Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The spatial distribution of attention in perceptual latency priming

The spatial distribution of visual attention is a yet unresolved question. One of the main topics is whether attention is distributed in a graded fashion around an attended location (e.g., Downing, 1988; Zimba & Hughes, 1987). The present experiments explore whether, and on which conditions, gradients of attention arise and contribute to perceptual facilitation. A masked or unmasked prime precedes one of two targets whose temporal order has to be judged. The prime captures attention, which shortens the perceptual latency of the primed target (perceptual latency priming; Scharlau & Neumann, 2003a; Shore, Spence, & Klein, 2001). No strong evidence for an attentional gradient was found. (1) Accuracy of temporal order judgements was independent of the distance between the two targets that were judged. That is, facilitation of the second target by the first target was spatially invariant. (2) With targets of short duration, facilitation was independent of prime-target distance. (3) With targets of long duration, gradients were found: Facilitation declined continuously with distance. Thus, long duration of stimuli may be a sufficient precondition for an attentional gradient. A control experiment showed that object-based attention contributes only marginally to perceptual latency priming.
Pore waters regulate ion permeation in a calcium release-activated calcium channel

Significance Calcium channel dysfunction is implicated in cardiac arrhythmias and immunodeficiency disorders. The recent publication of the crystal structure of a calcium ion channel denoted CRAC has allowed us to use atomic-level computer simulation to begin to understand the mechanism of ion permeation through this ubiquitous and vital cell entry pathway. Our computations identify pore water molecules as a crucial contributor in governing the channel conductance characteristics not only of the wild-type protein but also a disease-related mutant. The present study should be helpful for research designed to improve treatment of immune diseases caused by disrupted calcium signaling. The recent crystal structure of Orai, the pore unit of a calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channel, is used as the starting point for molecular dynamics and free-energy calculations designed to probe this channel’s conduction properties. In free molecular dynamics simulations, cations localize preferentially at the extracellular channel entrance near the ring of Glu residues identified in the crystal structure, whereas anions localize in the basic intracellular half of the pore. To begin to understand ion permeation, the potential of mean force (PMF) was calculated for displacing a single Na+ ion along the pore of the CRAC channel. The computed PMF indicates that the central hydrophobic region provides the major hindrance for ion diffusion along the permeation pathway, thereby illustrating the nonconducting nature of the crystal structure conformation. Strikingly, further PMF calculations demonstrate that the mutation V174A decreases the free energy barrier for conduction, rendering the channel effectively open. This seemingly dramatic effect of mutating a nonpolar residue for a smaller nonpolar residue in the pore hydrophobic region suggests an important role for the latter in conduction. Indeed, our computations show that even without significant channel-gating motions, a subtle change in the number of pore waters is sufficient to reshape the local electrostatic field and modulate the energetics of conduction, a result that rationalizes recent experimental findings. The present work suggests the activation mechanism for the wild-type CRAC channel is likely regulated by the number of pore waters and hence pore hydration governs the conductance.
The Relationship between Cultural Background and Reading Comprehension

This study was an attempt to investigate the relationship between cultural background of Iranian EFL learners and reading comprehension. 45 Iranian language learners majoring in TEFL and English language translation from three different ethnicities in different provinces were selected through purposive sampling. All participants received three different reading comprehension sub-tests: a reading sub-test including culturally familiar topics and two reading sub-tests with culturally unfamiliar topics. The results showed that the means of all groups on culturally familiar reading tests were greater than their means on reading tests with unfamiliar contents.
Detection of Syn Flooding Attacks using Linear Prediction Analysis

This paper presents a simple but fast and effective method to detect TCP SYN flooding attacks. Linear prediction analysis is proposed as a new paradigm for DoS attack detection. The proposed SYN flooding detection mechanism makes use of the exponential backoff property of TCP used during timeouts. By modeling the difference of SYN and SYN+ACK packets, we are successfully able to detect an attack within short delays. We use this method at leaf routers and firewalls to detect the attack without the need of maintaining any state
Wireless Power Transfer: Metamaterials and Array of Coupled Resonators

