Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cellular basis of EEG slow rhythms: a study of dynamic corticothalamic relationships

A slow oscillation (< 1 Hz) has recently been described in intracellular recordings from the neocortex and thalamus (Steriade et al., 1993c-e). The aim of the present study was to determine the phase relations between cortical and thalamic neuronal activities during the slow EEG oscillation. Intracellular recordings were performed in anesthetized cats from neurons in motor and somatosensory cortical areas, the rostrolateral sector of the reticular (RE) thalamic nucleus, and thalamocortical (TC) cells from ventrolateral (VL) nucleus. The EEG was used as time reference for alignment of activities in different, simultaneously recorded neurons, including dual impalements of cortical cells as well as cortical and TC cells. The spontaneous EEG oscillation was characterized by slowly recurring (0.3–0.9 Hz) sequences of surface- positive (depth-negative) sharp deflections, often followed by oscillatory activity within the frequency range of sleep spindles (7–14 Hz) or at faster frequencies. Cortical and RE cells were similarly hyperpolarized during the depth-positive EEG waves and were depolarized during the depth-negative EEG deflections. In many instances, the cell depolarization was associated with oscillations at the spindle frequency or with tonic firing at rates related to the level of depolarization. TC neurons were hyperpolarized during the depth- positive EEG waves and displayed a series of IPSPs, at the spindle frequencies, during the depth-negative EEG waves. Depending on the membrane potential (Vm), TC cells could fire spike bursts at the onset of the EEG depth-negativity, or their firing could be delayed by subsequent IPSPs. The sequence of spontaneous EEG and cellular events described above also characterized the responses to cortical and thalamic stimulation. Simultaneous intracellular recordings of pairs of cortical cells or cortical and TC cells showed that spontaneous transitions from less synchronized to more synchronized EEG states were marked by a simultaneous hyperpolarization, coincident with an overt depth-positive EEG wave. We conclude that during low-frequency oscillatory states, characteristic of slow-wave sleep, neocortical and thalamic neurons display phase relations that are restricted to narrow time windows, and that synchronization results from a generalized inhibitory phenomenon. Moreover, EEG synchronization is reflected as active inhibition in TC neurons. That this pattern is also present in states of hypersynchronization, such as seizure activity, is shown in the following paper (Steriade and Contreras, 1994).
Histamine is stored in mast cells of most evolutionarily advanced fish and regulates the fish inflammatory response

Mast cells are important as initiators and effectors of innate immunity and regulate the adaptive immune responses. They have been described in all classes of vertebrates and seem to be morphologically and functionally similar. However, early studies had shown that fish and amphibian mast cells were devoid of histamine. In this study, we take a fresh look at the evolution of histamine and find that the mast cells of fish belonging to the Perciformes order, the largest and most evolutionarily advanced order of teleosts, are armed with histamine. More importantly, histamine is biologically active in these fish where it is able to regulate the inflammatory response by acting on professional phagocytes. In addition, the actions of histamine in these immune cells seem to be mediated through the engagement of H1 and H2 receptors, which, together with the H3 receptor, are well conserved in bony fish. We propose that the storage of histamine in vertebrate mast cells and its use as an inflammatory messenger was established in primitive reptiles (Lepidosauria) ≈276 million years ago. This same feature seems to have developed independently in Perciform fish much more recently in the Lower Eocene, between 55 and 45 million years ago, a short period during which the great majority of Percomorph families appeared.
The Roly-Poly Mouse: Designing a Rolling Input Device Unifying 2D and 3D Interaction

We present the design and evaluation of the Roly-Poly Mouse (RPM), a rolling input device that combines the advantages of the mouse (position displacement) and of 3D devices (roll and rotation) to unify 2D and 3D interaction. Our first study explores RPM gesture amplitude and stability for different upper shapes (Hemispherical, Convex) and hand postures. 8 roll directions can be performed precisely and their amplitude is larger on Hemispherical RPM. As minor rolls affect translation, we propose a roll correction algorithm to support stable 2D pointing with RPM. We propose the use of compound gestures for 3D pointing and docking, and evaluate them against a commercial 3D device, the SpaceMouse. Our studies reveal that RPM performs 31% faster than the SpaceMouse for 3D pointing and equivalently for 3D rotation. Finally, we present a proof-of-concept integrated RPM prototype along with discussion on the various technical challenges to overcome to build a final integrated version of RPM.
The Rorschach Texture Response: A Construct Validation Study Using Attachment Theory

