Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Top-Down Attentional Guidance Based on Implicit Learning of Visual Covariation

The visual environment is extremely rich and complex, producing information overload for the visual system. But the environment also embodies structure in the form of redundancies and regularities that may serve to reduce complexity. How do perceivers internalize this complex informational structure? We present new evidence of visual learning that illustrates how observers learn how objects and events covary in the visual world. This information serves to guide visual processes such as object recognition and search. Our first experiment demonstrates that search and object recognition are facilitated by learned associations (covariation) between novel visual shapes. Our second experiment shows that regularities in dynamic visual environments can also be learned to guide search behavior. In both experiments, learning occurred incidentally and the memory representations were implicit. These experiments show how top-down visual knowledge, acquired through implicit learning, constrains what to expect and guides where to attend and look.
Eco‐evolutionary dynamics of communities and ecosystems

Summary 1 We review theoretical and empirical studies to identify instances where evolutionary processes significantly affect the dynamics of populations, communities and ecosystems. 2 Early theoretical work on eco-evolutionary dynamics was concerned with the effect of (co)evolution on the stability of two-species predator–prey systems and the occurrence of character displacement in simple competitive systems. Today's theoretical ecologists are extending this work to study the eco-evolutionary dynamics of multispecies communities and the functioning and evolutionary emergence of ecosystems. 3 In terms of methodology, eco-evolutionary modelling has diversified from simple, locus-based population genetic models to encompass models of clonal selection, quantitative trait dynamics and adaptive dynamics. 4 The few empirical studies on community dynamics that explicitly considered evolutionary processes support the view that evolutionary and ecological dynamics often occur on similar time-scales, and that they co-determine the dynamical behaviour of ecological communities.
Adaptive model combination for dynamic speaker selection training

Acoustic variability across speakers is one of the challenges of speaker independent speech recognition systems. In this paper we propose a two-stage speaker selection training method for speaker adaptation. After cohort speakers are selected for test speaker, an adaptive model combination method is developed to replace the formerly used retraining process. In addition, impacts of number of selected cohort speakers and number of utterances from test speaker are investigated. Preliminary experiments on dynamic speaker selection are shown. Relative error rate reduction of 12.27% is achieved when only 10 utterances are available. Finally, further extensions of model combination scheme and dynamic selection are discussed.
Relationship between human in-vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection and the zona-free hamster egg penetration test.

The zona-free hamster egg penetration test (HEPT) is widely used for evaluating the fertilizing ability of human spermatozoa. However, the relationship between the HEPT and microassisted fertilization has yet to be determined. To evaluate the efficiency of HEPT in selecting the most appropriate method of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), including intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in couples with male factor infertility, clinical laboratory data was analysed retrospectively. The patients were divided into groups according to the sperm penetration index as determined by the HEPT: group A (sperm penetration index = 0), group B (sperm penetration index < 15) and group C (sperm penetration index > or = 15). A total of 405 oocytes were collected and inseminated by conventional methods in 69 couples with male factor infertility. In all, 31 out of 148 (20.9%) oocytes fertilized in group A; 35 out of 117 (29.9%) in group B; and 73 of 140 (52.1%) in group C. The clinical pregnancy rates per transfer in groups A, B and C were 0% (0/13), 0% (0/14) and 25.9% (7/27) respectively. Both the fertilization rate and pregnancy rate in group C was significantly higher than in groups A and B. ICSI was carried out in a total of 57 couples and 334 oocytes in metaphase II stage were manipulated. The normal fertilization (2 pronuclear) rate per oocyte was 65.6 +/- 26.0% (mean +/- SD). Out of 127 oocytes, 76 (59.8%) fertilized in group A, 57 out of 87 oocytes (65.5%) in group B and 86 out of 120 oocytes (71.7%) in group C. Of the 56 transfers, 17 clinical pregnancies were obtained, giving an average pregnancy rate of 30.4% per transfer. The clinical pregnancy rates per transfer in groups A, B and C were 17.4% (4/23), 40.0% (4/10) and 39.1% (9/23) respectively. No significant differences were observed in the fertilization rates or in the pregnancy rates between the three groups. In addition, there were no differences in the fertilization and pregnancy rates between the ICSI and IVF patients in group C. These findings suggest that the results of the HEPT are well correlated with the fertilizing ability of human spermatozoa in the patients treated by conventional IVF. Couples suffering from male factor infertility with a sperm penetration index of < 15 (as determined by HEPT) should consider treatment with ICSI, while those with a sperm penetration index of > or = 15 should attempt conventional IVF.
The State of the Art of the Zebrafish Model for Toxicology and Toxicologic Pathology Research—Advantages and Current Limitations

