julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
EEG correlates of working memory performance in females
2017-01-04

Abstract Background The study investigates oscillatory brain activity during working memory (WM) tasks. The tasks employed varied in two dimensions. First, they differed in complexity from average to highly demanding. Second, we used two types of tasks, which required either only retention of stimulus set or retention and manipulation of the content. We expected to reveal EEG correlates of temporary storage and central executive components of WM and to assess their contribution to individual differences. Results Generally, as compared with the retention condition, manipulation of stimuli in WM was associated with distributed suppression of alpha1 activity and with the increase of the midline theta activity. Load and task dependent decrement of beta1 power was found during task performance. Beta2 power increased with the increasing WM load and did not significantly depend on the type of the task. At the level of individual differences, we found that the high performance (HP) group was characterized by higher alpha rhythm power. The HP group demonstrated task-related increment of theta power in the left anterior area and a gradual increase of theta power at midline area. In contrast, the low performance (LP) group exhibited a drop of theta power in the most challenging condition. HP group was also characterized by stronger desynchronization of beta1 rhythm over the left posterior area in the manipulation condition. In this condition, beta2 power increased in the HP group over anterior areas, but in the LP group over posterior areas. Conclusions WM performance is accompanied by changes in EEG in a broad frequency range from theta to higher beta bands. The most pronounced differences in oscillatory activity between individuals with high and low WM performance can be observed in the most challenging WM task.
Distributed Load Balancing for the Resilient Publish/Subscribe Overlay in SeDAX
2017-01-04

SEcure data-centric application eXtension (SeDAX) is a publish/subscribe information-centric networking architecture, where publishers send messages to the appropriate message broker over a Delaunay-triangulated overlay network. Resilient data forwarding and data redundancy enable a high level of reliability. Overlay nodes and topics are addressed via geo-coordinates. A topic is stored on primary and secondary nodes, those nodes closest and second-closest to the topic's coordinate, respectively. The overlay automatically reroutes a topic's messages to its secondary node should its primary node fail. In the original proposal, SeDAX determines the coordinate of a topic by hashing its name. This kind of topic allocation is static, which can lead to unintended load imbalances. We propose a topic delegation mechanism to make the assignment of topics to nodes dynamic. Our proposed mechanism is the only existing method to improve the flexibility and resource management of the SeDAX architecture so far. We define three resilience levels that allow information on the SeDAX overlay to survive 0, 1, or 2 node failures, imposing different loads on SeDAX nodes. For this elaborated SeDAX approach, we suggest a distributed resource management system that detects traffic imbalances among SeDAX nodes and re-assigns topics to other coordinates for load balancing purposes. We evaluate the load imbalance for the different resilience levels, for different topic characteristics, and in particular for topics with storage requirements growing over time. The proposed algorithm leads to well balanced load on SeDAX nodes while keeping load redistribution at a reasonable level.
On the impact of the magnitude of Interstellar pressure on physical properties of Molecular Cloud
2017-01-04

Recently reported variations in the typical physical properties of Galactic\\nand extra-Galactic molecular clouds (MCs), and in their ability to form stars\\nhave been attributed to local variations in the magnitude of interstellar\\npressure. Inferences from these surveys have called into question two\\nlong-standing beliefs that the MCs : 1 are Virialised entities and (2) have\\napproximately constant surface density i.e., the validity of the Larson's third\\nlaw. In this work we invoke the framework of cloud-formation via collisions\\nbetween warm gas flows. Post-collision clouds forming in these realisations\\ncool rapidly and evolve primarily via the interplay between the Non-linear Thin\\nShell Instability (NTSI), and the self-gravity. Over the course of these\\nsimulations we traced the temporal evolution of the surface density of the\\nassembled clouds, the fraction of dense gas, the distribution of gas column\\ndensity (NPDF), and the Virial nature of the assembled clouds. We conclude,\\nthese physical properties of MCs not only exhibit temporal variation, but their\\nrespective peak-magnitude also increases in proportion with the magnitude of\\nexternal pressure, . The velocity dispersion in assembled clouds\\nappears to follow the power-law, . Also,\\nthe power-law tail at higher densities becomes shallower with increasing\\nmagnitude of external pressure, for magnitudes, \\nK cm , at higher magnitudes such as those typically found in the Galactic\\nCMZ ( K cm ), the power-law shows significant\\nsteepening. Thus while our results are broadly consistent with inferences from\\nvarious recent observational surveys, it appears, MCs hardly exhibit a unique\\nset of properties, but rather a wide variety, that can be reconciled with a\\nrange of magnitudes of pressure between 10 K cm - 10 K\\ncm .\\n
The metabolic sensor AKIN10 modulates the Arabidopsis circadian clock in a light‐dependent manner
2017-01-05