Using attachment theory, in this research, we explored the construct validity of the Rorschach (Exner, 1974) Texture (T) response as a measure of interpersonal closeness and contact. A total of 40 men and 39 women completed the Rorschach and 2 attachment inventories. Their romantic partners also completed an informant version of the attachment measures. Attachment styles were measured by factor scores involving both self-report and partner report. Results indicate that attachment theory, as a broad conceptual framework, is associated with T. Specifically, T = 1 is most closely associated with a secure attachment style, T > 1 with aspects of the preoccupied style, and T = 0 with aspects of the avoidant style and an absence of secure attachment. Needs for closeness and contact associated with T can be couched within an adult attachment theory, but in this study, we did not test for problematic aspects of insecure attachment. Gender is a complicating factor and deserves more study.
Gravity currents in a porous medium at an inclined plane

We consider the release from a point source of relatively heavy fluid into a porous saturated medium above an impermeable slope. We consider the case where the volume of the resulting gravity current increases with time like $t^\alpha$ and show that for $\alpha\,{<}\,3$ at short times the current spreads axisymmetrically, with radius $r\,{\sim}\,t^{(\alpha+1)/4}$, while at long times it spreads predominantly downslope. In particular, for long times the downslope position of the current scales like $t$ while the current extends a distance $t^{\alpha/3}$ across the slope. For $\alpha\,{>}\,3$, this situation is reversed with spreading occurring predominantly downslope for short times. The governing equations admit similarity solutions whose scaling behaviour we determine, with the full similarity form being evaluated by numerical computations of the governing partial differential equation. We find that the results of these analyses are in good quantitative agreement with a series of laboratory experiments. Finally, we discuss the implications of our work for the sequestration of carbon dioxide in aquifers with a sloping, impermeable cap.
Two new cytotoxic furoquinoline alkaloids isolated from Aegle marmelos (Linn.) Correa

Abstract Two new cytotoxic furoquinoline alkaloids were isolated from the leaves of Aegle marmelos (Linn.) Correa; one from the total alkaloidal fraction (acid/base shake-out method) of the CHCl3 extract and identified as 7,8-dihydroxy-4-hydrofuroquinoline and named trivially as Aegelbine-A. The other new alkaloid isolated from the pet. ether extract and identified as 4-hydro-7-hydroxy-8-prenyloxyfuroquinoline and named trivially as Aegelbine-B, together with a known alkaloid; aegeline and a known phenolic acid; ρ-hydroxybenzoic acid. The structures of all the isolated compounds were established based on 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and HR-ESI/MS. The cytotoxic activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated in vitro against HepG-2, PC3, A549 and MCF-7 cell lines. The obtained results revealed promising activity with structure-based relationship which is discussed briefly.
Non-Abelian vortices at weak and strong coupling in mass deformed ABJM theory

We find half-BPS vortex solitons, at both weak and strong coupling, in the = 6 supersymmetric mass deformation of ABJM theory with U(N) × U(N) gauge symmetry and Chern-Simons level k. The strong coupling gravity dual is obtained by performing a k quotient of the = 8 supersymmetric eleven dimensional supergravity background of Lin, Lunin and Maldacena corresponding to the mass deformed M2-brane theory. At weak coupling, the BPS vortices preserving six supersymmetries are found in the Higgs vacuum of the theory where the gauge symmetry is broken to U(1) × U(1). The classical vortex solitons break a colour-flavour locked global symmetry resulting in non-Abelian internal orientational moduli and a CP1 moduli space of solutions. At strong coupling and large k, upon reduction to type IIA strings, the vortex moduli space and its action are computed by a probe D0-brane in the dual geometry. The mass of the D0-brane matches the classical vortex mass. However, the gravity picture exhibits a six dimensional moduli space of solutions, a section of which can be identified as the CP1 we find classically, along with a Dirac monopole connection of strength k. It is likely that the extra four dimensions in the moduli space are an artifact of the strong coupling limit and of the supergravity approximation.
Interleukin-1 b induces glycosaminoglycan synthesis via the prostaglandin E 2 pathway in cultured human cervical ® broblasts

