Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Sensory Responses in Layer 2/3 of Rat Barrel Cortex Measured In Vivo by Voltage-Sensitive Dye Imaging Combined with Whole-Cell Voltage Recordings and Neuron Reconstructions

The spatiotemporal dynamics of the sensory response in layer 2/3 of primary somatosensory cortex evoked by a single brief whisker deflection was investigated by simultaneous voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging and whole-cell (WC) voltage recordings in the anesthetized rat combined with reconstructions of dendritic and axonal arbors of L2/3 pyramids. Single and dual WC recordings from pyramidal cells indicated a strong correlation between the local VSD population response and the simultaneously measured subthreshold postsynaptic potential changes in both amplitude and time course. The earliest VSD response was detected 10–12 msec after whisker deflection centered above the barrel isomorphic to the stimulated principal whisker. It was restricted horizontally to the size of a single barrel-column coextensive with the dendritic arbor of barrel-column-related pyramids in L2/3. The horizontal spread of excitation remained confined to a single barrel-column with weak whisker deflection. With intermediate deflections, excitation spread into adjacent barrel-columns, propagating twofold more rapidly along the rows of the barrel field than across the arcs, consistent with the preferred axonal arborizations in L2/3 of reconstructed pyramidal neurons. Finally, larger whisker deflections evoked excitation spreading over the entire barrel field within ∼50 msec before subsiding over the next ∼250 msec. Thus the subthreshold cortical map representing a whisker deflection is dynamic on the millisecond time scale and strongly depends on stimulus strength. The sequential spatiotemporal activation of the excitatory neuronal network in L2/3 by a simple sensory stimulus can thus be accounted for primarily by the columnar restriction of L4 to L2/3 excitatory connections and the axonal field of barrel-related pyramids.
Wars, Redistribution and Civilian Federal Expenditures in the Us Over the Twentieth Century

We provide empirical evidence on two, major war-related, regularities of U.S. fiscal policy. First, while during and around World War I there is a positive correlation between defense spending and civil non-defense spending, this correlation becomes negative during World War II. This may be explained by a combination of complementarities between defense and civilian spending that decrease with the size of government in conjunction with marginal tax distortions that increase with government's size. Second, during and around World War II there are, war-related, ratchets in transfers, veteran spending, taxes and revenues in the following sense. Invariably, the share of taxes and revenues in GDP goes up, and the share of transfers goes down, when the share of defense expenditures goes up. But taxes go down less and transfers go up more per unit change in defense expenditures when those expenditures go down at the war's conclusion than the amounts by which taxes go up and transfers go down during the buildup in defense expenditures at the beginning of the war effort. There is no evidence of such ratchets during and around World War I. Two, not necessarily mutually exclusive, explanations for these findings are: 1. The substantially higher franchise during World War II interacted with the crisis induced by the war to cause a permanent expansion of the welfare state. 2. The Great Depression permanently changed the norms of social justice and the interaction of this change with the experience of the War led to a more generous welfare state.
Multiscale Estimation of Leaf Area Index from Satellite Observations Based on an Ensemble Multiscale Filter

Currently, multiple leaf area index (LAI) products retrieved from remote sensing data are widely used in crop growth monitoring, land-surface process simulation and studies of climate change. However, most LAI products are only retrieved from individual satellite observations, which may result in spatial-temporal discontinuities and low accuracy in these products. In this paper, a new method was developed to simultaneously retrieve multiscale LAI data from satellite observations with different spatial resolutions based on an ensemble multiscale filter (EnMsF). The LAI average values corresponding to the date of satellite observations were calculated from the multi-year Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LAI product and were used as a priori knowledge for LAI in order to construct an initial ensemble multiscale tree (EnMsT). Satellite observations obtained at different spatial resolutions were then applied to update the LAI values at each node of the EnMsT using a two-sweep filtering procedure. Next, the retrieved LAI values at the finest scale were used as a priori knowledge for LAI for the new round of construction and updating of the EnMsT, until the sum of the difference of LAI values at each node of the EnMsT between two adjacent updates is less than a given threshold. The method was tested using Thematic Mapper (TM) or Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) surface reflectance data and MODIS surface reflectance data from five sites that have different vegetation types. The results demonstrate that the retrieved LAI values for each spatial resolution were in good agreement with the aggregated LAI reference map values for the corresponding spatial resolution. The retrieved LAI values at the coarsest scale provided better accuracy with the aggregated LAI reference map values (root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.45) compared with that obtained from the MODIS LAI values (RMSE = 1.30).
Adaptive evolution and segregating load contribute to the genomic landscape of divergence in two tree species connected by episodic gene flow

