Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Desglycinamide‐(Arg8)‐vasopressin in five trials with memory‐disturbed patients

A series of five consecutive clinical trials were performed in which the neuropeptide desglycinamide‐(Arg8)‐vasopressin (DGAVP) was administered to human subjects suffering from cognitive and memory complaints. The patients selected for the study were carefully screened with the aid of neuropsychological assessment procedures. The trials were conducted according to a structured design in which the variables ‘dose’, ‘route of administration’, ‘treatment schedule’, ‘diagnostic group’, and ‘severity of deficit’ were varied from trial to trial in order to find optimal conditions for the possible expression of a peptide effect. The results indicate a statistically significant effect of DGAVP on word list learning in patients with mild brain trauma, suggesting that learning performance and memory retrieval are improved after peptide treatment in these patients. Patients with more severe brain trauma did not respond to peptide treatment. Some DGAVP effects, e.g. increased speed of memory search, were observed in patients with age‐associated memory deficits.
Ecological risk assessment of pesticides in the EU: what factors and groups influence policy changes?

For the last couple of years, European environmental risk assessment (ERA) regulations have undergone significant changes. The new 1107/2009 directive which came into effect in 2011 has triggered an on-going debate on defining specific protection goals for ERA. During this period, we conducted a study on policy change among the most influential ERA stakeholders from Europe. We interviewed 43, purposively sampled, participants from the European safety authorities, plant protection product industry and academia. Transcribed interviews underwent thematic analysis conducted separately by two coders. As we followed the advocacy coalition framework, our findings focus on stakeholders’ processes, interrelations and values behind the ERA policy change. The main challenges emerging from our analysis turned out to be the slow uptake of scientific developments into ERA and very broadly defined protection goals. The use of safety factors and cut-off criteria left risk assessors with many uncertainties. With ERA in its current form it turned out to be impossible to determine whether the current scheme is over- or under-protective. Still, the study shows that the problem of over- or under-protectiveness lies deep in the perception of stakeholders and depends greatly on their priorities. Academics strive for better ecological relevance as a priority. They have concerns that ERA is oversimplified. Regulators worry that ERA relies too much on risk mitigation and is possibly not protective enough, but at the same time, the majority believes that the assessment is well established and straightforward to follow. Industry representatives would like to see ERA based more on probabilistic risk assessment. Recent changes, according to risk assessment and management practitioners have led to an inevitable increase in complexity, which is not perceived as a positive thing, and does not necessarily translate into better risk assessment.
Regional and teleseismic double‐difference earthquake relocation using waveform cross‐correlation and global bulletin data

[1] We have developed a double-difference algorithm to relocate earthquakes recorded at global seismic networks, using differential arrival times for first and later arriving regional and global phases to invert for the vectors connecting the hypocenters. Differential times are formed from global seismic bulletins and are accurately measured on similar seismograms by time domain waveform cross correlation. We evaluate the performance of this spherical, multiphase double-difference algorithm using three-dimensional regional-scale synthetic data and two sets of earthquake data in different tectonic settings. The first includes 3783 intermediate depth earthquakes that occurred between 1964 and 2000 in the subducting Nazca plate beneath northern Chile, where the relocated seismicity confirms a narrowly spaced double seismic zone previously imaged with temporary local seismic data. Residual statistics and comparison with accurately known locations indicate mean relative location errors at the 90% confidence level of 2.4 km laterally and 1.8 km vertically. Later events typically constrained by cross-correlation data have errors of 1.6 km laterally and 1.4 km vertically. The second data set includes 75 crustal earthquakes in the 1999 Izmit and Duzce, Turkey, aftershock sequences, where the double-difference solutions image orientation and dip of individual fault segments that are consistent with focal mechanisms and near-surface information. Fault complexity likely causes a low level of waveform similarity in this aftershock sequence and thus generates fewer correlated events compared to the Chile earthquakes. Differences between the double-difference locations and corresponding locations in global seismicity catalogs (Earthquake Data Report, EDR; International Seismological Centre, ISC; Engdahl-Hilst-Buland, EHB) are typically greater than 10 km. We evaluate the potential of cross-correlation and double-difference methods to improve hypocenter locations on a global scale.
Shocks and Sonic Booms in the Intracluster Medium: X-Ray Shells and Radio Galaxy Activity

