Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PD and joint application design: a transatlantic comparison

The methodologies of Participatory Design (PD) and Joint Application Des ign ( JAD) have es tabl i shed themselves in Scandinavia and North America as. influential thrusts in software development, yet there is virtually no cross-fertilization. PD and J A D are s imul taneous ly similar, complementary, and contradictory. Consequently, a careful analysis and comparison would benefit those who teach and work in information systems development. Klein and Hirschheim [19] refer to such differences as Information Systems methodological pluralism. Pluralism offers the double-edged sword of offering choices, but leaving the practicing designer/systems analyst in a state of confusion. Like Klein and Hirschheim, we do not believe there is one correct methodology. We present this discussion and comparison of PD and JAD (which some have classified, erroneously, as "polarized views") in order to help researchers with cross-fertilization and to help practitioners understand their choices. JAD and PD are well-known methodologies for operationalizing user involvement and user participation. Both JAD and PD focus on facilitated interactions between users and designers wherein dynamic group techniques are employed for eliciting and refining ideas. They differ in points of user participation, participant identity, participant selection, technical staff and facilitator participation, team orienl-ation, structure, and development :speed. They also differ in their goals---JAD is intended to accelerate the design of information systems and promote comprehensive, high-quality results, while PD seeks to accentuate the social context of the workplace and promote workers' control over their work and their lives.
Revisiting Selectional Preferences for Coreference Resolution

Selectional preferences have long been claimed to be essential for coreference resolution. However, they are modeled only implicitly by current coreference resolvers. We propose a dependency-based embedding model of selectional preferences which allows fine-grained compatibility judgments with high coverage. Incorporating our model improves performance, matching state-of-the-art results of a more complex system. However, it comes with a cost that makes it debatable how worthwhile are such improvements.
NOISE-DRIVEN TEMPORAL TRAJECTORY FILTERING OF SPECTRAL PARAMETERS FOR ROBUST SPEECH RECOGNITION

Spectral parameter filtering such as RASTA [5], RASTA-like bandpass filtering and high-pass filtering operates on temporal dynamics of spectral parameters, and has been effective method to reduce channel distortions. Temporal derivatives (delta and delta-delta coefficients, that have proved as robust representation) and spectral mean normalization [4] are also equivalent to filtering that reject lower modulation frequencies from spectral parameters. Spectral normalization and parameter filtering assume that channel distortions are linear and additive noise is negligible [2]. As the additive noise and channel distortions are additive in different domains, they cannot be simultaneously suppressed by these methods [2]. In this paper, we extend the filtering technique of temporal trajectories to handle additive noise. The paper investigates the possibility of applying ‘spectral subtraction’ [3] filter to time-trajectories of spectral parameters and the problems that may arise.
The Influences of Parental Alcoholism on Socioemotional Outcomes of Emerging Adults: A Retrospective Approach to Healthy Development

Research has explored the negative environmental influences on the development of children of alcoholics (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2002); however, there is limited literature that explores the specific mechanisms that aid these children to successful development in emerging adulthood (Jaeger, Hahn, & Weinraub, 2000). There are known genetic, psychological, and social risks for children who have been raised by a problem-drinking parent (McKenry & Price, 2005). This study examined the parent-adolescent relationship; socioemotional behaviors (e.g. internalizing and externalizing behaviors); and social competencies of emerging adults who grew up in a family of alcoholism. Protective factors and barriers associated with parental alcoholism and healthy socioemotional obtainment as a young adult were also evaluated. Methodologically, a retrospective qualitative inquiry research approach was utilized. This study provided a unique perspective through a healthy adaptive approach by evaluating emerging adults who were adult children of alcoholics and were successfully functioning (e.g. academically successful and psychologically healthy). The findings provide evidence that possessing protective factors such as innate drive to succeed and being involved in extracurricular activities can help a child of alcoholism overcome some of the most prominent barriers of growing up in an alcoholic home (e.g. an unpredictable environment and poor family communication). These findings indicated the importance of children of alcoholics needing to establish attachments beyond their parent-adolescent relationship. It is also important to note that participants reported that both protective factors and barriers changed overtime. Several of the participants shared that their attachment relationship with their drinking parent also changed over time. A final salient finding was
Clinical Correlates of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) in an Outpatient Sample of Adolescents