Speciation often involves repeated episodes of genetic contact between divergent populations before reproductive isolation (RI) is complete. Whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) holds great promise for unravelling the genomic bases of speciation. We have studied two ecologically divergent, hybridizing species of the ‘model tree’ genus Populus (poplars, aspens, cottonwoods), Populus alba and P. tremula, using >8.6 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from WGS of population pools. We used the genomic data to (i) scan these species’ genomes for regions of elevated and reduced divergence, (ii) assess key aspects of their joint demographic history based on genomewide site frequency spectra (SFS) and (iii) infer the potential roles of adaptive and deleterious coding mutations in shaping the genomic landscape of divergence. We identified numerous small, unevenly distributed genome regions without fixed polymorphisms despite high overall genomic differentiation. The joint SFS was best explained by ancient and repeated gene flow and allowed pinpointing candidate interspecific migrant tracts. The direction of selection (DoS) differed between genes in putative migrant tracts and the remainder of the genome, thus indicating the potential roles of adaptive divergence and segregating deleterious mutations on the evolution and breakdown of RI. Genes affected by positive selection during divergence were enriched for several functionally interesting groups, including well‐known candidate ‘speciation genes’ involved in plant innate immunity. Our results suggest that adaptive divergence affects RI in these hybridizing species mainly through intrinsic and demographic processes. Integrating genomic with molecular data holds great promise for revealing the effects of particular genetic pathways on speciation.
Feedback, Framing, Personality and Risk Attitude -- Experiments on Factors Affecting Financial Optimism

This paper explores whether and how feedback, framing, personality, and risk attitude could affect financial optimism in an enclosed experimental environment. Evidence in this paper shows that feedback on investment performance affects financial optimism depending on whether people forecast returns in absolute values or in relative terms. Financial optimism is increased upon receiving negative feedback when participants forecast in absolute values, while receiving negative feedback reduces financial optimism when participants forecast in relative terms on portfolio return. We find framing of the experiments affects one’s financial optimism level directly and forecasting in absolute terms is more likely to result in optimistic expectations. We also find financial optimism correlates with certain personality traits, such as extraversion, modesty and altruism. Financial optimism is also strongly positively associated with an attitude for risk tolerance.
COGNITIVE PROCESSES IN RESPONSE TO PROMOTION AND PREVENTION FAILURE: A STUDY OF MALADAPTIVE RUMINATION AND ITS AFFECTIVE CONSEQUENCES

COGNITIVE PROCESSES IN RESPONSE TO PROMOTION AND PREVENTION FAILURE: A STUDY OF MALADAPTIVE RUMINATION AND ITS AFFECTIVE CONSEQUENCES by Neil Patrick Jones Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________________ Timothy J. Strauman, Ph.D. Supervisor ___________________________ Tanya L. Chartrand, Ph.D. ___________________________ Philip R. Costanzo, Ph.D. ___________________________ Rick H. Hoyle, Ph.D. An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience in the Graduate School of Duke University 2007 Copyright by Neil Patrick Jones 2007
Serum protein-binding characteristics of vancomycin

A synthesis of studies of serum protein binding of vancomycin and its reported abnormal binding in serum with very high concentrations of immunoglobulin A (IgA) suggests that this antibiotic may be bound to more than one serum protein. Using an ultrafiltration method for separating free from bound drug and high-performance liquid chromatography to measure drug concentration, we studied the binding characteristics of vancomycin for alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, IgG, IgM, IgA, and albumin. The results showed that vancomycin does not bind to alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, IgG, or IgM. Major binding to albumin and IgA occurs, and total drug binding to serum proteins can be fully explained by binding to these two proteins. We calculated an N (number of binding sites per molecule) of 1.3 +/- 0.4 and a K (association constant) of 3.3 x 10(5) +/- 6.3 x 10(4) M-1 (NK = 4.3 x 10(5) M-1) for binding to IgA, whereas the corresponding NK value for albumin was only 527.5 M-1, indicating that vancomycin preferentially binds to IgA. Very high concentrations of IgA in serum (i.e., grams per deciliter), such as in patients with IgA myeloma, may result in the paradox of high (total) concentrations of vancomycin in serum that may be clinically ineffective.
Enhanced I kappa B alpha degradation is responsible for constitutive NF-kappa B activity in mature murine B-cell lines

