Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory Plasticity Permits the Recruitment of CA2 Pyramidal Neurons by CA31,2,3

Abstract Area CA2 is emerging as an important region for hippocampal memory formation. However, how CA2 pyramidal neurons (PNs) are engaged by intrahippocampal inputs remains unclear. Excitatory transmission between CA3 and CA2 is strongly inhibited and is not plastic. We show in mice that different patterns of activity can in fact increase the excitatory drive between CA3 and CA2. We provide evidence that this effect is mediated by a long-term depression at inhibitory synapses (iLTD), as it is evoked by the same protocols and shares the same pharmacology. In addition, we show that the net excitatory drive of distal inputs is also increased after iLTD induction. The disinhibitory increase in excitatory drive is sufficient to allow CA3 inputs to evoke action potential firing in CA2 PNs. Thus, these data reveal that the output of CA2 PNs can be gated by the unique activity-dependent plasticity of inhibitory neurons in area CA2.
Policing immigrant communities: Latino perceptions of police involvement in immigration enforcement

ABSTRACT Using data from a survey of 2004 Latinos in four urban counties in the USA, this paper considers a question that has not been systematically investigated: how has increasing police involvement in immigration enforcement impacted the perceptions of the police that are held by immigrant and non-immigrant Latinos? Survey results indicate that many Latinos report fear of police, contributing to their social isolation and exacerbating their mistrust of law enforcement authorities. A substantial portion of Latino respondents report that they would be less likely to voluntarily contact the police if they are the victim of a crime, or to provide information about a crime, because they fear that police would use this contact as an opportunity to investigate their immigration status or that of their friends and family members. We use regression analysis to further analyse the determinants of these responses. Our findings suggest that negative encounters with police involving questions of immigration status and perceived unfair treatment, as well as vulnerabilities due to immigration and documentation status, contribute to social isolation and hesitancy to report crimes to police. These findings have implications for cooperation between police and Latino communities, particularly since local authorities have been enrolled in immigration enforcement.
Evidence‐Based Life Coaching for Senior High School Students

Objective:To extend the knowledge base on the use of life coaching as an applied positive psychology. Studies to date have utilised community samples with participants of varying ages and most research has used adult community samples. The present study is unusual in that it examined the efficacy of an evidence-based (cognitive-behavioural, solution-focused) life coaching programme in enhancing cognitive hardiness and hope in senior female high school students.Design:In a randomised controlled experimental design, 56 female senior high school students (mean age 16 years) were randomly allocated to an individual life coach (N=28) or to a wait-list control group (N=28). Method:10 teachers were trained in theories and techniques of coaching psychology through a manualised ‘Teacher as Coach’ workshop. Participants were randomly allocated to a Teacher-Coach with whom they met individually for 10 sessions over two school terms.Results:Life coaching was associated with significant increases in levels of cognitive hardiness and hope, and significant decreases in levels of depression.Conclusions:Life coaching may be an effective intervention for high school students.
Multi-agent Consensus Using Generalized Cyclic Pursuit Strategies

One of the main focus of research on multi-agent systems is that of coordination in a group of agents to solve problems that are beyond the capability of a single agent. Each agent in the multi-agent system has limited capacity and/or knowledge which makes coordination a challenging task. Applications of multi-agent systems in space and ocean exploration, military surveillance and rescue missions, require the agents to achieve some consensus in their motion. The consensus have to be achieved and maintained without a centralized controller. Multi-agent system research borrows ideas from the biological world where such motion consensus strategies can be found in the flocking of birds, schooling of fishes, and colony of ants. One such class of strategies are the cyclic pursuit strategies which mimic the behavior of dogs, birds, ants, or beetles, where one agent pursues another in a cyclic manner, and are commonly referred to as the ‘bugs’ problem. In the literature, cyclic pursuit laws have been applied to a swarm of homogenous agents, where there exists a predefined cyclic connection between agents and each agent follows its predecessor. At equilibrium, the agents reach consensus in relative positions. Equilibrium formation, convergence, rate of convergence, and stability are some of the aspects that has been studied under cyclic pursuit. In this thesis, the notion of cyclic pursuit has been generalized. In cyclic pursuit, usually agents are homogenous in the sense of having identical speeds and controller gains where an agent has an unique predecessor whom it follows. This is defined as the basic cyclic pursuit (BCP) and the sequence of connection among the agents is defined as the pursuit sequence (PS). We first generalize this system by assuming heterogeneous speed v
On the Framing of Multiple Prospects