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents is a major public health concern. The first goal of our study was to describe the characteristics and functions of NSSI and NSSI thoughts in an adolescent outpatient sample. The second goal was to examine which clinical factors discriminate between these two groups of patients. A group of 267 subjects was recruited from the Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatric Services, Jiménez Díaz Foundation (Madrid, Spain) from November 2011 to October 2012. All participants were administered the Spanish version of the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI). A total of 21.7% of patients reported having engaged in NSSI at least once in their lifetime. The most strongly endorsed function for NSSI was automatic negative reinforcement. In comparison with patients in the NSSI Thoughts group and the control group, patients in the NSSI group scored higher in Internalization of Anger and in all the scales comprising the Children's Depression Inventory. Our findings on the prevalence and functions of NSSI are consistent with the literature. NSSI was mainly performed for emotion regulation purposes; specifically, NSSI seems to be used to cope with anger and depression. In addition, internalization of anger might play a significant role in the maintenance of this behavior.
Midbrain mutiny: the picoeconomics and neuroeconomics of disordered gambling : economic theory and cognitive science

The explanatory power of economic theory is tested by the phenomenon of irrational consumption, examples of which include such addictive behaviors as disordered and pathological gambling. Midbrain Mutiny examines different economic models of disordered gambling, using the frameworks of neuroeconomics (which analyzes decision making in the brain) and picoeconomics (which analyzes patterns of consumption behavior), and drawing on empirical evidence about behavior and the brain. The authors argue that pathological gambling is a true addiction and that addictive gambling is the basic form of addiction, revealing the core character of all addiction. The book describes addiction in neuroeconomic terms as chronic disruption of the balance between the midbrain dopamine system and the prefrontal and frontal serotonergic system, and reviews recent evidence from trials testing the effectiveness of antiaddiction drugs. The authors argue that the best way to understand disordered and addictive gambling is with a hybrid picoeconomic-neuroeconomic model, and their demonstration of this framework's applicability to gambling provides a concrete case study for the more abstract description of picoeconomic-neuroeconomic complementarity in Don Ross's earlier book Economic Theory and Cognitive Science: Microexplanation (MIT Press, 2005).
Influence of Nutrients on Biomass Evolution in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor Degrading Sulfate‐Laden Organics

This paper describes the effect of the nutrients iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), and molybdenum (Mo) on biomass evolution in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor metabolizing synthetic sulfate‐laden organics at varying operating conditions during a period of 540 days. A bench‐scale model of a UASB reactor was operated at a temperature of 35 ° C for a chemical oxygen demand‐to‐sulfate (COD/SO42−) ratio of 8.59 to 2.0, a sulfate loading rate of 0.54 to 1.88 kg SO42−/m3˙d, and an organic loading rate of 1.9 to 5.75 kg COD/m3˙d. Biomass was characterized in terms of total methanogenic activity, acetate‐utilizing methanogenic activity, total sulfidogenic activity, acetate‐utilizing sulfidogenic activity, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Nickel and cobalt limitation appears to affect the activity of hydrogen‐utilizing methane‐producing bacteria (HMPB) significantly without having an appreciable effect on the activity of acetate‐utilizing methane‐producing bacteria (AMPB). Nickel and cobalt supplementation resulted in increased availability and, consequently, restoration of biomass activity and process performance. Iron limitation and sulfidogenic conditions resulted in the growth of low‐density, hollow, fragile granules that washed out, causing process instability and performance deterioration. Iron and cobalt supple‐mentation indicated significant stimulation of AMPB with slight inhibition of HMPB. Examination of biomass through SEM indicated a population shift with dominance of sarcina‐type organisms and the formation of hollow granules. Granule disintegration was observed toward the end of the study.
Nonspecific sarcolemmal cation channels are critical for the pathogenesis of malignant hyperthermia

