Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direction Opponency, Not Quadrature, Is Key to the 1/4 Cycle Preference for Apparent Motion in the Motion Energy Model

Sensitivity to visual motion is a fundamental property of neurons in the visual cortex and has received wide attention in terms of mathematical models. A key feature of many popular models for cortical motion sensors is the use of pairs of functions that are related by a 90° phase shift. This phase relationship, known as quadrature, is the hallmark of the motion energy model and played an important role in the development of a class of model dubbed elaborated Reichardt detectors. For decades, the literature has supported a link between quadrature and the observation that motion detectors and human observers often prefer a 1/4 cycle displacement of an apparent motion stimulus that consists of a pair of sinusoidal gratings. We show that there is essentially no link between quadrature and this preference. Quadrature is neither necessary nor sufficient for a motion sensor to prefer 1/4 cycle displacement, and motion energy is not maximized for a 1/4 cycle step. Other properties of motion sensors are the key: the opponent subtraction of two oppositely tuned stages that individually have sinusoidal displacement tuning curves. Thus, psychophysical and neurophysiological data revealing a preference at or near 1/4 cycle displacement do not offer specific support for common quadrature or energy-based motion models. Instead, they point to a broader class of model.
People and animals in Holocene Africa: recent advances in archaeozoology

tion in an arid, mountainous region. The book is, in that sense, a lost opportunity to address methodological questions that would be of interest to archaeologists elsewhere. These remarks are not intended to diminish the value of the evidence that the authors do present. For example, they show that it was only at the end of the Pleistocene that Kaokoland gained its characteristic mopane woodland vegetation. The vegetation history and the sedimentological record also point to changes in conditions during the Holocene that in the short term might have made life quite untenable. It is important to explore the implications of such changes on different scales. Thus, while mopane woodland represents the regional biotic consequence of a major climatic shift that is discernible in the archaeological record, we also know that this can mask short-term perturbations that would have had severe consequences for past human populations. A vivid illustration is the sustained drought of the early 1980s that resulted in a cattle mortality of about 90% in Kaokoland: a human disaster, but without enduring consequences in the vegetation record. The point, simply, is that fine-scale archaeological sequencing such as is attempted here needs to consider the likely ecological responses of the savanna environment, drawing on a larger body of literature on ecosystem dynamics than Vogelsang and Eichhorn have consulted. While it is clear that the authors are most sure of their ground when describing the characteristics of stone artefact assemblages and other related evidence, they show, perhaps inadvertently, that tool typology is at best a blunt instrument in this part of Africa. The Holocene toolkits of Kaokoland exhibit little sensitivity to time and still less to their setting on this landscape. The formal tool assemblages are also small and therefore difficult to usefully compare outside the area. These problems deserve more consideration in a book that draws on the archaeology of an entire geographic region. I, for one, find difficulty with the implicit view that an inventory of the archaeology will eventually lead to a detailed understanding of the sequence unless it is preceded by a more explicit and critical research design than we see here. If, to paraphrase Rudolph Kuper’s quote from John Iliffe, the purpose of our work is to write African history, then a great deal more remains to be done, both in our thinking and in the field.
[The physical activity level of people working at a regional health office in Lima, Peru].

OBJECTIVE Determining the prevalence of physical activity for health workers from a regional health office in Lima; their nutritional status and history of non-communicable diseases is also described. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was cross-sectional and observations were made between August and November 2012. The study population involved 172 health workers working at a regional health office in Lima (DIRESA) according to the inclusion criteria and their acceptance of the offer to participate. Workers were excluded who had some kind of physical limitation regarding physical exercise. Their physical activity level was determined by using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) which measures physical activity domains: work, home, transport and leisure. SPSS-19 was used for processed the data and nutritional status was evaluated using the body mass index (BMI), according to WHO classification. RESULTS 88.0 % of DIRESA workers had a low level of physical activity and 64.0 % were overweight. Among the most common non-communicable diseases, it was found that 4.7 % had diabetes, 15.6 % hypertension, 32.6 % dyslipidaemia and 15.0 % smoked. CONCLUSIONS DIRESA workers had a high prevalence of physical inactivity and excess weight, so it is advisable to implement healthy policies helping to improve their health.
Chip-Package and Antenna Co-Design of a Tunable UWB Transmitter in System-on-Package with On-Chip versus Off-Chip Passives

