Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Contribution of Low- and High-level Image Content to Eye Movements in Monkeys and Humans

Abstract Oculomotor selection exerts a fundamental impact on our experience of the environment. To better understand the underlying principles, researchers typically rely on behavioral data from humans, and electrophysiological recordings in macaque monkeys. This approach rests on the assumption that the same selection processes are at play in both species. To test this assumption, we compared the viewing behavior of 106 humans and 11 macaques in an unconstrained free‐viewing task. Our data‐driven clustering analyses revealed distinct human and macaque clusters, indicating species‐specific selection strategies. Yet, cross‐species predictions were found to be above chance, indicating some level of shared behavior. Analyses relying on computational models of visual saliency indicate that such cross‐species commonalities in free viewing are largely due to similar low‐level selection mechanisms, with only a small contribution by shared higher level selection mechanisms and with consistent viewing behavior of monkeys being a subset of the consistent viewing behavior of humans.
Can serums be replaced by Mueller-Hinton agar in germ tube test?

Background: The germ tube test (GTT) is inexpensive, easy, and well-defined test that differentiates Candida albicans (excluding Candida dubliniensis and Candida africana) from other species. The aim of this study was to evaluate various serums (i.e., human, rabbit, horse, and fetal bovine serum) used in the GTT and Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA). Materials and Methods: Fifty species isolated from various clinical samples that were defined as C. albicans by both conventional and DNA sequence analysis methods were included in the study. One to two colonies of C. albicans were mixed into 0.5–1 ml of fetal bovine serum, horse serum, rabbit serum, and human serum. Serums and MHA were incubated at 37°C for GTT. They were removed from the incubator and evaluated after 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h of incubation. The GTT was accepted to be positive only if germ tube was 1/2 the width and 3 times the length of the parent yeast cell and with no constriction at the point of origin. Results: When the use of serums and MHA for GTT was statistically evaluated, according to the positive scoring, the best results were obtained with MHA and with rabbit, horse, and fetal bovine serum, respectively. The best definition over time statistically was the third hour. Conclusion: It is suggested that inexpensive MHA is a fast, appropriate, and reliable medium for the probable diagnosis of GTT and C. albicans; however, additional studies are still needed to define other Candida species.
Local voting protocol step-size choice for consensus achievement

In the paper, a multi-agent network system of different computing nodes is considered. A problem of load balancing in the network is addressed. The problem is formulated as consensus achievement problem and solved via local voting protocol. Agents exchange information about their states in presence of noise in communication channels. For the system operating in noised conditions analytically obtained estimation of control protocol optimal step size value is given. The dependence of the system behaviour on value of control protocol step-size is demonstrated in simulation examples.
The Inheritance of Neurotic Traits: A Twin Study of the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire

The Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (M.H.Q.) is a self-rating scale designed to provide rapid quantification of common symptoms and traits relevant to the conventional clinical categories of psychoneurotic illness. The inventory comprises 48 brief questions for each of which two or three simple alternative answers are provided. By use of a standard key, the following six subtest scores are easily calculated: free-floating anxiety (FFA), phobic anxiety (PHO), somatic concomitants of anxiety (SOM), obsessional traits and symptoms (OBS), depression (DEP), and hysterical personality traits (HYS). In that the questionnaire provides an approximation to what would be expected at a clinical level from a diagnostic psychiatric interview, it has advantages over other questionnaires which incorporate essentially non-clinical constructs of personality functioning.
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4AII contributes to microRNA-122 regulation of hepatitis C virus replication

Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive sense RNA virus that persistently infects human liver, leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV replication requires the liver-specific microRNA-122 (miR-122). In contrast to canonical miRNA-mediated repression via 3′UTR sites, miR-122 positively regulates HCV replication by a direct interaction with the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of the viral RNA. The protein factor requirements for this unusual miRNA regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we identify eIF4AII, previously implicated in miRNA-mediated repression via 3′UTR sites, as a host factor that is important for HCV replication. We demonstrate that eIF4AII interacts with HCV RNA and that this interaction is miR-122-dependent. We show that effective miR-122 binding to, and regulation of, HCV RNA are reduced following eIF4AII depletion. We find that the previously identified HCV co-factor CNOT1, which has also been implicated in miRNA-mediated repression via 3′UTR sites, contributes to regulation of HCV by eIF4AII. Finally, we show that eIF4AI knockdown alleviates the inhibition of HCV replication mediated by depletion of either eIF4AII or CNOT1. Our results suggest a competition effect between the eIF4A proteins to influence HCV replication by modulation of miR-122 function.
Mitochondrial dysfunction and potential anticancer therapy

