Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive motor activation during action observation in human infants

Certain regions of the human brain are activated both during action execution and action observation. This so-called ‘mirror neuron system’ has been proposed to enable an observer to understand an action through a process of internal motor simulation. Although there has been much speculation about the existence of such a system from early in life, to date there is little direct evidence that young infants recruit brain areas involved in action production during action observation. To address this question, we identified the individual frequency range in which sensorimotor alpha-band activity was attenuated in nine-month-old infants' electroencephalographs (EEGs) during elicited reaching for objects, and measured whether activity in this frequency range was also modulated by observing others' actions. We found that observing a grasping action resulted in motor activation in the infant brain, but that this activity began prior to observation of the action, once it could be anticipated. These results demonstrate not only that infants, like adults, display overlapping neural activity during execution and observation of actions, but that this activation, rather than being directly induced by the visual input, is driven by infants' understanding of a forthcoming action. These results provide support for theories implicating the motor system in action prediction.
Pinch locomotion: A novel propulsion technique for endoscopic robots

While the progress in imaging techniques more and more allows early and accurate diagnosis, minimally invasive intervention is still largely dependent on the availability of smart tools able to perform tasks inside the human body with a high level of autonomy. In this framework, endoscopic robots locomotion capabilities are needed to reach the site of interest, possibly with the desired orientation and with a firm grasping of the tissue. Current locomotion techniques do not provide sufficient degrees of mobility or are hardly miniaturizeable to the desired extent. In this paper we present the concept of a novel locomotion technique, called pinch locomotion, that relies upon and takes advantage of the large deformability of intestine to allow propulsion, steering and standing at a place with a continuous grasping of the tissue. The proposed locomotion technique is instantiated in a preliminary larger-scale prototype (70 mm×29 mm×10 mm), that is able to easily propel itself over a flexible stripe of cloth. The feasibility of a miniature endoscopic robot, endowed with the pinch-locomotion and with dimensions compatible to current swallable devices, is also investigated from a design perspective.
Delivering MC3T3-E1 cells into injectable calcium phosphate cement through alginate-chitosan microcapsules for bone tissue engineering

ObjectiveTo deliver cells deep into injectable calcium phosphate cement (CPC) through alginate-chitosan (AC) microcapsules and investigate the biological behavior of the cells released from microcapsules into the CPC.MethodsMouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were embedded in alginate and AC microcapsules using an electrostatic droplet generator. The two types of cell-encapsulating microcapsules were then mixed with a CPC paste. MC3T3-E1 cell viability was investigated using a Wst-8 kit, and osteogenic differentiation was demonstrated by an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay. Cell attachment in CPC was observed by an environment scanning electron microscopy.ResultsBoth alginate and AC microcapsules were able to release the encapsulated MC3T3-E1 cells when mixed with CPC paste. The released cells attached to the setting CPC scaffolds, survived, differentiated, and formed mineralized nodules. Cells grew in the pores concomitantly created by the AC microcapsules in situ within the CPC. At Day 21, cellular ALP activity in the AC group was approximately four times that at Day 7 and exceeded that of the alginate microcapsule group (P<0.05). Pores formed by the AC microcapsules had a diameter of several hundred microns and were spherical compared with those formed by alginate microcapsules.ConclusionsAC microcapsule is a promising carrier to release seeding cells deep into an injectable CPC scaffold for bone engineering. 概要研究目的本研究应用海藻酸钠-壳聚糖微囊保护成骨细胞, 接种到β-磷酸三钙/磷酸钙骨水泥(β-TCP/CPC)浆料中, 使β-TCP/CPC 骨修复材料具有一定的细胞活性, 同时提高固化后材料的孔隙率和孔径, 以最终实现提高β-TCP/CPC 骨水泥的降解速度, 加快成骨和骨修复。 创新要点本研究首次应用海藻酸钠-壳聚糖微胶囊包封成骨细胞与 CPC 浆料复合, 复合后实现自动细胞释放, 释放出的细胞具有良好的生物学活性。 研究方法(1)高压静电成囊法制备载小鼠成骨前体细胞 (MC3T3-E1) 的海藻酸钙和海藻酸钠-壳聚糖微胶囊; (2)微囊化 MC3T3-E1 细胞, 进行体外培养, 使用细胞计数试剂盒(CCK-8)检测细胞活性, 并用钙黄绿素-AM(Calcein-AM) 和碘化丙啶(PI)进行活死细胞双重染色; (3)微囊化 MC3T3-E1 细胞与β-TCP/CPC 浆料复合培养后, 激光共聚焦扫描显微镜和环境扫描电子显微镜观测细胞在材料上的释放、 粘附, CCK-8 法检测材料上细胞的活力, 碱性磷酸酶 (ALP) 检测观察细胞的分化状况, 茜素红染色观察释放细胞的矿化能力。 重要结论海藻酸钠-壳聚糖微胶囊可作为可注射磷酸钙骨水泥内部接种成骨细胞并实现细胞释放的良好载体, 释放出的成骨细胞具有良好的生物学活性。
Evaluation of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in smokers and Maras powder users