We investigated decisions involving multiple independent uncertain prospects. At the extremes, a decision maker may either consider each prospect as a separate event (segregation) or evaluate the overall distribution of outcomes (aggregation). Contrary to choice by segregation, people sometimes reject a single gamble but accept a repeated play. On the other hand, people tend to choose by segregation when a particular gamble is singled out from a larger ensemble. Similarly, physicians make different choices when they evaluate problems on a case-by-case basis than when they consider the broader picture. Peoples' tendency to segregate multiple prospects represents a significant violation of the standard theory of rational choice.
So little brain, so much mind. Intelligence and behaviour in non human animals

Cognitive scientists frequently (and implicitly) seem to assume that the more evolutionary proximity there is between an animal and Homo sapiens, the more its (brain/)mind and behaviour will be similar to ours. For example, while it is very common to read scientific papers that compare non-human primate behaviours, in particular chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes and Pan paniscus), to human behaviours, it is very rare, in contrast, to read a scientific paper on human mind that refers to insect cognition data. In this paper we try to challenge this unnoticed anthropocentric (and primatecentric) bias, which prevent us to see deep similarities across the cognitive abilities of living beings. The basic idea of this paper is that a «core» cognitive system exists which is widespread among animals, including humans. What differentiates human mind from other minds is language.
Gesture and body-movement as teaching and learning tools in Western classical singing

This thesis investigates the use of gesture and body-movement as teaching and learning tools in Western classical singing. The introduction draws together a number of theoretical threads to argue why this study has been undertaken and what its objectives are. These threads are elaborated on in the literature review which covers the fields of Vocal Pedagogy, Learning, Gesture Studies, Choral Rehearsal, Music Education and Acting. The study uses two methodologies: survey and experiment. Using terminology devised by the author as Nafisi-system of singing movements, a survey amongst singing teachers in Australia and Germany establishes the prevalence and thus relevance of gestures as tools to enhance and/or illustrate explanation and/or demonstration in the communication of singing related concepts; similarly the survey confirms that voice teachers encourage singing students to use gesture and/or body-movement as tools to facilitate understanding and learning of physiological functions, thought concepts or musical ideas. The survey further yields a wealth of hitherto unknown information about many facets of voice teachers’ use of gesture and movement in their teaching, testifying both to the potential power and controversy inherent in this teaching tool. While the survey had collected teachers’ subjective assessments, the experiment sought to actually prove the effectiveness of gesture and body-movement. Following the argument that the quality of the vocal tone constituted the single most important factor in Western classical singing technique, it was propounded that a teaching intervention could only rightfully claim validity if its efficacy was evident in an improved quality of vocal tone and an experiment was designed to show just that. Within the limits of the experimental design, the results were unambiguous: Compared with a teaching intervention that emulated ‘traditional’ voice teaching without movement, the teaching interventions that incorporated gestures and/or body-movements were clearly superior in their efficacy in two out of four tested vocal tasks and equally as effective in the other two tested vocal tasks.
Interscholastic Athletics and Investment in Human Capital

Several studies, such as Hoberman (1997) and Leeds (2003), have claimed that success in the athletic arena has distorted the human capital decisions of young black men. We test this hypothesis by determining how participation in interscholastic athletics affects the study habits of black and white youths. Copyright (c) 2007 by the Southwestern Social Science Association.
Accommodating attribute processing strategies in stated choice analysis: do respondents do what they say they do?

Data from a discrete choice experiment on restoration of environmental damage caused by illegal dumping are used to investigate the implications of attribute processing strategies. Using random parameters logit models, where we account for heterogeneity in both preferences and attribute processing strategies, this paper explores whether the responses to follow-up questions on attribute nonattendance are consistent with those picked up analytically. Results from the analysis provide evidence that allowing for rationally adaptive behaviour leads to significant improvements in goodness-of-fit and has repercussions for willingness to pay estimation and policy appraisal. Our findings also call into question the accuracy of respondent’s statements of attribute non-attendance.
Fluctuation-dissipation theorem for frequency-dependent specific heat.

A derivation of the fluctuation-dissipation ~FD! theorem for the frequency-dependent specific heat of a system described by a master equation is presented. The FD theorem is illustrated by a number of simple examples, including a system described by a linear Langevin equation, a two-level system, and a system described by the energy master equation. It is shown that for two quite different models with low-energy cutoffs—a collection of two-level systems and a system described by the energy master equation—the frequency-dependent specific heat in dimensionless units becomes universal at low temperatures, i.e., independent of both energy distribution and temperature. These two models give almost the same universal frequencydependent specific heat, which compares favorably to experiments on supercooled alcohols.
Health, lifestyle, belief and knowledge differences between two ethnic groups with specific reference to tobacco, diet and physical activity.

