Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Holistic processing for left–right composite faces in Chinese and Caucasian observers

In Caucasian individuals, holistic processing and face recognition is lateralized to the right hemisphere, whereas part-based processing and word recognition is lateralized to the left hemisphere. Whether this hemispheric complementarity holds more generally is unclear. We compare the hemispheric basis of holistic processing of faces in Caucasian and Chinese observers (who, as readers of logographic script, may have different hemispheric organization). Participants made same/different judgements about the left/right halves of two sequentially presented composite faces (comprised of the left half of one face and the right half of another face) when the halves were aligned or were misaligned. There was a larger congruency effect for aligned than misaligned faces, reflecting significant holistic processing, and this was equivalent for face halves judged in the right and left visual fields and for Caucasian and Chinese observers. This same result was replicated in a second study with Caucasian observers, in which we presented the cue simultaneous with the study face, rather than simultaneous with the test face. These findings reflect equal participation of both hemispheres in holistic face perception and suggest that orthographic experience does not necessarily affect the hemispheric basis of holistic processing.
Activity-Dependent Maintenance of Long-Term Potentiation at Visual Cortical Inhibitory Synapses

Neural activity producing a transient increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration can induce long-term potentiation (LTP) at visual cortical inhibitory synapses similar to those seen at various excitatory synapses. Here we report that low-frequency neural activity is required to maintain LTP at these inhibitory synapses. Inhibitory responses of layer 5 cells evoked by layer 4 stimulation were studied in developing rat visual cortical slices under a pharmacological blockade of excitatory synaptic transmission using intracellular and whole-cell recording methods. Although LTP induced by high-frequency stimulation (HFS) persisted while test stimulation was applied at 0.1 Hz, it was not maintained in approximately two-thirds of cells after test stimulation was stopped for 30 min. In the rest of the cells, LTP seemed to be maintained by spontaneous presynaptic spikes, because presynaptic inhibitory cells discharged spontaneously in our experimental condition and because LTP was totally abolished by a temporary application of Na+ channel blockers. Experiments applying various Ca2+ channel blockers and Ca2+ chelators after HFS demonstrated that LTP maintenance was mediated by presynaptic Ca2+ entries through multiple types of high-threshold Ca2+channels, which activated Ca2+-dependent reactions different from those triggering transmitter release. The Ca2+ entries associated with action potentials seemed to be regulated by presynaptic K+ channels, presumably large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, because the application of blockers for these channels facilitated LTP maintenance. In addition, noradrenaline facilitated the maintenance of LTP. These findings demonstrate a new mechanism by which neural activity regulates the continuation and termination of LTP at visual cortical inhibitory synapses.
Visualisation of power-law network topologies

We present a novel graph layout algorithm called ODL for visualising large network topologies. The main contribution of our algorithm is to simplify the layout problem by separating the nodes in the network into multiple hierarchical layers based on the outdegree of each node. Our algorithm is designed to exploit the underlying structure of power-law topologies, which occur in a wide variety of practical network applications. However, the use of our algorithms is not limited to this class of networks. We have demonstrated that our algorithm can generate useful and aesthetically pleasing layouts for a wide variety of networks, including both regular and power-law topologies. In particular, our algorithm achieved substantial performance improvements over existing layout techniques, including a speed-up factor of up to 260 on real-life Internet routing topologies.
Using Data Mining to Support Teacher's Intervention in a Robotics Class

Following students' progress in robotics classes is difficult because student groups usually take different and unpredictable paths in problem solving. To improve teachers' possibilities for intervention at the right time, Open Monitoring Environment allows the teacher to monitor and model the learning process based on the data rising from the current learning setting. Since the amount of data that can be extracted from the learning process is too large and complex for manual processing, there is a need for semi-automated tools to support the reasoning. Various data mining methods were tested with authentic data that was collected from a robotics class in a primary school. In the novel monitoring environment, initial rules produced by the classification algorithm are open for revision by the teacher. We present a proof of concept implementation for the data mining module in the Open Monitoring Environment. Results from the study indicate that decision trees are effective for classifying students' progress in the educational robotics setting, and that open data mining process produces useful and interpretable information about the students' progress with relatively small datasets.
Effects of 2013 Cap reform on land market: regionalized farm payments and changes in farmers’ intended behaviour

