Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional MRI of long-term potentiation: imaging network plasticity

Neurons are able to express long-lasting and activity-dependent modulations of their synapses. This plastic property supports memory and conveys an extraordinary adaptive value, because it allows an individual to learn from, and respond to, changes in the environment. Molecular and physiological changes at the cellular level as well as network interactions are required in order to encode a pattern of synaptic activity into a long-term memory. While the cellular mechanisms linking synaptic plasticity to memory have been intensively studied, those regulating network interactions have received less attention. Combining high-resolution fMRI and in vivo electrophysiology in rats, we have previously reported a functional remodelling of long-range hippocampal networks induced by long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic plasticity in the perforant pathway. Here, we present new results demonstrating an increased bilateral coupling in the hippocampus specifically supported by the mossy cell commissural/associational pathway in response to LTP. This fMRI-measured increase in bilateral connectivity is accompanied by potentiation of the corresponding polysynaptically evoked commissural potential in the contralateral dentate gyrus and depression of the inactive convergent commissural pathway to the ipsilateral dentate. We review these and previous findings in the broader context of memory consolidation.
Separation of multiple time delays using new spectral estimation schemes

The problem of estimating multiple time delays in presence of colored noise is considered. This problem is first converted to a high-resolution frequency estimation problem. Then, the sample lagged covariance matrices of the resulting signal are computed and studied in terms of their eigenstructure. These matrices are shown to be as effective in extracting bases for the signal and noise subspaces as the standard autocorrelation matrix, which is normally used in MUSIC and the pencil-based methods. Frequency estimators are then derived using these subspaces. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated on two examples: a standard frequency estimation problem in presence of colored noise and a real-world problem that involves separation of multiple specular components from the acoustic backscattered from an underwater target.
Seropositivity to Chlamydia pneumoniae Is Associated With Risk of First Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose— Serologic evidence of infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae has been associated with cardiovascular disease, but its relationship with stroke risk remains uncertain. The objective of this study is to determine whether serological evidence of C pneumoniae infection is associated with risk of ischemic stroke. Methods— A population-based case-control study was performed in an urban, multiethnic population. Cases (n=246) had first ischemic stroke, and controls (n=474) matched for age, sex, and race–ethnicity were derived through random-digit dialing. Titers of C pneumoniae–specific IgG and IgA antibodies were measured using microimmunofluorescence, and positive titers were prospectively defined. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs adjusting for medical, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors. Results— Mean age among cases was 72.3±9.7 years; 50.8% were women. Elevated C pneumoniae IgA titers were associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke after adjusting for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, current cigarette use, atrial fibrillation, and levels of high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein (adjusted OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0 to 2.2). Elevated IgG titers were not associated with stroke risk (adjusted OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.8 to 1.8). There was a trend toward an association of elevated IgA titers with atherosclerotic and lacunar stroke but less so cardioembolic or cryptogenic subtypes. Conclusions— Serologic evidence of C pneumoniae infection is associated with ischemic stroke risk. IgA titers may be a better marker of risk than IgG. This association is independent of other stroke risk factors and is present for atherosclerotic, lacunar, and cardioembolic subypes. Further studies of the effect of C pneumoniae on stroke risk are warranted.
Modeling enjoyment preference from physiological responses in a car racing game

We propose a framework to estimate player enjoyment preference from physiological signals. This can produce objective measures that could be used to adapt dynamically a game to maintain the player in an optimal status of enjoyment. We present a case study on The Open Racing Car Simulator (TORCS) video game. In particular, we focus both on the experimental protocol, which we designed with special attention to produce physiological responses related to the game experience only, and on signal analysis, which produces a simple and general model good enough to estimate player enjoyment preference in real applications.
Influence of environmental enrichment and handling on the acute stress response in individually housed mice

In this study we investigated the effect of environmental enrichment and handling on the acute physiological stress response caused by short periods of restraint in individually housed female mice. Heart rate (HR) and body temperature (BT) were measured by radiotelemetry and compared with plasma corticosterone (pCORT) levels. Also, postmortem thymus weight and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity were assessed. The acute stress response was seen in both HR and BT. Enrichment and handling were found to increase rather than decrease this stress response, but pCORT values, measured 90 min after restraint, suggested a lower stress response in the enriched groups. No effect was found with thymus weight or TH as parameters.
Very High Accuracy Velocity Estimation using Orientation Tensors Parametric Motion and Simultaneous Segmentation of the Motion Field

In a previous paper, the author presented a new velocity estimation algorithm, using orientation tensors and parametric motion models to provide both fast and accurate results. One of the tradeoffs between accuracy and speed was that no attempts were made to obtain regions of coherent motion when estimating the parametric models. In this paper we show how this can be improved by doing a simultaneous segmentation of the motion field. The resulting algorithm is slower than the previous one, but more accurate. This is shown by evaluation on the well-known Yosemite sequence, where already the previous algorithm showed an accuracy which was substantially better than for earlier published methods. This result has now been improved further.
Rapid acquisition pair distribution function (RA-PDF) analysis.