AIMS To compare physical activity levels, body mass index, habitual diet, tobacco use and prevalence of non-communicable disease between the two ethnic groups and to identify predictors for differences between groups. BACKGROUND Tobacco use, poor diet and physical inactivity are major lifestyle risk factors for chronic cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, diabetes and chronic lung diseases. There are higher risk and incidence of these diseases in some ethnic groups, for example Asians have higher incidence of diabetes. DESIGN Cross sectional survey. METHODS Cross sectional survey of Asians of Indian descent and white British adults conducted between October-December 2009. Main outcome variables were lifestyle behaviours and BMI. Self-reported disease diagnosis was also collected. In a regression analysis, predictors of outcome variables were demographic variables and beliefs/attitudes/knowledge towards lifestyle behaviours. RESULTS/FINDINGS Body mass index, tobacco use and non-communicable disease (except diabetes) were lower in Indians. Indians reported lower physical activity levels and greater salt use than Whites. Tobacco use was higher in Whites, but knowledge, attitudes and beliefs were similar between Whites and Indians. CONCLUSION Health risk behaviour and morbidity are different between the two ethnic groups. Gender, age, educational level, beliefs, attitudes and knowledge do not explain these differences. Health promotion that aims to improve knowledge will probably not work and innovative methods are needed to improve health in high risk groups.
Cardiovascular Reactivity and Adolescent Boys' Physical Health

Objective. Minor illnesses and major diseases are affected by individual, environmental, and social factors. The purpose of the study was to determine if cardiovascular reactivity, an individual characteristic, was related to adolescent boys' health status and behaviors. Methods. A total of 89 low socioeconomic status 16-year-old boys who had been classified using teacher ratings during childhood as anxious, disruptive, anxious–disruptive, or normal participated in a laboratory stress experiment. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure were measured during the Social Competence Interview. Using the upper and lower quartiles of SBP change scores, 21 boys were classified as reactors and 20 boys were classified as nonreactors. Subjects were interviewed to assess health behaviors and outcomes, as well as stressful life events. Results. No significant group differences were found for minor or major physical health problems. A logistic regression analysis indicated that risky health behaviors were associated with SBP reactivity, personality characteristics, and negative life events. Specifically, nonreactors, who were disruptive, had more negative life events and engaged in more health-compromising behaviors (eg, smoking cigarettes, unprotected sex), which may contribute to future health problems (eg, cancer, AIDS). Anxious individuals may be more vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases in part because of exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity to stress. Conclusion. Low socioeconomic status boys may be at risk for different health problems caused by differing personality characteristics associated with divergent health-related behaviors.
Purification and enzymatic activity of an NADH‐fumarate reductase and other mitochondrial activities of Leishmania parasites

A 65 kD membrane‐associated NADH‐fumarate reductase subunit, which has a molecular weight similar to that of one of the enzyme subunits from bacteria, was purified from Leishmania donovani promastigotes. NADH‐fumarate reductase and other mitochondrial enzymatic activities of L. major and L. donovani promastigotes and amastigotes were investigated. The presence of NADH‐fumarate reductase was demonstrated in digitonin‐permeabilized L. major promastigotes and mitochondria of L. major and L. donovani promastigotes and amastigotes. The activity of solubilized NADH‐fumarate reductase was measured in L. major and L. donovani promastigotes. Succinate exhibited a clear concentration‐dependent inhibitory effect on fumarate reductase, whereas fumarate also exhibited a clear concentration‐dependent inhibitory effect on succinate dehydrogenase. The data indicate that fumarate reductase is an obligatory component of the respiratory chain of the parasite. Since the enzyme is an important component in the intermediate metabolism in the Leishmania parasite and is absent in mammalian cells, it could be a potential target for antileishmanial drugs.
A Sociology of Justice

Although literature on causes and prevention of crime now transcends disciplinary lines, it can still be categorized by the questions addressed. One line of research expands upon questions posed and answers given in the nineteenth century. Another line of research is predicated on a series of criticisms of the nineteenth-century approach, criticisms that appeared in the 1920s and 1930s. This latter line goes well beyond Marxism, offering fundamentally different ways to define and study justice that go beyond conventional political, philosophical, and social scientific debate. The major literature of this sociology of justice is identified and emergent directions indicated.
Testing effects of Pleistocene climate change on the altitudinal and horizontal distributions of frogs from the Colombian Andes: a species distribution modeling approach