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate adult attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in smokers, Maras powder users and non-users of tobacco products by using the Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Self-report Scale (ASRS). Methods: The study was performed on 446 males presenting to family health centers in Kahramanmara, Turkey. Of 446 participants, 104 were Maras powder users, 133 were smokers and 209 were volunteers not using any tobacco products. Data were collected with a questionnaire composed of questions about socio-demographic features and features of smoking and Maras powder use, and the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Scale and the ASRS. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 33.94 ± 10.68 years (min = 18, max = 64). There was no significant difference in age between the study groups (P = 0.089). Thirty-one participants (7.0%) received scores higher than the cut-off value (≥ 14 points) for the short form of the ASRS. Twenty-one participants (4.7%) achieverd scores higher than the cut-off value (≥ 44 points) for the ASRS. The smokers received the highest scores of 8.42 ± 3.79 for all the subscales of the short version of the ASRS, 26.87 ± 10.46 for the ASRS, 12.57 ± 6.47 for the attention deficit subscale and 14.30 ± 5.35 for the hyperactivity and impulsivity subscale. Conclusion: Higher rates of the smokers and the Maras powder users had symptoms of ADHD. Considering nicotine may decrease symptoms of ADHD, it can be assumed that the rates of the smokers and Maras powder users with ADHD are higher.
Uneven integration for perception and action cues in children's working memory

We examined the development of visual cue integration in a desktop working-memory task using boxes with different visual action cues (opening actions) and perceptual surface cues (colours, monochromatic textures, or images of faces). Children had to recall which box held a hidden toy, based on (a) the action cue, (b) the surface cue, or (c) a conjunction of the two. Results from three experiments show a set of asymmetries in children's integration of action and surface cues. The 18–24-month-olds disregarded colour in conjunction judgements with action; 30–36-month-olds used colour but disregarded texture. Images of faces were not disregarded at either age. We suggest that 18–24-month-olds' disregard of colour, seen previously in reorientation tasks (Hermer & Spelke, 1994), may represent a general phenomenon, likened to uneven integration between the dorsal and ventral streams in early development.
Tumor‐specific transplantation immunity after cryosurgery

Tumor‐specific transplantation immunity was studied in three mouse tumor systems. A differential immunity was shown to exist between animals which had tumor cryo‐surgically destroyed and those having tumor surgically amputated. However, the difference was dependent upon the individual host tumor system. Further investigation into cryosurgical in situ tumor destruction is warranted.
S1P Signaling and De Novo Biosynthesis in Blood Pressure Homeostasis

Initially discovered as abundant components of eukaryotic cell membranes, sphingolipids are now recognized as important bioactive signaling molecules that modulate a variety of cellular functions, including those relevant to cancer and immunologic, inflammatory, and cardiovascular disorders. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptors in the regulation of vascular function, and focus on how de novo biosynthesized sphingolipids play a role in blood pressure homeostasis. The therapeutic potential of new drugs that target S1P signaling is also discussed.
Immunity in a variable world