Abstract Plants generate rhythmic metabolism during the repetitive day/night cycle. The circadian clock produces internal biological rhythms to synchronize numerous metabolic processes such that they occur at the required time of day. Metabolism conversely influences clock function by controlling circadian period and phase and the expression of core‐clock genes. Here, we show that AKIN10, a catalytic subunit of the evolutionarily conserved key energy sensor sucrose non‐fermenting 1 (Snf1)‐related kinase 1 (SnRK1) complex, plays an important role in the circadian clock. Elevated AKIN10 expression led to delayed peak expression of the circadian clock evening‐element GIGANTEA ( GI ) under diurnal conditions. Moreover, it lengthened clock period specifically under light conditions. Genetic analysis showed that the clock regulator TIME FOR COFFEE ( TIC ) is required for this effect of AKIN10 . Taken together, we propose that AKIN10 conditionally works in a circadian clock input pathway to the circadian oscillator.
Cross-cultural validity of Morningness-Eveningness Stability Scale improved (MESSi) in Iran, Spain and Germany
2017-01-05

Morningness-Eveningness Stability Scale improved (MESSi) is a newly constructed measure to assess circadian types and amplitude. In this study, we applied this measure to participants from three different countries: Germany, Spain and Iran. Confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) of MESSi displayed mediocre fit in the three countries. Comparing increasingly stringent models using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses indicated at least partial measurement invariance (metric invariance) by country for Morning Affect and Distinctness subscales. Age was positively related to Morning Affect (MA), and negatively related to Eveningness (EV) and Distinctness (DI). Men reported higher MA than women, whereas women reported higher DI than men. Regarding country effect, Iranian participants reported highest MA compared to Spaniards and Germans, whereas Germans reported higher DI compared to Iranians and Spaniards. As a conclusion, our study corroborated the validity and reliability of MESSi across three different countries with different geographical and cultural characteristics.
Consolidation of Prospective Memory: Effects of Sleep on Completed and Reinstated Intentions
2017-01-05

Sleep has been shown to facilitate the consolidation of prospective memory, which is the ability to execute intended actions at the appropriate time in the future. In a previous study, the sleep benefit for prospective memory was mainly expressed as a preservation of prospective memory performance under divided attention as compared to full attention. Based on evidence that intentions are only remembered as long as they have not been executed yet (cf. 'Zeigarnik effect'), here we asked whether the enhancement of prospective memory by sleep vanishes if the intention is completed before sleep and whether completed intentions can be reinstated to benefit from sleep again. In Experiment 1, subjects learned cue-associate word pairs in the evening and were prospectively instructed to detect the cue words and to type in the associates in a lexical decision task (serving as ongoing task) 2 h later before a night of sleep or wakefulness. At a second surprise test 2 days later, sleep and wake subjects did not differ in prospective memory performance. Specifically, both sleep and wake groups detected fewer cue words under divided compared to full attention, indicating that sleep does not facilitate the consolidation of completed intentions. Unexpectedly, in Experiment 2, reinstating the intention, by instructing subjects about the second test after completion of the first test, was not sufficient to restore the sleep benefit. However, in Experiment 3, where subjects were instructed about both test sessions immediately after learning, sleep facilitated prospective memory performance at the second test after 2 days, evidenced by comparable cue word detection under divided attention and full attention in sleep participants, whereas wake participants detected fewer cue words under divided relative to full attention. Together, these findings show that for prospective memory to benefit from sleep, (i) the intention has to be active across the sleep period, and (ii) the intention should be induced in temporal proximity to the initial learning session.
How Knowledge of Ancient Egyptian Women Can Influence Today’s Gender Role: Does History Matter in Gender Psychology?
2017-01-05