The zebrafish (Danio rerio ) is now the pre-eminent vertebrate model system for clarification of the roles of specific genes and signaling pathways in development. The zebrafish genome will be completely sequenced within the next 1—2 years. Together with the substantial historical database regarding basic developmental biology, toxicology, and gene transfer, the rich foundation of molecular genetic and genomic data makes zebrafish a powerful model system for clarifying mechanisms in toxicity. In contrast to the highly advanced knowledge base on molecular developmental genetics in zebrafish, our database regarding infectious and noninfectious diseases and pathologic lesions in zebrafish lags far behind the information available on most other domestic mammalian and avian species, particularly rodents. Currently, minimal data are available regarding spontaneous neoplasm rates or spontaneous aging lesions in any of the commonly used wild-type or mutant lines of zebrafish. Therefore, to fully utilize the potential of zebrafish as an animal model for understanding human development, disease, and toxicology we must greatly advance our knowledge on zebrafish diseases and pathology.
Use of the parallel and perpendicular characteristics of building shape for indoor map making and positioning

We are trying to develop an easy autonomous map making method for indoor mobile robots, using the property of the usual buildings, which we can assume that the major walls are arranged parallel or perpendicular. Based on these properties, the robot can find its own direction easily, with its surroundings range data, so that the accumulated error in the calculated direction can be avoided. In this paper, we propose a method to know the robot direction using scanned range data of the environment walls, and the method to build the map by connecting the scanned range data using this property. We also present an example of experimental results of indoor map making by a mobile robot without using the odometry, which shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Importance of static adjustment of knee angle to determine saddle height in cycling

Knee flexion angle is used to determine saddle height during pedaling. However, it is unclear how knee flexion angle at upright standing posture affects measures and interpretation of knee flexion angle during cycling. The objective of this study was to highlight the importance of adjusting knee angle during pedaling according to the knee angle at upright posture. Seventeen cyclists performed three 10 min cycling trials at different saddle heights to induce knee flexion angles (40o, 30o or 20o when crank was at the 6 o’clock position). Knee flexion angle was determined at the sagittal plane during cycling using a 2D motion analysis system. Alteration of saddle height was performed by subtracting the knee flexion determined during an upright standing posture from the observed knee flexion during cycling. Repeatability of knee angles at upright posture in the three trials was very good (ICC=0.73). A reduction in knee flexion angle of 10.6° (95%CI [8.6, 12.6o]) during cycling was found using the adjustment for upright standing posture (p 3.0). As a result, saddle height is affected by adjustments based on knee angle measured in upright standing posture. Determining saddle height without adjusting knee angle for upright standing posture could lead to errors with possible effects on performance and/or injury risk.
An Algebraic Instantiation Technique Illustrated by Multilevel Design Patterns

Multi-level meta-modeling hinges on the precise conceptualization of the instantiation relation between elements of the meta-model and the model. In this paper, we propose a new algebraic instantiation approach, the Dynamic Multi-Layer Algebra. The approach aims to provide a solid algebraic foundation for multi-level meta-modeling, which is easily customizable through different bootstrap elements and a dynamic instantiation procedure. The paper describes the major parts of the approach and also demonstrates their modeling capabilities by covering some of the most-often used design patterns for multi-level modeling.
Efficient K P Se Solver

The subband structure is calculated with the k p method. This chapter provides a description of a k p solver which allows to determine accurately the eigen states in an efficient way and to capture the impact of crystallographic orientation and strain. Based on the time-independent SE for a quantum system with a single particle, the derivation of theN band k p SE is briefly described. AnN N k p Hamiltonian with arbitrary N is derived firstly. The case N D 6 which is often used for valence bands in Si or Ge is described in detail. The envelope function approximation k p SE needed for the evaluation of the valence subband structure is described next, assuming an external potential which is non-periodic in the quantization direction. For an arbitrary crystallographic orientation, an efficient rotation of the k p Hamiltonian is proposed which avoids dealing with lengthy formulas due to the presence of trigonometric functions in the rotation matrix of the coordinate system. In this chapter the crystallographic coordinate system . xC; yC; zC/ is denoted as . x; y; z/ for convenience.
Computational Statistics and Data Analysis Optimal Control of Nonlinear Dynamic Econometric Models: an Algorithm and an Application

OPTCON is an algorithm for the optimal control of nonlinear stochastic systems which is particularly applicable to econometric models. It delivers approximate numerical solutions to optimum control problems with a quadratic objective function for nonlinear econometric models with additive and multiplicative (parameter) uncertainties. The algorithm was programmed in C # and allows for deterministic and stochastic control, the latter with open-loop and passive learning (open-loop feedback) information patterns. The applicability of the algorithm is demonstrated by experiments with a small quarterly macroeconometric model for Slovenia. This illustrates the convergence and the practical usefulness of the algorithm and (in most cases) the superiority of open-loop feedback over open-loop controls.
Energy-aware channel model for Underwater Acoustic Networks