The aim of this study was to identify, in cultured human cervical ®broblasts, the mechanisms by which interleukin (IL)-1b induces the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and to explore the putative role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in this process. Exposure of the cells for 24 h to IL-1b induced a signi®cant (P < 0.05) dose-dependent increase in GAG synthesis. IL-1b (1 ng/ ml) induced the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein 6 h after treatment, accompanied by a 7.5-fold increase in PGE2 production. We con®rmed that NS398, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, dose-dependently blocked PGE2 augmentation following IL-1b treatment. AH23848, the selective EP4 receptor antagonist, completely abolished IL-1b-induced GAG synthesis, whereas AH6809, an EP2 receptor antagonist, had no effect on the stimulatory effects of IL-1b. Furthermore, we demonstrated that 6 h exposure to IL-1b induced a notable increase in EP4 receptor mRNA expression and a decrease in EP1 receptor mRNA but had no effect on the expression of EP2 and EP3 receptor transcripts. In conclusion, these ®ndings indicate that IL-1b not only induced GAG synthesis by increasing COX-2 protein expression and the subsequent PGE2 production but also enhanced the responsiveness of cervical ®broblasts to PGE2 by selectively up-regulating EP4 receptor mRNA expression. These results suggest that PGE2 may regulate human cervical ripening in an autocrine/paracrine manner via EP4 receptors.
Early and Late Patient Outcomes in Urgent-Start Peritoneal Dialysis

Background: Significant interest in the practice of urgent-start peritoneal dialysis (PD) is mounting internationally, with several observational studies supporting the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of this approach. However, little is known about the early complication rates and long-term technique and peritonitis-free survival for patients who start PD urgently (i.e. within 2 weeks of catheter insertion), compared to those with a conventional start. Methods: This single-center, matched case-control study evaluated patients commencing PD between 2010 and 2015. Urgent-start PD patients were matched 1:3 with conventional-start PD controls based on diabetic status and age. The primary outcomes were early complications, both following catheter insertion and PD commencement (within 4 weeks). Secondary outcomes included technique and peritonitis-free survival. Results: A total of 104 patients (26 urgent-start, 78 conventional-start) were included. Urgent-start patients were more likely to be referred late, initiate PD in hospital, and be prescribed lower initial exchange volumes (p < 0.01). They experienced more frequent leaks post-catheter insertion (12% vs 1%, p = 0.047) and more frequent catheter migration following commencement of PD (12% vs 1%, p = 0.047). There were no significant differences in the rates of overall or infectious complications. Kaplan-Meier estimates of technique survival and time to first episode of peritonitis were comparable between the groups. Conclusion: Compared with conventional-start PD, urgent-start PD has acceptably low early complication rates and similar long-term technique survival. Urgent-start PD appears to be a safe way to initiate urgent renal replacement therapy in patients without established dialysis access.
Effects of 17β-Estradiol and Estrogen Receptor Antagonists on the Proliferation of Gastric Cancer Cell Lines

