Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Lutein/Zeaxanthin Supplementation on the Cognitive Function of Community Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Background: High levels of xanthophyll carotenoids lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) in the central nervous system have been previously correlated with improved cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults. In this study, we tested the effects of supplementing L and Z on older men and women with a range of baseline cognitive abilities. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not supplementation with L+Z could improve cognitive function in community-dwelling, older adults. Design: Double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 62 older adults were randomized into groups receiving either 12 mg L+Z or a visually identical placebo. Data from 51 participants (M = 73.7 years) were available for analysis. Retinal L+Z levels (macular pigment optical density, MPOD) were measured psychophysically using heterochromatic flicker photometry as a biomarker of cortical L+Z levels. Cognitive function was measured using the CNS Vital Signs computerized test platform. Results: Participants receiving the active L+Z supplement had statistically significant increases in MPOD (p < 0.03) and improvements in complex attention (p < 0.02) and cognitive flexibility domains (p < 0.04), relative to participants taking the placebo. A trend was also seen for the executive function domain (p = 0.073). In male participants only, supplementation yielded improved composite memory (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Supplementation with L+Z improved cognitive function in community-dwelling, older men and women.
What is it like to be a human?

Abstract The explicit link between awareness and sociality put forward in the accompanying article opens new doors to thinking about the evolutionary origins of consciousness. Human subjective experience undoubtedly has some features that are species-specific and others that are shared over a broad phylogenetic base. The authors' proposal that consciousness depends on high-level neural circuits evolved for social perception begs the question whether animals lacking such circuitry experience a fundamentally different form of consciousness from humans. It also highlights the need for comparative work elucidating neural mechanisms by which animals other than primates perceive and respond to their conspecifics.
Freeway travel time forecast using artifical neural networks with cluster method

This paper develops a novel travel time forecasting model using artificial neural network with cluster method. The core logic of the model is based on a functional relation between real-time traffic data as the input variables and actual travel time data as the output variable. Cluster method is employed to reduce the data features with fewer input variables while still preserving the original traffic characteristics. The forecasted travel time is then obtained by plugging in real-time traffic data into the functional relation. Our results show that the mean absolute percentage errors of the predicted travel time are mostly less than 22%, indicating a good forecasting performance. The proposed travel time forecasting model has shed some light on the practical applications in the intelligent transportation systems context.
Graph sampling with determinantal processes

We present a new random sampling strategy for k-bandlimited signals defined on graphs, based on determinantal point processes (DPP). For small graphs, i.e., in cases where the spectrum of the graph is accessible, we exhibit a DPP sampling scheme that enables perfect recovery of bandlimited signals. For large graphs, i.e., in cases where the graph's spectrum is not accessible, we investigate, both theoretically and empirically, a sub-optimal but much faster DPP based on loop-erased random walks on the graph. Preliminary experiments show promising results especially in cases where the number of measurements should stay as small as possible and for graphs that have a strong community structure. Our sampling scheme is efficient and can be applied to graphs with up to 10 nodes.
A symplectic approach to van den Ban's convexity theorem

Let G be a complex semisimple Lie group and τ a com- plex antilinear involution that commutes with a Cartan involution. If H denotes the connected subgroup of τ-fixed points in G, and K is maximally compact, each H-orbit in G/K can be equipped with a Poisson structure as described by Evens and Lu. We consider sym- plectic leaves of certain such H-orbits with a natural Hamiltonian torus action. A symplectic convexity theorem then leads to van den Ban's convexity result for (complex) semisimple symmetric spaces.
A trial of sugar-free or sugar-sweetened beverages and body weight in children.

BACKGROUND The consumption of beverages that contain sugar is associated with overweight, possibly because liquid sugars do not lead to a sense of satiety, so the consumption of other foods is not reduced. However, data are lacking to show that the replacement of sugar-containing beverages with noncaloric beverages diminishes weight gain. METHODS We conducted an 18-month trial involving 641 primarily normal-weight children from 4 years 10 months to 11 years 11 months of age. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 250 ml (8 oz) per day of a sugar-free, artificially sweetened beverage (sugar-free group) or a similar sugar-containing beverage that provided 104 kcal (sugar group). Beverages were distributed through schools. At 18 months, 26% of the children had stopped consuming the beverages; the data from children who did not complete the study were imputed. RESULTS The z score for the body-mass index (BMI, the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) increased on average by 0.02 SD units in the sugar-free group and by 0.15 SD units in the sugar group; the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the difference was -0.21 to -0.05. Weight increased by 6.35 kg in the sugar-free group as compared with 7.37 kg in the sugar group (95% CI for the difference, -1.54 to -0.48). The skinfold-thickness measurements, waist-to-height ratio, and fat mass also increased significantly less in the sugar-free group. Adverse events were minor. When we combined measurements at 18 months in 136 children who had discontinued the study with those in 477 children who completed the study, the BMI z score increased by 0.06 SD units in the sugar-free group and by 0.12 SD units in the sugar group (P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS Masked replacement of sugar-containing beverages with noncaloric beverages reduced weight gain and fat accumulation in normal-weight children. (Funded by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development and others; DRINK ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00893529.).
Nonlinear Graph Sparsification for SLAM

