Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simulating empathy for the virtual human Max

Addressing user’s emotions in human-computer interaction significantly enhances the believability and lifelikeness of virtual humans. Emotion recognition and interpretation is realized in our approach by integrating empathy as a designated process within the agent’s cognitive architecture. In this paper we describe this empathy process which comprises of two interconnected components: a belief-desire-intention (BDI) based cognitive component and an affective component based on the emotion simulation system of the virtual human Max. The application and a preliminary evaluation of this empathy system are reported on in the context of a 3D competitive card game scenario.
Construcción de la identidad a través de las redes sociales "online": una mirada desde el construccionismo social

During the last years, online social networks (OSN, RSO in Spanish) have generated a great deal of interest in the scientific community and are currently studied from different research viewpoints. One of these realms of study has been the way how OSN users (especially the younger ones) present themselves in them and to which degree this presentation contributes to the construction of possible selves that can project features of an idealized self. The aim of this article is to analyze these empirical studies taking Kenneth Gergen’s social constructionism as a reference in order to offer a better understanding of this phenomenon. Contributions of other theories in Social Psychology are also integrated. The authors conclude that the OSN represent one more environment where young people can project and experiment with different selves, developing from a strategic manipulation – the first stage described by Gergen – to a relational self. The variations described in the different studies with respect to the users’ identity and social representation are seen as a natural process, as presenting different selves does not imply a threat to the process of identity construction.
Role of genetic polymorphism of human plasma paraoxonase/arylesterase in hydrolysis of the insecticide metabolites chlorpyrifos oxon and paraoxon.

Plasma paraoxonase is a polymorphic enzyme that hydrolyzes paraoxon, the neurotoxic, active metabolite of the insecticide parathion. This enzyme is specified by at least two alleles with frequencies of about . 7 and . 3 among Caucasoid populations. A specific assay was developed that measured the activity of human plasma paraoxonase without interference from serum albumin which contributes significantly to the hydrolytic breakdown of paraoxon at the high pH values used in many previous assays. There was an 11-fold variation in paraoxonase activities, and the population distribution was at least bimodal. However, this specific assay did not improve the discrimination between the three genetic classes: (1) homozygotes for the low-activity allele, (2) heterozygotes, and (3) homozygotes for the high-activity allele. Chlorpyrifos oxon--the neurotoxic metabolite of the organophosphorus insecticide chlorpyrifos (Dursban)--was hydrolyzed by the same plasma fraction that hydrolyzed paraoxon. There was only four- to fivefold variability in enzyme activity, and the population distribution was unimodal. Homozygotes for low paraoxonase activity ranged over almost the entire spectrum of chlorpyrifos oxonase activity. Possible differences in susceptibility to chlorpyrifos toxicity therefore are unlikely to be predicted by the paraoxonase genotype alone. The ratio of paraoxonase over that of chlorpyrifos oxonase provided an excellent method for genetic typing of the paraoxonase polymorphism, as did the substitution of phenylacetate for chlorpyrifos as the substrate.
Philasterides dicentrarchi (Ciliophora: Scuticociliatida) expresses surface immobilization antigens that probably induce protective immune responses in turbot

Philasterides dicentrarchi is a histophagous ciliate causing systemic scuticociliatosis in cultured turbot. This study demonstrates that turbot which survive this disease have serum antibodies that recognize ciliary antigens of this ciliate in ELISA and immobilize/agglutinate the ciliate in vitro. Mouse sera raised against ciliary antigens and integral membrane proteins are likewise capable of immobilizing/agglutinating the ciliates, indicating that P. dicentrarchi, like other ciliates, expresses surface immobilization antigens. Furthermore, the antigen agglutinating reaction induces the parasite to shed its surface antigens rapidly, replacing them with others with different specific serology. This antigen shedding and variation response is similar to that detected in other protozoan parasites. Immunization of turbot with ciliate lysate plus adjuvant or with formalin-fixed ciliates induced synthesis of agglutinating antibodies and conferred a degree of protection against challenge infection, suggesting that the response to surface antigens may play an important role in defence against this pathogen, SDS–PAGE and immunoblotting studies indicated the existence of a predominant polypeptide of about 38 kDa in the ciliary antigen and membrane protein fractions, and this may be the principal surface antigen of P. dicentrarchi.
Experimenting with a wireless mesh network towards sensing inside a vehicle's transmission

