Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contextual Interference in Motor Learning: Dissociated Effects Due to the Nature of Task Variations

The contextual interference effect in motor learning refers to the interference that results from practising a task within the concept of other tasks in a practice session. Several studies have shown that practice under conditions of high contextual interference (i.e. with a random practice order) degrades performance during acquisition trials, compared to low contextual interference conditions (i.e. with a blocked order, where practice is completed on one task before practice on another task is undertaken). In contrast to acquisition performance, random practice usually leads to more effective learning than blocked practice, as measured by retention and transfer tests. One of the hypotheses regarding the effect suggests that a random practice schedule induces more extensive planning operations during practice than a blocked practice condition. If so, then differences between these two conditions should emerge to the degree that the set of tasks requires complete reconstruction of these planning operations on each trial. To address this issue, we compared four groups of subjects: a blocked and random group that practised three timing tasks that shared a common characteristic (same relative timing), and a blocked and random group that practised three tasks that each had different relative timing structures. Subjects practised these tasks on each of two days, with a retention test and two transfer tests that required either a relative timing structure that had been practised previously or had not previously been practised. No random/ blocked differences occurred regardless of the relative timing of the patterns during acquisition or retention. However, for both transfer tests, random practice enhanced learning only for the group that had practised with tasks that each had different relative timing during acquisition. Implications of these results for an explanation of contextual interference are discussed.
Release of GI Hormones in Mother and Infant by Sensory Stimulation

ABSTRACT. It is well established that sensory stimulation is of great importance for the growth of and for the physiological and psychological development of infants. Supplementary sensory stimulation such as non‐nutritive sucking and tactile stimulation has been shown to increase the growth rate and the maturation of premature infants. In human neonates non‐nutritive sucking has a vagally mediated influence on the levels of some gastrointestinal hormones. In animal experiments afferent electrical stimulations of the sciatic nerves at low intensity leads to an activation of the vagal nerves and to a consequent release of vagally controlled gastrointestinal hormones such as gastrin and cholecystokinin. We therefore assume that both nonnutritive sucking and tactile stimulation trigger the activity of sensory nerves which leads to a release of vagally regulated gut hormones. Since gut hormones stimulate gastrointestinal motor and secretory activity and the growth of the gastrointestinal tract, and enhance the glucose‐induced insulin release, they may contribute to the beneficial effects on maturation and growth caused by sensory stimulation. In the breast‐feeding situation, the sucking of the child elicits similar reflexes in the mother leading to an activation of the maternal gut endocrine system and a consequent increase in energy uptake. These data indicate that many types of neurogenic reflexes induced in mother‐infant interactions are of importance for the energy economy of both mother and child.
Examining Cultivation From a Psychological Perspective

This study attempts to elaborate the cultivation hypothesis by examining some proposed subprocesses, especially learning and construction with first-and second-order measures. The results from a sample of adolescents provide support for a construction subprocess but only with first-order measures. Results on the subprocess of learning as well as the overall cultivation process are mixed. In addition, the relationship between first- and second-order measures (generalization) are examined. It is argued that cultivation theory needs to be extended to attempt an explanation of how the effect operates.
Generalized Robust Shrinkage Estimator and Its Application to STAP Detection Problem

Recently, in the context of covariance matrix estimation, in order to improve as well as to regularize the performance of the Tyler's estimator [1] also called the Fixed-Point Estimator (FPE) [2], a “shrinkage” fixed-point estimator has been originally introduced in [3]. First, this work extends the results of [4], [5] by giving the general solution of the “shrinkage” fixed-point algorithm. Secondly, by analyzing this solution, called the generalized robust shrinkage estimator, we prove that this solution converges to a unique solution when the shrinkage parameter (losing factor) tends to 0. This solution is exactly the FPE with the trace of its inverse equal to the dimension of the problem. This general result allows one to give another interpretation of the FPE and more generally, on the Maximum Likelihood approach for covariance matrix estimation when constraints are added. Then, some simulations illustrate our theoretical results as well as the way to choose an optimal shrinkage factor. Finally, this work is applied to a Space-Time Adaptive Processing (STAP) detection problem on real STAP data.
Working Against Discrimination