In this paper we present a novel framework for nonlinear graph sparsification in the context of simultaneous localization and mapping. Our approach is formulated as a convex minimization problem, where we select the set of nonlinear measurements that best approximate the original distribution. In contrast to previous algorithms, our method does not require a global linearization point and can be used with any nonlinear measurement function. Experiments performed on several publicly available datasets demonstrate that our method outperforms the state of the art with respect to the KullbackLeibler divergence and the sparsity of the solution.
Low temperature perovskite formation of lead zirconate titanate thin films by a seeding process

A two-step seeding process has been developed to lower the transformation temperature and modify the grain structure of ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films with high Zr/Ti ratio. Previous study has shown that nucleation is the rate-limiting step for the perovskite formation. Therefore, any process that enhances the kinetics of nucleation is likely to decrease the transformation temperature. In this process, a very thin (45 nm) seeding layer of PbTiO_3, which has a low effective activation energy for perovskite formation, was used to provide nucleation sites needed for the low temperature perovskite formation. In this study, we have shown that the pyrochlore-to-perovskite phase transformation temperature of PbZr_ x Ti_1− x O_3 films of high Zr/Ti ratio (e.g., x = 53/47) can be lowered by as much as 100 °C. The grain size of these films can also be substantially modified by this two-step approach.
Survival Defects of Cryptococcus neoformans Mutants Exposed to Human Cerebrospinal Fluid Result in Attenuated Virulence in an Experimental Model of Meningitis

ABSTRACT Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that encounters various microenvironments during growth in the mammalian host, including intracellular vacuoles, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Because the CSF is isolated by the blood-brain barrier, we hypothesize that CSF presents unique stresses that C. neoformans must overcome to establish an infection. We assayed 1,201 mutants for survival defects in growth media, saline, and human CSF. We assessed CSF-specific mutants for (i) mutant survival in both human bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and fetal bovine serum (FBS), (ii) survival in macrophages, and (iii) virulence using both Caenorhabditiselegans and rabbit models of cryptococcosis. Thirteen mutants exhibited significant survival defects unique to CSF. The mutations of three of these mutants were recreated in the clinical serotype A strain H99: deletions of the genes for a cation ATPase transporter (ena1Δ), a putative NEDD8 ubiquitin-like protein (rub1Δ), and a phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (pik1Δ). Mutant survival rates in yeast media, saline, and BAL fluid were similar to those of the wild type; however, survival in FBS was reduced but not to the levels in CSF. These mutant strains also exhibited decreased intracellular survival in macrophages, various degrees of virulence in nematodes, and severe attenuation of survival in a rabbit meningitis model. We analyzed the CSF by mass spectrometry for candidate compounds responsible for the survival defect. Our findings indicate that the genes required for C. neoformans survival in CSF ex vivo are necessary for survival and infection in this unique host environment.
Decreased Functional Connectivity of Insular Cortex in Drug Naïve First Episode Schizophrenia: In Relation to Symptom Severity

Background This study was to examine the insular cortical functional connectivity in drug naïve patients with first episode schizophrenia and to explore the relationship between the connectivity and the severity of clinical symptoms. Methods Thirty-seven drug naïve patients with schizophrenia and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. A seed-based approach was used to analyze the resting-state functional imaging data. Insular cortical connectivity maps were bilaterally extracted for group comparison and validated by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis. Clinical symptoms were measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results There were significant reductions in the right insular cortical connectivity with the Heschl’s gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and caudate (p’s<0.001) in the patient group compared with the healthy control (HC) group. Reduced right insular cortical connectivity with the Heschl’s gyrus was further confirmed in the VBM analysis (FDR corrected p<0.05). Within the patient group, there was a significant positive relationship between the right insula-Heschl’s connectivity and PANSS general psychopathology scores (r = 0.384, p = 0.019). Conclusion Reduced insula-Heschl’s functional connectivity is present in drug naïve patients with first episode schizophrenia, which might be related to the manifestation of clinical symptoms.
Leverage Financial News to Predict Stock Price Movements Using Word Embeddings and Deep Neural Networks

