Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FUSIMOTOR ACTIVITY IN THE SPINAL CAT.

Fusimotor activity has been assessed from the changes in the response of muscle spindle receptors to a linear stretch and release of the muscle at various levels of fusimotor drive. The background fusimotor activity of the spinal cat caused an increased dynamic responsiveness of primary endings of ankle flexor as well as the ankle extensor muscles. Further, dynamic activation of both flexor and extensor primary endings was observed during electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral saphenous and the contralateral lateral popliteal nerve. Definite signs of activity in static fusimotor neurones were not found in spinal preparations. The observations support the hypothesis of an independent control of the static and dynamic properties of primary endings of the muscle spindle. It is suggested that the activity in the dynamic fusimotor system largely is supported by dorsal root inflow, whereas the static fusimotor system mainly depends upon descending suprasegmental activation.
Upregulation of liver VLDL receptor and FAT/CD36 expression in LDLR−/− apoB100/100 mice fed trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid1 Published, JLR Papers in Press, September 6, 2006.

This study explores the mechanisms responsible for the fatty liver setup in mice fed trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (t10c12 CLA), hypothesizing that an induction of low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) expression is associated with lipid accumulation. To this end, the effects of t10c12 CLA treatment on lipid parameters, serum lipoproteins, and expression of liver lipid receptors were measured in LDLR−/− apoB100/100 mice as a model of human familial hypercholesterolemia itself depleted of LDLR. Mice were fed t10c12 CLA over 2 or 4 weeks. We first observed that the treatment induced liver steatosis, even in the absence of LDLR. Mice treated for 2 weeks exhibited hypertriglyceridemia with high levels of VLDL and HDL, whereas a 4 week treatment inversely induced a reduction of serum triglycerides (TGs), essentially through a decrease in VLDL levels. In the absence of LDLR, the mRNA levels of other proteins, such as VLDL receptor, lipoprotein lipase, and fatty acid translocase, usually not expressed in the liver, were upregulated, suggesting their involvement in the steatosis setup and lipoprotein clearance. The data also suggest that the TG-lowering effect induced by t10c12 CLA treatment was attributable to both the reduction of circulating free fatty acids in response to the severe lipoatrophy and the high capacity of liver to clear off plasma lipids.
Conventional vs. Worker-Owned Organizations

Based on a sample of worker-owners in a producer cooperative and employees in a conventional organization, this study empirically tests portions of a theoretical model explaining the relationship between worker ownership and control and work attitudes and behaviors. According to the model, worker-owners in the cooperative are hypothesized to have higher perceptions of particiption in decision-making, pay equity, performance-reward contingencies, and group work norms than are employees in the conventional organization. These perceptions, in turn, are expected to lead to an increased commitment to the organization and lower levels of absenteeism, tardiness, accidents, grievances, and turnover. Results partially support the model with members of the cooperative being more committed to their organization, while at the same time having higher absenteeism and tardiness levels than employees in the conventional firm. Implications of results are presented, and directionsforfuture research are discussed.
Expenditure-based segmentation of sport tourists

Destinations throughout the USA and world compete against each other for the opportunity to host professional and amateur sporting events. The primary motivation for these destinations is the anticipated economic impact generated by sport tourists' expenditures while attending sporting events. Although the economic impact of sporting events has been widely studied, the analysis of individuals' expenditures has been neglected. Since tourists' expenditures are considered one of the most important variables in the economic analysis of a destination's tourism industry, segmenting tourists based on expenditures is a valuable alternative to more common segmentation approaches. In this study, sport tourists attending a Professional Golfers' Association of America tournament were divided into three groups (low, medium, and high spenders) based on their total per day spending. The mean per day total expenditures of the low-spender segment were $69.21, the medium spenders' mean total per day expenditures were $219.25, and the high-spender segment averaged $759.03 in total per day expenditures. The results indicate that a significant difference exists between the three expenditure-based segments of sport tourist spectators in terms of spending patterns, trip characteristics, and trip preferences. Expenditure-based segmentation of sport tourist spectators provides important information that event organizers and local tourism stakeholders can utilize in developing effective and efficient short- and long-term management and marketing strategies.
Avoiding Regret in Decisions with Feedback: A Negotiation Example

