Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuromuscular Junction Defects in Mice with Mutation of dynein heavy chain 1

Disruptions in axonal transport have been implicated in a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases. Cramping 1 (Cra1/+) and Legs at odd angles (Loa/+) mice, with hypomorphic mutations in the dynein heavy chain 1 gene, which encodes the ATPase of the retrograde motor protein dynein, were originally reported to exhibit late onset motor neuron disease. Subsequent, conflicting reports suggested that sensory neuron disease without motor neuron loss underlies the phenotypes of Cra1/+ and Loa/+ mice. Here, we present behavioral and anatomical analyses of Cra1/+ mice. We demonstrate that Cra1/+ mice exhibit early onset, stable behavioral deficits, including abnormal hindlimb posturing and decreased grip strength. These deficits do not progress through 24 months of age. No significant loss of primary motor neurons or dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons was observed at ages where the mice exhibited clear symptomatology. Instead, there is a decrease in complexity of neuromuscular junctions. These results indicate that disruption of dynein function in Cra1/+ mice results in abnormal morphology of neuromuscular junctions. The time course of behavioral deficits, as well as the nature of the morphological defects in neuromuscular junctions, suggests that disruption of dynein function in Cra1/+ mice causes a developmental defect in synapse assembly or stabilization.
Spatial Centrality of Dominants Without Positional Preference

In many group-living animals dominant individuals occupy the center of a group. This is generally thought to reflect a preference for locations, that provide optimal protection against predators. However, in this paper I will show that such spatial-structure also emerges among artificial entities that lack preference for any spatial location. The artificial entities dwell in a homogeneous world and are completely identical at the start of the simulation. They are gregarious and perform dominance interactions in which the effects of winning and losing are selfreinforcing. Varying essential parameters of the model revealed that: 1) Social-spatial patterns are stronger among entities that perceive each others rank directly compared to those that estimate rank of others based on personal experiences. 2) Stronger social-spatial patterns result when entities obligatory attack others than when attack-rate was negatively dependent on rank-distance. 3) Raising the intensity of attack increased the centrality of dominants for the Obligatory attack system, but weakened it for the Rank-Distance Decreasing attack system. Also, other social interaction patterns emerged, such as bidirectionality of aggression and a correlation between rank and frequency of attack. Such epiphenomena may underlie the variation of social-spatial patterns found in real animals.
Evaluation of wood characteristics of tropical post-mid rotation plantation Eucalyptus cloeziana and E. pellita: Part (d) Veneer and plywood potential.

Logs from two hardwood plantations in north Queensland were peeled to assess the veneer and plywood potential of fast-grown tropical plantation eucalypts. After visual grading and veneer recovery calculatios, selected veneers were assembled to produce plywood panels. These were tested for mechanical properties and glue bond strength to determine the suitability of young, fast-grown, tropical eucalytps for panel product applications.
Defects in postabsorptive plasma homeostasis of fatty acids in sickle cell disease.

BACKGROUND The chronic hemolytic anemia experienced by sickle cell disease (SCD) patients leads to adverse effects on oxygen transport by the blood and to a decrease in oxygen availability for peripheral tissues. Limited tissue oxygen availability has the potential to modify events of intracellular metabolism and, thus, alter lipid homeostasis. METHODS The impact of SCD on plasma fatty acid homeostasis was determined in 8 African American SCD patients and in 6 healthy African American control subjects under postabsorptive conditions and during a 3-hour IV infusion of a nutrient solution containing lipid, glucose, and amino acids. RESULTS SCD patients had higher fasting levels of plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglycerides, and phospholipids than healthy controls. Similarly, SCD patients had higher fasting levels of fatty acids in plasma triglycerides and phospholipids than healthy controls. Infusion of nutrients resulted in equivalent plasma NEFA profiles, total NEFA, and triglycerides in SCD patients and controls. However, the plasma phospholipid concentrations and fatty acid composition of plasma triglycerides and phospholipids were significantly higher in SCD patients; in particular, plasma pools of oleic acid were consistently increased in SCD. Plasma free oleic acid levels were elevated basally, leading to increased oleic acid content in triglycerides and phospholipids both post absorptively and during nutrient infusion. CONCLUSIONS There is an underlying defect in lipid metabolism associated with SCD best manifested during the fasting state. This abnormality in lipid homeostasis has the potential to alter red blood cell (RBC) membrane fluidity and function in SCD patients.
Modeling Just-In-Time Production Systems: a Critical Review

