Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of the Cognitive and Perceptual Dynamics of a Colour–Digit Synaesthete

L, a 47-year-old female of Choctaw descent, was first identified as a potential synaesthete on the basis of self-report data regarding digit-colour associations. Upon completion of the identification procedures typified in the literature, it was concluded that L met the classic memory-performance criteria used to identify synaesthetic ability. A series of Stroop-type tasks were then performed to identify the dynamics of her synaesthetic experiences. The results of these analyses provided three findings of note. First, the clear pattern of response-time differences between L and the control group suggests that tasks designed to produce involuntary divisions of attention can be an effective means by which to demonstrate that synaesthetic experiences are involuntary but elicited. Second, the significantly slower performance by L on a negative-priming Stroop list shaped around her colour – digit associations indicates the presence of a lexical component in her synaesthetic experience. Third, the use of a manual colour-classification task for which a verbal response was not employed served to confirm the presence of a lexical component in L's synaesthetic experiences. The implications of these results for current synaesthetic theories are then discussed. Finally, a clustering solution of a portion of L's colour–digit experiences is presented, along with the ramifications of its results on the nature of L's perceptual experience.
NT-proBNP and echocardiographic parameters in patients with acute heart failure.

AIM The aim of this study was to analyse the relation between clinical, haemodynamic and X-ray parameters and plasma NT-proBNP level in pts with symptoms of left ventricular dysfunction. METHODS The plasma NT-proBNP levels, chest x-ray, transthoracic 2-d and Doppler echocardiography were performed at the time of admission in a group of 96 consecutive patients (mean age 68 +/- 11 years) with symptoms of acute heart failure. NT-proBNP levels were assessed with the use of commercial tests (Roche Diagnostics). RESULTS All patients have significant increase in NT-proBNP (8000 +/- 9000 pg/mL vs. controls 90 +/- 80 pg/mL, p < 0.001). The group of all patients has shown a significant increase in cardiothoracic ratio (CTR, 0.6 +/- 0.1, vs. 0.4 +/- 0.1, p < 0.001), left atrium diameter (LAD, 4.4 +/- 0.8 cm, vs.3.5 +/- 0.4 cm, p < 0.01). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was decreased (37 +/- 15%, vs. 64 +/- 5%, p < 0.001). In patients with acute heart failure, NT-proBNP significantly correlated with end-systolic and end-diastolic left ventricle diameters, ejection fraction, vena cava inferior diameter and plasma creatinine levels. CONCLUSION Increased plasma NT-proBNP level is influenced by the clinical severity of acute heart failure and correlates with LVEF and IVCD. NT-proBNP can serve as a marker for the clinical severity of the disease.
Radiocarbon dates from the Grotte du Renne and Saint-Césaire support a Neandertal origin for the Châtelperronian

The transition from the Middle Paleolithic (MP) to Upper Paleolithic (UP) is marked by the replacement of late Neandertals by modern humans in Europe between 50,000 and 40,000 y ago. Châtelperronian (CP) artifact assemblages found in central France and northern Spain date to this time period. So far, it is the only such assemblage type that has yielded Neandertal remains directly associated with UP style artifacts. CP assemblages also include body ornaments, otherwise virtually unknown in the Neandertal world. However, it has been argued that instead of the CP being manufactured by Neandertals, site formation processes and layer admixture resulted in the chance association of Neanderthal remains, CP assemblages, and body ornaments. Here, we report a series of accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dates on ultrafiltered bone collagen extracted from 40 well-preserved bone fragments from the late Mousterian, CP, and Protoaurignacian layers at the Grotte du Renne site (at Arcy-sur-Cure, France). Our radiocarbon results are inconsistent with the admixture hypothesis. Further, we report a direct date on the Neandertal CP skeleton from Saint-Césaire (France). This date corroborates the assignment of CP assemblages to the latest Neandertals of western Europe. Importantly, our results establish that the production of body ornaments in the CP postdates the arrival of modern humans in neighboring regions of Europe. This new behavior could therefore have been the result of cultural diffusion from modern to Neandertal groups.
In a population-based prospective study, no association between high blood pressure and mortality after age 85 years

