Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-modal effects of value on perceptual acuity and stimulus encoding

Significance Reward-predicting signals could be acquired through any of our different sensory modalities, but should be used by other senses to achieve fast and accurate behavior. How reward information is communicated across different sensory modalities is unknown. We demonstrate that sounds associated with high rewards increase the sensitivity of vision, even when sounds and their reward associations are task-irrelevant. Multivariate analysis of the simultaneously acquired functional MRI data revealed that high-reward sounds increased the accuracy of stimulus representation in the visual cortex. Multisensory regions of the temporal cortex were modulated by sound values, and the strength of this modulation was correlated with the change in visual acuity. Our results demonstrate a value-driven cross-modal interaction that affects early stages of sensory processing and involves multisensory areas. Cross-modal interactions are very common in perception. An important feature of many perceptual stimuli is their reward-predicting properties, the utilization of which is essential for adaptive behavior. What is unknown is whether reward associations in one sensory modality influence perception of stimuli in another modality. Here we show that auditory stimuli with high-reward associations increase the sensitivity of visual perception, even when sounds and reward associations are both irrelevant for the visual task. This increased sensitivity correlates with a change in stimulus representation in the visual cortex, indexed by increased multivariate decoding accuracy in simultaneously acquired functional MRI data. Univariate analysis showed that reward associations modulated responses in regions associated with multisensory processing in which the strength of modulation was a better predictor of the magnitude of the behavioral effect than the modulation in classical reward regions. Our findings demonstrate a value-driven cross-modal interaction that affects perception and stimulus encoding, with a resemblance to well-described modulatory effects of attention. We suggest that multisensory processing areas may mediate the transfer of value signals across senses.
Rostro-Caudal Inhibition of Hindlimb Movements in the Spinal Cord of Mice

Inhibitory neurons in the adult mammalian spinal cord are known to locally modulate afferent feedback - from muscle proprioceptors and from skin receptors - to pattern motor activity for locomotion and postural control. Here, using optogenetic tools, we explored how the same population of inhibitory interneurons globally affects hindlimb movements in the spinal cord of both anesthetized and freely moving mice. Activation of inhibitory interneurons up to the middle/lower spinal cord i.e. T8–T9, were able to completely and globally suppress all ipsilateral hindlimb movements. Furthermore, the same population of interneurons - which inhibited movements - did not significantly change the sensory and proprioceptive information from the affected limbs to the cortex. These results suggest a rostro-caudal organization of inhibition in the spinal cord motor output without modulation of ascending sensory pathways.
Caregiver burden in multiple sclerosis: the impact of neuropsychiatric symptoms

Background: We studied the level of distress in caregivers of patients with recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS), and their relation to clinical characteristics. Methods: Caregivers of patients with MS and Parkinson’s disease completed measures of distress and quality of life. MS patients underwent neurological, neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological examinations. Multivariate regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between patient variables and caregiver distress. Results: Caregivers of patients with MS experienced high levels of distress and reduced quality of life related to caregiving. The level of distress was similar to that reported by elderly spouses of patients with longstanding Parkinson’s disease. Psychiatric symptoms and cognitive impairment in patients with MS were associated with caregiver’s distress and quality of life, even after controlling for level of disability (all p values <0.01). Patients’ physical impairment was associated with caregiver distress, but not with caregiver quality of life. Conclusion: Caregivers of patients with MS experience high levels of distress and reduced quality of life. Psychiatric symptoms and cognitive impairment contributed significantly to caregiver distress, over and above the effect of disability due to neurological symptoms.
Additive Diversity Partitioning of Fish in a Caribbean Coral Reef Undergoing Shift Transition

Shift transitions in dominance on coral reefs from hard coral cover to fleshy macroalgae are having negative effects on Caribbean coral reef communities. Data on spatiotemporal changes in biodiversity during these modifications are important for decision support for coral reef biodiversity protection. The main objective of this study is to detect the spatiotemporal patterns of coral reef fish diversity during this transition using additive diversity-partitioning analysis. We examined α, β and γ fish diversity from 2000 to 2010, during which time a shift transition occurred at Mahahual Reef, located in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Data on coral reef fish and benthic communities were obtained from 12 transects per geomorphological unit (GU) in two GUs (reef slope and terrace) over six years (2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010). Spatial analysis within and between the GUs indicated that the γ-diversity was primarily related to higher β-diversity. Throughout the six study years, there were losses of α, β and γ-diversity associated spatially with the shallow (reef slope) and deeper (reef terrace) GUs and temporally with the transition in cover from mound corals to fleshy macroalgae and boulder corals. Despite a drastic reduction in the number of species over time, β-diversity continues to be the highest component of γ-diversity. The shift transition had a negative effect on α, β and γ-diversity, primarily by impacting rare species, leading a group of small and less vulnerable fish species to become common and an important group of rare species to become locally extinct. The maintenance of fish heterogeneity (β-diversity) over time may imply the abetment of vulnerability in the face of local and global changes.
Preparatory Postural Adjustments in Parkinsonian Patients with Postural Instability