In this paper we study experimentally a wireless mesh network technology for the purpose of real-time sensing inside a vehicle's transmission. The harsh, highly metallic environment of the vehicle's transmission interior, is a challenging environment for any wireless radio technology-especially when footprint, throughput and cost are among the primary concerns. The wireless mesh network technology in use is Synchronized Flooding (SF), a simulcast based cooperative mesh network proprietary technology that is based on superimposed radio signaling and flooding. We find that SF can potentially provide a robust and reliable solution with a low price tag. We further provide a theoretical intuition why SF is optimal in terms of packet error probability among all retransmission strategies for the in-transmission sensing application.
SNP judgments and freedom of association.

Genetic association studies using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion variants are a common feature on the atherosclerosis research landscape. A recent Medline search using the terms “[gene] AND [polymorphism] AND [X],” where X was “atherosclerosis,” “vascular biology,” thrombosis, ” or “lipoprotein,” found >4000 original articles. Furthermore, the yearly number of new reports has been growing exponentially since 1983 (Figure). The allure of SNPs, the release of millions of SNP-based markers from dedicated consortia, and the availability of cost-effective high-throughput detection methods are converging to create a potential explosion of genetic association studies in atherosclerosis. Although the standards and quality seem to be improving, there is nevertheless a risk that SNP-based association analyses will squander academic trust and scientific resources owing to unsatisfactory design and/or analysis. The figure shows the results of a recent Medline search using the terms “[gene] AND [polymorphism] AND [X],”, where X was “ atherosclerosis,” “vascular biology,” “thrombosis, ” or “lipoprotein. ” The number of articles published each year for each combination of search terms is plotted. Like all experimental designs and model systems, genetic association studies in human samples have strengths and limitations.1–3⇓⇓ Their potential strengths include the simplicity of design, ease of noninvasive sampling, reliability and cost-effectiveness of genotyping, uncomplicated statistical analysis, and the potential for clear interpretation and direct relevance to human biology. But many factors collude to undermine confidence in association studies. Often the initial publication of a positive association is followed by reports of non-replication or refutation. There can be good reasons for non-replication, including complexity of mechanisms, multiplicity of causative genes, confounding by gene-environment interactions, and context-dependency of the associations. However, the pattern of non-replication of genetic associations is frequent, familiar, and disconcerting. An index of the tenuous nature of genetic associations in atherosclerosis is that few DNA …
A new design of multiple classifier system and its application to the classification of time series data

In this paper, we propose the scheme of multiple input representation-adaptive ensemble generation and aggregation(MIR-AEGA) for the classification of time series data. MIR-AEGA employs a set of heterogeneous classifiers, each of which takes a different representation of time series data as the input. MIR-AEGA adopts an "overfitting and selection" strategy. In the training phase, different ensembles of classifiers are adaptively generated by fitting the validation data ' globally in different degrees. The test data are then classified by each of the generated ensembles. The final decision is made by taking consideration into both the ability of each ensemble to fit the validation data locally and the possible overfitting effects. We claim that MIR-AEGA has two advantages (1) By using multiple representations, it exploits the temporal information of time series data as much as possible, thus could improve the overall performance (2) By tweaking the trade-off between the ability to fit the validation data and the overfitting effects, we expect the performance of this method is reliable in different situations. In this paper, the performance of MIR- AEGA is also assessed experimentally in comparison with other benchmark techniques. The experimental results demonstrate the good performance and the reliability of MIR-AEGA for the classification of time series data.
A sequent-calculus presentation of type-theory

