Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Schizophrenia with preserved insight is associated with increased perfusion of the precuneus.

BACKGROUND Preserved insight into illness has been suggested to be predictive of outcome in patients with schizophrenia. We aimed to investigate the functional substrate underlying preserved insight in these patients. METHODS We recruited patients with paranoid schizophrenia and healthy controls matched for age and sex. Patients were grouped according to preserved or impaired insight into illness using the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD). Whole-brain technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer single photon emission computed tomography regional cerebral blood flow was compared at the voxel level between the 2 groups using a statistical parametric map (voxel-level significance of p < 0.001, uncorrected; cluster level significance of p < 0.05, uncorrected). RESULTS We enrolled 31 right-handed patients with schizophrenia and 18 controls in our study. Twenty-one (67.7%) patients had preserved insight. The 2 groups did not differ significantly in demographic and clinical characteristics or in treatment. Compared with controls, the whole group of patients showed bilateral frontotemporal hypoperfusions, with no statistical difference between patients with preserved or impaired insight for these areas. Patients with preserved insight showed significantly increased perfusion of the bilateral precuneus relative to those with impaired insight. LIMITATIONS Patients with subtypes other than paranoid schizophrenia have to be investigated to assess whether involvement of the precuneus in patients with preserved insight can be identified across the full spectrum of subtypes and symptoms of schizophrenia. Moreover, our study concerned only the central dimension (awareness of mental disorder) of 1 scale (SUMD); other dimensions of insight could be studied. CONCLUSION Our results show that schizophrenia with preserved insight is associated with greater perfusion of the precuneus, a brain area known to be involved in self- consciousness, suggesting a compensatory mechanism of fronto-temporal impairment.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SURFACE SPECIALIZATION IN THE SECRETORY EPITHELIUM OF THE AVIAN SALT GLAND IN RESPONSE TO OSMOTIC STRESS

Cell surface specialization, a characteristic common to most ion-transporting epithelia, was studied in the salt (nasal) gland of the domestic duck in relation to osmotic stress. Three days after hatching, experimental ducklings were given 1% NaCl to drink for 12 hr and freshwater for the remainder of each day. Control ducklings were maintained exclusively on freshwater. The fine structure of the secretory epithelium was examined on various days of the regimen. The nasal gland epithelium of the secretory lobule is composed of several types of cells. Peripheral cells, lying at the blind ends of the branched secretory tubules, are similar in both control and experimental animals at all stages of glandular development. These generative cells contain few mitochondria and have nearly smooth cell surfaces. Partially specialized secretory cells predominate in the secretory tubules of control animals and appear as transitional cells in the tubular epithelium of salt-stressed animals. These cells contain few mitochondria and bear short folds along their lateral cell surfaces. Fully specialized cells dominate the secretory epithelium of osmotically stressed ducklings. The lateral and basal surfaces of these cells are deeply folded, forming complex intra- and extracellular compartments. This vast increase in absorptive surface area is paralleled by an increase in the number of mitochondria that pack the basal compartments. The development of this fully specialized cell is correlated with the marked increase in (Na+-K+)-ATPase activity in the glands of osmotically stressed birds.
Zircon and whole‐rock Nd‐Pb isotopic provenance of Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic rocks, Argentine Precordillera