Abstract Background: Postural instability is a common problem in patients with Parkinson’s disease. This paper reports results of a study undertaken to investigate some of the possible mechanisms responsible for this instability. Methods: Preparatory postural adjustments associated with a lateral leg raising task were studied in five parkinsonian patients and four age-matched controls. Recordings included ground reaction forces, kinematics, and surgace EMG activity from multiple leg muscles. Results: In normal subjects there was a well-defined sequence of events preceding the onset of leg elevation, beginning with a transfer of centre of foot pressure (CP), initially toward the moving leg and then back to the support side, followed by displacement of the trunk toward the support side. In the more severely affected parkinsonian patients, the amplitude of the the initial displacement of CP was markedly reduced. The interval between the earliest force changes and the onset of leg elevation was prolonged and the relative timing of the kenematic adjustments during this interval was disrupted. In addition the alternating burst and periods of inhibition observed in the EMG recordings from the normal subjects were replaced by continuous tonic EMG activity. Conclusions: These observations suggest that abnormalities in programming preparatory postural adjustments may contribute to postural instability in some patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease.
Discovery of Nuclear-Encoded Genes for the Neurotoxin Saxitoxin in Dinoflagellates

Saxitoxin is a potent neurotoxin that occurs in aquatic environments worldwide. Ingestion of vector species can lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning, a severe human illness that may lead to paralysis and death. In freshwaters, the toxin is produced by prokaryotic cyanobacteria; in marine waters, it is associated with eukaryotic dinoflagellates. However, several studies suggest that saxitoxin is not produced by dinoflagellates themselves, but by co-cultured bacteria. Here, we show that genes required for saxitoxin synthesis are encoded in the nuclear genomes of dinoflagellates. We sequenced >1.2×106 mRNA transcripts from the two saxitoxin-producing dinoflagellate strains Alexandrium fundyense CCMP1719 and A. minutum CCMP113 using high-throughput sequencing technology. In addition, we used in silico transcriptome analyses, RACE, qPCR and conventional PCR coupled with Sanger sequencing. These approaches successfully identified genes required for saxitoxin-synthesis in the two transcriptomes. We focused on sxtA, the unique starting gene of saxitoxin synthesis, and show that the dinoflagellate transcripts of sxtA have the same domain structure as the cyanobacterial sxtA genes. But, in contrast to the bacterial homologs, the dinoflagellate transcripts are monocistronic, have a higher GC content, occur in multiple copies, contain typical dinoflagellate spliced-leader sequences and eukaryotic polyA-tails. Further, we investigated 28 saxitoxin-producing and non-producing dinoflagellate strains from six different genera for the presence of genomic sxtA homologs. Our results show very good agreement between the presence of sxtA and saxitoxin-synthesis, except in three strains of A. tamarense, for which we amplified sxtA, but did not detect the toxin. Our work opens for possibilities to develop molecular tools to detect saxitoxin-producing dinoflagellates in the environment.
μ-Opioid-receptor-mediated inhibidon of the N-type calcium-channel current

The predominant consequences of p-opioid-receptor activation are depression of both neuronal activity and transmitter release. μ-Opioid agonists have previously been observed to increase a potassium conductance and to inhibit adenylate cyclase. We now report that activation of μ-opioid receptors directly decreases the N-type calcium-channel current in a differentiated, human neuroblastoma cell line (SHSY5Y). The coupling between the μ-opioid receptor and the calcium channel involves a pertussis toxinsensitive G protein and is independent of changes in adenylate cyclase activity. The inhibition of the calcium-channel current is voltage dependent because it is largely overcome by strong membrane depolarization. It is not associated with changes in the kinetics of current inactivation. Therefore, the μ-receptor belongs to the superfamily of G-protein-coupled, inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors which modulate the activity of calcium and potassium channels and adenylate cyclase.
Key challenges in future Li-battery research

Batteries are a major technological challenge in this new century as they are a key method to make more efficient use of energy. Although today’s Li-ion technology has conquered the portable electronic markets and is still improving, it falls short of meeting the demands dictated by the powering of both hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles or by the storage of renewable energies (wind, solar). There is room for optimism as long as we pursue paradigm shifts while keeping in mind the concept of materials sustainability. Some of these concepts, relying on new ways to prepare electrode materials via eco-efficient processes, on the use of organic rather than inorganic materials or new chemistries will be discussed. Achieving these concepts will require the inputs of multiple disciplines.
Ion Trapping and Acceleration at Dipolarization Fronts: High‐Resolution MHD and Test‐Particle Simulations

