Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visual and non‐visual control of landing movements in humans

1 The role of vision in controlling leg muscle activation in landing from a drop was investigated. Subjects (n= 8) performed 10 drops from four heights (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 m) with and without vision. Drop height was maintained constant throughout each block of trials to allow adaptation. The aim of the study was to assess the extent to which proprioceptive and vestibular information could substitute for the lack of vision in adapting landing movements to different heights. 2 At the final stages of the movement, subjects experienced similar peak centre of body mass (CM) displacements and joint rotations, regardless of the availability of vision. This implies that subjects were able to adapt the control of landing to different heights. The amplitude and timing of electromyographic signals from the leg muscles scaled to drop height in a similar fashion with and without vision. 3 However, variables measured throughout the execution of the movement indicated important differences. Without vision, landings were characterised by 10 % larger ground reaction forces, 10 % smaller knee joint rotations, different time lags between peak joint rotations, and more variable ground reaction forces and times to peak CM displacement. 4 We conclude that non‐visual sensory information (a) could not fully compensate for the lack of continuous visual feedback and (b) this non‐visual information was used to reorganise the motor output. These results suggest that vision is important for the very accurate timing of muscle activity onset and the kinematics of landing.
The Genetic Basis of Evolutionary Change

Ne1 mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura, che la diritta via era smarrita. Ahi quanto a dir qual era 2 cosa dura questa selvu selvaggia ed aspra e forte, che ne1 pensier rinnova la paura. DANTE PREFACE This book has grown, or better, exploded out of the Jesup Lectures that I gave at Columbia in 1969. Previous lecturers, in their presentations and in the books that resulted, had laid the foundations of modern evolutionary and systematic studies and had thereby contributed to a mystique of the Jesup Lectures that was overpowering, especially to a former Columbia student. My own consciousness of being an epigone permeated the lectures themselves and has contributed substantially to the delay in turning those lectures into a book. In the end, the delay has been beneficial, because the intervening three years have seen a great increase in theoretical and practical knowledge of the problems discussed, and because my own understanding has made some advance over the naive and disjointed views I then held. The subject of the lectures and this book, the nature of genetic diversity among organisms, has always seemed the basic problem of evolutionary genetics. Because of the immense methodological difficulties es and ambiguities, a characterization of that genetic variation seemed always to elude us. Then, with the discoveries of molecular biology about the relationship between genes and proteins, the possibility of an unambiguous characterization of genetic variation among individuals was opened. The first experiments revealed an extraordinary wealth of genetic diversity and, quite naturally, those of us involved in the work felt an immense elation in having finally given a direct answer to the major problem that had been plaguing our field. Some sense of that tension and resolution is conveyed in part I1 of this book, As we tried to explain the great variation that had been observed, our original elation gave way slowly to disappointment. For no explanation is really satisfactory, and the kind of ambiguity that originally permeated the observations now pervades the theoretical explanations. The problem may be even more serious. 1 have had the growing suspicion that in revealing the great variety of genic forms segregating in populations we have given the right answer to the wrong question. That is, the question was never really, How much genetic variation is there between individuals? but rather, What is the nature of genetic variation …
The Contribution of the Thumb to Reaching Movements

Transport of the hand towards an object and the formation of grasp are logically separable components of reaching. It has been suggested that, although the two components must be temporally co-ordinated, their spatial parameters are under the control of independent visuo-motor channels. A case study of reaching by a proficient user of a manually-operated artificial hand is presented. A pattern of natural hand usage was observed in which the index finger rather than the thumb was responsible for reduction of grasp aperture as the hand approached an object. The same pattern of usage was also observed in the artificial hand even though the mechanics of that hand make it no easier to move the finger than the thumb. This suggests that the relative stability of the thumb in the natural hand is determined, not simply by anatomy, but by a role in guiding the transport component of reaching. At least part of the spatial aspect of grasp formation is closely related to the transport component of reaching and this is evidence against theories postulating two independent visuo-motor channels controlling the spatial parameters of grasp and transport.
TO BE BLACK, MALE, AND “FEMINIST”‐‐MAKING WOMANIST SPACE FOR BLACK MEN

bell hooks says in “Reconstructing Black Masculinity” that n[c]ollectively we can break the life threatening choke‐hold patriarchal masculinity imposes on black men and create life sustaining visions of a reconstructed black masculinity that can provide black men ways to save their lives and the lives of their brothers and sisters in struggle. Toward the work of political (re)unification of the genders in black communities today, black men must acknowledge and begin to confront the existence of sexism in black liberation struggle as one of the chief obstacles empeding its advancement. Making womanist space for black men to participate in allied relation to feminist movement to oppose the opression of women means black men going against the grain of the racist and sexist mythology of black manhood and masculinity in the U.S. Its underlying premise rooted in white supremacist patriarchal ideology continues to foster the idea that we pose a racial and sexual threat to American society such that our bodies ex.
Monoterpene synthases of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) produce pinene isomers and enantiomers.

