Crowdsourcing Image Extraction and Annotation: Software Development and Case Study

We describe the development of web-based software that facilitates large-scale, crowdsourced image extraction and annotation within image-heavy corpora that are of interest to the digital humanities. An application of this software is then detailed and evaluated through a case study where it was deployed within Amazon Mechanical Turk to extract and annotate faces from the archives of Time magazine. Annotation labels included categories such as age, gender, and race that were subsequently used to train machine learning models. The systemization of our crowdsourced data collection and worker quality verification procedures are detailed within this case study. We outline a data verification methodology that used validation images and required only two annotations per image to produce high-fidelity data that has comparable results to methods using five annotations per image. Finally, we provide instructions for customizing our software to meet the needs for other studies, with the goal of offering this resource to researchers undertaking the analysis of objects within other image-heavy archives

Age-dependent favorable visual recovery despite significant retinal atrophy in pediatric MOGAD: how much retina do you really need to see well?

Neuritis òptica; Tomografia de coherència òpticaNeuritis óptica; Tomografía de coherencia ópticaOptic neuritis; Optical coherence tomographyBackground To investigate age-related severity, patterns of retinal structural damage, and functional visual recovery in pediatric and adult cohorts of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) optic neuritis (ON). Methods All MOGAD patients from the 5 participating centers were included. Patients with initial manifestation <18 years were included in the pediatric (MOGADped) cohort and patients with ≥18 years in the adult (MOGADadult) cohort. For patients with MOGAD ON, examinations at least ≥6 months after ON onset were included in the analyses. Using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), we acquired peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (pRNFL) and volumes of combined ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (GCIPL). High- and 2.5% low-contrast visual acuity (HCVA, LCVA) and visual-evoked potentials (VEP) were obtained. Results Twenty MOGADped (10.3±3.7 years, 30 MOGAD ON eyes) and 39 MOGADadult (34.9±11.6 years, 42 MOGAD ON eyes) patients were included. The average number of ON episodes per ON eye was similar in both groups (1.8±1.3 and 2.0±1.7). In both pediatric and adult MOGAD, ON led to pronounced neuroaxonal retinal atrophy (pRNFL: 63.1±18.7 and 64.3±22.9 μm; GCIPL: 0.42±0.09 and 0.44±0.13 mm3, respectively) and moderate delay of the VEP latencies (117.9±10.7 and 118.0±14.5 ms). In contrast, visual acuity was substantially better in children (HCVA: 51.4±9.3 vs. 35.0±20.6 raw letters, p=0.001; LCVA: 22.8±14.6 vs. 13.5±16.4, p=0.028). Complete visual recovery (HCVA-logMAR 0.0) occurred in 73.3% of MOGADped and 31% MOGADadults ON eyes, while 3.3% and 31% demonstrated moderate to severe (logMAR > 0.5) visual impairment. Independent of retinal atrophy, age at ON onset significantly correlated with visual outcome. Conclusion Pediatric MOGAD ON showed better visual recovery than adult MOGAD ON despite profound and almost identical neuroaxonal retinal atrophy. Age-related cortical neuroplasticity may account for the substantial discrepancy between structural changes and functional outcomes.JH is (partially) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Grant Numbers 01ZZ1603[A-D] and 01ZZ1804[A-H] (DIFUTURE)). Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL

Metabolite composition of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) upon cooking: Proximate analysis, fibre, organic acids and phenolics