Dependent types are an active area of research as foundations of mathematics but also as a programming language where many invariants can be internalized as types. Both these objectives argue for a minimal and efficient dependently typed core language. Most implementations so far use a core language based on “natural deduction”, which we argue is ill-suited for a type-checking backend. We think that “natural deduction” style is the source of efficiency issues in the presence of inference, it makes terms grows so large that it causes efficiency issues and make the output of the typechecker to large to be verified. Following some ideas from PiSigma, we propose to use a core language in sequent calculus style to solve those issues. We believe that this alternative solves theses efficiency issues.
Patrones de actividad en dos monos araña negro, Ateles paniscus, en la Reserva Experimental Horco Molle, Tucumán, Argentina: comparación con sus congéneres silvestres

El estudio del comportamiento y de los patrones de actividad en vertebrados puede brindar herramientas que pueden ser utiles para estimar su bienestar. Cuanto mas se asemejen estos patrones entre animales silvestres y en cautiverio, mayores seran las probabilidades de que estos ultimos se encuentren en buen estado. Realizar actividades de enriquecimiento ambiental contribuye al bienestar de los animales cautivos. En este trabajo, se describen los comportamientos de dos individuos de mono arana negro, Ateles paniscus, un macho y una hembra, que habitan una pequena isla artificial de 1400 m2 en la Reserva Experimental Horco Molle, Tucuman. Se reportan patrones de actividad durante dos semanas no consecutivas y se realizan experimentos de enriquecimiento durante una semana intermedia con el objetivo de evaluar su bienestar y sugerir opciones de manejo orientadas a mejorar su calidad de vida. Los monos expresaron conductas tipicas de la especie y con frecuencias similares a las citadas para poblaciones silvestres, indicio importante de su bienestar. Esto puede deberse en parte a donde estan viviendo, una isla con arboles altos, lo que les da mas espacio y diversidad. Los comportamientos mas frecuentes fueron descansar, estar alerta, locomocion y forrajear. A diferencia de sus congeneres silvestres, estuvieron la mayor parte del tiempo en el suelo. Dado el gran interes que mostraron ante los distintos enriquecimientos y dado que la busqueda de comida constituye una actividad importante, generalmente realizada en el dosel de los arboles en monos silvestres, acciones destinadas a incrementar estos podrian mejorar aun mas su calidad de vida
Análisis de competencias emprendedoras del alumnado de las Escuelas Taller y Casas de Oficios en Andalucía. Primera fase del diseño de programas educativos para el desarrollo de la cultura emprendedora entre los jóvenes

Con nuestra tesis queremos mostrar que los jovenes andaluces usuarios de los programas formativos de las Escuelas Taller y Casas de Oficios son susceptibles de convertirse en agentes emprendedores. Por este motivo, llevamos a cabo un analisis de competencias emprendedoras para identificar el grado de presencia de las mismas en esta poblacion, con objeto de disenar posteriores programas educativos que mejoren las aptitudes emprendedoras como parte, a su vez, de un proyecto mas amplio consistente en el desarrollo de la cultura emprendedora. La necesidad de fomentar la cultura emprendedora en el alumnado de las Escuelas Taller y Casas de Oficios de Andalucia, viene motivada por razones de orden personal, social y economico. En el plano personal, el hecho de emprender, supone un ejercicio de madurez, responsabilidad y autogobierno que se muestra mediante un alto grado de autonomia de los sujetos. Desde el punto de vista social, implica conocimiento, manejo y participacion en las redes sociales. Un saber que llevado a la practica permite la integracion y el intercambio social, basicos para el desarrollo comunitario con base en la accion, el compromiso y la equidad. Por ultimo, desde la perspectiva economica, consistiria en fomentar practicas que aumenten el dinamismo de las economias de referencia de los sujetos sobre los que se ha hecho el estudio. Teniendo en cuenta, que estos, por su pertenencia a estratos sociales afines a la clase obrera han estado alejados de la practica emprendedora. Lo cual, les ha hecho ser actores dependientes y victimas de los vaivenes de la coyuntura economica. Dicha practica emprendedora ha estado vinculada, tradicionalmente, a las elites sociales. Dandose por sobreentendido que solo en el seno de estas aparecen los sujetos con capacidades para la direccion y gestion de los asuntos economicos. Sin embargo, en nuestra tesis afirmamos que las personas, independientemente de su extraccion social, son susceptibles de ejercer esas capacidades si participan, de forma activa, de un adecuado proceso educativo. Ya que, como mostramos, las competencias para emprender se pueden aprender y ensenar como parte del proceso de desarrollo personal.
Phosphorylation of HSF1 by MAPK-Activated Protein Kinase 2 on Serine 121, Inhibits Transcriptional Activity and Promotes HSP90 Binding*

Heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) monitors the structural integrity of intracellular proteins and its regulation is essential for the health and longevity of eukaryotic organisms. HSF1 also plays a role in the acute inflammatory response in the negative regulation of cytokine gene transcription. Here we show, for the first time, that HSF1 is regulated by the proinflammatory protein kinase MAPKAP kinase 2 (MK2). We have shown that MK2 directly phosphorylates HSF1 and inhibits activity by decreasing its ability to bind the heat shock elements (HSE) found in the promoters of target genes encoding the HSP molecular chaperones and cytokine genes. We show that activation of HSF1 to bind HSE in hsp promoters is inhibited through the phosphorylation of a specific residue, serine 121 by MK2. A potential mechanism for MK2-induced HSF1 inactivation is suggested by the findings that phosphorylation of serine 121 enhances HSF1 binding to HSP90, a major repressor of HSF1. Dephosphorylation of serine 121 in cells exposed to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs leads to HSP90 dissociation from HSF1, which then forms active DNA binding trimers. These experiments indicate a novel mechanism for the regulation of HSF1 by proinflammatory signaling and may permit HSF1 to respond rapidly to extracellular events, permitting optimal physiological regulation.
Improved Cerebrovascular Function and Reduced Histological Damage with Darbepoietin Alfa Administration after Cortical Impact Injury in Rats

Darbepoetin alfa (darbEpo) is an erythropoietic glycoprotein that activates the erythropoietin receptor. The aim of our study was to determine whether darbEpo is neuroprotective in a cortical impact injury (CII) model and to determine the characteristics of dose response and time window. To better understand the vascular mechanism of darbEpo neuroprotection, the reactivity of cerebral blood flow (CBF) to l-arginine administration was also studied. Rats were given saline or darbEpo from 2.5 to 50 μg/kg at 5 min after CII or a dose of 25 μg/kg darbEpo at times ranging from 5 min to 24 h after CII. Histological assessment was determined 2 weeks after a severe CII. Other rats were given either darbEpo (25 μg/kg) or saline daily for 3 days before injury. Five minutes after severe CII, they were given either l-arginine or d-arginine. Hemodynamic variables were monitored for 2 h after injury. In the dose-response study, darbEpo in doses of 25 and 50 μg/kg significantly reduced contusion volume from 39.1 ± 6.7 to 8.1 ± 3.1 and 11.2 ± 6.0 mm3, respectively. In the time window study, darbEpo reduced contusion volume when given in a dose of 25 μg/kg at 5 min to 6 h after the impact injury. In animals pretreated with darbEpo, the CBF response to l-arginine was significantly greater than in the animals pretreated with saline. These data demonstrate that darbEpo has neuroprotective effects in traumatic brain injury in a dose- and time-dependent manner and that vascular effects of darbEpo may have a role in neuroprotection.
The importance of substance P and calcitonin gene related peptide as vasodilator neuropeptide during acute phase of experimental posthemorrhagic vasospasm.