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility has been attributed to a leaky sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) caused by missense mutations in RYR1 or CACNA1S, and the MH crisis has been attributed solely to massive self‐sustaining release of Ca2+ from SR stores elicited by triggering agents. Here, we show in muscle cells from MH‐RyR1R163C knock‐in mice that increased passive SR Ca2+ leak causes an enlarged basal influx of sarcolemmal Ca2+ that results in chronically elevated myoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) at rest. We discovered that Gd+3 and GsMTx‐4 were more effective than BTP2 or expression of the dominant‐negative Orai1E190Q in reducing both Ca2+ entry and [Ca2+]i, implicating a non‐STIM1/Orai1 SOCE pathway in resetting resting [Ca2+]i. Indeed, two nonselective cationic channels, TRPC3 and TRPC6, are overexpressed, and [Na]i is chronically elevated in MH‐RyR1R163C muscle cells. [Ca2+]i and [Na+]i are persistently elevated in vivo and further increased by halothane in MH‐RyR1R163C/WT muscle. These increases are markedly attenuated by local perfusion of Gd+3 or GsMTx‐4 and completely suppressed by dantrolene. These results contribute a new paradigm for understanding MH pathophysiology by demonstrating that nonselective sarcolemmal cation channel activity plays a critical role in causing myoplasmic Ca2+ and Na+ overload both at rest and during the MH crisis. —Eltit, J. M. , Ding, X. , Pessah, I. N. , Allen, P. D. , Lopez, J. R. Nonspecific sarcolemmal cation channels are critical for the pathogenesis of malignant hyperthermia. FASEB J. 27, 991–1000 (2013). www.fasebj. org
The Trailblazer Search: A New Method for Searching and Capturing Moving Targets

This paper proposes a new search algorithm for targets that move. Ishida and Korf presented an algorithm, called the moving target search, that captures a target while deciding each search step in constant time (Ishida & Korf 1991). However, this algorithm requires many search steps to solve problems, if it uses a heuristic function that initially returns inaccurate values. The trailblazer search stores path information of the region it has searched and exploits this information when making decisions. The algorithm maintains a map of the searched region, and chases the target once it falls on a path found on the map. We empirically show that the algorithm's map function can significantly reduce the number of search steps, compared with the moving target search. We also discuss the efficiency of the trailblazer search, taking the maintenance cost of the map into consideration.
Mini-Mental State Examination among lower educational levels and illiterates: Transcultural evaluation

Cognitive performance among illiterates and low educational levels is poorer than that observed in individuals with greater schooling. This difference can be a confounding factor in reaching an accurate diagnosis of cognitive impairment. In addition, there is great heterogeneity in performance among illiterates, probably due to different environmental demands and sociocultural backgrounds. Many reports have described the influence of education on neuropsychological measures and screening tests such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Objectives To analyze performance in two samples with the same educational level, but different social and cultural backgrounds. Methods Subjects from two different locations in Brazil (rural sample from Northern region and urban sample residing in the largest city of the Southeastern region) were matched for age and education, and submitted to the MMSE. Results Significant differences between the groups were found in total scores on the MMSE and in temporal orientation and serial-sevens sub-items for which the urban sample performed best but analysis of illiterates alone yielded the same results, except for the copying pentagons task which was performed better by the rural sample. Conclusions Cultural and social backgrounds, as well as demands from the environment, influence results of screening tests. Factors other than education must be taken into account when analyzing tests.
Dopamine transporter density is decreased in parkinsonian patients with a history of manganese exposure: What does it mean?