In this paper, we will report some recent progress on wireless power transfer (WPT) based on resonant coupling. Two major technologies will be discussed: the use of metamaterials and array of coupled resonators. With a slab of metamaterial, the near-field coupling between two resonant coils can be enhanced; the power transfer efficiency between coils is boosted by the metamaterial. The principle of enhanced coupling with metamaterial will be discussed; the design of metamaterial slabs for near-field wireless power transfer will be shown; recent experimental results on wireless power transfer efficiency improvement with metamaterial will also be presented. By using an array of resonators, the range of efficient power transfer can be greatly extended. More importantly, this new technology can provide wireless power to both static and mobile devices dynamically. The principle of this technology will be explained; analytical and numerical models will be used to evaluate the performance of a WPT system with an array of resonators; recent experimental developments will also be presented.
Comparison of the Dubin, Lynham, and Van de Ven Theory-Building Research Methods and Implications for HRD

Conventional wisdom posits that people who are interested in doing theorybuilding research in applied disciplines need two types of expertise (Campbell, 1990; Gioia & Pitre, 1990; Lynham, 2002; Torraco, 1997; Van de Ven, 2003). The first type of expertise is of the phenomenon under investigation: Theory builders need to have deep experience and knowledge in what they are trying to explain. The second type of expertise is of theory-building research methods. The methods have been recognized (Swanson & Holton, 2001) as ranging from “challenging (Cohen, 1991; Dubin, 1978; Reynolds, 1971) . to comparatively simple (Patterson, 1983; Strauss & Corbin, 1998) theory building tools and methods” (p. 67). This article contributes toward the second type of expertise: theorybuilding research methodology. It presents a comparison of the theorybuilding research methods of Dubin (1978), Lynham (2002), and Van de Ven (2003). Each method is described and then compared and contrasted from three perspectives that are critical for applied science: (a) theory-building steps, (b) researcher-practitioner relationship, and (c) evaluation criteria. The article concludes by discussing the implications for human research development (HRD) on future research in building applied theory.
Rites of Passage: Identity and the Training of Clinical Psychologists in the Current South African Context

This article attempts to make sense of the clinical psychology training experience, as a negotiation of personal and professional identity. It suggests that the training, particularly in the first year, is a rite of passage, in many respects similar to an initiation process. Rites of passage can be seen as processes marking shifts in status and social identity. In the case of training to be a psychologist this change involves the movement from lay to professional status. There are three phases involved in the transitional process. The first involves separation from other groups of postgraduate students, and also in different ways from friends and family through involvement in course material that is often both esoteric and confidential. The second phase is marked by a fluid and often confusing marginal state between student and professional identity. The third phase involves a reintegration back into society as a fully-fledged professional, once the training is over. This article focuses on the ambiguities of the marginal state as the primary identity position during training, and explores the implications of this, both for those being trained and for trainers.
The Impact of Influential Others on the Sport Participation Patterns of African American Female Student-Athletes

Abstract In examining how Black women develop their sport identities, the current study involved focus group and individual interviews with 14 African American female National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate student-athletes. The researchers present data on the presence of influential others in the lives of the participants and the impact of factors such as economics, geography, and media coverage. Findings on the role of influential others were analyzed specifically to illumine the differing influence of a role models compared to that of a mentors as well as the race and gender dynamics involved. The interpretation of the results is focused on the current channels through which African American women are exposed to sport. Implications are made as they relate to Sport Management Research, Higher Education and Women in Collegiate Sport.
A Multi-Core Parallel Fusion Algorithm for Remote-Sensing Image

AS the multi-core processor technology promoted application rapidly, the platform on parallel computing is gradually becoming popular. This paper adopted the idea on the model of dynamic load balance and quad-tree structure, proposed a model of algorithm to task allocation towards large image data processing of digital image fusion under the architecture of multi-core processor. Conclusion shows that the model of algorithm can effectively improve the speed in image fusion through validation.
High-level Reasoning and Low-level Learning for Grasping: A Probabilistic Logic Pipeline

While grasps must satisfy the grasping stability criteria, good grasps depend on the specific manipulation scenario: the object, its properties and functionalities, as well as the task and grasp constraints. In this paper, we consider such information for robot grasping by leveraging manifolds and symbolic object parts. Specifically, we introduce a new probabilistic logic module to first semantically reason about pre-grasp configurations with respect to the intended tasks. Further, a mapping is learned from part-related visual features to good grasping points. The probabilistic logic module makes use of object-task affordances and object/task ontologies to encode rules that generalize over similar object parts and object/task categories. The use of probabilistic logic for task-dependent grasping contrasts with current approaches that usually learn direct mappings from visual perceptions to task-dependent grasping points. We show the benefits of the full probabilistic logic pipeline experimentally and on a real robot.
CoLBA: A Collaborative Load Balancing Algorithm to Avoid Queue Overflow in WSNs