Purpose The aims of this study were as follow: 1) to de scribe the expression status of estrogen receptor-α and -β mRNAs in five gastric carcinoma cell lines; 2) to evaluate in vitro the effects of 17β-estradiol and estrogen receptor antagonists on the proliferation of the cell lines. Materials and Methods Detection of estrogen receptor-α and estrogen receptor-β mRNA in five human gastric cancer cell lines (AGS, KATO III, MKN28, MKN45 and MKN74) was made by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction system. To evaluate the effect of 17β-estradiol and estrogen receptor antagonists on the proliferation of gastric cancer cell line, the cell lines which expressed both es trogen receptors were chosen and treated with 17β-estradiol and estrogen receptor antagonists (methyl-piperidino-pyrazole and pyrazolo [1,5-a] pyrimidine). Cell proliferation was assessed with the methylthiazol tetrazolium test. Results Estrogen receptor-α and estrogen receptor-β mRNAs were expressed in three (KATO III, MKN28 and MKN45) and all of the five gastric cancer cell lines, respectively. At higher concentrations, 17β-estradiol inhibited cell growth of MKN28, MKN45 and KATO III cell lines. Neither estrogen receptor-α nor estrogen receptor-β antagonist blocked the anti-proliferative effect of 17β-estradiol. Conclusions Our results indicate that estrogen receptor-β mRNAs are preferentially expressed in gastric cancers and also imply that hormone therapy rather than estrogen receptor blockers may be a useful strategy for the treatment of estrogen receptor-β positive gastric cancer. Its therapeutic significance in gastric cancer are, however, limited until more evidence of the roles of estrogen receptors in the gastric cancer are accumulated.
Blood-Borne Amyloid-β Dimer Correlates with Clinical Markers of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-related dementia. Unfortunately due to a lack of validated biomarkers definitive diagnosis relies on the histological demonstration of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles. Aβ processing is implicated in AD progression and many therapeutic strategies target various aspects of this biology. While Aβ deposition is the most prominent feature of AD, oligomeric forms of Aβ have been implicated as the toxic species inducing the neuronal dysfunction. Currently there are no methods allowing routine monitoring of levels of such species in living populations. We have used surface enhanced laser desorption ionization time of flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry incorporating antibody capture to investigate whether the cellular membrane-containing fraction of blood provides a new source of biomarkers. There are significant differences in the mass spectra profiles of AD compared with HC subjects, with significantly higher levels of Aβ monomer and dimer in the blood of AD subjects. Furthermore, levels of these species correlated with clinical markers of AD including brain Aβ burden, cognitive impairment and brain atrophy. These results indicate that fundamental biochemical events relevant to AD can be monitored in blood, and that the species detected may be useful clinical biomarkers for AD.
The effect of enhancing temporal periodicity cues on Cantonese tone recognition by cochlear implantees

Abstract Objectives: This study investigates the efficacy of a cochlear implant (CI) processing method that enhances temporal periodicity cues of speech. Design: Subjects participated in word and tone identification tasks. Two processing conditions – the conventional advanced combination encoder (ACE) and tone-enhanced ACE were tested. Test materials were Cantonese disyllabic words recorded from one male and one female speaker. Speech-shaped noise was added to clean speech. The fundamental frequency information for periodicity enhancement was extracted from the clean speech. Electrical stimuli generated from the noisy speech with and without periodicity enhancement were presented via direct stimulation using a Laura 34 research processor. Subjects were asked to identify the presented word. Study sample: Seven post-lingually deafened native Cantonese-speaking CI users. Results: Percent correct word, segmental structure, and tone identification scores were calculated. While word and segmental structure identification accuracy remained similar between the two processing conditions, tone identification in noise was better with tone-enhanced ACE than with conventional ACE. Significant improvement on tone perception was found only for the female voice. Conclusions: Temporal periodicity cues are important to tone perception in noise. Pitch and tone perception by CI users could be improved when listeners received enhanced temporal periodicity cues.
Investigating the relationship between COMT polymorphisms and working memory performance among childhood brain tumor survivors

Survivors of childhood brain tumors are at increased risk for neurocognitive impairments, including deficits in abilities supported by frontal brain regions. Catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) metabolizes dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, with the Met allele resulting in greater dopamine availability and better performance on frontally mediated tasks compared to the Val allele. Given the importance of identifying resiliency factors against the emergence of cognitive late effects, the current study examined the relationship between COMT genotype and working memory performance among childhood brain tumor survivors.
Ethylene promotes root hair growth through coordinated EIN3/EIL1 and RHD6/RSL1 activity in Arabidopsis