Objective To study the impact of a history of hypertension and current blood pressure on mortality in the oldest old. Design An observational population-based cohort study. Setting Community city of Leiden, The Netherlands. Participants Five hundred and ninety-nine inhabitants of the birth-cohort 1912–1914 were enrolled on their 85th birthday. There were no selection criteria related to health or demographic characteristics. Interventions The mean follow-up was 4.2 years. Medical histories were obtained from general practitioners. Medication histories were obtained from the participant's pharmacist. Blood pressure was measured twice at baseline. Main outcome measures All cause and cardiovascular mortality. Results Five hundred and seventy-one participants were included, 39.2% had a history of hypertension. During follow-up 290 participants died, 119 due to cardiovascular causes. Compared to participants without a history of hypertension, those with a history of hypertension had increased mortality from cardiovascular causes [relative risk (RR) 1.60, confidence interval (CI) 1.06–2.40] but equal mortality from all causes (RR 1.19, CI 0.91–1.55). High blood pressure at baseline (age 85) was not a risk factor for mortality. Baseline blood pressure values below 140/70 mmHg (n = 48) were associated with excess mortality, predominantly in participants with a history of hypertension. Conclusion In the oldest old, high blood pressure is not a risk factor for mortality, irrespective of a history of hypertension. Blood pressure values below 140/70 mmHg are associated with excess mortality.
T Cell Receptor Genotyping and HOXA/TLX1 Expression Define Three T Lymphoblastic Lymphoma Subsets which Might Affect Clinical Outcome

Purpose: T lymphoblastic lymphomas (T-LBL) are rare disorders of immature T cells which predominantly involve the mediastinum. Their oncogenic pathways and prognostic variables are not clear. Experimental Design: We undertook a retrospective study of 41 cytoplasmic CD3+ T-LBL (nine cases aged <16 years) by assessing stage of maturation arrest based on T cell receptor (TCR) immunogenotyping, immunohistochemistry, and quantification of the oncogenes thought to be important in immature T cell malignancies. Results: Application of a TCR-based immunogenetic classification allowed the identification of three subcategories: 11 immature IM0/D-LBL showed no TCR or only incomplete TCRD DJ rearrangement and corresponded to cytoplasmic CD3+ precursors of uncertain lineage. Sixteen mature TCRDdel-LBL showed biallelic TCRD deletion and both TCRG and TCRB rearrangement, consistent with TCRαβ lineage restriction. Fourteen intermediate LBL (Int-LBL) showed complete TCRD VDJ and TCRG VJ rearrangement, with TCRB VDJ rearrangement in the majority. All Int-LBL expressed HOX11/TLX1 or HOXA9 transcripts and a proportion of the latter were associated with CALM-AF10 or NUP214-ABL fusion transcripts. IM0/D-LBL were restricted to adults with extrathymic disease and bone marrow involvement, whereas Int-LBL and TCRDdel-LBL were found in children and adults with predominantly thymic disease. In adults, the Int-LBL subgroup was associated with a significantly superior clinical outcome. This subgroup can be identified either by TCR immunogenotyping or HOXA9/TLX1 transcript quantification. Conclusion: Application of this molecular classification will allow the prospective evaluation of prognostic effects within pediatric and adult protocols.
Bi2O3–MoO3 Binary System: An Alternative Ultralow Sintering Temperature Microwave Dielectric