Most wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are used for data collection applications. WSNs are known for their ease of deployment which make them very popular. In most data collection applications traffic is destined towards one node, usually known as the sink. With high data rate, this many-to-one traffic scenario causes queue overflow in the nodes located near the sink. Sensor nodes are known for their limited storage capacities which makes the packet queue overflow even more critical. This issue is often avoided by the routing protocol. Several efforts have recently led to the proposal of several traffic load balancing routing protocols to avoid queue overflow in WSNs. These protocols use various metrics in order to guide the routing mechanism such as the next hop neighbor queue occupancy rate or the next hop current number of children. In this paper, we propose a new routing protocol based on a Collaborative Load Balancing Algorithm (CoLBA). CoLBA uses the time spent by data packets in the queues as a routing metric. In addition to this metric, each node is aware of its queue occupancy rate. In case the receiving node queue is close to be full, all transmitting neighbors will be alerted and asked to choose another next hop. Simulation results on Contiki OS Cooja simulator showed that CoLBA achieves a better packet delivery rate and much less queue overflow compared to a standard routing protocol based on minimal hop counts.
Real-Time Recognition of Dynamic Hand Postures on a Neuromorphic System

To explore how the brain may recognise objects in its general,accurate and energy-efficient manner, this paper proposes the use of a neuromorphic hardware system formed from a Dynamic Video Sensor (DVS) silicon retina in concert with the SpiNNaker real-time Spiking Neural Network (SNN) simulator. As a first step in the exploration on this platform a recognition system for dynamic hand postures is developed, enabling the study of the methods used in the visual pathways of the brain. Inspired by the behaviours of the primary visual cortex, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are modelled using both linear perceptrons and spiking Leaky Integrate-and-Fire (LIF) neurons. In this study’s largest configuration using these approaches, a network of 74,210 neurons and 15,216,512 synapses is created and operated in real-time using 290 SpiNNaker processor cores in parallel and with 93.0% accuracy. A smaller network using only 1/10th of the resources is also created, again operating in real-time, and it is able to recognise the postures with an accuracy of around 86.4% only 6.6% lower than the much larger system. The recognition rate of the smaller network developed on this neuromorphic system is sufficient for a successful hand posture recognition system, and demonstrates a much improved cost to performance trade-off in its approach. Keywords—Spiking neural network (SNN), convolutional neural network (CNN), posture recognition, neuromorphic system.
A Comparison of Screening Methods for Sleep Disorders in Australian Community Pharmacies: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Community pharmacies may potentially assist in screening for chronic conditions such as sleep disorders, which remain both under-diagnosed and untreated. We aimed to compare a subjective risk-assessment-only questionnaire (RAO) for common sleep disorder screening against the same risk-assessment questionnaire plus a nasal flow monitor as an objective marker of possible underlying obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (RA+) in a community pharmacy setting. The primary outcome was the number of participants identified in RAO or RA+ group who were likely to have and consequently be diagnosed with OSA. Further outcomes included the number of participants identified as being at risk for, referred for, taking-up referral for, and then diagnosed with OSA, insomnia, and/or restless legs syndrome (RLS) in either group. Methods In a cluster-randomized trial, participants were recruited through 23 community pharmacies. Using validated instruments, 325 (RAO = 152, RA+ = 173) participants were screened for OSA, insomnia, and RLS. Findings 218 (67%) participants were at risk of OSA, insomnia or RLS and these participants were referred to their primary physician. The proportion of screened participants identified as being at risk of OSA was significantly higher in the RA+ group (36% in RAO vs. 66% in RA+, OR 3.4, 95% CI (1.8–6.5), p<0.001). A 12-month follow-up was completed in 125 RAO and 155 RA+ participants. Actual referral uptake was 34% RAO, 26% RA+, OR 4.4, 95% CI (1.4–19.2), p = 0.31. The OSA diagnosis rate was higher in the RA+ arm (p = 0.01). To yield a single additional confirmed OSA diagnosis, 16 people would need to be screened using the RA+ protocol. Conclusions These results demonstrate that utilising either screening method is feasible in identifying individuals in the community pharmacy setting who are likely to have OSA, insomnia and/or RLS. Secondly, adding an objective marker of OSA to a questionnaire-based prediction tool resulted in more confirmed OSA diagnoses. Trial Registration : ACTR.org. au ACTRN12608000628347
The Sleepiness-Induced Lapsing and Cognitive Slowing (SILCS) Model: Predicting Fatigue Effects on Warfighter Performance

