Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factores resilientes en los futuros maestros

Desde una perspectiva educativa, partimos de la importancia de fomentar la capacidad de resiliencia en los alumnos de Magisterio como generadores de resiliencia en sus futuras aulas. Analizamos algunos factores resilientes en una muestra de 315 alumnos de Magisterio a partir de la adaptacion a la poblacion espanola del Cuestionario de Resiliencia en Estudiantes Universitarios (CRE-U; Peralta, Ramirez y Castano, 2006), destacando la empatia y el vinculo afectivo como los factores resilientes mas elevados en nuestros sujetos, asi como la relacion existente entre el estilo de apego adulto y varios de los factores resilientes estudiados.
Trans–cis isomerization of an azoxybenzene liquid crystal

Trans–cis isomerization was investigated in a room temperature liquid crystal mixture of two azoxybenzene compounds. Experiments were performed on isolated molecules in dilute solutions and on the liquid crystal phase composed of the pure compounds. The absorption spectra of the trans and cis isomers were found to be similar to those of azobenzene compounds, as were the birefringence and order parameter of the nematic liquid crystal phase. The photo‐optic properties were also similar in that irradiation by ultraviolet light caused the conversion from trans to cis isomers, while short wavelength visible light incident on these compounds resulted in the conversion from cis to trans isomers. The activation energy for thermal relaxation from the cis to trans isomer in the liquid crystal phase was determined to be (66±7) kJ/mole, which is less than for azobenzene in solution. While a photostationary state in a dilute solution with approximately equal numbers of trans and cis isomers was achieved, the nematic–isotropic transition of the mixture of the pure compounds decreased from 70°C to room temperature with a cis concentration of only about 12%. One unusual finding was that the photostationary concentration of trans and cis isomers due to irradiation with light of a specific visible wavelength depended on the starting concentrations of the two isomers, indicating that there may be a molecular conformation that is not photo‐responsive and relaxes only thermally.
Why Pereboom's Four-Case Manipulation Argument is Manipulative

Research suggests that intuitions about thought experiments are vulnerable to a wide array of seemingly irrelevant factors. I argue that when arguments hinge on the use of intuitions about thought experiments, research on the subtle factors that affect intuitions must be taken seriously. To demonstrate how failing to consider such psychological influences can undermine an argument, I discuss Pereboom’s four-case manipulation argument. I argue that by failing to consider the impact of subtle psychological influences such as order effects, Pereboom likely mis-identifies what really leads us to have the intuitions that we have about his cases, and this in turn undermines his argument for incompatibilism. Last, I consider objections and discuss how to empirically test my hypothesis. INDEX WORDS: intuitions, moral responsibility, free will, manipulation, Derk Pereboom WHY PEREBOOM’S FOUR-CASE MANIPULATION ARGUMENT IS MANIPULATIVE
Wearable functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): expanding vistas for neurocognitive augmentation

Contemporary studies with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) provide a growing base of evidence for enhancing cognition through the non-invasive delivery of weak electric currents to the brain. The main effect of tDCS is to modulate cortical excitability depending on the polarity of the applied current. However, the underlying mechanism of neuromodulation is not well understood. A new generation of functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) systems is described that are miniaturized, portable, and include wearable sensors. These developments provide an opportunity to couple fNIRS with tDCS, consistent with a neuroergonomics approach for joint neuroimaging and neurostimulation investigations of cognition in complex tasks and in naturalistic conditions. The effects of tDCS on complex task performance and the use of fNIRS for monitoring cognitive workload during task performance are described. Also explained is how fNIRS + tDCS can be used simultaneously for assessing spatial working memory. Mobile optical brain imaging is a promising neuroimaging tool that has the potential to complement tDCS for realistic applications in natural settings.
Recognition kernel for content-based search

A search based on image contents is an important issue in a digital library which usually relies on large image and video databases. A technique for content-based search (CBS) using a multi-level recognition kernel is presented. Features of model objects are extracted at levels that are most appropriate to yield only the necessary yet sufficient details. Together they form the kernel. It is shown that the deployment of the recognition kernel in a pyramidal (multiresolution) framework facilitates multi-level abstraction of the model and hence improves the matching efficiency and quality. Preliminary experimental result from a small image database is presented.
Development of a Novel Ligand, [11C]TGN-020, for Aquaporin 4 Positron Emission Tomography Imaging