A gender role is a set of societal norms dictating what types of behaviors are considered desirable or appropriate for a person based on their sex. However, socially constructed gender roles can lead to equal rights between genders but also to severe disadvantages and discrimination with a remarkable variety between different countries. Based on social indicators and gender statistics, "women in the Arab region are on average more disadvantaged economically, politically, and socially than women in other regions." According to Banduras' social learning theory, we argue that profound knowledge of the historical contributions of Ancient Egyptian female pioneers in science, arts, and even in ruling Egypt as Pharaohs can improve today's gender role in Egypt and Middle Eastern countries. Therefore, this article provides an elaborate review of the gender role of women in Ancient Egypt, outlining their prominence, influence, and admiration in ancient societies, and discusses the possible psychological impact of this knowledge on today's gender role. We suggest that future empirical research should investigate how enhancing the knowledge of women from Ancient Egypt can improve today's gender role in Egypt and the Middle East. Bandura's social learning theory is outlined as a possible framework for future research.
Sometimes Less Is Not Enough: A Commentary on Greiff et al. (2015)
2017-01-05

In this commentary, I discuss some critical issues in the study by Greiff, S.; Stadler, M.; Sonnleitner, P.; Wolff, C.; Martin, R., “Sometimes less is more: Comparing the validity of complex problem solving measures”, Intelligence 2015, 50, 100–113. I conclude that—counter to the claims made in the original study—the specific study design was not suitable for deriving conclusions about the validity of different complex problem-solving (CPS) measurement approaches. Furthermore, a more elaborate consideration of previous CPS research was found to challenge Greiff et al.’s conclusions even further. Therefore, I argue that researchers should be aware of the differences between several kinds of CPS assessment tools and conceptualizations when the validity of CPS assessment tools is examined in future research.
Bivalve borings in Lower JurassicLithiotisfauna from northeastern Italy and its palaeoecological interpretation
2017-01-05

Random shell sections of the Pliensbachian (Early Jurassic) larger bivalve Opisoma from columns within the Main Post Office building of Ferrara, northern Italy, have been discovered to bear neat clavate-shape boreholes. These boreholes belong to the ichnogenus Gastrochaenolites Leymerie and represent bivalve borings. Opisoma is a subordinate component of the Lithiotis fauna characterised by aberrant shells thriving in tropical lagoonal settings which were widespread throughout the Tethyan and Panthalassa coasts. Although the Lithiotis fauna is well known in the palaeontological literature, no bivalves boring have been so far been formally described. The uniqueness of the morphology, size and substrate of these borings merits the designation of the new species Gastrochaenolites messisbugi ichnosp. nov. which thereby represents the first ichnospecies described from this fauna. The morphology of the boreholes and the included bivalves allows the boring activity to be ascribed to a mytilid bivalve. Palaeoecological and taphonomic analyses allowed the presence of the boreholes to be correlated to the Opisoma mode of life (epifaunal, free-living form) as well as to generally low sedimentation rates and seasonal mesotrophic conditions during an overall oligotrophic regime.
Tuning THz emission properties of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δintrinsic Josephson junction stacks by charge carrier injection
2017-01-05

We report on doping and undoping experiments of terahertz (THz) emitting intrinsic Josephson junction stacks, where the change in charge carrier concentration is achieved by heavy current injection. The experiments were performed on stand-alone structures fabricated from a Bi2Sr2CaCu2O single crystal near optimal doping. The stacks contained about 930 intrinsic Josephson junctions. On purpose, the doping and undoping experiments were performed over only a modest range of charge carrier concentrations, changing the critical temperature of the stack by less than 1 K. We show that both undoping and doping is feasible also for the large intrinsic Josephson junction stacks used for THz generation. Even moderate changes in doping introduce large changes in the THz emission properties of the stacks. The highest emission power was achieved after doping a pristine sample.
The Tuebingen Scotopic Threshold Test (TSTT)
2017-01-05

