Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduced accuracy and sensitivity in the perception of emotional facial expressions in individuals with high autism spectrum traits

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is among other things characterized by specific impairments in emotion processing. It is not clear, however, to what extent the typical decline in affective functioning is related to the specific autistic traits. We employed The Autism Spectrum-Quotient (AQ) to quantify autistic traits in a group of 500 healthy individuals and investigate whether we could detect similar difficulties in the perception of emotional expressions in a broader autistic phenotype. The group with high AQ score was less accurate and needed higher emotional content to recognize emotions of anger, disgust, and sadness. Our findings demonstrate a selective impairment in identification of emotional facial expressions in healthy individuals that is primarily related to the extent of autistic traits.
FUNCTIONAL EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF A THIRD CELL TYPE IN THE RENAL GLOMERULUS

Two types of cells can be recognized on the luminal side of the glomerular basement membrane: the superficial endothelial cells which directly line the lumen and are comparable to endothelia lining the capillaries of other tissues, and the deep cells, ordinarily not in contact with the lumen, which are distinguished by their long cytoplasmic arms extending for some distance in several directions along the capillary wall, numerous spinous processes, and occasional intraluminal pseudopodia. Experiments carried out with electron-opaque tracers indicated that a functional distinction, based on extent of phagocytosis, can be made between the superficial and deep cells, thus supporting the existence of a distinctive "third" cell (in addition to endothelium and epithelium) in the renal glomerulus. Ferritin, colloidal gold, or thorotrast was administered intravenously to normal and, in the case of ferritin, to nephrotic rats. Kidney tissue was fixed at selected intervals from 1 hour to 10 days after the injection and studied by electron microscopy. Within 1 to 4 hours after tracer administration, the particles which did not traverse the glomerular capillary wall gradually accumulated in the less compact, inner strata of the basement membrane and the large spongy areas of axial regions. After 1 day the concentration of circulating tracer declined and the peripheral areas of the capillaries became relatively free of particles while large accumulations developed in the axial regions. During this period increasing quantities of ferritin were taken up by the deep cells and were found within large and small sized invaginations of their cell membrane or concentrated within cytoplasmic vesicles, vacuoles, multivesicular and dense bodies. At the same time the deep cells showed increased numbers of intraluminal pseudopodia. Within 2 to 4 days the deposits in the spongy areas were cleared and concomitantly increased quantities of tracer appeared in the deep cells within dense cytoplasmic bodies, some of which were more compact than before. When ferritin was given to nephrotic animals the sequence of events was generally the same except that the ferritin deposits at any given period were more massive, their incorporation into the deep cells occurred primarily by means of large pockets 1 to 2 µ in diameter and their clearance from the spongy areas was slower. In normal as well as in nephrotic animals, the phagocytic activity of the superficial endothelium was negligible when compared to that of the deep cells.
COMPLEX MULTIPLICATION TESTS FOR ELLIPTIC CURVES

DENIS XAVIER CHARLESAbstract. We consider the problem of checking whether an elliptic curve deﬁned over a givennumber ﬁeld has complex multiplication. We study two polynomial time algorithms for this prob-lem, one randomized and the other deterministic. The randomized algorithm can be adapted toyield the discriminant of the endomorphism ring of the curve.Keywords. Algorithms, Elliptic Curves, Complex Multiplication, Endomorphism Ring, l-adicrepresentations, Chebotarev Density Theorem.
Co-expression of five genes in E coli for L-phenylalanine in Brevibacterium flavum.

