Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resting anterior cingulate activity and abnormal responses to errors in subjects with elevated depressive symptoms: A 128‐channel EEG study

Depression has been associated with dysfunctional executive functions and abnormal activity within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a region critically involved in action regulation. Prior research invites the possibility that executive deficits in depression may arise from abnormal responses to negative feedback or errors, but the underlying neural substrates remain unknown. We hypothesized that abnormal reactions to error would be associated with dysfunctional rostral ACC activity, a region previously implicated in error detection and evaluation of the emotional significance of events. To test this hypothesis, subjects with low and high Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores performed an Eriksen Flanker task. To assess whether tonic activity within the rostral ACC predicted post‐error adjustments, 128‐channel resting EEG data were collected before the task and analyzed with low‐resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) using a region‐of‐interest approach. High BDI subjects were uniquely characterized by significantly lower accuracy after incorrect than correct trials. Mirroring the behavioral findings, high BDI subjects had significantly reduced pretask gamma (36.5–44 Hz) current density within the affective (rostral; BA24, BA25, BA32) but not cognitive (dorsal; BA24′, BA32′) ACC subdivision. For low, but not high, BDI subjects pretask gamma within the affective ACC subdivision predicted post‐error adjustments even after controlling for activity within the cognitive ACC subdivision. Abnormal responses to errors may thus arise due to lower activity within regions subserving affective and/or motivational responses to salient cues. Because rostral ACC regions have been implicated in treatment response in depression, our findings provide initial insight into putative mechanisms fostering treatment response. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Mechanisms of the Direct Action of Etomidate on Vascular Reactivity in Rat Mesenteric Resistance Arteries

BACKGROUND: Etomidate minimally influences hemodynamics at a standard induction dose in young healthy patients, but can cause significant systemic hypotension at higher doses for induction or electroencephalographic burst suppression (i.e., cerebral protection) in patients with advanced age or heart disease, and during cardiopulmonary bypass. However, less is known about its action on systemic resistance arteries. METHODS: Using an isometric force recording method and fura-2-fluorometry, we investigated the action of etomidate on vascular reactivity in small mesenteric arteries from young (7–8 wk old, n = 179) and aged (96–98 wk old, n = 10) rats. RESULTS: In the endothelium-intact strips from young rats, etomidate enhanced the contractile response to norepinephrine or KCl (40 mM) at 3 &mgr;M but inhibited it at higher concentrations (≥10 &mgr;M). The enhancement was still observed after treatment with NG-nitro l-arginine, tetraethylammonium, diclofenac, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, losartan, ketanserin, BQ-123, or BQ-788, but was not observed in aged rats. In the endothelium-denuded strips from young rats, etomidate (≥10 &mgr;M) consistently inhibited the contractile response to norepinephrine or KCl without enhancement at 3 &mgr;M. In the fura-2-loaded, endothelium-denuded strips from young rats, etomidate inhibited norepinephrine- or KCl-induced increases in both intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and force. Etomidate still inhibited the norepinephrine-induced increase in [Ca2+]i after depletion of the intracellular Ca2+ stores by ryanodine, which was sensitive to nifedipine. Etomidate had little effect on norepinephrine- or caffeine-induced Ca2+ release from the intracellular stores or Ca2+ uptake into the intracellular stores. During stimulation with norepinephrine or KCl, etomidate had little effect on the [Ca2+]i-force relation at low concentrations (≤30 &mgr;M) but caused its downward shift at 100 &mgr;M. CONCLUSIONS: In small mesenteric arteries, etomidate influences the contractile response to norepinephrine or membrane depolarization through endothelium-dependent enhancing and endothelium-independent inhibitory actions. The enhancement is at least in part independent of nitric oxide, endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor, cyclooxygenase products, lipoxygenase products, angiotensin II, serotonin, or endothelin-1, but may involve some signaling pathway that is impaired by aging. The endothelium-independent inhibition is due to decreases in both the [Ca2+]i and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in vascular smooth muscle cells. The decrease in [Ca2+]i would be due mainly to inhibition of voltage-gated Ca2+ influx. The observed inability of lower concentrations (1–3 &mgr;M) of etomidate to cause significant vasodilation is consistent with minimal changes in hemodynamics during induction of anesthesia with etomidate in young subjects, whereas the observed vasodilator action of higher concentrations of etomidate might underlie systemic hypotension caused by higher doses of etomidate in the clinical setting.
Himalayan Palaeontologic Database Polluted by Recycling and Other Anomalies