Immune function is likely to be a critical determinant of an organism's fitness, yet most natural animal and plant populations exhibit tremendous genetic variation for immune traits. Accumulating evidence suggests that environmental heterogeneity may retard the long-term efficiency of natural selection and even maintain polymorphism, provided alternative host genotypes are favoured under different environmental conditions. ‘Environment’ in this context refers to abiotic factors such as ambient temperature or availability of nutrient resources, genetic diversity of pathogens or competing physiological demands on the host. These factors are generally controlled in laboratory experiments measuring immune performance, but variation in them is likely to be very important in the evolution of resistance to infection. Here, we review some of the literature emphasizing the complexity of natural selection on immunity. Our aim is to describe how environmental and genetic heterogeneities, often excluded from experimentation as ‘noise’, may determine the evolutionary potential of populations or the potential for interacting species to coevolve.
Contrôle social et effet spectateur: L'impact de l'implication personnelle

When an individual has to make the decision to intervene in a given situation, the presence of others generally inhibits his or her reaction. In social psychology, this phenomenon is refered to as the bystander effect. The field study presented in this article examines the bystander effect in the realm of social control behavior. A confederate of the experimenter threw a plastic bottle in the forest while a varying number of hikers passed him. Personal implication was manipulated by the presence or absence of a second confederate who seemed to be the first confederate's friend. A first study has shown that personal implication is high when people face a single individual who litters in a recreational area. However, when that individual is accompanied by a friend, the task to communicate to the first individual that his behavior is socially unacceptable falls upon the friend, and personal implication is low. The results of the present study yield a bystander effect, but only when personal implication is low. When personal implication is high, a constant proportion of hikers intervened, and this proportion did not depend on the number of bystanders. This research shows that the inhibiting effect of the presence of others in the realm of social control behavior can be eliminated when people feel personally implicated by the counter-normative behavior.
Bridging the gap between speech technology and natural language processing: an evaluation toolbox for term discovery systems

The unsupervised discovery of linguistic terms from either continuous phoneme transcriptions or from raw speech has seen an increasing interest in the past years both from a theoretical and a practical standpoint. Yet, there exists no common accepted evaluation method for the systems performing term discovery. Here, we propose such an evaluation toolbox, drawing ideas from both speech technology and natural language processing. We first transform the speech-based output into a symbolic representation and compute five types of evaluation metrics on this representation: the quality of acoustic matching, the quality of the clusters found, and the quality of the alignment with real words (type, token, and boundary scores). We tested our approach on two term discovery systems taking speech as input, and one using symbolic input. The latter was run using both the gold transcription and a transcription obtained from an automatic speech recognizer, in order to simulate the case when only imperfect symbolic information is available. The results obtained are analysed through the use of the proposed evaluation metrics and the implications of these metrics are discussed.
Spoligotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates from Multiple-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients from Bombay, India

ABSTRACT Spoligotyping was undertaken in 65 multiple-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Bombay, India. The spoligotype patterns showed seven closely related clusters, a cluster with 2 Beijing-like isolates, and unique spoligotypes (43%). Of the clusters, one with 29% of all the isolates suggested transmission of a dominant resistant clone.
New Directions in Ecology and Ecological Anthropology

