Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distribution and compartmental organization of GABAergic medium-sized spiny neurons in the mouse nucleus accumbens

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a critical brain region involved in many reward-related behaviors. The NAc comprises major compartments the core and the shell, which encompass several subterritories. GABAergic medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs) constitute the output neurons of the NAc core and shell. While the functional organization of the NAc core outputs resembles the one described for the dorsal striatum, a simple classification of the NAc shell neurons has been difficult to define due to the complexity of the compartmental segregation of cells. We used a variety of BAC transgenic mice expressing enhanced green fluorescence (EGFP) or the Cre-recombinase (Cre) under the control of the promoter of dopamine D1, D2, and D3 receptors and of adenosine A2a receptor to dissect the microanatomy of the NAc. Moreover, using various immunological markers we characterized in detail the distribution of MSNs in the mouse NAc. In addition, cell-type specific extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in the NAc subterritories was analyzed following acute administration of SKF81297 (a D1R-like agonist), quinpirole (a D2 receptors (D2R)-like agonist), apomorphine (a non-selective DA receptor agonist), raclopride (a D2R-like antagonist), and psychostimulant drugs, including cocaine and d-amphetamine. Each drug generated a unique topography and cell-type specific activation of ERK in the NAc. Our results show the existence of marked differences in the receptor expression pattern and functional activation of MSNs within the shell subterritories. This study emphasizes the anatomical and functional heterogeneity of the NAc, which will have to be considered in its further study.
Design and Application of Enhanced Communication Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks operating in Environmental MonitorinDg

The adoption of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) for wide area environmental monitoring is currently considered one of the most challenging application scenario for this emerging technology. The promise of an unmanaged, self-configuring and self-powered wireless infrastructure attracts the attention of both final users and system integrators, replacing previously deployed wired solutions and opening new business opportunities. Even if many habitat monitoring applications usually do not provide for strictly real-time performances, however, smart power saving procedures have to be adopted, especially to increase the network lifetime. A common approach is to introduce a low power sleep mode, in which the node's radio section is switched off. In adhoc networking scenarios, this definitely requires the adoption of synchronization procedures, properly scheduling the packet transmission time and avoiding both overhearing effects and collisions. In this paper, a novel class of MAC layer protocols, named STAR MAC, that aims at efficiently managing the node's low power mode, is presented, and properly integrated within a routing scheme, according to the cross-layer design for minimizing the signaling overhead. The proposed solution is applied to a realistic user defined scenario oriented to agro-food production phase monitoring, highlighting remarkable advantages both in terms of cost and complexity reduction and QoS enhancement as well and, consequently, validating the WSN technology adoption.
A Rate-Optimal Trigonometric Series Expansion of the Fractional Brownian Motion

Let $B^{(H)}(t),t\in\lbrack -1,1]$, be the fractional Brownian motion with Hurst parameter $H\in (1/2,1)$. In this paper we present the series representation $B^{(H)}(t)=a_{0}t\xi_{0}+\sum_{j =1}^{\infty }a_{j}( (1-\cos (j\pi t))\xi_{j}+\sin (j\pi t)\widetilde{\xi }_{j}), t\in \lbrack -1,1]$, where $a_{j},j\in \mathbb{N}\cup {0}$, are constants given explicitly, and $\xi _{j},j\in \mathbb{N}\cup {0}$, $\widetilde{\xi }_{j},j\in \mathbb{N}$, are independent standard Gaussian random variables. We show that the series converges almost surely in $C[-1,1]$, and in mean-square (in $L^{2}(\Omega )$), uniformly in $t\in \lbrack -1,1]$. Moreover we prove that the series expansion has an optimal rate of convergence.
Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyl Transferase/Pre-B Cell Colony-Enhancing Factor/Visfatin Is Required for Lymphocyte Development and Cellular Resistance to Genotoxic Stress1

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (Nampt)/pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF)/visfatin is a protein displaying multiple functional properties. Originally described as a cytokine-like protein able to regulate B cell development, apoptosis, and glucose metabolism, this protein also plays an important role in NAD biosynthesis. To gain insight into its physiological role, we have generated a mouse strain expressing a conditional Nampt allele. Lack of Nampt expression strongly affects development of both T and B lymphocytes. Analysis of hemizygous cells and in vitro cell lines expressing distinct levels of Nampt illustrates the critical role of this protein in regulating intracellular NAD levels. Consequently, a clear relationship was found between intracellular Nampt levels and cell death in response to the genotoxic agent MNNG (N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine), confirming that this enzyme represents a key regulator of cell sensitivity to NAD-consuming stress secondary to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases overactivation. By using mutant forms of this protein and a well-characterized pharmacological inhibitor (FK866), we unequivocally demonstrate that the ability of the Nampt to regulate cell viability during genotoxic stress requires its enzymatic activity. Collectively, these data demonstrate that Nampt participates in cellular resistance to genotoxic/oxidative stress, and it may confer to cells of the immune system the ability to survive during stressful situations such as inflammation.
Business Process Modeling- A Comparative Analysis