Additional examples are given of assorted disinformation injected into the Devonian, Carboniferous. Triassic and Cainozoic literature on palaeontology of the Himalayas. These include biogeographically and temporally incredible conodont-brachiopod associations, phantom localities. and re-use ('recycling') of specimens. The 'recycling' includes assemblages of Carboniferotls corals and Triassic and Carboniferous conodonts used as documentation for reports from specific regions of the Himalayas being used subsequently as 'documerltation' of reports from other regions, an illustration of a Welsh Carboniferous coral specimen being used as basis for a 'report' from Kashmir, and a Silurian coral specimen reported from two regions, with different names. Attention is also drawn to curious practices regarding co-authorship.
Dynamic Similarity in Titanosaur Sauropods: Ichnological Evidence from the Fumanya Dinosaur Tracksite (Southern Pyrenees)

The study of a small sauropod trackway from the Late Cretaceous Fumanya tracksite (southern Pyrenees, Catalonia) and further comparisons with larger trackways from the same locality suggest a causative relationship between gait, gauge, and body proportions of the respective titanosaur trackmakers. This analysis, conducted in the context of scaling predictions and using geometric similarity and dynamic similarity hypotheses, reveals similar Froude numbers and relative stride lengths for both small and large trackmakers from Fumanya. Evidence for geometric similarity in these trackways suggests that titanosaurs of different sizes moved in a dynamically similar way, probably using an amble gait. The wide gauge condition reported in trackways of small and large titanosaurs implies that they possessed similar body (trunk and limbs) proportions despite large differences in body size. These results strengthen the hypothesis that titanosaurs possessed a distinctive suite of anatomical characteristics that are well reflected in their tracks and trackways.
ULF Geomagnetic Activity Signatures in the Atmospheric Parameters in Antarctica

The study of the solar wind-Earth’s magnetosphere and atmosphere interaction is a topic of great interest. The solar wind energy is transferred to the Earth’s environment also through ultralow frequency (ULF, 1 mHz–5 Hz) waves of the geomagnetic field, with higher efficiency at high latitudes where magnetic reconnection processes occur, making the polar cap an important laboratory for these investigations. Several studies suggest that the atmosphere responds to the geomagnetic activity driven by the solar wind, although the interaction processes are not yet completely understood. In this context, the results of recent investigations, showing the coupling on timescales of 1–2 days between geomagnetic ULF activity and the middle-low (h < 50 km) atmosphere in the polar cap, are summarized, based on geomagnetic measurements at Terra Nova Bay, in Antarctica (λ 80°S) and atmospheric parameters from the reanalysis dataset.
Using Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis Methods to Assess Household Water Access and Sanitation Coverage in the SHINE Trial

Access to water and sanitation are important determinants of behavioral responses to hygiene and sanitation interventions. We estimated cluster-specific water access and sanitation coverage to inform a constrained randomization technique in the SHINE trial. Technicians and engineers inspected all public access water sources to ascertain seasonality, function, and geospatial coordinates. Households and water sources were mapped using open-source geospatial software. The distance from each household to the nearest perennial, functional, protected water source was calculated, and for each cluster, the median distance and the proportion of households within <500 m and >1500 m of such a water source. Cluster-specific sanitation coverage was ascertained using a random sample of 13 households per cluster. These parameters were included as covariates in randomization to optimize balance in water and sanitation access across treatment arms at the start of the trial. The observed high variability between clusters in both parameters suggests that constraining on these factors was needed to reduce risk of bias.
Plasma extracellular superoxide dismutase levels in an Australian population with coronary artery disease.