Motivated by hydrodynamic simulations, we discuss the X-ray appearance of radio galaxies embedded in the intracluster medium (ICM) of a galaxy cluster. We distinguish three regimes. In the early life of a powerful source, the entire radio cocoon is expanding supersonically and hence drives a strong shock into the ICM. Eventually, the sides of the cocoon become subsonic, and the ICM is disturbed by the sonic booms of the jet's working surface. In both of these regimes, X-ray observations would find an X-ray shell. In the strong shock regime, this shell will be hot and relatively thin. However, in the weak shock (sonic-boom) regime, the shell will be approximately the same temperature as the undisturbed ICM. If a cooling flow is present, the observed shell may even be cooler than the undisturbed ICM because of the lifting of cooler material into the shell from the inner (cooler) regions of the cluster. In the third and final regime, the cocoon has collapsed, and no well-defined X-ray shell will be seen. We discuss ways of estimating the power and age of the source once its regime of behavior has been determined.
Cell proliferation and movement during early fin regeneration in zebrafish

Cell proliferation and cell movement during early regeneration of zebrafish caudal fins were examined by injecting BrdU and Di‐I, respectively. In normal fins of adult fish, a small number of proliferating cells are observed in the epidermis only. Shortly following amputation, epithelial cells covered the wound to form the epidermal cap but did not proliferate. However, by 24 hr, epithelial cells proximal to the level of amputation were strongly labeled with BrdU. Label incorporation was also detected in a few mesenchymal cells. Proliferating cells in the basal epithelial layer were first observed at 48 hr at the level of the newly formed lepidotrichia. At 72 hr, proliferating mesenchymal cells were found distal to the plane of amputation whereas more proximal labeled cells included mainly those located between the lepidotrichia and the basal membrane. When BrdU‐injected fins were allowed to regenerate for longer periods, labeled cells were observed in the apical epidermal cap, a location where cells are not thought to proliferate. This result is suggestive of cell migration. Epithelial cells, peripheral to the rays or in the tissue between adjacent rays, were labeled with Di‐I and were shown to quickly migrate towards the site of amputation, the cells closer to the wound migrating faster. Amputation also triggered migration of cells of the connective tissue located between the hemirays. Although cell movement was induced up to seven segments proximal from the level of amputation, cells located within two segments from the wound provided the main contribution to the blastema. Thus, cell proliferation and migration contribute to the early regeneration of zebrafish fins. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Brain volumes in psychotic youth with schizophrenia and mood disorders.

BACKGROUND We sought to test the hypothesis that deficits in grey matter volume are characteristic of psychotic youth with early-onset schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (EOSS) but not of psychotic youth with early-onset mood disorders (EOMD). METHODS We used magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain volume in 24 psychotic youth (13 male, 11 female) with EOSS (n = 12) or EOMD (n = 12) and 17 healthy controls (10 male, 7 female). We measured the volume of grey and white matter using an automated segmentation program. RESULTS After adjustment for age and intracranial volume, whole brain volume was lower in the EOSS patients than in the healthy controls (p = 0.001) and EOMD patients (p = 0.002). The EOSS patients had a deficit in grey matter volume (p = 0.005), especially in the frontal (p = 0.003) and parietal (p = 0.006) lobes, with no significant differences in white matter volume. LIMITATIONS The main limitations of our study were its small sample size and the inclusion of patients with depression and mania in the affective group. CONCLUSION Adolescents with EOSS have grey matter deficits compared with healthy controls and psychotic adolescents with EOMD. Our results suggest that grey matter deficits are not generally associated with psychosis but may be specifically associated with schizophrenia. Larger studies with consistent methods are needed to reconcile the contradictory findings among imaging studies involving psychotic youth.
A Microservice-Based Architecture for the Development of Accessible, Crowdsensing-Based Mobility Platforms

