Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serotonergic afferents to the rat olfactory bulb: I. Origins and laminar specificity of serotonergic inputs in the adult rat

This is a study of the chemoanatomical organization of the projection from the raphe nuclei to the main olfactory bulb in the rat. A heavy projection from the dorsal and median raphe nuclei to the main olfactory bulb was shown by both retrograde and anterograde tracing techniques. Following injections of 1% wheat germ agglutinin- horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) into the main olfactory bulb, up to 1300 neurons were retrogradely labeled in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, a much larger number than has been suggested by previous studies. By combining 5-HT immunofluorescence with True blue retrograde fluorescent labeling, it was determined that the vast majority of raphe neurons that project to the olfactory bulb contain serotonin. Injections of WGA-HRP into dorsal and/or median raphe produced dense anterograde labeling in the glomeruli, while fewer labeled fibers were observed in the external plexiform layer, internal plexiform layer, and granule cell layer. In contrast to the number of other centrifugal afferents to the bulb, a significant contingent of fibers from the raphe nuclei enters the main olfactory bulb (MOB) from outside in, i.e., via the olfactory nerve layer. Serotonergic fibers in MOB were visualized by immunocytochemistry, and the distribution of specific 5- HT fibers closely matched the distribution of anterograde terminal label resulting from injections of WGA-HRP in the raphe nuclei. The serotonergic fibers have a specific laminar distribution and morphology in MOB. Thus, the density of the serotonergic innervation to the glomerular layer is 2–3 times that of any other layer in MOB. In addition to their preferential innervation of the glomeruli, glomerular and infraglomerular serotonergic fibers are morphologically different. Serotonergic fibers located in the glomerular layer are generally thick (0.25–0.60 micron) compared to the thinner (0.25–0.35 micron) fibers that predominate in infraglomerular layers. Another difference is that the glomerular fibers often contain varicosities that are greater than 1 micron in diameter, while varicosities along infraglomerular fibers are usually barely larger than the axonal diameter. Finally, glomerular fibers are much more intensely stained than infraglomerular fibers. Electrolytic lesions of the dorsal and median raphe caused a total depletion of serotonin fiber staining in the bulb, demonstrating that the raphe nuclei are the sole source of the serotonergic input to the main olfactory bulb. Thus, it has been demonstrated that serotonergic neurons in dorsal and median raphe project very heavily to glomeruli and less heavily to other layers in the main olfactory bulb. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Conflict-Free Colourings of Graphs and Hypergraphs

A colouring of the vertices of a hypergraph H is called conflict-free if each hyperedge E of H contains a vertex of ‘unique’ colour that does not get repeated in E. The smallest number of colours required for such a colouring is called the conflict-free chromatic number of H, and is denoted by χCF(H). This parameter was first introduced by Even, Lotker, Ron and Smorodinsky (FOCS 2002) in a geometric setting, in connection with frequency assignment problems for cellular networks. Here we analyse this notion for general hypergraphs. It is shown that $\chi_{\rm CF}(H)\leq 1/2+\sqrt{2m+1/4}$, for every hypergraph with m edges, and that this bound is tight. Better bounds of the order of m1/t log m are proved under the assumption that the size of every edge of H is at least 2t − 1, for some t ≥ 3. Using Lovász's Local Lemma, the same result holds for hypergraphs in which the size of every edge is at least 2t − 1 and every edge intersects at most m others. We give efficient polynomial-time algorithms to obtain such colourings. Our machinery can also be applied to the hypergraphs induced by the neighbourhoods of the vertices of a graph. It turns out that in this case we need far fewer colours. For example, it is shown that the vertices of any graph G with maximum degree Δ can be coloured with log2+ε Δ colours, so that the neighbourhood of every vertex contains a point of ‘unique’ colour. We give an efficient deterministic algorithm to find such a colouring, based on a randomized algorithmic version of the Lovász Local Lemma, suggested by Beck, Molloy and Reed. To achieve this, we need to (1) correct a small error in the Molloy–Reed approach, (2) restate and re-prove their result in a deterministic form.
Climate Variability Structures Plant Community Dynamics in Mediterranean Restored and Reference Tidal Wetlands