AIM To study the effect of co-expression of ppsA, pckA, aroG, pheA and tyrB genes on the production of L-phenylalanine, and to construct a genetic engineering strain for L-phenylalanine. METHODS ppsA and pckA genes were amplified from genomic DNA of E. coli by polymerase chain reaction, and then introduced into shuttle vectors between E coli and Brevibacterium flavum to generate constructs pJN2 and pJN5. pJN2 was generated by inserting ppsA and pckA genes into vector pCZ; whereas pJN5 was obtained by introducing ppsA and pckA genes into pCZ-GAB, which was originally constructed for co-expression of aroG, pheA and tyrB genes. The recombinant plasmids were then introduced into B. flavum by electroporation and the transformants were used for L-phenylalanine fermentation. RESULTS Compared with the original B. flavum cells, all the transformants were showed to have increased five enzyme activities specifically, and have enhanced L-phenylalanine biosynthesis ability variably. pJN5 transformant was observed to have the highest elevation of L-phenylalanine production by a 3.4-fold. Co-expression of ppsA and pckA increased activity of DAHP synthetase significantly. CONCLUSION Co-expression of ppsA and pckA genes in B. flavum could remarkably increase the expression of DAHP synthetase; Co-expression of ppsA, pckA, aroG, pheA and tyrB of E. coli in B. flavum was a feasible approach to construct a strain for phenylalanine production.
Factors Involved in the Antinatriuretic Effects of Acute Constriction of the Thoracic and Abdominal Inferior Vena Cava

Studies were performed on anesthetized saline-loaded dogs to delineate the factors involved in the antinatriuretic effect of acute constriction of the thoracic (TIVC) and abdominal (AIVC) inferior vena cava. Acute TIVC constriction lowered cardiac output and arterial blood pressure and reduced urinary sodium excretion 48%; the same degree of reduction in renal perfusion pressure by suprarenal aortic constriction diminished sodium excretion only 27%. This finding suggested that factors other than a reduction in renal perfusion pressure are involved in the antinatriuretic effect of acute TIVC constriction. This conclusion was confirmed by studies in which a significant antinatriuretic effect (23%) was observed during acute TIVC constriction while renal perfusion pressure and renal venous pressure were held constant. A similar degree of constriction of the AIVC, as judged by the increase in vena cava pressure, did not cause a decrease in arterial pressure or cardiac output, and the modest antinatriuretic effect of this maneuver was not observed when renal venous pressure was held constant. The antinatriuretic effect of TIVC constriction which occurred in the absence of changes in renal perfusion pressure and renal venous pressure did not correlate with alterations in renal vascular resistance, glomerular filtration rate, and calculated initial postglomerular protein concentration and was not abolished by renal denervation or adrenalectomy. The afferent stimulus for the antinatriuretic effect may be related to the alterations in systemic hemodynamics which occur during acute TIVC, but not AIVC, constriction.
Deletion of the Ttf1 Gene in Differentiated Neurons Disrupts Female Reproduction without Impairing Basal Ganglia Function

Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1) [also known as Nkx2.1 (related to the NK-2 class of homeobox genes) and T/ebp (thyroid-specific enhancer-binding protein)], a homeodomain gene required for basal forebrain morphogenesis, remains expressed in the hypothalamus after birth, suggesting a role in neuroendocrine function. Here, we show an involvement of TTF1 in the control of mammalian puberty and adult reproductive function. Gene expression profiling of the nonhuman primate hypothalamus revealed that TTF1 expression increases at puberty. Mice in which the Ttf1 gene was ablated from differentiated neurons grew normally and had normal basal ganglia/hypothalamic morphology but exhibited delayed puberty, reduced reproductive capacity, and a short reproductive span. These defects were associated with reduced hypothalamic expression of genes required for sexual development and deregulation of a gene involved in restraining puberty. No extrapyramidal impairments associated with basal ganglia dysfunction were apparent. Thus, although TTF1 appears to fulfill only a morphogenic function in the ventral telencephalon, once this function is satisfied in the hypothalamus, TTF1 remains active as part of the transcriptional machinery controlling female sexual development.
Linked suppression of skin graft rejection can operate through indirect recognition.