Financial news contains useful information on public companies and the market. In this paper we apply the popular word embedding methods and deep neural networks to leverage financial news to predict stock price movements in the market. Experimental results have shown that our proposed methods are simple but very effective, which can significantly improve the stock prediction accuracy on a standard financial database over the baseline system using only the historical price information.
A New Atomistic Simulation Framework for Mechanochemical Reaction Analysis of Mechanophore Embedded Nanocomposites

A hybrid molecular dynamics (MD) simulation framework is developed to emulate mechanochemical reaction of mechanophores in epoxy-based nanocomposites. Two different force fields, a classical force field and a bond order based force field are hybridized to mimic the experimental processes from specimen preparation to mechanical loading test. Ultra-violet photodimerization for mechanophore synthesis and epoxy curing for thermoset polymer generation are successfully simulated by developing a numerical covalent bond generation method using the classical force field within the framework. Mechanical loading tests to activate mechanophores are also virtually conducted by deforming the volume of a simulation unit cell. The unit cell deformation leads to covalent bond elongation and subsequent bond breakage, which is captured using the bond order based force field. The outcome of the virtual loading test is used for local work analysis, which enables a quantitative study of mechanophore activation. Through the local work analysis, the onset and evolution of mechanophore activation indicating damage initiation and propagation are estimated; ultimately, the mechanophore sensitivity to external stress is evaluated. The virtual loading tests also provide accurate estimations of mechanical properties such as elastic, shear, bulk modulus, yield strain/strength, and Poisson’s ratio of the system. Experimental studies are performed in conjunction with the simulation work to validate the hybrid MD simulation framework. Less than 2% error in estimations of glass transition temperature (Tg) is observed with experimentally measured Tgs by use of differential scanning calorimetry. Virtual loading tests successfully reproduce the stress-strain curve capturing the effect of mechanophore inclusion on mechanical properties of epoxy polymer; comparable changes in Young’s modulus and yield strength are observed in experiments and simulations. Early damage signal detection, which is identified in experiments by observing increased intensity before the yield strain, is captured in simulations by showing that the critical strain representing the onset of the mechanophore activation occurs before the estimated yield strain. It is anticipated that the experimentally validated hybrid MD framework presented in this dissertation will provide a low-cost alternative to additional experiments that are required for optimizing material design parameters to improve damage sensing capability and mechanical properties Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Defense A New Atomistic Simulation Framework for Mechanochemical Reaction Analysis of Mechanophore Embedded Nanocomposites Bonsung Koo Advisor: Aditi Chattopadhyay February 17, 2017; 12:00PM; ERC 490 School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy
Multimodal obstacle detection and collision avoidance for micro aerial vehicles

Reliably perceiving obstacles and avoiding collisions is key for the fully autonomous application of micro aerial vehicles (MAVs), Limiting factors for increasing autonomy and complexity of MAVs are limited onboard sensing and limited onboard processing power. In this paper, we propose a complete system with a multimodal sensor setup for omnidirectional obstacle perception. We developed a lightweight 3D laser scanner and visual obstacle detection using wide-angle stereo cameras. Detected obstacles are aggregated in egocentric grid maps. We implemented a fast reactive collision avoidance approach for safe operation in the vicinity of structures like buildings or vegetation.
Live Score Following on Sheet Music Images

In this demo we show a novel approach to score following. Instead of relying on some symbolic representation, we are using a multi-modal convolutional neural network to match the incoming audio stream directly to sheet music images. This approach is in an early stage and should be seen as proof of concept. Nonetheless, the audience will have the opportunity to test our implementation themselves via 3 simple piano pieces.
Difference in Visual Motion Representation between Cortical Areas MT and MST during Ocular Following Responses

The middle temporal (MT) and medial superior temporal (MST) areas are successive stations of the visual motion-processing stream and project in parallel to the pontine nucleus, which is closely associated with rapid stabilization of gaze. We recorded the neural activities of MT and MST neurons of monkeys during short-latency ocular following responses (OFRs) elicited by large-field sinusoidal gratings with different spatial frequencies drifting at different temporal frequencies, and examined the dependence on spatiotemporal frequency. The results indicate that most MT/MST neurons were tuned almost separately for spatial and temporal frequencies of motion stimuli. The difference between MT and MST neurons was particularly striking for the optimal spatial frequency (higher for MT and lower for MST). The spatiotemporal frequency dependence of the OFRs could be reproduced by a weighted sum of the population activities of the MT and MST neurons. We conclude that MT and MST neurons work as spatiotemporal frequency sensors that extract motions of finer and coarser visual features and that both areas contribute to generation of OFRs.
Specifying dynamic support for collaborative work within WORLDS