Abstract Regret theory (Bell, 1983) posits that learning about the outcome of a foregone alternative creates the possibility of experiencing regret. In a choice between a certain outcome and a gamble with a similar expected value, regret theory predicts the following: Decision makers will be more likely to choose the certain outcome when they expect they will not learn the outcome of the gamble than when they expect they will. The difference in risk aversion between these two feedback conditions is a measure of regret aversion. In this study, a negotiation exercise was used to examine how the expectation of receiving feedback on a foregone alternative influenced negotiators′ risk preferences. Consistent with the regret theory prediction, we found subjects to be more risk averse in their negotiation decisions when they did not expect feedback on a foregone risky alternative than when they did. As a consequence, negotiators who did not expect feedback on a foregone risky alternative were more likely to reach agreement in their negotiation than were negotiators who did expect feedback. The results have implications for the importance of considering motivational factors, such as regret avoidance, in both decision and negotiation theories.
Psychological and Behavioral Treatments for Insomnia

Insomnia, a costly public health problem, can be precipitated by multiple forms of stress. Sleep difficulties have many sources, some based in medical or mental health disorders and some based in other sleep disorders or in substance abuse. Primary insomnia, not accounted for by other health or sleep disorders, has been addressed by psychological and behavioral treatments, which offer remedies for the perpetuating factors that extend insomnia into chronic forms. Many people prefer not to rely on hypnotic medications as a permanent solution to insomnia. A report by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has identified several nonmedication-based interventions judged to be effective and recommended in the treatment of chronic primary insomnia. These include stimulus control, sleep restriction, relaxation training, cognitive behavior therapy, paradoxical intention, and biofeedback. Models of physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and metacognitive factors support these treatments and account for their .
Socio-cultural representations of the vagina

Although the vagina is a rare topic in the social science literature, numerous socio-cultural representations of the vagina can be found throughout Western societies. Such representations offer a range of cultural resources for making sense of the vagina and its functions, and have implications for women's health and well-being. In this paper, we identify and overview seven persistent negative representations of the vagina: the vagina as inferior to the penis; the vagina as absence; the vagina as (passive) receptacle for the penis; the vagina as sexually inadequate; the vagina as disgusting; the vagina as vulnerable and abused; and the vagina as dangerous. In the last sections, we argue that in order to promote women's sexual and reproductive health, it is necessary to challenge such negative representations, and we offer some alternative - and much more positive - representations of the vagina.
Augmenting virtual environments: the influence of spatial ability on learning from integrated displays

The present study examined if spatial knowledge gained from a virtual environment is affected by the spatial ability of the participant, and whether information can be more efficiently acquired and applied to a physical space when participants are given a display featuring both overhead and first-person visual cues. Three spatial training displays were examined: first-person view, overhead-map view, or first-person view with integrated map (composite view). Participants learned the locations of seven targets in a computer simulation of a building. Spatial knowledge for these targets was assessed in the physical building. Results indicate that both the type of training display and spatial ability predicted performance level and that the utility of the composite display was a function of spatial ability and task. For distance estimation, the map-only view was the most accurate. For directional estimation, participants with high spatial ability were the most accurate regardless of their display condition. For route learning, spatial ability facilitated performance with only the map view. While route training using the composite view mimicked the advantages of the two other displays, it did not reproduce the deleterious effects also observed. Success in navigational learning from the simulated environments depended on a complex interaction between spatial ability, navigational task, and type of training display.
Nanoparticle arrays on surfaces for electronic, optical, and sensor applications.

Particles in the nanometer size range are attracting increasing attention with the growth of interest in nanotechnological disciplines. Nanoparticles display fascinating electronic and optical properties as a consequence of their dimensions and they may be easily synthesized from a wide range of materials. The dimensions of these particles makes them ideal candidates for the nanoengineering of surfaces and the fabrication of functional nanostructures. In the last five years, much effort has been expended on their organization on surfaces for the construction of functional interfaces. In this review, we address the research that has led to numerous sensing, electronic, optoelectronic, and photoelectronic interfaces, and also take time to cover the synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles and nanoparticle arrays.
Socio-technical regimes and sustainability transitions

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a core focus of geography, linking subfields such as urban, economic, and political ecology, yet strategies for achieving this goal remain illusive. Socio-technical transition theorists have made important contributions to our knowledge of the challenges and possibilities for achieving more sustainable societies, but this body of work generally lacks consideration of the influences of geography and power relations as forces shaping sustainability initiatives in practice. This paper assesses the significance for geographers interested in understanding the space, time, and scalar characteristics of sustainable development of one major strand of socio-technical transition theory, the multi-level perspective on socio-technical regime transitions. We describe the socio-technical transition approach, identify four major limitations facing it, show how insights from geographers – particularly political ecologists – can help address these challenges, and briefly examine a case study (GMO and food production) showing how a refined transition framework can improve our understanding of the social, political, and spatial dynamics that shape the prospects for more just and environmentally sustainable forms of development.
Reconstruction From Uniformly Attenuated SPECT Projection Data Using the DBH Method