The Sleepiness-Induced Lapsing and Cognitive Slowing (SILCS) model is designed to improve the credibility and accuracy of synthetic warfighters used in high fidelity simulation systems. The empirically derived SILCS model describes sleep deprivation and time-of-day effects on performance in terms of the influence of two phenomena - general response slowing and lapsing. The former produces small increases in response time while the latter causes significant increases and errors.
Applying Longitudinal Mean and Covariance Structures (LMACS) Analysis to Assess Construct Stability Over Two Time Points

Traditional methods of assessing construct stability are reviewed and longitudinal mean and covariance structures (LMACS) analysis, a modern approach, is didactically illustrated using psychological entitlement data. Measurement invariance and latent variable stability results are interpreted, emphasizing substantive implications for educators and the utility of LMACS analysis in longitudinal research.
Public pedagogy from the learner's perspective: women reading self-help relationship books

In recent years, the concept of public pedagogy has increasingly influenced the study of continuing education, drawing attention to ways in which adults access resources from popular culture and learn without the involvement of educational institutions. Reading relationship self-help books has become a prominent component of popular culture. There are two predominant scholarly interpretations of relationship books for women. One argues that such books have ‘abducted’ feminism, because, while cloaked in egalitarian rhetoric about relationships between men and women, they actually encourage women to adopt characteristically male approaches to relationships. The other claims that such books are ‘anti-feminist,’ because they encourage women to nurture satisfying relationships by adopting traditional feminine roles. We explore these interpretations through reporting the results of twenty-four qualitative interviews. Only a minority of readers reported experiences consistent with existing interpretations of the genre. Most readers displayed complex combinations of learning experiences – some of which were consistent with feminist principles, while others reflected a subtle normalization of gender inequalities. We conclude that understanding the impact of self-help books, among other forms of public pedagogy, requires moving beyond textual analysis, to engaging readers in conversation about how reading has influenced their sense of themselves and their relationships.
Parallel Algorithms and Concentration Bounds for the Lovász Local Lemma via Witness DAGs

The Lovász Local Lemma (LLL) is a cornerstone principle in the probabilistic method of combinatorics, and a seminal algorithm of Moser and Tardos (2010) provides an efficient randomized algorithm to implement it. This can be parallelized to give an algorithm that uses polynomially many processors and runs in O(log3 n) time on an EREW PRAM, stemming from O(log n) adaptive computations of a maximal independent set (MIS). Chung et al. (2014) developed faster local and parallel algorithms, potentially running in time O(log2 n), but these algorithms require more stringent conditions than the LLL. We give a new parallel algorithm that works under essentially the same conditions as the original algorithm of Moser and Tardos but uses only a single MIS computation, thus running in O(log2 n) time on an EREW PRAM. This can be derandomized to give an NC algorithm running in time O(log2 n) as well, speeding up a previous NC LLL algorithm of Chandrasekaran et al. (2013). We also provide improved and tighter bounds on the runtimes of the sequential and parallel resampling-based algorithms originally developed by Moser and Tardos. These apply to any problem instance in which the tighter Shearer LLL criterion is satisfied.
Clonidine decreases intraoperative bleeding in middle ear microsurgery

Background: The antihypertensive drug clonidine is a centrally acting α2 agonist useful as a premedicant because of its sedative, anxiolytic, and analgesic properties. We examined the effect of clonidine given as an oral preanesthetic medication in producing a bloodless surgical field in patients undergoing middle ear microsurgery. We also evaluated whether the administration of clonidine would alter the reflex cardiovascular response to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation, anesthetic requirement, postoperative pain intensity and consumption of analgesics, and pre‐ and postoperative sedation and anxiety.