Adult mice can be rendered immunologically tolerant of allogeneic tissues if transplanted under cover of mAbs to CD4 and CD8. Tolerance generated in this manner is characterized by the presence of regulatory CD4+ T cells that can recruit naive T cells to become tolerant also through "infectious tolerance. " Regulatory CD4+ T cells can also suppress rejection of third party transplant Ags provided they are expressed on the same graft as the tolerated Ags. This process of linked suppression can act across whole MHC barriers and represents a powerful mechanism with therapeutic potential. Tolerance can also be induced to reprocessed minor transplantation Ags presented through host APCs (indirect recognition). We here demonstrate that linked suppression can also be induced through the indirect pathway. This finding may be important in the development of transplantation tolerance in the clinic.
Modulation of high-threshold transmission between heart interneurons of the medicinal leech by FMRF-NH2.

1. We examined high-threshold synaptic transmission between oscillatory pairs of leech heart interneurons. Inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) could be reliably evoked by depolarizing the presynaptic neuron in voltage clamp from a holding potential of -35 mV. At this presynaptic potential, the Ca2+ currents underlying graded transmission are completely inactivated, and we conclude that a high-threshold Ca2+ current is extant in heart interneurons. Further evidence for this was that inhibitory postsynaptic currents were blocked when Co2+ replaced Ca2+ in the saline and thus high-threshold transmission was dependent on the presence of external Ca2+. 2. When IPSCs were evoked by a 200-ms duration voltage step from a holding potential of -35 mV in the presynaptic neuron, the time course of turn-on of the IPSC consisted of a fast (time-to-peak = 17.5 +/- 1.93 (SE) ms [n = 7]) and a slow (time-to-peak = 250 +/- 28.5 ms [n = 8]) component. FMRF-NH2 reduced the amplitude of the fast component but did not affect the slow component. When the presynaptic voltage step was ended the IPSC turned off with a single exponential time course. FMRF-NH2 slowed the time course of turn-off of the IPSC. 3. When IPSCs were evoked by a 1500-ms duration voltage step from a holding potential of -35 mV in the presynaptic neuron, these IPSCs peaked around 300 ms. Following the peak, the IPSC decayed with a single exponential time course. FMRF-NH2 accelerated the time course of this decay. At potentials of 0 mV and +5 mV, FMRF-NH2 produced a significant decrease in the peak current and at potentials of -5 mV and 0 mV, produced a significant decrease in the current integral. 4. High-threshold IPSCs could also be evoked by a spike in the presynaptic neuron. Bath application of 1 microM FMRF-NH2 decreased the amplitude of the spike-evoked IPSC and slowed the time course of its falling phase. 5. We examined the effect of FMRF-NH2 on the quantal synaptic transmission. Bath-application of FMRF-NH2 increased binomial p, the probability of release, and decreased binomial n, the number of units available for release. FMRF-NH2 had no effect on q, the unit size, when calculated from the distributions of PSPs, and increased the coefficient of variation (CV). 6. The lack of a change in q and the increase in CV suggested that FMRF-NH2 acted at a presynaptic location. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Energy-Efficient Data Collection in Wireless Sensor Networks

For terrestrial positioning, some applications require three dimensional coordinates. The Dilution of precisions (DOPs) for position systems using range measurement are reviewed and the average values of DOPs for different deployments of base station geometries are examined. It is shown that to obtain the lowest DOPs, the base stations for different types of positioning systems need to be deployed differently. Changing the N-sided regular polygon to an (N - 1)-sided polygon with one base station in the centre of the polygon can decrease the value of DOP in general for a pseudorange time of arrival (TOA) system but not for an absolute range TOA system. The height of the base station in the centre can also change the DOP significantly. The finding can be used to optimize the deployment of the base stations for range measurement positioning systems.
Bioethical and Clinical Dilemmas of Direct-to-Consumer Personal Genomic Testing: The Problem of Misattributed Equivalence