An algorithm was developed for the 2-D reconstruction of truncated and nontruncated uniformly attenuated data acquired from single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The algorithm is able to reconstruct data from half-scan (180deg) and short-scan (180deg+fan angle) acquisitions for parallel- and fan-beam geometries, respectively, as well as data from full-scan (360deg) acquisitions. The algorithm is a derivative, backprojection, and Hilbert transform (DBH) method, which involves the backprojection of differentiated projection data followed by an inversion of the finite weighted Hilbert transform. The kernel of the inverse weighted Hilbert transform is solved numerically using matrix inversion. Numerical simulations confirm that the DBH method provides accurate reconstructions from half-scan and short-scan data, even when there is truncation. However, as the attenuation increases, finer data sampling is required.
Saudisation and employment in Saudi Arabia

The paper explores the conditions of employment and career development in Saudi Arabia, which are found to be strongly segmented across nationalities. It discusses the main factors shaping employment and career development in Saudi Arabia, including employment policy, education and training, labour regulations, and recent Saudisation policies aimed at reducing dependence on foreign labour by replacing non‐Saudi employees with Saudi nationals. The large inflows of foreign labour, and their conditions of employment, made possible rapid economic development in Saudi Arabia, while protecting the incomes and status of the Saudi labour force. The implementation of Saudisation faces important constraints, especially in the private sector, but signals an important change in employment policy and career development.
Structural Analysis and Intervention in a School Setting

The current investigation was designed to identify—through the use of a structural analysis procedure—the most salient antecedent variables related to problem behavior. More specifically, the authors investigated the use of structural analysis procedures to identify antecedent variables within a general education setting that supported the systematic inclusion of a student with an emotional or behavioral disorder. Analog probes were done in both special education and general education settings to identify and confirm a package of antecedent variables that directly contributed to the student's behavior. A peer without disabilities acted as the assessment and intervention agent across both educational settings to further ensure that naturally occurring activities and interactions were being assessed. Results supported the use of the assessment and intervention process for identifying environmental and curricular variables that support the successful integration of the student into the general education setting. Potential implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.
Overlapping expression of Runx1(Cbfa2) and Runx2(Cbfa1) transcription factors supports cooperative induction of skeletal development

Identifying the genetic pathways that regulate skeletal development is necessary to correct a variety of cartilage and bone abnormalities. The Runx family of transcription factors play a fundamental role in organ development and cell differentiation. Initial studies have shown that both Runx1 and Runx2 are expressed in pre‐chondrogenic mesenchyme of the developing embryo at E12.5. Abrogation of the Runx2 gene completely inhibits bone formation yet the cartilage anlagen in these mice is fully formed. In the present study, we hypothesized that Runx1 may compensate for the lack of Runx2 in vivo to induce the early stages of skeletal formation and development. Histologic β‐gal stained sections using the Runx1+/−‐Lac‐Z mice demonstrate Runx1 promoter activity in pre‐chondrocytic cell populations. In situ hybridization using Runx1 and Runx2 specific probes indicate that both factors are expressed in mesenchymal stem cell progenitors during early embryonic development. During later stages of mouse skeletal formation, Runx1 is excluded from the hypertrophic cartilage while Runx2 is present in these matured chondrocyte populations. Quantification of Runx expression by real time RT‐PCR and Western blot analyses reveals that Runx1 and Runx2 are differentially modulated during embryogenesis suggesting a temporal role for each of these transcriptional regulators during skeletal formation. We provide evidence that haploinsufficiency results in normal appearing embryo skeletons of heterozygote Runx2 and Runx1 mutant mouse models; however, a delay in bone formation was identified in the calvarium. In summary, our results support a function for Runx1 and Runx2 during skeletal development with a possible role for Runx1 in mediating early events of endochondral and intramembranous bone formation, while Runx2 is a potent inducer of late stages of chondrocyte and osteoblast differentiation. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
UP States Protect Ongoing Cortical Activity from Thalamic Inputs