Much of plasma heating and transport from the magnetotail into the inner magnetosphere occurs in the form of mesoscale discrete injections associated with sharp dipolarizations of magnetic field (dipolarization fronts). In this paper we investigate the role of magnetic trapping in acceleration and transport of the plasma sheet ions into the ring current. For this purpose we use high‐resolution global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and three‐dimensional test‐particle simulations. It is shown that trapping, produced by sharp magnetic field gradients at the interface between dipolarizations and the ambient plasma, affects plasma sheet protons with energies above approximately 10 keV, enabling their transport across more than 10 Earth radii and acceleration by a factor of 10. Our estimates show that trapping is important to the buildup of the ring current plasma pressure of injected particles; depending on the plasma sheet temperature and energy spectrum, trapped protons can contribute between 20% and 60% of the plasma pressure. It is also shown that the acceleration process does not conserve the particle first invariant; on average protons are accelerated to higher energies compared to a purely adiabatic process. We also investigate how trapping and energization vary for deferent ions species and show that in accordance with recent observations, ion acceleration is proportional to the ion charge and is independent of its mass.
Robust linear regression analysis - The greedy way

In this paper, the task of robust estimation in the presence of outliers is presented. Outliers are explicitly modeled by employing sparsity arguments. A novel efficient algorithm, based on the greedy Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) scheme, is derived. Theoretical results concerning the recovery of the solution as well as simulation experiments, which verify the comparative advantages of the new technique, are discussed.
Hesperidin, an antioxidant flavonoid, prevents acrylonitrile‐induced oxidative stress in rat brain

Acrylonitrile (ACN) is a volatile, toxic liquid used as a monomer in the manufacture of synthetic rubber, styrene plastics, acrylic fiber, and adhesives. ACN is a potent neurotoxin. A role for free radical mediated lipid peroxidation in the toxicity of ACN has been suggested. We examined the ability of hesperidin, an antioxidant flavonoid, to attenuate ACN‐induced alterations in lipid peroxidation in rat brains. The daily oral administration of ACN to male albino rats in a dose of 50 mg/kg bwt for a period of 28 days produced a significant elevation in brain lipid peroxides measured as malondialdehyde (MDA) amounting to 107%, accompanied by a marked decrease in brain‐reduced glutathione (GSH) content reaching 63%. In addition, ACN administration resulted in significant reductions in the enzymatic antioxidant parameters of brain; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), and glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST) recording 43%, 64%, 52%, and 43%, respectively. On the other hand, pretreatment with hesperidin and its coadministration with ACN once daily in a dose of 200 mg/kg bwt i.p. for 28 days ameliorated ACN‐induced alterations in brain lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that hesperidin may have a beneficial role against ACN‐induced oxidative stress in the brain; an effect that is mainly attributed to the antioxidant property of hesperidin. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 22:268–273, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20237
Boundary layer correctors and generalized polarization tensor for periodic rough thin layers. A review for the conductivity problem

We study the behaviour of the steady-state voltage potential in a material composed of a two-dimensional ob ject surrounded by a rough thin layer and embedded in an ambient medium. The roughness of the layer is supposed to be eα -periodic, e being the magnitude of the mean thickness of the layer, and α a positive parameter describing the degree of roughness. For e tending to zero, we determine the appropriate boundary layer correctors which lead to approximate transmission conditions equivalent to the eﬀect of the rough thin layer. We also provide an explicit characterization of the polarization tensor as deﬁned by Capdeboscq and Vogelius in [10]. This paper revisits the previous works of the author [17, 16, 11, 13], and it also provides new results for the very
Comparative Evaluation of Platelet-Rich Fibrin Biomaterial and Open Flap Debridement in the Treatment of Two and Three Wall Intrabony Defects

