Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mass transfer from the donor of GRS 1915+105

A scenario for a periodic filling and emptying of the accretion disc of the microquasar GRS 1915+105 is proposed, by computing the mass transfer rate from the evolving low mass red giant donor (Greiner at al. 2001) and comparing it with the observed accretion rate onto the primary black hole. We propose a duty-cycle with (5-10)(eta/0.1) per cent active ON-state where eta is the efficiency of converting accretion into radiation. The duration of the quiescent recurrent OFF-state is identified as the viscosity time scale at the circularization radius and equals 370(alpha/0.001)^(-4/5) years, where alpha is the viscosity parameter in the alpha-prescription of a classical disc. If the viscosity at the outer edge of the disc is small and eta is close to the maximum available potential energy (per rest mass energy) at the innermost stable orbit, the present active phase may last another 10 - 20 years.
A chatterbox is a box: Morphology in German word production

Two experiments are reported in which university students translated visually presented English words into German, while German distractor words were simultaneously presented. Distractors were morphologically related, merely form-related or unrelated to the German translations (target words). The transparency of the semantic relation between target words and morphological distractors was also varied. Morphological distractors facilitated word-translation latencies irrespective of their semantic transparency, replicating results obtained with other tasks. Thus, in German word production, effects of morphological complexity seem to be largely independent of semantics. Morphological facilitation is also not due to mere form relatedness, since phonological distractors had no impact on translation latencies, relative to unrelated distractors. Our data corroborate the usefulness of word-translation for investigating spoken word production, in particular, for morphological processing.
The Obligatory Nature of Holistic Processing of Faces in Social Judgments

Using a composite-face paradigm, we show that social judgments from faces rely on holistic processing. Participants judged facial halves more positively when aligned with trustworthy than with untrustworthy halves, despite instructions to ignore the aligned parts (experiment 1). This effect was substantially reduced when the faces were inverted (experiments 2 and 3) and when the halves were misaligned (experiment 3). In all three experiments, judgments were affected to a larger extent by the to-be-attended than the to-be-ignored halves, suggesting that there is partial control of holistic processing. However, after rapid exposures to faces (33 to 100 ms), judgments of trustworthy and untrustworthy halves aligned with incongruent halves were indistinguishable (experiment 4a). Differences emerged with exposures longer than 100 ms. In contrast, when participants were not instructed to attend to specific facial parts, these differences did not emerge (experiment 4b). These findings suggest that the initial pass of information is holistic and that additional time allows participants to partially ignore the task-irrelevant context.
Does the source of an interpersonal odour affect disgust? A disease risk model and its alternatives

Using self-report, this paper explored whether a malodour’s source (self, liked person, stranger) influences hedonic responding. In Study 1, participants were presented with vignettes describing various encounters with malodours. Negative affect increased when body malodours emanated from a stranger rather than oneself (the source effect). Study 2 replicated this finding using a smell diary, in which participants recorded their hedonic responses to real odours. Study 3 determined that this source effect was not due to a social status or a halo effect. Study 4 examined the role of exposure and attachment. Exposure, but not attachment, best accounted for the source effect. Study 5 examined whether perceived disease risk varied by source and whether this could account for the source effect. The findings suggested that there are two mechanisms by which disgust responses to malodours can be modulated to reflect the disease risk of their source: implicitly, by mere exposure, and explicitly, by knowledge of risk. In the discussion, we argue that avoiding contact with disease-causing agents is adaptive, and that this is implicitly modulated by exposure, so that the cues for disease emanating from people encountered less frequently are treated with more caution. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antenna impedance correction for low power energy harvesting devices

In this paper, a two-step methodology is presented to design a low power wireless energy harvesting device. The rectenna system, consisting of an half-wave rectifier circuit and a non-50 ohms antenna, is designed to archive maximal power transfer at some specified frequency and power level. The main idea of this work is to obtain maximum efficiency avoiding complex impedance matching circuits. First, the rectifier circuit is designed and its input impedance is measured under the desired operating conditions (frequency range and input power levels). Then, the antenna geometry is optimized to match the complex impedance of the rectifier. Results are presented for a 2.45 GHz rectenna. The performance of the non-50 ohms antenna is compared to a conventional one.
LMI stability constraints for disjoint stability regions using rouché theorem

Stability domain characterization in coefficients space of polynomials is considered. Generalization of existing results on convex approximation of stability domain in coefficients space is proposed. The proposed method can handle broad class of stability regions including unions of disjoint stability regions. New LMI formulation of stability constraints is developed for discrete-time polynomials. Numerical examples are provided, demonstrating the applicability of the proposed method.
Studying Political Microblogging: Parliamentary Candidates on Twitter During The February 2012 Election in Kuwait