In this paper we present a self-powered CMOS ultra wideband radio transmitter integrated in a liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) based system on package (SoP) module with an embedded small antenna. Chip-package-antenna co-design is performed for this module in the presence of unwanted packaging parasitic effects and optimizes the transmission efficiency. Our contribution includes new modeling of the RF-package and antenna and co-optimizing the chip and package design with on-chip versus off-chip passives trade-offs. The SoP module consists of an innovative tunable low power CMOS transmitter for IR-UWB communication, a double-slotted small-size embedded UWB antenna, and a power converter. The output amplitude and duration of the transmitter can be tuned to transmit a signal meeting the FCC mask in different pulse repetition rate for long and short range applications. This ability can also be used to compensate the process and temperature variations as well as the parasitic effects of packaging and antenna. The antenna has a return loss of better than -10dB. The power converter consists of a chain of surface mounted Schottky diodes and capacitors, which converts incident electromagnetic waves to DC supply and thus power up the transmitter. The final module is implemented in LCP substrate with integrated passive components and embedded antenna. The chip part is implemented in 0.18mum CMOS process
A Method for Response Integration in Modular Neural Networks using Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic

We describe in this paper a new method for response integration in modular neural networks using type-2 fuzzy logic. The modular neural networks were used in human person recognition. Biometric authentication is used to achieve person recognition. Three biometric characteristics of the person are used: face, fingerprint, and voice. A modular neural network of three modules is used. Each module is a local expert on person recognition based on each of the biometric measures. The response integration method of the modular neural network has the goal of combining the responses of the modules to improve the recognition rate of the individual modules. We show in this paper the results of a type-2 fuzzy approach for response integration that improves performance over type-1 fuzzy logic approaches.
Bottomland hardwood afforestation: State of the art

INTRODUCTION Afforestation activities in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMRAV) are currently peaking after the past four decades of extensive deforestation (Allen 1997, King and Keeland 1999, Stanturf and others 1998). Different forces drive the afforestation efforts of public resource agencies, conservation organizations, private corporations, and private landowners. Their interests include conversion of economically marginal agricultural land to forest cover for ecosystem rehabilitation, soil conservation, aesthetics, and recreation. They may want to establish intensively managed fiber farms and carbon sequestration banks, and to mitigate forested wetlands destroyed elsewhere in development projects.
An Evaluation of the Effects of Neighborhood Mobilization on Community Problems

SUMMARY This research examines the outcomes of actions taken by members of a residential neighborhood association to revitalize a neighborhood and to make it a safer and more secure place to live. This urban neighborhood association initiated a major planning process in cooperation with city officials. Residents overwhelmingly adopted the plan that included the creation of mini-neighborhoods with a series of gates to moderate traffic flow, increase neighborliness, and reduce crime. An analysis of official data from police crime reports shows that crime was significantly reduced in the neighborhood after the street changes. This reduction in crime was maintained even five years later. Telephone interviews with neighborhood residents indicated that they perceived reductions in traffic, crime, noise and drug offenses for at least five years after the changes. Even though neighborhood cohesion did not increase, it appears that the actions instigated and promoted by neighborhood association members enhanced the quality of life for neighborhood residents.
An integrative approach to the neurophysiological substrates of social withdrawal and aggression

