bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Young children combine sensory cues with learned information in a statistically efficient manner: But task complexity matters
Authors: Bejjanki Vikranth R. , Randrup Emily R. , Aslin Richard N. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractHuman adults are adept at mitigating the influence of sensory uncertainty on task performance by integrating sensory cues with learned prior information, in a Bayes-optimal fashion. Previous research has shown that young children and infants are sensitive to environmental regularities, and that the ability to learn and use such regularities is involved in the development of several cognitive abilities. However, it has also been reported that children younger than 8 do not combine simultaneously available sensory cues in a Bayes-optimal fashion. Thus, it remains unclear whether, and by what age, children can combine sensory cues with learned regularities in an adult manner. Here, we examine the performance of 6-7-year old children when tasked with localizing a ‘hidden’ target by combining uncertain sensory information with prior information learned over repeated exposure to the task. We demonstrate that 6-7-year olds learn task-relevant statistics at a rate on-par with adults, and like adults, are capable of integrating learned regularities with sensory information in a statistically efficient manner. We also show that variables such as task complexity can influence young children’s behavior to a greater extent than that of adults, leading their behavior to look sub-optimal. Our findings have important implications for how we should interpret failures in young children’s ability to carry out sophisticated computations. These ‘failures’ need not be attributed to deficits in the fundamental computational capacity available to children early in development, but rather to ancillary immaturities in general cognitive abilities that mask the operation of these computations in specific situations.Research HighlightsYoung children are sensitive to, and can learn, environmental regularities. Can they also utilize such learned regularities in a statistically efficient manner?We demonstrate that 6-7-year olds are capable of learning and utilizing regularities in a statistically efficient fashion, and in a manner indistinguishable from adult behavior.However, variables such as task complexity can influence young children’s behavior to a greater extent than that of adults, leading their behavior to look sub-optimal.These findings have important implications for how we should interpret failures in young children’s ability to carry out sophisticated computations.
Pathways of human development threaten biomes’ protection and their remaining natural vegetation
Authors: Rosa Isabel M.D. , Guerra Carlos A. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractProtected areas have been one of the most commonly applied conservation tools to prevent ecosystem degradation. International conservation targets have been created to incentivize widespread expansion of protected area networks, but this call might clash with expected future land use change. Here we investigated how future land use trajectories (2015-2090), representing a wide range of plausible future scenarios would impact the remaining areas of primary vegetation under different protection levels across the world’s biomes. We then highlight areas under greater risk of conflict between conservation (highly protected) and land use expansion (high projected change), and areas where these two can better co-exist (lower protection with high projected change and/or high protection with low projected change).While the most positive pathway of development led to the least loss of primary vegetation globally, this was not observed in all biomes. Further, we found no significant correlation between existing extent of protection and average proportion of vegetation loss. Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands & Scrub had the largest projected loss occurring in the highest protected areas. Tropical Forests in Central Africa and the Boreal Forests of North Euro-Asia and Canada emerge as the areas where most projected change occurs, and existing protection is still low. Areas in India and Southeast Asia emerge as potential areas for intervention as they have significant projected loss of primary vegetation, and considerably low protection.Our results can help inform policy and decision-makers to prevent such conflicts and support the development of management actions. These policy and management actions should target conservation in areas under expected great pressure of change with high ecological value (e.g., composed mainly by primary vegetation), but still not protected. This study also opens the discussion to the future of current protected areas and to the potential to expand the existing network of protected areas.
Evolution rapidly optimizes stability and aggregation in lattice proteins despite pervasive landscape valleys and mazes
Authors: Bertram Jason , Masel Joanna 
Published: September 2019