In vitro experiments suggest that free radicals may contribute importantly to atherogenesis. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), particularly extracellular SOD (EC-SOD), which accounts for the majority of SOD biological activity, is a major superoxide scavenger. We explored factors that may affect plasma EC-SOD levels measured by ELISA and assessed the association between plasma EC-SOD and coronary artery disease documented angiographically in 590 white Australian patients </=65 years old. Mean+/-SEM plasma EC-SOD in female patients (113.6+/-13.2 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in male patients (86.6+/-5.1 ng/mL, P<0.0001), and all 19 patients with levels >400 ng/mL were heterozygous for the Arg213-->Gly mutation at the EC-SOD gene; there was also a positive correlation with age (r=0.131, P=0.0016). Plasma EC-SOD in current smokers (75. 0+/-9.3 ng/mL) was much lower than in nonsmokers (111.7+/-8.2 ng/mL, P<0.01), and ex-smokers had intermediate levels (84.3+/-7.1 ng/mL). Levels were significantly lower in patients with than in those without a history of acute myocardial infarction (MI) (76.1+/-7.5 versus 110.1+/-6.0 ng/mL, P<0.05), and low plasma EC-SOD was independently associated with an increased likelihood of a history of MI (OR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.10 to 3.82); higher EC-SOD levels also tended to be associated with delayed onset of MI. In conclusion, our study establishes that in patients assessed by coronary angiography, circulating EC-SOD is lower in men than in women and in smokers of each sex and that low levels are independently associated with a history of MI. These findings are consistent with EC-SOD's being protective and contributing to reduced coronary risk.
Characterization of an Experimental Spinal Cord Injury Model Using Waveform and Morphometric Analysis

Study Design. A weight‐drop device based on a displacement transducer and feedback detection circuitry was designed to produce consistent experimental spinal cord injuries in a rat model. The device was characterized and evaluated based on biomechanical parameters, quantitative histology, and neurologic behavior. Objective. To develop, characterize, and evaluate a spinal cord injury device for use in animal models. Summary of Background Data. The biomechanical parameters of spinal cord injury, including compression, velocity, force, energy, impulse‐momentum, and power, can be derived from the displacement waveform. It has been shown that the magnitude and variability of certain of these injury parameters are correlated with lesion size and neurologic deficit. Methods. Two groups of six male Sprague‐Dawley rats were injured using the device and their injury displacement waveforms digitally recorded on a personal computer equipped with a data acquisition board. Group 1 animals were sacrificed immediately after injury, whereas Group 2 animals were sacrificed 14 days after injury. Quantitative morphometric and numerical analyses were performed on histologic specimens and injury waveforms, respectively. Biomechanical injury parameters were compared with histologic and behavioral measures of injury. Results. All kinetic injury parameters were reproducible to within standard deviations of less than ± 22%, whereas spinal cord displacement variability was ± 29%. Motor scores for animals on day 14 animals were 4.3 ± 0.4, whereas lesion sizes were much more variable, exhibiting percent volumes of 5.5 ± 2.5 immediately after injury, and 11.9 ± 7.1 on day 14. Conclusion. This device should benefit studies of experimental spinal cord injury in animals by reducing interanimal variations in injury severity, especially in the acute phase of injury.
Patterns in the Composition of Microbial Communities from a Subtropical River: Effects of Environmental, Spatial and Temporal Factors