In Mediterranean regions and other areas with variable climates, interannual weather variability may impact ecosystem dynamics, and by extension ecological restoration projects. Conditions at reference sites, which are often used to evaluate restoration projects, may also be influenced by weather variability, confounding interpretations of restoration outcomes. To better understand the influence of weather variability on plant community dynamics, we explore change in a vegetation dataset collected between 1990 and 2005 at a historic tidal wetland reference site and a nearby tidal wetland restoration project initiated in 1976 in California’s San Francisco (SF) Bay. To determine the factors influencing reference and restoration trajectories, we examine changes in plant community identity in relation to annual salinity levels in the SF Bay, annual rainfall, and tidal channel structure. Over the entire study period, both sites experienced significant directional change away from the 1990 community. Community change was accelerated following low salinity conditions that resulted from strong El Nino events in 1994–1995 and 1997–1998. Overall rates of change were greater at the restoration site and driven by a combination of dominant and sub-dominant species, whereas change at the reference site was driven by sub-dominant species. Sub-dominant species first appeared at the restoration site in 1996 and incrementally increased during each subsequent year, whereas sub-dominant species cover at the reference site peaked in 1999 and subsequently declined. Our results show that frequent, long-term monitoring is needed to adequately capture plant community dynamics in variable Mediterranean ecosystems and demonstrate the need for expanding restoration monitoring and timing restoration actions to match weather conditions.
High-Power Laser Performance of  ${\hbox {Yb:}}{\hbox {YAl}}_{3}({\hbox {BO}}_{3})_{4}$ Crystals Cut Along the Crystallographic Axes

High-power continuous-wave laser operation near 1 mum was demonstrated at room temperature with c-cut and a-cut Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 crystals end-pumped by a fiber-coupled diode laser. Using a 2-mm-thick c-cut crystal, 10.6 W of output power was generated with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 65% and a slope efficiency of 72%. The complex polarization state of the generated laser radiation was also studied. With a 2-mm-thick a-cut crystal, sigma-polarized laser oscillation was obtained, producing a maximum output power of 8.1 W; the optical-to-optical and slope efficiencies were 56% and 61%, respectively. Complete absorption and emission cross section spectra of the Yb:YAl3(BO3) 4 crystal were also derived, revealing very strong anisotropy of the spectroscopic properties
Floral development in the tribe Cedreleae (Meliaceae, sub-family Swietenioideae): Cedrela and Toona.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Floral development of Cedrela and Toona, the genera comprising the basal tribe Cedreleae of the sub-family Swietenioideae of Meliaceae, is described. The focus was on three endangered, ecologically and economically important species: Cedrela fissilis, Cedrela odorata and Toona ciliata. The aims of the study were to characterize the patterns of floral development in the tribe and to establish apomorphic and plesiomorphic floral characters in relation to other taxa within the family based on the current molecular phylogeny of Meliaceae. METHODS A detailed floral structural and developmental study was completed using both scanning electron microscopy and visualization of microtome sections with a light microscope. KEY RESULTS Twelve floral developmental stages were identified. The initial development of the pentamerous flowers of both Toona and Cedrela is strikingly similar. The morphological differences observed between them are due to differential patterns of organ elongation and adnation/connation occurring late in development. Additionally, the formation of functionally male and female flowers was found to occur at specific positions within the inflorescence. CONCLUSIONS Due to the basal position of the tribe Cedreleae in the phylogeny of Meliaceae, functionally either male or female pentamerous flowers and the presence of (at least partially) free stamens may be considered plesiomorphic traits within the family. In contrast, sympetaly and the absence of nectaries in Cedrela species are synapomorphies.
Evaluating Anti-Poverty Programs