Preparation, phase composition, microwave dielectric properties, and chemical compatibility with silver and aluminum electrodes were investigated on a series of single-phase compounds in the Bi2O3–MoO3 binary system. All materials have ultralow sintering temperatures <820°C. Eight different xBi2O3–(1−x)MoO3 compounds between 0.2≤x≤0.875 were fabricated and the associated microwave dielectric properties were studied. The β-Bi2Mo2O9 single phase has a positive temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (TCF) about +31 ppm/°C, with a permittivity ɛr=38 and Qf=12 500 GHz at 300 K and at a frequency of 6.3 GHz. The α-Bi2Mo3O12 and γ-Bi2MoO6 compounds both have negative temperature coefficient values of TCF∼−215 and ∼−114 ppm/°C, with permittivities of ɛr=19 and 31, Qf=21 800 and 16 700 GHz at 300 K measured at resonant frequencies of 7.6 and 6.4 GHz, respectively. Through sintering the Bi2O3–2.2MoO3 at 620°C for 2 h, a composite dielectric containing both α and β phase can be obtained with a near-zero temperature coefficient of frequency TCF=−13 ppm/°C and a relative dielectric constant ɛr=35, and a large Qf∼12 000 GHz is also observed. Owing to the frequent difficulty of thermochemical interactions between low sintering temperature materials and the electrode materials during the cofiring, preliminary investigations are made to determine any major interactions with possible candidate electrode metals, Ag and Al. From the above results, the low sintering temperature, good microwave dielectric properties, chemical compatibility with Al metal electrode, nontoxicity and price advantage of the Bi2O3–MoO3 binary system, all indicate the potential for a new material system with ultralow temperature cofiring for multilayer devices application.
Comparing Labor Supply Elasticities in Europe and the US: New Results

We suggest the first large-scale international comparison of labor supply elasticities for 17 European countries and the US, separately by gender and marital status, with measurement differences netted out by using a harmonized empirical approach and comparable data sources. We find that own-wage elasticities are relatively small and much more uniform across countries than previously considered. Nonetheless, such differences do exist, and are found not to arise from different tax-benefit systems, wage/hour level or demographic compositions across countries, suggesting genuine differences in work preferences across countries. Furthermore, three other important results for welfare analysis are consistent across countries: the extensive (participation) margin dominates the intensive (hours) margin; for singles, this leads to larger labor supply responses in low-income groups; and income elasticities are extremely small everywhere. Finally, the results for cross-wage elasticities in couples are opposed between regions, consistent with complementarity in spouses' leisure in the US versus substitution in their household production in Europe.
On the convergence towards equilibrium of a model of multi-component chromatography

In this paper we study the equilibrium and the non-equilibrium systems of multicomponent chromatography. An a-priori estimate of the upwind scheme approximating the equilibrium is proved, where we get the uniform bound and the total variation bound of the finite difference scheme. A similar estimate is also proved for a semiimplicit upwind scheme approximating the non-equilibrium system, where the uniform bound and the total variation bound are independent of the relaxation time. These a-priori estimates are obtained in the Riemann invariant coordinates, with the help of some characteristic study of the associated mapping. Thus, we get the convergence of the finite difference schemes to the weak solutions of the systems. Furthermore, we obtain the weak convergence of the non-equilibrium systems towards the equilibrium as the relaxation time tends to zero. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first time that the convergence towards equilibrium is proved for this kind of systems. keywords: Multi-component chromatography, hyperbolic conservation laws, relaxation term, equilibrium, non-equilibrium, convergence of finite difference schemes, convergence towards equilibrium.
Different fractal properties of positive and negative returns

We perform an analysis of fractal properties of the positive and the negative changes of the German DAX30 index separately using Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA). By calculating the singularity spectra $f(\alpha)$ we show that returns of both signs reveal multiscaling. Curiously, these spectra display a significant difference in the scaling properties of returns with opposite sign. The negative price changes are ruled by stronger temporal correlations than the positive ones, what is manifested by larger values of the corresponding H\"{o}lder exponents. As regards the properties of dominant trends, a bear market is more persistent than the bull market irrespective of the sign of fluctuations.
Hybrid vs. monolithic OS kernels: a benchmark comparison