The CAP reform process has been a central issue for agricultural economics research in recent years, and is gaining further attention in view of the post-2013 perspectives (Viaggi et al., 2010; Bartolini et al., 2011). Today the CAP is in the middle of a new reform process. Through the debate generated by the official proposals, published in October 2011 (COM(2011)625/3), the European Union (EU) engaged in a revision of the CAP ended on 26 June 2013 when a political agreement has been reached (IP/13/613, MEMO-13-621 and IP/13/864). In particular, in Italy the switch of the payment regime from historical to regional bases will take place. The underlying assumption is that the shift to regionalized payments changes the remuneration of inputs and has an impact on farmers’ allocation of fixed resources. In this context, farmers are expected to adjust their plans to the new policy environment as the regionalization of support is meant to create a change in incentives faced by farmers. The objective of this thesis is to provide an ex-ante analysis of the potential impact of the introduction of regionalized payments, within the post-2013 CAP reform, on the land market. Regionalized payments seem to produce differentiated effects and contribute to a general (slight) increase of land exchanges. The individual reaction to the new payments introduction would be different depending on location and specialization. These effects seem to be also strongly influenced by the difference in historical payments endowment and value, i.e. by the previous historical system of distribution of payments.
Computer Estimation of Spoken Language Skills

Skillful performance in a human language often involves a composite of elementary skills, such that language skills, cognitive skills, and social skills can be conflated in the judgement of a human listener. A new, computer-based method (PhonePass testing) provides an estimate of spoken language skills, relatively independent of the speaker's other social and cognitive skills. The PhonePass system has been implemented using interactive voice response to administer a standardized spoken English test that measures speaking and listening during a 10-minute telephone call. The system calculates scores on five performance subscales from a set of more basic measures that are produced by automatic speech recognition of examinee responses. Item response theory is used to analyze and scale aspects of examinee performance. The scores are also related to performance rubrics used in criterion-based human scoring of similar responses. The test construct is outlined, and the scaling methods and validation process are described with reference to experimental procedures that were used in the development of the SET-10 test, a standardized instrument.
The Use of Zein and Shuanghuangbu for Periodontal Tissue Engineering

AimTissue engineering is a promising area with a broad range of applications in the fields of regenerative medicine and human health. The emergence of periodontal tissue engineering for clinical treatment of periodontal disease has opened a new therapeutic avenue. The choice of scaffold is crucial. This study was conducted to prepare zein scaffold and explore the suitability of zein and Shuanghuangbu for periodontal tissue engineering.MethodologyA zein scaffold was made using the solvent casting/particulate leaching method with sodium chloride (NaCl) particles as the porogen. The physical properties of the zein scaffold were evaluated by observing its shape and determining its pore structure and porosity. Cytotoxicity testing of the scaffold was carried out via in vitro cell culture experiments, including a liquid extraction experiment and the direct contact assay. Also, the Chinese medicine Shuanghuangbu, as a growth factor, was diluted by scaffold extract into different concentrations. This Shuanghuangbu‐scaffold extract was then added to periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) in order to determine its effect on cell proliferation.ResultsThe zein scaffold displayed a sponge‐like structure with a high porosity and sufficient thickness. The porosity and pore size of the zein scaffold can be controlled by changing the porogen particles dosage and size. The porosity was up to 64.1%–78.0%. The pores were well‐distributed, interconnected, and porous. The toxicity of the zein scaffold was graded as 0–1. Furthermore, PDLCs displayed full stretching and vigorous growth under scanning electronic microscope (SEM). Shuanghuangbu‐scaffold extract could reinforce proliferation activity of PDLCs compared to the control group, especially at 100 μg·mL−1 (P<0.01). ConclusionA zein scaffold with high porosity, open pore wall structure, and good biocompatibility is conducive to the growth of PDLCs. Zein could be used as scaffold to repair periodontal tissue defects. Also, Shuanghuangbu‐scaffold extract can enhance the proliferation activity of PDLCs. Altogether, these findings provide the basis for in vivo testing on animals.
Robot Language Learning, Generation, and Comprehension

We present a unified framework which supports grounding natural-language semantics in robotic driving. This framework supports acquisition (learning grounded meanings of nouns and prepositions from human annotation of robotic driving paths), generation (using such acquired meanings to generate sentential description of new robotic driving paths), and comprehension (using such acquired meanings to support automated driving to accomplish navigational goals specified in natural language). We evaluate the performance of these three tasks by having independent human judges rate the semantic fidelity of the sentences associated with paths, achieving overall average correctness of 94.6% and overall average completeness of 85.6%.
Occurrence of concurrent infections with multiple serotypes of dengue viruses during 2013–2015 in northern Kerala, India