Measurement of the dark-adaptation threshold plays a key role in the diagnosis and estimation of disease progression of many retinal disorders. Determining the threshold is, however, difficult to perform in young children. We present here a prototype for a dark adaptometer, the Tuebingen Scotopic Threshold Test aimed to ease measurement of photoreceptor thresholds in young subjects. The device consists of two 7 cm ×10 cm fields with either blue or yellow LEDs, for testing rod or cone sensitivity, respectively. Presentation of homogenous field patterns or a flickering stimulus is also possible. The luminance threshold is measured by the method of ascending limits and the stimulus luminance, data recording and analysis are computer controlled. Preliminary results for six adults and two older children were ascertained and the influence of pupil dilation, binocular presentation, and a flickering stimulus examined. The method provides credible and consistent evaluations of the absolute threshold.
Prediction of Breakthrough Curves for Conservative and Reactive Transport from the Structural Parameters of Highly Heterogeneous Media
2017-01-05

The key points of this presentation were to approach the problem of linking breakthrough curve shape (RP-CTRW transition distribution) to structural parameters from a Monte Carlo approach and to use the Monte Carlo analysis to determine any empirical error
Structural and tribometric characterization of biomimetically inspired synthetic "insect adhesives"
2017-01-06

Background: Based on previous chemical analyses of insect tarsal adhesives, we prepared 12 heterogeneous synthetic emulsions mimicking the polar/non-polar principle, analysed their microscopical structure and tested their adhesive, frictional, and rheological properties. Results: The prepared emulsions varied in their consistency from solid rubber-like, over soft elastic, to fluid (watery or oily). With droplet sizes &gt;100 nm, all the emulsions belonged to the common type of macroemulsions. The emulsions of the first generation generally showed broader droplet-size ranges compared with the second generation, especially when less defined components such as petrolatum or waxes were present in the lipophilic fraction of the first generation of emulsions. Some of the prepared emulsions showed a yield point and were Bingham fluids. Tribometric adhesion was tested via probe tack tests. Compared with the "second generation" (containing less viscous components), the "first generation" emulsions were much more adhesive (31–93 mN), a finding attributable to their highly viscous components, i.e., wax, petrolatum, gelatin and poly(vinyl alcohol). In the second generation emulsions, we attained much lower adhesivenesses, ranging between 1–18 mN. The adhesive performance was drastically reduced in the emulsions that contained albumin as the protein component or that lacked protein. Tribometric shear tests were performed at moderate normal loads. Our measured friction forces (4–93 mN in the first and 0.1–5.8 mN in the second generation emulsions) were comparatively low. Differences in shear performance were related to the chemical composition and emulsion structure. Conclusion: By varying their chemical composition, synthetic heterogeneous adhesive emulsions can be adjusted to have diverse consistencies and are able to mimic certain rheological and tribological properties of natural tarsal insect adhesives.
Doctrinal debate and social control in the Carolingian age: the predestination controversy (840s–60s)
2017-01-06

This paper reconsiders the impact of public opinion on religious controversies in the Carolingian age. Doctrinal debate was by no means limited to the elite circles connected with royal and episcopal power. A wider constituency was involved, as is shown by the well‐known controversy on double predestination (840s–60s). During this debate, monks, rural priests and lower clerics read, disputed and circulated treatises and booklets, and questioned the authority of their superiors. The reaction of the clerical elite to the extension of the sphere of debate was ambivalent. A wider discussion was discouraged by a discourse of self‐restraint that emphasized the virtue of simplicitas, but also by disciplinary means. Yet dissent was not entirely stifled, so leading churchmen had to convince their subordinates while not officially acknowledging the latter as their equal discussion partners. This required complex strategies of communication, which only become visible by investigating all aspects of such doctrinal debates.
Circadian course of the P300 ERP in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - implications for brain-computer interfaces (BCI)
2017-01-07