Abstract Gay, lesbian, and bisexual people may encounter problems in gaining employment or promotion, being ensured safe working conditions, and obtaining equitable earnings and benefits. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is not forbidden in most states, localities and employing organizations. Practice with gay, lesbian, and bisexual people must address work-related issues at personal, interpersonal, organizational, and policy levels.
Pay for Performance? Government Regulation and the Structure of Compensation Contracts

In 1992-1993, the SEC required enhanced disclosure on executive compensation and Congress enacted tax legislation, i.e. Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m), limiting the deductibility of non-performance related compensation over one million dollars. We examine the effects of these regulatory changes and report small and large sample evidence that many million-dollar firms have reduced salaries in response to 162(m) and that salary growth rates have declined post-1993 for the firms most likely to be affected by the regulations. We further document that bonus and total compensation payouts are increasingly sensitive to stock returns after 1993, especially for firms with million-dollar pay packages. We also document that, once we control for factors affecting CEO incentives, the sensitivity of the CEO? s wealth to changes in shareholder wealth has increased from 1993 to 1996 for firms with CEOs approaching the million-dollar mark. Overall, our results suggest that some firms have altered the structure of CEO compensation in response to 162(m) by reducing salaries and that, on average, the pay for performance sensitivity has increased following the regulations, especially for million-dollar firms.
Reduced discontinuation of antihypertensive treatment by two-drug combination as first step. Evidence from daily life practice

Objectives To measure persistence with antihypertensive drug therapy in patients initiating treatment with mono or combination therapy. Methods Data analysis was based on two cohorts of patients, that is, a cohort derived from the registration of drug prescriptions in all residents of the Lombardy region receiving Public Health Service and a cohort of patients followed by general practitioners throughout the Italian territory. Data were limited to patients aged 40–80 years who received their first antihypertensive drug prescription (n = 433680 and 41199, respectively) in whom persistency of treatment was examined over 9 months. A proportional hazards model was fitted to estimate the association between the pattern of initial antihypertensive drug therapy and risk of treatment discontinuation. Data were adjusted for available potential confounders. Results Taking patients starting with diuretic monotherapy as reference, the adjusted risk of treatment discontinuation was progressively lower in patients starting with monotherapy other than a diuretic, a two-drug combination, including a diuretic and a two-drug combination without a diuretic. No significant difference in the risk of discontinuation was seen between extemporaneous and fixed dose combinations, including a diuretic, that is, the only combination reimbursable by Public Health Service and, thus, available in the database. Data were similar for the two cohorts. Conclusion Initiating treatment with a combination of two drugs is associated with a reduced risk of treatment discontinuation.
False Confessions

In recent years, DNA exoneration cases have shed light on the problem of false confessions and the wrongful convictions that result. Drawing on basic psychological principles and methods, an extensive body of research has focused on the psychology of confessions. This article describes the processes of interrogation by which police assess whether a suspect is lying or telling the truth and the techniques used to elicit confessions from those deemed deceptive. The problem of false confessions emphasizes personal and situational factors that put innocent people at risk in the interrogation room. Turning from the causes of false confessions to their consequences, research shows that confession evidence can bias juries, judges, lay witnesses, and forensic examiners. Finally, empirically based proposals for the reform of policy and practice include a call for the mandatory video recording of interrogations, blind testing in forensic crime labs, and use of confession experts in court.
The macrophage in atherosclerosis: modulation of cell function by sterols

Lipid‐laden macrophage foam cells are an early and persistent component of atherosclerotic lesions. As such they are likely to play a key role in disease progression, both as scavengers of lipid and as inflammatory mediators. The sterol content of macrophage foam cells is largely native cholesterol together with a small but significant proportion of oxidized cholesterol (oxysterols). Few in vitro investigations of the influence of sterol accumulation on macrophage function have used cells that contain physiologically or even pathologically representative amounts of cholesterol or, more particularly, oxysterols. However, recent studies, using macrophages with a sterol content much closer to that of authentic foam cells, show that the presence of oxysterols causes an impairment in macrophage cholesterol export, suggesting a key role for oxysterols in the maintenance of the foam cell phenotype. The implications of physiologically relevant levels of oxysterols on a wider range of macrophage function remain to be investigated. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 557–561; 1999.
Psychological interventions for adults with autism spectrum disorders: a review