Kanban-controlled serial manufacturing systems have recently received considerable attention. A large proportion of the literature on the topic is devoted to success stories. There is also an important model- based effort in gaining insight into the behavior of such systems, in identifying important success factors, and ultimately in optimizing various aspects of systems' performance. This paper focuses exclusively on model-based approaches in studying pull systems. Even though analytic models such as linear programming formulations or queueing approximations exist, the inherent complexity of pull systems makes simulation an essential tool in studying them. The objective of this paper is therefore to critically review selected papers that have recently appeared in refereed journals, highlight their approach, point out deficiencies, where appropriate, re-emphasize their message, and suggest new directions for research.
Pattern of Drug Use and Depressive Symptoms among Amphetamine Type Stimulants Users in Beijing and Guangdong Province, China

Background In recent years, amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) have increased dramatically in East-south Asia, especially in China. Most ATS users suffered from psychosis comorbidity, and depression is the main syndrome in ATS users. Methodology A cross-sectional study of depressive symptoms and associated factors among ATS users was conducted in compulsory and voluntary drug detoxification and rehabilitation centers of Beijing and Guangdong Province from March, 2010 to August, 2010. Total 402 eligible participants were recruited and investigated by trained interviewers using a structured questionnaire, the depression was measured by the short 13-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-13). Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the impact of associated risk factors of depressive symptoms (%≥8). Principle Finding The mean score of BDI-13 is 8.11, and 169 participants (42.04%) have depressive symptoms, including 106 (26.37%) with moderate and 63 (15.67%) with severe depressive symptoms. Higher dose of ATS use, history of ATS relapse were associated with moderate and severe depressive symptoms, the adjusted odds ratios (OR) was 2.62, (95% CI: 1.45–4.74) and 2.01 (95% CI: 1.18–3.42) respectively. The cessation of 12 months or more had less risk of depressive symptoms than the current users, the OR was 0.46 (95% CI: 0.24–0.91), and the ATS users reporting nicotine dependence and alcohol drinking had significantly more risk of depressive symptoms for 3.11 (1.83–5.28) and 2.22 (1.35–3.65) times than those without these behaviors. Conclusions Depressive symptoms co-occurred frequently among ATS users in China. The efforts that facilitate drug users’ attempts to stop using ATS use and relapse, quit cigarette smoking and stop alcohol drinking during the ATS treatment and management process should be supported as they may contribute to improving the mental health among this population.
Visual deficits in a patient with `kaleidoscopic disintegration of the visual world'

We describe psychophysical, neuropsychological and neuro‐ophthalmological studies of visual abilities in a patient who, following a right hemisphere stroke, had difficulty in combining parts of objects into a whole and in reading. Strikingly, her perceptual problems were accentuated when the objects moved or when she moved. Formal testing showed that her main deficits were in depth perception, various tasks of motion and object recognition of degraded stimuli. But low‐level detection and discrimination of form and color were normal. Despite her deficits in visual motion and degraded static‐object recognition, her visual recognition of `biological motion' stimuli was normal. Structural magnetic resonance imaging revealed an infarct in the ventro‐medial occipito‐temporal region, extending ventro‐laterally and leading to a `kaleidoscopic disintegration of visible objects'.
Voltage-sensitive dye imaging of transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced intracortical dynamics