The aim of this research was to study the processing effects (roasting and boiling) on primary and secondary metabolite composition of fruits from the following chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) cultivars (cvs.) of three Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) areas in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region (Portugal): PDO Terra Fria (cvs. Aveleira, Boaventura, Côta, Lamela and Trigueira), PDO Padrela (cvs. Judia, Lada, Longal and Negra) and PDO Soutos da Lapa (cvs. Longal and Martaínha). The cooking processes significantly (p < 0.0001) affected primary and secondary metabolite composition of the chestnuts. Roasted chestnuts had higher protein contents, insoluble and total dietary fibre and lower fat contents whilst boiled chestnuts had lower protein, but higher fat contents. Cooking increased citric acid contents, especially in roasted chestnuts. On the other hand, raw chestnuts had higher malic acid contents than cooked chestnuts. Moreover, roasted chestnuts had significantly higher gallic acid and total phenolics contents, and boiled chestnuts had higher gallic and ellagic acids contents, when compared to raw chestnuts. The present data confirms that cooked chestnuts are a good source of organic acids and phenolics and have low fat contents, properties that are associated with positive health benefits

High-throughput sequencing identifies STAT3 as the DNA-associated factor for p53-NF-kappaB-complex-dependent gene expression in human heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide maps of DNA regulatory elements and their interaction with transcription factors may form a framework for understanding regulatory circuits and gene expression control in human disease, but how these networks, comprising transcription factors and DNA-binding proteins, form complexes, interact with DNA and modulate gene expression remains largely unknown. METHODS: Using microRNA-21 (mir-21), which is an example of genes that are regulated in heart failure, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays to determine the occupancy of transcription factors at this genetic locus. Tissue ChIP was further performed using human hearts and genome-wide occupancies of these transcription factors were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. RESULTS: We show that the transcription factor p53 piggy-backs onto NF-kappaB/RELA and utilizes the kappaB-motif at a cis-regulatory region to control mir-21 expression. p53 behaves as a co-factor in this complex because despite a mutation in its DNA binding domain, mutant p53 was still capable of binding RELA and the cis-element, and inducing mir-21 expression. In dilated human hearts where mir-21 upregulation was previously demonstrated, the p53-RELA complex was also associated with this cis-element. Using high-throughput sequencing, we analyzed genome-wide binding sites for the p53-RELA complex in diseased and control human hearts and found a significant overrepresentation of the STAT3 motif. We further determined that STAT3 was necessary for the p53-RELA complex to associate with this cis-element and for mir-21 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results uncover a mechanism by which transcription factors cooperate in a multi-molecular complex at a cis-regulatory element to control gene expression