Operating Systems are huge, complex pieces of software that are difficult to design and maintain in both security and functionality. Microkernel-based operating system designs reduce implementation complexity and increase code modularity, but have had serious performance drawbacks. The increase in the speed of both processing and memory access has led some to reconsider the relative advantages and disadvantages in microkernel design [5]. In this paper, we investigate the performance of modern, widely-used workstation operating systems using a standard process-based benchmark. The experiments were executed on commodity hardware and the results indicate that hardware characteristics dominate the difference in the kernel architecture, lending support to the idea that microkernels may be poised to gain widespread deployment.
A Model of Predictive Control in Visual Target Tracking

In tracking repetitive square waves, the latency of saccadic eye movement to a change in target position decreases as the tracking run progresses. The latency in the steady state takes its minimum value for frequencies between 0.5 and 1.0 Hz. A model is proposed to predict this behavior of the saccadic eye movement system. Forming an estimate of target motion and carrying out the optimal control based on the estimation are the main features of the model. The estimate, in particular that of the period of square waves, is assumed to be performed with some inevitable variance depending on the input frequency because of the sampled data nature of the system and the memory mechanism becoming more uncertain with increasing time. In relation to sinusoidal target motions, a similar model is suggested to explain the reduction of latency to the steady-state value soon after the onset of target motion. Further, the transfer characteristics in the steady state are obtained for both the open-loop and closed-loop systems. It turns out that in both cases the predictive controller can be approximated by a serial connection of a high-gain element and a predictive element.
The Relationship between Beliefs in Cooperation, Motivation, and Engagement in Cooperative Learning

This study examined the relationship between beliefs in cooperation, motivation and engagement in cooperative learning. Beliefs in cooperation have three subscales: usefulness of cooperation, individual orientation and inequity. Self-reported questionnaire was administered to 181 undergraduate students at two universities. The results of path analysis indicated that usefulness of cooperation positively predicted self-efficacy and intrinsic value. Moreover, self-efficacy and intrinsic value positively predicted behavioral engagement, and intrinsic value positively predicted emotional engagement. On the other hand, individual orientation negatively predicted intrinsic value and inequity did not predict any motivational factors. The effects of beliefs in cooperation on cooperative learning process were discussed in light of the current findings.
Multiple Landmark Warping Using Thin-plate Splines

Image warping plays an extremely important role in face matching and recognition and therefore has wide applications and great significance in computer vision, biomedical imaging and homeland security. One popular warping algorithm developed by Alex Rosen, known as AlexWarp has the drawback that it only allows one pair of landmarks being specified at one time. The consequence of this is that the destination landmarks are displaced in the subsequent warping. We develop an image warping algorithm using thin-plate splines that allows multilandmarks being specified and warped simultaneously. The space transformation is the solution of minimizing a thin-plate deformation energy. QR decomposition techniques are used to stabilize the solution. We apply the new warping algorithm to various face matching situations.
Cannabis effects on driving skills.

BACKGROUND Cannabis is the most prevalent illicit drug identified in impaired drivers. The effects of cannabis on driving continue to be debated, making prosecution and legislation difficult. Historically, delays in sample collection, evaluating the inactive Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) metabolite 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC, and polydrug use have complicated epidemiologic evaluations of driver impairment after cannabis use. CONTENT We review and evaluate the current literature on cannabis' effects on driving, highlighting the epidemiologic and experimental data. Epidemiologic data show that the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) increases approximately 2-fold after cannabis smoking. The adjusted risk of driver culpability also increases substantially, particularly with increased blood THC concentrations. Studies that have used urine as the biological matrix have not shown an association between cannabis and crash risk. Experimental data show that drivers attempt to compensate by driving more slowly after smoking cannabis, but control deteriorates with increasing task complexity. Cannabis smoking increases lane weaving and impaired cognitive function. Critical-tracking tests, reaction times, divided-attention tasks, and lane-position variability all show cannabis-induced impairment. Despite purported tolerance in frequent smokers, complex tasks still show impairment. Combining cannabis with alcohol enhances impairment, especially lane weaving. SUMMARY Differences in study designs frequently account for inconsistencies in results between studies. Participant-selection bias and confounding factors attenuate ostensible cannabis effects, but the association with MVA often retains significance. Evidence suggests recent smoking and/or blood THC concentrations 2-5 ng/mL are associated with substantial driving impairment, particularly in occasional smokers. Future cannabis-and-driving research should emphasize challenging tasks, such as divided attention, and include occasional and chronic daily cannabis smokers.
The credibility of digital identity information on the social web: a user study

