Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulation of stimulus contrast on the human pupil orienting response

The sudden appearance of a novel stimulus initiates a series of responses to orient the body for appropriate actions, including not only shifts of gaze and attention, but also transient pupil dilation. Modulation of pupil dynamics by stimulus properties is less understood, although its effects on other components of orienting have been extensively explored. Microstimulation of the superior colliculus evoked transient pupil dilation, and the initial component of pupil dilation evoked by microstimulation was similar to that elicited by the presentation of salient sensory stimuli, suggesting a coordinated role of the superior colliculus on this behavior, although evidence in humans is yet to be established. To examine pupil orienting responses in humans, we presented visual stimuli while participants fixated on a central visual spot. Transient pupil dilation in humans was elicited after presentation of a visual stimulus in the periphery. The evoked pupil responses were modulated systematically by stimulus contrast, with faster and larger pupil responses triggered by higher contrast stimuli. The pupil response onset latencies for high contrast stimuli were similar to those produced by the light reflex and significantly faster than the darkness reflex, suggesting that the initial component of pupil dilation is probably mediated by inhibition of the parasympathetic pathway. The contrast modulation was pronounced under different levels of baseline pupil size. Together, our results demonstrate visual contrast modulation on the orienting pupil response in humans.
Managing Autism: Knowledge and Training in Autism Spectrum Disorders among Special Education Administrators in Texas.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a neurobiological condition characterized by complex and pervasive manifestations affecting communication, socialization, and adaptive behaviors. The number of children identified with ASDs has continued to rise at alarming rates over the past decade (Fombonne, 2005). According to national reports, the number of students with ASDs served in schools has increased by more than 500% (United States Government Accountability Office, 2005). This trend is also supported by evidence from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reporting about one in 88 children identified with ASDs (CDC, 2012). Data collected from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education reflect this increase from nearly 120000 children with ASDs reported in 2002, to 370011 children in 2010 (Data Accountability Center, n.d.). Questions remain regarding the dramatic increase in prevalence rates. There is evidence to suggest the increase may be due in part to heightened awareness, refined diagnostic practices, development of standardized assessment tools, and environmental factors (Croen, Grether, Hoogstrate, & Selvin, 2002; Fombonne, 2001). According to national reports, the number of
An Investigation of Heterochromatin Domains on the Fourth Chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster

The banded portion of Drosophila melanogaster chromosome 4 exhibits euchromatic and heterochromatic characteristics. Reminiscent of heterochromatin, it contains a high percentage of repetitive elements, does not undergo recombination, and exhibits high levels of HP1 and histone-3 lysine-9 dimethylation. However, in the distal 1.2 Mb, the gene density is typical of euchromatin, and this region is polytene in salivary gland nuclei. Using P-element reporters carrying a copy of hsp70-white, alternative chromatin packaging domains can be distinguished by the eye color phenotype. Mapping studies identified the repetitive element 1360 as a candidate for heterochromatin targeting in the fourth chromosome Hcf region. We report here two new screens using this reporter to look for additional heterochromatin target sites. We confirm that reporter elements within 10 kb of 1360 are usually packaged as heterochromatin; however, heterochromatin packaging occurs in the sv region in the absence of 1360. Analyses of the sequences adjacent to P-element reporters show no simple association between specific repeated elements and transgene expression phenotype on a whole chromosome level. The data require that heterochromatin formation as a whole depends on a more complex pattern of sequence organization rather than the presence of a single sequence element.
Graph matching using random walks

In this paper, we propose a graph matching algorithm which uses random walks to compute topological features for each node, in order to identify candidate pairs of corresponding nodes in the two graphs. The algorithm automatically adapts the number of topological features required to determine the exact match among the nodes. Even if the proposed technique is not guaranteed to provide an exact solution for all graphs, the experiments on a benchmark dataset show that it can outperform other state of the art algorithms with respect to the computational requirements. In fact, the proposed algorithm is polynomial in the number of graph nodes.
Wielding Statistical Fault Localization Statistically

Program debugging is a laborious but necessary phase of software development. It generally consists of fault localization, bug fix, and regression testing. Statistical software fault localization automates the manual and error-prone first task. It predicts fault locations by analyzing dynamic program spectrum captured in program runs. Previous studies mostly focused on how to provide reliable input data to such a technique and how to process the data accurately, but inadequately studied how to wield the output result of such a technique. In this work, we raise the assumption of symmetric distribution on the effectiveness of such a technique in locating faults, based on empirical results. We use maximum likelihood estimate and linear programming to develop a tuning method to enhance the result of a statistical fault localization technique. Experiments with two representative such techniques on two realistic UNIX utility programs validate our assumption and show our method effective.
In the Middle of Things. Germany’s ongoing Engagement with STS

Abstract: In order to map out the German engagements with STS, this article draws some historical and conceptual connecting lines: first, the technological society, second, the sociology of everyday devices and third, the sociology of innovation. The historical developments of discussing the relation of science, technology and society in Germany will be used as the starting point. The reception of STS in Germany will be depicted in reference to these precursors and some peculiarities of the German debates will be addressed. The article roughly follows the institutionalisation of science and technology studies in Germany and highlights some intersections with STS from the early 1980s until today. Keywords: Technological society; mundane devices; innovation studies; technology studies; philosophy of technology.
Open WiFi networks: Lethal weapons for botnets?

