Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why Offspring in Nonhuman Families Differ

Offspring within families, both human and nonhuman, often differ. The obvious question is: Why? Work on psychological differences on children within human families has focused primarily on differences in the nonshared environment of contemporary siblings, though the precise location of this nonshared environment is still the subject of much debate. Here I explore the range of explanations for within-brood diversity from the perspective of nonhuman families, particularly birds that share certain key features with human families. I examine the role of social rank in creating a nonshared environment within the family, and present data from a model system (an altricial bird) to illustrate how different the effective environments experienced by offspring sitting side-by-side in the same confined physical space, tended by the same parents, and experiencing similar ecological variability, can be. These broodmates can effectively live in different worlds. I then briefly explore other sources of diversity among offspring in nonhuman families, including within brood genetic differences and non-genetic maternal (parental) effects that often covary with birth / hatching rank. Given the ubiquity and far-reaching consequences of maternal effects in nonhuman families, and some human data suggestive of similar patterns, it would seem worthwhile to explore the potential role of maternal effects in creating phenotypic diversity in psychological traits among children in human families.
Responses of Tonically Active Neurons in the Monkey Striatum Discriminate between Motivationally Opposing Stimuli

The striatum is involved in the control of appetitively motivated behavior. We found previously that tonically active neurons (TANs) in the monkey striatum show discriminative responses to different stimuli that are appetitive or aversive. However, these differential responses may reflect the sensory qualities of the stimulus rather than its motivational value. In the present study, we sought to define more precisely the relationship between the particular aspect of the response of TANs and the motivational value of stimuli. For this purpose, three monkeys were presented with two types of aversive stimuli (loud sound and air puff) and one appetitive stimulus (fruit juice). In most instances, the TAN responses to the loud sound and the air puff were similar, in terms of response pattern and duration, whereas responses to the liquid reward showed distinct features. Using classical appetitive conditioning, we reversed the motivational value of a stimulus so that a previously aversive stimulus was now associatively paired with a reward and found that this manipulation selectively modifies the expression of TAN responses to the stimulus. These data indicate that the characteristics of neuronal responses undergo modifications when the valence of the stimulus is changed from aversive to appetitive during associative learning, suggesting that TANs may contribute to a form of stimulus encoding that is dependent on motivational attributes. The adaptation of TAN responses such as observed in the present study likewise reflects a neuronal system that adjusts to the motivational information about environmental events.
Efficient Run-time Monitoring Using Shadow Processing

Efficient Run-time Monitoring Using Shadow Processing Harish Patil* and Charles Fischer University of Wisconsin —Madison** Abstract General purpose multiprocessors are becoming increasingly common. We propose using pairs of processors, one running an ordinary application program and the other monitoring the application’s execution. We call the processor doing the monitoring a “shadow processor,” as it “shadows” the main processor’s execution. We have developed a prototype shadow processing system which supports full-size programs written in C. Our system instruments an executable user program in C to obtain a “main process” and a “shadow process. ” The main process performs computations from the original program, occasionally communicating a few key values to the shadow process. The shadow process follows the main process, checking pointer and array accesses and detecting memory leaks. The overhead to the main process is very low — almost always less than 10%. Further, since the shadow process avoids repeating some of the computations from the input program, it runs much faster than a single process performing both the computation and monitoring. Sometimes the shadow process can even run ahead of the main process catching errors before they actually occur. Our system has found a number of errors (15 so far) in widelyused Unix utilities and SPEC92 benchmarks. It also detected many subtle memory leaks in various test cases. We believe our approach shows great potential in improving the quality and reliability of application programs at a very modest cost.
Gleaning network wide congestion information from packet markings

Distributed control protocols routinely have to operate oblivious of dynamic network information for scalability or complexity reasons. However, more informed protocols are likely to make more intelligent decisions. We argue that protocols can leverage dynamic congestion information without suffering the mentioned penalties. In this paper we show that routers can readily exchange congestion information in a purely passive fashion using congestion markings from existing traffic. As a result, each router can locally infer a congestion map of the network. Moreover, the maps are continuously updated with near real-time information. Our solution for building the congestion maps leverages standardized and widely used congestion management protocols and does not require changes to end hosts. We find that 90% of the time, the inference accuracy is usually within 10% even for environments with multiple congestion points and sudden changes in the traffic pattern.
Evidence for Anomalous Network Connectivity during Working Memory Encoding in Schizophrenia: An ICA Based Analysis

