Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pupillometric Evidence for the Decoupling of Attention from Perceptual Input during Offline Thought

Accumulating evidence suggests that the brain can efficiently process both external and internal information. The processing of internal information is a distinct “offline” cognitive mode that requires not only spontaneously generated mental activity; it has also been hypothesized to require a decoupling of attention from perception in order to separate competing streams of internal and external information. This process of decoupling is potentially adaptive because it could prevent unimportant external events from disrupting an internal train of thought. Here, we use measurements of pupil diameter (PD) to provide concrete evidence for the role of decoupling during spontaneous cognitive activity. First, during periods conducive to offline thought but not during periods of task focus, PD exhibited spontaneous activity decoupled from task events. Second, periods requiring external task focus were characterized by large task evoked changes in PD; in contrast, encoding failures were preceded by episodes of high spontaneous baseline PD activity. Finally, high spontaneous PD activity also occurred prior to only the slowest 20% of correct responses, suggesting high baseline PD indexes a distinct mode of cognitive functioning. Together, these data are consistent with the decoupling hypothesis, which suggests that the capacity for spontaneous cognitive activity depends upon minimizing disruptions from the external world.
Zeros of Jones Polynomials of Graphs

In this paper, we introduce the Jones polynomial of a graph $G=(V,E)$ with $k$ components as the following specialization of the Tutte polynomial: $$J_G(t)=(-1)^{|V|-k}t^{|E|-|V|+k}T_G(-t,-t^{-1}). $$ We first study its basic properties and determine certain extreme coefficients. Then we prove that $(-\infty, 0]$ is a zero-free interval of Jones polynomials of connected bridgeless graphs while for any small $\epsilon>0$ or large $M>0$, there is a zero of the Jones polynomial of a plane graph in $(0,\epsilon)$, $(1-\epsilon,1)$, $(1,1+\epsilon)$ or $(M,+\infty)$. Let $r(G)$ be the maximum moduli of zeros of $J_G(t)$. By applying Sokal's result on zeros of Potts model partition functions and Lucas's theorem, we prove that \begin{eqnarray*}{q_s-|V|+1\over |E|}\leq r(G)<1+6.907652\Delta_G \end{eqnarray*} for any connected bridgeless and loopless graph $G=(V,E)$ of maximum degree $\Delta_G$ with $q_s$ parallel classes. As a consequence of the upper bound, X. -S. Lin's conjecture holds if the positive checkerboard graph of a connected alternating link has a fixed maximum degree and a sufficiently large number of edges.
Enhanced Heterogeneous Code Cache management scheme for Dynamic Binary Translation

Recently, Dynamic Binary Translation (DBT) technology has gained much attentions on embedded systems due to its various capabilities. However, the memory resource in embedded systems is often limited. This leads to the overhead of code retranslation and causes significant performance degradation. To reduce this overhead, Heterogeneous Code Cache (HCC), is proposed to split the code cache among SPM and main memory to avoid code re-translation. Although HCC is effective in handling applications with large working sets, it ignores the execution frequencies of program segments. Frequently executed program segments can be stored in main memory and suffer from large access latency. This causes significant performance loss. To address this problem, an enhanced Heterogeneous Code Cache management scheme which considers program behaviors is proposed in this paper. Experimental results show that the proposed management scheme can effectively improve the access ratio of SPM from 49.48% to 95.06%. This leads to 42.68% improvement of performance as compared with the management scheme proposed in the previous work.
Crumbs is an essential regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics and cell-cell adhesion during dorsal closure in Drosophila

The evolutionarily conserved Crumbs protein is required for epithelial polarity and morphogenesis. Here we identify a novel role of Crumbs as a negative regulator of actomyosin dynamics during dorsal closure in the Drosophila embryo. Embryos carrying a mutation in the FERM (protein 4.1/ezrin/radixin/moesin) domain-binding motif of Crumbs die due to an overactive actomyosin network associated with disrupted adherens junctions. This phenotype is restricted to the amnioserosa and does not affect other embryonic epithelia. This function of Crumbs requires DMoesin, the Rho1-GTPase, class-I p21-activated kinases and the Arp2/3 complex. Data presented here point to a critical role of Crumbs in regulating actomyosin dynamics, cell junctions and morphogenesis. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.07398. 001
Explicit Filtering and Reconstruction Turbulence Modeling for Large-Eddy Simulation of Neutral Boundary Layer Flow

