Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduced number of functional glutamatergic synapses in hippocampal neurons overexpressing full‐length TrkB receptors

Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) acutely modulates the efficacy of central glutamatergic synapses via activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase TrkB. On a longer time scale, recent evidence suggests an additional role of TrkB signaling in the formation of excitatory synaptic connections. Here, we have overexpressed full‐length TrkB receptors (fl‐TrkB) in hippocampal neurons, to investigate the contribution of BDNF signaling to the maturation of glutamatergic synapses. Using patch clamp recordings, we show a three‐fold reduction in glutamatergic excitatory autaptic and synaptic current amplitudes in neurons overexpressing fl‐TrkB, and application of saturating concentrations of BDNF and NT‐4/5 completely reverses this effect. Compatible with these overexpression data, in untransfected neurons, scavenging of endogenous BDNF and NT‐4/5 by TrkB‐IgGs reduces excitatory autaptic current (EAC) amplitudes. By overexpression of truncated TrkB receptors (TrkB.T1, TrkB.T2) and a chimeric receptor containing only the intracellular domain of fl‐TrkB, we show that intra‐ and extracellular domains of fl‐TrkB are necessary to observe the EAC reduction. Labeling of presynaptic terminals with FM 4‐64 revealed, that the reduced EAC amplitudes in fl‐TrkB overexpressing neurons are accompanied by a two‐fold reduction in synapse number. These results suggest, that ligand‐independent signaling through fl‐TrkB receptors can decrease glutamatergic synaptic strength, if sufficient amounts of BDNF or NT‐4/5 are not available. J. Neurosci. Res. 66:327–336, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Public Transfers and the Age-Profile of Poverty in Europe

Ensuring adequate living standards to a growing number of elderly while restraining the growth of pension spending represents the main challenge for pension policy in most countries. There is a need for an in-depth analysis of the economic conditions of the elderly which can help targeting resources in the coming years to the more needy groups. Children are another potentially vulnerable group of the population: their poverty can affect human capital accumulation and have long lasting effects on life-time well-being. Using data from the latest wave of the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC), we document that the poverty rates of these two age groups with respect to the other components of the population differ considerably across European countries. These differences are largely due to the different anti-poverty effectiveness of national social policies. In particular, in 'Social Democratic' and 'Corporatist' welfare states the age-profile of poverty is flat; on the contrary, in Anglo-Saxon and especially in Southern European countries young and elderly groups show remarkably higher poverty rates.
Hybrid Fuzz Testing: Discovering Software Bugs via Fuzzing and Symbolic Execution

Random mutational fuzz testing (fuzzing) and symbolic executions are program testing techniques that have been gaining popularity in the security research community. Fuzzing finds bugs in a target program by natively executing it with random inputs while monitoring the execution for abnormal behaviors such as crashes. While fuzzing may have a reputation of being able to explore deep into a program’s state space efficiently, naive fuzzers usually have limited code coverage for typical programs since unconstrained random inputs are unlikely to drive the execution down many different paths. In contrast, symbolic execution tests a program by treating the program’s input as symbols and interpreting the program over such symbolic inputs. Although in theory symbolic execution is guaranteed to be effective in achieving code coverage if we explore all possible paths, this generally requires exponential resource and is thus not practical for many real-world programs. This thesis presents our attempt to attain the best of both worlds by combining fuzzing with symbolic execution in a novel manner. Our technique, called hybrid fuzzing, first uses symbolic execution to discover frontier nodes that represent unique paths in the program. After collecting as many frontier nodes as possible under a user-specifiable resource constraint, it transits to fuzz the program with preconditioned random inputs, which are provably random inputs that respect the path predicate leading to each frontier node. Our current implementation supports programs with linear path predicates and can automatically generate preconditioned random inputs from a polytope model of the input space extracted from binaries. These preconditioned random inputs can then be used with any fuzzer. Experiments show that our implementation is efficient in both time and space, and the inputs generated by it are able to gain extra breadth and depth over previous approaches.
Mid-luteal endometrial intracrinology following controlled ovarian hyperstimulation involving use of a gonadotrophin releasing hormone antagonist.