Background Numerous neuroimaging studies report abnormal regional brain activity during working memory performance in schizophrenia, but few have examined brain network integration as determined by “functional connectivity” analyses. Methodology/Principal Findings We used independent component analysis (ICA) to identify and characterize dysfunctional spatiotemporal networks in schizophrenia engaged during the different stages (encoding and recognition) of a Sternberg working memory fMRI paradigm. 37 chronic schizophrenia and 54 healthy age/gender-matched participants performed a modified Sternberg Item Recognition fMRI task. Time series images preprocessed with SPM2 were analyzed using ICA. Schizophrenia patients showed relatively less engagement of several distinct “normal” encoding-related working memory networks compared to controls. These encoding networks comprised 1) left posterior parietal-left dorsal/ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, cingulate, basal ganglia, 2) right posterior parietal, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and 3) default mode network. In addition, the left fronto-parietal network demonstrated a load-dependent functional response during encoding. Network engagement that differed between groups during recognition comprised the posterior cingulate, cuneus and hippocampus/parahippocampus. As expected, working memory task accuracy differed between groups (p<0.0001) and was associated with degree of network engagement. Functional connectivity within all three encoding-associated functional networks correlated significantly with task accuracy, which further underscores the relevance of abnormal network integration to well-described schizophrenia working memory impairment. No network was significantly associated with task accuracy during the recognition phase. Conclusions/Significance This study extends the results of numerous previous schizophrenia studies that identified isolated dysfunctional brain regions by providing evidence of disrupted schizophrenia functional connectivity using ICA within widely-distributed neural networks engaged for working memory cognition.
A Brassica Exon Array for Whole-Transcript Gene Expression Profiling

Affymetrix GeneChip® arrays are used widely to study transcriptional changes in response to developmental and environmental stimuli. GeneChip® arrays comprise multiple 25-mer oligonucleotide probes per gene and retain certain advantages over direct sequencing. For plants, there are several public GeneChip® arrays whose probes are localised primarily in 3′ exons. Plant whole-transcript (WT) GeneChip® arrays are not yet publicly available, although WT resolution is needed to study complex crop genomes such as Brassica, which are typified by segmental duplications containing paralogous genes and/or allopolyploidy. Available sequence data were sampled from the Brassica A and C genomes, and 142,997 gene models identified. The assembled gene models were then used to establish a comprehensive public WT exon array for transcriptomics studies. The Affymetrix GeneChip® Brassica Exon 1.0 ST Array is a 5 µM feature size array, containing 2.4 million 25-base oligonucleotide probes representing 135,201 gene models, with 15 probes per gene distributed among exons. Discrimination of the gene models was based on an E-value cut-off of 1E−5, with ≤98% sequence identity. The 135 k Brassica Exon Array was validated by quantifying transcriptome differences between leaf and root tissue from a reference Brassica rapa line (R-o-18), and categorisation by Gene Ontologies (GO) based on gene orthology with Arabidopsis thaliana. Technical validation involved comparison of the exon array with a 60-mer array platform using the same starting RNA samples. The 135 k Brassica Exon Array is a robust platform. All data relating to the array design and probe identities are available in the public domain and are curated within the BrassEnsembl genome viewer at http://www.brassica. info/BrassEnsembl/index.html.
Upregulation of (C-X-C motif) Ligand 13 (CXCL13) Attenuates Morphine Analgesia in Rats with Cancer-Induced Bone Pain

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the role of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13) in morphine tolerance in rats with cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP). Material/Methods We established a rat CIBP model and a rat CIBP-morphine tolerance (BM) model. BM rats were intrathecally administered rmCXCL13, neutralizing anti-CXCL13, and normal saline, while the control group rats underwent a sham operation and were injected with normal saline. The morphine analgesia was assessed by measuring mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and mechanical withdrawal duration (MWD) at various time points. The co-expressions of CXCL13 and NeuN were measured by immunofluorescence double-staining. CXCL13 protein and mRNA expressions were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), respectively. Results Compared to the sham-operation (S) group, the BM group showed obviously decreased MWT and increased MWD on Day 9 after CIBP, but obviously increased MWT and decreased MWD on Day 3 after morphine administration; subsequently, the MWT was decreased and MWD was increased (all P<0.05). In comparison with the S+saline group, increased MWT and decreased MWD were observed in BM rats on Day 3 after anti-CXCL13 administration, and obviously decreased MWT and increased MWD were found in BM rats on Day 3 after rmCXCL13 administration (all P<0.05). Conclusions Up-regulated CXCL13 has a negative role in morphine analgesia in relief of CIBP, which may provide a new target for the management of CIBP.
A Digital Interpretation of Frequency-Periodic Signal-Interference Microwave Passive Filters