Crowdsensing is a powerful approach to collaboratively build representations of specific aspects of reality which are of great interest for people with special needs. In this paper, we present an evolution of the classical, vertical approach to detect urban barriers and other features to later exploit this knowledge in accessible route planning. By exposing every single part of the process as a microservice, we achieve the ability to develop novel applications as orchestration of available components. Moreover, in the resulting platform, we leverage the possibility to share data between different applications in a controlled environment.
Ubiquitous Web Information Agents

This paper gives a brief overview about the AI methods and techniques we have developed for building ubiquitous web information systems. These methods from areas of machine learning, logic programming, knowledge representation and multi-agent systems are discussed in the context of our prototypical information system MIA. MIA is a web information system for mobile users, who are equipped with a PDA (Palm Pilot), a cellular phone and a GPS device or cellular WAP phone. It captures the main issues of ubiquitous computing: location awareness, anytime information access and PDA technology.
Mass functions and structure of the young open cluster NGC 6611

We use J , H and K S 2MASS photometry to study colour–magnitude (CMDs) and colour–colour diagrams, structure and mass distribution in the ionizing open cluster NGC 6611. Reddening variation throughout the cluster region is taken into account followed by field-star decontamination of the CMDs. Decontamination is also applied to derive the density profile and luminosity functions in the core, halo and overall (whole cluster) regions. The field-star decontamination showed that the lower limit of the main sequence (MS) occurs at ≈ $5\,\mbox{$M_\odot$}$. Based on the fraction of K S excess stars in the colour–colour diagram we estimate an age of $1.3\pm0.3$ Myr which is consistent with the presence of a large number of pre-main sequence (PMS) stars. The distance from the Sun was estimated from known O V stars in the cluster area and the turn-on stars connecting the PMS and MS, resulting in $\mbox{$d_\odot$}=1.8\pm0.5\,\rm kpc$. The radial density distribution including MS and PMS stars is fitted by a King profile with a core radius R core . The cluster density profile merges into the background at a limiting radius R lim . From the field-star subtracted luminosity functions we derive the mass functions (MFs) in the form $\phi(m)\propto m^{-(1+\chi)}$. In the halo and through the whole cluster the MFs have slopes $\rm\chi=1.52\pm0.13$ and $\rm\chi=1.45\pm0.12$, respectively, thus slightly steeper than Salpeter's IMF. In the core the MF is flat, $\rm\chi=0.62\pm0.16$, indicating some degree of mass segregation since the cluster age is a factor ~2 larger than the relaxation time. Because of the very young age of NGC 6611, part of this effect appears to be related to the molecular cloud-fragmentation process itself. We detect $362\pm120$ PMS stars. The total observed mass including detected MS (in the range $5{-}85\,\mbox{$M_\odot$}$) and PMS stars amounts to ~$1600\,\mbox{$M_\odot$}$, thus more massive than the Trapezium cluster. Compared to older open clusters of different masses, the overall NGC 6611 fits in the relations involving structural and dynamical parameters. However, the core is atypical in the sense that it looks like an old/dynamically evolved core. Again, part of this effect must be linked to formation processes.
Memory Representation within the Parahippocampal Region