The turpentine fraction of conifer oleoresin is a complex mixture of monoterpene olefins and plays important roles in defense and in the mediation of chemical communication between conifer hosts and insect predators. The stereochemistry of the turpentine monoterpenes is critical in these interactions, influencing host recognition, toxicity, and potency of derived pheromones, and the stereochemical composition of these compounds lends insight into their biogenetic origin, with implications for the numbers and types of enzymes responsible and their corresponding genes. Analysis of the oleoresin from several tissues of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) showed the derived turpentine to consist mainly of (+)-(3R:5R)-alpha-pinene and (-)-(3S:5S)-beta-pinene. Cell-free extracts from xylem tissue yielded three monoterpene synthases which together account for the monoterpene isomer and enantiomer content of the turpentine of this tissue. The major products of these enzymes, produced from the universal precursor of monoterpenes, geranyl diphosphate, were shown to be (+)-alpha-pinene, (-)-alpha-pinene, and (-)-beta-pinene, respectively. In most properties (molecular mass of approximately 60 kDa, K(m) for geranyl diphosphate of 3 microM, requirement for monovalent and divalent cations), these enzymes resemble other monoterpene synthases from conifer species.
Characterizing Human-Like Consciousness: An Integrative Approach

Synthesizing concepts and findings from a number of recent models of human consciousness, a unified model of the key properties characterizing human consciousness is outlined. Six key properties are emphasized: Dynamical representation of the focus of consciousness, Focusing of energetic resources and focusing of informational resources on a subset of system knowledge, Global Workspace dynamics as outlined by Bernard Baars in his cognitive theory of consciousness, Integrated Information as emphasized by Tononi, and correlation of attentional focus with self-modeling. It is proposed that the extent, and relative importance, of these properties may vary in different states of consciousness; and that any AI system displaying closely human-like intelligence will need to manifest these properties in its consciousness as well. The “hard problem” of consciousness is sidestepped throughout, via focusing on structures and dynamics posited to serve as neural or cognitive correlates of subjective conscious experience.
A model-based statistical usage testing of communication protocols

In this paper, we present our original approach to the model-based statistical usage testing of a class of communication protocol implementations that are based on the state design pattern and Java programming environment augmented with the class FSMSystem. The approach is based on the working environment that has been proven on a number of real-world projects. The working environment is created with the following set of tools: generic modeling environment with the operational profile model paradigm registered to it, operational profile model interpreter, generic test case generator, test case compiler, and the unit testing framework JUnit extended with the class TestBed that acts as both test driver and stub thus providing the complete test harness. In the paper, we present the methodology of the model-based statistical usage testing of a class of communication protocol implementations, the tools that support this methodology, and the case study - the model based statistical usage testing of SIP INVITE client transaction, a part of the SIP protocol stack
Root-MUSIC-based azimuth-elevation angle-of-arrival estimation with uniformly spaced but arbitrarily oriented velocity hydrophones

This novel underwater acoustic azimuth-elevation source localization scheme realizes the eigenstructure-based polynomial rooting procedure for an L-shaped uniformly spaced array of diversely oriented and possibly spatially co-located velocity hydrophones and an optional pressure hydrophone. A velocity hydrophone measures a Cartesian component of the acoustic particle velocity vector of the incident wavefield. At each uniformly spaced array grid, one or more co-located and diversely oriented velocity hydrophones and/or a pressure hydrophone are placed, with the number and orientations of velocity hydrophones possibly varying from grid position to grid position in some known prearranged manner. The diverse orientation of the velocity hydrophones, however, disrupts the Vandermonde array manifold structure in each of the two uniform-linear-array legs of the L-shaped array. Nonetheless, ingenuous mathematical manipulations proposed in this paper restore the disrupted Vandermonde algebraic structure, thereby permitting once again the use of polynomial rooting to estimate the directions of arrival. A proposed pairing procedure matches each source's x-axis direction cosine estimate with its corresponding y-axis direction cosine estimate. Simulation results verify the efficacy of the proposed scheme.
Light beam allocation algorithm for eliminating interference in visible light communications

In this paper, we present a model of visible light communication (VLC) systems which exploit light beams for downlink transmission. A calculation method is proposed for light beam configuration (LBC) which guarantees no blind areas in the whole VLC coverage while minimizing the number of light beams. As a major contribution in this paper, a light beam allocation algorithm (LBAA) is proposed which aims to eliminate interferences between inter VLC Access Points (inter-APs) by using information of incoming data queue length and co-channel interference (CCI) conditions to decide which VLC beams are used for transmitting data to appropriate user equipment (UEs). By deploying the proposed algorithm, CCI can be eliminated because noise-effected regions and noise-free regions can be separated. Performance of the novel LBAA is analyzed, evaluated and then compared with that of another light beam allocation method using the Round-Robin algorithm. Performance results show that there are significantly improvements in term of SINR, user throughput and packet delay parameters when deploying the proposed LBAA.
Mitochondrial hyperfusion promotes NF‐κB activation via the mitochondrial E3 ligase MULAN