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) is a ubiquitous transcription factor which binds to decameric DNA sequences (kappa B sites) and regulates transcription of multiple genes. The activity of NF-kappa B is regulated by an inhibitor protein, I kappa B, which sequesters NF-kappa B in the cytoplasm. Release of I kappa B and subsequent nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B generally require activating signals. However, in mature murine B cells, the DNA-binding activity of NF-kappa B is constitutively nuclear and activates the Ig kappa gene, a marker for mature B cells. To understand the basis for the constitutive NF-kappa B activation, we examined the properties of NF-kappa B and I kappa B in both pre-B and mature B cells, the regulated and constitutive states, respectively. We found that expression of I kappa B alpha and p105, members of the I kappa B family, and Rel, a member of the NF-kappa B family, is augmented in mature B cells. Both I kappa B alpha and p 105 are associated with NF-kappa B proteins and sequester most of these proteins in the cytoplasm of mature B cells. However, rapid I kappa B alpha dissociation and degradation lead to continuous nuclear translocation of a small fraction of NF-kappa B proteins, which represent the constitutively active NF-kappa B in mature B cells. We estimate that the protease activity is at least 35-fold greater in mature B cells than in pre-B cells. Rapid degradation of I kappa B alpha is directly involved in constitutive NF-kappa B activation, because stabilization of I kappa B alpha by a protease inhibitor causes loss of NF-kappa B activity in mature B cells. These results provide evidence that continuous and rapid degradation of I kappa B alpha in the absence pf external stimuli is causally involved in the constitutive activation of NF-kappa B in mature murine B cells.
Independently evolved upper jaw protrusion mechanisms show convergent hydrodynamic function in teleost fishes

SUMMARY A protrusible upper jaw has independently evolved multiple times within teleosts and has been implicated in the success of two groups in particular: Acanthomorpha and Cypriniformes. We use digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) to compare suction feeding flow dynamics in a representative of each of these clades: goldfish and bluegill. Using DPIV, we contrast the spatial pattern of flow, the temporal relationship between flow and head kinematics, and the contribution of jaw protrusion to the forces exerted on prey. As expected, the spatial patterns of flow were similar in the two species. However, goldfish were slower to reach maximal kinematic excursions, and were more flexible in the relative timing of jaw protrusion, other jaw movements and suction flows. Goldfish were also able to sustain flow speeds for a prolonged period of time as compared with bluegill, in part because goldfish generate lower peak flow speeds. In both species, jaw protrusion increased the force exerted on the prey. However, slower jaw protrusion in goldfish resulted in less augmentation of suction forces. This difference in force exerted on prey corresponds with differences in trophic niches and feeding behavior of the two species. The bluegill uses powerful suction to capture insect larvae whereas the goldfish uses winnowing to sort through detritus and sediment. The kinethmoid of goldfish may permit jaw protrusion that is independent of lower jaw movement, which could explain the ability of goldfish to decouple suction flows (due to buccal expansion) from upper jaw protrusion. Nevertheless, our results show that jaw protrusion allows both species to augment the force exerted on prey, suggesting that this is a fundamental benefit of jaw protrusion to suction feeders.
Introduction. Pliocene climate, processes and problems

Climate predictions produced by numerical climate models, often referred to as general circulation models (GCMs), suggest that by the end of the twenty-first century global mean annual surface air temperatures will increase by 1.1–6.4°C. Trace gas records from ice cores indicate that atmospheric concentrations of CO2 are already higher than at any time during the last 650 000 years. In the next 50 years, atmospheric CO2 concentrations are expected to reach a level not encountered since an epoch of time known as the Pliocene. Uniformitarianism is a key principle of geological science, but can the past also be a guide to the future? To what extent does an examination of the Pliocene geological record enable us to successfully understand and interpret this guide? How reliable are the ‘retrodictions’ of Pliocene climates produced by GCMs and what does this tell us about the accuracy of model predictions for the future? These questions provide the scientific rationale for this Theme Issue.
Affective events - emotions matrix: a classification of work events and associated emotions

Bond University was established by Act of Parliament in 1987 as an independent,private University. The first student intake occurred in May 1989. The School ofBusiness offers degrees in undergraduate and graduate levels.UndergraduateBachelor of CommerceBachelor of Hospitality ManagementBachelor of International BusinessBachelor of Information SystemsDiploma of BusinessPostgraduateMaster of Business AdministrationMaster of AccountingMaster of CommerceMaster of Technology ManagementMaster of International BusinessMaster of Intemationai ManagementDoctor of PhilosophyThe School teaches and sponsors research in accounting, economics, econometrics,finance, marketing, management, organisational behaviour and related disciplines inhospitality and international business.The Discussion Paper series is intended to foster research and comments are invited.The views expressed in the papers are the opinion of the authors and do not necessarilyreflect the views of the School or the University.Copies of the papers (which are free of charge) may be obtained from:
Working Paper No. 13-9 Worker Flows and Job Flows: a Quantitative Investigation Shigeru Fujita Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Makoto Nakajima Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Worker Flows and Job Flows: a Quantitative Investigation