Purpose – Adults who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience a range of core and co-morbid characteristics which impede daily functioning and quality of life. Children and adolescents with ASD derive clinically meaningful benefits from psychological interventions, including those designed to reduce socio-communication deficits and mental health conditions. Relatively little is known about the effectiveness of these interventions for the adult ASD population. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – A selective search of English language, peer-reviewed publications was undertaken, in order to summarise the empirical data pertaining to psychological interventions for adults with high-functioning ASD (HF-ASD). Findings – Thus far, social skills interventions, cognitive behaviour therapy techniques, and mindfulness-based approaches have been researched most extensively. Interventions have primarily sought to: reduce the impact of core ASD characteristics; enhance skills; and.
A DAQM-Based Load Balancing Scheme for High Performance Computing Platforms

This paper addresses the load balancing problem, which is one of the key issues in high-performance computing (HPC) platforms. A novel method, called decentralized active queue management (DAQM), is proposed to provide a fair task distribution in a heterogeneous computing environment for HPC platforms. An implementation of the DAQM is presented, which consists of an ON-OFF queue control and a utility maximization-based coordination scheme. The stability of the queue control scheme and the convergence of the algorithm for utility maximization have been assessed by rigorous analysis. To demonstrate the performance of the developed queueing control system, numerical simulations are carried out and the obtained results confirm the efficiency and viability of the developed scheme.
Review of brief cognitive tests for patients with suspected dementia

ABSTRACT Background: As the population ages, it is increasingly important to use effective short cognitive tests for suspected dementia. We aimed to review systematically brief cognitive tests for suspected dementia and report on their validation in different settings, to help clinicians choose rapid and appropriate tests. Methods: Electronic search for face-to-face sensitive and specific cognitive tests for people with suspected dementia, taking ≤ 20 minutes, providing quantitative psychometric data. Results: 22 tests fitted criteria. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) had good psychometric properties in primary care. In the secondary care settings, MMSE has considerable data but lacks sensitivity. 6-Item Cognitive Impairment Test (6CIT), Brief Alzheimer's Screen, HVLT, and 7 Minute Screen have good properties for detecting dementia but need further validation. Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment are effective to detect dementia with Parkinson's disease and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) is useful for all dementias when shorter tests are inconclusive. Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment scale (RUDAS) is useful when literacy is low. Tests such as Test for Early Detection of Dementia, Test Your Memory, Cognitive Assessment Screening Test (CAST) and the recently developed ACE-III show promise but need validation in different settings, populations, and dementia subtypes. Validation of tests such as 6CIT, Abbreviated Mental Test is also needed for dementia screening in acute hospital settings. Conclusions: Practitioners should use tests as appropriate to the setting and individual patient. More validation of available tests is needed rather than development of new ones.
Role of the cytoskeleton in adrenocortical cells.

I. Introduction THE cytoskeleton is formed by three types of high molecular weight polymers, namely microtubules, microfilaments, and intermediate filaments. Microtubules and microfilaments are homogeneous and ubiquitous structures (1), whereas intermediate filaments represent a heterogeneous family of fibers whose expression depends upon the level of differentiation of the cells (2–4). All three types of cytoskeletal elements are intimately associated with cytoplasmic organelles, particularly mitochondria (5–7), lysosomes (8, 9), and secretory vesicles (10, 11). Microtubules, microfilaments, and intermediate filaments also interact with the nucleus (12–14), the plasma membrane (15, 16), and, indirectly, with the extracellular matrix (17–19). There is now ample evidence that cytoskeletal fibers play a pivotal role in cell motility (20–23) and various forms of intracellular movements including axonal transport (24, 25), chromosome migration (26–28), and pigment dispersion (29, 30). Cytoskeletal components .
Can markets alter gender relations?

This paper examines how and to what extent gender relations can become more favorable to women of countries undergoing economic development with a globalized perspective. The study also briefly reviews past debates on the interactions between market forces and women's subordination and links them with the current dynamics as revealed by a comparative analysis of the country studies. This paper has three parts: 1) revisits the earlier theoretical discussions in order to contextualize the questions that are raised; 2) highlights some features of women's experiences of economic development in these countries; and 3) is a quantitative measure of the present position of gender relations in each of these countries against the background of their experience of economic development. To assume that women are the most flexible section of the labor force also shows a lack of understanding of the various forces that affect gender countries. In Asian countries, capital has seldom challenged the existing patriarchal traditions, instead it has harnessed them to its own benefit. However, gender relations have changed to an extent in the households, through state intervention and through women's own changing perceptions. Finally, the author has constructed an index of patriarchy which shows that while development does improve women's gender position, it is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for that.
Denominator Bounds and Polynomial Solutions for Systems of q-Recurrences over K(t) for Constant K