This paper assesses the potential for highly mobile botnets to communicate and perform nefarious actions using only open WiFi networks, which we term mobile WiFi botnets. We design and evaluate a proof-of-concept mobile WiFi botnet using real-world mobility traces and actual open WiFi network locations for the urban environment of San Francisco. Our extensive simulation results demonstrate that mobile WiFi botnets can support rapid command propagation, with commands typically reaching over 75% of the botnet only 2 hours after injection-sometimes, within as little as 30 minutes. Moreover, those bots able to receive commands usually have ≈40-50% probability of being able to do so within a minute of the command being issued. Our evaluation results also indicate that even a small mobile WiFi botnet of only 536 bots can launch an effective DDoS attack against poorly protected systems. Furthermore, mobile WiFi botnet traffic is sufficiently distributed across multiple open WiFi networks-with no single network being over-utilized at any given moment-to make detection difficult.
Endogenous muscle lectin inhibits myoblast adhesion to laminin

L-14, a dimeric lactose-binding lectin with subunits of 14 kD, is expressed in a wide range of vertebrate tissues. Several functions have been postulated for this lectin, but definitive evidence for a specific biological role has been elusive. In muscle, L-14 is secreted during differentiation and accumulates with laminin in basement membrane surrounding each myofiber. Here we present evidence that laminin is a major glycoprotein ligand for L-14 in differentiating mouse C2C12 muscle cells and that binding of secreted L-14 to polylactosamine oligosaccharides of substrate laminin induces loss of cell-substratum adhesion. These results suggest that one function of L-14 is to regulate myoblast detachment from laminin during differentiation and fusion into tubular myofibers.
Security challenges for the intelligent transportation system

There has been considerable work addressing security in vehicular network systems for Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) usages. We examine the risks and proposed security solutions in this space. Our analysis leads to several key observations. The current security work misses many practical ITS usage and security requirements, since it fails to consider practical economic models and critical ITS functional requirements as a control system. Consequently, the standardized ITS communication message authenticity solutions have little utility relative to addressing the real threats. Furthermore, we discovered that fundamental re-thinking of the public key infrastructure support for secure vehicular communication is essential, because of the multi-stakeholder and cross-domain nature of many ITS usages. Based on our analysis, we call for future research directions in analyzing practical problems and designing solutions to secure vehicular communication in order to achieve its full potential.
Lexical normalisation of Twitter Data

Twitter with over 500 million users globally, generates over 100,000 tweets per minute1. The 140 character limit per tweet has, perhaps unintentionally, encourages users to use shorthand notations and to strip spellings to their bare minimum “syllables” or elisions e.g. “srsly”. The analysis of Twitter messages which typically contain misspellings, elisions, and grammatical errors, poses a challenge to established Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools which are generally designed with the assumption that the data conforms to the basic grammatical structure commonly used in English language. In order to make sense of Twitter messages it is necessary to first transform them into a canonical form, consistent with the dictionary or grammar. This process, performed at the level of individual tokens (“words”), is called lexical normalisation. This paper investigates various techniques for lexical normalisation of Twitter data and presents the findings as the techniques are applied to process raw data from Twitter.
Technology Futures From Passive Crowdsourcing

Efforts to predict emerging, new, or disruptive technologies use various analyses and data sources to derive indicators and subsequent forecasts about technological innovations, including quantitative (such as bibliometric analysis) and qualitative methods (such as expert elicitation). We describe a novel approach for harnessing a collective (crowdsourced) predictive ability available through publicly made technology-related statements by automatically determining significant convergences on technology forecasts. We evaluate our approach using a corpus of science-related articles and demonstrate that passive crowdsourcing may be a powerful source of technology-related predictive intelligence.
Contribution à la sécurisation du routage dans les réseaux ad hoc