Aquaporin 4 (AQP4), the most abundant isozyme of the water specific membrane transporter aquaporin family, has now been implicated to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of various disease processes of the nervous system from epilepsy to Alzheimer’s disease. Considering its clinical relevance, it is highly desirable to develop a noninvasive method for the quantitative analysis of AQP distribution in humans under clinical settings. Currently, the method of choice for such diagnostic examinations continues to be positron emission tomography (PET). Here, we report the successful development of a PET ligand for AQP4 imaging based on TGN-020, a potent AQP4 inhibitor developed previously in our laboratory. Utilizing [11C]-TGN-020, PET images were successfully generated in wild type and AQP4 null mice, providing a basis for future evaluation regarding its suitability for clinical studies.
Bivariate point process modeling and joint non-stationary analysis of pulse transit time and heart period

Pulse transit time (PTT) is strictly related to pulse wave velocity and may be used for non-invasive monitoring of arterial stiffness and pressure, whose assessment is fundamental to detect cardiovascular dysfunctions. We propose a new model to characterize instantaneous PTT dynamics, and the interactions between PTT and R-R interval (RRI). In this model, PTT is described as a point process whose probability function depends on previous PTT and RRI values. From the model coefficients, instantaneous powers, coherence and directed coherence of each spectral component are estimated. We used this framework to study the changes that tilt table test provoked in PTT and RRI dynamics in 17 healthy subjects. Time-varying spectral and coherence analysis revealed that, although PTT and RRI were locally correlated, direct contribution of RRI on PTT was low during the entire test in high frequency band, and just after postural changes in low frequency band. We conclude that PTT may add valuable information for a more accurate characterization of cardiovascular regulation.
Factors that impact how civil society intermediaries perceive evidence

Civil society organisations increasingly mediate the creation and exchange of evidence in their activities with policymakers and practitioners. This paper extends knowledge on evidence in policymaking settings to civil society contexts. As an exploratory and qualitative study, it shows how nine UK-based organisations working on issues including migration and social welfare hold different perceptions of evidence and its usefulness. A range of related factors involving individuals, organisations, sectors, and issue areas emerge as contingent contributors to these variations. As a result, researchers and practitioners seeking to engage with civil society using evidence should consider context-specific values, skills, motivations, and timeliness.
A 7T SRAM bit-cell for low-power embedded memories

With CMOS technology scaling, data stability and yield have become key concerns of low power embedded memories, which are realized using the static random access memory (SRAM). In this paper, we propose a seven transistor (7T) SRAM bit-cell to address these concerns. The cell decouples the read bit line from the write bit lines and uses the latter as the cell power lines. The cell exhibits a much higher static noise margin than the conventional 6T SRAM cell as the storage node is not perturbed during the read operation. Consequently, the proposed cell shows higher data stability and yield under varying process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) conditions. In addition, a unique write mechanism of the cell reduces the write power to less than one third of the write power consumed by the 6T cell when laid out and simulated using a commercial 65-nm CMOS technology. The soft error critical charge of the proposed cell is 30% larger and hence the soft error rate (SER) is approximately less than half of that of the 6T cell. It takes same silicon area as 6T cell while other recently reported SRAM cells incur 30-37% area overhead.
NVMKV: A Scalable, Lightweight, FTL-aware Key-Value Store

Key-value stores are ubiquitous in high performance data-intensive, scale out, and NoSQL environments. Many KV stores use flash devices for meeting their performance needs. However, by using flash as a simple block device, these KV stores are unable to fully leverage the powerful capabilities that exist within Flash Translation Layers (FTLs). NVMKV is a lightweight KV store that leverages native FTL capabilities such as sparse addressing, dynamic mapping, transactional persistence, and support for high-levels of lock free parallelism. Our evaluation of NVMKV demonstrates that it provides scalable, high-performance, and ACID compliant KV operations at close to raw device speeds.
Microscopic Optical Projection Tomography In Vivo

We describe a versatile optical projection tomography system for rapid three-dimensional imaging of microscopic specimens in vivo. Our tomographic setup eliminates the in xy and z strongly asymmetric resolution, resulting from optical sectioning in conventional confocal microscopy. It allows for robust, high resolution fluorescence as well as absorption imaging of live transparent invertebrate animals such as C. elegans. This system offers considerable advantages over currently available methods when imaging dynamic developmental processes and animal ageing; it permits monitoring of spatio-temporal gene expression and anatomical alterations with single-cell resolution, it utilizes both fluorescence and absorption as a source of contrast, and is easily adaptable for a range of small model organisms.
SELECTION ON HERBIVORE LIFE‐HISTORY TRAITS BY THE FIRST AND THIRD TROPHIC LEVELS: THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA REVISITED