Significance Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is significant for medical diagnostics, therapeutic treatment, and basic brain research. However, highly resolved observations of its immediate effects remained obscured because existing techniques are limited in spatial or temporal resolutions and are severely disturbed by the high magnetic fields. Here, we avoid these limitations, using optical imaging with voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) in the cat animal model. VSD transforms changes in neuronal membrane voltage into optical signals, providing microsecond resolution and evading contamination by electromagnetic artifacts. We visualize TMS-induced cortical dynamics and characterize effects on visual processing over scales of milliseconds, minutes, and hours. Combined TMS and VSD imaging offers a powerful approach to study targeted modifications in cortical function during TMS-based plasticity and learning protocols. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is widely used in clinical interventions and basic neuroscience. Additionally, it has become a powerful tool to drive plastic changes in neuronal networks. However, highly resolved recordings of the immediate TMS effects have remained scarce, because existing recording techniques are limited in spatial or temporal resolution or are interfered with by the strong TMS-induced electric field. To circumvent these constraints, we performed optical imaging with voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) in an animal experimental setting using anaesthetized cats. The dye signals reflect gradual changes in the cells' membrane potential across several square millimeters of cortical tissue, thus enabling direct visualization of TMS-induced neuronal population dynamics. After application of a single TMS pulse across visual cortex, brief focal activation was immediately followed by synchronous suppression of a large pool of neurons. With consecutive magnetic pulses (10 Hz), widespread activity within this “basin of suppression” increased stepwise to suprathreshold levels and spontaneous activity was enhanced. Visual stimulation after repetitive TMS revealed long-term potentiation of evoked activity. Furthermore, loss of the “deceleration–acceleration” notch during the rising phase of the response, as a signature of fast intracortical inhibition detectable with VSD imaging, indicated weakened inhibition as an important driving force of increasing cortical excitability. In summary, our data show that high-frequency TMS changes the balance between excitation and inhibition in favor of an excitatory cortical state. VSD imaging may thus be a promising technique to trace TMS-induced changes in excitability and resulting plastic processes across cortical maps with high spatial and temporal resolutions.
The clastogenic potential of triazine herbicide combinations found in potable water supplies.

Pesticide contamination of drinking water supplies has increased over the past decade. A major concern is how exposure to combinations of low levels of pesticides, especially herbicides, could affect public health. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to determine the clastogenic potential of herbicide interaction on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The cells were exposed to atrazine, simazine, cyanazine, and all possible combinations of these chemicals for 48 hr. Two concentrations were used for each sample: the U.S. EPA maximum contamination level (MCL) and the highest contamination level found in Illinois water supplies. Nuclei were isolated from the cells and analyzed by flow cytometry. The effects of clastogenicity were measured by the coefficient of variation (CV) of the G1 peak of whole cells and the change in CV of the largest chromosome in the flow karyotype. At both levels tested, atrazine caused chromosomal damage to the CHO cells. Simazine was observed to induce whole-cell clastogenicity but not flow karyotype damage. Cyanazine did not induce any measurable chromosomal damage in either analysis. Each of the herbicides, although all three were triazines, had different effects with respect to chromosome damage as measured by flow cytometry. CHO cells treated with a combination of atrazine and simazine, or atrazine and cyanazine, were observed to have whole-cell and flow karyotype damage. This damage was, however, equal to or less severe than the damage caused by either atrazine or simazine alone. No synergy was observed. When all three herbicides were combined, three of the four possible combinations gave no observable clastogenic response. ImagesFigure 1Figure 2
Configurational Factors in the Perception of Unfamiliar Faces

Young et al (1987) have demonstrated that the juxtaposition of top and bottom halves of different faces produces a powerful impression of a novel face. It is difficult to isolate perceptually either half of the ‘new’ face. Inversion of the stimulus, however, makes this task easier. Upright chimeric faces appear to evoke strong and automatic configurational processing mechanisms which interfere with selective piecemeal processing. In this paper three experiments are described in which a matching paradigm was used to show that Young et al's findings apply to unfamiliar as well as to familiar faces. The results highlight the way in which minor procedural differences may alter the way in which subjects perform face-recognition tasks.
The KinI kinesin Kif2a is required for bipolar spindle assembly through a functional relationship with MCAK