We consider systems Al(t) y(ql t) + . + A0(t) y(t) = b(t) of higher order q-recurrence equations with rational coefficients. We extend a method for finding a bound on the maximal power of t in the denominator of arbitrary rational solutions y(t) as well as a method for bounding the degree of polynomial solutions from the scalar case to the systems case. The approach is direct and does not rely on uncoupling or reduction to a first order system. Unlike in the scalar case this usually requires an initial transformation of the system.
Health and productivity.

A group of 96 women, 83 under 20 and 13 over 25, wore studied to ascertain if some health factors related to their industrial productivity. A method of determining productivity was postulated. Daily output related closely with the annual output of the individuals studied. The wide variation in individual daily output (10-34 batches) occurred in spite of employee selection. Natural aptitude, length of service and experience in the process wore thought to be the major factors affecting daily output. Health factors could not be demonstrated as influencing daily output. Anaemia and sickness absence did influence productivity by reducing the number of days worked, particularly as groups with the highest productivity ratings lose more time than the lower productivity groups. The reason for this increase in absence was thought to be complex and not entirely due to the increased effort demanded for a higher output. The need to investigate the reasons for sickness absence was restated. Use of the Factory Medical D.
A framework for experimental evaluation of clustering techniques

Experimental evaluation of clustering techniques for component recovery is necessary in order to analyze their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to other techniques. For comparable evaluations of automatic clustering techniques, a common reference corpus of freely available systems is needed for which the actual components are known. The reference corpus is used to measure recall and precision of automatic techniques. For this measurement, a standard scheme for comparing the components recovered by a clustering technique to components in the reference corpus is required. This paper describes both the process of setting up reference corpora and ways of measuring recall and precision of automatic clustering techniques. For methods with human intervention, controlled experiments should be conducted. This paper additionally proposes a controlled experiment as a standard for evaluating manual and semi-automatic component recovery methods that can be conducted cost-effectively.
A hardware cache memcpy accelerator

In this paper, we present a hardware solution to perform the commonly used memcpy operation with the goal to reduce the time to perform the actual memory copies. This is accomplished by taking advantage of the presence of a cache that is found next to many current-day (embedded) processors. Additionally, the currently presented solution assumes that to be copied data is already in the cache and is aligned by the cache-line size. We present the concept and implementation details of the proposed hardware module and the system used to experiment both our hardware and an optimized software implementation of the memcpy function. Experimental results show that the proposed hardware solution is at least 79% faster than an optimized hand-coded software solution
An OpenFlow-Based Dynamic Path Adjustment Algorithm for Multicast Spanning Trees

Multicast transmission can effectively reduce the cost of network resources in delivering packets to a group of receivers. However, it is difficult to adjust the path of the generated multicast spanning tree (MST) if the multicast source and group members are unchanged. OpenFlow has been a key technology to realize the software defined networking and makes the flow control feasible. This paper presents an OpenFlow-based solution to dynamically adjust the path of MST by configuring the paths according to the requirements of the network loads and specific conditions. In addition, we propose a distributed MST strategy to satisfy the requirements of inter-domain multicast transmissions. Experimental results show that the proposed solution can effectively adjust the paths of MST and facilitate the generation of MST by parallel computation in the construction of distributed MST.
Early panretinal abnormalities on fundus autofluorescence and spectral domain optical coherence tomography after intravitreal ocriplasmin

retinitis. Takakura et al. (2014) reports on a relatively large series of viral retinitis following local steroid administration, but in this paper the injected steroid was triamcinolone or fluocinolone and the contribution of systemic immunosuppression remained unclear. Meanwhile, exclusion criteria of the GENEVA Study did not include systemic immunosuppressive treatment but only the use of systemic steroids (Haller et al. 2010). Moreover, it is possible that in retinal vein occlusion, the retinal blood flow stasis and the breakdown in the blood–retina barrier may increase the susceptibility of ocular tissues to virus penetration. In conclusion, ophthalmologists using intravitreal steroids in iatrogenic compromised patients should be aware of the potential risk of CMV retinitis.