In this essay we consider four criticisms of ecological anthropology: its overemphasis on energy, its inability to explain cultural phenomena, its preoccupation with static equilibria, and its lack of clarity about the appropriate units of analysis. Recognizing that some of these criticisms may not be justified, we nevertheless point to parallel concerns in ecology. Further, we ask whether new directions indicated by some ecologists might be appropriate paths for future work in ecological anthropology. A central theme is the desirability of focusing on environmental problems and how people respond to them. The kind of environmental problems we are especially concerned with here are those constituting hazards to the lives of the organisms experiencing them. In other words, we are particularly concerned with problems that carry the risk of morbidity or mortality, the risk of losing an "existential game" in which success consists simply in staying in the game (82, 85; cf 80, cited in 78). Our focus upon hazards and responses to them emerges partly from consideration of neo-Darwinian selection theory. As Colinvaux (22, p. 499) notes: "Selection . chooses from among individuals those which are best adapted to avoid the hazards of life at that time and place. " Our focus reflects also the new concern of biologists such as Slobodkin (81, 82, 85) with the actual processes of responding to hazards or environmental perturbations rather than with formal alterations in hypothetical genetic systems. Related also is the emerging view among medical scientists that health is a "continuing property, potentially measurable by the individual's ability to rally from insults, whether chemical, physical, infectious, psychological, or social" (7, 8; cf 78). At least some and perhaps all of the insults referred to in the preceding quotation can be subsumed in our category of hazards; even social and psychological insults may evoke physiological "stress" and disease (60, 79) as well as psychological and behavioral adaptive strategies (99). A further influence on us has been the recent proliferation of research and thinking on problems of human response to "natural hazards" in geography (19,
A survey of image classification methods and techniques for improving classification performance

Image classification is a complex process that may be affected by many factors. This paper examines current practices, problems, and prospects of image classification. The emphasis is placed on the summarization of major advanced classification approaches and the techniques used for improving classification accuracy. In addition, some important issues affecting classification performance are discussed. This literature review suggests that designing a suitable image‐processing procedure is a prerequisite for a successful classification of remotely sensed data into a thematic map. Effective use of multiple features of remotely sensed data and the selection of a suitable classification method are especially significant for improving classification accuracy. Non‐parametric classifiers such as neural network, decision tree classifier, and knowledge‐based classification have increasingly become important approaches for multisource data classification. Integration of remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS), and expert system emerges as a new research frontier. More research, however, is needed to identify and reduce uncertainties in the image‐processing chain to improve classification accuracy.
Russia and the colour revolutions

The colour revolutions, and especially the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, are widely perceived as major international setbacks to Putin's Russia. The Ukrainian events alarmed Russian elites, who feared the possibility of a local colour revolution during the 2007–2008 electoral cycle. To thwart the perceived colour revolution threat, Russian authorities adopted strategies that combined a political, administrative and intellectual assault on the opposition and Western ideas of democracy promotion. An integral part of this assault was, first, an attempt to create a mass youth movement, Nashi, as a counterweight to the various youth movements that were the driving forces behind the colour revolutions in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine. Second, it was an attempt to delegitimize the idea of liberal democracy itself, labelling it subversive and alien to the Russian national character. We argue that Russian reactions to the ‘colour revolution threat’ provide important insights into what an authoritarian regime, such as that in Russia, perceives as the most threatening aspects of democratizing activities by domestic and international actors.
Residual C‐peptide in type 1 diabetes: what do we really know?

Connecting peptide, or C‐peptide, is a protein that joins insulin's α and B chains in the proinsulin molecule. During insulin synthesis, C‐peptide is cleaved from proinsulin and secreted in an equimolar concentration to insulin from the β cells. Because C‐peptide experiences little first‐pass clearance by the liver, and because levels are not affected by exogenous insulin administration, it may be used as a marker of endogenous insulin production and a reflection of β‐cell function. Residual β‐cell function, as measured by C‐peptide in those with type 1 diabetes (T1D), has repeatedly been demonstrated to be clinically important. The Eisenbarth model of type 1 diabetes postulated immune‐mediated linear loss of β cells, with clinical diagnosis occurring when there was insufficient insulin secretion to meet glycemic demand. Moreover, the model also implied that all individuals with T1D rapidly and inevitably progressed to absolute insulin deficiency. Correspondingly, it was assumed that most people with longstanding T1D would show little to no residual C‐peptide secretion. While more than a quarter century of data confirms that this model remains largely true and appropriately serves as the basis for prevention studies, accumulating evidence suggests that the natural history of β‐cell function before, during and after diagnosis is more complex. In this review, we discuss the clinical benefits of residual insulin secretion and present recent data about the natural history of insulin secretion in those with, or at risk for T1D.
Weight Gain, Body Mass Index, Hormone Replacement Therapy, and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer in a Large Prospective Study