Background Dengue is a global human public health threat, causing severe morbidity and mortality. The occurrence of sequential infection by more than one serotype of dengue virus (DENV) is a major contributing factor for the induction of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) and Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS), two major medical conditions caused by DENV infection. However, there is no specific drug or vaccine available against dengue infection. There are reports indicating the increased incidence of concurrent infection of dengue in several tropical and subtropical regions. Recently, increasing number of DHF and DSS cases were reported in India indicating potential enhancement of concurrent DENV infections. Therefore, accurate determination of the occurrence of DENV serotype co-infections needs to be conducted in various DENV prone parts of India. In this context, the present study was conducted to analyse the magnitude of concurrent infection in northern Kerala, a southwest state of India, during three consecutive years from 2013 to 2015. Methods A total of 120 serum samples were collected from the suspected dengue patients. The serum samples were diagnosed for the presence of dengue NS1 antigen followed by the isolation of dengue genome from NS1 positive samples. The isolated dengue genome was further subjected to RTPCR based molecular serotyping. The phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the sequence of PCR amplified products. Results Out of the total number of samples collected, 100 samples were positive for dengue specific antigen (NS1) and 26 of them contained the dengue genome. The RTPCR based molecular serotyping of the dengue genome revealed the presence of all four serotypes with different combinations. However, serotypes 1 and 3 were predominant combinations of concurrent infection. Interestingly, there were two samples with all four serotypes concurrently infected in 2013. Discussion All samples containing dengue genome showed the presence of more than one serotype, indicating 100% concurrent infection. However, the combination of serotypes 1 and 3 was predominant. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report indicating the concurrent infection of dengue in the northern Kerala, India. The phylogenetic analysis of dengue serotype 1 identified in this study shows a close relationship with the strain isolated in Delhi and South Korea during the 2006 and 2015 epidemics respectively. Similarly this study indicates that the phylogeny of dengue serotype 3 of northern Kerala is more closely related to dengue isolate of Rajasthan state, India. The geographical and climatic conditions of Kerala favours the breeding of both the mosquito vectors of dengue (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti), which may enhance the severity of dengue in the future. Therefore, the study provides an alarming message for the urgent need of an antiviral strategy or other health management systems to curb the spread of dengue infection.
Small Scale Pilot Combustion Experiments with Wood Pellets - The Effect of Pellet Length

The primary objective of this study was to observe the effect of pellet length on utility and combustion temperature. Pellets with various lengths were combusted in a pellet stove. Pellet length was found to have a significant effect on the combustion temperature and stability. Increasing the length of pellets from 5.8mm to 13.1mm decreased the average burning temperature by 31% and flue gas temperature by 25%. The major determinants of combustion efficiency derived from pellet length were assessed.
Goal or Gold: Overlapping Reward Processes in Soccer Players upon Scoring and Winning Money

Social rewards are important incentives for human behavior. This is especially true in team sports such as the most popular one worldwide: soccer. We investigated reward processing upon scoring a soccer goal in a standard two-versus-one situation and in comparison to winning in a monetary incentive task. The results show a strong overlap in brain activity between the two conditions in established reward regions of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, including the ventral striatum and ventromedial pre-frontal cortex. The three main components of reward-associated learning i.e. reward probability (RP), reward reception (RR) and reward prediction errors (RPE) showed highly similar activation in both con-texts, with only the RR and RPE components displaying overlapping reward activity. Passing and shooting behavior did not correlate with individual egoism scores, but we observe a positive correlation be-tween egoism and activity in the left middle frontal gyrus upon scoring after a pass versus a direct shot. Our findings suggest that rewards in the context of soccer and monetary incentives are based on similar neural processes.
Content-Based Image Retrieval Using Adaptive Thinning and Illumination Invariant Color Features

When implementing a Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) system, various types of image features are used for relevance evaluation. The extracted features need to be selected according to the nature of the images and the requirements of the application, enabling a desirable evaluation of image relevance. This paper reports on image features and their treatment in CBIRs for binary sketch images and color photographs taken under varying illumination conditions.
Spectral Properties of Accretion Disks Around Galactic and Extragalactic Black Holes