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles with a morphology resulting from the balance between two opposing processes: fusion and fission. Little is known about the function of mitochondrial fusion, beside its role in the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA. We report here that enforced mitochondrial hyperfusion, due to the expression of a dominant‐negative mutant of Drp1 or of MARCH5, promotes NF‐κB activation in a TAK1‐ and IKK‐dependent manner, through the mitochondrial E3 ubiquitin ligase MULAN. The capability of MULAN to activate NF‐κB depends on its RING domain and on the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRAF2. Under physiological conditions, stress‐induced mitochondrial hyperfusion (SIMH) is also accompanied by NF‐κB activation, and the prevention of SIMH or the knockdown of MULAN impairs NF‐κB activation. During SIMH, MULAN forms a complex with TRAF2 and modulates its ubiquitylation, signifying that TRAF2 may serve as an ubiquitylated transmitter of NF‐κB signaling in this pathway. Our results suggest that mitochondria, through their dynamics, convert stress signals into a cell response leading to NF‐κB activation.
Environmental assessment at the Bakhuis bauxite concession: small-sized mammal diversity and abundance in the lowland humid forests of Suriname.

A small mammal survey was conducted in the Bakhuis Mountains of western Suriname in South America as part of a larger environmental and social impact assessment for a proposed bauxite mining concession. The objectives were to establish a baseline study of species diversity and relative abundance for comparison of seasonality, areas, and habitats to facilitate the identification and monitoring of potential impacts of mining to the environment. There were 83 species of small mammals documented comprising 68 species of bats, 8 species of rats and mice, and 7 species of opossums. The most abundant bat was the Seba's short-tailed bat, Carollia perspicillata Linnaeus, which was recorded at all six study sites. The most abundant non-volant small mammal was the Guianan spiny rat, Proechimys guyannensis E. Geoffroy. Noteworthy discoveries during the survey include the documentation of four species of bats new to the fauna of Suriname (Cyttarops alecto Thomas, smoky sheath-tailed bat; Saccopteryx gymnura Thomas; least two-lined sac-winged bat; Diaemus youngi Jentink; bird-feeding vampire bat; and Lasiurus egregius Peters, greater red bat). There were no obvious differences between the dry and wet season samplings that were attributable directly to climatic conditions. In terms of spatial variation, the relative abundance of bats among the five study sites within the concession area was similar to each other, but significantly different from a sixth study site at a nearby ecotourism operation, which had large numbers of three species (C. perspicillata; Molossus molossus, common free-tailed bat; and Sturnira lilium, little yellow- shouldered bat) that are better adapted to human modified surroundings. This suggests that the recent mining explorations in Bakhuis have had a relatively minor impact on bats and that the otherwise pristine forests within the concession can tolerate low levels of disturbance in proportionally small areas over a short duration. For specific habitats, the xeric forest on plateaus had a reduced subset of species of small mammals that were found in the mesic forest of the surrounding lowland regions, which was acting as a species reservoir for upland areas. Small mammals, in particular bats as primary seed dispersers and flower pollinators, are important components of the ecosystem for the successful reforestation of natural habitats, and factors related to community structure are good indicators of the health of the environment.
Improving speech recognition for children using acoustic adaptation and pronunciation modeling

Developing a robust Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system for children is a challenging task because of increased variability in acoustic and linguistic correlates as function of young age. The acoustic variability is mainly due to the developmental changes associated with vocal tract growth. On the linguistic side, the variability is associated with limited knowledge of vocabulary, pronunciations and other linguistic constructs. This paper presents a preliminary study towards better acoustic modeling, pronunciation modeling and front-end processing for children’s speech. Results are presented as a function of age. Speaker adaptation significantly reduces mismatch and variability improving recognition results across age groups. In addition, introduction of pronunciation modeling shows promising performance improvements.
The Effects of GO Centers on Creating a College Culture in Urban High Schools in Texas

Despite a generation of efforts to make higher education an achievable goal for all students, the gap in college participation rates between low-income and high-income students has not narrowed. Moreover, students of color continue to be underrepresented on postsecondary campuses. Early intervention efforts and college outreach programs such as college access centers have been identified as exemplary strategies for encouraging a college-going culture in high schools and in decreasing the gap among racial/ ethnic groups who have access to college. This study examined the effectiveness of enhanced college access centers known as GO Centers in assisting students during their preparation and application for college and in providing activities conducive to the development of a college-going culture in eight comprehensive high schools located in a large urban school district. Findings indicate that the enhanced GO Centers demonstrate four aspects identified as important in encouraging a college-going culture in a high school: The centers (a) are inclusive and accessible to all students; (b) demonstrate an understanding of how students develop aspirations and plans to attend college; (c) offer comprehensive services to students and their families, including guidance in preparing for college, applying for college, and accessing financial aid; and (d) employ a systematic approach involving stakeholders.
Commentary on Erik Amnå's “Still a Trustworthy Ally?”