Significance Root hairs are unicellular extensions of root epidermal cells that help plants increase water and nutrient uptake and improve soil anchorage, both of which are crucial for the globally recognized goal of yield improvement with reduced fertilizer use. Previous studies have implicated numerous genes and phytohormones in the control of root hair development. This work uncovers the molecular mechanism of ethylene (ET)-promoted root hair growth and identifies a transcriptional complex consisting of EIN3/EIL1 and RHD6/RSL1 as the key regulator of root hair initiation and elongation. As ET mediates the effects of various root hair stimuli, this work also elucidates a convergent signaling network that integrates diverse environmental cues and intrinsic signals to modulate plant organ development. Root hairs are an extensive structure of root epidermal cells and are critical for nutrient acquisition, soil anchorage, and environmental interactions in sessile plants. The phytohormone ethylene (ET) promotes root hair growth and also mediates the effects of different signals that stimulate hair cell development. However, the molecular basis of ET-induced root hair growth remains poorly understood. Here, we show that ET-activated transcription factor ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE 3 (EIN3) physically interacts with ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE 6 (RHD6), a well-documented positive regulator of hair cells, and that the two factors directly coactivate the hair length-determining gene RHD6-LIKE 4 (RSL4) to promote root hair elongation. Transcriptome analysis further revealed the parallel roles of the regulator pairs EIN3/EIL1 (EIN3-LIKE 1) and RHD6/RSL1 (RHD6-LIKE 1). EIN3/EIL1 and RHD6/RSL1 coordinately enhance root hair initiation by selectively regulating a subset of core root hair genes. Thus, our work reveals a key transcriptional complex consisting of EIN3/EIL1 and RHD6/RSL1 in the control of root hair initiation and elongation, and provides a molecular framework for the integration of environmental signals and intrinsic regulators in modulating plant organ development.
Fiscal Sustainability in a New Keynesian Model

There has been a wealth of recent work deriving optimal monetary policy utilising New Neo-Classical Synthesis (NNCS) models based on nominal inertia. Such models typically abstract from the impact of monetary policy on the government’s finances, by assuming that consumers are infinitely-lived and taxes are lump-sum such that Ricardian Equivalence holds. In this paper, in the context of a sticky-price NNCS model, we assume that the government must adjust spending and/or distortionary taxation to satisfy its intertemporal budget constraint. We then consider optimal monetary and fiscal policies under discretion and commitment in the face of technology, preference and cost-push shocks. We find that the optimal precommitment policy implies a random walk in the steady-state level of debt, generalising earlier results that involved only a single fiscal instrument. In the case of negative fiscal shocks this implies permanently higher taxation and lower output and government spending to support the new steady-state debt stock, but the optimal combination of these variables will ensure a zero rate of inflation under commitment. We also find that the time-inconsistency in the optimal precommitment policy is such that governments are tempted, given inflationary expectations, to raise taxation to reduce the ultimate debt burden they need to service. Since taxation is a distortionary labour income tax, this aggressive raising of taxation raises firms’ marginal costs and fuels inflation. We show that this temptation is only eliminated if following shocks, the new steady-state debt is equal to the original, first-best, debt level. This implies that under discretionary policy the random walk result is overturned: debt will always be returned to this initial steady-state even although there is no explicit debt target in the government’s objective function. In a series of numerical simulations we show that the welfare consequences of introducing debt are negligible for precommitment policies, but can be significant for discretionary policy.
Valuation of Claims on Non-Traded assets using Utility Maximisation

A recent topical problem is how to deal with claims on `non-traded' assets. A natural approach is to choose another similar asset or index which is traded to use for hedging purposes. To model this situation, we introduce a second non-traded log Brownian asset into the well known Merton investment model with power-law utility. The investor has an option on units of the non-traded asset and the question is how to price and hedge this random payo . The presence of the second Brownian motion means that we are in the situation of incomplete markets. Employing utility maximisation and duality methods we obtain an approximation to the optimal hedge and reservation price. These are computed for some example options and the results compared to those using exponential utility.