What are the challenges associated with direct-to-consumer genomic tests as compared with validated clinical genetic tests? A number of for-profit companies now provide personal genomic testing services to clients directly, without input from a physician or other health care provider, and the results of these tests include predictions about a broad spectrum of disease risks and traits. Validated clinical genetic testing and direct-to-consumer (DTC) genomic tests differ substantially in their reliability and usefulness, raising many clinical, ethical, and societal challenges, which are discussed in this Commentary. Of special concern is the problem of misattributed equivalence, which occurs when a patient or physician mistakenly views alternative methods of genetic evaluation as equivalent in their results and analytic rigor. Despite the many challenges raised by DTC genomic testing, we are reminded that commercial interests have sometimes acted as a disruptive force or technology that drives nonconventional approaches to difficult problems.
Compound Laser Modes of Mutually Delay-Coupled Lasers

We consider a model of two mutually delay-coupled semiconductor lasers (SLs) in a face to face configuration. The lasers are coherently coupled via their optical fields, where the time delay $\tau$ arises from the finite propagation time of the light from one laser to the other. This system is described well by single mode rate equations, which are a system of delay differential equations (DDEs) with one fixed delay.We study the compound laser modes (CLMs) of the system, where both lasers operate at an identical, time-independent frequency. By making use of numerical continuation applied to the full DDEs, we present a comprehensive geometrical picture of how CLMs depend on the two main physical parameters, namely, the coupling phase and the detuning between the two lasers. The different branches of CLMs are organized by unfoldings of pitchfork bifurcations that exist for zero detuning. As a function of the detuning, different branches of CLMs connect, split, or disappear in transitions through codimension.
Design and construction of smart structures for technical textiles

The smart textiles sector is becoming increasingly significant within the technical textiles industry, contributing an increasing number of products and applications using a number of different technologies. This research is concerned primarily with electrically conductive smart textiles and, for the purposes of this project, smart structures are considered to be electrically conductive components which can be used in conjunction with technical textiles in order to enhance their performance and properties. The term `smart textiles' defines materials with advanced responsive properties enabling them to sense, actuate and/or control and the primary aim of this research was to characterise commercially available conductive yarns in terms of their structure, composition and physical behaviour in relation to their electrical behaviour. The secondary aim was to manufacture an electrically conductive textile material that could act as a strain sensor with the aim of integrating them into or onto existing technical textile fabrics. A range of static, dynamic and cyclic mechanical-electrical tests were carried out on a number of commercially available conductive yarns, work which informed the decision to base further experimental work on the integration of Carbon Black particles and Carbon Nanotubes into Nylon 6.10 and extrude a monofilament using a standard melt spinning technique. Although the resultant yarns manufactured did not display the properties required, analysis of the CB and CNT properties, the conductive particle dispersion within the polymer matrix, the yarn structure and the manufacturing method all informed the development of the design paradigm. The resultant design paradigm developed highlights the most significant variables and parameters to take into consideration when designing a textile sensor, and suggests solutions that would result in successful sample production. The paradigm covers design solutions for the conductive particles, the polymer, the compounding method, yarn manufacturing parameters and the resultant yarn structure. Whilst the information contained therein is not exhaustive, this being due to the inherent multilevel complexity of designing a textile system, it acts as a guide for sensor development and may help circumvent costly and timely sample manufacturing errors.
The Role of Spatial Aggregation in Forensic Entomology