Microbes are key components of aquatic ecosystems and play crucial roles in global biogeochemical cycles. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of planktonic microbial community composition in riverine ecosystems are still poorly understood. In this study, we used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S and 18S rRNA gene fragments and multivariate statistical methods to explore the spatiotemporal patterns and driving factors of planktonic bacterial and microbial eukaryotic communities in the subtropical Jiulong River, southeast China. Both bacterial and microbial eukaryotic communities varied significantly in time and were spatially structured according to upper stream, middle-lower stream and estuary. Among all the environmental factors measured, water temperature, conductivity, PO4-P and TN/TP were best related to the spatiotemporal distribution of bacterial community, while water temperature, conductivity, NOx-N and transparency were closest related to the variation of eukaryotic community. Variation partitioning, based on partial RDA, revealed that environmental factors played the most important roles in structuring the microbial assemblages by explaining 11.3% of bacterial variation and 17.5% of eukaryotic variation. However, pure spatial factors (6.5% for bacteria and 9.6% for eukaryotes) and temporal factors (3.3% for bacteria and 5.5% for eukaryotes) also explained some variation in microbial distribution, thus inherent spatial and temporal variation of microbial assemblages should be considered when assessing the impact of environmental factors on microbial communities.
Linking Theory and Practice: Changing the Pedagogy of Teacher Education

The pressure towards more school-based teacher education programs, visible in many countries, creates a need to rethink the relationship between theory and practice. The traditional application-of-theory model appears to be rather ineffective and is currently being replaced by other, more reflective approaches. However, until now the variety of different notions and assumptions underlying these new approaches have not provided a sound basis for further development. Two related theoretical bases are presented for a new paradigm in teacher education. The first uses the concepts of episteme and phronesis to introduce a new way of framing relevant knowledge. The second is a more holistic way of describing the relationship between teacher cognition and teacher behavior, leading to a model of three levels in learning about teaching, the Gestalt level, the schema level and the theory level, which are illustrated by interview data. Building on these two theoretical, frameworks, a so-called “realistic approach” to teacher education is introduced. The teacher educator's role within this approach is analyzed as well as organizational consequences. First evaluative results are presented.
Homicide or Suicide? Gunshot Wound Interpretation: A Bayesian Approach

AbstractMany studies have been published examining various features of fatal gunshot wounds such as type of firearm, range of fire, number of shots, and wound location as a way of determining between homicidal and suicidal deaths. Pathologists frequently have to give evidence in court, and may have their opinion about probable manner of death challenged or be questioned about how sure they can be. In the literature, the features are always discussed in isolation, but in practice, the pathologist has to consider such details in combination. Using pooled data from a systematic review to obtain large data sets, this study shows how Bayesian analysis can be applied to consideration of combined features and can thus provide a quantified degree of confidence to support the pathologist’s opinion through the use of likelihood ratios. Case examples are provided to illustrate the impact of different features.
Imaging of vertebral artery stenosis: a systematic review

Background and purpose: Posterior circulation stroke accounts for 20% of ischaemic strokes. Recent data suggest that the early stroke recurrence risk is high and comparable with carotid artery disease. Vertebral artery stenosis accounts for approximately 20% of posterior circulation stroke, and with endovascular treatment available accurate diagnostic imaging is important. We performed a systematic literature review to validate the accuracy of the non-invasive imaging techniques Duplex ultrasound (DUS), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomographic angiography (CTA) in detecting severe vertebral artery stenosis, with intra-arterial angiography (IAA) as the reference standard. Methods: We identified studies that used non-invasive imaging and IAA as the reference standard to determine vertebral artery stenosis and provided adequate data to calculate sensitivity and specificity. We analysed the quality of these studies, looked for evidence of heterogeneity and performed subgroup analysis for different degrees of stenosis. Results: 11 studies categorised stenosis into 50–99%. The sensitivity of CTA (single study) and pooled sensitivities of contrast enhanced MRA (CE-MRA) and colour duplex were 100% (95% CI 15.8 to 100), 93.9% (79.8 to 99.3) and 70.2% (54.2 to 83.3), respectively. The specificities for CTA, CE-MRA and colour duplex were 95.2% (83.8 to 99.4), 94.8% (91.1 to 97.3) and 97.7% (95.2 to 99.1). However, specificities for CE-MRA and colour duplex demonstrated significant heterogeneity (p = 0.003 and p = 0.002, respectively). Conclusions: CE-MRA and possibly CTA may be more sensitive in diagnosing vertebral artery stenosis than DUS. However, data are limited and further high quality studies comparing DUS, MRA and CTA with IAA are required.
Raltegravir Concentrations in the Genital Tract of HIV-1-Infected Women Treated with a Raltegravir-Containing Regimen (DIVA 01 Study)