Abstract Standard turbulence closures for large-eddy simulations of atmospheric flow based on finite-difference or finite-volume codes use eddy-viscosity models and hence ignore the contribution of the resolved subfilter-scale stresses. These eddy-viscosity closures are unable to produce the expected logarithmic region near the surface in neutral boundary layer flows. Here, explicit filtering and reconstruction are used to improve the representation of the resolvable subfilter-scale (RSFS) stresses, and a dynamic eddy-viscosity model is used for the subgrid-scale (SGS) stresses. Combining reconstruction and eddy-viscosity models yields a sophisticated (and higher order) version of the well-known mixed model of Bardina et al.; the explicit filtering and reconstruction procedures clearly delineate the contribution of the RSFS and SGS motions. A near-wall stress model is implemented to supplement the turbulence models and account for the stress induced by filtering near a solid boundary as well as the effect.
Structure of the Repulsive Guidance Molecule (RGM)–Neogenin Signaling Hub

RGM Proteins Members of the repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) family of proteins can be secreted or reside on the surface of cells where they bind to the cell surface receptor, neogenin. The RGM proteins are named for their role in axon guidance for developing neurons, but their function is also linked to a range of human diseases, including inflammation, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. Bell et al. (p. 77) solved the crystal structures of the external portions of the RGMB protein with portions of neogenin. The structures revealed interactions of dimers of RGMB with neogenin in which ligand binding induced conformational changes that may initiate intracellular signaling from the receptor. RGM proteins contain a site of autocatalytic cleavage that affects secretion of the proteins, and some disease-associated mutations in RGM proteins were clustered at this site. A complex of a guidance molecule and its receptor reveals how signals cross the membrane. Repulsive guidance molecule family members (RGMs) control fundamental and diverse cellular processes, including motility and adhesion, immune cell regulation, and systemic iron metabolism. However, it is not known how RGMs initiate signaling through their common cell-surface receptor, neogenin (NEO1). Here, we present crystal structures of the NEO1 RGM-binding region and its complex with human RGMB (also called dragon). The RGMB structure reveals a previously unknown protein fold and a functionally important autocatalytic cleavage mechanism and provides a framework to explain numerous disease-linked mutations in RGMs. In the complex, two RGMB ectodomains conformationally stabilize the juxtamembrane regions of two NEO1 receptors in a pH-dependent manner. We demonstrate that all RGM-NEO1 complexes share this architecture, which therefore represents the core of multiple signaling pathways.
Random Beamforming with Systematic Beam Selection

In this paper, we propose a new random beamforming scheme for multiuser multiple-input single-output block fading channels, e.g., a wireless downlink in a cellular communication system. Unlike previous methods it achieves spatial multiplexing gain over the complete range of realistic signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) even for moderate user numbers. The main shortcoming of the random beamforming schemes for multiple datastreams proposed so far is their interference limitation, especially under medium and high SNR. The key to mitigate this problem in our scheme is to allow feedback of each user's channel gain in each random beam. This information suffices to determine the sum-rate maximizing subset of beams and users at the base station. In this sense, our scheme, referred to as orthonormal random beamforming with systematic beam selection, can be considered as optimal among all random beamforming schemes that do not make use of additional preprocessing at the transmitter (apart from power normalization). It achieves a significant performance gain compared to previous schemes particularly for realistic SNR values
The structure of human thrombospondin, an adhesive glycoprotein with multiple calcium-binding sites and homologies with several different proteins

Thrombospondin is one of a class of adhesive glycoproteins that mediate cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions. We have used two monoclonal antibodies to isolate cDNA clones of thrombospondin from a human endothelial cell cDNA library and have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the coding region. Three regions of known amino acid sequence of human platelet thrombospondin confirm that the clones are authentic. Three types of repeating amino acid sequence are present in thrombospondin. The first is 57 amino acids long and shows homology with circumsporozoite protein from Plasmodium falciparum. The second is 50-60 amino acids long and shows homology with epidermal growth factor precursor. The third occurs as a continuous eightfold repeat of a 38- residue sequence; structural homology with parvalbumin and calmodulin indicates that these repeats constitute the multiple calcium-binding sites of thrombospondin. The amino acid sequence arg-gly-asp-ala is included in the last type 3 repeat. This sequence is probably the site for the association of thrombospondin with cells. In addition, localized homologies with procollagen, fibronectin, and von Willebrand factor are present in one region of the thrombospondin molecule.
Content-Based Routing for Continuous Query-Optimization

Current Data Stream Management Systems do not fully exploit their adaptive nature to handle complex queries. To date, such systems route stream tuples to operators or operator paths based only on operator-level statistics. Their optimizers ignore non-independent distributions, attribute correlations, and tuple content. In this paper, we propose a content-based tuple routing approach which, together with histogram-like statistics, allows a stream query processing system to exploit non-independent distributions and correlations instead of being hurt by them. We present a framework for content-based routing in a stream query processing system and an algorithm for learning contentbased routes automatically and efficiently. We present an extensive experimental evaluation of content-based routing based on a prototype implementation in TelegraphCQ. Our results clearly indicate that good content-based routes can be learned quickly and efficiently to improve query performance significantly. We believe that any system that processes complex queries over possibly non-uniform data, even in a non-stream environment, can profit by being simultaneously adaptive and content-aware.
Where Are the Academically Successful Puerto Rican Students? Five Success Factors of High Achieving Puerto Rican High School Students. JSRI Working Paper No. 61.