Mitochondrial dysfunction (MDF) has been identified as an important factor in various diseases ranging from neurological disorders, to diseases of the cardiovascular system and metabolic syndromes. MDF was also found in cancer as well as in cancer predisposition syndromes with defective DNA damage response (DDR) machinery. Moreover, a recent highlight arises from the detection of MDF in eukaryotic cells upon treatment with antibiotics. In this review, we focus on recent studies of MDF in pathological conditions with a particular emphasis on the effects of various classes of antibiotics on mitochondria. Special attention is given to the role of autophagy/mitophagy in MDF and repurposing antibiotics as anticancer drugs.
Is Exercise the Right Medicine for Dystrophic Muscle?

Introduction Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disease caused by a dystrophin protein deficiency. Dystrophin functions to stabilize and protect the muscle fiber during muscle contraction; thus, the absence of functional dystrophin protein leads to muscle injury. DMD patients experience progressive muscle necrosis, loss of function, and ultimately succumb to respiratory failure or cardiomyopathy. Exercise is known to improve muscle health and strength in healthy individuals as well as positively affect other systems. Because of this, exercise has been investigated as a potential therapeutic approach for DMD. Methods This review aims to provide a concise presentation of the exercise literature with a focus on dystrophin-deficient muscle. Our intent was to identify trends and gaps in knowledge with an appreciation of exercise modality. Results After compiling data from mouse and human studies, it became apparent that endurance exercises such as a swimming and voluntary wheel running have therapeutic potential in limb muscles of mice and respiratory training was beneficial in humans. However, in the comparatively few long-term investigations, the effect of low-intensity training on cardiac and respiratory muscles was contradictory. In addition, the effect of exercise on other systems is largely unknown. Conclusions To safely prescribe exercise as a therapy to DMD patients, multisystemic investigations are needed including the evaluation of respiratory and cardiac muscle.
Glial Growth Factor 2 protects doxorubicin exposed cardiomyocytes through BAD/Bcl-2 pathway activation

Neuregulin/erbB signalling is cardioprotective as seen in models of cardiotoxicity associated with the use of chemotherapeutics. Our studies reveal a function of Bcl-2 to protect cardiomyocytes concomitant with GGF2-induced increases in levels of phospho-BAD (pBAD) along with activation of PI3 kinase (PI3K) and MAP kinase (MAPK). We show that phosphorylation of BAD is dependent upon GGF2 mediated activation of PI3K. In addition, examination of mitochondrial gene expression shows several members of the Bcl-2 family are down-regulated by doxorubicin, while GGF2 is able to reverse this effect. While many in vitro model systems of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity have observed PI3K-dependent cytoprotective effects of neuregulin’s, the present results demonstrate that GGF2 mediates cytoprotective actions in HL-1 cardiomyocytes through regulation of mitochondrial mediated apoptosis via the PI3K/Bcl-2 pathway. Correspondence to: Maya Srinivas, Scientist, Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. 420, Saw Mill River Road, Ardsley, New York 10502, USA, Tel: 914-326-5120; Fax: 914495-7527; E-mail: msrinivas@acorda.com
Concordance between bronchial hyperresponsiveness, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, and asthma control in children

Previous studies on association between level of asthma control, markers of airway inflammation and the degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) have yielded conflicting results. Our aim was to determine the presence and severity of BHR and the concordance between BHR, asthma control, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in children with asthma on therapy.
Variable Temporal Integration of Stimulus Patterns in the Mouse Barrel Cortex

Abstract Making sense of the world requires distinguishing temporal patterns and sequences lasting hundreds of milliseconds or more. How cortical circuits integrate over time to represent specific sensory sequences remains elusive. Here we assessed whether neurons in the barrel cortex (BC) integrate information about temporal patterns of whisker movements. We performed cell‐attached recordings in anesthetized mice while delivering whisker deflections at variable intervals and compared the information carried by neurons about the latest interstimulus interval (reflecting sensitivity to instantaneous frequency) and earlier intervals (reflecting integration over timescales up to several hundred milliseconds). Neurons carried more information about the latest interval than earlier ones. The amount of temporal integration varied with neuronal responsiveness and with the cortical depth of the recording site, that is, with laminar location. A subset of neurons in the upper layers displayed the strongest integration. Highly responsive neurons in the deeper layers encoded the latest interval but integrated particularly weakly. Under these conditions, BC neurons act primarily as encoders of current stimulation parameters; however, our results suggest that temporal integration over hundreds of milliseconds can emerge in some neurons within BC.
Development of a Waterproof Crack-Based Stretchable Strain Sensor Based on PDMS Shielding