We study the spectral properties of a very general class of accretion disks which can be decomposed into three distinct components apart from a shock at $r=r_s$: (1) An optically thick Keplerian disk on the equatorial plane ($r>r_s$), (2) A sub-Keplerian optically thin halo above and below this Keplerian disk $r>r_s$ and (3) A hot, optically slim, $\tau\sim 1$ postshock region $r<r_s\sim 5-10 r_g$ where $r_g$ is the Schwarzschild radius. The postshock region intercepts soft photons from the Keplerian component and reradiates them as hard X-rays and $\gamma$ rays after Comptonization. We solve two-temperature equations in the postshock region with Coulomb energy exchange between protons and electrons, and incorporating radiative processes such as bremsstrahlung and Comptonization. We also present the exact prescription to compute the reflection of the hard X-rays from the cool disk. We produce radiated spectra from both the disk components as functions of the accretion rates and compare them with the spectra of galactic and extragalactic black hole candidates. We find that the transition from hard state to soft state is smoothly initiated by a single parameter, namely, the mass accretion rate of the disk. In the soft state, when the postshock region is very optically thick and cooled down, bulk motion of the converging flow determines the spectral index to be about $1.5$ in agreement with observations.
Substance Abuse, Relapse, and Treatment Program Evaluation in Malaysia: Perspective of Rehab Patients and Staff Using the Mixed Method Approach

This study examined reasons for substance abuse and evaluated the effectiveness of substance treatment programs in Malaysia through interviews with rehab patients and staff. Substance rehab patients (aged 18–69 years; n = 30) and staff (ages 30–72 years; n = 10) participated in semi-structured interviews covering a range of topics, including family and peer relationships, substance use and treatment history, factors for substance use and relapse, motivation for entering treatment, work experience, job satisfaction, treatment evaluation, and patient satisfaction. Most patients did not demonstrate the substance progression trend and had normal family relationships. Most patients reported having peers from normal family backgrounds as well. Various environmental and personal factors was cited as contributing to substance abuse and relapse. There was no significant difference between patient and staff program evaluation scores although the mean score for patients was lower. A holistic treatment approach with a combination of cognitive–behavioral, medical, social, and spiritual components was favored by patients. Suggestions for improving existing programs include better tailoring treatment to individual needs, and providing more post-treatment group support.
Relation extraction and similarity for commonsense causal reasoning

Causal reasoning is the process of recognizing that two propositions are connected by cause-and-effect. Humans make these judgments easily but machines are less adept. Keyword co-occurrence in text corpora has been shown to provide limited support for causal reasoning. We use open information extraction to construct a knowledge base of frequently co-occurring relations, and use relation pair similarity scores to map propositions from the Choice of Plausible Alternatives task to relations in the knowledge base. Our hypothesis is that co-occurring relations are more likely than random relations to be causally connected. Our best performing method mines a small subset of the Gigaword corpus to answer a small number of 13 COPA questions with 62% accuracy. This is close to the highest reported accuracy but at a trade-off of very small coverage over the COPA questions. Our methods may scale to larger corpora for improved coverage.
1 Mbps coherent one-way QKD with dense wavelength division multiplexing and hardware key distillation

We present the latest results obtained with a quantum cryptography prototype based on a coherent-one way quantum key distribution (QKD) scheme. To support its continuous high rate secret key generation we developed different low-noise single photon detectors for telecom wavelength based on a sine gating and low-pass-filtering technique, as well as a negative feedback APD in an active hold-off circuit. A newly developed hardware distillation engine allows for continuous operation of secret key distribution up to 1 Mbps. We also present results of our system in a DWDM (dense wavelength-division multiplexing) configuration where only one single fiber is needed to interconnect Alice’ and Bob’s systems. The final prototype is fully compatible to serve a high-speed encryption device developed in parallel which provides encrypted communication of up to 100 Gbps.
A fast OBS pruning algorithm based on pseudo-entropy of weights

A fast OBS pruning algorithm based on pseudo-entropy of weights is proposed to resolve the problems of the number of hidden neurons is difficult to be determined in neural networks and low pruning speed in conventional OBS (Optimal Brain Surgeon) pruning algorithm. The algorithm makes the network constrain the distribution of weight automatically during the training process, obtain a simpler structure of network, and improve the speed of pruning. The result of experimental shows that the structure of network has been simplified; the generalization capability of network and the speed of pruning have been improved greatly by using the algorithm mentioned above.
Nonlinear state-constrained control. Application to the dynamic positioning of ships

The control design proposed here is based on a general framework of control of nonlinear systems with state-&-input constraints, recently proposed by some of the authors in [1] (summary available in [2]). Thus, this is part of a series of real applications to support the theoretical results. In particular, here the result is applied to the problem of dynamic positioning of ships with nonlinear position constraints. The solution proposed solves the problem by means of diffeomorphisms which transform the nonlinear constrained control problem into an unconstrained one. A real scenario of the ship crossing through a strait has been tested in a realistic simulator developed by a world leader shipbuilding company [3]. As a plus, the solution proposed could alleviate the computational burden of motion planning in dynamic positioning of ships.