October 2003About the AuthorsRene Antrop-GonzalezRene Antrop-Gonzalez is Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.His research interests include the education of Puerto Rican/Latino urban high school students in the United States,alternative education, critical curriculum theory and qualitative inquiry. He can be reached at . William VelezWilliam Velez is Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His research interests includeLatino sociology of education and the ways in which racism affects urban housing issues. He can be reached at . Tom as GarrettTomas Garrett is a McNair Scholar majoring in sociology. His research interests include Latino sociology of educationand issues around race and ethnicity in an urban context. He is also a community organizer. He can be reached at .
Advances in Data Modeling Research

In this paper, we summarize the discussions of the panel on “Advances in Data Modeling Research,” held at the Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) in 2005. We focus on four primary areas where data modeling research offers rich opportunities: spatio-temporal semantics, genome research, ontological analysis and empirical evaluation of existing models. We highlight past work in each area and also discuss open questions, with a view to promoting future research in the overall data modeling area.
Adapting Text Simplification Decisions to Different Text Genres and Target Users

etodos Abstract: We investigate sentence deletion and split decisions in Spanish text simplication for two dierent corpora aimed at dierent groups of users. We analyse sentence transformations in two parallel corpora of original and manually simplied texts for two dierent types of users and then conduct two classication experiments: classifying between those sentences to be deleted and those to be kept; and classifying between sentences to be split and those to be left unsplit. Both experiments were rst run on each of the two corpora separately and then run by using one corpus for the training and the other for testing. The results indicated that both sentence decision systems could be successfully trained on one corpus and then used for a dierent text genre in a text simplication system aimed at a dierent
Specific probiotic therapy attenuates antibiotic induced visceral hypersensitivity in mice

Background and aim: Abdominal pain and discomfort are common symptoms in functional disorders and are attributed to visceral hypersensitivity. These symptoms fluctuate over time but the basis for this is unknown. Here we examine the impact of changes in gut flora and gut inflammatory cell activity on visceral sensitivity. Methods: Visceral sensitivity to colorectal distension (CRD) was assessed at intervals in healthy mice for up to 12 weeks, and in mice before and after administration of dexamethasone or non-absorbable antibiotics with or without supplementation with Lactobacillus paracasei (NCC2461). Tissue was obtained for measurement of myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), histology, microbiota analysis, and substance P (SP) immunolabelling. Results: Visceral hypersensitivity developed over time in healthy mice maintained without sterile precautions. This was accompanied by a small increase in MPO activity. Dexamethasone treatment normalised MPO and CRD responses. Antibiotic treatment perturbed gut flora, increased MPO and SP immunoreactivity in the colon, and produced visceral hypersensitivity. Administration of Lactobacillus paracasei in spent culture medium normalised visceral sensitivity and SP immunolabelling, but not intestinal microbiota counts. Conclusion: Perturbations in gut flora and in inflammatory cell activity alter sensory neurotransmitter content in the colon, and result in altered visceral perception. Changes in gut flora may be a basis for the variability of abdominal symptoms observed in functional gastrointestinal disorders and may be prevented by specific probiotic administration.
Introducing MorphMix: peer-to-peer based anonymous Internet usage with collusion detection

Traditional mix-based systems are composed of a small set of static, well known, and highly reliable mixes. To resist traffic analysis attacks at a mix, cover traffic must be used, which results in significant bandwidth overhead. End-to-end traffic analysis attacks are even more difficult to counter because there are only a few entry-and exit-points in the system. Static mix networks also suffer from scalability problems and in several countries, institutions operating a mix could be targeted by legal attacks. In this paper, we introduce MorphMix, a system for peer-to-peer based anonymous Internet usage. Each MorphMix node is a mix and anyone can easily join the system. We believe that MorphMix overcomes or reduces several drawbacks of static mix networks. In particular, we argue that our approach offers good protection from traffic analysis attacks without employing cover traffic. But MorphMix also introduces new challenges. One is that an adversary can easily operate several malicious nodes in the system and try to break the anonymity of legitimate users by getting full control over their anonymous paths. To counter this attack, we have developed a collusion detection mechanism, which allows to identify compromised paths with high probability before they are being used.
Understanding figurative language: Studies on the comprehension of metaphors and similes