Manganese (Mn) exposure can cause parkinsonism. Pathological changes occur mostly in the pallidum and striatum. Two patients with a long history of occupational Mn exposure presented with Mn‐induced parkinsonism. In one patient, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed findings consistent with Mn exposure, and Mn concentration was increased in the blood and urine. However, this patient's clinical features were typical of idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD). Previous pathological and positron emission tomography studies indicate that striatal dopamine transporter density is normal in Mn‐induced parkinsonism, whereas it is decreased in PD. Therefore, we performed [123I]‐(1r)‐2β‐carboxymethoxy‐3β‐(4‐iodophenyl)tropane ([123I]‐β‐CIT) single‐photon emission computed tomography. Severe reduction of striatal β‐CIT binding was indicated, which is consistent with PD. We propose three interpretations: (1) the patients have PD, and Mn exposure is incidental; (2) Mn induces selective degeneration of presynaptic dopaminergic nerve terminals, thereby causing parkinsonism; or (3) Mn exposure acts as a risk of PD in these patients. Our results and careful review of previous studies indicate that the axiom that Mn causes parkinsonism by pallidal lesion may be over‐simplified; Mn exposure and parkinsonism may be more complex than previously thought. Further studies are required to elucidate the relationship between Mn and various forms of parkinsonism. © 2002 Movement Disorder Society
Motion Control for Real-World Haptics

Prof. Fumio Harashima had driven the 21st Century Center of Excellence (COE) Program for human-adaptive mechatronics as a subleader from 2003 to 2008, when he was the president of Tokyo Denki University. This program mainly focused on the development of the significant technological breakthroughs in mechatronics and on the cultivation of distinguished young researchers in the field. This project was concluded with a great deal of success. This is one of his significant contributions to the establishment of a solid platform of human-support mechatronics technology. The authors have discussed with him about the human-support mechatronics technology for a long time. They have shared a future prospect of mechatronics for human support. As one of their common understandings, they noticed that the development of a new mechatronics technology based on humans' sensations and actions will be a key for the physical human support. From this background of their deep friendship, a short review about real-world haptics, which can achieve the remote physical support for human activities and the communication of humans' tactile sensation, is presented as a tribute to Prof. Fumio Harashima.
Continuous Monitoring of Turning in Patients with Movement Disability

Difficulty with turning is a major contributor to mobility disability and falls in people with movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Turning often results in freezing and/or falling in patients with PD. However, asking a patient to execute a turn in the clinic often does not reveal their impairments. Continuous monitoring of turning with wearable sensors during spontaneous daily activities may help clinicians and patients determine who is at risk of falls and could benefit from preventative interventions. In this study, we show that continuous monitoring of natural turning with wearable sensors during daily activities inside and outside the home is feasible for people with PD and elderly people. We developed an algorithm to detect and characterize turns during gait, using wearable inertial sensors. First, we validate the turning algorithm in the laboratory against a Motion Analysis system and against a video analysis of 21 PD patients and 19 control (CT) subjects wearing an inertial sensor on the pelvis. Compared to Motion Analysis and video, the algorithm maintained a sensitivity of 0.90 and 0.76 and a specificity of 0.75 and 0.65, respectively. Second, we apply the turning algorithm to data collected in the home from 12 PD and 18 CT subjects. The algorithm successfully detects turn characteristics, and the results show that, compared to controls, PD subjects tend to take shorter turns with smaller turn angles and more steps. Furthermore, PD subjects show more variability in all turn metrics throughout the day and the week.
Regulatory role of PGC-1α/PPAR signaling in skeletal muscle metabolic recruitment during cold acclimation