Our findings suggest applicability of EEG/BCI sessions in patients with ALS throughout normal waking hours. Future studies using actual BCI systems are needed to generalize these findings with regard to BCI effectiveness/efficiency and other times of day.
Appendices to Jackknifing the Black Sheep: ASJP Classification Performance and Austronesian
2017-01-07

&lt;p&gt;Two appendices: 1. An ASJP tree of Austronesian languages. 2. A tab-delimited file containing the Ethnologue classification and values of γ’ and δ for the 1137 Austronesian doculects treated in the paper.&lt;/p&gt;
Self-disclosure on SNS: Do disclosure intimacy and narrativity influence interpersonal closeness and social attraction?
2017-01-08

On social media, users can easily share their feelings, thoughts, and experiences with the public, including people who they have no previous interaction with. Such information, though often embedded in a stream of others' news, may influence recipients' perception toward the discloser. We used a special design that enables a quasi-experience of SNS browsing, and examined if browsing other's posts in a news stream can create a feeling of familiarity and (even) closeness toward the discloser. In addition, disclosure messages can vary in the degree of intimacy (from superficial to intimate) and narrativity (from a random blather to a story-like narrative). The roles of disclosure intimacy and narrativity on perceived closeness and social attraction were examined by a 2 × 2 experimental design. By conducting one lab study and another online replication, we consistently found that disclosure frequency, when perceived as appropriate, predicted familiarity and closeness. The effects of disclosure intimacy and narrativity were not stable. Further exploratory analyses showed that the roles of disclosure intimacy on closeness and social attraction were constrained by the perceived appropriateness, and the effects of narrativity on closeness and social attraction were mediated by perceived entertainment value.
The membrane activity of BOK involves formation of large, stable toroidal pores and is promoted by cBID
2017-01-08

The BCL ‐2 family members are key regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, which is defined by permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane by members of the BAX ‐like subfamily. BOK is classified as a BAX ‐like protein; however, its (patho‐)physiological role remains largely unclear. We therefore assessed the membrane permeabilization potential of C‐terminally truncated recombinant BOK , BOK ∆C . We show that BOK ∆C can permeabilize liposomes mimicking the composition of mitochondrial outer membrane, but not of endoplasmic reticulum, forming large and stable pores over time. Importantly, pore formation was enhanced by the presence of cBID and refractory to the addition of antiapoptotic BCL ‐ X L . However, isolated mitochondria from Bax −/− Bak −/− cells were resistant to BOK ‐induced cytochrome c release, even in the presence of cBID . Taken together, we show that BOK ∆C can permeabilize liposomes, and cooperate with cBID , but its role in directly mediating mitochondrial permeabilization is unclear and may underlie a yet to be determined negative regulation.
Critical Assessment of Metagenome Interpretation – a benchmark of computational metagenomics software
2017-01-09

Abstract In metagenome analysis, computational methods for assembly, taxonomic profiling and binning are key components facilitating downstream biological data interpretation. However, a lack of consensus about benchmarking datasets and evaluation metrics complicates proper performance assessment. The Critical Assessment of Metagenome Interpretation (CAMI) challenge has engaged the global developer community to benchmark their programs on datasets of unprecedented complexity and realism. Benchmark metagenomes were generated from ~700 newly sequenced microorganisms and ~600 novel viruses and plasmids, including genomes with varying degrees of relatedness to each other and to publicly available ones and representing common experimental setups. Across all datasets, assembly and genome binning programs performed well for species represented by individual genomes, while performance was substantially affected by the presence of related strains. Taxonomic profiling and binning programs were proficient at high taxonomic ranks, with a notable performance decrease below the family level. Parameter settings substantially impacted performances, underscoring the importance of program reproducibility. While highlighting current challenges in computational metagenomics, the CAMI results provide a roadmap for software selection to answer specific research questions.