Excess adiposity and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are important contributors to postmenopausal breast cancer risk. HRT has been shown to modify the association between body weight and breast cancer risk, although few studies are sufficiently large to examine the risk of breast cancer associated with body mass index (BMI) and weight gain separately among current HRT users and nonusers. This study includes 1,934 incident breast cancer cases occurring among 62,756 postmenopausal women in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort. Age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association of BMI and adult weight gain (since age 18 years) with breast cancer risk stratified by HRT use. Total adult weight gain strongly predicted breast cancer risk among former and never HRT users (P for trend < 0.0001). Weight gain of 21–30 pounds was associated with a rate ratio of 1.4 (95% confidence interval 1.1–1.8); rates doubled among women gaining >70 pounds compared with women who maintained their weight within 5 pounds of their weight at age 18. After accounting for weight gain, neither recent BMI nor BMI at age 18 were independent predictors of risk. Among current HRT users, no association was seen between breast cancer and either BMI or weight gain. Adult weight gain is strongly associated with postmenopausal breast cancer only among non-HRT users in this study. These data illustrate the importance of examining breast cancer risk factors separately by HRT use; the effects of other risk factors may be attenuated or obscured among women taking HRT.
Evolutionary techniques in a constraint satisfaction problem: Puzzle Eternity II

This work evaluates three evolutionary algorithms in a constraint satisfaction problem. Specifically, the problem is the Eternity II, a edge-matching puzzle with 256 unique square tiles that have to be placed on a square board of 16 × 16 cells. The aim is not to completely solve the problem but satisfy as many constraints as possible. The three evolutionary algorithms are: genetic algorithm, an own implementation of a technique based on immune system concepts and a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm developed from the genetic algorithm. In addition to comparing the results obtained by applying these evolutionary algorithms, they also will be compared with an exhaustive search algorithm (backtracking) and random search. For the evolutionary algorithms two different fitness functions will be used, the first one as the score of the puzzle and the second one as a combination of the multiobjective algorithm objectives. We also used two ways to create the initial population, one randomly and the other with some domain information.
Algorithm 656: an extended set of basic linear algebra subprograms: model implementation and test programs

This paper describes a model implementation and test software for the Level 2 Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms (Level 2 BLAS). Level 2 BLAS are targeted at matrix-vector operations with the aim of providing more efficient, but portable, implementations of algorithms on high-performance computers. The model implementation provides a portable set of FORTRAN 77 Level 2 BLAS for machines where specialized implementations do not exist or are not required. The test software aims to verify that specialized implementations meet the specification of Level 2 BLAS and that implementations are correctly installed.
Rain and Snow, Bless the Lord: Quaker Theology and Teacher Education Practice

As I set out to begin this study, I had rosy, romantic views about wholesome seasons spent in the Midwest. One of my doctoral advisors reminded me that while the Midwest is the heart of the nation, that heart has many shadows. In other words, it is a place where sustenance and challenge coexist, and where austerity fosters both isolation and camaraderie. As Kathleen Norris writes in Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, “the plains are full of what a friend here calls, ‘good telling stories’,
Comparison of the Surepath™ liquid‐based Papanicolaou smear with the conventional Papanicolaou smear in a multisite direct‐to‐vial study

Split‐sample clinical trials for liquid‐based Papanicolaou (Pap) smears demonstrated that the liquid‐based Pap smear was a safe and effective replacement for the conventional Pap smear. However, clinical intended use of liquid‐based technology employs direct‐to‐vial collection methods. The current study compared the cytologic detection rates of the liquid‐based Pap smear with conventional Pap smears in a direct‐to‐vial study performed at three clinical sites.