SUMMARY This study examined the molecular basis of energy-related regulatory mechanisms underlying metabolic recruitment of skeletal muscle during cold acclimation and possible involvement of the l-arginine/nitric oxide-producing pathway. Rats exposed to cold (4±1°C) for periods of 1, 3, 7, 12, 21 and 45 days were divided into three groups: untreated, l-arginine treated and Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) treated. Compared with controls (22±1°C), there was an initial increase in the protein level of 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase α (day 1), followed by an increase in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs): PPARα and PPARγ from day 1 and PPARδ from day 7 of cold acclimation. Activation of the PGC-1α/PPAR transcription program was accompanied by increased protein expression of the key metabolic enzymes in β-oxidation, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, with the exceptions in complex I (no changes) and ATP synthase (decreased at day 1). Cold did not affect hexokinase and GAPDH protein levels, but increased lactate dehydrogenase activity compared with controls (1–45 days). l-arginine sustained, accelerated and/or intensified cold-induced molecular remodeling throughout cold acclimation. l-NAME exerted phase-dependent effects: similar to l-arginine in early cold acclimation and opposite after prolonged cold exposure (from day 21). It seems that upregulation of the PGC-1α/PPAR transcription program early during cold acclimation triggers the molecular recruitment of skeletal muscle underlying the shift to more oxidative metabolism during prolonged cold acclimation. Our results suggest that nitric oxide has a role in maintaining the skeletal muscle oxidative phenotype in late cold acclimation but question its role early in cold acclimation.
Open Access Bmc Medical Genetics Association Analyses of the Insig2 Polymorphism in the Obesity and Cholesterol Levels of Korean Populations

Background: While INSIG2 has been reported to be associated with BMI in many populations, conflicting results have prevented consensus over its role. In analyses of mice and cell cultures the gene has been found to be involved in the regulation of cholesterol synthesis; however, no relationship has been found with cholesterol metabolism in human epidemiological research. Therefore, this study attempts to assess the effect of rs7566605 near INSIG2 on both obesity-and cholesterol-related traits in Koreans.
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Differentially Regulates Retinal Ganglion Cell Dendritic and Axonal Arborization In Vivo

Expression of the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor trkB in the ganglion cell layer of theXenopus retina during retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dendritic arborization indicates that BDNF is spatially and temporally available to influence RGC morphological differentiation (Cohen-Cory and Fraser, 1994; Cohen-Cory et al., 1996). BDNF promotes RGC axon arborization in vivo by acting as a target-derived trophic factor (Cohen-Cory and Fraser, 1995). To determine whether BDNF also acts locally to regulate RGC dendritic development in vivo, we altered retinal neurotrophin levels at the onset of dendritic arborization and assessed the resulting arbor morphologies of RGCs retrogradely labeled with fluorescent dextrans. Injecting neurotrophins or BDNF function-blocking antibodies coupled to microspheres provided local alterations of retinal neurotrophin levels. BDNF significantly decreased RGC dendritic arbor complexity, whereas neutralizing endogenous BDNF levels with function-blocking antibodies significantly increased dendritic arbor complexity. RGCs exposed to other neurotrophins, as well as RGCs in retinae treated with BDNF but in areas not directly exposed to the neurotrophin, developed dendritic arbors that were indistinguishable from controls, indicating that exogenous BDNF acts specifically and locally. In the tectum, where RGC axons arborize, BDNF had opposite effects. BDNF significantly increased RGC axon arbor complexity and anti-BDNF reduced RGC arborization. Thus, BDNF reduces RGC dendritic arborization within the retina and increases axon arborization in the tectum. These results indicate that BDNF can differentially modulate axonal and dendritic arborization within a single neuronal population in opposing manners and raise the possibility that differential modulation by a neurotrophic factor finely tunes the morphological differentiation program of a neuron.
Remembered sets can also play cards

Remembered sets and dirty bits have been proposed as alternative implementations of the write barrier for garbage collection. There are advantages to both approaches. Dirty bits can be efficiently maintained with minimal, bounded overhead per store operation, while remembered sets concisely, and accurately record the necessary information. Here we present evidence to show that hybrids can combine the virtues of both schemes and offer competitive performance. Moreover, we argue that a hybrid can better avoid the devils that are the downfall of the separate alternatives.