Les reseaux ad hoc sont composes d'entites autonomes sans fil qui organisent par elles-memes leurs communications. Ces reseaux sont plus vulnerables aux attaques que les reseaux filaires ou sans fil conventionnels, en raison de l'absence d'infrastructure de gestion, de l'utilisation de canaux de communication sans fil, et de la protection limitee des entites. Par exemple, on peut s'attendre a des degradations des communications a partir du moment ou des entites malveillantes corrompent les operations de base dont elles sont responsables. Les travaux realises dans le cadre de cette these portent sur la securite du routage. Notre approche consiste d'une part a empecher les attaques sur les messages de controle, et d'autre part a fournir un support fiable pour la detection des comportements malveillants. Afin de pallier les limites des approches existantes, nous etudions l'utilisation d'un equipement materiel resistant a la manipulation. Nous decrivons un schema de controle, situe entre la couche liaison de donnees et la couche reseau, permettant de detecter avec precision les entites corrompues dans les operations elementaires requises par tous les protocoles de routage. Dans la seconde partie de ce travail, nous proposons un cadre d'analyse systematique de la securite du protocole de routage OLSR (Optimized Link State Routing). Nous decrivons : (1) les differents elements qui definissent le fonctionnement d'OLSR, (2) les attaques possibles sous la forme d'actions elementaires non conformes, puis (3) les relations de causalite entre les differentes actions non conformes et l'etendue des perturbations. Cette representation permet de construire une base de reference substantielle a partir de laquelle il est possible de comparer plusieurs versions renforcees d'OLSR.
Victims, bullies, and their defenders: A longitudinal study of the coevolution of positive and negative networks

Abstract The complex interplay between bullying/victimization and defending was examined using a longitudinal social network approach (stochastic actor-based models). The (co)evolution of these relations within three elementary schools (Grades 2–5 at Time 1, ages 8–11, N = 354 children) was investigated across three time points within a year. Most bullies and defenders were in the same grade as the victims, although a substantial number of bullies and defenders were in other grades (most often one grade higher). Defenders were usually of the same gender as the victims, whereas most bullies were boys, with boys bullying both boys and girls. In line with goal-framing theory, multiplex network analyses provided evidence for the social support hypothesis (victims with the same bullies defended each other over time) as well as the retaliation hypothesis (defenders run the risk of becoming victimized by the bullies of the victims they defend). In addition, the analysis revealed that bullies with the same victims defended each other over time and that defenders of bullies initiated harassment of those bullies' victims. This study can be seen as a starting point in unraveling the relationship dynamics among bullying, victimization, and defending networks in schools.
Variants of the Xenopus laevis ribosomal transcription factor xUBF are developmentally regulated by differential splicing

XUBF is a Xenopus ribosomal transcription factor of the HMG-box family which contains five tandemly disposed homologies to the HMG1 & 2 DNA binding domains. XUBF has been isolated as a protein doublet and two cDNAs encoding the two molecular weight variants have been characterised. The major two forms of xUBF identified differ by the presence or absence of a 22 amino acid segment lying between HMG-boxes 3 and 4. Here we show that the mRNAs for these two forms of xUBF are regulated during development and differentiation over a range of nearly 20 fold. By isolating two of the xUBF genes, it was possible to show that both encoded the variable 22 amino acid segment in exon 12. Oocyte splicing assays and the sequencing of PCR-generated cDNA fragments, demonstrated that the transcripts from one of these genes were differentially spliced in a developmentally regulated manner. Transcripts from the second gene were found to be predominantly or exclusively spliced to produce the lower molecular weight form of xUBF. Expression of a high molecular weight form from yet a third gene was also detected. Although the intron-exon structures of the Xenopus and mouse UBF genes were found to be essentially identical, the differential splicing of exon 8 found in mammals, was not detected in Xenopus.
FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCES: Transforming Traditional Child Welfare Policy and Practice

Family group conferencing has emerged as a child welfare system–transforming practice that fosters new collaborations between families, child welfare practitioners, and the courts. The key components of the model are explained. This article highlights the strengths and challenges associated with incorporating family group conferencing into traditional child welfare agency and court practice. It suggests future practice considerations and outcome-based study that are necessary to strengthen and sustain family group conferencing as a prevention/intervention strategy.
Methodological complexities in the diagnosis of major depression in youth: an analysis of mother and youth self-reports.