Although the microtubule-depolymerizing KinI motor Kif2a is abundantly expressed in neuronal cells, we now show it localizes to centrosomes and spindle poles during mitosis in cultured cells. RNAi-induced knockdown of Kif2a expression inhibited cell cycle progression because cells assembled monopolar spindles. Bipolar spindle assembly was restored in cells lacking Kif2a by treatments that altered microtubule assembly (nocodazole), eliminated kinetochore–microtubule attachment (loss of Nuf2), or stabilized microtubule plus ends at kinetochores (loss of MCAK). Thus, two KinI motors, MCAK and Kif2a, play distinct roles in mitosis, and MCAK activity at kinetochores must be balanced by Kif2a activity at poles for spindle bipolarity. These treatments failed to restore bipolarity to cells lacking the activity of the kinesin Eg5. Thus, two independent pathways contribute to spindle bipolarity, with the Eg5-dependent pathway using motor force to drive spindle bipolarity and the Kif2a-dependent pathway relying on microtubule polymer dynamics to generate force for spindle bipolarity.
Fixed-dose combination of AR-13324 and latanoprost: a double-masked, 28-day, randomised, controlled study in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension

Background/aims To evaluate the ocular hypotensive efficacy of fixed-dose combinations of the Rho kinase inhibitor and norepinephrine transport inhibitor AR-13324 (0.01% and 0.02%) and latanoprost (PG324 Ophthalmic Solution) relative to the active components AR-13324 0.02% and latanoprost 0.005%, used bilaterally at night. Methods This was a double-masked, randomised, parallel comparison study in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. After washout, patients were randomised to one of four treatment arms and treated for 28 days. The primary efficacy variable was mean diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP) at day 29. Results We randomised 298 patients, of whom 292 (98%) completed the study. Mean unmedicated diurnal IOPs (study eye) was 25.1, 25.1, 26.0 and 25.4 in the PG324 0.01%, PG324 0.02%, latanoprost and AR-13324 0.02% groups, respectively. On day 29, mean diurnal IOP decreased to 17.3, 16.5, 18.4 and 19.1 mm Hg, respectively. For the primary efficacy variable of mean diurnal IOP at day 29, PG324 0.02% met the criterion for statistical superiority relative to both latanoprost and AR-13324 0.02% (p<0.0001), providing additional IOP lowering of 1.9 and 2.6 mm Hg, respectively. PG324 0.01% also met the criterion for superiority. The most frequently reported adverse event was conjunctival hyperaemia with an incidence of 41% (30/73), 40% (29/73), 14% (10/73) and 40% (31/78) in the PG324 0.01%, PG324 0.02%, latanoprost and AR-13324 0.02% groups, respectively. Conclusions In this short-term study, the fixed-dose combination of AR-13324 0.02% and latanoprost 0.005% in PG324 Ophthalmic Solution provides clinically and statistically superior ocular hypotensive efficacy relative to its individual active components at the same concentrations. The only safety finding of note was transient asymptomatic conjunctival hyperaemia which was typically of mild severity. Trial registration number NCT02207491.
Large CSF volume not attributable to ventricular volume in schizotypal personality disorder.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether schizotypal personality disorder, which has the same genetic diathesis as schizophrenia, manifests abnormalities in whole-brain and CSF volumes. METHOD Sixteen right-handed and neuroleptic-naive men with schizotypal personality disorder were recruited from the community and were age-matched to 14 healthy comparison subjects. Magnetic resonance images were obtained from the subjects and automatically parcellated into CSF, gray matter, and white matter. Subsequent manual editing separated cortical from noncortical gray matter. Lateral ventricles and temporal horns were also delineated. RESULTS The men with schizotypal personality disorder had larger CSF volumes than the comparison subjects; the difference was not attributable to larger lateral ventricles. The cortical gray matter was somewhat smaller in the men with schizotypal personality disorder, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with many studies of schizophrenia, this examination of schizotypal personality disorder indicated abnormalities in brain CSF volumes.
Negative outcome Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Background Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is widely considered a transient condition without adverse consequence, questioning the need for treatment. Yet, while this view may be true of the majority of people with CBS, it is recognised that some have negative experiences and outcomes. Here, we attempt to better understand negative outcome CBS and the factors that influence it. Methods 4000 members of the Macular Society were sent a structured questionnaire covering the phenomenology of CBS, its prognosis and impact, symptom reporting, patient knowledge and sources of information. Results 492 people with CBS were identified. Kaplan–Meier analysis suggested 75% had CBS for 5 years or more. Thirty-two per cent had negative outcome. Factors associated with negative outcome were: (1) frequent, fear-inducing, longer-lasting hallucination episodes, (2) one or more daily activities affected, (3) attribution of hallucinations to serious mental illness, (4) not knowing about CBS at the onset of symptoms. Duration of CBS or the type of content hallucinated were not associated with negative outcome. Conclusions CBS is of longer duration than previously suspected with clinically relevant consequences in a third of those affected. Interventions that reduce the frequency, duration or fear of individual hallucination episodes and education prior to hallucination onset may help reduce negative outcome.
Effects of severe image compression on iris segmentation performance