The author critically reviews the methods available for the ex-post counterfactual analysis of programs that are assigned exclusively to individuals, households, or locations. The discussion covers both experimental and non-experimental methods (including propensity-score matching, discontinuity designs, double and triple differences, and instrumental variables). Two main lessons emerge. First, despite the claims of advocates, no single method dominates; rigorous, policy-relevant evaluations should be open-minded about methodology. Second, future efforts to draw more useful lessons from evaluations will call for more policy-relevant measures and deeper explanations of measured impacts than are possible from the classic ("black box") assessment of mean impact.
How to distinguish starbursts and quiescently star-forming galaxies: the ‘bimodal’ submillimetre galaxy population as a case study

In recent work, we have suggested that the high-redshift (z∼ 2–4) bright submillimetre galaxy (SMG) population is heterogeneous, with major mergers contributing both at early stages, where quiescently star-forming discs are blended into one submm source (‘galaxy-pair SMGs’), and at late stages, where mutual tidal torques drive gas inflows and cause strong starbursts. Here we combine hydrodynamic simulations of major mergers with 3D dust radiative transfer calculations to determine observational diagnostics that can distinguish between quiescently star-forming SMGs and starburst SMGs via integrated data alone. We fit the far-infrared (FIR) spectral energy distributions of the simulated galaxies with the optically thin single-temperature modified blackbody, the full form of the single-temperature modified blackbody and a power-law temperature distribution model. The effective dust temperature, Td, and power-law index of the dust emissivity in the FIR, β, derived can significantly depend on the fitting form used, and the intrinsic β of the dust is not recovered. However, for all forms used here, there is Td above which almost all simulated galaxies are starbursts, so a Td cut is very effective at selecting starbursts. Simulated merger-induced starbursts also have higher LIR/Mgas and LIR/LFUV than quiescently star-forming galaxies and lie above the star formation rate–stellar mass relation. These diagnostics can be used to test our claim that the SMG population is heterogeneous and to observationally determine what star formation mode dominates a given galaxy population. We comment on applicability of these diagnostics to ultraluminous IR galaxies (ULIRGs) that would not be selected as SMGs. These ‘hot-dust ULIRGs’ are typically starburst galaxies lower in mass than SMGs, but they can also simply be SMGs observed from a different viewing angle.
2.3 ppm/°C 40 nW MOSFET-only voltage reference

A MOSFET-only sub-bandgap voltage reference at less than 50 nW and with very low temperature coefficient is introduced. It consists of a threshold voltage extractor circuit and a proportional to absolute temperature voltage generator, using no resistors. The behavior of the circuit is analytically described, a design methodology is proposed and simulation results for a 0. 13μm CMOS process are presented. It allows a reference voltage below the bandgap, 625 mV in this design example, achieving a temperature coefficient of 2.3 ppm/°C for the -40 to 125 °C temperature range. The circuit consumes 40 nW at 27 °C and under 1.2 V supply, being the implemented silicon area 0.0099 mm2.
Visual cortex responses to suprachoroidal electrical stimulation of the retina: effects of electrode return configuration

A clinically effective retinal prosthesis must evoke localized phosphenes in a retinotopic manner in response to stimulation of each of the retinal electrodes, evoke brightness cues over a wide dynamic range and function within safe stimulus limits. The effects of varying return configuration for retinal stimulation are currently unknown. To investigate this, we implanted a flexible, 7 × 12 electrode array into the suprachoroidal space of normally-sighted, anesthetized cats. Multi-unit activity in the primary visual cortex was recorded in response to electrical stimulation using various return configurations: monopolar vitreous (MPV), common ground (CG), hexagonal (HX), monopolar remote (MPR) and bipolar (BP_N). MPV stimulation was found to be the most charge efficient and was most likely to induce cortical activity within safe charge limits. HX and CG stimulation were found to exhibit greater retinal selectivity compared to the MPV return at the expense of lower cortical yield and higher P50 charge levels, while cortical selectivity was unaffected by choice of return. Responses using MPR and widely spaced BP_N configurations were similar to those using the MPV return. These results suggest that choice of return configuration for a retinal prosthesis will be balanced between resolution and stimulation within safe charge limits.
Real-time quantitative telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay for the detection of telomerase activity.