Neuromanagement: the scientific approach to contemporary management

[EN] The last years have been marked by the attempts to approach the management discipline from a new, innovative perspective, in accordance with the present times, marked by complex challenges and highly increased competition. Given the importance and impact of scientific advances and also the explosion of research in the field of neuroscience, management had to be redefined and its critical variables had to be analyzed from a different perspective. An interdisciplinary vision was needed to enable future researches and explanations of the decision-making processes, leadership practices, change management, innovation, creativity, human resources performance, engagement of people and emotions. Literature review has been made, from the classical management theories and models, the historical concepts of man, to the new, full of perspectives spectrum of neuroscience, brain functioning and, its infinite potential, that opened new horizons, uncovered resources and tools to face the realities of the new business world. The main purpose of this article is to overview the transition from management to neuromanagement, from leadership to neuroleadership, the role and impact of these concepts on the holistic approach of management science. This evolution allows not only the confirmation of a set of assumptions but also access to a wide range of knowledge, with multiple possibilities of applications in organizational management and opens avenues for future researches.Teacu (parincu), AM.; Capatina, A.; Juárez Varón, D.; Ferreirós Bennett, P.; Mengual Recuerda, A. (2020). Neuromanagement: the scientific approach to contemporary management. Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence. 14(1):1046-1056. https://doi.org/10.2478/picbe-2020-0099S10461056141Arias-Carrio, O., Stamelou, M., Murillo-Rodrıguez, E., Menendez-Gonzalez, M., & Poppel, E. (2010). Dopaminergic reward system: A short integrative review. International archives of medicine, 3(1), 24.10.1186/1755-7682-3-24Backhouse, R. E., & Medema, S. G. (2009). Defining economics: The long road to acceptance of the Robbins definition. Economica, 76, 805–820.10.1111/j.1468-0335.2009.00789.xBernard, C. (1948). Organization and Management. Cambridge, Harvard University Press.10.4159/harvard.9780674280625Bowlby, J., Ainsworth, M., & Bretherton, I. (1992). The origins of attachment theory. Developmental Psychology, 5, 759–775.Braidot, N. P. (2008). Neuromanagement : cómo utilizar a pleno el cerebro en la conducción de organizaciones. Ed. Buenos Aires: Granica.Bratianu, C., & Bejinaru, R. (2019). The theory of knowledge fields: A thermodynamics approach. Systems, 7(2), 20, 1-12.10.3390/systems7020020Bratianu, C., & Bejinaru, C. (2020). Knowledge dynamics: A thermodynamics approach. Kybernetes, 49(1), 6-21.10.1108/K-02-2019-0122Breiter, H.C., Aharon I., Kahneman D., Dale A., & Shizgal, P. (2001). Functional imaging of neural responses to expectancy and experience of monetary gains and losses. Neuron, 30 (2), 619-639.10.1016/S0896-6273(01)00303-8Bruce, L. L., & Braford, M. R. (2009). Evolution of the limbic system. Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, 43–55.10.1016/B978-008045046-9.00965-7Bruce, K. (2006). Henry S. Dennison, Elton Mayo, and Human Relations historiography. Management and Organizational History, 1(2), 177-199.10.1177/1744935906064095Camerer, C. F., Loewenstein, G., & Prelec, D. (2004). Neuroeconomics: Why economics needs brains. Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 106(3), 555–579.10.1111/j.0347-0520.2004.00377.xCamerer, C., Loewenstein, G., & Prelec, D. (2005). Neuroeconomics: How neuroscience can inform economics. Journal of Economic Literature, 43(1), 9–64.10.1257/0022051053737843Cast, A. D., & Burke, P. (2002). A theory of self-esteem. Social Forces, 80(3), 1041–1068.10.1353/sof.2002.0003Collins, J. (2005Level 5 leadership. The triumph of humility and fierce resolve. Harvard Business Review, 79(1), 66–76.Davidson, R. J., Jackson, D. C., & Kalin, N. H. (2000). Emotion, plasticity, context, and regulation: Perspectives from affective neuroscience. Psychological Bulletin, 126(6), 890-909.10.1037/0033-2909.126.6.890Drucker, P.F. (1988). The Coming of the New Organization. Harvard Business Review, 66, 45-53.Dumas, G., Nadel, J., Soussignan, R., Martinerie, J., & Garnero, L. (2010). Inter-brain synchonization during social interaction. Plos One, 5(8), e12166.10.1371/journal.pone.0012166Elger, C. E. (2009). Neuroleadership. Planegg /Munchen: Haufe.Epstein, S., & Weiner, I. B. (2003). Cognitive-experiential self-theory of personality. In Lerner, M.J. (Ed.). Comprehensive handbook of psychology volume 5 personality and social psychology (pp. 159–184). Hoboken: Wiley.Gazzaniga, M. S. (1998). Brain and conscious experience. Advances in Neurology, 77(6), 181–192.Gazzaniga, M. S. (2005). Forty-five years of split-brain research and still going strong. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 6(8), 653–659.10.1038/nrn1723Ghadiri, A., Habermacher, A., & Peters, T. (2013). Neuroleadership: A journey through the brain for business leaders. Springer Science & Business Media.Glimcher, P.W., Camerer C.F., Russell E.F., & Poldrack A. (2008). Neuroeconomics: Decision Making and the Brain.London: Academic Press.Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.Bantam Books.Grawe, K. (2006). Neuropsychotherapy: How the neurosciences inform effective psychotherapy. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Gyurak, A., Hooker, C. I., Miyakawa, A., Verosky, S., Luerssen, A., & Ayduk, O. N. (2011). Individual differences in neural responses to social rejection: the joint effect of self-esteem and attentional control. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 19(3), 279–280.Huther, G. (2009). Wie gehirngerechte Fuhrung funktioniert: Neurobiologie fur Manager. Manager Seminare, 130, 30–34.Isaacson, R. L., Smelser, N. J., & Baltes, P. B. (2001). Limbic System. In Smelser, N.J., Baltes, P.B. (Eds.). International encyclopedia of social behavioral sciences (pp. 8858–8862). Amsterdam: Elsevier.Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect theory: An analysis of decision under risk. Econometrica, 47(2), 263–291.10.2307/1914185Kolb, B., & Whishaw, I. Q. (1998). Brain plasticity and behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 49(1), 43–64.10.1146/annurev.psych.49.1.43Kringelbach, M. L., & Berridge, K.C. (2009). Towards a functional neuroanatomy of pleasure and happiness. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 13(11), 479–487.10.1016/j.tics.2009.08.006Lafferty, C. L., & Alford, K.L. (2010). NeuroLeadership: sustaining research relevance into the 21st century. SAM advanced management journal, 75(3), 32-40.LeDoux, J. (1996). The Emotional Brain. New York: Simon and Schuster.Lieberman, S. (1956). The effects of changes in roles on the attitudes of role occupants. Human Relations, 9(4), 385–402.10.1177/001872675600900401Ma, Q., & Wang, X. (2006). Cognitive neuroscience, Neuroeconomics, and Neuromanagement. Management World, 10, 139-149.MacLean, P. D. (1990). The triune brain in evolution: Role in paleocerebral functions. New York: Springer.Marshall, A. (1924). Principles of Economics, 8 th edition. London: Macmillan.Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 1–21.10.1037/h0054346Mill, J.S. (1848). Principles of Political Economy with Some of their Applications to Social Philosophy, 1 (1 ed.) London: John W. Parker.Nakatani, Y., Matsumoto Y., Mori Y., Hirashima D., Nishino H, Arikawa K., & Mizunami, M. (2009). Why the carrot is more effective than the stick: different dynamics of punishment memory and reward memory and its possible biological basis. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 92(3), 370–380.10.1016/j.nlm.2009.05.003Persky, J. (1995). Retrospectives: The Ethology of Homo Economicus. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9(2), 221–231.10.1257/jep.9.2.221Pillay, S. S. (2010). Life unlocked. New York: Rodale Books.Pillay, S. S. (2011). Your brain and business. New Jersey: FT Press.Ploog, D. (1980). Emotions as products of the limbic system. Medizinische Psychologie, 6, 7–19.Ramachandran, V. (2009). Versus ramachandran: The neurons that shaped civilization. TEDcomRetrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/vs_ramachandran_the_neurons_that_shaped_civilization.html.Ringleb, A., & Rock, D. (2008). The emerging field of NeuroLeadership. NeuroLeadership Journal, 1, 3-19.Rizzolatti, G., & Fabbri-Destro, M. (2010). Mirror neuron mechanism. In Koob, G.F., Moal,M.L., Thompson, R.F. (Eds.). Encyclopedia of behavioral neuroscience (pp. 240–249). Burlington: Academic.Rock, D. (2006). Quiet leadership: Six steps to transforming performance at work. New York: Collins.Rock, D. (2008). SCARF: a brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others. NeuroLeadership Journal, 1(1), 1–9.Rock, D. (2009). Your Brain at Work.Harper Business.Rock, D. (2010). Impacting Leadership with Neuroscience, People and Strategy, suppl. Special Issue: Leading in a Time of Uncertainty, 33(4), 6-7.Rolls, E.T. (2001). Emotion, neural basis of. In Smelser, N.J.,. Baltes, P.B. (Eds.). International encyclopedia of social behavioral sciences (pp. 4444–4449). Oxford: Pergamon.Schaufenbuel, K. (2014). The Neuroscience of Leadership: Practical Applications.UNC Executive Development.Schiller, F. (1990). Paul Broca, explorateur du cerveau. Editions Odile Jacob, Paris.Schein, E.H. (1980). Organizational psychology (3rd ed.). Eaglewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.Shaw, C. A., & McEachern, J.C. (2001). Toward a theory of neuroplasticity. Philadelphia: Psychology Press.Smith, A. (1904). An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations (5th ed.). London: Methuen & Co., Ltd..Sperry, R.W. (1961). Cerebral Organization and Behavior: The split brain behaves in many respects like two separate brains, providing new research possibilities. Science, 133(3466), 1749–1757.Taylor, F.W. (1911). Principles of Scientific Management. New York: Harper & Brothers.Zak, P.J. (2004). Neuroeconomics. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 359(1451),1737-1748