BACKGROUND Several immunohistochemical studies conducted in the acute phase following SAH have demonstrated a marked depletion of certain peptides like Substance P (SP), Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide (CGRP) from the adventitia of perivascular nerves. The present experimental study was carried out with the aim of determining whether the depletion of these peptides could be a protection mechanism against the factors which sustain the vasospasm. METHODS To accomplish this goal, we administered specific antiserum to block the potential effect of neuropeptides (SP and CGRP) prior to SAH. Our study tried also to realize whether difference can be demonstrated between endothelium-dependent (SP) and endothelium-independent vasodilatory mechanisms (CGRP) during the acute phase ofvasospasm. Twenty-three rabbits were divided in 5 experimental groups: Group A included normal control animals, Group B included rabbits who received saline injection prior to SAH, Group C included animals who received preimmune serum, groups D and E included animals who received respectively antiserum against CGRP and against SP prior to SAH. The antisera were administered into the cisterna magna by means of percutaneous suboccipital puncture. After 15 minutes 1 ml of autologous non-heparinized blood was injected in the same way. After 20 minutes the animals were sacrificed by cardiac perfusion. The basilar artery was removed by means of transclival approach and it was included in Epon 812. Mean diameters and luminal areas of the arteries were measured with morphometric method on sections of 2-3 microm of thickness. RESULTS The results showed a reduced mean diameter and luminal areas in the group B comparing to normal controls of the group A. A marked vasospasm is mainly evident in group D and E. In group C the vasospasm is not significantly different from that of group B. No significant difference was demonstrated between group D and group E. CONCLUSIONS We can conclude that: 1) the marked depletion of neuropeptides in the early phases of vasospasm represents a functional phenomenon in order to reduce the effectiveness of spasmogenic stimula. In fact the inhibition of the activity of these neuropeptides worses the entity of the vasospasm. 2) During the acute phase of vasospasm the endothelium-dependent vasodilatory mechanism is still functioning. No significant difference in the entity of vasospasm has been demonstrated between inhibition of SP (endothelium-dependent) and CGRP (endothelium-independent). Inactivation of such a mechanism occurs during late phases.
The role of TOR in autophagy regulation from yeast to plants and mammals

The target of rapamycin (TOR) is a conserved Ser/Thr kinase that controls cell growth by activating an array of anabolic processes including protein synthesis, transcription, and ribosome biogenesis, and by inhibiting catabolic processes such as mRNA degradation and autophagy. Control of autophagy by TOR occurs primarily at the induction step, and involves activation of the ATG1 kinase, a conserved component of the autophagic machinery. A substantial number of genes participating in autophagy have been originally identified in yeast. Most of these genes have mammalian homologues and many have apparent homologues in plants, indicating that autophagy is conserved among eukaryotes. The recent identification of TOR as a key element in cell growth control in plants and algae opens the way for future studies to investigate whether this signaling pathway may also control autophagy in photosynthetic organisms.
Recognizing Handwritten Japanese Characters Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

In this work, deep convolutional neural networks are used for recognizing handwritten Japanese, which consists of three different types of scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. This work focuses on the classification of the type of script, character recognition within each type of script, and character recognition across all three types of scripts. Experiments were ran on the Electrotechnical Laboratory (ETL) Character Database from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). In all classification tasks, convolutional neural networks were able to achieve high recognition rates. For character classification, the models presented herein outperform the human equivalent recognition rate of 96.1%.
High Levels of Depressive Symptoms in Pregnancy With Low Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake From Fish

Background: Depression during pregnancy has adverse consequences for both mother and child. Although common in western countries, depression appears to be virtually absent in countries with high seafood intake. We test the hypothesis that low seafood intake during pregnancy is associated with increased prevalence of depressive symptoms. Methods: This study used data prospectively collected from women participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in the period 1991–1992. At 32 weeks’ gestation, the mother completed a questionnaire that included symptoms of depression and a food frequency questionnaire from which the amount of omega-3 fatty acids from fish was calculated. Statistical analysis took social and lifestyle factors into account. Results: Unadjusted and adjusted analyses showed lower maternal intake of omega-3 from seafood was associated with high levels of depressive symptoms. Compared with women consuming more than 1.5 g omega-3 from seafood per week, those consuming none were more likely to have high levels of depressive symptoms at 32 weeks’ gestation (adjusted odds ratios = 1.54; 95% confidence interval = 1.25–1.89). Conclusions: These observational data support an association between low omega-3 intake from seafood and increased risk of high levels of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Eating seafood during pregnancy may have beneficial effects on mental well-being.