An integrative model of the neurophysiology of aggression and social withdrawal is proposed. A detailed overview of the limbic–hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (LHPA) axis is presented first, because we consider it to be a critical system that interacts with a variety of physiological processes to modulate affect-related behaviors. This detailed analysis of the LHPA axis is then used to clarify the research literature that links aggression and social withdrawal to LHPA functioning. We then review the role of amygdala and prefrontal cortex functioning in modulating aggression and social withdrawal. Particular attention is paid to how the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex interact with the LHPA system and the environment to produce specific behavioral tendencies throughout development. A brief overview of the implied methodological and theoretical model is provided. We explain how a detailed understanding of specific physiological processes is essential in order to develop appropriate research protocols. In addition, we suggest that future research should focus on the mapping of distinct integrative biosocial profiles that are related to specific behaviors during different developmental stages.The authors would like to thank Sarah Dunphy–Lelii and Michael MacKenzie for their comments and suggestions during the preparation of this manuscript. This research was partially supported by Research Grants MH59396, HD/DK37431, and MH42251.
High levels of the Mps1 checkpoint protein are protective of aneuploidy in breast cancer cells

Most human cancers are aneuploid and have chromosomal instability, which contrasts to the inability of human cells to normally tolerate aneuploidy. Noting that aneuploidy in human breast cancer correlates with increased expression levels of the Mps1 checkpoint gene, we investigated whether these high levels of Mps1 contribute to the ability of breast cancer cells to tolerate this aneuploidy. Reducing Mps1 levels in cultured human breast cancer cells by RNAi resulted in aberrant mitoses, induction of apoptosis, and decreased ability of human breast cancer cells to grow as xenografts in nude mice. Remarkably, breast cancer cells that survive reductions in levels of Mps1 have relatively less aneuploidy, as measured by copies of specific chromosomes, compared with cells that have constitutively high levels of Mps1. Thus, high levels of Mps1 in breast cancer cells likely contribute to these cells tolerating aneuploidy.
L'écotourisme à l'épreuve du divertissement sensoriel : Le cas des hébergements atypiques

L’offre de services d’hebergement touristique a connu une profonde mutation au cours de ces dernieres annees avec une forte orientation vers la production d’experiences y compris pour des offres dependantes de la decouverte et du respect de la nature. Pour l’entreprise, cela revient a creer des contextes experientiels qui vont soit constituer l’offre proprement dite de l’entreprise, soit servir a mieux positionner cette offre dans l’esprit du consommateur en la differenciant de la concurrence. Deux options strategiques autour de l’experience emergent de la litterature marketing : la strategie de production d’une offre d’experience et la strategie de differenciation par l’experience. Dans le but de mettre en evidence l’influence de cette dimension experientielle dans le cadre d’offre a priori ecotouristique, cet article analyse la strategie et la frequentation d’un hebergement atypique positionne sur une relation experientielle avec un environnement preserve : les Nuits Insolites. L’interet de cette recherche est de s’interroger sur le positionnement strategique paradoxal de cet hebergement atypique en milieu naturel au regard des produits et contextes ecotouristiques et experientiels offerts a la clientele durant leur sejour. La problematique manageriale peut se resumer en une question liee a la perennisation de cette entreprise dotee d’une faible capacite de financement : est-il necessaire d’investir davantage dans l’environnemental ou/et faut-il orienter les investissements sur les experiences sensorielles recherchees par la clientele a l’instar des parcs d’attractions comme gage d’attractivite et de rentabilite a court, moyen et long terme ? Deux angles d’investigation sont mobilises : une analyse qualitative des logiques d’actions commerciales du dirigeant et une analyse quantitative du type d’experiences nocturnes vecues par 351 vacanciers dans les Nuits Insolites. Les resultats montrent que le positionnement « divertissement sensoriel » dans un environnement naturel est un habillage ecotouristique utilise commercialement par le prestataire comme facteur de differenciation dans le marche des hebergements touristiques, en relation avec une offre qui satisfait la grande majorite des jeunes adultes en courts sejours et en quete avant tout d’experiences nocturnes extraordinaires. Ces resultats posent la question du developpement durable de ce type d’hebergement et des territoires supports et donc de la responsabilite societale de leurs prestataires vis-a-vis de la protection de l’environnement naturel notamment forestier.
A Method to Improve Sensitivity of Piezoresistive Sensor Based on Conductive Polymer Composite