Many business process modeling techniques have been proposed over the last decades, creating a demand for theory to assist in the comparison and evaluation of these techniques. A widely established way of determining the effectiveness and efficiency of modeling techniques is by way of representational analysis. This paper comparatively assesses representational analyses of 12 popular process modeling techniques in order to provide insights into the extent to which they differ from each other. We discuss several implications of our findings. Our analysis uncovers and explores representational root causes for a number of shortcomings that remain in process modeling practice, such as lack of process decomposition and integration of business rule specification. Our findings also serve as motivation and input to future research in areas such as context-aware business process design and conventions management.
Finite-time stability via polynomial Lyapunov function of nonlinear quadratic systems

This paper investigates the synthesis of sufficient conditions for finite-time stability of nonlinear quadratic systems. For this purpose, we investigate the usefulness of combining the notion of annihilator with a version of Finsler's Lemma. The design conditions obtained by means of polynomial Lyapunov function are expressed in term of linear matrix inequalities.
Speech localization using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

To evaluate whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (RTMS) may be used for speech localization, we compared the results from RTMS with the intracarotid amobarbital test (IAT) in 21 patients undergoing surgical treatment (amygdalohippocampectomy or anterior temporal lobe resection) for medically intractable partial epilepsy. None of the patients had aphasia. We stimulated the temporal and frontal cortex on each side at a frequency of 30 Hz for 1 second and increased the intensity until speech was inhibited. A list of words and forward and backward counting were used to test speech function. The IAT was performed on the hemisphere of proposed surgery by unilateral injection and simultaneous regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) recordings. In one patient, there was doubt about hemisphere dominance and a second bilateral IAT was performed. Fifteen patients had left-sided speech dominance; one, left-sided dominance and a moderate right-sided speech inhibition; two, right-sided speech dominance; and one, bilateral speech representations (bilateral injection at the IAT) with both techniques. One patient showed bilateral with right-sided speech dominance by RTMS and showed right-sided speech inhibition with right-sided injection only at the IAT procedure. One patient differed from the rest, showing bilateral representation with right-sided speech dominance with RTMS and left-sided speech inhibition by IAT with left-sided injection only. The concordance was 95%. None of the patients had seizures provoked by the procedure. We conclude that speech localization with RTMS shows a high concordance with the results from the IAT and may be useful in addition to traditional techniques in speech localization. RTMS is noninvasive, can be repeated, carries little or no risks, and does not require that the patients be hospitalized.
High Temperature TEMPO Oxidation in a Heterogeneous Reaction System: An Investigation of Reaction Kinetics, Pulp Properties, and Disintegration Behavior

TEMPO oxidation was performed on never-dried bleached softwood kraft pulp fibres to study the influence of reaction temperature and the dosage of sodium hypochlorite in the oxidation treatment. It was found that oxidation at a high temperature shortened oxidation time, but it also resulted in more extensive degradation of the pulp. Harsh reaction conditions (high temperature and high dosage of sodium hypochlorite) enabled the rapid disintegration of pulp fibres with a low energy demand. The freeze-dried disintegrated pulp fibres had a high absorption capacity of saline liquid, 40 to 80 g/g, and retained 9 to 14 g saline liquid/g material in a standard centrifuge retention test. Four different models were investigated to describe the kinetics of TEMPO oxidation of pulp fibres. However, none of the models could adequately describe all the mechanisms involved in this reaction system. The results showed that the diffusion of hypochlorite ions was sufficiently fast compared to the chemical reactions. In contrast, the concentration of the catalytic compounds, NaBr and TEMPO, both had a strong influence on the reaction rate. Results show that the reactions have different phases, possibly with different rate-determining steps. It remains to be determined which reaction steps correspond to the different phases.
Quality of glucocorticoid replacement in adrenal insufficiency: clinical assessment vs. timed serum cortisol measurements

Objective Evaluation of glucocorticoid replacement quality in adrenal insufficiency (AI) relies primarily on clinical judgement and thus largely depends on the physician's expertise. It is a matter of debate whether cortisol day curves are of value in assessing glucocorticoid replacement quality. Here we compared the results of a structured clinical assessment to the outcome of repeated, timed serum cortisol measurements.
Dispersal and Species Diversity: A Meta‐Analysis