BACKGROUND There are concerns of reduced pregnancy rates with the use of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonists (GnRH antagonists) in IVF/ICSI cycles. Sex steroids and their metabolizing enzymes in the endometrium may play a vital role in embryo implantation. This study has evaluated the levels and localization of sex-steroid receptors and metabolizing enzymes, 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3betaHSD) and selected 17beta-HSD (17betaHSD), in mid-luteal endometrium of women treated with GnRH antagonist (Cetrorelix) and recombinant FSH (rFSH; Gonal-F) with luteal phase progesterone supplementation. METHODS Mid-luteal phase endometrial biopsies were obtained from oocyte donors undergoing ovarian stimulation and from control women with regular periods. Immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) were used to compare protein and mRNA expression of progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha), estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta), androgen receptor (AR), 3betaHSD1, 3betaHSD2, 17betaHSD2 and 17betaHSD5. RESULTS Cetrorelix-rFSH treatment caused a mid-luteal suppression of PR protein expression in the endometrial stroma, surface epithelium and glands, although expression in the glands of control samples was variable. In contrast, the treatment caused an increase in PR staining in perivascular cells. No other significant differences in protein expression were observed between the two groups. mRNA levels of AR, ERalpha, 3betaHSD1 and 17betaHSD2 were significantly reduced in the treatment group. PR mRNA levels were also reduced by GnRH antagonist-rFSH treatment, but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Changes in the expression of sex-steroid receptors and metabolizing enzymes may lead to alterations in the activity and intracellular availability of estrogens, progestogens and androgens in endometrium of women treated with Cetrorelix and rFSH. Their impact on embryo implantation merits further evaluation.
Brain–computer interface using a simplified functional near-infrared spectroscopy system

A brain–computer interface (BCI) is a device that allows a user to communicate with external devices through thought processes alone. A novel signal acquisition tool for BCIs is near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), an optical technique to measure localized cortical brain activity. The benefits of using this non-invasive modality are safety, portability and accessibility. A number of commercial multi-channel NIRS system are available; however we have developed a straightforward custom-built system to investigate the functionality of a fNIRS-BCI system. This work describes the construction of the device, the principles of operation and the implementation of a fNIRS-BCI application, ‘Mindswitch’ that harnesses motor imagery for control. Analysis is performed online and feedback of performance is presented to the user. Mindswitch presents a basic ‘on/off’ switching option to the user, where selection of either state takes 1 min. Initial results show that fNIRS can support simple BCI functionality and shows much potential. Although performance may be currently inferior to many EEG systems, there is much scope for development particularly with more sophisticated signal processing and classification techniques. We hope that by presenting fNIRS as an accessible and affordable option, a new avenue of exploration will open within the BCI research community and stimulate further research in fNIRS-BCIs.
Self-folding origami: shape memory composites activated by uniform heating

Self-folding is an approach used frequently in nature for the efficient fabrication of structures, but is seldom used in engineered systems. Here, self-folding origami are presented, which consist of shape memory composites that are activated with uniform heating in an oven. These composites are rapidly fabricated using inexpensive materials and tools. The folding mechanism based on the in-plane contraction of a sheet of shape memory polymer is modeled, and parameters for the design of composites that self-fold into target shapes are characterized. Four self-folding shapes are demonstrated: a cube, an icosahedron, a flower, and a Miura pattern; each of which is activated in an oven in less than 4 min. Self-sealing is also investigated using hot melt adhesive, and the resulting structures are found to bear up to twice the load of unsealed structures.
Adaptively Setting the Learning Rate in Stochastic Variational Inference

Stochastic variational inference is a promising method for fitting large-scale probabilistic models with hidden structures. Different from traditional stochastic learning, stochastic variational inference uses the natural gradient, which is particularly efficient for computing probabilistic distributions. One of the issues in stochastic variational inference is to set an appropriate learning rate. Inspired by a recent approach for setting the learning rate for stochastic learning (Schaul et al., 2012), we present a strategy for setting the learning rate for stochastic variational inference and demonstrate it is effective in learning large-scale complex models.
Query Formulation in Web Information Search

Query formulation is an essential part of successful information retrieval. The challenges in formulating effective queries are emphasized in web information search, because the web is used by a diverse population varying in their levels of expertise. In this paper, the factors affecting query formulation in web information search were studied. The data was collected via a questionnaire (32 participants, each formulated 20 queries). The results of the study suggested that experience in using computers, web, and web search engines affect the query formulation process. Surprisingly, domain expertise did not have an effect on the query formulation. Generally, experienced users formulated longer and more specific queries whereas the queries of users with less experience consisted of fewer and more generic terms. Based on the previous studies concerning query formulation and the results from the questionnaire study, three main factors affecting query formulation are suggested: 1. Media expertise, 2. Domain expertise, and 3. Type of search. These factors should be taken into account when studying and designing information search systems.
Post-Adoption Transferring between Non-Substitutable Technologies: The Case of Instant Messenger and Portal