OBJECTIVE Considering the well-documented low level of agreement between youth and parent reports on the diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD), uncertainties remain as to the informativeness of discrepant youth and parent reports in clinical studies. To this end we evaluated whether morbidity and functional correlates on the diagnosis of MDD in youth vary by informant source. METHODS The sample consisted of 186 pairs of independently assessed mother and youth self-reports on the diagnosis of MDD using structured diagnostic interviews ascertained in a large study of youth with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder of both genders. Subjects were also assessed on measures of interpersonal, school, and family functioning as well as prior treatment history. RESULTS The diagnosis of MDD endorsed by youth self-report only when compared with that reported by the mother was characterized by significantly: shorter duration episode, later age at onset, milder depression-associated impairment, less impairment in interpersonal functioning, lower rates of comorbid disorders, and decreased likelihood to receive any course of treatment for depression. The morbidity and dysfunction associated with MDD varied significantly by informant source, and followed a dose-response association with the highest morbidity associated with the concurrent reports of the youth and the mothers, followed by mother report alone, with the least morbidity and dysfunction when endorsed by youth alone. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that exclusive reliance on youth self-reports may identify a mild form of depression associated with limited morbidity and disability compared with that identified by parental reports.
A 60-GHz 1.2 V 21 dBm power amplifier with a fully symmetrical 8-way transformer power combiner in 90 nm CMOS

A 60-GHz 1.2 V power amplifier (PA) using fully symmetrical 8-way transformer power combiner is designed in 90 nm CMOS. The fully symmetrical transformer power combiner structure mitigates the impedance imbalance caused by uneven voltage coupling between primaries and secondary. At 60 GHz, impedance uniformity between four input ports of the transformer power combiner is better than 5% in real part and 7% in imaginary part. Loss of the transformer power combiner is 1 dB. At 60 GHz, small signal gain of the PA is 16.8 dB. 1-dB gain compression point output power is 17.2 dBm. Peak power-added efficiency (PAE) and saturated output power are 13.4% and 21 dBm.
Assessing complexity in learning outcomes – a comparison between the SOLO taxonomy and the model of hierarchical complexity

An important aspect of higher education is to educate students who can manage complex relationships and solve complex problems. Teachers need to be able to evaluate course content with regard to complexity, as well as evaluate students’ ability to assimilate complex content and express it in the form of a learning outcome. One model for evaluating complexity is the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. The aim of this analysis is to address the limitations of the SOLO taxonomy in detecting the more subtle differences of the learning outcomes and to clarify the concept of learning modes. This is done by analysing the SOLO taxonomy by means of the model of hierarchical complexity (MHC). The two models are compared by examining their respective theoretical background, the definitions and descriptions of the stages of each model, as well as through evaluating examples illustrating the SOLO levels using MHC. The two models can be viewed as compatible, with MHC also being able to put the SOLO taxonomy in an adult development context, thereby emphasising the importance of developing the students’ access to complex thinking.
Phosphorylation of Thr(495) regulates Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity.

The activity of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) can be regulated independently of an increase in Ca(2+) by the phosphorylation of Ser(1177) but results only in a low nitric oxide (NO) output. In the present study, we assessed whether the agonist-induced (Ca(2+)-dependent, high-output) activation of eNOS is associated with changes in the phosphorylation of Thr(495) in the calmodulin (CaM)-binding domain. eNOS Thr(495) was constitutively phosphorylated in porcine aortic endothelial cells and was rapidly dephosphorylated after bradykinin stimulation. In the same cells, bradykinin enhanced the phosphorylation of Ser(1177), which was maximal after 5 minutes, and abolished by the CaM-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitor KN-93. Bradykinin also enhanced the association of CaMKII with eNOS. Phosphorylation of Thr(495) was attenuated by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor Ro 31-8220 and after PKC downregulation using phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. The agonist-induced dephosphorylation of Thr(495) was completely Ca(2+)-dependent and inhibited by the PP1 inhibitor calyculin A. Little CaM was bound to eNOS immunoprecipitated from unstimulated cells, but the agonist-induced dephosphorylation of Thr(495) enhanced the association of CaM. Mutation of Thr(495) to alanine increased CaM binding to eNOS in the absence of cell stimulation, whereas the corresponding Asp(495) mutant bound almost no CaM. Accordingly, NO production by the Ala(495) mutant was more sensitive to Ca(2+)/CaM than the aspartate mutant. These results suggest that the dual phosphorylation of Ser(1177) and Thr(495) determines the activity of eNOS in agonist-stimulated endothelial cells. Moreover, the dephosphorylation of Thr(495) by PP1 precedes the phosphorylation of Ser(1177) by CaMKII. The full text of this article is available at http://www.circresaha. org.
Fat Chance!: The Myth of Dieting Explained

Dieting makes you fat! "Fat Chance ! " examines why so many people spend their lives dieting yet so few ever lose any weight. Up to 70% of women diet at some time in their lives. They want to know why dieting doesn't work, that it is not their fault that they cannot lose weight, and that it is OK to stop dieting. Jane Ogden shows how the process of dieting itself sets you up for failure. She explodes many of the myths about dieting, myths that keep the dieting industry fat, and offers an alternative to dieting - not an alternative magic pill for weight loss but a way to feel good about yourself and to stop thinking that if you feel fat you must be fat.