ABSTRACT A central concept in forensic entomology is that arthropod succession on carrion is predictable and can be used to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI) of human remains. However, most studies have reported significant variation in successional patterns, particularly among replicate carcasses, which has complicated estimates of PMIs. Several forensic entomology researchers have proposed that further integration of ecological and evolutionary theory in forensic entomology could help advance the application of succession data for producing PMI estimates. The purpose of this essay is to draw attention to the role of spatial aggregation of arthropods among carrion resources as a potentially important aspect to consider for understanding and predicting the assembly of arthropods on carrion over time. We review ecological literature related to spatial aggregation of arthropods among patchy and ephemeral resources, such as carrion, andwhenpossible integrate these results with published forensic literature. We show that spatial aggregation of arthropods across resources is commonly reported and has been used to provide fundamental insight for understanding regional and local patterns of arthropod diversity and coexistence. Moreover, two suggestions are made for conducting future research. First, because intraspecific aggregation affects species frequency distributions across carcasses, data from replicate carcasses should not be combined, but rather statistically quantified to generate occurrence probabilities. Second, we identify a need for studies that tease apart the degree to which community assembly on carrion is spatially versus temporally structured, which will aid in developing mechanistic hypotheses on the ecological factors shaping community assembly on carcasses.
Prospects of Utilizing Insects as Alternative Sources of Protein in Poultry Diets in Botswana

Feed costs account for nearly 70 to 80% of the total production costs as nearly all ingredients used in feed manufacturing in Botswana are imported. Therefore, complete feeds are expensive and out of reach of smallholder poultry farmers who lack economies of scale and access to credit. This makes the prospects of utilising insects as a source of protein feasible because they are available throughout the year. Insects have played an important role in human nutrition as a source of protein since time immemorial. Of all insects, only phane (Imbrasia belina) has been used as source of protein in poultry diets in Botswana. This work has shown that the nutrient composition of phane, grasshoppers, crickets and fly maggots compare favourably with major conventional protein sources such as fish meal, indicating that insect meals can partially or completely replace fish meal in poultry diets. The inclusion of insect meals in poultry diets is likely to lower the cost of feeds, thus contributing to the profitability of smallholder poultry production. Harvesting insects for use as feed ingredients will reduce damage in the crop fields, minimize the use of pesticides for management of pests and reduce environmental pollution. However, in utilizing insects as sources of proteins in poultry diets, the seasonality aspect, as well as, the presence of chitin which detrimentally affects protein digestibility must be considered. Further investigations on the nutritional composition of insects used for human consumption should be conducted with a view to utilizing them in livestock nutrition as well.
A model space framework for efficient speaker detection

In this paper, we investigate the use of a distance between Gaussian mixture models for speaker detection. The proposed distance is derived from the KL divergences and is defined as an Euclidean distance in a particular model space. This distance is simply computable directly from the model parameters thus leading to a very efficient scoring process. This new framework for scoring is compared to the classical log likelihood ratio score approach on a speaker verification task of the NIST 2004 evaluation and on the speaker tracking task of the ESTER french evaluation. Results shows that the proposed approach is competitive and leads to computation times divided by a factor of more than 3.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use does not appear to be associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in patients with inflammatory polyarthritis: results from a primary care based inception cohort of patients

Objectives: There is controversy about the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. The aim of this study was to explore associations between NSAID use and mortality in patients with inflammatory polyarthritis (IP). Subjects and methods: A total of 923 patients with new onset (IP), recruited to the UK Norfolk Arthritis Register (NOAR) between 1990–1994, were followed up to the end of 2004. Current medication was recorded annually for the first 6 years and then every 2–3 years. Rheumatoid factor (RF) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. Logistic regression was used to calculate all cause and CVD mortality odds ratios (OR) for NSAID use at baseline and during follow-up, adjusting for gender and time-varying covariates: RF, CRP, joint counts, smoking, steroid use, DMARD use and other medication use. Results: By 2004 there were 203 deaths, 85 due to CVD. At baseline, NSAIDs were used by 66% of patients. In final multivariate models, baseline NSAID use was inversely associated with all cause mortality (adjusted OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.84) and CVD mortality (adjusted OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.86). Interval NSAID use had weaker mortality associations: all cause mortality (adjusted OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.00), CVD mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.66, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.08). Conclusion: No excess CVD or all cause mortality was observed in NSAID users in this cohort of patients with IP. This is at variance with the literature relating to NSAID use in the general population. It is unclear whether this represents unmeasured confounders influencing a doctor’s decision to avoid NSAIDs in the treatment of IP.