Abstract The timing of life‐history events in insects can have important consequences for both survival and reproduction. For insect herbivores with complex life histories, selection is predicted to favor those combinations of traits that increase the size at metamorphosis while minimizing the risk of mortality from natural enemies. Studies quantifying selection on life‐history traits in natural insect herbivore populations, however, have been rare. The purpose of this study was to measure phenotypic selection imposed by elements of the first and third trophic levels on variation in two life‐history traits, the timing of egg hatch and pupal mass, in a population of oak‐feeding caterpillars, Psilocorsis quercicella (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae). Larvae were collected from the field throughout each of two generations per year for three years and reared to determine the effects of the date of egg hatch on both the risk of attack from parasitoids and the pupal mass of the survivors. The direction and strength of phenotypic selection attributed to aspects of the first and third trophic levels, as well as their combined effects, on the date of egg hatch was measured for each of the six generations. Heritabilities of and genetic correlations between pupal mass and the date of adult emergence from diapause (the life‐history trait expected to have the largest influence on the timing of egg hatch, and thus larval development) were estimated from laboratory matings. In four of the six generations examined, significant directional selection attributed to the first trophic level was detected, always favoring early‐hatching cohorts predicted to experience higher leaf quality than late‐hatching cohorts. Directional phenotypic selection by the third trophic level was detected in only one of three years, and in that year the direction of selection was in opposite directions during the two successive generations. The combined effect of selection by both trophic levels indicated that the third trophic level acted to either reduce or enhance the more predictable pattern of selection attributed to the first trophic level. In addition, I found evidence of truncation selection acting to increase the mean and decrease the variance of pupal mass during the pupa‐adult transition in the laboratory. Pupal mass and diapause duration were found to vary significantly among full‐sibling families; upper bounds for heritability estimates were 0.57 and 0.30, respectively. Furthermore, these two traits were found to be positively genetically correlated (families with larger pupae had longer diapause durations), resulting in a fitness trade‐off, because larger pupae enjoy higher survival through metamorphosis and female fecundity but emerge later, when average leaf quality for offspring is generally poorer.
Crosstalk Between MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT Signal Pathways During Brain Ischemia/Reperfusion

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is linked to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) and Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) signaling pathways. During brain ischemia/reperfusion, EGFR could be transactivated, which stimulates these intracellular signaling cascades that either protect cells or potentiate cell injury. In the present study, we investigated the activation of EGFR, PI3K/AKT, and Raf/MAPK/ERK1/2 during ischemia or reperfusion of the brain using the middle cerebral artery occlusion model. We found that EGFR was phosphorylated and transactivated during both ischemia and reperfusion periods. During ischemia, the activity of PI3K/AKT pathway was significantly increased, as judged from the strong phosphorylation of AKT; this activation was suppressed by the inhibitors of EGFR and Zn-dependent metalloproteinase. Ischemia, however, did not induce ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which was dependent on reperfusion. Coimmunoprecipitation of Son of sevenless 1 (SOS1) with EGFR showed increased association between the receptor and SOS1 in ischemia, indicating the inhibitory node downstream of SOS1. The inhibitory phosphorylation site of Raf-1 at Ser259, but not its stimulatory phosphorylation site at Ser338, was phosphorylated during ischemia. Furthermore, ischemia prompted the interaction between Raf-1 and AKT, while both the inhibitors of PI3K and AKT not only abolished AKT phosphorylation but also restored ERK1/2 phosphorylation. All these findings suggest that Raf/MAPK/ERK1/2 signal pathway is inhibited by AKT via direct phosphorylation and inhibition at Raf-1 node during ischemia. During reperfusion, we observed a significant increase of ERK1/2 phosphorylation but no change in AKT phosphorylation. Inhibitors of reactive oxygen species and phosphatase and tensin homolog restored AKT phosphorylation but abolished ERK1/2 phosphorylation, suggesting that the reactive oxygen species-dependent increase in phosphatase and tensin homolog activity in reperfusion period relieves ERK1/2 from inhibition of AKT.
A neural network based algorithm for speaker localization in a multi-room environment

A Speaker Localization algorithm based on Neural Networks for multi-room domestic scenarios is proposed in this paper. The approach is fully data-driven and employs a Neural Network fed by GCC-PHAT (Generalized Cross Correlation Phase Transform) Patterns, calculated by means of the microphone signals, to determine the speaker position in the room under analysis. In particular, we deal with a multi-room case study, in which the acoustic scene of each room is influenced by sounds emitted in the other rooms. The algorithm is tested against the home recorded DIRHA dataset, characterized by multiple wall and ceiling microphone signals for each room. In particular, we focused on the speaker localization problem in two distinct neighbouring rooms. We assumed the presence of an Oracle multi-room Voice Activity Detector (VAD) in our experiments. A three-stage optimization procedure has been adopted to find the best network configuration and GCC-PHAT Patterns combination. Moreover, an algorithm based on Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), recently proposed in literature for the addressed applicative context, has been considered as term of comparison. As result, the proposed algorithm outperforms the reference one, providing an average localization error, expressed in terms of RMSE, equal to 525 mm against 1465 mm. Concluding, we also assessed the algorithm performance when a real VAD, recently proposed by some of the authors, is used. Even though a degradation of localization capability is registered (an average RMSE equal to 770 mm), still a remarkable improvement with respect to the state of the art performance is obtained.
On braid groups and homotopy groups