An electrical bridge system based on differential structure is designed to improve the sensitivity of compressive pressure sensor based on the piezoresistivity of conductive polymer composite. As the sensor works in the condition where all of the subsensing elements have to bear the same pressure, the classical “excitation-induced differential structure” (i.e., the properties of the subsensing elements are the same, and they are arranged on the special positions to bear the reversed excitations) cannot be applied. To solve this problem, a “property-induced differential structure” (i.e., the subsensing elements are endowed with reversed properties by adjusting the mass ratio of conductive filler to polymer in the composite, and the responses of them are opposite when the pressure exerted on them are the same) is designed. If the mass ratio is lower/higher than the critical mass ratio, the destruction/formation effect of the conductive network of the composite is dominant under compression, inducing that the changing tendency of the resistance of the element is consistent/opposite to that of the pressure. By using the subsensing elements with reversed properties as the arms of a bridge, the pressure is converted to output voltage. The experimental results verify the feasibility of using the bridge system based on the “property-induced differential structure” to improve the sensitivity.
Kernel Selection by Mutual Information for Nonparametric Object Tracking

This paper presents a novel method of selecting kernels for the subsampling of nonparametric models used in real-time object tracking in a video stream. We propose a method based on mutual information, inspired by the CMIM algorithm (Fleuret, 2004) for the selection of binary features. This builds, incrementally, a model of appearance of the object to follow, consisting of representative and independant kernels taken from points of that object. Experiments show gains, in terms of accuracy, compared to other sampling strategies.
Improving learning and teaching in early childhood teacher education: A focus on personal epistemology

A growing body of research about personal epistemological beliefs has provided tertiary educators with evidence to inform strategies in promoting effective teaching and learning. Personal epistemological beliefs refer to an individual’s beliefs about the nature of knowing and knowledge and are considered to influence how one engages in teaching and learning experiences. There has been very little research, to date, that has explored how pre-service teacher education students’ beliefs change over time and identified factors associated with such changes. No research exists in the area of early childhood teacher education. This paper uses current literature on the development of epistemological beliefs to provide a conceptual framework on which to base intervention for early childhood pre-service teacher education students. It is focused on providing a constructivist approach to knowledge through personal engagement and authentic experiences.
Investigation of Semi-Supervised Acoustic Model Training Based on the Committee of Heterogeneous Neural Networks

This paper investigates the semi-supervised training for deep neural network-based acoustic models (AM). In the conventional self-learning approach, a “seed-AM” is first trained by using a small transcribed data set. Then, a large untranscribed data set is decoded by using the seed-AM to create a transcription, which is finally used to train a new AM on the entire data. Our investigation in this paper focuses on the different approach that uses additional complementary AMs to form a committee of label creation for untranscribed data. Especially, we investigate the case of using heterogeneous neural networks as complementary AMs, and the case of intentional exclusion of the primary seed-AM from the committee, both of which could enhance the chance to find more informative training samples for the seedAM. We investigated those approaches based on Japanese lecture recognition experiments with 50-hours of transcribed data and 190-hours of untranscribed data. In our experiment, the committee-based approach showed significant improvements in the word error rate, and the best method finally recovered 75.2% of the oracle improvement with full manual transcription, while the conventional self-learning approach recovered only 32.7% of the oracle gain.
Eisen – ein zweischneidiges Schwert? Systematischer Review zur klinischen Bedeutung eines essenziellen Spurenelements