Recent climatic models suggest the late Pleistocene was colder and had different precipitation regimes from the present. If this climatic shift occurred more rapidly than species could adapt, species likely shifted their ranges as populations moved in concert with suitable environmental conditions. We examined changes in altitudinal and horizontal distribution in response to past climate change of amphibian species from different elevational zones and habitat requirements in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes. We used environmental information and species occurrence data to model the distribution of 14 amphibian species (seven highland and seven lowland) which we projected to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using two past climatic reconstructions. For these 14 species, we studied the predicted elevational and areal shifts. In agreement with palynological-derived models for Andean flora, we predicted that the elevation of montane amphibians shifted downwards increasing their total altitudinal range. We did not detect any evidence of compression related to drier lowlands. In some cases, the wider distribution areas of high-elevation amphibians during the LGM overlapped with contemporary distributions implying that these areas are present-day refugia for some species. Lowland species showed little or no elevational changes across time, but their areal distributions changed depending on habitat requirements. Four lowland frog species occurring in present-day xeric environments showed substantial range expansion across the lowlands during the LGM, while two species occurring in humid habitats likely expanded their ranges since the LGM. Since the LGM ended, ranges of mid‐ to high-elevation species shrank and shifted to higher elevation. Lowland species in xeric or open habitats have also experienced shrinking ranges, with some evidence that they have been moving upwards. Thus, low- and high-elevation species may be at risk under predicted anthropogenic climate change. Our results generate spatial hypotheses about amphibian responses to climate change that can be tested with phylogeographic data.
Psychoticism and Disruptive Behavior can be also Good Predictors of School Achievement

Abstract The relations of Gf (Standard Progressive Matrices Raven), Gc (verbal scale of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Version), personality dimensions (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Junior Version), and disruptive behavior (TDAH scale) with school achievement (measured by TDE test and PISA test) were investigated. Two samples of students (total N = 534) representing a broad range of socioeconomic status (SES) participated in this study. Path models were conducted. The results demonstrated that (1) in both samples no sex differences related to school achievement were found; (2) in the first sample, after controlling for age and SES differences, Gf and psychoticism predicted (.38 and −.13, respectively) school achievement (measured by TDE test); (3) in the second sample, after controlling for SES differences to which additional measures were administered, Gf and Gc positively predicted (.22 and .40, respectively) school achievement (measured by PISA test). In addition, psychoticism and disruptive behavior also predicted school performance (−.14 and −.28, respectively). Some theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Abacus Training Modulates the Neural Correlates of Exact and Approximate Calculations in Chinese Children: An fMRI Study

Exact (EX) and approximate (AP) calculations rely on distinct neural circuits. However, the training effect on the neural correlates of EX and AP calculations is largely unknown, especially for the AP calculation. Abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) is a particular arithmetic skill that can be acquired by long-term abacus training. The present study investigated whether and how the abacus training modulates the neural correlates of EX and AP calculations by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Neural activations were measured in 20 abacus-trained and 19 nontrained Chinese children during AP and EX calculation tasks. Our results demonstrated that: (1) in nontrained children, similar neural regions were activated in both tasks, while the size of activated regions was larger in AP than those in the EX; (2) in abacus-trained children, no significant difference was found between these two tasks; (3) more visuospatial areas were activated in abacus-trained children under the EX task compared to the nontrained. These results suggested that more visuospatial strategies were used by the nontrained children in the AP task compared to the EX; abacus-trained children adopted a similar strategy in both tasks; after long-term abacus training, children were more inclined to apply a visuospatial strategy during processing EX calculations.
Synergistic effects of feeding and dexamethasone on serum leptin levels.

The objectives of this study were to determine the time course of the stimulatory effect of dexamethasone on serum leptin and whether it depends on food intake. Dexamethasone (4mg) was administered I.V. over 1 minute to healthy human volunteers (n=8) under fasting and feeding conditions (2000 kcal given at three meals over 7 hours). At 10 hours, serum leptin levels were increased only in the fed subjects (delta leptin 10.6+/-1.6 vs -2.4+/-1.9 ng/ml, p=0.01, n=8). To assess the interactive effect of food and dexamethasone on serum leptin, a subgroup (n=4) was studied under 4 conditions: 1) dexamethasone/fast; 2) dexamethasone/food; 3) saline/fast; 4) saline/food. Serum leptin declined from baseline under the fasting conditions, with or without dexamethasone. Feeding prevented the drop in serum leptin. In the dexamethasone/food condition, leptin levels rose from baseline after 7 hours and doubled after 10 hours (p<0.05). The rise in serum leptin was significantly greater in the food/dexamethasone condition compared to all other conditions (p<0.05). In summary, dexamethasone has no independent effect on serum leptin in the absence of food intake. Rather, dexamethasone appears to potentiate the food-induced increase in serum leptin. This synergism may be mediated by insulin and/or other factors associated with food ingestion.