The recent rise in the adoption of Social Web platforms such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter has provided Web users with rich functionality and feature sets to interact with their peers and construct an online presence. The digital identity which Web users build on the Social Web is being increasingly reused by third party services (product recommendation services, authentication mechanisms, identity management services). The reliance on such digital identity information requires accurate and credible information. This paper presents a detailed user study of the digital identity representations which are constructed on the Social Web. The study explores the extent to which such representations mirror their real-world equivalent and therefore assesses the credibility of such information.
Yoga for low back pain: PEDro systematic review update

BACKGROUND Low back pain (LBP) is a major public health problem around the world. Up to 85% of the population can expect to experience at least some back pain in their lifetime. This highly prevalent condition places a major burden on individuals and healthcare systems. Moreover, LBP is also the most common condition for which complementary therapies are used, and the practice of yoga appears among the most common complementary treatments used to manage LBP. The clinical trial evidence on yoga for LBP has not previously been systematically reviewed.
A comparison of muscle with artificial actuators

'Artificial' actuator technologies under development include shape memory alloys, piezoelectric actuators, magnetostrictive actuators, contractile polymers and electrostatic actuators. The relevant properties of muscle are outlined and compared with a variety of artificial actuators. These and other actuators, such as regular and superconducting electromagnetic motors, internal combustion engines, hydraulic motors, pneumatic actuators, are reviewed and compared with muscle elsewhere (see Hunter, 1990; Hollerbach et al., 1991). <<ETX>>
The involvement of noradrenergic mechanisms in the suppressive effects of diazepam on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in female rats

Aim To elucidate the involvement of noradrenergic system in the mechanism by which diazepam suppresses basal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Methods Plasma corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels were determined in female rats treated with diazepam alone, as well as with diazepam in combination with clonidine (α2-adrenoreceptor agonist), yohimbine (α2-adrenoreceptor antagonist), alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (α-MPT, an inhibitor of catecholamine synthesis), or reserpine (a catecholamine depleting drug) and yohimbine. Results Diazepam administered in a dose of 2.0 mg/kg suppressed basal HPA axis activity, ie, decreased plasma corticosterone and ACTH levels. Pretreatment with clonidine or yohimbine failed to affect basal plasma corticosterone and ACTH concentrations, but abolished diazepam-induced inhibition of the HPA axis activity. Pretreatment with α-MPT, or with a combination of reserpine and yohimbine, increased plasma corticosterone and ACTH levels and prevented diazepam-induced inhibition of the HPA axis activity. Conclusion The results suggest that α2-adrenoreceptors activity, as well as intact presynaptic noradrenergic function, are required for the suppressive effect of diazepam on the HPA axis activity.
Recursive estimation with quantized and censored measurements

In this paper, we extend the Tobit Kalman filter for quantized measurements. Quantization occurs in many applications and systems and can usually be neglected in cases where the quantization interval is small. If this is not the case, the quantization effects cannot be ignored, and the nonlinearity induced by the quantizer must be addressed. Particle filters can be used, but are computationally expensive. Recently, the Tobit Kalman filter has been used to provide estimates when the measurement is a piecewise nonlinear censored regression model. The Tobit Kalman filter for quantized measurements derived in this paper is a computationally efficient algorithm, which converges to the optimal Kalman filter when quantization intervals become small. The derived estimator is compared to the Cramér Rao lower bound and the particle filter.