Interest in Underwater Acoustic Networks (UAN) has grown rapidly with the desire to monitor the ocean, depending on the potential capability of UAN to support a large variety of applications, such as monitoring of equipment and natural events. Moreover, these applications may have requirement for saving energy at each node adaptively in the underwater power limited system. In this paper, we establish an energy-aware underwater channel model based on passive sonar equation, with some specific characteristics included, such as Source Level, Transmission Loss, Ambient-Noise Level and Detection Threshold, which have not been extensively considered in the UAN environment before. Moreover, Our proposed model is not only simple enough to be easily operated, but also useful in guiding higher layer protocol design. Finally, we implement the proposed channel model in MATLAB.
MicroRNA-145 suppresses cell proliferation, invasion and migration in pancreatic cancer cells by targeting NEDD9

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small non-coding RNAs regulating gene expression by inducing the degradation of RNA or interfering with translation. Aberrant miRNA expression has been described in several types of cancer in humans. In the present study, it was demonstrated that miR-145 is downregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and the Panc-1 cell line. Restoration of miR-145 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and migration in Panc-1 cells. Neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 9 (NEDD9) has been identified as a novel potential miR-145 target using bioinformatics. Using luciferase reporter constructs, it was observed that the NEDD9 3′-untranslated region is the location of the direct binding site for miR-145. Additionally, it was identified that miR-145 is inversely correlated with NEDD9 expression in pancreatic cancer tissues and that restoration of miR-145 in Panc-1 cells reduced NEDD9 mRNA and protein expression accompanied by inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion and migration. In conclusion, these findings indicate that miR-145 may be an effective target for pancreatic cancer therapy.
DNA ligase III acts as a DNA strand break sensor in the cellular orchestration of DNA strand break repair

In the current model of DNA SSBR, PARP1 is regarded as the sensor of single-strand breaks (SSBs). However, biochemical studies have implicated LIG3 as another possible SSB sensor. Using a laser micro-irradiation protocol that predominantly generates SSBs, we were able to demonstrate that PARP1 is dispensable for the accumulation of different single-strand break repair (SSBR) proteins at sites of DNA damage in live cells. Furthermore, we show in live cells for the first time that LIG3 plays a role in mediating the accumulation of the SSBR proteins XRCC1 and PNKP at sites of DNA damage. Importantly, the accumulation of LIG3 at sites of DNA damage did not require the BRCT domain-mediated interaction with XRCC1. We were able to show that the N-terminal ZnF domain of LIG3 plays a key role in the enzyme's SSB sensing function. Finally, we provide cellular evidence that LIG3 and not PARP1 acts as the sensor for DNA damage caused by the topoisomerase I inhibitor, irinotecan. Our results support the existence of a second damage-sensing mechanism in SSBR involving the detection of nicks in the genome by LIG3.
Semi-automatic segmentation of textured images ∗

This paper generalizes the interactive method for a region segmentation of grayscale images by Boykov & Jolly (ICCV 2001) to colour and textured images. Our suggested method follows the same framework of segmentation based on the graph cuts algorithm. The main contribution lies in incorporating new functions handling colour and texture information into the graph, since the previous method works for grayscale images only. The suggested method is semi-automatic since the user provides additional constraints, i.e. he/she has to establish some seeds for foreground and background pixels. The foreground and background regions may consist of several isolated parts. Experimental results show how the segmentation is improved by using colour and texture cues. The results are presented on some images from the Berkeley database.
Exploiting GPU Hardware Saturation for Fast Compiler Optimization

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are efficient devices capable of delivering high performance for general purpose computation. Realizing their full performance potential often requires extensive compiler tuning. This process is particularly expensive since it has to be repeated for each target program and platform. In this paper we study the utilization of GPU hardware resources across multiple input sizes and compiler options. In this context we introduce the notion of hardware saturation. Saturation is reached when an application is executed with a number of threads large enough to fully utilize the available hardware resources. We give experimental evidence of hardware saturation and describe its properties using 16 OpenCL kernels on 3 GPUs from Nvidia and AMD. We show that input sizes that saturates the GPU show performance stability across compiler transformations. Using the thread-coarsening transformation as an example, we show that compiler settings maintain their relative performance across input sizes within the saturation region. Leveraging these hardware and software properties we propose a technique to identify the input size at the lower bound of the saturation zone, we call it Minimum Saturation Point (MSP). By performing iterative compilation on the MSP input size we obtain results effectively applicable for much large input problems reducing the overhead of tuning by an order of magnitude on average.
Visuomotor Development