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) specifies iris biometric data to be recorded and stored in (raw) image form (ISO/IEC 19794-6), rather than in extracted templates, i.e. iris-codes. Existing literature confirms the applicability of lossy image compression in iris biometric systems, however, so far investigations on the impact of image compression on iris segmentation algorithms have remained elusive. In this work we examine the impact of severe image compression algorithms in particular, JPEG, JPEG 2000, and JPEG-XR, on the performance of different iris segmentation approaches. Experiments are carried out on an uncompressed iris database and, based on a manually annotated ground truth, effects of image compression on iris segmentation are quantified. It is found that surprisingly, JPEG causes the least segmentation errors over a wide range of high to medium bitrates (down to 0.3 bpp) despite of its weak performance in terms of PSNR rate-distortion behaviour.
Infrastructure based Authentication in VANETs

In a vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs), the veracity of a message requires authentication of the source vehicle. In this work, a technique for mutual authentication of a vehicle and road side unit (RSU) that preserves the privacy of the vehicle is proposed. The technique relies on the traffic authorities and assumes a hierarchical structure comprising a central trusted authority (TA) with state level trusted authorities (STA) and city level trusted authorities (CTA). Vehicles and RSU have public - private key pairs and each vehicle- CTA and RSU – CTA share a symmetric key. An RSU can be malicious and a vehicle can be malicious and a vehicle can communicate with a CTA only via an RSU and vice-versa. This requires message exchange in the RSU mediated communication between vehicles and CTAs to be confidential. The process is bandwidth efficient and needs only one request-reply message pair between vehicle and the (RSU- CTA-STA-TA) infrastructure. The time taken is in the order of milliseconds which constitutes only a small portion of the stay time of a vehicle within an RSU region.
Precoding via Approximate Message Passing with Instantaneous Signal Constraints

This paper proposes a low complexity precoding algorithm based on the recently proposed Generalized Least Square Error (GLSE) scheme with generic penalty and support. The algorithm iteratively constructs the transmit vector via Approximate Message Passing (AMP). Using the asymptotic decoupling property of GLSE precoders, we derive closed form fixed point equations to tune the parameters in the proposed algorithm for a general set of instantaneous signal constraints. The tuning strategy is then utilized to construct transmit vectors with restricted peak-to-average power ratios and to efficiently select a subset of transmit antennas. The numerical investigations show that the proposed algorithm tracks the large-system performance of GLSE precoders even for a moderate number of antennas.