Graptolite‐bearing Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic facies of the Argentine Precordillera fold‐thrust belt record the disintegration of a long‐lived Cambro‐Mid Ordovician carbonate platform into a series of tectonically partitioned basins. A combination of stratigraphic, petrographic, U‐Pb detrital zircon, and Nd‐Pb whole‐rock isotopic data provide evidence for a variety of clastic sediment sources. Four Upper Ordovician quartzo‐lithic sandstones collected in the eastern and central Precordillera yield complex U‐Pb zircon age spectra dominated by 1·05–1·10 Ga zircons, secondary populations of 1·22, 1·30, and 1·46 Ga, rare 2·2 and 1·8 Ga zircons, and a minor population (<2%) of concordant zircons in the 600–700 Ma range. Archaean‐age grains comprise <1% of all zircons analysed from these rocks. In contrast, a feldspathic arenite from the Middle Ordovician Estancia San Isidro Formation of the central Precordillera has two well‐defined peaks at 1·41 and 1·43 Ga, with no grains in the 600–1200 Ma range and none older than 1·70 Ga. The zircon age spectrum in this unit is similar to that of a Middle Cambrian quartz arenite from the La Laja Formation, suggesting that local basement rocks were a regional source of ca 1·4 Ga detrital zircons in the Precordillera Terrane from the Cambrian onwards. The lack of grains younger than 600 Ma in Upper Ordovician units reinforces petrographic data indicating that Ordovician volcanic arc sources did not supply significant material directly to these sedimentary basins. Nd isotopic data (n = 32) for Middle and Upper Ordovician graptolitic shales from six localities define a poorly mixed signal [ɛNd(450 Ma) = −9·6 to −4·5] that becomes more regionally homogenized in Upper Ordovician rocks (−6·2 ± 1·0; TDM = 1·51 ± 0·15 Ga; n = 17), a trend reinforced by the U‐Pb detrital zircon data. It is concluded that proximal, recycled orogenic sources dominated the siliciclastic sediment supply for these basins, consistent with rapid unroofing of the Precordillera Terrane platform succession and basement starting in Mid Ordovician time. Common Pb data for Middle and Upper Ordovician shales from the western and eastern Precordillera (n = 15) provide evidence for a minor (<30%) component that was likely derived from a high‐μ (U/Pb) terrane.
1. Soft Computing for detecting thermal insulation failures in buildings

Abstract Improved detection of thermal insulation efficiency in buildings could substantially contribute to reductions in energy consumption and the carbon footprint of domestic heating systems. Thermal insulation standards are now contractual obligations at the construction stage, although they are not standardized in buildings that are already in operation: lighting, occupancy and temperature profiles, air conditioning, and ventilation, all add to the complexity of standardization processes. The identification of thermal insulation failure can help to reduce energy consumption in heating systems. Conventional methods can be greatly improved through the application of hybridized soft-computing techniques to detect thermal insulation failures when a building is in operation. The method proposed in this paper begins by considering local building and heating system regulations as well as the specific features of the climate zone as part of a three-step procedure. Firstly, the dynamic thermal performance of different variables is modelled, which relate to both the building and the climate zone. Secondly, Cooperative Maximum-Likelihood Hebbian Learning is used to extract their relevant features. Finally, neural projections and identification techniques are applied, in order to detect fluctuations in room temperatures and, in consequence, thermal insulation failures. Although a great deal of further research remains to be done in this field, the proposed system is expected to outperform conventional methods described in Spanish building codes that are used to calculate energetic profiles in domestic and residential buildings.
Comparison of different scenarios of suspended solids production in a combined sewer system using an adapted hydrodynamic model

Despite their disappointing performance, urban stormwater quality models are still considered to be a potentially efficient decision making tool to control combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and thus are receiving ongoing investments to improve their quality. In this respect, in-sewer sediments are now widely recognized for their preponderant contribution to the pollution of CSOs assigning therefore a particular importance to mastering sewer processes module when refining these models. Recent studies conducted on in-sewer sediments in one of the extensively investigated urban catchments in Paris, Le Marais, highlighted new elements that could be helpful when addressing this module: (1) the existence of quasi-steady sewer grits deforming sewer characteristics and thus suspected to modify sewer flow conditions; (2) the identification of the potentially eroded sediment type during wet weather that is formed at the upstream parts of the Marais main trunks, the organic layer, that showed a cohesive like characteristic during in-situ flushing experiments. A site specific model for the Marais catchment is developed in this thesis adopting a semi-distributed configuration to examine the effect of integrating these field observations in its structure on the simulation of outfall discharges’ quality.In the first part, an evaluation of the impact of considering the sewer grits in the hydrodynamic module on the solid production and transfer processes in sewer system was carried out. To do so, a special modelling tool was necessary in order to handle sewer flow over a complex bathymetry. So, a well-balanced Godunov numerical scheme was developed and verified against some reference test cases before being extended to the Marais sewer scale. Results showed a significant impact of these coarse deposits on the hydraulic parameters. Solid production was demonstrated to be more sensible to this impact than the transfer processes.In the second place, previous findings obtained on combined sewer systems having no organic layer and high sewer contribution along with those obtained on the Marais were deeply investigated to identify the real role of this organic layer in sewer wet weather production. Results showed that this latter is only a minor source for wet weather erosion. To identify the major source, a quality module based on Skipworth erosion formulation and simple advection equation was used to test several scenarios of sewer sediment localization. The benchmark confirmed that the organic layer is not the major source of sewer production and that another source is preponderant and that can be located at the upstream branches as well as along the principal collectors with more probability of the former case
Evaluating the Role of p38 MAPK in the Accelerated Cell Senescence of Werner Syndrome Fibroblasts