This paper addresses, for the first time, the digital representation of spectrally periodic signal-interference microwave passive filters. Starting from the theoretical rational transfer function of a synthesized transmission-line signal-interference analog filter, the real-valued coefficients of its digital-domain filter counterpart are derived. This discrete-time formulation for this type of microwave filters allows to clarify some confusing concepts into them, such as filter order. Moreover, some particular phenomena observed in associated experimental proof-of-concept planar prototypes, such as the appearance of out-of-band/spurious resonance peaks, are also explained by this study as zero-pole quasi-cancellations. In addition, it is demonstrated here that the use of the adjective “transversal” for this class of microwave passive filters could be no rigorous as it is understood in a digital sense since its discrete-time modeling commonly obeys an infinite-impulse-response structure. For validation, the expounded theoretical framework is applied to three examples of signal-interference passive filters exhibiting quasi-elliptic-type single-passband, six-passband, and low-pass responses.
Transit Timing Variation of Near-resonance Planetary Pairs: Confirmation of 12 Multiple-planet Systems

We extract transit timing variation (TTV) signals for 12 pairs of transiting planet candidates that are near first-order mean motion resonances (MMR), using publicly available Kepler light curves (Q0-Q14). These pairs show significant sinusoidal TTVs with theoretically predicted periods, which demonstrate these planet candidates are orbiting and interacting in the same system. Although individual masses cannot be accurately extracted based only on TTVs because of the well-known degeneracy between mass and eccentricity, TTV phases and amplitudes can still place upper limits on the masses of the candidates, confirming their planetary nature. Furthermore, the mass ratios of these planet pairs can be relatively tightly constrained using these TTVs. The planetary pair in KOI 880 seems to have particularly high mass and density ratios, which might indicate very different internal compositions of these two planets. Some of these newly confirmed planets are also near MMR with other candidates in the system, forming unique resonance chains (e.g., KOI 500).
Early pregnancy Factors affecting matrix metalloproteinase-8 levels in the vaginal and cervical fluids in the first and second trimester of pregnancy

background: Cervical ripening during pregnancy resembles an inflammatory process. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), particularly MMP-8, have been linked to inflammatory processes. We studied the concentrations of, and factors associated with, MMP-8 in the lower genital tract fluids in the first and second trimesters. methods: In a prospective population-based cohort study, vaginal and cervical swab samples were obtained from 2130 unselected pregnant women undergoing their first and second trimester ultrasound screening. MMP-8 was determined by immunofluorometric assay. Use of antibiotics, history of vaginal bleeding, and history of sexual intercourse were recorded on both occasions. Vaginal smears were obtained for Gram-staining and leukocyte counting. Cervical length was measured by ultrasonography. The main outcome measures were MMP-8 concentrations in the vagina and cervix. results: The median (range) MMP-8 concentrations in vaginal and cervical samples were 107.4 mg/l (undetectable–2406.6 mg/l) and 318.3 mg/l (0.1–2074.6 mg/l), respectively, in the first trimester, and 112.5 mg/l (undetectable–2093.4 mg/l) and 344.8 mg/l (0.4– 1783.5 mg/l), respectively, in the second trimester. Multiparity and vaginal leukocytosis were both associated with increased MMP-8 concentrations in vaginal and cervical samples in both trimesters. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) was associated with increased vaginal and cervical MMP-8 in the first trimester, but only with increased vaginal MMP-8 in the second trimester. A history of sexual intercourse (in the previous 48 h) was associated with lower MMP-8 concentrations in cervical samples in both trimesters. conclusions: MMP-8 concentrations were lower in vaginal samples than in cervical samples, and no difference was found between the first and second trimesters. Multiparity, BV and an elevated leukocyte count in the vagina were associated with increased MMP-8 concentrations. Sexual intercourse had an opposite effect. The study suggests that MMP-8 is a physiologic constituent in lower genital tract fluids, where it may be involved in host response to inflammatory and infectious processes.
How Does Cognitive Therapy Prevent Relapse in Residual Depression ? Evidence From a Controlled Trial

This study examined the cognitive mediation of relapse prevention by cognitive therapy (CT) in a trial of 158 patients with residual depression. Scores based on agreement with item content of 5 questionnaires of depression-related cognition provided no evidence for cognitive mediation. A measure of the form of response to those questionnaires, the number of times patients used extreme response categories ("totally agree" and "totally disagree"), showed significant and substantial prediction of relapse, differential response to CT, and conformity to mediational criteria. CT reduced relapse through reductions in absolutist, dichotomous thinking style. CT may prevent relapse by training patients to change the way that they process depression-related material rather than by changing belief in depressive thought content.
Geophysical modeling and microlocal properties of Colombeau functions

In global seismology Earth's properties of fractal nature occur. Zyg-mund classes appear as the most appropriate and systematic way to measure this local fractality. For the purpose of seismic wave propagation, we model the Earth's properties as Colombeau generalized functions. In one spatial dimension, we have a precise characterization of Zygmund regularity in Colombeau algebras. This is made possible via a relation between mollifiers and wavelets.
South African Agriculture at the Crossroads: An Empirical Analysis of Efficiency, Technology and Productivity