AbstractFitness landscapes are widely used to visualize the dynamics and long-term outcomes of evolution. The fitness landscapes of genetic sequences are characterized by high dimensionality and “ruggedness” due to sign epistasis. Ascending from low to high fitness on such landscapes can be difficult because adaptive trajectories get stuck at low-fitness local peaks. Compounding matters, recent computational complexity arguments have proposed that extremely long, winding adaptive paths may be required to even reach local peaks, a “maze-like” landscape topography. The extent to which peaks and mazes shape the mode and tempo of evolution is poorly understood due to empirical limitations and the abstractness of many landscape models. We develop a biophysically-grounded computational model of protein evolution based on two novel extensions of the classic hydrophobic-polar lattice model of protein folding. First, rather than just considering fold stability we account for the tradeoff between stability and aggregation propensity. Second, we use a “hydrophobic zipping” algorithm to kinetically generate ensembles of post-translationally folded structures. Our stability-aggregation fitness landscape exhibits extensive sign epistasis and local peaks galore. We confirm the postulated existence of maze-like topography in our biologically-grounded landscape. Although these landscape features frequently obstruct adaptive ascent to high fitness and virtually eliminate reproducibility of evolutionary outcomes, many adaptive paths do successfully complete the long ascent from low to high fitness. This delicate balance of “hard but possible” adaptation could occur more broadly provided that the optimal outcomes possible under a tradeoff are improved by rare constraint-breaking substitutions.
Differential modulation of ventral tegmental area circuits by the nociceptin/orphanin FQ system
Authors: Driscoll Joseph R. , Wallace Tanya L. , Mansourian Kasra A. , Martin William J. , Margolis Elyssa B. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe neuropeptide nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) can be released by stressors and is associated with disorders of emotion regulation and reward processing. N/OFQ and its receptor, NOP, are enriched in dopaminergic pathways, and intra-ventricular agonist delivery decreases dopamine levels in the dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens (NAc), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). We used whole cell electrophysiology in acute rat midbrain slices to investigate synaptic actions of N/OFQ. N/OFQ was primarily inhibitory, causing outward currents in both immunocytochemically identified dopaminergic (tyrosine hydroxylase positive (TH(+)) and non-dopaminergic (TH(−)) VTA neurons (effect at 1 μM: 20 ± 4 pA). Surprisingly, this effect was mediated by augmentation of postsynaptic GABAAR currents, unlike the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), where the N/OFQ induced outward currents were K+ channel dependent. A smaller population, 19% of all VTA neurons, responded to low concentrations N/OFQ with inward currents (10 nM: −11 ± 2 pA). Following 100 nM N/OFQ, the response to a second N/OFQ application was markedly diminished in VTA neurons (14 ± 10% of first response), but not in SNc neurons (90 ± 20% of first response). N/OFQ generated outward currents in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-projecting VTA neurons, but inward currents in a subset of posterior anterior cingulate cortex-projecting VTA neurons. While N/OFQ inhibited NAc-projecting VTA cell bodies, it had little effect on electrically or optogenetically evoked terminal dopamine release in the NAc measured ex vivo with fast scan cyclic voltammetry. These results extend our understanding of the N/OFQ system in brainstem circuits implicated in many neurobehavioral disorders.Significance statementThe neuropeptide nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and its receptor (NOP) are engaged under conditions of stress and are associated with reward processing disorders. Both peptide and receptor are highly enriched in ventral tegmental area (VTA) pathways underlying motivation and reward. Using whole cell electrophysiology in rat midbrain slices we found: 1) NOPs are functional on both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic VTA neurons; 2) N/OFQ differentially regulates VTA neurons based on neuroanatomical projection target; and 3) repeated application of N/OFQ produces evidence of receptor desensitization in the VTA but not the SNc. These results reveal candidate mechanisms by which the NOP system regulates motivation and emotion.
Evaluating the Probability of CRISPR-based Gene Drive Contaminating Another Species
Authors: Courtier-Orgogozo Virginie , Danchin Antoine , Gouyon Pierre-Henri , Boëte Christophe 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe probability D that a given CRISPR-based gene drive element contaminates another, non-target species can be estimated by the following Drive Risk Assessment Quantitative Estimate (DRAQUE) Equation:D = (hyb+transf).express.cut.flank.immune.nonextinctwithhyb= probability of hybridization between the target species and a non-target speciestransf= probability of horizontal transfer of a piece of DNA containing the gene drive cassette from the target species to a non-target species (with no hybridization)express= probability that theCas9and guide RNA genes are expressedcut= probability that the CRISPR-guide RNA recognizes and cuts at a DNA site in the new hostflank= probability that the gene drive cassette inserts at the cut siteimmune= probability that the immune system does not rejectCas9-expressing cellsnonextinct= probability of invasion of the drive within the populationWe discuss and estimate each of the seven parameters of the equation, with particular emphasis on possible transfers within insects, and between rodents and humans. We conclude from current data that the probability of a gene drive cassette to contaminate another species is not insignificant. We propose strategies to reduce this risk and call for more work on estimating all the parameters of the formula.
Nest microbiota and pathogen abundance impact hatching success in sea turtle conservation
Authors: Hoh Daphne Z , Lin Yu-Fei , Liu Wei-An , Sidique Siti Nordahliawate Mohamed , Tsai Isheng Jason 
Published: September 2019