Kuwait boasts high levels of political and media freedoms compared to many countries in the Middle East, and it enjoys a vibrant social media scene. The Kuwaiti parliamentary election in February 2012 was the first election in which candidates widely utilized Twitter during their campaigns. This article presents a content analysis of tweets sent by the 50 winning members of parliament (MPs) during the campaign period. It seeks to ascertain the Twitter usage patterns of MPs and determine whether Twitter was an effective tool in gaining votes. Although Twitter was widely used among MPs, it was employed less for information sharing or communicating about political issues and more for engaging with followers. This article concludes that no relationship existed between using Twitter and gaining votes. Rather, the social media platform acted as a natural extension of off-line interactions between MPs and the electorate.
Acoustic Scene Classification: An evaluation of an extremely compact feature representation

This paper investigates several approaches to address the acoustic scene classification (ASC) task. We start from low-level feature representation for segmented audio frames and investigate different time granularity for feature aggregation. We study the use of support vector machine (SVM), as a well-known classifier, together with two popular neural network (NN) architectures, namely mul-tilayer perceptron (MLP) and convolutional neural network (CNN). We evaluate the performance of these approaches on benchmark datasets provided from the 2013 and 2016 Detection and Classification of Acoustic Scenes and Events (DCASE) challenges. We observe that a simple approach exploiting averaged Mel-log-spectrograms and SVM can obtain even better results than NN-based approaches and comparable performance with the best systems in the DCASE 2013 challenge.
Dynamic Functional Reorganizations and Relationship with Working Memory Performance in Healthy Aging

In recent years, several theories have been proposed in attempts to identify the neural mechanisms underlying successful cognitive aging. Old subjects show increased neural activity during the performance of tasks, mainly in prefrontal areas, which is interpreted as a compensatory mechanism linked to functional brain efficiency. Moreover, resting-state studies have concluded that elders show disconnection or disruption of large-scale functional networks. We used functional MRI during resting-state and a verbal n-back task with different levels of memory load in a cohort of young and old healthy adults to identify patterns of networks associated with working memory and brain default mode. We found that the disruption of resting-state networks in the elderly coexists with task-related overactivations of certain brain areas and with reorganizations within these functional networks. Moreover, elders who were able to activate additional areas and to recruit a more bilateral frontal pattern within the task-related network achieved successful performance on the task. We concluded that the balanced and plastic reorganization of brain networks underlies successful cognitive aging. This observation allows the integration of several theories that have been proposed to date regarding the aging brain.
Exploration of complex visual feature spaces for object perception

The mid- and high-level visual properties supporting object perception in the ventral visual pathway are poorly understood. In the absence of well-specified theory, many groups have adopted a data-driven approach in which they progressively interrogate neural units to establish each unit's selectivity. Such methods are challenging in that they require search through a wide space of feature models and stimuli using a limited number of samples. To more rapidly identify higher-level features underlying human cortical object perception, we implemented a novel functional magnetic resonance imaging method in which visual stimuli are selected in real-time based on BOLD responses to recently shown stimuli. This work was inspired by earlier primate physiology work, in which neural selectivity for mid-level features in IT was characterized using a simple parametric approach (Hung et al., 2012). To extend such work to human neuroimaging, we used natural and synthetic object stimuli embedded in feature spaces constructed on the basis of the complex visual properties of the objects themselves. During fMRI scanning, we employed a real-time search method to control continuous stimulus selection within each image space. This search was designed to maximize neural responses across a pre-determined 1 cm3 brain region within ventral cortex. To assess the value of this method for understanding object encoding, we examined both the behavior of the method itself and the complex visual properties the method identified as reliably activating selected brain regions. We observed: (1) Regions selective for both holistic and component object features and for a variety of surface properties; (2) Object stimulus pairs near one another in feature space that produce responses at the opposite extremes of the measured activity range. Together, these results suggest that real-time fMRI methods may yield more widely informative measures of selectivity within the broad classes of visual features associated with cortical object representation.
Questões Sobre Avaliação de Processos Psicoterápicos