Species diversity in communities of interacting organisms is thought to be enhanced by dispersal, yet mechanisms predicting this have little to say about what effects differing rates of dispersal have on diversity and how dispersal affects diversity at larger spatial scales. I performed meta‐analyses on 23 studies comprising 50 experiments that manipulated species migration and measured community richness or diversity to test three hypotheses: that dispersal increases local diversity; that this effect depends on the rate of dispersal, specifically, that local diversity should be maximized at intermediate dispersal rates or else linearly related to dispersal rate; and that regional diversity may be either unaffected or negatively impacted by dispersal because dispersal tends to homogenize local communities. I found that immigration increased local diversity. Further, in animal studies, diversity appears maximized at intermediate dispersal rates but not with plant studies; however, more standardized studies are needed. Finally, results are ambiguous as to what happens at larger scales, with studies finding either declines or no change in regional diversity with dispersal. Taken together, these results reveal that dispersal has a complex, spatially contingent relationship with patterns of species diversity.
Validity and ethics of the human 4‐h patch test as an alternative method to assess acute skin irritation potential

For more than 50 years, the Draize rabbit skin irritation test has reigned supreme as the regulatory method of choice for the identification of skin irritant chemicals. To date no in vitro alternative test has been validated as an adequate replacement. However, one potential option, to test the endpoint of concern (skin irritation) in the species of concern (man) has been overlooked. The advent of predictive in vitro tools for the identification of substances corrosive to the skin has opened up the practical possibility of carrying out safe and ethical studies on small panels of humans. The human 4‐h patch test has been developed to meet the needs of identifying chemical skin irritation potential, providing data which is inherently superior to that given by a surrogate model, such as the rabbit. This paper reviews in detail the present state of the human 4‐h patch test, highlighting its advantages and noting its utility as the ‘gold standard’ on which to build future in vitro models.
The Use and Misuse of Computers in Education : Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Colombia

This paper presents the evaluation of the program Computers for Education. The program aims to integrate computers, donated by the private sector, into the teaching of language in public schools. The authors conduct a two-year randomized evaluation of the program using a sample of 97 schools and 5,201 children. Overall, the program seems to have had little effect on students' test scores and other outcomes. These results are consistent across grade levels, subjects, and gender. The main reason for these results seems to be the failure to incorporate the computers into the educational process. Although the program increased the number of computers in the treatment schools and provided training to the teachers on how to use the computers in their classrooms, surveys of both teachers and students suggest that teachers did not incorporate the computers into their curriculum.
Attention and memory of medical residents after a night on call: a cross-sectional study

Medical residency is generally acknowledged to be stressful, especially during the internship period. Residents are susceptible to fatigue and chronic sleep deprivation due to their prolonged work hours and rotating work schedules.1 For the first time, in 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in the U.S. implemented limits of 30 consecutive work hours and 80 weekly hours for resident physicians across all specialties, to protect doctors and patients from the unsafe conditions that can result from excessive fatigue.2 Following the implementation of these regulations, increasing public and academic attention has been focused on the role of resident physicians' fatigue and the occurrence of medical errors, percutaneous needle sticks, laceration injuries and post-call motor vehicle crashes.3,4 A landmark study of resident physicians working in an adult intensive care unit has received a great deal of attention in the medical community.5 This study found that residents made more medical errors when they worked frequent shifts of at least 24 h than when they worked shorter shifts. A work hour limit of 60 h per week was instituted in Brazil in 1981,6 but even with this regulation, many studies have identified problems during medical residency, such as depression and anxiety,7 burnout,8 daytime sleepiness9 and impairment of quality of life.10,11 The aim of our study was to compare the cognitive performance of first-year internal medicine residents after a night on call in the emergency room (ER) and after a night off duty during training using neuropsychological tests. The study was performed during the normal shift on an internal medicine ward at a university hospital with a work hour restriction of 60 h per week.
Tinea Capitis in Birmingham: Survey of Elementary School Students

Abstract: Trichophyton tonsurans is currently the leading cause of tinea capitis, but was only introduced into the United States less than six decades ago. In this study, we found a prevalence of 11% in Birmingham, Alabama, which is similar to earlier reports from other geographic regions. Despite previous reports concerning escalation, the prevalence appears to be stable over the past decade.
Gut epithelial barrier dysfunction and innate immune activation predict mortality in treated HIV infection.