AbstractHatchery practices are pivotal to conservation success. In sea turtle hatchery, reusing the same sand has been a norm but remains unclear whether such approach increases the risk ofFusarium solanispecies complex (FSSC) infection causing huge mortality in sea turtle eggs worldwide. We employed 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing in 123 sand samples and isolated fungal strains from diseased eggs across seven hatcheries and neighboring beaches in Malaysia. FSSC was isolated from all sampled hatcheries whereF. solani/falciformewas the predominant species. A distinct microbial composition and higher abundance of FSSC (mean = 5.2 %) was found in all but one hatchery when compared to nesting beaches (mean = 1.3 %). Specifically, an ascomycetous fungusPseudallescheria boydiiconsistently appeared in higher abundance (mean = 11.4 %) in FSSC-infected nests and was significantly associated with lower hatching success. The hatchery that maintained the most stringent practice by changing sand every nesting season had a microbiota resembling nesting beaches as well as lowest FSSC andP. boydiiabundance. The results of current study imply the need to avoid reusing sand in sea turtle hatchery.
Spatial whitening in the retina may be necessary for V1 to learn a sparse representation of natural scenes
Authors: Dodds Eric McVoy , Livezey Jesse Alexander , DeWeese Michael Robert 
Published: September 2019

AbstractRetinal ganglion cell outputs are less correlated across space than are natural scenes, and it has been suggested that this decorrelation is performed in the retina in order to improve efficiency and to benefit processing later in the visual system. However, sparse coding, a successful computational model of primary visual cortex, is achievable under some conditions with highly correlated inputs: most sparse coding algorithms learn the well-known sparse features of natural images and can output sparse, high-fidelity codes with or without a preceding decorrelation stage of processing. We propose that sparse coding with biologically plausible local learning rules does require decorrelated inputs, providing a possible explanation for why whitening may be necessary early in the visual system.
The source of additive genetic variance of evolutionarily important traits
Authors: Liu Li , Wang Yayu , Zhang Di , Chen Xiaoshu , Su Zhijian , He Xionglei 
Published: September 2019

AbstractFisher’s fundamental theorem of natural selection predicts no additive variance of fitness in a natural population. Consistently, observations in a variety of wild populations show virtually no narrow-sense heritability (h2) for traits important to fitness. However, counterexamples are occasionally reported, calling for a deeper understanding on the evolution of additive variance. In this study we propose adaptive divergence followed by population admixture as a source of the additive genetic variance of evolutionarily important traits. We experimentally tested the hypothesis by examining a panel of ~1,000 yeast segregants produced by a hybrid of two yeast strains that experienced adaptive divergence. We measured over 400 yeast cell morphological traits and found a strong positive correlation between h2 and evolutionary importance. Because adaptive divergence followed by population admixture could happen constantly, particularly in some species such as humans, the finding reconciles the observation of abundant additive variances in evolutionarily important traits with Fisher’s fundamental theorem of natural selection. It also suggests natural selection may effectively promote rather than suppress additive genetic variance in species with wide geographic distribution and strong migratory capacity.
Short residence times of DNA-bound transcription factors can reduce gene expression noise and increase the transmission of information in a gene regulation system
Authors: Azpeitia Eugenio , Wagner Andreas 
Published: September 2019

AbstractGene expression noise is not just ubiquitous but also variable, and we still do not understand some of the most elementary factors that affect it. Among them is the residence time of a transcription factor (TF) on DNA, the mean time that a DNA-bound TF remains bound. Here, we use a stochastic model of transcriptional regulation to study how this residence time affects gene expression. We find that the effect of residence time on gene expression depends on the level of induction of the gene. At high levels of induction, residence time has no effect on gene expression. However, as the level of induction decreases, short residence times reduce gene expression noise. The reason is that fast on-off TF binding dynamics prevent long periods where proteins are predominantly synthesized or degraded, which can cause excessive fluctuations in gene expression. As a consequence, short residence times can help a gene regulation system acquire information about the cellular environment it operates in. Our predictions are consistent with the observation that experimentally measured residence times are usually modest and lie between seconds to minutes.
Particle swarm optimization-based optimal real Gabor filter for surface inspection
Authors: Wu Hao , Xu Xiangrong , Chu Jinbao , Duan Li , Siebert Paul 
Published: September 2019

Purpose
The traditional methods have difficulty to inspection various types of copper strips defects as inclusions, pits and delamination defects under uneven illumination. Therefore, this paper aims to propose an optimal real Gabor filter model for inspection; however, improper selection of Gabor parameters will cause the boundary between the defect and the background image to be not very clear. This will make the defect and the background cannot be completely separated.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors proposed an optimal Real Gabor filter model for inspection of copper surface defects under uneven illumination. This proposed method only requires a single filter by calculating the specific convolution energy of the Gabor filter with the image. The Real Gabor filter’s parameter is optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO), which objective fitness function is maximization of the Gabor filter’s energy average divided by the energy standard deviation, the objective makes a distinction between the defect and normal area.

Findings
The authors have verified the effect with different iterations of parameter optimization using PSO, the effects with different control constant of energy and neighborhood window size of real Gabor filter, the experimental results on a number of metal surface have shown the proposed method achieved a well performance in defect recognition of metal surface.