The activity of 378 single neurons was recorded from areas of the parahippocampal region (PHR), including the perirhinal and lateral entorhinal cortex, as well as the subiculum, in rats performing an odor-guided delayed nonmatching-to-sample task. Nearly every neuron fired in association with some trial event, and every identifiable trial event or behavior was encoded by neuronal activity in the PHR. The greatest proportion of cells was active during odor sampling, and for many cells, activity during this period was odor selective. In addition, odor memory coding was reflected in two general ways. First, a substantial proportion of cells showed odor-selective activity throughout or at the end of the memory delay period. Second, odor-responsive cells showed odor-selective enhancement or suppression of activity during stimulus repetition in the recognition phase of the task. These data, combined with evidence that the PHR is critical for maintaining odor memories in animals performing the same task, indicate that this cortical region mediates the encoding of specific memory cues, maintains stimulus representations, and supports specific match–nonmatch judgments critical to recognition memory. By contrast, hippocampal neurons do not demonstrate evoked or maintained stimulus-specific codings, and hippocampal damage results in little if any decrement in performance on this task. Thus it becomes increasingly clear that the parahippocampal cortex can support recognition memory independent of the distinct memory functions of the hippocampus itself.
Parental Attributions and Perceived Intervention Benefits and Obstacles as Predictors of Maternal Engagement in a Preventive Parenting Program.

ABSTRACT This study integrates and applies theoretical models linking parent cognitions to maternal engagement in a parenting program to prevent child aggression and conduct problems. African American and European American mothers of preschoolers (N = 347) reported on their child's behavior, family demographics, and parental cognitions (i.e., parenting efficacy, child attributions, perceived benefits and obstacles to engaging in a parenting program). Parental cognitions predicted mothers' intent to enroll, actual enrollment, and attendance in a preventive parenting program after controlling for demographic and child factors. Parenting efficacy, perceived benefits, and obstacles to engagement made unique contributions in predicting engagement.
Introduction: Early Voting

An increasing number of states have adopted electoral reforms that enable voters to cast their ballots before election day. Although all states have provisions to allow the elderly, infirm, and those out of the state to vote by mail before election day, this privilege has been significantly expanded in recent years. Six states allow citizens to cast an absentee ballot by mail for any reason. ' Oregon has expanded this practice to include mailing unsolicited ballots to all eligible voters in selected elections. Since 1988, voters in Texas and seven other states have had the opportunity to cast their ballots in person up to 3 weeks before a general election.2 Voters in these states do not have to establish any prior condition (e.g., illness, age, travel out of the state, etc.) in order to cast their vote before the first Tuesday in November. Moreover, voting is conducted in-person at a number of satellite sites, including heretofore nontraditional balloting sites (e.g., supermarkets and convenience stores). The incidence of early voting in Texas has averaged 30 percent of the total vote cast per election since 1991. This article focuses on who votes early and how early voters behave in contrast to election-day voters. Previous research suggests that early voting and related electoral reforms only marginally increase voter participation with little if any effect on the partisan outcome of elections. This latter conclusion may be premature. Previous research on early voting is based on aggregate countyand/or precinct-level analyses (Goldstein 1995; Richardson and Neeley 1996; Stein and Garcia-Monet 1997; Traugott 1995; Traugott and Mason 1996). To date, no research has examined the behavior of early voters contrasted with election-day voters. Who are early voters? How do they differ from election-day voters? Do the ballot choices of early voters differ from the choices of election-day voters?
Stress, vulnerability and adult alcohol relapse.

OBJECTIVE Alcoholics experiencing highly threatening or chronic psychosocial stress following treatment are more likely to relapse than abstaining individuals not experiencing such stress. Expanding upon this stress-relapse hypothesis, we predicted that individual risk and protective characteristics would contribute to vulnerability to relapse in alcoholic men confronted with significant life adversity. The present investigation examined the relationship between psychosocial vulnerability and return to drinking. METHOD A group of abstinent male alcoholics (N = 67) who experienced marked life adversity that posed a severe and/or chronic threat participated in this study. Men completed a psychosocial assessment first as an inpatient in treatment for alcohol dependence, and again at 3 months and 1 year following discharge. RESULTS Among alcoholic men exposed to severe psychosocial stressors, those with higher composite psychosocial vulnerability scores were more likely to subsequently relapse than those with lower vulnerability scores. Additionally, men who improved in psychosocial functioning following treatment had better outcomes than men whose vulnerability increased. In particular, coping, self-efficacy and social support most consistently predicted relapse among this sample of severely stressed abstaining alcoholics. CONCLUSIONS These findings supported the stress-vulnerability model of relapse. Results indicated that improvement in psychosocial domains (e.g., coping skills, social networks, perceived ability to tolerate relapse-risk situations) enhanced the ability of these men to remain abstinent despite severe stress. This study highlights the importance of cognitive and behavioral interventions for increasing improvement in these psychosocial domains.
Gender and Agricultural Extension in Burkina Faso