In this study, we focus on post -adoption transfer behavior between tech nology products that are no t substitut able. Drawing upon the theories and findings of entitativity, the self -perception theory , and technology acceptance model, we proposed a research model . We then validated it through cross -sectional field data collected from users on their post -adoption transfer from one instant messenger, QQ, to its portal , QQ.com. Findings suggest that the usage behavior can be transferred indirectly , and the perceived entitativity is an important factor influencing the transferring be havior. This research finds that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use can be transferred. If the perceived entitativity is high, then perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use will be transferred between non -substitut able technology products . This research contributes to both research and practice by advancing our understanding of users ’ post -adoption behavior in general and , more specifically, their transferring behavior between non -substitut able technology products.
Leverage Risk, Financial Crisis, and Stock Returns: A Comparison Among Islamic, Conventional, and Socially Responsible Stocks

According to the financial press, firms with low leverage have lower distress risk due to their reduced exposure to the credit market, especially during credit crises. Compared to their conventional and socially responsible (SRI) counterparts, sharia compliant (SC) stocks are low-leverage stocks. Our hypothesis is that SC firms would be less sensitive to leverage risk and thus would be ideal for wealth preservation during declining market environment. We find that the leverage risk factor performs consistently across various categories of firms and its impact is more pronounced during the recent financial crisis. However, we also find that compared to the conventional stocks, SC stocks are also quite sensitive to the leverage factor. In contrast, the SRI class of stocks has the least sensitivity to leverage risk factor, suggesting they can be attractive for wealth preservation during credit crises.
Understanding HIV Positive Women’s Experiences with Antenatal Care in Rural Maputo Province, Mozambique

Introduction: Motherhood among women living with HIV/AIDS is considered perilous in most of the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. Objectives: To analyse women’s compliance to biomedical norms recommended to reduce the risk of mother-tochild transmission of HIV during pregnancy and childbirth in the rural province of Maputo. Methodology: A qualitative study was performed, consisting of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with women who had become mothers, in-depth interviews with community health workers and semi-structured interviews with mother and child health nurses. We used Bourdieu’s theory of practice as a guiding framework to analyse the data. Results: Our findings showed that participants complied with some recommended biomedical norms to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, such as subsequent antenatal visits, adherence to antiretroviral therapy and childbirth at the health facility. However, they did not comply with the timing of the first antenatal care, use of modern health care system to treat illness episodes and use of condom during pregnancy. Conclusion: The study results suggest that compliance to the recommended prevention of mother-to-child transmission is the result of complex interactions in which participants rely on knowledge and resources within both the family and community and the modern health care system. Awareness among health care workers of pregnant women’s perspectives as well as an adequate education about the timing of the first antenatal care and the benefits of antenatal care in both the health facility and community could thus enable to improve prevention of mother-tochild transmission of HIV.
Motor action and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia : A functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Delusions and hallucinations are classic positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Contemporary cognitive theories suggest that the misattribution of selfgenerated actions may underlie these symptoms. However, there are very few longitudinal functional imaging studies investigating neural activation associated with change in symptoms. We studied brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a motor task in 11 patients with schizophrenia and 9 healthy controls. The patient group was tested at two time points separated by 6-8 weeks. At initial testing, the patient group had a mean Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale score of 56.3, and showed significantly increased activation within the left inferior parietal lobe (IPL) compared to controls. Patients reported significantly decreased positive symptoms at 6-8 week followup and IPL activation had returned to normal. Our results demonstrate that first-rank positive symptoms are associated with hyperactivation in the secondary somatosensory cortex (IPL). These findings lend further credence to the theory that a dysfunction in the sensory feedback system underlying our sense of agency may contribute to the aetiology of first-rank
A New Case of lgE Myeloma