Far too often, the Nordic or Scandinavian societies in northern Europe are lumped together as one with no, or unclear, reference to what it is that makes them similar or in what respect they might possibly differ from each other. The current contribution by Erik Amnå: “Still a Trustworthy Ally? Civil Society and the Transformation of Scandinavian Democracy”, offers an interesting departure from this tradition, where instead he chisels out an argument, claiming and highlighting some important civil society differences between the countries, based on the most recent democracy audits in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In his article, Amnå also points to a possibly more general trend in the future role and importance of civil society organizations in other highly developed and welfare-state dominated societies. The development in question could be described as an on-going shift in civil society character “from voice to service” (for a similar and current argument for the situation in Sweden, see also Wijkström, 2004). One most well-formulated thesis in the article is when the author describes an important side of the current development in Scandinavian civil society as if “Civil society returns as a welfare state back-up society” (p. 9). He is presenting it as if civil society is once again volunteering to play the role of a social service provider (see Wijkström & Einarsson, 2006, for recent Swedish data on this development), a role the voluntary or nonprofit organizations are understood to have left to welfare-state arrangements a long time ago, according to the grand narrative or dominating gospel of the Scandinavian socialdemocratic regimes (see Esping-Andersen, 1990). “In other words, it goes retro”, as Amnå so succinctly puts it (p. 8). Nevertheless, despite his important contributions in highlighting both the common and the diverging civil society developments in the three countries, in his text Amnå also tends Journal of Civil Society Vol. 2, No. 2, 169–172, September 2006
Image browsing for infomediaries

Information intermediary or infomediary is likely to claim a major segment of the revenue of e-commerce transactions. Infomediaries are e-commerce companies leveraging the Internet to unite buyers and suppliers in a single efficient virtual marketplace to facilitate the consummation of a transaction. Most of the search facilities in the infomediaries are text- and navigation-based, for example by keyword and category searches. The search facility can handle most of the products, but it is inefficient to handle feature-based products, such as textile and shoes with different colors and textures. It will be difficult for buyers to speck searches of feature-based products in describing the product features and characteristics. For example, it is hot easy to describe the pattern and color of a T-shirt using textural expression. In this paper, we propose an image browsing technique to facilitate search of feature-based products for infomediaries. We implemented an image-based retrieval system with the proposed image browsing technique for textile industrial and evaluated the performance of the browsing technique.
Different Activity of the Biological Axis VEGF-Flt-1 (fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 1) and CXC Chemokines between Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Bronchoalveolar Lavage Study

Background. We have previously shown a different local and systemic angiogenic profile of CXC chemokines in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) patients compared to sarcoidosis. In particular, sarcoidosis showed an angiostatic microenvironment, as compared with the angiogenic cytokine milieu seen in IPF. Purpose of the Study. Our aim was to further investigate the aforementioned finding by measuring the expression of different chemokines in granulomatous and fibrotic diseases. We estimated the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its high-affinity receptor, Flt-1 (fms-like tyrosine kinase 1), in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with IPF and pulmonary sarcoidosis. We have also investigated the mRNA expression of angiogenetic chemokines' receptors such as CXCR2 and CXCR3 and the biological axis of stromal derived factor-1α (SDF-1α or CXCL12α/CXCL12β) and receptor, CXCR4. Methods. We studied prospectively three groups of patients: (i) one group of 18 patients with IPF, (ii) one group of 16 patients with sarcoidosis, and (iii) 10 normal subjects. Results. A statistically significant increase has been detected in VEGF mRNA expression in IPF in comparison with pulmonary sarcoidosis (P = .03). In addition, a significant increase has been measured in CXCL12α in sarcoidosis in comparison to IPF (P = .02). Moreover, a statistically significant decrease has been found in Flt-1 protein levels in pulmonary sarcoidosis in comparison with IPF (P = .03). A significant increase in VEGF (P = .03) and CXCR4 (P = .03) mRNA levels has been also detected in sarcoidosis' patients when compared with healthy controls. Conclusions. Our data suggest that increased expression of Flt-1 and downregulation of CXCL12α in IPF may further support the hypothesis of a different angiogenetic profile between fibrotic and granulomatous diseases. However, further studies are needed in order to better investigate these enigmatic diseases.