Progeroid syndromes show features of accelerated ageing and are used as models for human ageing, of which Werner syndrome (WS) is one of the most widely studied. WS fibroblasts show accelerated senescence that may result from p38 MAP kinase activation since it is prevented by the p38 inhibitor SB203580. Thus, small molecule inhibition of p38-signalling may be a therapeutic strategy for WS. To develop this approach issues such as the in vivo toxicity and kinase selectivity of existing p38 inhibitors need to be addressed, so as to strengthen the evidence that p38 itself plays a critical role in mediating the effect of SB203580, and to find an inhibitor suitable for in vivo use. In this work we used a panel of different p38 inhibitors selected for: (1) having been used successfully in vivo in either animal models or human clinical trials; (2) different modes of binding to p38; and (3) different off-target kinase specificity profiles, in order to critically address the role of p38 in the premature senescence seen in WS cells. Our findings confirmed the involvement of p38 in accelerated cell senescence and identified p38 inhibitors suitable for in vivo use in WS, with BIRB 796 the most effective.
Counseling Requirements for Buprenorphine Maintenance in Primary Care: Lessons Learned From a Preliminary Study in a Methadone Maintenance Program

Objective:This preliminary study was conducted to establish the minimal counseling requirements for buprenorphine maintenance in primary care settings. A brief, nurse-administered, medically focused counseling approach for buprenorphine-maintained patients, Medical Management (MM), was designed by the authors. To evaluate preliminary feasibility and efficacy of MM prior to using it in a primary care setting, we evaluated it in a methadone maintenance program. Method:Fourteen opioid dependent patients were treated for 12 weeks with thrice-weekly buprenorphine plus either MM provided thrice weekly (5–10 minutes) by an RN, or MM plus individual Drug Counseling (MM+DC). DC was provided weekly (45 minutes) by a Ph.D.-level psychologist or a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Results:Seven of the 7 MM and 6 of the 7 MM+DC patients completed all 12 weeks of the study. Rates of opioid-positive urine toxicology tests averaged 72% for MM and 54% for MM+DC. Two of the 7 MM and 4 of the 7 MM+DC patients achieved ≥3 consecutive weeks of opioid-negative urine toxicology tests. None of these differences reached statistical significance. Conclusions:These preliminary findings demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of MM and suggest, as with methadone, that DC may be a necessary component of buprenorphine treatment of opioid dependence. Therefore, providers of office- or primary care-based buprenorphine maintenance may need to incorporate aspects of drug counseling.
Comparison of Pterygium Recurrence Rates After Limbal Conjunctival Autograft Transplantation and Other Techniques: Meta-analysis