This article is an exposition of certain connections between the braid groups, classical homotopy groups of the 2-sphere, as well as Lie algebras attached to the descending central series of pure braid groups arising as Vassiliev invariants of pure braids. Natural related questions are posed at the end of this article.
Intracellular galectins: Platforms for assembly of macromolecular complexes

Although members of the galectin family were initially isolated on the basis of their saccharide-binding activity and cell surface localization, at least 11 of the 15 galectins identified in mammalian systems have been reported to be in the nucleus, as well as in the cytoplasm of cells. More interestingly, the precise intracellular localization and activity of the various galectins also cover a wide range. In most instances, distinct galectins give rise to the same or similar cellular responses. At the inner surface of plasma membranes, for example, galectin-1 (Gal1) and galectin-3 (Gal3) exhibit similar activities by binding to the Ras oncogene product to direct effector usage and signaling pathway. Gal1 and Gal3 also interact with Gemin4 and TFII-I as a part of ribonucleoprotein complexes and the two galectins have been documented to be required, but redundant, factors in pre-mRNA splicing. On the other hand, however, it appears that, although Gal3 and galectin-7 (Gal7) both bind to the apoptosis repressor protein Bcl-2, the ultimate cellular response is opposite: Gal3 is anti-apoptotic while Gal7 is pro-apoptotic. In all of these interactions, the ligands bind to the galectins through protein-protein interactions rather than via protein-carbohydrate recognition. The emergent general theme
Outlier Processing Via L1-Principal Subspaces

With the advent of big data, there is a growing demand for smart algorithms that can extract relevant information from high-dimensional large data sets, potentially corrupted by faulty measurements (outliers). In this context, we present a novel line of research that utilizes the robust nature of L1-norm subspaces for data dimensionality reduction and outlier processing. Specifically, (i) we use the euclidean-distance between original and L1-norm-subspace projected samples as a metric to assign weight to each sample point, (ii) perform (K=2)-means clustering over the one-dimensional weights discarding samples corresponding to the outlier cluster, and (iii) compute the robust L1-norm principal subspaces over the reduced “clean” data set for further applications. Numerical studies included in this paper from the fields of (i) data dimesnionality reduction, (ii) direction-of-arrival estimation, (iii) image fusion, and (iv) video foreground extarction demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed outlier processing algorithm in designing robust low-dimensional subspaces from faulty high-dimensional data.
Development of a Dual Frequency Software based GNSS Receiver

Throughout the last decade, a trend towards the development of software-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers has evolved in the fields of scientific research. Software-based GNSS receivers feature a high flexibility for the adaptation to several applications, serve as a development platform for studying new algorithms and techniques, and especially have the advantage of requiring only few hardware parts. The main focus of current developments is the single frequency approach, aiming at mass market applications. The resulting position accuracy is insufficient for many applications, e.g., for the automotive domain. Modern driver assistance systems require position accuracies in the range of one lane width and even better (< 1m). Also safety relevant applications pose strong demands on higher position accuracy. Beside the errors introduced by 1967 23rd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation, Portland, OR, September 21-24, 2010 the satellites (satellite orbit, satellite clock), the troposphere, and the receiver clock, the ionosphere is one of the biggest error sources, when neglecting local effects like multipath for the moment. Adding a second measurement of a signal of a different carrier frequency, the error due to the ionosphere can be eliminated. Furthermore the integrity can be increased, which is essential for a wide range of applications. The current project work aims at developing a dual frequency software-based GNSS receiver to fulfil the above mentioned accuracy requirements. In its present implementation the receiver is capable of GPS code measurements making use of both available civil signals (L1 C/A and L2C). Efforts in modernizing the GPS satellites are still ongoing, but there are already (as at August 2010) eight Block IIR-M satellites and one IIF satellite in orbit, transmitting the second civil signal L2C on the L2 carrier. By using this second frequency it is possible to reduce/eliminate the ionospheric effect. After a brief introduction on the overall concept, the paper mainly focuses onto the implementation of the dual frequency software part. Afterwards, the main components of the receiver, i.e., the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) module, the Position, Velocity, and Time (PVT) module, and the acquisition aiding module are discussed in more detail. Concluding, some results of testing and validating the software-based receiver are presented. Thereby, the special emphasis is placed on the comparison between the single frequency and the dual frequency approach.