BACKGROUND Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme associated with immortalization and transformation of human cells. The telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) is widely used for the detection of telomerase activity. The TRAP method, although highly sensitive and specific because it includes PCR amplification, is laborious and does not provide precise quantitative information. METHODS We developed a real-time quantitative TRAP (RTQ-TRAP) system by combining a real-time PCR technique with the conventional TRAP method. Telomerase activity in human tumor cell lines and in 13 lymphoma samples was measured using the RTQ-TRAP assay, and the results obtained from the samples using the RTQ-TRAP method were compared with the conventional TRAP method. RESULTS The RTQ-TRAP method was both accurate and reproducible in measuring telomerase activity in a dilution series of protein extracts from HL60 cells. Telomerase activity in 13 lymphoma samples, as determined by the RTQ-TRAP method, was ninefold lower than that measured by the conventional TRAP method. The half-life of telomerase activity in human tumor cells, as determined using RTQ-TRAP, was much shorter than the half-life reported previously. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the conventional TRAP assay frequently overestimates telomerase activity in tumor samples. The RTQ-TRAP method is thus a useful tool to rapidly and precisely quantify telomerase activity.
Evidence For N-Acefylmannosamine as an Ocular Receptor For P . aeruginosa Adherence to Scorified Cornea

This study provides evidence for an N-acetylmannosamine (manNac) receptor mediating in vivo bacterial adherence of P. aeruginosa to the scarified corneal epithelial surface. Bacteria, whether exposed to the inhibiting sugar or not, did not adhere immediately after inoculation, but required time in contact with the scarified corneal surface to adhere and adherence increased with time. Organisms were observed primarily adherent to the surface of epithelial cells lining the wound and were less frequently seen on areas of denuded stroma. Saturation of binding sites on the bacterial surface by manNac inhibited attachment of the organisms to newly exposed surface membrane receptors. In vivo protection studies showed excellent correlation with quantitative analysis of scanning electron micrographs, in that the number of adherent organisms at the corneal surface at 60 min following scarification and bacterial inoculation was decreased significantly by prior treatment of the bacteria with manNac when compared with PBS or the other monosaccharides. These data were confirmed by quantitative bacterial culture of excised corneas which had been similarly infected in vivo with PBS or manNac treated organisms. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 28:1978-1985,1987
Factors Affecting Burden of South Koreans Providing Care to Disabled Older Family Members

This study examined the determinants of caregiving burden among South Koreans who care for their disabled older family members. A sample of 1,000 primary caregivers taken from the Comprehensive Study for Elderly Welfare Policy in Seoul, South Korea was analyzed. Independent variables included the demographic characteristics of caregivers and care recipients, the severity of cognitive impairment among care recipients, care recipients' functional abilities, financial adequacy and caregivers' degree of social support. Hierarchical regression was used to predict the levels of caregivers' burden. Similar to western care providers, South Korean caregivers who were in poor health and who had little informal social support, inadequate financial resources and more weekly caregiving hours were more likely to experience intense caregiving burden. Burden was also positively related to the functional and cognitive disabilities of care recipients. The results of this study indicate that certain aspects of caregiving are unique to South Koreans. Daughters-in-law were the most common caregiver within the sample which indicates that South Korean eldercare is non-consanguineous. Identifying predictors of South Korean caregivers' burden promotes a more comprehensive understanding of cultural experiences in caring for older adults.
Quantitative Profiling of Ubiquitylated Proteins Reveals Proteasome Substrates and the Substrate Repertoire Influenced by the Rpn10 Receptor Pathway*S