In this paper, we present a specification language developed for WORLDS, a next generation computer-supported collaborative work system. Our specification language, called Introspect, employs a meta-level architecture to allow run-time modifications to specifications. We believe such an architecture is essential to WORLDS' ability to provide dynamic support for collaborative work in an elegant fashion.
Incremental Evolution of Complex General Behavior

Several researchers have demonstrated how complex action sequences can be learned through neuroevolution (i.e., evolving neural networks with genetic algorithms). However, complex general behavior such as evading predators or avoiding obstacles, which is not tied to specific environments, turns out to be very difficult to evolve. Often the system discovers mechanical strategies, such as moving back and forth, that help the agent cope but are not very effective, do not appear believable, and do not generalize to new environments. The problem is that a general strategy is too difficult for the evolution system to discover directly. This article proposes an approach wherein such complex general behavior is learned incrementally, by starting with simpler behavior and gradually making the task more challenging and general. The task transitions are implemented through successive stages of Delta coding (i.e., evolving modifications), which allows even converged populations to adapt to the new task. The method is tested in the stochastic, dynamic task of prey capture and is compared with direct evolution. The incremental approach evolves more effective and more general behavior and should also scale up to harder tasks.
Language as a Cognitive Process

Books reviewed in the AJCL will be those of interest to computat ional linguists; books in closely related disciplines may also be considered. The purpose of a book review is to inform readers about the content of the book and to present opinions on the choice of material, manner of presentat ion, and suitability for various readers and purposes. There is no limit to the length of reviews. The appropriate length is determined by its content. If you wish to review a specific book, please contact me before doing so to check that it is not already under review by someone else. If you want to be on a list of potential reviewers, please send me your name and mailing address together with a list of keywords summarizing your areas of interest. You can also suggest books to be reviewed without volunteering to be the reviewer.
High Speed Regeneration of BO-Defects : Improving Long-Term Solar Cell Performance within Seconds

Boron-oxygen related defects typically limit the efficiency of solar cells made from silicon containing high concentrations of boron as well as oxygen. The detrimental effect of these defects can be eliminated by applying a Regeneration procedure that needs carrier injection at slightly elevated temperatures. The kinetics of this process is influenced by different processing steps like thermal treatment and was found to rely on a high enough hydrogen concentration in the silicon bulk. It is shown here that neither emitter formation nor the use of Al2O3/SiNx:H or SiO2/SiNx:H passivation stacks affect Regeneration in a fundamental way. By contrast, the thickness of a SiNx:H layer acting as hydrogen source during a high temperature firing step has direct influence on Regeneration confirming that better hydrogenation results in faster Regeneration reactions. Condensing different process steps that all accelerate Regeneration allows the application of a high-speed Regeneration process consisting of a combination of relatively high temperature and high carrier injection, resulting in complete Regeneration of BO defects in less than 10 s. This makes Regeneration feasible as an in-line process in solar cell production and thus solves the problem of the boron-oxygen defects. Even further acceleration is achieved by laser induced Regeneration where the substrate is heated and illuminated simultaneously.
Disruption and functional analysis of six ORFs on chromosome XV: YOL117w, YOL115w ( TRF4), YOL114c, YOL112w ( MSB4), YOL111c and YOL072w

We have carried out the systematic disruption of six ORFs on chromosome XV, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the long flanking homology technique to replace each with the KanMX cassette; we have also constructed plasmids containing replacement cassettes and cognate clones for each ORF. Disruption of three of the ORFs—YOL117w, YOL114c, and YOL112w (also known as MSB4)—does not result in any noteworthy phenotype with respect to temperature or nutritional requirements, but yol112w mutants with an additional disruption of YNL293w, which encodes a protein similar to Yol112w, exhibit a slow growth phenotype. The protein specified by YOL114c shares similarity with the human DS‐1 protein. Disruption of YOL115w confers slow growth, cold sensitivity and poor sporulation; this ORF has been described elsewhere as TRF4, which encodes a topoisomerase I‐related protein. Cells with disruptions of YOL111c, whose product is weakly similar to the human ubiquitin‐like protein GdX, are slightly impaired in mating. Mutants disrupted for YOL072w, the predicted product of which is unrelated to any protein of known function, grow slowly, are cold‐sensitive and sporulate with reduced efficiency. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.