O artigo objetiva discutir formas de avaliacao de eficacia em intervencoes psicoterapicas, baseadas nos delineamentos de ensaios clinicos randomizados (randomized clinical trials), delineamentos quantitativos que regem as novas tendencias de intervencoes com base em evidencias de pesquisas experimentais. Aborda-se inicialmente a definicao de eficacia e eficiencia e as principais caracteristicas dos delineamentos que avaliam eficacia de intervencoes psicologicas, tais como os ensaios clinicos e as meta- analises. Em seguida sao descritos os principais problemas relacionados a complexidade em desenvolver pesquisas de eficacia em intervencoes psicologicas, tendo como base os estudos que sustentam a medicina baseada em evidencias. Por ultimo, o autor relata pesquisas internacionais sobre eficacia em intervencoes psicologicas e seus resultados, comparando abordagens teoricas/intervencoes diversas em problemas tais como depressao, ansiedade, fobias, problemas sexuais, dentre outros.
White Skin, Yellow Masks? A case study of a merge from a postcolonial perspective

Hence the power relation between East and West is challenged the purpose of this thesis is to problematize the postcolonial critique through a case analysis of a merger between an Eastern and a Western organization. We have investigated if the postcolonial lenses can be reversed where it is not necessarily East who is subject to these experiences and additionally we have problematized the postcolonial critique. The research methodology is a qualitative study inspired mainly by hermeneutics, poststructuralism and postmodernism in which the empirical data is collected through semi-structured interviews. Our findings show that traditional colonial experiences such as representations, mimicry and hybridity are not exclusive for one side. We argue that the traditional power relations are challenged and our findings therefore add to, problematize and challenge much of current postcolonial literature. We argue that Postcolonial scholars must recognize that the world is not so easily defined, but rather heterogeneous and should therefore modify its approach to modern times.
Influence of Supraliminal Reward Information on Unconsciously Triggered Response Inhibition

Although executive functions (e.g., response inhibition) are often thought to interact consciously with reward, recent studies have demonstrated that they can also be triggered by unconscious stimuli. Further research has suggested a close relationship between consciously and unconsciously triggered response inhibition. To date, however, the effect of reward on unconsciously triggered response inhibition has not been explored. To address this issue, participants in this study performed runs of a modified Go/No-Go task during which they were exposed to both high and low value monetary rewards presented both supraliminally and subliminally. Participants were informed that they would earn the reward displayed if they responded correctly to each trial of the run. According to the results, when rewards were presented supraliminally, a greater unconsciously triggered response inhibition was observed for high-value rewards than for low-value rewards. In contrast, when rewards were presented subliminally, no enhanced unconsciously triggered response inhibition was observed. Results revealed that supraliminal and subliminal rewards have distinct effects on unconsciously triggered response inhibition. These findings have important implications for extending our understanding of the relationship between reward and response inhibition.
Neural Processing of What and Who Information in Speech

Human speech is composed of two types of information, related to content (lexical information, i.e., “what” is being said [e.g., words]) and to the speaker (indexical information, i.e., “who” is talking [e.g., voices]). The extent to which lexical versus indexical information is represented separately or integrally in the brain is unresolved. In the current experiment, we use short-term fMRI adaptation to address this issue. Participants performed a loudness judgment task during which single or multiple sets of words/pseudowords were repeated with single (repeat) or multiple talkers (speaker-change) conditions while BOLD responses were collected. As reflected by adaptation fMRI, the left posterior middle temporal gyrus, a crucial component of the ventral auditory stream performing sound-to-meaning computations (“what” pathway), showed sensitivity to lexical as well as indexical information. Previous studies have suggested that speaker information is abstracted during this stage of auditory word processing. Here, we demonstrate that indexical information is strongly coupled with word information. These findings are consistent with a plethora of behavioral results that have demonstrated that changes to speaker-related information can influence lexical processing.
Iodine treatment in children with subclinical hypothyroidism due to chronic iodine deficiency decreases thyrotropin and C-peptide concentrations and improves the lipid profile.

BACKGROUND Chronic iodine deficiency (ID) increases thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations and produces a thyroid hormone pattern consistent with subclinical hypothyroidism (ScH). ScH may be associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors. Thus, the study aim was to determine if iodine treatment of children with elevated TSH concentrations due to ID would affect their lipid profile, insulin (C-peptide) levels, and/or subclinical inflammation. METHODS In controlled intervention trials of oral iodized oil or iodized salt, 5-14-year-old children from Morocco, Albania, and South Africa with TSH concentrations > or = 2.5 mU/L (n = 262) received 400 mg iodine as oral iodized oil or household distribution of iodized salt containing 25 microg iodine/g salt. At baseline and after 5 or 6 months, urinary iodine (UI) and blood concentrations of total thyroxine, TSH, C-reactive protein (CRP), C-peptide, and lipids were measured. RESULTS Median (range) UI at baseline was 46 (2-601) microg/L. Compared to the control group, iodine treatment significantly increased UI and total thyroxine and decreased TSH, C-peptide, and total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The mean low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio fell from 3.3 to 2.4 after iodine treatment (p < 0.001). Iodine treatment had no significant effect on concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, or C-reactive protein. CONCLUSIONS Correction of ID-associated ScH improves the insulin and lipid profile and may thereby reduce risk for cardiovascular disease. This previously unrecognized benefit of iodine prophylaxis may be important because ID remains common in rapidly developing countries with increasing rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Decentralized spectrum selection algorithm to consider hardware constraints in Cognitive Radio Ad-Hoc Networks