Cortical neurons in vitro and in vivo fluctuate spontaneously between two stable membrane potentials: a depolarized UP state and a hyperpolarized DOWN state. UP states temporally correspond with multineuronal firing sequences which may be important for information processing. To examine how thalamic inputs interact with ongoing cortical UP state activity, we used calcium imaging and targeted whole-cell recordings of activated neurons in thalamocortical slices of mouse somatosensory cortex. Whereas thalamic stimulation during DOWN states generated multineuronal, synchronized UP states, identical stimulation during UP states had no effect on the subthreshold membrane dynamics of the vast majority of cells or on ongoing multineuronal temporal patterns. Both thalamocortical and corticocortical PSPs were significantly reduced and neuronal input resistance was significantly decreased during cortical UP states – mechanistically consistent with UP state insensitivity. Our results demonstrate that cortical dynamics during UP states are insensitive to thalamic inputs.
Elementary Gestalts for Gesture Sonification

In this paper, we investigate the relationships between gesture and sound by means of an elementary gesture sonification. This work takes inspiration from Bauhaus’ ideals and Paul Klee’s investigation into forms and pictorial representation. In line with these ideas, the main aim of this work is to reduce gesture to a combination of a small number of elementary components (gestalts) used to control a corresponding small set of sounds. By means of a demonstrative tool, we introduce here a line of research that is at its initial stage. The envisaged goal of future developments is a novel system that could be a composing/improvising tool as well as an interface for interactive dance and performance.
Recursion Theory and Undecidability

In the second half of the class, we will explore limits on computation. These are questions of the form “What types of things can be computed at all? ” “What types of things can be computed efficiently? ” “How fast can problem XYZ be solved? ” We already saw some positive examples in class: problems we could solve, and solve efficiently. For instance, we saw that we can sort n numbers in time O(n log n). Or compute the edit distance of two strings in time O(nm). But we might wonder if that’s the best possible. Maybe, there are still faster algorithms out there. Could we prove that these problems cannot be solved faster? In order to answer these questions, we first need to be precise about what exactly we mean by “a problem” and by “to compute”. In the case of an algorithm, we can go with “we know it when we see it”. We can look at an algorithm, and agree that it only uses “reasonable” types of statements. When we try to prove lower bounds, or prove that a problem cannot be solved at all, we need to be more precise: after all, an algorithm could contain the statement “Miraculously and instantaneously guess the solution to the problem. ” We would probably all agree that that’s cheating. But how about something like “Instantaneously find all the prime factors of the number n”? Would that be legal? This writeup focuses only on the question of what problems can be solved at all. Running time lower bounds and the theory of NP-completeness are covered in the textbook, and we will cover them in class next. The material covered here is necessarily only a small excerpt of what’s known in the field. For more information on these topics, check out Part II of the book by Sipser [6], the book by Hopcroft, Motwani, and Ullman [3], or the book by Kfoury, Moll, and Arbib [4].
Infants’ recognition of subtle anger facial expression

Infants’ recognition of facial expressions develops during postnatal life. Previous studies have showed that infants learned to discriminate the facial expression of basic emotions such as happy or angry expressions by approximately 7 months of age. Although infants’ recognition of intense expressions has been demonstrated, their recognition of subtle expressions is unclear. The present study examined whether 6- to 7-month-old infants recognize the subtle anger expression. We presented the subtle expressions either as static or as dynamic displays. In static presentations, infants recognized the subtle anger expression. This result suggests that the infants have high sensitivity to angry expressions which signal a dangerous situation. In dynamic presentations, infants did not recognize the subtle anger expression. Infants around this age rarely see the dynamic anger expression in their daily lives. Their limited experience with dynamic expressions of anger might make it hard to recognize a dynamic subtle expression. Infants could learn to utilize facial motions in the development of recognition of facial expressions.
From a Literature Review to an Alternative Treatment System for Landfill Gas and Leachate

This paper provides an alternative treatment system for landfill gas and leachate control in order to reduce the energy consumption and disposal cost, using the recycled landfill gas as the combustion promoter for incineration of the leachate. This study starts by providing a literature review to summarize and analyze different approaches being applied to landfill leachate treatment. Subsequently, a conceptual prototype is proposed, which can be built using existing technology by means of technical possibility analysis, whilst economic benefits could be returned through preliminary comparison. With the proposed introduction of a “waste treatment park”, this alternative treatment system could provide a template for leachate and landfill gas control. This study may provide an insight for landfill operators and engineers to promote the transformation from the conceptual framework to the real achievement. Finally, the limitations of the conceptual model and analysis are discussed, laying a foundation for further work.