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) comprises hundreds of different conjugation/deconjugation enzymes and multiple receptors that recognize ubiquitylated proteins. A formidable challenge to deciphering the biology of ubiquitin is to map the networks of substrates and ligands for components of the UPS. Several different receptors guide ubiquitylated substrates to the proteasome, and neither the basis for specificity nor the relative contribution of each pathway is known. To address how broad of a role the ubiquitin receptor Rpn10 (S5a) plays in turnover of proteasome substrates, we implemented a method to perform quantitative analysis of ubiquitin conjugates affinity-purified from experimentally perturbed and reference cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that were differentially labeled with 14N and 15N isotopes. Shotgun mass spectrometry coupled with relative quantification using metabolic labeling and statistical analysis based on q values revealed ubiquitylated proteins that increased or decreased in level in response to a particular treatment. We first identified over 225 candidate UPS substrates that accumulated as ubiquitin conjugates upon proteasome inhibition. To determine which of these proteins were influenced by Rpn10, we evaluated the ubiquitin conjugate proteomes in cells lacking either the entire Rpn10 (rpn10Δ) (or only its UIM (ubiquitin-interacting motif) polyubiquitin-binding domain (uimΔ)). Twenty-seven percent of the UPS substrates accumulated as ubiquitylated species in rpn10Δ cells, whereas only one-fifth as many accumulated in uimΔ cells. These findings underscore a broad role for Rpn10 in turnover of ubiquitylated substrates but a relatively modest role for its ubiquitin-binding UIM domain. This approach illustrates the feasibility of systems-level quantitative analysis to map enzyme-substrate networks in the UPS.
Evaluation of a simulation model for predicting soil-water characteristics of selected agricultural fields

The ability of the Soil Water Characteristics-Hydraulic Properties Calculator (SWC-HPC) model in predicting soil-water characteristics of agricultural fields in Zaria, Nigeria, was tested and reported in this study. The goal was to establish the predictability and reliability of the model, and hence, its use in determining water characteristics of soils in the study area. Fortty soil samples collected from four irrigation sites were used in the evaluation. The soils particle size distribution (specifically, percent clay and sand) and organic matter contents were inputted into the model to simulate soil moisture status at saturation, field capacity and wilting point, soil bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity. The model outputs were statistically compared with observed parameters from laboratory tests using root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of variation (CV), modeling efficiency (BF) and coefficient of residual mass (CRM). The model accurately simulated the observed bulk densities of the soil tested, satisfactorily simulated soil moisture content at field capacity, and moderately simulated moisture content at saturation and wilting point. The model however, poorly simulated saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soils tested. The SWC-HPC may therefore be used only to simulate soil bulk densities and moisture status at saturation, field capacity and wilting point inthe study locations. Keywords : Simulation, SWC-HPC model, Field capacity, wilting point, bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity
A randomized controlled trial testing an HIV prevention intervention for Latino youth.

OBJECTIVE To test the efficacy of a prevention intervention to reduce sexual risk behavior among Latino adolescents. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial from April 2000 through March 2003, with data collection before and after intervention and at 3, 6, and 12 months. SETTING Northeast Philadelphia schools. PARTICIPANTS Latinos aged 13 through 18 years (249 males and 304 females); 81.6% retained at 12-month follow-up. INTERVENTIONS The HIV and health-promotion control interventions consisted of six 50-minute modules delivered by adult facilitators to small, mixed-gender groups in English or Spanish. Main Outcome Measure Self-reported sexual behavior. RESULTS Analyses using generalized estimation equations over the follow-up period revealed that adolescents in the HIV intervention were less likely to report sexual intercourse (odds ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46-0.96), multiple partners (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.31-0.90), and days of unprotected intercourse (relative risk, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.26-0.84) and more likely to report using condoms consistently (odds ratio, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.24-2.93). Baseline sexual experience and language use moderated intervention efficacy. Adolescents assigned to the HIV intervention who were sexually inexperienced at baseline reported fewer days of unprotected sex (relative risk, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.08-0.63); Spanish speakers were more likely to have used a condom at last intercourse (odds ratio, 4.73; 95% CI, 1.72-12.97) and had a greater proportion of protected sex (mean difference, 0.35; P<.01) compared with similar adolescents in the health-promotion intervention. CONCLUSION Results provide evidence for the efficacy of HIV intervention in decreasing sexual activity and increasing condom use among Latino adolescents.