Proteinase-activated receptor 2 modulates OA-related pain, cartilage and bone pathology

Objective Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) deficiency protects against cartilage degradation in experimental osteoarthritis (OA). The wider impact of this pathway upon OA-associated pathologies such as osteophyte formation and pain is unknown. Herein, we investigated early temporal bone and cartilage changes in experimental OA in order to further elucidate the role of PAR2 in OA pathogenesis. Methods OA was induced in wild-type (WT) and PAR2-deficient (PAR2−/−) mice by destabilisation of the medial meniscus (DMM). Inflammation, cartilage degradation and bone changes were monitored using histology and microCT. In gene rescue experiments, PAR2−/− mice were intra-articularly injected with human PAR2 (hPAR2)-expressing adenovirus. Dynamic weight bearing was used as a surrogate of OA-related pain. Results Osteophytes formed within 7 days post-DMM in WT mice but osteosclerosis was only evident from 14 days post induction. Importantly, PAR2 was expressed in the proliferative/hypertrophic chondrocytes present within osteophytes. In PAR2−/− mice, osteophytes developed significantly less frequently but, when present, were smaller and of greater density; no osteosclerosis was observed in these mice up to day 28. The pattern of weight bearing was altered in PAR2−/− mice, suggesting reduced pain perception. The expression of hPAR2 in PAR2−/− mice recapitulated osteophyte formation and cartilage damage similar to that observed in WT mice. However, osteosclerosis was absent, consistent with lack of hPAR2 expression in subchondral bone. Conclusions This study clearly demonstrates PAR2 plays a critical role, via chondrocytes, in osteophyte development and subchondral bone changes, which occur prior to PAR2-mediated cartilage damage. The latter likely occurs independently of OA-related bone changes

Drivers of acceptance of a new beverage in Europe

One of the challenges of studying food consumption behavior is to identify the drivers of choice for a food product. This is particularly important to design and develop new foods for which no previous information is available. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Bissap) is an herbaceous plant and an important source of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds, which confer a number of potential health benefits to derived products. The consumption of Bissap in beverage form is widespread in Africa and Asia, but not yet in Europe. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the main drivers of consumer acceptance of a traditional African beverage made from Bissap to which they had not been previously exposed. First, three focus groups (n = 22) were performed in Portugal to characterize the sensory profile of four Bissap beverages, to reveal perceptions and attitudes towards Bissap beverages, and to identify potential choice attributes. Subsequently, a full-profile conjoint analysis (n = 99) was performed, where consumers evaluated 37 Bissap beverage profiles, aiming to estimate choice attribute importance and to identify relevant market segments. Focus group findings showed that consumers would choose Bissap because they perceived as a healthy choice, and due to its novelty. The conjoint study showed an ideal profile for a Bissap beverage costing €0.99/L, <18 kcal/100 mL, packaged in Tetra-pack, light red color, and containing labeling information about antioxidants and Bissap. Four clusters of consumers were identified: price sensitive, body concerned, packaging attracted, and demanding, highlighting the most influential choice attributes: price, calories, and packaging. Findings provide useful guidance for new product development of an African product in the European lifestyle. Results might be useful from a nutraceutical point of view and to the food/beverages industry