The Cognitive Radio (CR) is considered as a solution to increase in wireless devices and traffic in existing networks where inefficient spectrum utilization occurs. Common Control Channel (CCC) of CR helps unlicensed devices to make a decision for availability of spectrum resources in CR Ad Hoc Networks (CRAHNs). Actually, it is not easy to adopt CCC to the network in which supports applications such as military units penetrating deep in unknown and/or hostile territories, wireless networks established for particular social events, or sensor networks deployed for specific tasks. Therefore, various kinds of decentralized MAC protocols are developed recently to consider hardware constraints. However, these protocols also have limitations that they did not consider various operation environments and parameters to enhance the performance. In this paper, we propose a memoryless access based spectrum selection algorithm to overcome the hardware constraints and enhance the spectrum utilization. To evaluate the network performance, simulations are conducted in terms of throughput.
Intra-tumor Genetic Heterogeneity and Mortality in Head and Neck Cancer: Analysis of Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas

Background Although the involvement of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity in tumor progression, treatment resistance, and metastasis is established, genetic heterogeneity is seldom examined in clinical trials or practice. Many studies of heterogeneity have had prespecified markers for tumor subpopulations, limiting their generalizability, or have involved massive efforts such as separate analysis of hundreds of individual cells, limiting their clinical use. We recently developed a general measure of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity based on whole-exome sequencing (WES) of bulk tumor DNA, called mutant-allele tumor heterogeneity (MATH). Here, we examine data collected as part of a large, multi-institutional study to validate this measure and determine whether intra-tumor heterogeneity is itself related to mortality. Methods and Findings Clinical and WES data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas in October 2013 for 305 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), from 14 institutions. Initial pathologic diagnoses were between 1992 and 2011 (median, 2008). Median time to death for 131 deceased patients was 14 mo; median follow-up of living patients was 22 mo. Tumor MATH values were calculated from WES results. Despite the multiple head and neck tumor subsites and the variety of treatments, we found in this retrospective analysis a substantial relation of high MATH values to decreased overall survival (Cox proportional hazards analysis: hazard ratio for high/low heterogeneity, 2.2; 95% CI 1.4 to 3.3). This relation of intra-tumor heterogeneity to survival was not due to intra-tumor heterogeneity’s associations with other clinical or molecular characteristics, including age, human papillomavirus status, tumor grade and TP53 mutation, and N classification. MATH improved prognostication over that provided by traditional clinical and molecular characteristics, maintained a significant relation to survival in multivariate analyses, and distinguished outcomes among patients having oral-cavity or laryngeal cancers even when standard disease staging was taken into account. Prospective studies, however, will be required before MATH can be used prognostically in clinical trials or practice. Such studies will need to examine homogeneously treated HNSCC at specific head and neck subsites, and determine the influence of cancer therapy on MATH values. Analysis of MATH and outcome in human-papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is particularly needed. Conclusions To our knowledge this study is the first to combine data from hundreds of patients, treated at multiple institutions, to document a relation between intra-tumor heterogeneity and overall survival in any type of cancer. We suggest applying the simply calculated MATH metric of heterogeneity to prospective studies of HNSCC and other tumor types.
Rhizosphere processes are quantitatively important components of terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycles

While there is an emerging view that roots and their associated microbes actively alter resource availability and soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, the ecosystem consequences of such rhizosphere effects have rarely been quantified. Using a meta‐analysis, we show that multiple indices of microbially mediated C and nitrogen (N) cycling, including SOM decomposition, are significantly enhanced in the rhizospheres of diverse vegetation types. Then, using a numerical model that combines rhizosphere effect sizes with fine root morphology and depth distributions, we show that root‐accelerated mineralization and priming can account for up to one‐third of the total C and N mineralized in temperate forest soils. Finally, using a stoichiometrically constrained microbial decomposition model, we show that these effects can be induced by relatively modest fluxes of root‐derived C, on the order of 4% and 6% of gross and net primary production, respectively. Collectively, our results indicate that rhizosphere processes are a widespread, quantitatively important driver of SOM decomposition and nutrient release at the ecosystem scale, with potential consequences for global C stocks and vegetation feedbacks to climate.