Purpose: Meta-analysis to compare pterygium surgery outcomes using limbal conjunctival autograft (LCAG) and other techniques. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted through June 2011 using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Registry to identify all randomized control trials reported so far, comparing the recurrence rates of pterygium after LCAG and other surgical techniques. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of rates of pterygium recurrence were pooled using the Mantel–Haenszel method. Results: Overall, 13 randomized control trials were included in the analysis (Jadad score, 1–3). The pooled OR from individual studies showed that the recurrence rates after pterygium excision with LCAG were lower as compared with pterygium excision with bare sclera technique (95% CI, 0.04–0.17; pooled OR = 0.08, P < 0.01), bulbar conjunctival autograft (95% CI, 0.04–0.23; pooled OR = 0.10, P < 0.01), or intraoperative mitomycin C (95% CI, 0.09–0.52; pooled OR = 0.22, P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the recurrence rates after LCAG and amniotic membrane graft (95% CI, 0.26–1.70; pooled OR = 0.66, P = 0.39). Conclusions: According to the current evidence from literature, recurrence rates after pterygium excision with LCAG are lower when compared with the use of bare sclera, bulbar conjunctival autograft, or intraoperative mitomycin C. Although recurrence rates of LCAG were similar to the amniotic membrane graft, further large-scale randomized controlled trials would be required to confirm these results.
Inverse Associations between Obesity Indicators and Thymic T-Cell Production Levels in Aging Atomic-Bomb Survivors

Reduction of the naive T-cell population represents a deteriorating state in the immune system that occurs with advancing age. In animal model studies, obesity compromises the T-cell immune system as a result of enhanced adipogenesis in primary lymphoid organs and systemic inflammation. In this study, to test the hypothesis that obesity may contribute to the aging of human T-cell immunity, a thousand atomic-bomb survivors were examined for obesity status and ability to produce naive T cells, i.e., T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) numbers in CD4 and CD8 T cells. The number of TRECs showed a strong positive correlation with naive T cell numbers, and lower TREC numbers were associated with higher age. We found that the TREC number was inversely associated with levels of obesity indicators (BMI, hemoglobin A1c) and serum CRP levels. Development of type-2 diabetes and fatty liver was also associated with lower TREC numbers. This population study suggests that obesity with enhanced inflammation is involved in aging of the human T-cell immune system. Given the fact that obesity increases the risk of numerous age-related diseases, attenuated immune competence is a possible mechanistic link between obesity and disease development among the elderly.
Packing Cliques in Graphs with Independence Number 2

Let G be a graph with no three independent vertices. How many edges of G can be packed with edge-disjoint copies of Kk? More specifically, let fk(n, m) be the largest integer t such that, for any graph with n vertices, m edges, and independence number 2, at least t edges can be packed with edge-disjoint copies of Kk. Turán's theorem together with Wilson's Theorem assert that $f_k(n,m)=(1-o(1))\frac{n^2}{4}$ if $m \approx \frac{n^2}{4}$. A conjecture of Erdős states that $f_3(n,m) \geq (1-o(1))\frac{n^2}{4}$ for all plausible m. For any ε > 0, this conjecture was open even if $m \leq n^2(\frac{1}{4}+\epsilon)$. Generally, f_k(n,m) may be significantly smaller than $\frac{n^2}{4}$. Indeed, for k=7 it is easy to show that $f_7(n,m) \leq \frac{21}{90}{n^2}$ for m ≈ 0.3n2. Nevertheless, we prove the following result. For every k≥ 3 there exists γ>0 such that if $m \leq n^2(\frac{1}{4}+\gamma)$ then $f_k(n,m) \geq (1-o(1))\frac{n^2}{4}$. In the special case k=3 we obtain the reasonable bound γ ≥ 10−4. In particular, the above conjecture of Erdős holds whenever G has fewer than 0.2501n2 edges.
The Lu-Hf isotope composition of cratonic lithosphere: disequilibrium between garnet and clinopyroxene in kimberlite xenoliths

12th Annual V.M. Goldschmidt Conference Davos Switzerland, The Lu-Hf isotope composition of cratonic lithosphere: disequilibrium between garnet and clinopyroxene in kimberlite xenoliths (DTM, Carnegie Institution of Washington), Pearson, D.G. (University of Durham)
ML Estimation under Misspecified Number of Signals

The maximum likelihood (ML) approach for estimating direction of arrival (DOA) is a well known and popular technique in array processing. Its statistical properties such as consistency and efficiency have been extensively studied in the literature. A common assumption made in previous works is that the assumed number of signals equals the true one. However, this information is not always available and usually needs to be estimated together with the DOA parameter. Thus it is crucial to know whether ML estimator provides any significant information when we are not certain about the number signals. In this work, we show that ML estimator under misspecified number of signals converges to aw ell defined limit. In the case of well separated sources, components of ML estimates coincide with the true parameters. Our theoretical analysis is validated by numerical experiments.
A Hierarchy of Time-Scales and the Brain