A national survey of 2,406 agricultural households in Burkina Faso revealed that only five percent of the households were "headed" by women, but that nineteen percent of the plots farmed by these households were actively managed by women. Both government (Training and Visit) and non-government (NGO) extension programs were provided to survey farms. This study attempts to measure the effects of these programs on the role of women as farm managers. The study concludes that the provision of higher levels of both government and NGO extension programs to agricultural households stimulates an increase in plot management by women farmers. Plots managed by women have crop yields similar to those on plots managed by men.
Subject and object expression in Spanish heritage speakers: A case of morphosyntactic convergence

Many simultaneous bilinguals exhibit loss or incomplete acquisition of their heritage language under conditions of exposure and use of the majority language (Silva-Corvalán, 1994, 2003; Polinsky, 1997; Toribio, 2001; Montrul, 2002). Recent work within discourse-functional (Silva-Corvalán 1994) and generative perspectives (Sorace, 2000; Montrul; 2002; Tsimpli, Sorace, Heycock, Filaci and Bouba, 2003, in press) suggests that while syntax proper is impervious to language loss or attrition, syntax-related interfaces like lexical-semantics and discourse-pragmatics are not. This study investigates argument expression in adult simultaneous bilinguals who are heritage speakers of Spanish, because in this language subjects, direct, and indirect objects are regulated by syntactic, pragmatic and semantic factors. It was hypothesized that if language loss affects interface areas of competence more than the purely syntactic domains, then Spanish heritage speakers should display robust knowledge of null subjects as well as object clitics, but variable behavior in the pragmatic distribution of null vs. overt subjects, the a preposition with animate direct objects, and cases of semantically based dative clitic-doubling. Results of an oral production task administered to 24 intermediate and advanced heritage speakers and 20 monolinguals confirmed the hypotheses. With the erosion of pragmatic and semantic features, the grammars of the intermediate proficiency Spanish heritage speakers appear to display morphosyntactic convergence with English in the expression of subject and object arguments.
The MSOM Society Student Paper Competition : Extended Abstracts of 2004 Winners

A is our tradition at the journal, we are pleased to publish the extended abstracts from the winners of the 2004 MSOM Student Paper Competition. We do this to celebrate the achievements of these young scholars and provide you with the opportunity to learn about their work in more detail. The 2004 prize committee was chaired by Professor Phil Kaminsky (University of California, Berkeley). The other committee members were: Naren Agrawal (University of Santa Clara), Hyun-Soo Ahn (University of Michigan), Damian Beil (University of Michigan), Fernando Bernstein (Duke University), Izak Duenyas (University of Michigan), Wedad Elmaghraby (Georgia Institute of Technology), Jeremie Gallien (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Teck Ho (University of Pennsylvania), Seyed Iravani (Northwestern University), Ananth Iyer (Purdue University), Eric Johnson (Dartmouth College), Roman Kapuscinski (University of Michigan), Pinar Keskinocak (Georgia Institute of Technology), Anton Kleywegt (Georgia Institute of Technology), Özalp Özer (Stanford University), Georgia Perakis (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Alan Scheller-Wolf (Carnegie Mellon University), Sridhar Seshadri (New York University), Max Shen (University of California, Berkeley), David Simchi-Levi (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Jay Swaminathan (University of North Carolina), Terry Taylor (Columbia University), Beril Toktay (INSEAD), Scott Webster (Syracuse University), and David Wu (Lehigh University). The 2004 prizewinners are as follows.