An image-plate (IP) detector coupled with high-energy synchrotron radiation was used for atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, with high probed momentum transfer Qmax ≤ 28.5 A−1, from crystalline materials. Materials with different structural complexities were measured to test the validity of the quantitative data analysis. Experimental results are presented for crystalline Ni, crystalline α-AlF3, and the layered Aurivillius type oxides α-Bi4V2O11 and γ-Bi4V1.7Ti0. 3O10.85. Overall, the diffraction patterns show good counting statistics, with measuring time from one to tens of seconds. The PDFs obtained are of high quality. Structures may be refined from these PDFs, and the structural models are consistent with the published literature. Data sets from similar samples are highly reproducible.
Neuronal membrane cholesterol loss enhances amyloid peptide generation

Recent experimental and clinical retrospective studies support the view that reduction of brain cholesterol protects against Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, genetic and pharmacological evidence indicates that low brain cholesterol leads to neurodegeneration. This apparent contradiction prompted us to analyze the role of neuronal cholesterol in amyloid peptide generation in experimental systems that closely resemble physiological and pathological situations. We show that, in the hippocampus of control human and transgenic mice, only a small pool of endogenous APP and its β-secretase, BACE 1, are found in the same membrane environment. Much higher levels of BACE 1–APP colocalization is found in hippocampal membranes from AD patients or in rodent hippocampal neurons with a moderate reduction of membrane cholesterol. Their increased colocalization is associated with elevated production of amyloid peptide. These results suggest that loss of neuronal membrane cholesterol contributes to excessive amyloidogenesis in AD and pave the way for the identification of the cause of cholesterol loss and for the development of specific therapeutic strategies.
Continuous Ramsey Theory on Polish Spaces and Covering the plane by Functions

We investigate the Ramsey theory of continuous graph-structures on complete, separable metric spaces and apply the results to the problem of covering a plane by functions. Let the homogeneity number hm(c) of a pair-coloring c : (X) 2 ! 2 be the number of c-homogeneous subsets of X needed to cover X. We isolate two continuous pair-colorings on the Cantor space 2 ! , cmin and cmax, which satisfy hm(cmin) hm(cmax) and prove:
CONTROL STRATEGIES TO REDUCE PREHARVEST RAT DAMAGE IN BANGLADESH

Author(s): Sultana, Parvin; Jaeger, Michael M. | Abstract: The principal objective of this study was to determine when during the year the control of bandicoot rats would be most cost-effective under the agricultural conditions existing in Bangladesh. An annual cycle in the rise and fall of burrow density was found. This argues for a management strategy directed at reducing rat damage at a specific time period within the year as opposed to a strategy of continuous population reduction. A model predicting rat damage was developed based on monthly estimates of burrow densities in rice and wheat; and projected losses were compared among the four major cereal growing seasons (aman, boro, and aus rice, and wheat). The net benefit of control is predicted to be greatest during the aman rice season in both of the major agroecosystems occurring in Bangladesh.
Intercessory prayer for the alleviation of ill health.