BACKGROUND While inflammation predicts mortality in treated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the prognostic significance of gut barrier dysfunction and phenotypic T-cell markers remains unclear. METHODS We assessed immunologic predictors of mortality in a case-control study within the Longitudinal Study of the Ocular Complications of AIDS (LSOCA), using conditional logistic regression. Sixty-four case patients who died within 12 months of treatment-mediated viral suppression were each matched to 2 control individuals (total number of controls, 128) by duration of antiretroviral therapy-mediated viral suppression, nadir CD4(+) T-cell count, age, sex, and prior cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis. A similar secondary analysis was conducted in the SCOPE cohort, which had participants with less advanced immunodeficiency. RESULTS Plasma gut epithelial barrier integrity markers (intestinal fatty acid binding protein and zonulin-1 levels), soluble CD14 level, kynurenine/tryptophan ratio, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 level, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level, and D-dimer level all strongly predicted mortality, even after adjustment for proximal CD4(+) T-cell count (all P ≤ .001). A higher percentage of CD38(+)HLA-DR(+) cells in the CD8(+) T-cell population was a predictor of mortality before (P = .031) but not after (P = .10) adjustment for proximal CD4(+) T-cell count. Frequencies of senescent (defined as CD28(-)CD57(+) cells), exhausted (defined as PD1(+) cells), naive, and CMV-specific T cells did not predict mortality. CONCLUSIONS Gut epithelial barrier dysfunction, innate immune activation, inflammation, and coagulation-but not T-cell activation, senescence, and exhaustion-independently predict mortality in individuals with treated HIV infection with a history of AIDS and are viable targets for interventions.
Immature Blood Vessels in Rheumatoid Synovium Are Selectively Depleted in Response to Anti-TNF Therapy

Background Angiogenesis is considered an important factor in the pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) where it has been proposed as a therapeutic target. In other settings, active angiogenesis is characterized by pathologic, immature vessels that lack periendothelial cells. We searched for the presence of immature vessels in RA synovium and analyzed the dynamics of synovial vasculature along the course of the disease, particularly after therapeutic response to TNF antagonists. Methodology/Principal Findings Synovial arthroscopic biopsies from RA, osteoarthritis (OA) and normal controls were analyzed by double labeling of endothelium and pericytes/smooth muscle mural cells to identify and quantify mature/immature blood vessels. To analyze clinicopathological correlations, a cross-sectional study on 82 synovial biopsies from RA patients with variable disease duration and severity was performed. A longitudinal analysis was performed in 25 patients with active disease rebiopsied after anti-TNF-α therapy. We found that most RA synovial tissues contained a significant fraction of immature blood vessels lacking periendothelial coverage, whereas they were rare in OA, and inexistent in normal synovial tissues. Immature vessels were observed from the earliest phases of the disease but their presence or density was significantly increased in patients with longer disease duration, higher activity and severity, and stronger inflammatory cell infiltration. In patients that responded to anti-TNF-α therapy, immature vessels were selectively depleted. The mature vasculature was similarly expanded in early or late disease and unchanged by therapy. Conclusion/Significance RA synovium contains a significant fraction of neoangiogenic, immature blood vessels. Progression of the disease increases the presence and density of immature but not mature vessels and only immature vessels are depleted in response to anti-TNFα therapy. The different dynamics of the mature and immature vascular fractions has important implications for the development of anti-angiogenic interventions in RA.
Phorbol 12-Myristate 13-Acetate Induces Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Transactivation via Protein Kinase Cδ/c-Src Pathways in Glioblastoma Cells*

Both the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and protein kinase C (PKC) play important roles in glioblastoma invasive growth; however, the interaction between the EGFR and PKC is not well characterized in glioblastomas. Treatment with EGF stimulated global phosphorylation of the EGFR at Tyr845, Tyr992, Tyr1068, and Tyr1045 in glioblastoma cell lines (U-1242 MG and U-87 MG). Interestingly, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulated phosphorylation of the EGFR only at Tyr1068 in the two glioblastoma cell lines. Phosphorylation of the EGFR at Tyr1068 was not detected in normal human astrocytes treated with the phorbol ester. PMA-induced phosphorylation of the EGFR at Tyr1068 was blocked by bisindolylmaleimide (BIM), a PKC inhibitor, and rottlerin, a PKCδ-specific inhibitor. In contrast, Gö 6976, an inhibitor of classical PKC isozymes, had no effect on PMA-induced EGFR phosphorylation. Furthermore, gene silencing with PKCδ small interfering RNA (siRNA), siRNA against c-Src, and mutant c-Src(S12C/S48A) and treatment with a c-Src inhibitor (4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl) pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine) abrogated PMA-induced EGFR phosphorylation at Tyr1068. PMA induced serine/threonine phosphorylation of Src, which was blocked by both BIM and rottlerin. Inhibition of the EGFR with AG 1478 did not significantly alter PMA-induced EGFR Tyr1068 phosphorylation, but completely blocked EGF-induced phosphorylation of the EGFR. The effects of PMA on MAPK phosphorylation and glioblastoma cell proliferation were reduced by BIM, rottlerin, the MEK inhibitor U0126, and PKCδ and c-Src siRNAs. Taken together, our data demonstrate that PMA transactivates the EGFR and increases cell proliferation by activating the PKCδ/c-Src pathway in glioblastomas.