Originality/value
The authors propose a defect detection method based on particle swarm optimization for single Gabor filter parameters optimization. This proposed method only requires a single filter and finds the best parameters of the Gabor filter. By calculating the specific convolution energy of the Gabor filter and the image, to obtain the best Gabor filter parameters and to highlight the defects, the particle swarm optimization algorithm’s fitness objective function is maximize the Gabor filter's average energy divided by the energy standard deviation.
Design of K-band modified hairpin filter with harmonic suppression using GaAs MMIC process
Authors: Guan Jin , Gong Min , Gao Bo , Lu Yuxi , Lu Yu 
Published: September 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a K-band modified hairpin bandpass filter on a planar circuit with harmonic suppression and compact size.

Design/methodology/approach
The inter-connect transmission lines of conventional hairpin filter are replayed by T-shaped open stub to achieve transmission zero for second harmonic. This filter is simulated and optimized by using electromagnetic simulation software and tested on-chip.

Findings
This proposed filter shows the return loss of better than −10dB, the insertion loss of better than 2 dB in pass-band and suppression of more than 40 dB at second harmonic.

Originality/value
The proposed filter can be designed on monolithic microwave integrated circuit, PCB or LTCC and it is useable for microwave and microwave and millimeter-wave systems.
Statistical study of the void structure of Bi2212 multifilamentary superconducting wires and its effect on the critical current density
Authors: Zhou Xin-Xin , Xue Feng , Gou Xiaofan , Shen Teng-Ming 
Published: September 2019

Purpose
Multifilamentary Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox (Bi2212) superconductor composite wires are the only high-temperature superconducting round wires (RW) with sufficient critical current density (Jc) for superconducting magnets generating magnetic fields greater than 25 Tesla. Very complex microstructures of Bi2212 RWs including the voids or gas bubbles, filament to filament bridges and wire architecture strongly influence their electrical behavior. Especially, a large number of voids in Bi2212 superconducting filaments is believed to be the major current-limiting mechanism. However, the effect of the void structure on the Jc is not well understood yet.

Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors first statistically analyzed the size and distribution of voids in filaments using the reported microscopic data, obtaining the essential statistical regularities. An electrical model was further developed to predict the Jc of multifilamentary wires while taking into account of the current limiting mechanisms of the void structure in filaments, and the current sharing roles of filament to filament bridges.

Findings
The model predicts the quantitative dependence of Jc on the number of Bi2212 filaments in each bundle of a double-restack wire and porosity. The results are useful optimizing design and fabrication of Bi2212 multifilamentary wires.

Originality/value
For the complex structure of voids and interfilamentary bridges inside Bi2212 multifilamentary superconducting wires, the authors took a statistical characterization and studied its effect on the critical current density Jc (the key index of evaluating the current carrying capacity).
A problem-solving process for developing capabilities: the case of an established firm
Authors: Shu Ei (Emily) 
Published: September 2019

Purpose
Current research has theorized that developing dynamic capability can be viewed as a problem-finding and problem-solving process in terms of a firm’s resource reconfiguration. However, there continues to be a scarcity of empirical research on how firms and managers solve innovation problems to develop capabilities. Building on the theoretical lens of problem-solving perspective (PSP) and dynamic capability literature, the purpose of this paper is to address this gap by examining how a large automobile company developed different types of capabilities (combining capability, replacing capability and evolving capability) and their underlying problem-solving processes.

Design/methodology/approach
An inductive multi-case design was used to investigate the problem-solving process in different types of capability development in the context of NPD. This methodology has a number of benefits, including accommodation of the rich data used to compare the inferences among cases, thus enabling researchers to extend the emergent theory.

Findings
The findings of a multi-case study show that managers tend to direct their attentions to searching for solutions among external resources when the problem is framed as a combination of existing capabilities. Conversely, managers direct their attention to facilitating organizational learning when the problem is framed as an extension of an existing capability. However, managers need to direct more attention to gaining legitimacy when the problem is framed as a replacement of existing capabilities. The findings thus respond to increasing calls for more investigations into the microfoundations underlying firms’ capabilities, by revealing different instances of PSP, and their connections with different actions that take to capability development.

Originality/value
By comparatively examining the unique problem-solving process underlying an established firm’s innovative challenges in developing capabilities, the findings identify different instances of PSP, and their connections with different actions that take to capability development. Thus, the findings respond to increasing calls for more investigation into the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities for organizational outcomes. The findings also add to the new product development literature by examining how a product innovation can be framed differently depending on the attributes of an innovation problem. As PSP is particularly useful in offering guidance to firms’ innovative search, it is important for managers to pay attention to the attribute of each product and its domain of solution in considering the effectiveness of value creation.