This paper details the design of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-shielded waterproof crack-based stretchable strain sensor, in which the electrical characteristics and sensing performance are not influenced by changes in humidity. This results in a higher number of potential applications for the sensor. A previously developed omni-purpose stretchable strain (OPSS) sensor was used as the basis for this work, which utilizes a metal cracking structure and provides a wide sensing range and high sensitivity. Changes in the conductivity of the OPSS sensor, based on humidity conditions, were investigated along with the potential possibility of using the design as a humidity sensor. However, to prevent conductivity variation, which can decrease the reliability and sensing ability of the OPSS sensor, PDMS was utilized as a shielding layer over the OPSS sensor. The PDMS-shielded OPSS sensor showed approximately the same electrical characteristics as previous designs, including in a high humidity environment, while maintaining its strain sensing capabilities. The developed sensor shows promise for use under high humidity conditions and in underwater applications. Therefore, considering its unique features and reliable sensing performance, the developed PDMS-shielded waterproof OPSS sensor has potential utility in a wide range of applications, such as motion monitoring, medical robotics and wearable healthcare devices.
Scalable Verification of Networks With Packet Transformers Using Atomic Predicates

Packet transformers are widely used in ISPs, datacenter infrastructures, and layer-2 networks. Existing network verification tools do not scale to large networks with transformers (e.g., MPLS, IP-in-IP, and NAT). Toward scalable verification, we conceived a novel packet equivalence relation. For networks with packet transformers, we first present a formal definition of the packet equivalence relation. Our transformer model is general, including most transformers used in real networks. We also present a new definition of atomic predicates that specify the coarsest equivalence classes of packets in the packet space. We designed an algorithm for computing these atomic predicates. We built a verifier, named Atomic Predicates for Transformers, and evaluated its performance using four network data sets with MPLS tunnels, IP-in-IP tunnels, and NATs. For a provider cone data set with 11.6 million forwarding rules, 92 routers, 1920 duplex ports, and 40 MPLS tunnels which use 170 transformers, APT used only 0.065 s, on average, to compute the reachability tree from a source port to all other ports for all packets and perform loop detection as well. For the Stanford and Internet2 data sets with NATs, APT is faster than HSA (Hassel in C implementation) by two to three orders of magnitude. By working with atomic predicates instead of individual packets, APT achieves verification performance gains by orders of magnitude.
Oxidized CaMKII (Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II) Is Essential for Ventricular Arrhythmia in a Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients are prone to ventricular arrhythmias, which may be caused by abnormal calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis and elevated reactive oxygen species. CaMKII (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) is vital for normal Ca2+ homeostasis, but excessive CaMKII activity contributes to abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis and arrhythmias in cardiomyocytes. Reactive oxygen species induce CaMKII to become autonomously active. We hypothesized that genetic inhibition of CaMKII oxidation (ox-CaMKII) in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy can alleviate abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis, thus, preventing ventricular arrhythmia. The objective of this study was to test if selective loss of ox-CaMKII affects ventricular arrhythmias in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Methods and Results: 5-(6)-Chloromethyl-2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining revealed increased reactive oxygen species production in ventricular myocytes isolated from mdx mice, which coincides with elevated ventricular ox-CaMKII demonstrated by Western blotting. Genetic inhibition of ox-CaMKII by knockin replacement of the regulatory domain methionines with valines (MM-VV [CaMKII M281/282V]) prevented ventricular tachycardia in mdx mice. Confocal calcium imaging of ventricular myocytes isolated from mdx:MM-VV mice revealed normalization of intracellular Ca2+ release events compared with cardiomyocytes from mdx mice. Abnormal action potentials assessed by optical mapping in mdx mice were also alleviated by genetic inhibition of ox-CaMKII. Knockout of the NADPH oxidase regulatory subunit p47phox normalized elevated ox-CaMKII, repaired intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, and rescued inducible ventricular arrhythmias in mdx mice. Conclusions: Inhibition of reactive oxygen species or ox-CaMKII protects against proarrhythmic intracellular Ca2+ handling and prevents ventricular arrhythmia in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Helicobacter pylori infection among patients with liver cirrhosis