Hintergrund: Eisen ist fÜr fast alle Lebewesen ein essenzielles Spurenelement. Als Zentralatom im HÄmoglobin und Myoglobin transportiert und speichert Eisen den Sauerstoff. Der Eisenstoffwechsel im Organismus wird normalerweise durch verschiedene Regelkreise strikt kontrolliert, da Eisen einerseits bei vielen Reaktionen eine wichtige Rolle spielt, andererseits aber auch giftig wirken kann. Zielsetzung: Erstellung eines systematischen Review zur klinischen Bedeutung von Eisen. Methoden: Systematische Analyse und Bewertung von Humanstudien (prospektive Doppelblindstudien, epidemiologische und retrospektive Studien, kurzfristige biochemische/hÄmatologische Studien («Surrogate Markers»)) der letzten 10 Jahre aus den gÄngigen elektronischen Datenbanken sowie der Angaben von Standardwerken und publizierten Monographien. Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerungen: Eisen in Fleisch und MeeresfrÜchten ist am besten verwertbar. Ebenfalls reich an Eisen sind GemÜse und FrÜchte – dieses Eisen kann der KÖrper aber weniger gut aufnehmen und verarbeiten. Vitamin C und ZitronensÄure fÖrdern die Aufnahme von Eisen im Darm. Eine EisenÜberladung des Organismus fÜhrt mit der Zeit zur ZerstÖrung der betroffenen Organe (HÄmochromatose). Typische Folgen von Eisenspeicherkrankheiten sind Leberzirrhose oder eine Fibrose des Pankreas mit Diabetes mellitus. EisenmangelanÄmie ist die hÄufigste StÖrung des Eisenstoffwechsels. Die Therapie erfolgt in erster Linie durch die Beseitigung der Ursachen. Ausserdem mÜssen die Eisenspeicher des KÖrpers aufgefÜllt werden, in der Regel mit einer an Eisen reichen ErnÄhrung und EisenprÄparaten. Die unnÖtige Einnahme von Eisen kann eventuell EntzÜndungen oder Infektionen fÖrdern. EisenprÄparate sollten deshalb nur nach einer AbklÄrung und Verschreibung durch den Arzt eingenommen werden. Bei verschiedenen Erkrankungen wie Typ 2-Diabetes, Alzheimerdemenz oder Morbus Parkinson wird diskutiert, ob ein EisenÜberangebot Bedeutung haben kÖnnte; therapeutische Folgerungen lassen sich daraus (noch) nicht ableiten.
O Acetylation of the Enterobacterial Common Antigen Polysaccharide Is Catalyzed by the Product of the yiaH Gene of Escherichia coli K-12

ABSTRACT The carbohydrate component of the enterobacterial common antigen (ECA) of Escherichia coli K-12 occurs primarily as a water-soluble cyclic polysaccharide located in the periplasm (ECACYC) and as a phosphoglyceride-linked linear polysaccharide located on the cell surface (ECAPG). The polysaccharides of both forms are comprised of the amino sugars N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc), N-acetyl-d-mannosaminuronic acid (ManNAcA), and 4-acetamido-4,6-dideoxy-d-galactose (Fuc4NAc). These amino sugars are linked to one another to form trisaccharide repeat units with the structure →3-α-d-Fuc4NAc-(1→4)-β-d-ManNAcA-(1→4)-α-d-GlcNAc-(1→. The hydroxyl group in the 6 position of the GlcNAc residues of both ECACYC and ECAPG are nonstoichiometrically esterified with acetyl groups. Random transposon insertion mutagenesis of E. coli K-12 resulted in the generation of a mutant defective in the incorporation of O-acetyl groups into both ECACYC and ECAPG. This defect was found to be due to an insertion of the transposon into the yiaH locus, a putative gene of unknown function located at 80.26 min on the E. coli chromosomal map. Bioinformatic analyses of the predicted yiaH gene product indicate that it is an integral inner membrane protein that is a member of an acyltransferase family of enzymes found in a wide variety of organisms. The results of biochemical and genetic experiments presented here strongly support the conclusion that yiaH encodes the O-acetyltransferase responsible for the incorporation of O-acetyl groups into both ECACYC and ECAPG. Accordingly, we propose that this gene be designated wecH.
Implementation of WPT communication system based on SAE J2847 standard for electric vehicle

In this paper, we examined the necessity of a proper communication protocol in WPT and studied the structure of communication protocol based on SAE J2847 standard. Then, we implemented an integrated wireless charging system using SAE J2847-6 based WPT communication and confirmed its normal operation through experiments. In order to communicate, we proposed CAN data format and used it as the interface between EVCC and regulator. With this structure, normal operation was verified using the corresponding format. In addition, since the standard focuses on a single charge, a communication structure suitable for a multi-charge situation is proposed.