BACKGROUND Prayer is an ancient and widely used intervention for alleviating illness and promoting good health. Whilst the outcomes of trials of prayer cannot be interpreted as 'proof/disproof' of God's response to those praying, there may be an effect of prayer not dependent on divine intervention. This may be quantifiable; which makes this investigation of a widely used health care intervention both possible and important. OBJECTIVES To review the effectiveness of intercessory prayer as an additional intervention for those with health problems already receiving standard medical care. SEARCH STRATEGY We systematically searched ten databases (June 2005). SELECTION CRITERIA We included any randomised trial of personal, focused, committed and organised intercessory prayer with those interceding holding some belief that they are praying to a God. This prayer should be offered on behalf of anyone with health problems. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We extracted data independently and analysed on an intention to treat basis calculating, for binary data, the fixed effect relative risk (RR), their 95% confidence intervals (CI), and the number needed to treat or harm (NNT or NNH). MAIN RESULTS Ten studies are now included (n=7646). We found a slight difference between groups, favouring prayer for death (6 RCTs, N=6782, RR 0.88 CI 0.80 to 0.97, NNT 42 CI 25 to 167, I(2 )83%) but no differences between groups for clinical state, complications or leaving the study early. Individual studies did find some effects. One trial separated death data into 'high' and 'low' risk and found prayer had a positive effect on those at 'high' risk of death (1 RCT, N=445, RR 0.3 CI 0.2 to 0.46, NNT 8 CI 7 to 11). A second study found a positive effect of prayer on women undergoing IVF treatment with significantly more successful implantations in the prayer group compared with standard care (1 RCT, n=169, RR 0.68 CI 0.53 to 0.86, NNT 5 CI 3 to 10). A larger study assessed the effect of awareness of prayer and found those aware of receiving prayer had significantly more post operative complications than those not receiving prayer (1 RCT, n=1198, RR 1.15 CI 1.04 to 1.28, NNH 14 CI 8 to 50) and those uncertain if they were receiving prayer (1 RCT, n=1205, RR 1.12 CI 1.01 to 1.24, NNH 17 CI 9 to 201) AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS It is not sensible to interpret any of the interesting results with great confidence. However, for women hoping for successful IVF treatment there are some data suggesting a favourable outcome of prayer but these data are derived from only one of the smaller trials. On the other hand, one of the larger studies suggests that those undergoing operations may not wish to know of the prayer that is being offered on their behalf. Most data are equivocal. The evidence presented so far is interesting enough to justify further study into the human aspects of the effects of prayer. However it is impossible to prove or disprove in trials any supposed benefit that derives from God's response to prayer.
Cassandra and SQL database comparison for near real-time Twitter data warehouse

In the era of Big Data, social media analysis has grown extremely popular. Twitter, one of the most popular social media, is believed to contain many user opinion in its message. Thus, leading organizations start utilizing its data using social media analytic tools to get in-sight of their markets in real-time. However, many Twitter analytic tools are still specified only in some specific tasks. Therefore, in order to enhance the possibility of doing many analysis on Twitter, a data warehouse technology can be utilized to receive, process, and store a real-time Twitter streams. Nonetheless, data warehouse development using relational database start to show its limit on storing big data let alone real-time. Hence, NoSQL (Not Only SQL) technology has emerged as an alternative solution. In this paper, we try to develop near real-time Twitter data warehouse using NoSQL database, Cassandra, and compare its storing and querying performance with that developed using relational databases. The results show that Cassandra performs significantly better in storing data than the relational databases. Meanwhile, in its querying performance, Cassandra is slower while using small data but way faster on vast data.
Advance directives and life-sustaining treatment: attitudes of Hong Kong Chinese elders with chronic disease.

OBJECTIVE To examine the attitudes of Hong Kong Chinese elders with chronic disease with regard to advance directives and life-sustaining treatment. DESIGN Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. SETTING Medical unit of a regional teaching hospital in Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS In-patients aged 60 years or above with chronic disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Demographic profiles and attitudes towards advance directives and life-sustaining treatment. RESULTS A total of 219 elderly patients completed the questionnaire. Their mean age was 73 (standard deviation, 8) years; 133 (61%) were female. The majority had neither heard about advance directives (81%), nor discussed the issue with others (73%) before participating in this study. After they were informed of the concept of advance directives, about half (49%) said they would consider using it if it is legislated in Hong Kong. The respondents generally supported the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment in medically futile situations. In all, 55% of them believed that the patient alone should make the decision on withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, if competent to do so. If the patient became not competent, 44% believed that the individual's family alone should make such a decision. CONCLUSION The fact that most of the respondents had never heard about advance directives or discussed the concept with others points to a lack of knowledge and to the necessity to step up public education about such issues.
SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Evidence Base for 2016 Updated Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment

Approximately 3500 infants die annually in the United States from sleep-related infant deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), ill-defined deaths, and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. After an initial decrease in the 1990s, the overall sleep-related infant death rate has not declined in more recent years. Many of the modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths are strikingly similar. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a safe sleep environment that can reduce the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths. Recommendations for a safe sleep environment include supine positioning, use of a firm sleep surface, room-sharing without bed-sharing, and avoidance of soft bedding and overheating. Additional recommendations for SIDS risk reduction include avoidance of exposure to smoke, alcohol, and illicit drugs; breastfeeding; routine immunization; and use of a pacifier. New evidence and rationale for recommendations are presented for skin-to-skin care for newborn infants, bedside and in-bed sleepers, sleeping on couches/armchairs and in sitting devices, and use of soft bedding after 4 months of age. In addition, expanded recommendations for infant sleep location are included. The recommendations and strength of evidence for each recommendation are published in the accompanying policy statement, “SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2016 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment,” which is included in this issue.
The bouquet of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon) flowers arises from the biosynthesis of sesquiterpene volatiles in pollen grains