Background: Platelet-rich concentrates are the most widely used regenerative biomaterials. Stimulation and acceleration of soft and hard tissue healing are due to local and continuous delivery of growth factors and proteins, mimicking the needs of the physiological wound healing and reparative tissue processes. This article aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of open flap debridement (OFD) with or without platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in the treatment of intrabony defects. Materials and Methods: Twenty subjects with forty intrabony defects were treated with either autologous PRF with open-flap debridement (test, n = 20) or open-flap debridement alone (control, n = 20). Soft tissue parameters included: Plaque index, sulcus bleeding index, probing depth, relative attachment level and gingival marginal level (GML). The hard tissue parameters included-distances from: Cement enamel junction to the base of the defect (CEJ-BOD): Alveolar crest to the base of the defect (AC-BOD): And CEJ to AC. The parameters were recorded at baseline and at 9 months postoperatively calculated using standardized radiographs by image-analysis software. Results: Statistically significant (0.005*) intragroup improvements were seen with all the hard and soft parameters in both test and control groups, except for GML. Statistically significant improvements were seen with the mean defect fill (CEJ-BOD and AC-BOD) (P = 0.003*) when intergroup comparisons were made. Conclusions: Adjunctive use of PRF with OFD significantly improves defect fill when compared to OFD alone. PRF has consistently been showing regenerative potential; it is simple, easy and inexpensive biomaterial compared with bone grafts.
Whole-Body Aerobic Resistance Training Circuit Improves Aerobic Fitness and Muscle Strength in Sedentary Young Females

Abstract Myers, TR, Schneider, MG, Schmale, MS, and Hazell, TJ. Whole-body aerobic resistance training circuit improves aerobic fitness and muscle strength in sedentary young females. J Strength Cond Res 29(6): 1592–1600, 2015—This study aimed to determine whether a time-effective whole-body aerobic resistance training circuit using only body weight exercises is as effective in improving aerobic and anaerobic fitness, as well as muscular strength and endurance as a traditional concurrent style training combining resistance and endurance training. Thirty-four sedentary females (20.9 ± 3.2 years; 167.6 ± 6.4 cm; 65.0 ± 15.2 kg) were assigned to either: (a) a combined resistance and aerobic exercise group (COMBINED; n = 17) or (b) a circuit-based whole-body aerobic resistance training circuit group (CIRCUIT; n = 17). Training was 3 days per week for 5 weeks. Pre- and post-training measures included a V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak test, anaerobic Wingate cycling test, and muscular strength and endurance tests. After training, V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak improved with CIRCUIT by 11% (p = 0.015), with no change for COMBINED (p = 0.375). Both relative peak power output and relative average power output improved with CIRCUIT by 5% (p = 0.027) and 3.2% (p = 0.006), respectively, and with COMBINED by 5.3% (p = 0.025) and 5.1% (p = 0.003). Chest and hamstrings 1 repetition maximum (1RM) improved with CIRCUIT by 20.6% (p = 0.011) and 8.3% (p = 0.022) and with COMBINED by 35.6% (p < 0.001) and 10.2% (p = 0.004), respectively. Only the COMBINED group improved back (11.7%; p = 0.017) and quadriceps (9.6%; p = 0.006) 1RM. The COMBINED group performed more repetitions at 60% of their pretraining 1RM for back (10.0%; p = 0.006) and hamstring (23.3%; p = 0.056) vs. CIRCUIT. Our results suggest that a circuit-based whole-body aerobic resistance training program can elicit a greater cardiorespiratory response and similar muscular strength gains with less time commitment compared with a traditional resistance training program combined with aerobic exercise.
Association of the PIK4CA schizophrenia‐susceptibility gene in adults with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is associated with an increased prevalence (20–30%) of schizophrenia. Therefore, it is likely that one or more genes within the 22q11.2 region are causally related to schizophrenia. Recently, a significant association with schizophrenia in the general population was reported for three SNPs in phosphatidyl‐inositol‐4‐kinase‐catalytic‐α (PIK4CA), a gene located in the 22q11.2 region. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that the same PIK4CA risk‐alleles would be associated with schizophrenia in individuals with 22q11DS. Our analysis of the PIK4CA genotypes in a sample of 79 adults with typical 22q11.2 deletions, comparing those with schizophrenia to those without, revealed a significant association. Our findings represent an independent replication of the previously reported PIK4CA association with schizophrenia in the general population. Second, the results of this study indicate that variation at PIK4CA may be a relevant factor influencing the risk of schizophrenia in individuals with 22q11DS. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Efficient single-node broadcast in wormhole-routed multicomputers: a network-partitioning approach

In this paper a network-partitioning scheme for single-node broadcasting on wormhole-routed networks is proposed. To broadcast a message, the scheme works in three phases. First, a number of data-distributing networks (DDNs), which can work independently, are constructed. Then the message is evenly divided into sub-messages each being sent to a representative node in one DDN. Second, the sub-messages are broadcast on the DDNs concurrently. Finally, a number of data-collecting networks (DCNs) which can work independently too, are constructed. Then concurrently on each DCN the sub-messages are re-collected and combined into the original message. One interesting issue is on the definition of independent, in the sense of wormhole routing, DDNs and DCNs. We show how to apply this scheme to tori, meshes, and hypercubes. Thorough analyses and experiments based on different system parameters and configurations are conducted. The results do confirm the advantage of our scheme, under various system parameters and conditions, over other existing broadcasting algorithms.