In this paper, we suggest that cortical anatomy recapitulates the temporal hierarchy that is inherent in the dynamics of environmental states. Many aspects of brain function can be understood in terms of a hierarchy of temporal scales at which representations of the environment evolve. The lowest level of this hierarchy corresponds to fast fluctuations associated with sensory processing, whereas the highest levels encode slow contextual changes in the environment, under which faster representations unfold. First, we describe a mathematical model that exploits the temporal structure of fast sensory input to track the slower trajectories of their underlying causes. This model of sensory encoding or perceptual inference establishes a proof of concept that slowly changing neuronal states can encode the paths or trajectories of faster sensory states. We then review empirical evidence that suggests that a temporal hierarchy is recapitulated in the macroscopic organization of the cortex. This anatomic-temporal hierarchy provides a comprehensive framework for understanding cortical function: the specific time-scale that engages a cortical area can be inferred by its location along a rostro-caudal gradient, which reflects the anatomical distance from primary sensory areas. This is most evident in the prefrontal cortex, where complex functions can be explained as operations on representations of the environment that change slowly. The framework provides predictions about, and principled constraints on, cortical structure–function relationships, which can be tested by manipulating the time-scales of sensory input.
Impact of morphine dependency and detoxification by methadone on male’s rat reproductive system

Background: One of the problems that addicts suffer from is decreased libido. Erectile dysfunction has been reported in men using opioids for treatment of heroin addiction. Objective: The study was performed to investigate the effects of morphine and detoxification with methadone as causes of sexual dysfunction in addiction. Methods and Methods: A total of 40 adult male rats (Wistar) were used. Animals were divided in to 4 groups. Control groups received saline for 30 days. Other 2 groups received 10 mg/kg morphine on day 1 and the morphine doses increased daily by 2 mg/kg increments per day until in day 30 a maximum of 68 mg/kg twice daily was achieved. Withdrawal syndrome sings were evaluated. At the end of period, one group of 2 morphine dependent groups was treated with methadone during 14 days. Animals in group 4 (saline solution+ methadone) received saline for 30 consecutive days and then detoxified with methadone during 14 days. Partial weights of seminal vesicles, testes, prostates, seminal vesicles content, concentrations of luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and testosterone in serum were determined. Results: In the dependent group serum levels of testosterone (p<0.001), folicle stimulating hormone (p=0.0097) and luteinizing hormone (p=0.0031) as well as the weights of testes (p=0.0051), partial weights of prostates, seminal vesicles and seminal vesicles contents (p<0.001) were reduced as compared with control group. In the morphine dependent animals detoxified with methadone, testosterone concentrations and seminal vesicles contents remained lower than levels in the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results suggest that morphine dependence may impair the reproductive function in male rats.
Practical research-based guidance for motor imagery practice in neurorehabilitation

Purpose: The purpose of this appraisal is to offer guidance to clinicians on applying motor imagery in neurorehabilitation and provide guidance to support this process. Method: We used evidence from a variety of fields as well as clinical experience with motor imagery to develop guidance for employing motor imagery during neurorehabilitation. Results: Motor imagery is a relatively new intervention for neurorehabilitation supported by evidence from areas such as cognitive neuroscience and sports psychology. Motor imagery has become a very popular intervention modality for clinicians but there is insufficient information available on how to administer it in clinical practice and make deliberate decisions during its application. Conclusions: We provide evidence-based guidance for employing motor imagery in neurorehabilitation and use the principles of motor learning as the framework for clinical application. Implications for Rehabilitation Motor imagery has become a very popular technique for clinicians in neurorehabilitation; however, research reports provide insufficient information for clinicians to employ motor imagery in the clinic. The principles of motor learning can be used as a useful framework for employing motor imagery in neurorehabilitation. We provide clear guidance to deliver individual-tailored motor imagery in neurorehabilitation based on evidence.