List of Tables List of Figures Preface C.Thirtle, J.van Zyl & N.Vink Notes on the Contributors PART I Introduction to Part I C.Thirtle, J.van Zyl & N.Vink The Agrarian Structure and Empowerment: The Legacy M.Mbongwa, N.Vink & J.van Zyl Agricultural Policy: Undoing the Legacy of the Past N.Vink, J.Kirsten & J.van Zyl The Public Agricultural Research System H.Rooseboom, P.G. Pardey, H.S. von Bach & J.van Zyl PART II Introduction to Part II C.Thirtle Measuring Total Factor Productivity Growth in South African Commercial Agriculture, 1947-91 C.Thirtle, H.S. von Bach & J.van Zyl The Sources of Profitability: Relative Prices and Productivity J.van Zyl, H.van Schalkwyk & C.Thirtle Farm Size and Efficiency in South African Commercial Agriculture J.van Zyl Farm Size and Efficiency in Smallholder Agriculture J.Piesse, H.S. von Bach, C.Thirtle & J.van Zyl The Effects of the 1992 on Productivity in the Former Homelands: An Application of the Malmquist Index J.Piesse, C.Thirtle & J.van Zyl PART III Introduction to Part III C.Thirtle & R.Townsend Explaining Total Factor Productivity Growth: The Returns to Research and Extension in Commercial Agriculture C.Thirtle & J.van Zyl Cointegration and Modelling the Length and Shape of the Research Lag Y.Khatri & C.Thirtle The Effects of Policy and Technology: A Profit Function Approach Y.Khatri, C.Thirtle & J.van Zyl A Long Run Profit Function and a Review of the Returns to R C.Arnade, Y.Khatri, D.Schimmelpfennig, C.Thirtle & J.van Zyl R&D and Crop Level Supply Response in Maize, Sorghum and Wheat R.Townsend & C.Thirtle Induced Innovation, Policy and Technology: An Error Correction Model C.Thirtle, R.Townsend & J.van Zyl The Effects of Macroeconomic Policies on Agricultural Prices, Net Farm Incomes and Exports: A Vector Autoregression Approach R.Townsend & C.Thirtle A New Vision for Agriculture in South Africa J.van Zyl, C.Thirtle & N.Vink Index
Viral Potential and the Economics of Attention for Modeling Online Popularity under Promotion

Modeling the popularity dynamics of an online item is an important open problem in social media analysis and computational social science. This paper presents an in-depth study of popularity dynamics under external promotions, especially in predicting popularity jumps of online videos, and determining effective and efficient schedules to promote online content. The recently-proposed Hawkes Intensity Process (HIP) models popularity as a non-linear interplay between exogenous stimuli and the endogenous reaction. We propose two novel metrics based on HIP: to describe popularity gain per unit of promotion, and to quantify the time it takes for such effects to unfold. We make increasingly accurate forecasts of future popularity by including information about the intrinsic properties of the video, promotions it receives, and the non-linear effects of popularity ranking. We illustrate by simulation the interplay between the unfolding of popularity over time, and the time-sensitive value of resources. Lastly, our model lends a novel explanation of the commonly adopted periodic and constant promotion strategy in advertising, as increasing the perceived viral potential. This study provides quantitative guidelines about setting promotion schedules considering content virality, timing, and economics.
The Operational Meaning of Min- and Max-Entropy

In this paper, we show that the conditional min-entropy <i>H</i> <sub>min</sub>(<i>A</i> |<i>B</i>) of a bipartite state <i>rhoAB</i> is directly related to the maximum achievable overlap with a maximally entangled state if only local actions on the <i>B</i>-part of <i>rhoAB</i> are allowed. In the special case where <i>A</i> is classical, this overlap corresponds to the probability of guessing <i>A</i> given <i>B</i>. In a similar vein, we connect the conditional max-entropy <i>H</i> <sub>max</sub>(<i>A</i> |<i>B</i>) to the maximum fidelity of <i>rhoAB</i> with a product state that is completely mixed on <i>A</i>. In the case where <i>A</i> is classical, this corresponds to the security of <i>A</i> when used as a secret key in the presence of an adversary holding <i>B</i>. Because min- and max-entropies are known to characterize information-processing tasks such as randomness extraction and state merging, our results establish a direct connection between these tasks and basic operational problems. For example, they imply that the (logarithm of the) probability of guessing <i>A</i> given <i>B</i> is a lower bound on the number of uniform secret bits that can be extracted from <i>A</i> relative to an adversary holding <i>B</i>.
I/O Decoupling of general neutral time delay systems via delayless measurement output feedback dynamic controllers

In the present paper the problem of I/O Decoupling for general neutral multi-delay systems is studied. The controller used is of the measurement output delayless dynamic feedback type. The problem is reduced to a set of linear equations under inequality constraints. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the problem to have a solution are established and the general form of the delayless dynamic controller matrices solving the problem is derived. Analogous results are derived for the solution of the I/O decoupling problem via measurement output delayless static controllers.