At least since Aristotle, scholars have contrasted the more “literal” simile (e.g., lawyers are like sharks) with the more "figurative" metaphor (e.g., lawyers are sharks) to better understand how people deduce non-literal interpretations when comprehending figurative language such as metaphor. This thesis presents four manuscripts that investigated the comprehension of metaphors and similes to better understand this literal-figurative divide. The study reported in the first manuscript, employing off-line ratings and property-listing tasks, examined how metaphors and similes are interpreted, and how such statements are used on the Internet. Property lists generated for metaphors and similes were equivalent, although connotative properties seemed more salient for metaphors. The same study also found that similes on the Internet were used more often before an explanation. The study reported in the second manuscript examined the comprehension of metaphors and similes using self-paced reading, while the study reported in the third manuscript used eye-tracking. Results of the two studies were inconsistent: the self-paced reading study suggested similes were more difficult to process (longer reading times), while the reverse was suggested by the eye-tracking study (shorter saccade lengths for metaphors). Because first-pass reading measures such as saccade length are most immune to extra-linguistic variables, taken together results from both studies favor viewing metaphors as more difficult to comprehend than similes. Finally, the fourth manuscript presents a study that examined how people living with Alzheimer's disease interpret metaphors and similes using paraphrase and interpretation tasks. Interpretations for metaphors and similes were equivalent, but more apt statements (music is (like) medicine) were easier to interpret than less apt ones (e.g., life is (like) a bottle) highlighting the role of aptness in metaphor and simile interpretation. The final chapter presents a theoretical discussion in light of the results obtained in the four studies. In summary, the results suggest metaphors and similes activate a similar set of properties, but that connotative properties might receive increased activation when a metaphor is presented. This additional activation for connotative properties could make metaphors require more processing than similes.
NVMOVE: Helping Programmers Move to Byte-Based Persistence

Programmers can utilize the upcoming non-volatile memory (NVM) technology in various ways. One appealing way is to directly store critical application data structures in NVM instead of serializing them to block-storage. Changing legacy code to achieve this, however, is laborious and prone to bugs. We present NVMOVE, a tool that simplifies this transition by analyzing the source code and automatically identifying persistent types, types that are serialized and persisted. Aided by this tool, programmers can modify their applications to allocate such persistent types on the non-volatile memory heap. Upon analyzing Redis, a key-value store with 122 struct types, NVMOVE identifies 25 types as persistent, with no false negatives and 11 false positives. We evaluate the benefits of NVMOVE by moving the identified persistent types in Redis onto a non-volatile memory heap. Redis modified in this manner offers full persistence of data, and performs within 78% of Redis with no persistence, achieving more than 2× the performance of Redis that performs logging on SSDs.
Covering all the Bases: Preclinical Development of an Effective Staphylococcus aureus Vaccine

A key aspect of the pathogenesis of the Gram positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is its ability to rapidly adapt to the host environment during the course of an infection. To successfully establish infection, the organism deploys a variety of survival and immune evasion strategies, ranging from the acquisition of essential nutrients and expression of adhesins, which promote colonization and survival, to the elaboration of virulence factors such as capsule, which aids host immune evasion. The ability of S. aureus to deploy different virulence factors must be taken into account for S. aureus vaccine design. Here, we present a strategy for designing an effective vaccine against S. aureus disease by evaluating vaccine candidate performance in multiple in vivo models targeted to mimic aspects of human disease, and by co-development of functional in vitro immunoassays that measure the neutralization of relevant S. aureus virulence factors.
Experimentation of an Electric Machine Technology Demonstrator Incorporating Direct Winding Heat Exchangers

A novel advanced cooling technique for electric machines, which is termed the direct winding heat exchanger (DWHX), is presented. This technique uses a microfeature enhanced heat exchanger that is inserted between the stator winding bundles. The DWHX is innovative, with the capability of generating large heat transfer coefficients, i.e., ~30 000 W/m2 · K, due to the small channel size and microfeatures. This cooling technique significantly reduces the thermal resistance from the stator windings to the ambient. The cooling technique is explained in detail, and an initial DWHX technology demonstrator electric machine is presented. The technology demonstrator is shown to be capable of steady current densities in excess of 24.7 A/mm2 and transient current densities in excess of 40 A/mm2 for class F insulation.