ABSTRACT We studied the penetration of raltegravir and HIV shedding in the genital tract among 14 HIV-1-infected women receiving a raltegravir-containing regimen who had <40 copies/ml blood plasma (BP) HIV RNA. None of the cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) samples showed detectable HIV RNA. Median raltegravir concentrations were 235 ng/ml in BP and 93 ng/ml in CVF, with a CVF/BP ratio of approximately 2.3. This good penetration of raltegravir may contribute to the control of viral replication in the female genital tract.
Aberrant fetal macrophage/microglial reactions to cytomegalovirus infection

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the leading viral cause of neurodevelopmental disorders in humans, with the most severe and permanent sequelae being those affecting the cerebrum. As the fetal immune reactions to congenital CMV infection in the brain and their effects on cerebral development remain elusive, our aim was to investigate primitive innate immunity to CMV infection and its effects on cerebral corticogenesis in a mouse model for congenital CMV infection using a precise intraplacental inoculation method.
Modelling white mica pressure‐temperature‐time (P‐T‐t) paths using thermobarometric and 40Ar/39Ar thermochronologic data

White micas are major rock forming minerals in igneous and metamorphic rocks, and their chemical and isotopic variations can be used to determine pressure, temperature and time (P‐T‐t) histories. We apply 40Ar/39Ar multi‐diffusion domain modelling to white micas from blueschists blocks in serpentinite matrix mélange from the exhumed Baja California subduction complex. Thermal history models yielded T‐t paths suggesting that 40Ar* resides within multiple diffusion domains with varying 40Ar* retentivity. Modelled white mica thermal histories and thermobarometric data were used to forward model continuous P‐T‐t paths. P‐T‐t paths are consistent with previous studies and are interpreted to constrain blueschist block exhumation paths within the Baja accretionary wedge. Our P‐T‐t models use temperature controlled 40Ar/39Ar step heat data in which argon loss by volume diffusion can be demonstrated, and for which the white mica petrogenesis is known.
Chimeric transcript generated by cis-splicing of adjacent genes regulates prostate cancer cell proliferation.

UNLABELLED Gene fusion is a common event in cancer. The fusion RNA and protein products often play causal roles in tumorigenesis and therefore represent ideal diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Formerly, fusion chimeric products in cancer were thought to be produced solely by chromosomal translocation. Here, we show that a chimeric SLC45A3-ELK4 RNA is generated in the absence of chromosomal rearrangement. We showed that it is not a product of RNA trans-splicing, but formed by cis-splicing of adjacent genes/read-through. The binding of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) to the insulator sequences inversely correlates with the expression of the chimera transcript. The SLC45A3-ELK4 fusion, but not wild-type, ELK4 plays important roles in regulating cell growth in both androgen-dependent and -independent prostate cancer cells. The level of the chimeric transcript correlates with disease progression, with the highest levels in prostate cancer metastases. Our results suggest that gene fusions can arise from cis-splicing of adjacent genes without corresponding DNA changes. SIGNIFICANCE With the absence of corresponding DNA rearrangement, chimeric fusion SLC45A3-ELK4 transcript in prostate cancer cells is generated by cis-splicing of adjacent genes/gene read-through instead of trans-splicing. SLC45A3-ELK4 controls prostate cancer cell proliferation, and the chimera level correlates with prostate cancer disease progression.