We report a case of igE myeloma in a 78-year-old woman who presented with bone pain in the shoulder and hip and progressive weakness. Except for hypercalcemia, routine chemistry values were within normal limits. Hemoglobin was decreased and the leukocyte count slightly increased. Plasma cells were not observed in the peripheral blood. Serum protein electrophoresis showed a monoclonal protein in the (3-globulin fraction. lmmunofixation confirmed the presence of an IgE K monoclonal protein. A bone marrow biopsy revealed an interstitial and nodular infiltration of abnormal plasma cells comprising 60% of nucleated cells present. Skeletal roentgenograms and bone scans of this patient showed osteolytic lesions and osteopenia of the thoracic and lumbar spine and osteolytic destruction of the right half of the sacrum. Flowcytometric analysis of mononuclear cells isolated from peripheral blood showed that 15% of the lymphocytes bound IgE. Using cell-surface markers, we identified 45% of the igE-positive cells as natural killer cells. Similar results have been found in other diseases marked by increased IgE. The clinical, radiological, and laboratory findings for this patient are compared with previously reported cases of IgE and other types of myeloma.
Which factors make the difference for explaining growth in newcomer organizational commitment? A latent growth modeling approach

Summary Previous studies on newcomer socialization have evidenced quite consistently that newcomers' affective commitment tends to decline in the first years of employment. In this paper, we attempt to explain why a minority of Brazilian newcomers in a governmental organization (N = 194) display growth in commitment (33 per cent) in the first 3 years of employment, despite the fact that the odds are clearly in favor of decline (62 per cent). We reasoned that the minority displaying growing commitment may have had qualitatively different work experiences or would have different personal characteristics. We used latent growth modeling and post hoc tests to analyze the hypotheses. Concerning individual differences, newcomers with growing commitment were on average older but did not have higher work centrality. Concerning work experiences, newcomers whose training matched the job (high person–job fit) and whose tasks were challenging were more prevalent in the growing commitment group. The newcomers who showed declining commitment were more likely to feel overwhelmed by the amount of work in the new role (high role overload) and were typically not promoted to higher ranks. Change in commitment also predicted self-reported performance (productivity and initiative) 3 years after organizational entry. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Do Six-Month-Olds Link Sound Patterns of Common Nouns To New Exemplars?

Previous work (Tincoff & Jusczyk, 1999) demonstrated that 6-month-olds can link the sound patterns "Mommy" and "Daddy" to video images of the appropriate parents, but do not attach these words to unfamiliar men and women. Using a preferential looking procedure, the current study extends these findings by showing that 6-month-olds can attach sound patterns of the familiar spoken words (“Hands” and “Feet”) to instances of these referents that they had never seen.
Analysis of the impact of intracellular reactive oxygen species generation on the structural and functional integrity of human spermatozoa: lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation and effectiveness of antioxidants.

Exposure of human spermatozoa to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) resulted in the dose dependent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which, at a critical level of intensity, induced lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and a dramatic decline of sperm motility. This system was then used as a model for screening the ability of different antioxidants to combat oxidative stress created through the excessive intracellular generation of toxic oxygen products of metabolism. A variety of antioxidants that has previously been shown to be protective against extracellularly derived oxidants (e.g. superoxide dismutase, catalase, vitamin E, hypotaurine) were ineffective in this system. Albumin, however, could provide complete protection against NADPH induced oxidative stress via mechanisms that did not involve the suppression of the lipid peroxidation cascade but rather the inactivation of lipid peroxides generated during this process. Albumin did not protect against DNA damage induced by NADPH but was extremely effective at preventing DNA fragmentation arising from the suppression of glutathione peroxidase activity with mercaptosuccinate. These studies emphasize that the design of clinically effective antioxidant treatments will depend, critically, upon the source of the oxidative stress. For cases involving excessive intracellular ROS generation, albumin appears to be an important means of neutralizing lipid peroxide-mediated damage to the sperm plasma membrane and DNA.
Are Comparisons Luxuries? Subjective Poverty and Positional Concerns in Indonesia

We explore (i) the usual determinants of happiness in Indonesia, with a special focus on the role of various measures of absolute income; (ii) the presence of relativistic concerns or positive external effects in shaping attitudes to subjective well-being; and (iii) whether this potential effect changes sign with income level. Additional evidence offered by our investigation relates to the effect of past income levels as well as to that of aspirations. In line with other literature from poor contexts, we find that the subjective well-being of Indonesians is positively affected by the comparison with the income of people around them. This positive influence is unambiguously more important for the poor than for the rich. This pattern is consistent through different measures of well-being and holds also when accounting for past income levels, and lagged income expectations.