Sensorimotor coordination has been an active research topic for both neuroscience and artificial intelligence over the last decade. The integration of sensory information for movement guidance represents perhaps the most basic operation that a nervous (or artificial) system must solve (Churchland and Sejnowski, 1992). Despite exploring the same problem, studies carried out in these fields have arrived at different solutions. These differences arose mainly due to the divergent research goals. Robotic models, rather than revealing how nervous systems attain sensorimotor control, demonstrate that many schemes are capable of implementing sensorimotor coordination and focus on the accuracy of controlled behavior, often without considering the biological plausibility of the resulting implementation (Kalaska, 1995). Nevertheless, their capabilities are still behind the adaptive motor abilities of biological organisms. Conversely, significant progress has been made in neuroscience towards understanding the biology of sensorimotor transformation in terms of integrative mechanisms that function at the single cell level or in small–networks of neurons (for a review see Kalaska et al., 1997; Snyder, 2000). Several attempts were made recently to create an integrative framework that links neuro-physiological and computational aspects of sensorimotor coordination. The aim is to provide a conceptual scheme that is readily implementable, to be used for the biological mod-eling of visually guided movements (Bullock et al., 1995; Burnod et al., 1999). The purpose of this chapter is to describe a general theoretical and modeling framework of sensorimo-tor development, inspired by these recent neurophysiological findings and computational theories.
Neuropsychology and basic neuroscience

Michela Balconi The reasons for the new journal Neuropsychological Trends 7 Alberto Granato Neuropsychology and basic neuroscience 9 Galit Yovel A multifunctional method (ERP and fMRI) of analysis on facial expression. Three pilot studies 13 Simon Vamplew Recognition of sign language gestures using neural networks 31 Michela Balconi-Alba Carrera Cross-modal perception (face and voice) in emotions. ERPs and behavioural measures 43
MicroRNA-122 regulates caspase-8 and promotes the apoptosis of mouse cardiomyocytes

Cardiomyocyte apoptosis plays key roles in the pathogenesis of heart diseases such as myocardial infarction. MicroRNAs are important regulators of gene expression, which are also involved in the regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. However, cardiomyocyte apoptosis regulated by microRNA (miR)-122 is largely unexplored. The aim of this study focused on the role of miR-122 in cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal mice and primarily cultured. MiR-122 mimic and inhibitor were transfected to cardiomyocytes and verified by qRT-PCR. Cell viability and apoptosis post-transfection were assessed by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Changes in expression of caspase-8 were quantified by qRT-PCR and western blot. Results showed that miR-122 mimic and inhibitor successfully induced changes in miR-122 levels in cultured cardiomyocytes (P<0.01). MiR-122 overexpression suppressed viability and promoted apoptosis of cardiomyocytes (P<0.05), and miR-122 knockdown promoted cell viability and inhibited apoptosis (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein levels of caspase-8 were elevated by miR-122 overexpression (P<0.01) and reduced by miR-122 knockdown (P<0.001). These results suggest an inductive role of miR-122 in cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which may be related to its regulation on caspase-8.
The Force Synergy of Human Digits in Static and Dynamic Cylindrical Grasps

This study explores the force synergy of human digits in both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions. The patterns of digit force distribution, error compensation, and the relationships among digit forces are examined to quantify the synergetic patterns and coordination of multi-finger movements. This study recruited 24 healthy participants to perform cylindrical grasps using a glass simulator under normal grasping and one-finger restricted conditions. Parameters such as the grasping force, patterns of digit force distribution, and the force coefficient of variation are determined. Correlation coefficients and principal component analysis (PCA) are used to estimate the synergy strength under the dynamic grasping condition. Specific distribution patterns of digit forces are identified for various conditions. The compensation of adjacent fingers for the force in the normal direction of an absent finger agrees with the principle of error compensation. For digit forces in anti-gravity directions, the distribution patterns vary significantly by participant. The forces exerted by the thumb are closely related to those exerted by other fingers under all conditions. The index-middle and middle-ring finger pairs demonstrate a significant relationship. The PCA results show that the normal forces of digits are highly coordinated. This study reveals that normal force synergy exists under both static and dynamic cylindrical grasping conditions.
A concept-oriented analysis of future-time reference in native and near-native Hexagonal French

ABSTRACT This study examined how native and near-native speakers of Hexagonal French make reference to future events in a corpus of informal conversations. A concept-oriented analysis reveals that no fewer than 13 different finite verb forms appeared in future-time contexts. A qualitative analysis of the use of the present in future-time contexts in the two portions of the corpus points to similarities in the native-speaker and near-native-speaker use. This analysis contributes to the understanding of future-time expression in Hexagonal French and to discussions concerning near-nativeness in second language acquisition.