This paper studies the quantitative properties of a multiple-worker firm matching model with on-the-job search where heterogeneous firms operate decreasing-returns-to-scale production technology. We focus on the model's ability to replicate the business cycle features of job flows, worker flows between employment and unemployment, and job-to-job transitions. The calibrated model successfully replicates (i) countercycli-cal worker flows between employment and unemployment, (ii) procyclical job-to-job transitions, and (iii) opposite movements of job creation and destruction rates over the business cycle. The cyclical properties of worker flows between employment and unemployment differ from those of job flows, partly because of the presence of job-to-job transitions. We also show, however, that job flows measured by net employment changes differ significantly from total worker separation and accession rates, because separations also occur at firms with positive net employment changes, and similarly firms that are shrinking on net may hire workers to partially offset attritions. The presence of job-to-job transitions is the key to producing these differences. and ZEW conference on Recent Development in Macroeconomics. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia or the Federal Reserve System.
The discharge current through the dielectric film in MEMS capacitive switches

A new method to determine the bulk discharge current in the dielectric film of MEMS capacitive switches is presented. The method is based on the elementary theory of the discharge process in dielectric materials and the physical model of MEMS capacitive switches with non uniform trapped charge and air gap distributions. The shift of the bias for the minimum of the pull-up capacitance allows the calculation of current densities in the order of picoAmpere per unit area. Assessment of switches with silicon nitride dielectric film shows that the discharge current transient obeys the stretched exponential law. Finally the proposed method is applied to assess the discharge of electrical stressed devices.
1 The trench effect and eruptive wildfires : lessons from the King ’ s Cross Underground disaster .

Fire eruption (also known as ‘blow-up’ or ‘flare-up’) is a very dangerous aspect of wildland fire behaviour. It poses a significant threat to the safety of wildland fire-fighters and complicates the broader problem of wildfire risk management in complex terrain. Despite the seriousness of eruptive fire events, operational wildland fire spread models generally do not account for the possibility of these events occurring and there is little in the literature devoted to obtaining a model that consistently describes the phenomenon. To address this situation international researchers have recently proposed models that account for eruptive fire behaviour as a feedback process, with possible mediation by other factors. One such factor is flame attachment to steep slopes. The concept of flame attachment is also of interest in the structural fire-fighting context. For example, it is a key component of the so-called ‘trench effect’ which is a well established mechanism for fire propagation on enclosed slopes such as escalators or stairwells in building structures. Studies into structural fires have revealed that the trench effect can produce extreme fire behaviour and rapid fire spread, as was apparent in the 1987 Kings Cross (London) Underground fire disaster, for example. Despite the well known implications of the trench effect in the structural fire context it has received little attention in the wildfire context. We therefore consider the trench effect in a wildfire context as a possible trigger for eruptive fire behaviour. In particular we consider the findings of a number of inquiries into fatal and near-fatal incidents apparently involving eruptive fire behaviour and discuss the possible involvement of a landscape-scale trench effect in these incidents.
Analysis of Heterogeneous Wireless Networks Using Poisson Hard-Core Hole Process

The Poisson point process (PPP) has been widely employed to model wireless networks and analyze their performance. The PPP has the property that nodes are conditionally independent from each other. As such, it may not be a suitable model for many networks, where there exists repulsion among the nodes. In order to address this limitation, we adopt a Poisson hardcore process (PHCP), in which no two nodes can be closer than a repulsion radius from one another. We consider two-tier heterogeneous networks, where the spatial distributions of transmitters in the first-tier and the second-tier networks follow a PHCP and a PPP, respectively. To alleviate inter-tier interference, we consider a guard zone for the first-tier network and presume that the second-tier transmitters located in the zone are deactivated. Under this setup, the activated second-tier transmitters form a Poisson hard-core hole process. We first derive exact computable expressions of the coverage probability and introduce a method to efficiently evaluate the expressions. Then, we provide approximations of the coverage probability, which have lower computational complexities. In addition, as a special case, we investigate the coverage probability of single-tier networks by modeling the locations of transmitters as a PHCP.
Social Learning Opportunities and the Financial Behaviors of College Students

This study explores the relationship between financial social learning opportunities and financial behaviors of college students. Data were collected from 15,797 college students age 18 and over throughout the United States during spring and fall semesters of 2008. Financial behaviors were related to age, race, marital status, school rank, income level, loan amount, and qualification for financial aid. Results suggest important relationships exist between financial behaviors and financial social learning opportunities. Students who budget and save tended to have higher scores on the social learning opportunities indices than those who do not budget and save. Financial behaviors were positively related to social learning opportunities when controlling for demographic and financial characteristics.