Background and aim Inflammatory changes in the stomach caused by Helicobacter pylori indirectly and directly affect liver function. Moreover, the bacteria may worsen the course of the liver cirrhosis. The study aimed at evaluating the incidence of H. pylori infection among patients with liver cirrhosis, depending on the etiology and injury stage, scored according to Child–Pugh classification. Stage of esophageal varices and endoscopic inflammatory lesions in the stomach were evaluated, depending on the presence of H. pylori infection. Patients and methods The study included 147 patients with liver cirrhosis: 42 were infected with hepatitis C virus, 31 were infected with hepatitis B virus, 56 had alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and 18 had primary biliary cirrhosis. Diagnosis of H. pylori infection was performed based on the presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies in serum. Results H. pylori infection was found in 46.9% of patients. The incidence of H. pylori infection among patients with postinflammatory liver cirrhosis was significantly higher (P=0.001), as compared with patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Ammonia concentration was significantly higher in patients infected with H. pylori, compared with noninfected individuals (129 vs. 112 &mgr;mol/l; P=0.002). Incidence of H. pylori infection in patients without esophageal varices was significantly lower compared with patients with esophageal varices (14 vs. 60%; P<0.001). Conclusion H. pylori infection is significantly more frequent among patients with postinflammatory liver cirrhosis (infected with hepatitis C virus or hepatitis B virus) than in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis or primary biliary cirrhosis. H. pylori infection correlates with elevated concentration of blood ammonia and the incidence of esophageal varices.
Prevention of cardiomyopathy in delta-sarcoglycan knockout mice after systemic transfer of targeted adeno-associated viral vectors.

AIMS Delta-sarcoglycan is a member of the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex linking the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. Similar to patients with defects in the gene encoding delta-sarcoglycan (Sgcd), knockout mice develop cardiomyopathy and muscular dystrophy. The aim of our study was to develop an approach for preventing cardiomyopathy in Sgcd-deficient mice by cardiac expression of the intact cDNA upon systemic delivery of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors. METHODS AND RESULTS We packaged the Sgcd cDNA under transcriptional control of a myosin light chain-promoter fused with a cytomegalovirus enhancer into AAV-9 capsids. Vectors carrying either the Sgcd cDNA or an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter gene were intravenously injected into adult Sgcd knockout mice. After 6 months, immunohistochemistry revealed almost complete reconstitution of the sarcoglycan subcomplex in heart but not skeletal muscle of mice with the Sgcd vector. Furthermore, Sgcd gene transfer resulted in prevention of cardiac fibrosis and significantly increased running distance measured by voluntary wheel running. Left ventricular function remained stable in mice expressing Sgcd while it deteriorated in EGFP controls within 6 months, paralleled by increased expression of brain natriuretic peptide, a molecular marker of heart failure. CONCLUSION Our study establishes an approach to specifically treat hereditary cardiomyopathies by targeting gene expression into the myocardium upon systemic application of AAV vectors.
Low-Complexity Iterative MMSE-PIC Detection for MIMO-GFDM

Driven by 5G requirements, research on alternatives to the popular cyclic-prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CP-OFDM) waveform recently arose. In particular, non-orthogonal circularly filtered waveforms such as generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM) were proposed due to flexibility and robustness. Applying multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques for future wireless networks are unquestionable and thereby compulsory for any alternative waveform. Despite advancements in accurate MIMO detection algorithms for GFDM, compared with CP-OFDM their complexity still exhibited a higher order of magnitude, impeding an energy-efficient implementation. In this paper, we propose a low-complexity formulation for iterative minimum mean squared error with parallel interference cancellation (MMSE-PIC) detection for non-orthogonal waveforms with localized inter-carrier interference, where we focus on the application to MIMO-GFDM. The proposal achieves complexity similar to CP-OFDM and we evaluate its performance under realistic channel conditions with imperfect channel state information, where we obtain up to 2-dB gain of GFDM compared with OFDM. We confirm our findings by analyzing the measured extrinsic information transfer charts and show that the proposal achieves the performance of optimal maximum likelihood detection. The results point out the MMSE-PIC algorithm as a viable technique for iterative MIMO receiver implementations for non-orthogonal waveforms.
OF A NEW MULTIMODAL ANTIDEPRESSANT VORTIOXETINE

Vortioxetine is a novel antidepressant with two mechanisms of action – direct effect on several serotonin receptors and serotonin re-uptake inhibition. It shows antidepressant, anxiolytic and cognitive effects during the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of this article was to summarize the use of vortioxetine in clinical studies and assess the efficacy and tolerability. Most of the studies reported a statistically significant efficacy for vortioxetine versus placebo. In addition, vortioxetine showed efficacy in patients with an inadequate response to selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) or serotonin-noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors (SNRI) monotherapy and improved cognitive function in patients with MDD. In these studies, vortioxetine was well tolerated – most common observed adverse effect was nausea – and it was not associated with clinically important changes in laboratory test results or vital signs. Vortioxetine showed a relatively low incidence of sexual dysfunction.