.
Guest-Host Encounters in Diaspora-Heritage Tourism: The Taglit-Birthright Israel Mifgash (Encounter)

More than 300,000 diaspora Jewish young adults and tens of thousands of their Israeli peers have participated in structured, cross-cultural encounters—mifgashim—in the context of an experiential education program known as Taglit-Birthright Israel. Drawing on field observations, interviews, and surveys, the formal and informal components of the encounters are described, and the meanings participants attach to the experience are analyzed. For North Americans, the encounters enable a personal and seemingly authentic experience of “the real” Israel, and make them feel welcome in the Jewish homeland. For Israelis, the encounters foster national pride, as well as identification with the transnational Jewish collective. Although program sponsors hoped the encounters would also create a forum for learning by Israeli participants about life in the Jewish diaspora, this latter goal was not typically achieved. This article explores the mechanisms by which the encounters generate identification with the homeland and the transnational Jewish collective, as well as the limitations of the encounters as a vehicle for reciprocal learning about diaspora culture and society.
Silicon-organic hybrid devices

Silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) devices combine silicon waveguides with a number of specialized materials, ranging from third-order optically-nonlinear molecules to second-order nonlinear polymers and liquid-crystals. Second-order nonlinear materials allow building high-speed and low-voltage electro-optic modulators, which are key components for future silicon-based photonics transceivers. We report on a 90 GHz bandwidth phase modulator, and on a 56 Gbit/s QPSK experiment using an IQ Pockels effect modulator. By using liquid-crystal claddings instead, we show experimentally that phase shifters with record-low power consumption and ultra-low voltage-length product of VπL = 0.06 Vmm. Secondorder nonlinear materials, moreover, allow creating nonlinear waveguides for sum- or difference-frequency generation, and for lowest-noise optical parametric amplification. These processes are exploited for a large variety of applications, like in the emerging field of on-chip generation of mid-IR wavelengths, where pump powers are significantly smaller compared to equivalent devices using third-order nonlinear materials. In this work, we present the first SOH waveguide design suited for second-order nonlinear processes. We predict for our device an amplification of 14 dB/cm assuming a conservative χ(2)-nonlinearity of 230 pm/V and a CW pump power as low as 20 dBm.
A Critical Examination of the Internalization, Identification, and Compliance Commitment Measures

The objectives of this study were to examine O'Reilly and Chatman's (1986) compliance, identification, and internalization scales, and to compare the latter measures to the OCQ. Two studies were completed. Findings from Study 1 indicated that: (1) Although reliable, the identification measure was redundant with the OCQ; ( 2) the internalization measure was reliable and valid in that most items strongly loaded upon a different factor than did items of all other measures; and (3) the compliance measure obtained some validity only after the removal of two of its items, but possessed weak reliability throughout the analysis. Study 2 examined the applicability of the reconstituted (based upon findings from Study 1) OCQ, internaliza tion and compliance measures in a longitudinal model of the turnover process. Of the three measures, only the OCQ had a significant causal effect within the model. Implications of these findings are examined.
Categorization of Multilevel-Cell Storage-Class Memory: An RRAM Example

This paper provides new insights into the effect of device characteristics on multilevel-cell (MLC) operation, aiming at potential benefits, such as the reduction of write latency and peripheral circuit design overhead. A general categorization of the MLC-operating schemes in storage-class memory (SCM) is proposed to connect the total number of write inputs with fundamental device properties. The categorization method is validated using two resistive random access memory devices based on different switching mechanisms. Favorable device characteristics and the corresponding simplified MLC operating schemes are addressed to facilitate future development of MLC SCM.