Terpenoid volatiles are important information molecules that enable pollinators to locate flowers and may protect reproductive tissues against pathogens or herbivores. Inflorescences of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) are composed of tiny green flowers that produce an abundance of sesquiterpenoid volatiles. We demonstrate that male flower parts of grapevines are responsible for sesquiterpenoid floral scent formation. We describe temporal and spatial patterns of biosynthesis and release of floral volatiles throughout the blooming of V. vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon. The biosynthesis of sesquiterpene volatiles, which are emitted with a light-dependent diurnal pattern early in the morning at prebloom and bloom, is localized to anthers and, more specifically, within the developing pollen grains. Valencene synthase (VvValCS) enzyme activity, which produces the major sesquiterpene volatiles of grapevine flowers, is present in anthers. VvValCS transcripts are most abundant in flowers at prebloom stages. Western blot analysis identified VvValCS protein in anthers, and in situ immunolabeling located VvValCS protein in pollen grains during bloom. Histochemical staining, as well as immunolabeling analysis by fluorescent microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, indicated that VvValCS localizes close to lipid bodies within the maturing microspore.
Comparison of dexmedetomidine with pentobarbital for pediatric MRI sedation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Intravenous pentobarbital has been used in the past to sedate pediatric patients in preparation for MRI; however, the drug has unpredictable sedation time. Dexmedetomidine, because of its short half-life, is gaining popularity for pediatric MRI sedation in settings where the use of propofol is restricted for nonanesthesiologists. The objective was to compare induction time, recovery time, total sedation time, sedation failure rate, and adverse outcomes of patients sedated with pentobarbital and dexmedetomidine in preparation for pediatric MRI. METHODS We reviewed a sedation database that contains clinical data for all children undergoing MRI studies while sedated with pentobarbital or dexmedetomidine between May 15, 2008, and October 30, 2010. RESULTS During the study period, 281 sedations were induced in preparation for MRI (160 with pentobarbital, and 121 with dexmedetomidine). The 2 groups were comparable with regard to age, weight, gender, and American Society of Anesthesiologists status. The dexmedetomidine group had a significantly shorter recovery time (39 ± 21 vs 49 ± 27 minutes [P = .002]) and total sedation time (107 ± 28 vs 157 ± 44 minutes [P = .0001]). Induction time was similar between the groups. The adverse event rate for the study population was 3%. CONCLUSIONS Dexmedetomidine and pentobarbital can both be used successfully for MRI sedation in children. However, dexmedetomidine had a significantly shorter recovery time and total sedation time in our population.
Using Word Familiarities and Word Associations to Measure Corpus Representativeness

The definition of corpus representativeness used here assumes that a representative corpus should reflect as well as possible the average language use a native speaker encounters in everyday life over a longer period of time. As it is not practical to observe people’s language input over years, we suggest to utilize two types of experimental data capturing two forms of human intuitions: Word familiarity norms and word association norms. If it is true that human language acquisition is corpus-based, such data should reflect people’s perceived language input. Assuming so, we compute a representativeness score for a corpus by extracting word frequency and word association statistics from it and by comparing these statistics to the human data. The higher the similarity, the more representative the corpus should be for the language environments of the test persons. We present results for five different corpora and for truncated versions thereof. The results confirm the expectation that corpus size and corpus balance are crucial aspects for corpus representativeness.
The impact of sex ratio and economic status on local birth rates

Human mating and reproductive behaviour can vary depending on various mechanisms, including the local sex ratio. Previous research shows that as sex ratios become female-biased, women from economically deprived areas are less likely to delay reproductive opportunities to wait for a high-investing mate but instead begin their reproductive careers sooner. Here, we show that the local sex ratio also has an impact on female fertility schedules. At young ages, a female-biased ratio is associated with higher birth rates in the poorest areas, whereas the opposite is true for the richest areas. At older ages, a female-biased ratio is associated with higher birth rates in the richest, but not the poorest areas. These patterns suggest that female–female competition encourages poorer women to adopt a fast life-history strategy and give birth early, and richer women to adopt a slow life-history strategy and delay reproduction.